Your staff are your gift

Posted on December 3, 2016 | Leave a comment

One day I will blog about all the changes that have happened in the last few years when I stopped blogging.  One day.   But not today….

I was driving home from work yesterday and I was thinking about what I have learned in the last few years.  Specifically, I was thinking about the parallels between my role as a people and program manager to the role I have as mom, daughter, sister, girlfriend and friend.  Think about it….as a manager, I am a coach and a mentor to drive the company ahead with their strategic vision and goals.  My key function is to bring out the best in my team to ensure they reach the organizations goals and objectives.  Provide them with the tools to be successful in their jobs.  Instill a concept of positive culture and learning.

As a mom, I am a coach where I teach my kids the difference between right and wrong, educate them about how to be a “good person” and how to foster their emotional and intellectual growth.

As a daughter, I show empathy, understanding and am a key supporter for my mom.  I listen, I hug, I share stories and I walk away from my mom after my visits with the belief that I have made a difference in her day and have brought her some joy with our talks and love.

As a girlfriend, there is a collaboration to foster growth.  I am a segment of a partnership that enriches emotional and personal independence and as we grow together, we tackle challenges and obstacles regularly.  We problem solve and attempt to resolve.

Relationships are the same.  People are the same.  How we deal with our staff should be the same as how we deal with the loved ones in our lives-with respect, dignity and support.  People who work for me know that I support them.  They know that I will back them up and they know that I am there to foster their growth.  That is one of the reasons why I am a good leader for my team.  I provide vision and a path for the team to get there.  Much as I am creating the vision in my relationships, I am creating the vision of the business.  How I encourage and instill the drive in my staff to get there is my responsibility.

If you are a people manager, the staff who work for you are there for you to nurture and mold to be better.  Everything you do, they  will remember how it made them feel.  Your staff are not just a catalyst for you to dictate and direct.  They are a gift.  A gift for you to learn and grow from.

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Eating tips to contol your appetite

 

Whenever I woke up on the weekend, my mom always told me to eat breakfast-“Its the most important meal of the day”.  Well, as it seems, she was absolutely right.  Here are some other tips as to when you should eat over the course of the day as stated by Women’s Health Magazine.

  • Aim to eat every 3-4 hours-By eating frequently, you will improve your fat loss by preventing excess insulin, allowing leptin (essential in the regulation of appetite and metabolism) to work it’s magic and by balancing stress.
  • Eat within 1 hour of waking up-When you skip breakfast, you loose the benefit of stimulating your metabolism.  You are also more likely to eat unbalanced meals and more calories.  Missing out on breakfast also increases stress hormones.
  • Never eat within 3 hours of going to bed-Eating too close to bedtime increases blood sugar and insulin, prevents the release of melatonin (which may prevent you from sleeping well) and the natural fat-burning benefits of a good night’s rest.  It may also lead to overeating the next day as it leads to greater cravings.
  • Start the day with protein-This will curb your appetite throughout the day.  Start the day with an egg and notice that you will eat less through the day.
  • Eat protein first-When you eat your protein first, it will help speed the signal to your brain that you are full

 

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Posted on September 8, 2014 in Food

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What are you going to do about it?

Posted on August 31, 2014 | 2 comments

We all go through change.  Change is the only constant in our world, that and taxes, but that is for someone else to blog about!

How we deal with change will either keep you stagnant and potentially bitter, or, you can shift your mindset and embrace change to see the opportunity that change is presenting to you.

Me?

Well, I have had a lot of change that has happened in the last 3 years and at first, I embraced it and ran with it, relishing the opportunities and had all the passion that I could bring forth.  Then, after more change, and more change, I became stagnant, bitter and wondering what I could do just to survive.

So today’s blog is for those of you out there who are going through a life change but can not see where to go, how to get out or how to even survive-metaphorically speaking.

3 years ago, I lost my job.  A good job but not one that I particularly enjoyed.  Shortly thereafter, I decided to created my own business.  I had a vision, I had passion and I had a drive that was completely unstoppable.  Within 6 months of my business being created and having a few clients, I became separated from my husband and realized that I had to support my 2 kids on my own.  I was not going to be able to do that on the salary that I made from my new business, and had to find a job.  In so doing, I moved out, lived with a girlfriend and began to focus on my business.  I ended up meeting someone who was extremely supportive and loved to hear me talk about my dreams and how far I was going to take my business and how I was going to reinvent myself.  I found a job and believed that I could do this new job while growing my business, however, the job was much more time consuming than I bargained for.  9-10 hours a day I was at work.  Then I got a promotion.  10-12 hours a day I was at work.  With the promotion came a pay increase which allowed me to get my own place-a 2 bedroom condo for my kids and I.  The week that I had the kids, I worked regular hours, and brought work home to complete in the evenings, and the week that I did not have the kids, I was there 10-12 hours a day.  I became bitter.  I felt that I was owed more and that I was deserving of more, but I could not find the time to get more.  My business took a backseat to my job and my kids.

Over time (about 2 years to be exact) my passion for my business eroded and my drive to build my empire was a vision only I could see through the haze and the necessary tasks to keep my life together.  I was lost.  My vision was gone.  My goals seemed unattainable and I found myself in debt.  A lot of debt.  I thought, I just have to get through this.  I just have to survive.

This week, the  I am with (and yes, after a couple of years, he has stood by and supported me) got angry.  Not just angry, he was disillusioned.  “What happened to the woman I fell in love with?  What happened to your passion and your drive?  What happened…?”  I was furious.  I was stunned and I was completely caught off guard.  I told him I still had passion, I still had my dream but reality has taken over and I have had a ton of change happen in a very short period of time.  I am doing the best that I can just to survive.  Then he said the phrase that hit home-“What are you going to do about it?”

What does that mean?  I am working.  I am feeding my kids.  I am paying my bills.  I am busy trying to make a life with the little that I have.  I have no time…

Survive.  Who wants to survive?  Who wants to just exist while the world continues to change around you?  The world continues to change and opportunities are continuously being provided to you.  But you have to be willing to have an open mind and a willingness to go with the change and embrace the reality of your surroundings.

I thought a lot about our conversation.  I thought about it all week.  At first as I mentioned, I was of the mindset “don’t you see how hard this is?  Don’t you see how I have no time to do what I want to do because I am so busy surviving?”  After rationalizing the situation and stroking the poor me ego, there was a moment where I flipped a switch and thought…”Well, yes, I am in debt.  What am I going to do about it?  I have lost my passion.  What am I going to do about it?  I have lost my drive.  What am I going to do about  it?”  This was entirely in my hands, not to be blamed on circumstance.  I have the control.

Once I realized that I have pacified “poor me” long enough, I changed my mind set.  I am not going to “let” this happen to me.  I am not going to be in debt when I am a smart person with opportunity occurring all around me.  What are those opportunities?  What do I need to learn from this?  How can I use my skills not just survive, but to live the life that I want and that I have worked hard for?

I decided to go to a networking event.  Not just any networking event, but a Pinkpreneur networking event which is a group that I helped to create back when I embraced my passion.  There, I met 2 women who I instantly connected with and not to be deterred, I set up a meeting with one that week.  We talked for 2 hours about our businesses, what brought us to the place that we are at and lo and behold, opportunity was looking us in the face.  Since that meeting, I have seen the glimmer of the passion that I used to emulate.  I have seen opportunity waiting for me to embrace.  And I have shifted my mind set to believe that with every challenge, every life change and every event that is initially perceived as negative as an opportunity.  An opportunity for growth.  An opportunity for self definement and an opportunity to be strong and redefine my values, passion and drive.  I have learned that one little question, “what are you going to do about it?” is not a put down, it is a challenge.  It is a chance to look deep within myself and draw on strength that has been dormant for 2 years.

If you are reading this and wondering what value this has for you, ask yourself, how long you are going to “let things happen to you”, how long are you going to stroke your ego of “poor me”, how long are you going to wait before stepping outside of your comfort zone to put energy into something that you truly believe in.  I waited 2 years.  Don’t wait that long….

 

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“I can’t cook!”

Posted on August 15, 2014 | Leave a comment

I have heard my clients say this to me time and time again, not to mention some of my friends and even my mom. This is totally not true. Can you read? Then you can cook!

The difference is that those who say they can’t cook do not feel comfortable cooking or have had a bad experience cooking in the kitchen. For my mom, her first attempt at making a meal was fried chicken in the electric fry pan. All went well until she added the cold chicken to the hot oil and boom! Chicken on the ceiling!

Well, unfortunate as that was, she did not venture out of her comfort zone after that. We had a steady rotation of meat loaf, pork chops in tomato soup and shake and bake chicken for the first half of my life.

I strongly believe that we can all cook and we have all has our flops! Mine? Mashed potatoes at Christmas dinner that came out like glue, substituting oyster sauce for soy sauce and many many more. The trick is to continue building your repertoire. Try new dishes and different flavours.

What was your biggest dinner flop?

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It’s the New Year!!

Posted on January 6, 2014 | Leave a comment

We made it!  Gone is 2013 and march ahead to 2014!

So what goals did you create for yourself?  How are you going to accomplish those goals?  Do you have business goals as well as personal goals?

Me?

Yup, I have both.  The one thing that seems to be at the top of everybody’s list of resolutions is around their diet.  Why?  People want to start off the new year with incentive to loose weight, tone up, eat healthier…and so on….

So, I thought I would give you all a couple of little tips for a helping hand-quick notes that you can take with you into the new year.  I read a lovely little magazine called Canadian Health and Lifestyle and Lisa Petty provided some keys to “fuel weight loss”.  Here is the condensed version:

  • Fat-our bodies need fat to function.  Omega-3 essential fatty acids and triglycerides.  Salmon, coconut oil, nuts and seeds.
  • Iron-our bodies need iron to get oxygen.  Without enough, it leads us to feel exhausted all the time.
  • Fibre-this keeps us to feel fuller longer and keeps blood sugar balanced.  Of course the other thing that fibre does is keep our bodies regular, which for any of you who have been constipated is a crucial dietary concern!
  • Calcium-surprisingly,  research shows that calcium can help you let go of excess weight by oxidizing fat.
  • Protein-the essence of long term weight management is to preserve and build muscle.

And there you have it!  5 tiny little tips to bear in mind when planning your meals on a regular basis.

Happy cooking, happy goal setting and cheers on 2014 being a fantastic year!

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My biggest mistake at Christmas

Posted on December 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

Christmas this year was great, busy and filled with love, family and food!  Santa came down the chimney and delivered the ideal gifts to the kids in the morning.  My parents came over for a traditional Christmas dinner consisting of turkey, squash apple soup, mashed potatoes, green beans and a new casserole that I pilfered from the dinner the night before. (that was the best carrot casserole that I have ever eaten-and as soon as I get the recipe, I will share it with all of you!)

Ok, so here is where my biggest mistake went down….

Nathan was playing his new X Box game Injustice, Katelyn was making a bracelet with her Rainbow Loom and I was completing the final preparations for putting dinner on the table.  The turkey had finished “resting” and my dad carved it and put it on the plate, the carrots were heated up and on the table, the green beans were done and buttered in a bowl.  Last but not least, the potatoes were in the water waiting to be mashed.  I drained the water and proceeded to add the butter and milk.  Looking around my kitchen, I realized that I had no hand masher, so in my brilliance, I grab my hand-held Braun blender.

Now for those of you who know where this is going…I heard the gasp through the computer.  For those of you who don’t see the error of my ways yet, listen up!

Grabbing the blender and turning it on, it took seconds for the potatoes to become a beautiful smooth and creamy texture and I put all the potatoes in a bowl and put them on the table.  I noticed right away that the potatoes seemed a little thick and dense, but they looked fabulous!

Serving all the food onto our plates we clinked glasses and dug in.

The potatoes were DISGUSTING!  And I mean, the worst potatoes I have ever had!  Who can screw up potatoes?  Apparently I can!  There was no flavour and the consistency was like white Elmer glue thickened with cornstarch.  I couldn’t finish and neither could my dad.  My mom was the only one who was polite enough to eat everything that was on her plate….with a smile…

So, the next day, I decided to do a little research to find out what happened with the error of my ways and here is what I found: Starch was the culprit!  Taking a quote from The Kitchn, “Quick moving blades of a food processor will actually tear starch molecules.  The released starch mixes with the liquid in the cooked potatoes, and the mash transforms into a gummy paste.”

There it is.  Starch.  In simple terms, when mashing potatoes or whipping potatoes, never and I mean NEVER use anything that plugs into a wall or uses batteries.  Always use a hand masher.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas dinner and more importantly, a fantastic day with your loved ones!  See y’all in the new year!

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So here is what I have learned

Posted on September 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

I  have taken a little hiatus lately, and wanted to come back to the drawing board so to speak.  I wanted to “get out there” in social media an in order to do that, I wanted to do a little research and here is what I learned:

There are a bizmillion (and no, I do not think I am exagerating) websites out there about food, and great ones that teach people how to meal plan.  There are almost as many aps out there to assist with grocery shopping, grocery lists and sale items in local stores.  To navigate through all of these sites, blogs and aps it is absolutely facinating for me, but the light bulb went off when I went to see my most recent client.  She and I had set up a plan, a meal planning strategy if you will, that would assist her to get dinner on the table in a short period of time and meals that would meet all the nutritional requirements for her entire family.  1 week in: “Carolynne, this is awesome and it works!” 1 month in: “Carolynne I fell off the wagon, I don’t know what happened.  But look at all this meal planning stuff I found on the internet!”  Literally, she had found 5 different meal planning strategies that she wanted to adapt with the one that I had given to her, but that didn’t work either.  She was lost and back to square one.

With all the information out there at everybody’s fingertips, why are people still struggling?  Why are families telling me that they still have no time?  Why do we surf the internet for an abundance of data to try to help us, only to fail over and over again?

OK, so here is my thought…

I love to plan.  I love to cook.  I love to cook new recipes and I love to look at and incorporate new recipies into my weekly meal plans.  I love to create a shopping list and I love to shop by the flyers and save oodles of money each week.  I believe that this is my gift, and this is the gift that I have chosen to share with others.  I can pick and choose what I know will work for me.  I can navigate through all the recipes, plans and strategies and know that my life will be easier by implementing “that”, whatever “that” happens to be.

There are several people out there that read the information, navigate through it, and struggle with the implementation part of the strategy.  It is not a question of commitment.  It is challenging and habit changing.  And we all know that habits are incredibly challenging to change.

So what is the solution?

Think of this as a paralel to fitness training.  We all have the best of intentions, right?  We all want to be healthy, watch what we eat and exercise.  In reality, how many of us make the commitment to get to the gym each week?  What is the solution?  A personal trainer.  It creates a relationship where people are now accountable to get to the gym because now, they have a standing appointment.  Now they have asked for someone to commit to their goals and stick with them until they are accomplished.

As a personal meal coach, this is the same philosophy.  My clients make a commitment to me and we build the relationship based on goals, strategies to acheive these goals and of course, what does success look like?!

Need help?  Want a coach that will get you committed to a strategy that is personalized and that will work for you?  Drop by www.easybite.ca and check it out.

By the way, I am going to try a new recipe.  You try too and let me know how it works for you!

Peasant Style Chicken Primavera-emazing.com

4 tbsp olive oil

1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, diced

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup zucchini, sliced

1/2 cupmushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup tomatoes, diced

linguine

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet.  Add the chicken and fully cook.  Add the garlic and pepper flakes.  Add the zucchinii and mushrooms.  Cook until juist soft.  Check seasonings.  Toss in the tomatoes and cooked pasta.  when warm, place in bowls and top with the cheese.

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The Plan

Posted on August 6, 2013 | 1 comment

Weight and height are used in computing body m...

Weight loss… yes, it is the phrase that every woman has said at one time or another!  Whether you are trying to shed the little bit of weight gained over the winter for  bikini season, or realize that with every passing year you notice a pound here and there creeping up on you.  I for one do not believe in dieting and I am a firm believer that in order to lose any weight it must be a shift in eating habits, behaviours and that in order for any kind of weight loss to occur, it must be a way of life.

A friend of mine has bought 3 books in the last 4 months on weight loss and although pieces of these books ring true, she found that only one has left her feeling like there is hope:  The Plan.  What is this plan you ask?  Well, I have not read it myself, but my understanding is that everybody’s body is different and as such, everybody’s metabolism and systems are different.  The Plan states that you need to cleanse, begin with a clean slate so to speak then gradually introduce foods into your daily diet to determine what your body is able to “accept”.  So here is what has happened with my friend:  She began the cleanse and it was successful, she lost weight.  Then she began to reintroduce food into her daily routine: kale, rye, cheese, coffee, cream, dairy…and each day she should be noticing weight loss.  Even just a fraction of a pound means that her body is able to “accept” this food.  Now, if she weighs herself and she either maintains the same weight as the previous day or she gains anything, it means that her body does not “accept” this food type and she has an intolerance.

Over the course of the first few days, I saw how much she ate and lo and behold, she was eating a lot!  I asked if she had any cravings to eat at night and nope.  Nothing.  I asked if she was satisfied and yes she was.  Interestingly enough, I watch her check the book, do her shopping according to the recipes and I see that not only is she organized, she is undoubtedly committed.  Why?  Because for the first time in years, she has found something where she is seeing results!

Being in the profession of meal planning, I am not only interested, but intensely intrigued with the success she has found.  As she was also a client of mine, she finds that she is able to follow along, much like the way I encouraged her to follow along my plan in order to save time and money.  By incorporating these skills, she is able to be successful in her journey and I am so proud to watch her plan and organize each and every meal using the skills I taught!

I will keep you posted on her success, as she has lost a total of 6 pounds in 7 days so far!

Interested in learning how to plan your meals and reduce your grocery bill?  I can help and not only that, I can provide you with the tools to ensure you will have nutritious meals on the table efficiently that are tasty!

Here is a quick and easy recipe:

1 red pepper, Julienne

1 shallot

splash of white wine

lemon juice

butter

salmon

Dry the salmon with a paper towel and add salt and pepper.  Turn the oven on over medium high heat and fry in olive oil for 1-2 minutes.  Remove the salmon after cooking both sides.  Add diced shallots, red pepper, 1/2 cup white wine and a squeeze of lemon.  Add 2 tbsp of butter.  Heat, add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour sauce over salmon and serve with white rice.

 

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Shrapnel Pizza

Posted on March 15, 2013 | Leave a comment
English: Pita bread pizza topped with mozzarel...

English: Pita bread pizza topped with mozzarella cheese, ham, salami, mushroom, capsicum and onion on a tomato base. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I was out with some friends of mine a while ago, and while convening in her kitchen, the conversation of food came up, as it normally does.  We started talking about my business and how I educate people to save money and time and the value of shopping using the weekly flyers.  One woman said that if it’s not on sale, it doesn’t go in her cart.  Another woman said that she and her husband shop by the sales and uses coupons, and the last woman introduced me to an expression I had never heard before: “Shrapnel pizza”

What is this, you ask?  Well, it was funny in its simplicity!

Each week this woman has a package of tortilla shells on hand along with some shredded mozzarella cheese.  Over the course of the week from Monday-Thursday, she cooks all of her meals and stores any left overs in the fridge.  She and her husband take left overs for lunches the next day at work, but lo and behold, she says every Friday, there are still left overs.  But not enough to make a meal out of, just bits and pieces from each meal.  Every Friday, she pulls out a couple of tortilla shells, coats them with a layer of pizza sauce and starts chopping up the left overs and putting them on the shells.  Once all the left overs are done, she puts on a layer of shredded cheese and pops them in the oven.  In 20 minutes…voila!  Shrapnel pizza!  The hilarious thing is, neither of them know what they are eating as one might have a few pieces of chopped pork chop with salmon, while the other has asparagus and bits of chicken!  Really, how perfect is that!!

I know I absolutely hate to throw out any left overs and I can get pretty bored pretty quickly of the same meal for 3 or 4 days-particularly when I make a big pan of lasagna!  Yes, I know, I should just freeze it, but I know that if I put it in the freezer, it will get lost in the abyss and I will not see it for a few months.

I know a few other fabulous repurposed meals, but want to hear from you!  Share your favorite meal with left overs!

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted on February 14, 2013 | 1 comment
Chocolate tasting selection

Chocolate tasting selection (Photo credit: waldopepper)

Ahhhh, the day of love where for one day every couple lives in a moment of frivolous fantasy. Whether your taste is for playful prowess, racy romance or sinfully sexy, Valentine’s Day is the time to push your boundaries and give the kids to Grandma and Grandpa for the night. Food is always sexy, maybe not a submarine sandwich, but there have been plenty of studies which show the link between food and sexual libido. I have heard oysters, cayenne pepper and most, if not all finger foods are aphrodisiacs. Of course many couples in my generation may find honey, strawberries and chocolate sauce incredibly sexy after watching 9 1/2 Weeks. On Valentine’s Day, why not try the Big Daddy of aphrodisiacs tonight: chocolate!!! These can be made ahead of time before dinner, or before you go out to the restaurant and they are so fantastic and super easy.

Chocolate Pots. Grab the demi tasse cups out of the buffet hutch that you have never used, and dust them off. Put them on a tray, on in their saucers and before your significant other starts to relax a little too much at the end of the night, whip these out from the fridge. In no time, you will both be relaxed, and ready for a sexy night. Enjoy!!!

1 1/2 cup 35% cream
8 oz semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely
3 egg yolks
1 tbsp. dark rum
2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream over medium-high heat until bubbles appear around the edge. Remove from the heat and add chocolate.
2. Let stand for one minute and then stir until smooth.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk, then whisk in 1 cup of the hot chocolate cream.
4. Transfer back to the saucepan, and whisk constantly until smooth.
5. Stir in rum and butter.
6. Pour into demi tasse cups or ramekins, and refrigerate for 4 hours or until set.

Recipe from Party Dish, Trish Magwook

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