2017 Baggage Be Gone

Oh, I know, you thought I was going to write about the Giants, right? Soon enough! Pitchers/Catchers report February 13, 2018 and we can talk ball then. For now, I’m sharing my 2018 food goals! Why? It’s not because I LOVE to cook and want to post pictures of meals I’ve made, for fun. I actually don’t enjoy cooking, never have. But times they are a-changing. Since Giants baseball ended in 2017 and I realized I gained 15 pounds over the course of an extremely difficult season, in fact one of the worst seasons in franchise history, I’ve done a serious “reflect” on where my body took a nosedive. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not in any way comparing the stress I felt to the stress the players experienced. But there was stress and it resulted in pounds! For the first time since covering this awesome group I began questioning, my questions. As you know, the season was like groundhog day. Another day, another loss, 98 in fact. So my hour long drive (if I’m lucky) into SF, I would STRESS about how I could ask the same thing differently. How could I lighten the mood? How could I make sure I didn’t upset a player when such a sensitive topic – a failure of a season – was at the forefront of our coverage. It was a challenge and looking back a really good one. My first few seasons (2008, 2009) covering SF, the team wasn’t good, but I was trying to figure out the job and raise a toddler and a baby. The severity of not playing well just didn’t occur to me, especially because there seemed to be a building hope with young players like Sergio Romo, Pablo Sandoval and the draft of Buster Posey. After covering 3 World Series though and knowing what it was like to work with a team on top, the downward spiral of last season was all too real and, well… it sucked. So, I ate. I ate on my way to the yard. I ate on my way home. I ate when I got home and all the times you’re actually supposed to eat. I regularly frequented Ghirardelli and Cream stands at AT&T Park and thought, I walk A LOT during a game, I’ll be fine. So to be clear, this blog posting is simply an act of accountability, not an attempt to be the next Giada. I’m publicly stating what happened, and what I want to have happen going forward so I can look back at this and say, “Uh, hey girl – you put this out there for the world or like 3 people to read, you better stick with it.”

To date, I’ve lost 8 of the 15 pounds I’m trying to shed. I don’t think I’m fat. I don’t think I have a problem with food. I just want to feel better. It’s that simple. And I want to prove to myself that in my mid-forties I can do this thing. My 2018 goals are not just to lose weight, but LEARN about what I’m putting in my body. And I want to really find out if eating healthy can be fun, challenging, gratifying and life-changing, like Ive heard.

So, here’s my first recipe. I may share more. I may not. But this one was good and my friends at SynergyHealthClub.org supplied the recipe. I spent $34 total on the ingredients and it is enough for dinner for 4 plus two lunches the next day. Enjoy and let me know what your 2018 goals are. I love to be inspired by what others are tackling to make themselves be the best they can be.

Spicy White Chicken Chili/Soup

INGREDIENTS
5-6 cups chicken broth (depending on if you want it a bit soupy)
6 cups cooked shredded chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
2 (15.3 ounce) cans Northern White beans, drained
2 cups salsa verde (I chose jalapeno salsa verde for an even spicier chili!)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 large yellow onion, chopped/diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced (remove the seeds for a milder version, leave the seeds in for a VERY HOT version)
1 poblano pepper, diced (if you want REALLY spicy, substitute serrano chilis for the poplano, or leave the seeds in from the jalapeno peppers. If you want less spicy, leave the seeds out)
Sour Cream, more jalapeños, shredded cheese, and green onion for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Heat onion, peppers, and garlic in a large skillet over medium/high heat until the onions are transparent.

• Add all of the ingredients (except garnish) to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 5-10 minutes at least on simmer.
• Serve hot garnished with sour cream, shredded cheese, and more peppers if desired. Enjoy!

223 cal, 9g fat, 22g carbs, 14g protein