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There’s nothing like walking in the door after a long day at work and being greeted by the delicious aroma of dinner. With the help of the slow cooker, dinner is done without any of the hands-on work. Cozy up with one of these 17 dishes — including homemade bolognese, cranberry pork chops, and lemon dal — and pat yourself on the back for doing all the work beforehand.

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(Image credit: Leela Cyd)

Last week Pantone announced their color of the year for 2017, and it’s already drumming up a ton of conversation. For the upcoming year Pantone chose Greenery as the hot new color, which they describe as “a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore, and renew.” Yes, it’s as verdant as it sounds.

I’m still warming up to the color, but now I think I’m finally turning a corner. In fact, I think this life-giving hue might actually be best as a pop of color in the kitchen. Let me show you why.

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There’s a Christmas ornament for every type of person out there. Are you a food-lover? Yeah, we thought so — you’ll clearly want to festoon your tree with various homages to your favorite eats.

These food-themed ornaments will look so much better on your tree than a bunch of boring metallic balls and frozen-in-time ice-skating figurines.

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Quick check-in: what’s the hardest habit you’ve had to break in going Primal? Something you’re currently looking to change? What have been the challenges?

While I don’t consider Primal living particularly difficult, I think any behavioral shift can be tricky. It’s human nature to stick with what’s known. There’s a certain comfort in routine, however ill-advised our customary patterns are. And, let’s face it, some habits stick more than others. If only we were a more logical species, we might imagine, one able to simply encode the choices we know are good for us… Thankfully, our psychological blueprints are more complex than our gadgets, but that doesn’t mean we can’t optimize our settings and establish some tactical redirects.

I’ll admit I have my own “whenever I” scenarios – those situations for which I have established go-to strategies that help me stick with a healthy choice I’ve made for myself. At this point, the substitution has become pretty automatic for me: if this impulse, then that response. The automation makes life easier. It spares me the energy and hand-wringing that would otherwise go into fending off the original inclination or wondering in the moment what I should do to get my mind off of it.

The Anatomy of Human Decision-Making

Not surprisingly, the issue of “automation” is pretty key when experts talk about behavior change and decision making. Whenever we need to make a decision, it seems, we put together a cognitive representation that allows us to simplify the problem/choice at hand. Humans participate in two types of thinking when they mentally assemble that simplified model and make the final decision from there.

The more arduous and taxing of the two is deliberation, that consciously reasoning mode of problem solving we’d apply to figuring out our taxes or warding off tempting impulses. As most of us can attest to, our capacity for this kind of thinking is inherently limited.

The other mode of thinking that comes into play is automatic thinking, which we use much more often that we assume. It’s the stuff of analyzing facial expressions in a fraction of a second, of understanding language or other familiar symbols, of knowing which way to turn to drive home. Unlike deliberative thinking, we have considerable capacity for automatic thinking.

Although there’s interaction between the two modes, automatic thinking actually makes up the majority of our cognitive work – and even our cognitive selves.

Where It Fails

In the midst (or at the end) of a long day, we’re not terribly good at thinking through all of the considerations and arriving by reason at the most beneficial decision. In-the-moment reasoning, as handy as it is, can rarely get us where we want to go long-term. For better or worse, that’s how human behavior manifests in the real world.

Thus, as much as we can operate on automatic, the better off we are—provided our routines, assumptions and self-talk (which we can change using reason) encourage positive selections. So, what can we do to help ourselves in that regard?

We have three main options really for shifting our decision-making processes to maximize our likelihood of making good choices.

1. We can simplify our lives and choice environments.
2. We can hone the ways we judge (or redirect) options.
3. We can cultivate the associations with these choices.

The question for these proposals becomes—how?

Simplifying As Much As Possible (a.k.a. Box yourself into good choices.)

I’ve written before about selection fatigue. The more choices we have in making a decision, the more mental resources we use. It’s why a variety of options don’t always make us happier but just add more static to the day. Simplifying our choices means simplifying our choice environments—cutting out as much of that extraneous static as possible.

Likewise, the more decisions we make in a day, the more mental resources we use. The more we do in a day (particularly if we attempt to multi-task), the more run down we’ll be.

The key is to conserve mental energy by establishing rules, times, and parameters. Not everything needs to be nailed down, but if every day of the week has too many moving parts, you’re probably never going to feel in possession of your time or life.

Let’s say you’re trying to encode better choices around sleep because you’re a workaholic and can’t seem to turn off the impulse to do more—to take care of more. The work—whether job, home or family—just never feels done.

Simplifying your choice environment in this case can mean setting hard and fast parameters around your evening. Set an alarm for bedtime. But also set another for the end of all work time—maybe an hour to an hour and a half before bed. After that point, your computer and T.V. are done for the night as is your smart phone. You won’t so much as pick up a shirt off the floor or put a dish in the dishwasher. If you have to further simplify (avoid distraction) by sequestering yourself in the bedroom for that last hour to keep yourself from working or doing chores, do it. (After a couple nights of going crazy, you’ll begin to get more efficient and/or resourceful during your “active” evening hours.)

Now let’s say you’re trying to eat better. Simplifying your choice environment might mean shopping at smaller stores/markets or minimizing actual shopping trips by ordering from direct-to-consumer farms or from online stores like Thrive (you can save a “favorites” list). It can mean packing your lunch and bringing more or less the same thing every day. It can mean scheduling time each week to make a few large meals you eat as leftovers for lunches/dinners.

In short, it’s deciding ahead of time to reduce the number of choices you perceive yourself as having—and making it easier to choose what is already in front of you.

Changing the Way We Judge Our Options (a.k.a. checking in with our values)

We can simplify our way out of a lot of choices each day, but that doesn’t mean we won’t be faced with temptation. When we do need to make a decision, we’re remarkably good at homing in on seemingly random elements (e.g. excuses) or present bias (e.g. now matters more than later). Because we can’t possibly consider each and every facet and angle, we automatically narrow our considerations to a few pieces that feel “salient” in the moment. Unfortunately, these often have nothing to do with our values.

Instead of giving into the limited thinking of the moment, why not check in with your values. I’m not suggested depending on your reasoning process here. In the thick of the moment, our minds aren’t always to be trusted.

I’m reminded of the H.A.L.T. acronym (hungry, angry, lonely, tired). When we’re any of these, it’s time to stop (halt) and check-in. I’d suggest checking in with feelings first. Are you hungry, angry, lonely or tired? I’d add bored, anxious or procrastinating to that list as well—all feelings that can spur poor choices in my experience. That covered, now check in with values. For this, I believe in the power of visual aids.

Get out a sheet of paper (not in one of those moments but in preparation for them), and draw a simple grid. Across the top write your values – the main elements that make up your sense of personal health integrity, your concept of vitality, etc. On the left hand side from top to bottom, write your biggest excuses or stumbling blocks. Then use the grid to fill in the individual scenario boxes to come up with intentions for how to live your health integrity. Put this on your fridge. Keep it at work. Put it in your car. Consult it. Accept it as your automatic guide.

Still, I know there are scenarios that require or can be met with an even simpler action. This is your contingency plan. If this, then that. Think of your five biggest challenges right now, and create a contingency plan for each. The contingency will be your automatic response for that scenario – a single, simple substitution (no moralizing here) that will get you to the other side of an impulse without too much damage.

Cultivating Associations (a.k.a manipulating how you really feel about it)

Finally, we need to accept that our deep down impressions or associations about certain behaviors/activities/foods/etc. influence our willingness to make certain choices. If we grew up hating exercise, we need to accept that we’ll need to unwind that association over time and replace it with better connections. We’re rewiring ourselves at this point. This is a longer term process, but we can make our efforts count.

We need to identify what assumptions or associations might be unconsciously and automatically turning us off from practicing certain behaviors even if reason tells us we should. Get them out of your system to a degree by journaling, talking it through with someone. Whatever your gripe or “story” about yourself is, voice it so you can find a way to move on. Do your best to consciously put it to bed.

Then invest time and effort in creating new and genuine enjoyment of what you’ve been subconsciously resisting. If you want to eat more vegetables (but grew up eating 3 kinds of canned mush), ask around for some great vegetarian restaurants to get ideas for vegetables dishes you’d never think of. If you’re a vegan in recovery looking to expand your meat variety, spend some time at a quality butcher getting schooled in the finer points of preparing all manner of cuts.

If you’re looking to get beyond a lifelong aversion to fitness, let yourself have some fun experimenting by taking field trips to different kinds of classes, gyms centers, leagues and clubs. Rent bikes, skiis, boats and other equipment that might interest you. Document your adventures with photos and other visuals – of you actually enjoying the habits you’re trying to take on. With every step, you’re creating new associations and rewiring yourself toward choices that serve you better.

Thanks for reading today, everybody. Now for your thoughts. How have you encoded new behaviors using the techniques above or others? Have a great week.

The post How to Encode Better Choices appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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From Apartment Therapy → 16 Hilariously Relatable Tweets About Cleaning

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Everything you need to decorate your Christmas tree is in … your kitchen! It’s true. Even if you don’t have dozens of mini rolling pins on hand, you can mix and match a bunch of these items until your tree is all decked out. And then, when the holiday is over, don’t stash them in the basement. Put them to work making sweet things all year round.

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In modern Western culture, saying no can be akin to declaring that orangutans shouldn’t be saved or husbands shouldn’t do laundry. From a young age, we’re encouraged to put our hands up more, participate more, do more. When we ask people how they are and they respond, “busy,” we assume they are well. After all, only healthy, active people with a life are busy.

Equating busyness with happiness is perhaps even truer during the holidays. All it takes is a quick skim of popular media and I begin to feel like I’m not busy enough. Images and headlines suggest that I am meant to make dozens of cookies from scratch for the neighborhood exchange and create unique homemade gifts wrapped with environmentally friendly artistry — all while “leaning in” to my scintillating career, feeding my children whole-grain and plant-based meals, and wearing an ugly holiday sweater that is mocking yet flattering.

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Turning vegetables into noodles has become increasingly popular in recent years. It’s an easy way to sneak vegetables into meals, and spiralizers — the tools that create the “noodles” — are normally pretty inexpensive. We’ve featured a couple handheld spiralizers that cost less than $20, and one of our favorite spiralizers that we’ve tested only costs $43.

There’s another spiralizer, however, that has recently captured my heart, and it happens to be a little more expensive than the average noodler (okay, fine, it’s very expensive). This kitchen gadget is responsible for the best plate of food I’ve had all year long.

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As the perfect snack food, popcorn works as a flavor delivery system with an endless number of ways to customize it. But around the holidays, a few flavors stand out as favorites.

If you’ve come to love the mixed tins of caramel and cheddar popcorn, known as the classic Windy City blend, we urge you to give this mix a try at home — and even give it as a homemade edible gift. The sweet crackle of caramel corn is the perfect foil to intensely cheesy popcorn. You’ve got to get both in a bite to really experience the joy of these two opposites coming together for such a rich, crunchy treat.

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Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/

This is an article from NF Rebel Chef, Noel.

I don’t know about you, but where I am, winter is freakin’ here. If I have to wear gloves, a scarf, and a hat when I leave the house, I can see my breath, and there’s snow on the ground, that counts as winter, my friends.

Love it or hate it, winter is here (or on its way), and for a lot of people, wintertime is about food. In the northern hemisphere during winter, many holidays and family gatherings take place during the colder months.

For many people, the cold is completely de-motivating when it comes to getting moving and cooking and eating healthfully.

Why bother working on good? I have to wear 3 layers of clothing at all times anyway (womp womp). And summer is sooooo long from now! I have plenty of time to procrastinate!”

:eats 10 cookies:

(Okay, this is also sometimes me.)

Well, my friends, it is time to fortify!

Jim gave you a workout to get you through the winter. Today we’re going to give you a healthy, hearty, warm-you-from-the-inside recipe you can make that’s pretty freaking easy. Level 1 winter recipe, activate!

Winter baked goods, watch out!

Let’s get to it!

Note: This recipe makes a LOT of food. If you can get this cooked, you’ll have an emergency stash of food in your freezer for when you ruin a meal, forget to buy groceries, or just ran out of time and are reaching for something unhealthy. You know it happens.

My crock pot is a 6-quart monster. If yours is smaller or you’re using a smaller stovetop soup pot, half the recipe.

The wonderful part about cooking in a crock pot is that you are basically gathering ingredients, putting them in a pot, and waiting for it to finish. The most labor intensive part of this whole recipe might be buying the 5-10 things you don’t have! If you don’t have a crock pot, don’t worry; I provided alternative instructions so you can make it right on your stove-top.

Ready?

Serves: 6-8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 2 – 4 hours (depending on method)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp (30ml) butter or other oil, divided – one for cooking meat and one for cooking onions (olive oil, ghee, lard, duck fat, etc. are acceptable here. Choose your favorite.)
• 1 lb(.45kg) stew meat – beef, pork, lamb, etc. Dealer’s choice. Season your meat with salt and pepper.
• 1 smoked kielbasa sausage (approx 14oz/.39kg), cut into 1/2 inch medallions – The sausage I bought was 14oz, which gives a good amount of hearty meatiness and smokey flavor to the stew. As always, check the label on the sausage for corn syrup and other undesirable ingredients.

Veggies:

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 carrots, roughly sliced into medallions
• 2 sweet potatoes or turnips, roughly sliced (if using sweet potatoes, peel first!). I used one of each and cut them into quarters then cut each quarter into about 6 pieces.
• 1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced into ribbons

Broth:

• 4 cups (.94L) beef stock – separate one cup out to add vinegar to it
• 3 cups (.30L) water
• 2 tbsp (30ml) vinegar – whatever you have on hand should be fine: red wine vinegar, balsamic, or apple cider vinegar are all good choices
• 2 tbsp (30ml) tomato paste

Optional seasonings:

• 1 tbsp (30ml) Worcestershire sauce – Check the ingredients here. I managed to find one that didn’t contain sugar.
• 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) oregano
• 1/2 tsp (2.5ml) paprika

Equipment (each is linked to our recommendation on Amazon):

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Cast iron skillet or pan
• Tongs
• Spoon or spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Large soup pot or slow cooker

Instructions:

1. Prep your ingredients: toss your meat in a bowl and season your meat with salt and pepper.
   Chop your onion, garlic, carrots, and cabbage.
   Peel and chop your sweet potato. Slice the sausage.
   Measure out your tomato paste and other spices, separate one cup of broth and add your 2 Tbsp of vinegar to it (you’ll be using this to deglaze the pan. Oh! You so fancy!).
2. Now comes the part with fire! Heat up your skillet and toss 1 Tbsp butter into it. Let the butter melt.
   Move the pan around to coat. For those of you with cast iron skillets, pay attention to how hot the handle is. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve burned myself on a cast iron skillet handle because it’s hot. Don’t be like me!
3. Carefully place your seasoned meat in the skillet and let it brown, turning the meat once each side has browned.
   You’ll want to cook the meat for only a few minutes – remember, we’re browning it, not cooking it through completely. Be careful not to crowd the skillet. If you need to, you might want to cook the meat in batches. Once the meat has browned, remove it from the skillet to a plate and set aside.
4. Once all the meat is cooked and removed from the pan, add your chopped onions. Cook until translucent – about 3-5 minutes.
5. Add garlic – cook for about 1 minute.
6. Add tomato paste and mix around to coat onions and garlic. Heat through – this only takes about 1 minute.
7. Add your 1 cup beef stock and 2 tablespoons of vinegar mixture to the pan. Stir the bottom of the pan with a spoon or spatula.
   Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring gently but constantly to get all those tasty bits of meat and tomato paste that were stuck to the pan up and suspended in the liquid. If you stir too vigorously, you’ll splash the hot liquid everywhere, so be careful!
8. Now we come to the choose your own adventure part. If you’re setting this stew to cook over night or while you’re at work, transfer all your ingredients to a slow cooker – the veggies, the meat, the meaty juice concoction you just made in the pan, the rest of the broth and water, and your spices and Worcestershire sauce. Set that baby for 4 hours on high and move on with your life.
   Side Quest: Cooking on a Stovetop? If you’re cooking with friends, watching marathoning Netflix for a couple hours, having a 3 hour long dance off, or whatever it is that you do when you cook, again put all your ingredients in a big ol’ soup pot: the veggies, the meat, the meaty juice concoction you just made, broth and water, and all your spices.Stir it up a bit, cover the pot, put the heat on low, set a timer for 2 hours. Simmer until your veggies are cooked through and your meat is super duper tender. If the liquid gets too low while cooking, add more broth or water.If using the stovetop method, check on your stew every so often – every 30 minutes to 1 hour or so to stir. DON’T TAKE A NAP! That’s how you burn your house down, you animal.After 2 hours, check the meat to see if it’s tender, if it’s not, cook for another 30 minutes to 1 hour. Keep on cookin’ till everything’s nice and tender.
9. No matter what method you use, when the turnip or sweet potatoes are cooked through and the meat is melt in your mouth tender, you’re done! Serve yourself a big ol’ bowl of stew. If you’re paleo-ish and need more calories, you can feel free to serve this stew over some rice!

You’re done!

Boo yah! Stews and soups are super duper easy if you choose the set and forget method, but staying with it and cooking during the winter months can also be its own reward (especially if you are cooking with friends and family).

Plus, you get to smell what you are cooking for hours (depending on who you are, this might get you excited, or just turn you insanely ravenous). If you’re the latter, don’t set yourself up for failure (and too much snacking)! Leave the stew in a crock pot and come back later.

Stew is one of the easiest things to make in this nerd’s humble opinion: Chop up your ingredients, throw them in a pot with some liquid, and cook away. If you are new in the kitchen or simply strapped for time, your crock pot should be the sword you never do battle without.

This particular dish is super smokey, tomatoey, and a little vinegary. It’ll warm you from the inside out. If you’re a fan of cooking with alcohol, you can substitute that one cup of broth plus vinegar with a cup of dry red wine or beer (obviously not Paleo). Want it spicy? Use a spicy sausage and add a dash of cayenne pepper to the pot! Once you have a basic recipe, you can play around with all sorts of fun variations.

• What are some of your favorite easy winter dishes?
• How else are you fortifying now that winter is here?
• What healthy habits are you committing to keeping this winter?

Let us know in the comments!

-Noel

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Photos: Pascal: Day 135, Kristina Alexanderson: The Clones are playing around, Teymur Madjderey: so what you guys say…, Stavos: fish soup