A few years ago I was feeling pretty unhappy about myself - my weight, my health, the constant back problems – I was feeling just plain old. Then someone very close to me said, “you know age is just a state of mind, take a look at Betty White.” Ah, Betty White, the golden girl of my youth, who at 89 years young doesn’t let anything stop her from living life to the fullest.

I’m no Betty White, but I stopped accepting the things I didn’t like and began to do something to change them. Thirty-five pounds and about 18 months later I was in the best shape I’d remember having been in over the past 25 years. My back problems were gone, my asthma almost disappeared, and although I keep fighting with the same additional five pounds every Christmas, it’s a fight I know I can win.

I don’t see the need for making resolutions only once a year. Life really is too short after all, so if you want something to be different – change it. Okay, that’s my mantra for 2011 – change it! For me I’m going to finish up this project with a renewed sense of excitement and take on foods from scratch that I never thought I could make myself.

While this isn’t one of those from scratch recipes I was ever afraid to try, the simplicity of this now favorite breakfast in our household is a great, healthy way to start the New Year.

Happy New Year my friends!

Greens, Egg No Ham

Find the freshest farm eggs you can find and cook them over easy. Plate up a bed of fresh greens and drizzle them with a bit of homemade balsamic salad dressing. My favorite greens are grown locally by Growing Power, matter of fact they are grown all year round in their greenhouses, and my favorite salad dressing recipe is my own version – experiment #6 I believe.

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup canola oil

1 shallot, finely minced

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon anchovy paste

1 teaspoon oregano

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine the vinegar in a small bowl and whisk in the shallots, Dijon, anchovy paste, and oregano. Combine the two oils in a measuring cup and slowly pour into the bowl of vinegar, whisking continuously to emulsify into the dressing as you pour. Since the anchovy paste will be salty, I wait to add any additional salt until I can taste it.