This Year - Feed the Community!

This week, we're continuing with our January theme of feeding with our latest post on feeding the community. We kind of led into the idea of feeding the community last week when we wrote of our friends at Finnegan's who work to feed the community by donating the proceeds from their beer sales to help end hunger in Minnesota. (Read our Giving Thanks post featuring Finnegan's by clicking here).

Be deliberate with how your money is spent in 2012 by choosing to support companies that give back. Another way to feed the community with your dining dollars is with Outstanding Dining, also featured during our Giving Thanks series in November. (Click here to read that post). Each month, Outstanding Dining, which offers discounted restaurant certificates, features a different local charity and commits to donating 10% of every sale to that charity.

You can commit to feeding the hungry in our community, not just by being sage with your purchasing power, but by actually feeding the hungry in our community! Volunteer opportunities abound when it comes to donating your time at a local soup kitchen, food shelf, or homeless shelter. Search for something that speaks to your own talents, abilities, and comfort level. Also, if you have kids, why not bring the whole family along for a great bonding experience helping others.

Lastly, remember that while you're out feeding the community, you're feeding yourself as well.

If you know of any area charities or non-profits that need volunteers to help them get out and feed the community, feel free to post in the comments section below. We'd love to help spread the good word on getting the hungry in our community fed.

This Year - Feed Others!

The whole month of January we've been talking about feeding and getting fed in all its forms. This week, we wanted to highlight the joy of feeding others.

Whether you're an established cook or just starting out, feeding others doesn't have to mean hours slaving away in the kitchen. In fact, you don't even have to cook at all. Simply breaking bread with your family and friends is as elemental to the human condition as food itself. Therefore, we encourage you to seek ways to feed others this year.

If you're looking to host a gathering where you get to play chef, try asking others to bring the sides or the dessert, so you're not responsible for the whole meal (if you don't want to be). Otherwise, if you feel that you don't want to cook and don't want to ask your guests to contribute, taking the whole meal out is another great option. Chez Daniel is happy to accommodate dining parties, large and small in our private dining rooms. We also have options for take out, if you would like to set the stage for your gathering at home.

However, if you feel like trying a particularly delicious and carnivorous recipe, you should give our very own Chef Wilver's Finnegan's Pork Tenderloin recipe a try. Marinated and dressed with delicious Finnegan's Beer, you'll not only be feeding your hungry guests, but also the hungry in your community, since Finnegan's donates 100% of their profits back to the communities in which their beer was purchased.

This year, try something new and look for opportunities to feed others. We're pretty sure that you'll enjoy feeding yourself and your soul in the process!

Do you have a favorite recipe, traditional dish, or best loved spot for entertaining your guests? Let us know in the comments section, as we'd love to hear about it.

This Year - Feed Your Soul!

Last week, we discussed the importance of feeding your body right in the new year. This week, we wanted to go deeper and talk about feeding your soul. Feeding your soul isn't just about doing more, maybe it's also about doing less, less of what isn't working. That way, you have more room in your life for what you want to be doing and there are more opportunities for others in what you refuse.

We've compiled a list of 10 simple ways for you to recharge and feed your soul in 2012.

1. Read - It doesn't have to be a book and it doesn't have to have a purpose. Simply enjoy whichever story you choose. 
2. Volunteer - Even if you only have an hour a month. Pick an organization that champions a cause you can really get behind. We guarantee your soul will feel quite fulfilled. 
3. Cook - Whether its learning how to prepare your favorite meal or simply baking cupcakes for your friend's birthday, you've accomplished something. 
4. Spend Time By Yourself - Enjoy your own company and delight in relaxing, quiet solitude (or rock out, if that's what you prefer). 
5. Set Goals - Realistic goals! Then, establish benchmarks to track your progress and tangibly reward yourself when you reach them. For help, we suggest looking up some Zig Ziglar presentations.
6. Treat Yourself to "Dessert" - It doesn't have to even be a sweet treat. Simply reward yourself for no reason at all once in awhile. In moderation, a reward might be just what you need to recharge! As Erma Bombeck famously said, "Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the 'Titanic' who waved off the dessert cart."
7. Soak up the Sun - In winter, it seems so dark all the time. We leave for work in the dark, and we return in the dark. Make time to feel the sunshine on your face and not just through your office window. 
8. Go Ahead, Open That Bottle! - You know the one, that bottle of wine you've been saving for a special occasion. A Friday night's as good as any. Ahhh...much better, right?
9. Get Out of Dodge - Even if you can't squeeze in a full-on tropical vacation, there are plenty of great day and weekend trip destinations within mere hours of the metro. How about a drive down to Lake Pepin to watch the eagles, a summer lunch on the patio of a restaurant on the St. Croix, or a trip to the North Shore when the leaves are just turning? 
10. Take After Mr. Rogers - Seek out ways to be a good neighbor. While that may just mean taking time to say hello to your neighbors after work or even taking a little extra time to shovel their walk as well, the friendly acts and assured reciprocity is bound to linger on throughout the year. 

This year, we hope that you take the time to feed your soul as well as your body! 

Let us know if we missed any in our list above. We'd love to hear how you feed your soul. 

This Year - Feed Your Body!

As we move into 2012, we think that everyone should align their focus back on what really matters, like food! Each week for the month of January, we'll be focusing on a different way that you can feed and be fed to recharge and start your New Year off on the right foot!

This week, we want to hear your thoughts on feeding your body.

No matter what your goals are for the year, whether losing weight, getting in shape, leaving bad habits behind or just pausing to relax and be thankful for everything you have, make sure you stop and take a moment to feed your body!

Even if you are working toward a fitness goal, eating for your goals becomes even more integral. Feeding your body can be one of the most caring activities you can undertake, in that you make choices to satisfy your hunger and provide the nourishment your body needs. This is especially symbolic in the relationship between parents and children, as parents provide the loving sustenance their children need. (Probably why family traditions bring back so many good memories and holiday favorite foods are passed down from generation to generation).

This year, we urge you to go forth and feed that body of yours, and feed it well! We'll kickstart the process with a few of our favorite quotes surrounding food.

• Feeding is a very important ritual for me. I don't trust people who don't like to eat. (Gina Gershon)
• Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. (Voltaire) 
• Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are. (Anthelme Brillat-Savarin)
• One must eat to live, not live to eat. (Moliere)
• We may live without friends; we may live without books But civilized men cannot live without cooks. (Owen Meredith)
• Don't be a fuddy-duddy with your hollandaise; be bold, dunk your pretzels in it! (Miss Piggy)
• If the people have no bread, let them eat cake. (attributed to Marie Antoinette)

Happy New Year and Happy feeding, all!

And, please let us know in the comments section how you plan to feed that awesome body this year. We'd love to hear from you!