By, Michelle Pfeninnghaus

It’s like a scene from a movie: Snow gently falling, family and friends gather joyfully to sing songs and exchange good wishes. There’s good food, good fun, and -

Wait a minute.

Let’s pull back the curtain here. Often behind every holiday gathering there’s someone totally stressed out trying to clean the house, dress the kids and prepare a meal. The phone rings, the dog barks, someone spills something. Guests arrive early, someone says something snippy after a long car ride, and things get tense between family members. Oh, and half of the party has a sniffle or a fever.

Or, perhaps there’s a lack of friends and family in our lives. Winter can be a lonely time that brings sadness and the false comfort of too much macaroni and cheese.

The fact of the matter is, the winter months can be some of the most difficult times of the year. No Black Friday Sales or Christmas Shops are going to make it all better. In fact, the need to shop and spend and go into debt is just another reason to stress out needlessly.

This year, do yourself a favor and take care of YOU, first.

It all begins with self care. That means sleeping enough, exercising enough, eating wholesome foods, and being true to yourself. When we get busy, self care is often the first thing to go. Then we do ourselves another disservice by getting made about gaining weight or getting sick. Why not set your intention this year to get through the holidays happy and healthy?

(And that formal New Year’s Eve party you’ve been dreading? Screw it.)

Here are my top 5 tips for staying happy and healthy all winter long:

1. Do unto others.

Wish there were fewer social obligations this holiday season? Make it a point to go easy on your own family and friends. Instead of hosting yet another cocktail party, bring homemade soup to a sick relative, or call a friend who lives far away just to say hi.

2. Use low tech solutions.

A stuffy nose can be treated with a neti pot, steam bath, or some hot chicken soup. Medicine is fine but can make you feel worse in the long run. Often, natural alternatives are best put to use preventatively – so don’t wait until a cold has blossomed to take good care of yourself.

3. Create your reality.

What do you really want to do this winter? Ski? Take a trip to Italy? Paint your bedroom lavender? It doesn’t matter what it is, but choose to do the things that will make you happy and satisfied. There’s no law that everyone has to spend the winter months exactly like everyone else. Bor-ing.

4. Enjoy your favorite foods.

But skip all that other nonsense – the party platters, the cheap chocolates, the generic corn chips. Why bother? That’s not the good stuff. Allow yourself to savor homemade lasagna or hot mulled wine while talking and enjoying the company of those around you. Differentiate between eating as nourishment and eating as a way to feel less awkward at a party.

5. Give yourself the best gift, ever.

New slippers are nice, diamond earrings are pretty, but what’s the gift that you’ll cherish most? Not being wiped out on January 1st! Join me for a teleseminar that will help support you through this crazy time of year and help make these tips a reality for you.

Happy Holidays & How To Have ‘em
Sunday, November 15, 2009
8pm Eastern Time
Get more info here
Registrants will receive the call-in number and passcode via email.

By, Melissa Alvarez

After much debate on what I wanted to write about, it finally came to me after I thought long and hard about what Chicago small business owners are facing today: High taxes, laying off employees, business management, and finding new customers.

Therefore, I decided to write an article about someone who’s been there, done it, and has the t-shirt: Peter, owner of Stanley’s Fruits and Vegetables. Stanley’s is an adorable store and thrifty option (located on Elston Avenue in Chicago) where everyone goes to get the most affordable and high quality produce in Chicago.

Although I interview people everyday for jobs, this time I was a little nervous. I quickly prepared some questions to ask him, and of course prepared myself to be rejected from even conducting the interview. Luckily he obliged and said with a thick Chicago accent, “Yea, you wanna do it right now?” I chuckled thinking, yes of course, but unprepared I quickly set up the interview for Friday and continued to gather up questions throughout the week.

After interviewing Peter, I realized we have a lot in common. Good values, strong work ethic and our love for food. I also enjoyed speaking with him about his products, for everyone knows my applicable hobby for food and cooking.

Cooking + Family/Friends = Melissa’s Coping Mechanism

If you do a quick Google search you’ll find LOTS of reviews on Stanley’s, but you won’t find a website and you’ll find no history page. You’ll find the address and some pictures of the store, but you won’t find much about how it all got started, and how it continues to be a success after all these years. It’s the story and lessons my own parents and grandparents taught me: “Be good to people and they will always come back for more,” or when you make a mistake, “count your blessings, pick yourself up, and try again.”

All and all, I’m blessed as a new business owner to hear these stories and to do exactly that. Peter doesn’t know this, but he taught me some valuable lessons during our short interview. According to Peter, having a business is simple; it’s about helping and making other people’s lives a little bit easier, and affordable.

1. Tell me a little bit about your background.

Peter: I was born into this. I truly enjoy what I do, and I got involved in the business awhile back ago. My grandfather started it in 1967 after being an independent grocer in the 40′s. We go way back.

2. It’s a tough market out there. How in the world do you guys still manage to sell with these affordable prices?

Peter: It would be easy and honestly untrue to provide you with some sort of strategy in how we do it. Honestly, it just goes back to what my father always taught me since I was 15. “He says, ‘I gotta sell affordable products.’ If they kill the customer today how can they shop tomorrow?’” As a business owner too, you have to know when to change. Quality is important and you just can’t cut corners on it. Your product has to stay consistently good and affordable.

3. Where do you get your products from? I must add, it’s all very yummy.

Peter: The weather has had an effect on some of the vegetables. It just hasn’t been hot enough to get as much corn this season. More than 80% of our products are organic and we get it mostly locally. From local farms, to local tables.

4. You recently introduced a deli. How did this idea come about?

Peter: Change is good, right? Haha, my Dad just called me up one day and said, “Hey, you need a deli. Get ya-self a deli.” So I did. We are grateful for everything. We want to provide people with quality meats, and health conscience foods.

5. What would you say to business owners out there facing this tough economy?

Peter: Don’t go for a margin. One type-quality. Be fair.

2 Thrifty, Easy and Healthy 5 Step summer recipes with Stanley’s Fruits and Vegetables.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

1 Stanley cucumber                                                    

1/3 finely chopped Stanley sweet onion                            

1 teaspoon chopped Stanley cilantro                                

1 clove of minced fresh Stanley garlic                               

1 cup of sour cream                                                 

1 tablespoon of salt                                                 

1/8 teaspoon of ground cumin                                            

Add vegetables into sour cream mixture and toss well.

5. Serve cucumber salad in a fun and bright colored serving bowl with a sprig of cilantro for presentation.

Directions:

1. Peel and dice cucumber, chop onion, cilantro and garlic and set aside in a bowl together. 

2. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream,salt and cumin.

3. Blend (15 strokes with a spoon).

Chicago “Sport” Hot Dogs  

Ingredients:

Pack of hot dog buns (wheat or white)                  

Packaged of fat free beef franks (kosher)                        

1 Stanley white onion                                                           

1 cup of a juicy, fat Stanley tomato                                     

1/3 cup of mustard (Plochman’s)                                        

1/2 cup of sweet pickle relish (Rolf’s)                                  

12-14 sport or jalapeno peppers

Directions:

1. Boil or grill hot dogs for about 5 minutes until thoroughly heated.      

2. Heat buns on grill or microwave for 7 seconds.

3. Place 1 frank in each heated bun 

4. Top each frank with each vegetable as you like.          

5. Add a squirt of mustard and enjoy.