Tuesday Recipes

Tuesday is here again....

I thought I would give you a very healthy salad today.

This serves two people or you can have left overs the next day (that's what I do because my husband said there is too much stuff touching, LOL)

Protein Salad



1/4 cup homemade mayo. ( you guys should have this recipe from previous Tuesday post)
1 lb of cooked chicken, or 8 hard boiled eggs, or 3 cans of canned meat of choice.
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

veggies and fruit of your choice.
1 tbsp. seeds (pumpkin, sesame, or sunflower)
1/2 tbsp. of chopped nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans ext.)

mix mayo and lemon juice together add salt and pepper, mix in chicken and stir well.

mix up a salad 3 cups veggies - spinach, yellow pepper, celery, tomatoes.  add in  a diced apple, 1tbsp of seeds and 1/2 tbsp. chopped nuts and enjoy.

You can mix and match your veggies to match the season, in summer think of Salmon, tuna, or crab with different fruits, for fall think about hardier fruits like apples and pears with spinach or kale and in the spring think about light fruits such as raspberries and blue berries with romaine.



You can even just cut up a bell pepper into 4 pieces and place the protein mixture on each piece and have a side of fruit for dessert.

The combinations are endless.

Thursday Pampered Treats

Hello everyone, because it's cold out and the snow is on the ground I thought about warm tempting drinks that are healthy and tasty.

Hot Chocolate......an oldy but a goody.

1 cup Almond or Cashew or Coconut milk
1 tbsp. pure Coco powder (organic if possible)
1 pkg. Stevia

In a small sauce pan heat almond milk over medium heat.  Add in Coco powder and stir constantly so that mixture does not burn.  When Coco is blended in, add in Stevia and stir until blended in.  Poor into a cup and enjoy.

For a nice twist, add in a cinnamon stick or few drops of mint or any other flavour of your choice.


Cranberry Spiced Tea

4 cups/ 1 quart/ 950ml filtered water

3 ounces/85g fresh or frozen cranberries

1 large or two small lemons juiced and zested

2 cinnamon sticks

One 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and grated

2 Tablespoons dried goji berries (optional but offers some extra anti-oxidants and immune boosting properties)

2 Rooibos or black tea bags (optional, use rooibos for a caffeine free tea or leave out completely)

Raw honey to taste (use stevia or maple syrup for a vegan  version but raw honey offers extra throat soothing properties and helps control cough)

Fresh lemon and cinnamon sticks to garnish (optional)

Made on the Stove

Combine water, cranberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, grated ginger and goji berries in a medium to large pot or saucepan.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add rooibos or black tea bags if using and steep covered for 3 to 5 minutes.

Strain and serve with honey or a few drops of stevia to taste. Garnish with extra lemon slices or cinnamon sticks.

Using Crock Pot (slow cooker)

Combine water, cranberries, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, grated ginger and goji berries in the slow cooker.

Set to high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 4 to 6 and then keep warm.

Add rooibos or black tea bags if using and steep for 3 to 5 minutes just before serving.

Serve with honey or a few drops of stevia to taste. Garnish with extra lemon slices or cinnamon sticks

References:

http://gourmandeinthekitchen.com/2013/cranberry-spice-tea/

Tuesday Recipes

Well it's really cold outside today so I thought of some old time favourites to keep you warm.

Old fashioned baked beans (this recipe is on the back of Thompson's white pea beans)
(Serves 8)

2 cups Thompson's white pea beans
5 cups cold water
1 med. onion sliced
1/2 tbsp. salt
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup tomato ketchup( no salt added)
pinch black pepper
1/4 lb pork or bacon, sliced.

Sort and rinse beans. 
Soak beans overnight in cold water.
Drain
Add 5 cups cold water, cover, heat to boiling, then simmer 30min. or until nearly tender.(beans will not become any softer once placed into oven)
Drain.
Place onion slices on bottom of 6 cup flameproof casserole dish
Add remaining 7 ingredients in with the beans, stirring gently to combine, then pour entire mixture into casserole dish.
Add enough water to cover mixture, then place sliced pork/bacon on top.
Cover with lid and bake in oven at 250F for 7 hours.
When beans tender, remove 1 cup beans, mash, then stir back into pot carefully.  Cover and continue to back.  Add water as needed to keep beans covered.
One hour before serving, remove cover to darken up the beans.
Salt to taste.

(I tend to add a bit more molasses and if you want some heat added to it add a bit of chilli powder or red pepper flakes.  It tastes really good)


Chili (serves 4)

1 cup kidney beans, uncooked
2 cups lean ground beef
3 1/2 cups tomatoes 3/4 diced, 1/4 crushed
1 cup carrots, grated
1/2 cup green peppers, chopped
1/2 cup red peppers, chopped
1 1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 cup cheese shredded
2 tbsp. sour cream fat free
1 green onion, chopped

Soak kidney beans overnight and boil following package directions.  Mix all ingredients except the beans, cheese, sour cream and green onion in a crock pot and simmer for 8 hours: add beans.  Top each serving with 1/4 cup cheese, and 1/2 tbsp. sour cream.  Garnish with green onion.

(I got this recipe from Herbal Magic and it was pretty good and very healthy)

Monday Workout

Hello, Monday is here again and I have another strange sport for you.....

I have never heard of this one but apparently its a lot of fun, why don't you try snowkiting?!!!!

Apparently this sport has been around for a awhile now but has only started to become popular in the last ten years or so.  Basically you hold onto a kite while on either skis or a snowboard, letting the breeze drag you along.  This is a great upper body and lower body workout out, as well as balance and coordination.  If you think about it you work your upper body strength to hold onto the kite, you need to use your abs to hold yourself up and you need strong legs to keep your balance.  This sounds like a very interesting sport.

Thursday Pampered Treats

A nice light treat

Champagne Oranges

1 small orange
1/2 cup diet ginger ale
pinch of cinnamon

Peal and cut orange horizontally into 1/4" slices and arrange in a dessert glass
Combine diet ginger ale and cinnamon and pour over orange slices.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours and enjoy.

Another light idea is fruit Kabobs



Champagne Oranges
2 cups strawberries halved
1 cup melon (any type)
1 cup pineapple cubed
3 cups yogurt (fat free, plain)
2 tbsp. lemon rind, grated
2 tbsp. orange rind, grated
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 pkg. stevia

Alternate fruit on 8" skewers.  Combine yogurt, vanilla and stevia mix well then add lemon and orange rind and mix well again.  dip fruit into yogurt dip and enjoy.

Wednesday Encouragement

It's a new year and everyone is talking about their New Years resolution.  Making a decision for positive change in your life is wonderful.  The hard part is sticking to it.  We all want to make changes for the better but we also need to remember that we don't have to do it alone.  Get a group of friends or co-workers together and work together to accomplish your goals, that way you have to be accountable.  Working with others and cheering each other on helps you to achieve your goals and stay focused on what you need to do.

I am apart of a wonderful group that has been working together for awhile now and we encourage each other each and every day.  We message each other when we need that little boost to keep going.  We laugh and carry on with silly antics but that is what we need to help get us to the goals we have set. 

You can do that too.  Join a group on Facebook or twitter.  Support each other and amazing things can happen.

Tuesday Recipes

Over the holidays I spoke with many friends about how simple it is to make certain things that we use for baking or making meals.  I decided to give you a few recipes that should save you some money.

Have you ever thought of making your own Vanilla?  It's so easy, it's rediculous.  As someone who loves to bake I could easily spend a fortune buying Vanilla extract.

Vanilla extract

3-4 tubes of vanilla beans (you can get them at bulk barn at the cashiers counter or Superstore has them as well)

1- 40oz bottle of Vodka

Slice beans lengthwise and put them into bottle of Vodka.  Lable bottle as Vanilla and place bottle in a cool dark cupboard.  In 6 to 8 weeks you will have your own large bottle of Vanilla and it can last for years depending on how much you use.  I usually let the bottle sit for 3-4 months before I use it and I never take the beans out.  You can remove the beans but depending on the shape of the vodka bottle that can be difficult.

( I just made this bottle of Vanilla, as you can see the flavour starting to mix with the vodka, this bottle is only 2 weeks old, it will be much darker in a few more weeks)

Another easy thing to make is mayonnaise.  Crazy as it sounds it's not that hard.

Mayonnaise 

1 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon salt ( I use a 1/4tsp)

Juice of one lemon

Place 1/4 cup oil, egg, mustard powder, and salt in a blender, food processor, or mixing bowl.  Mix thoroughly.  While the food processor or blender is running slowly drizzle in remaining 1 cup of oil.  After mixture has emulsified, add the lemon juice, blending on low or stirring to incorporate.

(I use EVOO but you can use any oil you want.  Don't freek out when there is a greenish tint to your mayo, EVOO has a greenish tint to it and it shows up in the mayo).

Monday Workout

Well Winter is finally here.  YAY!!!!

Here is a fun new past time that you may or may not have heard of ....  Baseboarding.



Baseboarding is an activity for adults and children over the age of eight.  This new sport is being done at Whistler in Vancouver and is becoming a growing trend across the country.  This sport uses a specially designed rigid baseboard outfitted with a handlebar and parallel runners on the bottom.  Riders mount the board head first, grasp the handles and fly down the hill at ridiculous speed.  Can you imagine racing down a hill face first.  It sounds exhilarating.

So get out there and enjoy the wintery wonderland and try something new.

Friday Reflections

It's hard to believe that it is January 1st, 2016 and it is a brand new year.  I decided that I would write a reflection today because I wanted you to see that if you look back on a year you can accomplish so much.

As nurses we are always busy and upgrading skills.  ACLS and BLS were completed this year and I have to say that I am one of those people who love ACLS.  I love the fast pace of thinking on your feet.  I also started a new job still in Intensive Care but at a new hospital and I am glad that I made that transition.  Being closer to home makes the drive easier and it's always good to meet new people and learn new ways doing things.

As for changing my health well that is an ongoing process, I like crazy workouts and I actually do them.  I completed Insanity Max30, 21 Day Fix Extreme and I am in the process of doing Hammer and Chisel, all workouts by Beach Body.  How do I feel, well I'm stronger, my flexibility is better, I am eating healthier and the weight is slowly coming off.  I want to feel good in my clothes so I tend to watch the inches more than the weight.

When looking over everyday life, it's been a hard year,  we lost all three of our animals within a few short months.  Adjusting to not having animals is not easy, but we do plan to bring in more furry critters in the future.

I love to travel and I was able to go up to Timmins to visit family, to Mexico to enjoy fun in the sun with friends.  If you can travel with friends it can bring you closer together and you can share in many crazy and adventurous pass times.  I personally loved repelling 80 feet into a cenote.  It was a wonderful experience to share with my husband and good friends.  We also managed to go and visit friends in other city centers around Ontario.

Getting together with family and friends for a night out or dinner can be a wonderful way to catch up see how everyone is doing.  Even having a back yard party can be a lot of fun, listening to music or watching the game on the big screen TV and having a bonfire so everyone can relax and enjoy an evening out.

It's been a good year even though there were some sad times.  Look back on the year and see what you have accomplished.  You will be surprised.