Happy Saturday Everyone!

The beginning of the "Christmas Season" has begun! I am just sharing these two pictures as they are last night's sunset (on the right) and this morning's sunrise. The skies put on quite a show this time of year and I love how it puts things in perspective for me. All those details of Christmas shopping, cards, etc seem to vanish for an instant when I see these colors.

Hope you find some time to be still and just observe the beauty of nature this season!
Namaste,
Krista

Cranberries!

I was making these berries last night - loving the color, the smell was awesome and when it was done (such a quick recipe and EASY) the flavor was unbelievable! Just wanted to share the recipe and then I received the John Douillard newsletter that gives us all the benefits of eating them! You can scan down below to find the information on all the benefits of cranberries.

Cranberry Sauce
1 Cup of fresh cranberries
1 Cup of water
1/2 cup sugar (use natural cane sugar if you can)
variety of extras: cinnamon (I used 1 t), nutmeg (I used 1/2 t), orange zest, blueberries (I used what I had in the freezer ... 1/2 cup), and some pecans. You can get creative and try whatever you think might work as well.

Boil the water with sugar - dissolve. Add cranberries and bring back to boil. Simmer for about 10 mins or until you the popping is done and the cranberries are tender. Add the extras and simmer until well blended. Remove from heat and cool down in refrigerator (although I put mine out on the deck because I wanted them cooled fast!).

Enjoy these flavor bursting, nutritionally packed berries with your turkey dinner this year!
Krista

"1 - Urinary Tract Support. How do cranberries protect against UTI's? The most common cause of UTI's is a virulent bacterium called e-coli. Studies show that cranberries may protect against e-coli adhering to the urinary tract wall and thus decreasing the risk and virulence of the infection(1).

2 - Gatrointestinal Protection. It turns out cranberries may protect your gut, too. They have the same anti-adhering effect on another dangerous bacterium that is linked to gastric cancer and ulcers: H Pylori. H Pylori may also be a major cause of heartburn and indigestion in America. It thrives in the stomach, particularly when the digestive acids are low. Due to their acidic nature and high concentration of proanthocyanidins (PACs), cranberries both boost the digestive fire and inhibit the adherence of H Pylori to the stomach wall, thus protecting against H Pylori-related peptic ulcers, gastric cancer, and acid indigestion(2).

3 - Heart Health. Numerous studies suggest that cranberries may contribute to the reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as lowering blood pressure (3).

4 - Cholesterol. Evidence also suggests that the polyphenols, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid in cranberries may reduce LDL oxidation, cholesterol, platelet clumping, and inflammation.

5 - Immunity. According to Ayurveda, cranberries are the lymph-movers of the winter. The lymphatic system drains every cell and transports the immune system. Not surprising that cranberries have such a global effect on the body's wellbeing: better lymph drainage equals better health!

Did I mention cranberries also:

6 - strengthen the gums, 7 - protect the prostate, and 8 - help to curb the common cold!

Most of us don't think of the holiday season as promoting our health very much. So this Thanksgiving, and throughout the winter, don't skimp on the cranberries!"

Collard Greens ... not the southern version!

I belong to a local food co-op called "The Purple Dragon." We receive orders every two weeks with mostly local seasonal crops. Last Thursday the order included a good amount of collard greens. Hmm... I know these are good but what do I do with them again? I was so lucky to have my husband cook his signature chili dish for our visiting family yesterday ... and not really sure the collard greens go with chili I was hesitant to make them. But the recipe is so easy and honestly they were so good (even though I was talking too much and thought I burned the onions!) it was a nice side dish.
Collard greens are a nutritional "goldmine." These greens actually outrank broccoli, spinach, and mustard greens in nutritional value. A Cruciferous, cancer-fighting vegetable along with kale and broccoli, collard greens are low in calories, high in fiber, and rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, calcium, and B vitamins.
Collard Greens and Carmelized Onions
3/4 pound collard greens (6 or 7 cups chopped)
3 onions, sliced into thin crescents
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt to taste
1. Wash collards, remove stalks and stack 4 to 5 leaves. Slice into strips, approximately 1/4 inch thick.
2. In a large skillet or cast iron pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute for 15 to 20 mins until golden and sweet. Take care not to burn. Add garlic and saute for another 2 to 3 mins until golden.
3. While the onions are cooking, bring 2 to 3 cups water to a boil in a 10-12 inch skillet with a lid. Add collards, cover, and cook over high heat for 8 to 10 mins, stirring occasionally. The greens are cooked when they are tender but still bright green. Drain in a colander and set aside.
4. Add greens to onions and garlic. Season with salt to taste and cook for another 1 to 2 mins to heat through. Serve hot, drizzled with additional olive oil if you like.
Enjoy!
(Recipe courtesy of "Greens Glorious Greens!" by Johnna Albi and Catherine Walthers)

The Meal that Just Keeps Going...

I just had to write this blog tonight since I think it's a pretty good topic! When you are a busy family cooking dinner may not always happen ... well maybe it does but sometimes it's too much work to figure out who's eating home, when and what time! This creates some serious stress on the Momma! Don't get me wrong, we all get it done somehow but over time this gets exhausting. Wouldn't you rather not have stress around the dinner menu??
If you are a family that enjoys chicken then this is the blog for you. I love this whole chicken idea because it is:
1) Easy
2) Cost efficient
3) Delicious
4) It can be cooked once and eaten numerous times!
(Mine is currently at 14 meals and there are still leftovers)
5) Healthy ... the optimal building blocks for your family and YOU!
6) So quick to throw together!
7) Easy to clean up :)
Just so you can keep track for your budget I bought an organic whole chicken for $13.50 (4.6 pounds). Now that may seem like an expensive chicken but here's how it works out: You end up getting that bird for under $3 a pound and it's organic ... you can't find that in any other organic cuts of meat. I have served a variety of it 14 times and I just froze the leftovers! That's $0.96 per meal! Can you believe it? And that chicken has not been injected with hormones, fed antibiotics, and has led a life outside a factory.
Ok you can make this a few ways but I have pulled out the crock pot again for the recipe. There is nothing like walking in the door and having this smell greet you - instant gratitude for planning ahead!
Here you go:
Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot
Ingredients:
4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 pound roasting chicken
1 cup chopped onion
4-5 carrots chopped in halves or thirds
4 celery stalks cut in thirds
2 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
1 lemon quartered
directions:
Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl.
Remove chicken from packaging. Remove the pouch with organs. Rinse and pat dry.
Rub the outside of chicken with garlic. Put the garlic inside as well. Rub the dry rub all over the chicken and inside. Add the quartered lemon inside.
Place the carrots, onions and celery in the crock pot. Put the chicken over the veggies and turn on low from 6 to 8 hours depending on the size of the chicken. Cook until the leg measures 160 degreesF.
Remove chicken from crock pot and place in a glass 9x13 baking dish. Put under the broiler for about 4-5 mins to crisp up the skin. Allow the sit after removing before slicing.
If you like a thicker gravy you can remove a cup of the cooking juices and add 1 T of corn starch. Mix well and add back to the sauce for a few mins to thicken.
Enjoy this meal with a nice green salad, a sweet potato, baked potato - whatever suits you that day.
FYI: We ate this for 2 nights as the above dinner then I turned the leftover chicken and remaining cooking juices into a fantastic easy chicken noodle soup! I sauteed another onion, a few carrots (was out of celery but still had celery in the juices), added the cooking juices, stirred well, added 2 boxes of organic chicken broth (BJ's has a great deal on this) and let it cook for an hour. It had all the flavors of the roast plus the comfort food of chicken soup which is so good right now in the beginning of the cold/flu season. More on that another time ...


There are so many meals like the above one that will help the busy moms and dads out there! My mantra is: "Cook once, Eat Three Times." It saves time, money, effort. This especially comes in handy this time of year where it is getting to be Holiday season. It's perfect for those families with athletes in their house who have practices, games or meets that take hours ... and I think they appreciate it more than eating frozen pizza after practice.

be well,
krista

Arm hurts but it's done!!! :)

Since this is the blog where I started my brain tumor journey, just happy to say the dreaded yearly brain mri scan with/without contrast is done! I really don't enjoy it but it has to get done and now I'm just so relieved. Not that I have even heard from my doctor as I am waiting to get an appointment but the whole process of the MRI has so many crummy memories that it just makes me nuts~!

However here is one tool I use when I am in need of it ... actually I use it every day but today I made a specific 11/7 list to get me there with a clear head.

I am in love with the website: http://www.cozi.com/family-calendar.htm
It has an app for you as well so your whole family can link up and see what's on the agenda for the day, week, month, year; what you need from your grocery list; each person's to do list and even some journal settings along with other posts that might help you organize family life. And I am a list freak! I love to cross off things! So every day I pull it up on my laptop, phone or ipad and check things off! If I can't remember what my husband asked for from the grocery store I bring up the list as he added it to it from his phone. And one of the best tricks I've learned was to put the meal of the day on it ... actual meal planning is done weeks at a time. Yes, those that know me know that I like to wing it most of the time but I have found that this is so important to keeping sanity in my kitchen, the grocery store and that time of the day you start to worry about ... WHAT'S FOR DINNER?

What a relief! Check it out!

Happy Monday! Sunshine out there and a beautiful sky! Here is a new tool I found for the kitchen and those meals that get boring. Pier One has many kinds of "tasting party"sets. I bought this with the intention to grab my kids' attention with it's colorful little compartments that are quite tiny and three little "shot glasses" (not really but about the size of one). I've used it in the morning with fruit so they can pick at it while waiting for what they really want ... at least they can get in their fiber and nutrients early in the meal. In this picture there is one cup of orange juice (smaller than her usual size), one cup of kefir (my picky eater actually loves it and being that she's on anti-biotics at the moment I've stocked up), and I juiced a big glass of beet, carrot and apple for myself and wanted to have them at least taste it ... success! I've also used it for building our own salads. I fill the compartments with whatever I have ... cut up carrots, cucumbers, edamame, fruit, seeds, and whatever else I think they'll add to a plain green salad. So far, so good. This way they are putting on what they like and it's their own creation.

Just my latest find that I thought I'd share!!
Enjoy :)

Well those are some serious words for us! What's wrong with being comfortable? Nothing if you ask me! I love being comfortable ... when things are aligned and everyone is happy! Don't you?

Especially the last few days here in the Northeast. Yes, the freaky winter storm before Halloween. We've been out of power, out of school (2 days here in Pompton Plains and from what I've heard a few more to come), out of patience! As glad as I am that our power came back last night, there are a few positives that came out of the storm. One being the realization of how lucky we are as a people as far as conveniences go. All I kept thinking of was Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House on the Prairie! They had no grocery stores, they had no tv, internet, refrigerator, and of course no lights to even see what happened after sun down except for lanterns. Ah but life was simpler. Not as much was expected to be accomplished in a 24 hour time frame ... maybe it was harder physical work but once it was done, it was done. Now I am rambling (yes, I am short on sleep this week with texts going off in the middle of the night, kids coming in because they're wigged out by the power outage, my husband checking on the generator's gas level, etc) but my thoughts on this card that I found above were simple:
Sometimes you have to go out of your comfort zone for real growth to happen. Huh? Why would I want to do that? Because sometimes you have to "get off that train," and try something new. How would you ever know how good that soup was unless you tried it? How bout that photography class? Or even a belly dancing class?

Take that first step and jump! The sky's the limit!

As far as my patience? Well, my daughter is learning how to cook meals for herself this week as I've been working on some projects. That is AWESOME in my opinion! I was never comfortable letting her near a gas stovetop! But she is starting to learn and that makes me proud! If we're off from school tomorrow we are going food shopping together and it might actually be fun with some help!

Wishing you much warmth!
Krista