Immune Boosting Time!

Yes, it's that time of the year again!  If you watch the news or have kids that may be showing signs of illness, you know the routine:  wash your hands, sleep well, eat well, take immune boosting supplements, try to relieve stress through exercise, the list goes on.  Sometimes that is not an easy thing to do ... even with all of your best intentions.

I have always been asked about which supplements are good for keeping immunity up.  There are many you can find in the health food store such as echinacea, royal camu, vitamin C, etc.  They are great, however sometimes I feel like the most important thing you can do for yourself and your family is simply to eat well.  Oh yes, love the rainbow spectrum that you can find in the produce aisle!  My husband actually went shopping with me for a New Year's Eve gathering we had last week, and he laughs at me because I am like a kid in the candy shop when I see beautiful produce!

  

Collard greens!

Here are a few nutrient dense veggies and fruits you should be stocking up on:  carrots, sweet potatoes, kale for your vitamin A boosts;  bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi, papayas, oranges, clementines (these go really quickly in my house), broccoli, spinach for your vitamin C boosts and swiss chard, collard greens, spinach and other dark leafy greens gets you a good dose of vitamin E. 

Kale with Lemon, Basil and Corn

I actually had help with brussel sprouts!  Yay Hannah!

If you are constantly fighting with your kids over eating veggies in the winter, I have found that by roasting them at a high temperature (425 degrees) with a nice olive oil and sea salt makes them nice and crunchy instead of mushy.  If you want to try this make sure you chop them into bit sized pieces to cook them evenly.  Kids generally don't dig mushy veggies!  I do this with carrots, kale, and broccoli often as we still have braces on in this house and raw veggies tend to break brackets, and poke wires out!  

Happiness in our kitchen ... the busiest room in the house!

Sophie making her famous sweet potatoes! 

Wishing you all a healthy start to 2014 with some new colors on your plates!

Krista

Coconut Sugar ... new addition to the pantry!

As I'm trying to get as much sugar out of our house (kinda hard lately with all the goodies and hot chocolate snow days!), I have stumbled upon another sweetener to share with you.  Coconut sugar is still sugar but it is a lower glycemic, unrefined sweetener that tastes great!  You might want to check it out if you're looking for a healthier choice in your coffee, or baked goodies. 

It comes from the flowers of Indonesian coconut trees!  Oh the images floating through my mind's eye!  Bryan and I went to Bali, Indonesia for our honeymoon many years ago and I fell in love with it!  The beautiful flowers, gorgeous fruits and veggies, fresh fish, snorkeling among the most colorful sea creatures, monkeys stealing our water bottles ... I digress ... the nectar of the coconut flowers is collected, boiled and ground into powder to create the tasty sweetener.

Just an idea for you as so many of us are trying to get rid of the refined sugars that saturate the shelves of our grocery stores! 

Enjoy!
Krista

Getting Yourself Back on Track

So I'm sitting here in front of my favorite spot in my house for winter ... took a quicker than normal walk with Karma as the next big snow storm approaches.  Toes are freezing ... but the cat is at my feet under my grandma's rocker and all is well.

 So are you ready to get back into some structure after the holiday break!  I AM!  As much as I really enjoyed time off with my family, it is time to get back on track.  I have been incredibly lazy and haven't been cooking the usual meals,  mostly waiting to last minute because I could ... not too many time constraints which is so unbelievably weird for us.  I have learned I don't function well unless I have to ... know what I mean?  So, as nice as it's been, I am ready to refocus on wellness and balance in the new year.

I am not one of those health nuts who doesn't enjoy Christmas cookies, traditional foods, like mashed potatoes, pierogies (been eating them since my gram made them every Christmas Eve), Swedish mulled wine (glogg), Prosecco at New Year's, and all the other desserts and apps made by my creative friends this season!  Enjoyed every single one of them!  Isn't that what we're supposed to do?  Enjoy the good stuff?

I do have some ideas for new foods to pass on as I know many of you are going through that "cleanse" mentality.  I personally don't cleanse.  If that works for you, more power to you, however my physical make up just doesn't dig it.  So, my alternative to traditional "cleansing" is to pull back the things that have taken me a bit off my center.

• Water ... make sure to get in enough to keep hydrated especially when it is cold out and we dehydrate easily. 
• Sleep ... getting back on regular bedtimes and wake up times ... especially the kids!
• Cut the refined carbs ... just get the remaining cookies and candies out of the house!
• Make sure my green drink is fully loaded with lots of greens, protein and chia seeds.
• Serve as many colors to my family as possible ... rainbow of fruits and veggies.
• Move in moderation!  Even if it is just a quick walk around the block!  Get the muscles moving for more energy!

Wishing you all a fantastic and healthy 2014!

Krista

 This is what I do when I'm not running around ... 

Take some time for you today!

Super Easy Stir Fry Earns Points in My House!

Yay!  Another jackpot winner!  You know I am passionate about good quality food!  Organic fruits and vegetables, farm raised organic meats and non-processed foods are what I  am committed to.  Sometimes that's all well and good, but sometimes you just have to prepare what is available in a short time frame. This blog post is for those of you who don't think you can have  healthy, good food with limited time.

So, here is one way you can use some prepared foods to combine into a healthy dinner in a flash.  Ok, maybe not a flash, as there is a crock pot involved, but once you are set up it is totally doable.

Some of these products are from Trader Joe's,  however, I do know other stores are carrying versions of these ingredients.  Here they are:

If you can find this it's great as it's precooked and just needs heating

Onion

Soy sauce ... this is a great variety:  Organic Tamari

Fresh grated ginger ... there are also frozen pre-grated varities in stores

Stir-fry veggies already prepped

This is a great vinegar ... omit if you don't have but I love to use this as a condiment as well

Beef Stir-Fry

1 package of pre-cooked sirloin (16 0z)
1 small onion sliced thinly
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1-2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 Tablespoon Ume Plum Vinegar (optional)
1 Tablespoon of olive oil, sesame oil or coconut oil
1 package of stir-fry vegetables
cooked rice

Directions:

1. Place sliced onions on a microwave safe dish.  Heat for about 45 seconds to release flavors.  You may also saute on a stove top instead.
2. Place onions in the bottom of crockpot.  Pour soy sauce, grated ginger, and vinegar over the onions.  Stir together.
3. Top mixture with sirloin.  
4. Cover and cook on low until meat pulls apart easily.  I just turn it on and walk away till the end of the day. 
5. Heat fry pan or wok.  Add olive oil, sesame oil or coconut oil to heated pan.  Add stir-fry vegetable mix to hot pan.  Stir regularly until desired consistency.
6. Optional:  add beef to vegetables to allow juices to cook with vegetables or add separately to individual plates. 
7. Serve over rice.

A grand slam on the dinner table

*I actually made this even easier by using rice from our take out Thai dinner the night before.  See, I do cheat on healthy dinner too!

** Check your package of pre-cooked beef (or chicken).  If there is added sodium, you might want to add 1 cup of water to your crockpot to thin it out.


This is just one way you can get a dinner on the table that the kids will love (and us old folks too!).  Visit your markets to see what you can come up with.  I know what it's like to be stuck in a food rut and really despise the dreaded dinner question, "What's for dinner?"  With the holiday season approaching, we tend to be even busier parents with all kinds of obligations.  You know what happens?  We eat like crap.  Yep, we eat garbage and drink too much coffee, too much wine and then it's the New Year.  Ugh.  "Why did I do this to myself?"

Stay committed to feeling great and plan your meals for your own sanity and for your family's benefit.  Cold and flu season is here, and one thing I've learned,  is food helps keep you well!  Eat well, rest, and take your immune boosting supplements and you'll be on your way to an awesome new start to 2014!

Let me hear from you with your quick dinner ideas!  I get inspired by your meals!

Have an awesome day!
Krista

November Gratitude

I've been laying a bit low on the recipes this week ... time marches on and all of a sudden the days have flown by!

Instead of a recipe, here is something that has changed my life for the past few years.  It's easy.  It's free.  It takes about 3 minutes.  You ready?  A gratitude journal.  Before you groan and think I'm getting all Oprah on you, give me a minute to explain.

Most of you know what a gratitude journal is.  It can be a fancy leather journal or a simple composition pad.  This is mine.

I just like to make sure I can fold book in half to write on both sides of the page.

I even have used apps that let you type in the things you're grateful for along with a photo of whatever it is that you're thankful for.  Those are cool too!

Anyway, what is so great about doing this list everyday?  There are so many reasons,  but here's the easiest one to pick:

IT MAKES YOU FEEL GREAT!

Some days are not as easy as we'd like them to be.  Am I right?  Some days we like to stay miserable about something not working or something not being fair ... did you ever notice those days just continue to snowball into more crap happening?  Yep, negative vibes attract negative energy.

By having some way of keeping track of good stuff, you can change your yucky day into a day that just plain feels great. Gratitude gets the pep in your step, your mojo happening and of course the ability to stay calm when necessary.  For me, that is every single day with two teenage girls! 

Simple Instructions:

1. Get yourself a simple notebook or whatever you would like to record thought on. 
2. Find a time to write.  I like the morning before the day really begins, but lately I have been writing at night before bed. That helps me drift off into a happy slumber.
3. List 10 things that you are grateful for.  They don't have to be extravagant events.  Sometimes I'm just happy to have a cozy blanket on me! 
4. Smile.

Often I feel like I have to remind myself of the things I have, instead of what I think I want or need.  Once you relax into "everything is alright" thinking, things start to happen without all the stress that sometimes we get worked up about.  Trust me.

Positive vibes breed positive energy.  Try it out in this month of November ... the month of Thanksgiving.

I cannot end this without thanking all of you who responded to my simple facebook post 12 days ago.  I had a great visit with my neurosurgeon in NYC who was happy with my latest MRI, 18 months after my radiation with the cyberknife.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your support!

Rockefeller Plaza mums

Conquering my fear of heights with my man!

At my favorite market "Eataly"

Much Love,
Krista

Morning Quinoa Bliss

Hello Busy Parents!!

Just wanted to share this awesome breakfast idea with you!  Maybe you are SO ready to venture out of your comfort zone and try something different.  Maybe you're bored with your Cheerios!  Are you in need of a breakfast that keeps you full till lunch?

I've written about the benefits of the superfood quinoa earlier this fall ... bottom line for those not interested in nutritional facts:  it tastes good, is great for you, and can work as a versatile grain with just about any additions thrown in! 

If you're a busy mom,  you really do not have time to make this in the morning before the school rush begins.  Maybe you will try it this weekend.  Maybe you are reading this now after everyone has gone to bed and you want to prep it for tomorrow ... maybe you're just about passed out on the couch after a very long day and the kids uniforms aren't finished washing yet!  Whatever your reasons, if you are ready to start the day off with a meal that sets the tone for a productive day, you really should try this grain out!  I cannot stress enough how many people skip breakfast ... myself included some days!  When you start the day off in a deficit it just snowballs from there!  You know what I'm talking about right?!

Quinoa Breakfast Bliss

1 Tablespoon of coconut oil
1 cup of cooked quinoa
1 chopped apple
2 chopped dried dates
1 Tablespoon of slivered raw almonds
1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries (or both!)
a drizzle of honey
a dusting of cinnamon

1.  Heat your fry pan to medium heat.  Add coconut oil.  When melted, add the chopped apple.  Cook until softened.  Add the dates, almonds, cranberries and/or cherries.  Cook until warmed through.
2.  Add the mixture to the quinoa.  Dust with a bit of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey.
3.  Enjoy! 


Here's to keeping your metabolic fire roaring and your energy blazing!!

Sorry, couldn't help myself from sharing!  This is Charlie.  He knows how to chill while I write!

Be Well,
Krista

Beef Provencal Stew

Good Morning Momma-birds!

Here is a really easy recipe for you to try this week as the weather is a little cloudy and rainy here in the Northeast.  I never thought I would be posting a beef stew recipe as the idea of stew brings back images of too much mushy stuff as a kid!  This one is just plain really good as my whole family agreed.  If you're like me,  the season is continuing to keep me busy with games, practices, more games, and homework, cooking is just too hard to fit into my afternoons lately.  I'm feeling the pull of the take-out menu!   But, if you are looking for a good one your kids will eat and you seriously don't have too much prep or clean up, check this one out. 

I start this recipe on the stove and then throw into the crock pot on low all day.  Serve over some medium buttered egg noodles and open a bag of salad and you're done!  Enjoy!

Beef Provencal Stew

Serves 6 (3/4 cup stew and 1/2 cup noodles)

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of olive oil
12 garlic cloves (use at your discretion ... more or less)
1 (2 pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes  
               (I found already cubed Kosher beef at Trader Joe's)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
2 cups chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup lower-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)

Preparation:

1.  Heat a small Dutch oven over low heat.  Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.  Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally.  Remove garlic with a slotted spoon; set aside.  Increase the heat to medium-high.  Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.  Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides.  Remove beef from pan.  Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bit.  Add reserved garlic, beef, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf) and bring to a boil.

2.  Place mixture in a crock pot.  Cook for 5 hours on high or low all day if you start early in the day.  If you don't have a crock pot you can cook this in the oven at 300 degrees for about 2 1/2 hours.

Hope you add this one to your file!  It just helps to have a few of these slow cooker recipes!

Now you have more time to quiz them for their test tomorrow, run their uniforms through the wash for the games tomorrow and maybe, even maybe get to watch some shows you missed this season!

Have an awesome day!
Krista