Tag: cooking

Housework Is Not Exercise

Posted on by Joy Held

Cleaning set photo

“I’m going to clean this dump—just as soon as the kids are grown.”

                ~Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck is probably the reason I love being a Mom but hate cleaning. She always wrote about hating housework. I read her in the local paper when I was young and to this day think of her column about changing the toilet paper roll every time I do it. She’s the one who asked many years ago why she was the one person solely responsible for refilling the toilet paper when the house was full of other capable people who could accomplish the chore just fine. But any time she sat down, well, being the only one “in charge” of the changing, sometimes she was caught without. Why didn’t the person who used the last sheet recognize the condition and refill the roll instead of leaving it to her? Bombeck never discovered the answer to my knowledge and neither have I, but I keep extra rolls really close by because it happens all the time. Why me?

Cooking and baking are very spiritual, satisfying activities for me, but I really would rather not have to clean house. I love a clean house, and I’m good at cleaning, but it drains me to the point I have nothing left with which to exercise. And I love exercise. However, I’ve never quite bought into the concept of housework as exercise. The idea is flawed in many ways.

1.Exercise is enjoyable. Cleaning house is not. Who wants to clean hair off the floor behind the toilet for heaven’s sake? The bending required isn’t healthy and neither are the fumes. No physical benefit and no improvement in breathing technique. But I know the gunk is there and eventually I have to swab it out at the expense of my exercise for the day. Ugh.

2.Exercise has recognizable rewards like tone muscles and improved attitude. House cleaning has little if any rewards. I no sooner am dumping the mop water down the drain as a person or a dog is coming in the room with dirty feet or paws. “I just mopped!” is greeted with, “Looks nice, dear.” Grrrrr.

3.Exercise has many success stories. There is no one to my knowledge (if they existed there would be a reality TV show about them) who has lost weight, toned up, and kept off the pounds from cleaning house.

“I hate housework! You make the beds, you do the dishes—and six months later you have to start all over again.”

                ~Joan Rivers

 Household chores must be accomplished, however, and many writers have designed a routine to think about writing projects while folding laundry and mentally working out plot problems while running the vacuum cleaner. But these jobs don’t count as exercise, so it’s off to the gym! Have you achieved fitness by cleaning the house? Prove it!

“Women with clean houses do not have finished books.”

                ~Joy Held

 

“Be well, write well.”

~Joy

Friday Feast: ‘Shrooms Va-va-voom and Friends

Posted on by Joy Held

Not everybody is a mushroom fan, but this baked stuffed portabella has been known to win over a few non-fungus eaters!

‘Shrooms Va-va-voom

Recipe by Joy Held

2 large portabella mushrooms, wiped clean with the stems cut out and the gills scraped out

¾ cup fresh spelt bread crumbs

½ cup low fat mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated parmesan

¼ cup minced onion

¼ cup finely chopped parsley

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp dried thyme

2 Tbls melted butter, salt free

1 Tbls olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix the bread crumbs, parmesan, onion, parsley, butter, and spices together well in a bowl. Cave out the mushrooms a little if necessary to make room for the filling. Divide filling evenly between the caps  and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes. In the last five minutes, turn off the oven and turn broiler on high. Sprinkle mushrooms with mozzarella and broil to desired melty deliciousness. Don’t take your eyes off! Burns quickly!

After this treat, take a walk around the block then settle down and visit these web friends of mine. Tell ‘em I said hello. And feel free to share this recipe and spread the fungus among us (couldn’t resist.)

Writer mom NATALIE MARKEY

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/2011/07/understanding-writing-mommy-mind-with.html

Hot romance scribe MEREDITH ELLSWORTH

http://www.meredithellsworth.com/

Fav social media chicka KRISTEN LAMB

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/big-six-publishing-is-dead-welcome-the-massive-three/#comments

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Cool Gus Publishing.

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Joy E. Held

joyeheld@gmail.com

http://twitter.com/Joy_E_Held

Friday Feast: Pass me the veggies, peas.

Posted on by Joy Held

We get our energy from food. Not from exercise. Not from supplements. Not from sleep. We get energy to burn and live from the foods we eat. We are what we eat. Literally.

There are seven personal habits of a healthy person:

*sleeping 7/8 hours daily

*eating breakfast almost daily

*consuming planned snacks

*being at or near prescribed weight

*never smoking cigarettes

*moderate or no use of alcohol

*regular physical activity

(Practical Stress Management, John A. Romas and Manoj Sharma, 2010)

I want to add: *no abuse of controlled substances such as prescription or illegal drugs.

Healthy eating enhances our ability to cope with stress and stressful events. If we are sustained through healthful eating, we are more capable of dealing with daily stress because we are not stressed by being overweight or under nourished. The whole idea to eating healthy can be summed up with one word: balance. The key lies in maintaining a balance of quantity and quality of food and regularity in eating. There are dietary guidelines leading to balanced eating for Americans as described by the government. I encourage you to review all the recommendations presented at MyPyramid and visit the website if you’re interested, but I also stress to you that just like the way we deal with stress is a habit learned many times from our relatives, eating habits are also learned early in life. If you are concerned about your eating habits, take a long and serious look at what you eat, how you eat it, and why you eat as soon as possible. It will be too late to seriously address your eating habits when you are faced with diabetes, obesity, and heart disease due to high cholesterol caused by a high fat diet.

The first step to balanced nutrition is awareness. Just like the principle of awareness of stress being the first step to learning how to cope with stress, awareness of eating habits is the first step to deciding how to maintain healthy eating practices. Because we take eating for granted, it is important to stop from time to time and look seriously at our eating patterns, write them down, and decide what changes if any we wish to make.

Ask yourself questions like:

+Do I eat breakfast regularly?

+Do I eat between meals?

+How much caffeine do I take in on a daily basis?

+Do I abuse any unhealthy substances such tobacco, drugs, or alcohol?

+Do I prepare most of my own food or does someone else make it and I heat’n’eat?

+Is my sugar consumption reasonable or is it too high? What about my salt intake?

After understanding that balance is the key to healthy eating habits and awareness of personal eating habits is the key to determining good balance, the next step is moderation. This is understanding that there are food choices available and that no one food should be consumed in excess. The key to healthy eating is know that there are food groups necessary to the body’s ability to function and that moderate choices will help you eat in a balanced way.

The body needs carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water in balanced moderation to achieve balance.

Lastly, there are things to avoid consuming in excess. These are alcohol, smoking, and drugs. While it’s common knowledge that many, many people turn to these substances for solutions to their stress, never are they successful. Never. The point is to learn coping methods and healthy alternatives to the use of alcohol, smoking, and drugs. All these substances do is post pone dealing with the stress. They do not alleviate stress in any way shape of form. They only delay the inevitable. And they pack on the pounds. Alcohol is full of sugars and useless calories. Smoking depletes the immunes system’s ability to function and ward off disease and causes disease. Drugs are a temporary fix. That is not coping. Drugs lead to dependence and decreased coping capabilities because they distort the nervous system’s ability to react and function.

Eat healthy and prosper!

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

Be well, write well.

Joy E. Held

Friday Feast: Spelt Breaded Turkey Fingers Are Positively Yummy

Posted on by Joy Held

When my youngest child was in the hospital at age nineteen with a serious case of pneumonia, she lost fifteen pounds over the course of the nine day ordeal. It was horribly scary from day one until an infection specialist was called in and figured out the problem. Once he made his changes to her care, she started to turn around in just ten hours! We weren’t out of the woods yet. She still didn’t have any appetite. Her already thin body became rail thin, and my heart pounded with worry each time I would see her frail arms and legs sticking out from under the hospital sheets. I was determined to get her healthy with the good food she was used to eating at home. When her appetite gradually returned, the hospital fare wasn’t cutting the mustard, so to speak. The first thing she asked for were my own twist on the mini-chicken bites so famous in fast food restaurants. My daughter’s blood type food program suggests that she avoid chicken. I started making turkey nuggets at home and that’s the first thing she wanted to eat when she felt hungry. I knew she was going to be alright. Here’s the plan.

Spelt Breaded Turkey Fingers

6 slices of spelt bread (white or whole) crumbs

1 pound of boneless turkey cutlets pounded thin and cut into strips

¾ cup of buttermilk

1 cup white or whole spelt flour sifted

3 eggs

1 packet of Ranch dressing mix

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried or fresh chopped rosemary

1 teaspoon dried or fresh chopped parsley

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ cup canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a wire cooling rack in a baking sheet and set aside.

The “dipping station”

In a medium bowl, mix the dried bread crumbs, packet of Ranch dressing, and all the remaining spices and herbs. Stir to blend. Let sit on the counter under a towel to dry out a bit.

Pour the buttermilk in a plastic food storage bag, add the turkey strips. Seal and place in a bowl in the refrigerator to marinate for 15 minutes.

Place the flour in a medium bowl. Break the eggs into another bowl and beat with a fork. Add a pinch of salt to the flour and the eggs.

Set the bowls out for the “dipping station”-(dry, wet, dry.) Flour first, eggs second, bread crumbs and spices third. Take the turkey out of the refrigerator and place at the dipping station.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet on medium high. When oil is ready, begin dipping the turkey in the flour, then the eggs, then the bread crumbs and slowly place in the hot oil. Fry on one side for 2-3 minutes. Turn and fry for another 30 seconds. Place the turkey fingers on the rack on the baking sheet. When all the strips have been fried, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Watch carefully and don’t allow to get too dark.

Don’t underestimate the value of “finishing” off the turkey fingers by baking in the oven. This is the secret to moist meat on the inside and a perfect crust on the outside. This same daughter doesn’t like it when I “cook the crap” out of the meat.

Serves four.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

Check out my new website Joy E. Held

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Friday Feast: Wrapping Up Dinner

Posted on by Joy Held

Centuries of people on-the-go have resorted to holding hot, greasy meat and melting cheese with some sort of “edible napkin.” Sliced bread, bread bowls (known as “trenchers” in the Middle Ages,) and circular flat breads have helped people eat a wide variety of foods tucked inside. The bread holds everything together to make it easier to eat and adds carbohydrates to the meal thereby filling tummies much quicker.

 

John Montague, 4th Earl of Sandwich (England), was supposedly a notorious gambler who often refused to leave the gaming table to eat. One late night he ordered his valet to bring him meat between two slices of bread to eat while playing cards. The legend goes that others around the table ordered, “…the same asSandwich!” Even though there is extensive record of people holding meat and cheese between bread before the illustrious Earl, the name sandwich stuck to our stand-by luncheon menu.

 

Flatbread is an international phenomenon: Mexican tortillas, Chinese wontons, Mediterranean focaccia, Greek pita bread. Americans have the hotdog bun from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair by way of the German sausage in a bun. Flatbread is typically quick to make and handy to eat as well as low in fat. From corn to wheat, most are a decent source of B vitamins and economical on the wallet. For a quick, filling meal, “wraps” are a great way to end a day at the studio. Add soup and yogurt for dessert to make cooking, eating, and clean up a snap (or a wrap!)

 

The wrap is the quick and easy answer to pangs of hunger and finances. Try these recipes some evening and make up some of your own favorites to carry cold for lunch. If you ever worry about calories from bread, try wraps for an efficient substitute. It’s worth it to buy tortilla shells and flatbread wraps instead of bread. You and your stomach will NOT miss the bloated feeling!

 

Vegetarian Wrap

 

Fantastic Feta Fill-up with Grilled Red Onion

 

                4 flour tortilla shells

                2 cups of fresh spinach

                ½ cup red onion, thin sliced

                ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup roasted red peppers or 8 teaspoons of roasted red pepper relish*

                cooking spray

 

Spray the bottom of a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray. On medium-high heat, put the onion for one wrap in the pan and cover with one tortilla shell. Spoon 2 tablespoons of feta cheese on top of the shell then the red peppers. When the onions are soft with a little brown on them, fold the tortilla out of the way and spoon the onion into the shell with the cheese and peppers. Add fresh spinach and close the wrap. Turn once or twice to get a light brown color on both sides of the folded wrap. Repeat three more times. Makes four wraps.

 

*Roasted red peppers and red pepper relish are found on the grocery store shelf with the pickles. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with how low in fat they are!

 

Protein Wrap

 

TerrificTurkeyTurn-over

 

                4 flour tortilla shells

                2 cups of thin turkey strips cut from pre-cooked turkey breast

                1 cup lean, sliced deli ham or turkey ham

                ¾ cup red onion, sliced

                8 slices of Colby cheese

                1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

                Italian dressing

                Cooking spray

 

Spray the bottom of a non-stick frying pan lightly with cooking spray. Saute red onions for 1-2 minutes. Add turkey and ham. While meat and onions are heating, spread two slices of Colby cheese on each tortilla shell. Evenly divide the meat-onion mixture on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with romaine lettuce and Italian dressing. Fold and serve.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

Be well, write well.

 

Friday Feast: Egg Salad and Blog Mash-up

Posted on by Joy Held

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

I promised this egg salad recipe to a good friend who shared a recipe with me last FF for guacamole.

“Joy’s Egg Salad Delight”

 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled, mashed

3 Tablespoons light mayonnaise or canola mayonnaise

1 stalk celery finely chopped

¼ red onion finely chopped

2 Tablespoons red pepper relish (found in the pickle aisle at the grocery)

1 Tablespoon fresh dill chopped (1/2 tsp. if using dry)

Salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything together, cover in an air tight container and cool immediately. Because of the mayo this can’t be left out for long periods of time. Serve on toast with a piece of crisp romaine lettuce.

Friday Blog Mash-up

Here are the great blogs I’ve visited this past week. Check them out.

http://www.eatmovewrite.com/ Interesting blog about the trials and tribulations of a freelance writer.

http://www.creatingkeepsakesblog.com/index.php?s=art+journaling Nifty site with some good basics about art journaling.

http://www.onewomanswrite.blogspot.com/ Linda Rettstatt’s excellent blog about life as an author.

Do you have a recipe to share with Friday Feast?

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Friday Feast: College Food & and Blog Mash-up

Posted on by Joy Held

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

When I first came across Rachel Ray and her 30-minute cooking, I shouted, “Hooray!” Here was everything I needed in the right place at the right time. When I get home from teaching yoga, I’m STARVED. The slow cooker is really helpful on those days because I get home from the studio after 7:00 p.m. I can’t cook from scratch that late at night and have it ready before midnight. But slow cooker recipes seem too heavy some days so I like to do quick meals that are satisfying in many ways, the most satisfaction being it is done in a hurry!

Now that my daughters and their friends are in college they have all learned snap cooking, and I have recently been amazed how simple and healthful some of their recipes are. Maybe they were listening all those years I said, “Corn chips give you zits!” Here are a couple of their stand-by foods that are really healthy and quick to prepare. (Thanks Aurora and Pam!)

Turkey Fingers

Turkey cutlets, egg wash, canola oil, flour, bread crumbs, and Grill Mates (trademark)seasoning of your choice.

Put the seasoning in a bowl and mix with bread crumbs. Cut the cutlets into strips, toss lightly in flour, dredge in the egg wash, then the breadcrumbs. Fry in about 1/4 inch of canola oil, until golden brown turning only a few times.

Serve with sister’s honey mustard: honey and Gulden’s (trademark) brown mustard mixed to taste. 

Super Delish Guac

3 hass avocados
.5 small red onion
.25 chopped fresh cilantro
2tbs lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
.5 tsp cumin
.25 tsp salt

Mash avocados and mix with everything else.

**

Here’s the stupendous mash-up of blogs I’ve haunted this week.

http://www.onewomanswrite.blogspot.com/

http://bethtrissel.wordpress.com/

http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com/

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

 Be well, write well.

Friday Feast: Mash-up Blogs and Potatoes

Posted on by Joy Held

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Friend and social media expert Kristen Lamb reminded me today there is always something to blog about IF you make the rounds of other people’s blogs and leave comments for them. She calls it being a “blogger booster”.

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2011/04/27/one-of-the-best-ways-to-build-our-social-media-platform-be-a-blogger-booster/

But Friday Feast is supposed to be devoted, however loosely, to ideas about nutrition, so my brain associated “mash-up” from Kristen with mashed potatoes. Today we talk about mashing up sweet potatoes. They remind some people of their baby pictures from bygone days sitting in the plastic high chair with orange mush all over their fingers, smashed into their eyebrows, and used as “product” to hold up baby’s first mohawk. That’s how good mashed sweet potatoes are. We just don’t remember. And somewhere along the way, we grow up and forget to eat every color of the rainbow when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Orange foods get a bum rap. Why?

Quick and Yummy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

1 large can of candied yams

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/4 cup milk or half/half

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Drain half the liquid off the canned yams, empty into a large saucepan, and heat thoroughly. Remove from stove. Use a potato masher or hand mixer to mash the yams blending the liquid in as well. Add butter, milk, and maple syrup mixing completely. Reheat in microwave or on the stove on low if necessary. Serve.

You’ll love ’em. Care to share your mashed potato recipes?

Here’s the blog mash up where I’ve thoroughly enjoyed visiting this week:

http://www.writerchris.blogspot.com

http://www.joannaaislinn.wordpress.com

http://www.castlesandguns.com

http://www.laverneclark.blogspot.com

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Friday Feast: Slow and Steady Gets Dinner Ready

Posted on by Joy Held

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

The slow cooker is the greatest invention since fire. I teach in the afternoons and evenings so I’m making dinner at noon before going to class. When I get home later, dinner is waiting just like a personal chef cooked for me all afternoon! I have a slew of easy, healthy, and satisfying slow cooker recipes that are regulars in our house.

On weekends I go shopping and spend the extra time preparing vegetables and herbs so they are ready and easy to use in a flash during the week. I do my baking on the weekends as well and freeze homemade breads to get out the morning I plan to serve them. I am usually rushing out the door in the early afternoon to get to classes and having the veggies chopped and the herbs cleaned makes preparation a snap. Thanks to weekend prep, I can have dinner in the slow cooker in 15 minutes. I normally set the cooking temperature to low since it will be six to eight hours before I get home to eat. Once home, I throw together a fresh salad and have a healthful meal that meets our nutritional needs without adding a lot of calories. You know how dangerous it is to eat late at night!

Try these three recipes soon and your whole family will be happy with the results.

“Turkey Roast” 

                3 lb. boneless turkey roast, thawed

                3 ribs of celery

                ½ cup water

                ½ cup chopped onion

                salt, pepper to taste 

Rinse and pat dry the turkey breast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Line the bottom of the slow cooker with celery and onions. Place turkey on top of celery and onions. Add water.

Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

When you get home, use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature of the meat. It should be 170 degrees.

Heat a canned vegetable and serve with bread and butter or margarine. 

“Vegetarian Vegetable Soup” 

                1 can Campbell’s tomato soup

                4 cups water

                5 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes

                1 small onion chopped

                1 bay leaf

                1 small can diced tomatoes, basil and garlic flavored

                1 medium potato chopped

                3 medium carrots chopped

                1 can green beans

                ½ cup corn

                ½ cup peas

                ½ cup lima beans

                (veggies can be canned or frozen)

                1 cup pasta (elbow, rigatoni, etc.)

                salt, pepper to taste 

Add all ingredients except pasta to slow cooker. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

Add pasta to soup in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Remove bay leaf before eating

Serve with salad and bread. 

“Mediterranean Turkey and Rice”

                1 package boneless turkey tenderloins

                1 celery stalk, chopped

                1 can diced, basil and garlic seasoned tomatoes

                1 sprig of fresh rosemary, stripped and chopped

                3 cloves crushed garlic, or 3 tsp. minced garlic

                2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

                ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

                ½ cup white or yellow onion, chopped

                1 tbs. lemon juice

                cracked black pepper to taste

                1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain rice

                ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

                ½ cup black olives, sliced (optional)

Place everything except the rice, black olives, and the Parmesan cheese into the slow cooker.

Cook on high 4 to 6 hours adding rice the last 30 minutes or low 6 to 7 hours adding rice the last 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and olives if desired before serving. It’s nice to sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley before serving also.

Serve with raw carrot sticks and ranch dressing.

A Life Saver!

While shopping, pick up a box of Reynolds brand “Slow Cooker Liners.” The first time you line the slow cooker with one of the specially designed liners you will wonder all day if it will actually work and how the food will taste. They fit all size cookers and the kitchen clean up committee in your house will be thrilled with the results. I’ve never had one spring a leak and clean up is as easy as the product claims. Four liners per box cost around $2. Most important, the food tastes fantastic and NEVER STICKS!

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com. 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous. 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com Natalie Markey

Be well, write well.

Friday Feast: Spelt-the Other White Flour

Posted on by Joy Held

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.

After a mouthful of spelt flakes cereal, my outspoken teenage daughters proclaimed, “The first man who ate this spit it out saying, ‘Splet!’ and that’s where the name came from!” I still cook and bake with spelt in spite of the girls’ drama and it’s paid off in the long run. For ten years they’ve eaten cookies, bread, and pasta made from spelt instead of bleached white flour or whole wheat and no one’s digestive system is complaining. In fact, everyone is much leaner, healthier, and happier. What is spelt?

 Today’s whole wheat and white wheat flour are descendants of spelt grain. It’s an ancient grain that has come back into vogue for gourmet cooking and to help wheat intolerant persons continue to enjoy pasta and pastries. Most people who suffer from celiac disease can eat spelt because the gluten in spelt is more easily digested. This doesn’t apply to all celiac patients, but many people who cannot eat wheat find spelt a tasty, simple alternative to going without bread and pasta. Even some gluten free people can eat spelt without complications. 

When the book Eat Right For/4 Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo was published in 1998, many people took D’Adamo seriously and cut whole wheat and white wheat from their diets. I and my family switched to alternative grains and we’ve been happier ever since. It’s taken a while to get a handle on the differences in baking times and a slightly different taste, but overall spelt is a delicious substitute for wheat. http://www.4yourtype.com.  

Spelt is full of flavor, protein, and B vitamins. It’s much easier on the digestive system and because its popularity continues to grow, it’s now easier to find in health food groceries and online. (See resource list below.) 

Spelt noodles cook faster. Pastries made with spelt flour have a heartier texture. Spelt foods are more filling so you eat less while feeling satisfied. Spelt is a bit more expensive but it balances out when you don’t eat as much to feel full. After ten years of baking with spelt, my family takes it for granted that every pasta, cereal, bread, and cookie is made from spelt flour and they’re right! The extra effort is worth it.

Kitri’s Favorite Iced Spelt Oatmeal Raison Cookies

2 ¼ cups of white spelt flour sifted

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup oats (not instant)

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

1 cup salted butter half melted

2 Tablespoons honey

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ cup raisons

Icing

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

4 Tablespoons half and half (use more liquid if necessary to acquire desired consistency)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.

In a metal mixing bowl, melt the butter half way in the oven while it is preheating. Take out the butter and blend the sugars with the butter then add the honey, vanilla, and eggs one at a time until a grainy paste is reached. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture mix lightly then add the oats and raisons.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Place the cookies in the freezer for 10-20 minutes to reset the butter. Bake one sheet at a time for 18-22 minutes checking regularly. Spelt bakes faster than regular wheat. As soon as a light brown is visible around the edges of the cookies, remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for one minute before removing to a baking rack. When cookies are medium warm, drizzle icing over the tops. Store in airtight plastic containers with parchment paper between layers of cookies. Cookies freeze well for up to two weeks.

Resources

www.spelt.com

www.purityfood.com

www.berlinnaturalbakery.com

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com. 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 Be well, write well.