Spring!

Now that we live in the southernmost part of our state, spring comes early. And it has arrived in full swing!

But I know many of you throughout the country are still digging out from under yet another snowfall. Ugh. I feel for you because I've been there!--for most of my life, actually. And that's why I have appreciated our milder winter and early spring this year. It seems like a miracle! But I guess, for me, spring anywhere feels that way.

With impending spring come thoughts of the summer's garden and all the accompanying planning and anticipation of growing my own food and getting my hands back in the soil. What a blessing to be able to grow things, nurture them, and harvest them for my family's nourishment and health. There's just something about the whole process that is good for the soul.

Spring is my favorite season of the year, hands down. I love the fresh smells, the beautiful shades of new life blooming, and the hope that comes from realizing that once again the world's renewal won't fail us. To me, it speaks volumes about God's love and the hope He wants us to have in Him and in the power of change and renewal.

Moderation

"In societies where excesses are the norm, we need to apply wise judgment and moderation. Moderation means restraint within reasonable limits and refraining from excess. We can exercise moderation when deciding how much and how often we need to eat and by resisting media messages that encourage unwise eating habits that can bring unwanted health risks.

"Another way to show moderation is to avoid trying to fill emotional emptiness with food... A better approach is to fill our emotional hunger through service to others.

"Moderation doesn't mean never enjoying dessert; nor does it mean we must eliminate even occasional treats. It simply means we should use good judgment."

-Beverly Hyatt Neville
Dietitian and Health Educator
(link to article)

Wrong Diet Could Cause Premature Aging

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A recent news story states that choosing the wrong diet for your body could cause premature aging. To quote: "These studies have revealed that single gene mutations can alter the ability of an organism to utilize a specific diet. In humans, small differences in a person’s genetic makeup that change how well these genes function could explain why certain diets work for some but not others. The findings suggest some people may be genetically predisposed to respond well to different types of popular diets, like the Paleo Diet or Atkins, while other people will see little success."

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This study's finding goes right along with my own philosophy about daily diets, which I wrote about nearly two years ago here. I stated that "diets don't work long-term--unless they entail a permanent lifestyle change." That's one thing this blog is dedicated to: Finding and making those permanent changes.

The study also coincides with my belief that "there isn't any one way of eating that is perfect or right for every person. This makes sense to me because there are so many different body types and we all assimilate vitamins and minerals differently." (link)

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Because, as I've stated before, when people get serious about improving their health, they must figure out what daily diet makes their bodies feel and perform optimally. Usually this is a gradual learning process that may take years, but it is an enlightening journey and one that can lead to greater happiness and satisfaction. However, the study in the article says that someday soon there may be a blood test to pinpoint what diet will work best for an individual. If accurate, that would certainly take out the guesswork and shorten the length of a person's trial and error period!

And let's remember that it's not about perfection, but about consistent steps forward. :)

Sweet Pasta Salad (and Homemade Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing)

I found this recipe on the back of a pasta box and thought it sounded good, so I gave it a try last week. Turns out I had to do some tweaking to give it the contrast of flavors I was looking for, but the result was yummy. We will definitely be repeating this one! (Note: This was made to feed 10 people, so if you're feeding fewer you may want to cut it down by half...)

Sweet Pasta Salad

About 24 oz. whole wheat pasta (this time around I used multi-colored)
1 c. raisins
1 c. blue cheese, crumbled
6 c. apples, chopped
1 1/3 (or a little less) light raspberry vinaigrette*
1/2 c. thinly chopped leek or other onion
1 c. hazelnuts, toasted (optional) (I loved it with salted cashews!)

If you want homemade raspberry vinaigrette, as I did, below is my aunt Kristin's tasty recipe:

*Raspberry (or Fruit) Vinaigrette Dressing

1 c. olive oil

2 Tb. apple cider
4 big spoons of raspberry, cranberry-raspberry, or apple-cherry frozen juice concentrate
1 1/2 tsp. Grey Poupon (or other) Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Acorn Squash Bowls

When we received several acorn squashes in our Bountiful Baskets a couple weeks ago, I started exploring recipes online to figure out something new to do with them. This recipe from theKitchn (called Sara's Italian Sweet and Savory Squash Bowls there) sounded absolutely amazing, so I gave it a try. (I'm still not sure why it's considered a quick recipe, but I guess if I were used to making it I could whip it up faster.) The kids' reviews were mixed, but the adults thought these squash bowls were delightful. As my dad put it, "This recipe is a keeper!" (My modifications are indicated in italics and parenthesis.)

Acorn Squash Bowls

2 small to medium acorn squash (the halves should be the size of a small bowl)

Filling:
16 oz. Italian turkey or other sausage
1-2 Tb. olive oil (divided)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. yellow onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (I sprinkled a dash or two of ground red pepper instead)
1/2 tsp. Italian herb mix (dried oregano, thyme, basil, parsley - use fresh if you have it!)
1/2 c. roasted red peppers, chopped (I just sauteed diced red peppers with the garlic and onion)
1/4 c. reconstituted sun-dried tomatoes or roasted tomatoes, chopped (I used some home-dried garden tomatoes)
1/2 c. drained canned or jarred artichoke hearts, chopped
2 c. fresh baby spinach
1/4 c. fresh basil, sliced into thin ribbons (I sprinkled some dried basil on, as I didn't have fresh)
Salt and pepper as needed

Topping:
Fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (see below-trust me it's worth it!)
Kosher or sea salt
4 Tb. water
4 pinches of black pepper
1/2 c. hard cheese such as parmesan or pecorino cheese, finely grated

Fresh bread crumbs:
Toast 2 slices of whole wheat bread in toaster until deep brown, chop into fine bread crumbs (it should be easy if toast is very crispy) fry in 1/2 Tb. of olive oil. Toss with big pinch of salt and set aside.

Wash, halve, and scrape the inside of squash. Place the squash in a microwave safe shallow dish with a little water (about half an inch deep). Microwave on high for 7-10 minutes or until tender. Leave in microwave until ready to use. (I was cooking 3Xs the recipe amount, to feed 10 people, so I cooked squash in oven instead by placing halves on cookie sheets with 1/4-1/2 inch of water on bottom of pan. That worked really well, I just had to plan for a half hour or so of cooking time.)

In a large saute pan fry crumbled sausage, olive oil, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and dry herbs on medium heat. When sausage is almost cooked through add chopped roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. Cook all until sausage is cooked through. Add 1/4 c. water if it seems dry. (Mine didn't have this problem.) Add spinach and toss gently until spinach is wilted. Toss in fresh basil (or sprinkle with dried). Taste for seasoning and salt as needed. Remove from heat.

Place squash halves on a lightly greased cookie sheet. (I kept water on mine and didn't have to grease them.) Mound the filling into squash halves and sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper. Add 1 Tb. water to each squash. (Unnecessary with my method.) Coat the filled squash with fresh breadcrumbs and sprinkle with thick layer of grated cheese.

Broil just until cheese is lightly browned. Enjoy!

Note: I didn't think leftovers were nearly as good as fresh from the oven, so try to make only as much as you need for one meal.

Homemade Stovetop Mac & Cheese

One of my daughters recently requested macaroni and cheese for her birthday dinner (can you tell she just turned six?), which gave me the opportunity to make this again and take an updated picture to re-post this yummy recipe.

Original post March 2013:
So far, any homemade macaroni and cheese I've made for my kids they haven't been too fond of, so Annie's Mac & Cheese always wins the rating. But I am hopeful that someday they will recognize how much better the homemade version is.

So I went looking--again--for a homemade recipe and I found one on thekitchn that is the closest I ever come to recreating boxed macaroni (although, I think it tastes better). I will definitely be making it again! It didn't turn out nearly as pretty as the pics on the original website (probably mostly because I used whole wheat pasta) but it tasted great! And it's actually simpler than other recipes I've tried. Please check out the above link and get inspired.


Homemade Stovetop Mac & Cheese

1 pound pasta, any shape (I used whole wheat pasta)
1 1/2 c. whole or 2% milk
2 Tb. flour (I used whole wheat flour)
2-3 c. shredded cheese--like cheddar, monterey jack, or colby
1/2 tsp. salt (or more, to taste)
1/4 tsp. powdered mustard
Optional extras (cook before adding): Ham, bacon, onions, peas, mushrooms, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower
Boil pasta until cooked. Drain and set aside.

Begin warming 1 c. of the milk in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk together remaining 1/2 c. of milk and flour until there are no lumps. When you just start to see tendrils of steam rising from the warming milk, whisk in the milk-and-flour mixture. Continue whisking gently until milk thickens slightly to the consistency of heavy cream, 3-4 minutes.

Turn heat to low and begin mixing handfuls of cheese into milk. Stir in salt and mustard. Stir until all cheese has melted and sauce is creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Remove sauce from heat.

In a large serving bowl, combine pasta and half of cheese sauce. Stir to coat pasta evenly. Add second half of sauce and any extra add-ins.

Serving and Storing Leftovers: Serve the mac and cheese immediately while still warm. Leftovers will keep for up to a week and can be reheated in the microwave. If the sauce is a little dry after re-heating, mix in a splash of milk to make it creamy again.

Blueberry Muffins (whole wheat, honey-sweetened)

We ate these muffins again a few days ago--a classic Family Favorite--and I took an updated picture, feeling re-inspired by their deliciousness.

First posted October of 2011:
My kids love muffins and there are smiles all around when I serve these! I like to make them more like bread than cake so we can have them for a meal. 

The original recipe is from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, p. 115. I modified it to substitute whole wheat flour and honey for the white flour and refined sugar.


BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Yield: 12 muffins

1 3/4 c. whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. cooking oil

1/6 c. honey

3/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel, optional (but really best with it)

Grease twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in center of flour mixture.  Set aside.

In another bowl combine egg, milk, oil, and honey.  Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.  Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full.

Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until golden (or inserted wooden toothpick comes out clean).