 Living in the south, I soon realized that cooking with meat is hard to get away from! I cannot argue that the smell of a pot roast cooking on Sunday or even bacon at breakfast is hard to resist. Here is a short and sweet view of some of the mouth-watering southern favorites I found this morning. I am not sure yet which it will be but check back on our Facebook page later for the actual pictures. Working at Cracker Barrel when I first moved to North Carolina re-awaked my childhood love for pot pie. Growing up in the north, I was not exposed to biscuits that often, but I sure made up for it at the Barrel, sneaking my fare share every chance I got. The Mama’s Fried Chicken Recipe caught my eye, and discovered that it is most likely the buttermilk that I am leaving out of mine, making it not quite up to par with what the southerners are dishing out! As everyone already knows, I am partial to cooking with wine! At Taste of Home I found a Wine Braised Chicken with Pearl Onions that looks mouthwatering! I will admit that the one that made my mouth water the most was the Apple Glazed Pork Roast posted by Food Network. I can remember my mother cutting the fat off of the outside of the roast and putting it back under the broiler for us to crisp it up; salty, greasy, and delicious! Relax and enjoy!
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 Learning to do what is right for you and what is health for you involves discovering a love for the things that are good for you. It is essential for not only a healthy body, but a healthy mind, heart, and soul.
As I began reading more about natural health, a lot of what I read circled back to the Native American Indians and how they lived. It is no secret that they had a tremendous love for nature, a bond with the earth, the sky, the trees, and even the animals that they ate. One article described it as them protecting the world around them from exploitation. Some of the oldest and still widely used practices of the Native Americans was the use of bark and roots for medicine. As a child growing up in upstate NY I heard a lot about the Iroquois Indians of the Adirondack Region. Their name apparently means “bark eaters” and judging by the numerous pine trees in the Adirondacks, they may have been the original pine bark eaters, responsible for uncovering what we market as wonder of Pycnogenol in our OPC-3 and other anti-inflammatory supplements today. For the Indians, pine was a popular cold and flu remedy. Pine tea was used for treating sore throats, lung infection and chest congestion. The tree symbolized peace, harmony and creativity for the Natives.
Berries, nuts and fruits were of course also popular with the Native Americans. Using natural remedies like those made from pine or willow bark may take some practice or getting accustomed to. Their benefits however are indeed timeless. Coming to love the benefits of fruits berries and nots however can be an overnight addiction. It is hard to find one that does not have abundant benefits for the body. Most berries are high in antioxidant properties. Fruits are full of vitamins, and nuts, although some high in fat, most possess “good” fat. P&G is working on a series of post centered around natural foods. The first will be a personal collection of drinks; smoothies, teas and concoctions that are not only good tasting but good for you. Fall in love with what is good for you! It is easy to like what you eat and in general what surrounds you if you find a purpose and appreciation for it. #bethebestyoucanbe  I bought a cook book today! I already own about 100 of them. In my younger days I loved to bake. I still do but I honestly don’t eat a lot of sugar, so here I am in the cook book isle at Barnes and Noble with my stomach growing! Over the past year the most valuable think I have learned is to listen to my body when it comes to food. I selected 28 Days of Clean Eating, The Healthy Way to KICK DIETING FOREVER My body is screaming for fresh salad or this Roasted Butternut Squash and Israeli Couscous Pilaf! Cinnamon rolls and muffins still smell delicious (sugar coated cereal does not) but these eggs poached in homemade marinara sauce on page 102 look divine! Part of the reason that I picked this book over others was the selection.
A brief introduction goes over explaining just what “clean” food is, before talking about digestion, oils, your heart and the dangers of processed foods. One of my favorite parts of the is the short section that breaks down how to restock your pantry, complete with recommended oils, spices, grains and flours, dried fruits, nuts, etc. There is a menu lay-out and then it rolls into one of my newest favorite obsessions, smoothies! Not all of them were packed with kale and spinach, but all were simple and looked delicious. Here is my #1 pick for today: Avocado-Lime Smoothie 1 avocado 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk 1 ½ teaspoon lime juice ¼ teaspoon lime zest 1 ½ teaspoon honey (use local) ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract Add ice to desired thickness while blending. This is heart-healthy and full of monounsaturated fats and vitamin C. Another thing that I might add, but am not completely obsessed with is that this book notes the top, outside corner of each recipe if it is vegan or gluten free! There is a nice soup selection where I found a must-try Creamy Asparagus Soup recipe. If you are a tuna lover, (we are talking perfectly cooked tuna steak) the Tuna Nicoise Salad looks picture perfect! Pleasantly surprising deserts in my new 28 days of yummy guide look simple and delicious with a healthy twist. There is a Strawberry Shortcake recipe with Greek vanilla yogurt and whole wheat pastry that looks out of this world! I am as excited to clean my pantry and stock it as I am to try my first smoothie from this New York Times Best Seller. More to come as I dive in and offer some live testimony, but for now I give it a 2 thumbs up! Best of health to you and please consider eating clean! |
