Month: January 2024

Chocolate Cherry Berry Smoothie

Featured by stephsimply, posted in Recipes

“If you’re one of the many people who struggle to eat enough fruits and vegetables each day, adding smoothies to your diet may help.”–WebMD

Photo by PNW Production on Pexels.com

Why Make a smoothie? 🍓🍒🫐🥬

I love a good smoothie, but I am often questioned about why make a smoothie when I could eat the same foods for your breakfast or lunch? It’s a fair question. Personally, I enjoy eating a good meal.  However, if, like me, your morning is busy, the day’s schedule is packed, and even your lunch time is a working lunch, a smoothie might be one way to ensure a healthy dose of nutrition for at least one meal.

The key to a balanced and nourishing smoothie is whole food ingredients, with heavy emphasis on fruits and vegetables, in order to get a healthy mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fats.  This ensures your smoothie is full of fiber, has a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other beneficial nutrients. This is why I advocate for making your own smoothie, rather than buying it, so that you can control the ingredients.

customize your own creation 🍎🥭🍌

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Smoothies are customizable; therefore, even though I am sharing my latest smoothie recipe, you can feel free to swap out one whole food ingredient for another.  For example, if you need to avoid seeds in your diet, but you want to maintain a dose of healthy fats, swap the seeds for an avocado. (Some grocery stores sell frozen bags of avocado cubes.)  If you don’t have one of the fruits on hand the recipe calls for, use what you have on hand. (I do this all of the time.) 

Sure, switching one ingredient for another, may somewhat vary the taste, texture, or nutritional content.  However, as long as you’re swapping out one fruit for another, one vegetable for another, and so forth, you are still overall increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and other healthy nutrients–which is the goal. 

Smoothie benefits✨

Photo by Milada Vigerova on Pexels.com

Here are the benefits (the pixie dust) of the ingredients in this recipe:

Spinach or cauliflower:  These cruciferous vegetables are chock full of essential nutrients that are associated with lowering risk of chronic disease, such as cancer and heart disease.

Cherries: This fruit is full of polyphenol antioxidants which can protect our heart from cell damage and may reduce inflammation.

Blueberries: Full of flavonoids, especially anthocyanins which gives the fruit its gorgeous hue, blueberries are associated with reducing oxidative stress that can lead to inflammation among numerous other benefits. 

Banana: In addition to being an excellent source of potassium, bananas, especially when frozen, lend a creamy texture to smoothies.

Prunes: These luscious orbs are full of fiber, potassium, vitamin K, and boron.  The latter two ingredients are key to bone building health.

Cinnamon: The National Institutes of Health describes cinnamon as a “multifaceted medicinal plant that is “an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular-disease-lowering compound, cinnamon has also been reported to have activities against neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.”

Cocoa powder:  This much beloved ingredient is also full of flavonoids, which have been shown to lower blood pressure and increase blood flow to heart and brain.

Protein powder: Obviously, this ingredient increases the protein content of your smoothie, but it affects texture by making it creamier.

Seeds: These tiny, but mighty ingredients, contain alpha linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid) which may increase brain function and boost the immune system.  In addition, they are full of fiber, protein, and a variety of minerals. 

Beet juice: Beets are rich in nitrates that the body converts to nitric oxide which helps with blood flow and lowers blood pressure.  Additionally, beets are full of other beneficial nutrients as they are also part of the cruciferous family. ( I rarely include juice in my smoothie recipes, but this is one juice I will add.)

Whole Food ingredients that can even be made ahead of time! 🍍🥝🍑

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As you can see from the nutritional deconstruction of this recipe, smoothies made with whole food ingredients can be a healthy part of your daily dietary intake. They can be easily made from frozen fruits and vegetables, so you don’t have to waste what you don’t use. 

Furthermore, smoothies can be made ahead of time, such as the night before.  They can even be made several days ahead of time and frozen, which is what I often do.  Then, it’s simply a matter of removing one from the freezer the night before and placing it in the refrigerator.  The next morning, grab the container and go. It can either be sipped on the way to work or saved for later time in the day.   All that is required is to give the smoothie container a good shake, and you have a perfectly chilled, thick, and creamy delight that is not only tasty but is also contributing to the body’s overall health and well being.

High Quality Blenders can’t be beat 🍐🍇🍊

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

One caveat I will mention is that it is worth investing in a quality, high powered blender if you are one who frequently makes smoothies as I do.  I actually purchased a certified reconditioned model, directly from the factory.  It automatically came with a five-year warranty, and the company’s customer service has been outstanding.  This is not only a cost-effective way to get a quality, high-powered blender, but it also promotes sustainability. Win. Win.  

From my home to yours, I wish you health, happiness, and peace.

Blend two at a time. Drink one, share one, or freeze for another day!

Chocolate Cherry Berry Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen spinach or riced cauliflower 

1 cup frozen cherries

1 cup blueberries

1 ripe banana, frozen if possible

¼  lemon with its peel (remove seeds)

 2-4 prunes (can substitute medjool dates)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

vanilla protein powder

2-4 tablespoons flax, hemp, or chia seeds

2 cups water OR 1 cup beet juice + 1 cup water (Can substitute pomegranate juice for beet juice.)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the order listed in a high powered blender and blend from one minute or until smooth and creamy.

Serves 2

Warm and toasty memories of grandparent’s kitchen

Featured by stephsimply, posted in Simple Observations and Musings

“On average, a well-maintained pop-up toaster can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years.”–Storeable.com 

A toast to Love 🥂 🥯

“Bready” to work for 34 years!

My grandparents gave John, my husband, and me a wide-slotted toaster in 1989. We cannot remember if it was a wedding gift or a Christmas gift during our first year of marriage. Regardless, Grandmother and Papaw were so proud to give it to us because it was just like theirs, white with four slots wide enough for bagels. 

Here’s the thing, John and I didn’t use the toaster that often until our own daughter was born ten years later when it became used on a more regular basis.  It was one of the last tangible connections to my grandparents.  The gift was from a time period before Alzhiemer’s disease overtook Papaw’s brain; therefore, it was more likely the two of them chose the gift together.  

Who’s the Center of Attention? 🤩

I can remember how Papaw first greeted John.  He looked at John, sized him up, and shook his hand.  Then, he looked at John’s hair, and asked, “You got all those hairs numbered to get your part so perfect?”  

At the time, John had, as Papaw called it, “a head-full-of-hair.” Thus, it became Papaw’s default joke-of-a-greeting with John.  That was one of Papaw’s ways–teasing a person to let them know he liked him or her. 

Grandmother tended to let Papaw take the spotlight while she remained present, but in the background.  She was quite adept at allowing Papaw to soak up all the attention, so she was embarrassed easily–and yet loved it–when attention occasionally turned to her.  John knew how to use this to his advantage.

Papaw would give John a hard time about his hair, the way John was dressed, or the shoes John was wearing.  In turn, John would banter good-naturedly with Papaw for a few moments.  Then, John would pivot and turn his attention to Grandmother, asking her a question such as, “Helen, how do you put up with this man?”

Grandmother’s eyes would light up–probably because she secretly wondered that very thing herself from time-to-time when Papaw was carrying on, but she would usually deflect the comment good naturedly while laughing. 

Family dinner Rules 🍽️

During family dinners, Grandmother still remained in the shadow of Papaw’s entertaining ways; however, her food was center-stage.  She was a good cook in that hard-scrabble, Kentucky/Appalachian way–a woman who had been poor during her childhood and continuing through the Great Depression. Therefore, her cooking methodology was a mix of traditional Appalachian-style foods and popular recipes of the time, made in the most cost effective way. (I could probably write a book on her cooking alone.)

Therefore, John would tease her mercilessly about her cooking.  One moment he would tell her how much he loved something, and then next he’d quip, “Now, Helen, I am not sure who makes the better  __________, you or _________, (He’d usually insert his mother’s or my other grandmother’s names.) so I’d better have some more of that if you don’t mind.  It will help me decide who the better cook is.”

Oh, how she basked in that kind of banter.  “Now, John . . . ,” she’d say as her face reddened.  Then, she’d smile, realize there was food in her teeth, and cover her smile with a napkin.  She’d wave her hand as if batting his comment away, but she’d ensure he–and everyone else gathered around the table–got more food. 

Clean up and Dish up 👂

After special dinners, Papaw, who usually did help clean up the kitchen, was given “permission,” especially during football season, to go ahead and sit down, with any other men that were present, to “watch” football and/or read the Sunday paper.  I put quotes around “watch” because after eating, Papaw would typically doze off part way through the game.  Nonetheless, 20 or so minutes later, he’d perk back up, and command the rapt attention of those that remained in the room with him.

Meanwhile, the women would clean up the kitchen, often making more coffee. The conversations were rich as the coffee and somewhat “dishy” about this person or that.  Once I was old enough, I would hang out in the kitchen, offering to “help,” but mostly hovering between the TV room and the kitchen, so I could hear the tales from both rooms.  

There was an intimacy in Grandmother and Papaw’s kitchen area that was warm and inviting. During winter months, their single-paned windows would thickly frost, and as a child, I felt sheltered and safe in an often chaotic world in that room.  Later, when I lived with them for two years as a young adult, I came to realize that even when it was just the two of them, that presence of peace could still be felt in their kitchen.

During those early adult years when I lived with them, they graciously shared their kitchen with me, so I could explore my own cooking interests. Grandmother especially loved it when I cooked with a wok or made homemade pizza, so she could eat something different than her traditional fare.  Papaw would just walk out of the kitchen and mutter under his breath about my “concoctions” while Grandmother sat at the kitchen table asking me questions about the recipe as I worked.

It was also during this time period that I observed their steadfast devotion in the early morning hours, when they made breakfast together.  Their breakfasts were usually simple, but that didn’t matter.  It was how their presence made the space feel. 

Their presence remains 👴🏻👵🏼

 If I listen hard enough, I can still hear the metallic clank of the toaster popping and the rhythmic perk, splurt, sigh of Grandmother’s percolator, brewing her aromatic coffee, filling the kitchen with an ethereal presence, as they two of them sat side-by-side at their kitchen table, talking about the coming day, current aches and pains, or strategizing for an upcoming, double-coupon, shopping day.

Grandmother shared her love of cooking and baking with me, and Papaw taught me the importance of an appreciative eater.  They both offered wisdom on the art of not wasting food and cooking on a budget.  They were patient with my presence in their sacred space–the kitchen–when I lived with them for those two years.  And they modeled that a kitchen table–and the events around it–are often the heart of a home.

With the toaster they gave me, it felt like a small part of Grandmother and Papaw remained with my own family in our kitchen, but this past Thanksgiving, the toaster quit working–only months after our daughter moved out to begin her career and life as I once did with them. 

I know it is a miracle it lasted as long as it did, but I still mourn its loss.  However, as I write this piece, I realize that Grandmother and Papaw’s kitchen is not lost, but remains in my heart and in my hands.  Their love wraps around me when I bake or cook one of those traditional recipes and even when I explore new ones.  The echoes of Papaw making himself an endeared, center-of-attention and his gruntings about my “concoctions” still whisper.   Likewise, visions of Grandmother sitting at my own kitchen table, eating with me in spirit, asking about my recipes, and savoring each new taste as her clouded blue eyes shine their light on me seem almost real.  I suppose, in the end, these words are written as a toast to their lasting influence.

Thank you for your service, toaster. Rest in peace.

The Joys (and benefits) of Exercising Outside in the Winter

Featured by stephsimply, posted in Simple Observations and Musings
  • “The only other sound’s the sweep, Of easy wind and downy flake.”–Robert Frost
Photo by Julia Larson on Pexels.com

It begins with the First step 👣

My daughter and I began Thanksgiving morning with a run, and I was surprised by how invigorated I felt afterwards.  We were participating in a local 5K that raised money for a local non-profit that provides emergency assistance to those in need. The route was scenic and engaging as we made our way through a historic railroad town along the Ohio River. Fluffy pillows of white clouds floated on a canvas of cerulean with intermittent rays of golden sunshine warming the otherwise brisk air. 

When Christmas morning rolled around with temperatures in the mid-thirties and milky sunlight filtering through the clouds, I decided to once more begin that day with a run in a nearby park. This time I was alone, but I did encounter small clutches of people here and there, many with dogs.  With little traffic, and so few people, it was an idyllic opportunity to bask in an appreciation of my surroundings. 

The creek flowing alongside the path gurgled a peaceful tune. The rhythm of my own two feet kept time as my breathing matched their relaxed beat.  There were numerous animated squirrels, performing their own countermelody, scurrying across and along the path, mouths stuffed wide with nuts and other random fodder. Exposed trees revealed secrets they hide throughout the other seasons.

New Year’s morning was full of gunmetal gray clouds and snow flurries, but I wasn’t to be deterred. I once more donned my running shoes and headed to the park.  Energetic wind gusts embraced me once more, as I pitter-pattered along, keeping the beat–one-two, one-two–finding an easy pace. Only a few people stirred, and most of them were accompanied by their canine companion.   Traffic was nearly nonexistent. All was quiet.  My face was repeatedly pecked by diminutive flakes, and I was filled anew with a deep peace that comes from nature immersion.

Photo by Tim Gouw on Pexels.com

The Joy of being outside ❄️

There is joy in being outside with nature, and there is joy in movement.  Combine nature and movement together, and therein lies a sweet spot–a compatible coupling of energy. It doesn’t matter if you run, walk, bike, ski, snowboard, or hike, but getting outside in the winter is beneficial to body, mind, and, yes, soul.  

One of the more obvious benefits of moving outside is giving to your own health and wellness. Even if you are only out for 5-10 minutes, those few minutes can clear your mind, increase circulation, and, of course, increase calorie burn because the body has to work harder in cold weather.  However, there is so much more than the obvious.

Exercising brings a sense of camaraderie, even if you’re solo. I typically encounter other exercisers during my outings, and there is always a collective sense of “we’re in this cold weather together.”  Most will speak or wave in greeting, which I try to emulate, and I personally find a sense of connection in such a simple act.  However, if you have a buddy who can join you, then exercise is always more fun, goes by quicker, and both of you benefit from holding one another accountable!

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Benefits of Exercising Outdoors 👟

Outdoors exercise can reduce levels of cortisol, which in turn, reduces feelings of stress. Moving outside in the colder temperatures can boost your mood by increasing levels of serotonin, which can help alleviate symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. Winter exercise boosts the immune system, which may in turn prevent or reduce viruses, such as cold and flu. 

Being outside, even during the winter months, is a wonderful opportunity to practice mindfulness.  We can engage all five senses by observing your environment: listening to the sounds; feeling the rush of chilly air brushing against our cheeks; inhaling scents of winter; and, even tasting the frosty air. It provides our minds an opportunity to to slow down and clear the mental cobwebs or perhaps still incessant chatter of our thoughts.  

As I have discovered, there is a quiet in the winter months that isn’t present at other times of the year and not just the kind of hush I experienced on those holiday runs. It is a special stillness that allows me to feel connected with our Creator. Every step I am fortunate to make, every tree I am able to observe, the chirping of the winter birds, the  air, and the nippy air bring me closer to the Source of all that is.  God is ever-present, and I feel closest to that presence best when I am out-of-doors and in nature.

Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev on Pexels.com

It’s all about Mindset 🧠

The hardest part of getting outdoors in the winter is mindset. Our thoughts will tell us it’s too cold, it’s too uncomfortable, it will be miserable, and so forth.  However, if we can push past the resistance, dress for the weather, and step outside, we find that our bodies will adapt. Once past the first 5-15 minutes, depending upon what we’re doing and our own unique system, our bodies warms up, those endorphins kick in, and we begin to feel much better and warmer!

In fact, I often find that once I’m outside and moving, I wonder why I didn’t want to do it in the first place.  Still, I often have to fight past my own resistance in order to not “flake” out. (Get it? Snowflake; flake.) 

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

Dress for the weather, but adjust for activity level 🧤🧣

Keep in mind that when we are engaged in activity outside, according to an NPR article, it will feel 15 to 20 degrees warmer than it actually is. Therefore, I personally saved a 2018 article from NBC  on my phone that breaks down the temperatures into zones–from the 40s-50s, 30s-40s, 20s-30s, and even 0-20s–and makes suggestions regarding what to wear, which I use as a dressing guide. I compared that 2018 article to a 2023 piece from the Mayo clinic, and found that both offered similar advice for dressing. The point is, there is plenty of information/advice with the stroke of a few keys.

Most experts advise dressing in layers made of dry-wicking fabric which can be taken off, if needed, as the body warms. Hats and gloves/mittens are also important, as is appropriate footwear. It is also advised to warm up the body for a longer period of time, and use caution, especially during dicey weather conditions.  

If it’s icy out, raining heavily, or temperatures are in the teens or lower, it may be advisable to avoid exercising outside during those time periods–especially if you do not have the proper gear/clothing. Therefore, it’s a good idea to check the weather forecast before heading out, so that you can ensure it’s safe and know how to dress for the conditions.  If your work schedule permits, consider switching up the time of day you exercise as temperatures can be significantly warmer in the afternoon hours. 

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels.com

Dress Appropriately, Get outside, and get moving ⛄️

In the end, don’t allow the cold temperatures to keep you inside. Head outside when you can. Connecting with nature and moving outside is a great way to appreciate not only the wonders of creation all around us, but also appreciate the wonder that YOU are.  Of course, use caution and basic wisdom when deciding what temperatures and weather conditions are right for your unique circumstances.  Whether it’s a short jaunt to your mailbox or car, or a full exercise session, taking time to soak up the fresh air with a few extra steps could benefit you in surprising ways!

Wishing you health and happiness in 2024.  

Reflect on my runs on Christmas, New Years Day and so forth. 

A “Bear-able” story: The ‘safe’ car that was an accident magnet

Featured by stephsimply, posted in Simple Observations and Musings

“All sorrows can be borne if you put them in a story or tell a story about them.”–Isak Dinesen

It was May 2016, and safety ruled supreme

STatistic Tell a Story 📊

It was 2016, and my husband, John, texted me photos of a previously owned car he discovered for sale on a local lot.  The former owner rarely drove the car, and it was in pristine condition. However, it was white, a color that seemed bland to me. However, the price was right, and after a few test drives and conversations, we decided to buy it.

Turns out, it was a vehicle often used by police officers, a 2013 Ford Taurus SHO, a model no longer made. However, if you’re a car enthusiast, you will know the car.  It was only through driving the SHO and encountering car aficionados, that I began to appreciate what a following the car has due to its powerful and uniquely designed engine.  

In addition to the car’s engine, another advantage of the SHO, John explained, was its color. According to Autolist’s “Guide to Safest Cars,” AAA, and numerous large law firms, white is the safest car color. Statistics indicate white vehicles are 12-percent less likely to be in an accident because the color is such a contrast to its colorful surroundings.. Hmm. . . in the words of a former British politician,“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

Tippi Tail needed a check-up. Little did she know that an evil force would find us there.

 “Oh well, bears will be bears.”–Michael Bond 🧸

Case in point, 2021.  I took our cat to a local veterinarian for her annual check up.  I parked away from other cars, farthest from the door.  Moments later, I was inside an interior exam room with the cat when the door popped open. “Do you own a white Ford SHO?”  

Turns out, another client, driving a full size SUV with a camper hitch, somehow managed to back into my car, despite my parking precautions.  The entire trunk area of the SHO was wrecked, seriously damaged by the hitch and size of her vehicle.  Did my white car, parked as far away from the entrance as possible, really safely stand out?  

Now consider 2023 . . . 

Off to the body shop, again and again!

“The best way of being kind to bears is not to be very close to them.”–Margaret Atwood

I was driving on a winding country state route on my way to a local gym around 4:45 on a cold February morning.  THWACK! A large buck, spooked–perhaps by my car–darted out from the woods onto the road behind me and collided into the driver-side rear bumper.  If my car was such a contrast, why did Mr. Bambi decide to leap towards it? 

This time it took months before the SHO was fully repaired due to an incredibly bad experience with a well-known, car repair shop.  Once we finally did get it back, a little over a week later, we were rear-ended in Charleston, WV by a person without insurance who transparently reported, “I don’t know if I fell asleep, or I zoned out when I hit you.” Back to the original, much more reliable, local body repair shop. who made the repairs after the veterinarian parking lot debacle.

Photo by Aaron Brewer on Pexels.com

“Bears are masters of survival.”–Catherine Lukas

All was right in the world once more.  Our car was repaired in a timely fashion, but we decided to search for a new vehicle–an HEV model similar to one we owned many years ago.  A few days before Thanksgiving 2023, we went to a local dealership, where I met a young, respectful sales associate named Austen, and I completed a test drive of a vehicle similar to the HEV model John and I researched.  After some back and forth, I sat down with Mr. Austen to order a 2024 “Dawning Red ” compact SUV that was an HEV with ALL of the top-of-the-line, high-tech safety features.  After my experiences with a white vehicle, I determined I might as well get a color I love AND be able to defend from would-be “assassins.” Unfortunately, it wasn’t slated to arrive until January or February 2024.  

Mid-December, 2023, John and I left Snowshoe Mountain Resort where we attended a wedding. We were driving along WV-39 when we entered the scenic Monongahela National Forest. We were listening to music and chatting, when suddenly, John and I both screamed, “BEAR!” 

A large black bear had “barreled” out from the woods and was running across the road in front of us. John braked hard, but there was no avoiding it.  In a split instance, I quickly did a survey of our circumstances. We were in the middle of nowhere with little to no cell phone service, night was falling quickly, and there was no traffic on the road.  We were doomed.

 THWACK! That sickening sound of impact, and perhaps, impending demise as we both exhaled, bracing ourselves for the worst.  However, by a Source greater than us, we were still driving.  In the rearview mirror, the bear was seen shaking its head and ambling back towards the side of the road from which it had originally darted.  

In a note of irony, and almost “unbearable” humor, the Maps App’s image revealed we were driving on “Bear Run Rd.”  It was at this point, John and I burst out laughing. Our cachinnation continued momentarily as tension slowly diffused into gratitude. We were safe. The car was still functioning with minor damage to the front, driver-side bumper, and the black bear appeared to be alive.

In the light of a convenient mart 50 or so miles away, we were able to photograph the damage the bear “bearly” made.

I once more contacted the local body repair shop regarding my damaged white vehicle.  However, before I could get it to the shop, Austen, the young sales associate, reached out to me.  The newly ordered vehicle, with all those safety features, had arrived early at the local dealership.  I could “bear-ly” contain my joy as Austen explained the new vehicle would have sensed the bear and automatically braked before we could have reacted!

In the same way the sun’s rise and fall creates beginning, middle, and end to the day, so too do stories bring structure to life events.

Stories can bring sense, structure, and sometimes, humor, to a world that I often struggle to fully understand.  Disjointed events rise in an arc of plot developments and somehow come full circle in the resolution of the narrative.  I have been fortunate to share these stories with you. By writing, I hope I am contributing to the understanding of our shared humanity as well as your own unique life story.  It is my hope to continue to share the untold stories yet to come as, together, we move into a new year. 

For those of you who take time out of your busy schedule to send emails, cards, letters, and messages to me, please know that I am sincerely appreciative for your kind words, generous spirit, thoughtful advice, and even corrections when I am wrong.  A writer needs a reader just as a cook needs someone to feed.  Thank you for being that reader for me.  You are why I write.  May the new year be gracious to you and yours; may it be filled with peace and, of course, stories!

P.S. Thank you Austen, Mark, Jacob, Gavin, Marvin, and all the other friendly guys at the local dealership.  You made our purchase feel like the beginning of the next adventurous chapter in our life story . . .

Here’s to the “dawning” of a new day.
“Dawning red” indeed!
Even though my eyes were shut for the picture, they were wide open with gratitude and joy for the new vehicle and the easy process with had with Austen, Mark, and all the other guys in Barboursville!