Breakfast

Breakfast

I used to eat a bowl of cereal every day for breakfast. It was quick and easy, but I was usually starving by ten o’clock. What I didn’t know then was that I wasn’t getting enough protein, and was predictably hungry just a few hours later. 

Today I make sure I get protein at my first meal of the day, and I’m generally fine until lunch. I also save my higher point (WW) breakfasts
 for the weekend. Today I’m going to share some healthy breakfast ideas.

Eggs

Hard boiled eggs are a quick and easy way to get a protein packed breakfast. For several years I baked my eggs in the oven, but now I use an egg cooker to hard boil them. If you want to bake them in the oven this is how to do it:

Preheat oven to 325
Place raw eggs on rack in oven
Cook for around 27 minutes (adjust accordingly to your oven)
Remove with tongs or an oven mitt and plunge into a bowl of ice water
Let eggs cool for 15 minutes
Peel and store in a glass container in your refrigerator

I like to sprinkle my eggs with Everything But the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s.

Scrambled Eggs

I often times scramble an egg for breakfast. I usually add a splash of half and half, and I like to add grated Parmesan cheese to these eggs. 

Sometimes I slice mushrooms, dice red onion, and slice grape tomatoes, and sauté them in either vegetable broth, chicken broth or even water. The trick here is to only use a splash of broth so your veggies don’t stick to the pan. Add a splash more if needed as you sauté. 

In a separate pan scramble your eggs ( this way your eggs remain yellow and look more appetizing.) When both are ready add the veggies to the eggs. This is one of my favorite ways to eat eggs. 

Stay tuned to tomorrow for some more “eggcellent” ideas.


Parmesan cheese tip:

Buy your Parmesan in a block, and grate it yourself. I store mine in an old Parmesan container. By grating it yourself it has more surface area resulting in more flavor.

The Power of Change

The Power of Change

Author and motivational speaker, John C. Maxwell, reminds and challenges us that 

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”

Wow! Who could have ever expected the changes we have seen in the last few months? In reading my morning devotional yesterday morning, which just so happened to be about change, Joyce Meyer pointed out that, 

“We don’t mind change if we invite it, but when it comes uninvited, our emotions can easily flare up.” 

Chuck and I found change to be relatively easy when we made the decision to move three years ago. Of course, there was a transition period, but because it was our choice we handled the bumps along the way more as an adventure than a burden. 

When change comes uninvited, though, we can find ourselves kicking and screaming as we cling to what is known and comfortable to us. 

As we all contemplate the changes that are happening around us I hope John C. Maxwell’s advice about growth makes us realize that we do have a choice as to how we respond to change. 

We might treasure our past life more, and work toward regaining and appreciating that life. Or maybe we have reconsidered how we were living before, and want to initiate change on our own.

Either way hopefully we come out of this uncharted territory with a greater perspective on the power of change. 

The Rolling Pin

The Rolling Pin

 After my mother passed away over forty years ago, I took possession of her cooking utensils. I hadn’t really planned on taking them, but when my father remarried my step-mother didn’t need or want them. I couldn’t stand to see them thrown away in the trash. 

After all my Mom was the heartbeat of our home, and she had prepared many a meal for her family using those very utensils. I had watched her cook over the years, and it broke my heart the day I saw them stashed in a box ready to be thrown away. 

After retrieving them I brought them back to my apartment, and for the last forty years or so I’ve made a point to use them rather than store them away as keepsakes. 

This past week my oldest grandson came to spend some “alone time” with his Mimi and Papa. After two months of quarantine I think everyone was going a little stir crazy. 

He’s at that age where he’s pretty self-sufficient, and really does look forward to visiting so it’s a win-win for everyone involved. Most of the time I try to plan a few extra activities that I think he will enjoy.

Since Cooper’s birthday was just around the corner I thought it might be fun to make some dog treats for the celebration. It’s hard to believe that the little guy will be turning seven this month, and I knew my grandson enjoyed helping his Mom bake cookies. 

As we mixed up the dough, and got ready to roll it out I reached for the rolling pin. The rolling pin that just so happened to belong to my mom. At that moment it occurred to me that the great grandson that she had never met was using the very same rolling pin that she had used over forty years before. 

I sure felt blessed that I had taken it home that afternoon, and that today I had the privilege of using it with my grandson.

I’ve included the recipe for the dog treats below if you are interested in making some. 

Cooper’s Dog Treats

(Original Source Unknown)

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup cornmeal

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 egg

1/8 cup milk

(Optional: 1 egg beaten for egg wash)

Extra flour for rolling

Mix together wheat flour and cornmeal in a medium sized bowl. 

Add oil, broth, egg and milk. 

Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness.

Cut out shape with cookie cutter- I use a dog bone shaped one. 

Brush egg wash on each one. 

Cool on a wire rack. 

( These will last 4 weeks in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.)

Fresh Eyes

Fresh Eyes

Chuck and I were out taking our evening walk last night.  It’s something we’ve pretty much done every evening since we’ve been sheltering in place. It’s been a way to get out of the house, get some exercise, and breathe in some fresh air. 

Most of the time we walk the perimeter of our neighborhood which has a wide walking path. It’s a very familiar trek. Sometimes we venture into nearby neighborhoods checking out a new and different view. Sometimes we’ll even get in the car and drive down to the walking trails in our town. 

We were discussing how faithful we had been to walking over the last couple of months, and how it did require some self-discipline on our part. We were glad that we had walked most evenings, and hoped we would continue to do so while we had plenty of daylight. 

Yesterday as we were walking I happened to look up at the stone wall that encircles our neighborhood. Something caught my eye and made me stop. Right before me was a heart shaped stone that I had never noticed before. I immediately stopped to admire it, and snapped a quick photo with my phone. 

As I thought about it later I wondered if the stone mason who built the wall had noticed the unique shape of the rock, and had placed it just so? I also thought about how many times I had passed by that very spot, and had never noticed it before.

Isn’t that the way things are sometimes. You go through life not really noticing what’s right in front of you. You look for all the really big, special things while all the while something small and simple is right there begging you to notice.

I’m thinking on the next walk I might pay a little closer attention, and walk with a little more intention. 

Back to Nature

Back to Nature

What is it about being in nature that seems to restore the soul?

Given the chance between eating indoors or out I’ll always choose patio dining when the weather permits. My daughter was telling me the other day about how they had been eating most dinners out on their back porch. It really does elevate the whole dining experience, and dare I say might even make the food taste better. 

Sitting on my back porch has been my saving grace these last couple of months as we’ve been asked to stay home. Although, my view is only of my neighbor’s house it doesn’t really matter. 

I’m still able to breath in the fresh air, feel the cool morning breeze, and listen to the sounds of birds chirping in my neighborhood. Having a covered porch is the biggest blessing of all, and I’ve certainly taken advantage of it. 

I’ve especially enjoyed watching my pair of bluebirds raise their little family, watching Cooper excitedly chase his ball in the backyard, and just sitting peacefully while I read or reflect on life. 

Each evening Chuck and I have been getting out to enjoy a daily walk. We have explored nearby neighborhoods, have walked along the hiking trails in our town, and have even returned to the lake at our old apartment complex.

This pandemic has forced us all to slow down a bit whether we wanted to or not, and as we look back on this time I hope we don’t loose sight of the benefit of stillness, and getting to reconnect with the natural world. 

I hope you are having an opportunity to enjoy getting outside.

Who Rules the Roost?

Who Rules the Roost?

Life at my daughter and son-in-law’s is never dull. Between two rambunctious brothers, horses, sheep, cows, five chickens, a dog and a cat there is always something going on. 

As I’ve told you before one of “the girls” has decided that the upholstered patio chair is the perfect place to lay her egg each day. Well the word must have gotten out because she’s been joined by one of her sisters who has claimed a chair as well. 

The other morning when one of the girls got ready to lay an egg in “her” chair she found it occupied by Tuffy the family cat. Now this minor inconvenience did not stop her from achieving her goal as she jumped right up beside him and gave him her best, “Do you mind?” look. 

Of course, Tuffy being a cat had no intention of getting down, and looked at her with complete indifference. Fortunately my daughter intervened before fur and feather came to blows. Tuffy wears his name well, but those birds do seem to rule the roost. In fact my daughter is always leery when wearing open-toed shoes around them. 

A little while later she reported that Tuffy had claimed another chair for himself, and that one of the other girls had made her way up to another chair to lay her egg. Luckily, that left one chair for Brittany!

Prep Day

Prep Day

Today I tried something completely different when it comes to meal preparation. It's called Prep Day, and it had intrigued me for a while. Basically all it entails is getting several things ready for the week in one day instead of stretching it out through the week.

Today's Prep Day included:

Hard Boiled Eggs

Roasted Pepitas

Chicken Breasts

Elderberry Syrup

The first thing I did was hard boil six eggs using my handy dandy egg cooker.  Having eggs ready to go in the morning makes breakfast super easy. If you haven't tried Trader Joe's Everything But the Bagel Seasoning then you have been missing out. It is perfect to sprinkle on hard boiled eggs.

You can also get a similar product at Walmart if you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby.

While the eggs were cooking (it takes about 16 minutes) I began roasting some pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds). I find these for a reasonable price at Aldi, but use a recipe from Joanna Gaines' Magnolia Table cookbook. I melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet, and add a dash of salt, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. The secret here is to use your nose to help you know when they are done. Stir continuously until they are fragrant. I have been eating these on English muffins spread with Laughing Cow cheese, and then topped with the pepitas. I'm obsessed, and so is my two year old grandson!

The next thing on the agenda was copying down a recipe I found online for Crockpot chicken breasts. Now I don't usually copy down recipes I find online, but I didn't want to take a chance on not remembering where I found this because I hate it when that happens. I did go ahead and pin it on Pinterest so I should be good the next time I need it. The seasonings for this recipe were all things I have on hand so it is easy to prepare.

Sixteen minutes later the pleasant chiming of my egg cooker alarm went off so I stopped to plunge the eggs into ice water for 15 minutes. This makes it easier to peel the eggs so I can store them in a glass container in the fridge. Now they are ready for breakfast the next morning.

Next I gathered the ingredients needed to season the chicken (garlic powder, onion powder, dried Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper) and made two batches because I can only cook three to four breasts at a time. This way I have plenty to last me for several meals.

After seasoning the breasts on both sides, I poured 1/4 cup of chicken broth and a tablespoon of butter in the Crockpot, and added the chicken.

They cooked in the Crockpot for 3 hours at low. After removing the chickenI  let it cool for about 10 minutes before shredding or cubing it. I store it in quart size freezer bags for later. It's extremely easy to pull out and defrost when you need it for a meal.

While the chicken was cooking I separated two pounds of lean ground beef to put in the freezer. Since there is only the two of us I never use a pound of meat, especially if I am adding beans or pasta to the meal. This way I get four 1/2 pound servings of meat. Somewhere along the line I learned to smash the meat down very flat to freeze it. This way it takes up less room in your freezer because it lies flat, and it doesn't take long to defrost. Of course, you could go ahead and precook your meat to have on hand for the meals your family enjoys.  

Last, but not least I made another batch of Elderberry Syrup. A couple of years ago when the flu was so bad, and the flu shot did not seem to be working I began purchasing Elderberry syrup from the store.  It was pretty pricey, and who knows if it really worked, but neither Chuck or I got the flu that year. Since then I learned how to make my own at a much more reasonable price. Each year during the winter months and into early spring we take a dose of Elderberry syrup to help boost our immune system. I purchase the dried elderberries on Amazon from Frontier Co-op, and add dried ginger, ground cloves and ground cinnamon to the mix. I also use Nature Nate's raw and unfiltered honey. You might recall that I was a honey ambassador for this company a couple of years back, and can recommend this as a quality product.

I'm going to include the following links below to help you out if you are interested.

https://www.thereciperebel.com/slow-cooker-chicken-breast/

https://happyhealthymama.com/homemade-elderberry-syrup-recipe.html