Monthly Archives: January 2017

What’s for Dinner Week 2

Hey there, I was hoping to post these on Sundays in preparation for the week but got side tracked when we decided to paint a bedroom this weekend. It feels like a brand new house around here, amazing what a coat of paint will do. After 7 years we’ve finally made our mark on every room in our home.

Anyways, I was able to run out and grocery shop (with 2 kids in tow) yesterday. The marinated chicken from last week turned out to be a whole chicken, we shredded it and sautéed some shredded Brussel sprouts with a little lemon and parmesan added a avocado and made tacos last night that we shared with my mom. They were better than expected. I’m making stock with the bones today. We are heading in to Febuary which is a transitional time as we prepare for spring. I’m a ground hog baby so its especially fun to see what that ground hog says every year. I know spring is coming because my children aren’t hibernating like they were in November and December. The sun is even out today! So with that in mind this week reflects some of the changing of the guard so to speak even if right now it is just ever so subtle. There is a lot going on in the world. Sometimes its hard to know what to do. I challenge you to share a meal this week with someone, maybe an old friend, a lonely neighbor or even just turning the TV off and the cell phone down and being fully present for the meal with whoever you’re sharing it with.

Taco Soup  <— currently in the crock pot

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Chicken Stir Fry

Roasted Garlic Soup (new recipe I’ve been meaning to try for years!) that I’m pairing with butternut squash and feta savory muffins (also a new recipe)

Cheater meal: Frozen Indian

We have plans to be out a few nights this week and the meals we are making will make bountiful leftovers so that’s it folks. I’ll post some recipe adaptations throughout the week on the blog and pictures on Instagram/facebook.

Stay warm and healthy!

Creamy meatballs with spaghetti squash

I usually make my meatballs from scratch but I have half a bag of Costco meatballs left over from Christmas that need using and the creamy meatballs recipe was on the label and it caught my attention. I’ll high light what foods especially help nourish the kidney energy of winter. What I also like about this recipe is that you can add a few things to just about any recipe to give it a nutritional boost like spaghetti squash instead of pasta for example and fresh spinach and mushrooms instead of frozen or canned. The method of slow cooking and the richness of this dish is what makes it so good for winter. The spinach and artichokes ease the body’s natural ability to digest and cleanse after a rich meal.

meatball

What you need:

1 bag of spinach

can or box of cream of mushroom soup

2 cups of water

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 Tblsp balsamic vinegar (don’t tell my husband he thinks he doesn’t like it)

18 meatballs

sliced mushrooms

artichoke hearts (I used frozen because I had them, they aren’t on original recipe)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan cheese for garnish

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What to do:

Poke holes with a fork all around spaghettis squash and roast at 450 for 35-40 minutes or until soft.

In the meantime combine cheese, vinegar, soup, artichokes and mushrooms in pot and turn heat on low. Stir occasionally to combine. Add meatballs and cook until heated through. Rough chop spinach or chop in food processor and add 5-10 minutes before serving, stir well.

When squash is cooked, cut in half and deseed. Use a fork to fluff out the spaghetti squash and season lightly with salt and pepper. Pour cream sauce and meatballs over spaghetti and Enjoy!

 

What’s For Dinner?

Arg! Does panic arise for anyone else when you hear these words uttered? I know I do.

A few years ago we started making a weekly menu and only shopping for what we needed instead of buying odds and ends and making multiple trips to the store and always feeling like we didn’t have what we wanted/needed. It helped me become a pretty good cook, freed up some time and saved us some $$ and reduced some food wasting.

Because what we eat changes each season I thought it would be fun to share our weekly menus. I’m sure not everyone will like every recipe but most of them are kid and budget friendly and are geared towards supporting health in the season we are in. So if you’ve attended a winter yogapuncture class or are curious about how to be more in harmony with the season here is what is cooking in my kitchen.

I’ll share pictures on facebook and Instagram if you’d like to follow and post the recipes that aren’t already floating around on the blog.

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I had the rare opportunity to get to the grocery store on a Sunday instead of during the week and all by myself. What a treat! It felt so good to fill my cart with lots of nourishing food. Whole food makes me feel better even before I eat it. I grabbed a frozen orange chicken for dinner tonight and cooked up some quinoa in beef broth with sautéed broccoli and bok choy with some sliced avocado on top. Quick easy and a balance between naughty and nice.

Here it is, the weekly menu (in no particular order):

lentilbowl

Green Lentil Nourish Bowl

stew

Lentil Stew (Add a 1/2 cup of orzo to the soup to make it a hearty meal)

Rainbow Meatloaf

Marinated, roasted chicken with Brussel sprouts and rice (first try)

Spaghetti squash with meatballs in a cream sauce (first try)

So, I have to ask, what did you have for dinner? 😉

Blue Monday

There have been a lot of facebook posts going around (which I love btw) talking about couches being open to friends when they need a place to land, a shoulder to cry on etc.

I wanted to share this study I learned about awhile back that is so powerful especially so on blue Monday.

Many people especially in the Midwest suffer from seasonal affective disorder or SAD. Part of the problem is that we have less sunshine and the cold, dreary weather can contribute to isolation. We are social beings and need contact. Wayne Dyer describes a Swedish study of Random Acts of Kindness and serotonin levels. When a person practices an act of kindness his serotonin levels increase. The person receiving the act of kindness will also experience a boost in serotonin levels. And interestingly enough a witness to the act of kindness will also benefit with a rise in serotonin levels. What’s more is that this lift in endorphins has a lasting effect and because it impacts the giver, receiver and witness one small act of kindness can ripple out in the world. If the winter months leave you with a sense of dread this is a perfect time to practice random acts of kindness and contribute to not only your serotonin levels but those around you as well. The giver of kindness receives the highest boost in feel good endorphins but don’t be afraid to also receive kindness.

How many random acts of kindness can you offer your tiny corner of the world today? Lets raise up that serotonin! Share your stories on the facebook page. 🙂

I’ll leave you with this, my favorite happy pose, named fittingly so.

Happy Buddha

look up and laugh!

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Seasonal Self Care Class for Winter Sneak Peak (January)

Here is a little sneak peak into what we will be talking about at Yogapuncture for Winter this Saturday.

January is traditionally a time for resolutions, by Febuary most are abandoned or forgotten. There are a couple of reasons why I think this happens. One, being that most resolutions are about health and our idea of health is usually weight loss and the winter isn’t the time for that. We need insulation in the winter to stay warm! The other being that most resolutions revolve around some form of marketing and its not really what we want but rather what we think/are told we want. Lastly our kidney energy is depleted making it hard to have strong resolve.

The Kidneys in Chinese Medicine house the will. It might be why in January we feel so inspired to start anew because winter is when the kidneys are most active. The kidney energy also controls the bones. In Yoga, alignment is of utmost importance for full benefit of postures as well as to prevent injury. My teacher would say, when bones are stacked properly there is no effort of the muscles, the muscles simply support the bones. When we find neutrality in our spine and our bodies are in alignment our bodies can take in more oxygen and are able to store more for available usable energy. On the flip side if our bodies are not in alignment it can compromise every system of the body.

Mountain Pose:, steady, strong, immovable

Mountain Pose:, steady, strong, immovable

 

In yogapuncture for Winter we will talk about the foundation of our yoga practice and how we can use this as a tool for the year. Through proper alignment the kidney energy can remain strong and keep the will focused. In our yoga practice we will work on foundation postures and build slowly from there. Movement in the winter should be slow and restorative but we are also every day closer to spring now that we have passed the winter solstice. Through these slow and restorative postures we are able to keep the kidneys nourished and keep our energetic savings account full.

This year already feels full of potential doesn’t it? The intention of class is to give you the tools you need to achieve your goals for 2017, lets enjoy the Winter season instead of “getting through it.”