The Road To Wellness

Nice to see you! Wishing you a healthy day!

Following the road to wellness can be tough some days. Perhaps you walk it alone because your spouse chooses a another path. Once in awhile though, you need to give yourself permission to indulge. Maybe you’re feeling off today. It’s okay to do nothing every now and then. Then, there’s your diet.

Of course, eating well is your goal, but eating is such a pleasurable experience. Once in awhile, maybe you do feel like a plate of lasagne or a piece of double chocolate cheesecake. Well, today, you have a reason to indulge. Today is National Eat What You Want Day.

Weekly Goal: Indulge once in awhile (on this day, of course)

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Despite the warmer weather earlier in the week, the weekend has turned chilly, putting me in the mood for some hearty comfort food. The weekly recipe is just the thing for a cool spring evening to take the chill off. We have Allrecipes, French Beef Stew, submitted by Corwynn Darkholme.

This recipe has the ingredient I really like in a good beef stew–plenty of carrots and potatoes that both add to the flavor and absorb it. I added a bit more of each to the stew. While the recipe calls for dried thyme, I always prefer fresh. Go with about three times the amount of fresh when substituting for dried. With the carrot, I prefer to use baby carrots. They’re the right size, already cut, if you will. The recipe doesn’t simmer too long for a stew, so you will want to cube the beef to bite-sized pieces. Bon appetit!

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
4 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Combine meat and flour in a large plastic food storage bag and toss to coat evenly.

2. In a 6 quart saucepan brown meat in hot vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Add diced tomatoes, beef broth, carrots, potatoes and thyme. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover; and simmer for 1 hour or until beef is tender.

4. Blend in mustard and serve.

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It couldn’t just be a day, no, sir. Hamburgers in all their many variations deserve a month to themselves. Accordingly, May is National Hamburger Month.

Hamburgers–using lean beef or even buffalo for leaner options–are perfect for quick meals, with plenty of flavor. One has only to look at all of the hamburger joints around to gauge their popularity. I’m not one for just a plain burger most days. Its versatility makes hamburgers a great choice for experiments with different tastes. To celebrate, I have a yummy recipe from Beef Is Whats For Dinner to kick off the celebration.

Make sure and get 100% whole wheat buns and lowfat cheese for a healthy variation. Bon appetit!

Southwest Cheeseburgers

Ingredients
1. 1 pound ground beef (75% to 80% lean)
2. 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
3. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4. Salt and pepper
5. 4 hamburger buns, split, toasted
6. 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
7. 1/2 cup chopped tomato

Preparation
1.  Combine ground beef, green onions and cumin in medium bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Lightly shape into four 1/2-inch thick patties.

2. Place patties on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 11 to 13 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 7 to 8 minutes), turning occasionally, until instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into center registers (160°F). Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

3. Place burger on bottom of each bun; top with cheese and tomato. Close sandwiches.

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Sleep is a wonderful thing. Overnight, you recharge your batteries, release the past day’s stress, and prepare for a new day.

We all know that wonderful feeling of a good night’s sleep, but what if something gets in the way of your Zs? Whether it’s the snoring spouse, the neighbor’s barking dog, an uncomfortable environment, the effects are the same. Your body becomes stressed from lack of its down time.

Lack of sleep can trigger hormone changes that can cause weight gain. The impact can be an inability to assess hunger properly or an inability to know when it’s time to stop eating. Insomnia can leave you feeling drained and irritable the next day. This can spell trouble for those prone to emotional eating.

If you do suffer from lack of sleep, first assess your situation. Identify the source. If it’s external noise, consider running a fan or a white noise machine during the night. I’ve also found playing a CD of relaxing background music or sound such as ocean waves very helpful.

Next, look at the environment where you sleep. Is the room too warm or too cold? Adjusting to a more optimum temperature can relieve many problem nights. If an uncomfortable bad is interfering with your sleep, consider a memory foam adjustable bed to bring on the sheep. A comfortable bed will prevent aches and pains that can interfere with your slumber and leave you sore the next day.

You also want to consider your activity during the day. Getting that walk or workout in can help you fall asleep when it’s time to hit the hay.

A bad night’s sleep is no fun. It can ruin a day and negatively impact your health. Taking measures to ensure a good night’s rest is a good choice on the road to wellness.

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Today’s motivational tip is twofold–a tip and a recipe. A friend of mine once told me that he never ate vegetables. He didn’t like them. As one who did a brief two-year stint of vegetarianism, I couldn’t relate.

His remark made me think. Sometimes in order to grow, the become healthier, we have to go outside of our boundaries. By doing so, we are presented with such great opportunities. Some of those opportunities are trying new foods and that’s where the recipe comes in. Today, May 5th is National Oyster Day. What better reason do you need to try a new food?

Oysters are another source of low-calorie protein. They are an excellent source of zinc, B12, and omega-3 fatty acids. So, to honor the oyster, I present you with my favorite oysters Rockefeller recipe from Epicurious. Now, I won’t kid you; this recipe is a bit of work. You also want to make sure you go to a good seafood seller. Oysters should feel heavy and be closed. In fact, you may want to purchase an extra one or two just in case.

A nice big food processor helps with preparation. I like to use baby spinach for this recipe. Also, in a pinch, I’ve substituted about 1 tsp anise-flavoring for the liquor. Bon appetit!

Ingredients
    * 1 garlic clove
    * 2 cups loosely packed fresh spinach
    * 1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed
    * 1/2 cup chopped green onions
    * 3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
    * 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
    * 2 tablespoons Pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur
    * 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ground
    * 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

    * 1 pound (about) rock salt
    * 24 fresh oysters, shucked, shells reserved
    * 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation   
Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 450°F. Finely chop garlic in processor. Add spinach, watercress and green onions to garlic. Process, using on/off turns, until mixture is finely chopped. Transfer mixture to medium bowl.

Combine butter, breadcrumbs, Pernod, fennel and hot sauce in processor. Process until well blended. Return spinach mixture to processor. Process, using on/off turns, just until mixtures are blended. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover; chill.)

Sprinkle rock salt over large baking sheet to depth of 1/2 inch. Arrange oysters in half shells atop rock salt. Top each oyster with 1 tablespoon spinach mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until spinach mixture browns on top, about 8 minutes.

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