I rarely get sick, but I have been fighting a cold all week, and this morning it finally got me. I woke up with a sore throat and some stuffiness, and so I had a quiet work from home day with my usual home cold remedies.
First, I am a big believer in liquids. I don't know if there's any medical evidence that drinking fluids all day helps you get well faster, but I do it anyway because that's what my mom always said to do, and then I can punctuate my dull sick day with lots of trips to the bathroom. Neat! I also try to get lots of vitamin C, but since I'm less enthused about most vitamin tablets these days, I try to get it from food sources.
A frozen smoothie was a great solution for both the sore throat and Vitamin C needs, so I blended up a bunch of frozen mango, frozen banana and tangerine juice. Plenty of C and other goodies, and the cold felt great on my throat.
After that I went with a series of crunchy hippie home remedies that might do nothing but soothe my symptoms, but they sure do soothe! First, for the throat, I went with a licorice root tea. Lots of brands sell a variety of "throat coat" teas, and I generally use one of those rather than going to the herb store and buying licorice root and blending my own. I also made a few of my favorite feel-better toddies: a cup of chamomile tea with a tsp of honey, a tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a splash of apple-cider vinegar. There are people out there who believe that you can cure anything from pneumonia to cancer with apple cider vinegar, and while I do not have quite that much faith in it, I do find that it opens up my congestion and makes me feel very good in this toddy. Yay!
I also drank my body weight in seltzer water, not because I think it helps cure colds, but because I love that stuff and I use our soda maker to fizz up a bottle every few hours when I am home.
Also, totally unrelated anecdote: one of my favorite Spanish phrases is the one used to say that you are congested: Tengo mocos! Literally translated, it means "I have mucus" and for some reason that has always tickled my fancy. My sister and I both like to say in whiny voices "Tengo mocos! Tengo mocos!" when we are sick. Yes, we are super duper weird. But kind of cute in a mucus-y way.
Perhaps I should go to bed now.
This week's meal plan:
Buttermilk Roasted Chicken with Crispy Potatoes and Salad
Chard and White Bean Stew
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Beet Salad
Mac and Cheese!
Buttermilk Roasted Chicken with Crispy Potatoes and Salad
Chard and White Bean Stew
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Beet Salad
Mac and Cheese!
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
I just realized when I posted this week's meal plan that I haven't ever put this recipe up. The Husband really loves this, and it makes a great potluck dish or quick weeknight dinner. I love quinoa salads because they have such a lovely texture and can take a variety of flavors. I do a curried quinoa salad with apples, dried fruits and nuts in it sometimes, and it is equally versatile and delicious.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Nouns-
For the Salad
2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed and prepared according to package directions
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and a diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (reserve 1 tbsp of the brine)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 red onion, diced
For the Vinaigrette
Feel free to use a bottled vinaigrette, but I really like a homemade lemony one for this!
Juice and zest of one small lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp artichoke brine
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
Verbs-
Chill the prepared quinoa until room temperature or colder. If serving immediately, I usually put it in a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it for a minute or two, rather than refrigerating it. This is faster and helps it not stick together. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, tomatoes, onions, artichokes and cucumbers. In a small jar, add together all the dressing ingredients and screw the lid on tightly. Shake it vigorously. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the pine nuts and crumbled feta over the top and serve.
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Nouns-
For the Salad
2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed and prepared according to package directions
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and a diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped (reserve 1 tbsp of the brine)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 red onion, diced
For the Vinaigrette
Feel free to use a bottled vinaigrette, but I really like a homemade lemony one for this!
Juice and zest of one small lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp artichoke brine
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper
Verbs-
Chill the prepared quinoa until room temperature or colder. If serving immediately, I usually put it in a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it for a minute or two, rather than refrigerating it. This is faster and helps it not stick together. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, tomatoes, onions, artichokes and cucumbers. In a small jar, add together all the dressing ingredients and screw the lid on tightly. Shake it vigorously. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and stir to combine. Sprinkle the pine nuts and crumbled feta over the top and serve.
Meal Plan
Here's the plan!
For the Soup-er Bowl Party we are attending tomorrow: Sweet Corn Chowder
For the rest of the week:
Baked Potatoes Topped with Shredded BBQ Chicken
Yum!
Roasted Beet Salad
This is seriously yummy. I think it is my new favorite salad.
Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula
Nouns-
4 medium-sized beets, trimmed and peeled
1 container baby arugula
3 oz chevre, crumbled
1/2 cup walnut or pecan pieces (plain or candied)
1 navel orange
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1-2 tbsp orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
Verbs-
Preheat oven to 350. Slice the beets and toss them in a little oil and salt. Roast them in an oven-safe pan for 45 minutes or until fork-tender. Set aside. Peel and section the navel orange, then slice the sections. In a jar with a lid, mix the vinegar, honey, juice and oil together, then shake vigorously with the lid on to combine. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, orange pieces, nuts and chevre. Then toss with the dressing mixture. Serve the tossed salad over the sliced beets. Yummmmmm,
Roasted Beet Salad with Arugula
Nouns-
4 medium-sized beets, trimmed and peeled
1 container baby arugula
3 oz chevre, crumbled
1/2 cup walnut or pecan pieces (plain or candied)
1 navel orange
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1-2 tbsp orange juice
salt and pepper to taste
Verbs-
Preheat oven to 350. Slice the beets and toss them in a little oil and salt. Roast them in an oven-safe pan for 45 minutes or until fork-tender. Set aside. Peel and section the navel orange, then slice the sections. In a jar with a lid, mix the vinegar, honey, juice and oil together, then shake vigorously with the lid on to combine. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, orange pieces, nuts and chevre. Then toss with the dressing mixture. Serve the tossed salad over the sliced beets. Yummmmmm,
Overnight Oatmeal- Updated
For The Husband's breakfast tomorrow. 1 cup steel cut oats, two cups dried fruit (raisins and apples), tsp cinnamon, 4 cups water and 1/2 cup half and half go into the crockpot overnight on low. We'll see in the morning if it is good!
UPDATE:
And the verdict is--it's good! In fact, it's really good. I will probably use a little less water next time, but it cooked perfectly, and the fruit made it sweet enough that I didn't add sugar at all. (The Husband added sugar, but admitted it probably wasn't necessary). I also found it sufficiently creamy without adding milk, but The Husband added some. This is a great winter breakfast for us because it is warm, ready the moment we wake up, and makes enough for several days. Next week, we might try dried cherries in it, or peaches, or some other yummy fruit. The Husband suggested strawberries and bananas. We'll see what's good!
Green Smoothie
Though I try hard not to be swayed by trends, in fashion, in food, or in general, occasionally I hop on a bandwagon and am really really glad I did. I have been seeing green smoothies everywhere recently, especially on health and fitness boards and on PInterest, and I thought, "okay, another smoothie fad for the health nuts, no big deal." And really, that's true. Green smoothies are a trend in keeping with the occasional resurgence of smoothies and shakes as the fitness gold standard; they are a delivery system for the kinds of things that most people don't get enough of, like greens and fruits. I tend to avoid shortcuts like that, when possible, because I think eating a nutritionally complete meal like roast chicken, kale and sweet potatoes for dinner is better than drinking a green smoothie for breakfast, feeling nutritionally superior and then having a nutritionally dismal dinner.
But, The Husband is on one of his periodic smoothie kicks and I've been looking for a way to get more bang for my buck nutritionally, so I thought of smoothies. I need all the help I can get, health-support-wise, because I'm in training for a really demanding run and my body will need lots and lots of support over the next few months to meet the demands I plan to put on it. I want to stay healthy and run lots and lots and lots of miles. A smoothie can be a fantastic way to support your body and get some of the things your body most needs to maintain itself. To be clear, this is a recipe for a breakfast smoothie, not a run recovery shake. This is for daily nutrition and not for the more specific needs for right before or after a long-distance run. It's just breakfast.
I chose this combo of stuff because it is really high in vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, calcium and other antioxidants. It's also very high in fiber. Yum, fiber.
Alice's Green Smoothie
Nouns-
1-2 handfuls kale
1/2 cup mango chunks, fresh or frozen
1 banana
1/2 cup to 1 cup orange or tangerine juice
Verbs-
Put the stuff in the blender, starting with only 1/2 cup OJ. Blend, adding OJ to reach desired consistency. Drink. Don't be afraid of the kale. The smoothie tastes good. Really!
But, The Husband is on one of his periodic smoothie kicks and I've been looking for a way to get more bang for my buck nutritionally, so I thought of smoothies. I need all the help I can get, health-support-wise, because I'm in training for a really demanding run and my body will need lots and lots of support over the next few months to meet the demands I plan to put on it. I want to stay healthy and run lots and lots and lots of miles. A smoothie can be a fantastic way to support your body and get some of the things your body most needs to maintain itself. To be clear, this is a recipe for a breakfast smoothie, not a run recovery shake. This is for daily nutrition and not for the more specific needs for right before or after a long-distance run. It's just breakfast.
I chose this combo of stuff because it is really high in vitamin C, potassium, vitamin K, calcium and other antioxidants. It's also very high in fiber. Yum, fiber.
Alice's Green Smoothie
Nouns-
1-2 handfuls kale
1/2 cup mango chunks, fresh or frozen
1 banana
1/2 cup to 1 cup orange or tangerine juice
Verbs-
Put the stuff in the blender, starting with only 1/2 cup OJ. Blend, adding OJ to reach desired consistency. Drink. Don't be afraid of the kale. The smoothie tastes good. Really!
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