Squirrel
resolutions?
Sometimes
I take the last doughnut no one wants and put it in the bird feeder… I mean
squirrel feeder. So I see this one guy going to town on it and I tapped on the
window. He just kept circling around to see if someone was going to take that
snack from him. I passed by later and it was gone. What does an entire doughnut
do to a squirrel’s cholesterol level? I don’t know why, but I was expecting a
flock of birds would share that whole doughnut. I wonder if animals at the
feeder make New Year’s health resolutions.
Here’s
some ideas to work on your own good health resolutions:
Easing
being green
My
mom declared 2014 to be the year she purchased and experimented with a napa
cabbage. She became inspired while perusing Green Smoothies for Every Season: A
Year of Farmer’s Market-Fresh Super Drinks. I will say right here she was
not inspired enough to try a green smoothie. While author Kristine Miles, who
also wrote “The Green Smoothie Bible,” is going on about what greens are in
season and the nuances of color they create to make your freshest drink, most
people seem to be at that “ewww, cabbage in your drink?” stage.
Miles
suggests fresh spinach to start out with, because it is so mild.
Because
it is winter, she suggests a Heart Starter with tangelos, fennel juice and tops
and chia seeds or a bone builder with bananas, kiwifruit, tangelo, water and radish
tops.
I
actually do know a couple of people who are already into green smoothies and
juicer drinks. This book full of creative combos is bound to inspire someone
who is on the verge of going green.
I
like the following recipe, which is actually from the spring collection. Here
are ingredients for:
Rock
Me, Baby
1
and one half cups diced cantaloupe
1
cup unhulled strawberries
1
cup water
3
to 4 leaves napa cabbage
Sparkle,
Baby
Voga
is offering Baby Sparkling Wine in half-sized bottles at 155 calories. I’m in.
I very much enjoyed this satisfying serving of flavor, and knowing the
choice kept portion control in mind, it tasted all the better. You know alcohol
adds hundreds of calories and often seems to make people eat more. One of these
bottles is the answer to several dilemmas. Makers also point out that red wine
adds about 10 calories a glass, so those really, really counting may opt for a
rose or white. (www.vogaitalia.com) has more info on
the sparkling libations’ “golden color and fine effervescence” that gives way
to “aromas of white blossoms and ripe fruit.”
5:2
You
don’t have the follow the 5:2 plan to enjoy the quick, healthy and adventurous
(for some) recipes in “The 5:2 Fast Diet Cookbook: 150 Easy Fat-Burning Recipes
Under 300 Calories.”
But
Samantha Logan will explain “the secret of intermittent fasting” and give a
pretty good case for eating healthy five days of the week and cutting back on
calories for two other days of the week that you choose. The idea is to
metabolize your intake and stay steady. Nutrition and flavor are not missing
from this book with recipes like Not So Shabby Crabby Bisque, Cheesy Spinach
Portabellos, and Pecan-Chipotle Chicken Fingers. Remember, these are for the
low-cal days. Choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are designed so
you won’t feel deprived. In some cases, these “diet” foods could be more
creative that what you’d gorge on before you were getting fit. I will be
craving the sweet potato curry this fall and honey chicken will sweeten my
lifestyle. Here’s an example of on-hand flavors I would not have thought of on
my own:
Lemon
Dijon Pasta
8
ounces pasta, rotini or penne work best
8
ounces haricot vert, roughly chopped (French-style string beans)
2
tablespoons oive oil
2
cloves garlic, minced
The
zest of one lemon
2
ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved
Cook
pasta in large stock pot according ot package directions. Drain and rinse and
pour into a large bowl, tossing with haricot vert
In
a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon
juice and lemon zest. Toss with pasta. Shave cheese into pasta. Toss lightly
together and serve.
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