Category Archives: All blog posts

Back on Track Smoothie

I’m going to go out on a limb and say  that by this point in your life, you’ve probably read enough about how to use leftover turkey. So rather than add yet another tired idea to that list, I’m instead offering a recipe to get you back on track after your Thanksgiving feast. I hope you enjoyed every bite of it, including the late night cold turkey sandwich, but tomorrow is another day! And I’d like you to start it feeling energized and alive, instead of sluggish and weighed down. If you’re ready to lighten up after Thanksgiving’s heavier fare, this smoothie is for you.

Just a quick whir in the blender transforms these fruits and greens into a refreshing drink that will get your Black Friday off to a healthy start so you’ll have plenty of energy to hit the stores in earnest. Happy shopping!

 

Back-on-Track Smoothie

adapted from Real Simple

 

makes 1 serving

 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped kale, ribs and stems removed (or 1 cup of fresh spinach leaves)

1 stalk of celery, chopped

1/2 banana

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup crushed ice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

 

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.

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Stop and smell the pumpkin pie

Seriously. Who decided that we should start celebrating Christmas in November….or October?! This week we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving, which, in full disclosure, is my favorite holiday of the year. An entire holiday dedicated to food, and beautifully set tables, and giving thanks…what could be better than that?! And yet everywhere I looked this weekend I was confronted not with turkeys and cornucopias and Pilgrims, but rather with twinkling lights and evergreen wreaths and flyers advertising “40% off.” Really?

This jumping-the-gun phenomenon is a symptom of our cultural predisposition to rush through life looking ahead rather than savoring each and every moment. We plan for what we’ll do when we get the promotion, or lose the weight, or finish the class. We wait until the weather improves or the construction is finished or the kids grow up. And all the while, magical moments are regularly occurring and we’re too busy to notice. It’s hard to be in the moment when you’re focused on racing to that spot just up ahead.

This Thanksgiving, give yourself a gift. Choose to be in the moment. Gather around a table with the people you hold most dear. Break bread. Give thanks. Reminisce.

And when you’ve cleared the last of the Thanksgiving dishes and put the children to bed, you can turn your attention to the next holiday with renewed energy and wild abandon.

My admonition to relish each moment applies to December as well. This year, will you remember that it’s not all about one BIG EVENT, instead recognizing that some of your best memories will come from the days and weeks leading up to your family’s gift-opening extravaganza? Baking cookies with Grandma. Wrapping gifts. Unpacking decorations. Lighting the fireplace and making hot cocoa with marshmallows. Opening cards from distant friends. The Nutcracker. The Grinch. The first snowflake.

Each little moment holds its own magic. Drink it in.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Next up in our Thanksgiving series….roasted brussels sprouts! “What?” you ask…”aren’t those the little green cabbage-shaped balls I used to hide under the table when I was a kid? You want me to put them on the table during the best meal of the YEAR?” Well, yes. Yes I do.

Brussels sprouts are packed with nutrients; just six of them contain 90 percent of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin C for an adult (and you thought you had to drink orange juice for that!). You know me, though, and healthfulness is not reason enough to get these onto your plate. They have to be delicious, too…and these are. Roasting them as I suggest here changes their texture, and the outer leaves that fall off become crispy as they cook in the olive oil on the baking sheet. Add plenty of salt and pepper and give these little gems a second chance.

For a pretty addition, try adding some halved baby carrots in with the sprouts. They cook in about the same time and look beautiful in a dish.

 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

 

Serves 6

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Trim the ends off the Brussels sprouts and discard any yellow outer leaves. Cut in half lengthwise. (This can be done in advance.)

3. Place Brussels sprouts in a medium bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.

4. Dump onto a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake, shaking pan occasionally,  for 30-40 minutes, until outsides are crispy golden brown and the inside is tender.

5. If desired, sprinkle with additional kosher salt and pepper . (You can even drizzle a little white wine vinegar and honey over them!)

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