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Seasonal Foods In February

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

When you think of what’s in season the month of February your mind might wander to dark chocolate, gummy shaped hearts and red velvet cake. Although these foods are mighty tasty they are not going to provide us the nourishment our bodies need all month long. Surprisingly February offers a wide variety of vegetables that often get forgotten and overlooked in the produce department.

Leeks are at their peak in January and February. Don’t be intimidated by this large green onion looking vegetable. It has a nice mellow flavor that goes great in soups, casseroles and vegetarian dishes. Winter greens such as kale, endive, collards, and chard are perfect options for a unique texture and flavor in salads and wraps. The Clearly Organic blog has a colorful and delicious recipe for a collard green wrap.

https://clearlyorganicbrand.com/news/collard-green-hummus-wrap

Once you try a beet prepared well I promise you’ll go back for more. Beets are also an intimidating vegetable that most people don’t think to purchase on a regular basis. However, February is a great time to try our roasted beet recipe. They are simple and delicious.

https://clearlyorganicbrand.com/news/roasted-beets/

Cheesy Pizza Dip

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

This hot dip puts our love for pizza into dip form! Always Save® teamed up with Best Choice for this recipe that’s perfect for parties, tailgates or any kind of get-together. Serve with tortilla chips.

Ingredients:
2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups sliced pepperoni, divided
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1 cup of pepperoni (cut in half or half-moons), basil and olive oil. Spread mixture evenly into a casserole dish. Sprinkle remainder of mozzarella across the top. Then, place the remainder of whole pepperoni on top of the cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is completely melted. Serve hot and enjoy!

You can change up this recipe each time you make it by adding in your favorite pizza toppings besides just pepperoni. Try mushrooms, olives, additional cheeses or any combination to make your dip unique to your tastes.

Recipe courtesy of Always Save Brand

One-Dish Meals

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

Do you ever find yourself short on time when making dinner? Yet you don’t want to compromise preparing a healthy meal for the convenience of a packaged entrée. When considering what to make in a pinch try a one-dish meal. By combining simple ingredients into one pot or pan you can prepare a healthy and delicious meal.

Your one dish can be a skillet, a roasting pan or a sauté pan. If you keep lean meats and fresh veggies on hand it’s easy to prepare a balanced meal. Pork chops, chicken breasts or thighs and salmon are great lean proteins for a one-dish meal. Sweet potatoes, squash, onions, Brussel sprouts, green beans, broccoli or cauliflower are some of the best vegetables for roasting with marinated meat. One-dish meals are the perfect quick healthy fix. These protein and vegetable-based combinations can also be made in advance. If you pre-chop veggies and meat you can let them sit together in a marinade for a day, then your meal is ready for cooking right when you walk in the door.

Forming New Habits

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

A new year always brings about an opportunity to step back and evaluate how we want to begin another season of life. New Year’s resolutions are a common time to make health goals and lifestyle changes. At the root of most New Year’s resolutions is a habit change, and habits are a big part of our overall wellbeing.

There’s a significant amount of psychological research behind the process of habit formation and change so we can be confident that for most people habit change follows a similar cycle. Here are a few simple ways to identify a potential need for habit change. These 3 tips come from Charles Duhiggs best-selling book, The Power of Habit.

1. Pinpoint a trigger or cue for a certain behavior

2. What is the action you take, or the behavior itself

3. What is the outcome or benefit from the behavior

Once you identify a habit you’d like to change use this structure to solidify your desired result. An easy way to remember the components of habit change according to author James Clear is 3 R’s: Reminder, Routine and Reward. Establish a reminder for your new habit, make it part of your daily routine and reward yourself along the way. Enjoy the journey of establishing new habits in the New Year!

Eggnog Coffee Cake

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

4 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup Clearly Organic Granulated Sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup low-fat eggnog
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon Clearly Organic Vanilla
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Clearly Organic Raisins (optional)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Glaze:
1/2 cup Clearly Organic Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon eggnog

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar using an electric hand mixer. Beat in the egg. In a separate bowl whisk together eggnog, yogurt and vanilla. In another bowl add flour, baking powder, zest, baking soda, and salt. Stir dry ingredients. Add half of the eggnog mix and flour mix to the creamed butter bowl. Stir until evenly distributed. Add remaining eggnog mix and flour to the batter and stir. Gently stir in raisins. Pour batter into a greased 8×8 inch baking dish. Top with walnuts and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes.


For the glaze: In a small bowl add powdered sugar and eggnog. Whisk vigorously until smooth. Drizzle over the cake when it’s completely cool.

Baking Season

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

’Tis the Season for baking! The holidays call us together for fellowship, food and lots of seasonal treats. December is typically a month where multiple baked goods spring from people’s kitchens and cause many of us to share our favorite sweet creations. Here are a few tips for holiday baking.

  1. Pay attention to butter consistency. Butter is the first ingredient in many baked goods, so it’s vital to your end result to have your butter prepped as the recipe directs. Particularly heed the instruction for room temperature butter. Over melted or greasy butter can change the look and texture of your final product.
  2. Read the entire recipe in advance. To avoid disaster or a missing ingredient read your recipe and instructions ahead of time. It’s also wise to set all your ingredients out on the counter before you begin.
  3. Room temperature eggs. This is an easy step to skip. However, room temperature eggs, much like butter, can make a big difference in the texture and structure of your product. Room temperature ingredients emulsify with better uniformity and consistency.
  4. Measure with precision. Baking requires good measuring practices. Spoon and level measure flour with measuring cups. Measure wet ingredients in a measuring pitcher. Watch the Clearly Organic blog for some delicious holiday treats. Happy Baking!

Oats

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

When it comes to breakfast cereals, any type of natural oats is an excellent choice. Most unflavored oats are made from minimally processed whole grains. Oatmeal and oat bran contain a specific type of fiber called beta-glucan. This is the substance that gives oatmeal its ability to help lower cholesterol. Several types of oats are available on store shelves but each offers high-quality nutrients and beta-glucan.

Steel-cut, stone ground and rolled oats are the common oat varieties sold at the grocery store. However, their nutritional profiles are very similar. Some of the biggest differences in the types of oats come down to how you prepare the food and the resulting texture of the grain. If you prefer a hardy chewy cereal you would likely enjoy steel-cut oats. Old-fashioned and rolled oats offer a smoother texture with shorter cooking and preparation time. Any way you cut it oats are a great addition to your next meal or recipe.

Not Your Ordinary Veggie Tray

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

When you’re asked to bring an appetizer or specifically a vegetable tray to your next gathering considering adding in a few different bright colored veggies. A typically line up for snack veggies is carrots, celery, cherries tomatoes, and broccoli. While these are very nutritious and great options for a snack, there are also some other colorful foods you could add to the selection.

• Consider thinly sliced beets. Spring beets come in many different varieties. When you cut a raw beet in thin pieces it can provide a crunchy option for dips and hummus.

• Jicama is a slightly sweet unique vegetable that has a celery-like consistency.

• Heirloom cherry tomatoes are a great summer option. They come in different shapes and multiple colors to liven up a vegetable platter.

• Asparagus often gets overlooked when it comes to veggies that can be eaten raw. However thin asparagus stalks are a perfect anytime snack choice.

• Endive leaves are a delightful crunchy option for creamy dips and scooping guacamole.

Don’t limit yourself to a store-bought veggie tray. Selecting your own produce allows your offering to be more nutritious, colorful and fresh.

Easy Homemade Bread

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

This bread recipe requires no kneading and no fancy equipment. It has four simple ingredients for delicious crusty bread.

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/2 cups water (at room temp)

Place flour, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl. Stir dry ingredients together. Add room temperature water and stir to evenly distribute. A lumpy dough ball will form. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight. About 12 to 18 hours is best. When you’re ready to bake the bread sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Gently shape dough into a loaf while lightly coating with flour because dough will be sticky. Transfer dough to a greased casserole dish or baking pan. Let dough rest again in the baking dish while you preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake uncovered for about 30 to 35 minutes or until loaf is golden brown on the edges. Let cool for 5 minutes. Bread is delicious served warm with organic butter or olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.

Making the Most of Pumpkin Season

Written by novagiant on . Posted in Wellness.

Pumpkin centric recipes are a theme this time of year. From lattes to bread and soup to casseroles, pumpkin becomes a staple ingredient in October. The beautiful thing about pumpkin is its versatility and its nutritional value. Pumpkin offers vitamin C, vitamin A and potassium which have multiple heart health benefits and the ability to help lower blood pressure.

Easy and delicious ways to add pumpkin to your diet is by adding roasted pumpkin chunks to veggie dishes or casseroles. Pumpkin seeds also go great atop salad, yogurt and smoothie bowls. Desserts flavored with pumpkin aren’t necessarily the best way to add nutrients to your meal plan. However, using pumpkin purée as a substitute for butter or oil in baked goods is a great way to incorporate vegetables to smoothies or sweet breads.