Rhubarb cubes to calm inflammation!

I have this great rhubarb plant in my garden that produces nicely every spring.  My husband and I collected the last of it before summer heat stops it from producing. We harvested a nice big bundle.

Rhubarb is an extremely tart fruit that has some great health benefits. According to a wonderful and informative new book I recently bought, "Healing Foods",  rhubarb assists in lowering cholesterol, protects eye health and helps to strengthen bones. It also calms inflammation.  This is something I really want in my daily smoothie!

I decided to experiment and the experiment was a success!

First I removed the leaves and discarded them. Then I diced each stalk into about 1/2 inch pieces and placed in the strainer.  After washing them well I placed them in a pot and covered them with water. Just enough water to cover them though and no more.

I let them simmer for 30 minutes on medium-low heat stirring occasionally.

Then, I poured them into mini muffin pans but, if I had ice cube trays I would have used those. However, the muffin pans worked just fine.

Now I have wonderful frozen cubes of rhubarb to add to my daily smoothie.  I recommend also adding a sweet fruit into your smoothie with the rhubarb to balance out the tartness if it is too tart for your personal taste.  Mango is a good choice as it is a powerful inflammation fighter and very sweet.

I hope this is something you can use to add more calming foods into your diet! Enjoy :)

*If you are wanting a baked treat  Summer Rhubarb Coffee Cake is fantastic!

Time for a nutritional reset to calm inflammation!

Occasionally I can tell that my body needs a little extra cleanse from inflammation.  I have been eating to calm inflammation long enough that I know my body and the signals it sends me when it needs a little repair.

The best way for me to accomplish this is by doing a bit of a twist on the popular Leek Soup cleanse.  I thought I would share it with you so you also can enjoy the benefits.

I start my day as usual with my morning Anti-inflammatory Berry Smoothie.

While I'm enjoying my smoothie I prepare 3 large leeks.

First cut off the top of the leeks at the point where the leek starts turning a darker green.

Then cut the bottoms off and slice the leeks in to about 1/2 inch slices.

 Separate the slices of leeks and place in a colander and rinse well.  I do this because leeks tend to collect dirt between the layers and this method gets all the dirt out.

Now this is the  part that you may not see on other Leek Soup recipes.  Place the washed leeks into a large pot and drizzle with oil.  I use olive or avocado oil.

Saute the leeks until browning begins.  This is carmelization, and it makes a world of difference in the flavor of the broth and leeks. If I am going to do this type of a cleanse, by golly, I will add as much flavor as I can.

After the leeks begin browning add 2 cups of hot water and start scraping all the brown goodness of the sides and bottom of the pot.  Add 4 additional cups of hot water and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.  I cover the pot with a vented lid so that I don't lose much liquid.

 After the leeks are finished cooking, strain the leeks and broth over a bowl so that you save all the broth.  Then put the leeks in another bowl.  This is your meal and snacks for the next 1 1/2 days.  Aww...come on it's not that bad and it makes such a great difference in how I feel.

 

I usually start around lunchtime with 1/2 cup of broth.  Then a couple hours later 1/2 cup of leeks. They taste better if you squirt a little lemon juice over them and sprinkle with just a touch of salt and pepper.  A couple hours later 1/2 cup of broth and you just keep alternating throughout the day.

I also drink a lot of water during the day and flavor with mint or muddled fruit.  Yes...I'm truly all about flavor :)  Herbal tea is something I enjoy during this cleanse as well.

On day 2 I start with my smoothie and at lunch do the same routine as the previous day.  The only difference is at the end of the 2nd day I enjoy a d dinner of grilled salmon and a side of broccoli.  The cleanse is complete and I always feel so much better :)

Anti-inflammatory Berry Smoothie!

Each and every morning I start my day with a cup of French Press coffee.  It is truly one of lifes simple pleasures that I enjoy and have no desire to give up or cut out of my diet. Immediately following coffee, I make a fruit smoothie that is full of all things anti-inflammatory to get me going on the right track.  I have had many requests for my recipe, so I finally measured the ingredients and included it at the bottom of this post.

First off, I use my Magic Bullet which is the most incredible invention of all times.  I found one last summer at a yard sale for 50 cents and couldn't resist.  I gave it a try and I have been hooked ever since.  By the way, right now Costco has an amazing special on these with all kinds of extra cups and blades.

Into a blending cup, I add Flaxseed Meal which is a great source of Omega 3's, vital to good health and fighting excess inflammation.  I also add Greek Yogurt for calcium and to get the necessary probiotics needed for intestinal health. Greek Yogurt is also high in protein.  POM juice is pomegranate which is completely calming for inflammation.  Last of all, I add minced ginger.  Ginger is such an anti-inflammatory that, for me, it works better than ibuprofen for minor inflammation.  I purchase the ginger in a tube for easy use. Not pictured are the frozen berries that I use for fiber and vitamins.  Using frozen berries rather than fresh allows for a cold smoothie without watering it down with ice.  After blending I just take the blade off of the blending mug and add a straw.  Perfection :)

Anti-Inflammatory Berry Smoothie

3/4 cup frozen berries

3/4 cup POM

1 tablespoon flax meal *

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 heaping tablespoons of non-fat Greek yogurt

Place all ingredients in blender or Magic Bullet cup and blend until smooth.  Enjoy :) 

*If you are not ingesting flax on a regular basis I recommend starting with a teaspoon and gradually and more so your body accepts it better.

* I am now adding 1 teaspoon of Organic Greens Complex to my smoothie.  You get all the greens you would ever need in one small scoop.  

Surgery....finally!

As  I mentioned in a previous post, I wanted to avoid having surgery.  Well, it didn't work out that way.  My foot was so damaged that no amount of healthy eating would have healed it.  Fortunately, I was able to enjoy summer and wait until last Friday to have the surgery done.

Now I am home recovering and must keep off of my foot for the next 4 weeks.  I just received a text from a dear friend wondering if I am bored yet.  Nope....not yet.  I love to read and this has been a fabulous excuse to do nothing but lay around and read.  I have also had great friends visit.  Best of all, my wonderful hubby is here taking care of me and keeping me company.

One thing my husband was worried about was what to cook for our meals.  Maybe I should emphasize WORRIED, because he was actually freaked out about it.  The first few days we had lasagna.  I truly mean for the first few days.  My friend Savannah made us a few lasagna's to put in the freezer.  And my husband did put them in the freezer. Then pulled them out of the freezer.  Every day for three days it was a running joke because I would text Savannah and say "Guess what we are having for dinner?"  "Guess what we are having for lunch?"  Thank the Lord for her wonderful lasagna.  It allowed us time to get into a routine and gave Ed time to work up his cooking courage.

Today, I am so proud of him.  He actually found a recipe on my blog for Avocado, Cheese, and Egg Stacks and made them for lunch.  He did AMAZING.  See the picture:) They were delicious and beautiful. Great job honey!

His confidence is built and I can't wait for dinner.  He is making Spaghetti Salad and Grilled Salmon.  I am so thankful for such an amazing husband.  God has truly blessed me with him. All in all, I think this will be a great month recovering.  Reading, visits from friends, and great food.  Not so bad for a surgery that I dreaded all year :)  

Avocado, Cheese and Egg Stacks

 

 

 

My desire to try new recipes seems to come and go in spurts.  I am in one of those spurts again.  So, I pulled out a few Whole Living magazines and ran across this super easy and scrumptious recipe.  What I really love about this is that it works for any meal or even snack time. 

 

I changed the original recipe just a little. The avocado adds a powerful anti-inflammatory presence, so I use more than the original recipe suggests. I have been using Dave's Killer Bread and it is great in this recipe.  This is really filling and fuels the body.  Give it a try :)

 

Avocado, Cheese and Egg Stacks

 

4 tablespoons avocado

1 slice of whole grain toast cut in half

1 slice of low-fat cheese

1 hard boiled egg, cut into four slices

2 tablespoons salsa

 

Spread 2 tablespoons of avocado onto each half of toast.  Top each half with half slice of cheese, 2 slices of egg and a tablespoon of salsa.

 

 

 

 



Thank goodness it's (a sweet sweet) Friday!

I chose this picture because these are now my favorite items first thing in the morning.  I have had a french press for years, but it has been in the back of my cupboard.  A couple of days ago I saw it and cleaned the press up and I am using it again.  I now say "It's a crying shame that I have left it unattended for so long!" 

On the left is my milk frother that I purchased on sale at Macy's about four years ago.  It is the best little invention for a foamy drink fix.

In the center of the picture is a mason jar of local honey that I use as my sweetener.  Local honey has the added benefit of helping your body build immunity to local allergens.  For cost effectiveness we purchased a large container at the local farmers' market and keep a small amount in a mason jar for easy access.

On the right is a container of cinnamon.  I add cinnamon to my coffee not only for the flavor but, because cinnamon is good for controlling sugar levels in the body as well as calming inflammation. 

After I sat down this morning with my hot mug of goodness, I knew I had to share this with you.  The coffee was piping hot, rich and lightly sweetened from the honey.  The cinnamon added a special sweet spice and the frothy milk on top was an extra luxurious treat.  What a great way to start this beautiful Friday!  I wish you all a most wonderful day filled with a touch of sweetness :)

Mexican Chocolate Coffee Creamer: Morning coffee with anti-inflammatory goodness!

With the many diet changes I have made in the past four years, giving up coffee is not one of them.  I love sipping my hot cup of coffee in the quiet stillness of the morning before the business of the day begins.  It is a special time to collect my thoughts, plan my day, and most of all commune with God through prayer and reading the Bible.

 I enjoy a small amount of dark chocolate creamer in my coffee.  Instead of purchasing the super sweet milky chocolate creamers from the grocery store, I make my own.  That way I can control the amount of sugar, milk, and add dark cocoa that actually has anti-oxidants.  I also add a little cayenne pepper and cinnamon for anti-inflammatory benefits and to give it a bit of a bite and extra flavor.  It is simply delicious!

Mexican Chocolate Coffee Creamer

1/2 cup of organic sugar
1 1/2 cups of dried non-fat milk
1/4 cup dark chocolate powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all together and store in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

* You can experiment with the amount of ingredients by adding or taking away so that you adjust the recipe to your liking. 

Butter Spread

One of the things I have done in an effort to cut back on inflammatory foods is to make my own butter spread. My friend, Mrs. Mac, gave me this super easy recipe.  It works out great in our home because my husband loves those fake butter spreads that are full of garbage (Strong opinion...yes).  I love olive oil.  This is a fantastic compromise. 

 Mix 1/2 cup butter (not fake margarine...strong opinion again) 1/2 cup olive oil (make sure to use light....otherwise I think the flavor is too strong) and 1/2 tsp. salt.   Soften the butter and whip together with the olive oil and salt.  Pour into a container and refrigerate.  After about an hour or so you have soft butter spread. 

One of the great things about this spread is the fact that it does have anti-inflammatory olive oil.  Anything I can do to add this type of food to my diet is always a benefit.  So try it out and let me know what you think!