Kathleen Rowland's Blog, page 41

Eat– for Good Health

I wish you all a Happy New Year.  For my Scottish family, we wish each other Happy Hogmanay at midnight when my dad and brothers piped in the haggis, but my mom didn’t cook it the traditional way which was baked inside a sheep’s stomach!  My sisters, mom, and I danced the fling.

Tomorrow, New Years Day, I am making Beef Stew, a field greens salad with gargonzola, pecans, sliced pears, tomato, and will serve crusty French bread/butter.  (I will have a tiny slice of bread since I want to weigh 125 by March 15th.  That date is important since I will pitch my young adult series to an agent and want to look my best.)  Before dinner my husband and I are taking our daughter-in-law (our RN son is working) and grandchildren (D’mitri and Roxy) to a movie, WRECK IT RALPH.  Photo below is courtesy of can stock.

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Ingredients:

1 lb. Top Sirloin cut into large chunks
2-3 Cloves of Garlic (minced) but I leave it out since my husband doesn’t like garlic
Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
1 Onion
1 lb. Mushrooms (quartered)
Yellow Mustard (for brushing meat)
Salt (just a shake or not)
Pepper
1/8 Cups Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs Tomato Puree (or tomato paste)
1 Tbs sour cream
2 Cups Beef Stock
Fresh parsley (chopped)
Olive Oil

Cooking Instructions:

The secret to making this dish fast and tasty is to cook everything in the same pan.

Add the onions, garlic, and thyme to a large heavy pan and cook until the onions are translucent; set aside on a plate. Quarter the mushrooms and sautee till soft; set aside on the same plate as the onions.

Rub your meat with salt and pepper then add to simmering hot oil. Brush the meat with yellow mustard. Brown meat on all sides, then set aside on your handy plate from earlier.

Pour some red wine vinegar into the pan and then add tomato puree. Mix in beef stock and creme fraiche. Stir well and bring to a simmer, then put the meat back into the pan. Pour all of your other cooked ingredients back into the pan and heat thoroughly while stirring. Add Cilantro and stir for 60 seconds.

People craft– taking care of yourself

New Year’s Resolutions!  Are they worthwhile? Yes!  We only live once and want to take care of ourselves in ways that bring us satisfaction.   For me, a sweeping 12-month plan is daunting.  I have more success with facing a decision and then making the best choice for me.  I look ten minutes past the event to determine how I’ll feel.   Do you want to have a better work day, feel more energized, feel slim and fit, save some money, or give back?

What I’ve wanted more than fame is normal.  My husband and I are still in love.  All five children are achieving happy people.  This doesn’t mean life hasn’t thrown me curve balls.  Let me tell you about the Go Big Theory;  if you work toward more than one accomplishment, and encounter unexpected misery, you will recover faster if you have choices.  I’m nice to myself and accept that I’m not perfect.  By swimming laps every day and choosing healthy food, I look as good as I can.

Eat– for Good Health

Roasted Acorn Squash and Beet Salad with Maple Vinaigrette is one of the salads I’m to bring to our Christmas dinner.  Son Johnny and daughter-in-law Jan are hosting at their home in Dana Point, CA this year.

Lite maple syrup, lemon, and mustard flavor this gourmet salad.

Ingredients serve 10:

1/4 fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 + 1/3 cups lite maple syrup

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/3 cup + 2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 lb. mixed yellow, red, or Chioggia beets, trimmed

1 acorn squash about 2 lbs (cut into slices with skin on for baking– cut up afterwards)

8 oz. mixed greens

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

walnuts and raisins are optional

In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, 1/4 cup maple syrup and mustard.  Add olive oil, leaving 1 Tbs. for later.  Refrigerate.

Place rack in center of oven.  Preheat to 400. Tightly wrap beets into 2 foil bundles.  Roast for 45 – 60 minutes until tender at centers.  Cool slightly, peel and reserve.

Place squash on jellyroll pan.  Toss with remaining oil, salt, pepper and roast 15 minutes.  Drizzle with remaining maple syrup.  Roast another 10 minutes.  Cool.  Can be refrigerated over night.  In a large serving bowl, toss greens with beets, squash, Parmesan cheese, and if desired, raisins and walnuts.  Serve with remaining vinaigrette.

Eat– for Good Health

I’ll tell you why lately I enjoy a smoothie every day.  They’re nutritious  delicious, filling, and taste a lot like ice cream without the calories.  Yesterday I blended a smoothie with a frozen banana, soymilk, a dash of cocoa powder, and a Truvia sweetener packet.  Today I used a frozen banana again to make this berry-banana smoothie, 2 servings: 1/2 cup frozen strawberries,1/4 cup blueberries,1/2 frozen ripe banana,1 fresh ripe banana, 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, 1 cup vanilla soymilk, 1 Truvia sweetener packet.

Calories: 198kcal, Fat: 35g, Protein: 5g, Fiber: 5g, Calcium: 19%, Iron: 8%, Vita A: 7%, Vita C: 113%

Eat– for Good Health

Like many of you, prior to Thanksgiving, I took advantage of two turkeys for the price of one.  I will not be making turkey number two for Christmas because my daughter-in-law and son are hosting Christmas dinner at their Dana Point, California home.  Since they already have a turkey, I’m awaiting the list of side dishes.  Actually I’m not even sure they will be making a turkey dinner.  Back to Turkey Number Two, I’m roasting it today and will carve it for serving my Turkey and Sweet Potato Skillet Dinner (350 calories per serving) and then freezing portions.

Ingredients for four servings

1 pound cooked turkey
⅓ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons butter
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2 – 3 sweet potatoes, cooked in the microwave and cut into 1-inch chunks

 Instructions



Spray a 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray and warm turkey slices in a skillet.
In the meantime, place the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, margarine and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil.
Arrange sweet potatoes around the turkey in the skillet. Pour the orange juice mixture over the turkey and potatoes.
Cover and turn the heat to low. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Uncover and cook about 5 minutes longer or until sauce is slightly thickened, the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and the juice of turkey is no longer pink when the center of thickest piece is cut.

Wordsmith– I also write books

Happy Friday and congratulations to two winners of the jewel-puppy key finders as I celebrate the popularity of WINDWARD WHISPERINGS.  Thank you to everyone who entered.  I’ll have another contest in December, and this will be for FALLEN EVERMORE. Having notified the winners by email and mailed their little prizes, they are Margaret of San Diego and Henrietta of Las Vegas.

Wishing everyone a great first weekend of December.  I’m giving myself a pat on the back for getting holiday decorations up, courtesy of daughter Marla who was home for Thanksgiving and wanted to decorate!  She isn’t coming home for Christmas because she and her boyfriend are having his parents visit them in Austin, TX for the holidays.  Yesssiree, she’s a little trooper. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did I tell you I love buying things for 99 cents?  Around Halloween I discovered a new cleaning product.  That’s right, it costs 99 cents, and falls into the all-purpose degreaser category, the stuff for kitchen appliances, tubs, shower stalls, sinks, toilets, trash cans and more.  It’s L.A.’S TOTALLY AWESOME OXYGEN ORANGE.  What a find!

Wordsmith– I also write books

Friends, don’t forget to enter my Windward Whisperings contest.  I’m giving away two key-finders, and will announce two lucky winners this Friday, November 30th.  I’m thrilled this book is a steady seller.  Some of you may know that my heroines have dogs, and the key finder features a jewel puppy.  To enter, read the first chapter (use the free Look Inside the Book on Amazon feature) and tell me who’s giving sailing lessons.  Just the first name is fine.  Email me at kathyrowl@aol.com, and in the subject line, write Windward Whisperings contest.  Don’t forget your name and address so that I can mail you the key finder.

With a key finder you will never have to dig at the bottom of your purse to find your keys.

People craft– taking care of yourself

Swimming laps from 6 to 7 a.m. is my mood sweetener. Endorphin release works magic, but my entire body is rewarded with blood and lymph flow.  I have no aches and pains. This morning I read an article from Neil Kirschen, M.D. of the Pain Management Center of Long Island, N.Y.  on how to feel better fast.  Joint aches?  Dr. Kirschen recommends gentle movement, taking the hurt joint through its range of motion.  For example if your shoulder aches, slowly move it in a circle.  Or, ice it.  Apply a cloth-covered ice pack for ten minutes to release painful fluid buildup in the area.  Or, pop 200 to 400 mg of ibuprofen.  This over-the-counter painkiller eases pain and inflammation.  If joint pain doesn’t go away, rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, note date and time of day, recent activities, medications, your stress level and recent illness or injuries before phoning your doctor.  You may already see a pattern.  Take a walk through a park.  One of my favorite places to walk our dogs is alongside a water lily pond.

Take a stroll by a water lily pond.

Eat– for Good Health

We’re hosting Thanksgiving, and as always, I want the table to make a big impression.  In the next few days I will be cleaning, reorganizing cupboards, ironing linens, and of course thawing our 20-pound turkey.  Wanting food to look pretty, I’m making an apple and cranberry mold instead of just opening cans (of whole and jelly) cranberry sauce and turning them out in bowls.   Here’s how I fill the mold– heat the cranberry sauce from the cans!  As it cools but before it solidifies again in the refrigerator, add diced apple.  Using tin foil dividers, one half will be whole and the other, jelly.  The fresh cranberries and mint leaves are garnishes.

 

Eat– for Good Health

Friends, I keep up with what’s in my refrigerator.  Once a week I make soup to use up vegetables and leftovers.  I’m amazed at how delicious soup turns out.  This morning I started as usual, with a can of vegetable broth.  I added ravioli leftovers, about a cup.  In went chopped carrots, cabbage,left over from making cole slaw, chives/parsley/basil from the garden, green beans, peas, and “older” tomatoes.  I’ll enjoy a good, cheap lunch with a half grilled cheese sandwich.  I save on food bills, and my body “thanks me” by feeling good.  I find that if I do two things, I have zero food cravings.  From six to seven in the morning, (1) I swim laps. (2) I have breakfast.

By the way I’m having a contest, free to enter.  See post below for details.  My heroines know how to take care of themselves.  They eat healthful food.  I never have them eating junk food!  Here is the cover of WINDWARD WHISPERINGS.  In the book the heroine has the hero over for homemade crabcakes!

Windward Whisperings