January Wellness Update
In Season Fruits & Veggies
Beets
Beets, Apple & Orange Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds beets
- 2 cups shredded beet greens
- 1 large orange
- 2 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon raspberry vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted sunflower seeds, toasted
Directions
- Wash and dry beet roots and greens. Shred greens to measure 2 cups and set aside.
- Place beets in a sauce pan with enough water to cover. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and allow to cool.
- Trim and peel off skins; cut into 8 wedges.
- Peel and section orange. In a bowl, combine orange sections, beets and apples.
- Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and garlic. Pour over beet mixture and toss well.
- Arrange 1/2 cup beet greens on 4 salad plates. Top with beet mixture, sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve.
Sweet Potatoes
Curried Carrot, Sweet Potato & Ginger Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1/2 cup chopped shallots
- 3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
- 1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch) sliced peeled carrots
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sautee 3 minutes or until tender. Add potato, carrots, ginger, and curry; cook 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender; stir in salt.
Pour half of soup in a food processor; pulse until smooth. Repeat procedure with remaining soup.
Winter Squash
Ingredients
- 1 (3-pound) spaghetti squash
- Cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
- 6 tablespoons shredded pecorino Romano cheese
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds; discard. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until tender.
3. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in 1/3 cup basil.
4. Cool squash at room temperature for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Scrape inside of squash with a fork to remove spaghetti-like strands to measure about 5 cups. Divide squash evenly among 6 plates; top each serving with about 1/3 cup sauce and 1 tablespoon cheese. Top with remaining basil.
New Years Resolutions
Too many times when January rolls around people feel pressured to completely reshape who they are and come up with some pretty daunting New Years resolutions. “It’s a new year I need to become a new me, reinvent myself for the better,” they think. But what’s wrong with who you were in 2015? I’m all for empowering and bettering yourself but New Years resolutions don’t have to be complete overhauls, a few little tweaks that can actually stick with you throughout the year could have longer lasting effects than a major overhaul which ends up leaving you exhausted and burnt out by the end of March.
Instead of one giant resolution what if you came up with a few smaller more manageable resolutions? Maybe you want to get in shape: instead of saying you have to hit the gym or your yoga mat 7 days a week you could aim for just going that one extra time per week.
Whatever you choose, don’t get sucked into the New Years resolution dilemma of having to completely shake up who you are with an insurmountable resolution, because who you are now is pretty amazing, and who you are now has gotten through so many different adventures to prepare you for everything 2016 has to offer you.
Sleep Remedies
Stress Relief Stretches
Check out 9 different exercises to promote stress relief here!
Just for laughs!
Upcoming events
Jan15 - 2nd Quarter Ends, 1st Semester Ends
Jan 18 - No School, Staff Development