Have you ever bought beets, trimmed them up and then threw the greens away? It may feel a bit daunting as to what to do with them, but it's really a piece of cake. Just trim the leaves, wash them and add them to a salad. They are nice and crunchy and pretty with their red veins. This is a very healthy food and a step towards clean eating.
Beet greens are high in nutritional value! They provide good amounts of protein, phosphorus and zinc. In addition, they are packed with anti-oxidants. They are high in vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, copper and manganese, and low in fat and cholesterol. Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, daily values of beet greens contain: 220% of vitamin A, 60% of vitamin C, 16% of calcium and 15% or iron. *Source: Food facts by Mercola
Sometimes, I will place them in a skillet, add some chopped onion, garlic and shredded carrots with olive or avocado oil and sautee them until they are nice and wilted. This time I added some grape tomatoes. This blend makes a nice bed for the beets I'm going to place on top as a side dish to our dinner entree. I call this my beet greens medley.
I was a late bloomer in trying beets. It wasn't until my 20th wedding anniversary that I discovered the sweet taste of beets drizzled with a little olive oil and salt and topped with blue cheese!But I fell in love at first bite!
Become a Bliss Buddy now and receive Self-Care tips for your Mind and Body! Click the pic below to get started.
Garlic toast is one of my favorite dinner sides. I got this recipe from People Magazine! I almost burned the croissants, but they were still blissful.
Here are the ingredients:
1 head garlic, separated and peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 sprig fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
1 small bunch fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
Freshly cracked black pepper
3-4 medium-size store-bought croissants
Kosher salt
Small wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250. Place the garlic cloves in a small, shallow, oven-proof container. Cover with olive oil until cloves are submerged. Add rosemary, thyme and black pepper to taste.
2. Cook in oven for 1.5 hours or until the cloves are tender and aromatic. Set aside and let cool completely, allowing the garlic and herbs to steep in the oil.
3. Slice the croissants in half lengthwise and toast in the oven for a few minutes until slightly browned. Place a few garlic cloves and a drizzle of the garlic oil on the warm croissants. Finish with a sprinkle of salt, grated cheese and chopped herbs.
Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 10 minutes, plus cooling
Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Like I said, I almost burned these, but they were really good. Next time I will toast instead of broil. Yum!
No one wants to hear they have been diagnosed with Muscular Sclerosis. Jennifer Martin decided early on that she was going to take the positive route and research all the best ways to care for her self!Listen to this interview and find out what she suggests YOU do if you have recently been diagnosed with MS or even if you have been challenged with some other illness life change. She finds plenty of ways to experience bliss in spite of her circumstances. You can too!
Jennifer Martin became interested in Mindfulness over twelve years ago after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. A lifetime believer in the power of the mind/body connection and their natural ability to heal themselves, she was confident that if she could shift her relationship to stress she could improve her overall wellness. After graduating from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program and experiencing the many benefits in her own personal life, she became passionate about Mindfulness and sharing it with others. Jennifer graduated from the Institute of Life Coach Training and is a certified Life Coach specializing in women’s health and wellness. After enjoying the benefits o A Mindfulness Life Center in Scottsdale as a member, she began working there teaching mindfulness meditation and an 8-week series that is an Introduction to Mindfulness for Stress Reduction so that others could also learn to experience the benefits of Mindfulness in their own lives.
Jennifer grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut and relocated to Arizona five years ago with her husband, their two teenage daughters, and their two miniature dachshunds. She graduated from the University of Vermont with a BS degree in Fashion Merchandising and then worked in corporate sales for ten years for two Fortune 500 companies before leaving the corporate world to raise their two daughters. She graduated as a certified Life Coach from The Institute of Life Coach Training specializing in women’s health and wellness. Currently a Mindfulness instructor at A Mindfulness Life Center in Scottsdale, AZ.
The business of building bliss results in some interesting conversations. This one was with Amy Carney, wife of former NHL player Keith Carney. I asked Amy to talk with me so that together, we could help bring some more bliss to other women – and particularly women who are married to professional sports players. But her advice isn't limited to just sports player's wives, but to all women who are faced with unusual challenges.
Click on the pick below to access this audio recording:
A former newspaper journalist and editor from Indiana, Amy Carney currently writes on her blog www.amycarney.com as well as for various online and print outlets about intentional parenting and family travel. She is also a model with The Agency Arizona and is training to be a Sports Life Coach through Patterson Sports Ventures in hopes of working with NHL families to help with their transition from the game into retirement. Amy is a Woman of Influence for MASK (Mothers Awareness of School Aged Kids) and is an advocate for local foster children here in Arizona. She and her former-NHL playing husband of 18 years have 13-year old triplet sons and a 12 year old daughter.
It's the Poppy-Seed dressing that makes this salad!
(and it's not the creamy, sugary, fattening kind!)
This is a healthy, clean eating kind of salad!
1 bunch of kale leaves, torn and trimmed off the ribs
Chopped red onion to taste
Chopped green onion to taste
Sliced red cabbage
Toasted slivered almonds
Toasted pine nuts
Dried cranberries
(Optional ingredients: blueberries, red pepper or any other veggie you like)
Dressing:
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar with the mother
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
Put in a jar and shake until blended. Pour over kale mix. Stir and enjoy.
For a full meal packed with protein, add a blackened salmon or grilled chicken!
