Salsa Chicken Tortillas

I promised earlier this week I would share a new, easy favorite recipe using homemade salsa. In case you missed it earlier, here's the salsa recipe.

First, you'll need boneless chicken breasts - one per family member. Lightly season one side of each chicken breast with taco seasoning. Drizzle olive oil in an iron skillet and heat to medium to medium-high heat. When ready, put in each piece of chicken seasoned side down. You'll want the heat high enough to sear the outside of the meat. Lightly sprinkle the other sides of the chicken breasts with taco seasoning. After 3-4 minutes when the cooked sides of the breasts appear deep brown, flip them and sear the other sides for about the same amount of time. When the chicken is done, turn off the skillet but leave it on the burner. It will remain hot for some time.

Remove the breasts from the pan and put them on a cutting board, slicing them into small strips. Then put all the chicken strips back into the pan. Scoop in a generous helping of the homemade salsa and mix well. The skillet will probably be warm enough to heat up all ingredients, but if it's not you can turn it back on low for a few minutes.

You're done! Dish a couple of spoonfuls into the center of a flour tortilla. Add your choice of toppings: avocado, sour cream, lettuce, etc., and roll up the tortilla.

I love this because it's a quick supper that can be made easily after soccer practice, is healthy, and everyone in the family agrees it's yummy.

Don't you love Tex-Mex food on a weeknight?

Love,
TCB

Fresh Homemade Salsa

Even though it's the last official month of summer, there is still a bounty of produce available at farmer's markets and from our own gardens. I like to make homemade salsa to use up lots of produce so it isn't wasted. Yes, my chickens will eat extra produce, but that reason is a cop-out to let fruits and vegetables languish on the countertop past their prime.

Salsa actually tastes better after it sits in the refrigerator 24-48 hours. You can serve it solo with tortilla chips or get creative by adding it as a seasoning to recipes. I'll share one of my family's favorite recipes that incorporates salsa later this week. For now, here's my basic salsa recipe. Although you can make it all year, the fresh, summertime ingredients add an extra "wow."

Fresh Homemade Salsa

2 tomatoes, quartered
1/4 onion
several sprigs of cilantro
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 jalapeno (more if you like it spicy)
can black beans (optional)
can of corn or fresh corn cut off the cob (optional)

Add all ingredients to a food processor or a "quick chopper." I like to use my manual quick chopper since I can better control the consistency of the final dish.

After thoroughly chopping and mixing all of the above ingredients, add fresh corn (or a can of corn) as desired and one-half to three-fourths of a can of black beans, rinsed and drained.

Refrigerate this healthy snack until ready to eat.

I'll update with a post later this week sharing a recipe that incorporates the leftover salsa you don't eat with tortilla chips.

See you then,
TCB

You'd be Surprised What You Can Buy Locally

Rural living provides an easy opportunity to "go green." Living sustainably is eco-friendly and fiscally responsible. I'm not even mentioning the convenience. If you don't live in town, sometimes it's very time consuming to travel to all the stores you need to complete your shopping list.

When I'm not growing or making it myself, I really like to support the local farmers and craftsmen that live in my rural area.

On a recent Saturday afternoon full of errands (I group them for less driving), I purchased from three neighbor vendors who had exactly what I needed at exactly the right price.

Homegrown tomatoes from the farm stand. I didn't plant a second round, so my supply was long gone.

Chicken feed pellets produced locally from another community right down the road. It was sold by a family-owned feed-and-seed supplier 5 minutes from my house. (I love going there for good conversation and a Coke).

A flat of pansies hauled home in the back of my SUV from a grower 10 minutes from home. You can't beat 24 plants for $10 (and I didn't have to exhibit any patience growing my own flowers from seeds).

Buy local! Support your neighbors and create a better life for your family. Knowing who made what you consume each day is one important step we all can take to be environmentally and safety conscious.

Happy day!
TCB

A Greek Cookbook for your Bookshelf

I have the entire right side of my dining room buffet filled with cookbooks. I'll admit there are a few I rarely pull out, some are for the holidays, and some are well-worn and a little greasy with food splashes from everyday use. From time to time (OK - pretty often), I add to them with a new title from the bookstore. I wanted to tell you about one of my latest acquisitions and suggest you get a copy for yourself (and no, no one has paid me to say this).

Patricia Moore-Pastides, an accomplished public health professional and wife of the current president of the University of South Carolina, released her cookbook, "Greek Revival: Cooking for Life," about 18 months ago. In it, she narrates stories about her time living in Greece and shares the healthy recipes she learned from taking cooking lessons while there.

Leaning on vegetables and healthy cuts of meat (occasionally), the book provides Greek recipes that are healthy and still flavorful. I have made a few of them and can assure you that you won't miss the fat in these dishes.

We may think of baklava as a primary Greek dessert, but Patricia leans heavily on fruits, like those traditionally used in Greece, for an everyday taste of sweetness. Doesn't a yogurt parfait with blueberries and lemon curd sound good?

My favorite recipe from the book (so far) is Broccoli and Blue Cheese Pita (p. 22 in the hardback copy).

I bought the book during a lecture, tasting and book signing event at a women's conference. In her presentation, Patricia was very knowledgeable not only about nutrition via food, but also about the healthy compounds like resveratrol that make up certain foods. A delightful lady and a delightful (and delicious) book.

Happy reading (and cooking)!
TCB

Ch...ch...ch...Chia!

I have a new love.

I visited Earth Fare over the weekend and came home with a new package to try. Every time I visit a different healthy supermarket, I try something new.

I love Chia Snacks.

They are tasty cubes of goodness. I can justify eating lots of them because:

(a) When I eat them, I don't crave sweets like usual;

(b) They are full of calcium - 45% of the recommended daily value;

(c) They are chock full of chia seeds, which have a higher value of Omega-3's than even notorious salmon; and

(d) Did I mention they are fabulous?

And yes, they are the infamous "ch, ch, ch, chia seeds" from the TV commercials. The seeds come from a plant in the mint family and are full of easily digestible protein and lots of fiber.

I especially like them because they fill me up as well as satisfy my sweet tooth. The only problem is that I only bought one bag, and the store is not too close to my rural home. I guess that means I'm taking another trip this week. You guessed it; my bag is empty.

You can also buy them from Navitas Naturals stores. We don't have those stores in the South; they seem to be predominantly in the northeastern part of the U.S.

I give this holistic snack a thumbs up. Try it soon!

Love,

TCB

P.S. No one paid me to write this post. I just love 'em.



More Beauty Products for Dry Skin

In my last post, The Short List of Beauty Products I Can't Live Without, I listed 3 of the products I use every day, without fail, on my dry skin. Here are the other 3 products I can't seem to do without:

#4 - No. 7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum - $19.95 at Target. It's an anti-wrinkle serum. Need I say more, ladies? And it adds a little moisture in the a.m. under makeup.

#5 - RE9 Night Repair Creme - $85 from arbonne.com. If you have dry skin, there's nothing like this night cream to ward away the dreaded flaky skin in the morning.

#6 - I like to follow my p.m. cleanser with RE9 Regenerating Toner, also from http://www.arbonne.com/. $35, and it won't dry out your skin when removing the last traces of makeup.

So there you have it. I'm not a frou-frou girl, but every woman ought to have a few weapons in her beauty arsenal.

'Till next time,
TCB

The Short List of Beauty Products I Can't Live Without

I don't consider myself a high-maintenance type of girl, but there are a handful of beauty products that I just simply can't do without. There are six of them to be exact. Some are slightly pricey but most are surprisingly affordable. Here are the first three beauty products that are a necessity for my dry and maturing (ahem) skin:

#1 - Aveeno Positively Radiant daily moisturizer - This little jewel can be found at most drugstores and even some nice grocery stores like Publix. For $15.99 (Publix price), it instantly (and I mean instantly) brightens dull morning skin because it contains soy. I once got a compliment from a guy friend that my skin looked radiant. Did you hear that ladies? A GUY noticed. The SPF 15 is a nice bonus.

#2 - Lacura Hydrating facial cleanser - This bad girl won't hardly touch your wallet at a budget-friendly $2.49 at Aldi. Great in the morning or evening, it is the perfect cleanser for very dry winter skin.

#3 - Olay Quench daily lotion (plus shimmer) - I have tried practically every lotion on the market - from the cheapest of the cheap to the mac-daddy expensive. This middle of the line product keeps my skin "ash" free in the winter and super soft. I really don't care what it costs. It's great and I refuse to switch. $7-$8 at most drugstore and grocery retailers.

I will round out the top six in the next post this week.

Have a great Monday!
Love,
TCB

Getting Kids to Eat Healthy

There's been a lot of discussion out in marketplace the last couple of years about ways to get kids to eat healthy foods. Since I'm really into taking care of myself through eating right, taking vitamins and natural supplements, using homeopathic remedies, eating organic and growing some of my own produce, and lifting weights, it's an important topic for me, too.

But it seems all the talk centers around how to "trick" kids into eating healthy - you know, something crazy like putting white bean puree in their homemade cookies. I have two things to say about this: (1) Gross!, and (2) Tell me why it's acceptable to let your kids THINK you're giving them lots of cookies to eat (even if you're slipping them ye olde vegetables)? Aren't you in actuality sending them the message that junk is OK? Remember, they DON'T KNOW your good intentions, or they never would touch that cookie in the first place. Not even if you said "pretty please."

I admit I have grated a few carrots and added to my crockpot spaghetti sauce to sneak an extra veggie serving in on my oblivious son. But I also plop down a bowl of spinach salad with his supper and tell him he has to eat it all because "green vegetables are good for your body."

I think it is healthier to teach your child that a cookie is OK sometimes - even the ones with lots of sugar (don't they all have it?). At the same time, I think it's wise to teach them to balance that with a healthy vegetable or two. What a better way to really learn how to eat balanced meals to create the best mix of fuel for your body.

Otherwise, don't you feel a little like you're cheating them in the nutrition education department? That maybe they will grow up wondering why cookies worked so well for them as children but are not working so well now?

Happy (and healthy) eating,
TCB

Pan-Seared Salmon Fillets with Sweet Fruit Salsa

This appears to be Recipe Week on The Country Belle. So I thought I'd throw another one at you. This main dish has become one of the favorite around my house. And it's very quick to prepare, so it's just right for a healthy supper even when there is soccer practice or swim team or Boy Scouts in the evenings. (Oh, why do all sports practices have to be at the dinner hour??? But, I digress).

When I can find fresh wild Alaskan salmon, it is what I use for taste and health reasons. But that's only available during the summer season. The rest of the year, I purchase fresh farmed salmon fillets from the butcher. Frozen salmon just doesn't stand up too well in this recipe.

Pan-Seared Salmon Fillets with Sweet Fruit Salsa

Salmon Fillets
kosher salt
black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

one mango, chopped
fresh or frozen blueberries to equal the chopped mango
1 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. minced red onion
cilantro to season
Stevia (or sugar)

First make the fruit salsa. Chop one fresh mango and mix with an equal amount of blueberries in a glass bowl. I use frozen blueberries from my blueberry-picking forays over the summer. Since this will sit on the counter while you prepare the salmon (or go to soccer practice), it will have plenty of time to thaw and let the flavors meld together.

Add to this the chopped red onion and lime juice.

Sprinkle with stevia (just a little - it's 40x sweeter than sugar) and cilantro. Since the recent hot summer weather has zapped the cilantro in my herb garden, I am using dried cilantro.

Here's the finished fruit salsa.

Now just put this to the side while you prepare the salmon. It's super easy.

Put a little olive oil in your frying pan. Heat to medium-high heat. In the meantime, remove the skin from the salmon fillets. I usually do this most easily with a paper towel and slowly pull the skin off. Not too fast, or it will pull off half your salmon, too.

Sprinkle both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. When the oil is hot, sear the fish on both sides. I cook mine for 5-6 minutes per side (I don't enjoy the texture of raw or undercooked fish), but if you like it less done, 3-4 minutes per side is fine. Flip it just once during cooking. Here's where my handy dandy fish spatula comes in.

I'm not a sucker for one-use kitchen tools because they create a lot of clutter. But this one's a keeper.

Then serve the salsa with the salmon fillets. Here's the finished product.

Round it out with brown rice and broccoli or a green salad. I always feel good about serving this meal because it is so healthy. And everyone - regardless of age - loves it.

Happy eating!
Love,
TCB



Essential Oils and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Time flies! Four months ago, I wrote about how I would be trying to solve my carpal tunnel syndrome with pure essential oils. But I neglected to let you know the outcome.

As soon as I received the oils I ordered - basil and marjoram - I added them to the oils I already had on hand - lemongrass and oregano - to treat my symptoms of inflammation and pain. For about one and one-half weeks, I applied 1-2 drops of lemongrass and then marjoram to my ailing wrist and forearm followed by a couple of drops of basil and oregano to my shoulder and down to my elbow. The pain subsided each time after application (morning and night), and was gone in the 1 1/2 week time interval. So far it has not reoccurred.

I have mentioned this before, but I purchase my oils from doTERRA because I know they are very pure - so pure that I can take them internally if needed. There may be other sources out there, but I would caution you to make sure what you buy is the best quality. If you can't put it in your mouth, do you really want it on your skin? It's your largest organ and anything applied to it absorbs into your body anyway.

I'm not a doctor, and I know different things work for different people and their individual body chemistries, but essential oils have been great for me.

Until next time,
TCB

Treating Headaches Naturally

My son has suffered from migraine headaches for the past three years. Along with a pediatrician's help, we discovered they may be triggered by drops in blood sugar caused by going too long between meals. Adding snacks seemed to help the headaches dissipate somewhat, but they still sometimes cropped up without warning.

If you've ever suffered with migraines, you know the onset of one pretty much means the end of your day. My son would have to go to bed in a dark room and sleep it off until the next morning. He missed a few fun activities along the way, like a Monster Jam and fishing trip with Dad.

Since I am a big proponent of natural remedies, I decided to see if we could treat his headaches in a manner better  than a daily dose of ibuprofen.

One product we tried is called PastTense, an essential oil that comes in a roll-on bottle. I purchased mine from a company called doTERRA, whose oils are very pure. When my son feels a headache coming on, we roll a "stripe" of PastTense across his forehead and at the nape of his neck. It almost always alleviates the headache within 1-2 minutes. I have lent my PastTense to others to try, and they all have experienced similar results. I have written about essential oils before, such as in the post Essential Oils for Good Health.

PastTense contains many individual essential oils:

• wintergreen
• lavendar
• peppermint
• frankincense
• cilantro
• roman chamomile
• marjoram
• basil
• rosemary.

We also are experimenting with making sure he adds more magnesium into his diet, so he never gets to the point where he needs PastTense. Our sources have been nuts (almonds mostly), seeds (roasted pumpkin seeds are a favorite), broccoli, raw spinach, and brown rice. Magnesium deficiency can cause migraines. Magnesium is known to relax muscles and blood vessels. This magnesium focus has been helpful in alleviating headaches for my son. Every headache case of course is not simplistic, and I'm not suggesting doing what we are doing will solve everyone's problems. But for us, this natural course has worked. I am happy to put away the ibuprofen.

In good health,
TCB

Essential Oils to Solve Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

I have written in the past about my use of pure essential oils to alleviate or solve certain health issues or sicknesses over the last few months.

My use of them has been successful in curing what ails me. Recently, I have had a recurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome in my left hand and wrist. Unfortunate, since I am left-handed. I haven't had an issue since my son's birth about 8 1/2 years ago. At that time, I was treated with a cortisone shot, but I am hoping to solve the issue more naturally this time with essential oils.

Using my reference book, Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils, I looked up carpal tunnel syndrome. It appears the primary oils for treatment are basil, marjoram, lemongrass, oregano, and cypress. I'm going to order them and will update you on whether they work or not. Maybe we can learn together.

Until next time,
TCB

Top 3 Things that Keep Me Healthy

Top 3 Things that Keep Me Healthy

There are three food and/or natural substances I can’t live without:

(1)   Lemons – I drink ½ of a squeezed lemon after each meal to aid in digestion. No heartburn! See my Drink Lemon for Good Health post for more information.

(2)   Flaxseed Oil or Flaxseeds – Add seeds to your morning cereal or to your noon salad for a healthy dose of omega 3 essential fatty acids. Or you can simply take a teaspoon of organic cold-pressed flaxseed oil, available at your local health food store. Flaxseed reduces inflammation in your body, a precursor to all kinds of bad sicknesses and diseases and helps keep your arteries clear of cholesterol’s effects.

(3)   Lemon and Peppermint Essential Oils – I only use the doTERRA brand because I believe in its purity. Just one drop of each oil in my “shot” glass of water first thing in the morning, and I have just taken a natural liver detox, helping my liver to more successfully do its filtering job for the day.

Be healthy.

Love,

TCB

Essential Oils for Good Health

Essential Oils for Good Health

Essential oils are an ancient remedy for ailments, illnesses and general physical and emotional distress. They are mentioned in the Bible; remember, the wise men brought baby Jesus frankincense and myrrh. Why was that? Essential oils have medicinal qualities that help heal the body.

I have been using essential oils for a few months now. I signed up with a company named doTERRA because I wanted to begin to build an inventory of oils as my “medicine kit.” One of my favorites is actually a blend of several essential oils. It’s called DigestZen, and I use it to treat my reflux and general digestive upsets.

DigestZen contains seven essential oils:

• Ginger
• Peppermint
• Tarragon
• Fennel
• Caraway
• Coriander
• Anise.

Essential oils are very concentrated extracts from flowers, berries, roots, leaves, stems, seeds, and the bark of plants.

I use DigestZen in conjunction with my lemon routine, which I explained in the post Drink Lemon for Good Health. I rub one drop of oil on my stomach and one on the part of the bottom of my feet that corresponds to the stomach on a reflexology chart. You can find reflexology charts online. I use one in a book I’m currently reading, “Modern Essentials: A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils.”

Whenever I feel a little upset stomach, or I’ve eaten something I shouldn’t, I use this oil. I must say it makes me feel better within 30 seconds. And I really love it because it is natural (like the lemon) and has nothing to do with pharmaceutical drugs, which are just a band-aid anyway. By using this combination, and staying away from the black tea and oatmeal that doesn’t specifically agree with my body, I have been free of prescription meds for 9 months now. And I feel better than ever.

In good health,
TCB

Drink Lemon for Good Health

As I mentioned in my December 29th post, One Resolution at a Time, I make it a habit to squeeze the juice of one and one-half lemons per day, drinking 1/3 of the juice periodically throughout the day after each meal.

Here's about how much juice that amounts to:

I just squeeze it in the morning and leave it out in a glass container I sip from throughout the day.

The lemon juice aids in digestion and has helped me kick the acid reflux medication I had taken for many years. I've been using the left lemon system for eight months now and am not looking back.

If I feel a slight case of heartburn coming on, I reach for a little lemon juice now instead of an over-the-counter antacid. Works like a charm. Sounds counterintuitive, but from my understanding, reflux problems such as mine result from too little stomach acid, not too much acid as I previously thought. So lemon juice is helping out the body's natural acids to properly digest foods.

Hope this helps you, too, in your quest for good health.

Love, TCB