Category Archives: Blogging for good health!

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Recipes, This -n- That

Saying I Love You With French Apple Cake

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No matter if you are gathering romantically or with friends and family, I’m going to share a lovely recipe with you just in time for Valentine’s Day next week. That gives you plenty of time to get the ingredients together.

Perhaps you could even share the creative process with your special someone. I adore cooking with family and friends – the joined efforts amplify the fun.

We are going to a French-themed dinner party tonight, so what better dessert could I bring than this?

Never heard of French Apple Cake? I hadn’t either until I came across a recipe online a couple years ago. The original recipe’s author refined many other known recipes to correct common apple cake problems: sogginess, apples sinking to the bottom, or results that are too custardy in texture.

The recipe I am sharing with you is my own version based upon ingredients at hand. I simply did not want to travel to the NC State Farmer’s Market in Raleigh to secure the specific kind of apples originally called for.

Granny Smith’s from the local grocery store would just have to do. Since these apples are literally at the bottom of the sweetness chart, I adjusted the sweetness in the ingredients with one tablespoon more sugar.

And – we were out of brandy, so I had to pivot on that as well. Most other French Apple Cakes use an addition of rum, so switching from brandy to – ta da – Amaretto, seemed totally fine. And it is!

This cake is a bit of a hybrid: part cake, tart tatin, and pie. With its higher ratio of fruit to batter, I am totally satisfied with the results, and I think you will be, too.

To begin ingredient preparations, I brought out an old friend: my old timey-looking apple peeler that cores and slices apples to perfection. Consistent one quarter inch slices every time! Practically effortless.

One key to this recipe is in the browning of the butter, which releases such a yummy, nutty aroma and flavor. I’ve been reading many recipes lately for cookies that call for this step. Have you been doing this? Worth exploring.

French Apple Cake is delicious served by itself, but tonight I’ll be using a bit of French Vanilla ice cream on top. Anything to ramp up the ‘French’ factor!

Here’s your downloadable recipe:

FRENCH-APPLE-CAKE-by-foodtalk4youDownload

Love is a beautiful thing. Romantic or not, whenever we share love with others is a extraordinary time.

Thank you, dear readers for supporting foodtalk4you through your comments and by subscribing. Sheree and I love and appreciate you! And thank you for sharing this post with others by using the options under the MORE button below.

Happy Valentine’s Day in health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Alice Isn’t The Only One With A Magic Pill

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Can you relate to these two things I am discovering about myself?

  1. It’s hard to sustain all the good things I want to do for my health all the time without reminders.
  2. While I don’t believe in a ‘magic pill’ approach to anything, there’s a part of me that wants to.

Take lunges, for instance. I’ve written about them in foodtalk4you and in my books several times. Lunges are a great movement to do to stretch those muscles that tighten up from too much sitting.

If you have a watch or device that reminds you to stand and move every hour, just take a minute to lunge.

Why did I forget that?

For now, my goal is to do lunges several times a day when I get that reminder. Lunges keep us tuned in to balance and stretching.

Out of practice? Make sure to start out easy, no big deep knee bending, but enough to get you going. Check out this link for beginner lunge techniques.

On to the “magic pill” mentality.

In the October 10th post last year, I was sharing various fiber sources in foods and the benefits of stir-in fiber goodness found in seeds and products like Metamucil. As faithful readers know, fiber feeds the ‘good guy’ inhabitants of our microbiome, adds bulk to the end product of digestion, and making stool easier to pass.

Our household was consuming a lot of fiber, but the results were less than stellar in terms of time spent in the bathroom.

What we neglected was remembering that there are other ways to feed gut bacteria: ingesting live bacteria found in yogurt, unpasteurized sauerkraut, and supplementation of live probiotics in capsules.

So, when recently taking an antibiotic to put the kibosh on my 5 week URI/crud, I naturally turned to an old friend, a probiotic pill briming with live bacteria, to repopulate my gut from the effects of the antibiotic.

Not only did I get my voice and overall health back, but my digestive system was functioning like a champ. Eureka!

And no Metamucil!

One easy to take capsule every morning. I used to do that way back when.

Why did I forget?

See discovery #1 which so conveniently ties into discovery #2.

Our good health is so interrelated to everything. Yes, there’s a lot we can do on so many levels that we may feel it’s hard to work it all in most of the time.

Will my “magic pill” be the sole answer to “keep me going?”

Not without daily exercise, adequate hydration, good sources of fiber from whole food, and creating an inner balance to managing stress.

So, here’s a friendly reminder to consider adding or beefing up probiotics from various sources to your daily diet along with the many other things you are already doing. Oh, and try some lunges when your device reminds you to move.

I may secretly long for that “magic pill,” but answers come from understanding the bigger picture and applying myself every day.

In health –

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Recipes, This -n- That

Got the Latest Version?

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My phone’s latest update, 17.2.1, couldn’t be installed because too much memory was being used for other things.

Sound familiar?

Diving into what was causing the overuse of memory, I was able to delete duplicated sends of videos I had forgotten about. In just a couple minutes, I was able to free up enough space for the update.

Shades of Marie Kondo. We must jettison the old before we can take on any more things – and maybe we don’t need more.

Going through my Blessings Jar’s contents from 2023, I came across a note which said what a blessing it was for me to release things I no longer used or needed, and to put what I kept in its proper place. I had used the word ‘liberating.’

Starting this new year of 2024, I turn my thinking to what this latest version of me will look like. What tweaks am I called to make on myself?

Do I need to delete things, activities, or people that occupy too much space so I can add others who would better reflect who I am?

What’s one thing I am good at that I should be doing more? What would doing more look like?

There’s a quote I read recently which has left a lasting impression on me. I wish I could remember the source, but it goes something like this:

“What is it like for others to be on the receiving end of me?”

That quote reframes other wisdom through the ages – do unto others, etc. – but its message really stuck for me, and serves as a starting point for tweaking the latest version of me.

By extension, what is it like for our own bodies/minds/spirits to be on the receiving end of us? That has been the message of foodtalk4you all along: We are what we think, eat, breathe, and do.

So, I encourage us all to take a moment to think about the latest version of ourselves.

Speaking of tweaking – I had not done much holiday baking because of other time commitments; but I did have a marvelous time recently baking five batches of cookies! It was so much fun, giving myself permission to dedicate several hours to baking.

Almond Macaroons 3.0Download

That’s me, rebalancing.

I used the Almond Paste Macaroon recipe I shared with you in December; but I did the logical tweaking it needed to be its best self. Below, I share with you Almond Macaroons 3.0. They were a success and well-received by all.

Remember to click on the subscribe button at the bottom of the scroll on your device or to the upper left of your computer screen to make sure you get foodtalk4you each week. No ads. No pop ups. No sharing of your information.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

When You Can Be A Tree – Always Be The Tree!

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I remember a grade school scientific experiment in which a young seed sprout was planted in a small pot and placed at the bottom of a box with overlapping half shelves above it. When the box was closed, the little seedling received no direct light, even though there is no lid on the box.

Yet, with watering, it grows.

Its pale stem grows around each half shelf above it until it finally wiggles around the last overhang that separates it from the direct light it needs for photosynthesis.

It’s life sustaining light is found!

One of my regular sources for uplifting thoughts is Amit Sood.

His recent post was this: “Just as trees grow their branches toward the sun, spend more time with the people who are your source of light.”

We need light, too.

We love sunlight, not for photosynthesis – but for warmth, clearer vision, and for that mental/physical/spiritual uplift we get from being in the light.

People can have the same effect on us.

Some people seem to block out the light and drain our energies like those shelves in the dark box, while others literally brighten up our day like sunshine after a storm.

Amit Sood suggested that we consider what is special about the people who are our source of love and light.

Have we noticed what it is about them that, “lights up our life”?

Do others feel that way about us?

As plants and trees seek the sunlight, we too should be seeking the company of others who lift us up. It’s good for us, normal, and healthy.

And – we should be that ray of sunshine for others, as well. What are the traits that we possess that are helpful to others?

So, yes, let’s be more like a tree seeking life-giving sunshine more regularly and let’s be more like the life-giving sun to those around us.

In health –

Deidre

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Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Recipes, Stress Reduction

Need A Good Chicken Noodle Soup Remedy? *Sniff* We’ve Got It!

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For millennia, people have been lovingly preparing and serving hot bowls of chicken soup to those feeling ill – especially those suffering from upper respiratory infections (URIs).

Fact or fiction? Does chicken soup help the symptoms of those suffering from head colds or what I have come to call the ‘crud,’ meaning: a head cold on steroids … or, probably a sinus infection.

Who knows?

What we do know is, when suffering with a cold that impacts the upper chest to our eyeballs, we are full of stuff that needs to come out.

Chicken soup seems to help with that process. Warming up from a steamy bowl of soup helps open passageways and loosen mucus, boosts the immune system, and provides flavorful nutrition all at once.

I found a great summary of how the ingredients of chicken soup can help symptoms of an URI HERE that says:

Chicken broth – Hearty broth contains vitamins, minerals, and some fat. The steamy liquid can help to improve upper respiratory symptoms by providing hydration and stimulating nasal clearance.

Carrots, celery, onion – These vegetables contain vitamins A, C, and other antioxidants, which nutrients help build a strong immune system and fight off viruses. They may help the body recover faster from an illness.

Chicken – The star of the dish provides protein, which also supports the immune system.

Noodles – High in carbohydrates, they help you feel full and satisfied.

Herbs (optional) – Herbs like parsley, bay leaf, thyme, or dill can boost flavor and add more antioxidants to support your immune system.

Okay. You had me at chicken soup. These benefits sound great! But I kept thinking about the extra yummy lemon-rice-chicken soup we had this fall at a local restaurant. That’s what I really wanted. The lemon factor ramps up the beneficial nutrients and taste.

I was on a quest.

Google presented me with Greek lemon rice chicken soup and sent me a gem of a recipe for avgolemono soup.

Allrecipes however, was the best in helping me understand the Greek term “avgolemono,” which means “egg-lemon.”

Avgolemono is pronounced ave-go-LE-mono. Avgo is Greek for “egg” and lemoni means “lemon.” The term refers not to a kind of soup, but to a sauce! This soup’s lovely creaminess is thanks to a heavenly egg/lemon sauce.

After the prep work for the mirepoix (carrots, onion, and celery) and other miscellaneous ingredients, the cooking process is pretty basic. New to me was soaking the rice to shorten the cooking time.

As they say, the secret is in the sauce; and this sauce is a cinch. Using my new hand-held mixer with whisk attachment, it was easy to whisk the two eggs, slowly add the lemon juice, and then – a very important step – temper the sauce with two or three ladles of hot, finished soup gradually whisked into the egg-lemon mixture.

Once tempered, stir in the egg-lemon mixture into the hot soup – off heat – which will result in creamy loveliness. Un-tempered, you would have egg drop soup.

I have tweaked the original recipe by adding some lemon zest – it just seemed to need another nudge in that direction. Sheree has prepared a downloadable/printable version for you here:

Avgolemono-Soup-RecipeDownload

Eating this soup was so therapeutic to the three of us that night because we were all recovering from varying degrees of the crud. The remaining portion was sent home with our guest for his wife, also healing from this thing that just doesn’t want to let go!

I encourage you to try this recipe and please let me know how it turns out. As always, you can share this post using the options under the MORE button below.

In health –

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Caregiver SOS!

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Happy New Year!

While some people are cleaning up the festive hats and noisemakers from year-end celebrations, I am looking at my new antibiotic prescription and supplement of probiotics.

This is a good thing. I am truly celebrating as my month-long symptoms of upper respiratory crud begin to taper off.

Hallelujah!

In mid-December – with lots of prayer, cough drops, and hot tea, I managed to do a podcast with enough voice to sound normal.

I was invited to share something about my caregiving experience as related in my book, Toolkit for Caregivers, on a podcast that was new to me. The half-hour radio show/podcast airs on AM radio in major cities in Texas, and Tampa, Florida.

My interview was on December 16th – with the complete list of all their podcasts HERE.

Hosted by nationally recognized gerontologist, Carol Zernial, and veteran broadcaster and attorney, Ron Aaron, “Caregiver SOS On Air,” features a wide variety of caregivers, medical experts, and others, who explore topics important to caregivers.

This radio/podcast outreach program is just one part of the WellMed Charitable Foundation, which is designed to support seniors and their caregivers. I am happy to share these links which might be helpful to you or someone you may know.

Speaking of being helpful, let’s return to those probiotics I am taking.

What’s that all about?

When taking an antibiotic, not only are the bad guy/disease-causing bacteria being killed, but the good guy/beneficial-bacteria in our gut is also getting annihilated.

Many people find that gastric upsets are often associated with taking antibiotics – anything from sour stomachs to diarrhea. While we should always be proactive with maintaining a healthy gut biome, it is especially important while on antibiotics.

For a great synopsis of probiotics and gut health, a great read would be from our old friend, the Mayo Clinic.

We remember that probiotics are living microorganisms available in our food and supplements. They keep a balance of bacteria within the gut and assist with its optimal functioning for digestive and total body health – including immunity.

Always check with your health care provider about taking a probiotic with your antibiotic in case there may be special considerations for your situation. Sometimes, it’s recommended to take the probiotic two hours after taking the antibiotic.

In our diet, probiotics may be found in:

  • Kefir
  • Kimchi
  • Kombucha
  • Miso
  • Pickles
  • Sauerkraut
  • Tempeh
  • Yogurt

A caveat about sauerkraut and pickles: The probiotics in these foods generally do not survive the pasteurization process. You can find unpasteurized sauerkraut and pickles in the refrigerated sections of some grocery stores, but always check the label to make sure the product has not been pasteurized.

Another tip about antibiotics: always take the full course. Stopping the meds as soon as you feel better can be a recipe for disaster, as the toughest-of-the-tough germs that survived several days of an antibiotic are left to multiply – and they will create vast numbers of super-strong bad boys like themselves! You could find yourself in a relapse that’s worse than the original illness.

Now, where’s my kombucha?

Happy New Year in health – Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Three Wishes

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Wait! This is the last post for 2023! How did that happen?

One second at a time – 86,400 of them each day.

Or maybe it’s easier to wrap our brains around 1440 – that’s the number of minutes in each day.

I have a yellow sticky note on the wall of my office with that number on it – 1440.

Whether we burn those minutes up scrolling through social media for hours, applying every brain cell to help launch a rocket into space, or finding a cure for cancer – we must all account for those 1440 minutes.

Are we any better for having lived those minutes? Is anyone else better?

As we wrap up this holiday season which celebrates love, life, light, hope, peace, and home – my wish for us all is threefold:

  1. –That we may be evermore mindful of having a grateful heart. May our blessings jar be filled to the brim by the end of the year. As we review each blessing we have noted, and as we pause to reflect and relive that positive experience, may we remember countless more. I am reminded that those who practice gratitude experience a more positive life. Sure, there are forces of good and bad all around us, but we need to be more open to seeing and being that force of good.

2. –That we may continue learning and changing. I’m talking about learning and not information gathering. Learning implies a resulting change of behavior. If my actions remain unchanged, I am simply aware of trivia. May we be vigilant in examining various viewpoints with open minds and hold ideas and people up to the Four-Way Test used by the Rotary:

a. — Is it the TRUTH?

b. — Is it FAIR to all concerned?

c. — Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

d. — Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

3. –That we may continue to seek balance in every aspect of our lives. Balance produces harmony, and the vibrations of harmony will reverberate throughout our lives and move into the world around us.

Our future posts will include an exploration of alkaline water; a podcast resource for family caregivers; more made-from-scratch recipes, and lots more.

Blessings to one and all for a safe and healthy New Year.

In health –

Deidre and Sheree

Blogging for good health!, Recipes, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

The New Taste In Crunch!

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We are creatures of habit, aren’t we?

Come the holidays, I can’t wait to put together my gluten-free version of Chex Mix. I’ll be doing that soon since the ingredients have finally been assembled: rice and Corn Chex, assorted roasted nuts, gluten-free pretzels, and the spice mix with Worcestershire sauce.

Dare we try something new? Inspired by a recipe online, my sweetheart and I had a blast putting these together.

It’s advantageous to have some helping hands, (and holiday music in the background), as the last step in this recipe requires partially dipping each individual pretzel into melted dark chocolate.

The downloadable recipe is below.

A note of caution, however; use only rimmed cookie sheets, not the open-sided kind.

Chocolate-Dipped-Espresso-PretzelsDownload

After the lightly-baked and coated pretzels are removed from the oven, cooled, individually dipped, and placed on the parchment lined cookie sheet, they need to go into the freezer for approximately 10 minutes to harden.

When removing a cookie sheet filled with finished pretzels from the freezer, a slight tip of my hand caused the slippery parchment and pretzels to slide off onto the floor!

The five second rule did not apply.

Boohoo!

Another crunchy holiday favorite is Rolo Pretzel Delights. I think they work best on those square pretzels which are, unfortunately, full of gluten; but if you can handle the indulgence of just one or two of these, it’s so yummy and has become a seasonal favorite.

These are a cinch to make and another excellent opportunity to use those helping hands, as each Rolo candy needs to be unwrapped and placed on a pretzel. When the pretzels come out of their brief stay in a low temp oven, a pecan half needs to be gently pressed onto each softened Rolo.

We had some pecans leftover from the Rolo recipe and some unused melted chocolate from the other. Well, of course, we coated the nuts and added them to the Espresso Pretzels!

Happy snacking and sharing with family and friends. To share these ideas, use the options below, and leave a comment if you try these recipes.

In health –

Deidre

Note from Sheree:

This year has been challenging for so many – not only in our country, but all over the world. Some have been forced to leave their homes, families separated, friends left behind, or even worse. I’m sure you are aware, for many, this Christmas season will be very different than last.

So, I wanted to give some encouragement, a sprinkling of faith, and a hug from me to you – wherever you are, just don’t stop believing in the true meaning and power of Christmas. It’s such a special day in so many ways.

It’s not always the presents under the tree, the amount of money you spend, or the size of the “roast beast,” as the Grinch calls it – it’s how you put into action that generous supply of love you have in your heart that counts – and a little bit of faith, too – which can go a long way.

Please think of those who might need a kind word, a hot meal, or a pair of warm socks. Perhaps you can do a little bit more for others this holiday.

Pray for those who are weary, worn, and alone. Hug everyone you meet. Let us all believe, if we take one tiny step more to help those in need, it just may change the entire world this Christmas.

Many blessings and Merry Christmas to all,

Sheree’

——————————–

And in despair I bowed my head;

“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail,
The right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Christmas Day – 1863

Blogging for good health!, Recipes, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Double Macaroons and Stove Top Potpourri Danced In My Head …

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I was so pleased when our editor, Sheree, added some favorite macaroon recipes last week.  With my interior and exterior house decorations for the neighborhood’s Holiday Home Tour now complete, I could turn to holiday baking – and visions of macaroons were soon dancing in my head.

Peppermint Chocolate Macaroons, decorated with a Peppermint Chocolate Drizzle, started the holiday baking jam. Gently simmering in the background was a fragrant mix of orange slices, cinnamon stick, cloves, water, and a splash of apple cider – yes, I was all set.

Originally created by Danielle Walker, author at Against All Grain, I tweaked her recipe for these macaroons with variations on the cacao powder, and I added the minty drizzle.

Do you still use printed recipes? I’ve learned to put a printed recipe in an upright plastic picture display holder, so it takes up less counter space, stays clean, and does not require my having to refresh a digital screen with my messy hands. You can download your recipes to print or not.

Macaroons-Peppermint-ChocolateDownload

I had both regular and extra dark cacao powder on hand, so I used 1/4 cup each. The resulting macaroons were quite dark looking, so if you prefer a lighter looking cookie, you could stick with the regular.

These mint fudge flavored morsels have become our favorite addition to brownies, so I thought using them for the drizzle would be perfect for these minty macaroons. My drizzling techniques need to improve, but using coconut oil to thin the drizzle is the trick for creating the proper flow for piping a steady stream – and not overheating the drizzle. If you do, just stir in more coconut oil to remedy.

Almond Macaroons were next; but there was something niggling in my memory about them being way too sweet.

Macaroons-AlmondDownload

They were always visually appealing, especially if using a bit of maraschino cherry on top, but they were a sugar bomb to my palate. Hmmm.

After taking a pinch of the almond paste to taste, I knew that adding the 1/2 cup of sugar the recipe asked for, would be too much. So, I went with 1/3 cup sugar and added about 1/3 cup of almond flakes left over in the bag from the chocolate macaroons.

However, my tweak changed the moisture balance of the dough, so I added about half of an additional egg white to make the dough pipeable. Using a food processor for this recipe is a must to get the coconut flakes small enough for successful piping.  

Maraschino cherries are FULL of artificial food color; but by using about 1/8th of one cherry on top of my mini-cookies provided that needed holiday wink of color.

Wishing you health and many warm moments to pause and take in the wonders of this season –

Deidre

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Blogging for good health!, Recipes, Stress Reduction, This -n- That

Ready Or Not …

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Are you ready?

It’s the question we are asking each other this time of year.

Are you ready for the holidays?

Have you ever teased down a thought to get to its root cause or meaning for you? Just keep asking “why?” or “because?”

The results might amaze you.

Little kids do this, “why,” thing, and it can drive us to distraction; but there may be a method to their madness.

Even when you think you have given the final reason for something, ask yourself one more time – why?

I would hope my final teased-out, shaken-down meaning for my preparations this season includes, “love.”

Not the desire to have the best-decorated house on the street. Not the desire to create the best-looking meal ever.

But rather, the desire to share my love and joy with others; that their lives may be brighter, warmer, and be filled with warmth, love, and a welcoming sense of inclusiveness.

So, with some long-anticipated mulled cider to share with my sweetie, I will finally prepare some seasonal treats to share.

Why? Because I always fix something to share with others.

Why? Because I want others to know I am thinking about them.

Why? Because my neighborhood friends have been so special to me.

Why? Because we care about each other and do nice things to help each other out.

Because why? Because we have a love for each other, and sharing a treat is a little way to say, “I love you and thank you.”

In health and love –

Deidre  

Note from Sheree: Every year, I make goodies for my neighbors, friends, and family. This year will be no different.

So, I flew back to 2014 to find this recipe I have posted below. You can even download it and slip it into your recipe folder.

All I can say is, delectable macaroons will be in all my gift bags!

Here are a couple variations for you, lucky friends, and family, that all can enjoy for the holidays.

Holiday-MacaroonsDownload