Warming Foods

I'm cold.

The fall weather seemed to last so long this year! It's winter now, though. I finally got out my winter jacket after getting chilled all the way through last weekend at the parade.

I shouldn't complain because so many people in this world are perpetually cold. They don't have any way to warm themselves at all. For us, there are plenty of ways stay warm, including wearing sweaters, gloves, hats, & coats, wrapping up in a nice blanket, drinking a mug of tea, or sitting by a blazing fire. I'm very thankful for those comforts.

The Bup told me that he's been extra cold this year. His office at work is chilly, our house temp is set at 65, & winter's just beginning!

In addition to all the ways we can wrap our bodies in warmth, I went searching for ways to feed us that will warm us up from the inside out.  I ran across the idea that baking/roasting your foods makes them more warming to the body. There was a conflicting notion, however, that raw foods keep you warm because they require extra energy to bring to body temperature & digest. Either way, a good balance is healthy & I really love feeling that warm blast of air when I open the oven door!

Here's a list of naturally warming foods that I found & compiled for you! I know we'll be using it to eat from through the winter. It's supposed to be a cold one.

*Foods with a Warming Energy*

Herbs & Spices:
Anise
Basil - Basil Almond Pesto
Black & white pepper
Caraway
Carob
Cayenne - Pinto Spelt Burgers
Chives
Cinnamon - Pumpkin Banana Muffins
Cloves
Coriander
Cumin - Roasted Curried Root Vegetables
Dill
Fennel
Garlic - Roasted Garlic & Kale Spread
Ginger - Apple Pumpkin Beer Bread
Ginseng
Nutmeg - Hot Cross Buns
Paprika - Cajun Seasoning Mix
Parsley
Rosemary
Tea (beverage)
Turmeric

Nuts, Seeds & Grains:
Chestnuts - Roasted Chestnuts
Millet - Vegetable Millet Salad
Oats - Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats
Pine nuts
Quinoa - Curried Pumpkin Quinoa Soup
Rice milk
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
Wasabi
Wild rice - Wild Rice, Pumpkin & Cannellini Soup

Condiments & Sweeteners:
Brown sugar
Honey - Honey Mustard & Onion Potato Wedges
Horseradish
Rice wine or vinegar
Vinegars - Rossetti's Italian Vinaigrette

Fruits & Vegetables:
Carrots - Carrot Spice Cake
Chili peppers
Coconut - Poppity Popcorn
Dates
Green onions
Green/red bell peppers - Pepper-only Pizza
Kumquat
Leeks
Mustard greens
Onion - Attempting Chipotle Burritos
Papaya
Parsnips
Root vegetables - Roasted Beets
Rutabaga
Scallions
Squash - Roasted Curried Butternut Squash
Sweet potatoes - Sweet Potato Beer Fries
Watercress


Eat well & stay warm!



[My main sources were here, here, & here.]

Fruity Sangria

 

Yum.

It was a food & fun filled weekend.

1. Sort of sleeping after an evening with some great girls!

2. Eating Saturday morning bagels & playing Bananagrams

3. Marching in the Christmas parade through town

4. Roasting an entire huge pumpkin & eating at least half of it (Why am I not orange yet? I can't get enough of this stuff!!)

5. Decorating our Christmas tree

6. Reading a hilarious version of the 12 Days of Christmas

7. Drinking Sipping Chocolate from Trader Joe's

8. Watching the children's Christmas program at church

9. Having lunch with my church family

10. Baking 10 kinds of cookies with the Bup, Mom & Pops

11. Eating a zillion cookies & loving every bite

12. Trying out the new elliptical

 

Fruity Sangria
Serves 6

1 bottle of dry red wine(750 mL)
2 c fruity blush wine
8 oz. seltzer water
2/3 c orange juice
1/4 c brandy
1/3 c Triple Sec
1 orange
1 apple
1 lemon
1 lime
1 c pineapple chunks, fresh or canned

Thinly slice the orange, lemon & lime, peeling off some of the rinds to eliminate any bitter flavor. Core & thinly slice the apple, keeping the peel in tact. Combine all of the fruit in a large pitcher or other glass container (I used our sun tea container!). Pour both wines, seltzer water, orange juice, brandy & triple sec over the fruit. Stir gently with a large spoon to combine. Refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. Enjoy cold, garnished with the soaked fruit.

Quick & Easy Stuffed Potatoes

Is it too much to ask for my nail polish to stay on more than 12 hours?

The process of cooking dinner means that I have my hands in water almost every night. Between washing & chopping veggies, cleaning lettuce, & washing dishes, there's always water involved.

That means that anytime I put on nail polish, it's a waste of my time. I try to time it so that I only paint my nails if I know I'm not cooking the following night or we're having something super simple.

For example:

On Wednesday, I painted my nails. Thursdays we always have dinner at my parents' house & Friday I had plans with some friends. I was really hoping it would last till church on Sunday. But no, I woke up on Thursday, did yoga, showered, & noticed that 4 of my nails had already chipped.

It must be a sign. I'm not destined to be a nail polish girl. I love that shine, though! There are much worse things that I could be bothered about, for sure.

Annnnnyway. About these potatoes. They're quick enough that you'll have time to paint your nails, but you better wait until after you make them.

It only took me about 40 minutes to cook, eat & clean up from these. Not too shabby for a healthy meal made from whole foods! We paired them with a big tossed salad, our usual dinner accompaniment.

They were full of flavor & suprisingly filling. I especially liked the slight crunch from the cauliflower & the hint of cheesiness from the nutritional yeast. You could sub in cheese if you'd prefer, but I'm obsessed with this stuff & it's super healthy. This is a great meal for those nights when you're rushed but still want something healthy & satisfying.

Quick & Easy Stuffed Potatoes
Serves 2

2 large potatoes
1 c chopped cauliflower florets
1 1/2 c chopped Swiss chard
1 1/2 T nutritional yeast (substitute parmesan or cheddar cheese, if you'd prefer)
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1/2-3/4 c unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
paprika, for garnish

Poke potato skins with a fork. Cook potatoes in the microwave (wrapped in a damp paper towel) using the microwave's preset button (about 5-7 minutes).  While they are cooking, lightly steam the cauliflower. Slice potoatoes in half and scoop out the insides. Reserve the potato skin shells for later. In a large bowl, mix potato insides, cauliflower, Swiss chard, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, garlic powder, dried minced onion, 1/2 c unsweetened almond milk, salt & pepper. Heat mixture in microwave for 2 minutes. Mash until only slightly chunky. Microwave for another 2 minutes. If mixture is dry, add additional almond milk until you reach desired consistency. Spoon mixture into reserved potato skin shells, filling generously. Sprinkle with paprika & serve hot!

*Alternately, you can bake the potatoes in the oven, but that will take much longer.