Food Focus - Hearty Beef and Barley Soup

Hearty Beef and Barley Soup


Above is the link to the McCormick recipe I used to incorporate the last of the 30 healthiest foods, barley. It was yummy! The penultimate food was lentils, which I ended up using as a side with spices and vegetables.

February was a success, having incorporated all of the selections from Real Simple's 30 healthiest foods list. Many of them now are regulars in my diet. Others will be Incorporated on a monthly basis.

Weekly Wanderings -- Week 7

This was a busy and scattered week, with lots going on.  Each day brought new challenges.  Fortunately, as I am in a good place personally, I was able to go with the flow and live life as it unfolded.  Perhaps I would be charaterized mostly as a proud plugger.  

I still have not incorporated the last 2 healthiest  food selections -- barley and lentils.  I will fit them in before month end.  In the meantime, I am so satisfied with the many healthiest food selections that I have continued to incorporate.

My fit focus was absolutely awesome, with 4 fulfilling runs!  Three of them were outside, and totally reenergizing.  One run was at the gym, but was a success because I tracked the bit of speed I am rediscovering.  Twice, I specifically recall thinking that I did not have time for a fun -- life was getting in the way.  Instead of following those thoughts, I fortunately forced myself to fit me in.

Significantly, each day I was able to cross at least one item off my life list.  Some items carry with them my inadequacies and insecurities.  Crossing them off, therefore, brings such success.

Too much of my brain is bogged down with readjusting and refocusing which of my many roles holds the primary position.  Part of this preoccupation derives from one of my exhusband's significant statements, which expressed his feelings that he was third after my job and my family.  Though those words were spoken more than a decade ago, they still haunt me more or less.

This week, roles of mother, employee, and runner competed for the primary position.  I am concerned about the roles that did not even make it to the tertiary position.  Time will tell what will happen with those concerns....  For now, I will remind myself that I only can do my best, which will have to be enough. 

Food Focus / Selections - day 8

Today's selections included some that were incorporated previously.  Two selections were added -- chard and kidney beans.  It was nice to rediscover the beans, which I often simply forget about.

I never have had chard before, so incorporating it was part of making this healthiest foods adventure a success.  It ended up being a fun find!

One of the many things I am learning on this healthiest foods adventure is that making healthy choices is not too difficult or burdensome.  Often, it takes time.  However, it's not always too much time and it's worth it.  

This adventure also has precipitated so many thoughts, such as:  making choices; prioritizing; and what's easy is not always best.

Food Focus -- spices

February will be fun and fabulous!  In addition to the 30 healthiest foods list from Real Simple that I will follow, I will focus on what McCormick has identified as the following super spices:

black pepper
chili powder
cinnamon
cloves
garlic powder
ginger
red pepper
rosemary
thyme
turmeric

At the McCormick site, I found and printed a fun calendar listing what are termed super swaps. A link for my spice source is:

Spice Source / McCormick