Percolate: thankful
Posted on November 18, 2016 Leave a Comment
Percolate
The idea to cook something different for Thanksgiving began to percolate approximately 2 weeks ago. In the past, Thanksgiving meals consisted of Turkey, dressing and gravy, rolls, and vegetables.
Roughly a month ago, I started watching Guy Fieri on Sundays, at 9am, on Food Network.
The time was 849am, and I had not eaten my breakfast. I was thinking that I would sit down and catch up on my reading, and that I would just miss Guy’s show today or see it later given thatI was recording his show.
So, around 5 til 9, I thought that if I do not watch Guy’s show now, I will probably not watch it later. So, I decided to watch the show and was ecstatic to see what Guy was making.
Guess what? This past Sunday, Guy made a nontraditional Thanksgiving meal which included Balsamic Braised Leg of Lamb, sweet potato gnocchi and peas and prosciutto. Yummy!! I wrote the recipes down, of course, and I plan to make all three recipes for Thanksgiving.
So, I am making a grocery list as we speak in preparation for my nontraditional Thanksgiving meal. Turkey, dressing and gravy, and rolls will still be on the menu, just in small portions. I will probably still get up early in the morning to start on Thanksgiving dinner. I am looking forward to making something different for Thanksgiving!!
What are you cooking/eating for Thanksgiving?
Timika
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Filthy and my priorities
Posted on November 17, 2016 2 Comments
When others would tell me that their house was filthy because they have been so busy at work, I would wonder how could they function with a messy house, and then I remembered that everyone is not wired the same way. We all have our priorities. I have had some people to tell me that they function better with clutter. Again….we are wired differently,
I used to be obsessed with keeping a clean and organized house. It is frustrating to not be able to find something when I need it. Plus, cleaning up was and still is my release…my form of meditation. I equate a clean and organized house with a clear and focused mind. When everything else around me is in place, I feel in place. I used to allow myself to get distracted by clutter and would quickly stop what I was doing to go clean. This method was counterproductive…. There is more to life than just keeping a clean and organized home. Nowadays, I write more to help clear my mind instead of cleaning more.
Now, that I am a mother, organizing my time is a must. I do my best to avoid a filthy home; however, I am not as obsessed with keeping my home clean. Over the past year, I decided to not spend a great deal of my day cleaning up. So, there may be a few dirty dishes left in the sink overnight or toys left in the living room. I have learned to relax a bit when it comes to cleaning up; yet, I still have my limits. I am also better at organizing my time to make time for other things such as reading, writing etc. I have learned that I need balance in my life. Keeping a clean and organized home is still a priority, and so is enjoying my life and making time for loved ones and myself.
For procrastinators or students having problems focusing on a task, many educators, including myself, will encourage students to declutter their surroundings to help them focus better and complete their task. Typically, if your mind is on 20 different things, your actions will reflect your thoughts. If a student has one project on his or her desk, more than likely that’s what he or she will focus on. Decluttering is usually a good tip to help others focus and achieve their goals.
Timika
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Tart: The more tart, the better
Posted on November 16, 2016 4 Comments
Sugar and butter were my favorite additives to food growing up. When I first started as a diabetes educator, in my mid-20’s, it appeared that every time I looked up, the number of individuals being diagnosed with diabetes kept rising, as well as those with impaired glucose or as it is known now as Prediabetes. I used to wonder if it was something in the food. Although, the type of food you eat can influence your blood sugar, it is more about how much of that food we eat at one time.
I used to love some sweet lemonade and my mom’s sweet tea with a salty snack such as popcorn and peanuts…. Since nursing school and becoming a diabetes educator, I no longer crave the sugary drinks as much. I truly believe that our body work best when we eat foods in moderation. Our pancreas produces insulin to help keep our blood sugars in check, and the more sugar (high calories and high carbohydrates) we take in, the more insulin is produced by our body. The more we work our body (by ingesting large amounts of food at one time and consistently), the more we can wear our organs and body out. Once our body starts wearing down, that’s when we start seeing health conditions such as diabetes. Now, diabetes is more complex than what I have just noted. However, if we tailor our eating habits by eating foods in moderation, including sugar, then our body can work more efficiently.
I now prefer my lemonade, as well as other drinks, to be more on the side of tart instead of sweet. Just another way to train my body that moderation is okay…especially when it comes to food and drinks..
Timika
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Timika S Chambers 