New Food Memories at Christmas & A Tribute

The holidays are such a special time of year – a time to reflect on holidays past and a time to build new memories with family and others that you love so dearly.  Jeff and I were reminded of the magic of Christmas in the eyes of our children when they danced all over as we brought our freshly cut Christmas tree into the house this year.  And later when we got some of their presents wrapped under the tree -  Hannah and Evan stacked and re-stacked them with wonder of what might be in each box.  Children really bring the spirit of Christmas alive in all of us, and I love that.

My mother-in-law, Beverly at
Christmas time in 2009.

But we cannot forget the tragedy that rocked our family’s world just over one year ago.  My beloved mother-in-law, Beverly, passed away unexpectantly in November of 2011 of what we found out was cancer way too late.  For many that have lost very close loved ones, you know the level of loss.  Beverly was the family matriarch with a heart filled with endless love for everyone.  She and I became very close over the 12 short years that I knew her.  She was a mother figure, but also a dear friend that I spoke to multiple times per week.  Even in the last conversation I had with her (which I did not realize at the time), she insisted on talking about my business , our kids and things going on in my life even while she was lying in bed in excruciating pain.  She was such a generous, encouraging person, and will forever be an inspiration to me.  I am so blessed to have known and loved her, and will always cherish the time we had together. 

Until 2010, Christmas day each year meant going over to John & Beverly’s home and opening presents under their beautifully decorated tree followed by a wonderful lunch that they both lovingly prepared together.  But things are different now, and we are forced to move on – if for nothing else, for the grandchildren that Beverly loved so much – our kids and their cousin, Sydney. 

The start of our Christmas table this year.  A work in-progress!

We now must build new memories and traditions.  One thing that has been passed down to me and my sister-in-law, Julie, is food planning.  Last year’s holiday season were a complete blur for obvious reasons.  But for Christmas this year, Jeff & I plan to host the family meal since Julie and her family hosted Thanksgiving.  Hosting is something I am looking very forward to doing – I’ve had fun shopping for festive tableware and it has given me the final motivation to get our china set fully completed.  I love cooking and hosting parties - and this change in our family's life has given me the opportunity to take more of that on.  Our menu this year will feature the traditional buffalo tenderloin that was made by John & Beverly in years past, but with our own new flair and sides.   So we take part of the traditions of the past and bring it lovingly into the present.

Are you forced to make new food memories during the holiday season in your family as a result of a tragedy?  I know our family is not alone, so I want to offer some encouragement.  Let us all move forward together with courage for the sake of the our children, other family  members and in our loved one’s memory.  Settle any differences you might have with loved ones, forgive deeply and love fearlessly.  They would want that for all of us - to be happy and joyful through the holiday season. 

Have a very Merry Christmas and God Bless you all – from our home to yours.

Super Easy & Healthy Crock Pot Meals

Believe it or not, even the weather in Texas where I live is turning a bit cold. Cold weather certainly lends itself to certain types of warming, comforting foods - doesn't it? And there's nothing better than coming home and smelling the aromas of a meal that has been cooking slowly all day long.  Mmmm. Crock pots are one of those secret weapons for busy families that allow for home cooked mealtimes together, and timely bedtimes during the school year. I don't know about your kids, but mine are ready to eat immediately after I walk in the door from working all day. It's difficult to cook fast enough to feed their hungry mouths!

I love crock pot meals because you come home and the work is pretty much done. If you look at many of the recipes, they allow for some flex on types of meats, beans and vegetables depending on preference or sale that may be going on at your local grocery store.  Search for crock pot meals that have less than 10 ingredients so the amount of preparation time is minimized. If you get the kids to help, they will look forward to getting home later that evening to see their finished masterpiece! Check out a few that I love to make that are super easy - so easy that they hardly need a recipe:

Navy Beans with Ham

Ingredients: 2 ½ cups dry navy beans
5 cups water
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup minced onion
1 pound smoked ham, cut in 1” pieces
1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Directions:  Put beans in cooker, soak overnight in water.   Add garlic, ham and onion.  Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.  Add optional salt during the last hour of cooking time. 

Tips: Add fresh picante sauce or chili sauce for an extra spicy kick!  Serve with a fresh field green salad topped with your favorite colorful veggies. 

 Super Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew

Here's the traditional slow cooker pot roast that I made last week.
But for a more color and a unique touch, try red onions, asparagus
and/or purple onions instead.

Ingredients:

2-3 pound round roast or pre-cut stew meat
3-4 cups vegetables
1- 16 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 package of onion soup mix

Directions: Cut veggies up in 1” chunks.  Add stew meat and pour soup and onion mix over top.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Tip: Try different types of potatoes – sweet, new, purple along with red onions and asparagus or spinach for a nice colorful alternative to the typical pot roast meal.

Shrimp Marinara in the Crock Pot

Ingredients:1 pound cooked shrimp, deveined and de-shelled
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings, fresh preferred
1-6 ounce can tomato paste
2 cups diced tomatoes (or, 1-16 ounce can diced tomatoes)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ - ½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley

Directions:Combine tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasonings along with salt and pepper in the cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  Turn cooker on high and stir in shrimp, cooking for 10-15 minutes. 

Tip: Serve over brown rice or whole wheat spaghetti, top with some fresh grated parmesan or mozzarella.
What is your family's favorite crock pot meal?  Let me know!  I'd love swap recipes. :-)

What One Meal Tells You About a Person

I had lunch with two other dietitians today and we got to talking about what many of my dietitian friends talk about.  It never fails, you go to a dinner party or somewhere that involves food and someone discovers your a dietitian.  Dun dun dunnnnn!  The rooms tenses up.  Eyes widen.  Pause.  To break the silence, they proceed to spill the beans (pun intended) about what they eat or not eat, their weight problems or their various food issues and phobias.  I especially love it when they start apologizing for the food that they are eating right in front of them in hopes that they have just went ahead and "outed" the dietitian's thoughts.  In actuality, this whole scenario makes the dietitian self-conscious about how the food she's eating is going to be analyzed.  It's an awkward situation all around, so many dietitians choose not to "spill the beans" about their profession in those situations.  I went to speak at a doctor's office recently and they told the front office person, "Great. You ordered pizza for us on the day the dietitian was coming to visit.  What's up with that?!"  Oh man.  I could go on and on with all the funny things that we come across in our line of work.  One of the dietitians I ate with today even shared that a person told her, "I can't believe you are eating that.  You should know better!"

The truth is that you can tell virtually nothing about what a person by one meal. (I hope that is comforting as we have recently move on from our annual Thanksgiving dinner!)  Sure, you can tell little nuances about someone like the way they hold the fork, mix their food together or even push something off their plate.  But when it comes to assessing the quality of a person's diet, it's really the patterns of eating that give you that true insight.  This is generally how dietitians see things, so don't worry the next time you share a meal with one.  I made Paula Deen's green bean casserole for my family Thanksgiving - full fat version, no modifications.  True story,  Contrary to popular belief, we are not the food police.  Nope.  We just love what healthy, nourishing food does for people and our families - so we eat it.  And promote it.  Well, most of the time.  :-)