Natural Ways to Combat Seasonal Allergies

As I get older there are more and more things happening to my body that make me crazy. One of the biggest challenges right now is dealing with these seasonal allergies that have appeared in the past few years. 

Sigh. Isn't it enough that I'm getting wrinkled, sore, tired, hot flashes, and all the rest? Must I also deal with constant congestion in my head and throat?

Motivation for a Healthier Lifestyle

So many of us are trying to move towards a healthier lifestyle, and of course the New Year is a great time to start. 

Via

But really and truly, any time is a great time to start. 

Any movement is better than no movement. 

Each and every healthy choice is an improvement over an unhealthy choice. 

Via

I really wanted to bring the leftover meatloaf for lunch today. But one of the things that works for me when I am on Weight Watchers is to keep my points super low throughout the day so I can enjoy a 'normal' dinner in the evening and a glass of wine. 

I'm also trying to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my meals as I feel I stepped away from that for a little while. 

Via

So, despite the meatloaf craving I took the time this  morning before work to prepare a spinach salad: baby spinach, scallions, tomatoes, sliced boiled egg, crumbled bacon, and Gorgonzola. Light on the bacon (1/2 slice, crumbled) and light on the Gorgonzola. A drizzle of olive oil, some mango balsamic, salt and pepper. 

It's not meatloaf but it's a mighty good salad. And in the end, my body will thank me for it. 

Via

Since I was struggling with the battle of the meatloaf I know many of you out there who are also trying to embrace a healthier lifestyle may also be struggling. 

Together we can work to motivate each other. Together we are incredibly powerful. 

Little changes can make a big difference. 

Via

We can do this. 

We WILL do this. 

Via

We can do it together. 

Who's in?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sharing at

Inspiration Monday

Best of the Weekend

Share It One More Time

Tweak It Tuesday

Tuesdays at Our Home

Autumn Passing

Via

This has always been one of my favorite photographs. In my marital home I had a framed print, which I loved - I'm not sure why I left it behind except that things were so incredibly difficult at that point and leaving was so hard. 

Anyway. 

Many of my blogging friends report heat waves and leaves just beginning to change. Things are different up here on the mountain top. 

The weekend started off on Friday like this - beautiful foliage, just past peak. 

And by Sunday morning I woke to this: 

Check out the snow on the top of the mountain - and that white sky, a sign of more snow to come. 

A short while later we looked out to what looked like a blizzard! 

It was hard to capture in photographers (sorry!) but oh, so beautiful! I had a cozy fire going and was so happy to have the day off to enjoy the first snow flurries. 

The strawberry plants  didn't enjoy it quite so much. 

Nor did the mums. 

These poor mums never even had a chance to open their blooms! 

The temp was below 30 when we woke on Sunday and stayed in the 30's pretty much all day. 

Fortunately I had followed the advice of my friend Deb from Frugal Little Bungalow and picked the last of my blooms for a little kitchen bouquet. She also suggested cutting some hydrangea blooms and putting them away to dry for after-Christmas decor.....

That's me in the down jacket and wool hat, hiding behind the hydrangeas! They are now drying in  my utility room. She's a smart woman, that Deb!!

I spent hours on Saturday getting ready for the hard frost by putting the vegetable garden to bed. I stored all these bins in the garage overnight and knew I had a TON of work to do on Sunday. 

Look. At. My. Kitchen. Oh boy.

Totally overwhelming at times, trying to figure out what to do next. I always try to preserve as much of the bounty of the summer harvest as possible to use in the winter months. I also gave some to my sister to take home for her beautiful family. 

The tomatoes were about 4 inches deep in the bottom of my sink. I separated out all the ones that had actually ripened on the vine thanks to our warm temps last week. They will be in tonight's dinner, which is repeat of this super simple weeknight meal.

After hours on my feet sorting, scrubbing, washing, trimming - this is the final harvest. Not too shabby for a girl born and raised in the city!

I always knew I was a country girl at heart. 

The herbs are processed and stored in the freezer in freezer bags to pull out as needed. I try to get as much air out of the bags as possible, rolling them up and then zipping them closed. And the herbs must be clean and dry. Woody herbs get stored on their stems, like the rosemary above. Leafy herbs take more time as I need to pull all the leaves off, chop them very fine, and then freeze them. You can break off chunks as you need them to drop into recipes. Last year my fresh garden herbs lasted all winter!

The beet greens were rough chopped to throw into soup. Also in the freezer, same method as the herbs. 

Some of my beautiful harvest went into a big pot of chicken noodle soup. Just the thing for a snowy, cold mountain evening. I used half the broth I made Friday and the other half of the broth went into the freezer also. There's a good reason I have multiple freezers!

Chicken noodle soup and toasted sandwiches with Muenster, Cheddar, and sliced garden tomato on an Onion Ciabatta......mmmmmmm, guess what's for lunch today? Leftovers, yippee!

And I'm so glad to have it because when I woke up today the temps were in the teens. I have a chill in my bones and it just won't leave. 

Stay warm, my friends. 

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Weeknight Dinner

Hi All! I hope you are having a great week so far! I know a lot of kiddos went back to school this week - those days are over for me but somehow the mind still goes into "back to school" mode in early September regardless. The summer is unofficially over, and it's time to buckle down and get back into a routine. 

For me, I need to get back into a workout routine. But that's a whole different post for another day. Sigh.  

For you moms and dads out there looking to put a quick meal on the table on a weeknight - this one's for you! It's quick, healthy, and amazingly delicious! (Amazeballs according to my daughter.....)

This would also work well for a daughter looking to impress her date with a nice home cooked meal. Ahem. 

My meal plans during the growing season generally start with whatever the garden is spitting out en masse that week. This week it's TOMATOES - we've been pulling in bucket loads, many of which are sort of a large grape tomato (or possibly a small plum tomato?)

So a quick gathering of what I needed:
Tomatoes (duh)
Fresh Cheese Tortellini  (Note: You could also use angel hair or linguine in this recipe, I just happen to love it with cheese tortellini) 
A Decent Olive Oil
Freshly Ground Sea Salt & Pepper
Salted Butter
Fresh Basil
2 Large Garlic Cloves (not shown, it was fresh out of the garden and I still had to wash it!)
Romano or Parmesan Cheese 
Low Sodium Fat Free Chicken Broth

And a Nice Glass of Wine for the Cook. I chose a Provence Rose. Just because. 

Slice your tomatoes in half if they are large grape tomatoes/small plum tomatoes like mine. Cherry tomatoes I just put on the baking sheet whole - they will pop when they heat anyway.

Drizzle lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. I baked mine in the toaster oven because it was quite warm out alst night so I didn't want to turn on the oven - and it worked perfectly.

While the tomatoes are roasting, put your water on to boil - I use a large pot to give the tortellini lots of room. And I don't think they need any salt since there is salt in the filling so I omit the salt I usually use in my pasta cooking water. That whole "salty like the ocean" instruction for pasta water certainly doesn't apply here!

I also took advantage of the cooking time to scrub the garlic we harvested. Look how beautiful it is!

Next I chopped some fresh basil and put it aside. Then I chopped two large cloves of fresh garlic - that brought my daughter into the kitchen! What an amazing aroma!! There is a huge difference between supermarket garlic and home grown organic garlic - wow. LOVE!

When the tomatoes were nearly done I cooked the tortellini according to the package directions and dumped them into a colander to drain. 

Into the same pot went a light drizzle of olive oil and 2 tbs of salted butter. 

And then the garlic.Oh my, the GARLIC!!! Cooked just until golden....and the aroma throughout the entire house was pure heaven. I'm surprised the bears didn't come knocking at the door. 

The tomatoes were done roasting - look how beautiful they are! They kept their shape but released their flavor, as roasted tomatoes do so well. Gorgeous!

Into the pot they went, with about a cup of chicken stock, more or less. I do make my own chicken broth and keep it in the freezer in ziplock bags but for something quick like this I always keep some low sodium fat free broth in the panty. 

Back into the pot went the cooked tortellini along with the chopped basil. 

A quick gentle stir to combine (you don't want to break the tortellini) and this was the end result. 

Some freshly shaved romano tops off this dish - pure heaven in a bowl, right there. 

Note: this served two for dinner plus two light lunches the next day. 

Mangia! 

September Garden Update

Hi Everyone! There was no sun to be found this morning but it sure is shining now! I took a walk around my garden this morning to see how things are holding up this late in the season. Come along for a walkabout!

The Cleome is still a shining star in the late summer garden 

The whiskey barrel plantings are still lush and healthy even though many of the other container gardens are struggling 

The edge of the woods is a mass of yellow with Yarrow and Goldenrod competing for attention

Goldenrod just about ready to bloom 

The Begonias can't be beat - I overwinter these indoors and they bounce back beautifully every summer

The Clematis that came with the house hasn't stopped flowering all summer - I wish I knew what kind it was so I could get more!

The Foxglove that my daughter planted in the spring decided to join the party late in the game - better late than never!

I just added three of these beautiful Rudbeckia plants outside the veggie garden 

The Zucchini has jumped the fence and is finally (FINALLY!!) producing, right when everyone else's Zucchini production is waning

Now that the Japanese Beetles have abandoned the hanging Geraniums they are happy again 

My beautiful Ornamental Grasses - I think these are one of my favorites this season

I love the contrast of the Ornamental Grasses and these colorful Petunias with the Creeping Jenny

The Morning Glories on the veggie garden fence are still flowering to beat the band - they truly shine in late summer

Lots more tomatoes yet to ripen - I see a lot of pasta dishes in our near future!

And some Caprese Salad with some really good locally made Fresh Mozzarella and home grown Basil

And of course sliced tomatoes on good bread with mayo and a sprinkle of sea salt!

I picked up some Mums last week to "fluff" up the September container gardens

My baby Fig Tree is super happy after being repotted

The Garlic we harvested is small but mighty

The Morning Glories climbing on the deck railing are still hanging on although not nearly as happy as the self-sown ones from last year's container gardens that I replanted in the spring over by the veggie garden 

The Strawberry Plants are showing their fall colors

The container gardens on the deck still look ok from a distance but up close they are showing their late season wear and tear (on a side note - not a smidge of sunshine and I couldn't even see the mountains under the cloud cover this morning!)

I'm pretty sure the Goldenrod isn't helping my allergies but it sure looks pretty in the September garden

Thanks for coming along on our morning walkabout! 

What are the shining stars in your late summer garden?