Ten ways to good health.

 If you want to purchase the cup you can go here.

Growing up I was reminded on a daily basis about the principles of good health by my mother. We ate and lived a specific way.  I watched her prepare nutritious, well balanced meals and pick the parking spot farthest away from our destination because "a little walk won't hurt" - and the time we spend walking across the entire parking lot is always less than the time people spend driving around trying to find one right in the front.  She has no doubt influenced my life tremendously and helped shape my thinking in what it means to lead a healthy life.
 
The other day as I was drinking tea, I remembered a small mug that she had that outlined the ten ways to good health. As I searched for it online, I was SO pleased when I actually found it and saw that it was cheap and accessible. I can't wait to purchase it and have it in my household as a daily reminder of my mother and ways to practice good health.

The Ten Ways to Good Health are:

Less Alcohol    More Tea
Less Meat        More Vegetables
Less Salt          More Vinegar
Less Sugar       More Fruit
Less Eating      More Chewing
Less Words      More Action
Less Greed       More Giving
Less Worry       More Sleep
Less Driving     More Walking
Less Anger       More Laughing

Staying focussed.

As I head deeper into this winter term and find myself having to study for midterms,  I have been getting distracted from anything and everything I find needs to be organized, looked at, read (not academic reading), cleaned or cooked, etc. The problem is that some of these things actually should and need to be done; not right now though but when I actually have leisurely time to do so. My time at this point should be spent solely focusing on school work, doing my best to get good grades and so forth, and figuring out what I want to do once done with this term in terms of work can wait til afterwords.

I think this is happening in part because my subconscious keeps telling my brain that I am almost done with my undergraduate work and will be graduating in the Spring. Seeing as how this is my fifth year doing undergraduate work with no real breaks in between grade school and college, I am finding myself wanting to venture away from academic studies and do some real hands on work in my career field gaining experience. I would like to think that many students in the same point in their lives feel the same way right about now. However, I have many close friends of mine who know exactly what they want to do, going straight to graduate school to become doctors, lawyers, teachers and so on only to go through four to eight more years of schooling.

Over the years I have come to realize that everyone has their own path to follow in life, to eventually end up where they want to be and be content with how the universe placed them there.  Knowing that my journey will be like no other, I stop comparing myself to those around me.  I still do though, tend to want to know exactly which path I should take and worry I will make the wrong decisions for work I choose and head down the wrong career path.

A believer in the theory "all things happen for a reason" I find myself often skeptical of people that put too much faith in this; to just let the world have it's way with them without making any tough decisions. Or if they do make tough decisions they choose quickly and always use this theory as their excuse for bad choices. You know which kind of people I am talking about. There is a difference between this, and being content with where you are in life at the present moment and allowing opportunities to flow into your life.  The latter is what I am trying to currently focus on. I need to allow myself to be open so opportunities may flow into my life that will guide me along my own path. In being open I will no longer be fearful of making mistakes and not succeeding because I know that I will.

My Favorite Kale Salad!

 Raw

Tuscan 

Kale 

Salad

This is one of my absolute favorite kale salad recipes, that I have made way too many times to count! It is full of my favorite leafy green, kale!, and has the perfect combination of a lemony cheesy dressing that softens the kale after a few minutes. I found this recipe, the Raw Tuscan Kale Salad on Heidi Swanson's blog 101 Cookbooks, but is originally from Melissa Clark's book In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite. What is so great about this recipe it that it takes 10 minutes or less to make and cooking time (when it just sits, it doesn't actually cook) is only 5 minutes! 

With all the countless times I have made this salad, I have only gotten a few pictures of it in-the-making with my old phone. Maybe that proves to show how excited I am to eat it each time I make it, and therefore never really caring about pictures. If food-porn is what sells you on whether to try a recipe or not, check it out on Heidi's blog!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or lacinato)
• 2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs 
• 1/2 garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch 
• 1/4 cup (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese, plus adiitional for garnish 
• If you don't have pecorino, parmesan cheese can be a substitute
  
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish 
• Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (around 1/4 cup) 
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

(You can see the garlic and salt paste consistency on the lower left corner of the cutting board)

Instructions:

• Slice (or just tear apart with your hands like I often do) the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 - 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

• If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Or you can use premade bread crumbs like I often do in a rush. 

• Pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl.

• Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. 

• Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves).

• Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil. 

~ Enjoy just a small portion of it as a side dish or eat a whole bowl of it when feeling vegetable deprived!