5 Things Friday

Can you believe it FRIDAY already??? And its a long weekend too probably for most of you, with Memorial Day on Monday. So, here are a few things to think about for the weekend...simple & easy ways to put some healthy lifestyle changes in your life...starting TODAY!!

5 Things Friday:

1. Choose to serve turkey or chicken over red meats like ham, beef, and pork.

*Too much red meat is not healthy for you. I'm not saying you shouldn't eat red meat, just eat it in moderation. Once a week, twice maybe.

*Ground turkey is a great substitute for ground beef if you're thinking about

having hamburgers for the holiday!

2. Salad, salad, salad!

*Start your meal with a salad. I think we all know we don't eat enough vegetables. If you start with a salad, you'll get in some of your needed daily vegetables, and salads are a great healthy way to start filling that stomach of yours up!

*Just remember go easy on the salad dressing. Choose a vinaigrette if possible. Most are low in fat and the best choice. As always, making your own is always the best way to go (NO PRESERVATIVES!!)

3. Get outside & exercise!

*If the weather is going to be nice wherever you may be GO OUTSIDE! Take a walk or go hiking with your family, friends, neighbors, anyone!

*Do some gardening (I know thats one of the things I'll be doing this weekend!)

*Bike riding anyone?!?

*Heading to the lake? Why not jump in and go for a swim?

*Frisbee golf - set up your own course or go to one near your home

*Bocce Ball

*Volleybal

*There are a million more outdoor activities I could list & of course, there are ways to be physically active inside too :)

4. Moderation

*Remember, moderation is key. Just because you are choosing to be healthy doesn't mean you can't eat the foods you love. It means you need to eat them in moderation. Ask yourself, do I really need that second doughnut? I can tell you the answer is most likely NO, if you're still hungry, eat a piece of whole grain toast with some peanut butter on it or have a serving of fruit, whip up a smoothie. The choices you make today will affect your life tomorrow.

5. STATE!

*On a personal note, my brother N is going to State for Track & Field, Sectionals were held last night & he placed 2nd in both of his events, the 110m high hurdles & 300m intermediate hurdles, which means he gets to advance! We are heading up to La Crosse, WI next weekend for the meet & the whole fam is SUPER pumped!

He's the awesome lookin' kid in the middle w/ the white headband. Yay! Congrats N!

One final note, I PROMISE more recipes will come soon :)

HPK

Mother's Day Weekend

So yesterday was Mother's Day, and I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the weekend with my fam :) Pop & I made a delicious dinner for Ma (recipes to be coming soon). But I also got to take some lovely pictures this weekend of the fun times we had, and wanted to share some of the wonderfulness with y'all.

Flowers are blooming.....

...got to spend time with Grandma too :)

...and play with my puppy outside :)

isn't she precious?? i love her

Hope you all had a GREAT weekend too

-K

Sweet Poe-tay-tah Fries

Sweet potatoes are an AMAZING source of nutrients! It is highly suggested you eat them once or twice a week. Personally, I like them...A LOT! And I hope you do too, and if you don't, well, I hope you learn to like them.

My favorite way to eat them is homemade Sweet Potato Fries, and I would love to share an awesome recipe with you so you can cook them right at home!

First, here's what ya need to grab:

A few sweet potatoes, 4 potatoes usually works for my family of six.

and 4T olive oil, 1/2t cumin, 1/2t oregano, 1/2t coriander, 1t salt, 1t parsley, and a pinch or two of fresh ground pepper

Now here's what you need to do

-Go preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

-Spray a flat cooking sheet with olive oil (my preferred way, but you can also use cooking spray).

-Cut the sweet potatoes into thin discs...like this next picture. Or you can cut them in whatever shape you want, if you cut them into discs, these are the fastest way to cook. And make sure all your potatoes are roughly the same size

*Note: The thicker your french fries, the less crispy they will be! so cut 'um thin!

-Next, mix the spices into the olive oil

-Stir the mixture in with the potatoes so they are all covered.

-Place the potatoes on the cooking sheet, pour any extra oil onto the pan

-Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, then flip fries over and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

*Note, be sure to frequently check on your fries. Depending on how thick/thin you slice them, they may take more or less time, and trust me, burned fries are NO FUN to eat!

Here's the printable version of the recipe...hope you like it as much as I do!

Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes
4T olive oil
1/2t cumin
1/2t oregano
1/2t coriander
1t salt
1t parsley
and a pinch or two of fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Spray a flat cooking sheet with olive oil (my preferred way, you can also use cooking spray).
3. Cut the sweet potatoes into thin discs, make sure they are roughly the same size.
4. Mix the spices into the olive oil
5. Stir the mixture in with the potatoes so they are all covered
6. Place the potatoes on the cooking sheet, pour any extra oil onto the pan
7. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, then flip fries over and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes.

*Note, be sure to frequently check on your fries. Depending on how thick/thin you slice them, they may take more or less time, and trust me, burned fries are NO FUN to eat!