BREW THE PERFECT CUP
The #5MFW word for Day 4 #write31days is brew. That is a perfect word for today since Tuesday is my day for sharing recipes. When I think of brew, the first thing that comes to mind is coffee or tea. What better way to begin a day or end a delicious dinner than with a freshly brewed cuppa!
In order to make the best possible cup of either, you want to use fresh ingredients. Along with whatever type of coffee or tea you choose there should be fresh water heated to the right temperature and allowed to brew for a specified amount of time. Too little time and it is weak, too much time and it is strong. There is a way to mix the ingredients in just the right proportions to brew a delicious drink.
BREW A HEALTHY LIFE
What if we applied that same strategy with our lives? Are we brewing a healthy life or one that is becoming weaker as we go through each day? Do we choose to take care of ourselves with a balance of rest and work, or do we go to extremes in either direction? Do we choose to take care of ourselves with a balance of rest and work?
Are we spending time learning new things, getting fresh air, eating good foods, exercising, communing with friends and family? All of these can help us brew our way to a healthier life. Our choices make a difference.
I realize it is not a perfect analogy. Many things are beyond our control. Some of us have diseases and chronic illness that make it difficult even to survive. So please don’t think I am trying to put any guilt on you. I only want to encourage each of us to make choices carefully.
Recently we had a birthday celebration which included Chicken Broccoli Alfredo and homemade applesauce for dinner. I made Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake for dessert, and of course, coffee to go along.
There are many recipes online for the Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, but I will share with you my take on it. As for the cake, I pretty much go by the recipe at the link above. I did use less sugar, and the oil I used was extra virgin olive oil.
Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
Ingredients:
1 lb fettuccine
12 oz. Broccoli florets, chopped into pieces.
½ cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup milk
1 cup Half & Half
2 tsp. Arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
2 lbs chicken breast tenders, cooked and chopped into pieces
Preparation:
First, cook fettuccine according to package directions, adding broccoli for the last 5 minutes.
While they are cooking, melt butter and add minced garlic.
Next, mix Arrowroot powder with about ½ cup milk and stir until dissolved. Add to butter along with the garlic powder, salt, pepper and the rest of the milk and Half & Half. Stir until thick, about 10 minutes.
Then add Parmesan cheese and stir till melted.
Next, add cooked chicken and heat thoroughly.
Then mix with fettuccine and broccoli.
Finally, transfer to serving dish or individual plates and enjoy!
Exercise report:
Again, I used my 15 minute T-Tapp routine. I was surprised to be able to do practically all the repetitions and the extra “hoedowns” at the end. It still makes me tired, but at least my legs don’t continue to feel like jelly. Usually, I get a drink of water and relax a few minutes afterwards. Then I’m ready to tackle the rest of the day.
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Gayl, these are words that snagged my attention today: “Are we brewing a healthy life or one that is becoming weaker as we go through each day?” Definitely pause for thought during this season of extra busyness. A healthy life does need a balance and a ballast to keep it from sinking. Thankfully, God provides the latter! <3
Yes, God provides the perfect ballast, and He helps us find the balance.
Thanks for stopping by and your continual encouragement! May God bless you! xo
I’ve been brewing Kombucha and Kefir water. The Kefir water is my favorite. It has probiotics that help the digestive system and thereby also the immune system. I like to mix my Kefir water with 100% Cherry juice or Welch’s unfiltered grape/blackberry juice for a second brew, and voila! Sparkling cherry juice and sparkling grape/blackberry juice! It’s really delicious served cold with a meal!
I used to do Kombucha, and I still have a scoby in the fridge, but I’m not sure if it’s still good. At one time I did kefir milk, and I used it mainly for cooking and smoothies. A few years ago I had kefir water and I did like that. Maybe I can get started with it again. Yours sounds delicious and so healthy, too!
Thanks so much for stopping by and for your encouragement! Many blessings to you!
I’ve kept scoby’s for long stretches in the fridge and they’ve been fine. As long as no foreign matter has been able to fall or spill in and add something that could start to mold, I can’t see any reason why it would be bad. If it still looks a normal color and smells normal, it should be fine. I even had one that dehydrated on the heat register one winter, and it was fine; I just had to rehydrate it.
The juices I’ve been using for the kefir water are Old Orchard Wild Cherry, no sugar added and Welch’s Unfiltered. I also sometimes do one by squeezing a lime or lemon and adding one packet of OG stevia, and sometimes I add a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger to the lemon one. That’s delicious also.
Thanks for the tips, Ruth! I also have some older milk kefir grains in the fridge, but I guess they’d probably be too old. I will check them, though.
I did enjoy the kombucha when I was making it. Much better than soda! 🙂
I don’t know how the milk kefir grains keep as I’ve never used them. I did enough research, though, to know that they are different from the water kefir grains. I keep extra water kefir grains in the fridge for long periods of time also. I just occasionally use up most of the water kefir and add some fresh sugar water.
Gayl, Congratulations on getting through all of your exercise repetitions and a few extras at the end! That’s great, for only being a few days into the process! I appreciate your thoughts about balance here today. These are so important, even if there are things beyond our control, we can still ask God to help us find the right proportions for our own body’s self-care! Thanks for your encouragement!
Bettie, thank you so much for your enthusiastic encouragement! Yes, even things beyond our control, God will help us. It’s a process. I need to remember that I can’t change things overnight and be patient.
Thanks for coming by today. Many blessings to you!
Balance and rest are things I have to be very intentional about. I can run myself straight into exhaustion, so I appreciate your encouragement today. Now, if you could just get me a piece of that cake! 🙂
I’m relaunching my blog today and I’d love to invite you to come by and celebrate. Glad to visit you today, Gayl, from the #RaRalinkup.
Oh, yes, I have to be intentional about them, too, or I’ll just keep going. I’m so glad to have encouraged you today! You would love the cake if you like chocolate! I’d be glad to give you a piece. 🙂
So glad you are relaunching your blog! I’ll be sure to visit! Blessings to you!
Great series and very timely advice. I will keep reading. I am so looking forward to a healthier lifestyle and am glad I have you to encourage me.
Thank you so much, Mary. Glad to have you here. We will just need to encourage each other. God will help us on our journeys to healthy lifestyles.
Blessings to you, dear Mary!
I’ll have to try that recipe.
You won’t be disappointed, Tara. It’s delicious!
Thanks for stopping by. Many blessings to you!
Gayl,
What great tips and a wonderful reminder to balance work with play and exercise 🙂
Thanks, Dolly. I think I need the reminder often. Glad you stopped by and thanks for your encouragement.
Blessings to you!
I love this! I think it is a perfect analogy. So I have a awesome alfredo sauce recipe too but I use cream cheese instead of half and half. You melt it down with the butter first before adding the milk and parmesan cheese and seasonings. But your still sound good.
Thanks for your encouragement, Kristina! Your sauce sounds delicious, too. Maybe I’ll try it. 🙂
Glad to have you visit tonight! Blessings to you!