But isn’t it easy to get in a cooking rut sometimes? To look at your myriad of cookbooks and still be out of good ideas? That’s why I’m such a big fan of mixing it up and trying new things to keep it interesting.

I’ve gathered together a few of my favorite resources — cookbooks and reference tools that I think you’ll like and enjoy. Two of them are perfect for this time of year with all our warm weather — a focus on raw foods that are so good and energizing.

Check them out in this week’s video and then let us know what you plan to do differently to bring some excitement to the kitchen and your summer meals.

The thought came to mind when I was flipping through my April O magazine at the gym and came across an article that totally spoke to me, “The Creative Cook.” Although in the last few years I’ve gotten a lot more creative in the kitchen, it’s still something I’m trying on for size. Yes, I can whip together all kinds of smoothies and fresh vegetable juices based on what I have on hand and what inspires me, but that’s less true say, for a dinner menu.

But I love the premise of the article — we can all find inspiration and learn to trust our intuition in the kitchen. Bingo! Love the concept because I say the same thing about learning to trust our intuition when it comes to tuning into our bodies to notice when something isn’t right.  In this case, it’s all about having fun (I’m all for that), knowing there’s no right or wrong answer and starting the process in simple ways.

For example, the article suggests taking a favorite recipe and just changing one ingredient, perhaps something you’re naturally drawn to that you think will taste good. You have to figure it’s hard to mess up a recipe when you’re just making small tweaks, right? 

Another idea: buy yourself a copy of The Flavor Bible, the quintessential book if you’re serious about a little fun in the kitchen. It fills you in on all the details on how to take a few ingredients in your frig and turn them into a delicious meal. I got so inspired reading about the book that I just ordered it — clearly my next step in the creative process!

What about you, are you naturally intuitive? What inspires you in the kitchen? What do you do to become a more creative cook? Do tell!

That’s what happened today and the recipe is so tasty that I’m excited to share it with you. Last week, I wrote about a new cookbook that I recently bought called Whole Grains for Busy People. Just flipping through briefly, I saw a host of recipes that I was eager to make and this week I planned our meals so I could build in the quinoa stew.

But since my husband Bruce doesn’t like spicy food, since I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand and since some of the ingredients are things I don’t readily buy, I whipped up my own version (and to rave reviews I might add).

This is the first time I’ve made a stew with quinoa and all I can say is yum yum.  Even though I use it all kinds of other ways, adding it in this way is simply delicious. I also love Trader Joe’s roasted corn and Muir Glen’s organic fire roasted tomatoes which both added to the rich flavor.

Best part? The recipe is quick, easy and super healthy. Know what else? You can get lots of meals from it. A little time in the kitchen yields great results.  Check it out and give it a try.  It’s adapted from Whole Grains for Busy People by Lorna Sass.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp cumin
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa
1 package frozen cooked winter squash
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup Trader Joe’s fire roasted corn
1 can Muir Glen organic, fire-roasted tomatoes
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and oregano and saute for 5-7 minutes until soft.

Add the broth and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and add the quinoa. Cook uncovered on medium high heat for 10 minutes.

Stir in the squash, cover and simmer until squash breaks up.

Add the beans, tomatoes, corn and cumin, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about another 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Give it a try and come on back and tell us what you think.

Holidays are the perfect time to throw our healthy eating out the window, kicking diets to the curb. We often eat without awareness, tend to consume a lot more calories than we usually might, can ignore intuitive signs that we’re full and can rationalize eating high fat foods. Ring a bell?

But when it comes to holiday cooking, all it takes is a little forethought to make food taste great without adding unnecessary calories. Here are a few simple tips to keep your Thanksgiving cooking healthy and low fat but packed with flavor.

• Use chicken broth and fresh herbs in dishes to add flavor
• Focus on roasting and baking instead of frying
• When making green beans – instead of using bacon , add toasted sesame seeds — less fat and lots of flavor
• When making sweet potatoes or other favorite sides dishes - use pure maple syrup or agave nectar as a sweetener instead of sugar or marshmallows (I never did understand the appeal of sweet potatoes with marshmallows anyway!)
• Stuffing – use whole grain bread for a healthier twist than white bread
• Substitute olive oil for butter in recipes

What are you favorite ways to add flavor but stay on track with healthy eating when the holidays roll around? Share your ideas below and have a happy Thanksgiving!

It’s that notion that our doctor can tell us we need to improve our health in some way, but until we decide that it’s important enough and that we really want to do it, we often meet with mediocre results, if we try at all.  Sometimes it even takes a diagnosis or serious medical condition to convince us we need to take our health more seriously.

What is that inspires you to better health? Do you want to be able to be more active? Have more endurance? Prevent certain diseases that may run in your family? Are you motivated to get into action without the threat of serious disease hanging over you?

Because I’ve had a long history of less than perfect skin and still get eczema flareups, I’m motivated to really watch my diet and practice quiet exercise like yoga. For me that means avoiding wheat, soy, sugar, dairy products and certain nuts, just to name a few.  Instead, I need to focus on certain whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, lots of water and a healthy dose of fiber. Is it hard? Sometimes, but because I’m motivated, it’s easier. My wedding is just four weeks away and that’s an even more compelling reason for me to be jazzed about this and make an effort! This clearly a case where I have the desire and motivation to stay focused on my goal.

What is it that you really want to do or change about your health? What will help you get there? How can you create a healthy lifestyle that really sticks and not just in the short term?

I’d love for you to share your thoughts and ideas here.

You are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, however, year after year, you’re the last one on the list. You don’t eat right, you feel anxious, tired and even moody. Yet loving self-care is totally within your reach. How? I’ll be sharing my favorite self-care secrets, tips and indulgences with caregivers at Home Instead Senior Care.
“Eating for Energy and Effectiveness” on the Wednesday Café – FREE teleclass
Wednesday, March 14, 12:00-1:00 pm

Michelle Huse, MBA, founder of Total Business Fitness (www.TotalBusinessFitness.com), coaches visionary women business owners in building 5, 6, and 7-figure businesses. Michelle believes a “fit business requires a fit owner,” and she takes a holistic approach to business, integrating body, mind, and spirit. Total Business Fitness offers a free community for women business owners. Michelle hosts “Wednesday Café,” a free, weekly, virtual tele- gathering for community members, where invited experts share tips and tools on business and life topics.  Join us for an interactive hour in which we’ll be discussing how we can create lasting energy, get more in touch with our bodies and be more effective in all parts of our life. Plus you’ll learn the secrets about how I stay energized throughout the day. To listen or participate, you just need a phone! Go to www.TotalBusinessFitness.com and register in the yellow box.

Calling all Real Estate Agents: Let’s Get Healthy at the Health Body, Healthy Business Seminar Series – FREE!
Wednesday, March 21 – 12:00-1:30 pm, Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, 900 Chapel St., New Haven, CT

Are you a local real estate agent always on the go? Then join me for the Healthy Body, Healthy Business series that’s designed to help you expand your business and grow your income by starting with you! This month’s topic is entitled Healthy on the Go and focuses on how you can create simple, nutritious and efficient eating solutions that keep pace with your busy schedule and keep you healthy. Sponsored by Kim Hafford of Washington Mutual Home Loans and Edna Colucci of the Colucci Law Firm, LLC, this free series includes a healthy lunch, great learning environment and information to keep you healthy. For more information call 203.641.0653.

Oasis in the Overwhelm at the Connecticut Valley Litho Club
Friday, March 23, 7:00 pm, Colonial Times Restaurant, Hamden, CT

We all get stressed out at one time or another and could benefit from learning strategies to create calm, get focused and de-stress. I’ll be speaking to a group of professional printers, helping them to create calm in the midst of chaos on an ongoing basis.

Family Friendly Foods: Five Foolproof Strategies to Keep the Family Healthy – FREE
Saturday, March 24, 11:00-12:00 pm at the African-American Women’s Summit, Wexler School, New Haven, CT

Think it’s impossible to keep the whole family healthy and satisfied? Wondering how to make vegetables appealing for your second grader or teenager? Join me for this free workshop, part of the African-American Women’s Summit that’s sure to inspire you and get the entire family jazzed about healthy eating. And leave with some fantastic tips and healthy recipes to boot!

Yale University Bouchet Conference on Diversity in Graduate Education
Saturday, March 31, 4:30 pm at Hall of Graduate Studies, New Haven, CT

What’s better then a sampling of healthy snacks after a day of stimulating learning and sharing? I’ll be doing a cooking demonstration and will have lots of helpful information available for graduate students and faculty at this afternoon event.

Lack of sexual energy is often due to over-taxed adrenal glands and kidneys. Beans are notorious for strengthening these organs (ever noticed the shape of a bean?) and can help restore vital energy as well as sexual energy.

Beans have a reputation for causing digestive distress, but this is usually because they have been undercooked or improperly prepared. To help reduce gas-forming properties, soak beans overnight prior to cooking, cook beans for a long time, and add spices like bay leaf, fennel, oregano or cumin. In addition, adding kombu, a sea vegetable, not only helps with digestion but improves flavor, adds minerals and nutrients, and speeds up the cooking process. And a word about salt…it’s best to add salt at the end of the cooking process once beans are tender, otherwise it will cause them to toughen up.

Tuesday, October 24 – East End Baptist Church Cooking Demonstration
548 Central Avenue, Bridgeport, CT, 6:00 pm
Green Glorious Greens! Dark leafy green vegetables are packed with essential nutrients that our bodies need for energy, strength and overall health. I’ll be demonstrating just how easy it is to make simple and delicious greens in just minutes. The class is sponsored by the American Heart Association as part of their stroke prevention program.

Thursday, October 26 – Senior Health & Wellness Fair, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Thornton Wilder Auditorium, Miller Memorial Library 2901 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, CT
Join me as I help local seniors enhance their health. In addition to lots of free information that I’ll be providing, a plethora of other information and resources will be available including flu shots, health screenings, information about medicare and much more! For more information call the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce at 203.787.6735.

Wednesday, November 8 – Housatonic Community College Health Fair
Broad Street Atrium, Bridgeport, CT – 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Join me for this free health fair designed to educate students, faculty and staff about simple ways to maintain and enhance your health. Interactive discussions, healthy information and tasty samples will be available. Please stop by and join us if you’re in the area!

“I’d eat more healthfully if I just had more time.” Do you know it’s possible to create healthy and delicious meals for and your family that require very little time in the kitchen?

Have me give you a private cooking demonstration that focuses on your unique lifestyle and nutritional needs, in the comfort of your own home. For more information call 203.641.0653.