Lifestyle

5 Takeaways From Thanksgiving Dinner Preparation

December 1, 2018

I have 5 takeaways from preparing the Thanksgiving feast to help me prepare our next holiday dinner.

5 Takeaways From Thanksgiving Dinner Preparation

Before we get any further into December, I want to share my 5 takeaways from preparing the 2018 Thanksgiving dinner Cathy style. With the widely publicized Salmonella outbreak prompting a turkey recall and the recent instructions to not eat any romaine lettuce, food safety was front and center when I went to prepare the feast. Good food is always front and center, so my 5 takeaways from Thanksgiving dinner involve food safety and a fabulously tasting meal.

Here are the 5 takeaways:

Preorder the fresh turkey for pickup Thanksgiving morning. This takes care of the proper thawing of the turkey and eliminates the need for the turkey to be in my refrigerator, potentially contaminating any surface in there. By streamlining the process there is less chance of contamination by the raw turkey. I have a large stainless steel sink that I removed the racks from to place the double plastic bagged bird in once I got it home from the grocery. I did not rinse the bird and carefully lifted the bird out of the bags and placed it on the prepared rack inside the roasting pan. I then basted the turkey and put it in the oven to cook. Closing the plastic bags and tossing them out kept the turkey prep simple and contained.
Kept a stack of kitchen towels and washcloths handy for liberal use. I’ve never used so many towels and washcloths to prepare a meal! I washed down my surfaces often and just tossed the used towels or washcloths in the washing machine. I also grabbed a fresh towel often as I washed my hands and surfaces frequently. My purpose for this was to decrease any chance of cross contamination during my food preparation. Better safe than sorry is my motto. Especially for those of us on immunosuppressants.
Testing the temperature of the cooked turkey in multiple places. I tested the temperature of the cooked turkey in 5 different places as I wanted to make sure it was completely cooked. I’ve always used an instant read thermometer, but this year I really checked the bird out. What I learned is that the temperature can vary quite a bit in different parts of the turkey, especially if it is a large one.
Adding squash to the sweet potato casserole. This was an idea I won’t repeat. I added an acorn squash and a butternut squash to the sweet potato casserole thinking I could up the nutritional value of the dish by the variety. Plus they were from my husband’s organic garden, so I thought it would be fun to incorporate them. I didn’t like the mixed textures. It was fine to eat, but not the excellent texture of sweet potatoes only.
Skipped the stuffing. How could I do such a crazy thing? I figured we had all the other traditional Thanksgiving foods, and plenty of them, and I wanted to avoid gluten. None of us are celiac, but I do think we may have some sensitivity, so I took it upon myself to make this very bad decision. I ended up making stuffing for the leftovers! I will try gluten-free bread crumbs for the Christmas dinner!

I’m always trying new ways of doing things in the kitchen, my medicinal kitchen! I’m always thinking of nutrition, presentation, tradition, anti-inflammation and most of all taste! I’m also very aware of food safety. These 5 takeaways from Thanksgiving dinner preparation will be put to use in a few short weeks when we celebrate Christmas.

I’d love to hear of any helpful hints you may have!

And that is using Arthritis Wisdom!

XXOO Cathy

Photo credit: Jim Digritz from Unsplash

How Do You Prepare For the Holiday In 3 Steps With Little Energy?

November 18, 2018

Prepare for the holiday with little energy by keeping it simple

Prepare for the holiday in three steps with little energy by keeping it simple

How Do You Prepare For the Holiday In 3 Steps With Little Energy?

With rheumatoid arthritis (RA) I’ve learned to keep things simple. I prepare for the holiday by setting priorities so I can preserve my energy. Although my symptoms are well controlled, I will never have the energy level I had prior to my diagnosis. I’ve also learned to keep the stress level low, so I do what I think is important and forget about the rest. Enjoying my family is the goal!

This year our son will come home for Thanksgiving. He will be here for about a week. My strategy involves preparing his room in advance, having healthy food around in addition to the Thanksgiving dinner and maximizing the decorating so a little bit will go a long way. There you have my 3 steps!

Preparing his room. When we found out our son was going to be able to travel to spend the holiday with us right after Halloween, I cleaned his bedroom the following week. I was able to check off my first step. That gave me a sense of accomplishment. Managing stress is key to preventing an arthritic flare.
Plan healthy meals and snacks. The Thanksgiving dinner is traditional around our house and it is a healthy one. Turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes and a variety of fruit and vegetable side dishes. I make enough to have leftovers through the weekend, so that takes care of half the time we are together. And what is so great is that my family loves the leftovers! I will make steel cut oatmeal in advance to have for reheating and store in the refrigerator. I will have fruit and berries washed and ready in the refrigerator, as well. Sliced almonds and walnuts from the pantry can top the oatmeal. I’ve learned eating well with whole foods and limiting sugar is important to prevent a flare. I have a sense of responsibility to provide my family with tasty nutritional food. That is a result of my diagnosis.
Maximize my decorating. I don’t have the energy to decorate the house like I used to, so I put together a centerpiece of autumn leaves, bittersweet and a garland of nuts the beginning of October that will take us through the Thanksgiving holiday. I also decorated the fireplace mantel and placed a few pumpkins in the foyer. That’s it! I lit the centerpiece and mantel with twinkle lights to make it more festive. They also serve to help light up the space, which is good with my eyesight!

Family time is so necessary for our well-being. I have to keep it simple when planning and preparing for our time together so I don’t get stressed out. That is a good motto to live by for all of us, but it is essential when you have RA or any chronic disease.

It really is about creating a healthy lifestyle that doesn’t challenge our bodies in a negative way, but enables us to capitalize on the positives that bring us happiness, contentment and the best opportunity for our bodies to help itself. I work at it everyday because I have found there is no greater motivation than to simply feel well. Not perfect, but well! Prepare for the holiday with joy!

And that is using Arthritis Wisdom!

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

XXOO Cathy

photo credit: James Besser of Unsplash

Why Do You Want to Eat a Beet?

November 15, 2018

Roasted beets are nutritionally power-packed and add lots of color for a beautiful presentation! Yum!

Why Do You Want to Eat a Beet?

To eat a beet is to give yourself a sweet and nutritious treat. In addition to fiber, vitamins and minerals, the beet is a unique source of betalins, a phytonutrient with antioxidant properties. For someone with systemic inflammation like I have with my rheumatoid arthritis (RA), this is all good news!

What I choose to eat is an important piece to my anti-inflammatory lifestyle. I’ve experienced the benefits of limiting processed foods, carbohydrates and sugar. Even before my formal diagnosis, I made these changes to my diet with noticeable improvement in how I felt almost immediately. Enough so to give me encouragement to keep it up. My theory is to give my body the best chance to fight the inflammation and prevent further inflammation by limiting foods that can potentially cause inflammation.

“Medications alone aren’t enough. I manage my RA with my *FRESH* lifestyle.”

I aim for eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, fatty fish, lean meats and poultry, nuts and seeds. This week I roasted beets to add vibrant color, an earthy taste and interesting texture to my salad. The main reason I like to eat a beet is for the nutrition it provides. Here are some of the nutrients in a beet:

folate
manganese
copper
potassium
phosphorus
magnesium
vitamin C
iron
vitamin B-6
phytonutrients contained in the beet.

I try to eat a green salad at least 5 times a week because I have found I simply feel and think better if I do so. When I see a pattern in how I feel when I eat certain foods, I take notice. Eating green salads with different toppings and dressings are a great example of eating what makes me feel good. By changing up what I add to my greens, I don’t tire of the goodness the ingredients offer. The beets can be diced or sliced for a beautiful presentation. I love the rings exposed in a sliced beet. It adds interest to the salad.

Some of my favorite things to put with the beets and greens are candied pecans, goat cheese, orange slices, blue cheese, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and pomegranate seeds. I dress it with simple vinegar and oil, then grind some salt and pepper to top it. Yum!

Here is how I roasted the beets, which came out of my husbands organic garden.

Wash the beets to remove any dirt on them
rub olive oil on the beets
place in a dutch oven so they do not touch each other
cover
roast at 375 degrees turning the beets every 20 minutes until done
do not over bake
let cool a bit
remove peel ( I do this with my hands, but they do end up purple! )

You want to eat a beet because of the nutrients they contain, in particular the phytonutrients that have antioxidant properties to help the body help itself. A healthy diet will nourish the cells in our body to be able to do their job. I believe that helps the body to best fight the inflammation.

And that is using Arthritis Wisdom!

XXOO Cathy