Yummy Yams

Photo by Craig Adderley from PexelsGarnet Yams

Now, for one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes—garnet yams. Again, this is super easy, and if you want to, you can do the initial roast ahead of time. I love garnet yams for their flavor, consistency, and versatility.
Now, you get to decide. Do you want super simple with nothing more added? The garnet yams can be just by themselves for the addition to your feast. Or do you want to go sweet or savory?

Sweet Garnet Yam Yumminess

This recipe will make enough for 8 to 10 servings (Though it depends totally on whether your folks eat it as a side dish!)
You can easily reduce the amount for smaller groups.
For 8 to 10 servings, use 5 pounds of garnet yams.
Put on a baking sheet and roast 50 minutes at 400° or until they are barely tender yet hold their shape (not mushy).
Let cool completely at room temperature. (You can do this up to 2 days ahead).
On the day of baking, remove skins and cut yams into ½ inch thick slices.
Butter a 2-quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange yam slices in the dish, slightly overlapping. Turn oven to 375°.
In a small pan, on medium heat, mix ½ cup your choice of syrup, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 4 tablespoons of butter. Whisk to combine and pour mixture over yams.
In a small bowl, mix ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans, ¹/₃ cup flour (easy to use gluten-free flour),¹/₃ cup light brown sugar*, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Add 3 tablespoons butter and rub in with fingers until mixture is evenly moistened and forms clumps. Sprinkle over yams.
Bake yams for 35 minutes or until topping is browned.
Now, imagine making this with apple slices and blackberries. Absolute yumminess!

Savory Garnet Yam Yumminess

For 4 servings, use 2 garnet yams.
Peel and cut 2 yams into ½ inch thick chunks.
Put yams on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast 10 to 15 minutes at 400° or until they are barely tender yet hold their shape (not mushy).
In a large pan, sauté 4 to 6 slices of bacon cut into chunks. When getting crispy and brown, add 1 large onion (cut into ½ inch pieces or larger), and sauté until onions are soft.
Add 2 Granny Smith apples (chopped into ½ inch to ¾ inch pieces) and sauté for a few minutes. Stir in the roasted yams and sauté until they are cooked and starting to become crispy. (7 to 8 minutes)
Transfer to your serving platter and sprinkle with scallion greens and ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds or toasted almonds.

*A sweet tip from Judy Baker, the Badass Book Marketing Mentor and healthy cook

You can replace the brown sugar in any recipe with Swerve® brown sugar. Swerve is a delicious natural sweetener that measures cup-for-cup just like sugar! Swerve is made from ingredients found in select fruits and starchy root vegetables, and contains no artificial ingredients, preservatives or flavors. It’s zero-calorie, non-glycemic and safe for those living with diabetes, since it has no effect on blood glucose or insulin levels. Swerve provides excellent baking and cooking functionality – it can even brown and caramelize! It is one of our go-to ingredients, and once you taste it, you will know why.

For more information, https://swervesweet.com/faqs

Share this :

Hope, Faith & Energy

Hope, Faith & Energy

Are you feeling at odds, unhappy, maybe lonely? Are you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what you should do next to clear the to-do list? Perhaps you’re also taking care of others, and you have their feelings and needs to look after, too.

If you have all of that going on and even more “stuff,” you might experience a sense of hopelessness, feeling that it’s never going to change. And, with all of that, you’re most likely experiencing some fatigue. Dealing with it is just too much!

Look at everything that is going on in this crazy world. COVID-19, social distancing, massive civil unrest, fires or hurricanes or flooding depending on where you live, evacuations, destruction, the election. Okay. The list is already too long, especially since each one of those can create stress and anxiety and the feeling that “it’s just too much.” No wonder we hear the phrase “pandemic fatigue.”

Kids are Feeling Stressed Out

What’s sad is that children are experiencing the same stress, overwhelm, not knowing what’s coming next, frustration, and sadness. They feel exhausted by social distancing, not being with their friends, and feeling hemmed in.

How do we cope and get on the other side of it? It’s super important to help our bodies get to that place. Otherwise, our bodies will think they are in constant trauma.

Trauma Adds Stress

Trauma and the effects of trauma bring us to a place of being on edge, wary, confused, even holding our breath. Energetically, trauma causes the energy pathways to get blocked and stuck. Energy needs to move, and it needs to change. Otherwise, our bodies will manifest “projects” that can cause unhealthiness and chronic fatigue. (Instead of problems, let’s use the word projects. They’re more fun to work with, and they have a beginning and an end).

Tips for Reducing the Effects of Stress

I have some easy-to-do ideas on how to get on the other side of it all.

Number One

We can help our bodies get out of confusion and create calm. You can do easy self-help acupressure to let go of fatigue and develop physical, mental, and emotional balance. It will help you sleep easily, feel healthy, be happy and joyful, have clarity and focus, increase self-esteem, and feel optimistic about tomorrow and beyond.  That’s where hope and faith come into the picture! (There’s a link at the end of the article to get you to easy self-help energy tips).

Number Two

I think we need to take Oprah’s advice that I read in her recent Inspiration Newsletter. We need to embrace hygge, the Danish art of coziness. Danes rank as the happiest people in the world, even today.  How do they get to that place?

Man smiling, crowned with flowers

Photo by Daria Rem from Pexels

What the Danes Do to Feel Happier

The Danish make sure that several essential elements are part of their daily lives, including relaxed thoughtfulness, meditation, and time spent with others. And, yes, we can spend time with others without actual physical contact. Now more than ever, we need to create time with others that create an atmosphere that is warm, relaxed, friendly, down-to-earth, close, comfortable, snug, and welcoming. It is like a friendly hug—but without the physical contact. In this situation, you can be yourself and relax completely. Therefore, the art of hygge is also the art of expanding your comfort zone to include other people.

So, I guess we have to do it with social distancing and maybe even over Zoom. No matter what, create the time for cozy togetherness! Our bodies, hearts, and souls hunger for it!

Another significant element the Danes bring into their lives is “living lights.” They make use of candles to bring light and create sunny smiles.

Maybe this year, we need to make sure we put up those holiday lights for the color and the sparkling lights that bring those big smiles. As many of you know, I love Christmas. What I also know is that I need those lights as the days get shorter and shorter. And, even though very few people will see my Christmas extravaganza, it just might be the year it all gets displayed.

Read more about Embracing Hygge:

http://www.oprah.com/health_wellness/how-to-embrace-hygge#ixzz6cNxufzLL

Hope and Change

Another piece we need to be aware of—change wants to happen, and it needs to happen. The body you walk around in is in constant flux because it’s energy. A body in energetic balance will quickly experience the change, and it will be a positive shift. The trick is to be creative in appreciating ourselves and find enjoyment within the shift. Maybe the difference is merely relishing an accomplishment.

Consider using this simple worksheet to help you see the changes that you can implement. It uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which uses your mind to notice the good stuff. It focuses on behavioral changes in your daily life, for instance, tracking your emotions according to your activities. So, it’s learning how to notice when your body is giving you a message.

behavioral-activation quiz

If you would like to learn more about behavioral-based therapy, visit the Therapist Aid website.

Your Key to Hope, Faith  & Energy

To help your body thoroughly experience change and get messages, go to my website and click on the purple button, “Learn the Daily Flow.” You will receive self-help acupressure suggestions that will help your body experience balance and harmony. Included is the Daily Clean Your House Flow® and energy tips to expand the breath, let go of frustration, achieve focus, boost motivation, and increase productivity. Now, those are some changes your body will appreciate!  And you are fully experiencing hope, faith, and energy. Enjoy the movement and the difference!

 

 

 

Share this :

 

FREE ANXIETY BUSTER!

Get your copy of the six-minute Daily Clean Your House Flow animated video.

It’s my gift to you!! Click here..