With the Easter Holiday and Celebration just a few days away, many of you have your eggs hard boiled and ready to be painted…or many of you already have them painted! We had a great time getting ours ready this weekend (see above!). As Sunday comes and goes, you may wonder what to do with those eggs. Here are some tips for you to practice proper egg safety:
• Not sure how to boil an egg? Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil with the lid on, then turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in water for 15 min. Remove eggs and place in a bowl of ice cold water to cool. This year, I used our InstaPot to hard boil them—they turned out great and I enjoyed the new way of cooking!
• Eggs should be used within 3 weeks of the sell by date. Be sure to store them in the fridge at a temp less than 40 degrees F.
• Hard boiled eggs spoil faster than fresh eggs as the protective coating is washed away, making them more susceptible to bacteria. Hard boiled eggs must be refrigerated within 2 hours of cooking.
• If you want to eat the hard boiled eggs after the holiday, you must store them in the refrigerator. Throw away any eggs that are cracked, dirty, or have been out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. If you are going to use the leftover cooked eggs, it is recommended to use them within one week to prevent food poisoning. To help you do this, you could make two batches- one to display and one for eating.
• Ever wonder what the green ring on a hard boiled yolk is? It’s a result of overcooking the eggs and is caused by sulfur and iron compounds in the egg reacting to the surface of the yolk. The green color may also be a result of a large amount of iron in the water used to cook with. It may look funny, but it is safe to eat.
When thing get tough, it is even more important to try and keep a positive attitude. I obviously need to keep reminding myself of this too. I guess I too am human as well. With all of the stress going on about COVID-19, taking care of patients, wondering when and if I am going to come down with this, or expose my family to it, the loss of socializing and running with my friends, not being able to go to church, and then top it all with the crappy weather we had on Thursday, and wondering if we are still going to have to deal with a flood situation, I lost it. Everything came to a head, and I lost my cool. We are all under a lot of stress, and I am no different. But like I just said, I have to work on continuing to remind myself to hold it together, and reminding myself to keep a positive attitude in this time of total chaos. No easy task! If I could change that moment, I would.
I continue to keep going out to the Reiflex Center and workout, but it is not the same as going for a run with my friends. Those were great times, and was a way to talk about things going on, and helping to solve problems. The weight workouts help burn off frustrations, but it is not the same.
I went walking multiple times this week to help clear my head. When we had just got rid of all of the snow, it was great. I did not feel like running. I just did not have the energy for it. But the walking got me outside, and gave me a way to relax and think. If you have not done it, you have no idea what you are missing. Give it a try!
Dakota is now 8 months old. She is always ready to go for a walk. Sarah takes her in the mornings, and I have been taking her in the evenings. She is one tired puppy at the end of the day, but she loves to go for her walks. The energy she has, and the excitement she has exploring everything while we are out is contagious. We could all learn a lot from a dog, especially a puppy!
I guess we have to take the bad with the good. Staying positive can be a full time job. I guess I have to realize too that I have weaknesses, and can have moments of losing it as well. I also need to be like everybody else, and learn from those times. How could things have been handled differently? We can always second guess our decisions, and ideas. We definitely need to learn from them so as to not keep repeating the same mistakes.
Attitude truly is everything! Keep reminding yourself of this, just like I am now as well. FOCUS! REPEAT! REPEAT! REPEAT! We all learn better by repetition. Can we make the same mistakes in life along the way? Yes, that is why we are all human as well. Nobody is perfect. How to keep is all together when needed is the secret.
Open up your view of things. All of us can see things differently when looking at the same thing. How we handle it, or deal with is the key. Just like now, with the pandemic going on, it will be a tough road ahead. A lot of stress coming. We all deal with it differently, and we can handle it differently depending on how much we are pushed, or how much things keep building up. Learn from the past, and don’t keep repeating the same mistakes. We can all have a moment of weakness. Strive to keep going, keep pushing…keep striving to survive. And above all else…
Do you have your Easter baskets all ready for the little (or big) kids in your life? Easter baskets are usually filled with all kinds of goodies and I like to think of them being just as exciting as getting your Christmas stocking! My family has all kinds of funny stories about the big search for finding our Easter baskets and of course what we find inside is even more exciting! The candy aisles at the store are filled with all kinds of goodies, but let us not forget that there are plenty of other non-junk food options to fill your Easter baskets with. Here are some ideas for you:
• Sidewalk chalk
• Color Dotz by Crayola (color your bath water with them!) • Books • Coloring books
With spring and nice weather finally here, we can get out the grills again and enjoy outdoor cooking!! We grilled our first burgers on the grill last night–so good! Grilling is a fun and convenient way to cook, especially with the weather getting nicer. Cooking on the grill can also be a very healthy cooking method. Keep the following tips in mind to have a healthy and delicious grilling season.
•Go light on the sauces. Grilling and dipping sauces can be high in added sugar and/or sodium. Make your own sauce, add spices and herbs, or cut back on the amount of sauce used. Let the delicious flavor of grilling do its job.
•Choose lean protein sources. Fish and skinless poultry taste great on the grill and are typically lower in saturated fat than red meats. Red meat and pork can also be good choices—just opt for leaner cuts and watch the portions. Choose “loin” or “round” cuts and meats that are 90-95% lean. The recommended portion size of meat is 3 ounces, which is about the size of a deck of cards.
•Choose a whole-grain bun instead of white for added nutrients and fiber. If you’re watching your calorie or carbohydrate intake, go with half of the bun or use a lettuce wrap.
•Cut up colorful vegetables (like bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, squash, potatoes, carrots, etc.) and grill them on kabobs or in aluminum foil. Toss the vegetable pieces in a little bit of oil to prevent them from drying out and sticking to the grill.
•Fruits can be grilled too! Cut up fresh fruit and put them on kebabs. Choose firm fruits like apples, peaches, pineapple, pears, or cantaloupe. These fruits are less likely to fall apart or become too mushy on the grill. Bananas can even be grilled—just keep it in its peel to protect the banana’s soft texture.
•Don’t forget to clean your grill regularly. Failing to do so can cause food to stick to the grades, uneven cooking temperatures, and shortened longevity of the grill.
Breakfast helps provide us energy and fuel to get through the day. A lot of times we sacrifice breakfast because we don’t have adequate time. Since many of you are home right now and have kids at home, it is the perfect time to work on improving those breakfast habits! Here are a few ideas for you!
Make burritos, egg sandwiches, quiche that can be frozen and warmed up
Want fresh? Toast an English muffin and top with cheese, egg, ham, & spinach
