Relax & Reclaim

When a good friend of mine told about this recipe, I thought I was hearing things. Adding fruit or berries to cornbread was unheard of in my family's household when I was growing up.  In fact, I told my brother about this recipe just a few days ago and well, you should have seen the bewildered expression on his face. 😵‍💫 delicious and healthy blueberry cornbread muffins And then of course came the belly laugh. 😆😂🤣 Whatever. He's always been kind of a hater anyway. 🙄 Enough about my brother's short-sightedness. I think this recipe is a real winner. 🏆  Check it out and most importantly try it out. Cornbread with Blueberries?? blueberry corn muffins on cooling rack Ingredients : - 1 cup cornmeal - 1 cup whole wheat flour - 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup - 2 teaspoons baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 1 cup plain Greek yogurt - 1/3 cup olive oil or melted coconut oil - 2 large eggs - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - 1 cup fresh or froze...

It's name is derived from the Greek word "pepon"... Certain Native American tribes called them "isquotm"... They are related to both squash and cucumbers.... They have been used both for food and medicine ... They contain potassium, lutein and Vitamins A, C, and B-6.... You know them as pumpkins... pumpkin patch It has been said that we  don't do enough recipe articles.  That, (to be honest with you) kinda hurts. 🤕  So, the team decided to gather these great ideas from each other and friends and family. When all was said and done, we had no choice other than to share them with you.  Do us a favor, pass this along. Share this with someone you know via social media, e-mail, or our personal favorite, word of mouth. 📣  The Great Pumpkin Paradigm So you've carved up your pumpkin & you've made a ton of pumpkin pies with it.  You even fed the left over pumpkin shell to your local wildlife (deers love it!), but you still have a ...

It's eggplant season folks and my culinary friend has reminded me about their availability this fall. Most people are kind of apprehensive when it comes to trying out these beautiful cool weather vegetables. I'd like to encourage you to put aside your fears and apprehensions to enjoy this delicious healthy recipe designed to change your mind and fill your belly. Simple Eggplant Extravaganza 2 large, purple eggplants 1 cup of uncooked brown rice 1 medium red onion 2 cloves of garlic 1 tbsp. fresh oregano 2 large tomatoes 3 tsp of kosher salt and black pepper 3 cups of water 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil prep Cook brown rice in 3 cups of water for about 1 hour (or until tender). Set aside after cooking.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut both eggplants in half length wise (peel the skin off if so desired). Using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out the meat of the eggplant leaving at least 1/2 inch intact. Cube one of the two eggplants, se...

  The Gratitude Plate: Part Two It’s that time again — stretchy pants, golden turkeys, and casseroles that somehow weigh more than your dog. 🦃  Thanksgiving is on the horizon, and you know what that means: feast mode activated. Now, before we start shaming ourselves for going back for seconds (or thirds), let’s talk about what’s really going on here.  Because the truth is, your brain and body are wired for this. 🧠 Your Body Thinks It’s Still 10,000 B.C. When the holiday spread appears, your brain doesn’t see “Aunt Linda’s sweet potato casserole.”  It sees opportunity.  Millennia ago, humans didn’t know when their next meal was coming, so our bodies evolved to store extra calories whenever food was plentiful. So when you’re standing over a buffet line thinking, “I shouldn’t, but wow that pie looks good,” that’s not weakness.  That’s biology whispering, “Winter is coming. Better stock up.” The problem? We no longer need to chase mammoths to burn off those e...

Hello everyone, I hope you are all doing well.  I wanted to share with you an experience I had with a long-time friend of mine while we were out one warm summer evening in downtown Chicago a few months (and believe me, we have had a lot of them here in Chicago) ago.  Let's take a brief intermission here, okay? This is not a story about diet and healthy meal plans (although we do highly recommend them here on Relax and Reclaim!). This is all about pre-concieved notions and a serious need to assimilate new information.  Sounds weird, doesn't it? You'll see how this plays out shortly. The Restaurant Compromise  Anyway, we were looking for a place to "cool our heels" so to speak and have more time to chat. My friend knows that I am a bit of a health fanatic, so he was quite apprehensive about suggesting some of his normal chow-down spots for us to get refreshments. You know, the places where "fat is king & lean is mean"?  Unhealthy foo...