Something to think about on Thursday

I've decided I'm going to start a Thursday health quote.  Here goes #1!

Think on Thursday...

What do you think? The possibilities are endless, and there are healthful activities for everyone.

Physical: yoga, running, soccer, stretching, etc. 

Mental: games, social interaction, reading, school, puzzles, etc.

Social: workplace interactions, talking with friends, or just being around other people, community, etc.

They all are related and can overlap.  If we don't take care of ourselves in one dimension, can the other suffer?

Artichokes

These weird looking things are artichokes. It is not just my favorite vegetable, but one of my favorite foods of all time. I have liked them since I was a little girl and have introduced them to many people.  I painted this for my sister (one of her favorite foods too.)  If you haven't tried them - please do!

If you don't know what to do with them once you buy them:

1.  Turn a pot of water on (large enough to fit however many you are cooking).  Put a little oil in the water along with some lemon juice and garlic.

2.  Cut off the very top part of artichoke (because it's pointy and dangerous) and cut off long stem.  Cut off pointy part of leaves with some scissors.  

3.  Place in boiling water for about 40 minutes.

4.  Take them out of the water and they are ready to serve!

To eat: dip leaves in either mayonnaise or butter.  (I prefer mayonnaise).  Once you get to the itty bitty leaves that you can't pull off, scrape those out with a knife.  Eat the heart after dipping it in your dip of choice!  Don't skip this part - it's the best. 

My first Artsy post - for a healthy imagination

Last Tuesday I sprained my ankle, and even though I'm not my usual mobile self, I haven't felt this creatively inspired for a while.  I decided I would make myself feel better by first, cleaning out or organizing something, and second, by creating something. 

#1: Sorted through three boxes of old greeting cards and letters.  I chose the pretty, the meaningful, the colorful, etc.  I recycled the ones I didn't want to keep.

#2: The ones that I liked, I cut out certain personal phrases, letters, sayings, and decorated a box and a small wooden shelf with the collage pieces.

Once you are down gluing the pieces on, put a layer of "Modpodge" to seal it, or some other type of finishing product. Now, you have cleaned out some space in you closet...and you can read your favorite cards without searching for them.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a very popular vegetable in Germany.  Don't ever eat it raw, trust me, but when cooked it is transformed into nothing short of wonderful. I love that it isn't too sweet, but has a tartness to it.... So delectably different.

Here, in a restaurant in southern Germany, it is cooked with other berries and sugar, and served with some sort of vanilla sauce. Soon after I arrived home, I knew I wanted to make a rhubarb sauce to dress up desserts (among other things).  I found a recipe for strawberry rhubarb sauce on Recipezaar and it is delicious.  If you don't have the exact ratio of rhubarb to strawberries, it's okay - use whatever you have.  I tried it wish both fresh strawberries and rhubarb, but I think frozen would work just fine if it isn't the season.

In Germany, I've seen rhubarb paired with other fruit in fillings of cheesecake, pies, and tarts.  I've tried this sauce on ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, and even toast!