After Thanksgiving, we kicked off the holiday season by checking out the Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Festival of Trees. This annual fundraiser/raffle showcases dozens of decorated trees along with an impressive model railroad display.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”
A quote from JFK’s 1963 Thanksgiving Proclamation
However and whoever you celebrated with, I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving holiday.
Here is a quick peek at how we spent our solo, pandemic Thanksgiving:
I keep snacking. All. the. time. That was probably the most consistent piece of feedback I kept getting during those early months of lock down. People that were used to the office environment were no working and sitting ten feet from their fridge. It was taking a toll on their waistline.
As a work from home, pre-COVID veteran, I had faced this battle myself and (mostly) conquered it years ago. The plan of attack is simple. Have a solid list of low effort snacks (sweet, savory, smooth, creamy) in the house and ready to go for that afternoon sugar dip.
These are my 10 favorite low effort afternoon snacks to stave off the munchies during that 3 p.m. conference call.
Five years ago this week, I was in an ambulance heading to the hospital. For almost a week, the doctors really couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. It was terrifying, but that was also, finally, the light at the end of the tunnel. For almost six months, I had been slipping slowly into…something.
It was so slow and inexorable, it was almost invisible. Until the end. Near the end, I’d lost almost forty pounds, grew tired climbing the stairs, and freaked out about an electric tea pot. That was not invisible. God bless, Michelle and the girls for putting up with me. There are now a whole block of photos that we refer to as the sick times.
Like kale, I think beets are long overdue for a primetime makeover. As a plant-based athlete, I love beets. Beets are a rich source of antioxidants, like vitamin C, carotenoids,and nitrate. Nitrate is a chemical naturally occurring in certain foods and is converted into nitric oxide when consumed. Beets can raise your nitrate oxide levels which studies have shown can increase blood flow and improve lung function. In short, beyond just being nutritious, they can make you a better athlete!
So they are tasty and a natural athletic supplement, but what about growing your own? Another reason to like beets. They are a quickly growing, fast-maturing and easy vegetable to grow in a home garden. They are fairly hardy in frost and cold tolerant and can be grown throughout the spring, summer, and fall in colder climates like New England.
So how do you grow better garden beets? Here are my top 7 home gardening tips for better beets.
A month early for summer, but Mother Nature doesn’t always care about the calendar, it’s hot this week. Don’t forget to keep you pets safe and well-hydrated. Here is a simple frozen treat that is healthy, cooling, hydrating, filling, and can help their digestion. Your dogs should love it and your kids will love making it. They might even like eating it, too!
