Short Hiatus

Life has proven to be most hectic lately and I've not had much time for updating. However, I'm back and kickin' and have some great recipes to share with you. I'd like to extend my warmest congratulations to everyone who was involved with the Growing Our Food Systems Conference, as it turned out to be a great success. Its really quite encouraging to see so many people that are engaged in moving towards a healthy and sustainable food system.

So I have a little personal anecdote to share to emphasize my strong belief in regular exercise and a healthy diet for warding off the last of the pesky, end-of-winter colds and flus: I went up north to visit my rather ill boyfriend this weekend who had come down with a miserable cold, and I have yet to catch it! Maybe it was the running we did this weekend, maybe it was the anti-cold teas we were drinking, maybe it was all the green and red and orange and yellow veggies and fruits we ate, and MAYBE it was the turmeric I put on top of my oatmeal this morning (an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal spice)... but boy howdy I feel great. Often its hard to avoid illnesses in the winter since we're all cooped up inside and more prone to contract germs floating in the air from others, but don't underestimate your body and how effective it can be to deal with those germs. If you treat your body right, it will return the favor.

Last night we tried something new for dinner. Check it out.

Chicken-Pineapple Fajitas

Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 cup sliced or cubed pineapple chunks
1 green, red, orange or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 cup Jamaican jerk sauce or marinade
1 lime
as many tortilla shells as you can handle
a little olive oil
cilantro, fresh or dried

We first marinated the chicken for a couple of hours in the fridge with some of the Jamaican jerk sauce. Then we tossed the pepper slices, jalapeno pieces, and chicken into a large skillet with a little olive oil and sauteed for a couple of minutes on medium heat. Then we added the rest of the jerk sauce and cooked for another 7 minutes or so. We threw the pineapple chunks into the skillet last until they browned a little on each side. Meanwhile, we toasted our tortilla shells in the toaster oven. When all was ready, we prepared our fajitas and sprayed lime juice and sprinkled cilantro over the top.

Delish!!

To all you Michiganders out there- stay warm, drive safe and go snowshoeing!! And, check this article out. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/216903.php