Recipes & Soundtrack
Health, Happiness, and a Little bit o' Boogie
DISCLAIMER: I’m not a doctor, nutritionist, or DJ, nor do I play any one of those things on tv, but here are our recipes, our music & their supposed benefits.
She likes them. They make life easier.
Win/Win
Music is the food of life.
Food, is also the food of life
RECIPES
Sweet Potato for my Swee’ Potato
Lowers LDL "bad" cholesterol
Fights macular degeneration
Fiber, potassium & manganese for bone health, metabolism, & heart function
Brain boost
Alleviates some symptoms of menopause
Antioxidants with anticancer properties
Anti-inflammatory
Helps regulate blood sugar
Improves digestive health
One large or two smaller peeled sweet potatoes, cut, bring to a boil then simmer into submission aka almost mush
Allow to cool.
Drain and toss into the Nutrabullet or blender.
Add honey, liberally
Add Cinnamon, or Chinese Five Spices or Pumpkin Pie Spice
If you have a can of (pure) pumpkin laying around that’s going to expire, throw that in too.
Add Vanilla Boost Plus.
Pureed until smooth.
Refrigerate and keep in mind, the Boost is dairy-based and has a shelf life
Prune Pudding (passing as chocolate pudding) for my Puddin’
Half a cup every morning keeps the old poop train running
Digestive health: relieve constipations and softens stool
Bone health: minerals, vitamin K, and phenolic compounds
Heart health: Potassium and antioxidants
Lowers Cholesterol & Reduces Blood Pressure
Anti-inflammatory
Promotes a healthier gut microbiome
Alleviate iron-deficiency anemia
Reduce risk of type 2 diabetes
Support cognitive health
Cover the bottom of your saucepan with dried prunes
Add dried chopped dates to fill in the gaps
Cover with water
Add a nice teaspoon of instant coffee
Add vanilla
Add cinnamon
Bring to a boil, simmer until the prunes are falling apart, adding water as needed.
Cool
Do not drain, pour it all into the Nutrabullet.
Add Vanilla Boost Plus (this stuff is magic)
Add honey, liberally
Pureed, tasting along the way, adding more Boost or honey as needed
Refrigerate and keep in mind, the Boost is dairy based and has shelf life.
Pureed Papaya Oh Maya
Papain enzyme for digestion can prevent indigestion.
Antioxidants & vitamins help prevent chronic inflammation; skin looks radiant & youthful.
Beta-carotene can help with asthma & inhibiting cancer development
Vitamin K for bone health.
Potassium helps with high blood pressure
Boosts your immune system
May help slow the progression of Alzheimer's
A ripe papaya should be reddish or golden and have some give.
Slice in half, scoop out & discard the seeds and the strings
Scoop the meat into, yup, you guessed it, the Nutribullet
Add honey, liberally (you may be seeing a pattern)
Puree, tasting along the way, adding more honey as needed
Refrigerate
“Chicken” Soup
There are two kinds of chicken soup, both involve a can of canned chicken.
Progresso Chicken Soup
In your Nutribullet:
Add one can of chicken
Add enough chicken broth to cover the chicken, then more
Add a tiny bit more chicken broth
Puree
Divide between two containers
Puree two cans of Progresso soup, individually (unless you have a giant blender and can do it all together) and add one to each container
Shake and refrigerate.
Healthier, Less Expensive, Tastier Chicken Soup
In your Nutribullet:
Add one can of chicken
Add enough chicken broth to cover the chicken, then more
And, yup, a little more broth.
Puree
Divide between two containers
Divide one 32 oz box of Pacific (or other brand) Butternut Squash or Cashew Carrot Ginger soup between two containers
Shake and refrigerate.
Adjust soup flavors and fruits to suit, this is just what’s been working for us along with some canned fruits that also get pureed: mango, tropical fruit, apricot. Fruit, sweet potatoes, prunes are all full of fiber and you know what that helps.
Boost Plus has calories, vitamins and is delicious.
The canned chicken is pure protein.
SOUNDTRACK
Wake Up Sleepyhead
Shaggy - yeah, she rocks out to Shaggy 🤷♀️
Made her a Happy Playlist to wake up to;
Happy - Pharrell Williams
Don’t Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
Uptown Funk - Bruno Mars
Happy Anywhere - Blake Shelton
Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo’ole 🌈
Happy Together - The Turtles
Oh Happy Day - the Edwin Hawkins Singers
Lovely Day - Bill Withers
Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & the Waves
Great Day - Paul McCartney
Now I’m Happy - Marvin Pontiac
Do You Believe in Magic? - The Lovin’ Spoonful
Come On-A My House - Rosemary Clooney
I Feel Free - Eric Clapton
The Name Game - Shirley Ellis
Happy Tappin’ With Elmo - Sesame Street
For Pete’s Sake - The Monkees
The Locomotion - Little Eva
Step Into the Light - Various
Will The Circle Be Unbroken - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band w Maybelle Carter
Can’t Stop the Feeling - from Trolls
Saturday’s Child - The Monkees
I’m a Believer - The Monkees
Knock Three Times - Tony Orlando & Dawn
Hands up - Ingrid DuMosch 🙌🏼
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley
ABC - Jackson 5
Feel it Still - Portugal. The Man
The Chicken Dance
Hello, I Am A Monkey - Kelli Welli & Timothy James Uecker (my favorite)
Big Booty Butt Cheeks - Jumbtron
Sous le Pont - Benoit Charest from The Triplets of Bellville
Afternoon Delight
Let’s keep this party going…
Gordon Lightfoot
Neal Sedaka
Secret Sisters
Dido
Michael Bublé
Billie Holiday
James Taylor
Carole King
Bill Withers
Bon Iver
Josh Groban
Eva Cassidy
Corinne Bailey Rae
Adele
Ray Charles
Benny Goodman
Johnny Cash
Dinah Shore
The Andrew Sisters
Glenn Campbell
Gillian Welch
Norah Jones
Frank Sinatra
Tony Bennett
Bob Marley
Dean Martin
Rodriguez
Mamas & the Papas
Simon & Garfunkel
Ella Fitzgerald
Doris Day
Patsy Cline
Melanie
You’re Getting Sleepy
After 4pm…
Sade
Joan Baez
Donovan
Paul McCartney acoustic
Enya
Classical Focus station on Alexa
Ambient station on Alexa (which really feels like she thought I said Ambien)
Company’s Here
Sometimes, just having voices in the room relaxes her, tells her she’s safe, that she’s not alone, so, the different voices and inflections in various podcasts work really well for us (and entertain me).
This American Life
The Moth Story Hour
Selected Shorts
Levar Burton Reads
Story Corps
Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People