I think one of the most special gifts you can give is your time and something homemade from the heart. One way I know how to give a gift from the heart is making a nutritious meal and sharing it with family. This year, consider doing that for the mother figure you are celebrating with on Mother’s Day!
May also has some great national nutritional months to celebrate – National egg and asparagus month! I have an amazing recipe for Asparagus Mini-Frittatas that brings both these foods together and would be incredible for a Mother’s Day surprise. This recipe is a little on the gourmet side and takes more time than most of us have on a typical weekday, so it’s perfect for this special occasion. These nuggets are just delicious and look as gorgeous as they taste If you don’t have a sturdy muffin tin, no worries: I find that the aluminum muffin tins from the grocery store make perfectly baked mini frittatas. Pair them with a piece of toast, and you have the perfect meal and a great PC combo! (to learn more about those, check out my books here).
Asparagus Mini-Frittatas
Ingredients
- 9 egg whites (Preferably from cage free eggs)
- 3 whole eggs (Preferably cage free)
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- 1/2 lb asparagus
- 1 Small onion
- 1/2 red bell pepper, julienne
- 1/2 orange bell pepper, julienne
- 1/4 cup Romano cheese, shredded
- tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooking spray
Click For Directions and More Information
If you are looking for something a little easier, and just as delicious, I also found this great recipe for a Crispy Breakfast Pita on the Food Network’s website. It looks beautiful, only takes 20 minutes to make, and is also a great PC combo!
Crispy Breakfast Pita
Ingredients
- 6 6-inch pita breads
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces) mascarpone cheese
- Grated zest of 1/2 large lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 packed cups (3 ounces) arugula or baby spinach
- 8 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
Get Directions on Food Network’s Website Here
For another healthy option, you can look on Health.com for their vegetarian omelet That is low calorie and low fat but packed with protein per serving:
Artichoke, Goat Cheese, and Potato Omelet
Ingredients
- 1 small unpeeled Russet potato
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
- 4 drained canned artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 4 large egg whites
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled goat cheese
Get Directions on Health.com’s Website Here
What is a Sunday Brunch without a little bubbly? Your mom deserves to kick her feet up and relax on Mother’s Day and I have two drinks that are amazing substitutes for the traditional mimosas that are sure to “wow” her on her special day. My recipe for Skinny Pomegranate Bellini is an antioxidant-loaded sparkler to help fight off those pesky free radicals and with fresh pomegranates, which are some of the best superfood available, it’s not just beautiful to look at, it’s delicious as well!
Skinny Pomegranate Bellini
Ingredients
- crushed ice
- 1/4 cup Grand Marnier (orange flavored liqueur)
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 20 oz champagne
- 8 thin orange slices
- fresh pomegranate arils (seeds)
Click For Directions and More Information
I found another amazing recipe on Health.com for a yet another great substitute for the traditional mimosa, and it’s another light and refreshing drink loaded with antioxidants that your mom will be sure to enjoy! Add the sophisticated taste of Bergamot and the beautiful color of citrus and it will be a new favorite.
Bergamot Sparkler
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Earl Grey tea bag
- 1/2 teaspoon whole coriander seeds/li>
- 1 (750-ml) bottle prosecco
Get Directions on Health.com’s Website Here
If you are looking to send your mother a gift for Mother’s Day, I found a good article on gifts under $50 that could inspire you to find the perfect gift this year! You can find it on Mashable’s website here.
This month, hopefully where you are, the sun is starting to come out! And with more sun, that means people are starting to venture out more and do outdoor activities, which is so good for your overall health. Because this is the beginning of the outdoor season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have named May National Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection primarily transmitted by Ixodes ticks, also known as deer ticks, and on the West Coast, black-legged ticks. These tiny arachnids are typically found in wooded and grassy areas. Although people may think of Lyme as an East Coast disease, it is found throughout the United States, as well as in more than sixty other countries [lymedisease.org].
Lyme disease affects people of all ages. The CDC notes that it is most common in children, older adults, and others such as firefighters and park rangers who spend time in outdoor activities and have higher exposure to ticks. If you think you have been exposed to a tick, you should always talk to a healthcare professional. You can also check the symptom checklist online to document your symptoms and take that to your next appointment for discussion.
Prevention is key! Here are some helpful tips to help you this summer, and to help you spread awareness for Lyme Disease Prevention:
- Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
- Apply repellent before participating in outdoor activities.
- Bathe or shower right after spending time outdoors and conduct a full-body tick check using a mirror to see hard to reach places such as the underarms, belly button, behind the knees and on the scalp.
- Place a barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn, patio, and play equipment and any wooded areas. This will restrict tick migration into recreational areas.
- Check pets for ticks daily and remove them as soon as possible if one is present. Pets can carry ticks inside homes as they hide in their fur.
- Protect pets by reaching out to your local veterinarian. They usually offer a variety of products for protecting animals from tick-borne diseases.
- Consult a licensed and trained green industry professional to spray the yard’s perimeter to reduce tick populations.
You can learn more about Lyme Disease and about personal protection on LymeDisease.org.
“To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.” —Maya Angelou
Christine