Sheet Pan Vegetables

Hello everyone!  We hope you will be able to join us at our next Pathfinder Produce market here on Thursday afternoon at the Village Commons, from noon to 5 p.m.  Our Pathfinder Produce Market is heading into its sixth year; we’re grateful for the tremendous community support we’ve had and look forward to another year serving all our friends and neighbors.  Pathfinder Produce – we’re ROOTED IN COMMUNITY!

If you’re too busy to shop, let us do your marketing for you!  Just cruise over to our website and select your delivery site, either in Morris or Edmeston.  Make your purchases and secure payments online, and our friendly Adult Day Service members will take care of all the rest.  Just stop by for your delivery on Thursday afternoon, and enjoy your fresh and healthy purchases all week long!

Below, my colleague Sally Trosset offers some great tips for serving a variety of fresh veggies … why not try a few of these roasted recipes during the Super Bowl this coming weekend? 

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Sheet Pan Vegetables

February is lurking and we’re in the throes of winter!  This is the time of year when planning dinner gets stressful.  Our schedules are very busy; the kids’ sporting events keep us out late two nights a week.   “Same old, same old” is what meals are often referred to at my house.

On the nights we are home, I try to make our meals count; sadly they are often, “same old, same old.”  I also want to make sure we are eating our share of healthy vegetables, as illness is always a concern during winter and students need to eat well to excel in school and sports.  A friend recently told me I should investigate sheet pan roasted vegetables. 

“Roast everything on a sheet pan; it’s a game changer in our house,” she said.

I decided to do some research and experimentation.  Fast and easy, this method of cooking can make a meal on a busy weekday night interesting and tasteful.  Sheet pan roasted veggies are not only pretty to look at, but they are delicious and healthy! Paired with a chicken breast or a piece of fish, these veggies make a great side dish.

With the roasted veggies, I hit the jackpot!  My kids readily ate Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions, broccoli, and carrots.  My daughter even took a picture of our vegetable creation and posted it on her Instagram.  That HAS to give me some cool mom status!

Some notable recipes I researched that look interesting include:

• Eating Well - Colorful roasted sheet pan veggies,
• Sheet pan-roasted rainbow vegetables and
• Cooking Light - Sheet pan roasted vegetables. 

We tried the Eating Well recipe first, for no particular reason.  A word to the wise, give the cubes of butternut squash a head start for 10 minutes to soften in the oven before adding in the other veggies. The broccoli, peppers, and onion are naturally more tender than the squash and cook more quickly. That way everything ends up finishing at the same time.

Not only will you be satisfied with a healthy meal, but the pop of color on your plate will put a smile on your face!  Who knows, maybe your kids will even ask for seconds!

Until next time, eat well and be well,

Sally (and Lori)

Getting out of Hibernation Mode

Hello everyone … welcome to another busy and eventful week!  We hope that you and yours are safe and warm during this cold spell in the 315/607.  If you’re in our area, why not stop down to our next Pathfinder Produce on Thursday, January 24, from noon to 5 p.m. to stock up on fresh and delicious fruits and veggies, and visit with our friendly Produce market staff? 

One of our customer appreciation services that we offer is our online shopping service … think of it as an ingredient-kit service, but one you can totally design yourself.  You simply order and pay for your fresh items on our website, and then pick up your order at either our Morris or Edmeston locations on Thursday afternoons.  It’s easy and convenient!

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Getting out of Hibernation Mode

This weekend’s foot of snow wasn’t as bad in our region as in other areas; my family and I spent a few hours digging out on Sunday.  I spent some time blowing out a path so when our senior dog needs to go for a walk, it’s a little easier for her.  I could tell the other morning as I let her outside for her 7 a.m. constitutional, she wasn’t thrilled with snow up to her belly. 

As an older dog, she has the art of relaxing down pat.  She likes to cozy up near us as we’re reading and relaxing in evenings, not too far from the blazing woodstove.  Her snoring is comical at times, as she’s louder than any of us whilst asleep. Her snoring underscores that we’re all a little too prone to inactivity in colder weather.

This winter I hope to spend time walking and taking pictures of wildlife.  I recently joined a local birding group on Facebook and admire some of the pictures folks have posted of avian life in the snow.  Birds are fascinating to study in their natural habitat or at your backyard feeder; you can learn a great deal by checking out the Audubon website and seeing all the activities they recommend trying.  If you enjoy these activities, you can enjoy other bird-related activities, like helping with bird population counts or making nesting boxes for use during spring.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also offers some tips on enjoying the outdoors during winter. I’ve always liked their Conservationist magazine, which also shares ideas on how to enjoy the outdoors; they also offer ideas for winter fun at their Facebook page.

Closer to home, we have activities at the Rogers Environmental Center in Sherburne, which are worth the trek.  Coming later in the month and in February, they’ll offer Learn to X Country Ski workshops for nominal fees, which includes ski rentals.  And for those who already know how to ski or snowshoe, the Pathfinder Community Trails are another option for a few hours of exploring. (These forays into the wilds remind me of the old Cap Smith hikes that used to be organized in Cooperstown about half a century ago.)

Breaking out of hibernation mode is really just a matter of discipline to make yourself go outside. For other ideas on low-cost family outdoor activities to enjoy, check out this post from the Moneycrashers.  Even a short time outdoors is beneficial and can turn a ho-hum day into something special.

Until next time, get moving!

Lori

Brain Food

Hello everyone, we hope you are well and warm during this recent cold spell.  Here at Pathfinder Village, we’ve been staying active and busy gearing up for our next delicious Pathfinder Produce market at the Village Commons, this Thursday, January 17, running noon to 5 p.m.  We hope you can stop by!

If you’re too busy to shop, place your order online, and our friendly and helpful staff will fill your order for you to pick up, either in Morris or Edmeston.  Just cruise over to our website to learn more! 

Below, my colleague, Martha Spiegel offers some thoughts on how to help your memory!

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Most of us have had a thought similar to “Why do I remember the words to a song I learned in the third grade but can’t remember what I walked into the kitchen for?” Many things can contribute to lapses in short term memory—stress, extreme multitasking, age, general state of mind, etc. There are ways to improve your short term memory. Doctors advise exercise—even just a brisk walk a few times a week is helpful—maintaining a healthy weight and body mass index (BMI), and monitoring cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure and following your physician’s advice on treatment if needed. Stopping smoking can also play a role.

There are also certain foods that are shown to help with memory. An article on Healthline.com suggests the following:

• Fatty fish (To be clear, this means fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, not fish fried in fat.) Examples are salmon, sardines, tuna and mackerel.
• Coffee, which contains both caffeine and antioxidants.
• Green tea. It has the same benefits as coffee, in addition to containing the amino acid L-theanin which helps reduce anxiety and promotes relaxation.
• Blueberries, which are rich in antioxidants which may delay brain aging and improve memory.
• Turmeric, which along with its anti-inflammatory properties can improve mood and help brain cells grow.
• Broccoli, which contains vitamin K, which is essential for forming the type of fat that exists in brain cells.
• Pumpkin seeds, which contain zinc, magnesium, copper and iron, which are all key to proper brain function.
• Dark chocolate, which improves mood and can help protect the brain.
• Nuts, which contain vitamin E and healthy fats. Walnuts have the added bonus of containing omega-3s.
• Oranges, which are one of the best sources of vitamin C. If you don’t care for oranges, other excellent sources of vitamin C are bell peppers, guava, kiwi, tomatoes and strawberries.
• Eggs. These powerful little gems contain several B vitamins and choline, which are tied to brain health, mental function and mood. 

Another article from Food Network also suggests whole grains for brain function, and chewing gum, which can help maintain focus by increasing oxygen flow to the brain.

There’s no guarantee that following this advice will ensure that you will always remember why you walked into the kitchen, but it can help you maintain a healthier brain along with a healthy body. Now that is something worth remembering!

Until next time, eat well and be well,

Martha (and Lori)

Top Health Stories for 2018

Hello everyone!  We hope that you’ll join us for another terrific Pathfinder Produce fresh foods market at the Village Commons, this Thursday from noon to 5 p.m.  Our friendly and courteous staff, all members of Pathfinder’s Adult Day Services team, are waiting to help you with your purchases.

And don’t forget our handy pre-ordering system …. Just go to our link and place and pay for your order of fresh fruits and veggies.  Then on Thursday, go to the delivery site of your choice, in Morris or Edmeston, pick up your order, and you’re good to go!

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Top Health Stories for 2018

My, there were certainly many health-related news stories this past year.  In doing a quick survey around the web, I found three stories from CNN, Berkeley Wellness, and Healthline that piqued my interest. 

Some of the focus stories overlapped, like food-borne pathogens affecting our food supplies (1:6 people get food-borne illnesses each year, per Dr. Gupta) and how the ongoing opioid epidemic has statistically had such an impact that it’s brought down American’s life expectancy for the third year running.

As I recall, the year started off with many stories about the tough H3N2 flu season that represented a deadly mix of virulent pathogens, unchecked transmission and antiviral shortages. Who remembers the RN’s rant on hand-washing?  By the end of the season, more than 900,000 were hospitalized with flu, and 80,000 died from it, making 2018 the worst flu season since the Bicentennial.  (Washing hands remains a good tip to help avoid and prevent spreading flu, cold and stomach bug viruses).

Another “big story” was on how CBD-derived medications (non-psychotropic compounds derived from cannabis) are gaining acceptance and market share in treating seizures and other chronic conditions. This story was further amplified with the subsequent legalization of growing industrial hemp through the recently passed Farm Bill. 

One story that I wasn’t aware of was the increasing numbers of high school students – about 40% -- who are now using e-cigarettes.  Originally promoted to help cigarette smokers quit, the vaping fluids contain nicotine; students are now falling into the habit and are vaping using one brand of discreet, USB-sized devices to get their nicotine hits.  I don’t believe these fluids are well-regulated, and news stories are showing that students are moving from vaping to cigarette smoking.  Last month, the Surgeon General urged an “all hands on deck” approach to reduce vaping among teens.

Other big stories, which I’ll admittedly gloss over, include the effects of climate change and how it is affecting our life quality, and the increasing numbers of illnesses resulting from pest-borne viruses.  Of course, a breaking story is how health services in the U.S. may be affected by the ongoing Federal Government shutdown.

All of these topics reveal how important health is to everyone, and encourages us to examine our own health through the public health lens.  And even though most of these stories are discouraging, there is one key takeaway:  Reporters may write “big picture” stories on trends, but we all are able to write our own health stories. With work, you can buck those trends by eating right, moving more, and working with your healthcare providers.  And so, as a belated New Year’s greeting … I wish you opportunities to live well, to savor healthy and nutritious foods, and to enjoy what you do each day. 

All the best for 2019!

Lori