{"id":9345,"date":"2013-02-13T00:01:37","date_gmt":"2013-02-13T05:01:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=9345"},"modified":"2013-02-12T19:10:42","modified_gmt":"2013-02-13T00:10:42","slug":"at-home-with-gch-focus-on-health-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2013\/02\/13\/at-home-with-gch-focus-on-health-2\/","title":{"rendered":"At Home with GCH: Focus on Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"beet<\/a><\/p>\n

In writing this blog series, “Focus on Health.” I am reminded of several articles I read around the start of the year, listing “The Healthiest Foods You’re Not Eating.”\u00a0\u00a0Basically, all the lists were comprised of super foods—those veggies, fruits, grains and other ingredients\u00a0that we know are good for us but that we avoid for whatever reason. \u00a0One that we’ll be looking at this month is BEETS<\/strong>. \u00a0Yay, beets!<\/p>\n

Beets are high in folic acid, which is crucial during pregnancy. \u00a0They are also chock full of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, calcium and iron. \u00a0They are being studied for their cancer and heart disease prevention properties. \u00a0Especially of interest to scientists is the pigment that gives beets their bright red color—Betacyanin—because it has been shown to fight cancer and possesses powerful antioxidants.<\/p>\n

Perhaps you had them prepared the wrong way, like boiled to death. \u00a0Perhaps you see them in the store and just don’t know what to do with them. \u00a0In any case, beets are in season now, just waiting for you at your local farmer’s market or grocery store. \u00a0Let’s look closer!<\/p>\n

There are two main varieties: \u00a0common red beets, and golden beets. \u00a0Both are delicious and are prepared the same way, but golden beets have a milder flavor, while red beets have a stronger, earthier and sweeter taste. \u00a0When you buy them, look for bright, strong leafy greens attached. \u00a0The greens are edible and are highly nutritious themselves—don’t throw them out! If you aren’t going to cook the beets the day you buy them, keep them in the fridge, with the greens wrapped in a damp paper towel. \u00a0The beets can last quite a while in your fridge, but the greens must be eaten quickly, like within a day or two, or they get limp and gross.<\/p>\n

My favorite way to cook beets is to roast them in the oven. \u00a0Wash the beets, remove leaves and stems, and place them on a large square of aluminum foil. \u00a0Drizzle with olive oil, bake for 45 minutes at 375F, and let cool. \u00a0The skins will slip right off in your hands. \u00a0One warning: \u00a0beet juice stains! \u00a0You might want to wear gloves or an apron, and wipe up any spilled beet juice quickly. \u00a0Okay, ready for some recipes to try? \u00a0Here we go!<\/p>\n

Twenty years ago I was a vegetarian and living on my own for the first time. \u00a0My go-to snack? \u00a0A can of beets and a spoonful of orange marmalade, simmered until hot and the juice is thick and sweet. \u00a0Better than dessert!<\/p>\n

————-<\/p>\n

This might be my favorite salad of all time:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/frugalgirlmet.blogspot.com\/2011\/02\/roasted-beet-and-goat-cheese-salad.html<\/p>\n

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\nI am making this salad on Valentines Day because I love the pink color:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/paleospirit.com\/2012\/roasted-beet-and-cucumber-salad-with-yogurt-dressing\/<\/p>\n

————-<\/p>\n

This recipe for Pennsylvania Dutch pickled red beets and eggs is one my Mom made all my life. \u00a0Now that she’s gone, my sister has taken on the tradition. \u00a0She makes them every year for Easter. \u00a0The color of the eggs – maroon on the outside, white and yellow inside – is shocking and delightful!<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.yankeemagazine.com\/recipe\/for\/pennsylvania-dutch-pickled-beets-and-eggs\/106<\/p>\n

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\nBeets can be shredded and eaten raw, too! \u00a0Here’s a very minimalist raw beet salad:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/content.markbittman.com\/recipes\/raw-beet-salad<\/p>\n

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\nWhen I think of Russian food, my mind immediately goes to Borscht. \u00a0Ever had it?<\/p>\n

http:\/\/www.foodnetwork.com\/recipes\/tyler-florence\/roasted-beet-borscht-recipe\/index.html<\/p>\n

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\nAnd for you juicers out there, beet juice is the best! \u00a0Try out a combination of beets, carrots, and apples for a sweet and healthy treat.<\/p>\n

Explore, experiment, enjoy!<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 Dana<\/p>\n

\n

Please visit me at\u00a0Frugal Girlmet<\/a>\u00a0for more unique recipes!<\/p>\n

\n
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If you would like to contact Dana in regards to this blog, please email her at\u00a0Dana@girlfriendscoffeehour.com<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In writing this blog series, “Focus on Health.” I am reminded of several articles I read around the start of the year, listing “The Healthiest Foods You’re Not Eating.”\u00a0\u00a0Basically, all the lists were comprised of super foods—those veggies, fruits, grains and other ingredients\u00a0that we know are good for us but that we avoid for whatever […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":9351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15],"tags":[9296,134,1771,279,1769,398,425,1770,927,981,1772,1100],"class_list":["post-9345","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-at-home-with-gch","tag-at-home-with-gch","tag-beets","tag-borscht","tag-dana-kim","tag-focus-on-health","tag-frugal-girlmet","tag-girlfriends-coffee-hour","tag-juice","tag-salads","tag-soup","tag-superfoods","tag-vegetables","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/beet-and-goat-cheese-salad.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p39pHp-2qJ","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9345","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9345"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9345\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9356,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9345\/revisions\/9356"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9345"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9345"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9345"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}