Holiday leftovers use-up Potato Salad recipe: veggie goodness to bust winter blues

So now the holidays are almost over and if you're like me, you're a little partied out. And sick of cold and snow, to boot! But you have a fridge full of holiday leftovers to use up. Well, I'm here with a rescue recipe to use up those leftover veggies in a festive New Year potato salad recipe. Lighten the calorie load and your mood with this veg out recipe that will bring the summer sun to a winter blah. 

My recipes are purposely adaptable to all tastes, budgets, special diets, etc. I focus on "green" recipes that don't call for certain ingredients besides what you probably have on hand. And if you don't, I'll share improvising tips for workarounds. The goal is to create a delicious dish that uses up all those assorted leftovers, not to create more leftovers or waste. 

Leftovers Use-Up Potato Salad: The possibilities are endless with the popular vegetable salad. And after the holidays, you'll have lots of itsy bitsy bits to use up. We're gonna chop 'em all up and blend with some simple condiments. First, gather all the miscellaneous potatoes from the larder. Doesn't matter what color. Mine featured has a few red, a Yukon gold and some russet potatoes. Wash, cube and toss in a pan to boil. Don't peel them. That's where all the vitamins are. 

Boil some about to expire eggs. Or don't if you're a vegan. 

 Next start scrounging in your fridge for all those stray Zip-loc bags and dishes of half used and withering herbs and vegetables. You can include as many or as few as you like or have on hand. 

celery (include leaves, so much flavor)

onions (red preferred)

colored bell peppers or mini peppers left from the relish tray, the more colorful the better

scallions 

cilantro 

fresh dill

radishes

dill pickles ( or dill pickle relish)

chopped jalapeno if brave

avocado (not a fan, myself)

shredded carrots if desired

leftover ham cubes if you wish ( I don't. I'll use that for other recipes) 

You can even use up capers or olives if you wish. Now, mix with the partially used mayonnaise and any mustard you like. I'm a Dijon or stone ground girl, myself. And I'm not a stickler on much but I do beg you not to use light mayo. I always have and finally treated myself to full strength and oh, Mama, it was like coming home! 

We believe I must have Russian in my heritage because both they and I adore mayonnaise. Not Miracle Whip (ick). Now of course if you're vegan use the avocado kind. Or make your own. I think you just sub avocado for egg. Mix till coated.  

Season with multi-colored pepper, a dash of celery salt, dill weed if you had none in fridge, paprika (smoked if you prefer. I don't in this recipe.)  Taste test and add more of whatever you think it's missing.

And for the piece de resistance, add a little Herdez creamy salsa verde (the roasted poblano cremosa, oh so mosa good!) and cayenne pepper to taste. I'm trying to work myself up to using more hot pepper in my dishes as it's sooo good for natural treatment of arthritis and inflammation. 

Now, a note on garlic. I use it on pretty much everything except my potato salad. But you can if you like. 

You can garnish with sliced eggs, cilantro or dill fronds.
The garnish on mine is pickled turnips and beets.  I'll share that recipe later. 

Now to keep these two little thieves out. Yes, Mordecai and Moishe, I'm telling your secrets! 

Mar's Leftover use Up Meatloaf: Favorite family recipes and loving your mom's best

Hi my friends. So let me just begin by saying that this blog is going to be as much about the culture, sociology and psychology around food, as the the how-tos and recipes. Dr. Leo Buscaglia once said "food is a spiritual experience." It's also a community thing. It collects and connects folks in a way nothing else can. Whether it's a the simple yet stately queen of foods, a loaf of home baked bread or a few fish with which the Son of God fed the hungry multitudes. Or a steaming pot of soup. Or a 12-course meal. Or a quick snack. Hand prepared food lovingly shared speaks of warmth, inclusiveness and that comfort of knowing there's enough for all. 

And on that thought of homemade foods and recipes, I'm remembering when I was young, it was common to title family recipes as so-and-so's favorite. I have a long-ago recipe in my old metal box, written on an index card, for Tim's Favorite Lemonade Pie. I don't know who Tim is/was. But in that place at that time, a guy named Tim liked this recipe so much and that pleased the cook who created it, so much, that she named it for him. 

I have another memory of a friend saying her mother always bragged that the friend loved her chicken and rice best. The friend confided that she didn't even like chicken and rice. But it made mom feel so good that she never said anything. And it was true that it was her favorite as there were no other recipes in the running! There's something wonderful that happens both for the cook and the eater when a dish is shared and received with joy. 

I'm sure you, like me, have treasured memories from childhood of a certain recipe made by a loved one that you've recall with pleasure. And at my age, now, a few tears shed that the cook has moved on to that great pantry of plenty in the sky. When I recreate my Dutch grandmother's Shrimp Divine dish, I'm instantly back at family gatherings where she presided in her quiet, gracious way. Or Grama Kinney's onion mushroom pork chops. When I make them I just drink in the savory smell and think of her. Or her suet pudding that I can't quite get right. 

And it's delightful to me that everyone insists that their mom or grandma's or wife's or husband's is the best. I was once given a meal of meatloaf so hard I could have reinforced my foundation with it. When the cook's husband brought it over, he declared this was the best, hands down. Now, we come from the opposite meatloaf camp, making mine with everything but the kitchen sink and lots of ketchup. That's what my family likes. Her recipe was not our preference, as I'm sure ours would not be to them. But we ate with gratitude and relish (seriously, I added pickle relish, LOL). And you know what, that's how it should be. Families should love their own best. If we don't rave about each other who will? And we should share with each other and be glad for the sharing. And button our lips if the meatloaf cracks teeth or is too sloppy. 

Because food isn't just about food. Or eating. It's about memories, mistakes, laughter, adding cocoa mix instead of onion soup accidentally, that last forgotten pan of cookies that char, Thanksgiving turkey burns, the year the cat got into the egg nog, laughter (did I mention laughter?) ringing through the rafters, and fondness and cozy kitchen smells and belonging and something je ne sais quoi, all mixed up in a fragrant casserole. 

So a word on meatloaf, the purpose for it was a use-up and meat stretcher recipe. You could make that half pound ground meat feed an army with the right stuff. It calls to mind a time when nothing was plentiful and you made do with what you had. You DID NOT buy special ingredients. Mine is mostly on that theme except for the ketchup which I liberally use (ergo the mushier kind). But if I didn't have it, I could make do with tomatoes and a little sugar or honey. Or maple syrup or molasses. Whatever's on hand. 

If you're #teammushymeatloaf, here's my recipe:

2 lb 80/20 thawed ground beef

1 medium chopped onion (husband's job which he does very well, thank you, dear)

1 c. chopped celery (also husband's much appreciated contribution)

chopped bell peppers about a cup

some kind of bread or cracker crumbs, the staler the better, or leftover crushed cereal (cornflakes or Cheerios are amazeballs in meatloaf). 

an envelope of onion soup mix

4 beaten eggs

1 tsp celery salt 

1 tsp-ish black pepper

about a half cup ketchup or salsa with fruit

1/3 c. stone ground mustard

heaping tsp. smoked paprika

a dash of Worcestershire sauce or molasses 

and (here's the fun part) a sprinkling of cayenne pepper to taste

Mix by hand, place in 9x13 pan. Top with sliced colored bell peppers and bake at 350 degrees till bubbly and done. 

I didn't have a picture of my meatloaf, so here's our cats Mordecai and Moishe. Mord says he's be happy eat anyone's meatloaf, who cares to share. And even if they don't. 😏

International Coffee Day: 10 health perks of coffee to debunk its bad reputation

Hello my dears! In honor of International Coffee Day, let's talk the joys of java. I want to debunk caffeine's bad reputation by sharing 10 health benefits of coffee. So obviously, too much can cause the java jitters, sleep problems and possibly heart issues. But so can a lot of foods that might surprise you. Like grapes and oranges. Especially if you're premenstrual, ladies. However, the humble coffee bean has all kinds of health benefits which by my math outweigh dangers. And as in all things, we're talking moderation here: a pint of coffee vs a gallon  (ahem, husband, I'm looking over my glasses at you here 😂) So this list is based on science but also personal experience. 

Coffee perks you up, pun intended! By blocking adenosine receptors (good guys overall, but not so much if you need to be awake.) Check the NIH link for the geek speak on this topic. For plebs like me, all I need to know is that coffee wakes you up without the dangers of a pharma approach. It's important to note that these effects are temporary and a caffeine jolt should not be routinely used as substitute for good sleep. 

Coffee, or more specifically caffeine, increases alertness, energy and even productivity, reaction times and concentration. By blocking adenosine receptors coffee wards off not only sleepiness but also those so-difficult feelings of grogginess, sluggishness and mental confusion. However, the down side is that this wakefulness hits a peak after two cups of coffee or so. Continuing to chug the caffeine sends you into a downwards spiral of shaky irritability and decreased attention span and even tiredness. So you actually lose ground.  

Coffee is a pain reliever. It shrinks blood vessels and reduces inflammation. It's great for a morning headache, for example. It helps my chronic pain issues from fused vertebrae. But again, only in the 2-3 cup range. After that I'm amped, anxious and nervous which can actually increase pain. 

Coffee helped me lose weight. It's part of how I lost 100 pounds. Caffeine works in three ways to boost weight loss. It's an appetite suppressant, source of antioxidants and boosts metabolism by aiding in the breakdown of sugar. 

Coffee energizes liver functioning by impacting healthy insulin production. As a diuretic, it helps you pee out toxins. I got my liver numbers healthier by losing weight which I achieved in part with coffee and green tea supplements. 

Coffee in moderation improves my mood by reducing pain and giving focus, which then aids endurance and mental clarity.

Coffee reduces Type 2 diabetes risk. Because it improves insulin production, it prevents metabolic syndrome, also called insulin resistance. I was headed toward prediabetes before I lost 100 pounds. And again, drinking coffee helped curb hunger and more efficiently process sugar. 

Coffee can reduce risk of cancers like colorectal, prostate and endometrial. 

Coffee has been linked lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's Disease. 

Coffee is good for building gut bacteria. With its antioxidants and polyphenols, caffeine improves digestion. Again moderation is important because the acids in coffee can worsen an ulcer. So you have to know your own body. 

And that's a good thing to end with: the essential nature of listening to one's self. If your body is telling caffeine making things worse or if it's warning you that you are having trouble controlling your intake, pay attention. Your body loves you and wants what's best for you. 

 

Welcome to Num-Nums and Yum-Yums!

Hello my friends! My name's Marilisa (or Mare), known by four as Mum and 12 as Omi (grama). And I want to welcome you to my brand spanking new food blog Num-Nums and Yum-Yums. Num-Nums was our (as in mine and husband's) oldest baby Molly's word for tasty food. When paired with "bye-bye" it meant going out to eat. And Yum-Yums, well that needs no explanation. Here at NN&YY, we talk food, for the heart, soul, mind, body and spirit. We talk around the globe recipes, home-cookin', homebrewing, nostalgic meals from times past,  healthy diet tips (from my 100-lb weight loss) and even a schmidge of celeb dish. 

Harking back to the beloved 12 that call me Omi, we'll discuss shelves full of ideas for including kids in the kitchen. As a teacher, mother and homeschooler, I've got all kinds of thoughts to share on that. And I'll direct you to my blog on freeprintablelessonplans.com for more educational ideas. Are you ready to dive in? Well, drape that dish towel your arm, grab your stirrin' spoon, say the blessing and let's eat!