by Guest | May 11, 2022 | Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 cup chili sauce (about 9 ounces)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat (350 degrees F in an electric skillet). Add the oil and chicken and cook until it is not pink inside after cutting.
- Reduce heat to medium (300 degrees F in an electric skillet).
- Add the tomatoes with juice and the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover skillet and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Serve over cooked rice or pasta. Use brown rice or whole-wheat pasta to include whole grains.
- No chili sauce? Make your own sauce by mixing these ingredients:
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
Photo and Recipe Source: https://www.foodhero.org/recipes/chicken-creole
by Guest | May 4, 2022 | Recipes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon spice such as cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice (optional)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup non-fat or 1% milk (add 2 Tablespoons for thinner pancakes)
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the spice, if desired.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg until well blended. Add milk and oil. Add the vanilla, if desired.
- Add liquids to dry ingredients and stir just until lumps disappear.
- Lightly spray a large skillet or griddle with non-stick cooking spray or lightly wipe with oil. Heat skillet or griddle over medium-high heat (350 degrees F in an electric skillet). The skillet is hot enough when a few drops of water sprinkled on it skitter and bounce around.
- Pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the hot skillet or griddle. Cook until bubbles come to the surface of the pancake and the edges start to look dry. Turn over. Cook until cooked through and the bottom is golden brown.
- Refrigerate leftover pancakes and enjoy them reheated for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Combine wet ingredients ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
- Mix the dry ingredients ahead of time and store in a sealed container.
- No eggs? Replace them with 2 Tablespoons water.
- Replace the milk with buttermilk.
Variations:
Whole wheat – use whole wheat pastry flour or replace about half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of water or milk if batter is too thick.
Oatmeal – replace about half the flour with rolled oats. Soak the rolled oats in the milk for 5 minutes before mixing the batter.
Corn Cakes – Omit the sugar, replace up to half the flour with cornmeal and add 1/2-1 cup of cooked corn.
Buttermilk – replace the milk with buttermilk; reduce the baking powder to 2 teaspoons and add ½ teaspoon baking soda.
Apple – Add ½ cup apple shredded or cut into small pieces to the liquid ingredients.
Berry – Try blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or a mix. After batter is poured on the skillet or griddle, sprinkle the tops with berries, before turning to cook the other side. No need to thaw frozen berries.
Pumpkin – Add 1/2 cup canned pumpkin.
Zucchini – Try 1/2 cup grated, squeezed, zucchini.
Waffles – This batter also works great in waffle makers!
Photo & Recipe Source: https://www.foodhero.org/recipes/favorite-pancakes-eggs
by Guest | May 3, 2022 | Being Well
Each year, people across the nation recognize the month of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. This month-long health observance is a great time for community members to focus on mental health. A few ways community members can observe Mental Health Awareness Month are by learning about mental health topics, identifying local mental health resources, supporting local prevention and treatment efforts, and highlighting behaviors that may help to keep yourself mentally healthy.
Connections can help a person stay mentally healthy. These connections have benefits including increased self-esteem, increased happiness, reduced anxiety, increased empathy, improved relationships, and a greater life purpose. Connections can take place both internally within yourself and externally by interacting with those around you. Three types of connections that are important are connections to yourself, connection with friends and family, and connections to local resources.
Connect with Yourself: Self-care is the act of taking intentional steps to provide yourself with care. Self-care is accessible to anyone, can cost as much or as little as you would like, and does not have to be time consuming. Health screenings, health checkups, eating a balanced diet, staying hydrated, getting quality sleep, grooming, exercising, writing in a journal, breathing exercises, meditation, time management, spending time in nature, and practicing mindfulness are all forms of self-care that you may consider.
Connect with Friends and Family: Connecting with friends and family is a great way to get emotional support, learn from others’ experiences, and to have fun. Community members can maintain their current relationships by keeping in touch, whether that’s by sending a text or email, setting up a video conference meeting, making a phone call, sending a direct message on social media, or meeting up to spend time together. Community members can develop new connections to expand their social circle by volunteering, attending a class or training, joining a club, going to a community event, going to a health center, joining a committee at work, or by joining one of the Tillamook County Wellness walking groups.
Connect to local resources: Four resources to consider are the Tillamook County Wellness’s This Way to Well-Being, Tillamook County Wellness’s website, 2022 Best of Health and Wellness Guide, and prevention programs presented by the Tillamook Family Counseling Center.
- This Way to Well-Being: Tillamook County Wellness’s “This Way to Well-Being” map activity is an activity for both individuals and families. The points of interest on this map are health-focused and divided into categories that represent different aspects of well-being, including activities centered on connecting with yourself and others. These include attending a training, getting an annual check-up, checking in on a loved one, starting a daily gratitude routine, volunteering, and attending a community event. Visit our website to view the map and learn about how you can win a prize for participating in one of these activities.
- Tillamook County Wellness Website: The Tillamook County Wellness (TCW) website is reliable place to get health and wellness information. The website features blogs, a community calendar, and information about local resources. Community members can find resources in the connect-well section of the website. This section includes resources for mental health services, chronic disease management, child development, childcare, community education, financial assistance, access to food, and so much more.
- The 2022 Best of Health and Wellness Guide: This guide has a health and wellness directory, short bios of select local health providers, articles, and other resources. The guide can be downloaded at the Headlight Herald website.
- Tillamook Family Counseling Prevention Programs: Throughout the year, the Tillamook Family Counseling Center offers a variety of programs including underage substance use prevention, problem gambling prevention, suicide prevention, and parent supports. Two programs that will be offered in May are “Introduction to Underage Substance Use and Gambling Prevention” and Question, Persuade, and Refer Gatekeeper training (suicide prevention training). The “Introduction to Underage Substance Use and Gambling Prevention” presentation will be offered virtually May 9th from 10:00-11:00AM. The Question, Persuade, and Refer Gatekeeper training will be offered virtually May 11th from 10:00-11:30AM. For more information about these trainings email janeanek@tfcc.org.
To stay up to date on the latest wellness news be sure to sign up for the TCW newsletter and follow TCW on Facebook and Instagram.
AUTHOR: Janeane Krongos, Tillamook Family Counseling Center
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
by Guest | Apr 27, 2022 | Recipes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ pound lean ground beef (15% fat)
- 1 onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced, or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 small zucchini, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) tomato-based pasta sauce
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 12 ounces rotini pasta (about 4 cups)
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- In a large skillet, cook beef, onion, garlic and zucchini over medium-high heat (350 degrees F in an electric skillet) until meat is browned and broken into pieces. Drain any fat (see Notes).
- Add the pasta sauce, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes, if desired. Bring to a simmer and cook on medium low (275 degrees F in an electric skillet) for 15 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in boiling water according to package directions.
- Drain the pasta and add to the sauce in the skillet. Stir in the cheese and cover until the cheese is melted.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Notes
- Substitute broccoli for zucchini. Cook fresh broccoli with the pasta in step 3 or add frozen broccoli in step 2.
- Pour fat from cooked meat into a metal container. Let it cool, then dispose of it in a garbage can.
Source: https://www.foodhero.org/recipes/cheesy-beef-pasta
by Guest | Apr 27, 2022 | Work Well
Where we live, work, play, learn, and age has a significant impact on our health. Most Americans spend more than one third of their day, five days per week at their workplace, making this environment inherently tied to our daily routines and overall health. Our workplace can influence our physical well-being, social relationships, and mental health, either positively or negatively depending on the environment. Although employers have the responsibility of providing a safe and hazard-free workplace, they also have the opportunity to promote and prioritize individual employee health. As pointed out by Justin Aufdemauer, the Tillamook Chamber of Commerce President, “Creating a culture of health in our workplaces is important. When the work environment is motivating and fun, there is a greater sense of community. Employees who feel supported are more productive, happier, and healthier.”
Often when we think of “health and wellness,” we think of the goals and intentions we set for ourselves, such as physical exercise after work or packing healthy lunches. Yet, because our workplaces have such a strong impact on our overall well-being, we also included workplace-related activities within our “This Way to Well-Being” map. This activity provides a range of fun, local activities that you can try here in Tillamook County. To learn more about the map and how you can win a prize, visit our website here.
There are several “stops” along the map that serve as starting points for prioritizing workplace wellness:
Take a Stretch or Walk Break:
Sitting or standing for long periods of time can lead to physical imbalances, chronic pain, and illness, but short movement breaks throughout the day can help. To incorporate more movement into your day, try parking a bit farther away from the office, taking the stairs, or scheduling “walking meetings” with your coworkers. You might also find it helpful to set a reminder to stand, stretch and move at your workstation throughout the day. For guidance on a stretching routine you can use at work, visit the Tillamook County Wellness YouTube page for short videos from local YMCA fitness instructors.
Practice Financial Wellness:
Our work and our finances are directly intertwined, and most people report feeling stressed about money at some point in their lives. Thinking about where to start can feel overwhelming, especially when there may be aspects of our finances that we have more or less control over. The first step towards “financial wellness” is taking the time to track monthly spending habits and using that to consciously plan for how much you would like to realistically spend each month. There are many free resources available for creating a budget, including free apps for your phone like Mint (which can also be used in a web browser), or you can find pre-made budgeting templates in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Check out this recent TCW blog about financial wellness and keep an eye out for more resources coming this summer.
Start a Workplace Wellness Group:
As defined by the World Health Organization, “A healthy workplace is one in which workers and managers collaborate to use a continual improvement process to protect and promote the health, safety, and well-being of all workers.”
Whether you are an employee or an employer, it is worthwhile to take a moment to consider how your work environment can support the wellbeing of you and your coworkers. Are there workplace policies or programs that could support employee physical, mental, social, and emotional wellbeing? Who in your organization would be interested in working towards creating a healthier environment? As a starting point in developing a workplace wellness group, visit the workplace wellness tab on our website.
For more information and resources about the above activities, visit our This Way to Well-Being page and explore our website. By participating in our well-being campaign, you may be eligible to win a prize! See our website or Facebook page for details.
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
