Archive by Author

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS OF A BUDDHA BOWL

A Buddha bowl is essentially a simple, one-bowl meal, typically vegetarian or vegan that includes rice, legumes, fresh vegetables, and plant proteins. Often they are served cold, but some versions are served with a warm base.

  1. whole grain or riceUntitled design - 2021-08-30T165426.328
  2. Baked Tofu, Tempeh, or plant-based protein like beans or legumes
  3. Fresh or roasted vegetables
  4. Greens or sprouts
  5. Sauce or Dressing
  6. Nuts or seeds!
  7. Your favorite, wide ceramic bowl!

HOW TO BUILD A BUDDHA BOWL:

The best Buddha bowls start with a base of rice or whole grains which can be served cold or warm. Top with plant-based protein (tofu,  edamame ( green soybeans usually sold frozen),, then greens and fresh veggies. Next, drizzle with dressing or sauce and sprinkle with seeds or nuts. Top with fresh sprouts or microgreens.  This can be made as individual servings to taste or one large bowl for everybody to enjoy!

The Latest From Charmaine August 2021

Greetings all,photo3-300x198

Trust you are enjoying summer and perhaps starting to see the fruits of your labors in the gardens.

As I write this Mid-July, I am, like many, cursing the damn mosquitoes that are trying their hardest to carry us away/bite us till we look like we got measles!.  I seem to be a target for the pesky things and have no love of this time of the year.  May they be gone ASAP!

We are currently in a holding pattern regarding traveling to see the kids in Norway.  As soon as we get the go-ahead, we plan to make a speedy exit before governments change their minds, and dash over for a 2-week family immersion!… if all goes to plan it looks like we will be gone sometime in early September…so watch this space!

Meanwhile, I quilt and yoga on with a dash or two of powerlifting thrown in and have recently had a breakthrough with my bench press, and have now got PB’s in both bench and overhead press!!  The squat is under reconstruction as I have been dealing with a shoulder problem and the deadlift and I are having serious chats as I slowly ramp up for the “winter” “Senior” Olympics scheduled for November.

So, I trust you are all keeping moving, and hydrating, and eating well from all the fresh garden bounty.  (I have included a couple of quickie recipes this month, oldies but goodies with a nice twist for a fast meal in all the heat).

STAY WELL AND GET YOUR SPINE CHECKED REGULARLY!

Call us to make an appointment today! (517) 627-4547

Latest News from Charmaine – July 2021

photo3-300x198This is a combo of “latest news” from June and July since July is almost here.

Summer seems to have just leapfrogged over Spring…I am not such a fan of hellish hot days…I worry what the heck we might experience in August?

Our local Farmer’s Market is open and we will continue to enjoy a  bounty of yumminess. Check out our article on the importance of eating the rainbow and what better time to explore with all the wonderful veggies available right now.

Check out our recipes section on our blog for new recipes, including two salads that are a variation on the classics and will keep well in the fridge too. So, when it’s too hot to cook, a nice salad goes a long way. (And, as I read recently, salads, provided they are not dripping in oily dressings, are great brain food! Double bonus for the win!)

Summertime is a chance to perhaps sneak in some R&R and we love to throw the bikes in the back of my van, pack a picnic full of farmer’s market goodness, and head for a nearby trail… a triple win- fresh air, good food, and exercise.

We had great pleasure in celebrating the 41st anniversary since we graduated and by some strange coincidence, we arrived in Grand Ledge  32 years to the same day 6/14!  (Cosmic message?  Also, we joke that we were meant to be here…Ray’s family is from Sparta, Greece…we went to Chiropractic College in Spartanburg SC, and arrived here in the land of the Spartans!)

My powerlifting meet has been postponed till November..out of the extremes of heat in a sweaty gym like we had to endure last time!

STAY HYDRATED, SEE YOU IN THE OFFICE, ON THE MAT, OR UNDER THE BARBELLS!

CHIROPRACTORS HELP THE WHOLE BODY FUNCTION BETTER

A common misconception is that since chiropractors work on the spine and structural system they are thought of as doctors who “treat” musculoskeletal problems. (Musculoskeletal or neuromusculoskeletal refers to nerves, muscles, and bones).  Well, yes, we chiropractors do work on your bones or structural system but that’s our “portal of entry” – the starting point from which our care affects the entire body. 

 Think of it this way. MDs prescribe drugs you take by mouth or give injections into the skin. But does that mean MDs are mouth and skin doctors? We never hear medical patients asking, “How can taking something in my mouth that goes to my stomach affect my asthma? Aren’t they different parts of my body?” 

Of course, we know that drugs, even if taken by mouth, are the “portal of entry” to affect the entire body. Drugs enter your blood after you (usually) swallow them to change your entire body chemistry. 

So in the same way the spine and structural system is your chiropractor’s “portal of entry” or starting point. Why? 

Untitled design (85)

Your Spine Connects to Everything

Because it’s a very powerful area – it connects you to your everything. All your body organs – lungs, bronchi, digestive system, heart, immune system organs, brain, eyes, ears, nose, throat; all your muscles, bones, discs, joints, ligaments – your entire you – are affected by the nerves coming out of your spine and structural system. For you to be healthy all of your body parts must work together in a coordinated manner. Your nerves carry messages from your brain to all your body parts so you function at 100%. Your nervous system helps organize your body so can live at your fullest potential.

 Whether you’re regulating your blood pressure, catching a baseball, fighting a cold or the flu (experiencing a cleansing), patrolling your every nook and cranny for germs and cancer cells, keeping your blood chemistry in balance, thinking, reading a wonderful patient newsletter, or doing so many other things you need your nerves to be healthy. 

Energy flows over your nerves. You need an uninterrupted nerve flow to function at 100%. And if you aren’t at 100% anything less is less than optimum is lack of health or dis-ease. 

Chiropractors have discovered a serious distortion in your spine and structural system that partially blocks or alters the nerve flow through your body. This distortion is called a subluxation. No matter where they are we’ll seek them out and fix them. And no matter what condition you are suffering from you will function better without nerve pressure. 

If you have subluxations in your body problems can arise anywhere. Why? Because your nerves interconnect in many complex ways. Therefore a pain or problem here may be related to a subluxation there. 

Life is complicated

Life is complicated and things aren’t always what they seem. The goal of healing is to get to the cause of a person’s problems and correct it, rather than just treat symptoms. That is our goal in this office. No matter what health problems you or your children are suffering from our goal is to locate and correct their subluxations – no matter where they are. 

Call us to make an appointment today! (517) 627-4547

VEGAN ASPARAGUS RISOTTO

THE ULTIMATE SPRING DISHUntitled design (70)

Serves 4

Ready for some magic? This vegan asparagus risotto is incredibly rich and creamy. So many people believe that the creaminess of risotto comes from tons of butter, cream, and cheese. But all the deliciousness comes from the starch contained in the rice. This risotto is the perfect dinner for springtime. 

  • 1 bunch asparagus (20 to 30 spears)
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 5 cups vegetable broth 
  • 1 1/2 cup Arborio rice (or Cairnaroli rice)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts toasted 
  1. Divide the asparagus tips from the stems. Cut the stems into small chunks and chop the onion.
  2. Heat the broth in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Gently cook the asparagus tips for 3-4 minutes, and set them aside.
  4. In the same pot, add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until golden. Add the rice to the pot, and let it toast for 1 minute, constantly stirring to prevent the rice from sticking to the pot and burning. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the wine. Keep stirring until the wine has evaporated.
  5. Now it’s time to cook the rice. Set a timer to 20 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus stems, then start adding the vegetable broth one or two ladle-full at a time. Keep stirring and wait for the rice to absorb most of the broth before adding more. Continue doing this until the rice is cooked.
  6. Adjust with a bit of salt and pepper, add some chopped parsley and fresh thyme, and stir well 
  7. Cover with a lid and let the asparagus risotto rest for 3 minutes. Then give it a good final stir.
  8. Serve in individual plates, topped with the asparagus tips, some fresh thyme, spring onions, and toasted pine nuts.  Vegan parmesan is optional!

SOUTHWEST CHICKPEA SALAD

SOUTHWEST CHICKPEA SALAD + CREAMY AVOCADO-LIME DRESSING Untitled design (69)

Serves 2-3

  • 5 – 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes halved
  • ½ cup fresh corn off the cob, canned is ok too
  • chile pepper (hatch, Anaheim, or jalapeno pepper), seeds removed and sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped 
  • tortilla strips, to serve
  • a handful of pepitas, to serve
  • lime wedges, to serve

Avocado-Lime Dressing

  • 1 medium avocado
  • ¼ cup loosely packed cilantro stems removed/parsley works too!
  • juice of 1 lime                               
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder           
  • salt, to taste
  • ⅛ – ¼ cup water, + more as needed

Dressing: Combine the ingredients for the cilantro-lime dressing in a small blender or food processor (I used the Nutri-bullet). Blend until creamy stopping to scrape down the sides as needed every now and then, add extra water a little at a time as needed to thin. Taste for flavor adding anything extra. Pinch more salt? Pinch more cumin or squeeze of lime? Blend well.

Salad: Assemble your salad by adding the romaine lettuce to your serving dish, top with corn, red onion, chickpeas, tomatoes, cilantro. Lastly, add pepitas (pumpkin seeds), tortilla strips and a good drizzle of the dressing, and a squeeze of lime over top.

DIY tortilla strips: Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees F. Brush 2 corn tortillas lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with a chili powder mix & mineral salt. Cut into thin strips, place on a baking sheet in a single layer, bake in the oven or toaster oven, rotating once, for about 10 – 12 minutes, until crisp and golden.)

GREEK QUINOA SALAD

FROM THE SIMPLE VEGANISTAUntitled design (68)

Serves  4-6

Prep Time: 15 min

 

  • cup dried quinoa, rinsed               
  • 1 ¾ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half (diced red bell pepper would work here too)
  • 1 cup English cucumber, diced
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • 1 jar (7 oz) kalamata olives (about 1 cup), pitted and sliced
  • ¼ cup loosely packed fresh parsley, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
  • mineral salt & fresh cracked pepper, to taste
  • juice of 1 large lemon
  • drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)
  • pepperoncini, to serve
  • lemon slices, to serve (optional)
  • arugula, to serve (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Quinoa: Rinse the quinoa using a fine-mesh strainer. In a medium-size pot, add the water, quinoa, and garlic powder and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover and let stand for 10 – 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Assemble: Once quinoa is ready, add in the chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives, and parsley. Mix well. Season with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and the juice of 1 large lemon.

Serve on a bed of arugula or as is. Tastes great with pepperoncini and a little extra lemon juice over top. Add extra virgin olive oil if you wish. Season to taste with salt + pepper.

This dish can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Latest Update from Charmaine – May/June 2021

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

– Aristotle

The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
– George Bernard Shaw

Greetings all,photo3-300x198

Well, we tasted a little bit of Summer one day in April…although I feel that was too soon!

Anyhow…we progress slowly through Spring, and while my tulip magnolia took a huge hit with the heavy frost we had in mid-April, I am ecstatic to see that my weeping redbud and apple tree don’t appear to have been affected and are blossoming nicely.

We seem to be edging close to a pre-pandemic “normal” and it is my sincere hope that some of the joys/lessons we may have discovered during varying stages of lockdown are not lost….the joy of cooking from scratch, the joy of family, the joy of a new craft being revealed or a new hobby discovered (or even revisiting old ones like knitting). Or the importance of connection.

Mother Nature has continued on her path thru’ the pandemic and she now offers us a fabulous opportunity to really enjoy her this spring as we plant gardens, plant new stuff, maybe even put a veggie garden in  (or some pots with veggies).

Make this an awesome Spring (you have the power of choice after all).

SEE YOU IN THE OFFICE, ON THE YOGA MAT, UNDER THE BARBELLS!

 

MUSHROOM, ONION AND PEPPER TACOS (Rachel Ray)

 Serves 4   

Ingredients

  • 3  tbsp. canola or olive oilUntitled design (35)
  • 3/4 lb. cremini mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
  • 3 poblano chiles—halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
  • 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced          
  • 4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 large jalapeño, thinly sliced                              
  • 1 tbsp. (a scant palmful) ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped                   
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lime, juiced (about 2 tbsp.)                               
  • 12 small (5- to 6-inch) soft corn tortillas

Toppings: chopped or shredded little gem lettuce, crumbled queso asadero or queso fresco, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, and hot sauce

Directions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high to high. Add the oil, three turns of the pan. Cook the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the poblanos, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing often until the chiles are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Douse with lime juice. 

In a large, dry skillet over high heat or directly over the open flame on a gas stovetop, cook the tortillas, turning occasionally, until charred in spots, about 2 minutes.

Fill the tortillas with the poblano mixture; top with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, cilantro, and hot sauce. 

 

CHICKPEA TACOS

Buffalo Chickpea Tacos are a quick, easy and delicious meal ready in 20 minutes!

Vegan, gluten-free, and WFPB recipe. 

Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or 1 can (15oz.), drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powderchick peas
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons hot sauce (sriracha, Franks, etc.), or to taste
  • corn tortillas, warmed
  • ½ avocado, sliced
  • ¼ head cabbage (red or green), shredded
  • green onions, thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup cilantro (optional)  Not for me Dr. C
  • sour cream 
  • lime wedges, to serve

Directions

Spiced Chickpeas: In a small pan, combine the chickpeas, garlic + onion powder, cumin, paprika, tamari, and as much hot sauce to suit your taste. Warm chickpea mixture over medium heat until warmed through. Alternatively, warm the chickpeas in the microwave, using a microwave-safe bowl, for 45 – 60 seconds.

Warm the tortillas: I do this carefully on the stovetop over an open flame to give it some charring on the edges. Stack them on top of each other to keep them warm, you can also place them in a tortilla warmer.

Assemble: Layer each tortilla with buffalo chickpeas, avocado, cabbage, green onions, cilantro, and a drizzle of sour cream

Serves 3, two tacos per serving

Store: Leftover chickpea mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 – 6 days, in a covered container.

Call to make an appointment:  517.627.4547