Galion Town Money Saver | January FOM 2023

Warm up with these

SOUP-er

Reci p es

French Onion Soup

• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter

• 6 cups sliced Vidalia or Spanish onions

Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 2/3 cups lentils (11 ounces), rinsed

w/ Italian Sausage & Escarole

• 5 cups water • 1 bay leaf • ½ tsp. thyme

• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

• 4 garlic cloves, nely chopped, divided

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage

– remove casing

• ½ cup ham diced (optional)

• 1 medium onion, nely chopped

• 2 medium carrots, nely chopped

• 2 celery ribs, nely chopped

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 4 cups packed escarole, chopped

• 1 to 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

• ½ tsp. oregano • ½ tsp. red pepper

• Salt and black pepper

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose our

• 1/4 cup dry sherry

• 5 cups beef stock In a large stockpot or Dutch oven set over medium-low heat, sauté the onion in the olive oil until tender. Add the carrot, celery and garlic, cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the sausage and brown, braking it into bits as it cooks. Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the chopped ham (optional), chicken broth, vinegar and bring the soup to a boil. Pour in the lentils along with the remaining seasonings/ spices and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender, and liquid reduces, about 40-45 min.

Creamy Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cups sliced mushrooms

• 3/4 cup celery-chopped

• 3/4 cup carrots-chopped

• Small onion-chopped

• 1/4 cup our • Salt & Pepper

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 Tablespoon parsley

• 2-3 cups turkey or chicken

• 1 box Uncle Ben’s 10 minute wild rice

• 1 carton chicken broth

• Garlic salt & chicken bouillon (optional)

Prepare wild rice according to box instruction - set aside.

In Large soup pan: saute onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms in oil until soft. Add our, salt, pepper & garlic salt cook 2 minutes-stirring. Add broth & bouillon, bring to boil. Simmer 2- 3 minutes

Stir in rice, meat, parsley and sour cream till heated thru (about 2 minutes). I use a butterball frozen turkey breast, roasted it in the oven. Cut up half for the soup and used the other half for a turkey meal.

• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

• 8 slices Gruyere cheese (or Swiss) plus 1 cup

• Grated Gruyere cheese

• 2 cups croutons

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions all at once and a small splash of water. Season the onions with salt and pepper. Bring the onions to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce the heat if the onions begin to cook too fast. Cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. (If you want a sweeter soup, continue to cook the onions until they caramelize to the richness of your preference.)

Add the our and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sherry and cook for a few minutes longer. Add the beef stock, bring to a very low simmer; simmer for about 35 min. Preheat the broiler to nish the soup. Add the thyme to the soup and simmer for 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Remove the herbs. Ladle the soup into 4 soup crocks. Cover each crock with 2 slices of cheese and some croutons, then top with the shredded Gruyere. Transfer the crocks to a baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and browns.

Cauliflower Stilton Soup

• 1 med. onion, nely chopped

• 2 celery ribs, nely chopped

• 2 1/4 cups cauli ower, cut into 1” orets • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter or Olive Oil • 2 cups chicken broth • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp whole milk

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

• 1/3 cup crumbled Stilton (or Gorganzola) cheese (2 oz)

• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

orets

Cook onion, celery, and cauli ower in butter in a 3 1/2- to 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion and celery are softened, 8-10 min. Add broth and 1 cup milk and simmer, covered, until cauli ower is very tender, about 25 min.

Purée cauli ower mixture in 2 batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), then return to cleaned saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk together cornstarch and remaining 2 tablespoons milk in a small bowl until cornstarch is dissolved, then add to soup and simmer, whisking, until soup is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add Stilton, cream, pepper, and salt and cook over low heat, whisking, until Stilton is melted and soup is smooth, about 1 min.

***: You can skip the cornstarch step and use more cauli ower to thicken.

Garnish: Crumbled Stilton & steamed cauli ower

Do’s & Don’ts OF HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS

DON’T overlook the impact of beverages on weight loss. e calories in sugary beverages, including some all-natural fruit juices, can add up quickly. Stick to water, tea or other unsweetened beverages to help with weight loss.

Maintaining a healthy weight promotes long-term health. Being overweight or obese are risk factors for various conditions, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. e World Health Organization reports that the worldwide obesity rate has tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight. Of these, more than 650 million were obese.

Health issues related to obesity are largely preventable. Losing weight in a healthy manner is essential for safe and lasting results. Individuals aspiring to lose weight can follow these guidelines on what to do and what not to do.

DO add lean protein sources to your diet. Healthline indicates the body burns calories when digesting and metabolizing protein, so a high-protein diet can help to shed up to 80 to 100 calories per day. Protein also helps you to feel full, reducing the propensity to overeat.

DON’T get hung up on numbers early on. e Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that even modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight is bound to produce health bene ts, such as improvements in blood sugar levels, cholesterol and blood pressure. Start small and gradually build up.

DO eat at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruits daily. Produce contains an abundance of vital nutrients and is o en ber-rich and low in calories, which helps you to feel full.

DO get moving more. e Mayo Clinic notes that while it is possible to lose weight without exercise, getting moving can help burn o the excess calories you can’t cut through diet alone. Exercise boosts metabolism and bene ts mood and strengthens muscles and the cardiovascular system as well.

DON’T go shopping while hungry. If you do, you may make impulse buys that compromise healthy eating plans.

DO speak with a doctor if you are vetting diet and exercise plans. A healthcare professional can assist you by indicating if a particular diet or tness routine is acceptable for your age, goals and current health status.

DON’T forget to track eating. Most healthy diets involve some sort of calorie-counting, whether they actually require you to document your intake or use a formula to attribute “points” or another measure related to what you eat. Writing or tracking the foods and beverages you consume will provide the most honest assessment of habits that could a ect weight loss.

DO include foods you enjoy. Completely restricting access to occasional treats may cause you to resent healthy eating, which can derail weight loss goals. e principle of moderation can apply to healthy weight loss as long as you account for the more calorie-dense foods.

Losing weight in a healthy manner is achievable when you seek guidance and follow some time-tested techniques. ❤

When the new year arrives, many people focus on changes that can be implemented in the months of come. is time of year is a popular one to make resolutions to clean and organize homes and o ces. ere are plenty of things that can use a little organizational attention. ere’s no ideal way to get organized. Whatever works is a good approach, but the following are six strategies to help individuals clear the clutter.

1. Utilize To-Do Lists – People tend to be less productive when they’re storing all of their tasks in their brains. e rst step to getting organized is to remove those plans from the head and put them down on paper or in some other tracking tool. A digital to-do list manager, for example, enables you to see all of your tasks, deadlines and due dates in one place so you can get things done more e ciently. Carry around a notepad or use the digital notes app on a phone to jot down thoughts and needs as they come up.

2. Corral Your “Smalls” – Smalls are keys, phones, chargers, wallets, headphones, and other accessories. When these items are grouped together, they’re easier to nd so you can stay on track. Invest in an attractive organizer and install it by the front door or another high-tra c area. You’ll cut down on trying to nd those smaller items when running errands.

3. Conquer Clutter Regularly – It’s easy to be put o by cleaning and organizing when clutter has gotten out of control. Instead, by cleaning up items on a daily or weekly basis,

it’s much easier to keep ahead of clutter. Treat it like a daily job, including sorting mail and tossing unnecessary items; emptying waste pails; dusting the desk; deleting emails; and putting items back where they belong.

4. Categorize Emails – Utilize the folder creation option from popular email providers to sort your messages. Drop messages that need attention into categories of your choosing, such as school, health and receipts. en you’ll know which folder to go into when searching for what you need, eliminating the time-consuming task of scrolling through a full inbox.

5. Give One; Toss One – When bringing new items into the home, follow the procedure of giving away or throwing out one item for each new item that is received or purchased. is can help to tame clutter.

6. Mise En Place Your Life – “Mise en place” is French for “put in place.” It is used in the kitchen to refer to preparing and setting out all ingredients needed in a recipe. e same concept can be used elsewhere. Lay out clothing on the dresser for the next day at work or school. Prep the foyer of a home with items you need, like an umbrella, shoes and paperwork. Organize backpacks so they’re ready for the school day. Establish a to-go bag at work for items that need to be brought home.

Getting organized can be as simple as taking small steps that have lasting impact. Y