A Friendly Nudge - Don't take it for granted!
...because we all could use a little encouragement!
I never would have guessed that a single word could sound so sweet, but once a year, I’m reminded of how beautiful the word, “undetectable” sounds to me. I’ve been officially cancer free for 6 years, but I’ll never take that status for granted.
When I talk about the importance of building a reservoir of strength and resilience while we’re healthy, that’s not some theoretical conjecture. My cancer recovery wasn’t effortless but it was immensely easier because I had already started working on improving my health. Cancer was a powerful motivator to continue what I had started.
There are a lot of things that are outside of my control and I know that I’m not well served by spending time worrying about them. I’m not perfect at that, but I’m trying to be a little more deliberate about redirecting that energy toward being grateful for today and doing something, even if it’s miniscule, to build that strength and resilience rainy day fund.
Eating real food is something we can control, so let’s make some green beans with a tarragon vinaigrette!
A simple sauce or vinaigrette is such an easy way to elevate your cooking game and tarragon is a tasty way to add some vitamins and minerals as a bonus.
Ingredients
1-2 pounds of trimmed and washed green beans
½ shallot, finely chopped
1-2 tbsp fresh tarragon, remove any large stems and chop the leaves and thin stems
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½-⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tsp dijon mustard
This one is super tasty and extremely easy.
Get a large pot of salted water up to a rolling boil, add the green beans and set a timer for 5-6 minutes. You want the green beans where they’re cooked but still have some crunch. Take them out of the water and add them to an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
To make the vinaigrette chop up a handful of tarragon and be sure to remove any woody stems. Mince ½ shallot, add tarragon and shallot to a bowl and add the white wine vinegar. Let that sit for a few minutes and then add the EVOO and the dijon. Mix well and then spoon over the green beans.
The vinaigrette tastes great on a variety of dishes from grilled chicken and fish to eggplant, green beans and asparagus.
Enjoy!
Now let’s work on the strength and resiliency rainy day fund.