Don't Worry, Be Hap-pea

As much as I am a huge proponent of a healthy diet being one of the most important factors to a person’s health, its benefits can’t be fully realized unless it is paired with other healthy lifestyle choices. Top on the list of healthy lifestyle choices would be limiting stress as much as possible, getting plenty of quality sleep, fresh air, and physical activity. Now let’s be real, limiting stress can be tough, and I’ll bet that “plenty of quality sleep” line got a few good laughs out there from everyone who hasn’t had a full night’s sleep since their first baby was born. I get it! A lot of what contributes to our general health can be tough to (or completely out of our) control. Which makes it all the more important to take advantage of the things we can control! Crockpot dinners check multiple boxes on the healthy lifestyle list, including less stress, fresh air, and physical activity!

I know I’ve said it before, but I can’t stand it when three o’clock rolls around and I haven’t even thought about, let alone prepped, what I’m making for dinner that night! So having dinner cooking and all of the prep cleaned up before lunch time rolls around, is a huge stress saver for me! Even more so, knowing that if something fun is going on, I don’t have to cut it short or just cut myself out of it because I need to go make dinner, is a great feeling! And for us, those fun things almost always include fresh air and physical activity! Today it was getting out with the girls to hang out with my Dad during the day, and a bike ride with Ben and some brand new baby goslings in the evening. Do you see those girls’ faces?? Hanging out with Dad ALWAYS means we’re having fun, but when we get to do something out of the ordinary like use the big auger on the skid steer, that’s something I definitely don’t want to miss out on! Then there’s Miss Evalyn riding in the skid steer… one year old and completely sure that she could be driving it be herself after a 10 minute crash course on the controls. That girl is pure power and determination when it comes to learning to do new things! Plus we got to see the geese that we’ve been watching everyday on our walks give their brand new goslings their first swimming lesson, and get the new pooch plenty tired out with a long bike ride! These are just a handful of the wonderful things that are so good for our mind and body, but other responsibilities (like making dinner), often get in the way of them. So I’m officially redefining crockpot season as all year ‘round, with the purpose of encouraging everyone everywhere, to get out of the house and enjoy their spring and summer days doing something other than cooking dinner!

And of course, doing all of those things is far more fun and relaxing when you know that as soon as you come home, you have a health packed meal fully ready to dish up and quickly get on the table for dinner. I’ll take a break from all of the onion and garlic talk, but seriously, so good for you… But let’s chat about an incredibly under appreciated ingredient, the pea! Peas are one of those vegetables (which is a complete misnomer because they are actually a legume!) that doesn’t tend to get reached for very often within another dish. Usually they’re just the standard plain side veggie, or maybe they get mixed with some carrots if they’re really fancied up, but for as little as they tend to be utilized they are one of the most nutrient dense veggies out there! So today they get to be the star of the show with their low calorie count, high fiber content, multiple essential vitamins, concentrated protein, various minerals not commonly found in other foods, and even a hefty dose of polyphenol antioxidants. Another pleasant benefit of peas is that they are one of the few vegetables that actually increase in health benefits when cooked. Especially in a recipe like split pea soup, where the peas are soaked for an extended period of time, the cooking process aids in digestibility and mineral absorption, while remaining gentle enough to leave the nutrients fully intact. The absolute best part of this meal, though, was walking back into the house after spending the whole day with my wonderful family, and hearing them take a big sniff before getting all sorts of excited about dinner. Then sitting down and enjoying a super healthy, delicious meal together, knowing that I didn’t have to miss a single minute of the day with them!

Split Pea Soup Recipe:

1 lb. Grass Fed Ground Beef

2 Large Onions (or 1 Large Leek)

1 Bulb Garlic

2 Large Carrots

3 Celery Ribs

16 oz. Dried Green Split Peas

3-4 Bay Leaves

2 Tbsp. Dried Parsley

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper

8 C Sugar Free Broth

Chop onions, garlic, carrots and celery, then add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, stirring occasionally and being sure to break up the ground beef.