Ever since I was a little kid I remember having a profound respect for our military. Maybe it was because I lost both of my Grandpas before I was born and they were both veterans, or maybe it was because I saw my parents come to complete attention every time The Star Spangled Banner played at a sporting event. Whatever the case, I’ve always had a special reverence for what those men and women who put themselves in harms way do to keep me safe and comfortable.
I know it’s cliche, but I wish we had a way to remember the many men and women who have put their country first, many making the ultimate sacrifice, every day of the year. Wars don’t only come around on Novemeber 11th. They’re going on 365 days a year and we only stop and remember on 1 of those days. It feels like we’re showing gratitude 1/365th of what we should be. Here’s a small nudge to keep the troops in the back of our minds all year long and participate in events that support them when we’re given the opportunity.
Wherever you stand on the politics behind war is irrelevant when it comes to our troops. They choose to support our country and fight to keep us safe. Their hard work and selflessness is one of the primary reasons that we have the longest standing democracy in the world. We didn’t just get lucky. We’ve had people working to protect our government and our people since the beginning.
To all those soldiers and military who have come before and those who are out there defending us now, I wish you a very Happy Veteran’s Day!
Cranberries
I didn’t have any idea how to make the segue from Veteran’s to cranberries without being too light-hearted or disrespectful so I just used a big header and called it good. It works right? Anyway, today’s food is cranberries. It’s funny because the same way that I’ve loved our troops since a very young age, I’ve loathed cranberries for just as long. I blame it on my Thanksgiving experiences as a child.
When describing my extended family you might reference sites like People of Walmart and There I Fixed It. We’re pretty much Klassy with a capital K. That means that I remember some of my earliest Thanksgiving dinners including some of that cranberry gel goo that comes out of a can. The consistency kind of reminded me of cream of mushroom soup and I could not handle it. It was awful! For years I haven’t been brave enough to touch cranberries. It wasn’t until about 5 years ago that I realized that the goo I was accustomed to is actually about .002 percent real cranberries. I tried some fresh cranberries in a citrus salad and you know what? They were pretty dang good!
Since then I’ve started using them for quite a few different things, most notably in my smoothies. The thing with cranberries is they can become overpowering very quickly so always err on the side of adding too little first. The great thing is that they’re awesome for your kidney health!
Here’s my breakfast smoothie recipe that includes cranberries:
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Cran-Peach Breakfast Smoothie
1 Cup Skim Milk 6-8 Ice cubes 1 Scoop of your favorite protein powder 1 1/2 Cups Raw Spinach 2/3 Cup Frozen Peaches (sweet to balance the sour) 1/8 Cup Frozen Cranberries 2 Tbsp Walnuts or Pecans
1 Tbsp flax (optional)