NEW RECIPE: How do I describe these beautiful croutons? Let me just say that we now have to negotiate our croutons before dinner. HE wants to make sure I don’t get more than he does. And I need to make sure he doesn’t steal any before I toss the salad. They are that good! I will never make croutons the old way, where they are toasted through and sometimes too crunchy. These babies are crispy and toasted on the outside and still soft on the inside, basically they’re mini chunks of crusty bread.
I use my own no knead bread recipe and here’s how I do it: Once the bread has cooled, I slice and then cut the entire loaf into big cubes. I place them in a freezer bag and into the freezer. An hour before dinner, I take out some cubes (always an even number to keep everyone honest!) and let them thaw a bit or thaw them in the warming toaster oven for 5 minutes. Then into a plastic bag with the oil, salt & pepper, and then into the oven to bake. After about 15 minutes, when they’re gold and crispy, I remove and transfer them to a plate to cool down – and divide!
When we sit down to eat, his croutons are on one side of the plate and mine are on the other. We do another count and once our numbers match up, we are both free to eat. This may seem exaggerated, but this is exactly how we eat these croutons with our salads – honest and fair, kind of how life should be, don’t you think? Life lessons through croutons… 😍
I really should have started stretching earlier in life. I began in earnest over a year ago and at first, I pushed too hard and my muscles were not cooperating, saying, “Hey, wait a minute! We don’t stretch just because you decided to start at 78 years old! Take it easy, lady, or we’ll give you a charley horse you’ll never forget!” I got the message and started slowly. I persevered and soon, my muscles started stretching and it felt good. Muscles tighten as we age and stretching helps loosen them up. And it seems to make them friendlier, too. They don’t yell at me as much these days.
Even now, my stretching should be better but I keep at it. I’m pretty sure if I went to a yoga class, they would ask me to leave, because I was bringing down the vibe in the room, insisting that the class is full. “I only see 5 people here but okay… I guess I’m “na ma stay here.” 🙂
There are so many reasons why stretching is important as we age. Regular stretching:
Keeps your joints flexible.
Increases blood flow.
Helps relieve joint pain and tightness.
Improves posture
Makes things easier like bending down, reaching up, even walking.
Decreases the risk of injuries.
Relieves stress, bringing calm and relaxation.
How To Stretch:
Hold the stretch for 30 seconds if you can.
Don’t bounce.
If it hurts, you’re pushing too hard. Stretching should not hurt.
How I Stretch:
I do most of my stretching before bed.
I also find ways to stretch throughout the day.
I put things on upper shelves, forcing me to stretch when I reach for them.
If something falls, it’s an opportunity to try touching my toes to pick it up.
If I drop something again, this time I squat down to pick it up.
After sitting for a while, before standing up I lean down and touch the floor to stretch my back.
I try to hold my stretches for 30 seconds but it’s boring and sometimes I cheat.
If I get a cramp, my muscles get mad. “What part of 30 seconds did you not understand?!”
