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Best Produce For April PLUS Recipes

Donna Nichols • March 29, 2021

Best Produce for April and Yummy Recipes

You may wonder what produce is in season for the month of April, well here is a list of them for you.

Asparagus, avocado, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, citrus fruits, greens, leeks, mushrooms, peas, radishes, and sweet potatoes.

I’m going to highlight two underrated yet very beneficial vegetables we should all be eating more of, sweet potatoes and beets !!!

But before I do, be sure to check out our post on the best diet to help you live a longer and healthier life. It has some wonderful information about other foods that are beneficial to you too. 

Let’s start off with a sweet potato recipe:

Did you know that sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals? They are rich in antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals and the fiber and antioxidants in sweet potatoes are helpful to your gut health. Sweet potatoes contain two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

Your body cannot digest either type, which means the fiber stays within your digestive tract and provides a variety of gut-related health benefits. Sweet potatoes offer various antioxidants, which may help protect against certain types of cancers.

Vanilla Bean Sweet Potato Waffles
Ingredients

Ingredients

2 small sweet potatoes, roasted and cooled
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/4 cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. To roast the potatoes, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Wrap whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes in foil, place on a rimmed baking sheet and allow to bake until a fork inserted in the potato meets no resistance. Depending on the size of your potatoes, this could take 30 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and allow to rest until cool enough to handle. Peel the potatoes, discard the peel, and mash well with a fork. Measure 1 cup of potatoes for the waffles.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.

3. In another medium bowl combine brown sugar and vanilla beans. Use your fingers to rub the two together, infusing the brown sugar with vanilla. If you’re using vanilla extract, add vanilla to the eggs and sugar after they’re beaten together.

4. Whisk in the eggs until well combined. (Add the vanilla extract here, if using.) Whisk in the melted butter, maple syrup, and buttermilk. Stir to combine.

5. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir well to combine thoroughly. Allow it to rest while the waffle iron heats.

6. Spray waffle iron if it isn’t already nonstick. Add waffle batter and cook according to your specific waffle iron.

7. Serve warm with pure maple syrup. These waffles also freeze very well once baked.

Now, let’s take a look at beets. Beets are packed with essential nutrients, beetroots are a great source of fiber, vitamin B9, manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. Beetroots and its juice have been associated with numerous health benefits, including improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise performance. Here’s an easy beet recipe that sounds absolutely DELISH!!!!

Berry-Beet Salad

Ingredients
recipe for beet salad

1 each fresh red and golden beets
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons walnut oil
1 teaspoon honey
Dash salt
Dash pepper
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh blackberries
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
1 shallot, thinly sliced
4 cups torn mixed salad greens
1 ounce fresh goat cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh basil, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Place beets in an 8-in. square baking dish; add 1 in. of water. Cover and bake at 400° for 30-40 minutes or until tender.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper; set aside. Cool beets; peel and cut into thin slices.

3. In a large bowl, combine the beets, berries, walnuts and shallot. Pour dressing over the beet mixture and toss gently to coat. Divide salad greens among 4 serving plates. Top with beet mixture; sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Seasonal produce for the month of April brings something for everyone, find something you love and go get it. If you have a favorite place that has the BEST produce around, drop me a line at almsnsb@gmail.com and let me know where! I’m always on the lookout for new places to shop. Happy spring, happy shopping, and happy April!!

If you need help or encouragement as a Caregiver give us a call at  386-847-2322  or check out our  Caregiver Support Group. Our  Senior Advisors  are here to walk with you through this journey.

Make Valentine’s Day Special for Seniors

By Donna Nichols • February 5, 2025
Valentine’s Day tends to zero in on romantic love, but what about our seniors? They too often get forgotten. We have some ways to make Valentine’s Day special for them too. Spend the day with your loved one. Spending quality time with a loved one is more important to a senior than anything else. There is no greater gift than time and please make sure you have enough, so you are not rushed. Do your elderly loved one have a favorite meal? Perhaps you can prepare it for them, or if they are able, you can prepare it together. How fun would that be for you both? Be sure to discuss the enjoyment it brought you while you are sharing the meal together. How about a game of name that love song? You could prepare a playlist of love songs from the generation and play them to see how many they get correct. Or, if you can sing, you can sing some for them and see if they can recollect them. Take some time for reminiscing, go through old photo albums, or ask about old times. Ask them about when you were young and what trouble you caused; this will give you all something to laugh (or cry) about. Has your loved one been cooped up all winter? Take them out for a nice lunch, or weather permitting, a picnic in the park. Go for coffee and a donut, then head out to see a movie. Make a “date” of it. Maybe your senior is into crafts. You can design special Valentine’s Day cards for other family members. This way your senior can express their love for them and send it to them in their own unique way. You can create other greeting cards as well. Bake some special treats together. Does your senior have some favorite cookies or cake? You could bake it together, or you can bake it for them. Then you can enjoy it after you have the meal you prepared together. Yummy, delicious!! You can watch some romantic movies together if they prefer to stay in the house or the weather isn’t so good. If they like to color, you can buy them some of those large coloring books and you can color together. Don’t forget the decorations and the flowers! Make the house or apartment as festive as possible. Even if they live in as assisted living community, you can still decorate their room to the nines! Make it as festive as possible! If you live in another state or can’t be close to your senior for Valentine’s Day, how about sending them a specially crafted care package. You can hand make some gifts, add some photos of family and friends, and send a personally recorded message. You can bake some homemade treats and incorporate some things that are of personal interest to them. This will show how much you care for them and make their Valentine’s Day extra special even if you can’t be with them.  There are so many ways to make Valentine’s Day special for seniors. Let’s not forget about them; make sure to show them they are so loved too!

February is National Heart Month

By Donna Nichols • February 4, 2025
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Hydration Tips for the Winter

By Donna Nichols • January 8, 2025
I’ve written many blogs about the importance of staying hydrated in the summer, but did you know it’s just as important to stay hydrated in the winter months? I’ve shared some important tips on how to stay hydrated in the winter and why. Cold, dry air can dehydrate you easily and quickly. Even if you don’t feel thirsty. Proper hydration can help regulate your body temperature, maintain healthy organ function, and prevent fatigue, dry skin, and headaches. In the colder months, you do not feel thirsty, that’s why it’s so important to make sure you drink plenty of water. Why is winter hydration so important? Colder air tends to be drier causing moisture to evaporate through your breathing which can cause dehydration. In colder weather, you may not feel as thirsty, causing you to become dehydrated quickly. Also, wearing more clothing traps sweat inside your clothing causing more fluid loss. What are some of the benefits of staying hydrated in the winter? • Drinking enough water helps keep your skin hydrated and prevents dryness. This will help with that dry, itchy skin feeling we all get in the winter. • Water helps your body maintain a regular core temperature. Which is so important to maintain in the winter. • Drinking plenty of water supports your immune system, which helps fight off winter colds and the flu. We all want to fight those germs off! • When you are dehydrated, you become tired easily, so drinking plenty of water helps keep your energy levels up. How do you stay hydrated in the winter? • Make sure you drink plenty of water. Set reminders if you must; you probably won’t feel as thirsty in the winter, but you need to keep drinking that water! • You don’t have to drink cold water; room temperature water works. You can also drink tea or water with lemon, as long as you’re getting your water. • If you’re going out, carry a water bottle with you to ensure you have water to drink. • Eat fruits and vegetables that contain water. Tomatoes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumber, apples, and pineapple are just a few that contain high water contents. • If you think you’re dehydrated, check your urine; if it’s a darker color, that can suggest dehydration. Urine should be a pale, yellow color. As you can see, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer, if not more. In the winter you don’t realize you are thirsty therefore you tend not to drink as much water as you should. This has the potential of wreaking havoc on your body. Please make sure you drink plenty of water in the wintertime as you do in the summertime. We have rebranded our company, we are now Assisted Senior Services! Call us for ANYTHING SENIOR!! 386-847-2322!
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