How to Stay Healthy this Fall

As the temperatures start to drop and fall is in full swing, it is easier to catch a cold.  There is something about the change in season that brings on that stubborn cold that can linger for weeks.  With fall often a busy season, it is important to do everything you can to stay healthy and prevent you and your family from getting sick.  At Our Green House we have lots of great products to help keep that cold away, and we also wanted to remind you of a few basic tips to stay healthy.

1.  Wash you hands!  The germs that cause colds are often spread through skin-to-skin contact.  Make sure you and your family are washing your hands before you eat, when you get home from work/school, and of course after using the restroom.

2.  Drink plenty of fluids.   It is easier to get sick if you are hydrated, so make sure you are drinking at least 8 8oz glasses of water a day.  Remember, soda and coffee don't count!

3.  Get plenty of sleep.  When you are overworked and don't sleep enough, it can be easier to catch a cold.  Have a soothing cup of tea and then hit the sack at a decent hour to avoid getting run down by a cold.

4.  Support your immune system.  Taking your vitamins, getting some sun, and supplementing with natural remedies such as bitters are all great ways to keep your immune system up to fighting off germs.

Green House Quiche

One of our favorite go to recipes is quiche!  It is the kind of dish that can be serves for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and it is a super simple dish to make.  Quiches are great to take to a pot luck and you can put pretty much any vegetables you have on hand in them.  We always make sure to have pie crusts in the fridge because when you are in a pinch, quiche is the perfect meal to make!  One of our favorites is this broccoli cheddar quiche because it is so delicious and full of hearty ingredients.

 Ingredients

• 1 homemade or store-bought single-crust pie dough
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream 
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 2 cups medium diced yellow onion (from 1 large onion) 
• 1 1/2 cups of diced vegetables
• 3/4 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (4 ounces)

 Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour a rolling pin and work surface and roll out dough to a 12-inch round. Place in a 9-inch pie plate, fold overhang under, and crimp edge. Place a sheet of parchment paper over dough and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edge is dry and light golden, about 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Add onion, bacon, and cheese and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Whisk to combine, pour into crust, and bake until center of quiche is just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

{recipe adapted from here}

Three Ingredient No Bake Bar

Some days life can get so busy that you forget to keep your body fueled with food.  We love finding simple and yummy recipes that are great to make in a pinch and that the whole family will like.  We also try to find snack recipes that are great for after a workout or yoga session that aren't too heavy.  That is why we love snack bars like these because they are super simple and great for any time of the day.  You can whip them up in a matter of minutes and everyone will want to grab one before heading out the door, or when they get home and need a quick pick me up.

What are your favorite snack foods?  We would love to know!

{image and recipe via}

Yoga Time

One of our favorite ways to get exercise and relax is through yoga.  It is a wonderful workout for people of all ages and skill levels, and there are so many poses to keep you engaged and interested.   Yoga also has lots of health benefits that can help with all different types of ailments.  

1.  Yoga helps improve flexibility.  This can be great helping with posture, and also can help prevent injuries while playing other sports.  

2.  Yoga helps protect your spine.   Spinal disks need movement to stay well balanced a supple.  Yoga helps supply movement to these areas and keep the spine safe.

3.  Yoga increases blood flow.  Yoga can help with overall circulation through different poses by allowing more oxygen to flow to your cells.

4.  Yoga helps you focus.  We all know that when you get stressed out and wound up it can be hard to focus, but doing yoga for as little as 15 minutes can help improve focus.

5.  Yoga can help you sleep deeper.  Sleep is vital to our overall health, and getting proper exercise really helps your body relax which in turn can lead to more restorative sleep cycles.   

{images 1  ::  2  }

Yummy Pesto Salmon

This time of year seems to be an in-between phase when it comes to the seasons.  It can still be hot during the day but the temperatures cool off at night, but it isn't quite sweater weather yet.  We often find ourselves ready for some hearty fall meals but when you still have the air conditioner on during the day it seems a little odd to be eating beef stew for dinner.  That is why we love finding meals that are a great for transitioning from season to season and this pesto salmon is perfection!  We love how you can still use summer veggies, but the colors remind us of fall and it is a dish that can be made any season.  It is a crowd please and we know you are going to love it too :)

Ingredients

• 4 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets
• 1 1/4 lbs fresh green beans, ends trimmed or 1 lb (medium/thin) asparagus, tough ends trimmed
• 3 tsp olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp pesto, homemade or store bought (half a recipe of the homemade is enough)
• 4 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut four pieces of aluminum foil into 14-inch lengths. Boil green beans 3 minutes, then carefully drain (asparagus doesn't need to be boiled before baking).
• Toss green beans (or asparagus) with 2 tsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste, divide into 4 servings and layer in center of each piece of foil. Season both sides of salmon with salt and pepper. Layer salmon over green beans and then spread 1 Tbsp pesto over top. Drizzle 1 tsp lemon juice over each fillet. Toss tomatoes with remaining 1 tsp olive oil and season lightly with salt. Spread over each salmon fillet. Wrap sides of foil in and roll and crimp edge to seal, then wrap ends upward to seal (don't wrap too tightly you want the heat to be able to circulate well).
• Place side by side on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until salmon has cooked through, about 20 - 28 minutes (cook time will vary depending on thickness of salmon). 

{recipe and image via}