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Three days in bed. Chicken broth, tea, Theraflu, Super Red Drink Powder, ice pops, and seltzer water were all that I could consume for three days. Despite feeling awful all weekend, I, as I always do, had a hearty appetite and a desire to cook. Sunday, the third day without leaving the house, I had to do SOMETHING, so I set out to make the Bloody Mary Risotto I planned on all along.

I first saw Bloody Mary risotto at this past summer’s Bloodypalooza at Turner Fisheries. Summer seems SO long ago, doesn’t it? After we had Bloody Marys with our brunch for dinner last week, and I was left with quite a bit of excess mix, I decided to make it into a risotto in honor of World Pasta Day.

I love risotto and the process of making it, but it was a little too much of an undertaking for someone with a bad cough. I got tired pretty quickly after I started making it. . . how pathetic does that sound?

I started with a few cups of Arborio rice from Trader Joe’s, mixing it with a good pour of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and black pepper, before adding the heat and letting the rice grains toast a bit.

While the risotto got started, I brought the Bloody Mary mix (tomato juice, pepperoncini juice, horseradish, hot sauce, lime juice), up to a boil and then kept it very hot.

As soon as the rice started to sizzle, I added one ladle of Bloody Mary mix, stirred it in, and repeated about 15 times, stirring, adding liquid, and stirring some more. The result was a rich, flavorful pasta with lots of spice.

I served this with shrimp sautéed in garlic and olive oil. I didn’t actually eat any myself, but the husband liked it, and from what I could smell, it was quite a delicious dish.

I do apologize for the lackluster posts over the past few days. I guess I have learned that if I feel exhausted and have a sore throat, doing a million things and pushing myself at the gym just result in illness that seems neverending!

I hope you all had a good weekend. Did you do anything fun?  This is my last week at work, and while I have been too tired to be excited or nervous, I am starting to feel ready for what is next.

Tonight I am attending Steals from the Vault at Pairings with Red White Boston AND participating in a TasteLive panel on Virginia wines, tomorrow I have wine class, Thursday is my last day of work, and for the weekend, I am going to Portland to judge the New England Chef Competition and to do lots of birthday eating with my friend Meghan!

And last, but certainly not least, the winners of the Bauer Howl-o-ween giveaway are: Elizabeth and Alicia. Please email me, and I will make sure your tickets are ready for you at the door!

I am going tokeep it short today. I have not been this sick in a very long time, so my day will be spent in bed watching movies and sleeping and hoping my throat stops hurting. And if my husband lets me get up, I may try to make sweet potato custard. I am officially run down, have not been taking care of myself, and most importantly not taking the advice below which usually gets me through the winter perfectly healthy. I posted this last winter but thought it was worth repeating; hopefully it can be helpful! Have a great day everyone!

1)   Eat like you do in the summer. . . most of the time.
Obviously for most of us, access to fresh fruits and veggies declines and/or becomes pricey once winter hits. The temptation to eat heavy stews and mac and cheese can be hard to resist on those endless cold dark nights, and of course there is room for those things in a healthy diet. But I try to keep eating as many fruits and vegetables as possible. Most stores carry an abundance of frozen varieties that can be used in crunchy warm stir fries, or thawed and topped with hot oats for a body and soul warming meal. Continuing a vitamin rich food intake is number one for me, especially when work gets busy and the holidays hit.

2)  Supplements
Everyone has their own opinions and experience with supplements, but I swear by drinkable ones such as Emergen-C and Amazing Grass powders. Trader Joe’s Super Red Drink Powder is my recent favorite. I really think it has saved me this winter! They boost my energy, serve as great snacks, and offer nutrients that I may need a bit more of.

3)  Water
Just because you aren’t sweating doesn’t mean you can drink less! Water is key to keeping your entire body working properly, including your immune system, and keeping the toxins in your body on the fast track out of you! I have been guilty many times of not hydrating well after an outdoor winter run because I am not thirsty, and I have paid for it! Make sure to be conscious of your fluid intake; that cranked way too high office heat takes its toll!

4. Hand washing
While really obvious, this one is so important! We all need to be reminded, especially in a year with flu levels expected to soar. My office has already seen its fair share of sick days, so I try to wash my hands multiple times a day in addition to the obvious ones. Keeping your phone, keyboard and desk clean and disinfected also make a huge difference.

5. Take a break!
I recently asked my readers what comforts them when they get sick, and so many of the things they do and eat could be done before you get sick. Make sure to take a break to curl up and watch a DVD or make yourself some amazing hot soup and go to bed early. Being run down makes it easy for germs to have their way with us, so be easy on yourself.

If you get sick there are lots of ways to cut the life of the illness short and to make sure you remain as comfortable as possible.

1)  Listen to your body, and listen well. It may tell you to take a sick day or to skip a couple of days at the gym. It knows best, and you will bounce back stronger!

2)  Try some natural relief: saline spray is miraculous for a stuffy nose, and my cure all broth (chicken or veggie broth with sautéed garlic, chilis, and ginger, heated to a drinkable temp) soothes the throat, clears the sinuses, and makes you sweat it all out. If all else fails, my in laws in Ireland give me a hot whiskey. It helps you get all of the sleep you need! 🙂

3)  A short, hot bath or shower with some dried lavender or lavender soap, followed by bedtime in the warmest pile of blankets you can find

Hopefully some of these tips will help to keep you strong and healthy throughout the winter. Do you have any other winter wellness tips that you swear by? Please share! 🙂