"Maybe Broccoli Doesn't Like You Either"

There's a factory near where I live that posts the funniest things on their road sign. It's been there for years and years and years, and when I passed it the other day, it made me laugh. "Maybe broccoli doesn't like you either." I wouldn't say I don't like broccoli, but in spite of my mother always making us eat our veggies as kids, I've never enjoyed them.

This year, I'm making a concerted effort to eat better. If you've ever read my bio, you know that I am a card-carrying cookieholic. My goal is to be a recovering cookieholic.

There comes a time in everyone's life where we stop and take a good, long, hard look in the mirror. I've done it before, but then I get caught up in the "but I'm in good health, overall." That might be more accurately described as "not in bad health" or "non-sick."

I look at my dad, who is 90+, who has been obese most of my adult life, proving everyone wrong who says obesity will kill you at a young age, but he depends on pharma to stay alive, and right now, he's losing that battle. That's not what I want for my life.

My dad has always said he wants to die living, not live dying. For him, that meant having his cocktails or eating the things he enjoys. He may have lived to be 90+, but he isn't the example of health I want for my life should I live to that age.

My eating habits have not been healthy, and so I've decided its time for me to make that change, before I move from "non-sick" into poor health. I'm not in favor of putting my life in the hands of big pharma.

I've been looking into some new and healthier choice recipes, and I recently made one that was really pretty tasty, in spite of being healthy for me. So I thought I'd share. (And guess what? It has broccoli in it.)

Chicken and Broccoli

1 lb raw, boneless, skinless chicken breast 

6 cups fresh broccoli, trimmed and chopped

¼ cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

Remove visible fat from chicken breast. Cut chicken into thin strips. In a bowl, coat chicken with soy sauce; set aside. (For increased flavor, marinate for 30 minutes.) Sauté broccoli, garlic, and 1 tsp olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and cover to keep warm. Add 1 tsp olive oil to skillet. Stir-fry chicken 4-7 minutes or until cooked through. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then stir in mustard until blended. Return sautéed broccoli to skillet. Mix until heated through, stirring occasionally.