A Better Bag of Groceries

Fit Friends at Forty: Meet Heather!

Monday, March 8, 2010 at 07:23 AM

I was born in 1970.  All my life, that has been very convenient.  My age just went along with the years.  It was very easy for everyone to remember my age - including myself.  It is not so convenient this year, since 2010 minus 1970 equals 40.  For. Teee.  Yes, I’m really turning forty.  In May.  Sigh.

I’ve been trying to get mentally ready for this year.  I started reading More magazine at the age of 39 to prepare me.  It is, after all, a publication for women 40 and over.  I always look those charts in entertainment magazines that show everyone’s age.  While it is comforting to know that Matt Damon, Tina Fey, and Kelly Ripa will all turn 40 this year too, I am keenly aware that they get paid to stay in shape and look good.  They also have the means to employ chefs, personal trainers, nannies and whatever else it takes to stay fit and beautiful.  It’s a lot harder for us regular folks.  (Ewwww.  That sounded like something an old person would say!)

So instead of seeking consolation in celebrity magazines, I instead decided to look around me.  I have a lot of friends turning 40 this year and thanks to Facebook, I am back in touch with even more of them.  Many of my friends are committed to being fit and healthy and to passing those values on to their children.  So, as we I go through this year, and help several of my friends blow out the 40 candles on their cake, I thought I would introduce you to some of the Fittest Forty-Year-Olds I Know. 

Meet my friend Heather!

Heather, a Seattle native, has been my friend since moving to Boston in 1996.  Heather works part-time as a social worker and overtime as a wife and mom to two kids, ages 7 and 3.  Heather is one of the best cooks I know.  I steal all my best recipes from her!  She is committed to feeding her family the healthiest foods she can and keeping her family healthy.  Heather’s husband, Pete, is a competitive long-distance runner (he’ll turn 40 in August – I’ll blog about him then). 

I caught up with Heather and asked her about fitting everything in as she turns 40.

Me:  You work, you cook, you workout, you are a Mom, you have a home.  How do you fit it all in?

Heather:  I don’t feel like I squeeze it all in!  I constantly feel like something is lagging behind – either working out or paying attention to my kids or the house is a mess.  Eventually, though, everything gets done.

Me:  You’ve always been so into cooking.  You introduced me to Cook’s Illustrated magazine!  Now that life is so crazy, how do you fit in cooking.

Heather:  The fact I enjoy cooking  helps because when I have the time to spend an hour or so making dinner (chopping up tons of veggies) it doesn’t feel like a chore to me.  The only foodie magazine I get anymore is Vegetarian Times.  I like trying new recipes a lot and I know when I try one from that magazine, chances are it will be healthy.  I guess one tip I would have for ABBG readers is to try new recipes and try vegetarian.

Me:  I think most working moms – and stay-at-home moms –  struggle with getting healthy meals on the table during busy weeknights.  What suggestions do you have?

Heather:  During the week I’ve got a couple staple recipes that are quick, healthy and the kids like (turkey tacos w/black beans and sweet potato, turkey burgers, macaroni and four cheeses (recipe below), turkey meatballs with my homemade sauce (recipe below).  I save my experienting with new recipes for the weekends when I have more time.  I try to make most things from scratch and not buy prepared food, although we did try the Cascadian Farms Shoe String fries (NuVal score of 81) and liked them.  Yes there is a turkey theme but that’s about all my son will eat!

Me:  Anything different since you turned 40 a few weeks ago?

Heather:  I have figured out that what recharges me is time with friends and lots of laughing!  I think I used to say “no” to a lot of stuff because I didn’t think I had the time.  Now, I say yes more and worry about the lack of time later. 

Two of Heather’s Favorite Recipes

Heather shared two of her favorite recipes with me.  First, she told me how to make Macaroni and 4 Cheeses, a recipe from Ellie Krieger.  The secret to this recipe is that it includes 2 packages of butternut squash.  So, there is a 1/2 cup of a vegetable in each serving.  I made this last weekend and it was delicious.

Heather also shared with me her very own recipe for Marinara Sauce.  This is no ordinary sauce.  It is thick and rich and incredibly smooth.  I made this last weekend as well and it has been on top of pasta, ravioli and even spaghetti squash all week.  Even after all that, I had some leftover to freeze.

Heather’s Marinara Sauce

1/2 cup olive oil (NuVal score: 11)

2 onions, chopped (NuVal score: 100)

6-8 cloves garlic, minced (NuVal score: 91)

1 cup carrots, chopped (NuVal score: 99)

8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced (NuVal score: 96)

3 – 28 oz cans tomatoes (Heather likes Muir Glen organic tomato puree, NuVal score: 65)

1 small can tomato paste (Muir Glen organic tomato paste, NuVal score: 57)

1 1/2 T. dried oregano

2 T. dried basil

1 c cabernet (optional) – NuVal is not scoring wine (too bad!)

1/2 pound silken tofu (optional) – not yet scored

salt and pepper

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook approximately 5 minutes or until translucent.  Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute.  Add the carrots and mushrooms and cook approximately 5 minutes.  Pour in canned tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and cook at least 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and puree (stick blender is easiest).  Return to heat, add the cabernet, if using, and gently simmer uncovered (with a splatter screen) another few hours if you have the time.  the longer you simmer, the thicker and tastier it gets.  Add the tofu at the end. 

So, I had to go and buy a splatter screen and a stick blender to make this recipe, but it was so worth it.  This is my new marinara sauce!  I stick-blended it again after adding the tofu – probably because my stick blender is the Bomb!

Posted by: Melissa 10 comments

Posted in: Fit Friends at Forty

Tags: Heather's Marinara Sauce, Macaroni and 4 Cheeses, Turning 40