It was a low key start to the month for Kelly’s Kitchen thanks to what felt like a slight case of whatevers-going-around. Doing just fine right now thanks to resting over the weekend, but I did discover Five Fun Things to start March while I was on the cozy down-low.

1. Smoothies are just about the most delicious way to get fruits and vegetables in the diet and not feel like that’s what you’re doing. They’re an excellent way to get tons of antioxidants, vitamins and all the good things you need. I had a real craving for pineapple/mango on Friday, and then a lovely blueberry banana Sunday. But one of the best things about smoothies is the fact they’re an excellent way to help us lose a little more weight simply by making them thicker. That’s why I always have fruit in the freezer to toss in, and that includes those great very ripe bananas; just cut them up into chunks and freeze. You get the great frozen texture and a little something to make the throat feel much better. I also toss in a scoop of whey protein for a complete meal.

2. Take a good look into the fridge, freezer and pantry and you can also come up with a good soup. I had that inevitable craving for chicken soup and just about everything I needed aside from the chicken, so one quick stop to grab some and I was set. I keep the low-sodium organic stocks in my pantry, and added plenty of good veggies like spinach and kale to really kick up the good-for-you quotient. There’s simply nothing more comforting than that pot full of soup bubbling away.

3. Since I was feeling much better by Sunday morning I also decided the staff needed a little something for this chilly Monday morning, so my favorite Sour Cream Banana Bread recipe was the one I baked into muffins. Now this is an indulgence, but keeping the serving size to a regular cupcake sized muffin helps a lot. AllRecipes has always had my favorite recipe. It takes about 20-25 minutes for the muffins.

4. It’s always a good time to enjoy a hot cup of tea, and I found a new one from Celestial Seasonings called Jammin’ Lemon Ginger and wow, is it good. That wonderful little bit of ginger and the soothing lemon scent were just what I needed and the fact it’s caffeine free is an added plus. I’m sure it will be delicious cold...when it warms up!

5. Apple pie is one of my favorites, but the calories are not. But I made a simple baked apple with just a few ingredients that made me feel like I was enjoying just that. I found some tremendous Honeycrisp apples which are very good for baking; just core that, add two tablespoons of your favorite honey and a sprinkling of cinammon and set that in the microwave to start for two minutes. My apple was a good size, so I checked in after those two minutes, and found it needed an additional minute and a half. Now, be careful when you take it out. That honey was very hot and bubbling, and it’s a good idea to let it set for a few minutes. It was just perfect, sweet and hot, and low cal to boot. A very good thing.

So let’s start this month off in a healthier frame of mine - 20 pounds off that are not coming back thank you!

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

Tell me what you eat, I'll tell you who you are. ~Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin