Talk of the Town: Staying warm in the desert

OK. So, we’re not in Minneapolis/St. Paul or La Crosse, Wis., but it is chilly here in Southern Arizona at this time of the year. Even though some of our winter visitors are dressed in shorts and tees like it’s summer weather and scoff at some of us being bundled up like it’s below freezing, there are still ways to keep warm for those of us who actually feel the cold.

To chase away the chills, the experts tell us to eat. (Who needs a better excuse?)

According to the folks at Women’s World magazine, about 30 to 60 minutes after you eat any food, your body will be 10 percent warmer than when your stomach’s empty. That’s because food is your body’s fuel and when your body burns it, your temperature increases.

The best foods to eat contain ginger. Its proven to improve circulation in your hands and feet. Ginger is a common treatment for nausea, easing digestive problems from morning sickness, motion sickness and nausea from chemotherapy. It is also used to help detoxify the body since it promotes sweating.

You can peel ginger root and chop it into very thin pieces for adding to any stir fry recipe .Try adding thin slivers to your poached fruit recipes or compotes. Grate the ginger root and add to vegetable recipes as you boil or steam them. Of course, we all know that ground ginger is invaluable in holiday recipes!

Another good choice to warm you up is foods rich in iron, like turkey, tuna, and lean beef.

According to Tufts research, people who don’t consume enough iron lose 29 percent more body heat than people with an iron-rich diet.

The best beverage to warm your chilled bones is none-other-than hot chocolate. The simple carbohydrates from the sugar will give your body an energy surge and warm you up faster than a cup of coffee, which has no carbs.

To stay toasty at home, try turning on your ceiling fan. It’s not just for summer months any more.

Most ceiling fans are equipped with a switch that changes the direction of the blades. Change the direction of the fan to clockwise. That way the hot air trapped near the ceiling will be forced down again into the room. That alone can reduce your home heating costs by 10 percent. Also at home, use a humidifier. Dry air actually makes a room feel colder than it is!

Now, a tasty recipe for that leftover turkey that also warms your bones:

Lemon Turkey Soup with Fresh Spinach and Farfalle

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, diced

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

8 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth

2 cups dried farfalle (bow-tie) pasta

2 cups diced cooked turkey

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1/2 10-ounce package ready-to-use spinach leaves (about 6 cups)

Grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and stir one minute. Add celery, carrots and red bell pepper and saut/ until vegetables are tender, about eight minutes. Add eight cups broth and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer to blend flavors, about 20 minutes. Add pasta and simmer until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Mix turkey, lemon juice and lemon peel into soup. Add spinach. Simmer until spinach wilts but is still bright green, stirring occasionally, about three minutes. Thin soup with additional chicken broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Makes 4-6 servings.

Pass the cheese around to sprinkle on top.

This season, Desert Hills Lutheran Church featured a real Arizona Christmas tree in the church sanctuary.

The century plant that once stood proudly on the north side of the Green Valley church grew to maturity this past year.

When member Patty Schmidt left Green Valley last spring, the beautiful agave was in full bloom. Knowing its life was ending, she suggested it be saved and used this Christmas. Hence the “Christ was Born in the Desert” theme this year at DHLC!

DHLC member Don Chillstrom has had one lit in his yard for several years, and so with his input and the help of Ron and Loraine Serum, Jean Kosky, Larry Schwartzlow, and Marl and Gretchen Ramsey, the idea became a reality.

Making the holidays a little brighter, several Arizona Department of Public Safety highway patrol officers visited Carondelet’s Holy Cross Hospital in Nogales, Ariz. recently to distribute teddy bears donated by the Associated Highway Patrolmen of Arizona. The special event was part of a statewide effort to brighten up the days of children who are hospitalized during Christmas. Thanks to DPS highway patrol officer Kevin McNichols for the information about this great program.

rford@gvnews.com