ON THE UPSWING

Attitude is everything. I convinced myself that cancer was a temporary inconvenience and that my personal strength was enough to get me through it. Cultivating that tough inner actress helped me believe that I could cope.

~Elaine Nelson, elementary school teacher

Aztec Guacamole

You won’t believe how good this tastes until you leave the packaged treat behind. Before the Spanish arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs were making āhuacamolli with a stone mortar and pestle known as a molcajete. At some Mexican restaurants, that is still how it’s made, tableside, where you can choose what you do and don’t want added, as well. On a hot day, make this guacamole and the tortilla chips, then enjoy yourself with a Strawberry Agua Fresca (see heer) over ice. If you like more heat, seed only two of the chilies and include the seeds of the other one when you mix all the ingredients together. Baked Tortilla Chips will give you 2 tortillas (16 chips) per person.

Serves 6 • Prep Time: 15 minutes • Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes

 

1  medium ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and peeled

Juice of 1 lemon

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup diced tomato

1/4  cup chopped cilantro

1/4  cup diced red onion

1/4  teaspoon ground cumin

3  small jalapeño or serrano chiles, seeded and minced

Salt and pepper

Baked Tortilla Chips (see here)

  1. Mash the avocado in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and mix with a fork. Add the garlic, tomato, cilantro, onion, cumin, and chiles. Mix well and season with the salt and pepper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes and serve with the chips.

Calories 51 • Total Fat 7g • Saturated Fat 0.5g • Carbohydrates 5g • Protein 1g • Dietary Fiber 2g • Sodium 4mg

 

WHO KNEW?

Q: How do you seed a chile?

A: Follow these three easy steps, courtesy of Cookthink.com:

 

Most of the heat in a chile pepper—whether jalapeño, serrano, habanero, or another—comes from the white ribs and seeds. Removing both seeds and ribs reduces the chile’s heat and allows more of the pepper’s flavor to come through.

First, cut the pepper in half lengthwise. If you want the halves to stay intact for larger slices or a large dice, just trim out the seeds and ribs, cut out the stem, and slice the pepper as thick or thin as you like.

It’s easier to get the seeds and ribs out if you cut each half in half again.

To get the seeds and ribs out, hold each quarter by the end. With the knife parallel to the cutting board, slice across the ribs and seeds. When you get to the top of the pepper, turn the knife downward toward the cutting board and chop off the stem with the same motion.

 

WOULD SOMEONE JUST TELL ME . . .

Q: How can we start a Back in the Swing Cookbook Club?

A: Yes! Here are some ways to get started:

 

Show this book to your doctor or nurse and suggest getting an ongoing support group to implement a book club component. Each chapter of the book could be the guide to a breast cancer survivor group meeting, perhaps led by a nurse navigator, social worker, or other trained cancer survivorship expert.

Or focus on the nutrition lessons and create a weekly cooking night where friends use this cookbook for twelve weeks, led by a dietician and local foodie, both of whom could combine the fun of playing in the kitchen with skills to practice at home.

 

Calories Out Recipe No. 5

 

Seven Easy for Each Day of the Week

 

Workout Recipes

 

Mary Fry, PhD, associate professor, specialist in sports and exercise psychology, the University of Kansas, and her graduate students suggest: