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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

Palo-Santo-Candles

Baked Apples

Baked stuffed apples in casserole dish

photo provided by allrecipes.com

4 large Granny Smith baking apples
Juice of one lemon (about ¼ cup)
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup chopped pecans or another nut of choice
¼ cup raisins or another dried fruit of choice
1 tsp butter
¾ cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 375° F. Wash apples. Using an apple corer, remove cores and leave ½ inch of the bottom of each apple. (If using a paring knife, just cut the center core out fully.) Make the hole ¾-inch wide, and remove the seeds using a spoon. Place the cored apples in an 8-inch-by 8-inch baking dish.

Sprinkle lemon juice over apples to prevent browning. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, chopped nuts and raisins or another dried fruit. Stuff each apple with the filling mixture. Top with a dot of butter (about ½ to ¾ tsp per apple). Add boiling water to baking pan.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until tender, but not mushy. Remove baked apples from the oven, and baste apples several times with the juice from the pan. (Apples can be baked in a muffin tin. Place muffin liners into the muffin tins, and place cored apples inside.)

Chef’s Note: Personalize the baked apples with seasonal fillings and spices, such as nutmeg, cardamom or pumpkin pie spice. For a twist, try a savory, fresh herb like rosemary or thyme.


Courtesy of Wellness in the Schools.


More Low- or No-Sugar Holiday Treats


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Honey Lavender Cookies

Skip the sugar cookies this holiday season and opt for healthier treats made with honey, lavender and whole wheat flour. Read More » 


Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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