Steps to Make Super Quick Homemade Hoppin Johns

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The ingredients needed to make Hoppin Johns:

1. Make ready 1 lb black eyed peas, dry
2. Take 2 Tbsp olive oil
3. Make ready 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
4. Make ready 3 celery stalks, chopped
5. Make ready 2 cloves garlic, minced
6. Get 2 bay leaves
7. Get 1 tsp chili powder
8. Make ready 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
9. Get 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10. Make ready 1 large smoked ham hock
11. Take to taste kosher salt and black pepper,
12. Get 3 cups white rice, steamed
13. Get green onion, chopped, for garnish

Steps to make Hoppin Johns:

1. Pour the black eyed peas onto a rimmed baking sheet and shake to distribute them into a single layer. Search through and discard any bad peas or stones. Transfer to a strainer, rinse with cool water and set aside.
2. Place a large soup pot over medium heat and warm the olive oil until shimmering. Then add the onion and celery and cook for about 3 minutes until the onions and celery soften a bit.
3. Next,add garlic and stir in the bay leaves, chili powder and thyme leaves and allow the spices to toast for about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the chicken broth then add the ham hock and give it a stir. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Allow stock to simmer for 30 minutes.
5. After simmering, stir in the black eyed peas and return to a boil, then reduce heat again to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for about 1–1 ½ hours or until the black eyed peas are creamy and tender. Once the peas are tender, remove the ham hock from the pot and separate the meat from the bone. Cut away the fat and gristle, chop the meat and add back to the pot.
6. Test the soup and season to taste with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
7. Serve over steamed white rice and garnish with chopped green onions. Enjoy!

How to Boost Your Mood with Food

Most of us have been conditioned to think that comfort foods are terrible and to be avoided. Sometimes, if the comfort food is a sugary food or some other junk food, this holds true. Other times, though, comfort foods can be totally healthy and it’s good for you to eat them. There are a number of foods that, when you eat them, could better your mood. If you feel a little bit down and you need an emotional pick me up, try a number of these.

Eggs, would you believe, are terrific for helping you battle depression. You must be sure, though, that what you make includes the yolk. When you want to cheer yourself up, the yolk is the most vital part of the egg. Eggs, particularly the yolks, are rich in B vitamins. The B vitamin family can be fantastic for boosting your mood. This is because they help in improving the function of your neural transmitters, the components of your brain that dictate your mood. Try eating some eggs to feel better!

Make a trail mixout of different seeds and nuts. Almonds, cashews, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and so on are all good for raising your mood. This is because seeds and nuts have a lot of magnesium which boosts your brain’s serotonin levels. Serotonin is a feel-good chemical substance that directs the brain how to feel at any given point in time. The higher your levels of serotonin, the happier you are going to feel. Not just that but nuts, in particular, are a terrific protein food source.

If you wish to overcome depression, try consuming some cold water fish. Tuna, trout, mackerel, herring and wild salmon are all high in omega-3 fatty acids and DHA. These are two substances that increase the quality and function of the gray matter in your brain. It’s the truth: eating tuna fish sandwiches can actually help you overcome your depression.

Some grains are actually excellent for repelling bad moods. Barley, millet, quinoa, etc are excellent at helping you feel better. They help you feel full also which can truly help to better your mood. Feeling famished can be terrible! The reason these grains can improve your mood is that they are not difficult for your body to digest. These foods are easier to digest than others which helps kick start a rise in your sugar levels which in turn brings up your mood to a happier place.

Green tea is wonderful for moods. You were simply expecting to read that here, weren’t you? Green tea is loaded with a certain amino acid referred to as L-theanine. Research has proved that this amino acid stimulates the production of brain waves. This will improve your brain’s focus while simultaneously relaxing the rest of your body. You likely already knew it is not hard to be healthy when you consume green tea. Now you are aware that it can help raise your mood as well!

As you can see, you don’t need junk food or foods that are not good for you so you can feel better! Go with these suggestions instead!