EDIBLES
5 steps to start each day strong
(Family Features) How you begin each day affects more than whether you make it to work on time. In fact, those early morning hours are often the foundation for your entire day.
Set yourself up for success with these tips to help you maximize your mornings. Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, starting the day the right way can help you power through your to-do list.
Wake Up On Time
Set your alarm for a reasonable hour that gives you ample time to get ready for the day ahead. If you have a commute or children or pets who need attention, be sure to factor in time for unexpected events like traffic jams or accidents. Avoid setting your alarm early and hitting snooze repeatedly; the quality of sleep you’ll add is poor and you’ll likely end up feeling more tired than if you’d just risen with the alarm.
Get Your Body Moving
Even a light workout is a great way to rev up for a new day. Prioritizing your health to start the morning can put you in a healthier mindset. Completing a workout before the day is even fully underway gives you something to be proud of, which helps boost your mental well-being. What’s more, an early workout gets your blood pumping, which supports stronger cognition and produces more energy.
Treat Yourself
It’s never too early to give yourself a little TLC, and a delicious coffee-based drink is a great way to perk up your morning with a tasty treat. The best indulgent coffee beverages start with quality coffee. Consider options from Eight O’Clock Coffee, which has selected and roasted high-quality, 100% Arabica coffee for more than 100 years. The rich, smooth flavor means you can drink it black, but it’s also the perfect base for a decadent latte with maple and vanilla or a classic iced caramel macchiato.
Establish a Self-Care Routine
While you’re still working toward being fully awake, a routine that lets you dive into daily preparations on autopilot can be helpful. Making time to take care of yourself can give you greater confidence to tackle the day, so find a pattern that fits and run with it. Aside from basic hygiene, take time to moisturize your skin and apply sunscreen. Also build in time to focus on your mental health, whether you make some notes in a gratitude journal or meditate to manage stress.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Countless studies support the benefits of eating a nutritious breakfast. It’s good for your metabolism and digestive health. It also gives your body the fuel it needs to help you push through the day. You’re likely to think faster and be a more effective problem-solver when your body has proper nourishment. Eating early in the day also affects your mood; you’re less likely to be irritable if you’re not hungry.
Find more inspiration to perk up your mornings at eightoclock.com.

Maple Vanilla Latte
- 1 1/2 cups milk, divided
- 1/2 cup strong-brewed Eight O’Clock French Vanilla Coffee
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon, to taste
- In microwave, heat 1 cup milk.
- Pour coffee into mug and, using milk frother, top with warm milk.
- Stir in maple syrup, vanilla extract and cinnamon, to taste.
- Using milk frother, foam remaining milk then add to mug.

Salted Caramel Macchiato Iced Coffee
- 1/2 cup Eight O’Clock Caramel Macchiato Coffee, chilled
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup ice
- squeezable caramel sauce
- 1 pinch sea salt
- Stir together chilled coffee and milk.
- Pour over ice into glass.
- Drizzle caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with sea salt.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
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Eight O’Clock Coffee
EDIBLES
Simplify family dinners with easy, one-pan meals
(Feature Impact) When busy weeknights leave little time for prepping dinner – or cleaning it up afterward – simple recipes can make a difference. With a few flavorful ingredients and a single pan or casserole dish, you can get a satisfying meal on the family table without spending hours in the kitchen or leaving behind a sink full of dirty dishes.
Convenient ingredients like rice lend themselves well to a variety of easy recipes. For example, this zesty, Asian-inspired Lime-Ginger Shrimp Fried Rice combines sauteed shrimp with sweet mango, citrusy lime, savory bok choy and fragrant Success Boil-in-Bag Jasmine Rice in a weekly favorite that’s ready in about 25 minutes using just a wok or large skillet.
With no additives or preservatives, and now available in a shareable 32-ounce family size, the certified kosher, gluten-free, non-GMO long grain rice’s sweet buttery flavor makes it an easy base for the customizable dish. While the recipe calls for bok choy, you can mix and match vegetables based on what vegetables you already have on hand, including leftovers from another meal, such as carrots, onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, snap peas or corn.
For another easy option, this Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole comes together in just four simple steps and requires a single casserole dish for baking. Using no measure, no mess Success Boil-in-Bag White Rice ensures perfect, fluffy rice that folds into a creamy combination of cream of mushroom soup, broccoli and cheddar cheese for a bubbling, hearty dinner straight from the oven in about half an hour.
For more recipes that make it easy to get a homemade meal on the table with less cleanup, visit SuccessRice.com.

Lime-Ginger Shrimp Fried Rice
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4
- 2 bags Success Boil-in Bag Jasmine Rice
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 pound peeled, deveined medium shrimp, tails removed
- 8 baby bok choy, trimmed and quartered
- 1/2 cup diced fresh mango
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Prepare rice according to package directions. Allow to cool completely.
- In wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, bok choy, mango, ginger and salt; saute 3-5 minutes, or until shrimp start to curl and bok choy starts to wilt.
- Stir in rice. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until well coated. Stir in soy sauce and lime juice; cook 2-3 minutes, until rice is heated through.
Tip: If you don’t have bok choy on hand, use small broccoli florets, trimmed green beans or leftover vegetables of choice.

Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4-6
- 1 bag Success Boil-in-Bag White Rice
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 can (10.75 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup crispy fried onions
- Prepare rice according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Coat 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, combine soup, broccoli, 1 cup cheddar cheese and pepper. Fold in rice.
- Pour mixture into prepared dish and top with remaining cheddar cheese.
- Top with crispy fried onions. Bake 20 minutes, until bubbling.

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EDIBLES
4 ways to enjoy fresher foods at home
(Feature Impact) Fresh fruits and vegetables add color, nourishment and satisfaction to life. Knowing your food was grown from the earth and nurtured by the sun and rain can add a whole new dimension of enjoyment to your meals, which processed foods often can’t replicate.
However, if you’ve ever bought a cart full of produce with the best intentions – only to watch as half of it goes bad before you’ve managed to use it – you aren’t alone. Eating fresh foods is often easier in your healthy-eating dreams than in reality. With small habit changes, though, you can transform your household into a place where fresh, whole-food ingredients are at the center of your daily routines.
Consider these suggestions from the fresh produce experts at Avocados from Colombia.
Shop with a Plan
Meal-planning before you shop can help ensure every ingredient you buy has a purpose within its shelf life. Instead of picking out fruits and vegetables with vague aspirations of figuring out something to do with them later, you can simply consult your list and remember you need peppers, onions and avocados for that breakfast burrito recipe you want to try.
Pay Attention to Where Food Comes From
The source of your food can make a big difference in its freshness. When produce is grown and harvested with care then shipped quickly to its destination, it preserves quality and simplifies the journey from the farm to your table.
Consider fresh fruits like Avocados from Colombia, which aren’t just grown but raised at high altitude in rich volcanic soil, nourished by mountain rain and harvested by the hands of growers who care about their land and their craft. The fruit reaches U.S. shipping ports in as little as 3-5 days, so you can confidently choose flavorful produce that arrives as fresh as possible from beautiful Colombian orchards.
With two harvest seasons across nine growing regions, fresh Colombian avocados can be enjoyed throughout the entire year, whether you want to serve bright guacamole or dice an avocado as a cool, creamy topping for a warm winter chili.
Use Fresh Ingredients in a Variety of Ways
It’s always easier to use fresh ingredients when you’re brimming with ideas of things to do with them. For instance, avocados can be transformed into guacamole, creamy salad dressing or flavorful sauces; sliced for use in grain bowls, salads or avocado toast; or frozen to blend into smoothies. This also makes it easier to buy produce in bulk or take advantage of sales.
Find Inspiration Online
Recipes like these Chicken and Avocado Rollups can be an easy solution for putting fresh avocados on the menu, offering the type of everyday joy the growers behind Avocados from Colombia hope you taste. Their new “Raised by Colombia” short film puts faces to that idea, following Don Hernando, a grower of 40 harvests, and his granddaughter Camila, who brought the science of growing home. It ends where your avocado does: at a family table, where the grandmother of the house serves it in a kitchen like yours.
To watch the film and discover more recipe ideas, visit AvocadosColombia.com/RaisedByColombia.

Chicken and Avocado Rollups
Recipe courtesy of Avocados from Colombia
Total time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5-6
- 2 tablespoons mayo
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 3 large flour tortillas, warmed
- 1 large avocado, smashed
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast
- 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- In small bowl, mix mayo, sour cream and lime juice.
- Place tortilla on flat service and spread with lime crema followed by smashed avocado.
- Layer with tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, chicken and bacon. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Roll tortilla into tube shape and cut into pieces. Repeat with remaining tortillas and fillings.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (avocado on cutting board)

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EDIBLES
Enjoy a tangy, spicy Buffalo Chicken with Superfood Swap
(Feature Impact) When you’re craving a specific comfort food, other flavors just aren’t going to hit the spot the same way. The good news: It only takes one or two simple ingredient changes to satisfy your taste buds while leveling up the nutrition of a meal.
Watch video to see how to make this recipe!
https://youtube.com/watch?v=MtmGlJZJqgk%3Fsi%3D3povqSwlt4EsTVDq%26controls%3D0
For instance, if you’re jonesing for the zesty kick of buffalo sauce, your mind might initially go to pizza and wings. This Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweetpotatoes recipe featuring North Carolina Sweetpotatoes invites you to rethink that takeout order and enjoy the same bold, satisfying flavors in a more nutritious way. They’re a little sweet and a little spicy with savory chicken and creamy avocado stuffed jacket-style inside a nutrient-dense baked sweetpotato.
Sweetpotatoes – deliberately spelled as one word to better differentiate this unique root vegetable from traditional potatoes – are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. The American Diabetes Association even calls them a “diabetes superfood,” as they raise blood sugar more slowly than other starchy foods while allowing you to savor some natural sweetness. They’re also a great choice for athletes, thanks to complex carbohydrates that boost energy and nutrients that support endurance and recovery.
Find more ways to level up your favorite flavors at ncsweetpotatoes.com.
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweetpotatoes
Recipe courtesy of the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
- 4 sweetpotatoes
- 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups buffalo sauce
- 1 avocado, diced
- 2 tablespoons diced chives
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Place sweetpotatoes on lined baking sheet and use fork to pierce each one for venting. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender.
- Let sweetpotatoes cool slightly then use knife to gently cut each open lengthwise and crosswise. Use fork to lightly mash inside sweetpotatoes.
- In large bowl, combine shredded rotisserie chicken with buffalo sauce until evenly coated.
- Spoon buffalo chicken mixture into each sweetpotato. Top with diced avocado and chives.

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