HN Kitchen: Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Happy National Macaroni and Cheese Day!

When I was growing up I didn’t want ANY macaroni and cheese that wasn’t my mother’s. It didn’t matter if you speckled yours with pieces of gold, it still got side-eyed. My sister and I would spend what seemed like forever grating blocks of cheese, then eagerly watch her make a cheese sauce, toss it with noodles and other secret ingredients and bake it to perfection. When I first learned to make macaroni and cheese, it was my mother’s recipe, and to this day, if you catch me at a good time, maybe I’ll make it for you.

There are only two problems… 1) It is EXPENSIVE. All the cheeses add up and it doesn’t make sense to make just one serving, and 2) It isn’t the healthiest dish in the world. All the cheeses make it high in saturated fat (bad fat) and cholesterol, so even though it is (so) worth it, it doesn’t hurt to lighten it up. This dish borrows its creaminess from butternut squash so you can cut down the cheese (and money spent!) and still enjoy your favorite comfort food.

---

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Breathe, Stretch Shake: Miami’s Guide to Free Yoga

At some point in your life, you have probably vowed to take charge of your health and be a better, more fit you. Most likely, you then realized just how expensive good gym memberships can be. I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that memberships to most yoga studios are pricy, and if you aren’t firmly committed to practicing often you can find yourself wasting a lot of money. The good news is… if you are looking to escape the stresses of everyday life and free your mind, without freeing your wallet of its extra cash, there are plenty of year round free yoga classes offered around the city. Grab a mat and a friend and check out some of these completely free classes.

Miami Beach

Green Monkey Yoga and the Miami Beach Medical Group host free yoga classes at two locations on the beach every Monday & Wednesday at 6pm : Collins Park Bass Museum of Art (2100 Collins Avenue) and North Shore Park Bandshell (7275 Collins Avenue).

There is also a class at South Pointe Park (1 Washington Avenue) every Tuesday and Thursday at 6pm.

Downtown Miami

There are free yoga classes offered at Bayfront Park‘s Tina Hills Pavilion (301 Biscayne Blvd) on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6 pm, as well as Saturdays at 9am. Their website does specify that all participants must be at least 18 years old, but all classes are first come first serve and bring your own mat, water, and towel.

Upper Eastside

Daily Offering Yoga offers free classes Saturdays at Legion Park (NE 66th Street and Biscayne Boulevard) from 10-11am.

Coconut Grove

Dharma Studio offers free yoga at Peacock Park (2820 McFarlane Rd) on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 6pm and at 8am on Saturday mornings.

Currently, the free classes in Miami are limited to certain neighborhoods, so I limited this list to those classes that are easily accessible by car and/or public transportation. Namaste!

HN Kitchen: Korean BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders

Your average barbecue sauce boasts artificial ingredients, added sugars, high salt, & preservatives. To me, those all sound like perfect motivation to make your own sauce where you can control the ingredients. This Korean BBQ sauce is cut with water to lower salt concentration, and paired with kimchi, which has its own heart and digestive health benefits.

Korean BBQ Pulled Chicken Sliders

HN Inspiration: Jennifer Jones, CPT Talks Favorite Workouts, Teatoxes, & Being Fit and Curvy

Our HN Inspiration segment features individuals who have their feet on the ground and are committed to making a positive difference in some aspect of minority health.

---

This month, I sat down with Jennifer Jones of Absolute Fitness, PT. This Alabama native currently resides in Miami, FL and is a certified personal trainer who is making strides in the fitness world.

---

Kilan Bishop (KB): What inspired you to pursue a career in personal training?

Jennifer Jones (JJ): I always knew I wanted to help people. I was a high school & collegiate athlete, then bodybuilder post-graduation. I was just always active. I could tell it was my calling because it came naturally. When people started reaching out asking for my help getting in shape, I realized it as my chance to help people make better choices and ultimately, change lives. I’m even going back to school to study nutrition. I teach my clients to second guess the food they intake, how to love and take care of themselves, and then enjoy the benefits.