We love Nando’s PERi-PERi restaurants. Perfectly cooked chicken, grilled ’til juicy and succulent, served with your choice of secret-recipe PERi-PERi sauces and a small selection of flavorful salads, sides and desserts. Read previous reviews here and here.

The folks at Nando’s PERi-PERi just sent out 3 brunch recipes that use their sauces – and they sounded so good we decided to pass them along. Peri-Peri sauce is a perfect way to bring that unique spicy flavor to your own kitchen – and to control the saltiness or other diet restrictions you or your guests might have.  For sure, anyone who hasn’t tried the restaurants will never be able to guess what that mysterious and wonderful flavor is in your dishes.

The sauces come in several different levels of heat and are available at select retailers (Walmart, World Mart, Jewel, Heinens and Fresh Market) or online. Here are the savory delectable brunch ideas:

Chicken, Pineapple & Sweet Potato Kebabs
Serves: 4

4 chicken breasts with skin on, each cut into 3
1 pineapple, peeled and cut into chunks
2 sweet potato, washed and cut into chunks
2 yellow peppers, quartered
2 red peppers, quartered
Bay leaves, to garnish
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup Nando’s PERi-PERi sauce
½ cup coconut cream

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Skewer the chicken, pineapple, sweet potato, yellow peppers and onion onto a large skewer garnishing each end with a bay leaf.
2. Combine the olive oil, Nando’s PERi-PERi sauce and coconut cream in a mixing bowl. Coat the kebabs with the spicy marinade and place in the oven to roast for 45 minutes or until the sweet potato is cooked and golden brown.

Zucchini and Tomato Baked Eggs
Serves: 2

1 yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 zucchini, chopped into small chunks
½ red pepper, cut into small chunks
14 oz. canned tomatoes
2 eggs
2 Tbsp oil
1 Tsp cumin seeds
1 oz. Nando’s PERi-PERi sauce
Pinch of salt
Cilantro

1. On medium-low heat combine the olive oil and cumin seeds in a deep, medium skillet and stir until fragrant.
2. Add the onions and a pinch of salt to the skillet and stir until they begin to brown, then stir in the zucchini and red pepper.
3. Pour the canned tomatoes over the top of the veggies so that it makes an even layer and swirl Nando’s PERi-PERi on top. Let simmer for 5 minutes
4. Crack the eggs into the skillet, ensuring enough space between them
5. Take skillet off heat and place under a hot grill until eggs are cooked, about 5 minutes
6. Top with fresh cilantro and serve with chunks of warm bread if desired.

PERi-PERi Cornflake Chicken Strips
Serves: 2

2 chicken breasts with skin off, each cut into 4 strips
1 bottle Nando’s PERi-PERi sauce
½ cup plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
½ cup crushed cornflakes

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Coat each strip of chicken in the flour mixture and dip in Nando’s PERi-PERi sauce before covering with the crushed cornflakes
3. Lay on a slightly greased pan and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes
4. Enjoy by dipping in more of your favorite Nando’s PERi-PERi sauce

Feet hurt? Got plantar fascitis? What do you do about it? Custom-made orthotics cost a bundle – $200 to $800 is typical. But many ask whether such expensive insole options are over-prescribed, according to an article in the New York Times. Some helpful ready-made inserts we’ve had good results with include SuperFeet and SofSoles.

And here’s another idea. The name is MommySteps Maternity Insoles, but don’t let that fool you. They actually work really well for anyone – especially us baby boomers who may have fluctuating weight or other balance issues and need insoles that fit well but don’t cost a fortune. Upon receiving review samples of these ready-made, we found they felt really good right out of the box. And they also have the capability of molding to your feet with a custom fit. Designed for the changing needs of a pregnant woman’s feet, anyone can put them in the oven or toaster oven, and they’ll re-mold to the current shape of your foot. It’s a neat way to customize your inserts without spending too much.

We tried both the Casual/Flats and Active/Athletic styles and found them to be very comfortable and supportive right out of the box. I replaced my ¾-length SofSoles inserts in my cross-trainer shoes with the full-length MommySteps Athletic edition and found it even more comfortable on the very first wearing to step class. I particularly felt a positive difference in the ball of the foot area.

I also tried the Casual/Flats edition in a pair of Trotters Mary Jane flats that I’d been successfully using as semi-dressy walking shoes with only their own factory-supplied insoles. The MommySteps insoles brought the comfort level up a notch or two, enough to consider significant. And then I decided to put that thinner Casual version into my non-cross-trainer walking-around tennis shoes – ones that could not accommodate the thicker Athletic version. This, too, was a winner in terms of comfort.

Finally, I was ready to try the oven thing. Although I was nervous about putting the insoles into the oven, the directions were clear and simple. You put the thicker Athletic version in the oven for exactly two and a half minutes, then put them in the shoes and right away put your stockinged feet into the shoes and tie any laces. Then you stand straight, relaxed and balanced on both feet for two and a half minutes. And that’s it – custom fit orthotics that you can re-mold up to 5 times. My out-of-the-box insoles already fit well, but I believe after the oven treatment I noticed an improvement in the fit of the area between the toes and the ball of the foot. The fact that you can customize them and use them in multiple shoes makes the cost of $39.95 seem like a pretty sweet deal.

With the impending crippling of some provisions of the Affordable Care Act, do you ever wonder how access to healthcare might change for your grandkids, or your friends’ grandkids – the kids who are constantly telling you, “Just Google it, Grandma”? Below is an interesting article written from the perspective of a healthcare professional.

Gen Z: The ‘just Google-it’ generation
by Kim Bassett, President
Norwood Hospital in Massachusetts

Imagine growing up in a world where Google has always existed. Where Facebook is as much of a staple as Nickelodeon or the Johnny Carson Show. A world where terrorists are real, and 9/11 is taught as a history lesson, just as D-Day and Hiroshima were explained to earlier generations.

Generation Z-ers, born between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s, make up 25% of the U.S. population – larger than both the Baby Boomer and Millennial generations, respectively. Those born at the start of this generation are entering the workforce, bringing with them a combination of their Millennial parents’ ideals and their own, shaped by living in a technology driven world at a time of national insecurity with war on-going and terrorist attacks being sensationalized in the media.

This generation is uniquely positioned to change healthcare from both the provider and consumer sides.

1) Technology. Generation Z is the first generation born after the advent of Internet and social media. They are true digital natives, growing up with smart phones, tablets and other devices connected to the entire world. It’s akin to a child growing up in a home with two languages. They not only learn both languages much earlier, but also how to leverage the knowledge seamlessly into their everyday life.

○ Consumers – Because of this, we can safely assume that as consumers they will demand healthcare digitally, enhanced care options available online versus the traditional care model of in-person visits.

○ Providers – On the healthcare side, we will see new software programs created to meet their own demands.

2) Entrepreneurship. Millennials created this trend, making great strides toward changing workplace culture, creating a more flexible work environment, community service, work-life balance. Generation Z will take it to the next level, evolving it further, not letting their predecessors efforts go by the wayside.

○ Consumers – Gen Z, as a consumer, will demand access to healthcare, even though they don’t work in a traditional employer-providing healthcare environment. And because they are seamlessly connected through social media, you can be assured the entire world will hear their thoughts on this issue.

○ Providers – Not one to pass up a business idea, Generation Z will create new business opportunities to not only fulfill their own healthcare needs, but also form businesses and product lines that will help their older family members in the Millennial, Gen X and Baby Boomer generations. Generation Z carries over their Millennial predecessors trait in their need to make the world a better place.

3) Diversity. Generation Z is the first generation to be gender non-specific. They are growing up a world where it’s commonplace for people to change gender and marry people of the same-sex. This acceptance of all types of lifestyles will change – and already has – the healthcare landscape.

○ Consumers – Gen Z will expect healthcare providers to provide equal access for non-specific gender roles and relationships just as they are asked to do with traditional male-female roles. Gen Z will continue to push for acceptance in all aspects of healthcare for every consumer, regardless of gender identification.

○ Providers – In healthcare facilities and other workplaces, gender roles will continue to evolve as HR departments and employers struggle to wrap their arms around these new realities in our culture. Acceptance will become paramount to the happiness of Generation Z in the workplace, much like the issues of flexibility and work-life balance are to the Millennials.

As the largest generation to exist, Generation Z is becoming equipped to move our culture forward in all aspects – economically, socially, and technologically. So before dismissing or scoffing at their seemingly radical ideas, remember that they hold your future in their hands and perhaps – with a little guidance and encouragement from their predecessors – that future will be the best yet.

Published a post on this topic elsewhere back in 2014 and just re-posted it to ChicagoLadyBoomerExaminer here.  Below is a quick update on the subject.

According to the latest science and Fitbit metrics – moving for 250 steps (about 3 minutes of continuous movement – 5 is even better, see earlier full post) every hour you’re awake is an essential part of overall health. As my cardiologist puts it, “Sitting is the new smoking.” Read the original post for at-work tips. Then at home, put one of those cushy stand-in-front-of-the-sink mats (Wellness Mats makes some nice ones) in front of the TV and do your kneelifts or simply side step while you’re watching. Your body will love you for it.

And be sure to check out the fabulously fashionable new holders for your Fitbit fitness tracker at FunktionalWearables.com.