Cornish Hens with White Wine Lime Glaze

Dinner is in the oven and will be ready in an hour. It’s just enough time to share this healthy and delicious recipe with you. Divers looking for smaller portions or less calories than the traditional turkey dinner will love my Cornish Hens with White Wine Lime Glaze. I always serve the birds stuffed with wild rice and a fresh salad. This year I’ve added butternut squash and steamed broccoli. This feast has “zero” butter. Olive oil, seasonings and herbs make this meal a bountiful feast without the sluggish full feeling and excess calories. It even includes dessert. After all, it is a celebration. Enjoy!

Make the rice first. Put a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sauce pan and turn the heat on low. Add your favorite seasonings. When using a boxed rice, I include the seasoning packet that came with it and always add my own. Add the rice to the oil and seasoning mixture and, as if making pilaf, toss the dry rice in the seasoning and olive oil until it is slightly brown and creates an aroma of the seasonings. Turn the heat to high and add the water appropriate to the amount of rice. This recipe is for two hens and I made about three cups of rice. When the water begins to boil let it roll for about five minutes. Then turn the heat down to low, cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer about 20 minutes. While the rice is cooking prepare the Cornish hens and vegetables.

Find fresh hens if possible. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator at least 24 hours in advance. Wash hens and set aside to drain. Cover a baking sheet or broiler pan with foil for easy clean up. Place the hens on the baking sheet. I’ve also cooked the hens on a stone and they turn out well. This is a good time to preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Next make the White Wine Lime Glaze. For two hens I use ¼ cup of the white wine using the wine I’m pairing with the meal, ¼ cup of honey, the juice from one lime, poultry seasoning and a pinch of sea salt or Himalayan pink salt. This year my wine selection is Sea Siren, a 2017 Pinot Grigio from Livermore, California. My favorite poultry seasoning is Bell’s. Mix ingredients in a jar with a lid and give it a good shake. Use a basting brush and spread the glaze liberally on both the inside and outside of the hens. Set aside the remaining glaze for basting several times while cooking.

When the rice is fully cooked add ½ cup of finely diced celery or ¼ cup each of celery and onion. Fill the hens with a firm pack of rice. It will expand a bit while in the oven and make a nice mound near the tiny legs of the birds. A beautiful presentation. Place the hens in the oven for 90 minutes. A typical one-pound unstuffed hen will cook in about 60 minutes. Baste several times while cooking. Glean drippings from the birds and mix with glaze to create a beautiful brown skin.

While the rice is cooking there is also enough time to prepare the squash. Put the butternut squash in the oven at the same time as the hens with the same baking time of about 90 minutes. Wash and cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Place squash on a foil covered baking sheet flesh side up to start. I like to cover the squash with a sprinkle of pepper, allspice, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric. Generously drizzle the squash with olive oil, flesh side up and then turn it flesh down and bake. About five minutes before removing from the oven (right after removing the hens from the oven) turn the squash back to flesh side up and broil. It is finished with a rich brown spice layer that mixes into the squash when it is removed from the shell. It pulls easily with a fork.

While the hens and squash are baking make the salad. Whatever you like. My choice was red leaf lettuce with goat cheese crumbles, walnuts, dried cranberries and fresh raspberries with raspberry vinaigrette dressing. While one veggie is enough for some; a feast is a feast! I added broccoli steamed al dente. Vegetarian divers might enjoy the Sweet Potato Stuffed Portobello Mushroom I made a few years ago.

After dinner we go for a walk and a few hours later enjoy a light dessert. This year Key Lime pie is the perfect choice. Portions per person are ½ Cornish hen, one cup rice, ½ cup squash, one large broccoli spear, two cups of salad and a small slice of pie.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Scuba Diving After Childbirth

A DiveFit® guide to getting back in the water –

The average age of female divers getting certified to SCUBA dive is about the same as the average age of women giving birth for the first time; between ages 26 and 27. In the United States, women are waiting a bit longer to have children (into the 40s) and are having more children. Having a family and SCUBA diving is nothing new. About 24 percent of all divers have children between the ages of 11 and 17 and many of these children and teens enjoy diving alongside their parents. Women divers looking to start a family won’t be diving during pregnancy. Some dive researchers from a medical fitness to dive perspective suggest women might return to the water between one to three months after childbirth depending on natural birth, complications or surgeries. However, while every woman is unique, there are significant practical considerations, particularly relating to physical fitness to dive, that suggest women may need to wait a minimum of six months after childbirth to return to diving activities. Interestingly, a woman’s fitness level before and during pregnancy has less to do with this recommendation than physiological changes in the body during pregnancy and childbirth.

Waiting longer is better – here’s why.  During pregnancy a woman’s body changes in many ways. One of the most significant changes relating to physical fitness to dive has to do with the hormone Relaxin which is produced by the body in the ovaries and the placenta. It relaxes the ligaments in the pelvis and helps widen the cervix to prepare for childbirth. Importantly, Relaxin can have the same effect on other ligaments throughout the body and may be present for up to five months after childbirth. Special care is needed during exercise after childbirth. New mothers require plenty of time to rest, eat well and “ease in” to exercise, and even more time to return to diving activities. Bearing children has its own fortunately well-managed risk versus reward. Bearing the weight of SCUBA gear, while maneuvering on dive boats, or navigating surf to shore dive, too soon after childbirth exposes women to potential serious injury.

Fitness for diving during this chapter of life continues during pregnancy as appropriate for each woman. Most aerobic exercise can continue as usual becoming gentler as the months pass. When strength training, whether static or dynamic, expecting mothers must keep their heart higher than that of the baby to prevent any oxygen deprivation to the baby. Adjusting workout benches from flat to incline or seated positions is an easy way to accommodate this need. A couple of weeks after delivery, begin with gentle aerobic exercise such as walking for the first month or two. Mothers with surgery, cesarean delivery or spinal injections may need a few more weeks before being cleared by their physician to start exercising. New mothers might also consult their physician before starting swimming or water aerobics. The usual recommendation is four to six weeks for water exercise. For a little while longer avoid jogging, jumping or beginning a new running program. With natural delivery, smooth surface running may be alright if the mother was running before and during pregnancy. Static exercises such as planks, wall sits, bridges, glute squeezes and abdominal contractions are the best way to begin to restore the body the first couple of months after childbirth. Focus on core strength, with special attention to the low back. When it’s time to introduce dynamic exercises, use light free weights or elastic bands before transitioning to heavier modular machines. Perform exercises in a seated position for a few weeks then transition to standing. Restoring joint stability is essential and can be achieved by alternating exercises for opposing muscle groups. For example, perform a seated biceps curl followed by a lying triceps extension or complete a chest press followed by a reverse grip lat pull down for the back. Perform smooth controlled repetitions, avoid jerking on or overextending the joints and using too much weight. Keep repetitions in the 15 to 20 range and let the repetitions dictate the weight rather than choosing a weight that forces fatigue at 12 or less repetitions.

Good health and readiness of both parents is essential, especially if the other parent is the dive buddy for the woman giving birth. Keeping in mind that there are specific and different risks associated with a woman’s physiology than that of a man, men have their own health matters. Many fathers take on responsibilities such as nighttime feedings and may also be sleep deprived and run down. A growing family often prevents divers from maintaining topside fitness activities for a little while. Hopefully, new SCUBA diving parents were already physically fit for diving before the arrival of their new bundle of joy and were able to maintain a minimum level of fitness during pregnancy. Many dive resorts provide childcare, and since its o.k. to breastfeed after diving activities, with a bit of planning and proper fitness preparation, diving parents can safely get back in the water about six months after childbirth.

Wall Sit with Medicine Ball Bounce – Wall sits are a good static exercise to restore a woman’s body after childbirth. Begin sitting against a wall with the low back in a neutral position, abdominals contracted, feet hip distance apart, and joints at 90-degree angles. Remember to breathe regularly. Use a stop watch or timer with a goal of holding this position for one-minute with one-minute rests between three sets. Increase time gradually until the wall sit can be held for three minutes. Then to add more demand (and fun), incorporate additional assisting muscles in a greater way by bouncing and catching a ball between the knees. A medicine ball is not necessary – any ball will do. Medicine balls can be found in varying weights. Begin with four to eight pounds and 25 bounces. Reaching high overhead adds upper body strengthening and abdominal focus to the exercise.

Volunteers needed to “Dive The Coast” for ocean organizations

CALIFORNIA – Divers along the 1000 miles of California coastline are gearing up for the largest mass scuba dive in the history of diving. Test dives are being done to gauge dive distance, depth and air, all of which will be formulated for diving longer distances during Dive the Coast scheduled for June 2013. Dive teams will first perform calibration dives to determine distance. Additional dives are relay dives where one team dives a distance then hands a flag to another team and so forth.

Volunteer divers and organizers to help with promotion, planning, and future dives are still needed. Dive the Coast Chapters have been formed in San DiegoOrangeLos AngelesSan Luis Obispo,MontereySanta Cruz and San Francisco counties. Visit www.divethecoast.com to contact the coordinator for each county. San DiegoLos AngelesOrange and Monterey counties also have FaceBook pages. Coordinators are still needed for Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Mateo, Marin, Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. Contact kim@divethecoast.com to become a coordinator and/or supporter.

Upcoming events and news statewide include:

March 17, 2012, Los Angeles: Join divers in Los Angeles for a series of dives with the goal of covering the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula. Day one divers will cover at least three miles, from Malaga Cove to Rocky Point, with possibly another four miles added on to reach Old Marineland Cobblestone Beach. For more information, call or email Brian at 661-270-6072, brian@hardcorediveteam.com.

La Jolla Cove, California

May 5-6, 2012. Orange County: Coastkeeper and OC-DTC will be promoting Dive the Coast at the Scuba Show in Long Beach.  OC-DTC participated in the 31st Annual Avalon Harbor Clean Up at Catalina Island on February 24th, 2012.  Participants were interviewed by Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli who was at the event filming his new Lonely Planet adventure roadtrip airing on  BBC America in a few months.

June 8-10, 2012 – Dive the Bay, Monterey: Join divers from across the state for a weekend of camaraderie and diving in beautiful Monterey, home to some of the best diving in the state! The event begins with a social gathering Friday night, then two days diving the entire Monterey Bay as a prelude to the statewide event. “Dive the Bay” is really just an opportunity for everyone to meet, swap stories, play with any sea lions and harbor seals that might be hanging around – but mostly, to build excitement about, and support for, 2013! For more information, call or email Chris at 408-694-7483, chris.presley@rocketmail.com.

The goal of Dive the Coast is to bring divers across the state together for a common goal and to raise money for ocean conservation and education organizations. It will also provide an opportunity for divers to explore areas of the state where they would otherwise not go, and gives exposure to the sport as a whole. Organizers are coordinated by county and each of the 15 counties select deserving organizations to benefit from their fundraising efforts.

Kimberly White, founder of Dive the Coast, originated the idea in Santa Cruz in August 2011, and participants have since been conducting outreach to dive clubs, dive shops and non-profit organizations, as well as forming partnerships to help accomplish this epic endeavor.

Supporters of Dive the Coast throughout the state are:  Silver PrinceCalifornia Diver Magazine, Aquarium of the BaySeven Seas Scuba80 Proof DiversChannel Islands Dive AdventuresOrange County  and  San Luis Obispo  Coastkeeper,  Save Our ShoresO’Neill Sea OdysseyMAKODIVER, Ocean Adventures Dive CompanyCalifornia Ships to ReefsWaterhorse ChartersFin Forward, Hardcore Dive TeamScubaFitOceanicLeisure ProDarkfinSubseriesBeachopper IIE-Diving.comSharkys Eco Dive, Team Sharkys, Addicted Dive Gear, PlayHard Sports, and Pacific Wilderness Dive Team.