Big (or small) goals: What’s on tap for next year? Share your big (or
small) goals with us. Why did you pick those goals? Are these things
you’ve always wanted to do? How are you going to get them done?
Job one is recovering from hardware removal surgery from a triple arthrodesis I had two years ago. I am hoping for physical therapy as I haven't walked with a decent gait for at least three years, and I am tired of feeling off balance and like Lurch. Everything in my body is a little 'off' -- and I want balance.
Actually, balance is pretty much the goal for 2015 in all things.
I did not like the 'obese' code in my doctor's pre-op instructions, not ONE bit. I don't think of myself as 'obese,' but according to the BMI charts, I suppose I have been either there or in the overweight category for years. Even when I lost 50 lbs back in 2002-3, according to those charts I was still overweight. But I didn't look it -- I looked slim and healthy in the photos from that time.
So we are both on a quest to lose weight and ramp up exercise, not to look buff and skinny, but to look and feel healthier and not so achy-breaky. We both need to gain strength in our arms and legs, we both need to increase core strength. I need always to work on balance (which I have never had, really, even as a young person).
Yoga will help me do a lot of that, and so will some strength training at the gym. Like I said, it's about balance: feeling and looking healthier and stronger, with more stamina and strength.
That also means putting my head in the right space to do this, not feeling deprived and anxious, but knowing that spirit will guide me to the right place for me. My mantra is "I am here." Right here, right now. One day at a time, one bite at a time, one workout at a time. We can do this.
Commitment to that is the only goal for 2015. The rest will follow.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
Monday, December 15, 2014
#Reverb14, Day 15
1. What are you really proud that you made happen in 2014, despite the gremlins? And what will you do anyway in 2015?
2. Soul food: What food did you discover this year? Or maybe you discovered a new way to prepare your favorite food. Or a new cookbook. Or a new restaurant. Tell us about your culinary adventures.
1. Here's the broken record again....I went to the cardiologist and EP for tests and monitors and an ablation...despite HUGE fear and anxiety and what-ifs and gremlins. Yay me!!! And I will continue to go in 2015.
Seriously, that was an enormous step for me, overcoming 12 years of fear because of a misdiagnosed heart attack that turned out to be a gangrenous gall bladder back in 2002. Finally instead of waiting until I actually DID have a heart attack or something else, I actively sought out a cardiologist who did testing and worked with me to determine what my issues are, and then went to an EP for the ablation which, hopefully, has fixed the afib and aflutter. If I still have issues surrounding the heart -- and that's likely, given my high blood pressure and family history -- I'll deal with them, one at a time. I want a quality of life and a freedom from that kind of unreasonable fear enough to continue to do that.
2. Oh, I do love to eat and cook. But I don't recall finding a new food this year. I did some stuff with quinoa again this year and liked it; I found a couple of good bread and muffin recipes using winter squash -- which we're not fond of as a veggie. But new? No.
So I'll share some of my favorite recipes, the ones I use often, or that are my 'go-to' recipes for potlucks and events.
Favorite dessert (although I seldom meet a dessert I don't like): Tiramisu Anacapri. As reasonably healthy as tiramisu can get. Everyone loves this stuff.
Favorite way to eat brussels sprouts: Addictive Brussels Sprouts Salad. Addictive might be a bit too enthusiastic, but this is a wonderful way to serve sprouts as a salad.
Favorite green salad: Apple, Bleu Cheese, Pecan Green Salad. From the Pioneer Woman. Big yum, and very easy to throw together.
Favorite pasta dish (although I love pasta): Angel Hair Pasta Delight. Use rotisserie chicken and you've got a very quick, easy, delicious meal. Especially good with fresh tomatoes and spinach from the garden.
Favorite appetizer to take to gatherings: Marinated Ham and Cheese Buns. This always gets great reviews although there is nothing low-fat about it. I usually use whole wheat buns at least!
Favorite cookie: Taku Lodge Ginger Cookies although with my own additions: I use slightly less ground ginger and add about a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger and 1/3 cup of chopped crystallized ginger. They are FABULOUS cookies. We got to eat them at Taku Lodge in 2001 and I've been making them ever since. These are best made as is -- they don't healthify with the same good results.
We eat a lot of fresh food. I never buy frozen or boxed meal starters -- too expensive, too much sodium and other bad stuff, and it is very easy to cook from scratch, or nearly so. I confess I do use the ubiquitous 'cream of ...." soup in some recipes although I usually use the low fat low sodium versions. I do not use salt except in baked goods, figuring we can salt at the table if necessary. We eat a lot of fresh veggies and salads and fruits. I like to bake bread in my wonderful Zojirushi breadmaker -- better control over what goes into it -- although I do buy bread too, mostly based on carb counts and fiber.
We eat a combination of a diabetic diet and an atrial fibrillation diet, and we are very consistent with the amount of veggies every day (the afib part of it), and also the carb counts per meal (the diabetic part of it). I'm grateful for the number of products now that are high fiber/low sugar.
2. Soul food: What food did you discover this year? Or maybe you discovered a new way to prepare your favorite food. Or a new cookbook. Or a new restaurant. Tell us about your culinary adventures.
1. Here's the broken record again....I went to the cardiologist and EP for tests and monitors and an ablation...despite HUGE fear and anxiety and what-ifs and gremlins. Yay me!!! And I will continue to go in 2015.
Seriously, that was an enormous step for me, overcoming 12 years of fear because of a misdiagnosed heart attack that turned out to be a gangrenous gall bladder back in 2002. Finally instead of waiting until I actually DID have a heart attack or something else, I actively sought out a cardiologist who did testing and worked with me to determine what my issues are, and then went to an EP for the ablation which, hopefully, has fixed the afib and aflutter. If I still have issues surrounding the heart -- and that's likely, given my high blood pressure and family history -- I'll deal with them, one at a time. I want a quality of life and a freedom from that kind of unreasonable fear enough to continue to do that.
2. Oh, I do love to eat and cook. But I don't recall finding a new food this year. I did some stuff with quinoa again this year and liked it; I found a couple of good bread and muffin recipes using winter squash -- which we're not fond of as a veggie. But new? No.
So I'll share some of my favorite recipes, the ones I use often, or that are my 'go-to' recipes for potlucks and events.
Favorite dessert (although I seldom meet a dessert I don't like): Tiramisu Anacapri. As reasonably healthy as tiramisu can get. Everyone loves this stuff.
Favorite way to eat brussels sprouts: Addictive Brussels Sprouts Salad. Addictive might be a bit too enthusiastic, but this is a wonderful way to serve sprouts as a salad.
Favorite green salad: Apple, Bleu Cheese, Pecan Green Salad. From the Pioneer Woman. Big yum, and very easy to throw together.
Favorite pasta dish (although I love pasta): Angel Hair Pasta Delight. Use rotisserie chicken and you've got a very quick, easy, delicious meal. Especially good with fresh tomatoes and spinach from the garden.
Favorite appetizer to take to gatherings: Marinated Ham and Cheese Buns. This always gets great reviews although there is nothing low-fat about it. I usually use whole wheat buns at least!
Favorite cookie: Taku Lodge Ginger Cookies although with my own additions: I use slightly less ground ginger and add about a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger and 1/3 cup of chopped crystallized ginger. They are FABULOUS cookies. We got to eat them at Taku Lodge in 2001 and I've been making them ever since. These are best made as is -- they don't healthify with the same good results.
We eat a lot of fresh food. I never buy frozen or boxed meal starters -- too expensive, too much sodium and other bad stuff, and it is very easy to cook from scratch, or nearly so. I confess I do use the ubiquitous 'cream of ...." soup in some recipes although I usually use the low fat low sodium versions. I do not use salt except in baked goods, figuring we can salt at the table if necessary. We eat a lot of fresh veggies and salads and fruits. I like to bake bread in my wonderful Zojirushi breadmaker -- better control over what goes into it -- although I do buy bread too, mostly based on carb counts and fiber.
We eat a combination of a diabetic diet and an atrial fibrillation diet, and we are very consistent with the amount of veggies every day (the afib part of it), and also the carb counts per meal (the diabetic part of it). I'm grateful for the number of products now that are high fiber/low sugar.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Reverb 13: Day 14...Best decision and best meal
1. What was the best decision you made in 2013? What were the results? How will you continue the good work in 2014?
2. Feast
| What was the best meal you had in 2013? Was it slurped standing over
the kitchen counter? Was the menu written in a language you
understood? Were you alone? Or at a table filled with family and
friends?
1. I've pretty much answered this in roundabout ways under slightly different prompts. The best, the hardest, the most far-reaching decision I made this year was to stop being the representative payee for my daughter. It was a difficult decision involving a bunch of emotions and guilts and fears, but both of us will be better served and our relationship will evolve to a different place because of it. That's the short answer. How it plays out for her in 2014 remains to be seen, but it was the right choice for me.
2. The best meals are eaten in the company of someone you love, and we've eaten some good ones. The very best meal this year wasn't so much about the food as it was the company.
We were in Seattle visiting our daughter and her family, and after going on a shoe shopping trip for the kids and both parents in the morning, all eight of us went to the Ram Restaurant and Brewery in the Kent Station mall. With four kids from age 5 to 13, eating out anywhere is pretty rare, and while both parents work hard, they often struggle to make ends meet. The Ram is not a super fancy restaurant but has a good selection of gourmet burgers and upscale sandwiches in addition to other menu items, and is a mini-brewery -- a really nice atmosphere, and one they had never experienced.
Watching the kids read the menu and the ensuing discussion about this burger versus that one, and the final choices was So. Much. Fun. But when we were served, we watched the eyes of the two older boys (11 and 13) get big as saucers: the burgers were practically as big as their heads. They dug into those burgers and steak fries with gusto, commenting often on how good it tasted, how it was such a cool thing to do, and slowly they ate nearly everything on their plates. The 5 and 10 year olds were also chowing down, but their mom had helped them order items that were more appropriate to their appetite levels. And we could not have asked for more perfect manners from any of them.
I don't even remember what I ordered, although I remember everything was really good. When everyone had finally finished, the boys had a sizeable pile of fries left that they wanted to take home. But the two youngest had a complementary dessert with their kiddo meals, so we all consulted a dessert menu -- yes, even the two very well fed older boys. And they ordered root beer shakes. And while we were waiting for the desserts, the boys polished off every last fry. And then slurped up every last drop of those rich, root-beery, ice-creamy shakes, still commenting on how full, how stuffed, they were, how delicious it all was, and how it was the 'best meal' they had ever had.
Our waiter was simply marvelous, allowing plenty of time for decisions but still being attentive, and he served the kids full-sized desserts, not 'kid' size. (And yes, I had something chocolately and yummy too.) He helped turn this family lunch outing into a very special event for all of us.
We had such a great time that day, and I don't think those two boys will ever forget that meal. I don't think I will either.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Scintilla#13, Day 8
My life has suddenly become active after nearly three months of leisurely quiet: I'm out of my cast and mostly out of the air boot and in physical therapy three times a week, which sure cuts into my reading and writing time. With that, I'm also gradually assuming more household tasks and relieving Tony in the kitchen for at least dinners. I'm determined not to lose the quiet time though -- I want to read and think and meditate some every day, but it's been more of a challenge since I am definitely not moving at a rapid pace.
I'll get there, but at my own speed. Like today's prompts will get done maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Eventually I'll get through the whole series.
Day 8 prompts:
1. Many of our fondest memories are associated with food. Describe a memorable experience that took place while preparing or eating food.
2. Write about a time when a preconceived notion or opinion (about a person, place, thing, etc.) turned out to be wrong. What did it take to change your mind?
The first prompt would seem to be the logical one here. I've written in the past about memories surrounding food: Christmas cookies and our traditional wild rice and bacon, popcorn balls, -- well, just hit the 'food' label on this blog to see some of them.
I think that sensory memories are the first and strongest we hold all of our lives. A scent of your mother's perfume can instantly take you back to your very earliest days. For me, the smell of coffee and bacon and toast in the morning puts me in my childhood home, coming sleepily downstairs to a bright, warm kitchen and Daddy cooking bacon while he sang little snippets of song. The tang of sharp cheddar on my tongue conjures him up, slicing thick pieces of it for a snack or a fabulous Sunday evening grilled cheese sandwich.
The salty, creamy mixture of clams and linguine puts my mother with me at the table: she loved her linguine and clams, and once after a hospitalization for something I don't now remember, I made a big batch for her and froze the sauce in individual cups so she could have it whenever she wanted it, since it was one of only a few foods that she was at all interested in eating.
I have my mother's and my grandmother's recipe boxes, and while I don't often use the recipes, I do read them, fingering the old, stained 3x5 cards with the faded ink in their distinctive handwriting. Sometimes there are notes about where the recipes came from: "John's Marge," "Leon's Marge," (my dad and his brother both married women named Marjorie.) "Lois." "Paul's beans." "Ginny's pancake."
There is life in those cards despite the fact that their writers are both dead, as are so many of the people referred to. I know their stories. I've tasted the results. Some, like the Lima Bean and Pork Chop casserole, will never be made again, at least by me (hated it then, doesn't remotely appeal now).
When I make Jule Kage, the citron and cardamom-flavored Scandinavian Christmas bread, my grandmother and my mother are there in the kitchen, reminding me to heat the milk and knead it well (although I cheat and use my bread machine most of the time). I haven't made Fattigman, the thin, rolled, deep-fried and powdered-sugar Norwegian cookies that my grandmother always had, in decades -- they are so not healthy! -- but I can see her hands rolling them out and showing me how to cut a slit in one end of the diamond and pull the other through before dropping it in the deep fat even when I read the recipe.
I don't know who will get these recipes when I'm no longer cooking. I have a recipe file too, but more of them are printed rather than handwritten, although some are stained and dark with use. I hope my girls will read them one day and feel my spirit in the kitchen with them too.
I'll get there, but at my own speed. Like today's prompts will get done maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Eventually I'll get through the whole series.
Day 8 prompts:
1. Many of our fondest memories are associated with food. Describe a memorable experience that took place while preparing or eating food.
2. Write about a time when a preconceived notion or opinion (about a person, place, thing, etc.) turned out to be wrong. What did it take to change your mind?
The first prompt would seem to be the logical one here. I've written in the past about memories surrounding food: Christmas cookies and our traditional wild rice and bacon, popcorn balls, -- well, just hit the 'food' label on this blog to see some of them.
I think that sensory memories are the first and strongest we hold all of our lives. A scent of your mother's perfume can instantly take you back to your very earliest days. For me, the smell of coffee and bacon and toast in the morning puts me in my childhood home, coming sleepily downstairs to a bright, warm kitchen and Daddy cooking bacon while he sang little snippets of song. The tang of sharp cheddar on my tongue conjures him up, slicing thick pieces of it for a snack or a fabulous Sunday evening grilled cheese sandwich.
The salty, creamy mixture of clams and linguine puts my mother with me at the table: she loved her linguine and clams, and once after a hospitalization for something I don't now remember, I made a big batch for her and froze the sauce in individual cups so she could have it whenever she wanted it, since it was one of only a few foods that she was at all interested in eating.
I have my mother's and my grandmother's recipe boxes, and while I don't often use the recipes, I do read them, fingering the old, stained 3x5 cards with the faded ink in their distinctive handwriting. Sometimes there are notes about where the recipes came from: "John's Marge," "Leon's Marge," (my dad and his brother both married women named Marjorie.) "Lois." "Paul's beans." "Ginny's pancake."
There is life in those cards despite the fact that their writers are both dead, as are so many of the people referred to. I know their stories. I've tasted the results. Some, like the Lima Bean and Pork Chop casserole, will never be made again, at least by me (hated it then, doesn't remotely appeal now).
When I make Jule Kage, the citron and cardamom-flavored Scandinavian Christmas bread, my grandmother and my mother are there in the kitchen, reminding me to heat the milk and knead it well (although I cheat and use my bread machine most of the time). I haven't made Fattigman, the thin, rolled, deep-fried and powdered-sugar Norwegian cookies that my grandmother always had, in decades -- they are so not healthy! -- but I can see her hands rolling them out and showing me how to cut a slit in one end of the diamond and pull the other through before dropping it in the deep fat even when I read the recipe.
I don't know who will get these recipes when I'm no longer cooking. I have a recipe file too, but more of them are printed rather than handwritten, although some are stained and dark with use. I hope my girls will read them one day and feel my spirit in the kitchen with them too.
Monday, March 26, 2012
The Scintilla Project - Day 9
The menu du jour: We'll attempt to list 23 recipes, doing #2. (Or maybe we'll do 10 recipes. Or whatever...)
1. Talk about the ways in which your body is awesome.
2. Write a list of 23. (23 things to do, 23 people you owe apologies to, 23 books you've lied about reading, 23 things you can see from where you're sitting, 23 ten-word hooks for stories you want to tell....)
*******************
In no particular order, here are some recipes (and links to them) that I love making, including, if applicable, my adaptations. I'm all about lower fat, lower carb these days, and little sugar, although some of these do NOT fit any of those, but I've included them because they're so good.
1. Easy No-Rise Pizza Crust. This has been my go-to recipe for homemade pizza for some time, but last night I figured out how to make it diabetic-friendly! Cut the recipe in half, using whole wheat flour, and stir in two cups of grated zucchini, well-drained. Let it rise at least 10 minutes. Pat the crust onto a pizza stone, or a cookiie sheet, and bake it 5 minutes. Top with a homemade (sugar-free) sauce and all the healthy veggies you want -- I added some sliced turkey sausage, grated Parmesan cheese, and maybe 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella. Bake about 15 minutes or until brown. Nice, thin, good-for-you crust!
2. Hearty Vegetable Soup. My standard veggie soup recipe, and my, oh, my, it is GOOD and freezes well. Resist the urge to add additional spices, although I love adding a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis to zip it up. I also make a smaller quantity for just us. Like so many veggie soups, this gets better as it sits.
3.Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Muffins. I halved this recipe too, and used sour non-fat milk (because I had no buttermilk) and omitted the raisins when I made them to serve with our St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage. Satisfying and healthy.
4. Crustless Cranberry Pie. Okay, so this isn't something that's necessarily all that carb-friendly, but it is good. I made it sometime in December and probably used half to two-thirds the sugar and at least half whole wheat flour. Especially with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipping cream, this makes a tangy, nice sweet treat.
5. Crockpot Lasagna. Especially when it is way too hot to light the oven but you're tired of salads, this recipe gives you some good lasagna taste without heating up the kitchen. I always use low or no-fat cheese options when I can, including the cottage cheese, and whole wheat lasagna noodles.
6. Bread Machine Focaccia with Sundried Tomatoes. Not low-carb, but great to take to a potluck or for an appetizer. I've got jars of dried tomatoes in my pantry from past gardens, so I use those, reconstituted, and substitute half whole wheat flour. Works really well with a bread dipper too.
7. Hot Sour Chicken and Noodles. I cut this out of Family Circle decades ago and it is our family's preferred home remedy for colds, especially with extra vinegar and hot sauce. We call it Spicy Chicken Soup. I often use leftover rotisserie chicken in it, and boil the carcass and skin for the broth. I omit the miso, mainly because it's not an ingredient that I can easily find in the grocery store. It always makes the sickie feel better.
8. Apple Pie by Grandma Opie. NOT, so NOT, a low anything recipe. But it is an amazing apple pie. I spice the apples with cinnamon and nutmeg because I like a spicy pie, and I pile 'em high. The caramel sauce makes it wonderfully rich and different.
9. Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. So while we're on rich desserts, this one came from my friend Melissa, and I made it for a couple of Christmas gifts last year, in addition to keeping one for ourselves. Big yum. No healthifying this one, I'm afraid.
10. Whole Wheat Zucchini Herb Bread. Love my Zojirushi bread machine! And this is a great way to use up some of those surplus summer zucchinis in a healthy bread that tastes great. If I don't have the sesame seed, I omit it.
11. Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert. Oh, another not-healthy recipe, but fun and easy. The hardest part is unwrapping all those ice cream sandwiches. Sort of like a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait in a cake pan.
12. Layered Ice Cream "Cake". Better than Baskin Robbins, and you can customize the flavors! I made this for my friend Maureen's birthday -- she wanted an ice cream cake with lots of chocolate, so I used chocolate chip, triple chocolate, and fudge tracks ice creams, layered with hot fudge and caramel toppings. Sent big chunks home with the honoree and guests, too!(Clearly I refused to even look at the sugar, carbs, and fat content.)
13. Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. We like the spicy hot Italian sausage in this, and red potatoes, and I usually use fat-free half and half instead of the heavy cream just because. But it's a delicious soup.
14. Garlic Bubble Bread. Fun and easy to take to a potluck! I used the frozen rolls (thawed) rather than bread dough, but I'll bet you could do this like the ever-popular overnight monkey bread recipe and leave it to rise for several hours. This is comfort food, not health food.
15. Mediterranean Kale and White Bean Soup. This is a non-creamy soup with tremendous flavor. I also used a can of diced tomatoes, and you could substitute swiss chard or spinach for the kale. We prefer the hot Italian sausage.This is a good low-fat and lower carb recipe, as long as the sausage is well-drained. I usually cut that amount in half -- still get the flavor, but not all the fat.
16. Pimiento Cheese Spread. Nobody can live in the South and not taste pimiento cheese. This is pretty close to what I make, although I do NOT use Miracle Whip, and certainly not that much mayo either. I've been known to use some Velveeta if I have it, or to use up odds and ends of cheese too, but it is best with the sharp cheddar. This is also yummy on party rye for an appetizer, or as a sandwich on regular rye. Not especially low calorie or carb, however.
17. Grapefruit Pie. My mother first served us this pie when we visited my folks in the Rio Grande Valley over the Christmas holidays back in the mid-1990s. They wintered there and tremendously enjoyed the citrus orchards and fresh veggies that were available at the famer's markets. The grapefruit take some time to peel and pith, but the results are delicious. I've successfully used sugar-free jello and Splenda in this recipe. If you use a nut crust, you can limit the carbs.
18. Spinach-Apple Salad with Almonds. The sugary almonds really make this salad special. I've used either agave or stevia in the dressing to sweeten without the sugar. Love the Honeycrisp apples in this.
Okayyyyy. My Internet connection is not doing well at the moment -- too many gusty winds blowing our next storm in, so we're going to call it a post at 18.
1. Talk about the ways in which your body is awesome.
2. Write a list of 23. (23 things to do, 23 people you owe apologies to, 23 books you've lied about reading, 23 things you can see from where you're sitting, 23 ten-word hooks for stories you want to tell....)
*******************
In no particular order, here are some recipes (and links to them) that I love making, including, if applicable, my adaptations. I'm all about lower fat, lower carb these days, and little sugar, although some of these do NOT fit any of those, but I've included them because they're so good.
1. Easy No-Rise Pizza Crust. This has been my go-to recipe for homemade pizza for some time, but last night I figured out how to make it diabetic-friendly! Cut the recipe in half, using whole wheat flour, and stir in two cups of grated zucchini, well-drained. Let it rise at least 10 minutes. Pat the crust onto a pizza stone, or a cookiie sheet, and bake it 5 minutes. Top with a homemade (sugar-free) sauce and all the healthy veggies you want -- I added some sliced turkey sausage, grated Parmesan cheese, and maybe 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella. Bake about 15 minutes or until brown. Nice, thin, good-for-you crust!
2. Hearty Vegetable Soup. My standard veggie soup recipe, and my, oh, my, it is GOOD and freezes well. Resist the urge to add additional spices, although I love adding a can of diced tomatoes with green chilis to zip it up. I also make a smaller quantity for just us. Like so many veggie soups, this gets better as it sits.
3.Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Muffins. I halved this recipe too, and used sour non-fat milk (because I had no buttermilk) and omitted the raisins when I made them to serve with our St. Patrick's Day corned beef and cabbage. Satisfying and healthy.
4. Crustless Cranberry Pie. Okay, so this isn't something that's necessarily all that carb-friendly, but it is good. I made it sometime in December and probably used half to two-thirds the sugar and at least half whole wheat flour. Especially with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipping cream, this makes a tangy, nice sweet treat.
5. Crockpot Lasagna. Especially when it is way too hot to light the oven but you're tired of salads, this recipe gives you some good lasagna taste without heating up the kitchen. I always use low or no-fat cheese options when I can, including the cottage cheese, and whole wheat lasagna noodles.
6. Bread Machine Focaccia with Sundried Tomatoes. Not low-carb, but great to take to a potluck or for an appetizer. I've got jars of dried tomatoes in my pantry from past gardens, so I use those, reconstituted, and substitute half whole wheat flour. Works really well with a bread dipper too.
7. Hot Sour Chicken and Noodles. I cut this out of Family Circle decades ago and it is our family's preferred home remedy for colds, especially with extra vinegar and hot sauce. We call it Spicy Chicken Soup. I often use leftover rotisserie chicken in it, and boil the carcass and skin for the broth. I omit the miso, mainly because it's not an ingredient that I can easily find in the grocery store. It always makes the sickie feel better.
8. Apple Pie by Grandma Opie. NOT, so NOT, a low anything recipe. But it is an amazing apple pie. I spice the apples with cinnamon and nutmeg because I like a spicy pie, and I pile 'em high. The caramel sauce makes it wonderfully rich and different.
9. Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. So while we're on rich desserts, this one came from my friend Melissa, and I made it for a couple of Christmas gifts last year, in addition to keeping one for ourselves. Big yum. No healthifying this one, I'm afraid.
10. Whole Wheat Zucchini Herb Bread. Love my Zojirushi bread machine! And this is a great way to use up some of those surplus summer zucchinis in a healthy bread that tastes great. If I don't have the sesame seed, I omit it.
11. Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert. Oh, another not-healthy recipe, but fun and easy. The hardest part is unwrapping all those ice cream sandwiches. Sort of like a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait in a cake pan.
12. Layered Ice Cream "Cake". Better than Baskin Robbins, and you can customize the flavors! I made this for my friend Maureen's birthday -- she wanted an ice cream cake with lots of chocolate, so I used chocolate chip, triple chocolate, and fudge tracks ice creams, layered with hot fudge and caramel toppings. Sent big chunks home with the honoree and guests, too!(Clearly I refused to even look at the sugar, carbs, and fat content.)
13. Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup. We like the spicy hot Italian sausage in this, and red potatoes, and I usually use fat-free half and half instead of the heavy cream just because. But it's a delicious soup.
14. Garlic Bubble Bread. Fun and easy to take to a potluck! I used the frozen rolls (thawed) rather than bread dough, but I'll bet you could do this like the ever-popular overnight monkey bread recipe and leave it to rise for several hours. This is comfort food, not health food.
15. Mediterranean Kale and White Bean Soup. This is a non-creamy soup with tremendous flavor. I also used a can of diced tomatoes, and you could substitute swiss chard or spinach for the kale. We prefer the hot Italian sausage.This is a good low-fat and lower carb recipe, as long as the sausage is well-drained. I usually cut that amount in half -- still get the flavor, but not all the fat.
16. Pimiento Cheese Spread. Nobody can live in the South and not taste pimiento cheese. This is pretty close to what I make, although I do NOT use Miracle Whip, and certainly not that much mayo either. I've been known to use some Velveeta if I have it, or to use up odds and ends of cheese too, but it is best with the sharp cheddar. This is also yummy on party rye for an appetizer, or as a sandwich on regular rye. Not especially low calorie or carb, however.
17. Grapefruit Pie. My mother first served us this pie when we visited my folks in the Rio Grande Valley over the Christmas holidays back in the mid-1990s. They wintered there and tremendously enjoyed the citrus orchards and fresh veggies that were available at the famer's markets. The grapefruit take some time to peel and pith, but the results are delicious. I've successfully used sugar-free jello and Splenda in this recipe. If you use a nut crust, you can limit the carbs.
18. Spinach-Apple Salad with Almonds. The sugary almonds really make this salad special. I've used either agave or stevia in the dressing to sweeten without the sugar. Love the Honeycrisp apples in this.
Okayyyyy. My Internet connection is not doing well at the moment -- too many gusty winds blowing our next storm in, so we're going to call it a post at 18.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Do you really cook like this?
I just finished catching up on a couple of episodes of "The Pioneer Woman" on HGTV, which is followed by Paula Deen's show (so I caught a few minutes of that, even though I don't record her).
Perhaps it's my admittedly somewhat growly mood today, but I don't cook like either of these women and mostly never have. Oh, sure, I've made some marvelous ham/broccoli/cheese chowders and casseroles in my day, but it's always served with veggie sticks or a green or fruit salad, and I usually try to cut calories and fat by using reduced fat versions of the sour cream/half and half/milk. And no, this way of cooking didn't just start recently; I've cooked this way for decades.
And I hear Pioneer Woman say, "Oh you can just use all milk (whole, of course) instead of half and half -- but why would you want to? (cute smirky smile)"
Memo toPaula and Ree (and yeah, most of the rest of the TV cooks): Do you think I don't know how delicious these soups/casseroles/desserts are with the full-fat versions and damn the calories and fat? Do you think you're forever going to escape the high cholesterol/triglycerides/blood sugar readings (well, we already know that Paula hasn't)?
Hmm. I wonder how long I'd live if I'd just toss out all the low-and-no fat versions of milk, cheese,. butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, and load up on the delicious bread bowls and pasta and biscuits (white flour, all), and fix luscious chocolate desserts and pies and clafoutis for dessert every night. There's rarely a salad to be found in their menus, and any veggies served are loaded with sauce, cheese, or butter, or all three.
With obesity rates climbing and diabetes rapidly affecting all ages, I just marvel that the cooking channels continue to feature meals based on starch, sweets, and fats. Oh yeah, they are good. I'd love to bite into one of those magnificent creations Right. About. Now. And then have what's left before bedtime. But I'd update my will first and make sure my next of kin know my final preferences.
Will anyone step up and actually put some cooking shows on there for the real people? The ones who eat a lot of salad and green veggies and fresh fruits and veggies, and try to limit portion sizes and stuff that clogs arteries and causes this epidemic of obesity?
Or maybe they just can't sell the ads. Perhaps people don't want to see healthy food cooked in pleasing, tasty ways? I'm not talking about tons of tofu and raw kale here. I'd just like to see a show that features food I'd not only LIKE to eat, but that I CAN eat without feeling guilty or without hurting my health.
I can't afford to eat the way Pioneer Woman or Paula cooks, not if I value my health. I'm betting you can't either. Maybe it's time to speak up? Think I'll write a letter....
Perhaps it's my admittedly somewhat growly mood today, but I don't cook like either of these women and mostly never have. Oh, sure, I've made some marvelous ham/broccoli/cheese chowders and casseroles in my day, but it's always served with veggie sticks or a green or fruit salad, and I usually try to cut calories and fat by using reduced fat versions of the sour cream/half and half/milk. And no, this way of cooking didn't just start recently; I've cooked this way for decades.
And I hear Pioneer Woman say, "Oh you can just use all milk (whole, of course) instead of half and half -- but why would you want to? (cute smirky smile)"
Memo toPaula and Ree (and yeah, most of the rest of the TV cooks): Do you think I don't know how delicious these soups/casseroles/desserts are with the full-fat versions and damn the calories and fat? Do you think you're forever going to escape the high cholesterol/triglycerides/blood sugar readings (well, we already know that Paula hasn't)?
Hmm. I wonder how long I'd live if I'd just toss out all the low-and-no fat versions of milk, cheese,. butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, and load up on the delicious bread bowls and pasta and biscuits (white flour, all), and fix luscious chocolate desserts and pies and clafoutis for dessert every night. There's rarely a salad to be found in their menus, and any veggies served are loaded with sauce, cheese, or butter, or all three.
With obesity rates climbing and diabetes rapidly affecting all ages, I just marvel that the cooking channels continue to feature meals based on starch, sweets, and fats. Oh yeah, they are good. I'd love to bite into one of those magnificent creations Right. About. Now. And then have what's left before bedtime. But I'd update my will first and make sure my next of kin know my final preferences.
Will anyone step up and actually put some cooking shows on there for the real people? The ones who eat a lot of salad and green veggies and fresh fruits and veggies, and try to limit portion sizes and stuff that clogs arteries and causes this epidemic of obesity?
Or maybe they just can't sell the ads. Perhaps people don't want to see healthy food cooked in pleasing, tasty ways? I'm not talking about tons of tofu and raw kale here. I'd just like to see a show that features food I'd not only LIKE to eat, but that I CAN eat without feeling guilty or without hurting my health.
I can't afford to eat the way Pioneer Woman or Paula cooks, not if I value my health. I'm betting you can't either. Maybe it's time to speak up? Think I'll write a letter....
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Reverb 11 -- Day 7 -- Forgiveness and Food
#1 Prompt: Forgiveness - Who have you forgiven this year and what was the journey like that brought you to forgive them?
#2 Prompt: Food: What did you eat this year that stayed with you? Did you experiment with a new meal? Try a new restaurant? Reflect on your good (or less desirable) eats with detail and explain why it stayed with you!
#1: Well, this certainly sparked some soul-searching on my part, and a lunch-long conversation with Tony as we discussed forgiveness.
In 2005, before my mother died, I had a long conversation about forgiveness with my uncle when we were both in Springfield visiting her. I'd read something recently that included a variation of the Lily Tomlin quote "Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past." He liked that, and we talked at length about a family situation that clearly was going to require some forgiveness on both sides.
When I was contemplating who I've forgiven this year, or IF I'd forgiven anyone this year, I realized that I don't actually forgive. I move through a situation, I can move past and move on from a situation, but my relationship with that person is forever after colored by the experience requiring forgiveness. I may continue a friendship or relationship, but I'm a little more guarded, a less less trusting, much more aware of what I say and share and do with that person. I'm rarely without a filter after that point.
Something requiring forgiveness is an event which is going to change how I relate thereafter to that person, and therefore change my life path, even slightly. By forgiving, I still can't undo that change. It happened. It caused whatever reaction it caused. I can choose to include or not that person in my life, or to change the level of involvement, but the solid fact is that the event still happened.
(Disclosure: I am a Scorpio. It has been said that Scorpios don't forget or forgive, they get even. There is some truth to that, even though it may take years to do so.)
I'm pretty good at moving through and on, except when it comes to forgiving myself, probably the most important act of forgiveness any of us ever perform. While I've grown through a lot of events I've done to myself, there are still those that linger in the depths of my memory, and occasionally -- usually when I'm feeling down anyway -- I drag them out yet again and continue the flogging. This year I've made some progress on a couple -- at least I recognize when the cat-o-nine-tails is about to come out, and I can usually put it away. But there is still forgiveness that needs to be generously applied to some of the other memories in that dungeon.
#2: Oh me. I like to eat. I love sweets. And pasta. And fresh bread. And, to be fair, fresh veggies and crisp, fresh salads. I like to eat good food, too. I'm not big on junk food, although I'll admit to a strong craving a few months ago for potato chips, and while I did not break down and buy a bag, I did indulge most heartily in the big bowl of them that was present at a picnic gathering.
I'm not instantly recalling a stand-out meal or dessert this year, however. I enjoyed many such foods, in fact. I think the first, perfectly ripe watermelon of the season, or a fresh, juicy tangerine at Christmas is a delight to taste buds and memory alike. Or a still-warm tomato sliced on good sourdough bread spread with real mayonnaise and topped with a fresh basil leaf is a thrill to the senses. An overflowing black and white sundae, dripping with chocolate and real whipping cream, answered my sweet tooth's plea for deliciousness.
Sometimes a bowl of just-made hot vegetable soup and a slice of fresh bread and butter is perfect for the moment, or a plate of spaghetti with homemade meat sauce and fresh parmesan.
A few years ago -- gasp, in 2007! -- a friend made a birthday cake for Tony and me that was seriously amazing. I wrote about it at the time. It remains in my memory one of the most delectable things I've ever eaten. (Although that group no longer is together and sharing wonderful food (at least with us, anyway!), it was a precious time.)
I'd love to find that to-die-for taste again in 2012. (But I'd also like to get rid of the extra pounds that have slowly crept on this year before they do lasting damage. Right now it's not too many, but if I keep writing about food, it definitely will continue climbing.)
#2 Prompt: Food: What did you eat this year that stayed with you? Did you experiment with a new meal? Try a new restaurant? Reflect on your good (or less desirable) eats with detail and explain why it stayed with you!
#1: Well, this certainly sparked some soul-searching on my part, and a lunch-long conversation with Tony as we discussed forgiveness.
In 2005, before my mother died, I had a long conversation about forgiveness with my uncle when we were both in Springfield visiting her. I'd read something recently that included a variation of the Lily Tomlin quote "Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past." He liked that, and we talked at length about a family situation that clearly was going to require some forgiveness on both sides.
When I was contemplating who I've forgiven this year, or IF I'd forgiven anyone this year, I realized that I don't actually forgive. I move through a situation, I can move past and move on from a situation, but my relationship with that person is forever after colored by the experience requiring forgiveness. I may continue a friendship or relationship, but I'm a little more guarded, a less less trusting, much more aware of what I say and share and do with that person. I'm rarely without a filter after that point.
Something requiring forgiveness is an event which is going to change how I relate thereafter to that person, and therefore change my life path, even slightly. By forgiving, I still can't undo that change. It happened. It caused whatever reaction it caused. I can choose to include or not that person in my life, or to change the level of involvement, but the solid fact is that the event still happened.
(Disclosure: I am a Scorpio. It has been said that Scorpios don't forget or forgive, they get even. There is some truth to that, even though it may take years to do so.)
I'm pretty good at moving through and on, except when it comes to forgiving myself, probably the most important act of forgiveness any of us ever perform. While I've grown through a lot of events I've done to myself, there are still those that linger in the depths of my memory, and occasionally -- usually when I'm feeling down anyway -- I drag them out yet again and continue the flogging. This year I've made some progress on a couple -- at least I recognize when the cat-o-nine-tails is about to come out, and I can usually put it away. But there is still forgiveness that needs to be generously applied to some of the other memories in that dungeon.
#2: Oh me. I like to eat. I love sweets. And pasta. And fresh bread. And, to be fair, fresh veggies and crisp, fresh salads. I like to eat good food, too. I'm not big on junk food, although I'll admit to a strong craving a few months ago for potato chips, and while I did not break down and buy a bag, I did indulge most heartily in the big bowl of them that was present at a picnic gathering.
I'm not instantly recalling a stand-out meal or dessert this year, however. I enjoyed many such foods, in fact. I think the first, perfectly ripe watermelon of the season, or a fresh, juicy tangerine at Christmas is a delight to taste buds and memory alike. Or a still-warm tomato sliced on good sourdough bread spread with real mayonnaise and topped with a fresh basil leaf is a thrill to the senses. An overflowing black and white sundae, dripping with chocolate and real whipping cream, answered my sweet tooth's plea for deliciousness.
Sometimes a bowl of just-made hot vegetable soup and a slice of fresh bread and butter is perfect for the moment, or a plate of spaghetti with homemade meat sauce and fresh parmesan.
A few years ago -- gasp, in 2007! -- a friend made a birthday cake for Tony and me that was seriously amazing. I wrote about it at the time. It remains in my memory one of the most delectable things I've ever eaten. (Although that group no longer is together and sharing wonderful food (at least with us, anyway!), it was a precious time.)
I'd love to find that to-die-for taste again in 2012. (But I'd also like to get rid of the extra pounds that have slowly crept on this year before they do lasting damage. Right now it's not too many, but if I keep writing about food, it definitely will continue climbing.)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tomato soup warms us up
Instead of corned beef and cabbage on yesterday's St. Patrick's Day, I made ham salad sandwiches (open-faced and toasted) and homemade tomato soup for dinner. (Tony had planned to go to a program after work but changed his mind at the last minute because others had decided not to go.)
The soup was really good and very easy, and beats the canned stuff all to pieces. So I thought I'd share.
I started with a recipe from Food.com, which I often browse, but then adapted it enough that it really isn't the same recipe.
Tomato Soup
Saute in 1-2T olive oil a medium chopped onion and four cloves of minced garlic until soft. Throw in a couple of bay leaves and a few sprinkles of basil leaves if you like that flavor (we do) -- maybe half a teaspoon.
When veggies are soft but not browned:
Add a 28-oz. can of whole, diced or stewed tomatoes, whatever you have in the pantry.
Pour in a couple of cups of chicken or veggie broth, or -- as I did, not wanting to open a quart of broth for just two cups -- two cups of chicken bouillion (low sodium preferred)
I added two small cans of V-8 to this mix; you may choose to add 1/4 c of tomato paste.
Generously pepper.
Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. At that point I also added about a slice of bread, torn into pieces. (Use whatever you have, or omit if you like. It thickens the soup just a little.) Simmer maybe another 10 minutes until you really can't see the bread. (I suppose you could add the bread when you add the other stuff too.)
Using your handy-dandy immersion blender (which I got for my birthday last fall and while I don't use it often, LOVElovelove it), puree until everything is smooth. In lieu of that, you can puree small batches in your blender, but be careful to hold the lid on so soup doesn't explode over your countertop. Or you can mash it all together with a potato masher (the low-tech version).
It turned out warm and smooth and peppery, warming us up all the way down. I'll choose this soup any day over anything canned, and it's very easy.
I'm guessing you could add some cream at the very last to make it cream of tomato, or put in other veggies or rice or macaroni to stretch it or to use leftovers.
Corned beef and cabbage tonight!
The soup was really good and very easy, and beats the canned stuff all to pieces. So I thought I'd share.
I started with a recipe from Food.com, which I often browse, but then adapted it enough that it really isn't the same recipe.
Tomato Soup
Saute in 1-2T olive oil a medium chopped onion and four cloves of minced garlic until soft. Throw in a couple of bay leaves and a few sprinkles of basil leaves if you like that flavor (we do) -- maybe half a teaspoon.
When veggies are soft but not browned:
Add a 28-oz. can of whole, diced or stewed tomatoes, whatever you have in the pantry.
Pour in a couple of cups of chicken or veggie broth, or -- as I did, not wanting to open a quart of broth for just two cups -- two cups of chicken bouillion (low sodium preferred)
I added two small cans of V-8 to this mix; you may choose to add 1/4 c of tomato paste.
Generously pepper.
Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes. At that point I also added about a slice of bread, torn into pieces. (Use whatever you have, or omit if you like. It thickens the soup just a little.) Simmer maybe another 10 minutes until you really can't see the bread. (I suppose you could add the bread when you add the other stuff too.)
Using your handy-dandy immersion blender (which I got for my birthday last fall and while I don't use it often, LOVElovelove it), puree until everything is smooth. In lieu of that, you can puree small batches in your blender, but be careful to hold the lid on so soup doesn't explode over your countertop. Or you can mash it all together with a potato masher (the low-tech version).
It turned out warm and smooth and peppery, warming us up all the way down. I'll choose this soup any day over anything canned, and it's very easy.
I'm guessing you could add some cream at the very last to make it cream of tomato, or put in other veggies or rice or macaroni to stretch it or to use leftovers.
Corned beef and cabbage tonight!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Reverb 10 -- Touching my soul with joy
For Dec. 26 -- Soul food. What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul?
I honestly can't think of one thing I ate that was that marvelous.
But what I do remember is eating chocolate peanut butter chunk ice cream from a glass dish and watching people go by downtown, with my honey sitting across from me eating his dish, and just grinning at each other like it was our first date. More of those moments, please...
The first bite of wild rice and the first bite of Jule Kage on Christmas morning bring back memories of my mother and dad, of family celebrations and get-togethers, with this special occasion meal. It stems from Dahl family roots in Minnesota when we each got a huge plate of wild rice and bacon on Christmas mornings. When my mother was teaching school in rural Wisconsin and Minnesota, she would actually go out in the boat and help gather it. When I fix it at Christmas, I know that my cousins are also fixing theirs, and for a little moment, I'm united with them in spirit.
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For Dec. 27 - Ordinary joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?
Every night when I crawl into our lovely bed, I look to my left to see two big brown eyes looking back at me over a very sweet smile. I've been loving those same big brown eyes for more than 13 years now, and it never fails to just melt my heart when I am settled in for the night. Our bed is the most wonderful place in the world to me, with kitties nestling close and my honey settled in next to me. It is the one moment of absolute contentment and joy that I can count on every day.
I honestly can't think of one thing I ate that was that marvelous.
But what I do remember is eating chocolate peanut butter chunk ice cream from a glass dish and watching people go by downtown, with my honey sitting across from me eating his dish, and just grinning at each other like it was our first date. More of those moments, please...
The first bite of wild rice and the first bite of Jule Kage on Christmas morning bring back memories of my mother and dad, of family celebrations and get-togethers, with this special occasion meal. It stems from Dahl family roots in Minnesota when we each got a huge plate of wild rice and bacon on Christmas mornings. When my mother was teaching school in rural Wisconsin and Minnesota, she would actually go out in the boat and help gather it. When I fix it at Christmas, I know that my cousins are also fixing theirs, and for a little moment, I'm united with them in spirit.
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For Dec. 27 - Ordinary joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?
Every night when I crawl into our lovely bed, I look to my left to see two big brown eyes looking back at me over a very sweet smile. I've been loving those same big brown eyes for more than 13 years now, and it never fails to just melt my heart when I am settled in for the night. Our bed is the most wonderful place in the world to me, with kitties nestling close and my honey settled in next to me. It is the one moment of absolute contentment and joy that I can count on every day.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A quiet weekend
Tony's captured the essence of the road warrior in his new Cat-E-Whompus post, Roadrunnin'. Be sure to take a look.
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I'm feeling very thrifty this morning: I've managed to turn a $4.99 rotisserie chicken from the grocery store into a number of meals, the latest of which is bubbling away in my crockpot.
We had it sliced accompanied by fresh corn on the cob and steamed broccoli the first night.
A couple nights later I mixed more of the chicken with my garden zucchini, a sauce and some homemade sourdough stuffing to create a yummy casserole -- I did it in the crockpot but prefer it baked in the oven, actually. There's enough left to give us another meal at least and possibly a serving to go in the freezer.
And then yesterday I threw bones, skin, water and seasoning in the crockpot and let it simmer all day, resulting in a lovely rich broth. I skimmed off the bones and skin (then chopped up some of the bits and gave it to the outside kitties, who scarfed it right down), then put a pound of great northern beans in the broth along with a few spices and let them cook all night. I've added the rest of the chicken, onion, celery, hot peppers, and more spices to it this morning and we'll enjoy it as white chicken chili either tonight or tomorrow. And there will be plenty leftover to freeze or eat as lunches this week.
Weather is in transition today: mostly cloudy and warm-ish, but not really enough for air conditioning and too humid for swamp cooler. We're expecting rain tonight and tomorrow, and temps very mild through the coming week. I'm hoping we're done with the 90s, but also am not stupid -- we've had 100-degree days into October in past years. Alas, with the weather changes also come achey-breakys, and my joints are creaky this morning.
Based on kitty behaviors, I'm predicting another early, cold winter this year. The outside kitties have porked up considerably from their summer slim-down, and their fur has thickened and is very plush. Even Minnie, our tiny old little girl, has a tummy and her mottled black long hair is fluffing out. Not a lot of acorns, however, although there are enough that the deer have mostly lost their starved look. Leaves are already falling too, although there are plenty on the trees.
*****************
I'm feeling very thrifty this morning: I've managed to turn a $4.99 rotisserie chicken from the grocery store into a number of meals, the latest of which is bubbling away in my crockpot.
We had it sliced accompanied by fresh corn on the cob and steamed broccoli the first night.
A couple nights later I mixed more of the chicken with my garden zucchini, a sauce and some homemade sourdough stuffing to create a yummy casserole -- I did it in the crockpot but prefer it baked in the oven, actually. There's enough left to give us another meal at least and possibly a serving to go in the freezer.
And then yesterday I threw bones, skin, water and seasoning in the crockpot and let it simmer all day, resulting in a lovely rich broth. I skimmed off the bones and skin (then chopped up some of the bits and gave it to the outside kitties, who scarfed it right down), then put a pound of great northern beans in the broth along with a few spices and let them cook all night. I've added the rest of the chicken, onion, celery, hot peppers, and more spices to it this morning and we'll enjoy it as white chicken chili either tonight or tomorrow. And there will be plenty leftover to freeze or eat as lunches this week.
Weather is in transition today: mostly cloudy and warm-ish, but not really enough for air conditioning and too humid for swamp cooler. We're expecting rain tonight and tomorrow, and temps very mild through the coming week. I'm hoping we're done with the 90s, but also am not stupid -- we've had 100-degree days into October in past years. Alas, with the weather changes also come achey-breakys, and my joints are creaky this morning.
Based on kitty behaviors, I'm predicting another early, cold winter this year. The outside kitties have porked up considerably from their summer slim-down, and their fur has thickened and is very plush. Even Minnie, our tiny old little girl, has a tummy and her mottled black long hair is fluffing out. Not a lot of acorns, however, although there are enough that the deer have mostly lost their starved look. Leaves are already falling too, although there are plenty on the trees.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Gratitude
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and with my newly-fixed oven, I'm cooking turkey for the first T-day in several years. With the bread stuffing my mother taught me to make. Yum.
Not an elaborate menu -- green beans flash-sauteed in butter and garlic, orange-cranberry sauce, maybe some fruit salad, relishes, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls. R is making pumpkin, pecan and mincemeat pies.
Comfort food, to be sure. Easy day of preparation. Easy day, period. I plan to watch the parade, stuff the bird, read the paper and maybe get caught up on some magazines. Visit with R and her BF when they come over later in the day. Eat rationally and healthily. except for pie and whipped cream
Mostly I intend to be grateful for family, for friends near and far, for our wonderful house and land, for enough of everything. I'm grateful for health and birthdays and sight and hearing and taste and touch. I'm grateful for music and books to read. I'm grateful that I am living such a blessed, good life with a husband whom I adore and who adores me back.
Thank you, universe. Thank you, god and goddess. Thank you, higher power. Thank you.
Not an elaborate menu -- green beans flash-sauteed in butter and garlic, orange-cranberry sauce, maybe some fruit salad, relishes, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls. R is making pumpkin, pecan and mincemeat pies.
Comfort food, to be sure. Easy day of preparation. Easy day, period. I plan to watch the parade, stuff the bird, read the paper and maybe get caught up on some magazines. Visit with R and her BF when they come over later in the day. Eat rationally and healthily. except for pie and whipped cream
Mostly I intend to be grateful for family, for friends near and far, for our wonderful house and land, for enough of everything. I'm grateful for health and birthdays and sight and hearing and taste and touch. I'm grateful for music and books to read. I'm grateful that I am living such a blessed, good life with a husband whom I adore and who adores me back.
Thank you, universe. Thank you, god and goddess. Thank you, higher power. Thank you.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Snippets here and there
Little bits of this and that for a Monday morning....
We went to see Peter Pan last week in Redding, part of the Broadway series for which we've had tickets for some four years. It has been a wonderful investment and we've seen some fabulous shows -- the first one in this series, The Producers, was one of the very best. We're also both very fond of Cats which we've seen twice in this venue.
Peter Pan is a cute show -- I remember seeing it on television, as a child, with Mary Martin as Peter Pan. It was first telecast live in 1955 and re-staged live (by popular demand) in 1956, and then was broadcast infrequently with the last one in 1989. There have been other Peter Pans over the years, including Mia Farrow in an all-new version in 1976 that never caught on.
I admit to being a little disappointed in this production, although it's still a delightful evening. But I didn't think the choreography was up to the standards usually seen from a touring production, and it just didn't sparkle.
There are still four plays left in this year's series, and I'm looking forward to them, but especially Gypsy in March and Chicago in May. Wish they had something similar in Chico -- it makes for very long days for Tony when he goes to Chico in the morning and Redding at night.
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Lately I've just craved sugary stuff -- not a good thing. I want cookies...candies...cake...anything sweet. Of course sugar is addictive! I know this. And I really do try to resist the urge, and seldom keep any of the above in the house. My dad had a very sweet tooth, also not a good thing since he was diabetic, and while he did really well most of the time, he did love ice cream at night, or cookies. I dunno if such cravings are genetic, but if so, I got it. I'm trying to eat sensibly and control portion size -- and mostly I do. But it's really hard sometimes. Maybe it has something to do with winter and comfort foods?
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What a wild ride the weather has given us lately, from our wind storms early in January to the more than 2.5 inches of rain we had in 24 hours this week! I'm now recording rainfall amounts for the Tehama County Resource Conservation District, and it's been quite fun to see the amounts we're getting. We need the rain, even after some good ones, and I'm glad to see it. However, I'm also glad (and surprised) to see sunshine today, even if it's a little chilly (45 degrees at this moment).
I like winter. I like the gray days and rain. We get so much sun and hot weather that I feel like I need to soak up the cool and wet days. I like having the woodstove radiating heat throughout the house, and making soups and stews and the occasional loaf of bread (nothing better than hot bread with butter...unless it's hot cookies -- which are NOT conducive to healthy eating). I love clean sweats and fresh flannel sheets, and sleeping in cold rooms when I'm snugged under the comforter next to my honey's warm body. (and why, oh why, are men always like little furnaces? The only time women are is when they get hot flashes.)
I love watching the hills turn green from the rains -- something that after 10 years in California I've finally gotten used to, after a lifetime of brown, dead vegetation during Midwest winters. I like the stark sculptures of bare tree limbs against that green.
And the snow! We're not high enough to get it (although snow flurries have been forecast for this week at times and Redding has been snowed on several days this winter), but it's lower on the surrounding hills than we remember seeing since we've been up here. The mountains are gorgeous on these sunny days -- they sparkle with the white stuff! And the mountain mama Mt. Shasta rises high above everything on the landscape, covered with her pristine mantle.
Mind you, I don't want to live in it, but I like to see it.
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My desk is still piled high with Christmas cards, papers, newspaper clips, and various reminder lists, and I'm slowly working through the piles. I did get the office pretty much sorted out and cleaned up, and these are the last bits. I admit that I did not send holiday letters -- several years ago I started sending them just after New Year's, but partly because the power outage threw everything off kilter, I didn't get them out, although it's written. I'm thinking that maybe I'll send out a few for Valentine's day -- just to the friends and relatives who wrote us nice notes and letters. I swear I don't know where the time goes. It's nearly February already.
*****************
I'm working this year (again) on being where I am: not anticipating the future nor worrying about things I can't change, not obsessing on irritating or worrisome behaviors of other people, but just trying hard to savor the moment of where I am, and being positive. Life is short as it is, and seems to go faster the older I get. I'm trying not to waste a moment getting wrapped around the axle by other people's actions and choices, and negative outlooks. If that makes me a big Pollyanna, then so be it.
We went to see Peter Pan last week in Redding, part of the Broadway series for which we've had tickets for some four years. It has been a wonderful investment and we've seen some fabulous shows -- the first one in this series, The Producers, was one of the very best. We're also both very fond of Cats which we've seen twice in this venue.
Peter Pan is a cute show -- I remember seeing it on television, as a child, with Mary Martin as Peter Pan. It was first telecast live in 1955 and re-staged live (by popular demand) in 1956, and then was broadcast infrequently with the last one in 1989. There have been other Peter Pans over the years, including Mia Farrow in an all-new version in 1976 that never caught on.
I admit to being a little disappointed in this production, although it's still a delightful evening. But I didn't think the choreography was up to the standards usually seen from a touring production, and it just didn't sparkle.
There are still four plays left in this year's series, and I'm looking forward to them, but especially Gypsy in March and Chicago in May. Wish they had something similar in Chico -- it makes for very long days for Tony when he goes to Chico in the morning and Redding at night.
****************
Lately I've just craved sugary stuff -- not a good thing. I want cookies...candies...cake...anything sweet. Of course sugar is addictive! I know this. And I really do try to resist the urge, and seldom keep any of the above in the house. My dad had a very sweet tooth, also not a good thing since he was diabetic, and while he did really well most of the time, he did love ice cream at night, or cookies. I dunno if such cravings are genetic, but if so, I got it. I'm trying to eat sensibly and control portion size -- and mostly I do. But it's really hard sometimes. Maybe it has something to do with winter and comfort foods?
*****************
What a wild ride the weather has given us lately, from our wind storms early in January to the more than 2.5 inches of rain we had in 24 hours this week! I'm now recording rainfall amounts for the Tehama County Resource Conservation District, and it's been quite fun to see the amounts we're getting. We need the rain, even after some good ones, and I'm glad to see it. However, I'm also glad (and surprised) to see sunshine today, even if it's a little chilly (45 degrees at this moment).
I like winter. I like the gray days and rain. We get so much sun and hot weather that I feel like I need to soak up the cool and wet days. I like having the woodstove radiating heat throughout the house, and making soups and stews and the occasional loaf of bread (nothing better than hot bread with butter...unless it's hot cookies -- which are NOT conducive to healthy eating). I love clean sweats and fresh flannel sheets, and sleeping in cold rooms when I'm snugged under the comforter next to my honey's warm body. (and why, oh why, are men always like little furnaces? The only time women are is when they get hot flashes.)
I love watching the hills turn green from the rains -- something that after 10 years in California I've finally gotten used to, after a lifetime of brown, dead vegetation during Midwest winters. I like the stark sculptures of bare tree limbs against that green.
And the snow! We're not high enough to get it (although snow flurries have been forecast for this week at times and Redding has been snowed on several days this winter), but it's lower on the surrounding hills than we remember seeing since we've been up here. The mountains are gorgeous on these sunny days -- they sparkle with the white stuff! And the mountain mama Mt. Shasta rises high above everything on the landscape, covered with her pristine mantle.
Mind you, I don't want to live in it, but I like to see it.
***********************
My desk is still piled high with Christmas cards, papers, newspaper clips, and various reminder lists, and I'm slowly working through the piles. I did get the office pretty much sorted out and cleaned up, and these are the last bits. I admit that I did not send holiday letters -- several years ago I started sending them just after New Year's, but partly because the power outage threw everything off kilter, I didn't get them out, although it's written. I'm thinking that maybe I'll send out a few for Valentine's day -- just to the friends and relatives who wrote us nice notes and letters. I swear I don't know where the time goes. It's nearly February already.
*****************
I'm working this year (again) on being where I am: not anticipating the future nor worrying about things I can't change, not obsessing on irritating or worrisome behaviors of other people, but just trying hard to savor the moment of where I am, and being positive. Life is short as it is, and seems to go faster the older I get. I'm trying not to waste a moment getting wrapped around the axle by other people's actions and choices, and negative outlooks. If that makes me a big Pollyanna, then so be it.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
The garden delivers...
The lettuce in the garden is bolting -- not surprising, after our recent 112+ degree temps, although the romaine still appears okay. Green onions are still okay, although with our rocky soil, you gotta get them when it's damp. I doubt any of them will stay good for much longer-- just too hot.
Sugar snap peas are about done, too, and this has been a nice, long season for them, with ample supplies for salads and stirfrys. The vines are browning, and the deer will get the last bits when I yank them up, probably this week.
Green beans have been slow, but we've had a few suppers with them. The plants didn't do as well as I'd hoped, and I may put a few more in the ground when it cools down a bit this week (to high 90s and low 100s -- )
Even though the tomato plants are runty and small, they're loaded with tomatoes, and I'm about to get the first big one. The grape tomatoes have given us a handful -- about enough for a salad. Zucchini, also runty, has a few small ones coming along and the plants are healthy and blooming....just small. I've picked a small eggplant and a green pepper, and we had a quick sauce with those and with fresh tomatoes from someone else's garden over pasta the other night. Very yummy. I don't know what happened with the pepper plants this year: I planted a dozen or so, and something ate all but two of them -- nothing else in the garden, just the pepper plants. Whatever it was hasn't touched the three I planted a few weeks ago.
Tonight we had our first mess of swiss chard, and -- also the first one -- a half a sliced Asian cucumber that I marinated in white wine vinegar, along with a boneless chicken breast that I used a dry rub on and sauteed, then cooked briefly in a little red wine. Love those cukes, and with just one plant this year, I hope we won't get overrun as we have in years past.
But the swiss chard was just exquisite. A neighbor gave me the ultimate recipe and I could just savor this as a whole meal. Here 'tis:
Thank you, Deb!
I also made a very small batch of fresh plum freezer jam with plums from another neighbor's tree. They're the tiny prune plums that are at least half seed, so I washed them and put them with a little water into a pan and cooked it down, then ran the results through a food mill -- had to manually pick out the stones, but it was easy. Got about 3 cups of pulpy plum, to which I added a cup of Splenda (they were very flavorful, but rather sour), and then used the no-sugar pectin to blend with the mixture. I'll put the jars in the freezer tomorrow -- I think it will be fairly soft, but it was really tasty.
I am so grateful for the luscious fresh veggies we get to enjoy from our garden, and the bounty of fresh fruit that we have in this area! It is such fun to cook with whatever is ripe today. The Wednesday farmer's markets begin this week, so there will be even more to choose from. I hope you enjoy this summer's harvest!
Sugar snap peas are about done, too, and this has been a nice, long season for them, with ample supplies for salads and stirfrys. The vines are browning, and the deer will get the last bits when I yank them up, probably this week.
Green beans have been slow, but we've had a few suppers with them. The plants didn't do as well as I'd hoped, and I may put a few more in the ground when it cools down a bit this week (to high 90s and low 100s -- )
Even though the tomato plants are runty and small, they're loaded with tomatoes, and I'm about to get the first big one. The grape tomatoes have given us a handful -- about enough for a salad. Zucchini, also runty, has a few small ones coming along and the plants are healthy and blooming....just small. I've picked a small eggplant and a green pepper, and we had a quick sauce with those and with fresh tomatoes from someone else's garden over pasta the other night. Very yummy. I don't know what happened with the pepper plants this year: I planted a dozen or so, and something ate all but two of them -- nothing else in the garden, just the pepper plants. Whatever it was hasn't touched the three I planted a few weeks ago.
Tonight we had our first mess of swiss chard, and -- also the first one -- a half a sliced Asian cucumber that I marinated in white wine vinegar, along with a boneless chicken breast that I used a dry rub on and sauteed, then cooked briefly in a little red wine. Love those cukes, and with just one plant this year, I hope we won't get overrun as we have in years past.
But the swiss chard was just exquisite. A neighbor gave me the ultimate recipe and I could just savor this as a whole meal. Here 'tis:
Sweet-and-sour Swiss Chard with Dried Currants
4 Servings
3 pounds green and/or red Swiss chard (about 3 large bunches), tough ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces.
1 tablespoon olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tablespoons dried currants
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
COOK Swiss chard in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
HEAT oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add Swiss chard and currants; saute until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Drizzle vinegar over and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.
I also made a very small batch of fresh plum freezer jam with plums from another neighbor's tree. They're the tiny prune plums that are at least half seed, so I washed them and put them with a little water into a pan and cooked it down, then ran the results through a food mill -- had to manually pick out the stones, but it was easy. Got about 3 cups of pulpy plum, to which I added a cup of Splenda (they were very flavorful, but rather sour), and then used the no-sugar pectin to blend with the mixture. I'll put the jars in the freezer tomorrow -- I think it will be fairly soft, but it was really tasty.
I am so grateful for the luscious fresh veggies we get to enjoy from our garden, and the bounty of fresh fruit that we have in this area! It is such fun to cook with whatever is ripe today. The Wednesday farmer's markets begin this week, so there will be even more to choose from. I hope you enjoy this summer's harvest!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Hunkering down this week
I've got a list of to-dos that have kept me working pretty much from 8:30 this morning until about 15 minutes ago -- and it's midnight -- with only lunch and supper breaks, and one foray into town this morning.
It's serious writing time. Finished the arts newsletter and it's off to printer in the morning. Also discovered that we are nearly out of business cards, so did a redesign on those too, and they'll also go to printer.
So tomorrow it's research and draft time on one big project. And Wednesday. And Thursday. Friday is meetings and stuff all day, and Saturday we're meeting some folks for a few hours that entails bringing food, although it won't be fancy.
But I feel better for having crossed two things off.
I'm still constantly practicing positive gratitude (although I'll admit I was challenged a time or two today), and projecting positive thoughts about what I want, picturing myself in that bright blue Jeep Liberty, for instance...*grin*
The Sopranos ended last night, "...not with a bang, but a whimper" (apologies to T.S. Eliot). millions were talking about the 30-odd seconds of black screen that made us think the network was down or that the recorder didn't get it all at first, and then when credits started rolling silently, we realized it was over. Worse than Bobby Ewing's dream!
And yet, on contemplation today and much discussion with Tony (my honey, not the Soprano), I'm okay with the ending. It was full of speculation, symbolism if you cared to see it, and possibilities for all the family members. So they live on, in some weird parallel universe-mind, I suppose, and there could be a movie (but I bet there won't be). In some ways this ending made them even more real than they seemed to be.
It was a fun evening, though -- a group of us who have been watching this season together made it a party with Italian food, wine, laughter, and a Sopranos quiz. We watched the very first episode of the series before we watched the very last one. There were lots of changes, and yet the same issues were there.
So it's on to the next to-do on the list. Right now, that's bed. Blessings!
It's serious writing time. Finished the arts newsletter and it's off to printer in the morning. Also discovered that we are nearly out of business cards, so did a redesign on those too, and they'll also go to printer.
So tomorrow it's research and draft time on one big project. And Wednesday. And Thursday. Friday is meetings and stuff all day, and Saturday we're meeting some folks for a few hours that entails bringing food, although it won't be fancy.
But I feel better for having crossed two things off.
I'm still constantly practicing positive gratitude (although I'll admit I was challenged a time or two today), and projecting positive thoughts about what I want, picturing myself in that bright blue Jeep Liberty, for instance...*grin*
The Sopranos ended last night, "...not with a bang, but a whimper" (apologies to T.S. Eliot). millions were talking about the 30-odd seconds of black screen that made us think the network was down or that the recorder didn't get it all at first, and then when credits started rolling silently, we realized it was over. Worse than Bobby Ewing's dream!
And yet, on contemplation today and much discussion with Tony (my honey, not the Soprano), I'm okay with the ending. It was full of speculation, symbolism if you cared to see it, and possibilities for all the family members. So they live on, in some weird parallel universe-mind, I suppose, and there could be a movie (but I bet there won't be). In some ways this ending made them even more real than they seemed to be.
It was a fun evening, though -- a group of us who have been watching this season together made it a party with Italian food, wine, laughter, and a Sopranos quiz. We watched the very first episode of the series before we watched the very last one. There were lots of changes, and yet the same issues were there.
So it's on to the next to-do on the list. Right now, that's bed. Blessings!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
My new favorite bread dipper
When I was in SF with Julie, we ate dinner at The Stinking Rose, an all-garlic-all-the-time restaurant in North Beach. While everything was yummy (and I reeked of garlic for three days afterwards), I couldn't get enough of the pesto relish that was on every table. It was hot, tasted of parsley, and verrrry garlicky.
Tonight I have a big jar in the fridge that I've shared last night with neighbors and tonight with other friends -- I found the recipe on the restaurant's site as well as elsewhere, slightly modified. And here it is:
Stinking Rose® Garlic Relish
1 bunch flat Italian parsley, minced
1/4-1/3 cup (or to taste, which is what I did) minced garlic
2 T vinegar
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
Olive oil to cover
I whirled the parsley in the food processor until very finely chopped; ditto the garlic. Put it all into a glass jar, mixed it up, and covered with olive oil.
Is that easy or what!
It makes a great salad dressing, bread dipper, condiment for a sandwich, topper for griller chicken (or fish). The garlic is what gives it the hot kick, so vary your amounts according to how much you love garlic.
Carry breath mints.
I also made a dried tomato and rosemary foccacia, using tomatoes from the garden that I'd dried last year, and it was killer with this dip. And too easy -- do the dough in the bread machine, and it's very simple from there.
Did I mention that I love to cook? Well -- when I have a little time to do it and plan ahead. I don't like the oh-gosh-it's-7-p.m.-and-I-haven't-the-foggiest kinds of cooking, which seems to happen a lot. Lately it's a lot of salad from the garden, which also is featuring radishes and the tiniest green onions. You can't buy lettuce like this -- it's a good variety of kinds, so you get a peppery arugula in one bite, a juicy leaf lettuce in another.
Enough already. I'm hungry.
More magazines on the nightstand, and I'm working bit by bit on The Secret, but I'm nearly finished with JD Robb's Born in Death.
Tonight I have a big jar in the fridge that I've shared last night with neighbors and tonight with other friends -- I found the recipe on the restaurant's site as well as elsewhere, slightly modified. And here it is:
Stinking Rose® Garlic Relish
1 bunch flat Italian parsley, minced
1/4-1/3 cup (or to taste, which is what I did) minced garlic
2 T vinegar
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
Olive oil to cover
I whirled the parsley in the food processor until very finely chopped; ditto the garlic. Put it all into a glass jar, mixed it up, and covered with olive oil.
Is that easy or what!
It makes a great salad dressing, bread dipper, condiment for a sandwich, topper for griller chicken (or fish). The garlic is what gives it the hot kick, so vary your amounts according to how much you love garlic.
Carry breath mints.
I also made a dried tomato and rosemary foccacia, using tomatoes from the garden that I'd dried last year, and it was killer with this dip. And too easy -- do the dough in the bread machine, and it's very simple from there.
Did I mention that I love to cook? Well -- when I have a little time to do it and plan ahead. I don't like the oh-gosh-it's-7-p.m.-and-I-haven't-the-foggiest kinds of cooking, which seems to happen a lot. Lately it's a lot of salad from the garden, which also is featuring radishes and the tiniest green onions. You can't buy lettuce like this -- it's a good variety of kinds, so you get a peppery arugula in one bite, a juicy leaf lettuce in another.
Enough already. I'm hungry.
More magazines on the nightstand, and I'm working bit by bit on The Secret, but I'm nearly finished with JD Robb's Born in Death.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Living longer
There was an article in this weekend's USA magazine about longevity, featuring two Web sites you can visit to determine how long you'll live (barring accidents, catastrophic events, etc.). That's the one for folks over 50, and this is the one for the under-50 crowd.
According to that I'll get 89 years in. That's about right, I think....although my great-aunt Fran turned 100 last September, but she seems to have escaped some of the physical ailments that have afflicted others on that side of the family -- other than some dementia, anyway.
There are, of course, things they recommend doing that will help extend my life even more -- like cutting out those sweets to just once or twice a week and exercising more than four times a week.
But I'm not too bad. We seldom eat white anything -- bread, rice, potatoes, pasta -- and use the whole wheat or brown versions of rice and pasta, or substitute whole barley which is full of fiber and low on the glycemic index. Probably eat red meat too often, although not daily by any means. No smoking, no booze.
We do try to keep things healthy--well, maybe except for that stash of sweets. I made granola today which is full of healthy fiber and very low in fat and sugar. It's Adelle Davis's recipe, adapted somewhat.
Here's hers:
5 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick)
1 cup each of sliced or chopped almonds, sesame seeds, raw sunflower seeds, shredded coconut (unsweetened, preferably not the fancy kind), soy flour, powered milk (preferably non-instant), and wheat germ.
1 cup honey
1 cup oil
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Combine dry ingredients; mix honey and oil and drizzle over dry ingredients, tossing and coating. Spread the mixture on 2 cookie sheets and bake for approximately 1 1/2 or 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until toasty brown. Makes 12 cups depending on what you add or leave out.
Now *I* use about half a cup of sesame seeds and half a cup of whole flaxseeds, and I've substituted wheat or oat bran for the wheat germ depending on what I have. I add about a tablespoon or a little more of cinnamon, maybe a splash of vanilla, and I use sugar-free pancake syrup in place of the honey (or mix it, using less honey than syrup), and use about half unsweetened applesauce and half canola oil, or even more applesauce than oil. It always turns out crispy and tasty, and it's very good for you.
I usually get my ingredients at Winco in their wonderful bulk food department and keep them in the freezer or tightly sealed.
Usually we eat it with a sprinkle of dried blueberries, Craisins, or goji berries, or fresh fruit -- strawberries and peaches are wonderful. You don't need much to fill you up, and it stays with you a long time. Of course it is superb with half and half....but it works with nonfat milk too.
And I feel so *virtuous* eating it!
The longevity quiz is interesting though, and the eons Web site also looks interesting. The more knowledge about this aging stuff, the better. I need to stick around long enough to teach my grandchildren how to irritate their mothers...(that is, when I have grandchildren. I'm in no hurry, and the girls aren't either).
Mother was right: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'll take granola tomorrow, thank you!
According to that I'll get 89 years in. That's about right, I think....although my great-aunt Fran turned 100 last September, but she seems to have escaped some of the physical ailments that have afflicted others on that side of the family -- other than some dementia, anyway.
There are, of course, things they recommend doing that will help extend my life even more -- like cutting out those sweets to just once or twice a week and exercising more than four times a week.
But I'm not too bad. We seldom eat white anything -- bread, rice, potatoes, pasta -- and use the whole wheat or brown versions of rice and pasta, or substitute whole barley which is full of fiber and low on the glycemic index. Probably eat red meat too often, although not daily by any means. No smoking, no booze.
We do try to keep things healthy--well, maybe except for that stash of sweets. I made granola today which is full of healthy fiber and very low in fat and sugar. It's Adelle Davis's recipe, adapted somewhat.
Here's hers:
5 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not quick)
1 cup each of sliced or chopped almonds, sesame seeds, raw sunflower seeds, shredded coconut (unsweetened, preferably not the fancy kind), soy flour, powered milk (preferably non-instant), and wheat germ.
1 cup honey
1 cup oil
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Combine dry ingredients; mix honey and oil and drizzle over dry ingredients, tossing and coating. Spread the mixture on 2 cookie sheets and bake for approximately 1 1/2 or 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, until toasty brown. Makes 12 cups depending on what you add or leave out.
Now *I* use about half a cup of sesame seeds and half a cup of whole flaxseeds, and I've substituted wheat or oat bran for the wheat germ depending on what I have. I add about a tablespoon or a little more of cinnamon, maybe a splash of vanilla, and I use sugar-free pancake syrup in place of the honey (or mix it, using less honey than syrup), and use about half unsweetened applesauce and half canola oil, or even more applesauce than oil. It always turns out crispy and tasty, and it's very good for you.
I usually get my ingredients at Winco in their wonderful bulk food department and keep them in the freezer or tightly sealed.
Usually we eat it with a sprinkle of dried blueberries, Craisins, or goji berries, or fresh fruit -- strawberries and peaches are wonderful. You don't need much to fill you up, and it stays with you a long time. Of course it is superb with half and half....but it works with nonfat milk too.
And I feel so *virtuous* eating it!
The longevity quiz is interesting though, and the eons Web site also looks interesting. The more knowledge about this aging stuff, the better. I need to stick around long enough to teach my grandchildren how to irritate their mothers...(that is, when I have grandchildren. I'm in no hurry, and the girls aren't either).
Mother was right: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'll take granola tomorrow, thank you!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
'Twas a dark and stormy day
It was a good day to stay in and bake cookies.
I don't think it got completely light until about 9 a.m. and it was starting to get dark by 3. We have rain and drizzle, with more of the same predicted for the rest of the week, although daytime temperatures aren't bad -- in the 50s. This weekend will see lows right around freezing. Snow could come as low as 1500 feet, but I doubt we'll see even a flurry here. Which is just fine with me.
So I baked Jule Kage and two kinds of cookies, filling the house with yeasty, cardamom-y, buttery aromas, and listened to carols from Mannheim Steamroller and John Rutter. It was a cozy sort of day, and I expect to have a couple more this week, as business is very quiet -- not at all unusual for December in any kind of market, but this one is slow anyway. And I've still got killer fudge (this is almost mine -- I use unsweetened baking chocolate instead of the semisweet) and peanut brittle to make in addition to several more kinds of cookies, more bread, and a new holiday cake/loaf that sounds really yummy.
Baking is one of my favorite things about the holidays since I seldom do it the rest of the year -- we just don't need those extra calories. And even though it'll just be us here to enjoy it, I'll give lots of it as gifts. It's very comforting to make so many of the same goodies every year, although I always have to try a few new recipes. I remember baking the same recipes, years and years ago, and where I was and what was happening in my life then.
The fudge recipe is one I found in a Zionsville, Indiana, church cookbook sometime in the '80s, and have made it ever since. It never fails, is completely rich and chocolatey, makes a full, creamy 11x15 panful, and my brother raves about it. Even my daughter eats it, and she's not a chocolate lover (amazing, I know)...
Christmas is the only time I make it, and I savor every single piece.
And then there's peanut brittle. Now my orthodontist doesn't read this blog (at least I hope) or I'd be hearing about the evils of such candies, but honestly, homemade peanut brittle made with real butter and raw peanuts, cooked to a lovely brown, and then spread in a buttered pan, pulling it as thin as possible, is one of the joys of the season. Mother had two recipes from fellow teachers, and I'll usually make both. The recipe card, in her handwriting, is stained with butter and sugar from years and years of making it.
When I was working full time back in Alabama, I'd get up very early and mix a batch of cookies and refrigerate it until I could bake them. I'd do marathon baking sessions one December weekend and freeze everything. I'd always swear I'd start in November the following year, but that's never happened. I need the carols, the wintery weather, the time pressure! to feel the baking urge. Or the Christmas shopping urge, for that matter. Nope, I'm not done. Nope, nothing's wrapped (and won't be until I need to mail packages to the kids and my brother and sister-in-law).
But I'll get there. I always do. It just takes a little December winter to get me in gear.
I don't think it got completely light until about 9 a.m. and it was starting to get dark by 3. We have rain and drizzle, with more of the same predicted for the rest of the week, although daytime temperatures aren't bad -- in the 50s. This weekend will see lows right around freezing. Snow could come as low as 1500 feet, but I doubt we'll see even a flurry here. Which is just fine with me.
So I baked Jule Kage and two kinds of cookies, filling the house with yeasty, cardamom-y, buttery aromas, and listened to carols from Mannheim Steamroller and John Rutter. It was a cozy sort of day, and I expect to have a couple more this week, as business is very quiet -- not at all unusual for December in any kind of market, but this one is slow anyway. And I've still got killer fudge (this is almost mine -- I use unsweetened baking chocolate instead of the semisweet) and peanut brittle to make in addition to several more kinds of cookies, more bread, and a new holiday cake/loaf that sounds really yummy.
Baking is one of my favorite things about the holidays since I seldom do it the rest of the year -- we just don't need those extra calories. And even though it'll just be us here to enjoy it, I'll give lots of it as gifts. It's very comforting to make so many of the same goodies every year, although I always have to try a few new recipes. I remember baking the same recipes, years and years ago, and where I was and what was happening in my life then.
The fudge recipe is one I found in a Zionsville, Indiana, church cookbook sometime in the '80s, and have made it ever since. It never fails, is completely rich and chocolatey, makes a full, creamy 11x15 panful, and my brother raves about it. Even my daughter eats it, and she's not a chocolate lover (amazing, I know)...
Christmas is the only time I make it, and I savor every single piece.
And then there's peanut brittle. Now my orthodontist doesn't read this blog (at least I hope) or I'd be hearing about the evils of such candies, but honestly, homemade peanut brittle made with real butter and raw peanuts, cooked to a lovely brown, and then spread in a buttered pan, pulling it as thin as possible, is one of the joys of the season. Mother had two recipes from fellow teachers, and I'll usually make both. The recipe card, in her handwriting, is stained with butter and sugar from years and years of making it.
When I was working full time back in Alabama, I'd get up very early and mix a batch of cookies and refrigerate it until I could bake them. I'd do marathon baking sessions one December weekend and freeze everything. I'd always swear I'd start in November the following year, but that's never happened. I need the carols, the wintery weather, the time pressure! to feel the baking urge. Or the Christmas shopping urge, for that matter. Nope, I'm not done. Nope, nothing's wrapped (and won't be until I need to mail packages to the kids and my brother and sister-in-law).
But I'll get there. I always do. It just takes a little December winter to get me in gear.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Shared ritual binds us
I dreamed of my mother last night and trying to feed her, nourish her. There was plenty of food,and somehow we ended up with two turkeys in the oven. She was very fragile, and didn't quite understand what I was trying to do. I'm not really sure, either, except that was going to be a lot of turkey.
I miss her.
I miss being in Springfield for Christmas, going shopping there for last minute gifts, waiting for everyone to get there, bringing my mother a Clementine and some Jule Kage that I'd brought from home.
I miss the rituals we'd established there, and those we'd carried over from another life.
We're creating new ones, I understand that, but creating anything is hard work, especially in the beginning. Last year, the first without Mother, was hard, but in some ways this one feels harder, a little sadder.
Author Robert Fulghum wrote about ritual, especially family rituals. As we acknowledge the events, the losses, the beginnings in our life through ritual, we also honor the spiritual in them and in ourselves.
When we have wild rice and bacon and Jule Kage for breakfast on Christmas morning, we are continuing a ritual from my childhood when we'd visit Duluth. Many of my cousins also fix wild rice. It connects us in honoring those traditions and our grandparents and parents.
There are cookies and candies that I always bake at Christmas, from recipes my mother printed by hand into a notebook of her favorites. She is there in the kitchen with me when I stir flour, butter, and pecans together for Daddy's (and Tony's) favorite, Pecan Shorts.
We all have rituals around family, especially at holidays -- things we always eat, stories we always tell, songs we always sing, fights we always have.... Ritual connects us, binds us together. It honors our dead and celebrates our living.
Our family won't be here this year -- but I know what my brother and my daughter will be eating for breakfast on Christmas. I know there will be certain cookies in their homes, and that they'll hang stockings knitted by my mother nearly 30 years ago. And in those shared rituals, we will be together.
I miss her.
I miss being in Springfield for Christmas, going shopping there for last minute gifts, waiting for everyone to get there, bringing my mother a Clementine and some Jule Kage that I'd brought from home.
I miss the rituals we'd established there, and those we'd carried over from another life.
We're creating new ones, I understand that, but creating anything is hard work, especially in the beginning. Last year, the first without Mother, was hard, but in some ways this one feels harder, a little sadder.
Author Robert Fulghum wrote about ritual, especially family rituals. As we acknowledge the events, the losses, the beginnings in our life through ritual, we also honor the spiritual in them and in ourselves.
When we have wild rice and bacon and Jule Kage for breakfast on Christmas morning, we are continuing a ritual from my childhood when we'd visit Duluth. Many of my cousins also fix wild rice. It connects us in honoring those traditions and our grandparents and parents.
There are cookies and candies that I always bake at Christmas, from recipes my mother printed by hand into a notebook of her favorites. She is there in the kitchen with me when I stir flour, butter, and pecans together for Daddy's (and Tony's) favorite, Pecan Shorts.
We all have rituals around family, especially at holidays -- things we always eat, stories we always tell, songs we always sing, fights we always have.... Ritual connects us, binds us together. It honors our dead and celebrates our living.
Our family won't be here this year -- but I know what my brother and my daughter will be eating for breakfast on Christmas. I know there will be certain cookies in their homes, and that they'll hang stockings knitted by my mother nearly 30 years ago. And in those shared rituals, we will be together.
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