tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-371525952024-03-13T09:43:33.214-04:00VirtualDinnerPartnerVirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-37229071713431867842012-12-06T09:45:00.002-05:002012-12-06T09:46:12.890-05:00origami christmas chronicles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YXWKWKekx_w/UMCvWeYM28I/AAAAAAAAAHs/Nwyj2zyouJw/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YXWKWKekx_w/UMCvWeYM28I/AAAAAAAAAHs/Nwyj2zyouJw/s320/photo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-59278602474307577952007-04-09T13:53:00.000-04:002007-04-16T00:56:54.585-04:00Bees in My Bonnet<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RhqAA9I7MgI/AAAAAAAAACg/fK9ih2Mltx4/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051490685949784578" style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RhqAA9I7MgI/AAAAAAAAACg/fK9ih2Mltx4/s320/009.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div>During the last few weeks I have been reading about pets dying from kidney failure after eating contaminated pet food. For over a week, every news show I watched on TV or heard on the radio seemed to include at least one report about this problem. I followed this news with interest because I have four cats. </div><br /><div></div><p>Meanwhile, there is another story, largely uncovered, that has huge implications for <strong><em>all</em></strong> who eat: honeybees are dying in huge numbers from mysterious causes.</p><div>I happened to see a report about the honeybees on public TV. My first thought was, now what? My second thought was, honey prices will probably skyrocket. Then I felt a chill of fear when I realized the major implications of this problem. It's not just about honey! </div><div><br />Honeybees are pollinators. Several species including some birds, bats, and other insects also pollinate, but honeybees exclusively play that essential role in the life-cycle of many major food crops.* In fact, they are such adaptable and effective pollinators, their role has been built into the life-cycle of roughly a third of the foods we eat. </div><div><br />I have to admit, I have idyllic visions of suited-up beekeepers as gentle, brave folk who remove honey from hives in the far corner of a peaceful, rustic, fruit orchard. My image of beekeeping is probably circa the early 1900s, when hay-stuffed scarecrows also figured prominently in fields. Maybe this vision still holds for the occasional small farm, but it isn't true for larger operations which harvest most of our food. </div><div><br />Many commercial honeybees don't live a year-round pastoral existence in a given geographic area. Instead, they are trucked to different locations to work the bloom cycles of different crops. Once situated among flowering plants, the bees spread pollen from plant to plant, fertilizing blooms, making it possible for the plant crop to bear fruit (or vegetable or nut). At the end of one plant's bloom cycle, the hives are packed on a truck and moved to another field or orchard to pollinate another crop.</div><div><br />What is happening to these honeybees? </div><div><br />Toward the end of 2006, East Coast beekeepers started to report <a href="http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc">“alarming and unprecedented” bee colony losses</a>. New and unfamiliar patterns for this particular form of bee colony death were recently named "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD). Large numbers of adult worker bees (50 to 90%) suddenly disappear from the hive and die. This sudden disappearance is unheard-of behavior in normally highly-structured bee colonies where typically, dead bees remain near the hive. For colonies where sudden collapse has occurred, small numbers of mostly young bees are left. They are not able to continue pollination or care for the remaining hive brood and the queen. </div><div><br />This pattern of sudden colony collapse is new, and the cause has not been determined. Early studies of collapsed colonies suggest a range of possible causes including: suppression of honeybee immune systems; biological stress from transportation and confinement; poor nutrition; build up of chemical contaminants in the hive or the bees; lack of genetic diversity in the bee populations; new or stronger disease agents like parasites, mites or other pathogens; or some combination of the above factors.</div><div><br />The phenomenon started on the East Coast and has now spread to <a href="http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--dyingbees-list0317mar17,0,6957382.story">twenty-four states </a>in the US, and reports of CCD are starting to be heard in Canada and Europe. </div><div><br />This is big news.....big, frightening news. Yet I have had to dig through congressional reports, Web sites for beekeepers, and public radio and television reports to research the CCD phenomenon. I feel frightened as I imagine the long-term impact of this sudden development.</div><div><br />When I ask my friends and loved ones if they have heard about it, many - who tend to be well informed - have heard nothing, or have seen or heard reports only on public television or radio, or have read about CCD on business pages of newspapers. For some reason, honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder is not being covered in commercial news venues.</div><div><br />Why isn't this news getting the coverage the pet food contamination story got? I wonder if my personal response to the news is over the top. Is this simply a financial dilemma for beekeepers and crop industries? To me, it seems much more than that. Could it be the beginning of a Hurricane Katrina story in agriculture? </div><div><br />I think we need to be talking about the future impact of bee colony collapse so we can develop strategies for surviving the possible food shortages that could result from crops that are not pollinated. While beekeepers are frantically communicating about the impact on their industry, the true implications of this development may affect us all. This is not simply an economic concern; potentially, it seems a threat to our basic survival.</div><div><br />This morning I awoke in a state of reverie. I wonder, what stop-gap measures can be taken until the causes of honeybee colony collapse are identified and remedied? I picture a revival of small household gardens where the gardeners hand-fertilize their plants during the bloom cycle. I imagine groups of volunteers doing this in more traditional agricultural settings. I know this is more naive fantasy than solution to a complex problem.</div><div><br />But maybe there is a sliver of wisdom here. The vast majority of us have relinquished our essential relationship with the plant world to professional plant growers. Has this come at a major cost? Might we reestablish our connection by taking a direct hand in plant life-cycles until the bee populations can be revived? </div><div><br />In the end, I am left with questions like this. </div><div><p><br />Are losses in natural systems occurring because we, as individuals, have lost contact with nature? Can we restore our connection?</p></div><div></div><div><br />*Alfalfa hay and seed, almonds, apples, asparagus, avocados, blueberries, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, kiwi fruits, legume seeds, macadamia nuts, onions, pumpkins, squash, and sunflowers almost exclusively (90 to 100%) depend on honeybees for pollination. Other crops that rely on honeybee pollination to a lesser degree include apricots, beets, canola (rapeseed), citrus fruits, cotton, grapes, melon, nectarines, olives, peaches, peanuts, pears, plums, soybeans, strawberries, and vegetable seeds.</div>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-71535165571448301382007-04-02T22:20:00.000-04:002007-04-03T10:21:00.912-04:00Cat Food?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RhG-tZanU6I/AAAAAAAAACQ/TB-P1zT_0-o/s1600-h/003.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5049026344384943010" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RhG-tZanU6I/AAAAAAAAACQ/TB-P1zT_0-o/s320/003.JPG" border="0" /></a> I went to the vet twice in the last couple of weeks to take my cats for their yearly check-ups and shots. Kitty Carlyle's appointment was the day after the news broke about deaths linked to pet food. Not much was known at that point but it looked like pets who were eating "the good stuff” - foil packages of premium food - were victims. Phew, we were safe; my cats eat dry kibble from industrial-sized bags I buy at Costco.<br /><div><br />The following week, I showed up with Brondis, my big yellow male cat. The vet had a long printed list of recalled pet food products. Again, it was mostly the high quality stuff from cans, chunks-in-gravy style food. My cats share only an occasional can of mushy stew served as a treat. Relief - safe again!</div><br /><div>I started to follow the news coverage. There was an undertone of apology: this isn’t soft news; after all, our pets are family members. My thought was: exactly, I love my cats.</div><br /><div></div><div>As the days pass more information is emerging. There is speculation about the safety of some dry food products and wheat gluten is identified as the problem ingredient. I read the list of ingredients on our bag of cat food. Thank goodness, no wheat gluten. Again, we're OK. The cat food I buy is made with chicken and rice and a whole host of chemical-sounding ingredients.</div><br /><div></div><div>The problem wheat gluten is from China. What the heck is gluten anyway? It’s the protein in grains after starch is removed. Wheat gluten makes bagels and pizza dough chewy and delicious. Pet food gravy is thickened with wheat gluten and it is probably a protein source too.</div><br /><div>The problem with this pet food gluten is that it is linked to a contaminant. During the last few days, the news vacillates between naming the culprit as aminopterin, a chemical used as rat poison or cancer chemotherapy; or melamine, a chemical found in plastic resins and pesticides. The source of the contaminant is not identified.</div><br /><div>With the exception of formerly-feral Brondis who adeptly hunts (and eats) birds and small rodents, my cats eat a human-engineered diet of kibble - neat pellets nutritionally balanced to promote long, healthy lives. I always read the packages carefully when I buy a new food. I want my feline buddies to be healthy (and I want the vet bills to be manageable). </div><br /><div>When I really think about it, what self-respecting cat wants to eat wheat gluten or rice? I am mortified when I see feathers or slain, partially-eaten small rodents on the patio. (Brondis likes to share.) But, then, he is being true to his nature. Cats are, after-all, carnivores. Carnivores eat meat!<br /><br />Beloved carnivore pets ate scraps and bones when my parents were growing up. Now, our pets dine exclusively on meals from bags, boxes, and cans. Scientific research goes into the development of these products. Everything is engineered for species-appropriate nutrition. Key words hearkening good health for humans like antioxidant and Omega 3 are strategically placed on attractive packaging. Feline-specific maladies are mentioned: hair balls and urinary problems are minimized by this food. Coat and skin health are promoted. Yes, I read the product descriptions carefully.</div><br /><div>This whole story has an undercurrent I have not heard explicitly spoken about in the news coverage. The coverage is very specific: this is <strong><em>pet</em></strong> food.</div><br /><div>My thought is <strong><em>this is food</em></strong> (period). </div><br /><div>The factor that causes most concern for me is that the list of pet food products being recalled grows longer every day. Today a feline favorite in my household was added to the list. I don't serve it all that frequently, but a Pounce product is being recalled as a precaution. The contaminated wheat gluten now seems widespread in the manufacture of pet food.</div><br /><div>As I learn about the manufacture of food products, I am beginning to realize that a complex list of altered food subtances coming from a large range of sources is commonplace. If something goes wrong with one ingredient, the implications can be massive. This holds true for food that is manufactured for pets <strong><em>and</em></strong> for people.</div><br /><div>I was hiking in the woods this weekend and my companion and I stopped and shared what one friend optimistically calls "a protein bar". This "nutrition bar" is made specifically for women. The attractive foil packaging extols the virtues of the product as having more fiber and less sugar. Antioxidants are mentioned. I squinted to read the ingredients. Many are organic, some are <em>isolates</em> and <em>extracts</em>; brown rice is included as <em>brown rice syrup</em>. I picture people in lab coats researching these virtuous cookies for women who like to eat well while they exercise...or in my case hike or bike. </div><br /><div>My thought this weekend was Hmm, human kibble.</div>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-60930041208648160692007-03-20T22:27:00.000-04:002007-03-21T18:07:39.469-04:00Vernal Equinox<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RgGqL5pdUWI/AAAAAAAAACE/xUVypnlWR3c/s1600-h/015.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044500179061657954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RgGqL5pdUWI/AAAAAAAAACE/xUVypnlWR3c/s320/015.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It's spring! The vernal equinox happens today. The days and nights are equal length. I can definitely see the change in the light. It is stronger and things seem more vivid. This year is special because Daylight Savings Time started a month earlier so the sunset seems to be happening much later in the day. I love this change.<br /><br />I live in New England where spring is a light phenomenon. The weather does not always fit the season. We had a major snowstorm last week and massive <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">icicles</span> are hanging from my eaves and snow is sliding off the roof. However, I have heard a few birds.<br /><br />Spring is a time of hope for me. I feel like I am ready to crawl out of my cave and take a good look at what is happening in the world. After I stretch, I want to get moving again. It's time for fresh beginnings.<br /><br />What is next? Where will I focus during my high energy time? </div><div> </div><div>It is time to cull the seeds and decide what to plant.</div>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-13554704321830605962007-03-20T21:41:00.000-04:002007-03-21T12:08:20.089-04:00Tuesday Virtual Dinner Partner<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RgCVgppdUVI/AAAAAAAAAB8/BX6l3l4TzzY/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044195970823049554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RgCVgppdUVI/AAAAAAAAAB8/BX6l3l4TzzY/s320/009.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>The weather is warmer and most of the ice on the roads is gone. Today, I walked country roads instead of in the woods. It was a consolation walk...better than a neighborhood walk but definitely not the woods. I walked in the crusty snow edging the road and ventured a few side trips to take pictures. The weather is supposed to get warmer all week so I hope I will be back in the woods soon. Maybe I'll walk my snowshoe trail one more time.<br /><br />I am dying to get out my bike. Lots of melting needs to happen before I bike however.<br /><br />Sleep: about 8 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />9:00<br />1/2c <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">nf</span> cottage cheese, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">mineola</span> orange, 2 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tbsps</span> walnuts<br />whole wheat crackers<br />11:00<br />chocolate heaven<br />12:30<br />big salad with chicken breast and 4 g fat canola based dressing<br />whole wheat mini pitas with 1 tbsp hummus<br />4:00<br />apple<br />Dr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Kracker</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">flatbread</span><br />50% cheese<br />7:00<br />home made pizza with whole wheat crust, soy cheese and veggies<br />grapefruit<br /><br />Totals: 4 veggies and 3 fruits<br />Movement and Meditation: country road walk about 45 minutes<br /><br /><br />The great consolation in life is to say what one thinks. </div><div>~Voltaire<br /></div>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-24246572544273679262007-03-19T20:23:00.000-04:002007-03-21T11:15:28.178-04:00Monday Virtual Dinner Partner<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RgA-eppdUUI/AAAAAAAAAB0/3ve31TMljAM/s1600-h/001.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044100278951694658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RgA-eppdUUI/AAAAAAAAAB0/3ve31TMljAM/s320/001.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Someone I am close to describes some of her experiences as "off"...things don't go as she expects and as a result, she feels fuzzy, or fussy, or out of sorts. Today was an off day. I don't know why...nothing terrible happened. I didn't have big expectations and I didn't feel disappointed. I got to most things on my lists and still I felt "off."<br /><br />This seems to tie in with my organization expectations or more accurately the expectations I have about the role organization will play in the quality of my life. One of the maxims I have <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tattooed</span> in my mind is this: "I will get organized. Things will go well. Life will be good."<br /><br />When I look at those last three sentences, "will" stands out. In other words, all of this takes place in the future. Maybe a better maxim is "Things are going and life is good." Or maybe "Things are going and life is."<br /><br />You are probably wondering what happened to my first statement..the one about organization. Today I am rethinking that one. I wonder if I need live from the standpoint "Life is messy and you've got to love it."<br /><br />Yesterday I wrote from the vantage of keeping a living kitchen...I walked in, discovered a sink and counter full of dishes, a refrigerator drawer with a more than dead eggplant and my thoughts immediately went to "I HAVE to get organized." This was not a happy thought. Then I loosened up and actually enjoyed the cleanup.<br /><br />Today it's about a bigger picture. AND it's about what I say to myself.<br /><br />I want to wake up and celebrate the mess.<br /><br /><br />Sleep about 8 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />10:00<br />1/2c <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">nf</span></span></span> cottage cheese, fresh pineapple, walnuts<br />oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)<br />2:00<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hoisin</span></span></span> chicken breast<br />butternut squash and New Balance<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">zucchini</span><br />whole wheat crackers<br />6:30<br />salmon burger<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">broccoli</span><br />sweet potato and New Balance<br />grapefruit<br /><br />Totals: 3 veggies and 2 fruits<br />Movement: rest day<br /><br /><br />Life isn't like a book. Life isn't logical or sensible or orderly. Life is a mess most of the time. And theology must be lived in the midst of that mess.<br />~Charles Caleb <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Colton</span></span><br /><br /><br />Yesterday, it was my birthday<br />I hung one more year on the line<br />I should be depressed<br />My life's a mess<br />But I'm Having A Good Time...<br />~Paul Simon</div><div><a class="sqa" href="http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/paul_simon/"></a></div>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-703092718123302762007-03-18T19:14:00.000-04:002007-03-18T23:32:08.972-04:00Living Kitchen<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/Rf3l_isjdYI/AAAAAAAAABk/NsD3kIN9XLs/s1600-h/008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043440037533021570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/Rf3l_isjdYI/AAAAAAAAABk/NsD3kIN9XLs/s400/008.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>One of the life lessons I seem to need to revisit on a constant basis has to do with organization, or cleaning..or maybe the relationship between both areas. I convince myself that if I find the right system, everything will take care of itself. As I am writing this I am looking at a clean kitchen. Dinner was over about half an hour ago and the dirty dishes are in the dishwasher and the counters are scrubbed. Actually, the kitchen usually looks decent...but then there are those horrible moments when I wake up and realize the dishwasher needs to be emptied and the sink and counter are full of dirty dishes and I wonder...how in the world did this cyclone pass through again?<br /><br />I had another version of the "cyclone wake-up" this afternoon when I opened the refrigerator. The shelves were packed and I had no idea what was there. I opened the vegetable drawer and found a rotted eggplant I bought probably three weeks ago. Organic parsnips were starting to wilt with dehydration. Beets were stuffed into a tiny space on a top shelf of the refrigerator where jars of condiments are usually located. I bought them over a week ago and forgot about them until today. A big bag of curly endive is blocking the view of everything else.<br /><br />I like to live with a certain level of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">spontaneity</span>. I don't want to eat meals planned days in advance. I want to shop for what "looks good." I want to go to my kitchen and create what "calls" to me. I need to find a way to marry my creative urges with a need to know what supplies are on hand and just how messy and time consuming a particular cooking escapade is going to be.<br /><br />It's complicated. I want easy solutions...and maybe that's how I get nailed. I expect a foolproof system to organize shopping, storing, preparing meals and clean-up. I assume I won't need to think...it will just be done. </div><br /><div></div><div>Keeping a kitchen stocked and ready for creation is not the same as keeping a bathroom stocked and clean. Extra towels, soap, shampoo and toilet paper are easy to restock. Fruits and vegetables wilt and rot, meat or fish goes bad when I don't pay attention to storage and timing.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div align="left">Food is all about living. </div><br /><div></div><div>Maintaining a good relationship with food is like keeping a good relationship with any other living being. These relationships require awareness, sensitivity and responsiveness to stay on course, to be sustaining.</div>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-41152851239662703512007-03-17T20:18:00.000-04:002007-03-17T23:21:45.551-04:00Saturday Virtual Dinner Partner<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043097058624632178" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RfyuDisjdXI/AAAAAAAAABc/qlzSrITkurY/s320/002.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Some days feel like a loss, although I know that is never really true. I didn't sleep well last night. The Nor'easter snowstorm brought 14 inches which brought plows and it seemed I woke up every hour to the loud engine noises. At one point I considered getting up and reading I felt so awake. As a result, I felt groggy and out of sorts today. I did things around home and shovelled lots of snow but I didn't really get out and enjoy it. I took a nap late in the afternoon.<br /><br /><br />Sleep: fitful 8 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />10:00<br />1/2c nf cottage cheese, mineola orange, 2 tbsp walnuts<br />2 cups tea<br />11:00<br />oatmeal (1/3c before cooked)<br />1:30<br />kitchen sink salad with chicken breast and 6 g fat canola based dressing<br />3:30<br />chocolate heaven<br />6:30<br />Egg Beater omlette with escarole, onions, and 50% cheese<br />grapefruit<br /><br />Totals: 4 veggies and 2 fruits<br />Movement: shovelled lots of heavy snow<br /><br /><br />Then indecision brings its own delays,<br />And days are lost lamenting o'er lost days.<br />Are you in earnest?<br />Seize this very minute;<br />What you can do, or dream you can, begin it;<br />Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.<br />~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe<br /><span style="font-size:0;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:0;"></span><span style="font-size:0;"></span>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-66886074932166046852007-03-16T20:23:00.000-04:002007-03-16T21:25:36.475-04:00Friday Virtual Dinner PartnerIt's winter again today. A late season Nor'easter snowstorm started late morning and is still going strong <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/Rfs1mcKdTsI/AAAAAAAAABU/CKyc5x5C2-8/s1600-h/009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042683142282759874" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/Rfs1mcKdTsI/AAAAAAAAABU/CKyc5x5C2-8/s320/009.JPG" border="0" /></a>tonight. I spent a couple of hours walking in the woods. It was fun to watch the snow fall and trudge around in fresh snow. And the spring eqinox is next week!<br /><br />Sleep: about 8 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />9:00<br />1/2c nf cottage cheese, fresh pineapple, 2 tbsp walnuts<br />11:00<br />oatmeal (1/3 c before cooked)<br />1:30<br />deli turkey, lettuce, and honey mustard in whole grain wrap<br />chocolate heaven<br />4:30<br />dried edamame<br />Dr Kracker flatbread<br />7:00<br />hoisin chicken<br />sweet potato and New Balance<br />roasted green beans<br />grapefruit<br /><br />Totals: 2 veggies and 2 fruits<br />Movement and Meditation: long walk in the woods during snow storm. Did hour long loop at slower pace because of the snow. I wanted to take it all in.<br /><br />Most people are on the world, not in it—have no conscious sympathy or relationship to anything about them—undiffused, separate, and rigidly alone like marbles of polished stone, touching but separate.<br />~John MuirVirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-11367761067230525902007-03-15T16:31:00.000-04:002007-03-21T10:08:17.359-04:00Hoisin Sauce<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RfnRicKdTpI/AAAAAAAAAA8/ZVkBM45gMY0/s1600-h/007.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5042291647423794834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RfnRicKdTpI/AAAAAAAAAA8/ZVkBM45gMY0/s320/007.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In my twenties, after about three years being an ovo-lacto-vegetarian (no meat but I ate dairy and eggs), I started craving chicken. After some soul searching, I decided to heed the cravings. I told a good friend who was also a sensational cook about my dilemma and my decision. She understood the gravity of the situation and wanted to help me rejoin the ranks of omnivores with ceremony. She offered hoisin chicken as the solution.<br /><br />I bought the chicken and she made the dinner. I ate one small succulent leg. The outer bite was crispy, slightly sticky, the juices savory and sweet. That chicken was mouthwatering and every bite was gratifying. Almost thirty years have passed since that dinner and my memory of it is palpable.<br /><br /><br />Wondering what hoisin is? It's a thick brown sweet pungent sauce also called Chinese barbecue.<br /><br />Recently, after rejecting almost every bottle of marinade in my local grocery store because most of them contained high fructose corn syrup, I started to wonder about the bottle of organic hoisin sauce in my refrigerator. It's definitely sweet. What were the ingredients? Organic everything...including cane sugar which was listed fourth on the label.<br /><br />I make other marinades so I decided to check online for hoisin sauce recipes. The range was interesting. some were made with peanut butter, others black bean paste, still others with fermented soy bean paste. Recently I found a hoisin sauce recipe in a beautiful new cookbook, <strong>Food to Live By</strong>, by Myra Goodman. I used her recipe as a spring-board for my own.<br /><br />Her main ingredient is azuki beans, beautiful tiny terra cotta colored beans. I was excited. I had never prepared azuki beans before. I found them at Whole Foods. I adjusted the ingredients and changed the cooking techniques to suit my kitchen. The results are sensational, better tasting than any store bought version.<br /><br />I have a large jar in my refrigerator and two small containers in my freezer. I use generous amounts as marinade for skinless chicken. The recipe makes about 2 cups but I go through it fast.<br /><br />Home-made Hoisin Sauce<br /><br />Ingredients:<br />1 cup dried azuki beans<br />3 tbsp toasted sesame oil<br />1 tbsp minced garlic<br />3/4 c light brown sugar (add more if you like a sweeter sauce)<br />1/2 c cider vinegar<br />1/2 c unseasoned rice vinegar<br />2/3 c tamari sauce (premium soy sauce)<br />1/4 tsp Asian chili sauce<br /><br /><ol><li>Soak azuki beans overnight in water. Drain soaking water and place beans in a pot and submerge in fresh water. Simmer until very soft for about 45 minutes to an hour.</li><li>Drain cooking liquid in a colander and allow the beans to cool. </li><li>Rinse out the pot and place sesame oil in it. Lightly cook minced garlic and set aside.</li><li>Place beans, brown sugar, vinegars, and tamari in a blender. Blend at slow speed until everything is smooth.</li><li>Pour blender ingredients into the pot with the cooked garlic and warm to a simmer. Stir frequently. Allow sauce to cook down to a nice thick consistency. Add chili sauce to taste and allow sauce to cool before refrigerating or freezing.</li></ol><p>Use refrigerated sauce in a week. Frozen sauce is good for a few months.</p><p></p><p>To make hoisen chicken, arrange skinless washed chicken pieces in a pan. Pour generous amounts of hoisen sauce until chicken is coated on all sides. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Turn chicken over in the sauce halfway through the cooking cycle. </p><p>Chicken can also be grilled after marinading in sauce. Watch carefully for burning and brush frequently with sauce to keep moist.</p><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><strong></strong></span>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-10730725081081980712007-03-14T16:26:00.000-04:002007-03-16T09:54:55.462-04:00Anti-Presentation<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/Rfha4MKdToI/AAAAAAAAAA0/SkliLc5EJ9o/s1600-h/012.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5041879704225533570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/Rfha4MKdToI/AAAAAAAAAA0/SkliLc5EJ9o/s320/012.JPG" border="0" /></a> Forget the pretty <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">tableware</span>, forget spoons and knives, forget manners. Some eating is best enjoyed with the raw pleasure of a beast with it's kill. The messier the better.<br /><br />I recently bought a big bag of heavy pink grapefruit at my local buying club. They are probably end of the season fruit so I am enjoying them with end of season fervor. I've eaten one a day for the last week and now two remain.<br /><br />I started out with a neatly cut half and gently excised the pulp wedges from the membranes with a grapefruit knife so I could politely eat the juicy fruit with a spoon. I could not hold myself back however. After all the pink fruit was removed from the peels, I squeezed the spongy skins to extract the remaining juice and drank from the bowl. These are good grapefruit: tart and juicy with a sweet aftertaste.<br /><br />I soon abandoned cutting and spooning for a peel-and-eat strategy. Sounds easy? First I bite into the bitter thick peel. Then I pull it off in big sheets by hand. Lots of bitter membrane remains, so I strip it off using my fingernails where necessary. Next, I gore the stem end with my thumb and separate the fruit in half. Juice runs down my wrists.<br /><br />I separate a section from the half and bite a hole at the thinnest part of the wedge. I peel back both sides of the membranes and shiny pink globules appear. I bite a wedge of pulp away from the membrane attachment. Juice squirts. I am in heaven and I am a mess. I continue wedge by wedge until all I have is a pile of empty membranes, and juice-covered hands and face.<br /><br />Presentation you say? Those pink shiny wedges are beautiful when they are carefully eviscerated from the membranes but this is a feasting experience similar to eating lobster in its carapace or ribs dripping with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">barbecue</span> sauce. A bib isn't a bad idea.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Lycopene</span> and fiber? Yes, grapefruit is good for you. But who cares about that when you can abandon yourself to a sensual feast?VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-56125773290672748642007-03-13T22:33:00.000-04:002007-03-13T22:56:22.489-04:00Tuesday Virtual Dinner Partner<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RfdifsKdTnI/AAAAAAAAAAs/6qHiM9W4OUo/s1600-h/010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5041606604435050098" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RfdifsKdTnI/AAAAAAAAAAs/6qHiM9W4OUo/s320/010.JPG" border="0" /></a> Today is my third day publishing the blog after a considerable break to transition from one computer to another. I got away from a level of awareness and practice while I was not doing this. My daily practice, and by extension writing the blog feels as unsteady as my daily walk where the icy trails require caution and occasional backtracking to find a better route. I need to find my stride again.<br /><div></div><div> </div><div>I lose my way from time to time. It is a signal that I need to recommit to my practice and look for new inspiration. I talked with my original virtual dinner partner and we brainstormed changes. </div><br /><div></div><div>Asking for help from trusted allies is one of my strategies when I need inspiration and fortitude. My original virtual dinner partner steps up every time I ask for help this way. She is a blessing in my life.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Sleep about 8 hours</div><div>Vitamins</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>9:00 </div><div>1/2c nf cottage cheese, grapes, 2 tbsp walnuts</div><div>2 cups tea</div><div>11:00</div><div>1/3 c oatmeal</div><div>chocolate heaven</div><div>2:00</div><div>whole wheat pita and hummus</div><div>chicken breast</div><div>tomato with 2 g fat dressing</div><div>4:00</div><div>whole grain cereal, half banana and skim milk</div><div>7:00</div><div>corn chips and 1 tbsp guacamole</div><div>white beans and escarole with 50% cheese</div><div>grapefruit</div><br /><div></div><div>Totals: 2 veggies and 3 fruits</div><div>Movement and Meditation: one hour walk with stops for careful footing.</div><br /><div></div><div>Just don't give up on trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong. </div><div>~Ella Fitzgerald </div>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-89967751685095855882007-03-12T21:33:00.000-04:002007-03-12T22:28:26.909-04:00Monday Virtual Dinner Partner<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5041217450333261378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RfYAj8KdTkI/AAAAAAAAAAU/RmZAbPplcCM/s320/005.JPG" border="0" />It was warm again today..almost made it into the 50's. I didn't need a hat or a coat. It is undeniable that spring is on the way. I was outside for several hours during my walk and actually lost track of the time. The rough footing slowed me down but the slower pace allowed me to do some exploring. I went off path several times to look at rock formations and to see a trail-side stream up close. I like inhabiting the woods, not just walking for exercise. I got that today.<br /><br />Sleep: about 7 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />9:00<br />1/2 c nf cottage cheese, mineola orange, and 2 tbsp walnuts<br />2 cups black tea<br />11:00<br />oatmeal 1/3c before cooked<br />chocolate heaven (see recipes)<br />1:30<br />hoisen chicken<br />spinach<br />cauliflower<br />whole grain cereal, banana and skim milk<br />6:45<br />lentil soup<br />soy cheese on whole grain pita<br />carrots<br />fresh tomato with 2 g fat dressing<br />grapefruit<br /><br />Totals: 4 veggies and 3 fruits<br />Movement and Meditation: my one hour walk in the woods extended by frequent stops for pictures and exploration.<br /><br /><br />I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.<br />~John MuirVirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-54440484693195677112007-03-11T17:56:00.000-04:002007-03-11T19:15:38.831-04:00Sunday Virtual Dinner Partner<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RfSFKcKdTjI/AAAAAAAAAAM/shY3SvTI2Tc/s1600-h/029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5040800297339670066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3l7bDnzWzZY/RfSFKcKdTjI/AAAAAAAAAAM/shY3SvTI2Tc/s320/029.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I made some technical changes since my last post. I replaced my old computer and operating system and upgraded. I feel like I went from horse cart to warp speed. I am excited and challenged by the possibilities the changes bring.<br /><br />Today marks another significant change.... Daylight Saving Time. I love this time of year. It is presently 6:00 pm and the sun has not set yet. I know the sun is setting at the same in an earth-time and body-time sense, but having a culture-time shift does make a change for me. The time change makes me realize how strongly linked I am to the culture. I feel happy that it is 6:00 and daylight.</div><br /><div></div><div>Sleep: about 7 hours</div><div>Vitamins</div><br /><div></div><div>9:00</div><div>1/2c nf cottage cheese, mineola orange, and 2 tbsp walnuts</div><div>2 cups black tea</div><div>11:00</div><div>oatmeal 1/3c before cooked</div><div>12:00</div><div>turkey loaf with spinach and arugula</div><div>cauliflower</div><div>2 cups black tea</div><div>3:00</div><div>small piece of home made veggie pizza with whole wheat crust and 50% cheese</div><div>apple</div><div>6:00</div><div>egg beater spinach and onion omlette</div><div>whole wheat toast with strawberry jam</div><div>grapefruit</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Totals: 4 veggies and 3 fruits</div><div> </div><div>Movement and Meditation: one hour plus walk in the woods. It was rough going with ice and snow covering much of the trail. Melting is significant today however after two days on the 40's. I did my regular loop but I needed to be careful and avoid the ice. It was a sloppy adventure. My new hiking boots and my pants cuffs are covered in mud.</div><br /><div><br /><span>I don't mind going back to daylight saving time. With inflation, the hour will be the only thing I've saved all year.</span></div><div><span>~Victor Borge<br /></div></span>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-21902389906453876652007-02-13T18:26:00.000-05:002007-02-13T20:14:34.413-05:00Simplest DessertI have a sweet tooth. I frequently read dessert recipe ingredient lists for the perfect dessert...something with a few vitamins and minerals, that's low fat, with good carbohydrates and a little fiber. The ingredient list for this dessert is short, and frankly, it blows me away.<br /><br />When I was in Boulder a couple of months ago, I had lunch at a funky little restaurant attached to a food coop. I got the best <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">felafel</span> sandwich...actually, it was a "to die for" <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">felafel</span> sandwich. When I ordered I got to choose something to go with it. I picked an apple. I felt proud, virtuous ....."yeah, I'm eating healthy today."<br /><br />Eating the sandwich, I had to stop myself from moaning out loud . <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Felafel</span> sandwiches, especially perfect ones, are rare treats for me. Then I started in on the apple. I don't remember what kind of apple it was, but it was cored and the skin was still on and it was cut into razor thin slices. It was wet, crisp, sweet and... simply apple: it was extraordinary.<br /><br />After lunch, I went to the coop and bought a Fuji apple and an Asian pear and took them home "to fix" with the dinner I had planned. I cored and sliced them thin, peeled and sliced kiwi fruit and made a pretty arrangement on a plate. I scattered pomegranate seeds across the top. My dinner companions loved dessert.<br /><br />Now, I eat most apples that way. All it takes is a good piece of fruit, an extra sharp knife, a pretty plate and a little time and energy. Sometimes I add chopped peanuts or minced toasted almonds, sometimes I add a dusting of cinnamon. It's the perfect dessert, so simple, and so good because it <em>tastes </em>extraordinary.VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-22709215717194313762007-02-12T22:11:00.000-05:002007-02-10T21:19:46.981-05:00Monday Virtual Dinner PartnerIt was left over day. I searched through the refrigerator and cupboards to put together my meals. I always end up eating less veggies on days like this. I don't know if it is lack of inspiration or actual lack of groceries. Probably it's a little of both. I am sure I could have found some green beans in the freezer and a cucumber to increase my veggie count but I am not strongly motivated by numbers. I need to prepare something I really want to eat. Maybe that was part of the problem today...lack of good fresh food lead to lack of inspiration which lead to lack of desire. Most days I need to be excited by what I am eating or I don't eat as well.<br /><br />Sleep: about 7 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />8:30<br />oatmeal 2/3c before cooked and 1 tbsp peanut butter<br />2 cups black tea<br />11:30<br />chocolate heaven<br />tangelo<br />1:00<br />white bean and escarole soup<br />2 slices deli turkey<br />apple<br />cereal and milk<br />4:30<br />edamame in the shell<br />5:30<br />whole wheat pita and hummus<br />grapefruit<br /><br />Totals: 3 fruits and 2 veggies<br /><br />Movement and Meditation: 45 minute walk in the woods.<br /><br />Technique is what you fall back on when you run out of inspiration.<br /><span>~Rudolf Nureyev</span>VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-56422599334720235672007-02-10T20:45:00.000-05:002007-02-09T21:25:49.585-05:00Saturday Virtual Dinner PartnerToday was an easy Saturday. It was fun and social: I went to a bookstore and to the movies. I cooked a nice dinner and played table games afterward. Every once in a while I need to just have fun.<br /><br />Sleep: about 8 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />9:00<br />orange, 1/2c nf cottage cheese, 2 tbsp walnuts<br />oatmeal 1/3c before cooked<br />2 cups black tea<br />12:00<br />hummus and whole wheat pita<br />2 slices deli turkey<br />apple<br />6:30<br />turbot fillet sauteed with onions<br />butternut squash with New Balance<br />roasted Brussels sprouts<br />grapes<br /><br />Rest day<br /><br />We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.<br />~George Bernard ShawVirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-72214629886023277322007-02-09T20:51:00.000-05:002007-02-08T23:41:01.538-05:00Friday Virtual Dinner PartnerI feel my legs today. Wow, I am sore! I realized my home based leg resistance training workouts are not as demanding as using machines at the gym. I used about half the weight I was accustomed to using on machines last fall and still today I am feeling the shift in the workout. The other change was I biked for an hour in spin class yesterday. I haven't been on my bike for 6 months.<br /><br />I returned to the gym today for a lighter workout. The novelty is still a good factor, also the cold weather and my soreness drove the decision to walk indoors. I feel good about getting some movement today, but I don't feel the openness I feel after walking in the woods. I have a touch of cabin fever. Even big enclosed spaces don't take care of that. I need fresh air, sunshine and dirt under my feet. <br /><br />Sleep about 7 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />9:00<br />oatmeal 2/3c before cooked and 1/4c crushed peanuts<br />11:00<br />edamame in the shell<br />chocolate heaven<br />12:30<br />grilled cheese with whole grain bread, 1 slice 50% cheese and New Balance<br />butternut squash<br />half a grapefruit<br />6:00<br />large salad with 6 g fat canola based salad dressing<br />1 egg and egg beater omlette with spinach, onion, and sweet pepper<br />apple<br /><br />Totals: 2 fruits and 8 veggies<br /><br />Movement: walked 1 mile on indoor track and rode stationary bike for 20 minutes in "hill climb" workout program.<br /><br /><br />Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.<br />~John RuskinVirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-36570598197319805682007-02-08T10:34:00.000-05:002007-02-08T13:02:31.394-05:00Thursday Virtual Dinner PartnerI am "between gyms" and found a month long complementary membership at a local gym while I shop around for a new one. The novelty of a new place made working out a lot more fun than it tends to be for me. <br /><br />I am not a track walker but I welcomed the opportunity today because the weather was so cold. I haven't ridden my bike since August, so I took a spin class which was a fun diversion. Gyms aren't nature for me but they open possibilities for exploring nature down the road. I feel like I need to approach fitness as a mission so I can climb some real mountains this summer. That's the vision that kept me engaged today.<br /><br />Sleep: about 6 hours woke up several times last night<br />Vitamins<br /><br />9:00<br />oatmeal (2/3 c before cooked) and 2 tbsp peanut butter<br />2 c black tea<br />12:00<br />spinach and onion <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">omelet</span> (1 egg and eggbeaters) with <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Romano</span> cheese<br />butternut squash with New Balance<br />chocolate heaven<br />4:30<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">edamame</span> in the shell<br />orange<br />6:00<br />deli turkey, field greens, and honey mustard in a whole grain wrap<br /><br />Totals:1 fruit and 4 veggies<br /><br />Movement: at gym today walked a mile on indoor track, took hour long spin class, and did leg resistance training on machines, at home did arm resistance training with free weights.<br /><br /><br />I didn't have anybody, really, no foundation in life, so I had to make my own way. Always, from the start. I had to go out in the world and become strong, to discover my mission in life.<br />~Tina TurnerVirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-54303807795251919962007-02-07T12:33:00.000-05:002007-02-07T19:48:57.585-05:00Wednesday Virtual Dinner PartnerI haven't gotten out for a couple of days because the wind was high and the weather really cold. Cabin fever was a problem so today I put on all my cold weather technical wear, my new hiking boots, my ancient huge puffy down parka and I set out. It was rough going but really quite wonderful to be outside again.<br /><br />Other brave folks were out before me, I saw cross country ski tracks, horse shoe imprints, bike tracks, dog paw prints and a wide range of shoe prints. I saw only one other person walking today but the snow told a different story. Cold weather doesn't keep everyone inside. I need to remember that.<br /><br />Sleep: about 7 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />9:00<br />oatmeal (2/3c before cooked) with 1 tbsp peanut butter<br />12:00<br />whole grain wrap with deli turkey, field greens, and honey mustard<br />chocolate heaven<br />6:00<br />chicken veggie soup<br />butternut squash with New Balance and 2 tsp maple syrup<br />grapefruit<br /><br />Totals: 5 veggies and 1 fruit<br /><br />Movement and Meditation: 1 hour walk in the woods. I did the same route but it was an entirely different journey. It was very windy and cold and the footing was much more demanding. Snow and ice were prevalent.<br /><br />I didn't eat much today. The last few weeks have been really rough for carbohydrate cravings. Today, I didn't have a problem. I never know what drives these cycles. Certainly the cold weather and the shorter winter days contribute. I started with a high carbohydrate very filling breakfast today. Maybe that helped.<br /><br />He that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose.<br />~Anne Bronte<br /><br />When we tire of well-worn ways, we seek for new. This restless craving in the souls of men spurs them to climb, and to seek the mountain view.<br />~Ella Wheeler WilcoxVirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-60167022747674383652007-02-03T12:00:00.000-05:002007-02-03T16:15:53.648-05:00Do you hate Brussels sprouts?According to Wikipedia, Brussels sprouts won the distinction of being the "most hated vegetable" in a 2002 survey in Britain. Surprised? But they are so good for you!<br /><br />These dainty cabbages are loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, fiber, and lip smacking phytochemicals. They are cruciferous vegetables, the vegetables nutritionists are always recommending.<br /><br />I like broccoli, cauliflower, even cabbage... other cruciferous vegetables, but Brussels sprouts? Yikes. They taste bitter, downright caustic when I steam or boil them. I want to like them but I can't get them down. It's something about the sulfur that gets released when they are cooked.<br /><br />Someone I love cooked them for me a while back. "For me" is the operative phrase here. She found the recipe in a magazine and decided to try it. She knew I was a cruciferous zealot (she is not). The smell of Brussels sprouts wafted through the house....that unmistakable smell...oh joy. Then there was the unveiling. I was surprised when she opened the oven door. They were deep walnut brown. Oh great, I thought, not only are they Brussels sprouts, they are burned!<br /><br />I tried one. The outside leaves were crisp and the inside was smooth, chewy, almost nutty in flavor....no bitterness! I couldn't believe it...they were delicious! She thought so too. We finished the whole serving in one sitting. I couldn't believe I was loving Brussels sprouts.<br /><br />A few weeks later I asked for the recipe. She admitted she lost it. She wasn't sure what she added to the Brussels sprouts.."you know, the normal things." I didn't know. Brussels sprouts were never normal for me.<br /><br />So I set out to replicate the memory of that treat. Here are the results of my research. Key to the good taste is to incinerate the little darlings. Something magic happens in that extra hot oven.<br /><br /><strong>Roasted Brussels Sprouts</strong><br /><br />Heat oven to 450 degrees.<br /><br />Wash a pound of fresh Brussels sprouts in a colander and trim the stem end with a sharp knife. Peel any dried or unclean leaves from the outside.<br /><br />Cut them in half if they are small or quarters if they are large.<br /><br />Transfer cut Brussels sprouts to a plastic bag and add a tablespoon of good olive oil and up to a half teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper (less if you like light pepper). Close the bag and shake the contents until the oil and pepper are well dispersed through the vegetables.<br /><br />Pour onto lipped cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Stir the vegetables and return to the oven for another 15 minutes until Brussels sprouts are dark walnut brown (really, incinerate them). Salt to taste and serve immediately.VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-73116364381060704592007-02-03T11:13:00.000-05:002007-02-03T23:24:55.389-05:00Saturday Virtual Dinner PartnerIt was an unusual day for me. I didn't get out except to walk to my neighbors. It was icy for that short journey so it put a damper on my desire to go outside. I stayed home and did things around my house. In the end, I regretted not going out.<br /><br />I discovered a new veggie today. I made a chicken soup tonight with parsnips along with a number of other vegetables. I don't know how I got through my whole life without eating parsnips. They add a delicious sweet nutty quality to soup. They are not fancy vegetables just good. Parsnips, just another simple way to step out and experience life. I am so glad I tried them!<br /><br />Sleep: about 7 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />8:30<br />oatmeal (2/3c before cooked) with 2 tbsp peanut butter<br />3 cups of black tea<br />12:00<br />roasted Brussels sprouts<br />chocolate heaven<br />1:30<br />turkey veggie soup<br />Dr Kracker's flatbread<br />apple<br />7:00<br />chicken veggie soup<br />Dr. Kracker's flatbread<br /><br />Totals: 8 veggies and 1 fruit<br /><br />Original Experience has not been interpreted for you, and so you’ve got to work out life for yourself. Either you can take it or you can’t. You don’t have to go far off the interpreted path to find yourself in very difficult situations. The courage to face the trials and to bring a whole new body of possibilities into the field of interpreted experience for other people to experience – that is the hero’s deed.<br />~Joseph CampbellVirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-51117872851583523562007-02-02T10:40:00.000-05:002007-02-03T11:23:25.404-05:00Happy Groundhog's DayToday is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Groundhog's</span> Day. It is also St Brigid's Day, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Imbolc</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Candlemas</span>. These are local or religious celebrations for a celestial event for earth dwellers, the cross quarter day or the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. Thank heavens we are starting the second half of winter. Something seems to turn for me after this halfway point. I can feel the days getting longer and my energy returns.<br /><br />I am definitely in winter mode.<br /><br />Last night I watched three hours of television. I felt like the epitome of sloth by the end of the evening. Granted three of my four favorite shows were on (all with new episodes).<br /><br />These episodes called too...."Ugly Betty" was unveiling a mysterious new character, "Grey's Anatomy" had two outstanding marriage proposals, and "ER," a hostage situation. I am so caught up in this fake reality that I couldn't miss a single show. Granted I folded laundry and knitted, so the night wasn't a total loss, but there is something about being lost for three hours in these manufactured worlds.<br /><br />My world, my reality lost <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">precedence</span> last night. I felt sluggish and unsatisfied when I went to bed. In the summer, when the daylight extends beyond 8 pm, I don't have a favorite show. Television is a way I pass the long winter nights.<br /><br />I go through periods when I put myself on a TV diet but it doesn't seem to last when I am in winter mode.<br /><br />My friends and I talked last month about "screen time." We pledged to limit ourselves to two hours a day. Two hours feels like an outer limit, it's really a lot of TV watching. However, when I consider computer time, the two hours adds up quickly. I definitely spend more than two hours screen time a day. My computer time also drops considerably in the summer. It's about diversion, getting through, surviving winter.<br /><br />Some years are better than others. This year the weather is mild with little snow so I have been hiking a lot more. Last winter I was snowshoeing. Maybe my memory is playing tricks, but last winter seemed better. I miss snowshoeing. I miss the breathing heavily and challenge of walking through snow. I miss the beauty of the frozen landscape, the clean snow, the cold wet air after fresh snow.<br /><br />I don't remember watching TV last winter. But that is the curse of being caught up in fake reality, I experience a state of amnesia during the hours I am watching. Life is suspended and even though I am folding laundry or knitting, "Ugly Betty" is what's happening. And even though "Ugly Betty" has a redeeming story line (what a plucky young woman!), it isn't my story.<br /><br />So here it is half past winter. It's time to take stock and get serious about screen time. I need to let my reality take <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">precedence</span>. My first few weeks of cutting back on screen time will be challenging, but things will shift and I won't think about it any more. And before I know it spring will be here.<br /><br />By the way, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Punxsutawney</span> Phil (the "official" groundhog) did not see his shadow this morning. The weather prognosticators are saying we will not get six more weeks of winter. Big surprise. Phil must know about global warming.<br /><br />Anyway, it's time to wake up and get moving. It's time to step back into life.<br /><br />Happy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Groundhog's</span> Day.VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-71173935703924374522007-02-01T12:21:00.000-05:002007-02-02T00:16:32.207-05:00Thursday Virtual Dinner PartnerToday I had my first walk in the woods with my new boots for mountain hiking. I finally bought them a couple of days ago after lots of conversation and research. I am happy with what I got. So today felt like the first step toward a big journey. My feet were well supported and warm and the boots fit comfortably. I am excited I am one step closer to this dream of stepping out on a big mountain. It feels like stepping into a new life.<br /><br />Sleep: about 7 hours<br />Vitamins<br /><br />8:00<br />oatmeal (2/3c before cooked) with 1 tbsp peanut butter<br />9:30<br />1/2c nf cottage cheese with 1/2c orange juice mixed in<br />11:30<br />1c carrot juice<br />12:30<br />edamame in the shell<br />2:30<br />turkey veggie soup with 50% cheese<br />Dr Kracker flatbread<br />apple<br />6:30<br />white bean and chicory endive soup<br />acorn squash<br />grapes<br />8:00<br />candied ginger<br /><br />Totals: 3 fruits and 5 veggies<br />Movement and Meditation: one hour walk in the woods.<br /><br />Nature is forever giving us chance after chance at what we call rebirth and death, and we, in our folly, in our fear of death, fail to understand that which represents a new journey, a new page on which to write, and thus to believe in a new beginning for ourselves.<br />~Shri Parthasarathi RajagopalachariVirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37152595.post-27190015441762476332007-01-31T21:11:00.000-05:002007-02-03T11:24:06.762-05:00Bananas!I got out the bag of banana crisps today and a little less than a serving remained so I decided to finish the bag without using a bowl. I sat down, and as I was eating, I reread the nutrition label and made a shocking discovery. "Banana Crisps" with the same picture and label on the front of the bag is no longer an 80 calorie snack made with bananas and a little sugar. A new ingredient is on the nutrition label......rice bran oil. The same size serving now delivers 150 calories and 8 grams of fat, 2 of which are saturated. I was horrified.<br /><br />I read nutrition labels and I tend to remember good snack food. I was excited when I found these last summer at a "health food" store I shop from time to time. I like banana crisps. They taste good and are fun to eat. In my mind they were junk food that wasn't really junk food.<br /><br />Then I got mad. The label on the front of the bag is exactly the same. The nutrition label has changed. I have no idea when it changed. Who knows how long I have been eating roughly twice the calories and extra fat. My "health food" store pulled a fast one. I don't feel the same about their products. I can't run in and pick up my favorites every few weeks, I HAVE to read the labels to see if anything has changed. I'm not sure if I want to shop there anymore.<br /><br />Then I thought about this some more. I was calling this snack "fruit." In reality, it is processed food. Who knows how those bananas were made into tasty dried slighty sweet crisps. If I am fully honest about the situation, I was telling myself something that wasn't true. The better food choice is a banana...the yellow fruit with a peel. I know this and I need to stop telling myself that processed or prepared food is equivalent to food that comes from a plant that grows in the ground.<br /><br />Bananas! What a lesson I got today.VirtualDinnerPartnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05887390694647082892noreply@blogger.com0