Ok, so this is my recipe of the week. I love Greek food - especially Tzatziki sauce (even though I can't spell it!) so I decided to use the same ingredients to make a salad plus I added beans for texture and protein and tomatoes and olives for color . If you really have to add meat, chicken would be good. Here is the recipe:
2 medium cucumbers or 1 english cucumber
4 Green Onions
1 can cannellini beans or chick peas(aka garbanzo beans) (whichever you like better)
Juice and zest of 1 small lemon
1 T dill weed (half this if you are using fresh dill)
1 tomato
Kalamata olives (1 small jar or about 1/4 cup)
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 small container of Greek Yogurt (or about 1/4 cup)
4 oz chopped feta
Mix the Lemon Juice, Lemon Zest, Dill, Yogurt and Mayonnaise in a large bowl.
Chop the cucumber, onion (make sure you include the greens!) and tomatoes and add them in a bowl.
Add the kalamata olives and chopped feta. Stir to combine.
Let the flavors marinade for an hour. Taste to see if additional salt is needed (the olives and feta are very salty so you may not need to add more - but you may not be able to tell if the flavors don't have time to mix first!)
Enjoy!
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Sunday, August 29, 2010
Samosa Spices
Ok, so I had to know what spices were in the Samosa that we ate at the movies.
Here is what I found from various recipes:
cumin (I guessed that one!)
garlic
ginger
salt
pepper
coriander
tumeric
chile powder
cardamom
chile peppers
garam masala (never heard of this one! keep reading for more info)
Samosas generally were filled with lamb or vegetables cooked with these spices and wrapped in Phyllo dough or a pie crust type dough then deep fried. I did find one particularly interesting recipe that used these spices, cilantro, onion and yogurt to make a creamy filling. I thought that sounded really good!
Garam Masala - is apparently kind of like curry in that it is a mix of spices that are kept on hand and used in many Indian dishes. "This is the most aromatic and fragrant of all Indian spice blends. Used throughout North India in all types of dishes — from appetizers and soups to yogurt salad and main courses — this blend is indispensable to Moghul and North Indian cooking" Here is a "standard" garam masala recipe - mix it up and use it instead of salt to add heat and flavor to savory dishes:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cardamom seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken up
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon saffron (optional)
Put the cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves in a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until they turn several shades darker and give off a sweet smoky aroma, about 10 minutes. Do not raise the heat to quicken the process, or the spices will brown prematurely, leaving the insides undercooked. Cool completely.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the mixture to a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a powder. Stir in the nutmeg and saffron. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
I think I may have to whip up a batch and add it to my seasoning arsenal!
Here is what I found from various recipes:
cumin (I guessed that one!)
garlic
ginger
salt
pepper
coriander
tumeric
chile powder
cardamom
chile peppers
garam masala (never heard of this one! keep reading for more info)
Samosas generally were filled with lamb or vegetables cooked with these spices and wrapped in Phyllo dough or a pie crust type dough then deep fried. I did find one particularly interesting recipe that used these spices, cilantro, onion and yogurt to make a creamy filling. I thought that sounded really good!
Garam Masala - is apparently kind of like curry in that it is a mix of spices that are kept on hand and used in many Indian dishes. "This is the most aromatic and fragrant of all Indian spice blends. Used throughout North India in all types of dishes — from appetizers and soups to yogurt salad and main courses — this blend is indispensable to Moghul and North Indian cooking" Here is a "standard" garam masala recipe - mix it up and use it instead of salt to add heat and flavor to savory dishes:
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cardamom seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 (3-inch) stick cinnamon, broken up
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon saffron (optional)
Put the cumin, coriander, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, and cloves in a dry heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Toast the spices, stirring occasionally, until they turn several shades darker and give off a sweet smoky aroma, about 10 minutes. Do not raise the heat to quicken the process, or the spices will brown prematurely, leaving the insides undercooked. Cool completely.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the mixture to a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a powder. Stir in the nutmeg and saffron. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
I think I may have to whip up a batch and add it to my seasoning arsenal!
Another Train Story
I boarded the train this afternoon, it was a little earlier than prime time so the train was maybe half full. Even though there were plenty of seats, there was an older man standing by the doors. He was carrying a well-worn backpack, and was dressed in a polo shirt, black pants, and wearing black shoes. His clothes were well kept but not new. He had a sweet round face, a silver U of hair, and a grandfatherly demeanor. There are about 12 stops between where I get on the train and where I get off at the end of the line.
Once the train doors closed, a foul distinctive odor was clearly present. Several people were looking around and fanning their faces looking for the source of the odor. At the next stop several people got off the train to wait for the next one. I smiled at the old man and he smiled back. I was trying to ignore the odor by taking shallow breaths and focusing on my puzzle book. Two stops later, most people had moved to the other end of the train or gotten off. The train security, a black man in his late 20s, a bleach blonde white woman about my age, and the older man were the only ones left in the "smelly" end of the train.
The black man starts complaining louder and louder about the smell. "I hope you all don't think that's me because it's not!" he proclaimed. The white woman pulled out a wet nap and covered her nose and mouth with it to cover the smell. She gave the black man one as well. I glance at the older man and his face has started to flush. His look was something between pain and embarrassment. I looked down and saw that some fecal matter had run out of the bottom of his pants on to his shoes. I smiled at him again and went back to my puzzle. I felt sorry for him. I know how embarrassed I get when I sneeze with a full bladder, so I could only imagine how he was feeling. I didn't bring any attention to him, but I was secretly hoping his stop was coming up soon, both for him and for us who were dealing with the smell. About that time the black man stood up, pointed at the old man and said "Oh my God, it's him. His pants are full! Dude, that smell is awful." He turns to the train security man and said "Can't you do something about this? This is bad!" At the next stop the security man asked the old man to get off the train. I think the old man thought he was checking for his ticket because he reached in his wallet to pull it out - just then the doors closed and the train pulled away leaving the old man on the platform holding his ticket in his hand.
In my head I kept thinking "All he wanted to do was get home. Some day I am going to be old and may be infirm and I hope I am treated with more kindness than that." The security guy, the black man, and the woman spent the rest of the trip making fun of the man, saying really awful things and talked about how glad they were he was off the train. I kept thinking "I should say something. They don't know anything about this man. What if it was them!" But I didn't. I buried my head in my puzzle and kept to myself.
I can't stop thinking about that man. His kind face, his easy smile, then the look of embarrassment and the confused and sad look when the doors closed on the train. I wish I had had the strength to stand up for him. To tell the people to keep their mouths shut. For all anyone knew his stop was the next one. Every person deserves some dignity - it was just a bad smell - it's not like we don't smell worse all the time from factories and farms. I am so ashamed of myself. The least I could have done is say something in his defense - in my heart I know I should probably have gotten off the train with him and helped him get home. What kind of a person just looks away?
Once the train doors closed, a foul distinctive odor was clearly present. Several people were looking around and fanning their faces looking for the source of the odor. At the next stop several people got off the train to wait for the next one. I smiled at the old man and he smiled back. I was trying to ignore the odor by taking shallow breaths and focusing on my puzzle book. Two stops later, most people had moved to the other end of the train or gotten off. The train security, a black man in his late 20s, a bleach blonde white woman about my age, and the older man were the only ones left in the "smelly" end of the train.
The black man starts complaining louder and louder about the smell. "I hope you all don't think that's me because it's not!" he proclaimed. The white woman pulled out a wet nap and covered her nose and mouth with it to cover the smell. She gave the black man one as well. I glance at the older man and his face has started to flush. His look was something between pain and embarrassment. I looked down and saw that some fecal matter had run out of the bottom of his pants on to his shoes. I smiled at him again and went back to my puzzle. I felt sorry for him. I know how embarrassed I get when I sneeze with a full bladder, so I could only imagine how he was feeling. I didn't bring any attention to him, but I was secretly hoping his stop was coming up soon, both for him and for us who were dealing with the smell. About that time the black man stood up, pointed at the old man and said "Oh my God, it's him. His pants are full! Dude, that smell is awful." He turns to the train security man and said "Can't you do something about this? This is bad!" At the next stop the security man asked the old man to get off the train. I think the old man thought he was checking for his ticket because he reached in his wallet to pull it out - just then the doors closed and the train pulled away leaving the old man on the platform holding his ticket in his hand.
In my head I kept thinking "All he wanted to do was get home. Some day I am going to be old and may be infirm and I hope I am treated with more kindness than that." The security guy, the black man, and the woman spent the rest of the trip making fun of the man, saying really awful things and talked about how glad they were he was off the train. I kept thinking "I should say something. They don't know anything about this man. What if it was them!" But I didn't. I buried my head in my puzzle and kept to myself.
I can't stop thinking about that man. His kind face, his easy smile, then the look of embarrassment and the confused and sad look when the doors closed on the train. I wish I had had the strength to stand up for him. To tell the people to keep their mouths shut. For all anyone knew his stop was the next one. Every person deserves some dignity - it was just a bad smell - it's not like we don't smell worse all the time from factories and farms. I am so ashamed of myself. The least I could have done is say something in his defense - in my heart I know I should probably have gotten off the train with him and helped him get home. What kind of a person just looks away?
Squash Casserole
I just love all of the fruits and veges available this time of year. One of my favorites is Squash Casserole. I am always looking for ways to improve the old favorites and by looking at other recipes I came up with the following:
3 cups summer squash (I used a mix of yellow and zucchini)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 medium onion chopped
4 eggs
½ c milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I actually used cream of chicken and added dried wild mushrooms – the key is the creaminess of the soup and the flavor from the mushroom)
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
Salt to taste
Italian Seasoning to taste (about 1 tsp – fresh basil would be great too)
1 sleeve of Club Buttery Garlic crackers, crushed (If you use regular butter crackers, add Garlic to the recipe!)
Preheat oven to 350
Slice the summer squash. Dump them into a 3 quart casserole dish with the carrots and onion.
Mix the eggs, milk, soup, cheeses, seasonings. Add 2/3 of the crackers. Pour over the vegetables and stir slightly (don’t want to crush the veges or make a mess, just get the mix incorporated a little.
Bake for 60 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Add the remaining crackers to the top of the casserole. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.
Note: Do not pre-cook the veges. It tends to make them mushy. It means you have to cook the casserole longer, but the squash comes out cooked with a toothy firmness to it, and the carrots add a nice sweetness.
3 cups summer squash (I used a mix of yellow and zucchini)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 medium onion chopped
4 eggs
½ c milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I actually used cream of chicken and added dried wild mushrooms – the key is the creaminess of the soup and the flavor from the mushroom)
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
Salt to taste
Italian Seasoning to taste (about 1 tsp – fresh basil would be great too)
1 sleeve of Club Buttery Garlic crackers, crushed (If you use regular butter crackers, add Garlic to the recipe!)
Preheat oven to 350
Slice the summer squash. Dump them into a 3 quart casserole dish with the carrots and onion.
Mix the eggs, milk, soup, cheeses, seasonings. Add 2/3 of the crackers. Pour over the vegetables and stir slightly (don’t want to crush the veges or make a mess, just get the mix incorporated a little.
Bake for 60 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Add the remaining crackers to the top of the casserole. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.
Note: Do not pre-cook the veges. It tends to make them mushy. It means you have to cook the casserole longer, but the squash comes out cooked with a toothy firmness to it, and the carrots add a nice sweetness.
6/10/10: Who Ruined Who (A Jasper Tail..err.. Tale)
So I took Jasper for a mani-pedi/ear cleaning today. It was the first time someone besides me did it. We get to the Pet Smart where we were having it done and the first thing he does is jump out of the car and take off so fast that his leash snaps. Luckily, he knows better than to go far, so I grabbed the piece that is still attached to his collar (since the retractable part rolled back into the holder) and led him around by that (which means I was walking around hunched over and it looked more like he was dragging me). We get into the pet smart and he just can't stand all of the cuteness competition. He tries to play with every dog in the store while I am barely able to hang on to this string attached to his harness. Finally we make it all the way to the back of the store where the grooming area is. The grooming area is this large area with tables and windows so you can see the people working on the dogs. The lady takes him and heads back to a grooming table. I head into the store and grab a new leash. I get ready to check out and find my Visa Debit card in my purse looks nothing like it used to... apparently, I had not put it back in my wallet last time I used it and Jasper got it and chewed it. You couldn't even read the numbers any more... at least he was nice enough to leave it where he found it. The look on the clerks face when I pulled it out was priceless. So now it's after 5, the dog is in the process of being groomed, and I have no way of getting cash or paying. Luckily I had enough to pay for the leash and the grooming with about $10 left over.
I head back to the grooming area and Jasper is being very good - at least I think he is being good. He is laying quietly on the table while the girl trims his claws. The lady looks at me, then looks at Jasper and just shrugs and goes back to clipping his claws. I soon realize that she is not used to dealing with dogs who aren't standing. Apparently she had spent the entire time I was shopping trying to get him to stand up so she could get to his paws more easily. When I clip his nails at home, he hates having it done, so I have him lay down because he doesn't pull his paws so much. So he was being good and doing what he thought he was supposed to do - it just wasn't what she expected. She tried several times to pick him up and make him stand, but it was like picking up a wet towel. He kept looking at me like "What is she thinking?!?!?" She finally finishes. She tells me, "I have never had a dog who refuses to stand up before. He just would NOT stand up!" and we leave.
So we get back to the car. It's VERY hot. I am sweating, the dog is panting. I decide to stop at Chik-Fil-A for ice cream for me and water for him. I order a small shake to put in the freezer for later, a small ice cream cone to eat in the car, and a cup of ice water. I forgot that they use the domed open top lids for the shakes since they put whipped cream on them. "I can do this" I think to myself when she hands me the 2 cups. I put the water down and take the lid off and put it in the center cup holder. Jasper takes a couple of licks. I put the shake cup down and put the lid from the water cup over the hold in the dome lid. As I get the ice cream cone, the cashier asks me if I want a biscuit for Jasper. "Sure" I say. I reach up for the biscuit and Jasper C. once again earns his middle name "Crumbsnatcher" and proceed to eat the ice cream off the cone as fast as he can before I can get it away from him. I pull away from the window - dog biscuit on the floor and ice cream cone half eaten. As the ice cream starts melting all over me, I decide to toss it out the window and Jasper is enjoying his water. Well, I thought he was enjoying his water. I look down and his water is untouched. He has knocked the flat lid off of the dome lid and has proceeded to eat the cherry, most of the whipped cream and was working on the shake. "JASPER! NO!" I yell. I grab the shake, but not to be out-gamed Jasper uses his newly manicured paws to snag the hole in the dome of the lid and dumps shake all over me. Luckily we were almost home by this point.
We get home, get out of the car, and come inside. I clean myself up and give Jasper dirty looks. I sit down on the couch with the laptop and get ready to send an email telling everyone how bad he has been. I reach for the mouse and get nothing but hair. Jasper has sat down on the mouse and refuses to move. "Jasper, really?" I say to him. He proceeds to lay down on the mouse and go to sleep. I give in and decide to wait until later to send the email.
I am not sure if he ruined me or if I ruined him, but today was definitely not an example of discipline and grace for either of us.
I head back to the grooming area and Jasper is being very good - at least I think he is being good. He is laying quietly on the table while the girl trims his claws. The lady looks at me, then looks at Jasper and just shrugs and goes back to clipping his claws. I soon realize that she is not used to dealing with dogs who aren't standing. Apparently she had spent the entire time I was shopping trying to get him to stand up so she could get to his paws more easily. When I clip his nails at home, he hates having it done, so I have him lay down because he doesn't pull his paws so much. So he was being good and doing what he thought he was supposed to do - it just wasn't what she expected. She tried several times to pick him up and make him stand, but it was like picking up a wet towel. He kept looking at me like "What is she thinking?!?!?" She finally finishes. She tells me, "I have never had a dog who refuses to stand up before. He just would NOT stand up!" and we leave.
So we get back to the car. It's VERY hot. I am sweating, the dog is panting. I decide to stop at Chik-Fil-A for ice cream for me and water for him. I order a small shake to put in the freezer for later, a small ice cream cone to eat in the car, and a cup of ice water. I forgot that they use the domed open top lids for the shakes since they put whipped cream on them. "I can do this" I think to myself when she hands me the 2 cups. I put the water down and take the lid off and put it in the center cup holder. Jasper takes a couple of licks. I put the shake cup down and put the lid from the water cup over the hold in the dome lid. As I get the ice cream cone, the cashier asks me if I want a biscuit for Jasper. "Sure" I say. I reach up for the biscuit and Jasper C. once again earns his middle name "Crumbsnatcher" and proceed to eat the ice cream off the cone as fast as he can before I can get it away from him. I pull away from the window - dog biscuit on the floor and ice cream cone half eaten. As the ice cream starts melting all over me, I decide to toss it out the window and Jasper is enjoying his water. Well, I thought he was enjoying his water. I look down and his water is untouched. He has knocked the flat lid off of the dome lid and has proceeded to eat the cherry, most of the whipped cream and was working on the shake. "JASPER! NO!" I yell. I grab the shake, but not to be out-gamed Jasper uses his newly manicured paws to snag the hole in the dome of the lid and dumps shake all over me. Luckily we were almost home by this point.
We get home, get out of the car, and come inside. I clean myself up and give Jasper dirty looks. I sit down on the couch with the laptop and get ready to send an email telling everyone how bad he has been. I reach for the mouse and get nothing but hair. Jasper has sat down on the mouse and refuses to move. "Jasper, really?" I say to him. He proceeds to lay down on the mouse and go to sleep. I give in and decide to wait until later to send the email.
I am not sure if he ruined me or if I ruined him, but today was definitely not an example of discipline and grace for either of us.
Chillers (Almond Milk MilkShakes)
I decided to try Almond Milk. It was on sale so I figured why not. It was not awful, but not something I would drink by itself again. So here I am with half a gallon of this stuff and no idea what to do with it. One day I was craving something sweet but did not want Ice cream - that was too sweet, and I had some fruit, but that wasn't really what I was wanting either. So I had an idea... something like a milk shake but lighter.
Here is the recipe:
1 c. Almond milk
2 scoops Ice Cream
6 ice cubes
Fruit (I tried Strawberries first - 1 pint, and liked it so much, I did it with mangoes - 2 mangoes, then bananas and mandarin oranges - all were awesome)
Throw it all in a blender and mix mix mix! It would even be good with liquor if you were wanting a mixed drink.
Here is the recipe:
1 c. Almond milk
2 scoops Ice Cream
6 ice cubes
Fruit (I tried Strawberries first - 1 pint, and liked it so much, I did it with mangoes - 2 mangoes, then bananas and mandarin oranges - all were awesome)
Throw it all in a blender and mix mix mix! It would even be good with liquor if you were wanting a mixed drink.
Acedia
Odds are that you probably have never heard this word before. It’s a term that is no longer used, but signifies profound indifference and inability to care about things that matter, even to the extent that you don’t care that you can’t care.
Acedia was a concept developed by Christians in the fourth century who fled to the deserts of the middle east in an effort to return to the simple life and rebel against the wealthy and politically powerful church. These men and women discovered that even though they had left their material possessions behind, they held on to their inner demons. They developed a psychology of the “eight bad thoughts” that commonly troubled them: gluttony, sexual immorality, love of money, sadness, anger, acedia, vainglory and pride. These eight bad thoughts were later re-written as the seven deadly sins – acedia became a part of sloth. Though the word itself has been lost, its effects are widely understood. If you look at modern psychological descriptions, you will find acedia. “A toxic, nearly unbearable mix of boredom and restlessness, frantic escapism (including that of workaholism), commitment-phobia and enervating despair.” Sound familiar?
Evagrius, one of these Christians who traveled the desert, conceptualized the basic notion that thoughts matter. Our inner life has consequence. What goes on in our mind or our hearts shapes our words and our actions and affects those around us. We are not victims of our thoughts, we bear responsibility for them. “It is not in our power to determine whether we are disturbed by these (bad) thoughts, but it is up to us to decide if they are to linger within us and whether or not they are to stir up our passions.” His teachings were similar to what we call Congnitive Behavioral Therapy today. There is nothing wrong with looking at the past, but the more important issue is how to live right now with thoughts, emotions and behaviors which may seem out of control. Evagrius considered Acedia to be a spiritual affliction that is far more deadly than physical and mental afflictions such as lust, gluttony, anger or depression because it creates a weariness of soul that instills hatred for place, work and life itself.
In the world today we have addictions to the internet and virtual worlds, fractured families who are so busy that they no longer spend time together, a society that is the wealthiest in history yet whose citizens remain dissatisfied and turn to drugs for anxiety, depression and other disorders. People have lost faith in themselves and others. Acedia offers a false sense of complacency and security. We can feel more for our “online” friends than we do our neighbors, look at the bad things in the world as “the way things are” and relieve ourselves of any responsibility for doing something about it. We see the homeless person and think “That’s not me”. We see the hungry child and think “That’s not my child”. We see the old man sitting in the park and think “That’s not my father.” We can be so busy we don’t have time to care or fight, we can be too tired to feel compassion, or decide that the problems are so big there is nothing we can do about them, so why try.
Perhaps in this time of economic upheaval, war, and uncertainty, it is time for us to look to the monks of the early 5th century as an example. They focused on mind and spirit, life in community and provided a great model for mutual support in an age where social structures were fractured. They cared for the orphans and the sick, identified with the poor, and offered help to people who were hurting. Monasteries became the institutions of learning and rebuilding. After all, before a kingdom can be rebuilt, the inner work must be done. What rebuilding needs to happen in our lives to improve the world around us? Why is Pride – making too much of ourselves – more focused on as a sin than Sloth – being less than what we can be?
“Dejection and anger afflict the mind; food, things and sex burden the body; but acedia is lodged in the very soul.” – Mary Margaret Funk (modern Benedictine)
“Our present age is perhaps no more evil than a number of preceding periods, but it is evil in a special way. Namely, the extent to which we have obliterated our consciousness of evil. It is marvelous to observe how often the self-proclaimed defenders of the right and good do not seem to have noticed in themselves the vices of pomposity, exaggeration, and self-righteousness.” - Alasdair MacIntyre
“It may be easy to profess not to believe in sin, but it is hard not to believe in sinners, so we embrace the comfortable notion that at least they are other people.” – Kathleen Norris
Story: Two men travelled through the desert on foot. Eventually they ran out of food. Facing endless sand, hunger and diminishing strength, the men cried out to God for help. Soon they arrived at a crossroads where they found 2 loaves of bread. The hungry men ate, continued on their journey and eventually reached their destination.
Student: Who do you think dropped the bread? An Angel or a Demon?
Teacher: It does not matter who dropped the bread. We give glory to God because this experience does not profit the soul, but purifies it.
(Read the book Acedia and Me by Kathleen Norris)
Acedia was a concept developed by Christians in the fourth century who fled to the deserts of the middle east in an effort to return to the simple life and rebel against the wealthy and politically powerful church. These men and women discovered that even though they had left their material possessions behind, they held on to their inner demons. They developed a psychology of the “eight bad thoughts” that commonly troubled them: gluttony, sexual immorality, love of money, sadness, anger, acedia, vainglory and pride. These eight bad thoughts were later re-written as the seven deadly sins – acedia became a part of sloth. Though the word itself has been lost, its effects are widely understood. If you look at modern psychological descriptions, you will find acedia. “A toxic, nearly unbearable mix of boredom and restlessness, frantic escapism (including that of workaholism), commitment-phobia and enervating despair.” Sound familiar?
Evagrius, one of these Christians who traveled the desert, conceptualized the basic notion that thoughts matter. Our inner life has consequence. What goes on in our mind or our hearts shapes our words and our actions and affects those around us. We are not victims of our thoughts, we bear responsibility for them. “It is not in our power to determine whether we are disturbed by these (bad) thoughts, but it is up to us to decide if they are to linger within us and whether or not they are to stir up our passions.” His teachings were similar to what we call Congnitive Behavioral Therapy today. There is nothing wrong with looking at the past, but the more important issue is how to live right now with thoughts, emotions and behaviors which may seem out of control. Evagrius considered Acedia to be a spiritual affliction that is far more deadly than physical and mental afflictions such as lust, gluttony, anger or depression because it creates a weariness of soul that instills hatred for place, work and life itself.
In the world today we have addictions to the internet and virtual worlds, fractured families who are so busy that they no longer spend time together, a society that is the wealthiest in history yet whose citizens remain dissatisfied and turn to drugs for anxiety, depression and other disorders. People have lost faith in themselves and others. Acedia offers a false sense of complacency and security. We can feel more for our “online” friends than we do our neighbors, look at the bad things in the world as “the way things are” and relieve ourselves of any responsibility for doing something about it. We see the homeless person and think “That’s not me”. We see the hungry child and think “That’s not my child”. We see the old man sitting in the park and think “That’s not my father.” We can be so busy we don’t have time to care or fight, we can be too tired to feel compassion, or decide that the problems are so big there is nothing we can do about them, so why try.
Perhaps in this time of economic upheaval, war, and uncertainty, it is time for us to look to the monks of the early 5th century as an example. They focused on mind and spirit, life in community and provided a great model for mutual support in an age where social structures were fractured. They cared for the orphans and the sick, identified with the poor, and offered help to people who were hurting. Monasteries became the institutions of learning and rebuilding. After all, before a kingdom can be rebuilt, the inner work must be done. What rebuilding needs to happen in our lives to improve the world around us? Why is Pride – making too much of ourselves – more focused on as a sin than Sloth – being less than what we can be?
“Dejection and anger afflict the mind; food, things and sex burden the body; but acedia is lodged in the very soul.” – Mary Margaret Funk (modern Benedictine)
“Our present age is perhaps no more evil than a number of preceding periods, but it is evil in a special way. Namely, the extent to which we have obliterated our consciousness of evil. It is marvelous to observe how often the self-proclaimed defenders of the right and good do not seem to have noticed in themselves the vices of pomposity, exaggeration, and self-righteousness.” - Alasdair MacIntyre
“It may be easy to profess not to believe in sin, but it is hard not to believe in sinners, so we embrace the comfortable notion that at least they are other people.” – Kathleen Norris
Story: Two men travelled through the desert on foot. Eventually they ran out of food. Facing endless sand, hunger and diminishing strength, the men cried out to God for help. Soon they arrived at a crossroads where they found 2 loaves of bread. The hungry men ate, continued on their journey and eventually reached their destination.
Student: Who do you think dropped the bread? An Angel or a Demon?
Teacher: It does not matter who dropped the bread. We give glory to God because this experience does not profit the soul, but purifies it.
(Read the book Acedia and Me by Kathleen Norris)
Chocolate Risotto
I tried a new recipe for dessert tonight and it was quite tasty. So here it is:
Chocolate Risotto
4 T Butter
1/2 c Arborio rice
2 T Sugar
2 c Milk (I used skim although a milk with higher fat content would probably make it creamier)
1/2 c semisweet chocolate (chips or pieces, don't use a big chunk because it may not melt)
1 t Vanilla
1 t Brandy (optional)
Melt the butter in a large Sautee pan with a cover (this doesn't work as well in a sauce pan). Add Arborio rice. Stir until rice is coated.
Place the milk and sugar in a microwave safe cup or bowl and heat until the milk is boiling. (It took 1 + 1.5 mins in my microwave - you can heat the milk in a saucepan until is is nearly boiled).
With the rice and butter mix over medium heat, add the milk a little at a time (I did 1/4 cup at a time) stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Keeping adding the milk until you have added the entire 2 cups. You should have a thick and creamy mixture, but not watery. (If your mixture is too watery, cover and let it sit over low heat for 10 minutes.)
Add the chocolate (I used just under 1/2 cup of chips and threw in a couple of Ghiridelli Intense Dark squares and it had a very nice chocolate flavor), Vanilla and Brandy. Stir until the chocolate is melted. If you don't mind the mixture not quite being as thick as pudding, you can eat it warm, or for a more pudding like consistency, let it set in the refrigerator for 2 hours. (I had some warm and it was very good, but it was also good cold.)
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This recipe is a take off from one I saw on an italian cooking website. I modified it to use ingredients I had on hand. The original recipe called for almonds and raisins to be added when the chocolate was added - so you can give that a try. If you are lactose intolerant, I imagine that Almond Milk I have seen advertised would be quite tasty in this.
Chocolate Risotto
4 T Butter
1/2 c Arborio rice
2 T Sugar
2 c Milk (I used skim although a milk with higher fat content would probably make it creamier)
1/2 c semisweet chocolate (chips or pieces, don't use a big chunk because it may not melt)
1 t Vanilla
1 t Brandy (optional)
Melt the butter in a large Sautee pan with a cover (this doesn't work as well in a sauce pan). Add Arborio rice. Stir until rice is coated.
Place the milk and sugar in a microwave safe cup or bowl and heat until the milk is boiling. (It took 1 + 1.5 mins in my microwave - you can heat the milk in a saucepan until is is nearly boiled).
With the rice and butter mix over medium heat, add the milk a little at a time (I did 1/4 cup at a time) stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Keeping adding the milk until you have added the entire 2 cups. You should have a thick and creamy mixture, but not watery. (If your mixture is too watery, cover and let it sit over low heat for 10 minutes.)
Add the chocolate (I used just under 1/2 cup of chips and threw in a couple of Ghiridelli Intense Dark squares and it had a very nice chocolate flavor), Vanilla and Brandy. Stir until the chocolate is melted. If you don't mind the mixture not quite being as thick as pudding, you can eat it warm, or for a more pudding like consistency, let it set in the refrigerator for 2 hours. (I had some warm and it was very good, but it was also good cold.)
----------------------
This recipe is a take off from one I saw on an italian cooking website. I modified it to use ingredients I had on hand. The original recipe called for almonds and raisins to be added when the chocolate was added - so you can give that a try. If you are lactose intolerant, I imagine that Almond Milk I have seen advertised would be quite tasty in this.
3/25/10: Man Brains
(Based on an article by Dr. Louann Brizendine who is a member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology – author of books “The Female Brain” and “The Male Brain”)
In general, the brain of a male and female are very similar, but it’s the differences that make you want to throw the man closest to you under the nearest bus.
“Defend Your Turf” – As most of you probably expected, this part of the brain is larger in males and men have the added benefit of special circuits to detect territorial challenges by other males.
Alarm System – Yes, even the alarm system for threats, fear and danger is larger in men, making them more alert to threats.
“I feel what you feel” – This part of the brain is larger in females. Again, I don’t think this comes as a surprise to anyone. This allows women to excel at reading facial expressions, interpreting tone of voice and other nonverbal emotional cues. (No, he really doesn’t know your irritated and has no clue why you should be – however, his alarm system is probably starting to ring if you take off your shoe to throw it at him…)
The pursuit of sex – Raise your hand if you think you know how this one will turn out. The sex part of the brain is larger in males. It’s not just a little larger, its 2.5 times larger! If testosterone were beer, a 9-year old boy gets the equivalent of 1 cup per day – a 15 year old boy gets the equivalent of 2 gallons per day. That explains a lot, right? Especially the glazed look a man gets when he sees breasts. Yes, men look at women like women look at jewelry. And while we are still fuming about his behavior, he is deciding what he wants to watch on TV.
While male brains are pursuing sex, female brains are pursuing safety, security, and reliability. That said, a man can fall as hard and fast into love as a woman, but for him, it happens when love and lust collide. Once that happens, he is hooked for life.
When a woman becomes pregnant (are you reading this Mike?) she emits pheromones that stimulate a man’s brain to make more Prolactin and at the same time decreases testosterone production by 30%. This change makes the man more likely to help with the baby and increase his ability to hear a baby cry. (This is the part you need to pay attention to Mary!) The more a man takes hands-on care of the child, the more his brain aligns to the role of fatherhood.
While men seem to be less emotional than women, that just isn’t true. What is different is the response to the emotions. Initially, a man’s emotional reaction is actually stronger than a female’s, but within 2.5 seconds he is able to hide or reverse the emotion because his analytical responses kick in. When a woman cries, she talks about what’s wrong. The man, on the other hand, starts immediately engaging his analytical side to find a resolution. Yes, this is why instead of hugging you and telling you it is going to be Ok, he says something stupid like “You wouldn’t look fat in those jeans if you ate less ice cream.” It’s not because he is insensitive, it is because he is trying to alleviate the pain by offering a resolution to the problem as quickly as possible.
As men age, testosterone goes down and estrogen goes up. This makes the man more receptive to closer bonds and more sensitive to loneliness. Women, on the other hand, have less estrogen and more testosterone, so they do the opposite. . If your man gets abnormally tired, irritable and depressed, you may want to look in to hormone replacement therapy. In addition to increased estrogen, men also experience an increase on oxytocin, a hormone that makes a man much more patient and playful – which makes him seem like he is a different person with his grandchildren than he was with his children.
The bottom line? Men are men and will always be men. Pat them on their pointed little heads, make them feel important and don’t take it too personally when they don’t respond the way you want them too – that’s just how they are wired.
In general, the brain of a male and female are very similar, but it’s the differences that make you want to throw the man closest to you under the nearest bus.
“Defend Your Turf” – As most of you probably expected, this part of the brain is larger in males and men have the added benefit of special circuits to detect territorial challenges by other males.
Alarm System – Yes, even the alarm system for threats, fear and danger is larger in men, making them more alert to threats.
“I feel what you feel” – This part of the brain is larger in females. Again, I don’t think this comes as a surprise to anyone. This allows women to excel at reading facial expressions, interpreting tone of voice and other nonverbal emotional cues. (No, he really doesn’t know your irritated and has no clue why you should be – however, his alarm system is probably starting to ring if you take off your shoe to throw it at him…)
The pursuit of sex – Raise your hand if you think you know how this one will turn out. The sex part of the brain is larger in males. It’s not just a little larger, its 2.5 times larger! If testosterone were beer, a 9-year old boy gets the equivalent of 1 cup per day – a 15 year old boy gets the equivalent of 2 gallons per day. That explains a lot, right? Especially the glazed look a man gets when he sees breasts. Yes, men look at women like women look at jewelry. And while we are still fuming about his behavior, he is deciding what he wants to watch on TV.
While male brains are pursuing sex, female brains are pursuing safety, security, and reliability. That said, a man can fall as hard and fast into love as a woman, but for him, it happens when love and lust collide. Once that happens, he is hooked for life.
When a woman becomes pregnant (are you reading this Mike?) she emits pheromones that stimulate a man’s brain to make more Prolactin and at the same time decreases testosterone production by 30%. This change makes the man more likely to help with the baby and increase his ability to hear a baby cry. (This is the part you need to pay attention to Mary!) The more a man takes hands-on care of the child, the more his brain aligns to the role of fatherhood.
While men seem to be less emotional than women, that just isn’t true. What is different is the response to the emotions. Initially, a man’s emotional reaction is actually stronger than a female’s, but within 2.5 seconds he is able to hide or reverse the emotion because his analytical responses kick in. When a woman cries, she talks about what’s wrong. The man, on the other hand, starts immediately engaging his analytical side to find a resolution. Yes, this is why instead of hugging you and telling you it is going to be Ok, he says something stupid like “You wouldn’t look fat in those jeans if you ate less ice cream.” It’s not because he is insensitive, it is because he is trying to alleviate the pain by offering a resolution to the problem as quickly as possible.
As men age, testosterone goes down and estrogen goes up. This makes the man more receptive to closer bonds and more sensitive to loneliness. Women, on the other hand, have less estrogen and more testosterone, so they do the opposite. . If your man gets abnormally tired, irritable and depressed, you may want to look in to hormone replacement therapy. In addition to increased estrogen, men also experience an increase on oxytocin, a hormone that makes a man much more patient and playful – which makes him seem like he is a different person with his grandchildren than he was with his children.
The bottom line? Men are men and will always be men. Pat them on their pointed little heads, make them feel important and don’t take it too personally when they don’t respond the way you want them too – that’s just how they are wired.
Oh Bella (Portabella Mushrooms)
I have been trying to make my favorite foods more healthy without having to give them up. My latest discovery in this venture is Portabello mushrooms. Now, I like mushrooms, and I prefer portabello mushrooms to plain white mushrooms in general, but when I saw a recipe for Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches where Portabello mushrooms had been substituted for the beef, I thought "What a great idea!" Portabello mushrooms are thicker and stronger flavored than white mushrooms. If you have not tried them, I highly recommend you do. Baby Bellas (also called Cremini) mushrooms are small portabello mushrooms - and they generally cost the same as regular white mushrooms. As a bonus, they happened to be on sale last week.
Bella Cheesesteaks
Portabello or cremini mushrooms
onions
peppers
salt
pepper
whatever other spices you like on your steak
butter
olive oil
cheese
bread
Put a Tbsp of butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
Slice the mushrooms, onions, and peppers. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan. Add spices. When the onions and mushrooms are half cooked and starting to turn clear add the peppers (peppers have a tendency to get bitter if they are added to early)
If you like your bread toasted, then toast your bread. Put a couple of slices of cheese on your bread (I used swiss because I had it left over from Ruebens the week before). Add the veggie mix.
Biscuits and Bella Gravy
I love Biscuits and Gravy, so I thought - what a great way to reduce the guilt factor - substitute bellas for sausage. (for additional guilt reduction, put it on toast instead of biscuits)
Bella mushrooms
onion
saussage spices (red pepper, sage, garlic, etc. check the ingredients list on your favorite sausage package for ideas)
butter
flour
salt
pepper
skim milk (you can use regular, but I thought skim made a nicer gravy consistency)
biscuit(or toast)
Put 2 Tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Chop the onions and mushrooms (I also did a version with spinach added as well). Add spices and cook until the mixture is cooked through and nicely browned.
Add flour (about 1/4 c but it varies depending on how you like your gravy). Stir until you have coated the vege mixture.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add milk, stirring constantly so you don't get lumps.
So there you go. There are my bella creations!
Bella Cheesesteaks
Portabello or cremini mushrooms
onions
peppers
salt
pepper
whatever other spices you like on your steak
butter
olive oil
cheese
bread
Put a Tbsp of butter and a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
Slice the mushrooms, onions, and peppers. Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan. Add spices. When the onions and mushrooms are half cooked and starting to turn clear add the peppers (peppers have a tendency to get bitter if they are added to early)
If you like your bread toasted, then toast your bread. Put a couple of slices of cheese on your bread (I used swiss because I had it left over from Ruebens the week before). Add the veggie mix.
Biscuits and Bella Gravy
I love Biscuits and Gravy, so I thought - what a great way to reduce the guilt factor - substitute bellas for sausage. (for additional guilt reduction, put it on toast instead of biscuits)
Bella mushrooms
onion
saussage spices (red pepper, sage, garlic, etc. check the ingredients list on your favorite sausage package for ideas)
butter
flour
salt
pepper
skim milk (you can use regular, but I thought skim made a nicer gravy consistency)
biscuit(or toast)
Put 2 Tbsp of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Chop the onions and mushrooms (I also did a version with spinach added as well). Add spices and cook until the mixture is cooked through and nicely browned.
Add flour (about 1/4 c but it varies depending on how you like your gravy). Stir until you have coated the vege mixture.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add milk, stirring constantly so you don't get lumps.
So there you go. There are my bella creations!
3/23/10: News that Isn't really news
5 Diets that don’t work:
The Grapefruit Diet, The Apple Cider Vinegar Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet, The All Juice Diet, The Maple Syrup Diet. You have probably heard of most of these or maybe even tried some yourself. So does it really surprise you that these diets are being highlighted as diets that don’t work?
Octomom may be losing her home to foreclosure:
Really? But she seemed so wise and fiscally responsible – living with her parents and on welfare with 6 children and choosing to have 8 more. After having made millions (and spent millions on her wardrobe, high end makeup and some plastic surgery) – she could not come up with the $450,000 balloon payment for her house – that her father has been making the $4000 per month payments on. What a shocker.
Lehman cheated:
The financial giant who fell after being an iconic company in the financial world for decades has been outed for having used questionable accounting practices. Who knew?
Democrats pass bill, Republicans cry foul:
Democrats managed to get enough votes to pass the landmark health care bill, and Republicans are crying and focusing on derailing it (after packing 1700 pages of pork on top of the 1000 page bill). Now the bill is up for reconciliation. The bill opens the door for 33M Americans currently without health care to get it. Republicans cry “Unconstitutional!” Is it as unconstitutional as requiring Americans to carry car insurance? Personally, I think health insurance is MUCH more important than car insurance. I love the hype of “Putting government between you and your doctor” when the bill does no such thing – it forces the insurance companies to spend more money on actual healthcare instead of on ways to deny big claims and lining their own pockets. Oooh… what a sin! And in the mean time they get more customers for the insurance companies to spread the costs across – how awful! It also penalizes companies with more than 50 employees for not providing health care – darn those vicious people! The government is supposed to be looking out for businesses – I mean people – err… um… whatever.. (the bill is by no means perfect and there are things in it that I don’t agree with, but at least it is a step in the right direction) Let’s see if the Republicans once again stomp on their constituents in favor of their own personal gains and party politics grandstanding! (Pat on the back for Judd Gregg(R-NH) who is encouraging his colleagues to stick to serious and relevant areas.) Side note: 37 states have health care bills similar to the one that just passed in the works - and if it was so horrible, that would not be the case - plus 1 state already has public health care. Does it really make more sense to make health care a state issue where you could end up not being covered when you were away from home?
Is any of this really news?
The Grapefruit Diet, The Apple Cider Vinegar Diet, The Cabbage Soup Diet, The All Juice Diet, The Maple Syrup Diet. You have probably heard of most of these or maybe even tried some yourself. So does it really surprise you that these diets are being highlighted as diets that don’t work?
Octomom may be losing her home to foreclosure:
Really? But she seemed so wise and fiscally responsible – living with her parents and on welfare with 6 children and choosing to have 8 more. After having made millions (and spent millions on her wardrobe, high end makeup and some plastic surgery) – she could not come up with the $450,000 balloon payment for her house – that her father has been making the $4000 per month payments on. What a shocker.
Lehman cheated:
The financial giant who fell after being an iconic company in the financial world for decades has been outed for having used questionable accounting practices. Who knew?
Democrats pass bill, Republicans cry foul:
Democrats managed to get enough votes to pass the landmark health care bill, and Republicans are crying and focusing on derailing it (after packing 1700 pages of pork on top of the 1000 page bill). Now the bill is up for reconciliation. The bill opens the door for 33M Americans currently without health care to get it. Republicans cry “Unconstitutional!” Is it as unconstitutional as requiring Americans to carry car insurance? Personally, I think health insurance is MUCH more important than car insurance. I love the hype of “Putting government between you and your doctor” when the bill does no such thing – it forces the insurance companies to spend more money on actual healthcare instead of on ways to deny big claims and lining their own pockets. Oooh… what a sin! And in the mean time they get more customers for the insurance companies to spread the costs across – how awful! It also penalizes companies with more than 50 employees for not providing health care – darn those vicious people! The government is supposed to be looking out for businesses – I mean people – err… um… whatever.. (the bill is by no means perfect and there are things in it that I don’t agree with, but at least it is a step in the right direction) Let’s see if the Republicans once again stomp on their constituents in favor of their own personal gains and party politics grandstanding! (Pat on the back for Judd Gregg(R-NH) who is encouraging his colleagues to stick to serious and relevant areas.) Side note: 37 states have health care bills similar to the one that just passed in the works - and if it was so horrible, that would not be the case - plus 1 state already has public health care. Does it really make more sense to make health care a state issue where you could end up not being covered when you were away from home?
Is any of this really news?
3/14/10: Luck of the Irish (Cabbage Recipes)
I think the luck o' the irish was smiling on me today...
In my normal fashion, I wait for the grocery ads to come out on Wednesday, plan a menu based on what is on sale, then shop on Sunday when I can pick up a paper with coupons in it. Since it's almost St. Patrick's day the ingredients of the week were Corned Beef and Cabbage. I like both of these foods but don't make them very often. Corned beef is often over priced and Cabbage just doesn't catch my eye often. But I thought "Great! It will be Corned Beef and Cabbage this week." What I had in mind was a typical throw it in the slow cooker type dish. However, as is also my tendancy, I got home and changed my mind.
I decided I really was craving rueben sandwiches, so I saved the corned beef for that - although I am sure I will need to do something else with it as well.
That left me with Cabbage. I can't be boring and just cook cabbage can I? Of course not! Both of my cabbage creations turned out quite well. Here are the recipes.
Cabbage Stew:
2 T Butter
1 Onion
3 Medium Potatoes
1 c Chicken Broth
1 small cabbage or half of a large one
1 pound Smoked Sausage or Polska Kielbsa
3 t Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large deep saute pan over medium heat, add the butter. Slice the onions (I slice in half, then with the flat side of the onion down, make half moons) and add them to the pan. Grate (yes, grate, don't pre-cook!) the potatoes in the pan over the onion. Stir until combined. The potatoes will start to look a little gluey, this is a good thing. Add the chicken broth stirring constantly. The starch from the potatoes will start to form a gravy. Shred the Cabbage and add it to the pan. Stir and cover. While the cabbage is cooking, slice the sausage in rounds and throw it in with the rest. Add the Red Wine Vinegar (I used Pomegranate Vinegar), salt and pepper. Cover the dish and let it cook for 2 minutes. Stir - you will find the potatoes tend to stick to the bottom of the pan and get a lovely brown color. Cook 2 more minutes. Stir. Lower heat to LOW. Leave the dish covered until the Cabbage is tender (about 5 more minutes).
Scalloped Cabbage:
(Is it possible to have dinner without cheese?)
1 small cabbage
1 onion
1 c chicken broth
3 T butter
2 T flour
1 c milk
1 c shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack - but pretty much any cheese will do - an italian blend would probably be excellent, but I did not have any)
salt and pepper to taste
Crumbled Crackers
Preheat oven to 350
Shred the cabbage and slice the onion. Place it in a sauce pan. Add the chicken broth. Add water to just cover the cabbage and onion. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and cover. Cook for 8 minutes - until "al dente"
While the cabbage is cooking melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until the mixture starts to darken. Add the milk, stirring constantly so you don't get lumps. Let the mixture cook until it starts to thicken. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until it is a nice sauce.
Drain the cabbage (I left a little liquid in because my sauce was a little too thick). In a casserole dish (sprayed with cooking spray) add the cabbage. Pour the sauce over the cabbage. Top with crumbled butter crackers (I used French's fried onions because I had them).
Bake until the topping is browned.
In my normal fashion, I wait for the grocery ads to come out on Wednesday, plan a menu based on what is on sale, then shop on Sunday when I can pick up a paper with coupons in it. Since it's almost St. Patrick's day the ingredients of the week were Corned Beef and Cabbage. I like both of these foods but don't make them very often. Corned beef is often over priced and Cabbage just doesn't catch my eye often. But I thought "Great! It will be Corned Beef and Cabbage this week." What I had in mind was a typical throw it in the slow cooker type dish. However, as is also my tendancy, I got home and changed my mind.
I decided I really was craving rueben sandwiches, so I saved the corned beef for that - although I am sure I will need to do something else with it as well.
That left me with Cabbage. I can't be boring and just cook cabbage can I? Of course not! Both of my cabbage creations turned out quite well. Here are the recipes.
Cabbage Stew:
2 T Butter
1 Onion
3 Medium Potatoes
1 c Chicken Broth
1 small cabbage or half of a large one
1 pound Smoked Sausage or Polska Kielbsa
3 t Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a large deep saute pan over medium heat, add the butter. Slice the onions (I slice in half, then with the flat side of the onion down, make half moons) and add them to the pan. Grate (yes, grate, don't pre-cook!) the potatoes in the pan over the onion. Stir until combined. The potatoes will start to look a little gluey, this is a good thing. Add the chicken broth stirring constantly. The starch from the potatoes will start to form a gravy. Shred the Cabbage and add it to the pan. Stir and cover. While the cabbage is cooking, slice the sausage in rounds and throw it in with the rest. Add the Red Wine Vinegar (I used Pomegranate Vinegar), salt and pepper. Cover the dish and let it cook for 2 minutes. Stir - you will find the potatoes tend to stick to the bottom of the pan and get a lovely brown color. Cook 2 more minutes. Stir. Lower heat to LOW. Leave the dish covered until the Cabbage is tender (about 5 more minutes).
Scalloped Cabbage:
(Is it possible to have dinner without cheese?)
1 small cabbage
1 onion
1 c chicken broth
3 T butter
2 T flour
1 c milk
1 c shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack - but pretty much any cheese will do - an italian blend would probably be excellent, but I did not have any)
salt and pepper to taste
Crumbled Crackers
Preheat oven to 350
Shred the cabbage and slice the onion. Place it in a sauce pan. Add the chicken broth. Add water to just cover the cabbage and onion. Place the saucepan over medium high heat and cover. Cook for 8 minutes - until "al dente"
While the cabbage is cooking melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until the mixture starts to darken. Add the milk, stirring constantly so you don't get lumps. Let the mixture cook until it starts to thicken. Add cheese, salt and pepper. Stir until it is a nice sauce.
Drain the cabbage (I left a little liquid in because my sauce was a little too thick). In a casserole dish (sprayed with cooking spray) add the cabbage. Pour the sauce over the cabbage. Top with crumbled butter crackers (I used French's fried onions because I had them).
Bake until the topping is browned.
Greening Your Home: Insulation
Heat moves through a home in 3 ways:
Radiation: transfer of heat from one object to another through the air
Conduction: transfer of heat between two objects that are touching
Convection: cyclical flow of air (hot air rises, displacing cold air which falls and heats up eventually causing it to rise again)
The R-value that you see when talking about insulation is a measure of effectiveness in stopping heat transfer. The higher the R-value, the less heat transfer there is.(It’s the opposite of the U-factor we talked about in the segment on windows.)
Is improving your insulation going to pay off? Try this calculator:
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/8998/payback-estimator-insulation-upgrade
Things to ask:
- Where should you focus your insulation efforts?
- How much insulation do you need?
- What type of insulation should you use?
Start with the basement/crawlspace if you have one. Warm, dry basements and crawlspaces can extend living and storage space, but tend to be sources of moisture, high humidity and mold. Spray foam is a fast and effective way to bring these areas into your conditioned space while sealing leaks between the foundation and the floor framing. If you are looking at creating a Net Zero Energy Use home (a home that produces as much energy as it uses), shoot for R-10 under the basement slab and R-20 in the basement walls.
Next, look at your roof. Air leaks in at the bottom of a house and leaks out at the top. A poorly insulated roof makes a house cold and drafty in the winter and hot in the summer. Air seal your roof using spray foam – this will also eliminate the need for roof venting which can be costly in complicated roofs. If you are blowing in insulation, make sure you seal air leaks and choose the right sealant for the job (example: Fire resistant seal needs to be used around the chimney). If you want to know where to look for potential air leaks in the attic, check for these: Recessed lights and electrical boxes, Holes for wires or pipes, spaces between the framing and chimney, plumbing or electrical chases, framed soffits that are open to the attic, drywall joints between ceiling and wall plates, and leaky joints in ductwork. The deeper your rafter cavities, the easier and cheaper it is to add insulation. If you are re-roofing your home, consider putting rigid foam board insulation on top of your sheathing. For a Net Zero energy home, shoot for R-60. Code minimums are woefully short of effective insulation – they are generally around R-25.
Last, insulate your walls. Opening up an existing wall to add insulation can be an expensive endeavor, but over the years, it has gotten better. Many contractors carry infrared cameras that can see if the voids in your walls have been filled with insulation without disturbing the walls. You can blow cellulose into wall cavities for a quick addition. If you are re-siding your home, consider installing foam sheathing on the outside of the home before re-siding. While codes only require as high as R-19 in cold climates, for a Net Zero Energy Use home, aim for R-40.
What’s in your walls now? It could be a number of things – or nothing at all. If you want to find out, check the electrical outlets – remove the cover plate and shine a flashlight into the space where the drywall or plaster meets the electrical box. If that doesn’t work you can drill a hole up into the wall cavity from the basement or down from the attic – use a piece of bent wire to help with probing. As a last resort, you can cut a small hole into a wall where it won’t be noticed and can easily be patched.
If your house was built prior to 1930 you may not have any insulation unless it was added later.
If your house was built between 1925 and 1950, you may have Vermiculite insulation. This naturally occurring mineral is a light weight, brownish-pink or brownish-silver colored pellet that was usually poured into wall cavities. If you have this type of insulation, you will need an asbestos-removal professional to handle removal and you should not disturb this insulation. You can consider topping off wall cavities with fiberglass, cellulose or pour foam.
Fiberglass is by far the most common type of insulation and has been used since the 1930s. This insulation can be yellow, pink, blue, or green. It also has questionable carcinogenic properties and will definitely make you itchy. Use gloves and a face mask when dealing with this insulation. Consider improving your insulation by filling empty spaces with blown cellulose or fiberglass or special types of pour foam.
If your house was built between 1935 and 1950 you may have Cotton Batts that are similar to dense cotton balls with a pilly or fuzzy appearance. While it is safe to touch, it is still best to wear a mask to protect your lungs. Also, don’t get it wet because it will take a long time to dry. Because it is a natural material, this insulation is becoming more popular with “green” builders. Consider housewrap or rigid foam on the outside wall to improve insulation.
If your house was built in the 1940s you may have Balsam Wood insulation. This is a type of wool made from balsam wood fibers. It is tan or brown and likely to be packaged in black paper batts. The fibers look similar to sawdust. Balsam wood is not a health hazard. Consider improving your insulation by filling empty spaces with blown cellulose or fiberglass or special types of pour foam.
If your house was built in the 1950s you may have Rock Wool insulation which is a fluffy, cotton like material that started out white or grey but is probably dark brown or black with age. This is a safe material and is starting to come back into popularity with “green” builders. It is not likely to settle over time and has the same insulating value as fiberglass or cellulose. Consider housewrap or rigid foam on the outside wall to improve insulation.
If your house was built in the late 70s, you probably have UFFI (Urea-Formaldehyde Foam). This is a light weight brownish gold foam that will likely crumble when you touch it. This insulation was banned in 1982 so the chances of elevated levels of formaldehyde existing due to the use of this product are slim. This foam has a high rate of shrinkage and deteriorates if it comes into contact with water. Unfortunately, this insulation is not a good candidate for removal – your best bet is to add rigid foam to the exterior walls under the siding to make up for voids in the wall.
I have mentioned rigid foam, blown cellulose and other insulation options. Let me take a minute to talk about what is out there.
Rigid foam works on any home because it is installed on the outside of the walls. It is attached directly to framing, sheathing, or siding, then covered with new siding, so it can be a costly process. Rigid Foams include EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) which runs about 45 cents per square foot and has an R-4 rating per inch (for comparison, fiberglass has an R-3.5 rating per inch), XPS (Extruded Polystyrene) which runs about 50 cents per square foot and has an R-5 rating, and Polyiso (Polyisocyanurate) which costs about 80 cents per square foot and has a rating of R-6.5 per inch and tend to be faced with foil to retard the flow of water vapor.
Pour foam is the most thorough insulation since it is injected into the wall cavity, flows as a liquid into the bottom of the stud cavity, then expands filling spaces and surrounding even the most complicated plumbing. Open Cell foams – which are permeable by water vapor have an R-4 rating while closed cell foams have an R-6 rating.
Spray foam, also known as Super Insulation, doesn’t settle and doesn’t give off toxic gas chemicals. Closed Cell foam has R-values between R-5 and R-6, and Open Cell has R-values between R-3.5 and R-4. Closed Cell spray foam initially installs at R-8, but it’s R-Value dimishes as the blowing agent evaporates, settling around R-6. Open Cell has a greater expansion rate, so less is needed to insulate a house. In either case, once you reach 5 inches of spray foam, you run into diminishing returns. Also, the cost of the foam is determined by the installer, not the manufacturer, so it pays to get many bids before choosing an installer.
The most common way to add in insulation is blown in cellulose or fiberglass. Cellulose is made of 80% post consumer recycled materials, has an R-3 to R-4 value and only costs about 25 cents per square foot of wall space, but it has a tendency to settle and leave voids. Fiberglass has an R-2.5 to R-4 value depending on the wall cavity and the density of the installation and will not absorb water. Fiberglass costs about 45 cents per square foot of wall space.
Another way to use insulation to improve your energy efficiency is to insulate your water heater! Wrapping a water heater with an insulation kit can cut your water heating bill by 5 to 10%. You can also insulate bare copper tubing for additional savings.
Radiation: transfer of heat from one object to another through the air
Conduction: transfer of heat between two objects that are touching
Convection: cyclical flow of air (hot air rises, displacing cold air which falls and heats up eventually causing it to rise again)
The R-value that you see when talking about insulation is a measure of effectiveness in stopping heat transfer. The higher the R-value, the less heat transfer there is.(It’s the opposite of the U-factor we talked about in the segment on windows.)
Is improving your insulation going to pay off? Try this calculator:
http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/8998/payback-estimator-insulation-upgrade
Things to ask:
- Where should you focus your insulation efforts?
- How much insulation do you need?
- What type of insulation should you use?
Start with the basement/crawlspace if you have one. Warm, dry basements and crawlspaces can extend living and storage space, but tend to be sources of moisture, high humidity and mold. Spray foam is a fast and effective way to bring these areas into your conditioned space while sealing leaks between the foundation and the floor framing. If you are looking at creating a Net Zero Energy Use home (a home that produces as much energy as it uses), shoot for R-10 under the basement slab and R-20 in the basement walls.
Next, look at your roof. Air leaks in at the bottom of a house and leaks out at the top. A poorly insulated roof makes a house cold and drafty in the winter and hot in the summer. Air seal your roof using spray foam – this will also eliminate the need for roof venting which can be costly in complicated roofs. If you are blowing in insulation, make sure you seal air leaks and choose the right sealant for the job (example: Fire resistant seal needs to be used around the chimney). If you want to know where to look for potential air leaks in the attic, check for these: Recessed lights and electrical boxes, Holes for wires or pipes, spaces between the framing and chimney, plumbing or electrical chases, framed soffits that are open to the attic, drywall joints between ceiling and wall plates, and leaky joints in ductwork. The deeper your rafter cavities, the easier and cheaper it is to add insulation. If you are re-roofing your home, consider putting rigid foam board insulation on top of your sheathing. For a Net Zero energy home, shoot for R-60. Code minimums are woefully short of effective insulation – they are generally around R-25.
Last, insulate your walls. Opening up an existing wall to add insulation can be an expensive endeavor, but over the years, it has gotten better. Many contractors carry infrared cameras that can see if the voids in your walls have been filled with insulation without disturbing the walls. You can blow cellulose into wall cavities for a quick addition. If you are re-siding your home, consider installing foam sheathing on the outside of the home before re-siding. While codes only require as high as R-19 in cold climates, for a Net Zero Energy Use home, aim for R-40.
What’s in your walls now? It could be a number of things – or nothing at all. If you want to find out, check the electrical outlets – remove the cover plate and shine a flashlight into the space where the drywall or plaster meets the electrical box. If that doesn’t work you can drill a hole up into the wall cavity from the basement or down from the attic – use a piece of bent wire to help with probing. As a last resort, you can cut a small hole into a wall where it won’t be noticed and can easily be patched.
If your house was built prior to 1930 you may not have any insulation unless it was added later.
If your house was built between 1925 and 1950, you may have Vermiculite insulation. This naturally occurring mineral is a light weight, brownish-pink or brownish-silver colored pellet that was usually poured into wall cavities. If you have this type of insulation, you will need an asbestos-removal professional to handle removal and you should not disturb this insulation. You can consider topping off wall cavities with fiberglass, cellulose or pour foam.
Fiberglass is by far the most common type of insulation and has been used since the 1930s. This insulation can be yellow, pink, blue, or green. It also has questionable carcinogenic properties and will definitely make you itchy. Use gloves and a face mask when dealing with this insulation. Consider improving your insulation by filling empty spaces with blown cellulose or fiberglass or special types of pour foam.
If your house was built between 1935 and 1950 you may have Cotton Batts that are similar to dense cotton balls with a pilly or fuzzy appearance. While it is safe to touch, it is still best to wear a mask to protect your lungs. Also, don’t get it wet because it will take a long time to dry. Because it is a natural material, this insulation is becoming more popular with “green” builders. Consider housewrap or rigid foam on the outside wall to improve insulation.
If your house was built in the 1940s you may have Balsam Wood insulation. This is a type of wool made from balsam wood fibers. It is tan or brown and likely to be packaged in black paper batts. The fibers look similar to sawdust. Balsam wood is not a health hazard. Consider improving your insulation by filling empty spaces with blown cellulose or fiberglass or special types of pour foam.
If your house was built in the 1950s you may have Rock Wool insulation which is a fluffy, cotton like material that started out white or grey but is probably dark brown or black with age. This is a safe material and is starting to come back into popularity with “green” builders. It is not likely to settle over time and has the same insulating value as fiberglass or cellulose. Consider housewrap or rigid foam on the outside wall to improve insulation.
If your house was built in the late 70s, you probably have UFFI (Urea-Formaldehyde Foam). This is a light weight brownish gold foam that will likely crumble when you touch it. This insulation was banned in 1982 so the chances of elevated levels of formaldehyde existing due to the use of this product are slim. This foam has a high rate of shrinkage and deteriorates if it comes into contact with water. Unfortunately, this insulation is not a good candidate for removal – your best bet is to add rigid foam to the exterior walls under the siding to make up for voids in the wall.
I have mentioned rigid foam, blown cellulose and other insulation options. Let me take a minute to talk about what is out there.
Rigid foam works on any home because it is installed on the outside of the walls. It is attached directly to framing, sheathing, or siding, then covered with new siding, so it can be a costly process. Rigid Foams include EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) which runs about 45 cents per square foot and has an R-4 rating per inch (for comparison, fiberglass has an R-3.5 rating per inch), XPS (Extruded Polystyrene) which runs about 50 cents per square foot and has an R-5 rating, and Polyiso (Polyisocyanurate) which costs about 80 cents per square foot and has a rating of R-6.5 per inch and tend to be faced with foil to retard the flow of water vapor.
Pour foam is the most thorough insulation since it is injected into the wall cavity, flows as a liquid into the bottom of the stud cavity, then expands filling spaces and surrounding even the most complicated plumbing. Open Cell foams – which are permeable by water vapor have an R-4 rating while closed cell foams have an R-6 rating.
Spray foam, also known as Super Insulation, doesn’t settle and doesn’t give off toxic gas chemicals. Closed Cell foam has R-values between R-5 and R-6, and Open Cell has R-values between R-3.5 and R-4. Closed Cell spray foam initially installs at R-8, but it’s R-Value dimishes as the blowing agent evaporates, settling around R-6. Open Cell has a greater expansion rate, so less is needed to insulate a house. In either case, once you reach 5 inches of spray foam, you run into diminishing returns. Also, the cost of the foam is determined by the installer, not the manufacturer, so it pays to get many bids before choosing an installer.
The most common way to add in insulation is blown in cellulose or fiberglass. Cellulose is made of 80% post consumer recycled materials, has an R-3 to R-4 value and only costs about 25 cents per square foot of wall space, but it has a tendency to settle and leave voids. Fiberglass has an R-2.5 to R-4 value depending on the wall cavity and the density of the installation and will not absorb water. Fiberglass costs about 45 cents per square foot of wall space.
Another way to use insulation to improve your energy efficiency is to insulate your water heater! Wrapping a water heater with an insulation kit can cut your water heating bill by 5 to 10%. You can also insulate bare copper tubing for additional savings.
Greening Your Home: Windows
If you are looking at replacing or updating your windows there are some important things to know. Windows have grades and numbers just like other appliances but if you saw the information on your window would you know what it meant? Here is a simple guide:
U-Factor: This is a measure of the non-solar heat flow through all parts of the window (glass, frame, sash). Lower is better for this number. Values generally range from 0.14 (super insulating suspended film window) to 0.5 (standard double pane window).
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): This is the percentage of the sun’s solar heat that passes through the window. The higher the number, the more passive solar heating potential.
Visible Transmittance(VT): This is a measure of the amount of visible light that passes through a window. Values range from 0 to 1. Most rating are between .3 and .8 because they take into account the light blocked by the frame. High VT maximizes daylight passing through.
Air Leakage(AL): This is a measure of the amount of air passing through the window assembly which is a major source of heat gain and loss. This rating is OPTIONAL and is measured in cubic feet per minute through a square foot of window. For this rating, you want to stick to something below 0.3. Lower is better.
Window Frames come in Aluminum, Wood, Clad, Vinyl, and Fiberglass. Wood is pretty but requires a lot of upkeep. Vinyl is low maintenance. Aluminum is low maintenance but highly conductive so you will lose a lot of heat. Clad offers the low maintenance of Vinyl, Aluminum or Fiberglass with the insulation and appeal of wood, but these are also generally the most expensive. The real key to choosing a window frame is durability. There is no rating method for durability of a window frame. A well constructed frame of any material is always better than a poorly constructed frame of another material. Read everything you can about the windows you are considering. Notice how the corners are joined, how well the sashes seal and how rigid the unit is.
What about the glass? Is it worth it to spend more on triple glazed aluminum clad wood versus double glazed insulated fiberglass? Don’t be afraid, it’s not that bad. Glazing simply means glass. Double Glazed means there are two glass plates, triple glazed means there are three. A window is “insulated” if it has space between the panes and reduces the transfer of heat. Some windows replace the air between the windows with gas for improved insulation – mainly Argon and Krypton. Krypton is best because it allows smaller spaces between the panes which puts less stress on the sashes. If you think you are now so smart about windows you can start referring to them as fenestrations, someone may slap you, besides you still have a lot to learn.
Is your window Low-e? Low-e means there is an energy efficient coating on the window. Most windows manufactured after the 70s are Low-e. Low-e coating reflects short wave radiation (less heat gain), filters UV rays (less fading), reflects long wave radiation (less heat loss), and if they are tinted, they temper visible light.
Films are another way to control heat flow through a window. There are high solar gain and low solar gain films. One lightweight film can be the equivalent efficiency of a 5 pane window without the weight and cost. Most windows are R1-R3 rating, but films can increase that value as high as R-11 which can rival the insulation in walls in many parts of the country.
Some other features are impact resistant glass, privacy glass and self cleaning windows. If you live in a hurricane or tornado prone area, you may even be required to have windows that are made from tempered glass to keep the window from shattering when it is broken. Frames are also rated as impact zone 2, 3, and 4 – at level 4, the window can withstand a strike from 2-8 foot 2 x 4s travelling at 50 feet per second followed by 9000 cycles of negative and positive pressure wind similar to that of a hurricane. If you are putting a window in the bathroom, you may want to look at privacy glass such as pebbled, frosted or wavy glass that lets light in, but not peeping toms. These forms of glass also inhibit sound transference if you happen to be a loud bather :P. Finally, if you don’t do windows, technology has finally given you a nod with windows that have been coated with a special finish to keep dirt from adhering and rain from collecting.
Different parts of the country have different window requirements. For example, if you live in Florida, you want glass that is impact resistant, has a U-Factor of <0.65 and an SHGC of < 0.4. If you live in Kentucky or North Carolina, you probably don’t care so much about impact resistance, would want a U-Factor of <0.4 and an SHGC of < 0.55. It's important to pick a window that is appropriate for your area.
Now that you know about the technical stuff, you can choose the other stuff like Double Hung (traditional), Awning (opens at the bottom – seen above doors), Tilt and Turn (tilts in for easy cleaning), Casement (side hinged to open outwards), Horizontal Slider (slides left to right instead of up and down), Fixed (doesn’t open at all) or Hopper (upside down version of awning – seen in basements).
Have you started bragging about your fenestrations yet?
U-Factor: This is a measure of the non-solar heat flow through all parts of the window (glass, frame, sash). Lower is better for this number. Values generally range from 0.14 (super insulating suspended film window) to 0.5 (standard double pane window).
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC): This is the percentage of the sun’s solar heat that passes through the window. The higher the number, the more passive solar heating potential.
Visible Transmittance(VT): This is a measure of the amount of visible light that passes through a window. Values range from 0 to 1. Most rating are between .3 and .8 because they take into account the light blocked by the frame. High VT maximizes daylight passing through.
Air Leakage(AL): This is a measure of the amount of air passing through the window assembly which is a major source of heat gain and loss. This rating is OPTIONAL and is measured in cubic feet per minute through a square foot of window. For this rating, you want to stick to something below 0.3. Lower is better.
Window Frames come in Aluminum, Wood, Clad, Vinyl, and Fiberglass. Wood is pretty but requires a lot of upkeep. Vinyl is low maintenance. Aluminum is low maintenance but highly conductive so you will lose a lot of heat. Clad offers the low maintenance of Vinyl, Aluminum or Fiberglass with the insulation and appeal of wood, but these are also generally the most expensive. The real key to choosing a window frame is durability. There is no rating method for durability of a window frame. A well constructed frame of any material is always better than a poorly constructed frame of another material. Read everything you can about the windows you are considering. Notice how the corners are joined, how well the sashes seal and how rigid the unit is.
What about the glass? Is it worth it to spend more on triple glazed aluminum clad wood versus double glazed insulated fiberglass? Don’t be afraid, it’s not that bad. Glazing simply means glass. Double Glazed means there are two glass plates, triple glazed means there are three. A window is “insulated” if it has space between the panes and reduces the transfer of heat. Some windows replace the air between the windows with gas for improved insulation – mainly Argon and Krypton. Krypton is best because it allows smaller spaces between the panes which puts less stress on the sashes. If you think you are now so smart about windows you can start referring to them as fenestrations, someone may slap you, besides you still have a lot to learn.
Is your window Low-e? Low-e means there is an energy efficient coating on the window. Most windows manufactured after the 70s are Low-e. Low-e coating reflects short wave radiation (less heat gain), filters UV rays (less fading), reflects long wave radiation (less heat loss), and if they are tinted, they temper visible light.
Films are another way to control heat flow through a window. There are high solar gain and low solar gain films. One lightweight film can be the equivalent efficiency of a 5 pane window without the weight and cost. Most windows are R1-R3 rating, but films can increase that value as high as R-11 which can rival the insulation in walls in many parts of the country.
Some other features are impact resistant glass, privacy glass and self cleaning windows. If you live in a hurricane or tornado prone area, you may even be required to have windows that are made from tempered glass to keep the window from shattering when it is broken. Frames are also rated as impact zone 2, 3, and 4 – at level 4, the window can withstand a strike from 2-8 foot 2 x 4s travelling at 50 feet per second followed by 9000 cycles of negative and positive pressure wind similar to that of a hurricane. If you are putting a window in the bathroom, you may want to look at privacy glass such as pebbled, frosted or wavy glass that lets light in, but not peeping toms. These forms of glass also inhibit sound transference if you happen to be a loud bather :P. Finally, if you don’t do windows, technology has finally given you a nod with windows that have been coated with a special finish to keep dirt from adhering and rain from collecting.
Different parts of the country have different window requirements. For example, if you live in Florida, you want glass that is impact resistant, has a U-Factor of <0.65 and an SHGC of < 0.4. If you live in Kentucky or North Carolina, you probably don’t care so much about impact resistance, would want a U-Factor of <0.4 and an SHGC of < 0.55. It's important to pick a window that is appropriate for your area.
Now that you know about the technical stuff, you can choose the other stuff like Double Hung (traditional), Awning (opens at the bottom – seen above doors), Tilt and Turn (tilts in for easy cleaning), Casement (side hinged to open outwards), Horizontal Slider (slides left to right instead of up and down), Fixed (doesn’t open at all) or Hopper (upside down version of awning – seen in basements).
Have you started bragging about your fenestrations yet?
Whole Grain Custard Cake
I did not have the ingredients on hand to play around with the other recipes this weekend, but there was a recipe I had been thinking about since our cooking weekend. It was the Gelatobourako (milk cake in greek). I revised the recipe into a relatively low fat, and healthy dessert with stuff I had on hand. The result was something between a flan and a cheesecake. Feel free to try this recipe at home. If you like it tell me, if you don't like it, tell me what you would change so I can make it better. I really like the idea of a whole grain cake with very little sugar and minimal fat for a dessert.
6 c SKIM milk
1 1/2 c whole grain cream of wheat
2/3 c honey
1/2 c butter
2 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
4 eggs
1 t vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
Pour the milk into a heavy 3 quart saucepan and bring it to almost a boil over medium high heat
Wisk in the honey and Cream of Wheat.
Turn the heat down to Medium. Beak the eggs into a container and scramble them with the wisk. Wisk them into the milk mixture (keep the wisk moving so you don't end up with scrambled eggs - or temper the eggs with some of the milk mixture)
Add the butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. Wisk until the butter is melted.
Remove from heat and cover the pot. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
Uncover the pot and wisk the mixture. The bottom will be heavy, but it should be the consistency of a thick liquid once you have wisked it.
Pour the mix into the prepared 9 x 13 pan and bake it in the oven for 30 minutes - until the top is brown.
Remove from the oven and let it sit for at least 30 minutes to serve it warm. Or cover and place in the refrigerator to serve it cold (it's good either way!) Cut the cake into squares and serve plain or with berries - or heat some pure fruit jam (like apricot or raspberry) and drizzle it over the top.
Enjoy!
1/15/2010: Happyness
Aristotle explains that the reason why so many people are unhappy in life is because they choose mates simply for pleasure or utility. In other words, mates who are only sex-mates, ego-mates and/or wallet-mates.
Real-deal love happiness, according to Aristotle, comes from being involved in "a relationship of shared virtue," where you pick a mate who gets you at your core and lovingly inspires, challenges and supports you to become your best possible soul self.
"A relationship of shared virtue," therefore, is when you and your partner both welcome putting up with the temporary pain of personal change for the greater gain of personal growth -- or what Aristotle calls "the education of the soul."
According to Aristotle, this personal growth or "education of the soul" is definitely worth developing because every time you put forth the effort to stretch and strengthen your soul, you increase your overall happiness. Basically, he believed that true happiness comes from surrounding yourself with people, habits and experiences which help you grow into your best possible self.
With all this in mind, putting in the work of "good compromise" is a positive way to ensure you're stretching and strengthening your soul so you can grow into your best possible self and increase your overall happiness.
Be happy!
1/3/2010: Darwing Award Candidate
I believe we may have a potential Darwin Award candidate in Charlotte. A man was trying to save money on electricity, so he brought his outdoor grill inside his apartment and was using it to cook and heat the house. He had disabled his smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to keep them from going off. When his neighbor's carbon monoxide detector went off, the neighbor discovered the man and the man's wife unconscious and their two young children in their cribs crying. Luckily, the neighbor called 911 and the paramedics/firefighters were able to save the family.
I just wonder what goes through people's heads sometimes...
11/16/09: The Lady on the Train
I got on the train to head home from work. It was early, but the train was already starting to get crowded. A woman sat down next to me carrying a bag similar to my computer bag, a satchel, and a purse. She was dressed in plain black clothing that appeared well taken care of. I commented to her as she shuffled her bags around to make room, "Going to work is almost like packing luggage for a trip any more." She smiled at me and said "Oh no, honey, I can't work. This is everything I own. I have been living on the streets for 20 years." As she spoke I noticed that the edges of her coat and bags were frayed, and her shoes were well worn. She was clean and kept herself up. Her clothes were tidy. I wouldn't have noticed the fraying and other signs of poverty if I had just been passing her on the street. She did not have a "needy" demeanor about her.
"If you had told me 20 years ago that this is how I would end up, I would have never believed you." she told me. "I come from a wealthy family who lives in this area. I married the love of my life and he went off to war. He died shortly after he got back. I married another man a couple of years later who took me for everything. That's what happens when you trust the wrong people."
"I had never worked before, but I managed to get a job doing sales. It was commission, but I did pretty well. Then at a sales seminar, a woman claiming to work for the hotel asked if I wanted her to pick up my laundry and bring it to my room. I told her "That would be very nice. It will allow me to get home early and give me more time with my baby." A few weeks later, I started getting calls about debts and bills. Before I knew it, I was in bankruptcy court fighting for my last few possessions. I left my child with a neighbor while I went to court. When I got back home, the police were there with child services. The neighbor had beaten my child severely. One of my other neighbors had called me while I was in court and told me my child was screaming and I needed to get home right away, but I told her I couldn't leave. That was 30 years ago. I have not seen my baby since. They declared me an unfit mother for not leaving the courtroom when I got the call and for leaving my child with that woman."
"I lost my job and got another one as a secretary. When I asked for time off to take care of my mother while she was dying, I was fired. My boss told me that everyone in the office had a mother and he wasn't going to make exceptions for me. I went and took care of my mother until the day she died. My brother was a deacon at the baptist church. He didn't even come to her funeral. His wife was an attorney and he was executor of the will. He kept everything."
"About 10 years ago, I had a heart attack. As I was getting out, one of the nurses asked me if we were related. I told him I was his sister. She told me he was lying in the hospital dying. I went to his bed and asked him to wiggle his finger if he wanted me to stay. He wiggled his finger, so I stayed. For 3 days I spent all the time I could with him. He couldn't talk, but I told him I loved him and I forgave him. No one else came to see him. I tried to find out about the will and hopefully get some things of my mothers that were precious to me, but his wife took everything. Can you believe that she didn't love him enough to visit him while he was dying, but because she was his wife, she got everything? And without a penny to my name there wasn't anything I could do about it."
"I had a second heart attack a few years later. And last year I found out that I have breast cancer. Now I am just waiting to die. I went from a world of silk, lace and patent leather to living on $5000 a year - no friends, no family, just waiting to die. I can't get treatment for my cancer because I live on the street and really no reason to care anyway. I lived my life as a giver, not a taker, and watched everything get taken from me. No, if you had told me I would end up living this way, I never would have believed it." As she got up to get off of the train, I asked her if she would be offended if I offered her money to help her out. She said "Oh no, honey. I didn't tell you all of that because I wanted money or expected anything. I just thought you looked like a giver too and I don't want you to suffer like I have suffered. You watch out for people who take advantage and be smarter than I was."
There are so many wrongs in this woman's life I can't count them all. So many things in her life failed for her including society as a whole. Yet she took the time every day to get up and wash the only set of clothes she had, wash herself, get on a train to the shelter to get a meal, then go home to her subsidized housing. Through it all she held her head high and kept her dignity. She talked about how she had been turned away from a local church function because she couldn't pay the $1 for the raffle ticket. She talked about how people treated her badly at the Salvation Army (she called it a Den of Thieves - she had to leave the train before I knew why) or would shoo her away from the grocery store because she was a few pennies short for a can of food. This is another human being. Is that really the best we can do?
11/2/09: The Dogs that Ate the Canary
The Dogs That Ate the Canary
(A puppies eye view story)
Jasper and Henry (aka the dog formerly known as Puck - if you want details on the name change, talk to Ben) were enjoying another quiet day in the apartment. Like most days, the day started with a trip outside, breakfast, another trip outside, play time, and finally nap time.
Their person, Jennifer, was frantically trying to balance between getting work done and making the house presentable for visitors. Jasper and Henry did not know who was coming to visit, but they knew it was someone coming to visit them - because everyone who came to visit was obviously there to visit them.
After Jennifer spent hours sweeping up the floor from the prior day's paper shredding party hosted by Jasper and Henry while Jennifer was out getting the mail, she put Jasper and Henry into their crate. Jasper and Henry were sure Jennifer said words that should not be repeated while she was cleaning up the paper, so they decided it was in their best interest to go quietly.
Jasper and Henry don't mind their crate so much, but they much prefer to be out and about playing. Pretty soon they were sleeping, after all, there can never be too many naps in a day.
Jasper and Henry awoke to banging and clanging of Jennifer coming in to the house with hands full of goodies - obviously toys for them, after all, everything was potentially a toy and everything was theirs. After a trip outside, it was time to investigate all the new goodies that were still at puppy level.
"Jasper, you start on one side, and I will start on the other." said Henry
"Ok," said Jasper, who ignored the request and immediately began investigating everything Henry did just in case he missed an important find.
Jennifer grabbed the three biggest bags and put them on the sofa. Then she grabbed the three good pillows for sleeping on. She opened up the pillows and pulled a big white thing out along with many loose feathers. She took another big white thing out of the bag and put it in to the pillow. She did this three times. Jasper and Henry had never been allowed to play with the feathers they found outside.
Jennifer got busy putting things away and catching up on her work. Before long, she went in to the magic room she called the "kitchen". Kitchen usually meant food - unintentional food that fell on the floor, but still food. Any movement in to the kitchen required immediate attention. Jennifer was moving around, but no food was landing on the floor. That was just not acceptable. Henry barked to let Jennifer know that rate of food droppage was not acceptable. Jennifer turned around to look at them and started laughing.
What she saw staring up at her were two silly boys with feathers stuck all around their mouths. Jennifer said, "Boys, you look like the dogs that ate the canary." Henry and Jasper did not know what a canary was, but they made it a goal to find out! Obviously, it had to be something tasty.
(Really, looking at them staring up at me with the feathers hanging out of their mouths was priceless. I wish I had gotten to my camera before they moved.)
10/19/2009: My diminishing vocabulary
My vocabulary has diminished greatly since getting puppies. In the past, I have had teachers compliment me on my use of language and metaphors to paint a picture. However, my language skills now seem to be limited to:
No
Stop
Don’t do that
Don’t chew that
Dinner
Inside
Outside
Come
Sit
Stay
Bad
Good
Bedtime
Don’t bite me
Down
Quit licking me
Not yours
Ball
Toy
Treat
Potty
And on some occasions I almost get to form complete sentences with:
Stop eating my _____ (hair, shoes, shirt, socks, furniture, etc.)
Can you please go 5 minutes without doing something to irritate me?
Stop sitting on your brother’s head
Use your inside voice
Next time you do that – the punishment is death.
I am sorry you are sick, but if you wouldn’t have eaten ____ then you wouldn’t be sick.
Please stop trying to sit in mommy’s lap while she is in the bathroom
10/8/09: Things Pictures just don't show
Things stills just can't show:
1) When we play fetch, Puck runs and gets the ball then Jasper grabs on to it right before he gets back to me and they deliver the ball together.
2) Games of chase and tackle on the lawn
3) That sweet look on their faces right when they wake up
4) The wiggle that Puck does right before he does something he knows he isn't supposed to but wants to so bad he doesn't care that he shouldn't.
5) The pleading look in Jasper's eyes when he is too tired to play, but Puck won't leave him alone.
I used to think that Jasper was the smarter one, but now I realize Jasper just doesn't like getting in trouble. Puck is smart, he just doesn't mind getting in trouble if the adventure is worth it. When people ask me which one is which I just tell them "Jasper is the sweet one and Puck is the comedian." Which I know doesn't really answer their question, but it's the truth. :P
9/21/09: More Baby Stories
I got a toy for my babies. They immediately took off with the toy - each had one end in their mouths. I sat down and started working on some stuff, and I hear the rattle of plastic bags. Apparently, the fan had blown the plastic grocery bag off of the counter and on to the floor. One had the bag in his mouth and the other was chasing him around the living room trying to get the bag. It figures.. I spend good money on a toy, and they want the grocery sack. I took the sack away from them.
They decided they were hungry. They headed over to their food bowl. Jasper started eating and Puck sat off to the side watching him. Usually they both eat at the same time, so I probably need to get bigger bowls because they are growing so fast. Jasper would put a few pieces of food in his mouth and drop them next to bowl and eat them off the floor. Puck would take this opportunity to ... take the pieces Jasper had dropped on the floor... why eat the food in the bowl, when he can torment his brother!
My silly boys!
9/16/09: I'd love to but I am building a pig from a kit
I just figured out that if you click on the Subject button it will generate random email subjects... I thought you would like this one.
Actually I am writing about my cute special needs children...
You know I am talking about my babies (puppies)...
Ok, so I start my normal puppy routine - get up, take the puppies out, get ready for work (which was easy today since I am at home!), I had to run some errands this morning, so I put them in their crate and take off. I get back maybe half an hour later. I open the crate door so the puppies can come out. Puck(renamed Henry) comes out, but Jasper just looks at me like "what do you want?" and lays back down. So, I leave the door to the crate open so he can come out when he gets ready.
Puck proceeds to investigate everything in the house and discovers..... his own tail. The elusive and cunning thing that it is seems to be able to keep pace with him... if he moves faster at it in one direction, so does it, if he turns - no matter how quicky - the tail is always one step ahead. Then suddenly *plop* he splays out on the floor like a bear skin rug. I don't know if he is tired from chasing his tail or if he is dizzy from spinning in circles. Eventually he gets up and goes in to the crate with Jasper. I decide that I am hungry. As is normal with any dog, movement in the kitchen means the potential for food, so they decide to come out of the crate. Jasper is looking at me like "This better be worth it because you know you are disturbing me." with his bed head and big eyes.
Puck, on the other hand, is standing on point, poised to charge in at the first sign of treats. They figure out there is nothing in it for them and decide to play. Suddenly it gets very quiet. I don't know if its because they have gotten into trouble or because they have decided it is nap time. I turn to look at them and Puck is sitting by the Ottoman looking guilty and suddenly, the puppy bed becomes self-propelled. Jasper apparently figured out how to get under it, but couldn't figure out how to get back out. I pulled the bed off of Jasper and his hair all over his head and back was standing straight up. Puck was very excited to see that Jasper had been found and pounced on him.
They are sleeping now. I guess we will see how long this lasts. I will have to go find them Halloween costumes so I can torment them by making them wear the costumes and take lots of pictures.
9/14/09: Trains and Baby Stories
Train story first:
Having lived in several big cities, I have seen public transportation done well, and not so well. NYC, has an incredible public transportation system and moves an amazing number of people every day. For it's size, Charlotte's public transportation is not bad. NYC has 40 different subway trains, and more commuter trains than I can count - slow trains that stop every 5 feet, express trains that will take you 10 miles away from where you want to be if you aren't paying attention - and hundreds of stops. Charlotte has 1 train - the Blue Line - it's a light rail train that is similar to a NY subway except it runs above ground (and doesn't smell!). It runs from I-485 (South Charlotte) to the middle of downtown. It has about 12 stops. It goes up one way and down the other. That's it. Not too complicated. Between the hours of 8 and 5 there is not even standing room in the NYC subways - people are pressed so tight, there isn't really any need to hold on because you are in so tight. In Charlotte, The seats are filled and there are people standing, but its about as crowded as a theater for a good movie after the movie has been out a while.
I ride the train from end to end, so usually the train is empty when I get on since it's the first stop, and the last of the people get off when I do on the last stop. It's about a 25 minute ride. There are a list of stops posted above each subway door. I got on the train this afternoon and the train seats were almost full - and many of the people did not get off the train. "Hmm.. this is odd", I thought to myself. But I got on the train and took one of the few available seats. All of the people who stayed on the train were wearing black pant suits, black shoes, white shirts, carrying black briefcases that had "Greater Fort Lauderdale" embossed on them, and sporting nice summer tans. I started having paranoid Men In Black flashbacks, so I kept close watch on them. The black suits started talking to random people on the train who were not in black suits. I thought "Maybe they are doing a survey of commuters or something." People were talking and laughing. The pair of black suits sitting in front of me looked at each other and one said "Do you know where we are supposed to get off?" The other said "No, but everyone should get off at the same time." A couple of stops later, one of the commuters asked a black suit "Where are you heading?" "Oh, some restaurant downtown." the black suit said. I guess the commuter assumed they were being intentionally vague and left it alone. A couple of stops later, the commuter said "You know 'Downtown' ended at that last stop. What stop are you looking for?" "Oh, we were supposed to get off at the Arena stop." "That was 2 stops ago" the commuter said. The black suits started buzzing. At the next stop a small group of black suits decided to exit the train and catch the train heading the other direction. At each subsequent stop, a few more black suits exited the train. Finally, at the end of the line where I get off, the remaining black suits started milling around the train. "What should we do now?" Some voted to get off the train, some voted to stay on the train, some voted to cross to the other side of the platform and get on the train across the way. No one voted to ask the train station worker standing on the platform which train was leaving next. Black suits began wandering on and off the train randomly. I walked over to the train station guy and said "I think they could use some help figuring out where they need to go. I know there is just one train, but they seem confused." The train station guy sighed heavily, shook his head, and mumbled "don't they all..." and wandered over to the milling black suits.
I hope the train station guy got the black suits straightened out and pointed in the right direction. I am not hopeful for the fates of those who broke off from the pack earlier. I am afraid we will have a new influx of black suited homeless people, wandering aimlessly and pointing at the sites. I hope these people don't find their way to NYC. They will be assessed the unofficial "What were you thinking?!?!" tax that gets collected in NYC - you know, where wallets get lifted and brief cases disappear.
Now on to the baby stories:
My babies are growing up so fast. They are all legs and have a bad case of the terrible 2's (or whatever they call it in puppy weeks). They have decided that between the couch cushions is an awesome place to bury toys. They think my hair makes a great substitute for a tug toy. And they play with everything that is low enough for them to grab it. For the most part they are very good - either that, or their cuteness hypnotizes me into believing they are very good - it's about a 50/50 chance of either one.
They have begun developing their own personalities. Jasper is a fast learner. He knows how to "Sit" and "Come", he will bring a ball back when I throw it, and is even getting better at "Stay". However, he doesn't like acknowledging his name, unless he feels like it. When we are outside and he has found some awesome new thing - like a dead leaf or an acorn - it doesn't matter what I say, he is going to do what he is going to do. I have to go tap him to make him listen to me (sometimes he will respond to me clapping my hands, but sometimes he is just determined and I have to actually touch him on his head and tell him "Come" to get his attention.) When I actually have to tap him on his head, he will come for a little bit, but if I turn my back, he darts back to whatever the amazing discovery was that he left behind. If I tell Jasper "No" - he doesn't care. Puck, on the other hand, doesn't know how to sit because he is too busy jumping, wiggling, and wagging his tail. When I give Jasper a treat for following the "Sit" command, Puck tries to intercept the treat I give Jasper instead of obeying and getting his own. Puck does know "Come" and if I take them out and tell them to "Come" before Puck is done, he will run to his favorite spot and wait there until he finishes. Jasper will come when I tell him to and then make a mess inside if I call him in too soon and don't keep an eye on him. Puck definitely knows his name. If I say his name he will come running and wagging his tail. Puck also knows "No" and just gets pitiful. If I say "No" - even to Jasper - Puck gets this pitiful look on his face and stops whatever he is doing and runs to me as if to say "Hold me so I can tell you how sorry I am and how much I love you! I promise I will be good until I forget I am supposed to be good." (Puck reminds me alot of Mark Twain's character Tom Sawyer - and Jasper is more like Huck Finn). Puck is definitely going to be the larger of the two - and has more of the Cocker Spaniel look to him. Jasper is going to have the longer coat and look more traditionally like the Cavalier King Charles.
Jasper has figured out how to keep Puck from getting his treats. It just goes to show you that in a battle of wits vs. brawn, wits will win. I actually saw Jasper do this a few times now - The first time I thought it was just a fluke, but now I think it may be intentional. If we are practicing "Sit/Stay" and Jasper gets a treat, Puck will take it. Jasper will jump up and look past Puck (If you have seen the movie Up, think of this as someone saying "Squirrel!"). Puck will immediately drop the treat and try to figure out what Jasper sees. Jasper will grab the treat and hold the entire thing in his mouth and chew it as best he can, leaving Puck with just the crumbs that fall out. When Puck is picking on Jasper, or getting on his nerves, Jasper will come put his paws on my leg whereever I am sitting so I will pick him up and put him on the couch or in the chair with me. Puck has figured this out and will demand to be picked up as well so he can continue to torment Jasper. Jasper has countered now by figuring out how to fit himself between the pillows on the sofa so Puck can't get to him. Puck's catching on - although he hasn't figured out how to make Jasper come out of the pillows. Puck will sit in front of the pillow where Jasper is hiding with his head on the cushion and his behind in the air and just wait for Jasper to come out. After a bit, Puck just falls asleep. Then Jasper comes out and finds his own place to sleep - usually right on top of Puck. They are very entertaining... and exhausting.
Message from Jasper and Puck (now called Henry)
Hello all. I heard you already saw pictures of us, so we thought we would take a minute to say hi.
I'm going to go first. My name is Jasper. I am definitely the cutest. Puck thinks he is but he doesn't know anything. I am very smart. I am a little darker and have a much nicer kissing spot (the colored spot on the top of my head). I like to play with my little pink alligator - he talks back when I bite him. I also like the little tug toy, but I always forget about it until I see Puck with it and so I have to take it away. I like sleeping on the couch and wrapping myself up in the blanket and snuggling under the pillows.
Hi. Puck here. I got a bad rap - my name comes from some dead guy's play - Shakespear was his name. Puck was a mischievious little fellow. All you have to do is look at my face to see how sweet and innocent I am. If you find your shoe chewed, I am certain it wasn't me. I am kinda shy until you show me that you love me and then I love you lots. I like to sleep on mommy's chest because her heartbeat reminds of sleeping with my litter mates. Otherwise I like to sleep on the floor. Jasper doesn't try to chew my tail while I am sleeping if I sleep on the floor. Jasper thinks he's cuter than me, but he isn't. But don't tell him that, some things he doesn't need to know. I like to play in the grass but I don't like the concrete. I make mommy carry me if there is concrete. But I was very brave today and walked on the concrete all by myself. I even came when she called my name and she gave me a treat! I was so proud. I'm still not walking on concrete if it's hot because it hurts my little feets.
Mommy says we will meet you all soon.
Love and kisses (and some more kisses too)
Jasper and Puck
8/29/09: Mangoes and Pineapple
I went to Costco last week. I just love their produce section! Anyway, I bought Pineapple, Mango, and blueberries. So I have been eating Pineapple, Mangos and blueberries all week to try to use them up before they go bad. I wanted to share some of my recipes with you.
1) Liquide de Mangoes (This is an unusual recipe. Apparently this is a popular street vendor drink. It's lightly sweet, frothy, and very refreshing - not heavy like a milk shake.)
1/2 fresh Mango
1/4 fresh Pineapple
1 c milk (I used skim)
2 T Honey (I used Agave nectar)
Ice Cubes (I used 8-12)
(I also added mint leaves - but they weren't in the recipe. I added blueberries when I made a second batch - that was good too)
Throw it all in a blender and go! Drink up!
2) Mango Pineapple Salsa
This is good on as a marinade on chicken or pork chops, or just eat with tortilla chips. I halved an Avacado and served it on top like a salad.
1 Mango
1 Pineapple
1 Cucumber (peeled and seeded)
1 large sweet onion
1 bell pepper (I did not have one, so I left this out - but it was in the recipe)
2 fresh Jalapenos
Cilantro
2 T Lime juice (add some zest if you are using fresh limes)
1T Olive Oil
salt
Chop the Mango, Pineapple, Cucumber, Onion, Pepper into small pieces. Seed the Jalapeno, and mix the Jalapeno, Cilantro, Lime Juice and Olive Oil in a food processor or blender until the jalapeno is in little bits. Pour over the chopped fruits and veges and stir to coat. Let it sit overnight for the flavors to mix.
3) Fruity Ice Cream/Cake Topping
I doubled this recipe. When it was hot, I served it over ice cream. When it cooled down I used it as the middle and top icing on a yellow cake (I used cream cheese frosting on the sides). I also dipped vanilla wafers in it to taste it so I could decide how to use it - that was good too.
1/2 fresh Mango
1/4 fresh Pineapple
2 T butter
2 T brown sugar
3 T water
Chop the Mango and Pineapple. Place the butter and brown sugar into a sautee pan over medium/medium high heat. Add the Mango, Pineapple and water. As everything cooks, mash the mango and pineapple. The mixture will become thick and syrupy. It is done when the fruit is cooked through and the liquid has reduced by at least half. It will thicken as it cools as well.
Polenta
This week's whole grain adventure was Polenta. Polenta is like grits, but it is more coarsely ground. Honestly, I am lukewarm about the flavor of grits, so I got just enough to try one batch since I figured I probably wouldn't like it much.
I was WRONG! It is SO Good!! And like the other grain recipes - easy!
I got the recipe from Alton Brown on Food Network.
2T olive oil
1 onion, chopped2 cloves of garlic
1 cup coarse ground corn (technically polenta is what it is after it's cooked)
1 qt Chicken Broth
Salt
Pepper
3T butter
2 oz Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 350
Put the olive oil in a pot (best done with a dish that goes from stovetop to oven) with the onions. Sprinkle salt on the onions and sweat them until they are transluscent. Add in the garlic and let it cook together a minute longer.
Add the Chicken Broth to the pot and bring it to a boil. Add the corn slowly, wisking the mixture so it doesn't get lumpy. Over the pot and put it in the oven. (If you don't have a stove to oven dish, you can transfer it to a 9 x 13 baking dish and cover it with foil. The mixture will stick, so it helps if the dish is sprayed with cooking spray or non-stick but that's not required.).
Bake the polenta for 35-40 minutes stirring every 10 minutes to keep it from getting lumpy. (I was lazy, and I stirred once half way through and it was fine.)
The polenta should have absorbed most of the water. Add the butter, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. The Polenta will start to thicken and become creamy. Add the parmesan cheese. Stir again.
You can eat it warm if you like. Or you can put it into a 9 x 13 dish and put it in the fridge to cool. If you let it cool, it will become almost solid. When it's cool you can cut it with a knife and either grill the squares, sautee the squares in a pan, or fry them.
YUM!
8/3/09: Whole Grain Adventure Continued
I have really enjoyed my whole grain adventure. I haven't bought meat in weeks. The hardest part has been using up what I have, I don't really want to eat the meat in the freezer or the pasta on the shelf. Every few days I make a new batch of whole grain and just throw it together with whatever is in the fridge/freezer. Most of the time it's been variations on a theme - most good, only one that I really didn't like (It was a mix with a sauce and chinese vegetables - the sauce just overpowered it.) It's great because I can just use what I need and the rest will be there later.
Normal day: - Grain, Vegetable (usually spinach or broccoli from the freezer/fridge), Cheese (usually Feta or Parmesan), and sauteed onions. For a variation, do the above but mix in a couple of eggs and milk and bake it into a casserole.
Sometimes I am just too tired so I will just throw some in the microwave with butter and parm and call it a night.
Tonight's recipe I just had to share . I made Quinoa, mixed it with Mandarin Oranges, Cucumbers, Green Onion, Roasted Almonds and topped it with some Toasted Sesame Ginger Vinagrette dressing. It was great! I took the first bite and thought, I am going to have to make more of this! But I was so full by the time I finished the bowl I made that it just wasn't happening.
I haven't become a vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination. I could never give up dairy - after all cheese and ice cream are pretty much the best foods ever! I ventured up the road to the Earth Fare store to try to find the whole grains at a reasonable price. At the grocery store, Quinoa is $6 for a 12 oz box - which is 2 batchs (2 c water, 1 cup grain). I was able to get it at the health food store for $3.49/lb. I also picked up some pearled barley, millet, flax, and amaranth. I also found Agave nectar (yes, the cactus!) - it is used like honey, but has a very low glycemic index (does not cause the ups and downs of sugar). The bakery had this really amazing Almond Cream Cake that had a layer of almond wheat shortbread topped with a cream that was about half way between a chocolate mousse and chocolate cheese cake in consistency. One of the cooking shows had recommended using maple sugar instead of regular sugar, but it was $18 for a container that was about half the size of a pamesan cheese container - so I passed. The Agave nectar was the same price as honey.
I am going to start simple on the sweets - I found several pudding recipes that sounded really good. I will go forward from there.
It's been fun and simple putting whole grains into my diet.
Quinoa
Ok, so 1 box of Quinoa made 2 batches. Each batch is 2 cups liquid and 1 cup dry Quinoa. Cook it like rice... just put it in a pot with the liquid, bring it to a boil, then let it simmer until all of the liquid is gone (about 20 minutes). Being lazy, I made both batches at once, split them into two containers, and put one container in the fridge for later. The liquid I used was White Wine and Herb broth in the pre-made broth section (they were on sale 4 c size was 2 for $5!)
Sunday night was the beginning -
Quinoa with Spinach and Feta
1 T butter
1 T Olive Oil
1 package sliced mushrooms (I like Cremini/Baby Bella)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package frozen spinach - thawed, but not cooked (I thaw it in the Microwave for a couple of minutes then squeeze it to drain the extra liquid out)
Feta Cheese
Chicken, cooked and chopped (I used left over rotissiere chicken - I made Chicken Salad for sandwiches on Friday with most of the chicken)
Melt the butter in a pan with the olive oil
Add the Mushrooms, and Onions - sautee until the onions are translucent.
Add the Spinach and continue to sautee until the mixture is thoroughly heated. Add some salt to taste, but not too much because the Feta is salty.
(This made alot! I took about 1/3 of the mixture and mixed it with the Quinoa in the fridge)
Add the Quinoa, Feta, and Chicken to the sautee pan and continue to warm it until the Feta is just a little bit melty.
This made enough for 3 meals for me. It would have been a perfect amount for 2! Left overs were great on Monday!
Tuesday was time to use the rest of the Quinoa- and I was REALLY needing some comfort food - so it was time to go for the Mac and Cheese like recipe!
Quinoa and Cheese
4 T Butter
1/4 c Flour
1 T Brown mustard
1 t prepared Horseradish (not the cream stuff - the mushed up looking stuff)
1 t ground mustard
1 t Paprika
2 small or 1 large clove of garlic, chopped
1 egg
2 c skim milk (you can use higher fat milk, but it will make the sauce much thicker, so thin it with water)
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
2 c Sharp Cheddar
In a 2 q saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and seasonings - stirring until it's a uniform consistency and turns a little brown. In a cup, beat the milk, egg and parmesan (like you were going to make scrambled eggs!). Slowly add the milk mixture stirring constantly so you don't get lumps. Add a pinch of salt and the Shredded Cheddar - stir over medium heat until the cheese is melted. The sauce will be fairly thin, but it will thicken in the oven. Mix the cheese sauce and Quinoa. Pour it in to a 9 x 9 baking dish sprayed with Pam. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes after you pull it out of the oven to give the sauce time to set.
All the protein of a meat dish, all the fiber of whole grains, minimal carbs, and AMAZING flavor - all you could want in a comfort food! Definitely enough for two people. I had to have seconds.
I was very happy with both of these dishes.
Overall, Quinoa is kind of like a nutty flavored bead that is about halfway between rice and pasta for consistency. I could see it being used as a substitute for either pasta or rice in any dish. For those like me who are pinching pennies, here is how the cost worked out...
Quinoa - $5 (I am going to check out the local Whole Food stores to see if I can buy it by the pound for less - this is just what was available at the grocery store - with pasta at $1/pound, pasta is definitely the better cost choice, but not the healthy choice.)
Broth - $2.50
Spinach - 77cents
Mushrooms - $2.50
Onion - 50 cents
Milk - 50 cents
Cheddar - $2.50
Feta - $2.00
Butter - 50 cents
Chicken - $1
Total for 5/6 meals/servings: $17.77 - ~$3 per serving
So... more expensive than a sandwich, but also much more satisfying. And if you have soup or chips with your sandwich, it's about the same cost. Much less expensive than eating out - and definitely equally as tasty.
I still have Taff (whole grain cream of wheat type grain, but since it isn't processed like cream of wheat it has excellent fiber content), Buckwheat Groats, Red Quinoa, and Red Lentils in the cabinet to play with!
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