It’s 7 pm on day two and I am really tired. My muscles are sore. I had a lot to do today with my writing and then running my kids around. However, I still stuck to my schedule. Even though I wanted to plop on the couch after walking in the door, I didn’t. I finished my third workout instead. I am really proud of myself but know it’s only day two. 157 more days to go. I can do it. I know I can. Tomorrow, I will post the workout dvds I am using with links to buy them, in case anybody out there wants to join me in my quest. I am also going to write the recipe for my homemade salad dressing I have been using because it is really good. I will have the best night of sleep tonight…that I know for certain.
Tags: fitness, Food, Health, resolutions
Okay, I have been talking about changing my lifestyle. Maybe I’d take a daily walk (which hasn’t happened), maybe I would eat lighter meals (a little less cheese and butter), and maybe I would drink less wine. Well, I haven’t changed much since January 1st. Now, I have some really good incentive. Yesterday, I learned that my relatives in England (my in-laws) are coming out here this summer to visit. So, I thought to myself, it would be great to have this new lifestyle I so desperately wish to adopt in full force by the time they arrive. Maybe I can knock off those extra pounds by then?
Well, I am pretty sure they won’t be here until after the fourth of July because school in England doesn’t end until late in July. The 4th sounds like a good goal to be completely emerged into my new lifestyle and looking great. Who knows? Maybe I will be comfortable in a bikini? At this point, I’d settle for feeling great in shorts. The other day, I realized I have gained 25 pounds since I met my husband. I think I can get back close to the shape I was in thirteen years ago with a little effort.
It seems like a long time until the 4th. It is exactly 159 days away. Starting today, I will eat a healthy breakfast and practice one hour of yoga in the morning. Then, I have a 20 minute core workout routine on DVD which I will do in the afternoon (before or after my salad for lunch). Finally, in the evening, I will walk or follow my cardio DVD I have.
The walk has been out of the question with blizzard-like weather. Although, I have seen my neighbor walking. Man, she has stamina. I also saw her cross country skiing the other day. But, she did not look like she was having any fun at all. I don’t understand cross country skiing.
I am going to have whatever I want for dinner because I don’t want to skimp on dinner or my food articles. I am going to try to limit myself to one glass of wine per night (on week nights) and two or three (weekends). I have noticed that any more than one glass on the week nights makes that 6:00 am alarm seem way too early.
This is day one of one hundred fifty nine days to a complete healthy overhaul. I ate scrambled eggs on toast (CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE), practiced yoga, ate a salad for lunch, did the core DVD, and now I am making a quiche (mushroom and onion) for dinner with a salad on the side. I still have to do the walk or cardio DVD before bed. I will do it! Here is a picture of how I look today. I am very embarrassed to do this; but, I want to see the results. I figured if anyone out there is going to follow along with my progress, you’d be interested in the results too. I will update it as we go. Wish me luck and join me if you want to.
I'm, obviously, not holding anything in...or up.
Uggg…it’s that whole, belly buldge, flabby arms, saggy butt thing I am trying to change. Hopefully, the breasts will gain some elasticity as well. Who knows? Miracles do happen. I’d love to show up at my 40th birthday party with Demi Moore’s body. We’ll see. I look better with more clothes on. So, I am going to go put something else on to cover this all up. Luckily, I am still at the stage where the right jeans and shirt make me look slimmer. More soon…
Tags: fitness, healthy, healthy meals, resolutions, yoga
Snow days are the best excuse for not leaving the house. I love being a home body: sleeping in late, living in jim jams (that’s what we call pajamas), and getting around to brushing my hair at noon. A friend asked if I missed my life in sunny California. My response was, “not a chance, I love the seasons.” We never had snow days in California. I especially take delight in watching the excitement on the faces of my children when they discover that there is no school. Jack bursts into dance and sings a “no school today” song. We tend to cook amazing meals when we are stuck inside as well.
Lately, my recipes have included rich and hearty stews, cheese sauces, and red meats. I love these types of dishes for cold winter days. Now, I know it seems crazy with all of this snow on the ground, but swimsuit season is right around the corner. So, I plan to lighten up my dishes a bit in order to have any hope of wearing something reasonable this summer on the lake.
I don’t like the idea of dieting. To me, diet is a four letter word because I love food so much. I know I have to move a lot more if I am going to eat rich cheesy buttery meals. I also have to eat healthier low fat meals as well (everything in moderation). Once the temperature reaches a level above zero, I plan on walking for at least a half an hour each day. I tried this the other day and only made it to the mail box, hence my rule for warmer temperatures. I felt like I could lose a limb or my nose in that weather.
This salad recipe is lighter and healthier than my recent dishes. It is healthy in spite of being delectable. You eat it because it tastes so good, not because it’s low in calories. This salad has been a big hit in my family. It is the perfect starter or main course for any season. Years ago, Claud and I were having my parents over for dinner and he made these peppers for everyone. They are called Piedmontese Peppers and they were a huge hit. I fell in love with how delicious they taste and how simple they were to make. I have been making them ever since. I changed the original recipe a bit (taking out the anchovies and adding cilantro) and turned it into a salad.
Piedmontese pepper salad
Before I wrote this article, I thought I should look for more information about Piedmontese Peppers. So, I Googled it. I wanted to see where Piedmont was located and what history I could discover about this type of pepper cooking. I learned two amazing facts.
First, I’m glad I Googled it, because I thought Piedmont was in France. No, it is in Italy. The more I learn, the more I realize how little I know. I discovered that Piedmont cuisine is French-influenced and always freshly prepared. A typical Piedmontese meal consists of at least six courses. That’s my kind of meal. Also, quality is the big issue in Piedmontese cooking. So, time and effort spent on preparation don’t count as long as the result is satisfying. I love that food there is really a passion.
The Piedmontese take their time over meals, and love to spend hours with family and friends around the dining table. This is what I am trying to promote. Also, in Piedmont, wine is always part of the meal and is enjoyed reverently. That’s what I’m talking about. I have to go there.
Second, my research led me to another amazing fact. Simon Hopkinson was pretty much the guy who made Piedmontese Peppers famous in England at a restaurant in London called Bibendum. I think I believed Piedmont was in France because Bibendum is a French restaurant. Claud was an apprentice for Hopkinson at Bibendum and this is where Simon taught Claud how to make these peppers. So, I have learned from the man who learned from the man…amazing.
You will not believe how delicious they are. It only takes about ten minutes to prepare them. Then, they go into the oven for a couple of hours. The result is a sweet, tangy and juicy delight. The olive oil and the juices from the tomatoes combine with balsamic vinegar make a savory dressing. I top all of this onto a warm open faced baguette and a bed of lettuce to create a salad. You can add some grilled chicken and feta cheese to make it into a main course. Don’t forget to pour the remaining olive oil into a jar to use for cooking later. The peppery flavored olive oil is great for sautéing, dressings, and sauces.
Piedmontese Pepper Salad
2 red bell peppers
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 roma tomatoes
3 C. olive oil
1 bunch of cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
1 loaf French bread
Baby Arugula (or lettuce of your choice)
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the peppers lengthwise through the stem. Cut out seeds. Place into an oven safe dish. Divide the garlic into each pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour in half of the olive oil. Place a tomato inside each pepper. Sprinkle more salt and pepper. Drizzle the rest of the oil over the peppers and into the dish. Place in oven and cook for two hours. Baste every thirty minutes. Take out of oven and cool. Place a bed of lettuce on the plate. Toast the bread. Slice the bread and place on the lettuce. Place one pepper and tomato onto the bread. Cut it open so the juices pour onto the bread and lettuce. Drizzle with vinegar and oil from the dish. Keep the rest of the oil to use later. Enjoy.
You may also enjoy:
Tags: Piedmont, Piedmontese Peppers, Red peppers, salad
Okay, it’s been several days now and still…no walk. I have completely stopped with the yoga as well. Way to get an idea and then totally not do it…at all. I have cooked several dishes which are ready to write about. My article this week is going to be Love Stew. This is a Thai style chicken dish cooked with curry and coconut milk. So, I have been eating Love Stew all week, for almost every meal. I really don’t mind because it is so delicious. Each day it gets a little spicier. Daphne won’t eat it because she is a vegetarian and Jack won’t eat it because he thinks it’s gross. It’s not a cheese burger and that is enough to make it gross for Jack.
Yesterday, I finally went Christmas shopping. Yes, on December 22nd. I had to get out there and finish…well, begin and finish…before the snow hits today. We are supposedly in for at least twelve inches. I am very happy about the timing of this storm because we have no place to be. We will just stay in, cook, eat, watch movies, and play games. Sounds great.
Okay, about these resolutions. I have been giving this a lot of thought. I would like to get in better shape and stop gaining any more pounds. Ideally, I should shed about twenty pounds. Its a cliche…lose weight as a resolution. I guess I am not alone out there. I already know I won’t be cutting out cheese, butter, wine, or anything else delicious. Instead, I will walk and practice yoga. I just have to actually do it. I will. Now that it is so close to the new year, I will begin in the new year. Unless, I get some crazy energy burst and decide to just get out in the snow and walk. No, this is not procrastination. Waiting until the new year is just very logical at this point. Not really, I am being very lazy and want to give myself a few more days, maybe even a week, of sheer laziness. This way, if I do any exercise betweeen now and then, it will be so impressive. Who knows, it could happen. Maybe I should stop drinking quite so much wine too. Everything in moderation, right? We’ll see.
Well, I have to make a Love Stew movie, article and snap shots. So, I should get to it. Happy Holidays.
Tags: cooking, holidays, resolutions
I’m in awe of the crunch the leaves emit beneath the weight of my feet and how they blanket my lawn as if preparing it for a cold winter to come. I cannot bring myself to rake. I feel as if the earth needs this protective layer. Come springtime, I promise, they will be gone. But, for now, I must be grateful for their beauty and warmth. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is commendable how many people diligently rid their lawn of leaves once the trees are bare. It is just a difference of opinion and another perspective of aesthetics. Neither is right or wrong. Both are beautiful.
beef bourguignon
I eagerly anticipate the inevitable colder days to come, much colder days. Yes, even the negative twenty days in winter are thrilling. The wind chill factor and how jeans don’t protect you from it. The pain in your face from a subtle breeze in the air and how you have to wrap a scarf around everything except your eyes sometimes just to walk into the grocery store. I think growing up in Southern California made me appreciate these extreme changes in weather. But wait, I am getting ahead of myself, its fall and this season needs the attention it deserves. We can’t think of it as merely a prelude to freezing days to come.
Living most of my life in a climate where the weather remains at clear skies and seventy plus degrees gets old. I like variety. Minnesota has the most perfect seasons: each one exactly as it should be. We are very lucky indeed. As if overnight, everything went from green to red and yellow to brown. Bald eagles soar over highway 13, deer peer out from behind garages in New Ulm, and ripples of waves caress Lake Hanska from the increasing strength of the breeze.
I enjoy the misty mornings on my way to take the kids to the bus and the crackle of walking on the frosty grass. It’s great to pull out your boots and sweaters, hats and scarves, and get chances to wear them. With each new season comes inspiration for meals that suit the climate. We, Minnesotans, are lucky to have so much encouragement from Mother Nature to make a variety of delectable dishes. For fall, I think we are in need of some hearty comfort food. We should make food that will warm and nourish us from the inside out. Beef bourguignon does the trick. How could beef, garlic, spices and tons of red wine not taste delectable? It has to be fantastic. To make it even better, after you work on the initial preparation for about twenty minutes, you just leave it to work its magic for hours as you do what you want to do. Also, once you have a bit for dinner that first evening and put the rest in the fridge…it’s even tastier the next day, once all of the herbs and spices have had a good chance to truly get acquainted.
Apparently, the French used to make this dish as a way to make cheap and tough cuts of meat palatable by simmering it in wine for hours. However, beef bourguignon has become a staple in haute cuisine. This is because, although it is simple and inexpensive to make (this recipe cost me about ten dollars in ingredients), it is so delicious. You can make it in a Dutch oven or stock pot and allow it to simmer for hours while your home becomes bathed in the scents of a French cafe. You can make it in a crock pot and allow it to cook longer than two hours if you will be away from home. When you return to the smells of your kitchen, you will think you hired a French chef. Either way, your home will smell amazing while this stew cooks. You and whomever you are feeding will not believe your taste buds. Bon Appetite.
Beef bourguignon:
Time: 2 ½ hours
Serves: 6
2 ½ lbs. beef roast
¼ C. olive oil
1 1/2 C. flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp pepper
3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced thick
3 large carrots, sliced thick
6 cloves of garlic, sliced thick
2 C. button mushrooms, slice and sauté in 1 tsp. butter
4 bay leaves
2 Tbsp mustard seed
1 Tbsp dry thyme
1 Tbsp dry rosemary
1 bottle burgundy wine
2 ½ C beef broth
¼ C. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Cut beef into 1 ½ inch cubes. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Mix flour with salt and pepper. Roll the cubes of beef into the flour. Pour olive oil into a pot and place on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, but not smoking, place the cubes of beef into the oil. You want to brown each side of the cube. Do not let the meat touch each other. You may have to brown it in stages. Once the cubes are browned on all sides, place on a paper napkin. Pour the rosemary, garlic, mustard seed, and thyme into the oil. Add the onion and carrots. Let these sauté for about five minutes. Pour in the wine to deglaze the pot. Add the broth and the sautéed mushrooms. Sprinkle the remaining flour (bout ½ C.) over the potatoes. Add the beef cubes and potatoes to the pot. Make sure everything is covered in liquid. If not, add more wine and broth to cover stew. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer with lid on for two hours. Take the lid off and skim off the oil which has accumulated on the top. Add sugar. Simmer uncovered for thirty minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Tags: Beef, Beef Bourguignon, comfort food, Fall, stews
salmon cooked in foil
Did you have a favorite dish growing up? Did you ask for this meal anytime it was your birthday? I did. When I was growing up, every year, I wanted my mom’s special lasagna and a homemade chocolate cake. For many years, it never changed. Her lasagna contains about five different cheeses. I have always been a huge fan of cheese. My favorite was the ricotta which she would just clump all over the top of the lasagna and when it heated up, there would be a little crust on the outside edge. I would bite into a big ball of ricotta, break through the crust, and sink into the creamy deliciousness inside. It was so perfect. For at least five years, on my birthday, we went to the roller rink. I’d invite about ten friends. We’d boogey on skates to Devo’s “whip it.” We wore the four wheeled skates (not inline) and mine had a pink toe guard and pink pom poms. I wore pony tails in my hair and had a favorite rainbow sweater where the rainbow ran from one sleeve through the middle and onto the other sleeve. Then, we’d head back to my house to eat lasagna and chocolate cake. It was perfect.
Then, about the time I was in college, my tastes changed. I had a horrible perm in my hair and wore shorts under shorts and little boot shoes. They were not boots but they weren’t shoes either. I seemed to have a lot of polka dotted clothes. Life wasn’t just about cheese and pasta or chocolate for that matter. I learned about other delicious meals that were healthier. I started choosing these meals not just for their health benefits, but because they were so tasty. In my twenties, my mom still asked me what I wanted for my special birthday meal. Suddenly, it became her salmon cooked in foil. This was also about the time I fell in love with red wine.
Salmon in foil has been my consistent choice for a special meal ever since. I won’t talk about my fashion sense now. It always seems normal at the time. The first day I brought Claud over to my parent’s house for dinner, I asked my mom to make salmon in foil for him. I had to impress Claud and show him that I knew about food too. He was a chef and I was intimidated. It worked: he loved it. The smell of the ginger and cilantro penetrate your senses as soon as you open the foil. The combination of the soy sauce with the garlic, herbs and lemon make the sauce so delicious; you have to sop up every last drop of it. Then, you are sad when it is finished.
Now, that I don’t rely as much on my mom’s cooking, I make this meal for my family. The best part of all of this is that this dish is so simple to make and takes about 30 minutes. Daphne has chosen this meal as her special birthday meal. She doesn’t have that cheese loving gene I have. This will help her in her thirties when extra weight doesn’t come off as easily as it used to. Here is a video of my daughter and I making this dish together:
I ought to mention how helpful salmon is to your health. I’d hate for you to think you should make this just because it is beneficial to your health and not for the love of it; though, the health benefits are a huge bonus. This meal could stand on taste alone. However, it should be mentioned that salmon is an excellent source of Omega3 fatty acids. It is a great source of lean protein. Eating salmon is a perfect way to adhere to a Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet has been studied extensively and has been proven to promote longevity. This can be seen in the lifespan of those who live in Sardinia. There are more people living over the age of 100 years in Sardinia than almost anywhere else in the world. For more information about this, please read The Blue Zone by Dan Buettner. This is an excellent book which reveals different cultures and lifestyles. In it, Buettner promotes good food, family and friends, and the importance of humor and laughter.
You will love this recipe for the simple reason that it is beyond delicious. I thought it really should have a better name than salmon in foil; but this is what we have always called it in my family. Besides, there is something to be said about the simplicity of the name and how it correlates with the unfussiness of this dish. So, I think we’ll keep it that way.
Salmon in foil:
2 pieces of aluminum foil (about 12 inches square)
2 pieces of salmon fillets
1 leek, sliced lengthwise and then on the bias
2 tsp butter (optional)
4 slices of ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 slices of lemon
2 spring onions, chopped
½ C. soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce
1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the leeks onto the foil. Place the salmon on top of the leeks. Divide the butter onto each piece of salmon. Layer the ginger, garlic, onion, lemon slices and spring onions. Top with a generous amount of cilantro. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold up the sides of the foil to create a pouch in which the soy sauce, when poured in, will not drip out. Pour in the soy sauce. Place on a cooking tray. Put into a 350 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. Check at 15 minutes to see if the salmon is cooked to your liking. The middle should still be a bit pink. Place over a bed of rice or mashed potatoes. Pour the sauce on top. Discard the ginger and lemon rind. Enjoy.
Tags: salmon, salmon recipes
a big spoon of homemade peanut butter
Peanut butter is an amazing food. It is high in protein and contains unsaturated fat.
peanuts in their shells
In fact, peanut butter has more protein than any other legume or nut. This is especially important for growing children and vegetarians. Peanut butter is also very high in fiber. All around, it is a nutrient rich food.
shelled peanuts
Peanut butter originated in 1890 when Dr. John Kellogg provided peanut butter as a healthy substitute for people without teeth. They would get all of this nutrition without needing to chew into meat or nuts.
peanuts ready to be peanut butter
Now, it has become a favorite with children everywhere. It’s great in a sandwich, on celery, and in cookies. There are so many different brands of peanut butter available at the grocery story. Many have added sugars and preservatives. If you are trying to guide your family toward a more natural diet, stick to the peanut butter with very few ingredients, like peanuts, oil and salt. However, if you want to take it one step further, make homemade peanut butter. It is simple and tastes better than the store bought brands. Besides, you will know exactly what is in it.
peanut butter in a jar
Homemade peanut butter:
(1 C. peanuts = ½ C. peanut butter; so, adjust accordingly)
1 C. unsalted, dry roasted peanuts, shelled
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 ½ tsp. honey/brown sugar
1 Tbsp canola/peanut oil
Pour the peanuts into a food processor. Blend well. Add salt and sugar or honey. Blend again. Pour in the oil and blend again. It should be creamy and delicious. Pour into a jar and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Enjoy.
Tags: homemade, homemade peanut butter, peanut butter
turkey
Which type of turkey are you planning to put on the table this Thanksgiving? Here is some useful information to distinguish between free-range, organic, natural and kosher. Read this information and decide which turkey best fits your palate and your philosophy.
youtube:
Free-Range:
According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, free-range turkeys have “been allowed access to the outdoors.” This doesn’t ensure that the turkeys are free to roam. The conditions may vary by producer. If the free to roam lifestyle is what you prefer, you may want to look for pasture raised turkey. This is an unregulated term but indicates a freer life spent strutting around in the sun eating up the grass. Free-range birds tend to be moist but not exceptionally so. They have a robust flavor.
Organic:
These turkeys are raised free of antibiotics and growth hormones. They are given access to the outdoors. So, they are also free-range. They are fed with organic feed. This feed, by law, contains no genetically modified grains, pesticides, herbicides or animal by products. They have a pronounced turkey flavor.
Natural:
If the turkey is labeled “natural”, by law, the turkey must be minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients, coloring or preservatives. Typically, the more natural the turkey, the better the flavor.
Kosher:
These turkeys are raised and processed under rabbinical supervision and in accordance with strict dietary law. This mandates a soaking in a cold freshwater bath and hand salting inside and out, followed by a triple rinse. They can vary dramatically in flavor. Some have a cardboard texture. Some retain a few stray feathers. However, these feathers are super clean with all of those rinses. I’d still wash it all again.
Tags: free-range, kosher, natural, organic, Thanksgiving, turkey
There are many studies and articles about the harmful effects on the environment due to raising cattle for beef. In fact, I wrote on a couple of days ago. Click here to read it. If you are not ready to go vegetarian or vegan, there are other options to reduce the impact of cattle raising on the environment. Here is a company in Minnesota who is doing something to help the situation: The Grass Fed Cattle Company.
The Grass Fed Cattle Company
They treat their animals with kindness, feed them grass (which is better for the environment and your health), and allow consumers to eat locally.
The Grass Fed Cattle Company has several reasons for feeding their cattle grass instead of grain. One reason is that the beef from grass fed cattle is lower in saturated fat and higher in omega three fatty acids. Read more about the health benefits associated with grass fed cattle by clicking here.
According to the Grass Fed Cattle Company, feeding cattle grass is the most energy efficient method of raising cattle. There are no row crops required and the cattle provide their own fertilizer. Also, there is no water pollution resulting from this form of farming. Read more about the benefits to our planet by clicking here.
Finally, the meat supplied by the Grass Fed Cattle Company will be stamped with a “Minnesota Grown” label on the package.
Minnesota Grown
The average American dinner travels 1,500 miles to get to the table. There are obvious benefits on the environment by buying locally. Click here to find out more information. Call Abby or email Abby Andruski for ordering information or to find out where you can purchase some locally grown, grass fed beef: abby@grassfedcattleco.com or 612-581-7787.
Tags: grass fed cattle, Grass Fed Cattle Company, Minnesota Grown
Fall is in full swing and winter is just around the corner. There will be less sunlight, which means less vitamin D. You can only get vitamin D via the sun or with supplemnets. Have a look at this article from the Huffington Post and get all of the necessary information you need to determine if you are getting enough vitamin D: Huffington Post Vitamin D Article.
Tags: Health, Huffington Post, Nutrition, Vitamin D
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