Pineapple Smoothie

Pineapple is in season. Yea! I love that sweet fruit in the peak of season. So when I started seeing it in the grocery store my thoughts went to finding new ways to work it into my diet.

Just this Christmas, my youngest daughter (the other beautiful one) gave me a book full of smoothie recipes, "Cool Smoothies," by Elsa Petersen-Schepelern. However, the recipe calls for a juicer and I only have a blender. I was afraid it wouldn’t sufficiently break down the pineapple, but I was wrong. With a little coaxing, the pineapple whipped up into a frothy delight.

Pineapple Crush

1 large pineapple
1 lemon
ice cubes
4 passionfruit (optional,I just floated raspberries)
sugar or honey, to taste (I used agave)

If you buy the pineapple unpeeled, peel it. Cut it into wedges, then chunks, then press through a juicer. Add the juice of 1 lemon and pour the mixture into a pitcher of ice. Stir in the flesh and seeds of 3 passionfruit, if using, and top with the remaining flesh and seeds.Depending on the sweetness and ripeness of the pineapple, you may like to add a little sugar or honey.

Note: It's a great recipe book for anyone who enjoys smoothies, and who doesn't? Just look at the chapter headings: cool smooth summer, fruits of the earth, vegetable magic, herbs, spices and nuts & clever cocktails (I'm really looking forward to that last chapter). My thanks to my beautiful daughter!

Why Vitamin B12?

Recently a friend asked me why it was necessary for vegans to take a vitamin B12 supplement. I had read about this months ago and knew it was important, but I couldn't give her an intelligent response. So I went back into "The China Study," written by Thomas M. Campbell, where he provides a good explanation for this. The following is an excerpt.

"Vitamin B12 is made by microorganisms found in the soil and by microorganisms in the intestines of animals, including our own. The amount made in our intestines is not adequately absorbed, so it is recommend that we consume B12 in food. Research has convincingly shown that plants grown in healthy soil that has a good concentration of vitamin B12 will readily absorb this nutrient. However, plants grown in "lifeless" soil (non-organic soil) may be deficient in vitamin B12. In the United States, most of our agriculture takes place on relatively lifeless soil, decimated from years of unnatural pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer use. So the plants grown in this soil and sold in our supermarkets lack B12. In addition, we live in such a sanitized world that we rarely come into direct contact with the soil-borne microorganisms that produce B12. At one point in our history, we got B12 from vegetables that hadn't been scoured of all soil. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to assume that modern Americans who eat highly cleansed plant products and no animal products are unlikely to get enough vitamin B12.

Though our society's obsession with nutrient supplements seriously detracts from other, far more important nutrition information, this is not to say that supplements should always be avoided. It is estimated that we hold a three-year store of vitamin B12 in our bodies. If you do not eat any animal products for three years or more, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you should consider taking a small B12 supplement on occasion, or going to the doctor annually to check your blood levels of B vitamins and homocysteine."

Found on page 232

Crowd-Pleasing Pasta with Tomatoes and Artichokes

My sister Susan has been on the hunt for vegan cookbooks. She's browsed book stores, checked books out from the library and searched on-line. During all of this she texted (is that a word?) me the names of authors and titles of books, and soon I found myself on-line purchasing two new cookbooks.

This recipe is from "The Vegan Table," by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. It got great reviews on amazon.com. I've only made this one dish, but it was really good, easy, fast and certainly "blog worthy." Any changes I made are in parenthesis.

Crowd-Pleasing Pasta with Tomatoes and Artichokes

6 servings

16 ounces of whole wheat penne pasta
2 T. olive oil (I used 1 T.)
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (26 ounces) diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted)
2 T. tomato paste
1 can (15 ounces) artichokes
1 T. chopped fresh basil
1/2 C sliced black olives (I used kalamata)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook penne in boiling water until al dente. Drain right before serving. In a large saute pan, heat oil. Cook garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add canned tomatoes and tomato paste. Heat to near boiling. Add artichokes, basil, and black olives. Season with salt and pepper. Serve penne in a large bowl, pouring sauce over all and mixing together.

Cannellini Bean Soup with Garlic

This soup was inspired by "Jewels' Favorite Soup Jill Makes" along with my love for garlic. My husband thought it was so good he went back for seconds... and he's not a lover of soup! That's what convinced me the recipe was "blog worthy." You'll have to make it and let me know what you think.

1 - 2 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced (1 Cup)
6 C. water
3 vegan bouillon cubes
2 medium sized russet potatoes, diced (1 1/2 - 2 Cups)
1 C. chopped cauliflower
1 whole bulb of garlic, separated and peeled
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs thyme
4 15.5 oz. cans of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 t. white pepper
1/4 C. parsley, chopped
cheesecloth and kitchen string

In a large stock pot, saute the onion in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add water and bouillon cubes and bring to a simmer. Tie the garlic, bay leaf and thyme in a piece of cheesecloth and place into the simmering stock. Add the potatoes and cauliflower and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cheesecloth bundle and discard. Add the beans and puree half the soup in a blender then stir back into the pot. Add the parsley, pepper and enjoy!

Note: Right now, my camera couldn't take a decent picture to save my life. The picture above came from flickr.com, so it's not my soup, but it looks a lot like it.

Jewels' Favorite Soup Jill Makes

I found this recipe on the Woman's Day website. It was among several recipes featuring the cookbook "Recipes from The Family Chef," created by Jewels and Jill Elmore. It's a wonderful soup that takes only minutes to make and comes straight out of the pantry! The changes I made are in parenthesis.



Jewels' Favorite Soup Jill Makes

Makes 10 cups
Serves 6–8
Total time: 35 minutes

* 3 cans (15 ounces each) cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
* 6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (I used vegetable stock)
* 2 cloves garlic , sliced
* 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 medium onion , chopped in a medium dice
* 2 ribs celery , chopped in a medium dice
* 4 ripe tomatoes , cut into small pieces (I used a 28oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained)
* 1 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt (I used 1/2 tsp.)
* 1/4 cup fresh parsley , roughly chopped
* 1 cup Parmesan cheese , grated (I omitted)

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and celery for 5–6 minutes until soft and translucent. Next, add the tomatoes and salt and continue to cook another 3–4 minutes. Add beans, stock and garlic and bring to boil, reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parsley and cook another 15 minutes to meld flavors together. Serve with Parmesan cheese.


Recipe from The Family Chef by Jewels and Jill Elmore, courtesy of Celebra Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA).

A Food Pyramid for Vegans

My sister Susan has been doing a little research on the structure of a vegan diet. She sent the following post to me. Thank you Susan!

I love to share information about my vegan lifestyle. But I am often asked if I'm getting enough protein and calcium. I know that the plant kingdom provides excellent sources for both, but how much ? . . . and in what ? I was not interested in counting the grams of protein in everything I ate, so I began searching for an easy to apply formula that would help me maximize the nutritional value of my diet.

I found what I was looking for in a cookbook -- 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson. She had reprinted the New Four Food Groups developed in 1991 by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. This is a no-cholesterol, low-fat plan that supplies all of an average adult's daily nutritional requirements and fiber; with the addition of a good source of vitamin B-12, such as fortified cereals or vitamin supplements.

I have been applying this plan and feel great!

FRUIT:3 or more servings/day

1 medium piece of fruit
1/2 cup cooked fruit
4 ounces juice

LEGUMES:2 or more servings/day

1 cup cooked beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, baked and refried beans
4 ounces tofu, tempeh or texturized vegetable protein
8 ounces soymilk

WHOLE GRAINS:5 or more servings/day

1/2 cup rice, corn, millet, barley and bulgur wheat or pasta
1 ounce dry cereal (hot or cold)
1 tortilla or 1 slice bread

VEGETABLES:5 or more servings/day

1 cup raw vegetables
1/2 cup cooked vegetables


Note: The image above was found at animalsuffering.com

Intractable

This time of year can be crazy (I know I'm going nuts), and when my Uncle Gene sent me his latest article I thought the timing was perfect. Consider it a present, I do. Now, my Uncle Gene...

“These problems are intractable.” So spoke a former Congressional Budget Manager at a conference sponsored by the Petersen Foundation and aired on C-Span. “Intractable” means “difficult to deal with or solve.” The conference targeted the growing national deficit, with special attention paid to the ever-increasing costs of medical care.
After studying the finances of health care, my good friend and colleague Ed Greenberg concluded: “So I fear that the problem is unsolvable.”
The question then is, how do you deal with intractable, unsolvable problems? Do you throw up your hands in despair? Do you let them gnaw away at your innards? Or do you “take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them?” If you let intractable problems get to you, they can destroy your sense of well-being, your health, and your sanity.
It is not like intractable problems are new to the human race. They have always been around, and somehow, solutions have always occurred. In the meantime, there are long established spiritual and psychological techniques devised to help us cross the bridges of intractable problems. The one I want to mention is some form of meditation technique, recently popularized by various medical practitioners. (Since it seems that the medical profession is the source of some of our predicaments, it is fitting that the medical professionals should help us find the way out!) Meditation, in one form or another, has been practiced for thousands of years, for reasons religious, philosophical, healthful, and simply as an exercise in developing humanity.

Meditation

What is meditation, and how do you practice it? Meditation is essentially a calming and quieting experience, a turning off of the noise and distraction of everyday, and attentiveness to what is basic and elementary. The simplest form of meditation is to find a quiet place, sit comfortably, and spend ten minutes paying attention to your breath. (Dr. Weil says there is no medical prescription more important than re-learning how to breathe!) When we are bothered, we tend to breathe shallowly. We can go days without paying attention to our breathing, or being aware of how shallow it has become.

Simply counting your breath can bring your attention back to this basic physiological function. Controlling your breath is the next step: breathe in for ten seconds, hold your breath for five, and then breathe out slowly and calmly, focusing your attention on the act of breathing.

That is the basis of meditation. You can do it many ways, but focusing on your breathing is the way to begin. You may make it a religious experience by incorporating appropriate imagery. It can be an aesthetic experience by meditating on the sunset or on the moon, or whatever natural phenomenon has a special appeal to you. It can be a calming and relaxing experience through the recitation of some “mantra,” some phrase that has particular significance for you.

Dr. Herbert Benson has documented that the regular practice of meditation lowers blood pressure. Dr. Dean Ornish claims that regular meditation reduces the risk of sudden heart attack. Dr. Weil maintains that meditation boosts the effectiveness of the immune system. Perhaps it does these because it brings us back to our basic self, puts us in touch with the roots of our consciousness, and helps establish a calm and tranquil center at the heart of our activity.

Among philosophers, Socrates had his meditative trances from which he could not be awakened. Plotinus had his transformative experiences of solitude, of being “alone with the Alone.” Thomas Aquinas was so transformed by his meditations that all he had written seemed like so much straw. Asian traditions offer parallel examples: Thich Nhat Hanh, perhaps the greatest living teacher of Buddhism, recommends the simple formula: Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile. His books, Peace is Every Step, and Interbeing, can be great helps along the path to successful meditation.

By setting aside 10 minutes every day, you will open a new window on your own self-awareness, gain control over your breathing and your life, and come to sense your participation in the mystery of existence. The problems that seemed so intractable will be much less menacing.

Your material being is part of the matter of the universe, your thinking is part of the web of thought that covers the universe, and your existing is a participation in that wonder of all wonders, the capacity to stand outside nothingness. By setting aside time for meditation, you will be better prepared to be a contributor to the on-going-ness of existence.

The best cure for an encounter with problems that seem intractable is to set aside ten minutes of uninterruptible quiet time, when you center yourself, find your proper place in the non-everyday world, and encounter reality, and not just the appearances of things. The paradox of this experience is that, by setting aside a time for meditation, you will actually have more time to do things, and find greater delight in the doing of them…. even taking on the problems that appear intractable!

Hummus in a Hurry

It was Friday night. I had just walked in from a really long work week only to have to get ready for two holiday parties that night. I needed to bring something to both and time was not on my side. So I went into my refrigerator and threw together a dip lickety-split. Guess what… it was good! Best of all... it was quick, easy and with little to clean up.

Hummus in a Hurry

5 oz. of your favorite store bought hummus
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
Fresh lemon juice

Put the beans into a food processor and process until finely minced. Add 5 ounces of your favorite hummus and blend. Squeeze a little lemon juice into the mixture and stir. Serve with chips or veggies.

My Six Month Anniversary

Beyond lowering my cholesterol, I’m not sure what my expectations were six months ago when I started this diet. I try to remember just what I felt like in comparison to how I feel today. I look at myself in the mirror and wonder if I look a little healthier. These questions I can’t answer, but I do know that I’ve changed more than my total cholesterol number. I’ve lost weight, I feel better... lighter, and I take better care of myself. There are times when it’s still a struggle, but I’ve found a balance. I’ve gotten use to preparing two dinner menus, eating salads without dressing on them when I’m out, and I’ve accepted the fact that I will make exceptions on an occasion without feeling like a failure. This lifestyle is important to me, but not at the expense of missing out on special moments... like sharing a conversation with my mom over a glass of wine and potato chips. Moments like that are few and far between. In all of this, I’ve developed perspective. I want to be able to go out to dinner, travel and socialize; so occasionally I make exceptions. I look at it as a lifestyle for a lifetime, and when I have the opportunity to sit at the kitchen table with my mother sipping a glass of wine, I’ll take it… with delight.

Oatmeal Banana Smoothie

I need to eat more oatmeal, but truthfully, I’m not fond of it. In fact, I hate it. I think it tastes like paste. So I am always looking for ways to sneak it into my diet. This recipe is quick, easy and delicious. Healthful additions could be 1 Tbsp. of wheat germ or ground flax seed.

Oatmeal Banana Smoothie

Easy
5 minutes

1 C. low-fat soy milk (I prefer chocolate)
½ C. uncooked oatmeal
1 banana
1 C. ice cubes

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and mix on high for one minute or until combined and smooth.

Note: The image above was found at videojug.com

The End of Overeating?

Once again, my Uncle Gene...

I had been reading several books on nutrition this week, when two of the authors I was busy reading showed up on the Charlie Rose shows. David Kessler, M.D., is the author of a new book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite. Dr. Kessler was puzzled as to why he persistently regained the weight he had so often struggled to lose. Then it dawned on him: he was eating in response to the endless advertisements that promised not just satisfaction, but delight, from eating what Agribusiness wanted Americans to eat: diets high in fat, sugar, and salt. While that may seem to be crediting advertising with powers it does not possess, there is evidence that we do respond to the advertisements we see and hear, and overeating can become a compensation for the satisfactions we are not getting elsewhere in our lives.

To the question, Why do we eat so much? Dr. Kessler suggests that we are biologically programmed to eat more than we need at any one sitting, precisely because our ancestors needed to overeat, to make up for the times when starvation would be narrowly avoided. Long ago, lipidologists determined that our bodies were inclined to store fat when it was available, to be consumed when needed. Problem is, the times of starvation seldom occur anymore.

Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food, rings some serious alarm bells about the way our food is produced and processed. As he says: “People don’t know how their food is produced. A level of industrialization has taken over our food supply, with disastrous consequences. Ground beef, for example, is now a dangerous product. In a slaughterhouse that kills 400 animals an hour, there’s no way of keeping manure out of the end product. The hamburger meat you buy may have come from 50 different animals, and the odds are there will be harmful bacteria in it.” (70,000 Americans are taken ill each year from E-coli bacteria, and 7,000 will have long-term health consequences.)

Pollan is an optimist about how we will deal with these problems. He thinks we can solve the long-term challenge of providing healthy food for the planet’s 9 billion people by the year 2050. We begin by improving our everyday eating habits. Small changes over time will have dramatic impacts. When he turns to the health care spending debate, he writes that three-fourths of health care costs are related to treating diseases that derive from the way we eat. One-third of Americans are obese, and almost half of them are diabetic. The costs of treating Type II Diabetes exceed $500,000 over a lifetime. (Medicare spending on Diabetes is $113 billion dollars today; in twenty years, it will be over $270 billion in today’s dollars.)

Pollan is in the forefront of what is called “The Good Food Movement,” which begins by encouraging people to grow some of their own food, to buy what is locally grown, and to decrease meat consumption. (Americans average 9 ounces of meat a day.) Pollan belittles our fascination with “processed” foods, the foods that have so many ingredients listed you wonder what it is you are really eating, and he suggests: “Don’t eat what your grandmother wouldn’t have recognized as food.” Pollan says his book can be summarized in seven words: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Dr. Kessler might add, don’t spend a lot of time watching the TV commercials that try to convince you that all your troubles will end if you just eat a certain food, or, for that matter, that some pill can compensate for your overindulgence. Kessler and Pollan are right: we may be on the cusp of a revolution in the way we eat, with long term consequences for us, the planet, and the generations that will come after us…

Black Beans, Sweet Potato & Rice

I found a package of sweet potatoes cut into cubes in the produce section of my grocery store. That's what inspired this delicious dish. It's easy to make, beautiful to look at and a real taste treat!

Black Beans, Sweet Potato & Rice

Serves 4

1 C. brown rice
water

16oz. sweet potato cubes (1/2 - 1" dice)
olive oil
sea salt
pepper
cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 C. onion, diced
1/3 C. celery, diced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 T. water
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cumin

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the rice using the directions on the package. Lay the sweet potatoes out on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, sea salt, pepper and cumin. Toss to coat and roast for 30 minutes stirring once when 15 minutes in. As the rice and sweet potatoes are finishing, saute the onion and celery in olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the water, beans, onion powder and cumin. Once everything is ready, put the rice on the plate first, the sweet potatoes next and finally the beans.

Acquired Tastes

Recently I spent a day with my in-laws doing a little early Christmas shopping. When dinnertime rolled around we needed to find a place to eat and there weren’t many choices. We ended up at a steak house (of all places), but the restaurant had an excellent selection of side dishes so I was happy. As I sat there looking at the plates surrounding me, mostly covered with enormous slabs of prime rib, I realized I had absolutely no interest in even the smallest bite of meat.

Thinking about it later, I reflected on the years it took for me to develop my preferences in food. Yet, here I am, a vegan for five months and the change in my tastes are significant. How this transformation was accomplished I don’t know, but with little effort I have learned to appreciate vegetables, beans and grains in an entirely new light.

Now, that’s not to say I don’t still crave foods that I shouldn’t be eating. In all honesty, I do (there’s something about fried chicken… can’t get it out of my head), but I’ve a newfound appreciation for the foods I eat and the tastes I taste. I enjoy dreaming up new ways to use a vegetable. I get excited about tasting the unfamiliar and I’ve learned to enjoy foods that before I may not have appreciated.

My conclusion? I think intentionally making changes in diet can be hard to accomplish. It certainly requires deliberate effort, sometimes with disappointing results. Still, it's not as hard as you might think, and the longer you demonstrate the willingness to keep at it, the healthier you will become.

I feel better already, and in addition to feeling better I’ve developed a sense of pride and accomplishment in how I’m living. I have a healthier perspective on my life and the lives of the people I love. So if you’re like me, new to this lifestyle, it is worth sticking with. Your tastes will change, the temptations won’t be as challenging, and you will feel better in SO MANY ways… trust me.

Black Bean Chili

There are a lot of recipes out there for black bean chili. When I was eating meat, I used to make a version of this with chicken stock and oil. Since I've become a vegan this version has become my "go-to" recipe when I want something fast and delicious. Recently I took it to a party and got rave reviews! We all think this is a hit. I hope you do too!

Black Bean Chili

4 (15.5 oz.) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained (with one can set aside)
2 C. water
1 cube of bouillon, low sodium vegan (I use the Rapunzel brand)
1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 stalk celery, chopped (1/2 cup)
½ red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 ½ t. cumin
1 ½ t. chili powder
1 t. dried oregano leaves
1/8 t. sea salt
Pam
Sliced scallions & chopped avocado for garnish

In the food processor, process, until smooth, one can of drained and rinsed beans with 2 cups of water. Lightly spray Pam in a non-stick stock pot and add the onion, celery, red pepper and garlic. Cook the vegetables over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring often. Add the processed beans, the remaining rinsed and drained beans, the can of tomatoes with its juices, the bouillon cube and spices. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with scallions, avocado or both.

Low-Fat Hummus

Once again, my sister Susan...

I love hummus! But on the E2 diet, two traditional hummus ingredients (olive oil & tahini) are no-no’s. Lori, a friend of mine who created a successful food business here in Traverse City, Natural Northern Foods, shared her original hummus recipe with me! So thanks to Lori and some soft tofu, here’s a perfect way to have your hummus & eat low-fat too! Even Mr. Meat & Potatoes said, “This is tasty!”; and he HATES hummus!

Low-Fat Hummus

Quick & easy
10 minutes

1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
2 - 3 garlic cloves, peeled & chopped
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/4 C. soft tofu
1-2 T. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1-2 T. water
3/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. sea salt

Optional garnishes:
2 T. thinly sliced scallions
2T. chopped flat-leaf Italian parsley or cilantro
A sprinkle of paprika

Put all ingredients in a food processor & blend until smooth. Taste & adjust the seasonings. Enjoy as a dip with fresh veggies, no-oil whole wheat pita bread & baked tortilla chips. My favorites to dip are sweet red peppers, baby carrots, cucumbers and Food for Life sprouted corn tortillas cut into wedges & warmed in the microwave. Also yummy as a spread on veggie sandwiches like cucumber, carrot, green onion, arugula & alfalfa sprouts in pita pockets or sprouted grain wraps.

The Café Muse

I went there for a grilled cheese sandwich. Yes, a grilled cheese sandwich...and yes, I ate it. Let me tell you why.

A few months before I became a vegan, I saw an episode of the Oprah show in which they selected what they thought were the 10 best sandwiches in the country. Two of the sandwiches were from restaurants in Michigan, Café Muse and Zingerman’s. Café Muse was chosen for its grilled cheese sandwich. Well, loving cheese as much as I do, a trip to Café Muse immediately shot to the top of my summer “list of things to do.” But summer days became weeks, and soon I became a vegan. So the conflict began...

That grilled cheese sandwich was calling my name. I really wanted that sandwich, but cheese was no longer on my list of foods to eat. What to do, what to do… Now, I know vegans would say, “Don’t eat it,” but I’ve been eating grilled cheese sandwiches my entire life and there’s something very comforting about it (I should really re-read the post "Transitioning"). So, after six weeks of eating a fat-free vegan diet, I went in to have my blood work done, and as a treat to myself for being so good (which I was), I got in my car and drove to Royal Oak in search of Café Muse.

Now, I hope I haven’t lost any Michigan readers, because here’s where it gets good. Joy of all joys, the chef at Café Muse cooks vegan too! Along with my sandwich, I ordered a vegan carrot soup that was "happiness" in a bowl and there were other vegan dishes in addition to the rest of the brilliantly prepared food (ahhh… another restaurant to love).

So I returned with one of my beautiful daughters. We sat down and I ordered the veggie burger. It was excellent. I noticed menu items like steel-cut oatmeal with apples, vegan muffins and tofu scramble, and it seems other vegan dishes often make an appearance depending on the whims of the chef. Café Muse is located in downtown Royal Oak, which is a lively, fun community to visit. It’s a small restaurant, lovely inside, and when the weather is good they have outdoor seating. It's a great spot for breakfast or lunch, and soon they will be open at night for dinner...so go!

Oh yes... that grilled cheese sandwich? It was wonderful, and it certainly deserves the noteworthy acclamations it’s received. And just so you know, it’s made with organic sourdough bread, fresh tomatoes and basil. Then the chef uses cheeses like havarti and fontina, grills it in a European style butter and tops it off with honey… oh my. Believe me, it’s worth the trip, and it’s a great place to go to eat, vegan or otherwise. www.cafemuseroyaloak.com

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Okay, I know it's a lot of squash recipes for one month, but I have a lot of squash! This is a naturally sweet recipe that my family loves. It comes together easily and it's a satisfying dish. My thanks to Susan for her help.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Serves 4

2 acorn squash – approximately 1.5 lbs each

2 C. rice - I used Lundberg Wild Blend, a blend of whole grain and wild rice
4 C. water for cooking rice

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t. fresh sage, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped (1/2 C.)
1 apple, diced, with the skin on
1/2 C. dried cranberries
2 T. chopped walnuts
1/2 t. sea salt
pepper
Pam – non-stick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cook the rice according to the directions on the package. Line a sheet pan with foil and lightly spray with Pam. Cut the acorn squash in half and seed. Place squash cut side down on the sheet pan and bake until tender, about 40 minutes. When the rice is nearly finished cooking, heat a non-stick saute pan over medium high heat and toast the walnuts stirring for about 3 minutes, remove and set aside. Spray the non-stick saute pan with Pam and heat the celery, garlic and sage together stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the rice, apple, cranberries, walnuts, salt and pepper. Mix well. Divide the mixture between the squash shells and warm in the oven for 10 minutes.

Quick & Creamy Not Cream of Tomato Soup

I’d like to introduce you to Susan, one of my three incredible sisters. She is a great cook and has long been a health enthusiast. Recently she read the book, “The Engine 2 Diet,” and became fascinated with the idea of being able to reverse heart disease. She is now eating vegan and loving it. Her husband (a wonderful man), like many people, prefers his potatoes with meat; so we have a similar challenge and she has promised to send me only the vegan dishes that her husband enjoys eating. The recipe that follows is her creation. I made it the other night and couldn’t believe how quickly it came together (boy, she took that “quick, easy and delicious” part seriously)! It’s a tummy pleaser! Thank you Susan!

It was a cold fall day and I wanted a healthy and creamy soup fast! This recipe was all three! Even Mr. Meat & Potatoes thought it was excellent. (Please don’t tell him it was made with soymilk!)

Quick & Creamy Not Cream of Tomato Soup

Easy
20 minutes
Serves 4

Non-stick cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped (3/4 cup)
1 - 28 oz. can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
16 oz. non-fat plain soymilk (I used Westsoy)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 T. Fresh basil leaves, chopped


Spray the bottom of a stockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Spoon the onion into a blender or food processor with the tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Return to the stockpot, add the soymilk and heat on medium-high heat until simmering. Season to taste with sea salt & freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with basil.

What Our Hearts Require

This post is an article written by my Uncle Gene, a professor of philosophy and author of the book, "Everyday Philosophy." The topics he writes about emerge from "off-the-cuff answers" he gives to student questions in his classroom. Not always satisfied with his answers, once home he expands on these ideas in short articles that become the contents of his periodical, “Gene's New Philosophical Review.” I am lucky to receive these thoughtful observations, and I fell in love with this one. As always, when I asked my uncle if I could post this article, his answer was yes. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I did.

“What to do? What to do? One can have a heart attack from too much
worrying. Eat well, sleep well.” --Maury Tretakoff.

The re-upholsterers said to Dr. Rosenman: "You guys must be psychiatrists. No other Doctor’s office that we have done has all the chairs worn out on the edges. You must have a lot of anxious patients." This came as a surprise to Drs. Rosenman and Friedman, because they were both cardiologists, and had not thought much about the emotional or psychological aspects of heart disease. This led them to years of research, and eventually a book, Type A Behavior and Your Heart, 1984.) The book chronicles the correlation between certain behavioral patterns, and the likelihood of heart disease. (Incidentally, Dr. Friedman had two heart attacks when he was 55; he transformed his behavior, and lived to the ripe old age of 90.)

Since heart disease is the number one killer in America, it might be worth reflecting on what the doctors had to say. To most of us, it seems clear that family history, smoking, a diet high in saturated fats, and a lack of exercise are accurate predictors of the likelihood of heart disease. More recent research has identified anger and "free-floating hostility" as frequent precipitators of heart attacks, but the basic formula developed by Rosenman and Friedman remains intact. (Recent criticisms are aimed at “Type A Behavior” not being a good identifier of what stress really is.) They defined "Type A Personality" as "a particular complex of personality traits, including excessive competitive drive, aggressiveness, impatience, and a harrying sense of time urgency." Now the unpleasant fact is, we live in a culture that demands a lot of competitive drive, that rewards aggressiveness, that generates all kinds of situations that try one's patience, and all of us are given more and more things to do, and have less and less time in which to do them.

Fortunately, there are ways to "reengineer" our lives so that Type A-induced heart disease is less likely. We can begin by eliminating events and activities that are of minimal importance. Some people start by canceling the newspapers and magazines they do not need to read, or withdrawing from organizations to which they have already made their contributions. The second step is to spend as much of your day as possible in a milieu that promotes peace. That may seem ridiculous to a harried worker or a mother of five, but there are still "vestibules of peace" that can be established, moments of sanctuary where thoughts can be gathered, good intentions formulated, and some kind of tranquility found. In this culture of group-think and group-action, we all need time to be alone, time to take our own pulse, time to be sure we have the creative energies necessary to actually produce benefits for ourselves and others.

We are all afflicted with sources of hostility, from the phone that rings during meals, to the undeserved parking ticket, to whatever else that seems to be our own personal demon. Learning not to respond with hostility is a task befitting a stoic philosopher, but there are things we can do to minimize the impact of an environment that sometimes seems downright hostile. We can avoid some of the people or situations that persistently aggravate us, and we can learn to walk away from situations that have built-in escalation clauses. But most important, we can reengineer our responses, so that we tone down the rhetoric, defuse explosive situations, and rise above battles that are not worth our time or energy.

We live in a society that focuses more on having than on being. Much of our economic activity is centered on increasing our possessions, whether that is a bank account or a garage full of unused athletic equipment. How much healthier we would all be, and how much less busy would cardiologists be, if we could concentrate on being the persons we might most want to become, instead of merely being owners of goods of passing significance. Instead of focusing on increasing possessions, what we really need is a philosophical reorientation, so that we can focus on being rather than having, on doing what is intrinsically worthwhile, rather than on letting time disappear into black holes. Our minds and bodies benefit from working, and working hard, but our hearts require leisure. Unless we step back and take time to find delight in life, we are in danger of being swallowed up by our own Type A Behavior. We do not want to wind up sitting on the edge of our seats, in some cardiologist’s office, worried about what our charts might say…

Roasted Buttercup Squash

My family has always enjoyed roasted squash as a side dish, but its usually coated in butter and brown sugar. So the challenge was to provide added flavor to the squash(because that's what they are used to) without the fat. Buttercup squash is a sweet variety of squash so that was a good place to start. I made two glazes and this was the one my family all agreed was blog worthy.

Roasted Buttercup Squash

1 Buttercup squash - cut in half, seeded, and sliced into quarters
Pam - non-stick cooking spray
Dry roasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with the non-stick cooking spray. Lightly spray the flesh of the squash and roast flesh side down for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip so the other edge of the squash will become caramelized as it continues to roast for 15 minutes more. Remove the squash from the oven and flip it onto its skin. Brush a layer of the glaze onto the flesh and roast for 5-10 minutes more, or until tender. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve.

The Glaze

½ C Balsamic vinegar
1T Honey

In a small pan, simmer the balsamic and honey mixture until it is reduced by half (15 – 20 minutes).

Note: You will end up with leftover glaze and its great on veggies or greens. If you can't find buttercup squash, you could use Kabocha or acorn.