Where Has the Time Gone?

If I were a teacher (oh, I actually am) and had to grade myself on blogging, I suspect that my grade would be less than a C for consistency or lack thereof. Each blog post might be an A or B but the lack of frequency would drag the grade down. With that said, and the self-flagellation out of the way, I can now tell you what I've been doing that's prevented me from blogging more often. (Listen for the excuses, if you read them, call me on them.)

As much as I'd like to say that I NEVER get ill, that's just not the case. I live in the world and sometimes those nasty germs and viruses get me, just like they do you. I take as many precautions as possibly but short of going the Howard Hughes route, I live in the world and as they say things happen.

In early March, I got hit with some stomach bug (from the one time that I ate outside the home) that I thought that I shook off through eating fermented foods, especially miso (South River is my favorite) and kombucha, rice and baked potatoes for the better part of a week. I was feeling better for a few days, and once again I ate at some potluck meals and wham -- I got knocked down again for close to another week. Back to rice, baked potato, miso, kombucha and home-fermented sauerkraut as tolerated. Finally started feeling better but a bit weak after the bodily assault. Throughout all of this I was writing and planning future classes. Luckily when I was teaching, I was feeling just fine. (Thank my lucky stars for that because teaching cooking when you feel lousy is just NO fun.)

I then went to Anaheim for the Natural Products Expo for just one day where I sampled my way through many products that I wouldn't necessarily consider "natural" but many that were. If you have any questions about the show, just ask me.

My favorite quinoa people from La Yapa quinoa from Bolivia where there. They call theirs, "Quinoa with a Cause", as they support education in Bolivia. I am pictured here with Tania, who is Bolivian. Check out their website. And while you're there, you can see my video on cooking quinoa in a pressure cooker.

Then I went to Oaxaca, Mexico for 6 days and all was well with the world. Saw some ruins, checked out Zapotec weavers, saw the Big Tree (any photos don't do it justice -- you have to just see it), went to markets, ate great food (stay tuned for posts and photos of the food) and then visited some friends of friends of friends and did what you shouldn't do - I drank the water because I saw it come out of a 5 gallon bottle. Trouble was that I didn't know where that bottle was filled, and with what. So, guess what? Traveling home the next day and wham -- sucker punched in the gut again, and there goes the eating for a number of days. Back to my regimen, which by then I had down pretty well.

Finally, I am feeling better and ready to get to work on food. I have a jar of cabbage, golden beets, green garlic, daikon radish tops, ginger, garlic and Oaxacan chipotle pepper fermenting on my counter top, inspired by the sprouting and fermenting class that I taught earlier this week. Once fermented (which will hopefully happen by mid-week next week) I plan to eat this regularly to help keep my gut healthy and resistant.

I have about a week to go and then I leave town again for Portland, Oregon and then Seattle. I am quite hopeful that I'll be able to drink the water and get back to blogging.

If you've got any wonderful stomach bug remedies, please share them in the comments below.

Life is for the Living and You'll Be A Long Time Dead

I know that this blog is about food but it's also about life and living it well. And despite the fact that I am a Registered Dietitian, writer and a host of other things (some of which I will not discuss), I may have missed my calling in the philosophy department. In all my years of school I did not take one philosophy class but somehow I manage to espouse my ideas almost daily.

The title of this post however is dedicated to my father who just passed away last week. Those were his words, and with that in mind, I'd like to share a little bit about my Dad, Bernie.

Bernie loved to eat, and when you look at photos of him over the years, you can tell when he really liked to eat food that was not very good for him, as he looked heavy. When he was in his 50s, he likely had a silent heart attack, confirmed later by doctors. He wanted to know what to do so my sister sent him Dr. Dean Ornish's first book on reversing heart disease.

My father was a voracious reader and a bit of a fanatic, so he followed Ornish's advice for quite some time. After doing so when he went back to the doctor, he'd managed to regrow capillaries to his heart. My Dad was also into exercise and used the Nordic Track like a madman for many years.

He'd often ask me for advice regarding what to eat and saw how I followed a vegetarian diet and leaned in that direction.

Luckily as he got older, he slowed down just a bit on the exercise and got a dog, a Boston terrier named Sweetie, that he walked daily until just a few months ago. He also mowed the lawn often, which was a lot of work on more than an acre of property.

After the Ornish plan, my Dad ate pretty well, including lots of fresh food, made by my mother who likes to cook and has a garden. A few years ago, I sent my father a copy of The China Study by Colin Campbell. He then adopted a vegan diet, and said that he felt better than ever. And that might have been true for awhile.

Last year he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. If his doctors had been paying attention, they would have likely caught the cancer earlier as my Dad's PSA level was elevated. He also had GI problems, caused by a hospital stay, and likely needed Vitamin B12 shots but didn't receive those either.

The moral of this story is as Sandy Lewis, MD, the cardiologist from Portland, who shared the Super Shuttle to the Denver airport as I left to go to the funeral, said, "No one gets out alive."

So, I encourage you to treat each day as if it could be your last. Find something to be grateful for, appreciate the people around you, and enjoy fresh food, clean air (if you've got it), nature, your pets, your work, and life in general. There are no bad days, just some are better than others. They all give perspective and a frame of reference.

When I'd ask my Dad how things were going, he'd usually say, "It's better than the alternative." When he stopped saying anything like that, I knew what was in store. The end isn't usually easy, so in the words of Jennifer Stone of KPFA radio, "Go easy. And if you can't go easy, go as easy as you can."

Bernie reminded his 3 daughters that life is not a popularity contest but that kindness, generosity and sharing wisdom all count. And I hope that what I've shared with you today has an impact in some way.

Smile, enjoy, live well -- it's the best revenge.

Organic Vegetables Help You Avoid Pesticide Residues

I don't spend a lot of time writing about buying organic but I honestly think that organic is better, especially if it means that you will be exposed to fewer, and less, pesticides. I believe that pesticides are at least incidentally responsible for the huge rise in all types of cancer in the U.S., and likely the world.

Anyone born before World War II did not suffer the pesticide exposure in their youth the way that any post-War babies (now grown-up people) did. The group most likely affected by pesticides are the "baby boomers" as pesticide use was in full swing by the time that they were born.

The 1960s counter-culture wanted a return to more natural processes and it was the rebirth of organic (which it hadn't really been called before because most things were grown naturally). Babies born after that time to highly conscious mothers had the chance for less pesticide exposure but the truth is that we've all been poisoned by pesticides (and let's not forget herbicides, fungicides, and all other cides -- destined to kill something) in the air and water, if not in your food.

But it's not all doom and gloom. You can find out which foods are highest in pesticide residue and avoid them whenever possible. Read this article by The Organic Center to learn which vegetables to avoid.

Here's the list of domestic vegetables with the highest pesticide residues:

1. Green beans
2. sweet bell peppers
3. celery
4. cucumbers
5. potatoes

If you want to learn more you can also take a look at The Environmental Working Group's recently released guide to pesticides and download it to your phone or print it out. It contains the Dirty Dozen (includes many fruits, too, just in time for stone fruit season, so pay attention) and the Clean Fifteen.

I urge you to buy more organic foods when possible but especially the vegetables that eat regularly. What you do most often will have the largest impact on your health.

Happy shopping. And whenever possible support your local farmers, they need it, and you need them. Without farmers, we wouldn't need farms. And then what would we eat?

Meeting the Rancho Gordo Big Bean Guy at Denver Airport

While snaking through the security line at Denver airport, I spotted Steve Sando of Rancho Gordo bean fame. Just about a week or so ago he was featured in the New York Times. And he still talks to me. That's impressive.

Steve was a presenter at the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) conference in Denver. He was nice enough to mention me during his bean presentation. I felt very special.

So imagine my surprise when I was standing at the Mexican food place in the airport on my way to my Southwest flight, when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I was intently studying the menu. "Are you trying to figure out the nutrition of this stuff?" Steve asked.

"No, I want to figure out what I might eat," I replied. Steve had already eaten and wanted some coffee. I wanted to check out my other options so we walked together. It turned out that the Mexican place seemed most appealing -- a better choice than bagels. So we circled around to the Mexican place again where Steve and I talked over my bean tostada with guacamole. It was small and tasty and just a bit spicier than I expected for an airport restaurant.

Steve said that his burrito was quite good. Now, that's like me saying that those vegetables get a B+ for their taste. Steve knows his Mexican food. In fact, as we talked he mentioned that he's now the Big Bean Guy because he's growing so many pounds of them (this has nothing to do with Steve's stature, so don't even go there).

It's almost futile to try to buy Steve's beans at this point because many of them are sold out (but check them out anyway because you never know). He'll have his next crop in the fall. But keep watching because Steve told me that since the Times article the bean farmers are coming out of the woodwork and he should be able to increase production for this year. That means in October or November there could be beans for sale.

Steve is also working with Mexican growers who according to Steve are "beyond organic" because they have to use natural methods for their crops due to lack of money. We talked about how beans are not a crop that is often bothered by a lot of pests. Probably too much work for pests who prefer to attack strawberries as an easy target.

In any case, it was special to share time with the "Big Bean Guy" at the Denver airport. Even though Steve only lives about an hour from my home, we've never had a chance to just chat for 40 minutes. You never know what might come your way --- some heirloom beans would be great. And if you've never had them, there's always later in the year.

Watch for my guest nutrition blog post on Steve's site soon. The preview: beans are very good for you, and for Steve, too.

Eating Elite or Making Choices

I am about to take off on a flight to Denver to go to the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference, so perhaps it is fitting that I have a bag of food with me. Truth is that I would have a bag of food on any flight of more than 2 hours.

Here's what I have with me today:

• hummus, store bought
• Mary's Gone crackers
• dried silky sea palm
• dried fruit
• an apple
• cooked quinoa
• cooked broccoli
• toasted Judy's breadstick with avocado and my homegrown sprouts

Now, I have no fear of not having enough to eat. Since I left at 6 a.m. and had to skip breakfast, which for me is a big deal, I wanted to be sure that I had both my breakfast and lunch. I will also use some of this food to keep me feeling good during the conference.

I don't know about you and traveling but generally I don't get enough fluid or fiber. The dried fruit will take care of that. It's up to me to stay hydrated.

Do I consider the food that I packed to be elitist? NO. I consider my food, good choices, especially compared to most airport fare.

So, go for real food. Do a little planning and don't give up your regular eating routine unless you must or choose to do so. Healthier eating is not elitist, it's wise.

My plane just arrived at the gate, which means I'm going to eat something before boarding.

Back to The Vegetables -- Shaping Your Plate

A conversation with Sarah Martel of Health Transitions helped me figure out the best way to tell you how to eat. I am an intuitive person and eater. I can muddle through almost anything by trusting my gut.

But I know that not everyone can do this. As I explained to Sarah how I've been unable to articulate my healthier way of eating, she told me that she's simplified it. She tells people that we are made up of 70% water, so if you eat 70% of the watery, less concentrated, foods such as vegetables and fruit, and 30% of the other food such as beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains and other dense foods, that it works out just right.

So yesterday when I put my cooked red rice into "my bowl" (yes, I try to eat out of one special, beautiful ceramic bowl), I realized that I clearly put in too much. I took half of it out, leaving about 3/4 cup, and then added my tofu and many vegetables equaling about 2 cups (leftover from my Winter Vegetables Beyond Broccoli class the prior night), and topped it with curried cashew creme sauce. That was breakfast. And I felt satisfied for hours.

So, whether it's your plate or bowl, take a look and determine if you've got the best proportion of food on it? Is it close to the 70/30 ratio that Sarah mentioned? If not, I'd suggest that you work toward that. It takes practice and sometimes things get out of whack but luckily, there is always the next meal or snack. And snacks, well that's another story (or blog post). Be on the lookout for kale chips two ways.

First Ever Pressure Cooking Radio Show -- Save Money, Cook Fast

Steve Garner, The Veggie Queen, John Ash

Recently, I was the guest on KSRO's Good Food Hour, the longest running food show in California. It's been on for 22 years.

I was the first for a couple of things:

1. Show on pressure cooking in their history


2. Live on-air pressure cooking

I think that the time is ripe for people to invest in a great new (old fashioned but improved technology) way to cook. It has all the elements that make it work: it's energy efficient, it doesn't require great cooking skills, the food comes out delicious and nutritious, it's fast, and you can easily turn $2 worth of ingredients into an amazing pot of soup. Add another dollar or two and you can have stew.

I prepared Shane's Fabulous Lentil Soup and my soon-to-be-famous Market Fresh Breakfast Potatoes, Tofu and Vegetables (with Small Planet Tofu) right at Bassagnani's, where people stopped by for samples.

As you can see from the set-up, I didn't have much room for cooking. But I had a great time with Steve Garner and John Ash. They called the photo that we had taken of the 3 of us, "A Rose Between 2 Thorns". I wouldn't quite put it that way since John and Steve are great guys. I thank them for thinking of me and putting me on the air to cook under pressure. It was great fun.

My only lament is that they don't have it recorded for download. Maybe next time that will happen, and there may be far less pressure.

The Road to Dietary Salvation is Dotted with Vegetables

This past week a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine revealed that it's not low carb, low fat, low-anything else that helps people lose weight and keep it off, but it's eating fewer calories.

Many of you might not know this but at least 3 times in my adult life I have had to lose a significant amount (I am small so I won't share the number but it's been about 15% of my body weight). I did it by paying attention to what I put in my mouth and eating as many vegetables as I could. And you know that I really like vegetables so...

In my opinion (and by this time if you've read previous posts you know that I absolutely have one), the easiest way to eat fewer calories is by filling yourself up with vegetables and other plant-foods. I put vegetables first because you can eat almost unlimited amounts of the more watery or dense green vegetables such as (I'll start with those in season here in Northern CA) greens, think collards, Swiss chard, kale, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, turnips, onions, leeks and garlic, and then the warmer weather vegetables such as summer squash, cucumber, tomatoes, eggplant, radishes and many more.

The vegetables that are still good for you but present issues due to their higher caloric nature are potatoes, carrots, parsnips, corn, peas and winter squash. There are some that fall between these categories. Beets and celery root are the only two that come to mind.

As for the other plant foods such as beans and grains, the beans will give you more bang for your buck and fewer calories, depending upon how many you eat. In-season fruit is wonderful, in moderation. This time of year in the Northern hemisphere in the U.S. we don't have an issue with this as we are in "apple-pear-citrus" season so the temptations are few.

My message is not something new for me and not something that I've studied for endless hours. I know that it works because I practice it myself. I eat lots of food and I maintain my weight. I eat salad almost every day. My husband now does this, too. And not just a small amount but at least 3 cups each with dinner. See how you can squeeze in extra vegetables such as those sprouts that I've been raving about for a while now. Add greens to your cooked vegetables. Shoot for eating a bunch or two or three a week.

I don't have any magic and I'm not going to give up my vegetable evangelism. I've now shared my story on the road to salvation. I hope that you'll come along.

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More on Healthy Eating, Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

I am thankful that I have my husband Rick to teach me new tricks, or is it the other way around? If I didn't have him, I'd have to rely on my dog as the subject for many of my stories. And when it comes to eating habits there's not much to learn from my dog. He pretty much eats the same dry food every day, except sometimes I remember to put the flax oil, ground flax and/or seaweed sprinkles on his dry kibble. Otherwise, nothing new there. But for the husband, on the other hand, there's often progress toward healthier eating, even if it's in baby steps.

My husband has always asked for flour tortillas - the white kind, very pliable, can be rolled well and have plenty of fat. I have managed to switch him to the organic olive oil brown type that they carry at Trader Joe's. It turns out, though, that when I bothered to read the label, they weren't really much different than the white organic type, or than the regular flour ones. I've tried buying the healthier white tortillas, made by a number of different companies, but my husband complains, something that the dog rarely does. (And if he does, I am able to ignore him.)

I prefer corn tortillas. My favorites are Food For Life sprouted organic corn tortillas and also locally produced hand made organic corn tortillas, which I buy at the farmer's market. I like the latter so much that I was reluctant to share them. But one day my husband saw me eating some yummy looking soft taco, with one of my mish-mash fillings containing vegetables (think tempeh and broccoli or sprouted garbanzos, onion and potato), and asked for a bite. After that he told me that he liked those tortillas and would eat them instead of the flour type, although one cannot make burritos with corn tortillas.

I also eat Alvarado Street Bakery sprouted wheat tortillas, Food for Life Ezekiel tortillas or some other dark version but my husband flat out rejects them. So I still buy the others that he likes when it's burrito time. Now the problem is that I have to share the oh-so-delicious corn tortillas (at $5 per dozen) with him. But in the interest of his health, I am happy to do so, at least most of the time. At least I don't have to share all my great finds with the dog.

Match Meat Crab Substitute a Hit with The Veggie Queen's Cooking Class

A while ago I got samples of "fake meat" from Match Meat in St. Louis. I was a bit freaked out when the UPS man dropped off a large box with a picture of a pig on it, reading BBQ. I wasn't sure what to think. I had completely forgotten that I was going to get Match "meat".

I had spoken to Allison Burgess, the owner and founder, of the Match(TM) about her vision and what Match (TM) was all about. She sees it as a way to get meat eaters to eat less meat, thereby saving animals' lives. And if my class is at all typical of most meat eaters, she's got a hit with her product, especially the "crab". All I did with it was form it into patties, sprinkled with a bit of Old Bay seasoning, and pan saute them in a bit of pure olive oil.

If I'd had more time I would have made more traditional "crab cakes" but I was in a hurry. When asked which of the foods the students in my class last night liked best, a significant number responded by saying, "The crab." I was quite surprised.
They had many foods to choose from: chicken Match meat saute, tempeh 3 ways, quinoa pilaf, millet with mushrooms, sauteed greens, chocolate mousse, Thai tapioca and brownie cookies, plus an impromptu dish of Mexican stir-in (another meat sub).

I hope that Allison is successful in her quest because it will help people with their health, and benefit the planet. If you live in the St. Louis area, you can purchase a variety of Match meat at retail and in a whole host of restaurants. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, eating this kind of "crab" won't make you crabby.

John Ash Encourages Sprouting and So Does The Veggie Queen

If you read my previous post you know that I had the privilege of taking a cooking class with John Ash. The most amazing part of the class for me was when John talked about sprouting arising from his hippie days.

I have known John about 20 years and I just can't imagine John as a hippie. I'd have to see the pics to believe it. But I did see his sprouter from those days, and it is very cute. He said that he's had it for many years but it was in just fine shape. They sell a similar one on Amazon for $10.95.

John also encouraged people to sprout with the simple method: quart glass Mason jar, cheesecloth and a rubber band. I have used that method often but sometimes substitute a paper towel for the cheesecloth. I also have a green plastic sprouting lid and a wire mesh lid that fits into a quart jar ring.

I tried my green plastic lid most recently, inspired by Ash who encouraged everyone to go out the next day, Saturday, and start sprouting. He brought his "home-grown" fenugreek sprouts to the class in their sprouter. It was a touching moment.

John also talked about how he's not a gardener and how sprouting fulfills that desire to grow something. That's just my style, too. I had no idea we had that in common.

I was remiss in following Chef Ash's directions to start the next day, as I started sprouting on Sunday, not Saturday, by soaking some French green lentils, along with broccoli, radish and mustard seeds, in a quart jar with my new, green sprouting lid. I found that the holes in the plastic lid made pouring the water out a bit more difficult. I also removed the lid to add water to do the twice a day rinsing.

By day 3, the sprouts seemed ready so I took them out of my kitchen cupboard, where they had lived upside down in a bowl, and put them near a light-filled window so that they could get cholorphylled up, and get green.

This morning I had a half-full quart jar of my own beautiful sprouts. I have been sprouting for possibly as many years as John but I'm not sure as he is a bit older than I. I can tell that having,and growing, sprouts satisfies some deep needs for each of us.

And now, on to the next batch -- I have a 1 pound bag of spicy mix so I had better get to it. Might throw in some red quinoa, just for kicks. Oh, the possibilities are almost endless.

Growing sprouts is very exciting and provides almost immediate gratification, if you can wait a few days. It's hard to realize that each bean, seed or nut actually contains the energy of an entire plant that will yield many more. Give it a try.

A photo will appear as soon as I learn how to use my new camera.

10 Things that The Veggie Queen and John Ash have in Common

I was going to write a post specifically about 1 subject when it dawned on me that John Ash and I share a number of characteristics which I wanted to share with you. Not quite as interesting as Letterman but...

Here goes:

1. Our names start with the same letter
2. We both live in Sonoma County -- Santa Rosa to be exact
3. We're writers
4. We encourage people to use local ingredients
5. We're each cooks and not bakers or gardeners
6. We're each irreverent when we teach and love to share stories
7. We've shared the same behind-the-scenes person, who we both adore
8. We support local and encourage others to do the same
9. We encourage farming without poisons, or the Cide sisters as John refers to them (pesticide, fungicide and herbicide)
10. We've both been sprouting in our kitchens for many years

And it's the last one that I will really post about next time. So, be on the lookout for more about sprouting.

The 'Veggie Queen Finds All Kinds of Tea at New Mexico Tea Company

I just wrote about tea for Vegan Culinary Experience online magazine but somehow I didn't know about New Mexico Tea Company when I wrote the story. They contacted me on Twitter about their rooibos tea with vanilla and blood orange. And I am looking forward to trying it.

If you've read this blog, you know that I am a big tea advocate so I am drooling a bit, into my tea cup, as I look at the New Mexico Tea company website. Heck, if I had put a link to the site in my story, I wouldn't have had to write anything at all about tea -- it's all on there. From white to green, black and oolong to Pu-erh plus 41 herbal tisanes, which are more up my alley.

If you're into tea and don't have a wonderful tea shop, like I do here in Sonoma County at Infusions in Sebastopol, then check out New Mexico Tea Company online or next time you are in Albuquerque. I can honestly say that I have not yet tried their products but love the way that they have divided up the tisanes into categories, including medicinal.

Remember that plants are your best medicine, so get them everyday. Tea certainly makes the grade and will enhance your life if you give it a chance.

The Veggie Queen's Healthy Resolutions 2009

I'll start by saying that I don't make resolutions, I set goals. Here are the goals that I am suggesting that people adopt for 2009. They are all related to health but not necessarily eating because we are not only about what we put in our mouths (even though sometimes it seems that way).

1. Give Up Bottled Drinks to Save the Planet and Your Waistline

The only thing that I drink in a bottle is the water that I put in it. While this doesn't make me perfect (darn), it helps me maintain a healthy weight and I feel good about not contributing to the massive number of bottles going into the waste stream. I am also not consuming the extra calories from sweetened drinks. The current estimate is that Americans are getting one-third of their calories from drinks. That fact amazes me. So switch to water, and put it in your stainless steel or glass bottle. Or make your own tea and put it in there. At home or work, drink tea or Teecino. One cup of coffee a day is probably OK (but not for me).

NOTE: According to my RD friend and colleague, Jeff Novick, MS, RD, LD/N, the 1/3 of calories may be an overestimate. Jeff says that it could be anywhere from 250 to possibly 600 calories a day consumed from drinks. Just one 12 ounce soda, and most these days are in the 16 to 24+ ounce range, has 140 high fructose corn syrup calories. You can do the math.

2. Pay Attention to What you Put in Your Mouth, and Forget the Diets

In a few weeks I will be presenting a program called Diets Don't Work. I truly believe this. I also believe that we are all different, and that what works for me, not might work for you. I can tell you, though, that choosing unprocessed food is always the best choice. Since life isn't perfect, sometimes you'll have to make choices other than the best ones. In those cases, do the best that you can. Planning helps a lot. I notice that I tend to eat whatever is in the house. So, pay attention to what you buy on a regular basis. You know that I am always going to recommend that you have lots of vegetables around -- fresh or frozen are best, except for corn and tomatoes, in which case canned is OK.

3. Change Your Attitude (if and when you need to)

What you think about what happens is your only reality. If you think something is bad, or you cheated, or ___________ (fill in the blank), that's how it is. Take a deep breath and step back to assess the situation. I often realize that things could often be worse. And I told myself this even when everything was wiped off my hard drive on my computer (twice last year). If your glass is half-empty, get a new glass or a new way of looking at your glass. We are all lucky, just not every day. My favorite saying, "Things always work out, they just don't always work out the way that you thought that they would."

4. Learn to stretch

I do yoga on a regular basis. The stretching that I am referring to has to do with both my mind and my body. Even if you start by devoting just 5 minutes a day to warming up your muscles and giving your back a good stretch, you will benefit. After 13 years of doing yoga every week, my back is in pretty good shape, and when it gets out of alignment, a good twist will often get things back to "normal" (eliminating a trip to the chiropractor). So, really the recommendation, is change your "normal" so that it includes stretching every day.

5. Move, Learn, Love and Laugh More

Very few people exercise too much so if you can squeeze in a little more movement, do it. But don't fall into the trap of saying, "I worked out so now I can eat ice cream, cookies, have a beer, or ??" That doesn't work. You're not fooling your body.

Learn something new as often as you can by reading, listening, watching and interacting with others. The interaction is good no matter how you get it but if you're just sitting at the computer, it can be a pain in the butt. Live interaction is good.

They say that the people who live the longest after chronic illness such as heart disease are the ones who have the best support systems. So, connect with other people in whatever way you can. There are a few older men that I see at the farmer's market twice a week. I know that they go there as much to socialize as to shop. And that's good. I always stop and say hello and have a conversation if I have the time. (Now I know why a trip there takes so darned long, it's all those men...) Appreciate the people in your life, have gratitude for what you've got and spread the love.

I almost forgot laughter but I believe it may be the best medicine since it's free and you decide whether or not to take it. Figure out what makes you laugh and find it. Read jokes, comic strips (Dan Piraro is not only a nice guy but a vegan artist who writes the strip Bizarro. Many of those make me laugh.), movies, watch comedy, listen to my friend Jeff Novick give one of his nutrition presentations, laugh at yourself, watch You Tube videos -- or whatever gets your funny bone twitching. I always feel better after I laugh, especially at myself or from a funny movie (sight gags really get me). Whoop it up today.

For more specific eating tips, check out this newsletter by friend and fellow dietitian and health coach Kathy Nichols.

I hope that your 2009 got off to a great start, if not start over.

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Never Too Much Cinnamon for Me

When I eat my special morning cereal, made in the pressure cooker in 3 minutes at pressure, I always add a cinnamon stick during cooking. When it's done, I and then top the bowl with powdered cinnamon; using the word sprinkle hardly describes it. It helps with my blood sugar and I adore the taste.

My son used to chew on cinnamon sticks when he was younger and I let him. I guess that he inherited the cinnamon gene. My husband doesn't comment on it and rarely eats it. To each their own.

Once I mistakenly grabbed cinnamon instead of pizza spice when making pizza and the cinnamon sugar pizza was born in my house. Like cinnamon toast but even better, on the crunchy thin crust. It became one of my son's favorite meals, although I didn't make it often.

This post by Talli sums up cinnamon and its health benefits. I think that the best reason to eat it is because it tastes so good.

Millet on My Mind, Gluten-Free and Yummy, Too

Just recently I posted about millet on my pressure cooking blog. My colleague Robin Asbell wrote an article for Mother Earth News about millet.

Read these 2 pieces and then get some millet onto your plates or in your bowls. While quinoa is one of my gluten-free favorite grains, the price now hovers around $4 a pound. Millet is still in the $1 per pound range and you can't beat that.

Millet is wonderful served savory or sweet and goes well with many herbs and spices. I would, of course, veganize Robin's wonderful recipes, except for the Sunshine Millet Porridge with Apricots and Carrots which sounds wonderful as is.

When you want to eat healthy, hearty, highly digestible whole grains, put millet on your list.

Getting and Staying Hydrated in the Winter with Tea

I cooked myself a delicious lunch today of onions, blue potatoes, red pepper, garlic, spicy tempeh and greens. I ate quite a bit and felt satisfied but it was a late lunch, around 2 p.m. After I ate, I realized that I hadn't even finished my morning cup of tea.

A couple of hours after eating, I thought that I was hungry and was tempted to eat the rest of my delicious tempeh lunch dish when I realized that I had only had 1 cup of tea (it's a giant 24 ounce cup) all day. I thought that maybe if I had another cup of tea, my hunger would subside.

Often, instead of drinking and getting hydrated, we reach for food. So, following my own best advice, I am now drinking a cup of Rooibos (red bush) and lemongrass tea. And it is very satisfying.

I drink a lot of tea in the winter, and my tea choices change according to my mood and health. I consume a lot more medicinal teas in the winter than any other time of year. I also think that it's easy to not notice when you are thirsty in the winter, although indoor heat is drying.

Having just turned on our heat for the first time just days ago, I had forgotten about the drying effect of heat, and now remember how easy it is to get dehydrated when it's cooler out. Hot tea can also be warming, especially if your fingers are cold and you hold the cup.

Discover your favorite teas or hot drinks, such as Teecino, and make yourself many cups all winter. If you'd like to know my absolute favorite winter time drinks, leave me a comment.

Take the Stress Out of Daily Vegetable and Vegan Cooking

I tell you, I love to talk food, nutrition and health no matter what time of day it is and pretty much wherever I happen to be (which is often somewhere food related). Yesterday I was out walking my dog just before 7 a.m. when I ran into someone that I know, a former cooking class student. She no longer walks because of a bad knee or foot, or something, so she rides her bike. First we discussed the importance of keeping moving and how important exercise is for health. And then the subject turned to eating.

E. told me that she has fallen off the healthy eating wagon and feels as if it takes a lot of time to prep all the vegetables and cook all the brown rice and other things. I told her that when I am home and cook every week night, that we end up with enough food for a week and a half. So I don't actually cook everyday.

In fact, my goal when cooking is to make enough so that it lasts for a number of days (usually 3 or 4) with some to freeze. Right now, I am pressure cooking a pot of brown rice that will easily make 4 to 6 servings, depending upon how hungry I am and if my family wants it.

My husband grew up a "white bread" kind of guy but over the years he has changed his habits some but not completely. Given a choice and without thinking, which is how most people react with food, he will almost always choose the white product over the brown. This doesn't happen much at home because there just aren't always those white options.

But back to the cooking... Literally my timer just beeped to remind me that I was baking sweet potatoes -- 2 pounds of them. You see, I don't just make food for 1 meal since it doesn't make sense. I don't mind eating some of the same foods again in a day or two. I mostly make all the foods that I enjoy eating so whether it's sweet potatoes and brown rice, or quinoa and black beans or blanching vegetables, I almost always make more than I can eat.

And then I just pretend that someone cooked for me when I pull the food out of the refrigerator or defrost it from its hiding place in the freezer. When I shared that with E. I could see the sparkle in her eyes.

"I hope that I inspired you," I said. "Oh, you did," she told me.

And I hope that I can do the same for you. The easiest way to eat more vegetables, whole grains, beans and other whole foods is to make them easy to eat. That means cooking them in advance and enjoying them when you want them.

If you wait until you're hungry and/or tired, it's just too late.

Here's to happy cooking, and a healthy holiday season. Get started cooking now.

I have to go so I can enjoy my first servings of sweet potatoes, brown rice and greens, which I will likely have again, either for Thanksgiving or the following day.

Quinoa Shines in the New York Times but I am The Quinoa Queen

I usually wear a large button on my chef's jacket that reads, "What's Quinoa?" And I have to say that I am probably responsible for teaching hundreds, if not thousands, of people how to cook quinoa. So, I heard that one of my favorite cookbook authors, Martha Rose Shulman, had an article in the New York Times about quinoa. I completely admire Martha for writing about quinoa but I don't think that her recipe is the best way to cook the grain. She likes to cook it in a lot of water and then drain it. I prefer to put in the right amount of water to start and keep all the nutrition in the grain. The recipe is featured in my cookbook The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment.

And it is a highly digestible grain packed with nutrients, especially protein. If you eat quinoa, you will feel great. Or at least I do.

Find the article on the New York Times website from November 3, 2008. I'd put the URL in for you but I am having a bad computer day so you have to look for yourself.

I have recently posted a You Tube video of me showing you how to pressure cook quinoa -- 5 minutes at pressure. It will hopefully keep me reigning as The Quinoa Queen.

My Japanese Food Week with Natto and Shoyu

As if using fresh yuba (the soybean skin) in my cooking wasn't exciting enough for me, I got an invitation from one of my former students who is Japanese to try natto, a traditionally fermented soybean product. I have mentioned before, or at least I think that I have, that eating fermented foods is a good thing.

And I may have even possibly posted about trying natto once before. I said that it was right up there with one of the 10 most disgusting foods that I have ever had. Well, I need to rescind my comment on natto. I tried frozen natto and it was beyond gross and smelly.

The natto that I tried today, produced here in the United States, just 10 minutes from where I live, in Sonoma County, is a very different food product. It doesn't have a ton of flavor and certainly not one that I would consider disgusting. I must point out that the texture is certainly not something most Americans are used to, as it is a bit gummy. I was told that the stickiness contains that nattokinase which is the beneficial part of the natto. The soybeans used in this natto are non-GMO beans from North Dakota that are not like any soybean that I have ever seen or used, they are much smaller.

Traditionally natto is eaten daily on top of rice with shoyu and mustard or wasabi, often for breakfast. I tried my natto with some shoyu and ate it on a lettuce leaf. It was delicious and a most interesting appetizer -- very fresh.

This brings me to shoyu -- I happened to be at http://www.gourmet-natto.com/ when there were some Japanese visitors who own a shoyu plant in Japan. I left with a small bottle of 2 year old shoyu, made without water. This is not what we usually see here in the US, unless you spend more money on your soy sauce, which I occasionally do. I actually use tamari, not soy sauce, since I know that it's usually a higher quality than the brown stuff in bottles.

I met with Minami and Shun and it was a great pleasure. I learned more about Japanese foods in one short visit with them than I had anticipated. I cannot wait to have my students try natto to see what they think. And I may have to take a trip to San Francisco to get some special Japanese products. Minami told me that he knows one of the best tofu makers in Japan. Perhaps I should just resurrect my idea of the Tofu Tour to Japan. Are you interested? Let me know by posting a comment here.