This article was brought to my attention this week from the American Chronicle website.

Some notable points from the article:


"Smithfield Foods, the world´s largest pork producer, says its hog-raising costs have increased more than 20 percent in the past year, largely because of the high cost of feed. Meat-eaters can expect to foot the bill by paying higher pork prices."


"Some of the most versatile vegan foods—including beans, rice, vegetables, soy products and pasta—cost relatively little compared to animal products."


"According to a 2007 MSN MoneyCentral article, the cheapest cuts of beef, such as ground round, average $3 per pound; boneless chicken breasts cost $3.40 a pound; and canned tuna costs around $2 per pound. In comparison, dried beans and lentils cost less than $1 a pound, and rice is cheaper than $1 a pound. Tofu usually costs less than $2 per pound."


Sometimes eating vegan can be more expensive, if you are used to shelling out a buck for a McDonald's double cheeseburger and calling that a "meal".  But a home-cooked, vegetarian meal made from fresh, organic produce is healthier by far, and will save on your medical bills in the long-run! 



One of our favorite meals that is extremely inexpensive is sloppy joes.  We buy the Fantastic Foods brand box mix ($1.99), add oil, water, and tomato paste, and VOILA, you have dinner!  Place on a bun ($.60 at the bread outlet) with a slice of onion or tomato (free from your organic garden, a buck from the store), and you've got dinner for about three or four bucks!  If you're feeling spendy, add a can of baked beans on the side. 

Here's a great recipe from the Food Network for when you are tired of chicken, want something different, but don't have forever to spend in the kitchen.  We had this last night, and it was great!  If you serve it with a salad or steamed veggie, you are set for dinner!


2 large sweet-tart apples, such as Fuji or Braeburn, sliced
1 large bulb fennel, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fronds for garnish
1 large red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons cider vinegarPosition racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 475°F.

Toss apples, sliced fennel and onion with 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast on the lower oven rack, stirring twice, until tender and golden, 30 to 35 minutes.

About 10 minutes after the apple mixture goes into the oven, sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the pork on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the pork over and transfer the pan to the top oven rack. Roast until just barely pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 12 to 14 minutes.

Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Immediately stir vinegar into the pan (be careful, the handle will be hot), scraping up any browned bits, then add to the apple mixture. Thinly slice the pork; serve with the apple mixture and sprinkle with fennel fronds.  Cheers!

I have been a subscriber to Vegetarian Times magazine for a little over a year now.  I enjoy reading through the articles and browsing the recipes, but overall it is only mediocre, in my humble opinion.

The magazine is geared toward vegetarians of all kinds, which means that only some of the recipes are vegan-friendly.  The articles cover a range of topics beyond just food (environmental issues, for example). 

But the main reason I subscribed originally was for the recipes.  I enjoy trying new recipes on a regular basis, so I am always searching for ideas.

This month, a section on tofu caught my eye, with a vegan recipe for Grilled Sesame-Tofu Skewers With Ginger Peanut Sauce.

This recipe was photographed and looked pretty darn scrumptious, so I was eager to try it.  My first issue was with finding SMOKED TOFU.  I tried traditional grocers as well as my local co-op, with no luck.  I assume an Asian market might carry this, but I did not have time to find out.  Plain tofu was substituted.

I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand except for orange juice (for the marinade), so I was extra excited (I am cheap, by nature, so I hate trying recipes that call for a dozen ingredients I do not have). 

To go with this, we decided to make fried rice.  (Fried rice is a favorite of my son!)  I prepared the marinade ahead of time and let the tofu cubes soak in it.  I also steamed the rice ahead of time.  This made it much easier for my husband to throw dinner together last night while I was at school. 

It took him about 15 minutes to assemble and prepare the tofu skewers and fried rice, and here was the end result:


Unfortunately, none of us were impressed with the flavor of the tofu or the dipping sauce.  Granted, I didn't use smoked tofu, so who knows if that would have made much difference.  It was just OK in our estimation, so none of it went to waste, but it certainly isn't something I plan to make again.

I will probably keep my subscription to Vegetarian Times, but to be honest, I rarely make use of the recipes in it.

* Your comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated!  Be sure to read ChaCha's other food blogs (link available on right side of page) for great recipes and suggestions for healthy, organic cooking! 

Happy New Year everyone! As I was preparing dinner for my family last night, I noticed how low fat this recipe was, so I decided to share this with you. I love to make these. It is a bit costly for the crab, $25 a pound, but it was a special occasion. It is also a bit high in cholesterol too, but this is something I only make a few times a year.



Stuffed Mushrooms with Crab. It is so simple to make.

• 1 16 oz can of Phillips Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
• 1 tbs margarine
• 1/2 cup red peppers, chopped small
• 1/2 cup green peppers, chopped small
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped small
• 2 packages of fresh white mushrooms, large.
• 8 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

Saute scallions and peppers in margarine, until soft. Toss in Crab meat. Do not over mix. You don't want to break up the crab to much. Let it simmer for a few minutes so the flavors blend. I then take away from heat and elevate one side of the pan so the excess margarine runs out. Next, scoop about a tablespoon into each mushroom caps. Pour the excess margarine in the bottom of a baking dish. Place the mushrooms in the baking dish, sprinkle with cheddar cheese. If you have a favorite cheese use that. You don't have to be fussy. Bake in oven, uncovered, 350F, for about 30 minutes. If you don't like mushrooms place the mixture in single serving baking dishes and sprinkle with cheese. Tastes delicious!

According to the Nutrition Facts, on the can of crab, a serving is 2 oz or 1/3 cup. Calories per serving is 45, zero from fat. Total fat 0, Cholesterol 65mg, Sodium 220mg, Total Carbs 0, Protein 11 grams. Depending on what you add, this will change. I like to use a low fat no cholesterol margarine.  You can use a low fat cheese also. I like Cracker Barrel Cheddar Cheese made with 2% milk.

Todays menu, in my house, consists of left over Shrimp Bisque (not good for you) and our traditional Pork and Sauerkraut (better for you, more so than the bisque). Pork and Sauerkraut on New Years Day is suppose to bring you luck for the new year. This is also easy to throw together. I use sauerkraut from a bag, so much better than canned, and country style spareribs. I saute a medium sized onion in about 2 tbs of margarine, then I add a bag of kraut then the ribs, then another bag of kraut over that. I season with some pepper and let it simmer on my stove top for about 3 hours. You can cook up potatoes with this also. I leave them out. I just don't like them. I hope everyone has a healthy and wonderful 2008. Enjoy!

Casseroles are probably one of my favorite things to make~delicious as well as an easy and quick family dinner!  By making the healthy choice and opting for a vegan casserole, you're one step closer to healthy eating.

I found some tasty-looking recipes online, please leave a comment if you try one out or have suggestions for making it better!

Vegan Cheesy Macaroni Casserole (from About.com)
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/3 cup flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1 4 ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups macaroni, cooked

PREPARATION:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the nutritional yeast and the flour in a saucepan. Place the mixture over low heat, stirring until lightly toasted.

Slowly add the broth, stirring to make a thick batter.

Add water 1/4 cup at a time until the sauce is smooth and slightly thick. Add the remaining ingredients, except the macaroni and stir well.

Place the cooked macaroni in a casserole dish and stir in the sauce.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until sauce bubbles.  


Mexican Lasagna (or Enchilada Casserole)
(thanks to Susan Jackson at the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen)
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 large green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
corn tortillas--at least 12
3 cups (28 ounces) fatfree refried beans
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. chili powder, divided
1/2 tsp. cumin, divided
3 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa
1 can enchilada sauce (or 1 1/2 cups homemade)
sliced black olives

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a non-stick pan with a little water (1 tbsp.), sauté the peppers, garlic, and onion for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Set aside.

Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the bottom with a layer of tortillas (you may cut some of them to fit). Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan.

Stir the refried beans and spread half of them evenly over the tortillas. Cover the refried beans with half of the pepper-onion mixture and half of the tomatoes; sprinkle with half of the seasonings and half of the black beans.

Add another layer of tortillas and repeat the layers of the other ingredients. Spread the cup of salsa over the final layer of black beans. Cover with a final layer of tortillas, pour the enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with black olives. Cover and bake for about 30 minutes or until hot throughout. It will be easier to cut if you allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.


Vegan Mexican Stew (from All Recipes)
INGREDIENTS:
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 1/2 cups water
4 cubes vegetable bouillon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned salt
1 (29 ounce) can hominy, drained
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:
Place the potatoes, carrots, and celery in a pot with enough lightly salted water to cover, and bring to a boil. Cook about 10 minutes, until slightly tender. Drain, and set aside.
Place the 4 1/2 cups water and vegetable bouillon cubes in a pot. Bring to a boil, and cook until bouillon cubes have dissolved. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Saute the onion and garlic until tender. Season with chili powder, cumin, and seasoned salt. Mix in the potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir about 2 minutes, until heated through. Mix in the water and dissolved bouillon cube mixture, hominy, and diced tomatoes with green chiles. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Now doesn't that sound YUMMY?  Doing a stir fry is one of the healthiest and easiest meals you could possibly try. It's a great quick family dinner!  Check out this how-to video I found on You Tube:





And remember.......this is just for a plain veggie stir fry. Make it a healthy recipe by using organic vegetables.  If you're not so much into the whole "vegetarian" thing, you can still enjoy a healthy meal by adding organic chicken or beef.  Try it out and let me know what you think!

The most wonderful time of the year?

Not so for everyone.  Although I'm one of those people who begin looking forward to the next Christmas season the day after this Christmas, not everyone concurs.

Some find the holiday season to be one of the most stressful times of the entire year.  Why so?  Perhaps work gets busier, finances get leaner, bills stack higher, family visits more often...who knows?

But according to an article at www.usatoday.com, studies suggest that high levels of stress can lead to obesity and trigger a raft of diseases- from heart attacks to ulcers.  These and other stress-related diseases sicken millions of people each year in the USA, says brain researcher Bruce McEwen at the Rockefeller University in New York.

So, while your eating Christmas cookies and all the trimmings of a Christmas dinner, try not to stress about it-doubling your chances of gaining weight over the holiday season. 

January 1 brings a brand new year.  We get to start over.  New beginnings are a wonderful opportunity to welcome change.  Make a list of ways to improve your health this coming new year.  Start by taking every available opportunity to 'chill.'

Merry Christmas, and have a safe, happy, and prosperous New Year!

Why eat locally produced foods? Well, eating them not only eliminates much of the environmental impact of shipping foods long distances but also allows you to have fresher choices when it comes to your dinner. Local foods are more plentiful in nutrients and have a greater taste due to being very fresh. Also, by purchasing these foods you in turn help out your local economy, keeping money within your community.  However, finding locally produced foods is often quite a chore as many large grocery stores do not carry them.

It doesn't have to be that difficult though. There are a number of resources out there that will ease your search for local foods.  One of my favorites, due to ease of use and prolific content, is a site called Local Harvest. You can input your city and state, and, through the magic of the internet, the site will pull up all the various family farms, food cooperatives, farmer's markets, and other businesses which provide sustainable, organic foods grown locally. There is a map displayed with all the businesses marked so you can see what is closest to your location.

Other sites that can help you for local eating adventures include:

Soil Association (UK) - Although based out of the UK, the Soil Association provides myriad tidbits of knowledge regarding eating locally and its importance.

Food Routes - Do you know how far your food travels before it reaches your table?

Organic Consumers Association - Lots of news and general information regarding organic, sustainable, and local living.

Here’s my first recipe for this blog.  It’s simple but tasty.

Oyster Stew

4 tbsp butter
1 qt raw oysters
1 1/2 qts milk
1 1/2 tps salt
few grains pepper

Melt butter in deep saucepan.  Stir until smooth.  Add oysters and oyster liquor; cook over low heat until edges of oysters curl.  Add milk salt and pepper; heat thoroughly but do not boil.
(6 servings)

I’ve never met anyone else whose family embraces this particular tradition but mine.  Every Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember and as long as my mother can remember, members of the Fear clan – that’s Mom’s maiden name – have gathered around the table and feasted on oyster stew.  At least in my memory this dinner has also included fancy crackers, fine cheeses and slices of various sausages but the stew is always the star.

I’ve quizzed Mom about this and she doesn’t know where the tradition started.  Putting oysters in milk seems like an Irish sort of thing to me but she said that it came from her father’s family which is German and English.  So I guess we’ll blame the English.

The funny thing about this recipe is that it’s far too simple to survive me.  I can never leave well enough alone.  I’d have to add beef bullion and hot sauce or coconut milk and lemon grass or basil leaves and tomato chunks.  Fortunately for my family the tradition has taken a turn over the last few years that protects the stew from such heretical onslaughts.

It’s easy to imagine that this particular dish, with its warm creamy liquid and grey slimy mollusks, wouldn’t appeal to many raised on an otherwise American diet.  My younger sister never could develop a taste for it although the rest of us did.  So, every Christmas Eve we’d gather eagerly around the pot while Mom ladled out our servings of stew.  (I’d always hope for extra oysters then I’d sit and spoon all of the liquid away so I could savor the oysters.  I still long to lift up the bowl and slurp down the juice to get to them.) 

All of us except Jennifer.  She would hand Mom her bowl and wait for her serving of misery.  Mom knew her plight and would skim off barely a ladleful of liquid – no oysters – which Jennifer still gagged down like it was handfuls of hair.  She just doesn’t like oysters.

But Jennifer’s an adult now and she doesn’t have to clean her plate nor even have some if she doesn’t want it.  But she’s also a sport and, although she hates the stew, she still wants to participate in the tradition.  So her solution, and a perfectly brilliant one I might add, is that she now MAKES the stew.  She never eats any of it but for the last handful of years she’s insisted on hosting our family’s Christmas Eve get-together at which she serves a lovely oyster stew – extra oysters for me, thank you!

My friend Troy is always making his family Bangers and Mash, a British name for sausage and mashed potatoes.  It made me jealous.  I wasn't jealous that he ate artery-clogging sausage several times a month, but that he could throw around such a cute name for a meal.  

I decided to try another cutely-named British dish, Bubble and Squeak.  This dish is intended to be a tasty way to use up any leftovers you might have, but you can make it with fresh ingredients like I do.  

Directions:

Gather some leftover mashed potatoes and cooked cabbage - OR - Peel, chop, and boil some potatoes.  Chop some cabbage up, and throw it in the pot, too.  Once they are both cooked up nice and soft, drain and fry them up in a big frying pan with vegan margarine.  

How's that for an easy vegan family dinner or side dish?  And cheap, too.  The first time I made it, I found organic cabbage on sale for 49 cents per pound, and potatoes are always a steal.  

To add some variety to your Bubble and Squeak, add any other leftover veggies you have.  Some good choices would be onions, mushrooms, carrots, or peas.   You could also form the potatoes and cabbage into patties and fry them up that way.  I don't usually bother, but that's just me.  

* Bookmark this page and check back often -  more vegan recipes to come soon, to help you eat well!

With the busy holiday season upon us, and college students finishing up this semester of school, now is as good of a time as any to take advantage of healthy easy to make dinners.  While we are on the topic of potatoes, I have to remind you how simple it is to have a baked potato bar for dinner!  To simplify things further, bake the potatoes in advance and refrigerate them.  Then just zap them in the microwave on the night you have the least amount of dinner-prep time.

If you are like me and occasionally forget the details on baking a potato, don't feel foolish.  The Internet is a fabulous resource:  Howtobakeapotato.com

Once you've mastered the hard part, setting up your bar will be easy!  Just gather any toppings you and your family desire.  Here are some suggestions:

tofu sour cream
chives
salsa (my personal favorite)
diced onions
black olives
mushrooms
steamed broccoli
sausage-style veggie crumbles
Betty Crocker Bac-o's Bacon Flavor Bits
steamed broccoli (or any vegetable you like!)
ranch dressing (we use organic non dairy ranch by Organicville)
shredded vegan cheese

Everyone can assemble their potatoes to their own tastes, which should satisfy even your pickiest family member (whether that be your spouse or your toddler).

If you choose large baking potatoes, one of these will be a filling meal.  (Although you might consider dessert just in case.)

Don't be fooled by the Atkins Diet craze. Potatoes are not going to make you fat - unless you eat them in the form of fast food french fries and greasy potato chips on several occasions each week.

The average potato, which weighs in at roughly 5.3 ounces, is actually extremely nutritious! That little spud contains 45% of your daily Vitamin C requirement, 620 mg of potassium, as well as thiamin, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, and zinc.

There is no fat whatsoever, and a mere 100 calories. (Potatoes are the ultimate low-calorie food!) And, just like all vegan foods, it also contains no cholesterol. Take THAT coronary heart disease!

I found this wealth of nutrition information at Potatoes.com, where I also learned, "Despite the popular notion, the majority of nutrients are not found in the skin, but in the potato itself." Good to know for those people MY HUSBAND who refuse to eat the skin of any type of potato.

A good potato peeler eliminates that issue quickly and easily. So, get yours ready and you are one step closer to a tasty home-cooked dinner!

POTATO SOUP

Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped (I use a lot less, roughly 2 - 3 Tablespoons, so feel free to adjust to your family's liking!)
1 - 3 carrots, grated (Carrots add a great color and hint of flavor to this soup - omit if you really feel you must, or if you are like me - add more!)
5 Cups water
1/2 Cup non-dairy milk (I prefer rice milk, but I have used soy milk successfully in this recipe)
1 Tablespoon margarine (Earth Balance is a great vegan margarine)
dash of salt and pepper
dash of parsley (dried works just as well as fresh)
1/2 Cup shredded Cheddar cheese (vegan cheeses can be pricey, so feel free to skip the cheese)

* Cook the potatoes, onion, and carrots in water in a covered saucepan for 45 minutes over Medium to Medium-High heat. (You want it hot, but you don't want a mess on your stove. If your soup appears watery after 45 minutes, you don't have it quite hot enough - turn the heat up and cook a bit longer.)
* Stir in the remaining ingredients, except cheese. Simmer for 15 minutes.
* Stir in cheese. Heat just long enough to warm up the cheese, stirring constantly.

This is a family favorite in our household. We sometimes top it with a handful of oyster crackers or even a scoop of tofu sour cream. Or more parsley. Or more cheese. Either way, it is a quick family dinner that practically cooks itself.

There are A LOT of really healthy, good-for-you foods that are out there. I did some nosing around and came up with 10 foods that seemed to be mentioned pretty frequently:

Berries -- berries contain a giant portion of phytochemicals, in addition to vitamins, minerals and fiber that provide numerous health benefits. And for the antioxidant power, blueberries come out on top!
Broccoli -- antioxidants, including beta carotene, vitamin C, folate, and lutein, among others. Broccoli is extremely strong in anticancer activity, particularly against lung, colon, and breast cancers.
Garlic -- because of its antiviral and antibacterial properties as well as its vitamin C content, garlic is a powerful agent against the common cold as well as the flu; may protect against certain types of cancer; fights free radicals; has been shown to reduce inflammation and pain in the body.
Nuts -- nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. They are rich in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium; also, researchers found that people who eat nuts regularly have lower risks of heart disease.
Oats -- oatmeal, oat bran and whole oat products are some of the best sources of soluble fiber, which help reduce total cholesterol along with LDL or “bad” cholesterol. In addition to reducing the risk of heart disease, oat fiber can help control blood sugar, too.
Red (Kidney) Beans -- kidney beans are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber, as are most other beans. In addition to lowering cholesterol, kidney beans' high fiber content prevents blood sugar levels from rising too rapidly after a meal, making these beans an especially good choice for individuals with diabetes, insulin resistance or hypoglycemia. When combined with whole grains such as rice, kidney beans provide virtually fat-free high quality protein.
Spinach -- spinach is a rich source of Vitamins C and A, and also a good source of vitamin K.
Turkey -- naturally low in fat without the skin, containing only 1 gram of fat per ounce of flesh. A 5-ounce serving provides almost half of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid, and is a good source of vitamins B, B1,B6, zinc and potassium. These nutrients have been found to keep blood cholesterol down, protect against birth defects, cancer and heart disease, aid in nerve function and growth, boost the immune system, regulate blood pressure, and assist in healing processes.
Fish -- fish is high in protein and low in cholesterol; fish contains heart-healthy nutrients like Omega-3 and is low in calories.
Water -- is water a food? Maybe not but it is one of the most important things you can consume. If you drink at least 8 oz of water a day (pure and free of any additives), you will (among other things) remove toxins and waste from your body; keep skin healthy; reduce headaches and dizziness; and improve your energy.

So, now that you have a list of some of the best foods to eat, what can you do with them? One idea is to get your kids involved in making healthy recipes for the family! Show the list to your kids and challenge them to use these ingredients to create a menu for dinner. I bet it would be interesting, but it's also one way to get your children involved in the meals, and by being more involved and having some input, they'll be more likely to eat healthy as well as learning why eating healthy is important.

Have fun, play around with the ingredients, and if you'd like, leave a comment to let everyone know what you came up with!

Years ago I was wandering through a furniture store.  I was in college and needed a cheap bed or something.  It was a furniture warehouse kind of place.  The store was one giant white room with too bright fluorescent lights sucking the employees’ souls up through the panel-less drop ceiling.  Cheery.

As I picked my way around the furniture I came across a wine glass.  It was alone on a kitchen table in a failed attempt to make it look, um, dinnery.  It didn’t.  But I really liked the glass.  I asked the saleskid that had been shadowing me since I walked in if it was for sale.  He wasn’t sure and went scampering off to check with his manager.

While he was gone I wandered the store and found another one.  I didn’t know the finer points of wine sipping back then.  I didn’t know that a proper glass should have a wide gentle curve at the bottom to facilitate a gentler pour and give the red wine plenty of surface area to breath.  I didn’t know that a good glass should curve in at the top to direct the wine’s nose to the drinker’s nose.  I didn’t even know the difference between crystal and regular glass.  But I did know that I really liked these glasses.

Finally the saleskid returned with the news that, yes, I could buy these glasses for $5/glass.  They didn’t have any in boxes, they only had the 6 that were variously displayed throughout the store but I was welcome to them if I wanted to hunt them down.  After two hours and finding 5 glasses my girlfriend and I gave up on the 6th.  I paid my $25, which was probably my furniture budget for that semester, and left very pleased with myself.

I’ve always liked wine and I didn’t have any stemware so on a certain level this purchase did make sense.  I managed to survive without that desk or chair or whatever it was for a few months.

I’ve used those glasses constantly for the last fifteen years.  In that time I held a job at a wine shop where I learned how wrong they are for drinking wine properly but I just don’t care.  I still think that they are the most attractive wine glasses that I’ve come across.  I’ve tried to find more like them but can’t.  They are perfectly proportioned and elegant without appearing to be too delicate.

The problem is that stuff made of things like glass and porcelain tends to break with use.  One by one I’ve managed to drop them, bang them on cabinets or find every possible way to accidentally break thm.  Last week we opened a bottle of French wine and I grabbed for my glasses.  I realized for the first time that there were only two left.  Then later that night I was washing them and broke one!

 

 

So now I’m down to one.  I have plenty of other glasses and lots of stemware.  I have crystal glasses with curves in all the right places, there are delicate pink flutes in our cabinet that came with my wife, and even some goblets for Belgian beers.  But this one lone surviving wine glass remains my favorite.

 

I won’t stop drinking from it.  Storing it away where it’s protected from my clumsiness wouldn’t make any sense – I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it.  So, it’s doomed.  It may hang on for a few years however it is a statistical impossibility that I won’t break.  But I will certainly enjoy it in the meantime.

Everyone knows why eating healthy is important, but I know that sometimes it's hard to do around the holidays!  Here are some really yummy recipes for vegetarian side dishes you could make to bring to a holiday gathering, or even use them to introduce your kids to some healthy cooking recipes! 

Enjoy, and please leave a comment to let me know what you think!

(Thanks to The Veg Family for the recipes)

Savory Wild Rice Stuffed Onions

* 6 Large Vidalia Onions or 8 med yellow onions.
* 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 apple, peeled, cored, chopped (about 1 cup)
* 2 TBS fresh parsley, minced
* 2 TBS fresh marjoram, minced (used 1 tea. dried)
* 1 tsp. lemon juice
* 1/4 tsp. paprika
* Salt & pepper to taste
* 1 cup wild rice, cooked
* Vegetable stock (homemade or boxed)

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. Cut 1/4 bunch off both ends of the onion and peel off dry layers. Bake onions, root end down in baking dish for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool and hollow out each onion from top, leaving 1/2 inch shell (outer most 2-4 layers).

3. Chop 1 cup of reserved onion and sauté with mushrooms in a medium hot pan for 3 minutes. Add garlic and apple and sauté 3 minutes. Add parsley, marjoram, lemon juice, paprika, salt and pepper; combine the sautéed mixture with the cooked rice.

4. Fill each onion shell with rice mixture. Pour enough stock to cover bottom of onions (about 1/2 inch). Bake for 20 minutes, basting the stuffed onions with stock occasionally. Makes 6-8 servings depending on which onions you use.

My suggestion on this is that the onions took A LOT longer to cook than 30 minutes. If you want to fix this for a dinner, I recommend that you bake the onions the night before, and then finish up the next evening with the filling. The onions will also be cool then, instead of working with hot onions that just came out of the oven.



Cauliflower Salad with Capers and Olives

* 1 small-medium cauliflower
* 2 cups of watercress or arugala or radicchio
* 2 scallions, including one inch of greens, thinly sliced
* 1 cup diced celery heart with leaves
* 1 small green pepper, julienned
* 1 cucumber, peeled seeded and chopped
* 12 olives, with pimento, halved
* 1 T capers
* 1/2 cup parsley

Slice off thin slices of cauliflower, working around the head. Quarter then thinly slice. Remove large stems from watercress and chop the rest. Prepare the vinaigrette (see next recipe). Toss with veggies, greens, olives, capers, and parsley.

Vinaigrette
Keep the dressing on the tart side, a little more vinegar than oil. Prepare vinaigrette -Any classic vinaigrette recipe will do. I recommend white wine vinegar, or white balsamic. Red vinegars will discolor the cauliflower. I would also recommend some Dijon mustard (2 tsps is fine) to the vinaigrette. I like to use a classic one part vinegar to three part oil recipe. Please use a fruit vinegar for the vinegar part. I LOVE Trader Joe's raspberry vinegar. I also add (blend or whisk) a fresh raspberry or two, a squeeze of lemon, some sea salt and voila! YUMMY!


Roasted Root Vegetables

* 8 medium shallots peeled
* 2 medium red skin potatoes, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
* 2 medium turnips, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
* 2 medium parsnips, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
* 4 medium carrots, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces
* 2 cloves garlic minces
* 1/4 c olive oil
* 1 T chopped fresh thyme
* salt and ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450. In large bowl combine vegetables, oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper-toss evenly to coat. Transfer coated veggies to baking dish and bake until tender and browned, 35-45 minutes. Serve warm.