Happy Healthy Long Life

Re-Gifting on My 70th Birthday. One Size Fits All!

 

 

I woke up at 4:00 am last night, on my 70th Birthday, in an emotional funk.  Chalk it up to entering UNKNOWN TERRITORY--THE TWILIGHT ZONE.  SEVENTY is feeling SCARY!!!! 2020 & the world is feeling SCARY, too!!!! I've felt this way all week, in spite of celebrations, & more to come through the month. 

I tiptoed downstairs & opened up this 8 year old post--from December 18, 2012!   It was EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED TO READ TODAY!  So I'm RE-GIFTING it to all of you.  Enjoy!

 

Now for the Re-Gifting - One Size Fits All

  Finding Our Footing Once Again in an Unpredictible Future - With Family, Friends, Food, a Little Fun, and Advice From Daniel Gilbert & Jeanne Marie Laskas' Mother

 

 

ZeZe and ZaZa - Always Looking on the Bright Side

 

On Sunday afternoon I went to a dear colleague's retirement party.

Reason #3.  My friend ZeZe was there, and out of the blue he began to tell me what an impression this two-year old post has made on him!  

Mostly because of Dan Gilbert's advice: "We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends. We get more happiness from experiences than from durable goods. Forget about spending money on jewelry--give your sweetie the best gift of all:  Time spent together doing something special.  Like a trip!"   It worked for ZeZe!  A birthday gift trip to Mexico for ZaZa.

This is one of my favorite posts, too.  Not so much for Gilbert's advice, but for Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother's advice: When in Doubt, Do the Positive.

 

Advice You Can Bank On from Dan Gilbert & Jeanne Marie Laskas' Mother

 

We're nearing the last day of the year.  Soon we'll see the shortest & darkest of days, and OMG the sun is finally shining and it's going to reach 50 degrees today!  Could this be a sign?

It's been another year of unspeakable devastation, heartache, & sadness--wrought by both humans & by nature. Newtown, Connecticut.  Hurricane Sandy.  Economic uncertainties, job losses, business closures, home foreclosures.  Scaling down.  Uncertain futures.  Limited job prospects for new college grads who are saddled with unprecedented steep student loans.  Serious family illnesses.  Unexpected gut-wrenching deaths.   It's a wonder how we all just keep-on-keeping-on.

But, it's also been a year of weddings, welcoming new babies to the world, delirious dancing, gorgeous giggling grandchildren, lots of hugs, graduations, family gatherings, hanging out with friends for an evening of cards and games, cooking with the family, and this list could go on and on.   I like Phil Stopol's attitude--he's one of the "greatest generation", an 88 year-old who fought in World War II--and who I hope will soon celebrate his 63th wedding anniversary on Christmas day.  Another example of Phil's positive attitude-here.

 

 

And yet, I've spent a year writing about eating right and exercising in order to stay healthy, perhaps reverse illness, lift your spirits, and just plain feel strong and good.  What's up with that?

Here's why:  Whether we like it or not, we are all connected to each other.  When things fall apart for our family, our friends, our co-workers, our community--we hurt right along with them--as they do with us. 

There's so much we have NO control over.  But heck, we can always control what goes into our mouths.  We can always control how much we move our bodies--yes, that's code word for exercise. 

The way I look at it--it's a gift to everyone--and I mean everyone--when we can stay healthy, maintain a positive attitude, and have the energy to be present for those (including ourselves) who are hit by the uncontrollable curveballs that life always throws us--whether we like or not. 

Your kids, your spouse, your co-workers, your friends have more than enough on their worry plates these days--they don't need to add you to the pile.  Do them a favor and take care of your health--it's at least one thing you (mostly) have control over.  And being in control of something, is the best mood lifter out there.

 

Daniel Gilbert:  As Bad as Things Get--It Always Gets Better--It's the Uncertainty That's Making Us Miserable

 

I'm a research geek--I own up to it. Dan Gilbert, is the well-known Harvard research psychologist who specializes in figuring out what makes us happy and what makes us miserable.  He's my go-to guy when I want an attitude adjustment.  I hope his words can put into perspective whatever current worries happen to be on your plate this year.

 

What Gilbert learned when his own life fell apart.  Or, how did he got into the happiness research business in the first place.

 

"Within a short period of time, my mentor passed away, my mother died, my marriage fell apart and my teenage son developed problems in school.  What I soon found was that as bad as my situation was, it wasn't devastating.  I went on.

One day, I had lunch with a friend who was also going through difficult times.  I told him: "If you'd have asked me a year ago how I'd deal with all this, I'd have predicted that I couldn't get out of bed in the morning."

The truth is, bad things don't affect us as profoundly as we expect them to.  That's true of good things, too.  We adapt very quickly to either."   Dan Gilbert

 

We're Clueless When It Comes to Our Own Worst Nightmares!

Think of your worst nightmare.  The loss of your spouse, financial ruin, the unspeakable stuff I refuse to even write, a life-threatening disease.  According to Gilbert, we're lousy predictors of our own unhappiness.  When the unthinkable happens, we somehow get through it.  He cites countless studies that show "a large majority of people who endure major trauma (wars, car accidents, rapes) in their lives will return successfully to their pre-trauma emotional states--and that many of them will report that they ended up happier than they were before the trauma."

 

How can that be?

For one thing, we change across time; the person you are when your are imaging what would happen if your nightmare came true, isn't the same person who ends up dealing with it first-hand.  We learn to adapt--we just get used to things. And thankfully, we have a built-in "psychological immune system" that helps us through the big negative events like job loss, or the death of a spouse.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work so well for the day-to-day insults, like car break-downs, and over-flowing toilets.  That's where we do lose it.

We're also great at rationalizing.  "It was a boring dead-end job, anyway.  If I hadn't gotten laid-off I never would have had a chance to go back to school."  "She never was right for me anyway."  We have exceptional talent in finding ways to soften the blow.

And then there's the "I'm not the only one" trump card.  If we've got buddies in the same boat--it's not so bad.  When you're the only one in dire straits, that's a different story.

 

What Really Makes Us Unhappy is the Unknown

"An uncertain future leaves us stranded in an unhappy present with nothing to do but wait.  That's because people feel worse when something bad might occur, than when something bad finally does occur.  It's the not knowing that is making us sick."  Daniel Gilbert

A University of Michigan study considered the emotional adjustment of colostomy patients.  One group underwent  permanent colostomies, another group had colostomies that might be reversed one day.  Six months after the operations, those who had the permanent colostomies were happier than those who thought they could have a chance for reversal.

 

Why? 

"Because when we get bad news we weep for a while, and then get busy making the best of it.  We raise our consciousness and lower our standards.  We find our bootstraps and tug.  But we can't come to terms with circumstances whose terms we don't  yet know.  An uncertain future leaves us stranded in an unhappy present with nothing to do but wait." Daniel Gilbert

 

So, What Really Does Make Us the Happiest?

Here's what the research says.  Pay attention and invest your time accordingly.

Yeah, we do need money, but not as much as we might think we need.  If you're poor, a little money will absolutely buy a lot of happiness.  And yes, we do all need the basics, like shelter, food, and some security.  Those who think otherwise have never needed food stamps, been without health insurance, depended upon the generosity of family or friends, or lived for months on ramen noodles.  But, after $75,000/a year, money won't buy you much more in the way of happiness--at least that's what Princeton economists say.  Don't argue with me about that one.

"We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends.

We know that it's significantly more important than money and somewhat more important than health.  That's what the data shows.  The interesting thing is that people will sacrifice social relationships to get other things that won't make them as  happy -- like money." Daniel Gilbert

 

Shopping for happiness? 

Take the vacation, make a great gourmet meal and share it with friends, see a movie, play games with the fam.  Forget about the expensive new couch or high-end car.   Hands-down, the research says, we get more happiness from experiences than from durable goods.  Read about one couple's experience living on way less.

 

 "Another way I follow what I've learned from data is that I don't chase dollars.  You couldn't pay me $100,000 to miss a play date with my granddaughters.  That's not because I'm rich.  That's because I know that a hundred grand won't make me as happy as nurturing my relationship with my granddaughters will."  Daniel Gilbert

 

When in Doubt, Do the Positive! - Advice from Jeanne Marie Laskas

  

 

In the February 2011 issue of Prevention Jeanne Marie Laskas shares some wisdom she learned from her mom--another tool to put into our 2011 Toolbox.

 

"When in doubt, do the positive."  This was my mother's favorite saying and a rule I live by.  It's a handy one when you're faced with life's big dilemmas.  Jeanne Marie Laskas

 

Laskas goes on to share the story of one of her life's "not-so-big dilemmas".  She had a raging head cold.  It was snowing to beat the band, and she was comfortably hunkered down--on the couch--in her bathrobe.  She had no intentions of going out with her husband on that night to chaperone a Valentine's Day Dance for fifth and sixth graders. 

There was no way she wanted to get off that couch--and she knew that no one would blame her for staying home--but then her husband pulled that "Do the Positive" card on her,

 

"When in doubt, do the positive.  Remember?  The positive is the active thing.  Can't decide whether you're qualified for that new job?  Just apply.  Can't decide whether to go on that first blind date after a divorce or sit home in your pajamas?  Go on the date."  Jeanne Marie Laskas

 

Of course, Laskas goes to the dance.  And it looks like it's going to be one big disastrous waste of her time. The kids aren't dancing--the boys are huddled in one group, the girls in another.

 

"Oh, for heaven's sake," my husband says.  He pulls me onto the dance floor, twirls me to the growls of Lady Gaga.  The kids are laughing, but then my husband does his Travolta spin, so I do a little hustle move, and soon the girls and some of the boys are out here with us, and the silliness of this night becomes a kind of freedom for us all.

The DJ "brings it down" to "Just the Way Your Are," and for the first time in more years than I care to count, I am dancing with my husband on Valentine's Day, cheek to cheek.

When in doubt, dance!"  Jeanne Marie Laskas

 

That's exactly what I'll be doing tonight--this New Year's Eve 2011--dancing!  I asked three couples to join us at our symphony hall for a bargain-priced evening with a Broadway diva performance, followed by some rock-n-roll dancing, noisemakers, and a kitschy balloon drop.  This group then asked four more couples to join in the fun.  So, we'll be dressed up and dancing tonight.  When in doubt--do the positive--dance!  What better way to ring in the the New Year?

AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I PLAN TO DO (9 years later) ON JANUARY 3, 2020--THE DAY AFTER MY BIRTHDAY!  DANCING!!  

 

When In Doubt - Do the Positive!  Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother

 

The best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends.  Daniel Gilbert

Finding Our Footing in an Unpredictable Future - With Family, Friends, Food, a Little Fun, and Wisdom From Kate Braestrup, Daniel Gilbert & Jeanne Marie Laskas

 

 

 Finding Our Footing - Balancing Between "Rain" Drops

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“I was in the same moment confronted by an unbearable loss and also by the realization that there were people and community that were there to help me bear it.

The most traumatic thing is not suffering; it's suffering alone."

~Kate Braestrup from "Presence in the Wild"-

If you received this via email or you're looking at it on your iPhone, click here to get to the web version for all the photos & links.

Please hang in there for my back story spiel behind the re-posting of this December 31, 2010 blog post:  The three reasons why I'm re-gifting it today.  

It's one of my favorites--because it actually works! It keeps guiding me in the right direction.  At least when I'm paying attention.

Reason #1. On Friday, Newtown, Connecticut happened.  Is there anyone who can get through their everyday lives without thinking about those children & their parents--and not weep, worry, and think of their own families?

Reason #2. Then on Sunday morning I listened to Kate Braestrup talk about her work as a chaplain to game wardens in the parks and forests of Maine.   What's the connection here, you ask?

"These are law enforcement officials in the wild, called in to respond to danger and disaster."  Think of missing children, murders, abductions, accidents, brutal rape, or a parent with Alzheimer's who wanders away.  Kate's job as a chaplain is to bring comfort to the distraught--when a family member is "suddenly lost--and needs to be found."

"Her work...takes her, as she describes it, to hinges of human experience, moments where some lives are altered or ended and others swung in wholly unpredicted directions. Kate Braestrup calls this her "ministry of presence" to life and death, lost and found.

And her life had its own unpredictable hinge in the sudden death of her state trooper husband, at the age of 39. She learned then, she says, about the finality of loss and the human capacity nevertheless to cope and to care." 

Kate has seen it all.  She's a woman we can all learn from--and as I listened to her interview on Sunday I couldn't fathom the existential serendipity that she was the scheduled guest on Sunday's NPR broadcast of "On Being".   And my good fortune that I was up early enough to hear it.  If you want to hear more, catch her interview or read its transcript on On Being.

 

When What We Fear the Most Materializes

 

 

Before Kate became a chaplain, she was a writer & a mom, married to a State Trooper.  Imaging the worst was often on her mind.

Ms Braestrup:  So, you know, what I would always think about was, "Well, if anything happened to Drew, I would just lose my mind." And what I discovered and what we all discovered is actually, you don't lose your mind.

Ms. Tippett: … and you didn't lose your mind, right?

Ms. Braestrup: No, and not only that, even if you wanted to, you don't get to lose your mind.

You have to stay and you have to do it without him. So the loss is going to be real, and there is no anesthesia. So that was a thing I learned.

What I also learned, however, is that there is something in us that knows how to do that. And I — that lesson gets repeated for me over and over when I do death notifications.

What I find is people know how to do this. They know how to absorb that, the impact of that blow. It knocks them down. And all I do [as a chaplain] is I go down with them and sit on the floor and be there with them and hold them if they want to be held.

And after about 20 minutes — and I was just talking to some wardens about this and we all agreed, it's almost never more than 20 minutes — they will come up.

They will come back to themselves, and they will ask a very sensible question, which is usually, "Where is he? When can I see him?"

I mean, to me there's something miraculous just about that. I mean, like a little tiny resurrection. Like how can you do that? And we're talking about, you know, women who've lost a child, which is one of those ones where I just, you know, think, "Oh, I'd lose my mind."

Ms. Braestrup: They don't, and they somehow manage to do it and to continue to be loving, meaningful beings in the world. And that's amazing. And there's something very encouraging in the sense of giving courage. There's something encouraging about that.

What you lose, you really lose. You don't get to have it back. 

And, you know, all of the wonderful things that happened to me and happened to my children and the people who love us and my second husband, who's darling and the kids love him and I love him and all this, all of that is wonderful. And Drew is still dead.

And that's just how it is. And, you know, that doesn't actually need to be redeemed.

It can just be there. And, it doesn't have to be fixed. It can just be there. And at the same time, immediately almost, being held up and, I mean, literally held up, actually, at the time when [you literally fall over from grief]. 

 

Now for the Re-Gifting - One Size Fits All

  Finding Our Footing Once Again in an Unpredictible Future - With Family, Friends, Food, a Little Fun, and Advice From Daniel Gilbert & Jeanne Marie Laskas' Mother

 

ZeZe and ZaZa - Always Looking on the Bright Side

 

On Sunday afternoon I went to a dear colleague's retirement party.

Reason #3.  My friend ZeZe was there, and out of the blue he began to tell me what an impression this two-year old post has made on him!  

Mostly because of Dan Gilbert's advice: "We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends. We get more happiness from experiences than from durable goods. Forget about spending money on jewelry--give your sweetie the best gift of all:  Time spent together doing something special.  Like a trip!"   It worked for ZeZe!  A birthday gift trip to Mexico for ZaZa.

This is one of my favorite posts, too.  Not so much for Gilbert's advice, but for Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother's advice: When in Doubt, Do the Positive.

 

Advice You Can Bank On from Dan Gilbert & Jeanne Marie Laskas' Mother

We're nearing the last day of the year.  Soon we'll see the shortest & darkest of days, and OMG the sun is finally shining and it's going to reach 50 degrees today!  Could this be a sign?

It's been another year of unspeakable devastation, heartache, & sadness--wrought by both humans & by nature. Newtown, Connecticut.  Hurricane Sandy.  Economic uncertainties, job losses, business closures, home foreclosures.  Scaling down.  Uncertain futures.  Limited job prospects for new college grads who are saddled with unprecedented steep student loans.  Serious family illnesses.  Unexpected gut-wrenching deaths.   It's a wonder how we all just keep-on-keeping-on.

But, it's also been a year of weddings, welcoming new babies to the world, delirious dancing, gorgeous giggling grandchildren, lots of hugs, graduations, family gatherings, hanging out with friends for an evening of cards and games, cooking with the family, and this list could go on and on.   I like Phil Stopol's attitude--he's one of the "greatest generation", an 88 year-old who fought in World War II--and who I hope will soon celebrate his 63th wedding anniversary on Christmas day.  Another example of Phil's positive attitude-here.

 

 

And yet, I've spent a year writing about eating right and exercising in order to stay healthy, perhaps reverse illness, lift your spirits, and just plain feel strong and good.  What's up with that?

Here's why:  Whether we like it or not, we are all connected to each other.  When things fall apart for our family, our friends, our co-workers, our community--we hurt right along with them--as they do with us. 

There's so much we have NO control over.  But heck, we can always control what goes into our mouths.  We can always control how much we move our bodies--yes, that's code word for exercise. 

The way I look at it--it's a gift to everyone--and I mean everyone--when we can stay healthy, maintain a positive attitude, and have the energy to be present for those (including ourselves) who are hit by the uncontrollable curveballs that life always throws us--whether we like or not. 

Your kids, your spouse, your co-workers, your friends have more than enough on their worry plates these days--they don't need to add you to the pile.  Do them a favor and take care of your health--it's at least one thing you (mostly) have control over.  And being in control of something, is the best mood lifter out there.

 

Daniel Gilbert:  As Bad as Things Get--It Always Gets Better--It's the Uncertainty That's Making Us Miserable

I'm a research geek--I own up to it. Dan Gilbert, is the well-known Harvard research psychologist who specializes in figuring out what makes us happy and what makes us miserable.  He's my go-to guy when I want an attitude adjustment.  I hope his words can put into perspective whatever current worries happen to be on your plate this year.

 

What Gilbert learned when his own life fell apart.  Or, how did he got into the happiness research business in the first place.

"Within a short period of time, my mentor passed away, my mother died, my marriage fell apart and my teenage son developed problems in school.  What I soon found was that as bad as my situation was, it wasn't devastating.  I went on.

One day, I had lunch with a friend who was also going through difficult times.  I told him: "If you'd have asked me a year ago how I'd deal with all this, I'd have predicted that I couldn't get out of bed in the morning."

The truth is, bad things don't affect us as profoundly as we expect them to.  That's true of good things, too.  We adapt very quickly to either."   Dan Gilbert

We're Clueless When It Comes to Our Own Worst Nightmares!

Think of your worst nightmare.  The loss of your spouse, financial ruin, the unspeakable stuff I refuse to even write, a life-threatening disease.  According to Gilbert, we're lousy predictors of our own unhappiness.  When the unthinkable happens, we somehow get through it.  He cites countless studies that show "a large majority of people who endure major trauma (wars, car accidents, rapes) in their lives will return successfully to their pre-trauma emotional states--and that many of them will report that they ended up happier than they were before the trauma."

 

How can that be?

For one thing, we change across time; the person you are when your are imaging what would happen if your nightmare came true, isn't the same person who ends up dealing with it first-hand.  We learn to adapt--we just get used to things. And thankfully, we have a built-in "psychological immune system" that helps us through the big negative events like job loss, or the death of a spouse.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work so well for the day-to-day insults, like car break-downs, and over-flowing toilets.  That's where we do lose it.

We're also great at rationalizing.  "It was a boring dead-end job, anyway.  If I hadn't gotten laid-off I never would have had a chance to go back to school."  "She never was right for me anyway."  We have exceptional talent in finding ways to soften the blow.

And then there's the "I'm not the only one" trump card.  If we've got buddies in the same boat--it's not so bad.  When you're the only one in dire straits, that's a different story.

 

What Really Makes Us Unhappy is the Unknown

"An uncertain future leaves us stranded in an unhappy present with nothing to do but wait.  That's because people feel worse when something bad might occur, than when something bad finally does occur.  It's the not knowing that is making us sick."  Daniel Gilbert

A University of Michigan study considered the emotional adjustment of colostomy patients.  One group underwent  permanent colostomies, another group had colostomies that might be reversed one day.  Six months after the operations, those who had the permanent colostomies were happier than those who thought they could have a chance for reversal.

 

Why? 

"Because when we get bad news we weep for a while, and then get busy making the best of it.  We raise our consciousness and lower our standards.  We find our bootstraps and tug.  But we can't come to terms with circumstances whose terms we don't  yet know.  An uncertain future leaves us stranded in an unhappy present with nothing to do but wait." Daniel Gilbert

So, What Really Does Make Us the Happiest?

Here's what the research says.  Pay attention and invest your time accordingly.

Yeah, we do need money, but not as much as we might think we need.  If you're poor, a little money will absolutely buy a lot of happiness.  And yes, we do all need the basics, like shelter, food, and some security.  Those who think otherwise have never needed food stamps, been without health insurance, depended upon the generosity of family or friends, or lived for months on ramen noodles.  But, after $75,000/a year, money won't buy you much more in the way of happiness--at least that's what Princeton economists say.  Don't argue with me about that one.

"We know that the best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends.

We know that it's significantly more important than money and somewhat more important than health.  That's what the data shows.  The interesting thing is that people will sacrifice social relationships to get other things that won't make them as  happy -- like money." Daniel Gilbert

Shopping for happiness? 

Take the vacation, make a great gourmet meal and share it with friends, see a movie, play games with the fam.  Forget about the expensive new couch or high-end car.   Hands-down, the research says, we get more happiness from experiences than from durable goods.  Read about one couple's experience living on way less.

 

 "Another way I follow what I've learned from data is that I don't chase dollars.  You couldn't pay me $100,000 to miss a play date with my granddaughters.  That's not because I'm rich.  That's because I know that a hundred grand won't make me as happy as nurturing my relationship with my granddaughters will."  Daniel Gilbert

When in Doubt, Do the Positive! - Advice from Jeanne Marie Laskas

  

 

In the February 2011 issue of Prevention Jeanne Marie Laskas shares some wisdom she learned from her mom--another tool to put into our 2011 Toolbox.

 

"When in doubt, do the positive."  This was my mother's favorite saying and a rule I live by.  It's a handy one when you're faced with life's big dilemmas.  Jeanne Marie Laskas

Laskas goes on to share the story of one of her life's "not-so-big dilemmas".  She had a raging head cold.  It was snowing to beat the band, and she was comfortably hunkered down--on the couch--in her bathrobe.  She had no intentions of going out with her husband on that night to chaperone a Valentine's Day Dance for fifth and sixth graders. 

There was no way she wanted to get off that couch--and she knew that no one would blame her for staying home--but then her husband pulled that "Do the Positive" card on her,

 

"When in doubt, do the positive.  Remember?  The positive is the active thing.  Can't decide whether you're qualified for that new job?  Just apply.  Can't decide whether to go on that first blind date after a divorce or sit home in your pajamas?  Go on the date."  Jeanne Marie Laskas

Of course, Laskas goes to the dance.  And it looks like it's going to be one big disastrous waste of her time. The kids aren't dancing--the boys are huddled in one group, the girls in another.

 

"Oh, for heaven's sake," my husband says.  He pulls me onto the dance floor, twirls me to the growls of Lady Gaga.  The kids are laughing, but then my husband does his Travolta spin, so I do a little hustle move, and soon the girls and some of the boys are out here with us, and the silliness of this night becomes a kind of freedom for us all.

The DJ "brings it down" to "Just the Way Your Are," and for the first time in more years than I care to count, I am dancing with my husband on Valentine's Day, cheek to cheek.

When in doubt, dance!"  Jeanne Marie Laskas

That's exactly what I'll be doing tonight--this New Year's Eve 2011--dancing!  I asked three couples to join us at our symphony hall for a bargain-priced evening with a Broadway diva performance, followed by some rock-n-roll dancing, noisemakers, and a kitschy balloon drop.  This group then asked four more couples to join in the fun.  So, we'll be dressed up and dancing tonight.  When in doubt--do the positive--dance!  What better way to ring in the the New Year?

 

When In Doubt - Do the Positive!  Jeanne Marie Laskas' mother

The best predictor of human happiness is human relationships and the amount of time that people spend with family and friends.  Daniel Gilbert

 
"When you're down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.
You just call out my name,
And you know whereever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again."  James Taylor

Sitting silently beside a friend who is hurting may be the best gift we can give.  Unknown

 

Happy New Year - 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New-Fashioned Valentine Making Party in Vermont - What Happens When Friends & Neighbors Get Together to Create Cards? Magic!

 

 

 

 

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”

Pablo Picasso

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links & gorgeous photos.

The absolutely best part about writing this blog is getting to know so many wonderful people from all around the U.S., Canada, and all over the world---Finland, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Singapore, South Africa, Mexico, Ireland, England, and France--to name a few.

Exactly two years ago I got an email from Gael in Vermont, a speech pathologist, turned reading teacher, who is also a master baker.   She somehow stumbled upon my blog and before too long she changed her diet, her way of cooking, her exercise routine---and her health.  Her clothes got too big for her.

For two years now we've traveled on this journey together--and along the way she's recommended fabulous recipes, brilliant books, thought-provoking movies, eye-opening  articles, inspiring ideas, and websites that were new to me.  We've shared stories about our families, our friends, our work.  And now we're good friends--although we've never met.  But, I'm sure we will.

Today's post isn't about healthy diets or exercise or medical research.

It's about the main reason we want to stay healthy--to enjoy our lives, our families, our friends, and make each other happier along the way.  It's about an-out-of-the-ordinary way to get together with friends--new and old--to be creative, eat yummy food, gossip, concentrate, and share our love.

 

I'm Going to Have a Valentine-Making Party

 

In late January Gael wrote to tell me about this absolutely great-idea-for-a-grown-up-girlfriend-party she was hosting.   Getting a bunch of friends together--from different circles in her life--to do something that no one has done since, well,maybe age 10--making homemade Valentines.  Plus gossip, laugh, listen to music, & eat fantastic plant-strong food.

But, this is Gael's story, not mine.  So, I'm going to let her tell it.

Take it away, Gael.

 

The Invitation

 

I hadn’t created a handmade Valentine since 3^rd grade…that’s where I learned to cut out a symmetrical heart along the fold of colorful paper and glue it to a doily.

Well, jump ahead 50 years, then add all the beautiful and eye catching scrap booking materials, a few friends and a lovely plant-strong meal…and you’ve got yourself a party! That’s what I envisioned in my head…now I had to make it happen.

 

This was the simple invitation sent via email:

 

Dear Lovely Friends,

You are invited to a Valentine-Making Party at my home!

When:  Saturday January 28th

Time:   11:00 AM gathering and chat, then lunch, then cards 

I have collected tons of gorgeous, dazzling paper and blank cards, glue of all sorts, fabulous art supplies and fancy cutting scissors, letters, stencils, stamps and stamping pads of all colors...and wonderful ideas for us to use or expand upon.

We can make things pop-out! We can make things glitter!

I'll make some lunch to energize us and some sweets to keep the creativity bubbling!

Come and create a wonderful, hand-made Valentine for your sweetie or your best friend or your kids or grandkids or a special person in your life.

What could be better than receiving a handmade gift made from the heart?!

 

The Guest List

 

I invited some school friends, some Saturday job friends, my art friends, and my sister-friends…all my “worlds would be colliding” (as George Costanza mentioned to Jerry Seinfeld long ago).

I asked them to bring their own scissors, some fabric and ribbons, and any photos of their darlings they’d like to incorporate into a card. And they all RSVP’ed with great enthusiasm and anticipation. 

 

What's on the Menu?

Now for the menu. Let’s see…cold winter day in Vermont. Hmmm, nothing better than a hot bowl of Isa’s Tempeh Chili served over brown rice alongside her Cool Slaw with baskets of corn chips.

Friends were bringing drinks and dessert and chocolates, of course!  

In my pre-vegan life, I was a “foodie”…always hunting down the best of the best dishes, traveling to the hippest restaurants, and buying only the finest ingredients.

I catered for 10 years and now work on Saturdays at one of country’s premier baking companies as a demonstration baker. So when I made my radical shift to a vegan lifestyle, my friends didn’t know what to expect when they arrived at my home for lunch or dinner. So far, though, I think everyone has been happy with my plant-strong meals…and this Valentine’s Day Party luncheon was no exception. 

 

The Afternoon Festivities

 

We ate lunch first...for stamina, and talked about our inspirations (who we're making our cards for), then we cleared the decks and began cutting, pasting, stamping, lettering, and folding!

We looked at photos of the cards I made last year for my niece Jillian and nephew Graham, and my son Jeremy in California. Being properly inspired, the heads went down and the hands got busy.

 

 

 

At first, the ladies were overwhelmed with all the decorative papers and supply choices that they didn’t know where to start. Luckily, Theresa brought along a template she downloaded from Better Homes and Gardens for a card that had heart shaped doors that opened. That was a huge success…we made copies of that template and the party buzzed into focus.

 

 

It was such a girly-girl time...picking out patterned papers for our cards, cutting hearts, authoring the messages (we mostly used Beatles love song lyrics) and consulting one another for color choices and sizes.

 

And then the fascinating “perfect moment” happened…when everyone was so focused and deep in thought and making all those tiny decisions about how their card wants to look that the room’s clamor quieted down and no one really felt the need to engage.

I love when that happens. Just the quiet clinking, tapping, snipping, clicking of work being done. 

At the end of the day, we had “display time” to look at everyone’s cards and needless to say, we were astonished at the ingenuity and creativity.

I took glamour shots of all the cards. The family photos were worked seamlessly into delicate designs; the fabrics were used as scenery; ribbons were used as lovely borders, and the decorative papers were layered with doilies with love messages that would make Hallmark green with envy.

 

For the final moments of our day, the ladies remarked that they couldn’t wait until next year or even the next holiday to do this again! And I couldn’t agree more…but wait, there’s more!

 

When You Throw a Good Party Everyone Wants to Be Invited 

 

The very next day, I related the story of the party to my neighbor-friend Christie and I noticed her face light up at the thought of joining such a fun venture, so....

 

Gael's Valentine Party Number Two!

 

The following Friday evening, our other neighbor friends joined Christie and me at my arts and crafts table. I re-organized the papers, straightened out the supplies and made a fruit salad for dessert.

I was even more inspired as I shared my photos of the cards that were made the week previous. They couldn’t wait to get started.

They invented cards I'd never imagined and now they’d like to make cards for all occasions! This must be magical. Everyone left walking on air. As they walked home, I thought about how wonderful it was for me to connect with them on this level.

I’m new to their established circle, and this gave us a chance to have fun together in a creative atmosphere.

 

The After-Party Reviews

 

Here’s what Lin wrote to me in the morning:

 

Such a great night last night.  Wonderful idea to make valentines. 

Felt a bit like a kid again in all the good ways. 

Everyone had such a good time. You are such a great hostess, planner, great energy person, my Friend.

So glad you are one of the homie girls.

I can't wait to hear the reaction from my kids when they get their homemade valentines from me. 

Bless you for giving all of us the opportunity to play last night!

 

And Christie:

 

 I haven't had so much fun in ages - like being back in grade school.

I love doing stuff like the cards and I hope we can do it again for Easter or maybe just make a supply of birthday cards!

Thank you for opening your home to us all :)

 

 What Does a Valentine Party Have to Do with the "Rock and Siegel Healthy Mind Platter"?

 

Back in July, Debby wrote a blog posting about research that came from Drs. Rock and Siegel concerning the Healthy Mind Platter…the seven daily activities that make up the full set of ‘mental nutrients' that your brain needs to function at its best.

Well, I couldn’t provide the physical activity or the sleep nutrients, but what we engaged in at the arts table provided us with: 

 

*creative play time

*social connection to friends time

*a little down time where our minds could wander 

*time “in” to focus on images, thoughts and feelings and

*focus time on the task at hand

 

I’d say that homemade, handmade Valentine’s cards provided us with more than the cards…there is no doubt that we’ll do this again.

Last week when our loved ones opened up their lovely and loving cards. I only wish we could have been there to see their faces!

 

That's Gael in the Middle, Surrounded by Her Gal Pals

 

The After Valentine's Day Card Reviews Came Pouring In--Sharing the Love

 

As a postscript... the combined message is always one of LOVE.

All our grown kids loved the cards and couldn't believe that the Mom's made them.

Relatives and friends gushed.

Parent were thrilled that we took the time and energy to make something symbolic of Valentine's Day and sent it to them.

"Gael, I made a Valentine for my brother & sister-in-law (he has Parkinson's with progressing dementia)..and I put a photo of the two of them from 15 years ago inside the open-up heart.---They gave the card a place of honor in their home.  They were so surprised, touched, & grateful for their Valentine."

One friend said, "I just had a phone call from an elderly uncle who was so touched by his Valentine with a photo of his deceased wife inside the heart!

My son and his lady in California are used to my handmade cards and package of treats so they look forward to receiving something specials for most holidays.

This year's cards, however, resonated strongly with them both.  I made Julia's open-up heart card (like the one I received from Gael) with a cooking theme, complete with mini-sized wooden plate and fork glued inside!  She's a true "foodie".   And for son Jeremy...just massive amounts of hearts and loads of love inside.

Seriously, what could be better?  All of our recipients have phoned in to let us know that the cards are either on display in their homes or tucked inside pocketbooks ready to be proudly shown to friends.

The Bottom Line:  It was wonderful for us to give of ourselves and it was doubly wonderful to hear the responses.  Love all around!!

Next party...Oscar Night!   Everyone has to bring a dish reflecting one of the nominated films!  Let's see if I can rent a red carpet leading to my house!  Everyone needs a make-a-party-happen friend like Gael, right?

 

And I Can't Thank Gael Enough for the Beautiful Homemade Card & Message She Sent Me

 

The last time I got a homemade Valentine was, let's see, when my youngest son was 10 years old--eighteen years ago!

It's not everyday that you can be fortunate enough to receive such a lovely homemade card with a heart-felt special message inside like the one I received!   Thank you, Gael.   You definitely made my day, girlfriend!!

 

Next Valentine's Day I Want to Be Invited the the Best Card-Making Party in Vermont!

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's Holiday Overindulgence Tool Box: Some Abstinence Inspiration, the Exercise Cure, a Holiday Video, a Company-Worthy Recipe, along with Sara Moulton's Favorite Chocolate (coronary) Cookie Recipe

 

 

"Is that piece of chocolate an innocent indulgence?  Or your next hit? We're finding that a sweet tooth makes you just as much an addict as snorting cocaine.

SETTLED on the sofa watching the usual rubbish on TV, I notice that predictable, uncontrollable, nightly craving.  At first I sit there, fighting it. But the longer I fight, the worse it gets. After 20 minutes, I can't concentrate on anything, I feel anxious, and start fidgeting like crazy. Finally, admitting my addiction, I break. I go to the freezer - to my stash of white stuff - and take a hit. Almost instantly, I relax, my brain in a state of bliss as the chemical courses through my veins. Isn't it amazing what a few scoops of ice cream can do?

Before you dismiss my agitation as mere weakness, consider this: to my brain, sugar is akin to cocaine. There is now compelling evidence that foods high in sugar, fat and salt - as most junk foods are - can alter your brain chemistry in the same way as highly addictive drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Junk foods switch on biological mechanisms that are just as hard to fight as recreational drugs."

-Bijal Trivedi, "Junkie Food: Tastes Your Brain Can't Resist," New Scientist, Sept. 8, 2010-

 

If you've received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with links, a video, & photos.

 

Note:  This was posted last year--on December 22, 2010.  I can't think of a better reminder than this post to watch out for the holiday junk food.  Beware of gifts of chocolate & nuts!

 

Look, I don't miss my old favorites, like cheeseburgers, barbecued ribs, corned beef sandwiches, olive oil, or brie anymore.  I'm so over them.  Not remotely interested.

But, really good cookies or chocolate--now that's a whole different story.   Why?  Because I can't each just one.  If I start with one, I want (no, I need) more.  Normally, I can "just say no!"  But, this season....

On Thursday Dr. D came into the library to give me a thank-you gift for a research project I had helped her with.  This wasn't a Whitman's Sampler--it was a box of chocolates made locally by an artisan chocolatier.  I wasn't planning to taste a single one--and I set the box on the counter by the microwave in the library--for everyone else to enjoy. 

But when two colleauges said, "Go on, just have one.  You deserve it.  Give yourself a treat,"  I took the bait--and I didn't stop with one.   I ended up eating four pieces, stopping only with sheer will power.

Two days later, at a wedding, I downed a piece of red velvet wedding cake, and followed it up with a mini German chocolate brownie.  That night, before I went to bed, I dug into my purse, opened & ate the two-piece mini-box of Russell Stover chocolates my friend Marge had given me on Friday night.  Thanks, alot, Marge!  I tried to refuse them--but she wouldn't take no for an answer.

If you think sugar addiction is a myth, think again.

Back in September, my friend Bob, who works for the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), sent me a copy of the New Scientist article I excerpted above--along with a hot-off-the-press article from his friend & colleaugue, Dr. Mark Gold:  "Neurobiology of Food Addiction," by Daniel M. Blumenthal and Mark S. Gold, Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010 Jul;13(4):359-65.  Dr. Gold is an international authority  on addiction research--specifically, cocaine addiction.  According to Gold, there's now hard evidence for the biological basis for sugar addiction.  Doesn't sound far-fetched to me!

Dr. David Kessler, the former head of the FDA agrees--and last year he wrote a book about it: "The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite."  Want to learn more?  Read my summary of his research here.  If you can get a hold of the New Scientist article at your local library, it's definitely a worthwhile read, as well.

Bottom Line:  As I continue through this season of temptation--with cookies-chocolate-cheese-and-alcohol everywhere you look--I'm etching Dr. Michael Roizen's mantra indelibly on my brain.  And you can, too!

 

"The joy of eating an ice cream cone might last for 15 minutes.  The damage it does lasts months!"

"The sugar from that cone is going to negatively affect the proteins in your body for the length of life of that protein--anywhere from 90 to 100 days--far outlasting the 10-30 minutes of pleasure you're going to get from that ice cream cone.

Yes, that "extra sugar causes the proteins in your body to be less functional and as a result, directly ages your immune and arterial systems and even your joints (hello, arthritis). The joy of the food might last 10 minutes.  The protein change lasts months,"  says Roizen.

 

Last night my friend Babs, an expert baker, told me she had just made "THE best-ever-chocolate cookies". 

Babs is one of those lucky people who really can stop after eating just one cookie.  Her scrumptious recipe comes from Sara Moulton.  It's Moulton's all-time favorite cookie recipe from the just released: The Gourmet (Magazine) Cookie Book: The Single Best Recipe from Each Year 1941-2009, so you know it's got to be good (and bad for you).  Sara's Chocolate Mocha Cookie recipe comes from 1990--20 years ago--back when I wouldn't have given butter, eggs, sugar, and chocolate a second thought.

Three dozen cookies made with 4 oz. of unsweetened chocolate, 3 cups of semisweet chocolate chips, 1 stick of butter, 4 eggs, and 1 1/2 cups of sugar.  Oh my!  I'll have to just leave this one to my imagination.  Have you all heard about the new Imagine Diet research out of Carnegie Mellon?  If you want to torture yourself, click here for Sara's & Babs' recipe. 

 

Just in Case You Do Overindulge - Be Sure to Get Up & Exercise Before You Eat Breakfast!

 

Don't miss Gretchen Reynold's December 15, 2010 article in the New York Times, "Phys Ed: The Benefits of Exercising Before Breakfast".  Now this is practical research you can really use!

Here's the pitch:

"A recent study by scientists in Australia found that after only three days, an extremely high-fat, high-calorie diet can lead to increased blood sugar and insulin resistance, potentially increasing the risk for Type 2 diabetes. Waistlines also can expand at this time of year, prompting self-recrimination and unrealistic New Year’s resolutions.

But a new study out of Belgium, published in The Journal of Physiology suggests a more reliable and far simpler response. Run or bicycle before breakfast. Exercising in the morning, before eating, the study results show, seems to significantly lessen the ill effects of holiday Bacchanalias."

For six weeks, three groups of healthy young men ate a lousy diet--50% fat, and 30% more calories than usual--kind of like all of us might be eating for the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

• One group quit exercising completely for six weeks--and just enjoyed their high fat, caloric diet.
• Two groups participated in serious, supervised morning workouts, both with an equal energy expenditure.
• One of the exercise groups ate a hefty-carbo-rich breakfast before they exercised, and also drank a sports drink during exercise.
• The third group worked out before breakfast, on an empty stomach, and only drank water while exercising.  But afterwards...they chowed-down on the same calorie-rich breakfast as the breakfast-eating exercisers had enjoyed.

The results are compelling.

• Bad News.  The breakfast-eating non-exercisers packed on six additional pounds in six weeks!  And it gets even worse.  They developed insulin-resistance, their muscles no-longer efficiently pulling glucose out of their bloodstream, and they started "storing fat within and between their muscle cells".  The Lesson Here: Don't plan on skipping exercise after holiday partying!
• Somewhat Better News. The group who ate a hefty breakfast before working out gained about half as much weight as the non-exercise group.  And just like the non-exercisers, they too became more insulin-resistant, and started storing more fat in their muscles.
• Best News.  The exercisers who skipped breakfast gained zero weight, and showed no signs of insulin resistance.  And they still got to eat a hefty breakfast--but after they worked out.

Take-away message:  When you indulge at a holiday party, be sure to exercise on an empty stomach the following morning.  Eat breakfast after your workout.  Read the entire article for the "rest of the story!"

As for me, since returning home from our Thanksgiving trip to St. Louis, I haven't skipped out on any of my usual exercise routines.  In a week I fit in 4 days of spinning, 3 days of yoga, 2 days of weights, & one or two days of rest a week.   In spite of various sugary indulgences (like handfuls of leftover vegan chocolate chips that I had around because I was baking for company), restaurant dinners, dinner at friends' homes, holiday parties, and a wedding--not one extra pound has been gained so far. 

 

Enough of the Holiday YouTube Videos - This One Might Be a Real Life-Changer

 

I just discovered this powerful video this morning, thanks to James Brown at the Dr. McDougall site.  You'll hear first-hand how fifty-something James Brown ended up bypassing on bypass surgery--with the blessings of his originally skeptical cardiologist. 

Brown had been on high blood pressure meds since he was 23; by his fifties this 5' 7"er weighed 206 pounds; his cholesterol was 339; and he was starting to experience chest pains.  Talk about a "do-over"!  Brown really did it.  If you aren't seeing the video in this post, click here.

 

James Cures Hypertension and Heart Disease, McDougall Diet from John McDougall on Vimeo.

 

 

 

The Healthy Librarian's "Enlightened" Version of Company-Worthy Ten-Minute Asparagus & Brown Rice

Looking for a healthy recipe for the holiday season that everyone can enjoy?  This might be it.

Last January I discovered Heidi Swanson's amazing garlicky & lemony-tahini dressed garbanzo bean, rice & asparagus salad.  I brought it work, and everyone who tasted it ended up making it.  It's that good.

But, it's also loaded with fat: over a third of a cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of tahini, and 1 cup of slivered almonds.  Gee, and I used to think this was a healthy meal.  I haven't made it since June 18, 2010 when I started eating "no-added fat" ala Esselstyn style.

Three weeks ago I decided to see if I could "enlighten" this recipe--ditch the olive oil used for sauteeing--and substitute low-fat silken tofu for the olive oil in the dressing--a trick I learned from the Wellness Forum's Chef Del.

 

Golden Browned Onions Without Any Oil

Browning the Garbanzos Without Oil

Toasting the Almonds on Parchment Paper

A Bunch of Asparagus

Mixing It All Together

 

Mixing Up the "Enlightened" Tahini Dressing

 

For a copy of recipe on one page, click here.

Enlightened Ten Minute (more like 30) Tasty Asparagus and Brown Rice

based on Heidi Swanson's 101 Cookbooks recipe

Serves 4-6

2 14-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup of vegetable broth--used only as needed when sauteeing the onions & chickpeas

1 bunch of asparagus, cut in 1-inch pieces

3 cups pre-cooked brown rice (I used the frozen already cooked brown rice available at Trader Joe's

2 TBS. of almond slivers, toasted in a low oven (I cut this down from 1 cup of almonds--you could leave it out entirely if you like)

fine grain sea salt & paprika, optional

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, optional--if you like your food hot & spicy

Tahini Dressing:

1 garlic clove, smashed & chopped

2 TBS. tahini (I cut this down from 1/4 cup)  *Don't leave this out!

zest of 1 lemon

4 TBS. low-fat silken tofu (I used Mori-Nu)

scant 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (one lemon)

2 TBS. hot water

scant 1/2 tsp. fine grain sea salt (optional)

a few good grinds of fresh black pepper

Directions:

1.  If you're using frozen rice, heat it in the microwave and set aside.  Or, make up enough rice for 3 cups, cooked.

2.  Make the dressing by pulse mixing the following ingredients in a food processor: the garlic, tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, and tofu.  Add the hot water to thin a bit and then add the salt & pepper to taste.  Set aside.

3.  Heat your non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions to the dry skillet and saute. Lower the heat.  Sprinkle with a bit of salt & paprika if you like--the paprika helps give it a nice golden color.  Stir occasionally--the onions will be fine sauteeing in their own juice for awhile.  As they get dry, or begin to stick, add a couple tablespoons of vegetable broth to deglaze the pan.  Add the garlic, and continue to saute for about 10 minutes total, until they are soft, sweet, and golden.  Add broth--2 tablespoons at a time, if needed to prevent sticking.  Remove from the pan, and set aside.

4.  Now add the 2 cans of chickpeas/garbanzos to the skillet, and "dry saute" for about five minutes.  Let them get a little crusty, browned or even a tad bit charred.  They may "hiss & pop". 

5.  When they are nicely browned, add the sauteed onions & garlic back into the pan, and add in the asparagus pieces.  Cover with a lid for a minute or two to steam--just until the asparagus brightens and softens up just a bit.

6. Uncover and stir in the rice and toasted almond slivers.  Taste & season to taste.  Mix in the cayenne pepper, carefully, if you like that kind of heat.

7.  Serve family style in a big bowl, and pass the tahini dressing so everyone can mix some of it into their rice.

NOTE:  This dressing is delicious on a veggie or falfel burger, and left-over rice salad is great mixed into a salad of greens.

 

Nutritional Information - Based on 1/6 of the recipe

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Enlightened Ten Minute Asparagus and Brown Rice
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	305
Total Fat	5.7g
Saturated Fat	0.5g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	55mg
Carbohydrate	51.6g
Dietary Fiber	9g
Sugars	3.1g
Protein	13.5g
Vitamin A 5% Vitamin C 19% Calcium    12% Iron 18%

 

 

 

 

My Holiday Gift to You! My Family's Top Ten Plant-Based/Vegan No-Oil Holiday Weekend Dishes from Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner to Dessert

 

 

"Enlightened" Rockin' Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

 

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.

 

Wait!  Wait!  Don't plan your holiday menu until you read this post!

 

You just might find something that looks yummy to you.

I promised myself I'd write up my post-Thanksgiving Hit List today (uh, that was Friday--and now it's Saturday morning) no matter what!  I changed up so many of the recipes that I posted pre-Thanksgiving--and I know that so many of these will work perfectly for the Christmas holiday for anyone who is having a houseful of company over the long weekend.

So here are my family's favorites--with links to the revised recipes.

 

The Top-Ten Thanksgiving Week-End Family Favorites List

 

1.  Rockin' Roasted Rosemary Potatoes -  my family couldn't get enough of these & I've made them three times since Thanksgiving.  No-oil & amazing!  A crazy crunchy coating made with a little vodka, vermouth, grainy Dijon mustard, garlic, horseradish, caraway seed, smoked paprika, & hot pepper.  OMG you're going to LOVE these!

2.  Kale Waldorf Salad with Honey Crisp Apples, Toasted Walnuts, Cranberries, Raisins & a Creamy Dressing -  a unanimous hit, and I've made this two times since Thanksgiving.  I have never liked raw kale salad before I tasted this version. But, you HAVE to use lacinato or dinosaur kale--and honey crisp apples 

3.  Sunday Brunch Spicy Sweet Potato, Onion, Pepper & Italian "Sausage" Hash - this was all gone in a blink of an eye.  Don't plan on having left-overs of this one!  Vegans & Carnivores agree that this one is out-of-this-world.  It's the Field Roast Sausage.

4.  "Enlightened" Quick-Fix Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roased Tomatoes, and a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup - so fast & easy, plus you can make this ahead of time.  Freeze it flat in freezer ziploc bags for easy storage.  Thank you, Jodith, for that tip! Everyone who has mades this, loves it!

5.  Curry Cauliflower, Chickpea, Sweet Potato Soup with a Smidge of Peanut Butter--A breeze to make, freezes well, & everyone I know who has made this, loves it!  Will feed a crowd.

6.  Chocolate Chip No-Oil Walnut Zucchini Bread--chocolate chips, a little sugar, but a real treat when you have houseguests, book club, or company coming.

7. "Enlightened" Chloe Coscarelli Chocolate-Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Sweet Vanilla Cashew Cream Sauce - served warm with Son #1's addition of the sweet vanilla sauce took this holiday dessert over the edge of deliciousness.  Using Ezekiel Sprouted Cinnamon Raisin Bread took it over into the "this is healthy"  zone.

8.  Barbecue Brisket Seitan Reuben's--this sandwich was a huge hit--even with the carnivores in the family.  You'll need to make your own seitan, but it's really easy & makes 4 pounds that you can freeze.  Use real old-fashioned Jewish rye bread with caraway seeds--or T.J. Sprouted Rye, cole slaw, dill pickles--the works.  LOVED!

9.  Roasted Triple Mushroom Soup - Not only is this sophisticated, easy to put together, and a mushroom immune booster--it also worked well as a gravy for our Thanksgiving "Meat-less" Loaf.  

10.  Pumpkin-Spiced Steel-Cut Oats for Eight!   Make it in the crockpot overnight--and wake-up to the most delicious fragrance.  I'm now making this just for myself--so I can have pre-made oatmeal every morning for a week.  Warm it in the microwave along with frozen berries, and then top it with a sprinkle of toasted walnuts & a tablespoon of chia.  What a way to start the day!

 

 My Amateur Thankgiving Photo Collection

 

Thanksgiving Morning Spiced Apple Pumpkin Steel-Cut Oats for Eight

 

A Sophisticated Roasted Triple Mushroom Bisque

Kale Waldorf Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Honey Crisp Apples, Cranberries/Raisins in a Creamy Dressing (photo by Whole Foods--mine was out-of-focus)

 

Kale Waldorf Salad - Undressed - Check Out Costco's Organic Baby Kale

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shallots & Toasted Hazelnuts

 

Thanksgiving "Meat" Loaf - here's the recipe & here's the glaze

 

Dellcious Sliced & Top-Browned Thanksgiving "Meat" Loaf Leftovers

 

Babs' Famous Cranberry Relish with Toasted Walnuts, Raisins, & Orange

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding Right Out of the Oven

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding with Vanilla Cashew Cream Sauce

 

Seitan Reuben's with Lab Rat's Homemade Pickles & H.L.'s Cool Cole Slaw

 

Brunch Sweet Potato, Onion, Red Pepper & Italian "Sausage" Hash

Sweet Potato, Spinach, Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and a Bit of Peanut Butter Soup

 

Val's Crowd-Pleasing Curried Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, Chickpea, Spinach & Peanut Butter Soup

 

 

If You're Ready to Ditch the Latke's for a New Chanukah Tradition Try This

 

Reposted from December 04, 2010:

A New Oil-Free Chanukah Tradition: "Enlightened" Veganomicon Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce - And a New Dreidel Spin on the Miracle of Oil on Chanukah - Make One Day's Worth of Oil Last for Eight Days!

The Healthy Librarian's (Husband's) "Enlightened" Veganomicon Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce

 

If you've received this via email, click here for the web version for the links & video.

Who doesn't love latkes? 

Crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside--potato pancakes made with grated potatoes, onion, eggs, plenty of salt, and fried up in peanut oil. And topped with sour cream.  When I was a kid, our traditional Chanukah dinner was always potato latkes, corned beef sandwiches, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.  Always!  A deadly trifecta, but who knew?

As good as they taste, I wasn't about to fry up a batch this year.   I've half-heartedly looked for a fat-free version, but honestly, I don't think it's worth the effort.  It couldn't possibly compare to the real thing.

 

Frying latkes in oil is what it's all about.  Last year in the New York Times Karen Barrow shared opinions from both cookbook authors and amateur cooks about whether it's possible to make a  "healthy tasty latke".  If you must try,  here's one possibility, from Steven Raichlen.

“I’m not going to ruin my latke joy to save a few calories once a year,” Elizabeth, one NYT reader, wrote.

“Spare me,” chided another. “I’ll take my latkes fried in lots of oil. It works for my 91-year-old grandparents.”

Joan Nathan, a well respected cookbook author and expert in Jewish foods, said she’s not surprised at the widespread resistance to making a traditional treat more healthful. When once asked to come up with baked latkes that tasted as good as fried, she tried. “But I ended up throwing all the recipes in the garbage,” she said.

Another reason for the fried latke’s persistence: oil isn’t just a cooking ingredient, it’s central to the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah. 

“It’s all about the oil,” said Susie Fishbein, author of “Kosher by Design Lightens Up.” You can spray your latkes with oil and bake them, she said, but “most people are not going to cheer when that comes to the table. It has to be fried.”

 

Wednesday night was the first night of Chanukah.  As I drove home from work in the dark, cold, and snow--the perfect setting for the first night of Chanukah--I knew my husband was going to have something delicious for dinner.  No last minute scrambling in the kitchen for me on this Wednesday night.  And what perfect timing that he decided to try his hand out on a healthy potato dish for the first night of Chanukah: Veganomicon's Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce.  We both agreed--it was a great substitute for traditional Chanukah latkes.

The Chanukah Miracle Story--When One Day's Worth of Oil Lasts for Eight Days

Oil is "central to the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah.  After winning back their land in battle, the Jews needed to light a menorah as part of a rededication of their Temple. Although they only had enough oil for one day, the oil, miraculously, lasted for eight."  (Joan Nathan in the NYT)  Tada!  That's where the connection to eating foods fried in oil on Chanukah comes from. 

 

Bet You Can't Eat Just One?  So Why Even Start?  

 

So, here's my cheesy take on celebrating Chanukah--if you're not ready to cut out all the oil in your diet right now--try making one day's worth of oil (say about 1/4 cup) last for eight days.  That's 1.5 tsp of oil a day if my math is right!  It's doable.  Experience your own miracle of good health by making one day's worth of oil last for eight days!  Call it a Chanukah challenge.

Thanks to Cheri for sharing the video!  If you aren't seeing the video, click here

 

Happy Chanukah!  Candlelight by the Maccabeats

  

 

The Healthy Librarian's Husband's "Enlightened" Veganomicon Potato and Kale  Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce

 

To get a copy of the recipe on one page, click here.

This beats the lowly latke hands-down for taste and nutrition.  You could probably live on these: with 0 cholesterol, 9.2 grams of fiber, 12 grams of protein, 187% of vitamin A, 261% of vitamin C, 16% calcium, and 27% iron--not to mention the health benefits of kale and tomatoes.

 

Serves 4-6

Cooking & Prep Time:  1 1/2 hours

 

Enchilada Chile Sauce:

1 onion, cut into small dice

3 large green chiles (such as Anaheim or even Italian-style long green peppers), roasted, seeded, peeled, and chopped coarsely.  The best way to roast peppers is over high heat right on top of the gas burner--don't do this if you have an electric stove.  Use tongs to turn them, and rotate as they blacken & blister.  When 75%  done roasting, drop the pepper in a bowl or a paper bag, and allow it sit for 10-15 minutes, until it's cool enough to handle.  Peel away the skin, and then dice.  No worries about remaining charred parts.  If you don't have a gas stove, roast them on a grill or in a very hot oven.  Use canned green chilis in a pinch.

2-3 teaspoons of chile powder, preferably ancho chili (note: I just purchased this at Penzey's & it's amazing--not hot, just rich & mellow tasting)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon marjoram or Mexican oregano (epazote)

1 (28 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes (fire-roasted preferred--like Muir Glen.  I prefer crushed to diced.)

1 tsp. sugar (opt. or use agave)

salt to taste (optional)

 

Potato and Kale Filling:

1 pound waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or Red

1/2 pound kale, washed, trimmed, and chopped finely

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 cup vegetable broth or water (plus more for sauteeing onions & kale)

3 tablespoons lime juice

1/4 toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) coarsely chopped, plus additional for garnish

Salt to taste (optional)

6 large sprouted grain tortillas, like Ezekiel or French Meadow, or Ezekiel Gluten-free.  (alternatively, you can also use 12-14 corn tortillas)   Either one works well--I've made them both ways.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and have ready a shallow casserole dish, at least 11 1/2 X 7 1/2.  

Prepare the enchilada sauce first:

1. In a large, heavy bottomed non-stick saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions.  Let them start to brown & give off their own liquid before adding any broth or water to the pan.  When they start to get a little dry, and start to stick a bit, add a little vegetable broth or water--just enough to deglaze the pan.  Add more liquid as needed, but not too much.  Saute for 4-7 minutes, until the onions are softened. 

2. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat.  When the mixture has cooled enough, taste and adjust the salt if necessary. 

3. Puree the mixture with an immersion or regular blender until smooth and even.

Prepare the filling:

1. Peel and dice the potatoes, then boil them until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain and set aside. 

2. Saute the garlic in about 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth in a large saucepan or frying pan (that has a lid) over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is sizzling and slightly browned (be careful not to let it burn!!) 

3. Add more broth if necessary, and then add the kale, sprinkle with a little salt, and raise the heat to medium, stirring constantly to cover the kale with the garlic.  Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it has wilted, 4-6 minutes.

4. Remove the lid and mix in the potatoes, the 1/4 cup of vegetable stock, lime juice, pumpkin seeds, and salt, if you're using it.  Use the back of a wooden spoon, or the bottom of a flat drinking glass to mash some of the potatoes.  Cook another 3-4 minutes, until the stock is absorbed.  Add more lime juice or seasoning to taste.

Create an enchilada assembly line:

1. Have ready a pie plate or something similar filled with about 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce, a 9 X 13 casserole dish, your stack of tortillas, a heated griddle or a pan large enough to heat your tortillas--because that's how you'll soften them up, and the potato and kale filling.  You can also soften the tortillas one at a time in the microwave if you prefer--follow the directions on the package.

2. Ladle a little bit of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch casserole dish and spread it around. 

3. Take a tortilla, place it on the heated griddle or pan for 30 seconds, then flip it over and heat until the tortilla  has become soft & pliable.  Or soften them in the microwave.  Drop the softened tortilla onto pie plate filled with sauce; allow it to get completely covered in sauce, flip it over, and coat the other side.

4. Now, place the tortillas either in the casserole dish (the easiest way) or on an additional plate.  Place 1/6 of the potato filling down the middle of the tortilla and roll it up.  Continue with rest of tortillas, tightly packing enchildas next to each other.

5. Pour about a cup of sauce over the top (reserving some for later when you serve the enchiladas), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until edges of the tortillas poking out of sauce look just a little browned.  Allow to cool slightly before serving.  Top individual servings with any remaining enchilada sauce, warmed slightly.

Enjoy!  Happy Chanukah!  Sure it's a bit of a pitchky-patchky, as my mom would say, but not half as hard as making potato pancakes.  Bonus:  No grease splatters on your walls, or that fried potato onion smell that hangs in your house for days.  These enchiladas smell divine!

Nutrition Facts Enlightened Veganomicon Potato and kale enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories	292
Total Fat	6.1g
Saturated Fat	1g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	500mg
Carbohydrate	51.3g
Dietary Fiber	9.2g
Sugars	7.4g
Protein	12g
Vitamin A 187% Vitamin C 261% Calcium    16% Iron 27%

 

 

Please Let Me Know What You Think of These Recipes

You Can Comment Here by scrolling to the bottom of the page

 

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

A Blast From The Past - Money Well Spent: In the Pursuit of Health, Calming Quiet, Cozy Warmth & Excellent Dental Care

 

 

#6 on Gretchen Rubin's Ten Tips for Being Happier:  Buy Some Happiness

 

I’ve learned to look for ways to spend money to stay in closer contact with my family and friends; to promote my health; to work more efficiently; to eliminate sources of irritation and marital conflict; to support important causes; and to have enlarging experiences.

-Gretchen Rubin, author & blogger-

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web-version with all the links.

 

Even though I wrote this post three years ago--I'm still happily using every one of these products all the time.  And they're all still performing perfectly, knock on wood - benefitting me daily.  

 

1.  The Lab Rat & I use our VitaMix 5200 at least once a day.

2.  The Philips Sonicare Toothbrush gets used 2-4 times a day.

3.  The Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad is used every night for 5-6 months of the year.

4.  The Acoustic Wireless Stereo Headphones, are only used occasionally, these days--when I'm trying to blog or read & my husband is watching something loud & annoying on TV-- like reruns of the Band of Brothers or Ultimate Fighting.  If you crave quiet--these do the trick.

 

So, why did I decide to repost it, today of all days, when I have at least 10 other topics I want to write about?

Because, this morning I got a call from a good friend, who finally, three years later, took my advice & bought the heated mattress pad I recommended.

 

Susan:  You know that mattress pad you wrote about?

Me:  Yeah, like at least three years ago!

Susan:  Well, I finally bought one.  JC Penney had it on sale--and with free shipping.  We plugged it in yesterday, and Joe & I could not believe it!  Simply, heavenly.  And, it felt so good on my sore back.

Why did I wait so long to buy it? 

And Joe said, "For 20 years I've lived through miserably cold winter nights--now, that's history.  This is absolutely fantastic.  Where did you hear about this?"

Susan:  Our friend, The Healthy Librarian.  Who else?

 

I figured that if a simple heated mattress pad purchase "knocked my friends' socks off"--maybe some of you would appreciate a "kick in the pants" to reconsider some of these products-with-health-or-comfort-benefits. Trust me--I have zero affiliation with any of these companies.

Full Disclosure:  There may be updated models from what I recommended three years ago--so do your due diligence!  This much I do know: the VitaMix 5200, the Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad, & the Philips Sonic Care Toothbrush are all still around.

Just something to think about, in case you want to make a practical holiday purchase that is guaranteed to bring you--or someone you care about:  Health, Calming Quiet, Cozy Warmth & Excellent Dental Care.

BTW:  Over the past 3 years I have heard from many friends & readers who were all delighted with these products.  No complaints yet.

 

 

Revisiting December 20, 2008

Money Well Spent: In the Pursuit of Health, Calming Quiet, Cozy Warmth & Excellent Dental Care

 

Look, I know this is not the time to advocate spending money--but then again--a lot of businesses will be helped greatly if we can loosen up our purse strings a little.

I don't spend money easily.  I don't like excess.  And I don't like to shop--except for food & books.  My parents were young adults during the Great Depression, so their lessons of thrift definitely have rubbed off on me.

But...this year I've purchased a few things that I would describe as MONEY WELL SPENT!

I use them almost everyday, & they've brought me and my husband:

• Good health with little effort
• A quiet home where it's easy to read & think
• A warm cozy bed even with our thermostat set to 58 degrees
• Excellent dental care with germ-free toothbrushes

In Pursuit of Health - The Vita-Mix 5200

• Yes, I know you are all ready to shoot me if I say one more thing about my Vita-Mix & green smoothies--but believe me, I too, was once a skeptic!  And I don't part with money easily.
• We use this blender everyday, and at a hefty $450 I figure that at $1/day for a year & 3  months it's worth it.
• There is no way is the world that I could eat 5 cups of kale, spinach, Swiss chard or spinach; an orange; a kiwi; mixed berries; 5 carrots; an apple; some pomegranate juice & 2 TBS. of ground flax seed in one day.  But I can put it all into this incredible blender, add some water or ice & VOILA--I have a delicious drinkable, portable breakfast & mid-day snack.  You cannot believe the power of this contraption.
• I use it to make salad dressings, to instantly puree vegetable soups, make my own tahini, humus, all-fruit sorbets, and more.
• It cleans in seconds & there are no annoying parts to take apart like in a food processor.
• To read more of my annoying green smoothie discoveries, click here and here

 

In Pursuit of Quiet - The Acoustic Research 900 MHz Wireless Stereo Headphones with autotuning - Model AW772

• My husband loves his TV time--especially loud WWII videos, like The Band of Brothers--Seinfeld reruns & anything on SPIKE.  I like to sit in our cozy Library/Den with him, but honestly, the noise is so annoying!
• My sister clued me in to the idea of wireless headphones that allow one to watch TV or listen to  music--have the volume as high one likes--and not disturb anyone else.  She bought a pair of these for my brother-in-law #1 for Father's Day.  He said it was a gift for her, not for him--but Oh Well--that's my sis!
• Back in September I wrote about  My husband's promise:  He's buying wireless headphones to use when he wants to watch TV & I want to read or write. Or vice versa.  Why be mad, distracted, or have to read the same page over & over again when you can buy wireless headphones for your TV?  Viva the silence!
• He bought them--he loves them--and so do I!  I can't begin to tell you how wonderful it is to not have a loud TV in the background when I want to read, write or think.  In fact, I can cook in the kitchen while listening to the radio (NPR of course), while hubby is less than 5 feet away in our den watching Seinfeld.  It's AMAZING!
• Another plus--since they are wireless, he can walk into his office, go get a snack, wash some dishes & keep listening to whatever he wants to listen to.
• Only downside:  When he has his headphones on he can't hear me (I guess that's an upside for him) unless I get right next to him & tap him on the shoulder.
• He picked the Acoustic Research brand by going to our small town's electronics store so he could support the local economy & get some expert advice on a reliable model.  Expect to pay between $65-$120 for a good pair--I think.
• I think wireless stereo headphones would also be the perfect solution for anyone who has to share a tiny 1 bedroom or studio apartment with a roommate.

 

In Pursuit of Warmth - The Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad with dual controls

• We set our thermostat to go down to 58 degrees when we go to sleep.  Natural gas prices are sky high. Even with a sheet, a quilt & a down comforter, last winter I had to resort to crawling into a down sleeping bag to get warm enough.  Needless to say, my husband wasn't too happy with this.
• This Fall, I spotted a queen-sized Sunbeam Heated Mattress Pad at Costco for about $75 & thought I'd give it a try.  After all, Costco will gladly accept returns if you are dissatisfied with a product.
• We both LOVE this mattress pad--which I know sounds slightly looney.  It's got a nifty Preheat setting that we set fifteen minutes before crawling into bed, & each of us has preset our preferred temperatures--I'm comfortable with Low, and hubby who doesn't wear PJs likes #3.
• Now we only need a light-weight quilt to stay warm through the night.  No need for the down comforter.  And the house is a cool 58 degrees.  We could probably even go lower!
• There's even an automatic shut-off that turns the pad off, should you forget, after (I think) 10 hours.  And of course it has multiple adjustable temperature settings for both sides.
• Save Energy & Save Money.  Calculating with March 2008 Energy Information Administration forecasting---if you can lower your thermostat 8 degrees, 24 hours a day, 25 weeks a year, you save up to $131 a year.  That's a pretty good dollar return for a $75 investment, not to mention a cozy warm bed!

 

 

In Pursuit of Excellent Dental Health - Philips Sonicare Flexcare 2 Handle Toothbrush All-in-one Sanitizing Charging and Storing Unit

• Full disclosure here.  My husband is a dentist and we've used the original Sonicare model for years.
• This new Flexcare model came out about 6 months ago--and there's no comparison to the older model.
• The pluses:  There is a timed Maxcare mode that keeps that toothbrush oscillating in your mouth for a full 3 minutes.  The average person brushes for less than a minute with an old-fashioned toothbrush.  If you want a quick brush between meals--there's a 1 minute Go-Care setting.
• Ultra-violet light sanitizer is included & it kills up to 99% of E. Coli & streptococcus Mutans, not to mention assorted cold viruses.  Since we all keep our toothbrushes in the bathroom & flush the toilet with the seat up--I think you get the picture.  The sanitizer is a closed-door unit keeping your toothbrush away from any nasties.
• If you travel, the set includes a portable travel charger--a nice convenience.
• My last dental check-up was absolutely the best I have ever had.  My dentist could not believe it.  It was as pretty close to perfect as you can get.  He would not conclude that it's the Flexcare--but I've done nothing else differently.  Again Full Disclosure:  I floss my teeth daily.  I apparently hold my toothbrush at the correct angle (a must do!) & I Only Brush My Teeth Once a Day in the Morning.  I say it's the Sonicare Flexcare  that is giving me excellent dental health.
• This unit is not inexpensive.  I saw it online at Costco for $160.00.  But with new research coming out weekly about the connection between good dental health, inflammation & heart health--I think it's a small price to pay.  It's all about prevention in my book!

OK, Dear Readers!   Please help us spend our money wisely.

If you have a favorite kitchen or household item that you can recommend--as we consider holiday gifts--now's your chance!!

One Student's Christmas Lesson - The Best Medicine

Jennifer Michaels recently interviewed her dad, Don, at StoryCorps in Bellefonte, PA

 

If you received this post via email, click here to get to the web version with all the links.

I love stories.  I love StoryCorps.  I love NPR. 

I had an eight minute drive over to the early morning spin class I wanted to fit in this morning.  Tuned into NPR--and lucky me, I got to hear Don Michaels tell his Christmas story to his daughter Jennifer.

Jennifer Michaels recently sat down with her dad, Don, and interviewed him about a rough time he had in the fifth grade.

It made me think back to my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Rosin.  Oh my, how I was afraid of her--all those scary stories I'd heard.  I worried all summer about the start of fifth grade with probably the toughest teacher in town.  Tiny, white-haired, stern, rarely smiling, with a reputation for being a real taskmaster.  Turned out, Mrs. Rosin was probably my best teacher--ever.  And that's counting all those years from kindergarten through grad school.

Don Michaels' Christmas Story

 

Listen to it here.

Don Michaels really didn't like school for a while when he was growing up.

"I had terrible migraine headaches when I was in fifth grade," he explained to his daughter Jennifer recently. "Whether that was because of the pressure, or because of the reputation that the teacher at the time had, and my having gotten reports from my three brothers who had her, I just, I just don't know."

Michaels remembers his teacher, Miss Leister, having very sharp features.

"The most prominent thing was her nose — it was very hawkish," the 72-year-old said. "She didn't smile a great deal. And she was a taskmaster — she expected you to perform."

Miss Leister wasn't very warm, he said.

"But we had a Christmas party — all the classes had Christmas parties — and we all exchanged names for gifts. And the Christmas party started, the gifts were being handed out, names were being called, and one by one all my classmates went up to get their gift. When the gifts were all gone, I had not been called and did not receive a gift, for some reason or other."

The day before Christmas, Miss Leister showed up at Michaels' house, unannounced.

"And she had a small gift that she gave to me," he said. "That gift was a key chain. I kept that for years and years. And as odd as it may seem, my headaches went away about two days after she came."

Michaels' relationship with Miss Leister changed from that day on.

Produced for Morning Edition by Jasmyn Belcher. The senior producer for StoryCorps is Michael Garofalo. Recorded in partnership with WPSU.

 

An Acronym to Think About

On my 8 minute ride home I got to hear a short snippet about the "Backstory: Naughty & Nice: A History of The Holiday Season" on my local NPR affiliate.  Hear the whole story here.  

Bottom Line: Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa--for better or for worse--they're just stories.  Not exactly what we think they are.  As always, there's more to the story.

But, here's the eight-minute historical snippet I picked up:  S.P.U.G.  The Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving.   Read all about them in the New York Times of 1913.  Some things never change.  Just click here and hit Full View.

 

Happy Holidays to Everyone - Whatever You're Celebrating - Wishing You All Good Health, Happiness, and the Joy of Simple Pleasures

A Twenty Year Old Bottle of Wine. Broken Wine Glasses. A Story and a Lesson About Celebrating and a Life Well-Lived. Mazel Tov!

My wife cringes when a wine glass is broken--attributing an importance to the wine glass that I don't.  I believe the opposite.  The occasional broken wine glass is a good omen--a sign of life well-lived.  It means your wine glasses are getting used.  You're toasting, cleaning, rinsing, dropping--a good thing!

-Scott Huler, writer of On the Grid-

Click here to get to the web version of this post, if you've received it via email.

Yesterday, I stopped by a friend's house to pick up her cable box--to return it to the cable company.  She had moved last week--and it was the one errand she ran out of time to do. 

It was so strange to walk into her house--now for sale, and beautifully staged--but without any sign of life.  It was a house that has hosted so many celebrations--so many wine glasses raised for toasts--for holidays or for just friends and family getting together.

As I drove home after dropping off the cable box I changed the radio station.  I had no idea what show I was listening to--but I was mesmerized by the voice of Scott Huler--sharing his story about wine glasses--and celebrations.  As I listened, tears streamed down my face.

When I got home I listened again to Scott's story, and I wrote down every word--so I could remember it--and share it.   Scott does a much better job of telling the story than reading it ever could, so if you have a bit of time, listen to it here .   Thank you, Frannie!  If it hadn't been for the cable box, I never would have heard Scott's & Dan's story!

And by the way--my blog name--Happy Healthy Long Life comes from the toast in Fiddler on the Roof:  To life, to life, L'Chaim.  Be happy, be healthy, long life!

Scott Huler

Wine Glasses

Lynne Rossetto Kasper, host of the Splendid Table:  Scott Huler has a story that will put out to pasture that old adage--Moderation in All Things--and replace it with this--Never Celebrate Tomorrow, What You Can Celebrate Today!

Scott:  Somewhere between the cupboard & the dishwasher, a wine glass breaks. Who knows the cause?  But it's not a big deal--not important.

It is to my wife.  She cringes--attributing an importance to the wine glass that I don't.

I believe the opposite.  The occasional broken wine glass is a good omen.  A sign of life well-lived.  It means your wine glasses are getting used.  You're toasting, cleaning, rinsing, dropping--a good thing!  

I'm no wine snob--but wine means so much to us.  We drink it with family & friends--at worship--at celebrations.  No surprise at Jewish weddings we celebrate by breaking a wine glass.  Wine flows through our lives like blood through our veins.

So, as I sweep up the broken wine glass, I remember a story about--not a glass--but a bottle wine.

My friend, novelist Dan Gearino, has told it many times.

Dan Gearino

Dan:  When I got married in 1982, one of the gifts my wife & I got was this very nice expensive bottle of wine.  And rather than, sort of drink it right then--we saved it. 

We were going to open it for a special occasion.  And you know, special occasions kept coming and going--they came with the birth of a child.  Our own first wedding anniversary.  There was the birth of a second child--and we kept sort of--none of them quite seemed the really BIG ONCE IN A LIFETIME kind of special occasion.

And others came--you know, when I got my first book published I thought that would be a special occasion.  But, the call you get from your agent--is that the special occasion?  Or when the contract arrives? That's just paperwork. 

So again, there was no perfect special occasion.

Scott:  Dan used to tell this story at readings to demonstrate the life of an author wasn't as filled with celebration as one might think.

The times I followed him to the podium I used to say that the story demonstrates only that Dan Gearino didn't drink enough wine.  An easy laugh.

But the story grew more complex.  And what happened is....

Dan:  20 years after getting that bottle of wine--my wife got sick.  She had a headache one day & couldn't shake it.  And after awhile she went to the doctor & the doctor found multiple brain tumors.  She had metastatic melanoma.  Four and a half months after being diagnosed she died.

And I realized there never was going to be a special occasion worthy of that bottle of wine.  And I didn't know what to do with it.

Scott:  Not long thereafter, I myself got married.  We broke a wine glass & everyone cried, "Mazel Tov!"  Good Luck! 

Shortly thereafter Dan & I met for lunch & he brought a gift in a brown paper bag--a bottle of wine & two glasses.

Dan:  I decided that the perfect gift would be this bottle of wine & a couple of wine glasses.

And that would be part of the gift--the other part of the gift would be this story, with the lesson being:

"That you don't put off that kind of indulgence.  Enjoy this with your wife at the first possible opportunity--and take this bottle--take these glasses & don't make the same mistake I did."

Scott:  The paper bag was handed from one moist-eyed guy to another, and I brought home the bottle with strict instructions:

We were to drink the wine & smash the glasses!

Well, we tried.  Dan had worried about how well the wine, Chateau Margaux 1978, (in case you were wondering--it's worth $200 today) had aged.

Suspicious drippy marks on the neck raised questions that the first gentle tap of the corkscrew answered.  The withered cork dropped instantly into the bottle of wine--which had grown horribly bad.

The wine went down the drain.  The empty bottle moved to the top shelf of my office--a souvenir of "something". 

And the two glasses--unbroken--went in the back of the cupboard, marked for their single use.  We couldn't defile them with the stuff out of a box we usually drink.  But neither could we break them before they had done their job.

Fortunately time goes on, even despite heartbreak and tragedy.  It has been mostly kind.  My wife & I have been married now for three years--a little boy--and an uncounted number of projects that speak of a fortunate life.

So, we got to thinking.  Dan is doing well by now--even has a "steady girl".   To clear out those two unbroken glasses, maybe instead of waiting for a special occasion we ought to get a new bottle and two more glasses.

I went to a wine store to replace the Chateau Margeaux & learned & spent a lot more than I planned to.  But let's just say I ended up with a Bordeaux, from St. Estephe--a lower rent region right next to Chateau Margeaux.

We arrived at Dan's house & decanted the wine--to let it breathe.

But, it's a funny thing.  We set to eating some Cajun creation of Dan's & an hour later we took out the special glasses.

"Cheers"  "So happy..."  "Mmm"  "Damn that's good!"

And of course, it was good.  We drank the whole bottle.  Dan took a moment to explain that the custom of smashing a wine glass comes from--toasting the bride & destroying the glass so that it may never be used for a less noble purpose.

We were just four friends, happily killing a few bottles of wine.  That seemed to be purpose enough!  But still we had committed ourselves to using those glasses only once--but who wanted to clean up a mess?

So, instead of smashing them, we trooped down to the pond at the back of Dan's yard. 

1 - 2 -3.  Into the pond.  "They will never be used for a less noble purpose - unless someone's going to wade out there & get them."

I suppose this means we have learned Dan's lesson:

"That the best honor you can give a bottle of wine is to drink it!"

And I hope a little of my own lesson comes along to:

"That the wine glass means less than the wine that's in it--and that they both mean less than the hand holding it. 

And when a wine glass sees its final use--whether you drop it or crush it under your foot or fling it into the pond--you should always remember--it's Good Luck.  Mazel Tov!"

Me:  In two weeks we'll be traveling to New York City to celebrate two absolutely wonderful milestone occasions.  I think I'll bring along a special bottle of wine or two and some glasses that we'll smash in honor of these 2 special celebrations.  And then carefully place them into the recycling bin.

Tevye:  To life, to life, l'Chaim.  Be happy, be healthy, long life.  And if your good fortune never comes, here's to whatever comes, drink l'Chaim, to life!

My Favorite Oldies But Goodies - On Friendship and Food

 

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, "What! You too?  I thought I was the only one!"

                         -C.S. Lewis-

This has been a week of friendship and food.  They go together so well, don't you think?

I'm reluctantly saying a sad goodbye to an old friend & I'm sharing something old--like this essay & some oldie but goody recipes that either I (or my husband) just happened to make this week--plus a brand-new one that we gobbled up last night:  Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce. Trust me--it was so good--and so easy.

 Friendship, Fran, and Farewells (we're calling it just a leave-of-absence)

When Kelly Corrigan, the author of the extraordinary, "Middle Place", turned 40 she sat down to write something about women and friendship. Whether you're 40, or 50, or 60, or 70, or 80 you'll know just what she's talking about.

This past Wednesday when 20 of Fran's friends got together to toast her with Mojito's, Margarita's, & Merlot--and wish her good luck as she pulls up stakes and heads off to Nashville--we passed out copies of Corrigan's heartfelt words about women & friendship.

Fran's departure will leave a huge empty place in the lives of all of her friends.  She's one of those women bursting with spunk, energy, creativity, a spirit of fun, generosity, warmth, and tell-it-like-is-honesty--who opens her heart--and her home to so many.   Plus she and her husband are extraordinary cooks--and everyone loves to hang out at their place.

I know you'll "get" exactly what Kelly is talking about in this reprint of her "post-book" essay.  Now, you have a choice here.  Watch Kelly tell her story--or read her words--or both. (If this looks familiar--well, you have an excellent memory.  I posted this last August after I read Corrigan's book.)

Transcending: Words on Women and Strength by Kelly Corrigan  Click here to see the video

"I turned 40 a few weeks ago. I tried (twice) to make a toast about friendship but both times, I blew it. I wanted to say something about my mom and her friends, who call themselves “The Pigeons.”

There were once at least a dozen “Pigeons” (I believe the name was a self-effacing twist on Hens) but in the past few years, they lost two of the greats, Robin Burch and Mary Maroney, to cancer. On the pigeons go, though, like women do, limping one minute, carrying someone the next. They started in the 60s, in suburban Philadelphia, with bridge and tennis and chardonnay (ok, vodka) and, over time, became something like a dedicated fleet, armed ships sailing together, weather be damned.

For me and women of my generation, it started with playdates, cutting carbs and meeting on Monday mornings in workout clothes to do awkward moves with large colorful balls. And I can see exactly where it’s heading.

We’ll water each other’s plants, pick up each other’s mail, take each other’s Christmas card photos. We’ll confer about jog bras and contractors and pediatricians. We’ll gossip about babysitters, teachers, neighbors, in-laws. We’ll speculate about who had a shot of Botox, who cheats on their taxes, who cleans until midnight. We’ll implore each other to read this book or see this movie or listen to this song. We’ll persuade each other to bake, sell, recruit, fold, stuff, paint, clean and write checks for our favorite non-profits.

We’ll celebrate each other’s achievements –opening an exercise studio, a corner store, a jewelry business. We’ll celebrate our kids’ achievements – making the traveling team, singing in the choir, learning to use the potty or speak French or play the flute. We’ll borrow eggs, earrings, extra chairs, galvanized tubs for a barbeque. We’ll throw birthday parties for each other and stain the rugs and shatter the wine glasses and mark up new counters with the odd slice of lemon. We’ll worry about who seems down, who looks tired, whose drinking more and more. We’ll say things we wished we hadn’t and have to find a way to regain each other’s trust. Things will break, they always do. Many will be fixed.

We’ll fret over our children—too shy, too loud, too angry, too needy. We’ll brainstorm ways to help them become more resilient, patient, forgiving, light-hearted. We’ll protect them—fiercely—pulling little bodies from the deep end, double-latching windows, withholding car keys.

We’ll bury our mothers and our fathers—shuttling our children off for sleepovers, jumping on red eyes, telling each other stories that hurt to hear about gasping, agonal breaths, hospice nurses, scars and bruises and scabs and how skin papers shortly after a person passes. We will nod in agreement that it is as much an honor to witness a person come into the world as it is to watch a person leave it.

People will drift in and out. Book clubs will swell and thin. We’ll write someone off and they’ll reemerge later and we’ll remember both why we loved them and why we let them slip away but we’ll be softer and we’ll want them back, for nostalgia will get stronger.

We’ll admire each other for a fine crème brule, a promotion, a degree, a finished marathon. We’ll commiserate about commutes, layoffs, mortgage rates, bosses, unappreciated toys.

We’ll confide in each other about feeling anxious or angry or uninteresting or uninspired or how many pieces of Halloween candy we accidentally ate from our kids’ bags.

We’ll confess that our husbands don’t really listen to us or that we should be having more sex or that we yell at our kids every day. We’ll admit that we believe in God, Jesus Christ, Heaven and Hell, or that we don’t.

We’ll give up things together—caffeine, catalogs, Costco, social smoking. We’ll take up things too—morning walks, green tea, organic dairy, saying grace.

We’ll throw potlucks and take each other to lunch and give each other frames and soaps and bracelets. We’ll check each other’s heads for lice and examine new bumps and moles and listen to lists of symptoms. We’ll diagnose each other’s brown lawns, torn muscles, basement odors. We’ll teach each other how to set a ring tone, make a slide show, download a movie.

We will call and say “I heard the news” and whatever the news is, we will come running, probably with food. We’ll insist on taking the kids, finding second opinions, lots of rest and the best surgeon. We will face diseases, many kinds, and will—temporarily—lose our hair, our figures and our minds.

Eventually, someone whose not supposed to die will, maybe one of us, maybe a husband, God forbid a child, and all this celebrating and sharing and confessing will make certain essential comforts possible. We’ll rally around and hold each other up and it won’t be nearly enough but it will help the time pass just a hair faster than it would have otherwise. We will wait patiently and lovingly for that first laugh after the loss. When it comes, and it will come, we will cry as we howl as we clutch as we circle. We will transcend, ladies. Because we did all this, in that worst moment, we will transcend.

On the Menu At My House This Week

It was definitely a week of bringing out the oldie but goodies.

At last Saturday's bridal shower I selected the Calphalon Soup Pot off the Bed, Bath, and Beyond registry.  As far as I'm concerned, no house is complete without a soup pot.

Included in the card were recipes for my three favorite soups.  If you haven't tried them yet, why not give them a try?

Obama's Kenyan Vegetable-Peanut Soup  (This is a pre-Obama recipe that I've been making for years)

Vegetarian or Vegan Italian Wedding Soup Rapido

The Food Blogga's African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

Last Sunday I made up a batch of Obama's Kenyan Vegetable-Peanut Soup and took it over to a friend who was recovering from surgery.   This one is my favorite "Take to a Friend" soup.

I also brought over my new fave casserole "Bulgur, Swiss Chard, Chickpeas, & Feta" (hold the feta for the vegan version)

On Thursday my husband was looking for something easy, portable, delicious, and different that he could bring to a Pot Luck for his Master Gardener's Group.

He ended up making another one of my favorites:  Veganomican's Quinoa Salad with Black Beans & Mango

It was a huge hit--and this group is a meat-and-potatoes crowd.

 

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

Don't get put off by the photo & the blob of orange sitting on top of the pasta.  I definitely couldn't get a job as a food stylist! This sauce was lip-smacking delicious.  Who would have thought of using butternut squash in pasta sauce?

The back story.  A few weeks back I picked up an overpriced jar of Dave's Gourmet Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce , stirred in a crumbled Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage "Grain Meat" sausage, and served it over Barilla Plus Multigrain pasta.  Instant dinner. It was fantastic--a little sweet--a little spicy--and bursting with flavor.

But, Dave's sauce uses butter--and I thought it was something I could easily make if I could find the right recipe.  I did.  So here it is. 

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce - serves 8

Prep time:  less than 20 minutes

Based on a Martha Stewart recipe

1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)  We used 5 cups of pre-cut squash from Trader Joe's (27 oz.)  Don't risk cutting your fingers--buy pre-cut!

1 TBS. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage (we left this out)

Coarse salt and ground pepper

5 cloves of garlic, peel on

1 cup Trader Joe's Soy Creamer

2 Vegetarian Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage "Grain Meat" Sausages (Italian would also work)

1 pound Barilla Plus Multigrain Thin Spaghetti

Toppings:  chopped toasted walnuts, finely chopped fresh sage  (we didn't bother)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

2.  Place squash in a large shallow baking pan that's covered with no-stick foil, or sprayed lightly with  oil.  Toss pre-cut squash with oil and sage; season generously with salt & pepper.  Scatter garlic around squash. 

3.  Roast until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes, tossing once halfway through.  Remove and discard skin from garlic.

4.  Either transfer squash & garlic to a food processor or a VitaMix or a blender & puree.  With the motor running add the creamer through the top & process until smooth.  Add 1 to 2 cups of water (we used 1 1/2); continue to process until smooth, adding water to thin if necessary.  Check seasoning.

5.  Transfer sauce to a saucepan to keep warm.  Add crumbled, warm sausages to the sauce.  If your sausages are frozen, just thaw & warm them in the microwave.  No need to pan brown them.  If they were never frozen--heat them as you like--and crumble them into the sauce.

6.  If you like a bit more spice to your sauce, try a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes.

Enjoy!!

Calorie Count for One Serving of Sauce

Nutrition Facts Healthy Librarian's Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 148 Total Fat 7.3g       Saturated Fat 0.5g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 154mg Carbohydrate 15.9g       Dietary Fiber 2.5g       Sugars 4.9g Protein 7.4g Vitamin A 186% Vitamin C 32% Calcium    5% Iron 6%

Here's to Great Friendships & Good Food!!  They go so well together.

Never forget--Friendship Rules!!

The Healthy Librarian's Top Picks for Healthy Holiday Gifts

This week I received a pre-holiday email from MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.

It said:  "Share the Health: M.D. Anderson's Holiday Gift Guide - This holiday season, experts at M.D. Anderson encourage shoppers to purchase gifts that offer health benefits for recipients."

If you get receive this blog via email, click here to get to the web-version

It was a pretty good list:

1. Gym membership - they recommend 30 minutes a day to lower the chance of getting cancer
2. Active gear for kids - they say kids need 60 minutes a day of activity to lower their risk of getting cancer as adults
3. Dark chocolate - look for at least 65% cacao - and boxes with small serving sizes--all you need is 1 ounce a day to get a daily shot of delicious antioxidants
4. Green tea sampler - studies show that green tea antioxidants protect against cancer by stopping cancer cells from growing.
5. Fruit of the month club - tons of antioxidants and plant chemicals that help the body fight cancer.
6. Steamer - cook vegetables without oil or butter and eliminate extra fat and calories, and encourage the likelihood of getting 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.
7. Sun protective clothing - look for UPF clothing for an easy & reliable way to get sun protection that lasts through many washes - for runners, gardeners, or anyone who spends a lot of time outdoors

But I got to thinking.  I've got plenty of good gift suggestions to add to this list. 

Great gifts of health that I've received.  Great gifts of health that I've given to others.  Great gifts of health that I've bought for myself.  So here goes.

The Healthy Librarian's List of Favorite Healthy Holiday Gifts

In no particular order:

1. Vitamix 5200 - I've written about this so much, I'm even boring myself--but there is no denying that it's one of the best ways you can ensure that you eat 7-9 fruits & veggies a day.  We use it everyday to make green smoothies, to instantly blend vegetable soups, to make humus, fruit sorbet, or even Tal Ronnen's cashew cream.  Honestly, you can't compare its power to a blender's.  And clean-up is a breeze!  We've given Vitamixes to each of our kids for a 1-gift-fits-all Chanukah, Birthday, & Anniversary/Apartment-warming present.  It's a "BIG" gift--as in a $400-$450 gift!--but I can't think of any better "gift of health" for someone you love!  To read more, click here, here, here. Told you I can run off the mouth on this!
2. Exercise heart rate monitor - My husband gave me my first Polar F6 Heart Rate monitor 3 years ago.  Now they have a women's model that fits my skinny wrist better.  This is one of the best gifts I've ever gotten.  Honestly, I don't like to exercise without it.  It lets me know if I'm working hard enough--or too hard.  It keeps me in aerobic range, counts the calories I've burned, and keeps track of my weekly workouts.  It's just plain motivating, and you can set it up to reflect your age, weight, sex, and your exercise abilities.  Retail $119, but you can probably find it for $100.  Don't skimp--buy Polar.  To read more click here and here.
3. IPOD Nano - I love my 2 year old Nano, but the newest version rocks.  Not only can you download 8GB of music, audiobooks or podcasts, you can shoot and store 8 hours of beautiful video. If that weren't enough--it now has an FM radio that lets you pause it midway, and then return to listen to up to 15 minutes of what you missed.  How is a Nano a gift of health?  It makes solitary exercise fun and great music is motivating.  Not to mention that music can be used as medication--violins instead of Vicodin.  Check out this NPR story.  Click here.  (thanks for the tip, Les) Retail: $149, but they're cheaper at Costco.  Click here and here to learn more.
   
4. Calphalon One Infused Anodized 7-Quart Sauteuse with Lid - This is one of the best gifts I-never-knew-how-much-I-needed-it-until-I-got-it!  It's a beautiful 7 quart, 15" wide, 3" deep lidded pan that you can use on the stovetop, in the oven, or under the broiler.  It's perfect for dinner-sized stir-fries, sauteing vegetables, making any one pot veggie concoction, and it works for just about any dinner recipe I'm making.  My husband just made the best potato latkes, ever, in this pan. It's large enough to hold all the ingredients without spilling over the sides! And it's safe with metal utensils, too.  Cost is about $99.  Click here for more info.
5. Hot-Air Popcorn Popper - This is so 70's, but I recently bought one for $20 (with a coupon) at Bed, Bath, & Beyond.  It has completely satisfied our need for a salty crunchy evening snack.  Thanks go to my husband, who has perfected a "genius" method of adding flavor to this fat-free snack.  Here's the deal: Use a giant bowl with a lid, and as the popcorn starts filling the bowl, spray it with about 4 or 5 sprays of olive or canola oil.  When finished give a few good shakes of popcorn salt--which is super-fine & sticks to the popcorn.  Cover the bowl, and give it a good shake.  You eliminate all the chemicals found in microwave popcorn--and it's done in 1/2 the time.  We pop 1/2 cup of kernels at a time--but I'm thinking that 1/4 cup would probably work better if your bowl isn't gigundo!  Click here for more info.
6. Phillips Sonicare Flexcare 2 Handle Toothbrush All-in-one Sanitizing Charging and Storing Unit - OK, I admit it, who wants to get a toothbrush for a gift?  But, once you use this toothbrush, you'll understand its value in keeping your teeth--and more importantly--your gums in tip-top shape.  There is no way can you manually brush your teeth as well or as long as the oscillating Sonicare can.  Set it to Max mode, and it goes for 3 very long minutes.  The best part: it comes with a built-in ultra-violet light sanitizer that kills up to 99% of E. Coli & streptococcus Mutans, not to mention assorted cold viruses.  If you store your toothbrush in the bathroom--and your toilet lid is up--a closed sanitizer is a plus! It also includes a handy travel charger & case--perfect for when you leave town.  Geeky, yes!  But it's healthy.  I'm getting all A's on my dental report card since using the Sonicare.  Cost is about $140 with a Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupon.  Click here for more info.
7. Olive Tap Flavored Vinegars - This Chicago-based company makes fabulous specialty flavored olive oils and vinegars.  Since I try hard to cut back on oil, I'm recommending their vinegars.  I discovered this company at my hospital's weekly Farmer's Market.  Their booth seems to have the longest line.  What do you do with flavored vinegars?  They are fantastic on salads, pasta, or vegetable dishes with their deep & rich taste.  They are thick and not acidy tasting.  A sample of their 22 flavors: Sicilian Lemon Balsamic, Tangerine Balsamic, Cinnamon Pear Balsamic.   Add a dash of one of their flavored olive oils, too.  Cost: $14.50 a bottle.  click here for all 22 specialty vinegars.
8. Gourmet Cocoa Powders for Hot Chocolate - Cocoa is loaded with healthy flavanoids that will lower inflammation, blood pressure, and improve arterial function--with the added plus that it's fat-free. My all-time favorites are: Scharffen Berger Natural Cocoa Powder (click here) and Ghiradelli Chocolate All Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Click here)  Both cocoas are made without alkaki--meaning they are non-dutched--which is a good thing--because it preserves the phytochemicals.  Hot Chocolate is great evening snack, and if you don't want cow's milk, make it with soy, hazelnut, or almond milk.  Cost: $5.95-$9.95
   
9. Games for your brain, and for belly laughs.  Bananagrams.  I learned about this game from my daughter-in-law who's a word game maven.  This one won the TOTY 2009 Best Game award.  It's a fast and fun word game, that will get you thinking in new ways--and it exercises your brain.  It's actually recommended for use as a brain workout. Kids love it.  Adults love it.  As far as I'm concerned, it beats Scrabble hands down. Cost: about $15.00   Click here to learn more.  Last Word.  This is a fast fun easy-to-learn game, that works as well for 2 players as it does for 8.  I've played it with just my husband.  I've played it with a group--and we had a blast!  It's a word game that's not intimidating--or will make anyone feel left out.  Anyone can win--because when the random timer goes off--whoever said the "Last Word" wins.  Even the usual non-game players in my family enjoyed this one.  Cost:  about $20.00. Click here to learn more.
10. My Favorite Vegan/Vegetarian Cookbooks

• The Conscious Cook:  Delicious MEATLESS recipes that will CHANGE the WAY you EAT. by Tal Ronnen. So far everything I've made from this cookbook has been delicious.  But, definitely cut the fat in half! "The Conscious Cook shows readers that avoiding the health risks and ethical dilemmas of eating meat and dairy does not mean sacrificing taste and appetite. This is not a cookbook of sprouts and tofu burgers, but of mouth-watering, hearty meals that keep the protein at the center of your plate."  Read my review here.

• Clean Food:  A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source.  With more than 200 recipes for a healthy and sustainable you. by Terry Walters.  From NPR's Top 10 Cookbooks for 2009:  "Recent years have seen more and more vegan cookbooks hitting the mainstream, and this one bristles with crossover charisma. Sure, there are a few ingredients your average omnivore will never buy — the ume plum vinegar, the agar powder, to name two — but in a year when there was no other significant vegetable book, Clean Food excels: You could call it a graduate course in meatlessness."   Arranged by season, focusing on what's available seasonally--This winter I'm ready to try Spicy Coconut Pumpkin Soup and Goodness Soup--a pumped-up version of mushroom barley soup with hulled barley, lentils & beans. Lots of new-to-me background information on the healthiest of ingredients, and the best ways to cook beans and grains.  Walters explains why grains can be difficult to digest--and how to fix that problem by soaking them and cooking them with a little kombu--a sea vegetable.
  

• Raw: the UNcook Book.  New Vegetarian Food for Life.  I recently received this book as a gift and it's unlike any cookbook I have--of course--it's raw!  Juliano has a famous San Francisco restaurant--and having recently sampled some raw dishes, I'm ready to give it a whirl.  It's definitely going to be a cooking adventure.  Juliano is a big fan of sprouting seeds for their superior nutritional value (and after writing about broccoli sprouts--I'm ready to give it a try),  and dehydrating food.  Not to worry--a low oven (150 degrees) can substitute for a dehydrator. Those who have tried his recipes are raving.  Read more here.

• Any Jeanne Lemlin cookbook.  Lemlin's books are my go-to source for never-fail-always-delicious soups, salads, and main dishes.  They're vegetarian, so if you are eating vegan, just substitute ingredients.  My favorites are: Simple Vegetarian Pleasures.  Quick Vegetarian Pleasures.  Vegetarian Classics.  They are all still in print.  Click here to read more

   11.  Slow-cooker/crockpot - This is my new favorite appliance for healthy food prep. It's fantastic for making overnight rib-sticking-healthy steel cut oatmeal.   Mix up the ingredients before you go to sleep, and wake up to a kitchen filled with the cinnamon nutmeg scent of delicious oatmeal.  You can make enough for 2-6 servings, and refrigerate the rest for easy-peasy-just-take-it-to-work-and-heat-it-up-oatmeal.  And don't forget that crockpots make it so easy to cook your own beans, soups, and chilis. No more worries about BPA-lined cans.  Cost: About $15.00 for a 3 quart cooker.  Click here for my recipe for overnight fruited steel-cut oatmeal.  Click here for the BPA in cans report.

  12. A book or CD about meditation - I asked my husband what he would add to the list and he said, "Definitely a book or CD to learn meditation."  Want something easy, straightforward, and non-sectarian?  Try The 8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind--Change Your Life.  by Victor Davich.  for info on the book or guided meditation CD click here.

I know you all have some great suggestions to add to the list.  Please let me know what would be on your favorite healthy gift list!