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Friday night.
I wanted to go to the "first-Friday" swing dance, plus lesson--at a nearby middle school. A wildly popular seven man swing band from Pittsburgh was featured.
Didn't happen.
Turns out it was my husband's week to usher at the 6:15 pm service at our synagogue. He's not the kind of guy who would skip out.
So, while he was ushering, I got to work in the kitchen making my version of Pea's & Thank You's Jambalaya!
My friend Janet introduced me to this recipe a month ago. Then my husband made it for our grandson, who gobbled down two helpings. Now it was my turn to make it. Click here for the recipe.
My husband returned home at 8:00 and dinner was ready to go!
How About 2 Ounces of Wine Before Dinner?
He: "Hey, why don't we just chill out, have a glass of wine, enjoy our dinner, and see if there's something to stream on Netflix."
Me: "Great idea, but, just pour me only a 1/4 cup of wine."
He: "What? What's up with 1/4 cup of wine?"
Me: "Straight from this week's issue of JAMA. Big study. Women who drank 3 or more glasses of wine a week increased their risk of breast cancer.
Yep! Even low to moderate amounts of alcohol isn't such a good idea for women. But, the researchers say it might still be a good idea to have a little wine--because even just a little reduces heart disease risk. Hey, it's all about weighing your own risks. Breast cancer or heart disease. 1/4 cup might help me with both."
He: "But, what's up with the 1/4 cup?"
Me: "Run the numbers. 3 5-ounce glasses of wine comes to 15 ounces a week--I figured it was better to have a little everyday--which comes to 1/4 cup a day--and I'd likely only have that 1/4 cup 3 or 4 times a week. Besides, Tom, a retired physicist blog friend of mine who hates the taste of alcohol, has analyzed every study out there on the health benefits and risks of alcohol. His conclusion: 2 ounces of wine a day for women was the sweet spot."
We really did have this conversation, believe or not!
Want to Know More About the JAMA Breast Cancer Alcohol Study?
If you do not see the video on your screen click here
Source: JAMA 2011 Nov. 2;306(17):1884-90. Chen, WY, Rosner, B, Hankinson, SE, Colditz, GA, Willett, WC. "Moderate alcohol consumption during adult life, drinking patterns, and breast cancer risk."
On to the Movie
Netflix was not going to cooperate.
Turns out we have the cheapest Netflix plan, and my husband had already used up our monthly allowance streaming "Hell on Wheels" (a documentary about the Tour de France) while he lifted weight in the basement.
"Let's try Hulu," he said.
Real bad idea. There is nothing on the freebie version of Hulu.
Except, as he scrolled through the alphabet of loser movies that no one has ever heard of, I spotted something that sounded vaguely familiar, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead". How's that for a cheerful Friday night flick?
Turns out, it wasn't what I thought it was. It was a hundred times better. We both thoroughly enjoyed this 2010 documentary that's won many awards at film festivals none of us has ever heard of. Actually, we LOVED this movie!
It's funny. It's inspirational & uplifting. It's down-right sad & scary. It has heart and really gets you involved in Joe's story. It's all about an "everyday overweight guy" just trying to turn his health around and inspire others along the way.
Am I the only person who has never heard of this movie?? Am I really late to the party?
Two big thumbs up! And best of of all--it's free on Hulu--for the price of watching a few commercials.
You can watch the full movie, 1 hr. 37 mins. here on Hulu--just be sure to disable any adblockers & give it time to load. We streamed it on our TV.
Would I recommend Joe's diet kick-starter plan? No. But, it worked for him, and he did it safely, under the care of a physician. And now he's eating healthy plant-based meals & exercising regularly.
And just who was Joe's doc? None other then Dr. Joel Fuhrman.
Meet Joe Cross--He's Young, Fat, Desperate, and Sick of Being Sick
Joe and Phil
If you don't see the video on your screen click here to go to the YouTube movie trailer.
Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (the extended trailer)
SYNOPSIS
100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope.
In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.
With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself.
He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days.
Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.
While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well.
What emerges is nothing short of amazing – an inspiring tale of healing and human connection.
Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves.
Click Here for the Full Film on Hulu
Jamabalaya, Baby!! So Easy! So Delicious!
Jambalaya & Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Friday Night Dinner & a Movie Jambalaya
(adapted from a recipe in Peas and Thank You)
Servings: 4
Click here for a copy of the recipe on one page
Ingredients:
2-3 Field Roast Italian Sausages, thinly sliced
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes in juice
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon chopped oregano
1 teaspoon T.J.'s 21 Seasoning Salute (or other salt-free spice combo)
salt to taste (optional)
1/4 teaspoon pepper, optional or to taste (if you like more heat, substitute red pepper flakes for the black pepper, to taste)
2 cups of already cooked brown rice (I saved time with T.J. frozen brown rice pouches--ended up using 1 1/2 pouches)
1 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste
Preparation:
1. Prepare rice, whether microwaving the frozen rice, or cooking your rice.
2. Saute the Field Roast sausages in a large non-stick skillet until they're browned, about 5 minutes. Remove them to a plate for adding later.
3. Add onions, celery, and red pepper and "steam" saute over medium heat. Cover & let them soften for 5 minutes, checking halfway through to mix. If it gets too dry, and starts to stick, add a little bit of broth or water to deglaze the pan.
4. Add the seasonings & garlic and cook for one minute.
5. Add the tomatoes with juice, the broth, and bring to a low boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
6. Add the browned "sausage", the pred-cooked rice and the tomato paste, mix well, and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes. Adjust seasonings.
It was a perfect Friday Night.
Dinner, Wine (1/4 cup), and a Surprise Hit of a Movie
Got any Dinner & a Movie Combos to Recommend for Our Next Friday Night at Home?
