Moderation

Stress and emotions trigger different eating habits in all of us.  When I am under pressure, life goes to hell in a hand basket.  Better yet, when the pressure builds to a monumental boil and then stops abruptly, my pendulum swings in a gigantic arc back to the other extreme.  Generally, I am a happy healthy eater, constantly on the prowl for a delicious, relaxed meal with friends.  But graduate school does funny things to a person.  Winter quarter was a struggle, emotionally and physically.  By the end of the quarter I felt like a car driving on 3 flat tires.  But there was a carrot at the end of my stick, I was leaving for Hawaii 3 hours after my last exam.  I struggled through the quarter to make it to the gym (irregular at best) and eat well (except for the Trader Joe Cranberry Dunkers).  By the end I wasn’t really eating, my body and mind were in a fog.  On the plane to Hawaii, I agreed with my travel partner to eat raw and vegan for the duration of our trip.  It sounded refreshing, rejuvenating, like hell…  I should explain that we were hiking the Napali Coast and relaxing in Kalalou Valley for six days.

Backpacking is a wonderful endeavor that I grew up enjoying, it has always been a part of my life.  And as a food lover, I have never shied away from good food (our its weight) on a trip.  But raw is a whole new game.  Light packs immediately gained 15 pounds as we picked out avocados, cucumbers, apples, vinegar and oil.  It is only 11 miles to nirvana, slugging through the dense jungle heat and exposed cliff faces to enjoy wonderful fresh living food at the end of the rainbow.  What a crock!  No, really, it was quite wonderful.  But I was depleted on all levels, and our abrupt shift left me reeling.  It was a wonderful adventure that left me feeling light and rested, but completely off kilter.  My pendulum had swung too aggressively in one direction.  The balance was gone, the moderation shot.

When I returned to the rain and cold of Seattle I immediately sought comfort in warm, rich foods, for weeks, I was still making up for the intensity of the winter quarter.  See, I made a mistake, well, several actually.  I forgot my mantra of moderation.  I went from an intense situation straight into intense travel.  I forgot to take a few days to adjust after the quarter ended.  And I through my body into an intense physical detox and purge without thought for my mental state.

When the pendulum swings in one direction, I find that it needs to swing in the other direction before it can once again settle somewhere around the center.  We weren’t designed to live permanently in the extreme of our being without a return to the middle.  When you burn the candle at both ends of the stick, do yourself a favor and breathe a second before you take the next great plunge.  It will add years to your life.

Craving a Crepe

I absolutely love crepes.  On a visit to Amsterdam, I insisted upon eating crepes everyday.  Refusing to vary, I stuck with the powdered sugar and banana crepe for two weeks.  An addiction was born.  Street vendor crepes, café crepes and fancy restaurant crepes…  I am still partial to bananas and powdered sugar, but every now and then I stray toward an adventurous crepe. 

Since moving to Seattle I have searched high and low for good crepes.  This past weekend I yelped my way to Saley on First Hill in Seattle.  This amazing little crepe café is a one-woman operation serving both sweet and savory crepes.  I completely eschewed my failsafe and went for a whole new flavor.  I had a savory crepe filled with avocado, spinach, mozzarella and tomato.  And because I had now committed myself to several hours at the gym, I followed up with the amazing strawberry and Nutella crepe.  I must admit that I had never before tried Nutella on a crepe.  Generally, I try to avoid this product because of the partial hydrogenated fats, but life is all about moderation.

Once upon a time in a land far far away, I found myself with a Norwegian roommate in Scotland.  My roommate taught me how to make a Norwegian crepe.  I made crepes 4-5 times a week for a year.  They were economical, delicious and calorie dense, absolutely perfect for a starving college student.

 

The Norwegian Crepe

This recipe produces 2 large crepes.

1 egg

½ cup flour

¾ cup milk

 

Whisk the ingredients together until smooth.  Heat a crepe pan or omelet pan over medium heat, mist with olive oil and pour a thin layer to coat the pan.  When the edges are cooked, very carefully flip the crepe.  Cook for 2 more minutes and place on a plate.  Top with your choice of fillings and roll.  For the past few years I have stuck with nut butter and bananas.  

Family Dinner

In a world where families are divorced, scattered across 5000 miles or consist of a single individual, it is important to redefine the word family.  My definition of family is more inclusive than Mr. Webster’s, I believe that family is a grouping of all those you hold dear, the ones you can call on in a time of need, the ones that make you laugh, the ones you cry for.  In the century of me, it is easy to get lost in our individualism and forget the essence of family and the essential dynamic of the family meal.

Americans are criticized for convenience dining at record speeds, and it is hard to argue, we love our drive-thrus and multitasking.  When was the last time you sat down to a homemade meal without a time constraint, with a group of cherished friends and family?  I want to be like the French, I want to take 4 long hours over a simple meal on Sunday afternoons laughing with those of you I love.  It would be easy to say, "Oh, I don’t have that kind of time", but come on, really?  How long were you on myspace last night?  How is that twitter addiction going?  Spend any time at the mall or downtown this weekend?  How was Friday night at the bars? 

The point is, we all waste precious time accomplishing pretty inane tasks and entertaining ourselves.  So, lets have a dinner party this Sunday.  Here’s what you do: 1. Put together a list of friends to invite, 2. Pick a theme, lets have a potluck (takes the pressure off of the host), 3. Select a bottle or three of your favorite adult beverages, and 4. Hide the laundry in your bedroom before your company arrives.

This past weekend, I spent the evening with a group of old and new friends.  I was late, but that is nothing new.  We had taco night, everyone contributed a few ingredients and a few stories.  Moments of belly laughter turned into hours of fun and an evening that ended with deep yawns.  For approximately $7 I had a great meal, wonderful entertainment and actual interaction with friends.  You can’t beat that.

 

Spanish Quinoa

Changing up the Spanish Rice a little.  Go on, experiment with whole grains, there fun!

½ onion

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

4-6 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

½ tablespoon seasalt

2 tomatoes, diced

1 carrot, diced

 

Warm a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and onion.  Sauté for 4 minutes, add the garlic, cumin and pepper flakes, cook for 2 minutes.  Add the quinoa, and gently toast for 5 minutes.  Add the vegetable broth and remaining ingredients, cover and simmer over low-medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and do not disturb for 5 minutes.  Before serving, remove lid and fluff with a fork.   

Hallelujah, the sun is out in Seattle!

The sun is out in Seattle.  That is not the first thought that entered my mind this morning when I cracked a weary eye toward the window.  The first thought was a little less positive, I was more concerned with the spotlight smacking me in the face!  The whiny voice in my head cried, “I just want to sleep 45 minutes more, is that too much to ask?”  I immediately realized my sin in thinking such a thought, the sun is out, hallelujah!  Get your ass out of bed and outside!  A bathroom visit and a glass of water later I found myself wandering in the field behind my house contemplating the day as the early morning sun filtered through air.  I decided I could use some natural Prozac and I set to work weeding in the house garden, saying hello to my dandelion and slug friends along the way.  Mid-April is the perfect time to find solace in the garden in Seattle, it isn’t quite time to start planting, but it is close.

My short sojourn in the garden left me thinking about vegetables, more specifically young greens.  I ventured to the grocery, picking out baby spinach and other young greens.  I also took advantage of the pears and before I knew it, I had the most amazing spring salad growing in the basket on my arm.  I have plans to plant my own spring greens this weekend.

 

Spring Salad for 1

1 pear

1 cup baby spinach

1 cup mixed baby greens

1 ounce feta, crumbled

1/8 cup dried cranberries

1 thin slice sweet onion

¼ cup mixed beans – garbanzo, kidney, pinto

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

fresh cracked black pepper

 

Easter

Easter Weekend!  A time for decadent chocolate shaped like bunnies and a rousing search for the infamous golden egg.  I spent the weekend with friends, or rather my extended family here in Washington.  After a day of kayaking, we gathered around a late night fire to make smores and drink wine.  Smores, a product of childhood that can’t really be improved upon although some have tried and failed miserably.  I explained this concept to our friends, but they insisted on trying to toast a “peep”.  I really hate to say “I told you so”, but in this case it is warranted. 

On the actual day of Easter the seven of us gathered around the dining room table to enjoy a homemade brunch as the rain beat a tattoo on the metal roof and the house was encased in the soft light of dark grey rain clouds.  Easy conversation rolled through the house along with the scent of fresh brewed coffee.  Breakfast foods are the best!  We dined on cinnamon rolls, potato hash, biscuits and scrambled eggs. 

A great holiday weekend, spent with friends over a collection of delicious meals and adventures.

Potato Hash for 7

olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, diced

2 Garnet Yams, diced

4 Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 cup mixed mushrooms, diced

vegetarian breakfast sausage, crumbled

*Note: when at home in Alaska or sea kayak guiding in Prince William Sound, we sometimes use Reindeer Sausage

Bring a large skillet to temperature over medium heat.  Add the olive oil and dice onion, sauté until soft.  Add the garlic, sauté for another 2 minutes.  Cook the diced yams and potatoes with the onions and garlic until tender.  Add olive oil as needed.  When the potatoes are soft and beginning to brown, add the other vegetables and crumbled breakfast sausage, cook for 10 more minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with salsa.

Ode to the Golden Spoon

Oh golden spoon of mine, I wouldn’t choose another color for you.  The warmth you bring to the table enhances the taste of the most subtle root, the softest grain…  I wouldn’t choose a red spoon, because I do not want anger at my table.  And a blue spoon might dampen the mood.  Green simply wouldn’t do because I do not want to envy yesterday or or be jealous of tomorrow, I would rather enjoy this moment today.   The golden beauty of the saffron spoon creates a warm atmosphere, filled with joy, placing a glowing spotlight on the meal of the moment.