Monday, November 16, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
"our lives are the cumulative total of all of our past decisions." me
And the sooner people recognize this simple truth, the happier they will be. All things in our lives, both good and bad, are attributable to choices that we have made previously. Along that line of thinking, I can't help but add to further it that all things that happen to us, therefore, are ultimately our own fault.
I realize that many of you are out there, shaking you heads in protest, saying, "But what about the starving children in Africa! Or the people of war torn nations, without food and things basic for survival?!". I agree....there are exceptions to everything, and I am not without empathy for all human suffering. But what I am talking about now is personal resposibilty, not starving children in Africa. Of course they didn't chose where they were born or into what kind of circumstances they were born in to. No one chooses what they are born into....but they DO chose where they go from there. My children did not choose for their father die...but they DO choose how they handle his death. Do they choose to use it to make excuses about their lives, or do they use his death as an excuse to go FURTHER in life?? Do they make it a reason to fail, or a reason to succeed? A reason to live or to die? That is what I am talking about. It is each person's personal responsibility, the decisions we each make on a daily basis, and how those decisions eventually translate into our lives as a whole. And, truly, once you think about it, it is SO EMPOWERING! How cool is it that we, we alone, are in charge of our own destinies. Even children, with no control or say over the circumstances into which they are born have the power and ability to affect change. How wonderful is that?
By accepting this truth, that the decisions we make translate into the lives we lead, we accept full responsibility for who and what we are, and have control of who we become. By fully accepting this truth, we enable ourselves to make the changes necessary to become the person who we were born to be, and to fulfil our highest potential. Making excuses, blaming others, and not accepting full responsibility for everything in and about our lives only serves to stunt our growth, and gets us nowhere.
Remember this as you go out into the world this next week. Your life is yours. You own it, and it can be whatever you decide to craft it into. If is entirely up to you. So begin crafting the life you desire. The time is RIGHT NOW!
Now go get 'em!!
pesto/tomato pasta sauce
Last night I was experimenting some in the kitchen, and I came up with what we thought was a very good pasta sauce. It used the pesto that I make, and then combined it with a tomato sauce. Here is the recipe:
Ingrediants:
Freshly made pesto (see recipe). Use all of it.
6 very ripe, large, organic tomatoes, coarsley chopped
5 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 large organic yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin, organic olive oil
1/4 cup organic Italian parsley, packed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Saute onion and garlic until golden.
2. Add in tomatoes and cook over medium low until the begin to fall apart. About 45 min.
3. Add pesto, parsley, salt, pepper. Stir and heat through. Cover and remove from heat.
Add to you favorite pasta. I put mixed it into a large pot of penne pasta, and it was delicious.
Ingrediants:
Freshly made pesto (see recipe). Use all of it.
6 very ripe, large, organic tomatoes, coarsley chopped
5 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 large organic yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin, organic olive oil
1/4 cup organic Italian parsley, packed
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Saute onion and garlic until golden.
2. Add in tomatoes and cook over medium low until the begin to fall apart. About 45 min.
3. Add pesto, parsley, salt, pepper. Stir and heat through. Cover and remove from heat.
Add to you favorite pasta. I put mixed it into a large pot of penne pasta, and it was delicious.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tomato Sauce
This is a recipe from Biba's Taste of Italy, by Biba Caggiano. It is a delicious, light, and healthy sauce, and has a myriad of uses, from pasta to pizza. I have even used in soups. This is a tradional Italian staple, originally from the Tuscan region, and I find it nice to keep it on hand. If canning isn't your thing, it freezes very well.
Homemade Tomato Sauce
Conserva di Pomodoro
Ingredients
12 lbs. very ripe organic tomatoes, preferably plum tomatoes, cut into large chunks.
2 large organic onions, cut into pieces, coarsely chopped
3 organic carrots, cut into small rounds
3 organic celery stalks, cut into small pieces
1 cup loosely packed organic, flat-leaf italian parsely leaves
1 1/2 tsp. organic sea salt, or more to taste
small bunch of basil, stemmed (20-30 leaves)
1/4 cup organic, extra virgin olive oil
Directions
1. Combine the tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, and salt in a large stockpot, over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin falling apart and the other vegetables are soft, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Puree the tomato mixture in batches in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Place a food mill with the disk with the smallest holes over a large bowl and pass the tomato puree through it to remove the seeds and skins. Return the sauce to the pot and season with salt. Cook it at a gentle boil until it has a medium-thick consistency. Stir in the basil and turn off the heat.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
It Has Begun... Message From We Are Change Colorado - VaccinationEducation.com
Very good video that discusses the hidden risks of vaccinations.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Migas
I really wanted to wait to share this recipe until I had a picture of my own migas to add, but alas, there is no telling when this will happen. So, I have decided to go ahead and post the recipe, promising myself to add a photo later.
Despite the obvious Mexican influence, migas originated in Texas, birthplace of many wonderful Tex-Mex hybrids. Initially conceived as a meatless meal during lent, it has been adapted as both vegetarian and non vegetarian over the years.
If you have never had migas, you will love this dish. It is a wonderful, healthy, and satisfying Sunday brunch, or can even be used as an ecletic dinner. My recipe is meatless, but you can add pork sausage, beef, or chicken, if you choose. I will often add the meat or poultry on the side if I am cooking for non vegetarians. Chorizo is also a popular addition to migas for meat eaters.
Migas
Ingredients:
8 eggs (from organic, free range chickens!)
1 organic onion, chopped
1 large, organic jalepeno pepper, chopped and seeded
1 large organic tomato, chopped and seeded
6 organic corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 cup freshly grated, organic monterrey jack cheese
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
1 TSBP red pepper flakes
1 tsp organic freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp organic sea salt
1/2 cup fresh, organic cilantro, chopped
1 cup salsa
1 chopped avocado
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, water, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a small skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and add tortilla strips. Add a bit of sea salt and cook until they are slightly crisp. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onions until golden. Add peppers and tomatoes. Heat throughm making sure not to overcook the peppers and tomatoes. You want them "just barely" cooked.
3. Add the egg mixture to the skillet; cook for a few minutes and then add 3/4 cup of the cheese, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 of the cilantro.
4. Continue to cook the egg mixture, stirring constantly. When the eggs begin to become firm, add the tortilla strips.
5. Continue cooking and stirring the eggs until until cooked throroughly. Top migas with remaining cheese and cilantro.
6. Top each individual serving with the avocado and salsa, and serve with flour tortillas.
Migas are delicious served along with sides of black or refried beans, quacamole, fresh fruits, hash browns (I will soon add a great recipe for Southwest Hash Browns that is amazing), or spanish rice.
Despite the obvious Mexican influence, migas originated in Texas, birthplace of many wonderful Tex-Mex hybrids. Initially conceived as a meatless meal during lent, it has been adapted as both vegetarian and non vegetarian over the years.
If you have never had migas, you will love this dish. It is a wonderful, healthy, and satisfying Sunday brunch, or can even be used as an ecletic dinner. My recipe is meatless, but you can add pork sausage, beef, or chicken, if you choose. I will often add the meat or poultry on the side if I am cooking for non vegetarians. Chorizo is also a popular addition to migas for meat eaters.
Migas
Ingredients:
8 eggs (from organic, free range chickens!)
1 organic onion, chopped
1 large, organic jalepeno pepper, chopped and seeded
1 large organic tomato, chopped and seeded
6 organic corn tortillas, cut into strips
1 cup freshly grated, organic monterrey jack cheese
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
1 TSBP red pepper flakes
1 tsp organic freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp organic sea salt
1/2 cup fresh, organic cilantro, chopped
1 cup salsa
1 chopped avocado
Directions:
1. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, water, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
2. In a small skillet, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and add tortilla strips. Add a bit of sea salt and cook until they are slightly crisp. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute onions until golden. Add peppers and tomatoes. Heat throughm making sure not to overcook the peppers and tomatoes. You want them "just barely" cooked.
3. Add the egg mixture to the skillet; cook for a few minutes and then add 3/4 cup of the cheese, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 of the cilantro.
4. Continue to cook the egg mixture, stirring constantly. When the eggs begin to become firm, add the tortilla strips.
5. Continue cooking and stirring the eggs until until cooked throroughly. Top migas with remaining cheese and cilantro.
6. Top each individual serving with the avocado and salsa, and serve with flour tortillas.
Migas are delicious served along with sides of black or refried beans, quacamole, fresh fruits, hash browns (I will soon add a great recipe for Southwest Hash Browns that is amazing), or spanish rice.
cooking for vegetarians and non vegetarians
What a great and busy weekend we had to cap off the end of summer! A friend, who has been touring the country on his motorcycle, came to stay with us for 2 nights, which added to the sense of celebration and fun. The weekend also included parties, a work day at the community garden, yoga, shopping, dining out, a couple of large, fun meals at home, touring downtown, and a movie! Needless, to say, by Sunday night, we were tired, but a good tired.
People often seem perplexed at how one can be a vegetarian and cook for non vegetarians, and vise verse. A question I frequently hear when we are socializing is, "But what will you eat?" I understand that the idea of cooking meals for both vegetarians and non-veggies seems daunting, but having done just that for the last 20 years, I can guarantee that it is much easier than in sounds.
The best way to approach it is to base a meal around a central, non animal food, such as rice, beans, pasta, a bread type food, and the like. For example, last night my family came over to welcome back my son who is home from college for a few weeks. I wanted to do something simple, healthy, and delicious that everyone would enjoy, but would not require much effort on my part. I consulted with one of my "partners in crime" (my mother), and we decided to do pizzas.
I made the dough in advance (see Pizza Dough recipe), allowing it ample time to rise, fall, and rise again. In this case, the pizza dough would serve as the central base, or core, of the meal. By evening time, all that needed to be done was to roll out the dough, add toppings, and bake. We made two cheese pizzas and one with sundried tomatoes (see sundried tomato recipe), artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over the top. Had we wanted to, we could have easily added chicken, beef, or pork to one of the pizzas, accommodating the meat eaters among us.
Another example from this weekend was Sunday Brunch. In this case, the core of the meal was an egg dish called migas (obviously, this would not work for vegans). Along with the migas, off to the side I served tortillas, veggie sausage, pork sausage, organic hash browns, sliced organic fruit, salsa, sliced avocados, and pico de gallo (see recipe). The migas as the base allowed everyone to tailor their meal to suite their own tastes.
Sometimes I will take a pasta dish and use grilled sliced chicken or other animal food, to top the pasta for the non vegetarians. This is so easy, and no one thinks twice about it. The trick is to change thinking from building the meal around the meat, poultry, or seafood, to building the meal around a non meat dish. It is simple when you think of it in those terms.
People often seem perplexed at how one can be a vegetarian and cook for non vegetarians, and vise verse. A question I frequently hear when we are socializing is, "But what will you eat?" I understand that the idea of cooking meals for both vegetarians and non-veggies seems daunting, but having done just that for the last 20 years, I can guarantee that it is much easier than in sounds.
The best way to approach it is to base a meal around a central, non animal food, such as rice, beans, pasta, a bread type food, and the like. For example, last night my family came over to welcome back my son who is home from college for a few weeks. I wanted to do something simple, healthy, and delicious that everyone would enjoy, but would not require much effort on my part. I consulted with one of my "partners in crime" (my mother), and we decided to do pizzas.
I made the dough in advance (see Pizza Dough recipe), allowing it ample time to rise, fall, and rise again. In this case, the pizza dough would serve as the central base, or core, of the meal. By evening time, all that needed to be done was to roll out the dough, add toppings, and bake. We made two cheese pizzas and one with sundried tomatoes (see sundried tomato recipe), artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, and balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over the top. Had we wanted to, we could have easily added chicken, beef, or pork to one of the pizzas, accommodating the meat eaters among us.
Another example from this weekend was Sunday Brunch. In this case, the core of the meal was an egg dish called migas (obviously, this would not work for vegans). Along with the migas, off to the side I served tortillas, veggie sausage, pork sausage, organic hash browns, sliced organic fruit, salsa, sliced avocados, and pico de gallo (see recipe). The migas as the base allowed everyone to tailor their meal to suite their own tastes.
Sometimes I will take a pasta dish and use grilled sliced chicken or other animal food, to top the pasta for the non vegetarians. This is so easy, and no one thinks twice about it. The trick is to change thinking from building the meal around the meat, poultry, or seafood, to building the meal around a non meat dish. It is simple when you think of it in those terms.
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