Harvest Stew

Oh, my gosh! This is delicious.

Take an organic pumpkin, small, maybe 8 or 9 " in diameter, tops. cut off the top 1/5th and scoop out the seeds. (f you want, soak them for later use.) Then bake it in a 400 degree oven for about an hour or until soft but not caved in.

Cook 1 cup of organic brown rice adding some olive oil, diced celery, carrots and parsnips. Makes more than 2 cups cooked.

 Cook 2 cans or 3 or 4 cups organic black beans. Add 6 diced garlic cloves and 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Cook for about 45 minutes or longer. Doesn't matter.

To serve, put some rice inside the pumpkin. Then spoon the bean over it. Garnish with fresh chopped parley. Cut wedges of this stew, so you have pumpkin and filling and eat. Don't blame me if you can't stop!

This makes a great family Sunday meal or a company Saturday night meal. Call first if you plan to come over!

Lunch To Live For

Yesterday a close friend made us lunch and it was suggested that my ooh's and aah's rivaled Meg Ryan's in "When Harry Met Sally". Remember the lunch scene?

Here's what she made:

• grilled home grown vegetables, pre-tossed in olive oil - eggplant, squash, zucchini, brussel sprouts, sweet red peppers, portabello slices
• a bed of small pieces of romaine lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers

We put the grilled veggies on the lettuce and then drizzled salad dressing over the top.
 I made my own dressing with olive oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice (with my bare hands:) and some dijon mustard. I whipped the ingredients with a fork until the consistency was thick and creamy. I fell in love with this dressing years ago when I roomed with a friend who learned to cook in Paris. (Thank you Marge, for all you taught me.)

This meal was so delicious and I had several helpings until I was stuffed.  What a gift for a friend to give a friend, a meal that nourished our bodies, senses and our hearts!

Laugh at your own Risk

If you think I have no sense of humor, think again.  Actually, I have a friend with a great sense of humor and so I'm riding on her coattails.

I'm serious about eating healthy, but I like to laugh, so I had to print this for your laughing pleasure.

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Dr. Chen is with the University of LaSalle Hospital in Philadelphia and has visited the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, the London Clinic, and the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. His years of common sense health care experience has resulted in his writing three cook books. Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life.  Is this true?  A: Your heart only good for so many beats, and that it... Don't waste on exercise.  Everything wear out eventually.  Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster.  Want to live longer?  Take nap.   Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?  A:  No, not at all.  Wine made from fruit.  Brandy is distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way.  Beer also made of grain.  Bottom up! Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?  A: Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one.  If you have two bodies, your ratio two to one, etc. Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?  A: Can't think of single one, sorry.  My philosophy is: No pain...good!          Q:  Aren't fried foods bad for you?  A:  YOU NOT LISTENING!  Food are fried these day in vegetable oil.  In fact, they permeated by it.  How could getting more vegetable be bad for you?!?   Q:  Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?  A: Definitely not!  When you exercise muscle, it get bigger.  You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.   Q:  Is chocolate bad for me?   A:  Are you crazy?!?  HEL-LO-O!!  Cocoa bean!  Another vegetable!  It best feel-good food around! Q:  Is swimming good for your figure?   A:  If swimming good for your figure, explain whale to me.. Q:  Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?   A:  Hey!  'Round' is shape!    Well... I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And  remember:   For  those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health.  It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.    1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.. 5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.