Food for Thought

Red wine is good for your heart. It contains chemicals that boost good cholesterol, lowers bad cholesterol, and strengthens blood vessels. The healthiest wine....Madiran from the southwest Gascony region of France. Italian wines from Lombardy are also know for their high levels of antioxidants. Just another reason to drink to your health.

Food for Thought:: Butterflies in your Stomach

We all know what a gut feeling is...but do you know what causes it? I came across this article, "Think Twice:  How the Gut's Second Brain Influences Mood and Well Being" thanks to a recent tweet by my dear friend and positive living guru Tara Meyer-Robinson and it totally blew me away.  The lining of our digestion system contains more neurons than our spinal chord, and produces 95% of our body's serotonin.  Wild isn't it?

Our stomachs have more control over our brains than we could ever imagine.  That being said, it is so important to listen to our belly's signals.  There is always the "ate too much Chinese food" tummy ache but gastrointestinal illnesses are often triggered by stress in our lives.  Stress that our crafty brains may justify for money, career, love, whatever it may be...but our gut is a straight shooter...a real honest organ.  Listen to it, and treat it right.

Enjoy the Serenity

I tutor a 12 year old in creative writing every Thursday morning in a local coffee shop.  Today, as I was waiting for her to arrive an elderly couple asked me how far along I was.  I told them the doc said the baby should be here by the weekend.  The woman, an expecting grandmother, looked at me and said "Enjoy the serenity now."

The fact that I had already told her I had a 20 month old at home, and she still advised me to enjoy the serenity is just further confirmation how this new baby is going to rock our world.  Chef has noooo idea. But he will soon...she is definitely on the move.  I am sure she will be here by Saturday.

People have a lot of advice for huge pregnant women, but what we need most is help.  Last weekend an angel, namely my friend Heather Sparks...a beautiful Scorpio mama, came to visit.  She woke up with Lil' Bit every morning at 6:30...cleaned my house every day...did my laundry...helped me garden...cooked us meals...it was incredible.  I finally beat that head cold thanks to her kindness.  There is nothing like lady friends...they know.  Also last week, my dear friend and fantastic photographer Abby Liga sent me my maternity photos.  She posted them on her blog.  They are really lovely...just like Abby.

Last night I made Giada De Laurentiis Eggplant Puree Rigatoni.  Eggplant is not in season yet...in fact I purchased this eggplant at the farmer's market and thought to myself, strange. People swear Eggplant induces labor, and I am willing to try anything.  I brought the purple vegetable home and there was sticker on it that said it was grown in Mexico.  Duped.  

Note to self:  Always ask the farmer at the farmer's market to specify what they grew and what they bought in...some of their wares are far from local.

The ingredients for the pasta sauce are pictured above before roasting, and below after before I hit the pulse on the food processor.  I was going to include a final shot of the dish, but while it tasted totally delicious...the sauce was not so asethetically pleasing once pureed.  The flavors are subtle, and fresh.  Lil' Bit chowed down on it and Chef loved it.  He has a palette of champions... So when he says something tastes great it must. The mint in the sauce cut the heat of the red pepper perfectly. It is easy...done in less than an hour and is fabulous.

Right now I have a pot of red raspberry leaf tea on the stove.  When I say pot I mean a large sauce pot, not a little kettle.  Red Raspberry Leaf  has been used for thousands of years as a woman's tonic.  It tones the uterus making it stronger for contractions, and helps it return back to normal size post labor.  I will be sucking this stuff down for the next twenty four hours, and peeing every 45 minutes.  9 months is a long time and mama needs to see her toes again.  I have been pregnant since June.  Since June!

Tonight...Caprese salad with chicken.  Basil and Oregano both contain something in them that supposedly induces labor.

I am pulling out all the stops people.  This newbie will be here in the next few days...I can feel it.  That being said, the next few weeks I am going to take a little time off from cyber space.  I will be posting fun strange food facts to keep you entertained, and as soon as I am able I will return with lots of fodder for writing!

Wish me luck...Lil' Bit was 24 hours of natural labor.  I am hoping this sugar pie comes fast and furious!

Chocolate before 7 am

Is it wrong to eat chocolate before 7 am?  Answer...No.  Not if you are absurdly pregnant with a head cold and are not drinking coffee and have just spent the past five minutes out in the pouring rain bringing in trays of seedlings before they perished in the torrent.  And besides...it is not like I dipped into the pot de creme in the fridge.  No, just a small bite from an organic chocolate bar to make me feel a little better.

Chocolate makes everything better.  That is my motto.  This may sound terrible, but when Lil' Bit is having a rough day and just can't seem to keep it together my last weapon against full blown temper tantrum is a little bit of chocolate.  It is amazing how she will go from sour to sweet with just a nibble.  I feel the same way.  Just a bite of chocolate and I too feel immediately better.

It is one of the world's most favorite foods for a reason, and it is not because of its looks if you know what I mean?  Studies show that it releases endorphins, increases blood flow, and relieves anxiety.  In other words, it makes you feel good.

I gave Chef a word of advice this week, "You realize that in about 2 weeks you will be the lone human male living with 3 women in a confined space for the rest of your days?  I have one word of advice, always keep chocolate in the house."

After my little pre-sunrise indulgence, I decided to go full force and had an English muffin with a nice scoop of...

Whatevs.  If there is one point in woman's life when chocolate should take precedent over basic nutrition it is at 38 weeks pregnant.

My Week of Eating In

So I thought it best to post a little photo montage of my week of eating in thus so far.  I will begin with dessert, because I am pregnant and that is how I roll.

This rugelach, with apricot preserves...an Ina Garten recipe is totally divine.  Chef informed me that I have been pronouncing rugelach wrong all these years.  I have been saying "roogala" when he says its "rugalak"  Being that I am from South Florida I feel like I have a pretty good handle on Hebrew lingo, but he is a Schwartz so I guess he probably knows better.

 

 

Next is another Barefoot Contessa recipe...perfect poached fruit in this gorgeous orange and lemon zest vanilla syrup.

Now onto a starch...Noodle Kugle with Yellow Raisins. 

And what do you serve this strange starch with...the easiest brisket (aka pot roast in some parts) ever.

I thought I would share a little picture of some parsley and green onions grown by yours truly!

I used them in this recipe from The Pioneer Woman Blog...a killer pasta and mushroom sauce.  By some sort of divine intervention she posted this blog on Tuesday and it just so happened that I had every ingredient necessary in my fridge and garden.  She calls for thin spaghetti, but I used Bucatini, because it is my new favorite pasta!

Wednesday was my birthday...and I confess Chef and I went out to lunch.  I needed a treat...I am officially less than a year away from 30.  As a sign that middle age is creeping up on me...I caught a little cold and Chef made me homemade chicken noodle soup with artisan pappardelle pasta for dinner.

I will be enjoying the soup again for dinner tonight...but for tomorrow night I am thinking about trying out The Blushing Hostess recipe for Tandoori Apricot Chicken...since I have apricot preserves leftover from the rugelach!

I am not so sure about what we will be dining on Saturday or Sunday...but we will be dining in! Share with me any new recipes you have tried out this week...I am always looking for something simply delicious.  

Happy Eating In!

The Eat In Challenge

 

Note to Self:  Do not engage toddler in conversation about bubbles before hitting the publish button on your blog, which is exactly next to the delete button.

Earlier today I deleted this post.  I had worked on it over the past two days and in one split second poof.  C'est la vie.  So here goes with round two...

Last week I came across The Week of Eating in Challenge and I would like to invite you to join me in this little adventure.  It begins next Monday, February 22 and the idea is to eat every single meal for an entire week at home, or eat food that was cooked at home.  Now this may seem daunting to some, but it is the way most people across the world eat...so it can't be that hard right?

I have a personal chef and a toddler, so needless to say we eat dinner at home almost all the time. Lunch is another story, granted we often lunch at our own restaurant 29 South which isn't really really "eating out"  as it is more like "eating work."  At least that is what I tell myself, but we do go out to brunch every Sunday.  Brunch is my favorite meal and there is nothing like enjoying it when someone else is cooking.

So why try this Eat in Challenge?  Personally, lately I have been feeling a little guilty.  Due to our lunching out so much Lil' Bit always has leftovers which in turn often are replayed for her either at dinner or the following lunch.  She often eats dinner before Chef and I, mainly because Chef is not usually home at 6 pm which is her dinner time.  While I cook a simple, yet tasty meal for Chef and I to eat at 8ish...Lil' Bit often eats leftovers with an added veg or grain.  Leftovers = microwave = yuck.

Some less personal reasons...well eating out can get a little pricey, and you have so much less control over the quality of the food you are eating.  We try to eat mostly organic at home, and to do so here in Fernandina Beach at any restaurant other than our own is next to impossible.

But more importantly, to cook and eat at home is an essential part of a nation's cultural identity.  Food is a unifying aspect of any culture, and America is quickly loosing its culinary heritage.  For generations the different culinary traditions of the various regions of this country were passed down at the stove and at the dinner table, and they are becoming obsolete.  They are being replaced with weird dinners in bags that you just pop in the microwave, or entire meals to be eaten in the front seat of your car.

As a side note:  Regularly eating meals in your car is weird unless you are homeless and you live in your car.  That is the only exception.  And on that same note...hamburgers are not snacks for crying out loud!  But I will save that rant for another blog post.

With all the modern technology to make cooking at home easier...food processors, blenders, dishwashers, spray on olive oil...the list is endless...it is amazing that today we often complain that we don't have the time or energy to cook a meal of whole foods at home.  Our grandmothers and grandfathers did it with so much less.  

So that all being said, I challenge you to eat in next week. If you go to the link above and sign up you will find all sorts of fun little tools to help, like a spreadsheet to help you compare the cost savings of your week of eating in versus a week of eating out as well as neat phone aps.

Eat in...turn on the music, pour yourself a glass of wine and relax into a recipe.  Although I would just stick to coffee or juice while making breakfast.  You can do it.  Do it for your grandma...do it for your family...do it for yourself.  If you are single, throw a potluck, invite a neighbor over, or perhaps make a date of it. There is no better way to get to know a person than a meal prepared and shared together.  

I am going to give it whirl, although my birthday is next week and for my gift Chef is giving me a day at the spa.  I may have to cheat and eat a salad in between my massage and facial.  I know...it is a rough life, but somebody has to live it.

Happy Lupercalia...or Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!  I was once told that Valentine's Day was invented by Hallmark, but the truth be told is that Valentine's Day has been celebrated long before the greeting card corporation existed. In Ancient Rome, February 15th was the pagan holiday of Lupercalia, a festival of fertility, and it understandably had romantic undertones if you know what I mean.  In an effort to convert pagans, the Catholic Church changed the holiday to February 14th in 496 and called it St. Valentine's Day in honor of two martyrs, Valentine of Rome and Valentine of Terni.  It wasn't until the middle ages, 1400's,  that Valentine's Day became officially associated with romance.


Chef and I started a new Valentine's Day tradition this year.  It was inspired by the pagan origins of the holiday as well as the tradition of my friend Andrea and her husband Charles.  Charles gives Andrea rose bushes every year which she plants in her garden.  This gesture struck me as darling.  I told Chef from now on in I wanted a pair of plants and in return I would make him the feast of his choice.

Two beautiful azalea topiaries were my gift this year and for his feast...traditional Jewish comfort food.


Course 1 Chopped Liver (not my favorite...the things we do for love)
Course 2 Brisket with Carrots and Onions
Course 3 Noodle Kugel
Course 4 Poached Fruit
Course 5 Rugelach


Unfortunately,  Valentine's Day is a work day for all chefs, so we shall celebrate our feast next weekend.  I hope you all enjoy today...eat well and love well!