becoming whole

Summer '09 Leg Update

"Sometimes it appears that nothing seems to be going our way." I'm in that spot as of late. I haven't done a leg update in a long time because things didn't turn out the way I hoped with my surgery. I usually put it in perspective by telling myself that lots of people are in much worse situations (which is true, because I know many who are). But lately, I still have been feeling discouraged, and for the first time in forever, feeling rather hopeless.

Looking for comfort, I've been reading this meditation by Kathy Freston for a few days. It's called, "When Nothing Seems To Be Going My Way." This part of Kathys' meditation jumped out at me: "What is trying to emerge? What skills, awareness, or lesson might be tring to come through these negative times?"

Well, unexpectedly, something has finally shifted for me. I was sitting in my hairdresser's chair, and while my hair was drying, I read the meditation once again. Nothing about my leg has changed. But something has changed that I can't quite put my finger on. It's not exactly a ray of hope, but a start, an idea and a little bit of shift in my perspective, my attitude. "Maybe I'm supposed to be this way, on one leg." Because I am this way. As long as I'm not in pain (that's the hard part because it's starting again), there are lots of things I still can do. And one of them is to cook, which is a really important thing to me, so I'm majorly thankful for that.

Of course, it's not easy (whose life is?) because I can only spend a certain amount of time comfortably with my artificial leg on or on one leg and the crutches, standing and carrying things. But I can sit and chop (and direct whoever happens to be around in my house!)

This is what is emerging today ... healthy meals even the physically challenged can make. And let's face it, lots of people feel physically challenged or just challenged in the kitchen, or energetically challenged so they feel they can't cook. Maybe some people might actually be inspired by my cooking on one leg. I'm thinking I might try doing simple, but healthy cooking classes on public access television or on my Web site. (I'm doing a cooking segment on an upcoming episode of WCSH6's "207," and if I have to do it on one leg and crutches, I will.) I'm going to be with this thought and see where it takes me. Accept what is and do the best with what I have. Maybe even look at it with curiosity and wonder (OK, I may be stretching it a bit, but I think I could get there.)

Not that I'll totally give up on the leg thing, but maybe take a break and focus on what I can do with the body I'm in today and tomorrow, and who knows for how long. Stop myself from focusing on "getting it right", and focus instead on what is right with it today.

And there is a lot right — it's just different and slower — and if I change my thoughts and attitude and make the most of it, it would certainly be a more exciting and fulfilling journey. (Maybe I'm a little delusional, but it's worth a try!) Don't worry, I'm not giving up, I'm just trying to give up the suffering and the thought that slow, different and crutches and one leg are something to be depressed about.

Stay tuned!

Recessionista

This is a new word I'd never heard until my daughter's friend, Farley Castleman, used it when referring to herself with a new fashion accessory, a vintage handbag.

Definition: A fashion diva who scouts for vintage items at bargain prices. Farley bought this bag at a used clothing store in Portland, Maine's Old Port district. She watched it for a month and when the cost dropped to half the price, she snagged it. I love it, too, and think it looks great on Farley.

Do you have a favorite recession item? One that is fashionable, maybe vintage, in great condition and definitely a bargain? Tell me why you love it and send a photo if you want.

*Reminder: The Kushi Institute Summer Conference in Palisades, N.Y., is this weekend. I'm happy to be a part of it this year and I'm looking forward to seeing you there!

It starts Thursday and goes through Sunday, July 13. I highly recommend this conference if you've never been to one. It includes three vegan macrobiotic meals a day, wonderful speakers and interesting workshops. Come for the entire weekend at a very reasonable price, or come for a day at a pro-rated price. It's only  a day trip from New York City (20 miles!).

To find out more about this event, or to sign up, please visit the Kushi Institute Summer Conference Web site.

Laura Storz's (from Dulce Naturally blog) beautiful black dress bargain!

Pickled Purple Onions & Golden Beets

I got the idea to pickle onions from a photo in the Millennium Cookbook, a book that Maine-based blogger Brad Bowman from Cornucopasetic traded with me. Trading books is such a great idea, and I love this cookbook filled with beautiful, deliciously creative plant-based recipes. I was a happy recipient!

The photo in the book was of a colorful salad on a cobalt blue plate, topped with pickled onions. It caught my eye, so last week my daughter Cammie and I decided to pickle some onions and we made their salad. Delicious. Now I've gone crazy with my own pickled onions and I'm adding them (along with other vegetables) to my own salads. I decided that these golden beets are the perfect accompaniment. This time I used lemon juice and salt as the pickling ingredients.

If you have a problem eating raw onions — I do — pickling breaks down the fiber and pulls the water out of them, making them easier to digest.

This recipe can also be served as a colorful side dish. It keeps fresh, if well-covered and refrigerated, for 3-4 days. But I can almost guarantee that you and your family will eat the whole bowl before then.

PICKLED PURPLE ONIONS & GOLDEN BEETS
1 onion, sliced into half moons
3 golden beets, cut in half, sliced thinly into bite-sized pieces, cooked
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 fresh lemons, juiced
1/3 cup of chopped parsley or cilantro (optional)
spring or filtered tap water to cover beets

To cook beets:
Wash, slice and cover with water. Turn flame to high and bring to a boil. Cover, turn flame to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and cool beets.

To assemble ingredients:
Place the sliced onions and beets in a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt and lemon juice. Mix with a wooden spoon or clean hands. Let stand, covered, in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours, stirring it up two or three times during that period to make sure the lemon juice and salt coat all of the vegetables.

Garnish with parsley or cilantro.

This recipe makes approximately 10-12 servings.

An Evening Sail On Two Lights Road

Vegan Pad Thai

I made vegan pad thai Sunday for my daughter Cammie, nephew William and myself. I doubled the recipe as I thought my niece and her girlfriend might come over, too, though they didn't. I ended up with enough for an army!

Anyway, for those of you from Facebook who wanted this recipe, here it is:

VEGAN PAD THAI
One 14-ounce package of Pad Thai white rice noodles, or one 16-ounce package of Tinkyada brand brown rice pasta noodles
1 large carrot, shredded (any vegetable can be used — corn, peas, green beans cut into small pieces, etc.)
3 scallions, sliced thinly on a diagonal
1 onion, cut in half, sliced thinly into half moons
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups fresh mung bean sprouts
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
One 16-ounce package of organic tofu, cut into small ½-inch squares
¼ cup peanuts, chopped

Sauce:
½ cup filtered or spring water
½ cup brown rice syrup
2 Tablespoons Tamari wheat-free soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon hot chili sesame oil

Heat oil in a large skillet (or wok) on a high flame and sauté garlic for one minute. Add onion, turn flame to medium, sauté another minute or two.

Add carrot and/or other vegetables and tofu, and cook another five minutes.

Add sauce and simmer 3-5 minutes. 

Add cooked noodles and stir so that sauce thoroughly coats them. Mix in scallions, bean sprouts and peanuts.

Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.

* This recipe can be easily cut in half or doubled.

Sauteed & Simmered Onions

 

My daughter Cammie is back from college for the summer and her new favorite thing to eat is a baked sweet potato. We don't use butter, so I sauteed and simmered some onions for her as a topping. Quick, easy and a tasty addition to many foods. My sister Liz always likes sauteed onions on her brown rice.

SAUTEED & SIMMERED ONIONS

2 large onions, cut in half, sliced into half-moon pieces
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon olive or sesame oil

Heat oil on a high flame, add onion and salt and stir-fry for a few minutes on high flame. Turn to low flame, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or longer if desired.

Serve on a baked sweet potato or over brown rice.

I always enjoy reading about the health benefits of certain foods on The World's Healthiest Food Web site. Here's what it says about onions.

Cammie's Choice

My daughter Cammie is home for the summer and she eats really well for a 19-year-old. She chose these ingredients for a salad today ... romaine lettuce, baby spinach, fresh shitake mushrooms and strawberries. Yum! Hmm ... now for a dressing, maybe a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar?

Looking for organic strawberries? For anyone in the Portland (Maine) or surrounding area, Little River Flower Farm in Buxton should have some ready for the picking. Before you go, visit Little River's Web site and call Nancy to let her know you're headed over.

Enjoy!

What's your favorite salad combination and dressing?

Locally Grown

I got an e-mail from Roger Doiron today asking me to please pledge to source my July 4th meal locally and to petition my governor to do the same. He's encouraging everyone from Maine to California to eat locally for one day: July 4th! So please help to spread the word.

Roger is from Scarborough, Maine, one town over from me. He runs the Web site Kitchen Gardners International that helped make the garden on the White House lawn a reality.

After receiving Roger's e-mail and signing the petition, I went shopping at Lois' Natural (in Scarborough) and was focused on the local fare. The above photo is what I came home with: Maine-grown pesticide-free yellow-eyed beans; Mother Oven Syrian Pita Bread (Sweet Fern Farn, Bowdoinham, Maine) with wood-fired, organic, local ingredients (organic whole-grain wheat flour, well water, starter made from organic wheat flour and well water, organic malted rye flour and unrefined sea salt); pesticide-free lettuce from Olivia's Garden in New Gloucester, Maine; a local organic rutabaga; and Maine Sea Salt (not in photo) from Marshfield, Maine.

At Lois', if Luke is around stocking the produce, I quiz him about what he's eating lately, or find out what's available that's locally grown. Luke is 53 days a locavore as of today and if you want to read more about his endeavor, I encourage you to visit his blog, Lukaduke. 

To find out more about local Maine products and produce, please visit the Eat Maine Foods! or go to a Farmers' Market near you!

Easy Stovetop "Baked" Beans

I made this "baked" bean recipe last week as one of the dishes for my nephew William's family graduation party. Growing up in Maine, I remember eating beans almost weekly on Saturday nights or at family get-togethers at the lake. (We usually had beans and hotdogs.) This is my healthier version minus the dogs. Instead of salt pork, which my mom used for flavor, I added Fakin Bacon (a bean product) for meaty, smokey flavor. Instead of molasses, for a little sweetness, I used apple butter.

The really great thing about the beans I use is that they're locally grown in Maine and pesticide-free (dried white pea or navy beans). I bought them at Lois' Natural Foods in Scarborough.

During our dinner, my sister Ruth remarked that she liked the beans. I told her that I was trying to make them taste like my Mom's, not thinking I'd come close. To my surprise, she whispered, "They're better!"

Here's how I made them:

STOVETOP "BAKED" BEANS
2 cups of navy beans, rinsed and soaked overnight in water
1 package of Fakin Bacon (this is optional)
1 cup of apple butter (I use Pastor Chuck's brand)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 onion, peeled, whole
1 Tablespoon of mustard

Drain the soaked beans, add new spring or filtered water to cover, bring to a boil and cook for 1 hour. Check water while cooking to make sure the beans stay covered. Add more water if needed. Add the onion to the bottom of the pot. It will cook down and come apart and flavor the beans, no need to chop it. During this time, add the Fakin Bacon, if using.

After an hour, check the beans for doneness. If you take one bean on a spoon, blow on it and the skin comes off easily, it's done. Salt should be added at this time. If they're not done, set timer for 15 minutes more and check again by this method. These small beans usually cook quickly ... within about an hour or so.

Add mustard and stir.

In the fall or winter, this recipe may be baked in the oven for two or more hours instead of cooking on the stovetop for added warmth and heartiness of the dish. Again, add salt at the end of cooking time, preferably 15 minutes before cooking is finished.

This recipe makes 10-12 good-sized portions.

Note: This is a wheat-free and gluten-free recipe. To make soy-free, omit the Fakin Bacon.