becoming whole

Whole Grain Challenge

This is Week 3 of Transitioning Tips, after a break for last week's "Holiday Recipes."  This is my Whole Grain Challenge. I encourage you to try adding whole grains to your diet once a day. Sound daunting? OK, then try three times a week for starters. I eat a whole grain two or three times a day.

Not quite sure what a whole grain is? You're not alone. According to the Guidelines of the USDA, the definition is:

Whole Grains — Foods made from the entire grain seed, usually called the kernel, which consists of the bran, germ, and endosperm. If the kernel has been cracked, crushed, or flaked, it must retain nearly the same relative proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the original grain in order to be called whole grain.

Some examples of whole grains are brown rice, millet, barley, quinoa, amaranth ... and there are many more. Go to your local health foods store or Whole Foods Market and take a look at the bulk whole grains. In the same aisles, you can usually find small packages of these grains that include cooking directions. This is a great way to try one (but it usually is more costly than buying bulk).

Whole grains are complex carbohydrates, as opposed to cakes and cookies (simple carbs, to avoid eating on a regular basis). Complex carbs give us lasting energy and are high in fiber so they fill us up and keep our blood sugar levels even, thus helping to curb cravings for simple carbs like the chips, crackers, cake, pies, cookies, etc.) I'm not saying never eat simple carbs (if you're healthy without serious illness), but don't make them a big part of your diet. Make them an occasional "treat" instead, or try better quality ... but, that's another blog post!

"What about cracked grains?" you ask. Cracked grains, like whole-grain breads, pastas and polenta, are also good food choices, but try adding some whole grains, too.

Some brown rice recipes from my previous posts are: Boiled Brown Rice, Brown Rice with Lentils, Tom's Fried Rice. So take the challenge ... and try something new! I'd be interested in hearing how you do. Any stories, tip, questions or comments are welcomed.

Note: Please remember to take small bites chew each mouthful well (15-50 times). More is better with chewing! Yes, you guessed it, it's a way to naturally process our food by creating our own digestive enzymes.

Amazing Hummus

I just discovered this fresh, organic, locally made hummus when I was at Lois' Natural Marketplace the other night. It's made by Mother Oven (the bakery that makes the sourdough bread I rave about).

I brought it home and over the course of a couple of days (OK, I admit it was 24 hours) ate it straight from the jar (yes, a refundable glass jar!) with some long, local, thinly sliced carrots. It was so yummy ... all I have left to photograph is the empty jar!

On the side of the jar it says, "Our products are created with love in small batches using organic ingredients that nourish the body and tantilize the taste buds."  I think that was the difference! I think I could actually taste the love put into it.

There's a also a telephone number (207.837.9028) on the side, and it says, "Let us know if you like our products." OK, I'm dialing ... I like ... I LOVE this hummus.

What's On Your Plate?

What's on my plate ... depends on the time of day. Last evening for dinner, it was tempeh teriyaki, dried daikon cooked with onions and shitake mushrooms, arame (a sea vegetable) sauteed with corn and carrot (some very macrobiotic dishes), along with brown basamati rice and steamed kale.

Oh! You mean the other plate? HOPE is on my license plate! And, hopefully, you'll be adding to the hope around Maine for breast cancer awareness by supporting tomorrow's THINK PINK efforts.

Thursday's THINK PINK telethon broadcast is urging people to support the effort to create a Maine Breast Cancer Specialty License Plate. To make the plate available, 2,000 people must reserve a plate. It's so simple to do so! Just go online to: the Maine Cancer Foundation.

The THINK PINK telethon will be broadcast from 6-9 a.m. over the RADIO on WLOB FM 96.3 and 1310 AM (www.wlobradio.com) and on TV on FOX23 (in Greater Portland, it's on cable Channel 7.)

I'll be on at 8:20 a.m. to talk about my story and about macrobiotic foods. This will be an informative morning and listeners can call in and ask questions. And remember ... you don't have to actually get and display the plate ... just make your reservation and consider your $20 a donation to a great cause. Thank you!!

Note: We're getting closer to our goal ... just 748 reservations are needed!

The Thunderbolt Kid

I was going to write about something serious today, but it can wait. I just don't feel like it today!

So, I want to tell you about this funny book that I just read by Bill Bryson called, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Do you like reading books that make you laugh out loud? Well, this book takes the prize. I laughed hard (long belly laughs) many times throughout this book.

When I finished, I lent it to my sister Ruth. She read it while we were in Florida, so I then got to listen to her laugh really hard (double the fun for me). It's about life in the 50s and 60s — his life. And many of our lives. I won't tell you much more about it ... you just have to read it ... if you want to laugh out loud.

Oven Roasted Jewel Yams with Pecans

3 jewel yams (or sweet potatoes) sliced into ½-inch rounds
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons brown rice syrup
¼ cup toasted pecans, whole
2 tablespoons olive oil (to cover bottom of cookie sheet)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange yams or sweet potatoes on bottom of cookie sheet so that they all fit on one sheet (slightly overlap each other). Place a toasted pecan on each slice. Take spoonfuls of brown rice syrup and drizzle small amounts over each piece.  Repeat with the olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Roast for 40 minutes.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

AN IROQUOIS PRAYER
"We return thanks to our mother, the earth, with sustains us.

We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.

We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.

We return thanks to the corn, and to her sisters, the beans and squash, which give us life.

We return thanks to the bushes and trees, which provide us with fruit.

We return thanks to the wind, which, moving the air, has banished diseases.

We return thanks to the moon and the stars, which have given us their light when the sun was gone.

We return thanks to our grandfather He-no, ... who has given to us his rain.

We return thanks to the sun, that he has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.

Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in whom is embodied all goodness, and who directs all things for the good of his children."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Tofu "Turkey"

Basting the tofu "turkey."

I decided I would make this "tofu turkey" before Thanksgiving because it's one of my daughter's favorites and she was pleading for me to make it. Since her friends were visiting I thought this would be a good idea, as this makes a nice presentation. It came out great. My sister Ruth helped (she had never made, nor eaten it before). Ruth thought that it was, "way better than she imagined it to be. The stuffing was to die for, the smells and the tastes of the fresh rosemary, sage and thyme is what reminds me of Thanksgiving," she said. She also added: "Do not be scared by the TOFU!"

We served it with squash, brown rice, steamed kale, pickled beets, extra stuffing and mushroom gravy. Ruthie said, "The mushroom gravy was fab."

TOFU TURKEY
5 pounds tofu, medium firmness
poultry seasoning
herbed whole wheat stuffing
basting liquid
mushroom gravy
parsley or sage for garnish

POULTRY SEASONING (makes 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup sage
2 tablespoons marjoram, thyme and savory or rosemary
1 tablespoon celery seed
2 tablespoons black pepper

To prepare homemade poultry seasoning, mix ingredients together well.

HERBED WHOLE WHEAT STUFFING (makes 5 cups)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup onions, diced
1 cup mushrooms, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup shoyu
4 cups whole wheat bread cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup parsley chopped

TO PREPARE STUFFING: Heat oil and saute onions, mushrooms, celery and garlic.  Sprinkle poultry seasoning over vegetables.  Dissolve salt in shoyu and add to pot.  Stir, cover and continue to cook until vegetables are done, about 5 minutes.  Add bread cubes and parsley, mix well.

BASTING LIQUID
1/4-1/2 cup sesame oil
2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup shoyu

MUSHROOM GRAVY (makes 6 cups)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 onions, diced
6 cups mushrooms sliced
1 cup whole wheat flour
6-7 cups water
1/4 cup shoyu

TO PREPARE GRAVY: Start by heating a skillet to medium, add in oil, onions, and mushrooms. Cook until onions are translucent; turn off and set aside. Using a blender or food processor, add water (FIRST), then shoyu, then flour and blend until smooth. Place blended mixture into another saute pan (quickly — while still blended) and heat on medium (stirring constantly so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan and burn). When the flour mixture starts to thicken and the steam starts to rise, add in the set aside cooked oil/onion/mushroom and cook for a few more minutes (stirring constantly) until done.
Sample. MMMmm!

TO PREPARE TOFU TURKEY: Mash tofu well. Line a big colander with a single layer of moistened cheesecloth. Transfer tofu to colander.

Press tofu to flatten and fold edges of cheesecloth over it.  Place a cake tin or other flat object over the surface of the tofu and wight it down with a heavy object (about 5 pounds) to press liquid from tofu for 1 hour.

Hollow out tofu within one inch of colander. Pack in stuffing and cover with remaining tofu.  Plat down so surface is flat and firm.

Oil a baking sheet and flip filled tofu onto sheet so that flat surface faces down. Remove cheesecloth.

Mix basting liquid and brush tofu with it. Cover tofu with foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

Remove foil and baste. Return to oven to bake uncovered until "skin" becomes golden brown, about 1 hour more. Baste again halfway through.

Cranberry Braised Tempeh

I'm continuing my week of holiday recipes, with another favorite of mine. 

CRANBERRY BRAISED TEMPEH
4 (8-ounce) packages tempeh
4 cups apple juice
3 cups fresh cranberries
½ teaspoon salt
1½-by-4-inch piece of orange peel studded with 4 cloves
¼ cup maple or rice syrup
2 tablespoons tamari or shoyu
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon each nutmeg and clove
pinch of cayenne
fresh rosemary springs for garnish

This recipe can be made on the stovetop. Put all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Serve over brown rice or other whole grain.

Apple Pie & Tofu Whipped Cream

Recently someone wrote saying it would be nice to have a "macro" apple pie recipe. Since Thanksgiving is this week (with a lot of pie baking going on) I thought this would be a good recipe to share. I also decided that I'd post a few of my favorite holiday recipes over the next couple of days. 

PIE CRUST
3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
½-⅔ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
spring water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour and sea salt into a large bowl. Add oil and mix through the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Add enough flour to form a dough. Handle dough as little as possible to keep it light and flaky. Place dough in the freezer for about 5 minutes.

Roll out pastry and place in a lightly oiled pie dish. Bake 15 minutes. Remove and turn the oven heat down to 350 degrees.

Let the pie shell cool before adding apple filling. Any leftover pastry can be rolled out and cut into shapes with a pastry cutter. Use to decorate the top of the pie.

APPLE FILLING
10 medium apples, washed, peeled and sliced
2-3 cups apple juice
pinch sea salt
1 tablespoon rice syrup
2 tablespoons kuzu diluted in ½ cup cold spring water

Place apples, apple juice and sea salt in a pot. Bring to a boil on a medium flame. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until soft.

Remove apples from pot and place in pie shell. Add diluted kuzu and rice syrup to apple juice. Stir gently until thick. Pour over apples.

Arrange the pastry shapes over the apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

TOFU WHIPPED CREAM
1 cake firm tofu
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 tablespoons rice syrup

Combine ingredients and blend in a food processor. Chill for ½-1 hour before using.

Enjoy!

A Succession of Angels

I was in Orlando, Florida, this week for my prosthetic leg. On Wednesday evening, I had kind of a magical hour. The prosthetic leg was fitting very well.  So, before dinner I went for a walk by myself from my hotel in downtown Orlando, along Lake Eola — a straight route described to me by my sister Ruth, who had taken the same walk earlier in the day.

I started out on my walking journey, crossing a couple of major streets. I had to go fast to do that ... and I did. Then I walked almost effortlessly along this scenic route ... and everything and everyone seemed to sparkle, myself included. Freedom ... freedom of movement!  The euphoria of walking on two legs once again (after a short inability) was making me high! I walked and glowed. People smiled, I smiled back. It was a dry, 75 degrees with a light breeze. Heavenly!

I arrived at my destination, a bookstore (which I later found out was the last independent bookstore in Orlando). I browsed around, selecting different titles. I plopped my few selections on the counter and asked if anyone had any recommendations. A friendly store clerk named Betsy kindly made some great recommendations. I settled on a book by Ann Dillard, The Maytrees.

During our interchange, Betsy happened to ask what brought me to Orlando, so I told her about my leg and prosthetist that I see there ... and, why I had traveled so far. She was very interested so I explained how the above-the-knee amputees seen on television are not the norm — they're the elite, the anomaly. That a lot of fantastic progress has been made in the technology of the knees and feet, but the socket fit (the part my half leg goes into) is still the crucial part. The part that has not advanced much. Sadly, socket technology has lagged behind the knees and the feet. Many above-the-knee amputees are not walking, or are very limited because their sockets don't fit properly. Like having a shoe that is the wrong size and filled with rocks, but you have to run a marathon in it and you can't possibly do that.

I have found a prosthetist here that is fitting above-the-knee amputees (AKAs as we are known) comfortably every day. He is committed to getting it right for the patient. He works until it is right — without any complaint or blaming the patient, something not many prosthetists do. His troubleshooting ability and teamwork are something I've never before experienced in 16 years as an amputee.  It's always been an up-and-down process with the fitting, but I've NEVER worked with a more positive, compassionate, can-do and will-do person.

Betsy was amazed and said, "More people should know about him."  I thought, "They will."  Then she asked, “How did you find him?” I was surprised by this question, and I had to stop and reflect a minute, before replying with deep gratitude, "I was led by an angel."

A few minutes later, while walking back it came to me ... it was a succession of angels ... everyday angels, first Patty Rossbach, then Judge Farley, Merry Maiberger and Karen Hughes (all amputees). My succession of angels, people placed in my path along this journey. This journey that finally brought me to Orlando and to Stan "problems are solutions waiting to happen" Patterson. His technology is revolutionizing the fit for above-the-knee amputees, myself included. It's wonderful. Stan and his team are wonderful.

So, keep your eyes and your mind open ... because many angels walk among us.