Broccoli Spaghetti (Improved). The electricity is off. They told us! Note on the door and everything. Between 9am-5pm to do repairs. Forgot. Suddenly my screen is black. Black not the blue screen of death I’m used to. Now what? Eight hours without the computer. Sort of realigns priorities and views of life. If I can’t write, what will I do? Started out by cleaning the apartment. Put off way too long. That was 20 minutes. And that’s not because it’s clean already. It still isn’t. Absentmindedly sat down at the ‘,machine’ and tapped the keyboard, and the mouse, just in case. Nothing. Had forgotten. Didn’t know what time it was. My clocks are all connected to power lines. Not knowing what time it was, decided to fix lunch – and since I had all this time on my hands, why not do it right? I had already made the decision last night to make the bowl look eatable (original below). The guys downstairs (stomach monitors) don’t care, (for them, its all the same), but the gatekeeper cares.
Everything was boiled together. That’s the same.
Now, the differences:
Ran boiling hot water over the spaghetti to get the starch off.
Put it into a bowl and mixed with a small amount of olive oil to keep it pliable.
Cut and fried the soy burger in butter until browned.
Cooked sliced red bell pepper and garlic in a corner of the pan.
Cut off and ate the stems of the broccoli.
When ready, put the mixed burger/pepper/garlic into an indentation in the spaghetti.
Created the sauce in the same way as last night, with milk, butter, powdered mushrooms for cooking, salt.
Placed the broccoli around and put the sauce on top, instead of mixing in.
Added three slices of the bell pepper, which I had saved, as emphasis.
Most importantly, did not put all of the material I had onto the plate.
This works in all areas of life. Presentation IS important. I actually enjoyed the dish this time. The original:

CAT

During all this time, and even while eating, Cat did not come in. It meant I was way too early for lunch. Although… she has become sort of unreliable as a time piece. I think she’s found someone out there she likes. Just not enough to bring him home. Although knowing her sense of territory, I doubt if it would ever even cross her mind.
This going without electricity. You should try it some time. Just flip the switch. It’s a whole new world. Makes you stop and think what you are really doing – not that it’s going to change anything much, but who knows. I even had to write this on paper. Haven’t done that in years. Had to use a book to write on because there’s no space on my table. Book – that’s a novel idea. And I hate punning. Actually opened the book. It’s my Spanish dictionary sent to me two years ago. Never used it. A whole new way of learning! Speaking of languages. Cat comes in or, before she even comes in, on the threshold, she is meowing “Here I am, I hope you have the food out”. All of that in one meow. Very tight syntax. I bring her a can of cat food and start putting it into the dish. She butts my hand sending it all onto the floor which she promptly starts eating. She’s like the guys downstairs. Doesn’t matter to her. The bowl is only for us. Then, when she’s finished and is heading for the outside, she actually stops, looks back, and meows before continuing. I feel thanked.
 

 Mesa Verde. The vegetables you need (spinach, carrots, red bell pepper, onions, garlic) on natural rice inundated with a yellow cheese, mushroom powder sauce. The rice should stand on its own with cumin, rosemary, thyme, salt, butter. Only one precaution. If the rice is not quite fully cooked, be sure to eat only half the amount you want, and drink a lot of water. In about half an hour, you’ll thank me.

Comment: I took the cap off of the sweet chili sauce, and at the end of the meal, the bottle was sitting there uncapped. I looked for the cover. Said to myself, it’s got to be here. Would not have put it anywhere else, but just to check, looked everywhere else. Could not find it. Finally left the room figuring I would come back with new eyes later. Was in the kitchen about an hour later when I looked down and saw the cap. It was right where I had looked for it on top of one of the other jars. Right there. Must have looked directly at it at least 7 times. Interestingly, it did not look exactly like the picture I had in my mind. And that is so often the case. Things are right there and because they do not match, we do not see them. The cure? Stop looking. Start doing something entirely different. And with an empty mind, you’ll see things you have never seen before.

 Easy Apple. An apple may do wonders for you, but lacks something in the whole fruit form which never encouraged me to eat one a day. Solved it. Not that I’m going to do this every day.  A faster way to dice an apple: You want to make concentric circles with a knife down to the core, around and around the apple. Then cut about 20 top to bottom wedges down to the core. You can do this holding the apple the whole time. But, if you prize your fingers, do not chop. Missing the apple, or having a softer than expected core could mean disaster. On second thought better to use a board. Then, just slice the apple top to bottom around the core and the pieces will just fall off. Fast? Never do anything fast with a sharp knife, but yes faster than any other way. Dump into sauce pan with water, brown sugar or honey, and cinnamon. Start cooking, add instant or almost instant whole oats, raisins, (optional as it was here, trailmix), and walnuts for omega-3. Under 5 minutes tops.
 

Plants For A Future. An excellent resource on the edible, medicinal, gardening, vegan organics, and other qualities of plants worldwide from Cornwall, England – Plants For A Future. 7000 plant database. Very easy to use, and can download it. It’s nonprofit (charitable trust). If you like it, consider giving a contribution through the paypal button. He/She should definitely be kept in business. http://www.pfaf.org/index.php
 

Walnut
Diuretic, stimulant and antilithic (tending to prevent the formation of urinary calculi, or to destroy them when formed). “They are used internally in the treatment of low back pain, frequent urination, weakness of both legs, chronic cough, asthma, constipation due to dryness or anaemia and stones in the urinary tract[176]. Externally, they are made into a paste and applied as a poultice to areas of dermatitis and eczema. The oil from the seed is anthelmintic (acting to expel or destroy parasitic intestinal worms). It is also used in the treatment of menstrual problems and dry skin conditions[238]. The cotyledons are used in the treatment of cancer. Walnut has a long history of folk use in the treatment of cancer, some extracts from the plant have shown anticancer activity.” http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Juglans+regia As indicated elsewhere, aside from flax it has the highest per serving of Omega-3 out there. But flax tends to lose its potency in this regard very quickly, and should be ground just before using. The leaves, bark and root bark of the walnut tree are also medicinally significant.
 

 Stacked Pasta. You should see the rest of the kitchen. On second thought, give me half an hour. I had found this one, last cherry tomato in the bottom of something and was going to use it as color emphasis (the spotlight finally!). There it was, sitting on the empty plate waiting for the entree, and waiting there while the configuration was built, and then I moved it to clean the plate before the shoot. And forgot it. We’ve all been there – in both positions. This dish is a testament to my having learned from all the mistakes previously made.  Two important notes. It must ‘float’ on a sea, in this case puddle, of mushroom powder sauce, milk, butter, and cheese. Secondly, put some oil in the water when the noodles are cooking. Otherwise there will be no in-between – they are all stuck together. Ingredients: Soy burger, red bell pepper, onion, mushrooms (optional). You need to handle this preparation, and if anyone objects, stick it in the oven before serving. I didn’t – on either. Spices are critical here. This plate is medicinal. Turmeric, black pepper, oregano, dill, cayenne pepper powder, brewer’s yeast for Bs, sweet paprika. Alternate view.

 Sweet Hot Apple Slaw. Coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, caraway seeds, fruit chutney (or a tbsp of brown sugar – but it’s not the same). This will not only spice up your meal, it will cure whatever ails you. I’m running out of ideas for an apple a day. Think I’m going to change it to ‘An apple a week….’ Come to think of it, I have gone an entire year without seeing the inside of an apple, or the other way around. Of course, the ‘reap what’s sown’ comes into play.

 Breakfasthenge. Honey and Cinnamon Toast On Mushroom/Avocado Egg. The spices tell the tale – coriander, thyme, cassia (Chinese cinnamon), oregano, cumin. Today I clean out my refrigerator which has been closed for over half a year.

 This needs a note. Most cookbooks and people who are really into cooking for a living, or as a hobby for that matter, would never come up with this. And therein lies its strength. Picture the person living alone, desperate about what to eat, and get all of the minerals, vitamins, protein, and whatnot (for most of us, it’s whatnot), who is constantly asking ‘who wants to spend all that time cooking for myself’, and for whom the “peanut butter sandwich, if it gave everything needed, would make them happy” sort of approach to eating. Are you still picturing, or have you just come to the conclusion it’s you and have stopped listening? Either way, this is the dish. And did it taste great. That’s a statement not a question. The crown for this assemblage is hummus with Middle Eastern style topping (store-bought). The spices are tumeric, crushed black pepper, coriander, thyme, and salt. Everything (potatoes, cherry tomatoes, peas), except the hummus, is dumped into the pan with some oil and/or butter (side note: The hummus can go in too, but only at the end), put on low flame, covered, and checked until the potatoes are soft. The thinner they are, the faster that happens. Throwing in an onion wouldn’t hurt. And if anyone says ‘Are you eating well?’ Just tell them they can rest assured.   

 A Fork In The Road    

Story

Background to this story. I have Cat aka Attackit. It’s Spring and flea time. Had heard that fleas do not like Brewer’s yeast (not the same as baker’s yeast). There are other options, but I do not total anything. So I put it in my food. And, whatever else it did for me, one of them was not fleas. So I put some of the powder on my legs. Nope, there they were chomping away. Then I noticed that they were not where the powder was, just in-between, which was, well, most of the leg. So, never to let a rumor of a cure die without giving it its full due, I put the powder into some water (warm to help dissolve and made just a very thin mixture, not a paste) and covered my lower legs with it. Sat down at the computer and after 4 minutes had totally forgotten about it. Suddenly I remembered and looking down, saw nothing. No, my legs were still there. Not a flea. Oh, one. Watched it, no movement. After about a minute and a half there was no bite. I think he fell asleep. O.K., he’s on the move. Another spot. I wait. Nothing. Finally in disgust or dispair or whatever, he leaves. Must be desperate. Will he starve? No. The regular Cat goes by to the outside several times a day, mostly after being fed. Now, I have to figure out how to help Cat. Brewer’s on her fur would sort of cut down on grooming by herself or others. Do not want to make her a social outcast. She does that very well all by herself. Synopsis on the Brewer’s yeast – it definitely works. I have been putting a little in the canned food for her and she seems to be scratching much less.

 Butter/Honey/Cinnamon On Whole Wheat. This was delicious. Plus it has tremendous health benefits. As indicated in a previous post, honey and cinnamon may be helpful to the system before and after chemo. But obviously it must be beneficial for other things. If you want the real research, just ask. But, in the meantime,  check this out: http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/honeyandcinnamon.html The health benefits of Honey and Cinnamon. Not bad for a humble slice of bread for dessert or breakfast. Snopes, http://www.snopes.com/medical/homecure/honey.asp the source of wisdom on urban legends, lists the honeyandcinnamon.html page as ‘Status: Undetermined’ and  ‘Origins: Research in progress’. Other sites are not so restrained. All I can say is you have to make your own determination. Given the research and thinking which individually backs up the power of these two ingredients separately, I would certainly surmise that together they could possibly do many things – Whether or not as much as proclaimed needs to be checked out, but I am definitely open.

 Hot Corn Tortilla. This is not to be hand held. Has Cayenne pepper, hot paprika, cheese mixed in with the corn, and butter, garlic powder, and za’atar. For za’atar, as a spice which will preserve you in the best way possible, it is difficult to beat. Anti-everything you don’t want, with support for those things you do.  

 You’ve seen it, been there, done that, and the kids hate it. Until the sauce. Be sure to make enough. It’s a combination of a great cheese, butter, basilicum, turmeric, crushed black pepper, and sweet chili sauce (just a taste). If the vegetables are all fresh, you are better than I am. This is frozen. Just enough water in the pan to unfreeze them and not lose nutrients. But sure to cook the spinach, especially if you have thyroid problems, and as a general rule, eat with other foods. Check out spinach here: http://www.naturalnews.com/026273.html Amazing stuff. The broccoli, brussels sprouts and peas all have their own individual pluses.

Another one of my dishes in a bowl. Cheese Beans. The cheese is kashkaval but any good cheese will do. Yes, I do use other cheeses besides swiss and this one. The brown beans (left over from a previous dish in which they had been boiled for an hour and a half after soaking for a day and a half with two changes of water) and garbanzos (also soaked but for only 4 hours and not previously cooked). The soaking bit takes less planning than imagined. Achieving the initial impulse to put them into a jar with water is the challenge, and then forgetting them which is easy. Just be sure that they are visible or you may truly forget them. Onions, sweet potatoes with peel, garlic (browned in the pan), sunflower seeds and cherry tomatoes. Spices, especially thyme, and fried until eatable with the cheese then melted on top and mixed in together with a small amount of sweet chili sauce. High protein and a great taste.

 
And you thought you knew all there was to know about the flu.
Just ran across an article on a potential natural source against flu. Very much worth the read. http://www.naturalnews.com/026354_elderberry_Tamiflu_immune_system.html 

Food Test (a must take)
If you are at all interested in how you are doing food wise, be sure to take the test on World’s Healthiest Foods. As I said before it will both amaze and shock you. http://whfoods.org/foodadvisor.php
 

As an aside,

I decided to learn another language. Very important for keeping the mind super active, and can be of true value in advancing any profession. In fact, name me one profession where knowing another language would not be useful. Just learning “Watch out!” in ten different languages can be a life saver. The reason I bring it up, besides providing encouragement, is the fact that I have found a really impressive tool which has made it much easier. http://www.wordreference.com/ WordReference.com A free 14 language dictionary and thesaurus which is truly interactive, fast, totally wired, and voiced for many words. Once inside one of the languages, the link mechanisms are amazingly complete, and the options for expanding and digging deeper are exquisitely programmed. About my own progress? I can even talk to myself now, fluently. And, of course, I understand it. The person outside may not be as fortunate.

 You don’t want your salad to just say to your stomach “Hi, don’t mind me. I’m just passing through”. You want it to say “Well (opening salutations are often crucial) , here I am to help. What do you want me to do?” And that is where the dressing comes into play. The two major ingredients are za’atar, and turmeric/black pepper. If you already know about them, you are going to live a long life. Otherwise, ask around. You may be surprised how close they are given the international nature of our modern society. And if not, then they’re as close as the internet. For information on them, see http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78 for turmeric, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/za’atar for za’atar. I have discussed them at length in other parts of the blog. We are sometimes too far from our roots for our own good.

 Avocado Onion Soydogs. #10 in the Bowl Series. The avocado is added just before putting everything in the bowl or on the plate, whichever version is shown here. If you see the bowl, then the hummus is on top. If it is the plate which made it to the blog, then the hummus is on the bottom. Guess which came first. By the way, to enjoy this dish, you do not need the hummus, but it sure adds to the taste. The important thing here is NOT to fry the avocado.  Something tells me that the results would not be pretty.

 And then there are the times when you just do not want to cook. A salad can be made to ‘look’ like a full meal – sometimes. The trick is having the extras like avocado, hummus, cherry tomatoes which actually give a particularly wide variety of vitamins and minerals. That’s all fine, but -  there must be a dessert. A salad for the main course without a dessert? Forget it.  

 Dessert. The butter is over the wall, but important for a sense of completion. Strawberry jam is an important nutritional addition – or so I tell myself. It’s very probable that in the cooking process, all of the great nutritional values of strawberries is virtually lost. But I hang on to the strawberry jam idea anyway. Strawberries – an important antioxidant, also great for the eyes, and an important cancer inhibitor (among the phytonutrients present in strawberries is ellagic acid , also found in raspberries and pomegranates http://www.zhion.com/phytonutrients/Ellagic_Acid.html)  So when you go for that next frozen yogurt, put strawberries on top. 

 Breakfast. Cupcake Eggs. Avocado-Fried Mushroom- Breakfast Salad. The toasted-in-butter-sliced-breakfast-roll is just there to fill two spaces :-). Some notes for this: This egg thing will take a bit of experimentation. I have done most of it but there are still some wrinkles. Cooked in a frying pan with no water and very, very little oil (of course you can put water in the pan, and then put an oven pan with the cupcake papers in it). If you do it straight, must have a very durable pan or pot to withstand the possible burn. A small amount of oil in the bottom of each cup will help you get the egg out, come the time. At least 2 and possibly 3 papers inside each other. Cover the pan on low flame. I will have to try it with larger cupcake molds and a whole egg. The salad is topped with za’atar. The first time for anything is never perfect, and if it is, you are truly blessed.  (Do not pick your own mushrooms and if tempted, read the warning upper left).