morgan 2010 

Cooking is the greatest experimental situation we have and it should be used frequently. If your life is boring, you are not doing enough innovative cooking. The great thing here is that most of our failures are still eatable, and most of the time do not set fire to or blow up the kitchen. The worst that can happen is extra charcoal for the body which helps in cleaning, but only to a limited degree. Plus, and this is the most important, it takes longer to cook.
Experiment 1023. Number pulled out of the air. Amazing what the air holds. But, to the present dish. (Waiting on photo) White/red already prepared rice on 1 egg with yellow cheese and chili sauce. Actually not much more to say about it except it tasted great. SCORE: (on a 0 to 1000 scale): 999
Chocolate syrup would have pushed it up there.

 
On Hold For CAT

Perfect rice pancake with sunflower seeds (health-in-a-shell) Very high in E and B1 plus other things you’ll have trouble easily finding elsewhere.
CAT came in from outside meowing and asking to be fed just as I was starting to eat this. Very hard to put it down, but she comes first. Some morning she gets up earlier than I do and goes to meet friends, defend the territory, answer the wake up call, and scout the parameter, or whatever cats do. Just an aside: She is very territorial. Sometimes, she is gone for a long time and I think that she is out somewhere in the larger neighborhood. But when I go down, there she is somewhere on the property – her 1/10th of an acre. I asked a girl who feeds the neighborhood cats if she had seen and perhaps been feeding her, but she said that since I had pointed Attackit out, she hadn’t seen her or fed her. Back to breakfast. Attackit(aka CAT) waits very patiently while I fix it, goes and sniffs when I put it down, comes over to me purring, gets petted, goes back to the bowl, hesitates, turns around and comes back for a final pet before racing back to the bowl – as I myself head back to the pancake. Who is better trained?  The white rice/red rice combination pancake with flour, 2 eggs, and sunflower seeds. I find it hard to cook rice. Can never wait for it to finish. So the rice in this dish was given to me by my daughter. It’s perfect – and because of that, I put it as a combination into a lot of different things. But in pancakes? Great.

 Red Onion Sandwich
If you feel like crying and don’t know why, and want a reason, this is it. Onion with bread straight up is the purist, and the best taste. But, this is for those of us who don’t love purity for it’s own sake to that degree – at least when it come to eating onion. Be sure to put mayonnaise on both slices. Undue exaggeration aside, there is nothing worse than having a slice of bread with nothing on it. Besides the mayonnaise (on both slices), there is tomato, oregano and sea salt. The unsliced loaf of bread was picked up unwrapped at the super, after being who knows where, so I run the crust part through the flames just to be sure. Don’t want all of my protection to come only from the liberal amount of oregano and thyme (both anti-microbial, anti-fungal) which I put on things. And the corn chips? Thankfully they’re finished.

Onion-Soup With Mushroom-Soup Topping and Melted Cheese
Says it all. Now the details. The onion soup with real onions was made from scratch but given as a gift so I can’t say anything about it. Topped off with thick instant mushroom soup, and cheese melted with milk and a small amount of flour. Chips as a prop only – definitely not eatable, but everything eatable I could have used here had already been eaten.

 The Alkaline-Acidic Dichotomy
I’ve mentioned this before, but because I believe it is important, here goes again. For true health and preventative action against many of the dis-eases known, our diet should be about 70% alkaline. The problem being that most of the good things we consume are on the acidic side of the chart – grains, meats, eggs, sugars, etc. All taken from the alkaline side of the chart except for the mayonnaise (eggs – but very little of that). Apple, banana, almonds, raisins, and a small amount of olive oil (depends on which chart you consult), and cinnamon. I couldn’t find the ginger or that would have gone on also. The Alkaline Diet Chart, or Various Other Charts
A side note: Two of my sisters are on a vegan fast for religious reasons. From what they are eating, they are going to be healthier than I.

 There’s A Pizza Cutter For Every Tough Decision
Had looked at the avocado. Even felt it to see if it was ripe. But no, I wanted a pancake with butter and syrup. So the pancake was cooking (2 eggs), and I was waiting to turn it over, when I found myself cutting the avocado. So you see my solution. There is a solution to everything. This one helped along with the pizza cutter my sister had sent. Euphemistically speaking, there is a pizza cutter for every tough decision. Looking at it now, I can’t imagine eating these together. Would take a split personality…

I will not say what is inside this pita, or the totally nutrient free character of the corn chips. What is important here is the fact that the corn chips are on the plate, and some effort went into the arrangement of the pita halves. Just think of it. Two seconds more in arrangement and five in putting the chips on the plate, and you are almost forced to sit down and not eat at the sink. Very important for that relaxation, sense of luxury, and pampering of yourself (all of which is probably deserved). By the way, the only good part of this meal was the blueberry jam which I put on the leftover crusts of the pita. And yes, I ate that standing at the sink. I had already lived the good life.

 Chili Spinach
Defrosted my fridge. First time in 2 years. Had to get in there with an ice pick. And in the process, the frozen spinach… Well, now I don’t know what to do with all that spinach. Check out Eat spinach everyday for increased strength [no joke]  for everything that spinach does for you. This is about half a cup of frozen spinach with half a large onion, 2 cloves garlic, veggie burger, fried in olive oil, with oregano, thyme, sea salt, and chili sauce added at the end. This particular sauce reminded me that these bottles have labels. I hate to shop. I’m in the store a maximum of 6 minutes if I can help it. So I didn’t read the label HOT. Just saw the bottle with chili in it, and also didn’t read it before I put it on the spinach. You can imagine my surprise when I sat down to enjoy it. I did anyway. The form of it on the plate should have warned me.

  
It’s What’s Underneath (Tomato Sauced Noodles)
The reason this is being shown is not because of the noodles, instead of the spaghetti, or the store bought tomato spaghetti sauce, or even the kashkaval cheese, but to ask you how many times in your life have you had enough sauce on your spaghetti. If it is more than once, you are indeed fortunate. Luck probably had nothing to do with it. And this is why the dish is being shown. Always be sure that the spaghetti (noodles) are tasty enough to sit down and eat without the sauce, before you put the sauce on. This may mean mixing extra butter, extra spices, extra hummus, extra cream cheese, extra melted cheese, etc. into the spaghetti first. And mixing more sauce into the dish doesn’t count. If you make it eatable without the sauce first, whoever you are trying to impress, will be. Even if it’s just yourself.

Dump
Talked to the guy who sells me cat food. His flackjacket had large tears in it as though a gigantic cat had had a major disagreement with him. When I inquired, he said that he had bought it that way. That the fashion world and all the neighbors sort of dictate what is worn. I would have taken the disagreeing cat any day. Then I realized that even in fixing ourselves a meal, unseen by the rest of the world, we follow established patterns – what goes with what and how it is prepared, and even how we eat it. Was this dish a subconscious reaction? The dish just fell together. That’s butter beside the egg. Soy sauce on the burger under the tip of the kashkaval cheese, beside the hard boiled egg on top of noodles with spinach. At least, I had the dessert last. I’m not hopelessly lost to social convention.

True Non-stick Perfect Pancakes Every Time
This is really no different from the rest of the 1-2 egg, flour and water spheres I make except for the amount of cinnamon (2 tsp) mixed with powdered chocolate drink, walnuts, and blueberry jam. One of the things which is important here is the fact that the pancake never sticks – now that I have the secret for making a pancake in a regular frying pan. The olive oil must be just at the point of smoking (do not do this with non-stick pans. In fact, do not use non-stick pans). Turn down the heat and pour the batter. The walnuts can be evenly spaced using a measuring stick and extensive calculations (360 degrees divided by the number of walnuts available), or if you hate math, by placing one nut each at north, south, east and west, and adding another 4 somewhat in the middle between each. The walnuts are for the omega-3 which keeps your blood flowing smoothly. The cinnamon and lots of it for anti-clotting, and anti-microbial potential, and enhancement of brain functioning. I even remembered to take out the trash today (after eating the pancake). The blueberry jam is for the antioxidants and the possible reduction of certain types of cancer. In the dead of winter, blueberry jam is the closest I can come to blueberries. Source

 Frying Pan Cookies
Just pour the brown sugar into the mix. Do not mix. If it is too much, then you won’t eat as many cookies. If it’s too little, you also won’t. It’s a win/win situation. The danger is when the cookies are just right. Ingredients: Flour, sugar, vanilla, olive oil, sea salt and just enough water so that you can pick it up and make into a ball which is then placed on a floured board and pounded out with the heel of your hand until as thin as you can get it. Cut with a glass for large cookies or a tall small mouth jar for small cookies. Toast in butter in the pan on low flame with the cover on, until the one side is cooked, and then turned over. As soon as you turn it over, press cut up pieces of semi-sweet cooking chocolate into the done side, and add the walnuts. Cover. Keep checking, although burned cookies are safer. It’s good to have as many stops to overeating built into the baking as possible.

Signs of SPRING

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Today I fed the floor. Must not have been hungry. The food just sat there. I let it sit.  That’s what happens when you balance a plate on your knees while crossed and try to fork something that’s not in the middle.
There went my vitamin A, B6, C, E, G, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium for the day from the banana Benefit from the Natural Health of Bananas, along with a huge amount of Vitamin C and the kiwi’s reported protection of DNA, provision of antioxidants, and my eyesight, to say nothing of my need for extra cardiovascular support on my heart whfoods.com (kiwi and banana not shown because I didn’t eat them).  I was set for the day on my Omega-3 (had eaten the walnuts), and saved the remaining cheese with my wrist. Never had chili sauce on the wrist before. I can assure you it is no tastier than it was on the plate. One thing for sure. The floor is now much cleaner. Got tired of watching it not being absorbed. to top

                                 Etruscan Wall Painting Cheese Omelet

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Fried eggplant and mushrooms with avocado (added just before dining). The only spices here are sea salt and ground cayenne pepper. Did not know what I was going to fix. Just started with the eggplant. Sometimes, life just hands us those out of the way and never considered surprises. The important thing, as with most things, is to just start.  totop
 

What this DOESN’T have, you don’t need (except for b12).
O.K. so that’s a slight exaggeration, but not by much. Wait until you see what’s there. Whole grain rice, noodles, onion, bell pepper, sweet potato, sweet chili sauce, ground cayenne pepper, and a lot of hummus (garbanzo beans). Should also have the following which I had in a salad just before this so did not double up: Sea salt, oregano, thyme, turmeric, and black pepper. Eat this in the sun, and you will live to 100. I plan on beating you by 10 years. Add some button or champignon mushrooms and sunflower seeds, and the only thing you are lacking on the quick-nutrient-coverage check  is B12.  Note: The quick-nutrient-coverage check is to fill out the form as though you are eating whatever is in the dish or the meal 4-6 times a day, with everything else being <1. Try it. You’ll be amazed at what you are missing big time, or whether you can beat me at my own game. Then take it again the right way. I was worried about my friend.  So I asked him to do the check. I heard nothing from him, and 6 months later he admitted that he took it, and his comment was ”they are already measuring me for a pine box“. to top

  
Healthy Toasted Open Cheese
Just an idea. Not really a recipe. Using stuff which I had left over. Always keep something back of whatever, for one of these. Afterwards, you should be out of at least one of the items. Possibly all of them depending on how serious you take the holding back process. I am now out of avocado. Though I was also out of banana but found another one. Toast the bread in butter (both sides) first. Cheese heated with a small amount of milk, and a very small amount of olive oil to keep it from bunching, and then poured onto the toasted bread. The base is store bought eggplant in tahina. And be sure to use a very mild onion. Otherwise, this might be healthy but it won’t be fun. to top

Potato Burger Mash With Avocado.
This was so good I am glad there wasn’t more. Would have eaten it all. The only real problem faced while fixing this was not eating all of the avocado before it was put on the potatoes. Potatoes boiled and then fried with 2 chopped up soy burger patties in a combination of olive oil and butter with 2 cloves of garlic. Lots of basil and oregano. to top

  Situation Resolved.
This was just waiting to happen. I did not create it. It created itself. All I did was facilitate. We forget that the universe is a constantly-in-motion, coherent whole which has its own reason for existance and its own way of carrying out the plan. It had to happen. I’m just glad that I was one of the facilitators and the main recipient at this juncture of this particular unfolding.  Nothing sweet and I had to have something. All I had was oatmeal, some 3% cream cheese, and some semi sweet cooking chocolate. Why not? Boiled a cup’s worth of water and oatmeal, melted the chocolate, added some sugar, and poured it into a bowl. Added some vanilla and a small amount of sugar to the cream cheese and put it on top. Absolutely delicious. to top

 

Two Egg Whatever (That’s 2 pieces of bread there each with it’s own egg.
If you are the cook (for most things), do not show this to your significant other. They’ll want it. This takes the getting-all-the-nutrients-in-at-breakfast to new heights. The small stuff: The trail mix came in handy again for the raisins and even some cocoanut. But if you do use trail mix, you’re going to get some chunch when not expecting it in the apple salad, so be forewarned unless there is no crunch in your mix. If the nuts are not roasted, I wash them. Found that the roasting takes some of the beneficial nutrients out of the almonds. But since the taste of roasted is so great, it’s sometimes a toss-up. Now to the hard part. How do you keep the egg from running under the bread and all over the pan? Do not pour from the cracked egg. Break the egg into a jar and then pour a small amount in the hole until cooked enough to pour the rest. Also, cook the two eggs separately, and then stack. I cannot emphasize enough the beneficial effects of spices and herbs on your meals. They are not just window dressing. Some of these spices have nutrients you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else, and add significantly to the nutritional value of any meal. to top

Spices PREVENT diseases
“Extensive medical research has found that nutrients in ginger, turmeric, rosemary, fenugreek, oregano, cloves and many other spices can help to prevent heart disease, alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and other degenerative diseases.”  The author, Dr. Keith Scott has very interesting articles and videos on each of these. Also, see: The results of a major study on the antioxident values of a large number of foods, showing that spices and herbs have the greatest values far exceeding other categories of foods. Category 22 You can also see the abstract with a link to the pdf discussing the original findings.

More About Non-Stick
If you have teflon/other non-stick cooking ware, or stain and water resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics, please read this. I have mentioned this in relation to pet birds (it kills), but this article relates to its effects on humans.  

Falling Tower of Slaw With Eggplant.
Kept falling over. So, this is the best shot you’re going to get. The standup is one of the great things about fresh loaf bread. Added sweet chili sauce to the cheese and vegetarian dogs inside before layering the coleslaw. The tomato is an icon. And that’s bought eggplant-in-mayonnaise in the slaw.  There is something to be said about letting the professionals do it. Which means that they know what they’re doing, and their reputation rests on getting whatever knowledge they have across to the customer, which is an art all by itself. The slaw  contains yellow onion which, in this case, has no bite. to top

Eating an apple just does not do it for me. The mantra “An apple a day…” never got embedded in my subconscious. But this will do it every time. Thin sliced apple with lots of cinnamon and blueberry jam in a toasted in butter tortilla. If you can’t see this clearly, you need it. to top

Red Bell Pepper And Onions With Just Another Tortilla Cheesewich. See last post for previous wiches. Can’t get enough of these. So easy to make and with different cheeses each time, an endless variety of tastes. Oregano and thyme on the red bell pepper and onions. to top

Things I run across which I think are interesting:
Coconut Oil Provides a Solution to the Spread of MRSA http://www.naturalnews.com/028139_coconut_oil_MRSA.html

And now the OTHER PEOPLE SECTION to top
See below for rules and where to send

O.K., so the first one is my sister’s. But that is where the idea came from. She sent me a photo out of the blue which blew me away. I might just fly to California so she can make it for me.

Accompaning Text: 
MY PLATE – egg omelet with spinach/mushroom side.  Just whisk 2 eggs with a fork and cook over slow flame until the “bubbling” stops.  The eggs need to be cooked through; when almost done sprinkle a handful of grated cheese (whichever is my pleasure as I usually have about 5 cheeses in my fridge)  on top and it is ready to go.  I like to add the spinach into the omelet but my pan was small and I didn’t want to crowd it.  One can add diced tomatoes, a little chopped green chili pepper, scallions, whatever suits your mood – and taste buds!  Or as I always keep fresh salsa on hand, a large dollop of that with a spoonfull of sour cream also works well.  Was going to put the “wilted” spinach and mushroom combo INTO the omelet, but at the end just added grated Monterey cheese (Swiss would work well – or Pepper Jack).  Then folded the omelet onto a plate adding the spinach (cooked briefly in a fry pan with a scant amount of butter or olive oil until “wilted”) and mushrooms.  No bread needed with this plate.  A side of fresh fruit bowl finished out the meal.   (PS – And of course, a piece of chocolate about 1/2 hour after eating just to settle everything!!)  I only eat 2x a day – usually around 10 and then at 4.  That way I’m not going to bed with a full stomach…… Sonia Penny

 Directions for submission
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1. Submit recipe and comments to email: morgan@tsingle.info with the subject ‘recipe’ followed by your name.
2. Photographs must be in .jpeg or .jpg format and sent as an attachment to the email.
3. Dish must be your own
4. All entries subject to slight editing where necessary
5. My decision to accept or reject a dish is final.
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AN EXTRA

Want to study a foreign language?
Some Unasked For Tips On Studying A Foreign Language
I have found the best way to study Spanish – finally after 2 years of trying every technique under the sun and still not getting it right. Now, I copy any Spanish text which has at least 10 words I either: Do not recognize, know how to spell, understand when said, or say. I open up 6 consecutive pages across the top of the browser: The first is a word definition page for unknown words or verbs I want to conjugate Wordreference  http://www.wordreference.com/definicion/. The next five are for virtually identical free translators: IMtranslator.net http://free-translator.imtranslator.net/,   Reverso http://www.reverso.net/text_translation.asp?lang=EN,  Google http://translate.google.com/#,  Microsoft http://www.microsofttranslator.com/Default.aspx, and online-languages http://www.online-languages.info/ Try the different engines by inputting the same text to translate and see which appears to be the most helpful, correct, etc. depending on the topic. Some translators are better at certain topics or ways of writing than others.  The major plus of IMtranslator is the speech facility in which the text is read aloud electronically although the selection allowed is relatively short.

Then what I do is type the language I am learning under the translated portion of the text and check to see whether or not what I have written is correct, until it is. It also helps to repeat out loud the language to be learned each time I check it. With the IMtranslator, be sure to check the reading speed. Although the speed variability is not great, you can start at a comfortable level and once you have heard it several times, increase the speed for any given text.

The key here is to select a short phrase (no more than about 40 words each time). Otherwise, you never seem to get off of the phrase, giving yourself relatively little positive feedback.

For word definitions, each gives its own dictionary, but the most complete at the present time is wordreference.com. But also, I have found that the listing of possible uses of a word by the Google translator is very good, and sufficient for any single word entry in the entry box. 

The fastest way I have found to get a human pronunciation of a single word, at the present time, is online-languages.info  http://www.online-languages.info. For some of the languages, the recording of the word pronounced continues to recycle until the mini voice box which appears is closed. Sometimes the box does not appear and must be found by clicking on the browser tab at the bottom of the screen in order to select it and close. to top

More on helpful bacteria: It has been estimated that there are 10 times more bacteria (often mislabeled flora) in the human body than there are human cells. My take on it: Perhaps attraction is all about my flora liking yours. Applicable references: Human Flora – Wikipedia,   People Are Human-Bacteria Hybrid. Each one of us is actually an ecosystem Prof. Gerald Callahan, Talk of the Nation.

Sludge (photo to come).
I’ve said it before. I dislike soups. It takes so long and so many spoonfuls to get anything in. And all the while you are wondering what’s next on the menu. Solved the problem. Started out with enough water to fill a bowl of really thin soup. By the time I had finished putting in the half package of instant soup (any kind), bell pepper, onion, eggplant, garlic, small amount of soy sauce, ditto on sweet chili sauce, sea salt, oregano, thyme, ground cayenne pepper, turmeric, black pepper and boiled it awhile to be sure everything was partially cooked, I had tasty vegetable sludge which I put on whole wheat couscous liberally buttered. One spoonful of this is worth 10 of the regulars. Be sure to keep some sludge on the side to add to the couscous when you get half way down. By the way, this IS the menu.

I have been down for 5 days. Computer problems. It’s amazing how long the time is when you don’t have the computer. Start doing things that have been put off for far too long, and using things which you had forgotten even existed: Spanish dictionary: Printed. Began to get a taste of how I lived BTC. For one thing, I went to bed early. I’m really well rested.

The Fix
Pancake with one egg, banana, trail mix, cinnamon, sugar, and a ring of fake syrup around the outer edges. You really know you’re doing something when you are eating it, and then afterwards just sitting there and feeling the nutrients racing around filling nooks and crannies which have been crying for succor for going on too long now.

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Cheese Tortilla
Have the cheese ready because this is fast. On low heat, brown the tortilla on one side in the pan with olive oil. Flip. Put  the cheese on one half only (left, right, top, bottom depends on how your arm works).  Fold. Turn the folded tortilla and let fry for a short time with cover on (less than 1/2 minute). Flip again and finish frying the first side. Has got to be one of my favorites. The hummus and lettuce mounds are extras.

Cake with strawberries and apple yogurt.  I had to have something sweet. You know the feeling. And I had these strawberries which I had bought only because they are supposed to be good for you – very high in vitamin C, antioxidant protection whfoods.com. The combining of the two problems into one solution sits before you. About the apple yogurt? Only put it on the piece you are going to eat, or you end up with mush. I could have put it onto a broader area. As usual, it’s burned – on the bottom. I went back to my computer thinking that I would get up in 3 minutes to check. I did not want to photograph the result. Would just be a jet black triangle on the page.  But, I did turn it over to finish cooking, on the side you see, by easing it onto a plate and flipping it. Actually, could not taste the burn. The ingredients include butter in the pan, flour, water, baking powder, vanilla, egg, sugar, all according to whim. I really must get a measuring cup. It was fantastic – I really like my own cooking. Even with the burn, this only took 12 minutes. 
 

 By the way, with this constant cooking and photo shoots, the only thing that keeps me in shape is my own personal exercise plan which I do laying flat on my back in bed. If I fall asleep, I just continue when I wake up. Really works. Have detailed it on the main site to this blog http://tsingle.info.

Number 4 in the Glop Series – Bell Pepper and Mushroom G.
This is a recipe for two, but I didn’t let that stop me. There are advantages to living alone. Not many, but this is one of them. Oh, there’s more in the pan, or there was.  Egg plant, bell pepper, and mushrooms (advise strongly against picking them yourself – not even if a relative or neighbor picked them), soy burger, turmeric, black pepper, sea salt, lots of thyme, and a small amount of sweet chili sauce. I don’t believe the saying that all experiments need refining. The refining agent here is the digestive tract. The basic success to this is the noodles – very few.

I’ve decided to go out of business. Just ate some of my daughter’s (Nati) egg  and cheese cream pie (פשטידה in Hebrew). Absolutely fantastic. I said to myself that I couldn’t hope to equal that. She assured me that my experimentation with food, equaled or surpassed anything she could do. Very nice of her to say that, but… Photographed what was left.

This was going to be another perfect pancake which I would just eat and be done with. Apparently not. This is a mocha yogurt, inside and on top, with nutmeg and cinnamon pancake. It will really clear out your sinuses and arteries. I put a little maple syrup (fake) on afterwards, or it can be put inside to cover one of our expectations. Most of our lives are based on expectations.  And a sweet pancake is one of them. But, that does not do for you what a yogurt pancake does. If you listed all of your expectations (see you in a year when you finish), you would find that part of the problems we encounter in life, besides trying to do the impossible (like listing them), is due to misplaced expectations. Change even one of them, and you change your life. The more crucial and central it is, the greater the change. However, watch what expectation you replace it with.

Grilled Cheese
I really should set up a grading system. That was a 5 on a 0-5 scale.  Too many levels and the labeling becomes a problem. For instance, saying that the dish was a partial, in-between, semi-good on a scale of 25 just doesn’t convey much. With a scale of 5, you have (5)Superb down to (1)Hanging-in-by-teeth to (0)trash. I was told by my sister that nobody had the ingredients in their larder that I do. Which is strange because I shop at the same super as everyone else. Which means that we all see a different store when we walk in. So I will use only generic terms for items, like cheese (even though this was great Bulgarian sheep cheese called Kashkaval), and bread (although this was a special loaf of bread only baked on Fridays which must be hand cut), mushrooms (champignons), sweet chili sauce, thyme, and sweet basil, fried in butter. Mushrooms pre-fried, also in butter because I am fresh out of olive oil which would have been preferable.

Hummus, Broc and Mushroom Salad (non-traditional)
Although, I don’t think there is a traditional version of this. The secret is to be sure that the mushrooms are kept touching the pan so that they brown before the broccoli is hopelessly burned or cooked out. If I were to list the benefits of this dish for your general health, everyone would eat it. And since there is not enough broccoli in the world… You can see my dilemma. So just enjoy the picture. Also, I am told that you should only cook this dish if you live alone. It seems that broccoli and hummus can be problematic together. But it was a great taste.

Off The Wall Breakfast
Decided to have oatmeal. But, the oatmeal just sitting there in the cup didn’t seem complete. Put in a lot of cinnamon and some honey. Felt the need for an egg. So there you have it. Cinnamon and honey with fried egg. Yep, your reaction just now was my reaction, but it tasted quite good and I am now feeling complete. So, if anyone tries this, please let me know. Need to know that I’m not the only one out there feeling this way.

Noodle Pie
This is just to jag your memory to the last time (perhaps long ago) when you had noodle pie or some form thereof. In this case it’s done in the frying pan, hence the egg is not included, if in fact it was ever in any of your previous experiences. Just boil the noodles, drain, dump back into the pan, add lots of cinnamon, a small amount of nutmeg, lots of sugar (sorry – I never measure), and stir. Let sit for an hour until cooled, or place in some cold place – like outside the door if it’s winter (covered or there may be nothing left when you check 15 minutes later), for 15 minutes until it has congealed. Cut and serve with whipped cream, maple syrup, or other favorite topping. And, don’t forget the walnuts if you have not had your omega-3 fix for the day. Read up on omega-3 if you have not done so already. It may literally change your life.

 
Coffee
They’re beginning to see it my way. Not that I had any opinion on it one way or another. I just always drank 8-10 cups of it a day. Well, that may be overdoing it but I’m 74 pushing 20 so I must be doing something right. Coffee Lowers Risk of Diabetes and Liver Fibrosis, Hepatitis and Prostate Cancer

Tip for the day 
If you are anything like the rest of us, the message in these two articles  is important:
1. Sugar May Be Bad But This Sweetener Is Far More Deadly Part 2 
2. Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup in Beverages and Processed Foods

Project In The Making
This was the most intense preparation I have done in terms of running back and forth from the stove to the sink. I deserved the result. They say that visual is half of the enjoyment of the meal, and taste has to be the other half with the nutrition hopefully tucked in a corner somewhere. A dish has to appear to fulfill one of our many needs, healthy being one of them, as well as deliver what it advertizes.
This dish started out as the vaguest of mental pictures comprised of 2 eggs on toast. In its evolution, there were 8 major decision points:
1. Egg first or toast?: Toast
2. On one side or both?: Both
3. Egg poured on top or separate?:  Separate with toast on top
4. Toast on top of undone egg or turn egg?: Undone and cover
5. Topping or plain with spices?: Tomatoes, onion, garlic, cayenne
6. Leave resulting anomalous tomato paste or not?: Added fresh tomatoes, onions
7. Melted Cheese on top?: Found none, so hummus heated in milk
8. Sweet chili sauce or just spices?: Sweet chili + sweet basil

                                                                                                    

 

 

 

 We’ll forget about breakfast. 
Well, o.k. here’s a photo of it. Gave me indigestion. The couscous / oatmeal / amaranth base was like a rock when I finally got around to eating it, and the whole thing was all positioned on the acidic side of the food chart. Took a 1/2 tsp of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and ate a small salad (as medicine mid-morning). It worked. My niece sent me a site which talks about the necessity of having an alkaline/acidic balance, which actually means about 70%+ alkaline intake. Otherwise, you are opening yourself up to all sorts of problems down the road, and depending on how long this is ignored, the end of the road may be nearer than you think. But, while attempting to get alkaline in, be sure to also get some acidics in there. They are  very important for all of the minerals, vitamins, etc. they have, but keep it less than all of the less tasty stuff on the alkaline side. My question is ‘If we are supposed to eat more of the alkaline, why was it made so untasty (for the most part, my being one with an affinity to the acidic side of the chart)? If you are not into this stuff, you’ll see what I mean when you look at the two charts here http://www.pureliquidgold.com/acid-alkaline-forming-foods.htm

The Umm Response
After the morning fiasco, this dish is quite alkaline. But, I have to admit that each portion on this plate got the ‘umm’ response which is not usual for alkaline. The avocado-grated raw bell pepper salad  got the response after I added a little mayonnaise (acidic :-)
Warning: Unless you are an expert at slicers, do not slice your carrots this way. You definitely want to keep all the fingers you have. The sauce on the boiled carrots and sweet potatoes is cinnamon, sugar, coconut oil, and honey. The noodles have butter, oregano, basil, pepper, and sea salt. The salad, as you see it in the photo, has soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, thyme, oregano, sea salt.

 How to forget how cold you are
This is good for a cold winter’s evening when the heat is off. This is due to the amount of cayenne pepper in there. Your mouth will be so hot, you’ll forget how cold you are. Also, a very good mixture of alkaline/acidic. Sweet potatoes, avocado, mixed with hummus and a cayenne really hot pepper mixture in a tortilla with sweet chili sauce on top. There are some noodles in there left over from lunch, but we’ll forget them. I don’t know that anyone has ever tried any of my dishes. My sisters are surprisingly silent on the subject. Oh well, I enjoyed them and I’m still here. 

 Couscous Supreme
I just realized today that I usually operate like a well oiled machine. Well, I do use a lot of olive oil in my cooking. But this morning it was a litany of missteps, errors, minor gaffs with the crowning blow being when I turned on my computer and the screen went black. After eating this breakfast, everything went back to normal. This is a powerful dish. Don’t know what I was lacking but this was apparently the antidote.
To list what went wrong: Burned the pan severely, dropped the fork on the floor, something which in all my years (that I can remember, and that’s about 1 year back) I have not done, decided to use the high protein grain amaranth as a base (although I only had 1/8th of a cup left), but picked it up at the wrong end pouring half of the remaining contents into the sink, overcooked the egg, couldn’t find the black pepper even though I picked it up each of 3 times to look at canister labels. And to start it all off, while still in bed, had this mosquito who wanted a part of me to warm her eggs or whatever it’s for (she will just have to wait until tonight). By the way, you do know that only the females bite.  The dish is pictured above. Overdone fried egg with couscous supreme. Slightly fried onion, red bell pepper, and avocado mixing into 6 minute couscous with the addition of butter, oregano, basil, soy sauce, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon and a small amount of brewer’s yeast for the Bs.

Nirvana
This is nirvana or as close as fried eggplant, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and avocado can get. Add the avocado only at the very end. Spices: Basil, oregano, sea salt, thyme, and topped with sweet chili sauce. I am showing the cutting board before the stuff hit the pan, principally to show the onion cutting which when turned on its side and sliced, produces a shower of small onion cubes without the tears. Also found out that the mosquito which had been biting me during the night, definitely did not like the taste of garlic. Free at last. And apparently, very little will do it.

Just Your Normal Breakfast – At Least For Me.
The green on the bread it not mold. Just decided to relocate the avocado. The walnuts are only part of a handful for the day if you are getting you Omega-3 this way. Very important to get Omega-3 in some way. Was going to eat the rest of the walnuts during the day, but since my life is total-deferred-gratification at the present time, decided that it would end with, at least, the walnuts. Ate the rest when I took the plate to the kitchen. Brown one side of the bread, turn over, insert egg, and cover. The cheese is kashkaval (almost colorless sheep cheese). Was going to put a bit of sweet chili sauce on but found that I did not have an inexhaustible supply.

Vinegar and Hydrogen Peroxide as Disinfectant
http://www.michaelandjudystouffer.com/judy/articles/vinegar.htm

 Salad with fried-in-olive-oil-tortilla, melted cheese, paprika, and a small amount of sea salt.

Made some more chips

A failed plate of two eggs
This was a failed plate of two eggs when it started. I was just going have breakfast and forget about photography. Then I decided to add the avocado, walnuts and soy sauce. And in the process, added banana slices, against my better judgment and internal reactions. You probably just felt them also when I mentioned the combination. So I ate the slices, and put the onions and peppers on to fry with all sorts of spices including cayenne sauce. Now it was worthy of its own place in history.

Soy Weiner Clusters with Cheese-Cayenne sauce-Honey Spread.

Covered For A Week
Wasn’t going to put this up or photograph it or anything – except eat it, of course. And then I put on the cinnamon (lot’s of it) and then the fake maple syrup, and on top of that, Ghirardelli cocoa mix, and smudged it all together. Looked at it and decided, at that point, to go the whole nine yards, and put on the walnuts and, on top, some extra Ghirardelli. There’s a regular one egg pancake under it all (water, flour, baking powder). By the way, did you ever wonder where the ‘whole nine yards’ came from? Probably not. But I’m going to tell you anyway. Or, as it turns out, not (since it is still unknown, but the possibilities are interesting). The best discussion (meaning the one I picked!!) of the possible origin of the term is The Phrase Finder “The Whole Nine Yards” http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-whole-nine-yards.html

Squash With Extra Protein
Actually, this is about the egg. The rest is underpinning (not bad for an afterthought). Fried squash (the thinner, the better), onion, and 2 garlic cloves (trying too keep the mosquito from biting me). Was free for two nights and then she hit. Either I had not been eating enough garlic, or after two night she became desperate. Never take a pregnant female for granted. I’m talking about mosquitoes, but I guess that this would apply across the board. Back to the squash. Once fried, add cheese, sea salt, sweet basil at least, And this time, a significant dose of soy sauce. I have just rediscovered fermented soy sauce. Actually, the brown color comes from the fermentation process. It’s a very unique taste and fits this dish perfectly. Look up Kikkoman.com
And the cinnamon? Fantastic stuff and my sister sent me two huge canisters of it – anti-clotting, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, improves use of blood sugar, enhances cognitive processing, and if you feel the onset of a cold, cinnamon in tea will help along with a little ginger. whfoods.com http://whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=68 From the amount I poured on, all I can say is  “I’m good for a week”.

The title of this is “Don’t Say I Never Feed You”
Eggplant towers, fried potatoes and carrots, with apple/walnut salad in turmeric/black pepper mayonnaise sauce. Very healthy. Just wash the eggplant, cut and place in a hot frying pan with olive oil. The potatoes, carrots, and 1 clove of garlic are placed beside it and covered on low flame. Turn periodically. The sauce is milk, yellow cheese, a very small amount of flour, sweet chili sauce. He/she will remember this one. Particularly if you keep reminding them.

See material about vitamin B12, and about soy below.
Very Important

Couscous Rings
The insides have to be so good that you want to just stand there and eat it out of the pan. Forget about the rings.
I love couscous – It’s so fast, great as a base, tastes good all on its own with butter, salt and pepper, and in this case is full semolina wheat, which is coarsely ground durum wheat. Quite different from the wheat we normally use in everything. There are some great recipes on the web. All you do is boil water, turn off the flame, pour in the couscous until there is still about 1/2 inch water above it, and let it stand for 10 minutes or less. And it’s ready. As for the rest of the dish, and if you hate brussels sprouts – you are probably used to saying “But they’re so high in vitamin K and C and protect you against everything from head to toe”,  with the answer “I don’t care” coming back (http://whfoods.com) In this instance, you are going to forget that you never liked them. Boiled the peas, some bits of bell pepper rings left over from making the rings, and the BS along with the rings themselves. Threw in some walnuts here. The rings take forever, but done or not they are just as good. Also if too done, they fall apart on you, so watch it. I like crunch anyway. Very little patience for these things. Putting the rings aside, drain the rest and put back in some hot olive oil (or coconut oil) and start frying. Add butter, oregano, thyme, sea salt, cumin, turmeric, small amount of black pepper, cayenne pepper mix according on how much you want to get well, sesame seeds for all of the minerals (which I had already boiled with the water for the couscous, so didn’t add here), small amount of sweet  chili sauce, dash of soy sauce, and tasted. Wow! The cheese is any cheese you like (this was sliced yellow and kashkaval (hence the white color), melted in milk and a very, very small amount of flour until you get the thickness you want. They’ll think you are a master chef.

Fried Potatoes, Onions and Avocado
In olive oil, fry potatoes and onions until done. Add avocado chunks and stir in. Delicious just as is – no extras.

 Cooking is about intuition. And don’t let anyone tell you differently. This dish was all intuition, and it was great. I knew I wanted eggs
There are no rules for intuition. It comes from listening to the total universe which surrounds you, including every cell of your body and, who knows, all of the millions of microbes internally which help you survive, digest your food, protect you from invaders, etc. They have as great a stake in your survival as you do. If you took them all away, you would probably be gone in less than forty eight hours. So, part of all this is listening to their say in whatever is happening. Intuition also comes from above. This is what is referred to as being in harmony with the universe. You are listening. You may think that listening to your intuition has gotten you into trouble in the past. But it is also possible that, in fact, it was something else driving the decision process and not your intuition – your desire to be, to fit in, the fit the mold, to have, to be like…, to be liked, or some well meaning friend giving lousy advice, because he or she is not you.

And all of this has to do with cooking. I constantly hold the base products in mind while listening. And the result gave me indigestion because my intuition told me that after I had successfully created a dish I really enjoyed, I ate it all, even though I was telling myself that I shouldn’t.
 

The process was something like this.
Had the desire to cook breakfast but also knew that I had no oil or butter left. However, my body was saying it wanted eggs. So eggs it was but they would have to be poached. But what goes with poach? Couscous came to mind, and while I was cleaning the pan from last night, the left over oatmeal begged to be used. No, I’m not listening to oatmeal.  Just didn’t like the thought of throwing it away. Plus it has more soluble fiber called beta-glucan than other grains, which lowers total cholesterol significantly, and is therefore important in reducing buildup of plaque on blood vessel walls, thereby reducing or preventing the risk of diseases or problems with the heart (for all of the health benefits of oats and other whole grains, and they are significant, see oats at whfoods.com.  I felt I could use some of that. So poached the eggs, made the couscous and mixed in the oatmeal with sesame  and sunflower seeds because it seemed like a good thing to do. Adding walnuts seemed a bit over the top, so they were out. But now I had a problem. The couscous / oatmeal mass had no taste or at least not one which went with poached eggs on top. So I put the glop into the skillet with the scrapings (literally) of the foil which had held the butter and the literally last 10 drops of olive oil, which meant that everything stuck to the bottom of the pan. I could taste the couscous with salt and pepper, so added, tasted, more sea salt, then thyme, but I kept getting the nudge to put in basil, found it, tasted, and felt there should be nothing sweet in this dish, so added a slice of yellow cheese, and finally got the ‘umm‘ factor – the most important factor in cooking or doing anything for that matter. If you are not at some level saying ‘umm’, you are not doing it right. And the longer the ummmmm, the more successful you are. But, ‘umm’ has one caveat. It has to be spontaneous. And on top of the poached, kashkaval sheep cheese melted with a small amount of milk. Absolutely great, but I ate the whole thing. 
 

The mound
This dish covers up  the taste of unpolished rice and lentils which turn most people off of these two high proteins together. Which is one of the primary problems of most vegetarian protein dishes. I’m here to change all that. And this is an example. Besides the rice and lentils, are onions, peas, tomato paste, oregano, basil, cayenne sauce, sea salt, soy sauce and a slice of yellow cheese. It also has a cut up soy burger in there, but..

 THE PROBLEMS WITH SOY
I am starting to reduce my use of unfermented soy products. It is possible to get all of the protein needed from other non-meat, non-soy products and this site will start to concentrate on dishes high on protein. along with the occasional use of fermented soy which is very healthy. If you want to read up on the health hazards of non-fermented soy products as currently sold in most supermarkets and markets in the U.S. and elsewhere: The following really gives the rundown on the base of the problem of soy and the possible side effects:

• Soy Hazards  or The Whole Soy Story (excerpt) 
• Also, Hazards of Soy (Roster of articles on health effects of soy)

If it’s the last thing you do, eat this.
And maybe it will just save you. Nut/Seed Avocado Egg Fold.
And do not skimp on the avocado thinking you will only use a quarter of the avocado so as to save it for another meal. Use at least half for one person. Then, if it is your last meal, you will be able to look down and say to yourself “Wow, that was a great dish”.  The rest of the ingredients go like this. Flour and water and an egg or two. And now the tricky part for me. I had no oil, no butter, nothing to keep the egglet from sticking to the bottom of the pan. And there was no way that I was going to eat poached two days in a row. Show I went searching in all my cabinets. Came up with a jar of coconut oil which was at least 2 years old and probably older, solidified , sitting at the bottom of the jar. I looked at it. It looked at me. And we both agreed.  Success. Probably because I had just read that coconut oil was better than olive oil. Anyway, it was worth a try. I put almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds into the blender, or chopper or whatever. Added basil, oregano, turmeric, black pepper, ground cayenne pepper, sea salt, and turned it on. Came up with mush with some large chunks of almonds left. The walnuts had complied with the regimen but the almonds were holding out. Decided to go with the chunks. Sweet chili sauce on top. 

A note: Almonds are a source of nutrients far surpassing most other nuts. Very good for the heart among other benefits. For an in-depth look whfoods.com  However, in the U.S. it is illegal to sell unroasted, uncooked  or non-fumigated almonds. According to many quarters, this was due to pressures from certain groups, and reduces the nutrient value of almonds tremendously. See Almond growers sue USDA to halt mandatory fumigation of raw almonds

I know, I know. Another salad. But that’s hummus on top. If you have never tried hummus, do yourelf a favor and find it. It’s all over the place, and once you start looking for it, you’ll realize that it was right there all the time within arms reach.  Since this blog is not in any particular order (comes under the caption of ‘what can you tell about the blogger by looking at the blog?’), I thought that I would keep you informed as to how healthy, how alkaline, how full of everything promoting fluidity, supportivity (there is now), disease prevention my salads actually are. But, someone else is going to have to detail the benefits of this, because after eating it, I just want to take a nap. Iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, walnuts, sea salt, oregano, thyme, basil, ground cayenne pepper, and mayonnaise, with hummus (ground chick peas) on top.
 

 AND most importantly -

VITAMIN B12 – Absolutely crucial for your health
Whether or not you are vegetarian, you may not be getting enough of it. While the highest sources are animal-fish, it has been found that a large proportion of the meat-eating population is low in this essential vitamin.

I’m suddenly concerned about vitamin B12. If you are vegetarian, it’s a problem. Other than eat something which can look back at you, it is difficult to get it except through yogurt-low-fat (1 cup) 23% of Daily Value, Cow’s milk-2% (1 cup) 14% of DV,
Egg (1)  8% of DV. Lower and unreliable amounts of B12 can also be found in “sea plants (like kelp), algaes (like blue-green algae), yeasts (like brewer’s yeast), and fermented plant foods (like tempeh, miso, tofu)” http://whfoods.com. Some foods are fortified, so look at labels Vegetarian & Vegan Foundation UK.  Fruits and vegetables have none unless you don’t wash them (it’s created by bacteria in the soil). So, if you find your child eating dirt, there is probably a good reason. “Many vegan foods are supplemented with B12. Vitamin B12 is necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells, the maintenance of the nervous system, and growth and development in children. Deficiency can cause anemia. Vitamin B12 neuropathy, involving the degeneration of nerve fibres and irreversible neurological damage, can also occur.” Vegetarian Society U.K.  “Vitamin B12 may help in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions: Alcoholism, Anemia (Pernicious), Arthritis (Rheumatoid), Asthma Bronchial), Atherosclerosis, Cancer, Celiac Disease, Crohn’s Disease,
Dermatitis (Seborrheic), Epstein-Barr Virus,
Fatigue, Leukemia, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Neuropathies/Neuromuscular degeneration”. http://whfoods.com

So if you are vegetarian or vegan, it is very important that you take B12 supplements (sublingual is recommended as the best type of supplement since it goes directly into your bloodstream and does not get destroyed by the stomach acids). All of the above reference sites have a chart of recommended daily doses depending on age and or maternal condition. The supplement I take for B12 has Folic Acid which is also very important to health.

If you are dieting, don’t even look at the picture. Uh, too late.
For The Kid In All of Us.
Have you had your chocolate fix today? This is the morning of New Year’s Eve. I wanted to go out happy. Don’t know what the amounts were. Have to wing it like I did. But as long as there’s chocolate in there, does it really matter?
- water
- egg
- flour – One hint. If using 2 eggs, equal amounts of water and flour. Don’t have to tell you, measure the flour first. The reason becomes clear if you have already done it the opposite way. If only one egg, add a little more water.

- 1 tsp baking powder
- handful walnuts for Omega-3 – What is great about a handful is that it fits the size of the person.
- sesame seeds for all the minerals
-Ghirardelli Sweetened Cocoa Mix
-Hershey chocolates – I used 2 of the small bite size which were put in and submerged in the batter after the mixture had been poured into the skillet and cooked for 1/4 minute so as not to be against the pan and burn.
- Unsweetened cocoa mix – Just so as not to over-tox on sugar – The more dark chocolate you use, the better.
- And on top, dark chocolate (more bite sized) heated in milk (but not enough to throw the anti-oxidants in dark chocolate off), with a small amount of flour to thicken it.
And if I forgot to mention, dark chocolate is very good for your health – blood pressure, heart, hormonal balance, anti-oxidant, and it elevates your spirit. Health Benefits of Chocolate http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongnutrition/p/chocolate.htm

Eggplant Noodles
Took a bite and didn’t even want to take the time to photograph it.
Less noodles than you think you will want. By the way, this is always a good rule. Remember that it is only a carrier and not the actual cargo.
1/3 eggplant chunked
1 medium onion
2 mushrooms sliced
Cook these separately from the noodles in some olive oil. Put the spices and brewer’s yeast for all B vitamins in 2 minutes before finished cooking, and not before.
2 tbsp brewer’s yeast
thyme
coriander
oregano
sea salt
soy sauce
Add the soy sauce after combining the noodles and vegetables. In this case, you want only a hint of soy sauce, not a statement. Also added a pad of butter for a richer taste.

This is a supper to write home about.
Eggplant Open
This came into my mind as a picture from I do not know where. Except for the avocado which was an afterthought.
-This is challa which is only baked on Thursday to be sold on Friday for Shabbat. Incredible bread. But any soft bread will do.
-1/2 Eggplant
-1/2 onion
-two thick slices of cheese (used kashkaval but depends on what you like) heated to melting on the bread in the covered skillet. Bread burns easily so have to watch it.
-2 avocado slices
-basil
-thyme
-oregano (did not have it so you don’t see it here)
-white sauce of milk, flour, instant mushroom soup powder, salt to taste)
-olive oil for frying everything

This Is The Answer.
And the Question?
What breakfast will you never forget?
What one dish will give you 90% of what you need for a whole day? Check it out.
What breakfast will cure you of more ailments than any other?
Oh, and what would goes great with sweet chili sauce        and cayenne pepper for breakfast?

This must not be eaten unless you have had 2 cups of water about 1/2-1 hour before eating it. For health, this should be a standard, first thing after you get up in the morning,  after your body has been deprived of liquid for 6 or more hours. But for this dish, it is mandatory.

1 slice of whole wheat bread
1 slice of white, bleached wheat, nutritionally totally useless light bread (that’s what I had)
2 eggs
crimini (button, champignon) mushrooms
2 tbsp milk or water (what you see did not have this)
handful walnuts crumbled
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/8-1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 level tsp baking soda (not powder)
cinnamon
turmeric
black pepper
oregano
thyme
basil

Preparation: Mix all in a bowl and pour into hot skillet, and cover. Cooks very fast. Turn using the plate flip method. Add cayenne pepper flakes (your choice of amount)
and sweet chili sauce. Photograph – you will want documentation of this.

And afterwards, I had a delicious chocolate chip cookie sent to me by my niece. Well – it was the day before, the day before Christmas. And for them, any time is the right time.

Fruit Salad and Potato Dump
I do have more than one plate. I just never use them. If it doesn’t all fit on one plate, I either eat it in the kitchen over the sink, or I don’t eat it. The fruit is: Not quite ripe kiwi (I would suggest ripe), apple, and raisins in mayonnaise with lettuce plus roasted salted almonds for their protein. The dump is fried potato slices, bell pepper, sesame seeds (1/4 cup provides 70+ daily value of copper, 45% DV magnesium, and 35% DV for calcium plus iron, phosphorus and zinc whfoods.com http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=84), lots of turmeric, a little pepper (needed to help the body fully utilize the turmeric), thyme for its antibacterial, and antimicrobial, antifungal properties and taste, and basil. Salt to taste. Add 2 tablespoons of sweet chili sauce. Add a very  small amount of water if too dry. The turmeric alone will solve some of your problems according to a number of sources. 

An Additional Year of Life Topping.
Two Eggs, small amount of milk, 1 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder
with:
bell pepper
walnuts
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
onion
sweet chili sauce or melted cheese to top it off.
Spices: Oregano, basil, ground cayenne, thyme, coriander, granulated garlic or the real thing, fried in olive oil (do not use anything else unless it’s flaxseed oil), and set aside while eggs are cooking.
Very important that you drink 1 or 2 glasses of water about 1/2 hour or more before this dish. Topped off with a slice of toast and real blueberry jam. My stomach was sort of out of sorts afterwards. Will test again and relay as to possible cause. Off hand, nothing comes immediately to mind.

Get skillet hot with olive oil, and turn down to low
wet the tortilla. Does not burn as fast, and is easier to roll
have the cheese ready
put the tortilla in to fry on one side until half done
turn over and put on cheese and cover
Keep checking and when cheese is more or less melted (you do not want the tortilla to burn), transfer to plate
Add cayenne sauce – you have to be the judge on how much you can take
add hummus and roll
boil bell pepper slices and tomatoes. When peppers are almost soft, put into skillet with olive oil and fry, adding the second cheese
Finish off the topping and add the basil.

Crown Potatoes and Eggplant
Absolutely. Took great will power to put half of it into the fridge for next time. Got to eat the last spoonful.
The potatoes are boiled and set aside.
The added ons are fried in olive oil and mixed with the potatoes. Cheese sauce of milk and two slices of yellow cheese with a tablespoon of mushroom soup powder is heated on the stove and poured.
The add-ons or ins:
Eggplant cut into small pieces with skin (I never take it off. Like the black on white patterning.), and red bell pepper, with the important thing here being the spices: Oregano, basil, ground cayenne, thyme, coriander, and all important curcumin in the turmeric, black pepper to increase uptake of curcumin by the body, cumin, sea salt.
Cayenne Noodles/Spaghetti
No. No tomato sauce. That’s cayenne pepper sauce, although there are 4 whole cherry tomatoes in there. Aside from the 4 crimini mushrooms (2 huge and 2 smaller), there are large chunks of my favorite cheese, about 12 hand grated roasted-almonds, butter, sea salt, oregano, basil, and of course the cayenne sauce (not enough). Either it really was too little, or I’m getting attuned to it, or I really needed it and my body was damping it down so I would give it more, or I’m just getting hardened in my old age. Great dish. 

And for dessert? My sister sent me enough chocolate (powder, dark, cooking, chocolate covered cherries, 50 bite sized chocolates of all different kinds, Ghirardelli cocoa powder, and more). There is enough there to feed all the elves in Santa’s workshop for the entire holiday season. Next year at this time I may be enjoying the last one, unless I find someone who is in need of a chocolate fix.

Mushroom, Squash, Avocado Delight
Fried the mushrooms, then boiled the squash (I use only one pan), then added them to the mushrooms and fried a bit longer. All of this in olive oil. When ready, added the avocado bits, mixed and served. No spices this time. Really great taste all by itself.

                                                Christmas Eve in Tel Aviv

A bug with a problem
Took a cabbage out of the bin and when I put it down on the cutting board, a baby roach ran out. Got about 7 inches from the cabbage, turned around and started back. Figured the cabbage was still the safest bet. I put my finger down blocking his way. He turned, once again  running and then stopped. He was in new territory. Not sure what to do. Sat there for about 4 seconds and then started to move. One direction did not seem to be promising, so tried a different tack. Since he had been in the cabbage, I put a piece down in front of him but not close enough to make him run. He paused, obviously thinking about this new development. Yes, it looked like where he had been but it had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. I could almost hear the thought processes going on. Finally after a full 12 seconds (apparently not being one to rush into things), he went to it and climbed on. Something had told him it was safe. I started to carry  it to the bin where the cabbage had been. The cabbage was moving! Not part of the planned for contingencies. He was running this way and that. Finally hid under a part of the cabbage. Apparently, having weighed the options of jumping into thin air, running up my hand, continuing to run crazily back and fourth, this seems to have been the best decision. I put it in the bin hopefully with the roach on it although I could not see him. No, I am not being anthropomorphic. He was doing exactly what I would have done under similar circumstances. We have different apparati but the life force is the same.

This is not to be emulated. Auld Etruscan Wall. Effect obtained with two eggs shaken with turmeric and za’atar (which I will get to below). And you thought that mould was not good for you? Think of penicillin. Well, this is not mold, but the effect is great. The taste? I ate it but  recommend it only if you want to stay healthy. Those two spices – turmeric and za’atar - are two of the mainstays of health worldwide.

Turmeric. Unfortunately we do not use it that much in the West. But, ask yourself “why are baseball fans healthier than the rest of us?” They had all that mustard (with turmeric) on their dogs. Don’t quote me on that statistic. Turmeric is one of the major spices of the cuisine of India, and an honored part of Ayurvedic medicine. An anti-inflammatory, cancer preventative, liver cleanser and cardiovascular protector among other properties of curcumin the active ingredient of turmeric. Black pepper is known to increase the effective absorption of this spice by the body by a large amount. Talk about coincidences – or not, just as I was writing this message, my inbox noted the presence of a new email. It was Mercola talking about turmeric and why he travelled 15,000 miles to uncover the true scoop on this super spice. If you have 3 minutes, you really should read that article. O.K. five minutes, or longer if you listen to the video. But your lifespan and health will be significantly improved. It’s what would be called in the financial community, an excellent investment. Mercola on turmeric  

Others on turmeric: World’s Healthiest Foods,   Florahealth.com Encyclopedia on Turmeric,  Mothernature.com
  

The great spice mixture Za’atar. This is also not well known in the West although it is one of the most effective anti-microbial and anti-fungal spice out there. The base is thyme to which the above is attributed, but the sesame seeds and the sumac which are combined with thyme to produce Za’atar give it much added value as well as taste. Below, the whole thing.

Was not feeling too well. Went into the kitchen and remembered that I had the heel of a loaf of bread stashed somewhere. Had finished the loaf. Went to where I remembered seeing it and sure enough, there it was under the lettuce. Put it in the frying pan, turned on the flame, put in some oil, and started loading it. Kashkaval cheese, turmeric, za’atar, walnuts, almonds. Added black pepper and basil before eating. I am feeling better already. Perhaps it’s the wine that accompanied the above. Except I started to feel better before taking my first sip.

A work in progress.
Spaghetti with Breaded-Cheese-Spices-Tofu. 
Start the amount of spaghetti you want boiling.  Cut tofu smaller than is shown in the picture. Make a flour, water, 1 tsp corn starch pancake mix. Add a small touch of cayenne pepper sauce, 3 tsp sweet chutney sauce. Mix in the tofu chunks and when the olive oil is hot (almost smoking), turn down the flame and put the tofu in so that there is only one layer of tofu pieces. Separate them out. Keep turning to be sure all sides are toasted. When almost done, put a layer of bits of cheese, your choice (this was kashkaval sheep cheese) on top and cover to let them melt. When spaghetti is ready and drained, add a tsp of olive oil, or butter, and the following spices: Basil, turmeric, black pepper, basil. Be sure it tastes good alone. Pour on the Tofu and serve.

Cabbage and Tofu Deluxe.
Start egg or straight noodles boiling. They should be the kind that are ready in about 8 minutes. Put diced cabbage, onion, and if you do not have a dentist  appointment in the next 2 days, two cloves of garlic in a heated frying pan with a small amount of olive oil. Add very small cubes of tofu (remember that tofu has virtually no taste). While cooking, add carraway seeds, cayenne pepper, basil, oregano, black pepper, salt to taste, 1 tsp of soy sauce (I had run out of mine but definitely wanted it after not even thinking about it for about a month). When the noodles are ready, strain and rinse with cold water. Pour into the cabbage mix and stir well. Add a tsp of honey or date syrup. Add and stir in cubes of a cheese you like (the more the better).  

Carrot and Tofu Posh.
This dish covers so many bases it has trouble finding any additional. Two hundred years from now I will look back on this meal and swear that it was here that it all started.
Preparation: Small or thin: Carrots, tofu, onion. Fry the tofu and onions first until it has a head start. Add the carrots. After cooking for about 2 minutes with cover on, add raisins, sunflower seeds. This dish is not to be very well cooked. In fact quite raw except for the onions and tofu is the goal here. Add spices: Sweet basil, oregano, turmeric, black pepper, thyme, coriander, salt to taste. Mix. Cover for another 2 minutes or as long as you can stand it. Add half a shot of semi-sweet red wine, and your favorite cheese (this is kashkaval sheep). Grind (or whatever) cayenne pepper on top. Turn off heat and cover for one minute. Start your next 100 years.

This is a concept piece
Eggplant and Cutlet (soy based) Tower.
1 tortilla
6 slices eggplant
1 soy cutlet
3 slices sweet onion
5 cherry tomatoes
mayonnaise
spices up to you
side of kiwi
Procedure: Tortilla fried in very little olive oil until browned, and cut into quarters immediately after browning, with each piece mayonnaised on the under side of what will be the top, bottom and middle pieces. Eggplant thinly sliced and fried in olive oil, along with cutlet which is then sliced length wise. Tomatoes and onion sliced thin. Register building permit. Be sure your subcontractor knows exactly what to do, because he is going to have to make another one for himself. How you eat it is your problem. But it is delicious. 

Top of the Top Oatmeal Wise.
It was a dark and wintery morning…
Ingredients: oatmeal (almost instant in this case)
enough water to cook 
walnuts
almonds
raisins
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 apple (grated)
milk poured on when served
Major honey and cinnamon mixed in. What’s on top is only to show it’s in there.

Spinach Noodle Soup With Cheese or Hummus

Let me say this. You have not really had spinach until you have it with humus.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The only thing this lacks is the garlic but I give my dentist 3 days prior.
Now, the ingredients: Enough water to cover everything below
frozen or full leaf spinach
1/2 lrg onion
1/2 eggplant
noodles (short egg or plain)
your amounts of spices – turmeric, black pepper, basil, oregano, thyme or za’atar, coriander, ground cayenne pepper, salt to taste
favorite cheese (featured in photo) or glob of humus put on at the end.

Cook until the spinach and noodles are ready. As for the spices, I normally put on 2 tsp of each except for the cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt. I leave those to your discretion. If you have ANY health condition after this, other than excellent, leave a message. 

 
I’m planning to win the chef of the year (at least of the hour somewhere)  for effectively disguising the carraway seeds and for reducing the side effects of cabbage and cauliflower. One of the reasons I have not liked C and C that much is the necessity for some sort of remedy for the after effects. So the carraway sauce below solves that problem. But, you still end up with seeds stuck between your teeth.   Basic principle behind two stage meals. Make each stage capable of standing on its own tastewise. In adhering to this principle, I almost finished the cabbage and cauliflower, right there out of the pan, before even putting on the sauce. The reason for the principle is that the second stage never totally covers the first stage and you end up eating the bottom half as it stands – alone and usually without much flavor.

The Base
Smaller amounts than you think of cut up cauliflower and cabbage
1/4 bag of egg or straight noodles (of course it depends on the size of the bag and how big you are)
2 cloves garlic
Cook until noodles are ready. Strain through colander, put back in pan and add butter and salt to taste. Test this but do not eat it all.

Carraway Seed Sauce.
1 cup tofu in small chunks
1/2 onion (small chunks)
fry together in olive oil adding about 1 tbsp soy sauce
When onions are starting to be soft, add the carraway seeds.
Add the following spices: Thyme, oregano, sweet basil
Add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper sauce unless you absolutely know what you are doing.
Keep stirring it until you have a sense that it’s done.
add 3 tbsp sweet chili sauce
Add about 1/4 cup milk
Add flour and keep on low flame adding milk or flour until you get the thickness of the sauce you want.
Add salt to taste
Meld.

In the interests of gas reduction – an easy to survey list of spices and their uses.
The following are helpful against the problems encountered in the recipes above: Cardamom seed, carraway, cinnamon bark, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, ginger root dried, Hing or Asafoetida, lemon grass, marjoram, nutmeg, tarragon from  Four Winds Healing Center – Traditional & Unusual Uses for Spices

While I’m on the subject, the following is the best answer to a question about onions but also covers gas  – savvy vegetarian

While I was looking for other spices which effectively do the same thing as carraway seeds, ran across ginger. Wanted to give all the following but any paraphrasing would have come out somewhat the same, so I am going to do the unpardonable by just quoting it.
“Ginger is most commonly known for its effectiveness as a digestive aid. By increasing the production of digestive fluids and saliva, Ginger helps relieve indigestion, gas pains, diarrhea and stomach cramping. The primary known constituents of Ginger Root include gingerols, zingibain, bisabolenel, oleoresins, starch, essential oil (zingiberene, zingiberole, camphene, cineol, borneol), mucilage, and protein. Ginger root is also used to treat nausea related to both motion sickness and morning sickness. Ginger has been found to be even more effective than Dramamine® in curbing motion sickness, without causing drowsiness. Ginger’s anti-inflammatory properties help relieve pain and reduce inflammation associated with arthritis, rheumatism and muscle spasms. Ginger’s therapeutic properties effectively stimulate circulation of the blood, removing toxins from the body, cleansing the bowels and kidneys, and nourishing the skin. Other uses for Ginger Root include the treatment of asthma, bronchitis and other respiratory problems by loosening and expelling phlegm from the lungs. Ginger Root may also be used to help break fevers by warming the body and increasing perspiration”. The Epicentre’s encyclopedia of spices 

Solving THE Problem

(three days later)
The dish of the year above did not solve the problem. So guess I am not going to win any awards. I was lucky that I did not have to be in close quarters with anyone for the next day and a half. Just walks on the beach (alone), and in the apartment with Cat. She doesn’t seem to mind as long as I pet her once in a while, and feed her on time. I swear she wears a wrist watch, or paw or whatever.

So I was determined to get to the root of the problem. Cut the cabbage and cauliflower into smaller pieces and soaked them for 2 hours in cold water.  Spilled the water, replenished the pot and boiled them for another 15 minutes. Poured out the water, replacing it with new and continuing to cook while adding the following: Carraway, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, ginger, nutmeg, and also added turmeric, black pepper, basil, rosemary, and thyme for various medicinal properties. Threw in some onion, chunks of sheep cheese, small chunks of tofu, 2 cloves of garlic (if this recipe does not work, I’m really going to be unbearable), tbsp of sweet chili sauce (optional), salt to taste, chunk of butter. Ate half of it. Now I wait and see. IT DEFINITE WORKS!

Starting Right
Omelet Supreme. Take this to heart. The ingredients in this really do make a difference.

The internals:

Bell pepper – very high in vitamin C and A. general health, long, cardiovascular system, heart. Smokers should read this page on bell peppers due to its high vitamin A content. Also good for eyesight due to its vitamin C and beta-carotene. Bell pepper 

Mushrooms - crimini which includes button and champignon mushrooms are very high in selenium which is needed in the antioxidant system, helpful against certain cancers,  “decreasing asthma and arthritis symptoms and in the prevention of heart disease” mushrooms at whfoods, possess most of the B vitamins which are very hard to come by altogether, and high in copper among other known vitamins and minerals. In fact, mushrooms are incredible. BUT, do not pick your own. Can be very hazardous to your health because there are some look a likes out there that do not mix well with most living systems. Read mushroom warning at top.

Walnuts – high in omega-3. I had Deep Vein Thrombosis due to sitting at my computer too long without moving over a long period of time. Took Coumadin for many years with constant reoccurrences until I ran across walnuts which are very high in Omega-3. I went off Coumadin and have had no problems since for over 2 years now. Important for cardiovascular health, controlling high blood pressure, cognitive functioning, bone health and much more walnuts at whfoods.com

Onion – Very healthy for many areas including cardiovascular, lowering of blood sugar level increasing the amount of insulin available, gastrointestinal, bone, and protection against some cancers, as well as reducing inflammatory responses or congestion of certain illnesses See whfoods on onions

Preparation: Make the internals first, frying in a small amount of olive oil, but just enough to get them warm and mixed. Spices of your choosing, with all of their support functions,can be added here which I will not go into here, along with a very small amount of sweet chili sauce if desired. But do not cook for too long. Put aside and create the omelet with 2 eggs, rounded tsp of flour, 2-3 tsp milk, 1/4 tsp baking powder (optional). Use the plate-flip method described way below in “Special Brand Name Walnut Pancake”. Melted cheese with a small amount of milk on top. No, think I will reproduce it here to avoid all the trouble of search.

If you don’t know this. Than you should. 

Plate-flip Method of Flawless Pancake Turning
Instructions to turn full pan diameter pancakes. Once the top of the pancake is solidified and having looked, the first side is done, holding the pan in one hand, with a fork or spatula, slide the pancake onto a plate without turning it over. Then, still holding the pan at an angle, put the bottom of the plate against the lower part of the pan and flip the plate fast enough so that the pancake goes into the pan upside down. This takes practice, and if you do it correctly the first time, you are the next world class chef to be. That is just to prep you up, because next time it won’t happen that way. This takes practice and a steady hand. That’s it. Cook until you fork it in the middle with no residue.

Made lunch for myself. But in the end it was so jumbled up that I felt I could not describe it and do justice to the fantastic tastes embodied. Hence, I will just show it to you. If anyone really wants to know, anything, send a note through a comment and I may get back to you within say two months (that’s how often I check my comments file).

Honey Walnut Pizza Style Cookies.  Looked at some of the cookies for Christmas on the web and decided I did not want to visit any of the houses making those, being the cookie aficionado that I am. So made my own. After the shoot, ate one in honor of the guy who made it. Than another for the other side of his personality, whatever that is. Then I had to start making up new quarters, eighths sides. The upshot of it is -  I’m cookied out.
Preparation: NO measuring. Just dump and taste (or not). I never do. The main criteria is, will it be sweet enough, and the second one, will it roll up so it can be transferred to the hot pan?

Ingredients and method: Flour, water, honey, lots of cinnamon, 12 tsp baking powder (optional), walnuts, raisins, 1-2 tsp brewer’s yeast (optional), more flour, more flour as you mix it and it’s still too wet. Should be dry enough so that you can pick it up in a ball and put it on the board or counter to be rolled or smashed with your hand. Once on the board, roll or whatever, turning and repeating, with dry flour underneath, until it is about what you imagine the pan circumference is or a little less. Roll and transfer to a hot pan which has a thin layer of just-about-to-smoke olive oil. Unroll, hand kneed it out to full pan circumference, cover and ‘bake’ for a lot less time than you thought at first – cooks very fast. If in doubt, use the plate-flip method above to turn it over and see. You can always put it back in. Anyway, once one side is done, do the other.