this is old…

oliver consumes

Originally uploaded by l@in

but isn’t it bloody adorable?

recovery – day 5

day 5

Originally uploaded by l@in.

Recovery has been both better and worse than I anticipated. I think I already mentioned that the implant was removed (and reinserted!), which resulted in the increased level of pain that I’m experiencing. And again, the drain didn’t help (although, I know not having it could have been disastrous.) However, I am feeling better quickly. My range of motion is pretty good and while I’m not trying to lift anything of any significance, I can pick up a glass or a plate in my left hand and carry it a short distance without an issue, which is nice. I’ve even been able to knit small projects! I listened to my Dr.’s exercise mantra, “you can walk”, and did 30 minutes on the treadmill today at a really slow pace. It’s better than nothing, and I’m so happy we were able to get that before the surgery.

I’ve done this enough that I feel like I kind of have a system. I try to do whatever I feel compelled to. If I feel like laying down, I do. If I feel like I need more pain meds I take them (and if what I feel I need seems unreasonable, I know there’s a problem). If I think I can tackle some house work I try and if it doesn’t hurt, I do it, and if it does – forget it. It really helps that I’ve been able to work from home this week, and can hang out with the laptop in bed if I need to.

And if I’m hungry, I eat. This is probably the most complicated thing for me because I do love to eat. I’m also trying to be healthy for many reasons, one of which is because I’m, of course, concerned about the cancer returning. So I try to eat healthy, exercise, and do all the things you’re supposed to do to stay in optimum health. Did I mention I love to eat? And I love sweets? I know when I’m exercising a lot, I feel like I can cut myself some slack, but now that I’m struggling with a 28 minute mile (ugh! it hurts just to type), I don’t really have that luxury. So I stocked the freezer with pasta sauce, chili, and soup, and Joanna has been great about getting me out of the house to find yummy healthy things with the occasional flake (like a delicious chocolate cake from whole foods). I am looking forward to being able to handle the damn blender again – I miss my green smoothies!

first soup of the fall

first soup of the fall

Originally uploaded by l@in.

OMG! I have been cooking so much lately. I have lots of new recipes to share, but wanted to post this one today.

More to come, and a real update soon.

Le Alpi Minestrone
-taken from The Complete Book of Soups and Stews, by Bernard Clayton, Jr.

As adapted:
2.5 TB olive oil
Medium chopped onion
Approx ¾ C each:
-string beans cut on bias
-diced zucchini
-diced carrots
-diced potato (I used new potatoes)
several stalks sliced celery
diced tomato (I used grape tomatoes, recipe calls for 1 medium)
1 ½ quart water (6 cups)
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
½ chopped parley
Chopped garlic, maybe 2-3
Grated parmesan cheese for garnish

In a large pot, sauté onions in olive oil, abt. 10 min. At 2-min. intervals, add all the vegetables, one at a time (it’s good to start with the potato).

Cover the veg with water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Halfway into the cooking add salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic. Finish cooking.

This makes 4-6 servings of a simple, healthy, soup.

Nutritional info, according to my calculations, based on 6 servings:
90.6 calories
5.8 gr. Fat (less than 1 gr. Sat. fat)
8.8 gr. Carbs
2.5 gr. Fiber
1.6 gr. Protein

Daily Vitamins
27% vitamin C
25% vitamin A
4% calcium
5% iron

weekend round-up

Honestly, it’s been difficult to strike a balance between getting things done in the house and taking some time to just chill out and enjoy the summer. This weekend, though, I think we came close to hitting the mark. Friday we went out and tried Sakana in Dupont and then saw Woody Allen’s new film. The sushi was actually quite good, and the oyster roll was excellent. The film was not quite what I expected, but was hilarious. If you get a chance, you should see it. Saturday we went and picked out a treadmill to replace our gym membership, then we finished painting the bedroom. It is a really gorgeous shade of blue now. Today we did the trim after hitting the Takoma Park farmer’s market and having brunch at Mark’s Kitchen. An indulgence, I’m almost embarrassed to say, we’ve succumbed to for the past three Sunday mornings. I also ran into an old college friend while looking for melon’s which was a nice surprise.

So, now the first round of improvements to the house are really finished. Time to unpack, put the books on the shelves, mow the damn lawn, and find some patio furniture so we can finally enjoy that deck we were so excited about.

Tuna Steak

grilled dinner

Originally uploaded by l@in.

Have I shared this recipe yet?

It’s adapted from a recipe that Joanna got from her co-worker. He also gave her a grill pan as a gift to facilitate making it. Very thoughtful.

For 1 lb. of tuna steak:

(all quantities are approximate)

1/8C sesame oil
1/2C soy sauce
2t chopped garlic
1/2t basil or oregano
up to 1t wasabi powder
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
dollop of honey

Mix and marinate tuna for a minimum of 30 minutes. Grill tuna steak on a grill pan or the grill. Lately I like to section the tuna into smaller portions so the marinade can really soak in.

With this I sliced some zucchini and vidalia onion and tossed it with olive oil, a drop of sesame oil, a little balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Then grilled them too.

It’s yummy over rice, with a nice light beer or a glass of wine. And it’s healthy!

for dinner tonight

…posted because I always have to dig through my email for it. No longer!

Moosewood Red, Gold, Black and Green Chili – adapted

28 oz. undrained canned tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
3 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 generous teaspoon ground cumin
1 generous teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce, or 1/4 tabelspoon
cayenne (I used the cayenne)

2 zucchini, chopped into small cubes
2 cups fresh or frozen cut corn
14 ounce can cooked black beans, drained
14 ounce can cooked red kidney beans, drained
salt to taste

Optional:
Grated Chessar or Monterey Jack Cheese (i didn’t use)
Chopped Fresh Cilantro (i didn’t use)

1. heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute’ the onions, garlic,
cumin, chili powder, and tabasco or cayenne
2. When the onions are soft, stir in the zucchini and saute until semi-soft.
3. Chop the tomatoes right in the can and add them to the pan. Stir
in the corn and beans.
4. Heat thoroughly on low heat.
5. Cover and simmer for a few minutes for the flavors to meld. Add
salt to taste.
6. Serve plain or topped with grated cheese and fresh cilantro

Enjoy!

With Cancer You Get Smoothies

lunch smoothie

Originally uploaded by l@in.

The other day 1L asked me some questions about my smoothie making. I thought they were pretty good so I thought that I’d just write about them here, instead of responding on my flickr stream. I didn’t really start making smoothies until the cancer thing was really under control. I wanted to eat more healthfully which was something that I’ve been trying to work on for the past few years, but my health issues really kicked this into high gear. I started reading about people who were using nutrition to combat cancer, mainly macrobiotics. I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress, but it’s an ongoing thing. Joanna and I did a week of raw eating last summer. I’d definitely like to do that again. I don’t think I could do it all the time but I think it’s a good break from normal eating and gets me back into eating more fresh, unprocessed foods. I still eat too much sugar and sweets in general. That said, the last time I saw my doctor, he said my cholesterol was in a really healthy range and I’d lost some weight, so clearly I’m doing something right.

Anyway, 1L asks:
“I’ve been thinking about juicing for a while now, and I’ve got a couple questions for you, if you have the time:
-Where do you find your smoothie recipes, or do you just make them up and experiment?
-Did you buy a special juicer or blender? I don’t have either right now, but was looking to buy a blender with some BB&B gift certificates that I have.
-Do you transport smoothies to work for lunch, or just drink at home?”

At first I looked for smoothie recipes online. I think I found a lot on raw food blogs. It might have been through Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Cancer documentary that I really started to consider juicing and green smoothies, using kale as a base for the smoothie. After I made them a bunch, I just started throwing anything in. Now I’ve started to experiement with more vegetables. The other day I put leftover broccoli in it, and today some fresh carrots that need to be eaten. I’ve discovered that pretty much everything works. Also, if you’re drinking it right away, ice is a good thing to add for texture and temperature.

I usually try to throw a little bit of fruit juice in too, but not too much and I use water as the liquid base. Though, if you’re looking for protein, all fruit and a little yogurt or milk is a yummy smoothie. I think the weirdest smoothie I’ve ever made was when I was recovering from surgery and got a really big protein craving. I put a banana, milk, and a few tablespoons of peanut butter in the blender with some ice. It was pretty good.

I use a plain old Oster blender that I’m pretty sure I got in college to make frozen drinks. It’s not special. I don’t think it was the cheapest model I could get, but I don’t think it cost more than $40. You could get something nicer, and it might work better, but right now this one is working for me.

I used to only drink smoothies at home but I was chatting with a friend recently who said that she’d been taking them to work for lunch. I peppered her with questions and she said that it separated a little, but a little stir fixed that. It was fine in terms of temperature if she put it in the fridge right when she got to work. She said that she just put whatever fresh or frozen fruit she had on hand and sometimes used yogurt and it always worked out fine. I tried it the other day; I made a smoothie, popped it in a drink bottle with a straw and froze it. I took it to work and let it sit on my desk and it thawed out in about four hours and was yummy and slushy. This way I don’t have to make the smoothie in the morning, because I’m really lazy and unless I’m working from home, it won’t happen.

delicious blondies

Tonight I adapted this awesome recipe for Dark Chocolate Cranberry Blondies and delivered it to Hillary HQ for the volunteers calling voters in Texas and Ohio.

the recipe with my adaptations:

3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 kosher salt
1 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cups dried cherries

Lightly grease 8 x8 baking dish.

Melt butter in pan, remove from heat and cool. Stir together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Stir in flour and salt, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain, then add chocolate and dried cherries. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is a light golden brown. If using a 9×13, the brownies may be slightly thinner, so be sure to check them early; it is better to check once or twice than to have overdone blondies.

Cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Again not my recipe, but the way I adapted it. I think it turned out very well.

I made some calls to voters on Saturday, and was amazed that many of the people that I talked to weren’t aware of the so-called Texas “two step” process. Others regretted that they couldn’t make it to the caucus because they had work. What a really screwy system. Regardless, tomorrow should be an exciting day.

Go Hillary.

breakfast cereal muffins

breakfast cereal muffins

Originally uploaded by l@in.

So I have a meeting tomorrow morning and said that I’d bring in snacks. I seriously considered popping by the store on my way into work but decided I’d make muffins instead.

I adapted them from this crunchy muffin recipe.

* 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup sifted whole wheat pastry flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 5 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 honey
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 cup crisp whole wheat cereal flakes
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/2 cup walnuts
* 1/2 cup dried cranberries/cherries (or more)

:
Grease bottoms of 12 medium muffin cups or line with paper liners. (I used spray canola oil.)

Sift flour with baking powder and salt; set aside. In mixing bowl, cream butter. Gradually beat in the sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and cereal flakes. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, stirring just enough to moisten the flour mixture. Stir in nuts and dried fruit.

Divide the batter among prepared muffin cups. Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly touched.

It makes for a simple, hearty, lightly sweet muffin.

Just in case this isn’t sweet enough, I’m also making Chocolate Banana Bread. Hope it turns out.

too hungry to take a picture

the other night i tried a new recipe. it was super yummy. i really should have taken a picture. i thought about it …about halfway through dinner. it’s adapted from a recipe i found on all recipes.

Pasta with Scallops, Zucchini, and Tomatoes

3 tbs. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced (or more. i used more)
2 zucchinis, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 pound scallops
splash of white wine
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet heat oil, add garlic and cook until tender. Add the zucchini, salt, red pepper flakes, dried basil (if using) and saute for 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, bay scallops, and fresh basil, and white wine (if using) and simmer for 5 minutes, or until scallops are opaque. Pour sauce over cooked pasta and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

This recipe over half a box of pasta made 2 large dinners and one good-sized lunch.

Yummy. Seriously.