Having just come home from the gym and had the opportunity to greet almost everyone in the group, it was again brought home to me how important is not only the mutual support in the group, but the opportunity to encourage and compliment each other as well. Each person's success, each person's report of progress is a little success and progress for the rest of us. So everyone, keep on doing what you're doing, and taking us all along on the ride.
It seems as if the wellness kitchen was a great success this week, and getting to know each other's families gave us an additional measure of support as well. Since we have no future wellness kitchen event on the immediate calendar, and since we all liked them so much, I have offered to have one at my house. Of course we won't have the chefs and the pre-measured ingredients, so we will have to work all of that out, but it is something I am sure we can do. Summer will give us the outdoors to spread out into, and the many kids can enjoy the pool and getting to know each other. And of course, our mentors at CHLI will be welcome (if they don't already get too much of us). So everyone, be thinking of and perfecting your family's favorite recipe to share with everyone else. Kasi is going to give me a couple of Sundays that she will be off so that we can plan a date and then it is up to everyone to gather up family members and ingredients for a dish, and come and cook or grill or assemble or whatever, and enjoy.
I hope that you all had a good Memorial Day and that you remembered the many who gave their lives so that we could enjoy this great country of ours. Yes, I know that it is not perfect, but for me, it is a damned site better than where the folks came from, and I am very grateful. I am grateful to the families who have lost loved ones in the many wars, both declared and undeclared, in which we have had a part. From them has been exacted the ultimate price, the loss of someone dear and close who can never be replaced. I continue to believe that we must support our troops with all we have, whether we support the war or not. Don't we all wake up every day, hoping to do our best? But in the case of our service personnel, doing their best could mean surrenduring their lives. So let's not forget to support the VA, and call them to account when they do not hold up our end of the bargain that our troops struck when they agreed to defend this nation, to act as agents for the peace that we all pray and hope for. The errands that they are sent to do are not of their making, but they go all the same, leaving loved ones behind, parents and children, spouses and lovers, brothers and sisters and sometimes grandparents. I pray that the day will come when not one more life has to be lost in the name of war, and when people can dwell together as brothers in peace.
Well, to change the drift of this blog, we have arrived at the official beginning of the summer season. So everyone, stock up on sun screen, and don't forget to apply it to yourself as well as the kids, Kasi. Eat your fruits and veggies, remember 7-10 servings a day--1/2 cup cooked and 1 cup raw is a serving. Get plenty of rest and shut eye--you night owls know who you are. And have a great time out there in the warm California sun.
Showing posts with label wellness kitchen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wellness kitchen. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
A Feast: food plus inspiration
How can I begin to describe last night's dinner. Several words jump to mind like the obvious "delicious, nutritious, well balanced, beautiful to behold" and just plain "yummy". But there was so very much more. This was a dinner attended by most of the cohort of Project Transformation, in addition to those who were teaching and guiding us along the way. We came together at the beginning of the evening as strangers for the most part, and, I think, parted as friends looking forward to working together again, and being glad to know that we would be gathering several more times along the way to our goals. It was terrific to get to know each other a bit better, and to work together in the Wellness Kitchen under the able lead of Paulette, our fearless leader, and of course Wendy the chef. So now we know the wonders of barley in comparison to rice (half the calories and twice the fiber), how to round out the dinner plate by combining some of the things we love and are automatically drawn to for comfort, like pasta, with lots of deliciously prepared veggies and soups and salads, and adding lots of antioxidants with bush tea. The barley risotto was fabulous, and it was really nice to see Dave carefully chopping the veggies, and stirring and attending the risotto until it was done. Casi worked like a demon to make a fabulous soup, and the salad along with the wonderful vinagrette. It's easy to see how she manages a busy and demanding job (with hours that would easily kill me in a week), feed and manage her household of three children plus the combination of her boyfriend's family, pack her cooler with approved things to eat, and still look so good. All that energy! and it's not even illegal. Sophia's crabcakes were divine, and we who "sampled" the broken ones were only sorry that she didn't manage to break more of them. The tortellini with roasted cherry tonatoes and feta was about as comfortable as food gets. Bill's grilled artichokes were just gorgeous, and added an element of high-end gourmet to the plate. Christy's pistachio crusted halibut with Chimichurri sauce was moist and didn't look too hard to make. I think that Wendy was responsible for the Asparagus with sesame chili vinagrette, and I watched her put it on the grill for just a moment for two. Wow! It was still green and crunchy to the bite and just delectable. The recipe calls for roasting them, but the grill added a hint of something different. I prepped the chicken and veggies with a small minimum of fuss and bother. Halving the chicken first, I just separated the skin from the meat along the backbone and inserted the small amount of margarine I had mixed with fresh rosemary and lemon zest, added salt and pepper and baked them on a rack. I am going to try that tonight at home for my family. The veggies were one small potato per person, cut into a two inch dice, baby carrots with their tops, and cut up fennel (the bulb part), salted and peppered with one tablespoon of olive oil added and then tossed and roasted on a flat sheet pan. they have the time to caramelize and the flavor is really fresh and unencumbered by alot of other stuff. Someone, I can't remember who, possibly Cassi or Cristy made a wonderful hummus to have with raw veggies as a crudite. The dessert was simply too elegant to be legal. It was a lemon pudding cake, baked and served with fresh berries and what looked like a raspberry puree, with a sprig of mint. 200 calories we were told, in comparison to the 600 of a restaurant's typical dessert.
The kitchen was full and fun and everyone had a good time. For some of us who do a lot of cooking at home, we are often alone, so this was especially fun. The variety of food and prep, the help with clean-up, and excellent instruction were all valuable. Part of the value was the good time. Then we sat down in the elegant dining room and partook of everything we made. We learned that starting with the hearty soup would get enough veggies on board to curb hunger and encourage satiety. We quizzed each other on how things were prepared, and the enjoyment was apparent. It was too bad that we were missing two of our members. I felt like none of us wanted to leave. Paulette regaled us with the mess that school food services are in and how she is making improvements in some of our local districts. To think that French fries are considered a vegetable on school menus is a shame. Being old enough to remember when the lunch ladies used to cook the lunches, it is sad to think what kids have become accustomed to. A fast food nation we have indeed become, to the detriment of the nation's children especially. It is one thing to be overweight as an adult, but to be unable to run and play hard without gasping for breath, as a child, is a travesty. Paulette, you go girl, as Oprah would say.
It was so good to learn about each other and to be inspired by everyone. It was easy to feel, before last night, that each of us was in this alone. Now, we are a group. Bill is already looking different than when we first began. I feel heartened and good about all of our chances to maximize this experience and give it our best shot. People who didn't cook are cooking, families who didn't eat veggies are trying them out, lives are being changed. But it's like a pebble being thrown into a pond. The outward ripples from the splash will affect more than just us eight people. It will affect the people we live with, our children, our friends, people who take note as we look better and want to get on the bandwagon. My best friend has already joined a gym and gotten a trainer, because, she says, I inspired her. She also tells me that since she has been working out, her legs feel stronger than they have in years. Now her kids are taking note and so it goes. I am nagging my husband to try physical therapy to maximize his capabilities, so there is more life in his years. There was an old shampoo commercial that was something like "I used this shampoo and loved it, then I told two friends and they told two friends and so on and so on and so forth." Each time the screen divided. So our success could be the beginning of a Project Transformation for our whole community. What a concept!
Siobhan came to chat with us and told us about her two weddings. That small thing, encouragement and friendship, sharing and laughing together is the amazing thing about this program. I feel as if our success is important to all the people who we deal with, from the folks in the office, at the front desk, in the gym, to the good Doctor Barr and the staff in the medical facility. I feel cared about. Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if we could all give the people we deal with in any capacity, the feeling that we care about their success and their well being? You walk away from there feeling rested, even if you are worn out and sweating from a hard workout. You feel as if for now, life has handed you a safety net.
So, before I end for today, I have some thanks to offer. First to the project for picking me to be part of this delightful experiment. Next to all the peole who take such good direct care of us, the nutritionists, the fitness gurus, the staff so full of smiles, and the other people we kind of indirectly interact with: the doormen, the ladies who offer water and take towels and keep things luxurious for us. And finally, and certainly not the least, my fellow transformationists. Some of you are juggling schedules to get this far away from home or work, all are juggling family obligations, and all are making a Herculean effort to make this work. I am filled with admiration for all of you and I look forward to getting to know all of you better over the next five months.
The kitchen was full and fun and everyone had a good time. For some of us who do a lot of cooking at home, we are often alone, so this was especially fun. The variety of food and prep, the help with clean-up, and excellent instruction were all valuable. Part of the value was the good time. Then we sat down in the elegant dining room and partook of everything we made. We learned that starting with the hearty soup would get enough veggies on board to curb hunger and encourage satiety. We quizzed each other on how things were prepared, and the enjoyment was apparent. It was too bad that we were missing two of our members. I felt like none of us wanted to leave. Paulette regaled us with the mess that school food services are in and how she is making improvements in some of our local districts. To think that French fries are considered a vegetable on school menus is a shame. Being old enough to remember when the lunch ladies used to cook the lunches, it is sad to think what kids have become accustomed to. A fast food nation we have indeed become, to the detriment of the nation's children especially. It is one thing to be overweight as an adult, but to be unable to run and play hard without gasping for breath, as a child, is a travesty. Paulette, you go girl, as Oprah would say.
It was so good to learn about each other and to be inspired by everyone. It was easy to feel, before last night, that each of us was in this alone. Now, we are a group. Bill is already looking different than when we first began. I feel heartened and good about all of our chances to maximize this experience and give it our best shot. People who didn't cook are cooking, families who didn't eat veggies are trying them out, lives are being changed. But it's like a pebble being thrown into a pond. The outward ripples from the splash will affect more than just us eight people. It will affect the people we live with, our children, our friends, people who take note as we look better and want to get on the bandwagon. My best friend has already joined a gym and gotten a trainer, because, she says, I inspired her. She also tells me that since she has been working out, her legs feel stronger than they have in years. Now her kids are taking note and so it goes. I am nagging my husband to try physical therapy to maximize his capabilities, so there is more life in his years. There was an old shampoo commercial that was something like "I used this shampoo and loved it, then I told two friends and they told two friends and so on and so on and so forth." Each time the screen divided. So our success could be the beginning of a Project Transformation for our whole community. What a concept!
Siobhan came to chat with us and told us about her two weddings. That small thing, encouragement and friendship, sharing and laughing together is the amazing thing about this program. I feel as if our success is important to all the people who we deal with, from the folks in the office, at the front desk, in the gym, to the good Doctor Barr and the staff in the medical facility. I feel cared about. Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if we could all give the people we deal with in any capacity, the feeling that we care about their success and their well being? You walk away from there feeling rested, even if you are worn out and sweating from a hard workout. You feel as if for now, life has handed you a safety net.
So, before I end for today, I have some thanks to offer. First to the project for picking me to be part of this delightful experiment. Next to all the peole who take such good direct care of us, the nutritionists, the fitness gurus, the staff so full of smiles, and the other people we kind of indirectly interact with: the doormen, the ladies who offer water and take towels and keep things luxurious for us. And finally, and certainly not the least, my fellow transformationists. Some of you are juggling schedules to get this far away from home or work, all are juggling family obligations, and all are making a Herculean effort to make this work. I am filled with admiration for all of you and I look forward to getting to know all of you better over the next five months.
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