Reflecting

This weekend provided an opportunity to take a mini step back and just breathe. It's good to do that once in awhile. I left my home and 'the store' physically behind and went to a friends for dinner and out dancing. Before arriving at her home however, I did make a business stop in Kingston to meet and talk about purchasing high quality tea from someone recommended to me by the local naturopathic doctor. It was an enjoyable and productive meeting with an alliance in the works.

Dinner was healthy and delicious, an Asian beef salad recipe served with brown rice, mixed fruit and decadent ice cream for dessert. I had brought a healthy banana loaf also...
The dance was in celebration of International Women's Day and included a number of artists performing everything from country to rock to samba...good fun, lots of dancing and smiling, sharing and laughing.

Even at the dance I met someone who does stained glass work....a possibility to get an indoor sign made.

This morning my friend shared some of the book she is reading focusing on the diets of the worlds longest-living groups of people. Very relaxing, informative and reinforcing. On the way home I stopped in to see the naturopathic doctor and was welcomed warmly into her home and work space. We shared life stories and talk of the benefits of specific foods that she recommends I have in the store as well as thoughts about marketing. All wonderful and supportive.

As I look at what I have just shared, I realize that I haven't said very much really that speaks to reflecting. It just felt that I had been rushing all week and that this weekend provided time to allow....also to continue networking, but in a more relaxed mode. I must also share that as time passes now and I put into place the shelves, the cash system and all of the very real and tangible pieces, part of me is a bit nervous. I ask myself, 'Can I do this?' and 'Will it be ready on time?', as I have been told repeatedly that it is imperative to open by the long May weekend. I give space to these doubts, I give them a voice and also to the knowledge deep within myself that the answer to both is yes....in addition, I get so much loving faith and confidence from others that buoys me further, and for that I am grateful. I am ready for another week.

PS- I tried uploading my business card pdf file, but I guess that format doesn't work here....will take a pic and post it when I receive it in a week :)

...and that's it for the counters

I drove to Cobourg yesterday afternoon and did buy the one display case and realized two things: one, that it won't be big enough for a cash counter but that it will be perfect as a portable display shelf and two, that the other counter that he has for sale will be perfect for the actual cash counter. With the second counter available for pick-up at the end of the month I will have finished my 'shopping for shelves and counters' and am ready to start the decorating. :):) ...stay tuned for pictures over the next couple of weeks!

I have worked through the maze of layers of online course material and am settling into learning how to use Quickbooks and loving it. I will of course hire an accountant, but it will be good to learn how to use it myself to some degree as I will be doing the data entry.

The other related 'money matter' is the cash register and scale system that I have now ordered. It will arrive over the next 3 or 4 weeks, allowing time for it to be set up and a few weeks to learn how it works and to program the software. I am looking forward to having the company and support of my 'computer geek' son for that, which is perfect...

For the most part I am taking some time-out for me this weekend....and then it will be no stopping until after the Maple in the County festival. I will share my plans for that next week and look forward to seeing and meeting you there!

One more thing...it is time to move this blog over to wordpress and in doing so I will change the background colour from pink..actually I just now changed it on blogger...imagine that!!! yeah)

Support from the Universe

I love what I am doing...I have heard it said before (and it applies to everyone in my mind) that it is a prerequisite for being self-employed. I have always loved my jobs, ever since I was young and working in the corn fields, removing the tassels (it was feed corn and the tassel removal is necessary in the pollination process). Subsequent jobs have included a corner store with a fruit and veggie side that was the busiest little store in town and for good reason; working in many areas of child care and research, teaching community college and now I am creating a business out of my passion for healthy food and lifestyle....and loving it.

I believe without question that the universe does give us what we need and want and sometimes we do not get what we think we need...so sometimes it isn't easy...and sometimes it is. Yesterday was one of those 'easy' days. I went back to the store where I had seen the shelf that I thought might work for smaller items, items that don't need a big bin, like herbs and tea. It was still there all right, but it was labelled SOLD, and I of course was disappointed. So I happily asked the folks working there if it was possible that they were saving it for me?...after all I had mentioned to someone a few days ago that I might want to buy it. At first they said no, that it would have had to been paid for in order for it to be labeled as sold and I of course had not paid for it. In spite of this, they decided to dig a bit deeper and in a few minutes I was being told that in fact I could buy it. The universe works in mysterious ways. I actually bought 3 items in the store, filled my car (love that PT Cruiser that can hold a lot in the back!) and off I went, arriving back home just before the weather got really stormy.

I am on a learning curve with the Quickbooks course I am taking through the college. It is actually a computer learning curve rather than the software at this point. I will keep working on it (love the support of the college help group)...and will dig into the actual course likely tonight.

I have made some calls and emails about double sinks and hope to learn that there is an industrial one available to buy soon. I could 'make do' with a standard household laundry sink, but have a stainless steel industrial one in my 'vision', so will give it some time to present itself. The other piece of furniture I need is a cash counter and I will likely go to Cobourg tomorrow, weather permitting, to buy one that I think will be just perfect... or close enough with some adaptations. :) (will need to measure the back of the PT one more time, just to make sure that it will go in of course....

wallpaper borders

Thank the heavens for friends for many reasons, but removing wallpaper has got to be one of the most time consuming and frustrating tasks. One of my friends commented after 3 of us had worked for more than 4 hours, that supposedly new wallpaper is easily removed....not so, at least none of us has found a simple solution! If you know of one, do share, as I have at least 2 more rooms in my home that will eventually be treated to borderless walls! In the meantime, I will just endure and be grateful that the colours and patterns could be worse...At any rate, with the help of my friends we got the wallpaper border all taken off in less than 6 hours. Before making the final decision about paint colour (and I am getting advice for sure in this area!) I will get the ceiling light replaced.....just in case the ceiling needs to be painted also. I am getting ready to put the order in for bin replacement parts, making a final cash system decision, buying a wonderful shelf for some of the products that will be stored in smaller containers, starting the course on Quickbooks, talking to other businesses about alliances for Maple in the County (I am listening to the message that people would like to tell me what they would like me to stock in the store and hope to use the community event to gather some of this feedback..:))....I love being up at 3:00 a.m. as it gives me just a wee bit more time, and although I am enjoying every minute of 'the Pantry project' the to-do list is of course endless...

soup...can never get enough

Although I am now focusing this blog on the developments of bringing to life Penny's Pantry, I will be throwing in the odd recipe and pic of food....after all I am still eating and even cooking and baking, just not as frequently. I made a soup recipe from Vicki's Veggies that I picked up last weekend at Picton's Seedy Saturday. Seedy Saturday is an event that I also attended in Toronto in the past, and basically it is a fun event for sharing both knowledge as well as seeds for spring planting. There were also baked goods and herbs for sale and information about growing food in general. With Maple Parsnip as the title, this soup was easy (as most soups are) and deliciously different. Basically just clean and chop a bag or 1-1.5 lbs of parsnips and add then to a pot that has browned an onion and a couple of garlic cloves...after about 5 minutes, add 4 cups broth (veggie or chicken) and cook until the parsnips are done. then add 1/2 cup milk, 1/4 cup real maple syrup, some nutmeg and about 1 Tbsp dijon mustard....blend it all and enjoy!!!
Simple and delicious...

website and hinges

I believe that it is often said of an entrepreneur or small business person that you need to be a Jack/Jill of all trades...I am grateful for my streak of independence and interest in learning so that I can figure out how most things come apart (and go back together) as well as how to muddle through the 'how-to's' of modern technology. I have now registered a website and will be working to 'get it started' in the next couple of days. With an amazing upcoming weekend event Maple in The County at the end of March, I am mobilizing to be there with business cards and a venue for folks to 'tell me what they want to buy in the Pantry'...It was a fantastic weekend, with a good friend here with her tools to cut apart and modify shelving as well as make suggestions for signage and the cash counter. This week I will have a couple of other friends here to help remove wallpaper border and give decorating advice. This is another area that I 'need a little help from my friends'...I have been told (at times with good reason) that I have no taste. I will heed the sage advice of a small business consultant, to ask for help in the areas where I do not have 'gifts' and interior decorating would be one!!!

..pic is of one end of the 'Pantry' with the renovated bin shelf (stationary bike will be returned to my friend-sorry, there is not room for the fitness part of health lol)

Count down...

It has been said both of me and by me that I am happiest when I have a project...the birthing of Penny's Pantry is indeed a project. Today my tasks ranged from chatting to a company that sells refurbished cash and weigh scale systems, having an initial discussion with my primary distributor so that I can get their catalogue, meeting with a graphic artist and taking apart, cleaning and putting back together the amazing gravity fed bins (pic of one taken apart) that I have bought. I also have been doing some online research to source new scoops and in thinking creatively I may use something a little bit 'outside of the norm' and 'colourful'....looking at shelving for the storage room as well as possible solutions to putting a door at the bottom of the stairs going to my private living area....went out for a walk to the local dollar store to see what I might find there in the way of scoops. Although there was not anything appropriate in stock, the owner may be able to get what I need for much less than I can get it online and in addition, another customer overheard me telling him what I wanted the scoops for and he got very excited to know that there will be a bulk food store coming to town. It is this feedback from folks on the street that fuels my energy. I know that I won't be able to keep in stock everything, or even close to everything that everyone in town would like, as I will have the capacity of maybe 1/10th of the Bulk Barn. However with special orders an option, I trust that I will be able to meet the needs of most of the people, most of the time. I also chatted with the woman who works in the dollar store and she shared a business card for herself and her husband, who may be able to help me reduce my internet and phone costs. Building alliances are what small business in the county is all about, helping each other and keeping as much of our business local as possible. It is now getting close to my 'witching hour', but in closing I want to mention that both a telephone and skype chat with 2 different friends with expertise in areas where I am limited (bookkeeping and graphic design) reminded me of how my friends have continued to support me every step of the way where they can...other friends who are skilled in woodworking and plumbing are soon to be on the scene. :):)

Blog Focus

We are all on a 'journey' and these journeys are individual with commonalities of shared beliefs and values and interests....as I have shared some of my 'journey' to Picton through recipes and stories of baking and cooking I have had fun, lots of fun. My 'Picton journey' has evolved as I had dreamed and I am now in the midst of putting together the multitude of levels and pieces to open Penny's Pantry sometime in May. So, with something like 10 weeks left to bring this dream to fruition, at least to open what will be the essence of the Pantry, my daily energies are less directed to cooking and baking and more directed to double sinks and product lists. At the same time as I have had less focus on actually cooking and baking a couple of idea seeds were planted last week at the social media sharing group. We were having a general discussion about what makes a blog interesting to others...for example what was it about the Julia and Julia blog that made it 'work'??? Written from the heart, food is a common denominator, relationships and sharing some of our challenges....the bottom line is that people care and are more similar than different. The other seed that was planted for me, is that people in Picton are for sure interested and supportive of my opening the Pantry, and they want to tell me what it is that they are most interested in being able to buy at my store.....so I will use this venue to both share the progress, some of the challenges and achievements of bringing the Pantry to fruition as well as welcoming YOUR recommendations for products....and so we begin.
Having said this, I will continue to cook, bake and eat and will most likely take the odd photo and post it here :) ...so the above baby spinach salad with walnuts and dates and a yummy asian dressing, served with cottage cheese was my dinner a couple of nights ago, as I was hungry but didn't want to take time away from working to make anything more time consuming...and I think I had popcorn a bit later too :):)

Gluten-free Baking...a work in progress

The whole gluten-free baking 'trend' is just that...a trend. While approximately 1% of the population suffer horribly from celiac disease, and another larger group of folks have some degree of wheat sensitivity, the majority of us can go on enjoying wheat based cereals and baked goods. A lot of people are thinking that gluten-free is healthier and in fact for most of us, it is not. Someone was just mentioning the Globe recently ran an article about just this... Having said all of that and knowing that the trend will fade away as by definition they do, I have decided to experiment with gluten-free flours, revising some of my favourite recipes so that I can taste for myself, be comfortable baking for friends who have this concern and chatting with others.

This banana bread recipe is from the Vegan cookbook (Veganomicon), so it has no eggs. It did however have 1/2 cup sugar and regular all-purpose flour. What follows is my version.....**foodie and baking enthusiasts beware** read note at the bottom before you use this version :)

3 very ripe bananas
1/4 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
1/4 cup canola oil (I used omega oil which is a combo of flaxseed, grape and olive oil)
1/4 cup agave syrup
2 Tbsp molasses
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup sweet rice flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease the pans(s) -I made 3 small loaves; can use a 9 X 5 loaf or muffins

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas really well and add the applesauce, molasses, oil, agave whisk briskly and well.
Mix together the dry ingredients and then fold them into the wet bowl. (chocolate chips and walnuts would have been a great addition at this time, just fold them in)
Put it into your prepared pans, pop in the oven and time, depending on the pan size (about 20 minutes for small pans, 40-50 minutes for one large pan).

The loaf was good, **note that it actually did taste pretty good the first day, but when I had a piece of what came from the freezer a couple of days later, I have to say that in my opinion it was in fact pretty HORRIBLE...the rice flour made it taste a bit 'chalky' and very dry....stay tuned for hopefully better success with gluten-free baking...I will try a version with eggs and perhaps change only the flour....hmmm

Heavenly soup

One of my favourite things about winter is that home-made hot soup is just so delicious. For me, it warms my heart and soul as well as my body, especially if it tastes as good as this one!!! This recipe is from "Veganomigon-the ultimate vegan cookbook", but don't let that title scare you away if you are an omnivore. As others have said and I agree, what is most important is that you enjoy your food...for me, I suppose that it is equally important that it be as healthy as possible, but for sure taste is number one!!

I prepared the veggies before heating the stock-pot and in general find that it's a good idea. The authors of the cookbook suggest that the easiest way to peel an acorn squash is to first cut it in half, then into pieces (I cut along the indented lines) and then peel the smaller strips...and it worked beautifully.

2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 tsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
2 acorn squashes, seeded, peeled, cut into 1/4 inch chunks
2 firm Bartlett pears, peeled, seeded, sliced not too thin (I didn't peel)
4 cups vegetable stock
1 can or 1.5 cups home-cooked adzuki beans, drained and rinsed (yum!)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Mushrooms: 4 oz (1.5 cups) fresh shitakes (I used portabello and they were yum and less $)
2 tsp peanut oil
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Saute onions and pepper until just starting to brown (about 10 min) on med heat. Add ginger, garlic, saute 1 more minute. (the aroma is exqusite!) Stir often and add salt, five-spice, squash, pear, cook for another minute and then add stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer about 20 minutes, until squash is tender. Puree about 1/2 the soup, put it all back into the pot with the beans and lime juice.
Meanwhile, for about the last 5-10 minutes of the simmering, saute the mushrooms in a frying pan in the oils until soft, about 7 minutes and add the soya sauce.

Ladel the soup into bowls, add the mushrooms on top and take a trip to heaven with these flavours...

kale and beyond

I am certain that I am not alone with the 'empty fridge dilemna'...yep, time to go shopping, but what to buy? At times maybe you have a recipe in mind and can just gather the ingredients and viola, your tummy will be fed for a week (that is, if you like left-overs and actually make a large enough amount for it to last). This week was not really one of 'those' weeks for me. This week, I went shopping with an empty fridge, three items on the list, one of them kale, since I had thought about making a kale soup recipe....other than that, I bought tofu and yogurt and onions and oh yes some milk.

I did make the soup and added tofu to the recipe for added protein. It was a simple, yet hearty and delicious soup, with onions, garlic, veg broth, one carrot (I had a couple left) a couple of potatoes and about 3 cups of kale, chopped finely. That's it, that's the recipe...and it was good.

Since bunches of kale are pretty large, I had only used about half for the soup and I didn't want it to go bad...(it was also the only fresh green veggie in the house), so as I had taken some pizza dough out of the freezer, I decided to make another yummy pizza similar to the one I blogged about maybe 3 weeks ago...Mediterranean style...except that this time I put on about a 1 1/2 cups of chopped kale and also tofu....it too was great!...so yes, you can put kale on pizza and you might even surprise a few non veggie eaters lol.

Lastly, with some kale and tofu still left, I threw together some pasta sauce together with the rest of the tomatoes, some onion, herbs, garlic....and this will be dinner for tomorrow (the rest of the week will be leftover 'everything')

Gotta love that kale! .....next week I am thinking about brussel sprouts because I just read a recipe for getting rid of that bitter taste :)

cruciferous veggies...rhymes with coniferous?

Today I am going to tell you a story. A few years ago when riding the subway in Toronto at a time when it was not at all crowded, I happened to be in the same car as an older woman who perhaps lived on the street and at least was obviously quite poor. She was opening what appeared to be someone's tossed take-away lunch styrofoam container and was immediately grinning ear to ear when she discovered most of a large broccoli stem. "Oh, she exclaimed, it's a tree, a beautiful tree!" I smiled to myself, as I too had often thought of this amazing vegetable as a miniature tree. She was a joy to watch (as discretely as possible of course, as I did not want her to feel uncomfortable) as she relished each little bite of broccoli. When I later told my children about the woman I had seen eating a tree, they too could relate and smiled.

Broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts are all part of what is called the cruciferous family, which made me think of coniferous, which made me think of trees and which in turn made me think of the story I just shared with you!.....cruciferous veggies are especially good for us. Not only do the green ones have chlorophyll which provides a nourishing and healing effect on humans this family has been found to have extra anticancer effects...so enjoy all the more!!

Last night I made a quick recipe that a friend had shared, with chopped onions, then chopped sweet potatoes and ginger, tumeric, garam masala,cumin, then cauliflower in small pieces, a bit of water so it doesn't burn, cook until done the way you like it....a bit of coconut milk would have been great I think...at any rate it was delicious and very good for my body!!

....sorry I was rushed and hungry and did not take a pic :)

sorting through the information

I have always lived by the belief that if I have a question or don't understand something, the chances are pretty much 100% that I am not the only one. As I am striving to develop my own healthier cooking and eating habits I am delving into the immensity of present day knowledge of what happens in our bodies with what we put into our mouths. It is heavy stuff and I do not want to be a walking digest of antioxidants and types of saturated fatty acid chains. However I do want to understand the basic pros and cons of eating various foods and additives and to incorporate this knowledge into how I cook and what I eat.

In this vein I subscribe to a daily email which provides recipes for healthy food and information about nutrition. I found today's information especially interesting about why it is best not to heat extra virgin olive oil. I had heard this before, but hadn't yet investigated. The bottom line (what I really want to know) is that heat damages virgin olive oil. Easy peasy...for those of you who are interested in the more detailed information, I have taken it from the World's Healthiest food info site....www.whfoods.org ....and I quote...

"In general, monounsaturated fat increases the stability of a vegetable oil in comparison to polyunsaturated fat. This increased stability is related to the chemical structure of monounsaturated fat. MUFAs have fewer "reactive spots" than PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and it is more difficult for oxygen radicals to interact with these kinds of fat. However, despite this lower reactivity, olive oil and other vegetable oils containing a high amount of MUFAs (like canola oil) still have relatively low smoke points and cannot withstand a large amount of heat. Unless these high-MUFA oils have been refined or conditioned in a way that increases their smoke point, they typically cannot withstand heats of much greater than 200-250˚F (93-121˚C) without incurring damage (the temperature of stove-top frying is 375-525˚F, or 191-274˚C). So even though the high-MUFA composition of extra virgin olive oil increases its chemical stability, it does not protect this wonderful oil from most stovetop or oven cooking temperatures.

It is worth noting in this discussion of MUFAs that the oleic acid found in olive oil has been the subject of expanding research interest when it comes to insulin resistance, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Recent studies have made it clear that oleic acid can directly alter the activity of certain cancer genes and appears to have anti-cancer effects that may be part of the Mediterranean diet's health benefits. This primary MUFA in extra virgin olive oil may also help to lower a person's risk of insulin resistance as well as favorably altering some of the blood fat patterns that can be associated with risk of cardiovascular disease.

Yet, to get these benefits it's important to enjoy extra virgin olive oil when its MUFAs are best protected, which means at heats below 250˚F (121˚C).

Heat damages extra virgin olive oil"

end of story....have a great day everyone! To Life, Learning and Love

Pizza and Wine...recipe for a splendid winter day

With company expected on the weekend I decided to make homemade pizza, something that would enhance a great bottle of local Prince Edward County white wine. I made enough whole wheat and spelt flour crust for 3 pizzas topped with both mozzarella and provolone cheese, olives, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, a bit of onion, capers and artichoke hearts. It was absolutely delicious! ...and not just because of the wine....although that was wonderful also. We topped the crust with half of the grated cheese, then the other toppings and finished off with more cheese. Voila! As an aside, I only used 1/3 of the dough. After the first rising I put the other 2 balls in the freezer for another time. Just thaw it and spread it out on the pizza pan, top with your favourite toppings (no tomato sauce required) and another easy, delicious dinner or afternoon delight is ready for the wine.

Banana bread...always a favourite

After reading Marni Wasserman's recent postings on facebook of her delicious and healthy banana bread, I couldn't resist making some muffins and a 'sharing loaf' (one of those small but gorgeous little loaves that are 'just right' for 2 or 4 if you aren't too ravenous!) A friend is coming to visit from out of town and although she said that she would bring blueberry muffins, we have 2 days of catching up and hanging out together, so plenty of time for munching on goodies and a freezer for leftovers. :) The recipe I used is an adaption from Marni, as I haven't yet tried kamut flour. I used spelt (also healthy and can be substituted directly with white flour) and whole wheat. I didn't use any eggs (bananas are sufficient for rising with the baking powder) and used maple syrup (just 1/4 cup) and some applesauce for moisture and sweetening. ....and of course chocolate chips.....bananas and choc chips just go together.

The universe is allowing all my dreams to come true, dreams that I didn't even know I had until just about a year ago!

Soup for a cold cold day

When you grocery shop, do you ever find yourself buying an item that you have no idea how you will use it or when? It looks so fresh and is likely a good price so into the basket it goes! This week it was a cauliflower. When I got home it occurred to me that I had a substantial piece of wonderful Black River 2 yr old cheddar cheese that needed to be used within the next couple of days....bingo! ....Cauliflower Cheese Soup. I use a recipe from the original Moosewood vegetarian cookbook that is delicious. Starting off with about 4 cups of water, 2 cups of potatoes, some garlic, a large onion, 2 cups of carrots and 2 1/2 cups of cauliflower you simmer this until cooked; then blend it. Add about 3/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, 1/2 tsp dry mustard about 1/4 tsp dried dill weed, 1 1/2 cups more cauliflower that has been sauteed in just a bit of butter. Just before serving add 3/4 cup or so of plain yogurt. A steaming wonderful bowl of healthy soup for a winters day is yours for the taking....and as this makes a large soup pot there is plenty to share or save for another day or two.

Apple Tart Extraordinaire!

I have been adapting dessert recipes to 'health them up', substituting honey or pure cane sugar for white, reducing the fat by using applesauce and just having fun experimenting! This recipe came from a daily email that I subscribe to and highly recommend. www.whfoods.org It needed no adaptations although I cut it down by about 1/3 as there were only 2 of us and if the full recipe is made it would nicely serve 6 (the recipe indicates 8 but these would be pretty small servings!). The crust is crushed dates and walnuts and is absolutely wonderful! The apple layer which is cooked just a little bit in a frying pan is spread in only a light layer and has just enough honey and delicious spices to make is decadent. The only change I made was to use cranberry juice in the apple filling rather than apple juice. Just use whatever fruit juice you happen to have and I'm sure it will be delicious! I delayed cutting the apples until just before putting them in the frying pan so I did not need to put them in the lemon water and they were just fine. I also kept the whole dessert in the fridge until the next day, covered closely with plastic wrap and was happy to find the apple topping looking exactly the same and my friend visiting from out of town was just as impressed with this dessert as I was. bon appetite!

Breakfast Time Favourite

On these cold and snowy mornings what could be better than a hot and delicious bowl of porridge? Ever since I got introduced to steel cut oats, this is how I start most days. (I still love my coffee, just so you know that I am not perfect, whatever that means!)

One of the great things about steel cut oats is that 1/3 dry oats has 7 grams of protein, compared to regular oats which have 4 grams. And I think it tastes better too, as it has a wonderful chewy texture.

I make enough for 3 mornings and warm it in the microwave after the first morning:

Boil 4 cups water with a bit of salt and then add 1 cup dry oats, simmering gently for about 30 minutes until it is thick and is just starting to stick a bit to the pan (keep an eye on it and stir periodically). That's the basic recipe, however I usually add some cinnamon and often chopped apple and walnuts and a bit of vanilla. Other fruits added on top are great too of course!

I sweeten with just a bit of stevia (a natural herb sweetener with no calories) and add milk. Yum!

on twittering and blogging and bringing it together

It is 4:30 a.m. and I find myself up yet again tonight, responding to my inner voice to follow my creative journey. I have started to twitter (it was the promise of improved writing skills that sent me over the edge lol) and am here now at my computer as it has just occurred to me how I can use that venue for value added to the universe. I will use PPANTRY to share tidbits of nutritional information and direct folks to this blog for related recipes. Todays nutritional nicety from PP is about the much lower glycemic index of yams vs white potatoes. (50 vs 95-100!) I have found a huge difference in my energy level and just feel overall healthier as I have reduced food with high glycemic index levels, especially the simple sugars. This recipe may be served either warm right after preparing or cold. Delicious and nutricious!!

4 med sweet potatoes (scrubbed or peeled as you wish) cut into smallish cubes
1 lge red onion (may use a white onion but the red is SOOO much better) chopped

Coat the above with approx. 2 Tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper; roast in single layer at 400 degrees 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally

1/2 cp or a little less extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled
1-2 Tbsp jalapeno pepper
lime juice from 2 limes

Blend above 4 ingred. to make a dressing

Put the roasted veggies in a large bowl with 2 cups cooked black beans (drained and best are cooked yourself but canned are optional), 1 red sweet pepper (chopped), 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (can be left out if you do not like, but it is VERY healthy) and dressing. Refrigerate up to a day (mine never lasts more than that and the recipe may be halved or doubled as you need)
YUM!! and soooo satisfying









*credit to Toronto Star Food Section for origin of recipe...

January jewels

As I continue on this journey of learning and playing with blogging, facebook and now twittering....(yes I have joined the world of twittering and was amazed to learn it can actually improve my writing skills...who would have thought that it could be more than just using grade 5 writing skills and sharing with the world that I am brushing my teeth!...it is an amazing marketing tool and who knows what else? lol :)) So, as I am connecting with some of the food focused twitterers...and there are many, practically limitless, overwhelming really.....hmmm

Yesterday I made a healthy and good, but not delicious (yet, stay tuned!) Moroccan eggplant and garbanzo bean dish. Also had lentils, red sweet pepper, onions, garlic, raisins...tumeric, garam marsala, pinch of hot red peppers.....next time will add a bit of nutmeg and more hot peppers, a bit of salt too. After having some of the left-overs today, I think it could also benefit hugely if I forget about the nutmeg and include cumin and coconut milk....