Golden

I want to suspend the food talk for a bit to share about a Eugene, Oregon, park I went to yesterday with my granddaughter. I heard about it from WREN (Willamette River and Educational Network), connecting with them a few weeks ago after visiting some of the West Eugene Wetlands. WREN will have their August Wetland Wander in Golden Gardens Park next Tuesday, August 9, 2016, from 9 to 11 am with a focus on late summer insects. Originally just leftover excavation pits from building Beltline Road, these once barely accessible ponds have been renovated, made safer, and made more accessible. I wanted to check them out before deciding whether to drive down next week for the "wander".

We entered about midway along The Jessen Drive side of the park, crossed the soft-surfaced walking path, and paused a moment to see if K could get her new kite to fly. We had a great little breeze, so I let her keep the kite up on a short string while we walked to a more open area. Bad decision. She let out a bit too much string and a cherry tree on a steep embankment snatched it right out of the sky. Fortunately I din't get too mangled while scrambling up, but we had to break the string to get the kite down. She waited while I quickly returned it to the car. The view above shows our first impression of the ponds and I knew I was going to love it here.

First turtle and a drawing of the size of the fish.

More turtles

Almost immediately my eye caught a large, gray shape splashing down into the water. My first thought was "fish"' but then I thought I must be wrong because it was so big. However, as I continued to watch the area while on our walk, I saw it a few more times and realized it was indeed a huge fish. (I think I need to get my license!) We also saw pond turtles on logs and read the informational signage about the need to be careful to avoid stepping on eggs buried under the soil. 

In a little creek K told me she saw a crawfish. I couldn't see it, but took photos of where she was pointing. yep. Once I uploaded the photos I saw it, but the glare makes it a bit hard to see.

Crawfish near the middle of photo

The next pond was so much larger than that first one. It was beautiful there. We saw dragonflies, butterflies, bees, and birds. We also saw a few teens walking along staring at their phones, so we assumed they were playing Pokemon Go.

Along the soft path there were occasional benches; perfect places to sit and enjoy the view of the water, wildlife, and wildflowers. One of the most prolific plants in the area was the wild carrot. their white blossoms were everywhere.

Wild carrots

For more information about the park, check out a few of these links. Enjoy!
   Golden Gardens Park
   Golden Gardens Park on Facebook
 


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Transparency

I hope by now you have not tagged me as some kind of health enthusiast who follows every latest trend. I'm not. In fact, when I hear the latest fad for anything I generally avoid it. I tend to brush off fads as something a small group of people are touting because of a few anecdotal experiences, especially when they are food claims that seem reminiscent of snake oil - will cure anything.

For years, though, I have believed that we are all better off eating food as close to the way God made it as possible. Not only do we have a world of magnificent plants and animals, but also blessed us with people who discover delicious ways to prepare them. Now, we have the science to back up some of the "old wives tales" and the benefits of getting nutrition from nature instead of manufactured chemicals. (No, I'm not anti-medication either. Life-changing and life-saving medications are being developed all the time. I rely on several to help me through each day.)

My granddaughter took this shot. Most of my body is hidden.

My new CPAP machine

I am obese, have diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), knee/feet problems, and have used food to deal with my stress. And I've been WAY stressed these last 35+ years. Due to my work and special needs kids, I have become rather a homebody and exercise has been spotty at best. A year and a half ago I saw a snapshot of myself and was horrified! I knew I needed to change, but had never imagined myself as that big.

Low fat taco salad

Now, however, I have an empty nest and life is actually manageable enough to begin the life-change I've always wanted. I want to hike in the mountains, bicycle all over, and (you're the first to hear this) I've always wanted to run in a marathon. Just once. I don't want my body to hinder my photography opportunities. I want to run and play with my grandchildren. They say it's never too late to start, so here we go. I am of the conviction that baby steps and adjustments will produce more lasting results than large, unrealistic expectations. I still love chocolate and ice cream and other "no-no's", and will work to keep those treats in proper balance.

Speaking of chocolate, I recently followed some interesting links and wound up signing up for emails from One Green Planet. I have downloaded their app: Food Monster and many things look good. I don't plan on becoming vegan, but having some healthier options (without the added chemicals of most "diet" foods) is good. Vegan does not mean it matches my lifestyle either. Food from plant sources, nothing about fats and sugars.

I had to try this 5-Ingredient Microwave Brownie (vegan and gluten-free). Wow! I used Dutch processed cocoa, and had to use regular non-fat milk, but it was easy and delicious! The baking powder makes it rise so it isn't just a lump own the bottom of the cup. Follow the directions (learn from my mistakes) and enjoy. Too little micro time leaves it too wet. Too long and it starts to loose height and becomes harder.

Welcome to my journey.

Something Orange

A few weeks ago while chatting with a friend about my knee brace (from falling down some stairs) and she told me that turmeric was a natural anti-inflammatory. I conjured up images of needing to make Indian food every day, which sounds yummy, but I do like to change up my diet. She informed me that you can get supplements at the store. On my way home I dropped into a local store, and sure enough, they had turmeric supplements. Outrageously expensive supplements, especially compared to the price of some over the counter anti-infalmitories I had taken most of my adult life.

I put the idea on hold for a while, then an email from One Green Planet arrived with some great recipes, many of which feature turmeric. I couldn't remember which recipe, so I went back through my email.  I'm still not sure. So, here is a link to their turmeric recipe page.

How to Use Fresh Turmeric Root Instead of Dried 

Photo Credit Laura Beth Drilling/Demand Media

My first experience with turmeric was making a peanut soup from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen (great cookbook with hand lettering and illustrations). Yummy. I kept dry, powdered turmeric on hand, but didn't really think much about using it. While shopping in asian markets I would often see fresh turmeric - looking sort of like a smaller, "orangier" version of fresh ginger, one of my favorite spices.

My old copy of The Enchanted Broccoli Forest. It's now The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest

So far, I've just added it to my yogurt and chia snack, but I'm looking forward to learning more. I'll be posting soon about the nutritional properties, uses, and recipes. One note before I go, the health benefits of the most beneficial substances in turmeric, cucumin, is difficult for the body to absorb. Consuming black pepper along with the turmeric increases absorption about 2,000%.

Powdered turmeric

Experimentation time...  (Quick note while waiting for photos to load. I just put turmeric into my dessert custard and it was fabulous. I'm thinking that, like ginger, turmeric will work well in both sweet and savory dishes.)

Guess this falls under the "no day without discovery" category.

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More Summer Food

I'm still working on my chia info. Fascinating seed. I always want to check my facts before publishing, so it's a good thing I love to do research!

In the meantime, I'll fall back on another of my state fair winning recipes. It even had me liking diced tomatoes! The contest was for Hidden Valley Ranch's "Fresh Taste for the Family". It won first place in 2008, so I'll repeat the recipe here, but we need to talk about changes and substitutions.

Summer Confetti Slaw

Summer Confetti Slaw

by Deborah Garrett

Hidden Valley “Fresh for the Family” contest

Oregon State Fair 2008

Dressing

1 packet Hidden Valley Original Salad Dressing and Seasoning Mix

3/4 cup mayonnaise

Juice of one fresh lime

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Mix well and chill while preparing the vegetables.

Vegetables and Fruit

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup pineapple tidbits, well drained

1 cup grated carrots

2 cups grated jicama

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1 medium jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

In a large bowl mix fruit and vegetables with the dressing.

Serves 6 - 8

This is a very yummy salad, but eight years later I'm wanting something lighter, less sweet, and fewer artificial additives. So what other dressing can you use? Probably one you already like on other salads. I think I'd go with a nice balsamic or tomato based dressing. For creaminess you can always add some plain or flavored Greek yogurt.

As for the ingredients, they are already pretty healthy. But now I'd probably add some charred fresh corn, fresh peas, and probably some kale. I'd also want to have something crunchy and decorative like some nuts or seeds. 

With this kind of recipe the variations are endless. Use your favorite fresh vegetables, a bit of fruit, and a dressing of your choice. Enjoy your summer bounty in salad form.

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Tropical Snowballs

My 2nd child has bee interested in cooking and creating recipes since she was in elementary school (now 26). She even won a microwave at a State Fair competition. Creating recipes, especially for desserts,  became a passion for the two of us. One summer while visiting my mother in southern California we faced the challenge of creating something great that my diabetic step-father could eat. The ice cream we developed was a hit. From that recipe came these Tropical Snowballs, which won first place at the Make Your Best Sugar-Free Dessert Contest for The Order of Amaranth & The American Diabetes Association at the 2005 Oregon State Fair. I won a huge basket full of kitchen things and a diabetic cookbook and probably some money, but I don't remember how much.

Tropical Snowballs as entered into The Oregon State Fair 2005.

Later I was contacted by a company producing a cookbook, Blue Ribbon Recipes, of top fair winning recipes and they wanted to include my Snowballs. So now I'm in print, too. All from making that sugar-free ice cream for my step-dad. Of course, you don't have the form this into cut little balls. Just eat it like regular ice cream. Hope you enjoy this.

I also wanted to find out the nutritional information for this, so I entered it into my SparkRecipies, arbitrarily decided that 1/10th would be a serving. Here's the quick breakdown.

See the full nutritional breakdown.
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Let's Start Again

My apologies for the blog silence for the past few weeks. You may be wondering... Did she forget about the blog? Did she give up? Did she lose her desire to write? No, no, and no. It was just a major life/family change that interrupted more than just my blogging. Thank you for your patience.

One thing you'll learn is that I love graphic design as much as photography, when I have the right tools. I become a bit obsessive about making things look "perfect". I am really lightening up on myself, but perfectionism seems to be hanging around and that isn't all bad. What it does do is force me to delay my next installment of chia information. You see, I'm crating a visual showing some of the benefits of eating chia. It isn't something that can be thrown together in a few minutes, but I hope you'll like it when I'm done.

In the meantime, let's talk chocolate! When it comes to chocolate, I'm on the dark side... the darker the better! However, as a diabetic, I need to watch my daily carb intake. Inventing recipes is one way to tailor "bad" foods into something somewhat healthier, but still tasty.

My well-loved and well-used book. When I ran the printshop at Oregon School for the Deaf,
I was able to add a comb binding to hold it together. 

Today I had a hankering for brownies. I love them dark, moist, and chewy, especially those little brownie bites baked in the small muffin tins. I pulled out the Better Homes and Gardens Cookies and Candies cookbook I've had since junior high (late 1960s - I baked so many Chocolate Chippers that I had the recipe memorized and could recite it when others asked for the recipe; friends and teachers loved when I practiced). Back to the brownies. I decided to make the Fudge Brownies and wondered how I could modify them.

My altered brownie bites. Quite yummy.

I'm going to post some comparisons first, then explain what I did to modify the brownie bites.

The altered recipe has the best numbers, with the original recipe doing nearly as well. My first conclusion is what I've always believed: home made is best. It is great to control what goes into what we eat. Now for my changes...

The recipe called for 1/2 cup of margarine. I use butter, but opted to just use 3 of the 8 tablespoons. I added a bit more fat though using 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. This doesn't save on total fat, but this reduces cholesterol in the batter. It gave a light coconut flavor and made the cake-like texture more tolerable for me because it reminded me of a Mounds bar. The recipe called for 1 cup of sugar. Yikes! I did use 1/2 cup of sugar, but supplemented with 2 tablespoons of Stevia powder. I was satisfied with the sweetness. Overall, they are good. I wish they were more fudgey. I haven't done research to see which ingredients will make a brownie more dense/moist, but I fear it may be that fat I cut out. I'll have to keep experimenting.

Salvia Columbariae

Ah, Chia. This seed seems to have risen to popularity in recent years and the health benefits can read like the old snake oil - cures anything. While not exactly true, the chia is an amazing seed. My introduction to the plant came in the early 1980's from the book Early Uses of California Plants by Edward K. Balls. The book appealed to my outdoorsy, Native American, and cooking sides. I was a fan of the Sierra Club and Euell Gibbons, the famous outdoors-man who introduced the masses to wild edibles. Foraging for food in nature. Sounded good to me.

Powerful tiny seeds of Salvia Columbariae

Until reading Balls' book the only thing I knew about chia were those “Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia Pet” commercials back in the day. Of course, I succumbed to its fascinating growing hair/fur. At least a Chia Pet was partly alive, not like the other popular item, a Pet Rock! We'll delve into Chia Pets and their history in an upcoming post.

Imagine my surprise when I read that chia seeds were not just for spreading on terra cotta figures. Californian (and other) Native Americans harvested the seeds of the Salvia Columbariae, a member of the mint family. Prepared various ways, they were not only delicious, but also deemeed to give strength and health. The Aztecs and Maya used them extensively. In fact, "chia" is the Mayan word for "strength". I just had to get some.

The name caught my attention. "Nature's Wild Grown."
However, these are not the same seeds I gathered in California.
Stay tuned to find out more about the different chia.

What a great excuse to head out into the dry valleys and grasslands out toward the desert. I took a paper grocery bag (that’s all we had back then, people) and drove on the side roads until I found the chia plants. It was the perfect time of year for harvest. I shook the plants in my bag and collected the seeds. I felt connected to those who had done this very thing for centuries.

Now all I needed was to figure out what to do with them. 

Technical Difficulties...

Sadly I have been battling technical difficulties for a while, but I think all will be well on Thursday, June 2, 2016..

Please stay tuned for upcoming posts on the excellence of salvia columbariae and hispanica, a prize-winning summer slaw, a tropical salsa and a delightful no-sugar-added chilly dessert. And of course, the backstories to these topics.

Thanks for your patience!

Deborah

Dinner Confession

Sorry I missed the past few days as I was out on family business. Now that I'm back, and it seems my random thoughts have been boring so far, I've decided to switch to the food track. People have asked me over the years about my recipes, but I tend to use the handful and pinch methods. On occasion I will take the time to translate my recipes into standardized form and decided this might be an interesting way to do that.

My confession? I love oatmeal (and other rolled grains). Please understand that I am not referring to the dull gray slop you may have had at camp, but to REAL whole grain oats and other grains mixed with a variety of healthy and yummy toppings. My current favorite is Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal. Bob's is a local company with high standards and I have used his products for years.

1 cup Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal

Add 1 cup water

The water should come just above the cereal.

Add 1 cup each of water and rolled hot cereal to a microwave safe bowl. Pop it into the microwave for 3 minutes. Stir. Add a pinch of salt and sugar, if you like. you can eat it as is or throw in any number of yummies for a unique meal.

Lately, I have been adding 1 cup of frozen Three Berry Blend by Summers Peak. It's great because the strawberries have been cubed to a size similar to the blueberries and blackberries. You'll want to warm this back up, so put it back in the microwave for a minute. Top with milk or cream, if desired.

Sweet, textured cooked rolled grains for breakfast or any time.

My added notes:
When I make this, I usually do only 2/3 cup of grains and water. You can change the amounts as long as the amount is equal for water and grains. I'm watching my sugars, so I add a mere 1/8 tsp. of sugar and I use 0% milk instead of cream. Hot cereal welcomes other fruits, nuts, and add-ins. Sometimes, swap out the water for apple juice and add some cinnamon before eating.

Please leave feedback. Happy eating!

Gray Matters

Our brains are amazing. Twenty-four/seven most of us benefit from breathing, circulation, and the ability to move our muscles. Those neural pathways formed even before birth keep things running without much thought. Your thoughts travel more easily down a trail than setting out in unknown territory. And yet by "thought" the pathways can further develop or change.

The ability of our brains to create new pathways fascinates me. The first analogy my brain conjured up involved cattle and the paths they create walking to and fro on the hillsides along California State Route 57 between Pomona and Brea. I'm sure cattle leave paths elsewhere and other animals, like deer, make paths, too, but since I'm writing we'll go with the image that helped me understand.


Through the magic of Google Maps, Street View, you can travel to these hills without leaving your home. As you can see, trails traverse the hill and angle up or down to connect to other trails. The trails are the things you know.

To learn new things, you need to make a new path. A path is not made by walking once. Consider how many trips these cattle make to create a firm path. Over time the dirt is compacted and it is nearly impossible for grass to grow. That is knowledge you'll not forget easily.

Our brains go beyond this. Suppose Paul Bunyan walked by and dropped his cell phone right in the middle of these paths. Imagine the cow walking the path and running into the huge slab, her way blocked. What would happen? Of course, the cow would walk around and make a new path in order to continue her daily trips.

Amazingly, our brains have the capacity to make new paths, too. It may not be easy, but just the fact our brains can reroute it's paths/circuits is impressive.


Okay. I promised the answer to that second photo last week. Did you say an old tire? An elephant's skin? Take a gander. It surprised me, too.

Please leave a comment and vote in the poll. Thanks!

Close Up

Sometimes the most routine and common things seem very different when close up. In this first picture, what was your first guess (before you looked at the 2nd photo for the answer)? Maybe a poorly plastered wall? Something goopy? Were you surprised at all that it was an egg? I was at first. Handling eggs since I was a child, I believed what I felt and what I saw in photos and illustrations - that the shell was smooth. How different when close up! 

Here's another. I'll post a photo of this common item tomorrow, so we'll have no cheating! <smile>

You'll find soon, if you haven't already, that for nearly every discovery, every photo, every event, my mind derives some kind of story or application for life. (Strange, I know, but that's the way my unique mind works.) If you like the stories, great. If you don't, maybe you need to find another blog, though we'll miss you if you go.

I almost hesitate to share this simple application because I feel that everyone at some point has heard it. On the off-chance you haven't, consider your life an egg. (No, I'm not about to tell you you're rough and bumpy. that would be rude.) We live our lives in a shell. We show the world around us what is safe, acceptable, and "normal", whatever the heck that means. We imagine that if people saw the REAL, inside us we'd risk rejection. We don't like rejection. We want to be liked, appreciated, to belong, and yes, to be loved. We think we are protecting ourselves, but even when we receive positive interactions we know others like our outsides. We still fear the rejection that might happen if our shell cracked.

So what? What if we cracked open and all our goopy insides fall out? Guess what? All the other goopy people will say, "Whew! I thought that I was the only goopy one. What a relief to find a companion I can confide in." Eggs can be messy when broken. Eggs can be plopped in a hot pan, scrambled, or whisked together with non-egg things and popped into the oven. They call it "cake".

I firmly believe our lives are meant to be broken. That's how we change the world. We are here to give to others, to help others in this journey. Not to be used or abused, but given freely in a positive manner. Alone in your shell you will stay in your carton until you rot and are tossed out. 

I'm a slow learner... or just have to take baby steps. I "know" this information and think I follow it, but then see there's another shell inside the first one. That must be cracked open, too. We will never reach perfection in this life, but we can allow ourselves to be broken and re-broken, becoming more and more real, in service to those in need.

Now, on to that next close up that you can ponder overnight. Post your guesses in the comments. Please be as specific as possible. Don't forget to take the poll. I moved it to the right column so you can now actually read it! 

No day without discovery

Friday, May 20, 2016

Took a nice walk in the neighborhood this morning, so thought I'd act least share some photos before I need to leave town. Updates later. Be sure to take the poll.

Wonder

A feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable. (Google)

Our world provides many opportunities to feel wonder. That sense of wonder isn't just a positive feeling, research has shown that experiencing wonder can quite literally change our lives. Generally, prompted by media, we link wonder to nature, sports, powerful cars, and viral videos. I mean, who isn't fascinated by The Slow Mo Guys' videos. Yet it seems that between these "events" life can become monotonous. We don't expect wonder in the the mundane routines of life, but what if we could?

I love the feeling of wonder. During difficult times I make the decision to seek out wonder and pause a few moments to relish the the feeling. Wonder can bring a bit of peace and joy to life. A favorite place for me to find wonder is looking for the small. I take photos of plants, egg shells, insects and ice crystals. Something admired from a distance becomes more intriguing the closer one gets. My days are brighter when I just take the time to look around. Wonder is always waiting.

What discoveries did you make today? Do they make you smile?

Please leave a comment. Questions are always welcome.