This is the perfect throw-together dish to serve on a hot afternoon, along with a favorite beverage.
Basil Boats. That’s what I call them.
When the basil is just starting to show its splendor, basil boats appear. You know, those perfectly cupped leaves that just beg to be filled with goodness?
So often, I just harvest the basil to quickly turn its fragrant leaves into pesto destined for the ice cube trays for future use.
STOP!
I am finally using these early crop beauties to contain wonderfulness!
One usually sees basil carefully cut into chiffonade, added to mozzarella cubes or balls, tossed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and carefully perched onto a slice of French bread. All well and good.
Perfection, in any language.
Well, I’ve reversed the process just a bit and the results are attractive, playful, and totally tasty.
Also, unlike other hand-held bites, these can be consumed within two or more bites, without spilling mishaps. An easily learned hold on the curved leaves, will result in spillage-free eating.
After carefully rinsing and drying the large, curled basil boat leaves, I prepared the fresh mozzarella by slicing into small squares.
Adding sliced cherry tomatoes to the mozzarella squares, and some olives – I was hoping for black olives, but the Kalamata olives were just fine – I rolled up a few of the smaller basil leaves to thinly slice into chiffonade slices. A spoonful of Robust Olive Oil and balsamic vinegar along with freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, and I stirred up the toppings.
But something was missing … hmmm … the French bread!
After pan toasting a slice of French bread from the freezer, I sliced it into small squares, and tossed them in some butter and garlic salt.
After tossing the bread squares with the mozzarella and tomato mixture, the boats were filled.
Pairing our ‘Basil Boats’ with a delightful buttery Chardonnay, we feasted on a perfect mid-afternoon snack.
Click on the MORE button options below to share this lovely, low-tech treat with friends and family.
In health and still smiling – Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
On the day this post is published, the ties to my family home of forty-some years will have been severed – except those in our family’s hearts and minds. The memories do not need a physical address – they will be ever strong.
From all the decisions that went into deciding to move, with all the angst in taking each step that led to today – it’s been an eye-opening, life-changing, love-affirming, exhausting, and soul-challenging process.
Every corner of a family home has stories to tell.
First steps. Squeals of laughter. Tears.
Adventures in blanketed, indoor forts to explorations of vistas unknown in the backyard woods. Hide and seek at night. Lightning bugs.
Saw teeth marks between the brick steps made by a future carpenter. Scraped knuckles made on the side house wall, because the sidewalk was too narrow for Hot Wheels. Rides around the yard with Dad on the lawn mower.
Two generations of children practicing their cooking skills in the kitchen. Biscuits-on-a-stick. Cookouts. Roller skating in the new garage until it got filled up.
Learning how to use tools, make things, repair things, and take care of things.
Music. Lots of music. Piano, trumpet, French horn, marimba, harp, and singing.
Empty nest.
The sweet anticipation of children returning home for visits. College. Careers.
Cups of coffee taken on the back porch swing – lots of that.
Mostly love.
Sometimes flawed love.
Forgiving love.
Old love and new love.
Holding on and letting go.
Thank you, house.
You were built in love. We watched you grow, too. Every corner, crevasse, crack, squeak – Oh, we know you well.
With love I let you go, so someone new can build their memories here.
Perhaps there will be music, adventure, great family meals, and cups of coffee taken on the back porch swing.
But mostly … love.
GOODNIGHT MOON by Eric Whitacre – Sung by Hila Plitmann
Lyrics below
In health –
Deidre
GOODNIGHT MOON LYRICS
In the great green room
There was a telephone
And a red balloon
And a picture of –
The cow jumping over the moon
And there were three little bears sitting on chairs
And two little kittens
And a pair of mittens
And a little toy house
And a young mouse
And a comb and a brush, and a bowl full of mush
And a quiet old lady who was whispering, “hush”
Goodnight moon
Goodnight room
Goodnight cow jumping over the moon
Goodnight light
And the red balloon
Goodnight bears
Goodnight chairs
Goodnight kittens
And goodnight mittens
Goodnight clocks
And goodnight socks
Goodnight little house
Goodnight mouse
Goodnight comb
And goodnight brush
Goodnight nobody
Goodnight mush
And goodnight to the old lady whispering, “hush”
Goodnight stars
Goodnight air
Goodnight noises everywhere
Goodnight
Goodnight
Goodnight noises everywhere
———————
If you liked this post, please share the love with someone using the options on the MORE button below.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
It gets busier before the completion of most projects. That final push to put the pieces all together, to control all the elements, to get what we desire.
Then we rest, admiring our work.
Until we pop up to do something else.
What’s the rush?
Absorb your accomplishments; share them with friends and family to enjoy – and rest a spell together.
Am I getting philosophical again? You bet.
There has been another death of a friend who was way too young to just not wake up one morning. The circle of friends struggling with cancer is ever growing. And, I am spending my spare time downsizing and getting rid of STUFF.
The realization that I have NO spare time on earth, and I will not be taking the STUFF with me, ultimately, is now pressing anew on my mind.
The only thing we keep is love – not stuff.
I am longing to be on serious vacation mode which will start with the completion of my big change of location and downsizing project. Going to love big, relax big, and travel big then.
But what if I never get there?
There are many options each day with many things requiring our attention. But friends, WE need attention; and that LOVE which will last forever needs to grow stronger as we reach out to others.
The time will come when our arms are empty of loved ones, but our hearts should be FULL of our mutual LOVE.
Love never dies, but its shape and form changes over time and dimension.
May we not let this day pass without strengthening those love bonds – first, to ourselves and then to others.
We are enough just the way we are – right now – love and acceptance of self comes first.
Hopefully we can feel the love ties of those gone before us as we turn to remembrances of their love and wisdom. Then we should build up the ties with those around us today.
So, of all the plates that we try to keep spinning each day, find the one labeled LOVE and keep that one spinning brightly.
If you liked this post, please share the love with someone using the options on the MORE button below.
In health –
Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
As a respite to finalizing the details of my big move out of the old homestead of over forty years, I am putting the zoom techniques shared last week into practice.
Being mindful of all that has been accomplished since January, and the decision to embrace the path of new horizons, my sweetheart and I zoomed out to see all of hurdles crossed so far. With one big push to the finish line to move my downsized possessions to storage, we will have only to wait for the new house to be finished.
Looking at the final dash to the finish line in the next weeks, however, has me zooming in to cope. After establishing a timeline of tasks in my action plan, I felt the need to concentrate on a quick, enjoyable, small activity.
What else, but bake some muffin bread to enjoy and to give away?
As the fruit and vegetable offerings change with the season, I just wanted to share this tweak to an old favorite.
We had picked up a small box of peaches at the farmer’s market, and I wanted to pair the peaches with the blueberries already in the muffin mix.
A distant memory kept niggling my mind as I starred into the spice cupboard – – – what was that spice/herb that goes with peaches? Hmmm.
The results are scrumptious. If anything, I might increase the rosemary.
If you are not using the ground flax seeds, use some of the crushed peaches for part of the fluid requirement – in this case, they ask for 3/4 cup of milk.
My mini loaf pans took 50 minutes to bake. Make sure to check for doneness by using a toothpick or bamboo skewer inserted into the center of the baked loaf. If the tester comes out with dough or crumbs that are too moist, bake a few minutes longer.
After removing pans from the oven, let cool for two minutes and then tip bread out of the pans and finish cooling on a wire rack.
If you enjoyed this, please spread the word by using the options on the MORE button below.
In health – Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Pre Covid, only the tech-savvy had a clue what Zoom was. Now, most people who are connected to the internet have attended Zoom meetings, at the very least, and many have learned to organize and host a meeting themselves.
Don’t worry – we are not hosting a Zoom meeting here at foodtalk4you. Whew!
What we’re going to explore today hails back to one of the original meanings of the word – specifically, changing focus between near and far views.
Did you know that the first use of zooming into a closeup was in a scene with Jimmy Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life? Next time you watch that classic film, notice the scene when he is sitting at the bar, and nothing is making any sense. People do not recognize him; people he knows have turned out totally different than what he remembered.
At the height of his torment, the film makers do a slow, deliberate zoom into his face, capturing his confusion and self-doubt. It’s powerful stuff.
We have the same powers to zoom in on our thinking, capturing every detail of the present moment, or to zoom out, observing a broader scene with a wider perspective.
Researching resilience techniques for my next book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions and Building Resilience, led me to daily thoughts by Amit Sood, MD, in his Year of Healing resource at Resilient.
His post for Day 167, highlights the technique of what he calls ‘ZIZO’ – zooming in and zooming out as a coping technique for unpleasant circumstances.
He suggests that, if the present moment is challenging, zoom out to get a broader view – to think past the present, to a more pleasing time. By thinking about what good things you are going to be doing after present circumstances, you can endure the moment.
Conversely, if the long term view is challenging, zoom in to the present moment to concentrate on the details of now.
Dr. Sood says the goal is not to escape, but to dilute the unpleasant view we have, so we can be the best we can be and save our sanity. Zooming in and out helps us to leverage our ability to change the focus of our thoughts.
We are solely in control of our thoughts – with self-awareness and a little practice, we can recognize our response to situations and leverage our thinking patterns to cope with challenges.
When advising caregivers to find a small project they can control from start to finish, I am – in effect, suggesting they zoom in – away from the long term view of their caregiving circumstances that seem so out of their control.
Likewise, when the present caregiving task is seemingly unbearable, taking a few moments to hold thoughts of the future when the task is over – zooming out – will sustain them.
As a teacher facing topics yet to be covered before the end of school and students who have lost their interest in concentrating, I sustained my own restlessness by imaging sitting in the hot tub at the beach during our first summer vacation trip. A clear case of zooming out.
When broader circumstances begin to overwhelm, I often turn to baking a batch of gluten-free muffins, (Augmented with ground flax and chia seeds), to enjoy at home and to give away. Zooming in helps to set my mind straight.
So, where are you zooming?
Can you see how this technique has helped you in the past?
These very terms have also been used in business. The article in Harvard Business Review, focuses on different management styles that zoom out or zoom in.
Think visionaries who tire with the details of day-to-day vs. people who never rise above the details of today to respond to trends that will affect their future.
Exclusively being one way or the other reveals blind spots. Managers who could shift their focus both ways proved to be the most successful.
So, we must be as well.
Zooming in or out can be an excellent coping skill, but dwelling too long in either focus can limit our ability to understand the entire picture.
Here’s to a therapeutic zoom. If the present moment is too difficult, zoom out. If the long-term is challenging, zoom in.
If you liked this, please share with others by using the MORE button options below. Make sure you are subscribed to foodtalk4you by using the subscribe feature at the end of the scroll or to your left on the computer screen.
In health-
Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
While the temps may be soaring in the Northern Hemisphere, many of us are ready to take a deep dive into a cool pool. Being nestled on a floaty while sipping on a cool exotic beverage sounds about right these days.
“Bring me the sunflower crazed with the love of light.” William Cullen Bryant
There are some living things of beauty that are thriving right now – yes, the glorious sunflowers found at Raising Grayce Farm, at 3075 Stanley Road in Greenville, NC, are thriving in the heat and sunshine.
“Light-enchanted sunflower, thou Who gazest ever true and tender On the sun’s revolving splendour.” Pedro Calderon de la Barca
A couple photographer friends of mine recently stopped by this farm to capture some of that beauty found there.
“True friends are like bright sunflowers that never fade away, even over distance and time.” Marie Williams Johnstone
“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” Helen Keller
Sue is also sharing a couple of bird pictures. The little wren is all spread out on the deck sunning itself!
“Bring me the sunflower crazed with the love of light.” Eugenio Montale
Just sit back and take in the view of the sunflower farm and elsewhere while staying cool! Happy summer!
“Whenever I see a sunflower, inevitably, I come to think. Of him whose gifted hands lovingly rendered vivid tongues of flaming yellow; Whose eyes have long gazed on beauty’s light, until the world grew pale and faded. Whose soul perceived yet another realm. Full of shimmering forms and hues. And so sought release beyond the frame.” Kevin C. Kato
If you found this helpful, please share with others using the MORE button options below.
In health – Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Cute little chalky white milk mustaches as simple reminders to get another glass of milk?
The recent reminders given to me about certain minerals/electrolytes weren’t so cute.
Nope.
Imagine an early morning leg and foot stretch that instantaneously morphs into a full blown muscle spasm sending toes in unnatural directions and creating balls of muscle knots in the calf – relieved only by getting out of bed to stand and tenderly walk around in the dark pre-dawn house.
Upon returning to bed my foot had sinister ideas about doing it again. Sigh. And again. Grrr.
I was taking an excellent magnesium supplement, Garden of Life, that was doing wonders for calming before bed – what was out of balance?
I’ve touched on this topic before, but my application of knowledge was clearly faulty, or I hadn’t learned enough.
Back to the drawing board.
Muscle cramps are related to deficiencies in the following minerals/electrolytes:
Potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium + water
Most of us know about athletes eating bananas before a big workout or prior to the BIG GAME. But there’s more to the picture than just bananas.
Wouldn’t you know, the next night my evening snack was half of an avocado and there were no cramps in the wee hours.
Since then, I’ve been more diligent in adequate hydration augmented with electrolytes and in having two or three of these items from this list every day.
We are designed for health. If there’s a problem, I’m always on the lookout for what I am doing wrong.
If you found this helpful, please share with others using the MORE button options below.
In health with no more cramps-
Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Little Orphan Annie had it right, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.”
Not to be disingenuous in valuing and recognizing human emotions, I often taught my high school Health Science students that they may need to use fake smiles and happiness upon entering their on-site training locations.
Yes, they may be in the pits of relationship angst, bad news, tragedy, or physical discomfort, but they needed to leave all that negativity at the door when they entered the building. Their smile might have the makings for an Oscar nomination, but they were to display a smiling, optimistic attitude.
Sure enough, in their clinical post conferences they reported that, because of a forced smile, they were soon feeling a smile that reached their eyes – their whole outlook had lifted – and that new feeling lasted for the rest of their day.
So, do you start smiling when, say, there’s a knock at your door?
Do you wait until you open the door, see who’s there, and wait for something smile worthy – if seeing their face is not enough?
Or have you picked up the habit of smiling before you open the door?
That’s me.
I’ve even learned to smile before answering the phone! While that sounds a bit hardcore, a smile can be heard. If you let that smile reach your eyes, especially, there’s a naturally sunny brightness in the voice that sets a positive tone.
We can thank a French neurologist, Guillaume Duchenne, for noting that there are two types of smiles. Those that rest solely on the lips, and those that spread up to the eyes.
The reason why starting out with even a forced smile will eventually make us happier is because both kinds of smiling cause the release of the mood stabilizing neurotransmitter serotonin in our brains. As a natural stress reducer, serotonin can eventually help turn that forced smile into something very real and reaching to our eyes – just like my students reported.
And – smiling is contagious.
Who knows the needs of those we meet? They may long for the lift you are giving yourself, as well. Two people can ride on our one smile. Heck, maybe a whole roomful of people can be boosted with our less-than-hearty smile.
Pretty soon everyone will have a more positive outlook.
Sounds like the makings of a ground swell of positivity.
In honor of National Smile Day – yes, I revisited nationaltoday.com – start with a smile!
Smiling:
Takes fewer muscles than frowning
Increases productivity and creativity
Lowers blood pressure, heart rate, pain
Increases strength and endurance
Boosts immunity
Helps our brains become more receptive to positive neurotransmitters
Helps our brains become more receptive to positive neurotransmitters
Share a virtual smile with someone by passing along this post using the options in the MORE button below, and make sure you don’t miss the latest from foodtalk4you by clicking on the subscribe button at the bottom of your phone scroll or to the left of your computer screen.
Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
It’s always national something month or national something day. Going to nationaltoday.com can be such a hoot and might give us an excuse for an indulgence.
For instance, with next Tuesday’s posting deadline looming, and editor, Sheree, is starting to panic because this is Thursday, I have discovered that today is National May Ray Day. Who knew we would recognize the rays of sunshine lighting our lives with hopes of spring and an eye toward the summer?
Ahhh.
Or, that it’s the National Devil’s Food Cake Day as well? Many of us could really get behind that one.
Tomorrow is something I may have to honor: National Quiche Lorraine Day. Yes!
Today is also National Barber Mental Health Awareness Day – which is also recognizing that May is National Mental Health Awareness Month.
Talk about a hot topic in today’s world.
Clearly better mental health is something we should all be striving for in our lives. Any reminders and skills we can get to boost our personal approach to balancing, centering, or being grounded should be appreciated.
Case in point. Last night, I went to a presentation titled, Mental Health and Well Being, led by Sarah A. Patterson, D.Min., LCSW, from WakeMed. She pointed out that life changes – births, deaths, marriage, divorce, new job, moving, etc. – create emotional responses that are colored by our respective past experiences.
The research into resilience building I am doing for my next book in the Toolkit for Caregivers series, has taught me that emotions are just thoughts, and that we can learn to guide/direct/control our thoughts. If our emotional responses in the past have only created more anxiety for us, then it is possible to retrain ourselves to achieve better outcomes.
One difficulty we often face is our inability to calm down in stressful situations that are eliciting all kinds of anxiety. At foodtalk4you, we have explored techniques in box breathing, gratitude and blessings jars, forest bathing, naming our emotions, exercise, and journaling to help de-stress.
That tried-and-true method of slowly breathing and counting to ten may help somewhat if we are short on time, but I learned from Sarah last night that researchers have found it takes a full two minutes – or more – to really calm down and regulate our responses.
What to do in those magic 2 minutes?
Sarah showed us two new things I want to pass on to you: Guided Grounding and The Pretzel Move.
Guided Grounding is as easy as a 5-4-3-2-1 in focusing on each of our senses:
Find a quiet spot to leisurely survey what you are sensing as follows:
5 things you are seeing right now – colors, objects, textures, smiles, sunshine
4 things you are physically feeling/sensing – feet feeling the ground, pressure of chair on your back, the warmth or coolness of the environment, hair falling on your face
3 things you are hearing – voices, birds chirping, your breathing
2 things you are smelling – coffee brewing, fresh air
1 thing you are tasting – the lingering taste of your toothpaste
This survey of your senses helps to focus thinking and concentration on something other than the object of your anxiety triggers.
Find a quiet spot to do the following – otherwise, you’ll have to explain why you look so funny
Sit with your ankles crossed
Hold your arms out straight in front of you, palms facing together
Turn your palms with thumbs down
Cross your dominant hand/arm over your nondominant hand/arm
Join your palms and lace your fingers
Bring your joined palms down and in toward your chest and up toward your chin
Hold for two minutes while you box breathe (count of 4 in, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4, repeat)
If you are unable to bring your crossed arms/palms into your chest and up, just keep your crossed arms extended in front of you.
You can see that both techniques are basically ruses to get your mind to concentrate on something other than its source of anxiety – but these simple methods are effective in bringing us back to center to be “grounded.”
Sarah reported that she’s seen this Pretzel technique stop an anxiety attack quickly.
If the source of your anxiety or your response to it is too overwhelming, there is still help for you. Sarah shared with us that psychologytoday.com can be used to find resources in your own community based upon the specific needs you may have such as symptoms, diagnosis, availability of health insurance or not, transportation, and more. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
Being healthy physically, spiritually, and mentally does not mean we accomplish it alone. On the contrary – when we break a bone, we don’t think twice about getting medical help – when our minds are challenged beyond our capabilities to treat, we should think nothing about seeking outside help.
We continue to gather tools to help ourselves as in these grounding techniques shared here but being proactive about our mental health also includes seeking help from others.
If this post was helpful to you, you can help others by sharing it using the options under the MORE button below.
In health-
Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
No, it’s not the spelling or the pronunciation – (KEEN-wah).
It’s the texture – or that its texture is so loose and not stuck together, which makes it seem too light, fluffy, and not substantial.
Oh, they make sticky quinoa just like sticky rice; but, for me, it’s too sticky.
Now I sound like Goldilocks. Too loose. Too sticky. Searching for the middle ground.
When my sweetheart showed me his favorite quinoa at the store, we bought and prepared it for dinner that night. Just like Goldilocks, this one was just right.
What was the difference?
The Near East brand he liked was a mixture of both quinoa and brown rice and offered the perfect blend of herbs and spices.
Voila and Eureka!
But I didn’t like buying a small box of the stuff every time I wanted savory quinoa. I have giant bags of quinoa and brown rice at home; so, all I had to do was duplicate the spice blend.
After snapping a picture of their ingredients list on the box, I set out to create my own version of their recipe for yumminess and texture.
I know labels start with the largest quantities of ingredients and in descending order, continue to the least. That list gave me a hazy road map – the rest was up to me.
Clearly, some items were never going to be in my version: maltodextrin, yeast extract, dextrose, citric acid, tapioca maltodextrin, natural flavor, (highly processed) sunflower oil, and tocopherol preservatives. I also had plans to replace the sugar with a pinch of erythritol and monk fruit sugar alternative.
Did you know that according to Better Homes and Gardens magazine, “natural flavor” is a mystery ingredient defined by the FDA as:
“a substance extracted, distilled, or similarly derived from natural sources like plants, (fruits, herbs, veggies, barks, roots, etc.), or animals, (meat, dairy products, eggs, etc.), via a method of heating, with its main function in food being flavoring not nutritional.”
Why am I not leaping for joy?
As for the tomato powder, I’ve never had any. Is it a thing? But I found a tomato/basil seasoning blend recently and will be using it as I prepare for this post. We’ll see how it works out.
On to my concept recipe with no measurements for the spices:
Nearly East Quinoa and Brown Rice with Olive Oil
In a saucepan put:
2/3 cup/ 156 ml quinoa – rinsed in water and drained to reduce the anti-nutrient content
1/3 cup/ 78 ml brown rice
2 cups/ 473 ml water
Salt
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Crushed dried rosemary
Dried parsley
Optional pinch of sugar or erythritol
Additional spices/herbs that may contain:
Dried tomato flakes
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Give everything a good stir, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook until all water has been absorbed.
We have been totally satisfied with the results of combining two parts quinoa, with one part brown rice, along with this assortment of spices and olive oil.
It’s also more economical to easily duplicate this mix from what is already in your cupboard than buy it pre-done.
This quinoa/rice blend is a handy side dish and makes a nice addition sprinkled cold on a salad or added to a breakfast bowl instead of grits.
It’s an ancient grain once considered to be sacred by the Incas.
Really a seed, quinoa is prepared the same way grains are. Full of protein, nutrients, and fiber quinoa is also gluten-free and contributes to an anti-inflammatory diet. Rinsing before cooking reduces the elements that prevent our absorption of key nutrients.
Note: If you have chronic kidney stones, the oxalates in quinoa could contribute to stone formation.
The fiber, protein, and a host of nutrients make quinoa a smart carbohydrate to incorporate into your diet. Adding brown rice to the mix doubles down on the high fiber and nutrients.
Both grains can contribute to balancing of blood sugar levels, weight loss, regularity, and reducing cholesterol. What’s not to like?
Click on the subscribe area at the side of your computer screen or at the very bottom of your phone scroll to make sure you won’t miss a single post.
If you found this of value, please share using the options in the MORE button below.
In health-
Deidre
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
