So here I sit on my beautiful deck, on my small mountain, on a brilliant day, looking at my computer. But I tell you what, it’s still bliss. And I can’t help myself. Must share last night’s accidental recipe.
The husband continually asks me not to let him plant too much zucchini. Every year he begs me to stop him. Every year I fail. As if I could change his behavior in any way. We end up leaving them in front of neighbors’ houses and running away. READ MORE
Have you noticed that although I profess to write a blog about food, wine and yoga, it almost always ends up being about food? It’s true. I’m often more creative with my food than anything else. So perhaps it’s time for some wine-ing. Or some yoga. Or hey, both at once?
Here’s the funny incident that prompted this post. I was sitting at my favorite restaurant last week, at the bar, with a book, about to order a glass of wine. And let’s just stop and examine that sentence. This in itself is actually a wonderful thing in a way! For so much of my life I was too shy and nervous and concerned about what others thought of me, I’d never have been caught dead alone at a dining establishment! I would rather have starved! But there I was, having made myself a healthy meal and needing some “out in the world” time for some reason and I just headed out on my own. This is huge progress. And I attribute it to yoga. I have only recently begun to just be whoever I am, both on the mat and in the world, rather than trying to shape myself to fit a certain situation. Man, it’s taking a long time!
So anyway, back to the evening. I was sitting there with my wine menu open and a yoga teacher I know and love walked in and came over to say hi. What did I do? Immediately slammed my menu shut! As if to cover the idea that I was going to drink wine.
She did what any normal, adjusted person would do. She laughed and hugged me and sat down at her own table. To “sneak out and indulge in a huge pile of pasta,” as she put it.
But after she left me, I had a good think. Why do I still feel this need to justify my choices, to anyone at all?
Here’s what I feel about wine: I like it and I’m not addicted to it. I have never ever been a big drinker. In fact, as a younger person I didn’t binge drink or even really go out to bars because I just could not handle my liquor and was too embarrassed to be a liability or to even try to use a fake ID.
I only grew into my love of wine while helping my Dad run his wine shop. And I know a lot about it. I drink it reasonably, not too often and not too much. But I do enjoy it. Is that so bad? No. the problem I have is not with overindulging in alcohol, it’s leftover judgement from the early years of my yoga obsession (now that’s something I’m addicted to). When I first started practicing, I decided certain things were good (austerity) and certain things were bad (wine, coffee, chocolate, enjoying anything too much). It’s like if it wasn’t austere, it couldn’t possibly be yogic, present. Actually, I’m kind of embarrassed to say that ‘out loud’, so to speak.
It took me a long time to get over most of that. I had to go back to the beginning and rethink the point of yoga. I had to examine the philosophy in detail, for myself, rather than looking at things in big sweeping statements or from other people’s perspectives.
But certain vestiges of this remain, obviously. As in, “drinking is not yogic.”
And in that moment at Fragole, I decided to let the sweeping statements drop away.
Guess what, I like a great glass of wine. Enjoyed slowly. With great pleasure. From time to time. I realize that clouding one’s life experience with substances is not a way to be truly present. But I also think aversion is the flip side of attachment. Life is an ebb an flow. And rocketing from extreme to extreme isn’t the way I want to flow. I’ll take the gray areas thank you very much.
So, I’m going to share with you the really special wines I find. That doesn’t mean I encourage YOU to drink. Especially if you have a problem with alcohol. There are some things that you just can’t conquer with mindfulness and “everything in moderation.” I’ve known a few alcoholics, and can say for sure that moderation is not possible there. Getting help is absolutely necessary. For me, the addictive, sticky substances are different. Food, mostly. But I also got help. Some issues just require a helping hand.
What I want is for you, everybody, to examine your thoughts and make sure they’re your own. Also, check in, are you judging yourself more than you’d like, and hence also judging others? Maybe it’s time to drop the judgments and get back to a more connected, compassionate, really present way of going through the days and making decisions.
It’s not easy, in these human bodies in this crazy world with minds that think they are ‘everything’ and try to run the show. You’ve gotta still those swirling thoughts a little, step back from the world a little and drill down to what’s true. And that’s the yoga. It’s no easy feat. It’s certainly harder than learning a sun salute or (for me) putting your leg behind your head. But it is possible.
And by the way, that hour with a simple glass of Montepulciano was maybe one of the best times I’ve had in a while. After I got over my own “stuff” and got out of my own way I thoroughly enjoyed that barstool and book in a way I might not have done if I were at home. I didn’t click around the internet or keep checking my phone, I just tuned in as I slowly sipped. Mindfulness in action, I’d say.
Whatever your issue, I encourage you to do the same: slow down, tune in, and get out of your own way.
After all, It’s hard. Living in these human bodies. This business of consciousness thrown together with matter with swirling mind stuff, it’s gets cloudy and confusing. But I think it’s possible to work it out. I strive to get better at it. And I raise a glass to the idea of fully embodying this human incarnation, all the quirks that make me me this time around.
I work in a pretty cool office part of the week. I am part of a welcoming creative team who support each other, and I get to write puns all day long. Also, the best compliment anyone can give me for my work is “that’s so cute!” It’s a lot better than making widgets.
On the other hand, it’s really not a healthy environment. Never mind the sitting, the canned air and fluorescent lights, my fellow ‘creatives’ are just not on the healthy living path. And, seriously guys, if you’re reading this, I love you! But you do weave a wicked web with all those candies and chips and fries and such. There are bowls and bags and boxes of candy, ‘chocolate’ (mostly wax and fillers), cookies, donuts, fries and the like, sitting almost next to my desk, all day long. In fact, the rest of the office visits our area just to get their “fix’.
So if I were really a perfectionist, an all or nothing kind of eater, this would be no problem. I’d take a snooty moral stance and that would be that. But I feel tempted, just like anyone, because, hey, I’m human. Sometimes those fries smell good! And no, on a normal day I wouldn’t even think about a “treat” filled with corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, waxes and chemicals and gums. But just add a dollop of stress, and there’s the possibility I could cave. Not often, not happily, but once in a while.
What do I do? Well, sometimes I bake healthier treats to share, and try to convert my coworkers to the ‘green side’. This works pretty well, but I don’t always want to be eating even “healthy” treats. Plus, I can’t bake every single night!
Like the Boy Scouts, I say “be prepared”. Here’s what I keep around:
And that’s that, so far. But perhaps I’ll come up with more over time. What are your favorite healthy snacks to keep on hand? Let me know in the comments.
Good morning folks! Let’s start the week with a little Meatless Monday inspiration shall we?
Actually, I usually call this kind of post “veggie man days”. Not that men aren’t often vegetarian as well, it’s just that my man doesn’t like to think about the fact that his meal might be meatless (or maybe he just feels his manhood is threatened by the name) and so I coined the term “Veggie Man Days” for him.
The truth is, I think a lot of people have some idea that vegetarian meals will be
1) Bland
2) Boring
3) Unsatisfying/unsubstantial
4) “different” not like “real food” that they’re used to
It isn’t true. Or it doesn’t have to be. One of the most important missions of A Life Delectable is to show you that plants can be dressed up into gourmet packages. They don’t have to involve the wheat germ sprinkle over a pile of rice and beans a la 1970s veganism.
And I must have convinced the husband, because, well, I admit it, this recipe was his idea. I was making collards all the time last summer, and he was missing the bits of bacon he imagined should be involved. We had some sun-dried tomatoes in the house and he asked me to chop them in, and, VOILA! An awesome Veggie Man Days recipe was born. From then this side dish appeared frequently on our plates. We like the oil-cured ones we find locally, but regular old dry ones will plump up in the pan too.
I recently served this dish to some friends, and they immediately asked how to make it. So here it is Cheri and Ron, so easy you almost don’t need a recipe, but I’ll give you one to follow anyway.
And, to make it a whole nutrient dense meal, try adding pine nuts or white beans (cannellini, navy, whatever you have on hand) plus some marinated Portobello mushrooms. In fact, I did that with recently (and forgot to get pictures) and it was an amazingly satisfying totally plant based meal.
Happy Monday! Now, go get cooking!
Southern Style Braised Collards—No Bacon Required
Ingredients:
3-4 Cloves Garlic, smashed and minced
1 Large Bunch Collard Greens (Kale is great too!), cut from the stems and cut into thin strips
½ Cup Sundried Tomatoes, sliced or chopped
1 Tblsp. Olive Oil (or avocado, grapeseed or coconut)
¼ Cup Pine Nuts (optional)
Water as necessary for braising
Directions:
Heat oil over medium high heat
Add garlic and stir till slightly soft
Add collards and sun-dried tomatoes and stir to coat with oil and garlic
Add a splash of water, turn the heat to medium and cover
Let braise to desired consistency, checking frequently for moisture and adding more water as needed to prevent sticking and burning. I like my greens pretty fresh and bright, keeping more nutrients in tact. Often, I add more water while covered, then remove the cover and let it evaporate at the end. Play with it! It’s as simple as can be!
Stir in the pine nuts and serve.
As I said, I serve this very often as a side dish, but for a whole nutrient dense meal I recently added ¾ cup of white beans and then served it with strips of marinated/grilled Portobello mushroom. I think for a party presentation it would be nice to stuff the whole thing into a Portobello cap. Presto! Martha Stewart-esque Veggie Man Day Meal. Get the idea?
Get some collards and let me know how they turn out. Or hey, go plant your own for later in the summer!
I am not perfect. Surprised? Ha. I bet not. I get overwhelmed and behind and lose my love of prepping and cooking food just like everyone else. Sometimes I even let the overwhelm take me off balance.
Not. This. Time. READ MORE
Yup. I finally did it. I turned my favorite flourless muffins chocolate. Except when you do that, then you add chocolate chips, they’re not really muffins anymore, they’re cupcakes. Or are they? Who cares. They’re pretty amazing. READ MORE
You read my most recent post on whether to cleanse or not, right? If not, it’s right here! Well, if you’ve decided that it’s time to clean up your food story a little with a delectable tune-up, where in the world do you start? There are so many kinds, and so many ways to go about those various kinds, it could make a person’s head spin! READ MORE
I admit it, I am a veteran cleanser. I’ve tried almost every type of cleanse out there. So, after all that, do I think it’s a good idea? Well, I come down on both sides of the fence. I’m just not sure they’re right for everybody all the time, even me. Here are the pros and the cons, as I see them. READ MORE
It’s been a long, cold winter. Mind you, I realize I don’t have a lot to complain about, I did get to leave for 3 weeks. Still, I think we’ve all frozen up a little bit on the northeast, and although there is hope on the horizon, it feels like everyone has been in a holding pattern, just waiting for signs on spring. READ MORE
I was just about to hit publish on a fluffy little post with a green juice recipe at the end of it. Then I got an email from my sweet cousin, and had to redirect. You see, she hit on the exact nature and purpose of A Life Delectable, and I couldn’t help but share it with you.
She wrote to ask me whether:
1: I’ve ever done a cleanse and would I do it again.
2: Did I actually like the taste of whole foods when I started eating them so long ago.
Ha! She had no idea what she was in for with those questions. Yes, Debra, I’ve done every cleanse on the planet. And I have a variety of thoughts on them. It really depends on the person, where they’re at emotionally and physically and what their goals are.
DId I like the taste of whole foods when I first started? Hmmm, that’s complicated.
You see, I had a certain idea of what they were at first. I ruled out all kinds of things it would have been fine to eat. I put myself in a very tiny dogmatic box. And after a while I felt deprived.
But, cousin, and everyone else, you don’t have to! I have already been there, done that, for you. Also, the world has come a long way in 11 years and whoa, there are so many delicious indulgences in the “whole food” category now.
But more than that, I think people are scared of the term “whole foods” without knowing what they are. Like whole foods will have to taste like grass clippings or sawdust. Yes, you could include raw kale salad in that category, but no, you don’t have to. I imagine you already love lots of whole foods you don’t really recognize.
Eggs? Free range, organic ones qualify. Sweet potatoes? Lay em on me! Salad. Roasted asparagus or roasted roots. Grilled portobello mushrooms. Cream of mushroom soup with cashew ‘cream’. Lentils. Chickpeas. Avocado (OMG Guacamole!). Fruits. Nuts. Seeds. Nut butters. Oats. Olives. If you eat animal protein, that can be a whole food (just eat it sparingly and please get it local, humanely raised, and antibiotic/hormone free, grass fed).
Did you hear anything in there that you actually already like to eat? I can’t possibly list the entire range of whole foods. It’s everything that doesn’t come in a box! But if you need more convincing, check around my web site a little.
Here’s an example of a whole food treat that knocks even “omni” “regular” eaters’ socks off (and I’m talking about my dad and husband here). Cream Filled Pumpkin Muffins. Do they say 1970s hippie to you? I think not.
If that’s not good enough think cashew based pistachio ice cream, coconut macaroon raw key lime tartlets, coconut based salted caramel, dates stuffed with almond butter and preserved orange peel, chickpeas braised in red wine with sun dried tomatoes, toasted almonds and apricots all stuffed into chickpea blini. A lasagna made with cashew “ricotta” and basil pesto.
All of this can be yours. All you have to do is step away from the low fat, sugar free chemical laced packaged goods.
I can help. These questions are exactly what I set out to help people answer. How do I enjoy a whole foods lifestyle? How do I jumpstart my new habits? How do I “clean up my story” without punishing myself? How do I reset for the season?
Contact me we’ll work it out together. And, oh my goodness, it’s going to be delectable!
TO FIND OUT MORE, CONTACT LAURA OLSON >