“To change one's life: do it flamboyantly, do it immediately, no exceptions.”

I love the deceptive simplicity, the cocky absoluteness, the bold challenge… I try to make those flamboyant changes every day. It's not easy, but I keep at it anyway…

Making Changes

I went to a potluck picnic the other day. Generally, I like these sorts of things because I get to try out recipes from my cookbook (yes, I 'm still writing it and yes, it will be done sooner than later) on an objective and unsuspecting audience.
     So I wanted to know what to bring, expecting to be asked for some kind of salad or vegetarian main dish (I make a mean vegetarian lasagna). Nope. “Could you bring a dessert? Or maybe a beverage?”
     Dessert? Really? So not my strong suit. 

Here are some not-so-little-known facts about me: 

     * I do not have a sweet tooth (which, by the way, is a remarkably good thing not to have when wheat and eggs are unceremoniously ripped from your diet. That way there's not a lot of crying over the cakes, cookies and pies you no longer get to enjoy). 

     * I love to cook—I hate to bake. Seriously. I can't even manage a pre-packaged mix without a lot of eye-rolling and shaking my head in exasperation.  

     * The aforementioned allergies impose some serious limitations in the dessert arena. I've been advised not to even handle eggs which is a) crazy, b) inconvenient and c) absolutely true. 

     But I'm changing! Flamboyantly! Now! No exceptions! And I do so love a challenge…so off I went in search of a wheat-free, egg-free dessert that would be absolutely delicious—and I found one. 
     Brownies made without wheat and eggs—with a deliciousness guarantee, to boot. I even had all of the ingredients, which was kind of amazing and very serendipitous. I took this as a sign that it was meant to be.

I bet you think this story has a happy ending, don't you?

Well, it doesn't. 

Actually, it does, but not as far as those brownies are concerned. Who knew that a last-minute substitution would be such a game-changer? Yep, definitely a cook, but certainly not a baker. Alas, those poor brownies—delicious though they were—never quite set right and never made it to the party. That said, if you follow the directions, these brownies are absolutely fabulous and perfectly wonderful. You should try them. I, unfortunately, don't always do as I'm told.
     Did I mention I don't have a sweet tooth? I started looking through the cupboards and the fridge, determined to find something—anything—that I could whip up in a jiffy that would be acceptable to bring to a picnic. No sweet dessert-makings to be had! I'm not one to give up easily and so I kept looking…
     What did I find? Lemons. Not at all surprising for the droll girl with a wry sense of humor and no sweet tooth.
     What did I make? Only the best Homemade Sparkling Lemonade ever. Life handed the droll girl with a wry sense of humor and no sweet tooth lemons and she made lemonade. 
     Did I mention my love of irony and happy endings? Sometimes making a flamboyant change involves embracing your true nature and celebrating it—lemons and all. 

Wasted Food = Wasted $

So let's talk about your refrigerator. When's the last time you took a look to see what's really in there? When it comes to wasting food—which translates to wasting your hard-earned cash—forgotten items in the fridge are a key culprit. One easy way to save money is simply to take a quick inventory of what's in your refrigerator before you head to the grocery store. See what you have on hand and figure out how you can use it. Plus, there's the added benefit of knowing beforehand what you're out of instead of making an unhappy discovery mid-recipe. 

Mostly, I check the fridge to see what's in there before I do my shopping for the week. Then again, sometimes I don't—which is what led to a recent stockpile of cucumbers, carrots and parsnips. See? Not perfect and perfectly happy.

Treasury of Soups

Let me just tell you how I feel about cucumbers. I love, love, love them. Peeled and sliced on a plate, in a salad or pickled in any way…I'm absolutely mad for them. But of my favorite concoctions is in a lovely green gazpacho featuring cucumber, mint and a hint of poblano. Now that the days are getting hot, Cucumber Mint Gazpacho is one very cool, refreshing and very easy-to-prepare soup. 

I also happen to love soup. My mother tells me that when I was little, I always wanted soup for breakfast. Why not? I still do. And lunch. And supper. 

So armed with a bunch of carrots, some locally grown parsnips and a few other goodies, I put on my [imaginary] chef's hat and went to work The result? Oven-Roasted Carrot and Parsnip Bisque. 

Moral of the Story

No food went to waste. The money I didn't spend on things I already had went toward fresh produce from the farmer's market—not to mention I had plenty of room for it in my newly cleaned out fridge. AND I made two simple and delicious soups to nourish me throughout the week! 

Give it a shot for yourself and be sure to let me know how it turns out…

Beauty from the Inside Out

All the beauty products in the world are not going to make you look your best if your skin is unhealthy. The best way to give your skin that healthy glow is to actually be healthy. This means taking care of yourself by drinking enough water, getting plenty of rest and eating in a way that’s healthy.

Eat the Rainbow

And no I don’t mean Skittles. If you want to look good, you have to eat right. When you are healthy, you look healthy. Treat yourself to plenty of blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums and prunes. Yum! And oh, by the way, they’re good for you.
      Other skin-enhancing foods include carrots, sweet potatoes, collards, spinach, kale and beets. What do these foods have in common? They make up a rainbow of beautiful colors-an indicator that they’re rich in vitamins and antioxidants great for combating those skin-damaging free radicals.

Not Just Another Fish Story

The Omega 3 fatty acids found in cold-water ocean fish provide your body with the healthy fats it needs for energy and for absorbing vital vitamins. Wild-caught Pacific salmon is a great source of Omega 3s. You can also get Omega 3s from plant-based sources like flaxseed, walnuts, hazelnuts, strawberries and black raspberries.

For more information on what foods to eat for healthy skin, check out my article, "7 Tips for Healthy Skin," on Ezine.com.

Also check out the February edition of my monthly newsletter, "News from the Humble Neighborhood," (published Feb. 8 ) for skin-enhancing recipes and simple facial masks you can make from items found in your own kitchen.

As far as cooking goes, beets are really wonderful because you can use both the greens and the roots to make completely different dishes. This week I started toying with that idea and ended up with a combination of oven-roasted beets (and other tasty root vegetables) and sautéed greens. These dishes are lovely on their own, but also delicious (my favorite) when served together.

I love this dish and wanted to share it, so I’ve decided to do is to post a few recipes in this blog in hopes of sharing and getting some feedback. I’d love to hear what you think!

Oven-Roasted Beets with Sautéed Greens

Ingredients:
A bunch of beets, including the greens
3 or 4 (or more, if you like) baby turnips, peeled and cut in chunks
6-8 fingerling potatoes
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tsp butter (optional)
Kale
Mushrooms, sliced
Garlic, sliced
Balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Wash the beets and trim the greens (leaving an inch or so of the stalks attached to the beets) and set aside. You want to keep the beetroot intact, so that lovely color doesn’t run and turn the other vegetables pink.  Put the beets, turnips and potatoes in an oven-safe baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to one hour, until vegetables are soft (a knife will slide in and out easily).

Meanwhile, wash the beet greens and kale (discarding the kale stems) and tear or roughly chop into bite-sized pieces. Wash and slice mushrooms. Slice the garlic.

When the root vegetables are nearly done, heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter stops sizzling, add the mushrooms and sauté until soft. (Note: if you don’t want to use butter, you can just use olive oil instead. I just happen to like the flavor combination of mushrooms and butter). Add the sliced garlic and sauté until it begins to turn golden. Add the greens and sauté until they turn bright green and begin to wilt. Remove from stove; add a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar and toss.

Arrange the greens on a plate and place oven-roasted vegetables on top. At this point, I like to rub the beets to remove the skin and then slice the beets before placing them on the greens.

Go Beets!