Author Archives: Gert

Chocolate Therapy

22 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by in Notebook Pages

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Chocolate TherapyAhhh… chocolate. The feel good food. The divine bounty of royals. The ambrosia of love and romance. The real eighth wonder of the world.

It’s quite a process, but the chocolate that we know and love is derived from the fruit of the cacao tree. The Latin name, Theobroma cacao, translates to “food of the gods”. For centuries, the cacao beans (seeds) were so highly valued in some societies that they were actually used as currency.

Chocolate has a very mystical allure that has been well documented, dating back to the Mayans and Aztecs. These ancient cultures held a strong belief that the strange looking cacao beans were magical and possessed spiritual properties. The seeds were used as offerings in sacred rituals surrounding royal and religious events, and priests would serve chocolate drinks during the ceremonies. The Mayans very well may have gotten so caught up in these chocolate parties that they forgot to finish drawing their calendars.

According to data released by anthropologists from the University of Pennsylvania, chocolate has been around for more than three thousand years, dating as far back as 1400 BC. These scientists are reported to have found cacao residue on pottery excavated in Honduras. They believe the pulp of the cacao fruit, which is the sweet part that surrounds the seeds, was fermented to make some sort of alcoholic beverage. I’m just guessing, but that may be what inspired today’s version of chocolate beer. If you’re the adventurous beer drinker type, this could be just the therapy for what ales you.

The original chocolate products were mainly of the bitter drink variety, thank goodness the discriminating palates of the Europeans prompted them to add sweetener and a little milk. Bless you. Today, chocolate is not only one of my favorite e.m.PD therapies, it is also one of the most popular foods and flavors in the world, with the good citizens of Europe and North America leading the pack in chocolate consumption. Some reports indicate that the average American consumes up to twelve pounds of chocolate every year, and the Swiss top that with up to an amazing twenty-two pounds each year. I know what you’re thinking – you’re thinking there’s no way you have eaten anywhere near that much chocolate… I ate yours.

Chocolate has long been the subject of much research and debate. Lately, the reports from all of this chocolate conversation have been favorable. We are hearing that in addition to chocolate’s nutritive value, it has medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities as well. While the researchers readily admit they don’t quite understand how it all works, they continue to be fascinated with discovering how chocolate consumption affects our health. For instance, it is generally agreed that chocolate contains over three hundred different chemicals. Two that have been specifically identified are caffeine and theobromine, which produce a synergistic stimulant effect to lift your spirits and your attitude. Phenylethylamine, a step-cousin of amphetamines, is another stimulant found in chocolate, and is linked to a sense of euphoria comparable to feelings of being in love – also known as a state of bliss. These stimulants work on the “give a damn” sections of our brain that control our ability to pay attention and stay alert. They may also help control inappropriate responses to forced social interactions that occur during the early morning hours, when our social centers are still in snooze mode.

Unless you live under a rock in Bikini Bottom, you have probably heard that antioxidants are good for you. Flavanols are a type of antioxidant found in cocoa (cacao) beans. These dark chocolate flavanols can improve your overall cardiovascular health, and may help control your blood pressure. This is especially important when you’re diligently working your way through a bout of e.m.PD and somebody wants to discuss your feelings. Researchers wonder if there is an indirect effect on brain health due to the increased blood flow to brain cells. The question is – does a brain treated to a delicious dose of chocolate work better than a plain brain? The answer is yes, yes it does. Although I am intrigued by the research, I am not too concerned about the results. I know for a fact that chocolate makes me feel good, and ultimately, that’s a good thing for the people who have to be around me.

Personally, I like to keep a small stash of chocolates on hand in a variety of flavors and forms – for emergencies. In a matter of minutes I can whip up a steaming cup of hot cocoa, or stir up an ice-cold glass of chocolate milk. In a matter of seconds I can visit my “chocolate vault” and select a delectable, relationship-saving morsel. This, I gladly do for the good of humanity. OK, it’s really for me, the humanity thing is an appreciable side effect.

Chocolate is extremely versatile when used as an e.m.PD therapy. You can eat it, you can drink it, and you can even combine it with other therapies such as Coffee Therapy and Avoidance Therapy. For many non-coffee drinkers, chocolate is the go-to alternative, and may soon replace coffee as second only to Avoidance Therapy.

As far as reports concerning other medicinal qualities of chocolate are concerned, I have a friend who swears M&Ms are like an anti-depressant in a candy coated shell. And, if you decide to scarf down a handful it doesn’t trigger frantic calls to 9-1-1.

Still, there’s a lot of ongoing research regarding the actual therapeutic effects of chocolate. This is a special note to the chocolate researchers – I’m available. Call me: 866-CHOCO – umm, maybe an Owl Gram would be better.

For more info on the history of chocolate, and links to research data, please refer to articles posted by Kat Morgenstern, Amanda Bensen, Maria Godoy, and the fine folks over at the Exploratorium. Enjoy the reading and enjoy your Chocolate Therapy!

End entry .\ /.

Let’s Talk Salad!

16 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by in Kitchen Creations

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Hearty SaladThis post was actually inspired by ChefDeHome and her Green Week (aka Only Salad for Lunch Week) a while back. The original title for my post was going to be “How to Turn a 30 Calorie Bag of Lettuce Into a Hearty Meal Under 500 Calories”, but you can see all of the obvious issues there. Before we begin making our salad, I need to register a few disclaimers:
I am NOT a Food Blogger.
I own beautiful serving dishes, but I don’t use them for everyday salads.
These are real pictures, of a real salad, that I really ate. All of it.
I took these photos back when I tried that take-a-picture-of-everything-you-eat-and-lose-weight diet. It didn’t work. But I have lots of food pictures now, so I might as well get some use out of them.
The brand names you see are what I happen to use, no promos here.

Now that we have all of that out of the way, let’s talk salad!

In all honesty, I don’t really care for lettuce as a stand-alone food item. It’s great for sandwiches, or wrapped between a tortilla and some grilled chicken, or for adding color and crunch to a burger, or, as used here, to host the other ingredients of a hearty salad.

Salad Fixins

So, lettuce make salad. (You should know by now that I can’t resist an easy pun.) ChefDeHome mentions on her blog that there are many different kinds of lettuce, and they all have a certain flavor. Some flavors are better than others – my words, not hers. I don’t like the varieties that have a bitter after-taste to them. Fortunately, I discovered Sweet Butter lettuce a couple of years ago and I really like it – as far as lettuce goes.

I always start by washing my lettuce, even if the bag says that it has already been washed. If the idea of wet lettuce offends you, you can toss it around on paper towels to get rid of the excess moisture, or invest in one of those salad spinner thingies. Draining it in the colander works well enough for me, and a little dampness helps with the next step. Since I didn’t use the whole bag, I estimated about 20 calories for the lettuce.

Wash Your Lettuce!

There was a time when I would just turn a bottle of dressing bottoms up and squeeze. I love Ranch Dressing. In an effort to change my wanton ways, I switched to the light version, and now I only use one tablespoon of the delectable delight for an entire salad. A trick that I like to use is to toss my lettuce with the dressing before I add the other ingredients. This, along with a little dampness from the washing, improves the chances of getting dressing on all of the lettuce. I have tried that technique where you dip the tip of your fork in the dressing, pinkie up, and then spear a big bite of salad – that doesn’t work for me. I’m an equal opportunity dressing-er and I believe each leaf should be coated equally.

Next, I will chop up the rest of the ingredients, if needed, and add them to my salad in no particular order. Sometimes I rinse my raisins, sometimes I don’t. But I will remove any wayward stems that managed to survive processing.

So, here’s my estimated calorie tally:
2 Cups lettuce – 20 cal
1 TB Light Ranch Dressing – 35 cal
Colby Jack cheese – 80 cal
1 large boiled egg – 75 cal
3 slices deli ham (2 oz) – 60 cal
1 snack size box raisins – 100 cal

Grand total – 370 calories

Hearty Tossed Salad

And there you have it folks. What started out as a plain, unassuming bag of lettuce is transformed into a hearty meal with calories to spare. I love the way the flavors blend with the textures to create a medley of yumminess. Bon Appétit!

Another Great Idea Down the Drain?

08 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by in Creative Therapy

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

The Shower MuseI need to come clean about something – I get some of my best ideas when I’m in the shower. There just seems to be something mystical about all of those tiny little water torpedoes finding their target as you close your eyes in surrender to the sounds of the rhythmic pulsations creating images of waterfalls in a botanical paradise. Kind of like this. Water Fall

When my Shower Muse shows up, great ideas just seem to flow, and they are beautiful. But, of course, I’m all wet and soapy, and by the time I get out of the shower and grab a pen, all of those great ideas are history, swirling down the drain like so many tiny bubbles.bubbles in drain

There was a time when I could remember every thought that crossed my mind. Mostly. But those days are a vague, distant memory, gone the way of the covered wagon and the Pony Express. These days, things pop into my head and disappear almost as quickly as they arrive, like fireflies and faerie dust.

Feel free to raise your hand if this has ever happened to you – the Shower Muse shows up with all of those wonderful ideas and you have no place to write them down, you can feel them slipping from your grasp like a wet bar of soap. You – we – are not alone. I have heard so many people offer up the same complaint over and over again, “I was in the shower when the perfect solution to xyz problem just popped into my head. I couldn’t believe it. But, by the time I got out of the shower and found something to write on, I couldn’t remember any of it. Darn, another great idea down the drain.”

I actually discovered a solution to this problem years ago, during one of my musing moments in the shower, and I have shared it whenever this conversation comes up. Now, I would like to share it with you.Writing on the wall

When fireflies pop into my head I act fast and capture them with my magic pen – I write on the walls. I keep a dry-erase marker next to the shower, and if I think of something noteworthy I just grab the marker and write it on the shower wall. I can take my time finishing my shower and transcribing my notes to my journal. Then I clean it all up with a soft cloth or paper towel. To make sure I get rid of any lingering residue left by the dry-erase ink, I wipe the walls down with alcohol wipes, or alcohol on cotton balls. That would be the rubbing variety, not the drinking kind – although…

A word of caution is in order – I have found that not all markers are created equally, and neither are the shower walls. I would suggest that you find an inconspicuous spot to test before you commit. If your markers leave a stain or end up being hard to remove, you can try window cleaner or a cleaner made for dry-erase boards.

I know that some of you are thinking, “I don’t have a plain old white shower, I have beautiful slate tiles” – or something along those lines. All is not lost. Check your local office supply store for a moisture resistant dry-erase board, or, you could easily make one using a precut sheet of acrylic, or an acrylic photo frame. I added a background to this one just because, and to make it easier to read.e.m.PD Dry Erase Board

I also happen to have a metal tub, so the magnets on the back keep it handy. If you don’t happen to have a cool metal tub like this one, you could use a couple of those suction cups with the hooks on them to attach your board to the shower wall.

If the whole marker and dry-erase board thing doesn’t work for you, another possible option might be those bath-time crayons that little kids like to use. Again, I would strongly suggest testing before you commit. The real goal here is to release your inner child and let your imagination run wild – see what creative solutions you can find to capture the fireflies your Shower Muse brings. That, or be prepared to jump out of the shower really, really fast…

Happy Musings!

Essentially Woman

06 Tuesday Aug 2013

Posted by in OPC

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Essentially WomanThis piece speaks to me. I have always wanted to say that! But seriously, if you look closely, you can see the silhouette of a woman standing tall like a tree – in her community, in her village, in her home – where her roots run deep, drawing her strength from all that surrounds her. There is a child-like figure at her feet, reaching up to her as a mother, a mentor, a friend. She is there to nurture, and guide, and love. There is a hustle and bustle of people and activity all around her, but she remains grounded and steadfast, a beacon to those who need her. She is their refuge, their hope, their joy, always at the ready to give of herself and of her heart. If you look just a tiny bit closer, and to the right, you can see the silhouette of another woman, sharing her strength and love in her community, in her village, in her home.

The artist, Shannon Walton, describes herself as a woman who wears many hats, and is many things to many people, but in all things, she is essentially woman. She created the pieces in this collection as a tribute to the women who have influenced her life, and to give homage to their quiet strength. She arranged the display to symbolize a “gathering of women” – this speaks to a special bond that exists among women who gather in a spirit of love and support. In a moment of retrospect, Shannon notes that she often finds her own strength and comfort in these gatherings.

Here is an excerpt from her Artist’s Statement that explains the collection:

I have created clay vessels that resemble the figure of a woman. Like women, each piece is different in both proportion and size although the general shape of each piece is similar. I’ve focused on accentuating the main features that makes a woman’s body different from a man’s – wide, curvy hips, concave waist, and plump breasts. These vessels have become a tribute to those women who have influenced and impacted my life.

Here’s another look at the collection and the artist. If you’d like to find out more about her work send me an Owl Gram and I will gladly pass it along.

A Book Too Thick

31 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by in Out & About

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Library BooksI wanted a change of scenery for writing today, so I decided to hang out in my local library, and found a comfy chair in a quiet corner near the children’s section. In the course of an hour I heard at least three moms admonish their young child, telling him or her the book that had been so carefully selected from the shelf was “too thick”. I’m just venting here, but too thick? Not “the words are too big” or “the content is too mature” – too thick?

I love to read, and the size of the book has never been my main concern. Both of my children grew up as avid readers and I never discouraged a book based on the size, although there were a couple that I nixed for content. Like the comic book my then nine year-old son selected with pictures of a young naked girl giving a young boy a bath. It was one of those Japanese comics that you read from back to front. I wasn’t ready for him to view nudity in that context, and returned the book myself. I was aware of the risk I was taking by allowing him to venture into the young adult section at such a tender age, but I wanted to fuel his thirst for reading, not squash it. I’m afraid his quest to find more of the titillating topics may have been the driving force for a while, but hey, at least he was reading.

Getting back to my original point – so what if the chosen book is thicker than any of the other books the child has read before, children have a tendency to experience growth spurts over the summer – perhaps she is having a growth spurt in reading as well, and it’s time to advance. How will she ever know if she can read a “thick book” in two weeks if she isn’t allowed to at least try?

A special note to Moms: Please put away your “angry pens”, this is not an attempt to tell you how to raise your children, just an observation and a suggestion.