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Barbara Scoville, LCSW

~ Pioneers of Peace™

Barbara Scoville, LCSW

Category Archives: Recipes

Rustic Artisan Bread; Food for Your Soul

02 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Mindfulness, Recipes, Resilience

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Tags

Alice Waters, Artisan Bread Tutorial, Bread Baking, Edible Schoolyard, Slow Food

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Many summers ago a dear friend taught me the art of baking Italian bread. Stir the little yeasties gently in one direction so as to not upset them. Give them a little sugar to help them grow… After several risings, and shaping into long beautiful loaves, the bread would finally be done. We’d carefully saw slices from the delicate warm loaves and eat them, sometimes with butter and some times with chunks of cheddar cheese. That summer we made omelettes using fresh vegetables from the garden, and though my memory is fuzzy, I think we ate off of hand made plates. Little did I know way back then, the seeds of the slow food movement were being planted in my soul.

I think one of the most meditative things we can do is to slow down and prepare the food we put in our bodies. The miracle of life is in everything we eat: it nourishes us, comforts us, and sustains us. When we become mindless about essentials, we lose ourselves in the mad dash of a face paced existence.IMG_2382

ALICE WATERS, Chef: “When you eat fast food, you not only eat the food that is unhealthy for you, but you digest the values that comes with that food. And they’re really about fast, cheap and easy…Probably the greatest lesson I have learned from the Edible Schoolyard project is that, when children grow food and they cook it, they all want to eat it.Alice Waters teaches slow food values in a fast food world.”
July 23, 2015 at 6:20 PM EDT PBS News Hour.

I haven’t lost my love for baking bread and recently I have learned how to bake artisan loaves. My gift to you is this tutorial. Slow down and bake a loaf for yourself.

For one loaf you will need: 

Cast Iron enameled bakeware such as Le Creuset, 2 cups water, 2 Tablespoons of yeast, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 1/2  teaspoon of salt, 5-6 cups flour, 2 Tablespoons of butter (optional)

My recipe: this is doubled for two loaves. The recipe I'm giving you is for one loaf

My recipe: this is doubled for two loaves. The recipe I’m giving you is for one loaf

Start by putting your ungreased bakeware into a 450 degree oven. This preheats the bakeware which is the secret to baking crusty artisan bread. Leave the bakeware in the oven until you are ready to put the bread dough in it. 

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This recipe is made in a Bosch or Kitchen Aid mixer. You can make it by hand also.

Pour 2 Cups warm water into mixing bowl. Add yeast, sugar, salt, and melted butter (optional).

Wait until the yeast is activated…

Yeast is activated when it begins to get bubbly

Yeast is activated when it begins to get bubbly

Turn mixer on and begin adding flour 1 cup at a time. You will know when you have added enough flour as soon as the dough cleans the side of the mixing bowl.

IMG_3285The second the dough cleans the side of the bowl, set the time for 5 minutes and let the mixer continue to knead. After 5 minutes turn the mixer off and put a clean towel over the bowl allowing the dough to rise for 20 minutes or until doubled.

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After the dough is doubled in size turn it out onto a floured counter or bread board and gently knead into a ball.

Carefully take you hot bakeware out of the oven and remove the lid.

Carefully take you hot bakeware out of the oven and remove the lid.

Place the ball of dough into the bakeware. You can cut deep slits in the crust for extra beauty if you’d like.

IMG_3290Put the lids on the bakeware and return to oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Take the bakeware out of the oven and remove lid.

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Return bakeware to oven for another 15 minutes.

IMG_3294Remove bread from oven and bakeware. Cool on wire racks.


Bon appétit!

Cheers!

Cheers!

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Kick Ass Lentil Soup (excuse my French)

11 Wednesday Feb 2015

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Recipes, Wellness

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Clean eating, Healthy Comfort Food, Healthy Recipes, Kick Ass Lentil Soup, Super Foods

IMG_2826Sunday morning I woke up feeling like a dragon had taken up residence in my mouth. No I don’t mean bad breath; I mean my mouth was on fire. I had a headache and every nerve in my body was screaming.

As much as I hated to admit it, I knew I needed to go to an Instacare. I arrived shortly after 8:00 am, thinking if I could just get this over with I could get on with my day. After all, I was expecting somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 guests for dinner. The day before I made the most awesome (I hate that word, but it works) chicken stock  and was planning on serving homemade chicken noodle soup, fresh bread and salad.

The good doctor walked in, told me to say “Awww”, and then escorted me over to the mirror. Shining his light into my mouth he asked me to take a look. “Holy cow! What is wrong with me?” to which he replied, “You have hand, foot, and mouth disease.”

As visions of farm animal galloped through my head, he quickly followed his diagnosis with, “No, no, it’s not what your thinking.” This is an illness that mostly  children get. When kids contract it they have sores on their hands and feet, along with their mouth. Adults only get it in their mouth. It’s a virus. Sorry, there isn’t any treatment for it, but I can give you numbing medicine because it’s only going o get worse before it gets better.”

Stunned, I said, “How contagious am I?” “Pretty contagious; You shouldn’t be preparing food for anyone.” 😦 😦

So that’s a long explanation for why I have been home sick all week. My apologies to all of my clients I had to cancel, but trust me: You don’t want this.

For those of you who know me, sitting for anything but knitting, watching Blacklist, or meditating, is not my thing. Needless to say, this has been a hard week on many levels. So yesterday as I began to turn the corner, I put my disposable latex gloves on and made my favorite lentil soup. I took pictures along the way so that I could share the recipe with you. It used to be called “Lentil Soup” but yesterday in my somewhat sick state I renamed it, “Kick Ass Lentil Soup,” because well, I was feeling like kicking some ass after sitting on mine all week.  I think the name is going to stick. Forgive me.

This is my offering to those of you I could not be with this week. It is comfort food. As for the rest of you who are reading this, enjoy the offering.

Kick Ass Lentil Soup

Ingredients: 1 large onion diced, 2 garlic cloves minced, 2-4 T olive oil, 2 quarts good stock, 1 med sweet potato peeled and cubed, 1 large carrot grated, 3 cups fresh grape tomatoes, 1-2 cups fresh baby spinach, 1 T crushed basil, 1 tsp herbs de Provence, 1 tsp coriander, red pepper flakes to taste, salt to taste. Optional garnish, but well worth it…roasted peppers sliced thin, grated lemon zest, and hot sauce (I prefer Tapatio).

Heat 2-3 T olive oil in heavy soup pot and sauté onion and garlic until transparent.

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French Lentils

French Lentils

Add French lentils and broth. Bring to boil and simmer 1 hour.

Add lentils
My broth is really concentrated so I used 1 qt broth and 1 qt water
Bring to boil
Cover and simmer 1 hour

After simmering for 1 hour, add diced sweet potato and simmer another hour, watching water level.

Add sweet potato
Cover and simmer 1 hour

Meanwhile wash grape tomatoes. Turn oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil. Toss tomatoes in remaining olive oil, herbs de Provence, kosher salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.


After the soup and potatoes have simmered for an hour; add tomatoes, grated carrot, spinach, basil, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 30 minutes.


Decision time.  If you like your soup chunky it’s done. Salt to taste and enjoy. Personally, this is where I get my immersion blender out and puree it. If you are a lover of the Salt Lake City restaurant, Mazza, you won’t want it any other way.

To make it extra special; after ladling the soup into bowls, garnish it with lemon zest, thin strips of roasted yellow, orange, or red peppers, and for extra spice, splash it with hot sauce.

Voila! Bon Appetit!

Voila! Bon Appetit!

Have a great week everyone and may you always find your cup half full 🙂

Love,

Barbara

P.S. For some reason I was not able to add links to my post today. The chicken stock I made was from Ina Garten and can be found both on Food Network’s website and The Barefoot Contessa’s website.

Mazza Cafe is located at 1515 1500 E Salt Lake City, UT
(801) 484-9259
Mazza Middle Eastern Cuisine
912 East 9th South
Salt Lake City, UT
(801) 521-4572

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Tuscan Lemon Herb Buried Chicken

06 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Buon Appetito, Clean eating, dried herbs, Fresh herbs, harvest, herb garden, herb grinder, Kitchen garden, Lemon, Lemon herb chicken, Mediterranean cooking, recipes, Thyme, Tuscany

IMG_1869This chicken will make your mouth happy!

I absolutely love Fall! Over the past couple of weeks I have been harvesting my herb garden by cutting basil, sage, oregano, and thyme, and tying them into big bunches to dry.IMG_1868After they are dried I use an herb grinder.

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And then put them into cute little herb jars.

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The aroma is heavenly; so intense compared to store bought.

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After bringing the herbs in from the garden and tying them into bundles, there are tons of loose leaves that don’t make it into the bundles. Bonanza! Can you imagine how much it would cost to buy that many herbs at the store? Don’t let them go to waste. Gather them up and make this delicious dish 🙂

Tuscan Lemon Herb Buried Chicken

6 Chicken breasts

Olive oil

Sea salt

Fresh cracked pepper

1 lemon sliced thin

1-2 cups fresh herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, sage)

Directions: Put 6 chicken breasts into a beautiful baking dish. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Lay lemon slices across chicken and then bury those breasts with as many herbs as you can. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in fridge for a couple of hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/12 hours. Your kitchen will smell beautiful.

Buon Appetito!

If you like this recipe take a look at: Buon Appetito; An Authentic Italian recipe

Until next time, may you find your cup have full 🙂

Barbara (The Blog Whisperer)

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I Just Have to Share…

18 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Caregiver's Storyboard, Pioneers of Peace, Recipes, Resilience

≈ Leave a comment

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Greetings Friends,

This morning I was checking out Facebook and saw this video shared by an old friend of mine. I am so  impressed and touched, that I must share this Pioneer of Peace’s story.  I hope it brings happiness to your day as it did mine.

Click on the link to see what is right in the world today 🙂

<iframe src=”https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=653769891307979&#8243; width=”960″ height=”540″

Happy Wednesday!

Barbara (The Blog Whisperer)

P.S. Thanks Cyndy for sharing

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True Confessions of a Former Caregiver…and a darn good cookie recipe

02 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Pioneers of Peace, Recipes, Resilience

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Adult Children Caring for Parents, Aging, Aging Parents, Caregiver, Caregiver Burnout, Caregiver Manifesto, Caregiving, chocolate chip cookie recipe, Elder Care, Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, Senior Care

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Two years ago my mother passed away; I had been her primary caregiver for over seven years.

Like all adult children caring for their aging parents, I saw a side of my mom I had never seen as a child.

As a young person, I looked up to her. I thought she was beautiful and attempted to imitate her style. In high school, when everyone was wearing bikinis at the pool, I was wearing a one-piece black bathing suit that looked really classy (very Grace Kelly).

We shopped, people-watched, and had deep talks together. My friends loved her, and she loved them.  Chocolate chip cookies were her specialty and we ate them until we popped.

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Gourmet Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

(After all, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down :-))

You will need: butter, brown sugar, white sugar, real vanilla extract, 1 egg, kosher salt, baking soda, flour, milk chocolate chips.

3/4 cup cold butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

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Mix just until blended. You’ll need a heavy duty mixer like a Kitchen Aid to handle the cold butter.

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Add: 1 egg and 1tsp real vanilla extract. Mix just until it looks slimy.

Add: 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 2 cups flour. Mix until incorporated. If you over-mix, the cookies will spread out and get too thin.

Add a 12 oz bag (2 cups) of your favorite milk chocolate chips. I like Nestles, Ghiridelli, or  Hershey’s mini kisses. Blend just until incorporated.

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Scoop with a mini ice cream scooper and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

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Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a paper towel lined counter.

They smell great

They smell great

My mother took the prize for meeting me in my world.  She listened to my music and showed an interest in the things that were important to me. I remember the fun of going to a fortuneteller together, but most of all, through her example, I learned to love people and diversity, in that order. The time we spent together was precious and I missed her terribly when I went away to college.

Three generations. From left to right: Me, Grandma, Mom, my sister Debbie

Three generations. From left to right: Me, Grandma, Mom, my sister Debbie and Buffy.

As an adult, I saw my mother through very different eyes. 

The woman who was so wonderful when I was a child, became very difficult to deal with when I took over her care after my father’s death.

Before Mom became my responsibility, she suffered multiple mini strokes, which led to major brain surgery and significant personality changes.  Negative character traits that were barely visible in my younger years became exaggerated.

Her impulse control was practically non-existent. She said hurtful things that came to her mind, which previously she would have kept to herself, and she was paranoid about my father coming back from the dead to chastise her.

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I think it might have been easier to handle had I been with her through all of her changes, but after I married and moved away, our relationship was reduced to telephone calls, and a one weeklong visit each year.  After my father’s diagnosis of cancer they moved to Salt Lake City, so that I could help.

My dad made cryptic attempts to warn me about what was coming, but to his credit, because he loved her, he never exposed her shortcomings. I wish he ‘d been less cryptic and more direct, because I truly fell into being my mother’s caregiver with a blindfold on.

Up until that time I believed my mother believed in me, to which I attribute much of my success in life.

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That changed when she began to vilify me, the same way she did my father and most other perceived authority figures throughout her life.

As I struggled to raise my own family, work full time, and manage a new diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, I did my best to care for her. I cut back my job from full time to part time, losing much needed income in an attempt to find balance.

I took her to all of her doctor appointments, managed her medications, provided her meals, shopped for her, visited with her and took her to get her hair done. Basically I took care of her needs, as I would have for any of my children that I loved so dearly.

She would thank me to my face and tell me how wonderful I was, but then tell our mutual friends her complaints, which of course would get back to me. I wasn’t spending enough time with her, I wasn’t giving her dessert, I had to work too much…

Every story had a shred of truth, which hooked me into a waterfall of guilt and shame.

The “people watching” we shared in my youth, which served to unite us, began to tear us apart when I became the central figure of her gossip.  All of a sudden I was on the outside and we both became victims of each others hurt and fear.

She told me my father never wanted me, and was especially disappointed I wasn’t a boy. She told me he never approved of my marrying my husband and things associated with that that are still too painful for me to write.  She told me she and my father had a pact to kill themselves (she had a gun and knew how to use it), should they ever become so ill they would have to move in with my sister or me.

My mother opened up a Pandora’s box of information that was never intended for my ears. To this day I don’t know if those things were true, if they were designed and said to hurt me, or if in her confused state she was incapable of knowing the truth.

She abused medications, sabotaged several much needed vacations, and went on hunger strikes resulting in anorexia.

It was more than I could handle. I couldn’t process:

1. The mother I loved, aging rapidly and leaving me

2. The new information she was feeding me that challenged my core beliefs, which    were the bedrock of my identity

3. The shock of her betrayal of me to my friends

4. Her drug abuse

5. Her sheer willfulness resulting in life threatening anorexia, which I interpreted as the most profound protest of my inadequate care

6. My profession of listening all day to people who were hurting

7. Everything that comes with multiple sclerosis, including medication that weekly gave me flu-like symptoms, headaches, weakness, and fatigue

8. The responsibilities of being a wife, a mother, and a homemaker

And so I began to disengage, and with disengagement, my mind competed with feelings of guilt, shame, and self-preservation.

I had to recognize what I had power over and what I didn’t. I had to accept I wasn’t capable of doing “it all.”

  •  I couldn’t stop the clock for my mother.
  •  I couldn’t return her to her youth.
  •  I couldn’t take away her pain.
  •  I couldn’t control the stories she told our friends.
  •  I couldn’t control our friend’s reactions.
  •  I couldn’t make her eat.
  •  I couldn’t stop her anger.
  •  I couldn’t mend her stroke-damaged brain and show her that her fears were   irrational.
  •  I couldn’t erase the events in her life that caused her pain.
  •  I couldn’t convince her I wasn’t like all of the people in her life who had hurt her.
  •  I couldn’t trust her to take her medications responsibly or manage her finances.
  •  I couldn’t make her the mother of my youth.
  •  I couldn’t allow her to be the all-powerful queen who had historically determined my self-worth.

But…

  • I could be kind.
  • I could be understanding.
  • I could be firm.
  • I could manage her finances and protect her from scam artists.
  • I could make sure her physical needs were met.
  • I could get her counseling if she wanted it…she didn’t.
  • I could ask my son to visit her and take her meals.
  • I could choose to never be alone with her, because that’s when she was the meanest.
  • I could take her to her appointments.
  • I could keep her medications at my house and only give her one day’s worth at a time.
  • I could listen to her.
  • I could love her.
Another 3 Generations. From left to right: My daughter Annie,Me, Mom, my daughter Cara, and my daughter Heather

Another 3 Generations. From left to right: My daughter Annie, Me, Mom, my daughter Cara, and my daughter Heather

I’d like to say it was easier once I sorted these things out, but it wasn’t. Being triggered emotionally by her relentless manipulations constantly challenged what I knew rationally. We were both trying to survive, each with our own handicaps.

For the most part, I’m not proud of the time I spent caring for my mother. As in parenting my own children, I discovered unflattering parts of myself I hadn’t been aware of, and was often incapable of wrestling those aspects of myself to the ground. Many times I wanted to give up, but I never did. I was given a test and I performed to the best of my ability.

My mother had been given a test also, and I am confident she also performed to the best of her ability.

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In the end I realize I was naïve in my assumptions about caregiving, much the same as we often are about marriage and parenting.  I was in possession of some powerful personal myths, which created catastrophic conflict with my reality.

My Caregiving Myths

  1. There is something wrong with me if I don’t welcome caregiving the parents who gave me life.
  2.  I should be willing to give up everything, including: financial security, exercise, sleep, time with my own family, going to the doctor for myself, friends, and hobbies.
  3. The same childhood rule that I shouldn’t say “no” to my parents, still applies when I’m an adult.
  4. I must protect my parents from all discomfort, both physical and mental.
  5. Aging parents want what’s best for their children, even when they aren’t capable of constructing reality.
  6. Energy will appear when I’m doing the “right” thing.
  7. I will have time to repair my own body when my caregiving duties are over.
  8. If I were a better person I would be able to do it all.
  9. I am a terrible person for seeing my mother’s flaws.
  10. Caregiving should be delightful for both of us. We should both be grateful for the experience.
  11. Duty should feel good.

Caregiving, like parenting, does not come with a manual.  It’s a developmental stage of life that deserves much more study and commentary.  I’d love to hear from you on the subject. Do you have any caregiver myths?

What I Wish I Would’ve Known or in Other Words…What I Learned

  1. Caregiving is rarely convenient, the inconvenience of which naturally creates conflicting emotions… all of which are normal.
  2. Boundaries are essential in caregiving. I can’t care for others well if I’m not taking care of myself.
  3. Owning and honoring my adult identity is a developmental task that takes its turn getting strengthened and weakened when caregiving a parent.
  4. It is mindless to slip into a childlike state of mind, expecting my mother to be the mother of my childhood. It blurs reality and makes it impossible to navigate caregiving.
  5. I am not responsible for creating bliss for my parents. Nobody gets bliss. We all are in charge of our own happiness and we will all experience discomfort, emotionally and physically.
  6. When people are struggling with their most basic primitive needs, altruism is not an option.
  7. Energy comes from proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise.
  8. Today is always the time to take care of my body. Neglect can be irreversible.
  9. Nobody can “do it all.”  Nobody. Nobody.
  10. The antidote for doing “it all,” is to define what “it all” is.  Sometimes “it all” is nothing more than a powerful unidentifiable feeling.
  11. It is important to determine what is realistic and what isn’t; then prioritize and identify what is most important.
  12. It is a mind contortion to see a parent behaving the way they taught you not to act.
  13. It isn’t blasphemy to see  parents as something different than The Great and Powerful Oz.
  14. Caregiving is hard for both the caregiver and the cared for.
  15. Duty means doing something because it is the right thing to do. It definitely doesn’t have to feel good.  Just ask Dwight Eisenhower.

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I did my best. If I was given a do-over with the knowledge I have now, I would like to say I would do some things differently, but I don’t think I would. I just would have liked my heart, my mind, and my actions to be on the same page.

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What has your experience been? I think it’s time for a Caregiver’s Manifesto. Write to me and tell me what you would like to see on such a document, should it exist?

That’s all for this week. Until next time, may you find your cup half full 🙂

Barbara (The Blog Whisperer)

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I Just Have to Share This….

01 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Recipes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

chicken provencal, crock pot, French cooking, Le Creuset, Slow cooker, Soups and Stews

Whenever I find something I LOVE…I just have to share 🙂 🙂

Dutch Oven Chicken Provencal Stew from Design Mom, adapted from Big Girls, Small Kitchen

Dutch Oven Chicken Provencal Stew from Design Mom, adapted from Big Girls, Small Kitchen

This summer while on vacation, a friend told me about the blog, Design Mom. I’ve spent some time looking at it and think it’s great!

I made this stew in a Le Creuset dutch oven last week and today I’m making it in a crock pot. It tastes so good, it makes my face happy.

Here’s the link. I used white wine instead of chicken broth. Don’t forget to garnish with fresh italian parsley when serving. Delicious!

http://www.designmom.com/2013/08/living-well-15-secrets-to-dutch-oven-cooking/

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Buon Appetito! An Easy Authentic Italian Recipe

16 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Recipes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Authentic Italian recipe, Easy Italian, Pasta, Quick dinner recipe, Weeknight meals

Dinner with the Vardeu's

Dinner with the Vardeu’s

Two summers ago while in Rome, we had the pleasure of dining with our friends the Vardeu’s in their home. I think in total we had 8 courses, including fried zucchini flowers,  a beautiful mold of fresh ricotta, and lasagna with home made noodles the size of the pan. It was truly a feast!

The recipe I’m sharing with you today belongs to them, and has become a family favorite. This dish only takes 30 minutes to prepare, making it a great weeknight meal.

FYI, garlic needs to rest for ten minutes after mincing or smashing before cooking, for the full nutritional effect to be activated.

Pasta Al Tono (with tuna)

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Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Smashed garlic clove ( let sit 10 minutes before using to maximize the nutritional effect)

1 Diced onion ( size dependent on how much you like onion)

1 Can of tuna, rinsed

2 14 oz Cans of petite diced tomatoes with juice

1 Small can tomato paste

1 Teaspoon dried basil or 1 Tablespoon fresh

1/4 Teaspoon chili pepper flakes (more if you like it hot)

1/2 Cup of halved kalamata olives

1 Package angel hair pasta

Fresh grated parmesan (optional)

Large handful of chopped fresh Italian parsley

Sauté the garlic and onions in the olive oil until translucent. Add the tuna and sauté in the onion mixture for a few minutes.

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Add tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, olives, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 15 minutes.

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Put a generous handful of salt in a pot of water and boil the angel hair according to instructions. Drain and put in a pasta bowl. *note* salting the pasta water flavors the pasta.

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Pour sauce over pasta and toss. Garnish with parsley and parmesan.

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I could eat this every night! It’s light and nutritious and full of protein. Surprisingly the tuna taste is almost indistinguishable.

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Buon appetito!

This week, I’m writing a post for Parent Space called, “Victim Mentality in Children: Nip it in the Bud.” After it’s published I’ll share the link.

Have a great week and Happy Father’s Day to all of you Daddies out there!

Until next time, Shine on 🙂

Barbara

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How to Stop Urgent Eating: My Secret Weapon

14 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Life Mastery Skills, Recipes, The Power to Do, Wellness

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Dieting, Healthy Eating Plan, Urgent Eating

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Have you ever made a commitment to healthy eating and then accidentally left your lunch at home, had a crazy busy day, or been attacked by low blood sugar… completely overturning your best intentions? Unless you have a will of steel it can truly be discouraging, weakening your resolve to take responsibility for your health.

Susan shared this…

A couple of weeks ago I committed to a “New Philosophy of Life.” I really wanted to be the healthiest me I could be, so I joined My Fitness Pal, designed a diet with mostly plant based foods, and determined to go swimming three times a week. I also made the decision to be more mindful in everything I do, including eating.

Well… everything was going great until I went on vacation. Don’t get me wrong, she said, I was really careful even on vacation, but when I got home everything fell apart. I hadn’t remembered to go grocery shopping before I left, so when I got home there wasn’t any food in the house. On top of that, we got home late, so I didn’t get enough sleep before I went to work, and I didn’t have any clean laundry.

She continued …anyway, my downfall began with stopping at McDonalds for an Egg McMuffin (not too bad). I was so tired I drank 2 Diet Cokes to perk myself up (bad) and ate orange chicken and chow mien for lunch at Panda Express (really bad). On my way home from work I felt my blood sugar plummet and began to panic (that’s what low blood sugar does to me), so I stopped at a gas station and bought the biggest bag of peanut M&M’s I could find. I inhaled them all before I could even taste one (really, really bad). Before I knew it, a week had gone by and I hadn’t given any thought to my “New Philosophy of Life.” By then I had second thoughts about trying again. Sigh…

Does this sound familiar to you?  It sure does to me.

I’m not going to tell you how to get more sleep or do your laundry, but…

I am going to give you 3 Tips for dealing with Urgent Eating. Jen Meister, in her blog, Simple – Clean – Whole, coined the term Urgent Eating, which describes exactly what Susan was talking about. Urgent Eating is eating out of urgency as well as convenience. Check out her post at: http://www.simplecleandandwhole.com

3 Tips to Stop Urgent Eating

prepare

1. Prepare:

In Jen’s post she wisely states, Preparation is your Insurance Policy for your Health and Well being…

Any sound plan for positive change requires preparation for success, including consideration of the obstacles in advance.

  • Make a list of 5 potential situations that would be your perfect storm for falling off the wagon
  • Rank them in order of highest risk to lowest risk
  • Take a look at your list and identify which situations occur most often

After your analysis you will have the information you need to….

images

2. Write an Urgent Eating Plan:

  • For each situation you listed above, write at least one strategy for avoiding or managing the situation.

Example:

Situation:  After a long day at work I’m tired and grouchy. I haven’t had anything to eat since noon and it is now almost 6:00. I am hungry and know I won’t be eating dinner for at least an hour, considering I still have to make dinner. I start feeling sorry for myself and think that eating something sweet would not only taste good and fill the hole in my stomach, but be comforting after working so hard all day.

Strategies:

  • Drink water throughout the day to create a sense of fullness. Add a lemon wedge to the water to make it taste, look, and feel, good.
  • Eat a small snack around 3:00 i.e. 100 calorie yogurt or a handful of almonds.
  • Listen to my favorite music or an audiobook on the drive home to distract myself and have fun.
  • Have healthy portion controlled snacks available for the drive home.

IMG_4618

3. Have Plenty of Healthy Non-Perishable Snacks (NPS) on Hand

  • Always have a collection of NPS at home and work.
  • For food emergencies keep 2 NPS in your purse or briefcase at all times.
  • Always replace your emergency supply.
  • When tempted to eat something unhealthy, quickly eat a NPS.

 Let’s Review

1. Prepare

2. Write an Urgent Eating Plan

3. Have Plenty of NPS on Hand

Remember…

failing-to-plan-is-planning-to-fail SO DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND PLAN IN ADVANCE FOR URGENT EATING CRISES. IT’S A CRUCIAL ELEMENT TO SUCCESS 🙂 🙂 🙂

Image 2

Now for my secret weapon or should I say R-E-C-I-P-E?  

A couple of years ago, Urgent Eating was my middle name. Fueled by the energy of frustration, I created this winning recipe to protect myself from those inevitable perfect storm situations. It’s been my weapon ever since.

The trick is to make a big batch of this tasty concoction and divide it into portion controlled serving sizes in advance. No need for guesswork in crisis situations ever again. 

Image 6

 Secret Weapon Trail Mix

2 cups raw almonds

2 cups raw cashews

2 cups shelled pistachios

2 cups 60% Cacao chocolate chips

2 cups golden raisins

1 cup Craisins

1 cup dried cherries

Put all ingredients in a big bowl and mix well. For individual on-the-go servings, measure 1/4 cup of mix per snack sized ziplock bag.

Add this to your arsenal and keep on moving forward 🙂

Do you have perfect storm, urgent eating situations? What most  likely will make you cave? Have you found any solutions you would be willing to share with our community of readers? We would love to hear from you.

Until next time, have a great week and…

Shine on 🙂

Barbara

P.S. Don’t forget to vote yes or no on Pioneers of Peace: Red Cup post. In two weeks I will fill you in. Thanks 🙂

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Related articles

  • Bad Eating Habits Can Be Broken (everydayfamily.com)

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Roasted Portabella and Arugula Linguini Vegan Friendly

15 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Recipes, Wellness

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

dinner, portabella mushrooms, Vegan friendly, vegetarian

Roasted Mushroom and Arugala Linguini

Roasted Portabella and Arugula Linguini

Both your body and your budget will thank you for eating this Vegan friendly dish!

Recipe

Juice of one lemon

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/4 tsp salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups baby portabella mushrooms

2 cups fresh baby arugla

1/2 cup pine nuts lightly toasted

1 box linguini

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Boil water with 1 tablespoon of salt for the linguini.  Prepare pasta as directed on the box.

Toss mushrooms in olive oil, generously sprinkling with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Spread the mushrooms out on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, and roast in preheated oven until browned (approximately 15 minutes).

Isn't it beautiful!!!

Isn’t it beautiful!!!

In a large separate bowl, combine lemon juice, 1/4 tsp salt and minced garlic, and stir. Next put the cooked linguini in the bowl, followed by the arugala,  roasted mushrooms, and toasted pine nuts. Toss until well blended.

Enjoy!

The white in this picture is glare, but I thought it was so pretty I couldn't resist.

The white in this picture is glare, but I thought it was so pretty I couldn’t resist.

Shine on 🙂

Barbara

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The Power to Do: Elixir of Life Energy Smoothie

12 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by Barbara Scoville, LCSW in Recipes, The Power to Do, Wellness

≈ Leave a comment

Image

I know…I know. The name is a little dramatic but I really do think it’s THE BEST!!! I have this for breakfast every morning and it just makes me happy 🙂  Ground cocoa beans have mega antioxidants, and as an extra bonus, provide an energy boost. It’s the perfect pick me up for the morning or anytime you feel yourself drooping.

Never underestimate the power of eating nutrient dense foods.

Crio Bru Ground Cocoa Beans, Cavalla flavor

Crio Bru Ground Cocoa Beans, Cavalla flavor

Recipe

1 cup soy or almond milk

2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

3/4 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)

2 Tablespoons Crio Bru, Cavalla Ground cocoa beans (the secret ingredient)

1 tsp cinnamon

Blend and enjoy! It will look like sludge but taste divine, not to mention provide safe healthy energy.

Shine on 🙂

Barbara

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