Comfort Food for My Stormy Night

Miami today was so gorgeous, warm, but not hot, dry with a little humidity. A day we Floridians live in Florida for. The news though told the story of the monster storm, the largest storm of recent history covering over 2,000 miles. Airports were closing all over the nation. I could feel a buzz all over, between the goings on in Eygpt and the monster storm, I was glued to CNN.

Funny without realizing it til I was midway through cooking dinner, I was making a comfort food dinner, as if I too was in the midst of harsh elements. Gathering family around a warm meal. I laughed at myself and yet understood. One of my sons is in school in Chicago. He was having a PJ day in the frat house, chaos in their kitchen as the cook could not make it in. I longed to be there, maybe not around all those guys, they would really be wondering about me...but just with my son hanging out. Cozy- watching the elements go by the window.  For some reason I found it hard to comprehend him living such a life so different and far from us. My comfort food was a way of connecting to him. Once again the heart strings pull tight.

I overcooked by quite a lot, but who wouldn't on a cold stormy night.

My made up pasta recipe. Lets call it- White Bean Roasted Tomato Sauce

I had a white bean puree sitting in the refrigerator (white beans cooked from scratch or canned-rinse well). The puree was made by cooking the finished beans in olive oil, garlic,  rosemary and salt and pepper. Add grated best quality Parmesan cheese. (I used food processor) blend to puree.

To this I added roasted tomatoes and basil (from my garden). Roast cherry or grape tomatoes in olive oil,  salt and pepper, and tons of fresh chopped basil.

Then I combined the two mixtures in a large sautee pan.
Then a lot of zucchini- chopped and added to the pan. Then I left everything on low heat, added more olive oil, stirred frequently to blend the bean mixture thoroughly so it thinned out.

I boiled salted water to cook penne pasta.

While this was going on- I cut up a large butternut squash, again tossed with olive oil, S&P, and added sage. I roasted it in a preheated oven at 425 for 30 minutes. Then added 1/2 cup maple syrup and mixed gently but well.  I cooked it another 20 minutes and then added grated pecorino cheese, to the hot squash. Absolutely incredible.

I also made kale chips spray with olive oil spray (less oil that way) sprinkle with salt cook 25 min at 300degrees. Remove leaves from stem and cut into chip size.

Since I was almost finished cooking- but not quite- I took more basil and fresh arugula (both from the garden), then took some large tomatoes- and cut them in thick rings and laid them over the arugula with fresh organic mozzarella, with a splash of some balsamic vinegar and you guessed it, olive oil.

We lingered over the meal as comfort food has a way of drawing us in tight. Conversation was ongoing, homework and responsibilities waited, and Bear on cue seemed to get it she snored soundly in the background, while the beautiful, balmy South Florida night seemed so very far away.

xo ginny

Processed Food...Not Good for You Not Good For Fido.

In early December, some of you may recall that I wrote about Miss Bear's detox. Miss Bear is our Newfoundland-Lab mix dog. She is 5 years old and is absolutely the sweetest thing ever. She has always battled allergies- but now I am happy to report that the lovely Miss Bear is looking so beautiful.

Her coat is shiny, she is so physically active, moving around like a young pup. Her secret? Her diet. She now thrives on a diet of raw ground organic beef, chicken, salmon and duck. Added to it is the discarded raw pulp of vegetables and fruits from my morning juicing. Miss Bear's diet keeps me very disciplined and happy knowing her health is tied to mine. Her weekly menu also consists of any combination of raw eggs, avocado, greek yogurt , sweet potato and a limited amount of quinoa or brown rice.

Spoiled? No! Healthy? yes!

Too often as pet owners we are lured into the notion that pets eat pet food. Out of convenience we opt for kibble then sometimes wonder why Spot is overweight, itchy, anxious or unhappy. I too played for years with various versions of hypoallergenic bagged foods before I got up the courage to take her health and well being as seriously as I do my own.

Within one week of cutting the bagged foods and feeding her simple real foods- her scratching stopped. Cold turkey. Coincidence, I definitely think not. And so this brings me to today's great article in the Dining section of the New York Times titled "Eat Table Food? Some Owners Say Pull Up a Chair".  The article further justifies that feeding your pets a natural diet of real foods vs. processed bagged/canned foods makes a world of difference to them.

Furthermore- if only we could realize how simple this formula is for our own health. As soon as we rid our bodies of processed, packaged foods- we will begin to see amazing results. Our energy increases, our skin glows and we feel happier. I guarantee it. It's not a matter of dieting. It's a simple matter of eating clean, real, foods.

Read the article and commit to getting your pets and yourself on a track to better health and vitality and think what wonders it can do for your own health.

Miss Bear gives the article two happy, healthy paws up!  xo ginny