It's a beautiful crisp sunny winter day in Oakland, and I'm not going to complain about the flu. It is what it is. It's a funky and low down feeling. It's just past noon, and I've already logged 4 miles of walking, and I'm feel invigorated.
I'm right on track with my new relationship with food. I still have strong urges for sure. One voice in my head that says things like, "Why don't we go over to Lane Splitter for lunch and get a couple of slices of Sicilian pizza? The second voice says to the first voice, "Fuck the pizza, eat a salad and some chili."
Who is the WE you might ask? Well, when it comes to food the we is two different people with two distinct voices. The first person is the one who wants to eat all the time. The second person is the one who stops the first person from eating all the time. The first person is still talking to me all the time, but he's loosing the battle for hegemony, at least right now. The first person is Tony Soprano. If you every watched the HBO series the Sopranos when Tony wasn't whacking people he was eating. The second person is Ric Ocasek, the former frontman from the 80's rock band the Cars, possibly the skinniest man in R & R.
There's no guarantee that Ric's going to win this battle. Tony's always won before. This war has been going on for twenty years. If I was a betting man, I'd bet on Tony. The odds are in his favor, and the battle is only six weeks old.
Stay tuned.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Breakfast: 1 hard boiled egg, cereal w/soy, banana, & blueberries, black tea.
Lunch: Small bowl of chili, salad of Romaine, black olives of Provence, cucumber, red bell
pepper, orange juice, 2 tortillas w/cheese
Snacks: nuts/raisins/cranberries
Dinner: Big Salad w/the above ingredients
Exercise: 6 miles walking
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Wed. 1-9-13
I'm done with the chicken soup. It was amazing, but I can only eat so much and then I'm souped out, and I'm souped out.
My dogs eat the same food, morning and night. Can you imagine eating the same thing day in and day out? I try to give them a little variety too. I don't know what I'd do without those dogs.
I'm making some chili today, and I'm going to make it hot. Hopefully it will help burn this flu out of me, but it's unlikely.
I keep talking to all these people who have had this flu and they say it turned into pneumonia. I don't have a temperature yet so I'm hopeful. The other thing I keep hearing is that it lasts a long time, weeks. It's the first story on the nightly news every night.
My first semester in culinary school I got the flu. I also got the flu shot a couple of weeks before, which is why I haven't gotten the flu shot since. It went through that kitchen at San Francisco City College like Grant took Richmond. Everyone was sick, and you couldn't miss school. You miss 3 days and you're out of the program, it's that simple. So, we just passed it around to each other. I was sick for 6 weeks, and I'm sure we infected hundred if not thousands of other students and faculty.
You can see how something like this could kill off a civilization. Where did the Mayan's go? Some refugee probably drifted down there on a raft from Bora Bora. They befriended him, and the poor bastard had some virus their bodies couldn't deal with, no more Mayans.
The Spanish influenza stopped WWI. More people were dying from the flu than they did in the war. That's one bad ass flu. They were also using chemical weapons for the first time in WWI, mustard gas. Better know which way the wind's blowing when you use that shit.
That's all she wrote today.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Food Consumption for Wed. 1-9-13
Breakfast: 1 medium Yukon potato for home fries, 1 hard boiled egg, fresh pineapple, small glass
of orange juice
Lunch: Chicken soup....the last of it. Small bowl of chili w/2 soft corn tortillas
Dinner: Small Bowl of chili with 3 corn tortillas and melted cheddar
Exercise: 2.5 miles street & trail walks
My dogs eat the same food, morning and night. Can you imagine eating the same thing day in and day out? I try to give them a little variety too. I don't know what I'd do without those dogs.
I'm making some chili today, and I'm going to make it hot. Hopefully it will help burn this flu out of me, but it's unlikely.
I keep talking to all these people who have had this flu and they say it turned into pneumonia. I don't have a temperature yet so I'm hopeful. The other thing I keep hearing is that it lasts a long time, weeks. It's the first story on the nightly news every night.
My first semester in culinary school I got the flu. I also got the flu shot a couple of weeks before, which is why I haven't gotten the flu shot since. It went through that kitchen at San Francisco City College like Grant took Richmond. Everyone was sick, and you couldn't miss school. You miss 3 days and you're out of the program, it's that simple. So, we just passed it around to each other. I was sick for 6 weeks, and I'm sure we infected hundred if not thousands of other students and faculty.
You can see how something like this could kill off a civilization. Where did the Mayan's go? Some refugee probably drifted down there on a raft from Bora Bora. They befriended him, and the poor bastard had some virus their bodies couldn't deal with, no more Mayans.
The Spanish influenza stopped WWI. More people were dying from the flu than they did in the war. That's one bad ass flu. They were also using chemical weapons for the first time in WWI, mustard gas. Better know which way the wind's blowing when you use that shit.
That's all she wrote today.
 |
| Chili w/black beans, corn, zucchini, ground turkey & much more |
Make Food/Not War
of orange juice
Lunch: Chicken soup....the last of it. Small bowl of chili w/2 soft corn tortillas
Dinner: Small Bowl of chili with 3 corn tortillas and melted cheddar
Exercise: 2.5 miles street & trail walks
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
No Catchy Titles Tue. 1-8-13
No catchy titles today. I'm just trying to make it through this miserable fucking flu one day at a time. That's how life is. Sometimes it holds out a little piece of shit and says, "Eat this."
I've used up enough paper towels blowing my nose to build a new wing on my house. My chest wheezes when I breath.
I've got nothing else but complaints, and everyone has those. So, I'll leave it at that. Wash you hands frequently, and don't cough into your hands.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Food Consumption for 1-8-13
Breakfast: Cereal, soy milk, blueberries and a banana, black tea, orange juice
Lunch: Chicken Soup
Snacks: 1 handful of nuts/raisins
Dinner: Iceberg lettuce, black olives of Provence, red bell peppers and vinaigrette dressing, toasted
French bread with a little cheese, chicken soup
Exercise: 4 miles trail walks, 2 miles on the street....total 6 miles. Not bad for an invalid.
I've used up enough paper towels blowing my nose to build a new wing on my house. My chest wheezes when I breath.
I've got nothing else but complaints, and everyone has those. So, I'll leave it at that. Wash you hands frequently, and don't cough into your hands.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Food Consumption for 1-8-13
Breakfast: Cereal, soy milk, blueberries and a banana, black tea, orange juice
Lunch: Chicken Soup
Snacks: 1 handful of nuts/raisins
Dinner: Iceberg lettuce, black olives of Provence, red bell peppers and vinaigrette dressing, toasted
French bread with a little cheese, chicken soup
Exercise: 4 miles trail walks, 2 miles on the street....total 6 miles. Not bad for an invalid.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Mother Mary's Chicken Soup
Any good Catholic or Jew will tell you the best thing for a cold or the flu is chicken soup, and nobody made it better than my mother Mary. I got the flu real good this time, but I still have to get up, and do some work. I'm trying to limit the amount of work I do because this particular strain of flu has me shaky and a bit dizzy. My head is buzzing, and I'm not very steady on my feet. I may have blogged this recipe before, but it's one of my signature dishes, and a staple for the winter weather. This is a cold winter in northern California so far.
I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this stupid contraption (computer) either. If I'm not on the street or trails walking dogs, or at some one's home taking care of a cat, or making chicken soup, I'll be in bed.
Enjoy the chicken soup.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Food Consumption 1-7-13
Breakfast: 2 pancakes w/syrup, banana, plain black tea
Lunch: Chicken soup
Dinner: More chicken soup, lamb sandwich on a baguette
Snacks: orange juice, carrots,
Exercise: 2.5 miles walking
Mother Mary's Chicken Soup (Using a 6 quart pot)
Ingredients:
3 half chicken breasts bone in
3 large stalks of celery 1/4 dice
2 large carrots 1/4 inch diced
8 bay leaves
1 cup of parsley chop fine
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons crushed black pepper
Juice from half lemon
handful of fresh thyme
8 ounces Farafalle pasta
Directions:
1) Wash chicken breasts in cold water, and place in a 6 quart pot with hot tap water 3/4 of the way full. Add kosher salt, bay leaves, crushed black pepper, chopped onions, celery, parsley, lemon juice, and thyme.
2) Bring the stock to a rapid boil, and cut to medium simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, and take the chicken breasts out, and let them cool for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Skim the stock with a large spoon to remove the smegma.
3) De-bone the chicken breasts, and save the skin for the dogs. Make sure no onions are in there. Chop the chicken meat up, and return it and any juices back to the stock pot. Skim the soup to remove the smegma. You'll have to do this throughout the process.
4) Bring the stock pot back a rapid boil, and add the carrots and the pasta. Cut heat to medium boil, and cook the pasta till it's aldente', stirring occasionally, around 12 to 14 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Your done. Adjust salt and pepper to your desired taste and enjoy. I like a lot of pepper. I like to be able to feel the pepper in my ears when I'm eating it. Rapid cool and place in fridge. I don't care what anyone tells you, soup is always better after it's had time to rest in the refrigerator.
Stay healthy.
I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this stupid contraption (computer) either. If I'm not on the street or trails walking dogs, or at some one's home taking care of a cat, or making chicken soup, I'll be in bed.
Enjoy the chicken soup.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Food Consumption 1-7-13
Breakfast: 2 pancakes w/syrup, banana, plain black tea
Lunch: Chicken soup
Dinner: More chicken soup, lamb sandwich on a baguette
Snacks: orange juice, carrots,
Exercise: 2.5 miles walking
Mother Mary's Chicken Soup (Using a 6 quart pot)
Ingredients:
3 half chicken breasts bone in
3 large stalks of celery 1/4 dice
2 large carrots 1/4 inch diced
8 bay leaves
1 cup of parsley chop fine
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons crushed black pepper
Juice from half lemon
handful of fresh thyme
8 ounces Farafalle pasta
Directions:
1) Wash chicken breasts in cold water, and place in a 6 quart pot with hot tap water 3/4 of the way full. Add kosher salt, bay leaves, crushed black pepper, chopped onions, celery, parsley, lemon juice, and thyme.
2) Bring the stock to a rapid boil, and cut to medium simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, and take the chicken breasts out, and let them cool for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to low. Skim the stock with a large spoon to remove the smegma.
3) De-bone the chicken breasts, and save the skin for the dogs. Make sure no onions are in there. Chop the chicken meat up, and return it and any juices back to the stock pot. Skim the soup to remove the smegma. You'll have to do this throughout the process.
4) Bring the stock pot back a rapid boil, and add the carrots and the pasta. Cut heat to medium boil, and cook the pasta till it's aldente', stirring occasionally, around 12 to 14 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Your done. Adjust salt and pepper to your desired taste and enjoy. I like a lot of pepper. I like to be able to feel the pepper in my ears when I'm eating it. Rapid cool and place in fridge. I don't care what anyone tells you, soup is always better after it's had time to rest in the refrigerator.
Stay healthy.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The Flu
When I had my yearly physical in Sept. my doctor asked me if I wanted the flu shot and I declined. Looking back maybe it would have been a good idea.
Geraldine, my wife, went on a yoga retreat last weekend and brought home a little present for me, the flu bug, and now I have it.
I went to a 10 year memorial for my best friend Joe Chase. I saw a bunch of old friends from way back when. Even though I was ill, and I didn't want to infect anyone, I just couldn't miss it. Joe has been describe as many things, great husband, father, teacher, friend to all he encountered, but someone described Joe as saintly, and I think that fits him perfectly.
I was very good about my food intake. I didn't exercise much this weekend and I had some wine and reefer yesterday, but I needed it. It was a very emotional event.
I came home today and made pancakes for Geri, our friend Michael, and myself, and here's the recipe.
Shout out to Ron and Diane. Thanks for following the blog. Love you guys. This pancake recipe is dynamite. Once you have all the ingredients assembled it only takes about a 1/2 hour to put it together. Enjoy!
I'm going back to bed.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Blueberry, Walnut, Banana Pancakes: (makes 10 pancakes)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
2 bananas sliced
Vermont maple syrup
Blueberries
1 cup old fashioned oats
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
non stick vegetable cooking spray
Vermont maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
butter optional
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 shot of dark rum, Kahlua or liqueur
1) Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, flours, salt, baking soda, sugar, oats and walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2) Mix all the liquid ingredients together in a separate bowl, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, rum etc, vegetable oil.
3) Whisk dry and wet together in the large bowl until fully incorporated.
4) Heat griddle to medium/high heat and spray with non stick vegetable oil. Pour ladle full in the pan, and add some blueberries. When the pancake it bubbling all over and the edges are turning brown flip the pancake and cook on the other side till brown.
Serve with sliced bananas and maple syrup., butter is optional. I refrained from the butter.
Geraldine, my wife, went on a yoga retreat last weekend and brought home a little present for me, the flu bug, and now I have it.
I went to a 10 year memorial for my best friend Joe Chase. I saw a bunch of old friends from way back when. Even though I was ill, and I didn't want to infect anyone, I just couldn't miss it. Joe has been describe as many things, great husband, father, teacher, friend to all he encountered, but someone described Joe as saintly, and I think that fits him perfectly.
I was very good about my food intake. I didn't exercise much this weekend and I had some wine and reefer yesterday, but I needed it. It was a very emotional event.
I came home today and made pancakes for Geri, our friend Michael, and myself, and here's the recipe.
Shout out to Ron and Diane. Thanks for following the blog. Love you guys. This pancake recipe is dynamite. Once you have all the ingredients assembled it only takes about a 1/2 hour to put it together. Enjoy!
I'm going back to bed.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Blueberry, Walnut, Banana Pancakes: (makes 10 pancakes)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
2 bananas sliced
Vermont maple syrup
Blueberries
1 cup old fashioned oats
2/3 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
non stick vegetable cooking spray
Vermont maple syrup
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
butter optional
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 shot of dark rum, Kahlua or liqueur
1) Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, flours, salt, baking soda, sugar, oats and walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2) Mix all the liquid ingredients together in a separate bowl, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, rum etc, vegetable oil.
3) Whisk dry and wet together in the large bowl until fully incorporated.
4) Heat griddle to medium/high heat and spray with non stick vegetable oil. Pour ladle full in the pan, and add some blueberries. When the pancake it bubbling all over and the edges are turning brown flip the pancake and cook on the other side till brown.
Serve with sliced bananas and maple syrup., butter is optional. I refrained from the butter.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
No Blog Saturday
No blog for Saturday......I will report on my health progress Sunday of Monday.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Have a wonderful weekend.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Friday, January 4, 2013
Frustration and Eating
Yesterday I took my friend Michael to the MediCal office, and I couldn't find the street we were looking for. I was getting very frustrated, and before I knew it I was reaching in the glove compartment for my raisins and nuts, and then guzzling down water. I was getting more and more frustrated going back and forth, swearing fuck this and fuck that, and then looking over at the In/Out Burger joint off Hwy. 880 saying to myself, "I could sure go for a double double and a large order of fries right about now. That would take away all this bullshit I'm going through right now" When I got home I made my lunch, ate it, and I was wiped out.
Man, the brain works in mysterious ways. If our bodies are the planet then the brain is the ocean. We know less about the brain than any other organ of the body. If we look at the body as a computer it's the software, and our bodies are the hardware. My software is wired to overeat.
I just had breakfast one and half hours ago, but when I made our friend Michael some potatoes, toast, and eggs for breakfast I was hungry again, even though I know my body doesn't need any more food. I just had cereal, tea, orange juice, and a banana. I gave in and had yogurt, 170 calories. It stopped the craving.
I know I'm loosing weight. I can see it in my face, it's getting thinner. I had to adjust my belt and my clothes are fitting looser. Even my wedding band is not as tight. Weight goes up and down and it's not good to look at the scale every day. Looking at the scale can get you discouraged because you eat really healthy all day, exercise like crazy, and then look at the scale and go, "What the fuck, I give up."
There's also what I call the WALL. I know I'm going to hit it. Like I've said before, "This ain't my first Sadie Hawkins dance." I can drop 30 pounds relatively fast. I've gone 6 months on a "diet" before, but when I hit the wall, I broke down. But I digress, more on the wall another time.
This is it for today. I'll make it.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Food Consumption Today: 1-4-13
Breakfast: Orange juice, black tea w/agave, cereal and soy milk, lemon yogurt
Snacks: Orange juice, nuts/raisins,
Dinner: marinated tofu w/teriyaki & ginger, brown rice, small salad w/red bell peppers, vinaigrette,
steamed veggies, broccoli, carrots, & celery
exercise: 4.5 trail miles
Man, the brain works in mysterious ways. If our bodies are the planet then the brain is the ocean. We know less about the brain than any other organ of the body. If we look at the body as a computer it's the software, and our bodies are the hardware. My software is wired to overeat.
I just had breakfast one and half hours ago, but when I made our friend Michael some potatoes, toast, and eggs for breakfast I was hungry again, even though I know my body doesn't need any more food. I just had cereal, tea, orange juice, and a banana. I gave in and had yogurt, 170 calories. It stopped the craving.
I know I'm loosing weight. I can see it in my face, it's getting thinner. I had to adjust my belt and my clothes are fitting looser. Even my wedding band is not as tight. Weight goes up and down and it's not good to look at the scale every day. Looking at the scale can get you discouraged because you eat really healthy all day, exercise like crazy, and then look at the scale and go, "What the fuck, I give up."
There's also what I call the WALL. I know I'm going to hit it. Like I've said before, "This ain't my first Sadie Hawkins dance." I can drop 30 pounds relatively fast. I've gone 6 months on a "diet" before, but when I hit the wall, I broke down. But I digress, more on the wall another time.
This is it for today. I'll make it.
Peace,
Make Food/Not War
Food Consumption Today: 1-4-13
Breakfast: Orange juice, black tea w/agave, cereal and soy milk, lemon yogurt
Snacks: Orange juice, nuts/raisins,
Dinner: marinated tofu w/teriyaki & ginger, brown rice, small salad w/red bell peppers, vinaigrette,
steamed veggies, broccoli, carrots, & celery
exercise: 4.5 trail miles
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