Split Pea Soup - from What Would Cathy Eat?

Split Pea Soup
From What Would Cathy Eat? Blog http://whatwouldcathyeat.com

Legumes like split peas contain soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol. So for someone like me, legumes are like medicine. And I’ll take my medicine in split pea soup form anytime.

Some vegetarian split pea soups taste like baby food, but my version is definitely for adults. I livened it up with chives, hefty shots of mustard and vinegar, and smoked paprika to give it a bit of that smoky ham hock taste that I know you love (don’t even try and deny it.)

Note: be sure to get your split peas from a good source and use them promptly, because if they’re too old they will never break down in the soup. You’ll end up having to throw the whole thing in a blender, and blending hard little peas into submission is not ideal.

2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 T. minced fresh chives, divided
1 t. Spanish smoked paprika
2 t. fresh thyme, or 1 t. dried thyme
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 c. green split peas, rinsed
7 c. water, more if needed
2 c. vegetable broth
½ t. salt
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. red wine or sherry vinegar, or more to taste
Nonfat yogurt


Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Saute the onions and carrots over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, 2 T. chives, paprika, thyme and pepper.
Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the peas, bay leaf, broth and water.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 hours, until peas are broken down and completely soft (this will depend on how old the beans are).
Add more water along the way if the soup gets too thick.
Add salt when peas are just about tender.
Remove bay leaf.
Stir in vinegar and mustard.
Top with remaining chives and a swirl of yogurt.

Myers-Briggs connection

3/8 Jennifer and I were talking about Myers-Briggs over the weekend and I just received an RFP from a company that sells Myers-Briggs assessments. interesting.

3/4 last week I was searching on the spirit rock web site for workshops and later that day I was contacted by one of the speakers to work on their web site.



I did my Myers-Briggs again and found out that I am ESFJ, last time I took it I was ENSJ...or maybe I wrote it down wrong...


moderately expressed extravert
slightly expressed sensing personality
moderately expressed feeling personality
slightly expressed judging personality

Environmental Working Groups List of Organics

www.Foodnews.com This is the list of the dirty dozen and ok to eat non organic produce. This will be a great resource to use in works hops to help people understand where to make investments in organic and where they can take short cuts to save money.

Frottage / Infinity / Forgiveness

Connections - 2

1. Frottage
2. Infinity
3. Forgiveness

1. Frottage

I heard this word in a book review my Maureen Corrigan as part of Fresh Air yesterday morning on my way to work. She was reviewing the book The INfinities by John Banville. She liked the book because Banville is very good with language and used wonderful words. Frottage was an example she used. Her example was:

"But lo, Hermes exclaims: See what they made of this mess of frottage. It is as if a fractious child had been handed a few timber shavings and a bucket of mud to keep him quiet only for him to promptly erect a cathedral, complete with baptistery, steeple, and weathercock and all. Within the precincts of this consecrated house they afford each other sanctuary, excuse each other their failings, their sweats and smells, their lies and subterfuges, above all their ineradicable self-obsession. This is what baffles us gods, how they wriggled out of our grasp and somehow became free to forgive each other for all they are not."

Link to transcript of her review.

I love this point. Love is SO ridiculously complicated when it seems it should be SO simple.

Definition of Frottage
n.
The act of rubbing against the body of another person, as in a crowd, to attain sexual gratification.
A method of making a design by placing a piece of paper on top of an object and then rubbing over it, as with a pencil or charcoal.
A design so made.
[French, from frotter, to rub, from Old French froter.]

2. Infinity
This one is much more simple.
1. There was this review in the morning,
2. then the symbol as part of a web site I was looking at that I am considering subscribing to - Sustainable Food News Link to Site
3. There was a mention of infinity in my yoga class last night but I can't recall the exact context or quote

3. Forgiveness
1. There was this rather profound mention of forgiveness in this review which reminded me of a quote I read from what Gabrielle Bernstein wrote on Facebook last week
2. quote from Gabrielle Bernstein - who was, I am sure, quote someone else - "If you are angry look for who you need to forgive to release the anger" not an exact quote. This quote pissed me off and then I realized that I needed to forgive myself for being a fool with Martin. For diving in when I new it was impossibly risky. For following my heart. So I have started truing to forgive myself and have been feeling better, much better and much more separate from the situation with Martin.
3. I woke up this morning feeling that I need to continue to work on forgiving myself for a lot of things. They way I have forgiven others. I deserve at least the same generosity that I give to others.

Pasta & veggies that Jack loves

What you need:
Pasta
Romanesco
Chard or kale
Olive Oil
Butter
Salt
Garlic
Parmesan


Start pasta (I use this awesome organic pasta that’s made out of potatoes, rice and non-genetically modified soy – this seems to be easier to digest for me at least)

I chop up 1/2 head of romanesco broccoli, 3-4 leaves chard (small pieces) and 1 sm clove of garlic
Heat pan
Add 1 Tblsp olive oil
Add garlic for 10-20 secs
Add broccoli
Cook for 5-7 minutes until tender

Prep bowl for tossing:
Add 1 Tblsp of olive oil, some salt, 1 Tblsp butter and grate about 1/4-1/2 cup of parmesan in a bowl

Finish veggies:
Add chard (the smaller pieces the better)
Let cook for a minute
Take off heat

Pasta should be done now.

Put hot pasta and veggies in bowl for tossing
Toss until butter and cheese is melted and everything is coated and yummy
Taste to see if you need more salt
Plate
Add more parm

Eat


You can do this with just veggies too. And a variety of veggies and different pastas....
Cauliflower
Broccoli regular
Asparagus
Carrots (although a bit sweet)
Zucchini
Squash
Eggplant

Yoga wake up tips

Waking up can be hard to do. But between the moments you awake and when you get up to brush your teeth and shower, there is plenty you can do to make the transition into the waking world a more pleasant one.

Still lying down, take your arms up over your head and inhale. Hold the breath as you stretch yourself to the max. Exhale as you let go. Breathe deeply as you bring the knees in toward the chest, either together or one-by-one. Twist the hips to either side, looking over the opposite shoulder. Now, any which way you like, move and breathe, giving the muscles a squeeze. This process prepares the body by providing prana (life-force energy) to all your moving parts. This simple step is like a warm welcome to the waking world and a perfect way to start the day!

from www.yogamint.com

2010 Big Eat

7x7 article