unsuspecting foodie

 A number of years ago when I was visiting with my parents, may they rest in peace, they excitedly introduced me to homemade applesauce.  I didn't write down the recipe but it's easy to remember.  Basically, cut a few apples into bite-size pieces, add water, along with a few cinnamon sticks or cinnamon to taste.  Bring the mixture to a boil and then simmer until the apples are soft. It's that simple. Notice that there is no added sugar.  I try to have some protein whenever I eat fruit, as it helps with blood sugar.  Thus, you will see in today's featured photo yogurt alongside the applesauce.  Of course, the yogurt also adds calcium. The homemade applesauce is really nice, especially this time of year as we get some cooler days and the color of the leaves start changing. By the way, my great-nephew, Arthur, turned 2 years old today.  Arthur asked his parents for an apple themed birthday party.  That got me thinking about apples and the apples...

I hope you have had a good week.   By the Jewish calendar we are just finishing the first full week of Elul.  Many years ago, Carole (my sister) gave me--for my birthday--a book by Blu Greenberg . I am quite fond of the way Greenberg describes Elul as a time of preparation for the upcoming Jewish High Holy Days.  Included in this preparation is time for reflection, that's where this fits with the blog (in case you were wondering).  Suffice it to say that part of my reflection of late has been going through a set of recipes I've gathered over the years offered by family, friends, and cookbooks.  Of course, that includes a few I've recently acquired as a result of this blog! Examples will follow over at least the next few weeks as I post food prepared from some of the recipes provided.  You are also welcome to share any recipes you wish with me. Stay Tuned. As for "a spot of tea", well, this summer I grew a lemon verbena herbal tea plant in the back...

Hello, I hope your week is off to a fine start. This summer we've had a wonderful crop of cucumbers.  However, the plants have stopped producing.  Featured in this photo as part of the salad is the last of our homegrown cucumbers.  Also, the guacamole is homemade--although the ingredients (onion, garlic, avocado, and lime) are store bought.  If you look closely you might see a few beans--the Asian Long Beans keep growing--and their season also appears to be winding down.  As some of you are vegan/vegetarian, I kept the piece of chicken off to the side.   Take care!

 I like to stir fry veggies such as onion, garlic, pepper, zucchini, mushroom, spinach, etc.  In the featured meal, I added tofu and an egg as well as fresh lemon juice.  This stir fry dish was topped off with one Folios Cheddar wrap.  Delicious. The toast with ceylon cinnamon sprinkled on it is gluten free. As this is a great time to purchase and eat fresh blueberries, also included was a 1/2 cup of blueberries with yogurt on top.  Stay well. 

Hey there!  My friend, Christine T., suggested I might be interested in trying Folios Cheese Wraps.  They are low in carbs.  It seems they are sold only at certain stores, I found them at our local Aldi's.  It's possible Walmart may carry them.  They are versatile, tasty, and easy to prepare.  In a separate post I'll include a photo of a dish I made using a Folios Cheddar wrap.  Best, Faye  

First, the responses to my blog from family and friends has been heartwarming.  Thank you very much! Second, while I am on a low-carb diet it includes foods that one might not eat if they were on a very strict low-carb diet. The food choices are intentional.  I struggle to get my daily share of calories and, well, "good" carbs help.   Third, if you are on a strict low-carb diet you probably have eliminated bananas from your diet and you might be limiting grains.  I eat a small amount of banana (a couple inches at most per serving) on occasion and include some grains (small servings at a time) as appropriate for my situation.  The gluten free rice cake covered with almond butter and banana slices snack featured in this photo is another "comfort" food.  By the way, I have found that a little banana goes a long way.  I hope you are well and have plans for some rest and relaxation  (r&r) over the weekend.  I've actually "planned" this we...

Some time ago I came across a recipe for deviled eggs where hummus was substituted for both  mayonnaise & egg yolk.  I think one could mix the hummus with the yolk.  However, I usually make a batch stuffed with hummus and another "classical" batch with mayonnaise, egg yolk, and paprika. Here's a photo of a plate with both types displayed: 

Perhaps due to the pandemic, I am particularly aware of when wild-caught "fresh" fish has become available in my area.  In Champaign, IL we do have a few stores that carry wild-caught "fresh" fish.  I look forward to wild-caught Alaskan king salmon.  This summer, I decided to give wild-caught Alaskan halibut a try.  In the past, I haven't enjoyed halibut as I probably overcooked it and/or it wasn't fresh. This time I used "fresh" wild-caught Alaskan halibut and a recipe provided by wholesomeyum.com.   I didn't use all the ingredients listed nor did I read the extensive narrative.  My main interest was in how to prepare the fish without drying it out.  I used garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, a tad of butter, lemon juice as the marinade (which I applied shortly after preparing it) and a bit of avocado oil in the pan.  I followed the recipe's searing directions and then tested it with a "meat" thermometer to ensure it was cooked...

 Hello! For those of you who may not be aware of it, about 3 years I retired from my full-time position at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Unexpectedly, a colleague-who at the time-was at Wisconsin invited me to do some research with him.  Long story short, over the past few years I have been engaged in research and writing with my colleague.  Earlier this week, I presented (by myself as my colleague just started a new leadership position) some recent work at the 2020 Distance Teaching and Learning conference--usually held in Madison, WI they held it virtually for the first time.  This is all to say that my food choices this week were particularly oriented around food that would help me stay alert and, especially on presentation day, relatively calm.  All went well. I am delighted to be back blogging.  I am finding that a piece of toast sprinkled with cinnamon is my "new" comfort food.  Did you know that some cinnamon--if used in ...

A second post for today as I wonder if any of you sometimes wonder what to have for a light (lightish) dinner or meal?  I was faced with that question tonight so opened a can of sardines.  Well, I don't really like sardines so I smothered them with some guacamole dip and a bit of mustard. The crackers are there to help the sardine-guacamole combo go down.  Just a handful or so of crackers to keep it relatively low carb.  The greens/veggies are self-explanatory except I did include asparagus.  Stay well!

I hope you are having a nice weekend. Today's post is dedicated to my mother, of blessed memory, as today is her birthday.  The plate (for lunch) features skirt steak (a favorite of mom's)--saved some out for today as we had it as a main dish this past Friday night for dinner.  As skirt steak is a bit fatty we eat it only only occasion.  I mixed the left-over skirt steak with turkey stew, rice, and some veggies (including sweet red pepper).  It's about 1/4 cup rice (keeping with my low-carb efforts) and together it still comes to just about 4 oz. of meat/rice.  There is also salad with cucumbers (cucumbers are from our yard), and a few green beans.  On top of the salad is some hummus which I added for flavor and as a dressing for the greens.  Last, but not least, is 1/4 cup blueberries.  You might notice that the berries look frozen.  Mom used to freeze blueberries in the summer and have them year round.  I'm starting to ...