“The Round House”
With all my being, I wanted to go back to before all this had happened. I wanted to enter our good-smelling kitchen again, sit down at my mother’s table before she’d struck me and before my father had forgotten my existence. I wanted to hear my mother laugh until she snorted. I wanted to move back through time and stop her from returning to her office that Sunday for those files. Read more
Bulgur with Spinach and Mushrooms
Bulgur – a whole grain – has a mild nutty flavor that is absolutely delicious, nutritious, and easy to prepare. High in protein (5 grams per quarter cup) and a great source of dietary fiber (7 grams per quarter cup), bulgur is also low in fat (less than 1 gram of fat per quarter cup). Derived from whole wheat that has been parboiled, dried, and ground, bulgur is a versatile grain that goes well with strong flavored vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, and red onions. Cooking the bulgur in low sodium vegetable broth (instead of water) makes the dish heartier while the addition of a few spices – cardamon, cumin, and dill – adds even more flavor. Read more 
Coming January, 2015: The Invisible Helmet
Bicycle helmets are one of those products we have a love-hate relationship with. Designed to protect the head from the trauma of an accident, the helmet can also be hot, uncomfortable, and restricting. Designed for a single one-time use, most of us wear bicycle helmets because more than 50,000 riders are injured and 600 people are killed annually in the United States alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. Read more
NuttZo
Nut and seed butters are gaining in popularity across the country with consumers looking to these spreads as a healthy alternative to both butter and high protein animal based foods. Fresh peanut and almond butter are relatively easy to find these days but most grocery stores and markets don’t offer an abundance of other choices because until recently, there haven’t been many blended nut and seed butters on the market that don’t also contain oils, sugars, and other additives. Enter NuttZo – a delicious blend of nuts and seeds that doesn’t contain sweeteners or additives so all you taste is pure deliciousness. Read more
“Man’s Search for Meaning”
…a man’s suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus suffering completely fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore the “size” of human suffering is absolutely relative. Read more
Sunspire Coconut Bars
Sunspire is one of the few companies with a reputation for making rich and delicious chocolate products that contain no refined sugars or artificial additives of any kind. A collection of chocolate confections – chips, powders, chocolate covered fruit and nuts, and bars – are organic, free-trade certified, dairy-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and/or vegan. Two of my favorite products are the Coconut Bar and the Coconut Almond Bar – the health conscious consumer’s answer to the Mounds and Almond Joy bars – only better. Read more
Can You Imagine?
More than 40 years ago, John Lennon released a song entitled Imagine which asked the listener to imagine a world of peace without borders, religions and nationalities that divide us. Imagine offered us an ideal but one which most of us would find unobtainable. Still, the song can be recited word for word by many generations who loved and admired the message Lennon was trying to convey to his listeners. But, what if we took a few steps backwards and tried to imagine small changes in the world in which we live. Can you imagine…… Read more
Kinky Boots
Years ago I remember hearing the difference between a man and a woman is best exemplified by looking at Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Both extraordinary dancers but Ginger did everything he did backwards and in high heels. So, when a new Broadway show – Kinky Boots – features seven men who dance in high heels as if they were born with stillettos on their man-sized feet, people take notice. But, Kinky Boots which recently opened on Broadway (April 4, 2013) is more than a dance performance; it’s a true story with spectacular music by Cyndi Lauper and a message for all of us about individual discovery, the love between a father and a son, and universal acceptance.
“Felicia’s Journey”
Each time he hoped that a friendship would last for ever, that two people could be of help to one another, that strangers seeing them together would say they belonged like that.
Felicia’s Journey was written by William Trevor and awarded a Whitbread Book Award (now known as the Costa Book Award) – a literary prize given to a book (by an author in Great Britain or Ireland) that is both enjoyable to read and appeals to a wide audience. Published in 1994, Felicia’s Journey is the story of a young pregnant girl who runs away from a stifling household in a small village in Ireland to find the boyfriend who left her in a difficult situation. Read more
Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad
Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad is a hearty dish full of vegetables, beans, and a trio of rice: wild and germinated red and brown rice. The nutty flavor of the rice combined with the slightly sweet red Adzuki beans and the earthy vegetables – mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and zucchini – and fresh chopped cilantro along with Zatar (a popular middle eastern spice) – makes for a flavorful salad that is both filling and nutritious. Easy and quick to make, the Sprouted Adzuki Bean and Rice Salad is a terrific alternative to traditional rice or bean salad. Read more
Paddock Post 