The Chocolate Covered Strawberry
Six pounds of fresh strawberries were staring at me on the kitchen counter and although I popped one of those luscious red fruits into my mouth every time I walked by, I was still faced with a mountain of ripe strawberries by late afternoon. With very little time to make dessert, I opted to make a family favorite: Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Using two 3.5 ounce Dark 70% Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate Bars (although I also use a 9.5 ounce bag of Dove Dark Chocolate Silky Smooth Promises from time to time) , there were 50 chocolate covered strawberries chilling in the refrigerator within 30 minutes. Read more 
“Into the Wild”
…a challenge in which a successful outcome is assured, isn’t a challenge at all.
In September, 1992 a young man’s decomposing body was found in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness by a group of hunters. The young man was Christopher “Chris” McCandless (who was also known as Alex Supertramp, a trail name he bestowed upon himself), a 24-year old adventurer who had spent the past four months of his life hunting and foraging in an interior part of Alaska known as the Stampede Trail. When the world learned McCandless was from a well-to-do family in Virginia and an honors graduate of Emory University, people were confounded and perplexed as to what would cause a prosperous, young, well-educated and smart man to lead a nomadic life that would ultimately lead to his untimely death. Read more
Farro: An Ancient Grain in Modern Times
Whole grains seem to be a big topic of discussion these days in the two camps who tend to be the most boisterous in the foodie world. On one side are those who extol the nutritious benefits of eating a diet rich in whole grains and on the other side, a group who insists they don’t know what to do with whole grains and that grains take too much time to cook. All good points but at the end of the day it’s the whole grain proponents who have the winning argument because whole grains really are better for our bodies and the latter arguments can be overcome with education and careful planning. But, the most important reason to eat whole grains is the taste which can be nutty, buttery, slightly sweet, or earthy, depending on the grain. Read more
Chukar Cherries
More than 25 years ago, Pam Montgomery bought a 100 acre, 8,000-tree cherry orchard in Washington’s Yakima Valley (in the south-central part of the state). After the first harvest, Pam noticed that many cherries went unpicked which allowed the natural sugars to develop while the fruit dried on the branches. Read more
Chia Seeds: The Super Seeds
For years, the word “chia” was synonymous with the kitsch product known as the “chia pet” – a tabletop figurine in which chia seeds are spread like a paste across the top so that when watered, the seeds sprout and the figurine appears to grow hair. Times are changing as consumers realize this tiny little seed is a nutritional powerhouse with a higher and better use as a food. Packed with Omega 3’s and vitamins, one tablespoon of chia seeds also contains 3 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber which causes the seed to expand to 9 times its size when combined with a liquid. Chia seeds are also a good source of calcium, phosphorus, and manganese. Read more
Five Chimneys
We lived to resist and we resisted to live.
Five Chimneys was written in 1947 by Olga Lengyel, a 38-year old survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau who wrote the book as a memoir; a personal account of the year she spent in a concentration camp. In 1944, Olga was living in a small city in Transylvania (which was part of Hungary at the time) with her husband, Miklos Lengyel, a surgeon, their two sons, Arvad (11) and Thomas (9), and her parents when they were told they were being deported to Germany. Read more
Whole Spice
Grocery store-bought spices were always a staple in my cabinet until I discovered Whole Spice – a California company that offers a wide selection of very fresh, all-natural herbs and spices without artificial colors, flavors or additives. Whole Spice offers more than 400 herbs, spices, seeds, blends, mixes, rubs, nuts, teas, fruits, vegetables, sugars, and seasonings in a variety of ways: whole, ground, powder, seed, granules, flakes, nibs, diced, sliced, granulated, crushed and more. Read more
The Mason Jar Glass
There are numerous styles of Mason Jar Glasses on the market but the Carson Home Accents Mason Jar Glasses are distinguishable from others in several ways. First, the glass comes in two sizes: 16 ounces (The Sipper) and 32 ounces (The Guzzler). Second, the metal lid has a cushioned hole in the center to fit the reusable acrylic straw (or any type of straw). Third, the glass has no handle so the jar is gripped with the hand making it easy to hold and a space saver in cabinets; and finally, the glasses are dishwasher safe and made in the USA – not that I have anything against China or other countries but I prefer to buy American made products whenever possible. Read more
Red Cabbage Slaw
On a recent trip to Boston, my daughter and I had lunch at Veggie Galaxy – a vegetarian/vegan diner – where we indulged in veggie burgers and Red Cabbage Slaw. The slaw was so good – tangy with a very slight spiciness – that I asked the server about it and she volunteered to write down the ingredients. When we finished lunch, she gave us the check and a “guest check” that listed the ingredients so all I had to do was figure out the quantities. Read more
“American Pastoral”
Life is just a short period of time in which we are alive.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, American Pastoral by Philip Roth is a thought-provoking novel about post World War II life in America and specifically, how Jewish, Catholic, Protestant, and racial cultural norms interplay when forced together. Told from the perspective of Nathan “Skip” Zuckerman, a 62-year old writer who goes back to Newark, New Jersey for his 45th high school reunion in 1995, only to discover his childhood hero – Seymour “Swede” Levov and the older brother of a classmate – has just died at age 70 of prostate cancer that had metastasized. Having just seen the still “splendid-looking” Swede a few months prior at a restaurant in New York City where they had dinner together, Skip decides to write the life story of the Jewish kid from Newark who seemed to live the American Pastoral. Read more
Paddock Post 