Living Well Etc.

Look out baby, Memorial Day is nearing so barbecue season has officially begun        I bet this sounds familiar.    You are standing in the middle of your backyard, drooling on the bucket of just pulled weeds, because an enticing aroma of yummy barbecue wafts through the air.    Sadly, it is not coming from your grill.    The bad and good news of this tasty temptation is that I'm that neighbor torturing you with mouthwatering BBQ aromas, but I'm letting you in on some of my secrets!   Good BBQ begins in the kitchen Although not a food snob, I am particular.  I believe that the best 'cue begins in the kitchen.   Fresh food is a must, and it has to be cooked just right.  Moreover, whatever goes on the grill must be bursting with flavor.  Luckily, I have a prolific herb garden.  This won't rub you the wrong way Since I tend to lean toward Mediterranean dish...

Summer is the Best Season for Dieting! As a woman over sixty with an activity-limiting autoimmune disease, I must adhere to a calorie-reduced diet if I wish to fit into anything remotely resembling a swimsuit this summer.  However, the good news is that this is the absolute best season for dieting!   Best part, for me at least, is that most of my diet food choices come from my backyard.  I plant a few vegetable plants in the garden, apply a bit of water, and a flood of ripe, yummy, low-cal treats is my reward.  Interested?  Follow along to get summer-thin with me by eating healthy summer foods like these.    Low-Calorie Summer Breakfasts Can be Colorful and Delicious. Taking advantage of the plentiful fruit in summer , I begin the day with vibrant colors and unbeatable flavors.  My favorites include blueberries and halved strawberries topped with a 1/2 cup of fat-free yogurt--less than 200 calories.   ...

  Join Me for an Alfresco Dinner From My Organic Vegetable Garden Summer is the best time for organic gardeners.  This summer is no different.  Most days were hot, but not too hot.  Most nights were cool, but not too cool—perfect for a bountiful and healthy garden.  In fact, since the weather has been so perfect, my vegetable garden is overflowing with delectable goodies just ready to make their table debut.  Tonight should be ideal for an alfresco dinner on my herb and flower-lined patio, so let's get cooking! Munchies Are An Imperative. Purple eggplant orbs hang like plentiful ornaments just waiting to be plucked for my culinary masterpieces.  Today's will be a roasted-eggplant-herbal dip served with freshly harvested carrots, bell peppers, and zucchini cut into pencil stick pieces. Slicing the eggplant in quarters, I sprinkle it with olive oil and salt and roast it on high heat until done—about 20 minutes. It...

  What to do with an overabundance of lemons?  Try making preserved lemons.  It is amazingly easy and there are a variety of recipes out there.  All one needs to do is to quarter the lemon—I prefer Meyer—sprinkle each piece heavily with Kosher salt, and pack all into a container with lemon juice covering the sour, salty mixture.   I don’t actually 'can' mine.  I just set the containers on the kitchen counter for about a month and then freeze them.    What to do with the preserved lemons?  That’s the fun part.  Since the flavor is remarkably similar to lemony capers, I chose to make a simple pasta with them.  Super yummy choice. List of Ingredients.   Amounts are a personal choice. Roughly ¼ cup of preserved lemons cut into thin half-inch long pieces A bunch of asparagus sliced into one-inch pieces 2 cups of cooked string pasta of choice (I used vermicelli) 2 cloves garlic...