Broccoslaw

1/2 bag of President's Choice Broccoli slaw (or similar product)
1/2 cup raisins or plain "Craisins"
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped walnuts

1. To make dressing, combine sour cream, vinegar, and pepper in a large bowl.

2. Add raisins, walnuts, and slaw mix. Toss well to coat evenly with dressing.

Yield: Approximately four 1 cup servings

We had this last night with turkey meatloaf (a recipe for another day?), and couscous. The raisins give a nice hint of sweetness, so you don't have to add sugar to your dressing. The amount of dressing is just enough to coat the slaw without making it soggy or overly creamy, like you might find at your local chicken shack. Any leftover, undressed slaw mix can be used to make more slaw, or can be cooked up in a convenient stirfry. I'm using our leftovers tonight to steam up to accompany some garlicky, broiled salmon.

The technicolour status updates were a misguided attempt to raise breast cancer awareness...at least according to the Facebook Forward most people received early on directing them to post their bra colour...that's right, their bra colour...as their status update. Classy, no?

The poorly written e-mail hoax masquerading as a viral marketing campaign urged the Facebookers as follows:

"Something fun is going on... Write the color of your bra in your status. Just the color, nothing else. And send this on to ONLY women no men. It will be neat to see if this will spread the wings of cancer awareness. It will be fun to see how long it takes before the men wonder why the women have a color in their status.....LOL!"

Which brings me to the Things That Bother Me:

1. The term "raise cancer awareness", and variations thereof
I think most people are pretty aware of cancer. It's hard not to be. We learn about it in school, and L.D. had leukemia on Degrassi. We're aware. Rather, shouldn't we be raising awareness of the risks of cancer? And ways to lower them?

2. E-mail forwards

Ninety-nine times out of one hundred, if a subject line starts with the letters "FW", it goes directly in my junk mail folder. Your key fob can't unlock your car via cell phone, the word "shit" is not an acronym, no one wants to sing the Canadian National Anthem in any languages other than English or French at the Olympics (and they only play an instrumental version anyway), and I am now pretty sure that the Canadian Cancer Society prefers donations over status updates. Stop believing everything you read on the internet! Except, of course, what you read on this blog.

3. Facebook status updates with WTMI

I don't want to know the colour of your underwear, I am not a pervert, prevert, or any other kind of vert. I barely pay attention to the colour of my own. I also don't care to know what you ate for breakfast, what colour the puke/discharge is, or whether or not you're thinking about taking a trip to Walmart unless you're ironically reworking a quote from Old School.

There. I feel a lot better now, having gotten that off my chest. And no, you're still not finding out what colour it is.

For those of you unfamiliar with fennel (the vegetable, not the seeds in jars in the spice aisle), it has a VERY mild licorice flavour, and looks kind of like dill sprouting out of the tops of celery that are sprouting out of the top of an onion. It is a great accompaniment to Italian sausages, fish...and chicken, which is why I chose it.

Fennel au Gratin

2 fennels bulbs, trimmed of their stalks (the "dill" can be reserved for seasoning)
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 large shallots, finely diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Béchamel sauce:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup goat cheese (chèvre) or similar soft, mild cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Remove any tough outer parts of the fennel skin, and cut bulbs in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 5 or 6 wedges.

3. Place fennel in a medium saucepan, and cover with chicken stock. Season with fennel dill, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring stock to a low boil, and braise fennel until tender, about 12 minutes.

4. Drain fennel and set aside.

5. Lightly brush a shallow baking dish with olive oil. Scatter shallots in bottom of dish, and arrange braised fennel in a single layer over shallots. Cover with tinfoil, and bake for 10 minutes.

6. Prepare béchamel sauce: melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour with a wooden spoon until smooth. Remove from heat, and slowly whisk in milk, making sure no lumps form. Place milk mixture back over medium heat, season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste, and stir until mixture reaches a boil and begins to thicken. Remove from heat, and mix in goat cheese until melted.

7. Remove fennel from the oven, and pour the béchamel over it in an even layer.

8. Broil dish under high heat for 5 minutes, or until béchamel becomes bubbly and light golden on top.

Cranberry Pumpkin Loaf

2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (note: NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/4 cup of butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Fold together pumpkin, butter, egg, vanilla, and sugar.

3. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over top of batter, mix together.

4. Mix in ginger, cinnamon, and flour until all dry ingredients are moist.

5. Fold in cranberries.

6. Pour into greased loaf pan, and bake for 1 h.

Give me the scorn of the stars and a peak defiant;
Wail of the pines and a wind with the shout of a giant;
Night and a trail unknown and a heart reliant.

Give me to live and love in the old, bold fashion;
A soldier's billet at night and a soldier's ration;
A heart that leaps to the fight with a soldier's passion.

For I hold as a simple faith there's no denying:
The trade of a soldier's the only trade worth plying;
The death of a soldier's the only death worth dying.

So let me go and leave your safety behind me;
Go to the spaces of hazard where nothing shall bind me;
Go till the word is War -- and then you will find me.

Then you will call me and claim me because you will need me;
Cheer me and gird me and into the battle-wrath speed me. . . .
And when it's over, spurn me and no longer heed me.

For guile and a purse gold-greased are the arms you carry;
With deeds of paper you fight and with pens you parry;
You call on the hounds of the law your foes to harry.

You with your "Art for its own sake", posing and prinking;
You with your "Live and be merry", eating and drinking;
You with your "Peace at all hazard", from bright blood shrinking.

Fools! I will tell you now: though the red rain patters,
And a million of men go down, it's little it matters. . . .
There's the Flag upflung to the stars, though it streams in tatters.

There's a glory gold never can buy to yearn and to cry for;
There's a hope that's as old as the sky to suffer and sigh for;
There's a faith that out-dazzles the sun to martyr and die for.

Ah no! it's my dream that War will never be ended;
That men will perish like men, and valour be splendid;
That the Flag by the sword will be served, and honour defended.

That the tale of my fights will never be ancient story;
That though my eye may be dim and my beard be hoary,
I'll die as a soldier dies on the Field of Glory.

So give me a strong right arm for a wrong's swift righting;
Stave of a song on my lips as my sword is smiting;
Death in my boots may-be, but fighting, fighting.

--Song of the soldier-born, Robert W. Service, Rhymes of a Red Cross Man, 1916.

I know it's been a while since our last correspondence, but I thought I should drop you a line this year as my Christmas Wishlist is a little more specific than usual. Not that I don't still need lots of black socks, but there are a couple of other things I've had my eye on for a while now, and maybe your elves can hammer a few of them out (or at least locate some good deals via a third-party supplier).

1. A BOSU ball and some free weights (8+ lbs)

Between walking and (or) running with the dogs everyday, I am getting lots of cardio. However, my strength training has been suffering. By the time I am done a full day's work, have exercised the dogs, cleaned the house, and folded some laundry, the last thing I want to do is haul my butt to the RecPlex to do weights. A BOSU and some weights would be a great addition to a home mini-gym, and would certainly complement the treadmill we plan on buying with next spring's tax return. :-)

2. A Front Door

Our front door is wooden and doesn't seal particularly well. It also has no window, rendering our front hallway a little dark and unwelcoming, despite the robin's egg blue walls. A steel door with a small window would be a great way to keep out the cold and let in the light.

3. Landscape Fabric

You and I both know I didn't inherit Dad's green thumb. I know you and he didn't always see eye to eye when it came to stocking etiquette, but you have to admit--the man can garden. I think the thing I hate most about gardening is the never-ending task of weeding. As a result, our backyard this year was a total eyesore. I can't let that happen again, and I think that some weed control landscaping fabric might help me to stay a little more on top of it...at least until ragweed season.

4. New Make-up Brushes

I've had the same blush brush for 5 years now, and the bristles are falling out. I don't wear blush often, but now when I do, I look like I am growing a beard. I would also like separate brushes for powder, blush, eye shadow, and highlight.

5. Music
I don't remember the last time Mike or I bought a CD, but given that my iPod nano seems to be on its last legs (the play/pause/power off button no longer works), I think CDs may still be the way to go. Here is a short list of who I've been listening to lately:

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Bat for Lashes
Kitty Daisy and Lewis
Joy Division / New Order (both)
The Flaming Lips
Lady Gaga (she's great to run to, in the comfort of my own headphones)
Metric
The Weakerthans
Pearl Jam

6. Books

I don't know how much time I will have for reading this year, between work, working out, and doing homework for my French courses, but you can never go wrong with a good book.

The Greatest Show on Earth - Richard Dawkins
Half-broke Horses - Jeanette Walls
The Complaints - Ian Rankin
Still Alice - Lisa Genova
Demo a Day Books for Chemistry and Biology (I lost my Demo a Day for Biology, and apparently it is now out of print. :-()

7. A J. Crew Double-cloth Carlin Thinsulate Coat in Wild Blackberry

I think I might be a medium, but let's go with large to make sure I can wear sweaters under it. :-)

I think I've held up my end of the bargain so far this year, but rest assured I will attempt to maintain my status on the "nice" list for the remainder of 2009 and well into 2010. I will also make sure Vixen gets her parsnip and isn't harassed by Zeppelin while your sleigh is parked out in the back yard.

Say hi to the wife and elves for me.

Sincerely,

Saedigh

It's flu season, and here in Canada the world and its ill-informed uncle are up in arms about the H1N1 vaccine. Having to listen to people cite nonsense, pseudoscience, and Jenny McCarthy during the course of a regular day is bad enough. Add in a healthy dose of fear mongering by mainstream and off-beat media alike, and you have yourself one massive misinformation clusterf*ck.

You know, it's always struck me as ironic that you don't need an advanced degree to raise children, but you do to become a respected healthcare professional. I have but a mere honours degree in the area, and do not profess to be any sort of an expert. But the large teams of people who develop, test, and assess the efficacy and risk of vaccines have basically never left academia. They have spent the majority of their adult lives bettering themselves through education. And yet we (actually, you), the unwashed masses, would apparently rather listen to the star of Dumb and Dumber than trust actual scientists to do their jobs.

Now, knowing what little I do about viruses and epidemiology, I feel I can safely say this: H1N1 is not going to kill us all. It's likely to kill very few of us. But it IS going to make many of those of us who have not been vaccinated extremely, utterly miserable for at least a week. Oddly enough, flu victims tend not to be very productive, and also tend to unecessarily clot our emergency rooms. For those of you smelling a Zombie virus conspiracy behind our Government's interest in getting as many Canadians vaccinated as possible, consider this your Occam's razor: sick people cost money. We are teetering on the edge of the Niagara Falls of a financial sh*t creek. One false move, i.e., tens of thousands of people not showing up for work, and we can say goodbye to economic recovery before next Christmas. The viability of the universal FREE healthcare system that we're so proud of north of the 49th depends heavily on low-cost preventative medicine. It's cheaper to prevent the flu than to treat it.

I don't care if you don't want to get vaccinated, or don't want your kids to get vaccinated. It's your choice. It's not a mandatory program. But please, for the love of the few things I actually find sacred in this world (the scientific method and rational thought), please make it a properly informed choice and not a gut reaction based on nonsense, pandering, and ill-conceived conspiracy theories about modern medicine or "big Pharma". Keep your crazy to yourself, shut up, and just start stocking up on chicken soup. Oh, and cover your mouth when you cough.

Root Vegetable Gratin

1 medium turnip, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup cream
1 tbsp olive oil
8 low sodium saltine crackers, crushed
fresh ground pepper
salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Coat a deep casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Place squash slices in casserole dish in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Repeat with turnip, then sweet potato, and continue altering until all of the vegetable slices have been used.
5. Pour stock over vegetables, and cover dish tightly with lid or foil.
6. Bake for 1 h.
7. Remove foil, and pour cream over vegetables. Cover and again and return to oven for 30 minutes.
8. In a small bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and olive oil. Spread crumb mixture over vegetables. Broil on high for 2 min, until crumbs are golden brown. (This last step can be done just before serving, after having prepared the casserole earlier in the day or the night before.)

Try it with different combinations of root vegetables, and alter the seasoning to your liking. Ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon will have the house smelling like fresh-baked pumpkin pie!

Turkey Meatball Soup with Kale

Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey
5 cloves garlic, chopped or crushed
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp pine nuts, crushed (optional)
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1. Knead together all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Form into balls approximately 1.5 inches in diameter (slightly smaller than a golf ball; 1 lb of meat yielded 24 balls for us tonight).
3. Refrigerate until needed.

Soup
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp dried oregano
8 cups chicken broth, reduced sodium variety
1 can white kidney beans, rinsed well and drained (I like legumes, but pasta could be substituted)
1 bunch fresh kale, washed, rinsed, and roughly chopped into bitesized pieces
Meatballs

1. Over medium heat, cook onion, garlic, carrot, chili flakes, and oregano until vegetables are soft.
2. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
3. Carefully add meatballs, bring back to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add beans (or pasta) and kale. Bring back to a boil, and continue to simmer until meatballs are cooked through and kale is thoroughly wilted.

A note on Kale
Kale describes a number of leafy green vegetables popular in many European and Asian dishes. The Russian variety was introduced to Canada in the 19th century. It is a member of the Brassica species, and therefore related to other greens such as broccoli, cabbage, and collard greens. It is extremely high in vitamins A, C, K, and beta-carotene. It also contains sulforaphane, a chemical believed to have anti-cancer properties. And, it's fairly cheap this time of year.

So, when Capt Mike is away, I make some of the dishes I don't get to eat very often. (To be fair, when I am away, Capt Mike gets to indulge in a wide variety of pork products, Kraft dinner, and Lipton SideKicks...we all have our comfort foods.) Today, after taking the puppies on two 3 km hikes through the woods, I wasn't in much of a mood to stand over a hot stove for any length of time, so I hauled out one of my favourite old stand bys: black bean quesadillas. I should point out that Capt Mike has actually tried these, and quite liked them...with a side of meat. ;-)

Black bean quesadillas

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can green chilis
1 clove fresh garlic, roughly chopped, or 1 tsp garlic powder
4 green onions, roughly chopped
Cooking spray, olive oil variety
Shredded part-skim Monterey Jack cheese
Soft tortillas
Salsa to garnish

1. In a food processor, combine beans, chilis, garlic, and onions. Blend until you have a thick, not-quite-smooth paste.

2. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium flame.

3. Spread ~2 Tbsp of bean mixture over surface of tortilla. Sprinkle ~1 tsp cheese on half of tortilla, and fold over to create a semi-circle shape.

4. Place quesadillas in hot pan, and cook until golden brown on both sides and cheese is melted.

5. Serve with your favourite salsa and a salad.

Buen apetito!

Grilled chicken wraps

1 lb chicken breast (approx. two breasts)
1 jalapeno pepper (optional if you don't like heat)
1 cubanelle or other mild variety of pepper
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 small head romaine lettuce, shredded
1 tsbp chives (preferably fresh; optional)
4 tbsp low fat sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
8 soft tortillas

1. Grill jalapeno and cubanelle over medium flame until lightly browned on the outside. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool before cutting into strips.

2. Grill chicken breasts until cooked through. Slice cooked chicken into thin strips.

3. Mix together chives and sour cream, seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. (Personally, I don't use salt.)

4. Construct wraps: Spread ~1 tsp of sour cream mixture on tortilla; Fill with a couple of slices the grilled chicken, a few strips of the grilled pepper, romaine lettuce, avocado, and red onion. Fold into a "burrito", and enjoy. (Each wrap will contain ~1/4 of a chicken breast, ~1/2 cup of romaine lettuce, 1/8 of an avocado, and ~1 tsp sour cream.)

Low fat, high fibre, no sacrificing flavour.

Notes about avocado

Most people know avocado as being a high-fat fruit. While this is true, its also incredibly high in fibre. One cup of avocado contains 240 calories, 22 g of fat, and 10 g of fibre. Not many of us chow down on a whole cup in one sitting though, so don't let the fat content scare you away form this tasty, nutritious source of vitamins and minerals.

Avocadoes can be expensive in northern climates (i.e., Canada) during the winter months. To stretch your avocado, why not try turning it into a guacamole-esque spread for your wraps or sandwiches as an alternative to mayonnaise? Avocado mashed with lemon or lime juice and a hint of garlic can be just the thing to jazz up boring turkey, chicken, or roast beef.

Capt Mike, Dave, Joyce, and I participated in the 2009 Harvest Festival at Sandbanks Winery. We picked their grapes, they plied us with food and drink. As big a proponent of healthy eating as I am, I cannot tell you the sheer pleasure experienced by indulging in a free glass of riesling at 10:30 in the morning.

Unfortunately, we have no pictures from the day to share. As ever, we charged the batteries, but forgot to bring the camera. But I can tell you that should you ever get the chance to visit Prince Edward County in the early fall, the grape harvest is an event not to be missed. Helping out your neighbours in return for free wine: the ultimate win-win scenario.

After reading the preceding article, you have to wonder why a man with a propensity for violence and a legally recognized inability to distinguish right from wrong would be allowed out of a psychiatric facility on an unsupervised day pass. Isn't that how a lot of horror movies and urban legends start?

Without further ado, I give you last night's dinner:

UnCorned Beef and Cabbage

1 lb inside round beef roast
1 tsp coarse ground pepper
1 tsp coarse salt
2 Tbsp mustard seed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lb baby potatoes
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
1 head green cabbage, cored and shredded
Pickled beets and mustard for garnish

1. Combine salt and pepper, and rub over entire roast.
2. Place roast in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot. Cover with water (or beef stock/water mixture for added flavour). Add remaining spices, and heat to a boil. Reduce heat and cover to let simmer for 40 min.
3. Add carrots and potatoes to pot, and continue cooking for 5 min.
4. Add cabbage to pot, and continue cooking until the root vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork (about 5-10 min).
5. Remove from heat, and strain meat and vegetables from liquid. A small amount of liquid can be reserved as an "au jus" to pour over the meat.
6. Slice roast thinly, and serve on a bed of cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Garnish with mustard, pickled beets, or other condiments of your choice.

Notes about cabbage
Cabbage is extremely high in vitamins C and K, even after cooking. It is also a great source of dietary fibre and folic acid. When choosing a cabbage in the store, look for one with crisp, tightly packed leaves that are not cracked. Avoid storing your cabbage already cut or shredded, as this will decrease its vitamin C content.

A new survey of just over 1600 Canadians indicates that the seemingly prohibitive cost of healthy foods is a significant barrier to healthy eating in Canadian households. Respondants also identified "time" and "inconvenience" as roadblocks in their quest for a healthier lifestyle. Saedigh.com calls a big fat BULLSHIT on the factuality of these beliefs, but doesn't entirely blame the respondants for their ignorance. With courses in home economics (am I even still allowed to call it that?) no longer required learning in our schools, is it any wonder that there are increasing numbers of people who don't know how to shop for groceries or prepare a balanced meal on a budget?

By shopping the "edges" of the grocery store (i.e., fresh produce, protein, and dairy), avoiding the salt-laden aisles of prepackaged foods, and choosing items produced locally and in-season, you can quickly cut the fat out of both your diet and your grocery bill. In the time it takes you to wait for your Pizza Guy (I believe Pizza Pizza's gaurantee time is now 40 min), you can prepare a healthy, balanced meal for the same cost or less. You just need to know how to do it... and that is where we are failing our children. The generation whose life expectancy is projected to be less than our own; the generation who will be accompanying their parents to the ER with shared complaints of tightness in the chest, shooting arm pains, and trouble breathing despite a 30 year age difference.

And I know...if I'm not part of the solution...yadda yadda yadda. And so, to avoid being part of the problem, here is one of my and Capt Mike's favourite recipes that takes less than 30 minutes to prepare , costs about $15.00 to feed 4, kid-friendly, high in fibre, and low in fat.

Chili Tacos
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Cooking spray (olive oil variety)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb lean ground turkey
8 oz can plain tomato sauce
16 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
8 taco shells
Light sour cream, chopped green onions, and favourite salsa to garnish

1. Coat non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Over medium heat, toast chili and cumin until fragrant.
2. Add onion and garlic, cook until tender.
3. Add turkey, and cook until well done (about 10 minutes).
4. Stir in beans and tomato sauce, and simmer until heated through.
5. Stuff tacos, garnish, and serve with your favourite green salad or raw veggies.

I can usually eat 2 of these babies, with a salad on the side. Capt Mike can put away more, but there is always more than enough filling for 8 shells plus leftovers that are great for making a taco salad for lunch the next day.

Chow down, Canada. And stop making excuses.