Dr. Lisa's Bountiful Life

Grocery Store Gratitude

A week ago, I was traipsing through the bustling Bodegona (grocery store) in Antigua, buying staples such as peanut butter and shampoo for my Guatemalan-living son.

Today I am back in Maine, having just completed a visit to our own local supermarket with my daughter.

The contrasts are stark.

Never having been one to enjoy grocery shopping, I can now say that I have little to complain about.

Our local store is a veritable Zen retreat center compared to the Bodegona. Bustling at all hours, at the Bodegona the narrow aisles are constantly crowded with shoppers. Spanish holiday music blares from every corner. The smell of fish, cheese, baked goods and industrial cleaning solutions mixes with the lingering scent of human sweat.

If there is an organizational system in place, one is hard-pressed to understand it. The dairy case is next to the Tupperware display, and shampoo wrestles for space with soda cases. One can find just about anything desired--from multi-colored marshmallows to color televisions.

Given that Guatemala is a third-world country, and poverty is prevalent, those who are able to shop at the Bodegona are a privileged lot.

As are those, like myself, who can return after a week to a country of relative wealth.

Those, like myself, who can return to a state with clean air and water.

Those, like myself, who are not asked to make a living by picking trash out of a dump.

It remains to be seen what longstanding impact my journey to Safe Passage in Guatemala will have upon my life.

At the very least, I know I am grateful for my own orderly grocery store, in my own beautiful state.

I am grateful for the opportunity to understand how bountiful my life truly is.

 

Guatemalan groceries

2011

 

 

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

As a predominantly plant-based eater, I consume a fair amount of almonds, walnuts and pecans.

Thus the saying "you are what you eat," is one I find amusing--and possibly relevant.

I admit that I am a bit unique in my world views. I like to think of myself as endearingly quirky.

I'm also, especially these days, disproportionately grateful for small blessings.

With a myriad of intense personal and professional transitions taking place, I feel as if I've been on a fast-moving skateboard, darting in and out of traffic. Trying to stay on top of things. Trying not to get run over by a semi.

All the while knowing that I've never actually been taught to skateboard; surviving the ride based on wits and grit.

Which brings me back to nuts: both eating and being.

Last week I spilled a small container of almonds in my over-stuffed computer/briefcase.  This gargantuan red bag-o-mine is so full of files, papers, pens and selected ephemera that I haven't seen the bottom of it in months.

My spilt almonds became the gift that kept on coming.

Just when I thought I had cleaned them all out, I would unearth another handful from the depths.

Did I toss them? No I did not. I have been a mother for eighteen years. I know the blessing of a found snack, even when it comes in the form of a lint-covered nut.

These almonds kept my non-stop-skateboarding self nourished for days.

Grateful I was.

Disproportionately so.

One might have thought these nuts were the best present I had ever received, so happy was my hungry body to receive them.

I realize that my gratitude bordered on the slightly silly. That my gratitude for many of the small things (good parking spots, a beautiful moon in the sky) may seem a bit over the top, given the current status of my runaway skateboard life.

But if the saying is so, and I am what I eat, I guess I have that right.

 

progression, 2011

 

 

 

 

 

Triple Lady

I admit it: I have a bit of an espresso addiction.

In fact, at one local coffee shop I am known as the "triple lady."

This is not an entirely comfortable title for me, as one might imagine.  The possible interpretations...well, let's just say that I've been teased about this by my friends.

All of this is particularly interesting because I hate the taste of coffee. Thus on any given day, one will find me throwing back my caffeine as one might enjoy a tequila shot (not that I am a tequila drinker, myself). One will also notice the post-caffeine-shot grimace on my face, and the race to rinse my mouth with ice water.

But it is all worth it, for now.

I've got a lot to do, and my time is tight. I find that the caffeine enables me to focus long enough to be productive.

I also find that my distaste for coffee has not abated.

Thus I know that this particular addiction will likely be short-lived.

And my uncomfortable designation as the "triple lady" will soon become a distant memory...

 

 

Hands On

I began this blog in 2008 as a means of learning something I desperately needed to learn: how to feed myself.

When I was growing up, food was less a priority than it was a necessity. My mother, cooking in the absence of my father (who was often pulled away from the household by virtue his doctoring duties) had all she could do to make sure that her ten children were fed. Meals were an adventure, to say the least.

They were not a source of particular joy.

This is not to knock my mom. We were all fed, adequately. 

Meals became more joyful in the hands of the man who was my husband for nineteen years. He was a capable cook, and brought many a delicious repast to the table.

He was also a busy attorney, whose long hours at work caused meal-making to become less of a priority.

Thus I was frequently tapped to cook. Which I did, in order to provide nourishment to my children. Like my mother, however, I did so with little joy.

Until 2008.

In 2008, I realized that I needed to find the joy. I needed to learn to love food. I needed to find edibles that were both healthy and delicious. My conflicted body had too long been deprived.

And so I did. I visited farmers' markets and farmstands; grocery and gourmet stores.

I learned my way around a saucepan.

When my marriage disintegrated in the past year, my food forays were less frequent. Food was often, again, a means of survival.

Now, as part of the Dr. Lisa Radio Hour & Podcast, I am back in the kitchen. Peeling, chopping, stirring and blending.

My girls are joining in the blessed madness.

We are playing with our food.

Joy is mine.

I am feeding myself once more.

 

Napa 2011

 

Apple Fundamentals

There is something very fundamental about apples in autumn.

Yesterday I agreed to chauffeur my fifteen-year-old daughter and her three friends back from the local orchard. When I arrived, they had picked their apples and were waiting for the donuts they had ordered. We took pictures of them, heads poking through painted plywood cutouts. My daughter's friends were flowers and pieces of fruit. She was a jaunty butterfly.

An appropriate image for my changeling child.

The donuts still not done (the line for these specially prepared delicacies was long), the girls went on a hay ride.

I sat on a picnic table, the sun warming my shoulders.

It felt far more like the summer season we had just left rather than the autumn season we had entered.

The girls returned from their ride, and, having finally exhausted all the fun the orchard might offer, accompanied me to the car. They rode quietly home, paper sacks of donuts and satchels of apples on their laps.

They had taken a couple of hours out of their high school existence to recapture the ebullience of childhood.

They had picked apples, eaten dumplings and ridden on hay bales behind a chestnut mare.

Autumn, apples and playtime.

Nothing so fundamentally important as these.

 

autumn 2010

 

Wait! I'm Real...

Hungry people, looking to be served.

Paying for the privilege.

Sometimes in honor of a special occasion.

Sometimes while on a long-awaited vacation.

No small amount of pressure for a waitress. 

Having had this role, I can say it ranked among the more stressful of my occupational experiences.

Having also been a frequent restaurant patron, I understand the importance of having a good server.

This past weekend my dear one and I witnessed an interesting interaction between a waitress and a female patron at an upscale hotel restaurant.

This French-speaking patron, who had clearly been at the hotel restaurant several times before, asked many questions. Her conversation with the waitress was extensive, and she was very specific in her requests.

The waitress dealt with the patron patiently, answering each of her questions and doing her best to maintain a positive interaction.

After a few minutes, the waitress skillfully shifted the conversation by engaging the patron in a different way: she began to talk about her 'other' life.

The waitress told the patron and her companion that she was from San Francisco, and that her passion was interior design. She mentioned a project she had been working on recently.

The patron and her companion listened intently. Their questioning became slightly more respectful, and the requests made in a less insistent manner.

In a manner of minutes, the waitress was transformed (in the eyes of the patron and her companion) from a "mere waitress" to a "real human being."

It was a bit of a risk this waitress took, engaging them in this way. Her tactics could very well have back-fired.

But instead they changed the interaction.

The waitress felt better about serving her patrons, and they felt better about being served by her.

Simply because the waitress became real.

Which we all are (real, that is). Whether we are serving, or being served. In any capacity.

We need only remember that this is the case.

 

Bar Lola, Portland (not the scene of the 'incident')

September 2011

 

 

Valentine-Inspired Black Beans & Rice

Wondering what to serve your Valentine next week?  How about a lovely heart-pleasing, red-accented black beans and rice dish...

As we discuss in the Dragon's Way Qigong-based wellness class offered through our office, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the heart is the keeper of the spirit (called Shen, in TCM).  It also rules mental activities, and is responsible for consciousness and memory. The primary emotion associated with the heart is joy, the "element" of the heart is fire, and (as one might imagine) the color correlated with the heart is red.

The following Valentine-Inspired Black Beans & Rice recipe is not only joyfully festive and red, but it has a hint of fire from the cherry bomb pepper. It is also VERY healthy, and cost-effective to boot. It combines black beans and rice as featured in this morning's segment with Ray Richardson & Ted Talbot on WLOB radio/WPME TV, with cocktail tomatoes (locally grown by Backyard Farms in Madison) from last week's WLOB 'basket o' fun.

Valentine-Inspired Black Beans & Rice

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of scallions (about 8)
• 1 cherry bomb pepper (can substitute a mild jalapeno), seeded and chopped
• 1 sweet red pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 cups cooked brown rice (we like Basmati)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• juice from 1/2 lime
• 1/4 tsp ground sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• optional: 2 red radishes, halved and sliced into half-moons

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Chop scallions coarsely, setting green parts aside. Add garlic and white part of scallions to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes.

Add peppers to skillet.  Sprinkle with salt and cumin. Cook until just tender (5-10 minutes).

Add beans, rice and vegetable stock.  Cook until warmed through, and stock has been absorbed into the mixture.  Fold in tomatoes. Heat thoroughly.

Stir in lime juice. Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Optional: garnish with radishes and/or uncooked, chopped green scallions.

Enjoy warm or cold.

Salmon Filets with Indian Spices

As we will discuss on our WLOB radio/WPME TV Dr. Lisa segment today, February is American Heart Month.  One way to keep our hearts healthy is by treating ourselves regularly to delicious fish dishes.  Fish is rich in heart-protective omega-3-fatty acids. 

The following recipe was created by my favorite self-taught chef (and husband), Kevin.  Hubbie is masterful in the kitchen, and his creations are always well worth a taste...

Salmon Filets with Indian Spices

~1-1 1/2 lbs salmon filets

~2 tablespoons olive oil

~I tsp each of cumin seed, coriander seed, mustard seed

~Salt and pepper

Toast seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until just fragrant—one minute or less—be very attntive so as not to burn the seeds

Place seeds in a spice mill

Heat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium heat—hot enough for droplets of water to sizzle on contact

Salt and pepper each side of the salmon filet

Using the spice mill, apply a coating of the ground spices to each side of the filet-rubbing the filet with a tablespoon of the olive oil

Grill the salmon just until it begins to release its white proteins, turning once after about five minutes.  Do not try to turn the fish too soon or it will stick to the grill.  Do not overcook the salmon.

Serve warm.

Enjoy!

El Rayo-Inspired Winter Squash Soup

We've featured winter squash many times in our WLOB "Basket o' Fun" on Tuesday mornings.  Winter squash varieties such as Butternut, Buttercup and Delicata are available during the coldest months, and keep (almost) forever. This sweet golden-orange vegetable is high in fiber, and full of vitamins, such as A, B and C. 

Winter squash is also a good source of folic acid (also known as Vitamin B9), the heart-healthy, birth defect preventive, anti-cancer nutrient featured on last Tuesday's Dr. Lisa segment with Ray Richardson & Ted Talbot on WLOB.

The "South of the Border Winter Squash Soup" recipe found below was inspired by a weekend visit to El Rayo Taqueria in Portland.  We love El Rayo for its use of fresh produce and its innovative take on Mexican food. Their soup was the perfect follow-up to a chilly (albeit beautiful) weekend walk.

Winter squash in a Mexican-style winter soup will warm the cockles of even the coldest heart.

South of the Border Winter Squash Soup

~2 tablespoon olive oil
~3 cups winter squash, cut into 1 inch cubes (we used Butternut)
~1 medium yellow onion, chopped
~3 garlic cloves, minced
~2 medium carrots, chopped
~2 stalks of celery, chopped
~2 sweet peppers, chopped (we used 1 green and 1 orange)
~1 mild jalapeno, seeds & ribs removed, minced
~4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
~1 tablespoon chili powder
~1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
~1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
~1 tablespoon maple syrup
~juice from 1/2 lime
~1 can black beans, rinsed
~1 cup cooked corn kernels (we used frozen)
~dash cayenne
~freshly ground pepper and sea salt, to taste

optional:
~2 tablespoons cilantro
~2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a dash of salt.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Put in a blender or food processor with 1 cup vegetable stock.  Process until smooth.

Pour remaining olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or large saucepan. Add onion and garlic and saute over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, until tender.

Add carrots, celery and peppers. Stir in chili powder, dry mustard, cumin and a dash of salt. Saute 5-8 minutes.

Add stock, beans, corn and pureed squash to pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook until vegetables are tender and beans & corn heated through (approximately 10 minutes).

Add maple syrup and lime juice, followed by salt and pepper, to taste.

Garnish with cilantro and/or pumpkin seeds, if desired.

Enjoy!

Honey Child

I begin each morning with a cup of tea.

This morning it was English Breakfast.  Sometimes it is Earl Grey; sometimes plain green tea.

Usually I add a splash of rice milk and just a touch of honey.

But that is only when I am at home, or when I am somewhere I have access to the good stuff.  Give me good honey, or give me nothing. I'd rather take my tea straight than adulterate it with sub-par honey.

I've become a sweetness snob.

Sweetness has gotten a bad rap over the past decade.  Two-thirds of our country is now overweight or obese, in large part because we are drawn to things that make us feel better.  Food is one of these--especially sweet food. Candy, cookies, pastries.  If it comforts us, we eat it.

Sweetness is not inherently bad.  In Chinese Medicine, "sweet" is the taste associated with the spleen.  Our spleen is our "earth" organ--our "mothering" organ.  It is represents nurturing; caring.  In Western medicine we recognize the spleen for its production and storage of life-supporting red cells.

We need our spleen, and we need sweetness.

We just need it in the right amount and quality.

We also need it in the right place.

In addition to having a touch of honey in my tea, I like to have a bit of dessert to finish my meal.  It is a good way to provide closure to my tongue. It serves to balance out the experience.

I don't need much.  Just a taste or two. 

But, as with honey, I only eat dessert if it is deserving of being eaten.  Give me good dessert, or give me nothing. I'm a sweetness snob all the way around.

This morning's honey was lovingly provided by one of my friends.  It came from bees that live on her property, near her garden.

I knew this honey would be worthy of my English Breakfast before I even opened the jar. I knew it because my friend is as open and loving as ever a person I've met.  She would never allow mean bees on her property, near her generous garden.

On a more practical note, I knew this honey fell in the category of "good stuff" because, from its jar, it exudes a golden light.  Pure.  Beautiful.  Exquisite.

And I was not disappointed. My tongue swoons at the memory.

I could ask for no better way to begin my day.

No better way than a touch of sweetness, provided by a loving friend.

 

Along the Royal, January 2011