Coupons Are Expensive

I have always envied women who shop with a box full of coupons. I imagine all of the money they are saving every week, and I wonder why I cannot do the same thing. I look for coupons, but I never find any for the foods I buy. Let’s Cook Tonight® believes in eating real food with real flavor. Real foods do not come out of a box, the freezer, or a can; real foods never come with a label. The growers and distributors of real foods do not print coupons. I have never seen a coupon for free broccoli, or 50% off a bag of oranges, or buy one potato get the second one free.

I do buy manufactured foods on occasion, as a treat, but not often enough to have a coupon that has not expired. Do real foods cost more? I have a good friend who used to buy many items that came with coupons. One week she decided to take the suggestion and buy foods that do not come with labels. She was pleasantly surprised; she reported that she got more groceries for less money, and all of the foods were more nutritious.

At first glance, you are saving money on the manufactured foods, but manufactured foods are more expensive, per pound, than real foods. Real foods are also bulkier so you get more food energy for your money and, therefore, you can fill more bellies for the same dollar. Real foods also do not have any added fillers, preservatives, or artificial colors that your body needs to process and eliminate. Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It just makes sense to buy real food that has more nutrition, and value, for less money.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Never add oil to the water when you cook pasta. It makes the noodles slippery and your sauce will not stick.

Do You Protect Yourself from the Magnetic Vortex in Your Grocery Store?

Did you ever really look at the layout of your grocery store? The fruits and vegetables are on one far side, meat and dairy are on the very back wall, and health and beauty supplies are on the other far side. All of the prepackaged and pre-prepared foods are in the center. I am sure the design is well thought out, and it does work, because most people emerge from the center with very full carts. I wonder if the center of the store is a magnetic vortex where all of your favorite snacks are automatically attracted to your cart.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. There is a place and time to enjoy candy, salty snacks, soft drinks and all of the other tasty, and convenient, foods located in the center of the grocery store. The problem arises when you go into the center too often and you choose too much. The key is to go armed and ready with a list, reach for only those items, and then get out quickly. If you do not prepare yourself for the battle, the vortex will put items in your cart; even the strongest soul cannot resist the pull of salty crunch and chocolate goodness.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: After you soak dry beans, throw out the soaking water, rinse, and cook them in fresh water. It will cut down on the gas.

It's 9 PM, Do You Know How Much Fiber You Had Today?

Everyone agrees that getting fiber in your diet everyday is important. People worry that they do not get enough fiber and they often look for foods that have added fiber. One of the makers of artificial sweeteners is now adding fiber to its product. I am delighted that the company realizes the value of fiber and is serving its customers better by giving them what they need, but why not just eat more fruits and vegetables?

Mother Nature was brilliant when she created fruits and vegetables because she added fiber as part of the natural packaging. When you eat real food, you will never have to think about fiber because you will be consuming it automatically. Your life is busy and you have many more important, and more fun, things to think about than the quantity of fiber in your lunch.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. Common sense dictates that real food not only has real flavor, but it also comes with all of the nutrients and fiber you need to stay healthy. Eat a wide variety of colorful foods and you will have no need to count fiber, or to use laxatives.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea:Cut a lemon in half. Stick a fork in the cut half and squeeze the lemon around the fork. You will get all of the juice, and a fork is easier to clean.

Broccoli Today Eyeballs Tomorrow

Most cars require unleaded gas to run. If you put diesel fuel in your car, it will most likely clog the fuel lines, damage the engine, and, if it runs at all, will give you very poor performance. I am quite certain no one intentionally would fill his or her car up with diesel. That action would be too costly and time consuming to fix.

Your body is an engine that works 24/7. It is constantly making new cells, healing damaged ones, fighting bacteria, and keeping you alive. Your body has the miraculous ability to take the food you eat and turn it into heart, liver and skin cells. You really are what you eat. The food you consume is the raw material of your new cells and it provides the fuel your body needs to carry out all of its functions.

What fuel do you put into your engine? Do you want your fuel lines clogged, your engine damaged, or your body to perform poorly? Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to eat the freshest, most nutrient dense foods on a daily basis for the best performance, but Let’s Cook Tonight® is not the food police. Food is a pleasure and every mouthful should be enjoyed. Your body is more forgiving and adaptable than your car engine; it can use all foods for fuel. Enjoying less nutritious foods is part of the pleasure of eating. Eat a mixture of all foods the “good” ones and the “bad” ones. Eating will be a pleasure, you will never feel deprived, and your engine will hum like a well-oiled machine.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple Cooking Idea: Buy mozzarella cheese when it is on sale, cut it into usable portions, label it, wrap it well, and put it in the freezer. The taste and texture will be perfect.

Are You Ready for Real Flavor?

When I cook, I do not use foods that are processed, canned, prepackaged, pre-prepared, or frozen. Food that is close to its natural state has a lot of flavor and nutrition. I cook my ingredients simply to ensure that the nutrients stay in the food and are not lost in the cooking process. I had a friend test some of my recipes and she could not believe how good her vegetables tasted. It was the first time she had cooked them without water.

If the only spinach you have ever tasted is frozen, you really do not know what spinach tastes like. In order to freeze it successfully, the processors must first blanch, or parboil, the fresh spinach. Vitamins, minerals and taste leach out into the water and are thrown away. I cook spinach in only little bit of butter. The taste is intense, delicious and the spinach retains its vitamin and minerals.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to cook your vegetables without water. Do not steam or boil your vegetables, instead use a small amount of hot oil. They will retain their nutrients, they will have real flavor, and you will have a new taste sensation. You will eat your vegetables and Mom will be pleased.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Hard-boiled eggs are easier to peel if they are old. Buy them in advance and let them sit in your refrigerator 10 days or longer before you cook them.

Serve from the Stove

One of the pleasures of life is eating. Your mouth can relish favorite flavors forever. A problem occurs when the stomach is satisfied, but the mouth wants the pleasure to continue. It would be so much easier if the minute we had ingested the amount of food our body needed, we could no longer taste the food. Stopping would be automatic, all of us would be the perfect weight, and no one would suffer any illnesses associated with over weight.

It is easy to continue to eat if the food is within reach. One solution to this is to serve from the stove. If dinner is not in serving bowls on the table, you will have to get up and walk to the stove to get more. That takes work, and thought, and you probably will not bother to get up and get seconds. It is easier to stop if the pleasure is not staring at you. Serving from the stove might not be practical when you have dinner guests, but for only your immediate family it is simple to do.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to stop eating when the stomach is full and it makes even better sense to limit the temptation. Serve your family from the stove and do not bring all of the food to the table. As an added bonus, you will not have to wash and put away the serving bowls.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Hard-boiled egg yolks turn green because you cook them too long. Cover eggs with cold water, bring to a full boil, cover and turn off the heat. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then drain and peel.

Why Are You Saving Your Good Dishes?

Do you have two sets of dishes, one for everyday and one for holidays and company? Your everyday set is beat up from use; it probably is nicked and scratched. Your good set is in perfect condition because you do not use it often and you take better care of it. Why do you use your good set only a few times a year? You probably love the pattern; it just makes sense to enjoy it more often.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. Maximum enjoyment includes eating all together as a family. Think of the enjoyment you would have if one evening a week you made a home cooked meal and used your good dishes. You diligently plan your week to include all of the family’s activities. Apply that same diligence once a week to a special family meal. Put it on your calendar as you do a baseball practice or music lesson, and then work your schedule to make it happen.

Gathering your family together to share a meal is as important as swim practice. You could make it a family event and everyone could get involved with the meal. Each person could be responsible for a part of the process. Admittedly, it might take a few weeks to get it to flow right, but before you know it your family will look forward to this weekly ritual when the good dishes are used and they can count on everyone being together to eat, share, laugh, talk and have fun. You can create a mini holiday once a week. Your family is worth the extra effort; the memories you will create will be priceless.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: If your honey crystallizes, put it in the microwave for a few seconds on high power and it will become liquid again.

A Case for Full Fat Ice Cream

I am lactose intolerant and dairy foods cause me intestinal pain. I retain water after I eat sugar foods and the next morning my eyes are swollen, my joints hurt and I feel sluggish. Therefore, I do not eat sugar or dairy foods often; my mouth loves them, but my body hates them. However, I do not deny myself anything so when I really want ice cream I buy it, enjoy it, and then I am done with it for some time.

Yesterday, ice cream was calling me so I picked up a container of butter pecan. By the time I arrived home, it was the perfect semi-soft consistency. I grabbed a spoon and proceeded to enjoy every mouthful. With the first taste, I knew something was missing; I can taste butter pecan in my sleep and I knew this was off. I looked at the carton; in my haste, I had grabbed the low fat version.

I was disappointed. The entire value of the treat was gone and it was no longer worth the calories or the subsequent body discomfort and pain. If the taste of any food is not spectacular, I do not eat it. It does not matter if it is a carrot salad, an apple or ice cream, if the flavor is not out of this world it is not worth eating. Low fat ice cream, no salt potato chips, baked potato chips, sugar free candies just are not worth eating because the flavor is gone.

Many people have severe dietary concerns and I realize they are grateful for the low fat, low salt, and low sugar choices in the market. I am happy that they can have their cake and eat it too. For me, however, if the taste is not exactly what I want, it has lost all of its pleasure. Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to eat foods that provide the most enjoyment. Whether it is a “bad” sugary, salty snack or a “healthy” green salad, in order to be worth eating it must have real flavor.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking substitution: 1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup white sugar + 1 tablespoon of molasses.

Are you narrow minded when it comes to food?

When I say green cabbage what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it corned beef or coleslaw? If I said sweet potatoes, would you think casserole or Thanksgiving? If those were your answers than you are narrow minded when it comes to food; you tend to see, and eat, food in the same familiar way.

Sweet potatoes are full of vitamin A, C, iron, calcium and fiber; do not limit this wonderful food when it is available all year. Get rid of the stereotype and try sweet potato salad, or mashed sweet potatoes, or roasted sweet potatoes, or baked sweet potatoes. It would be a fun change to take a sweet potato salad to your Fourth of July picnic. Try mashed sweet potatoes with corn on the cob and barbecued chicken.

Cabbage is full of vitamin C and K, it has a lot of fiber, and it is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables; that family fights cancer. Cabbage is always inexpensive and available. If the only way you have eaten this vegetable is with corned beef or as coleslaw, I can understand why you would want to avoid it.

I encourage you to treat your palette to new taste sensations. Think about these: cooked cabbage with oil and garlic, raw cabbage with oil and salt, sweet cabbage salad with apples, coleslaw with grapes and walnuts, cabbage in beef stew. All you have to do is try one mouthful, if you do not like it you do not have to eat it.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to eat nutrient dense foods consistently. Open your thinking and try foods in non-traditional ways. Your tongue and body will be happy.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Drain the cooked potatoes, and then put them back in the hot pot to mash them. You will have one less pot to wash.

Burgers and Fries and Cherry Pies

I had lunch with a friend yesterday and I ordered my favorite: cheeseburger and French fries. I do not eat lunch out often, but when I do, I always order the same thing because I enjoy it. Eating is one of the pleasures of life. When I deny myself the pleasure of my favorite foods, I feel cheated and angry. I am embarrassed to admit this, but when I get into one of my “it’s not fair” mentalities, I end up eating everything in sight. I have learned that if I eat what I truly want in the first place, than the “I feel cheated and deprived" binge, and its subsequent behavior, does not enter my brain.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. Eating is a pleasure and it just makes sense to enjoy the foods that bring you the most pleasure. There is nothing wrong with eating whatever you enjoy no matter how “sinful” you label it. However, it does not make sense to eat the same foods all of the time. Whether it is a “sinful” burger and fries or a “healthy” carrot, eating the same foods daily will eventually compromise your health. You might lose weight on a diet of only carrots, but you eventually would be lacking many nutrients and you would also turn orange. Use your common sense and eat a wide variety of what you enjoy both “sinful” and “healthy”. The variety will eliminate any feelings of deprivation, and the “I feel cheated” mentality will be gone forever.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: To a save nutrients, cut the vegetable, add one tablespoon of water, cover, and microwave on high until it is soft.

Listen because your body is talking

I love to eat and there was a time when I weighed a lot more than I do now. I know the pain of losing and regaining weight and I am very familiar with the diligence that is necessary in order to keep the pounds from coming back. I have learned that avoiding certain foods does not work and worrying about calories, fats, or carbohydrates gets old very quickly. I want to eat the foods I love and be thin and healthy at the same time. This is possible when I listen to my body.

Your body is telling you exactly when it needs food, what to eat and how much to eat. The feelings your body gives you are very strong, but through the years you have ignored them or you have stopped trusting them. You stopped trusting first. Every time someone else encouraged you to eat something when you did not want it, you assumed that person knew more about your body than you did. You trusted his or her judgment over your own. When you started to eat for emotional reasons, instead of physical ones, you started to ignore the feelings your body was giving you. Feeling better emotionally was more important than feeling better physically.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. Common sense dictates only two rules for eating. First, eat whatever you truly want whenever your stomach is truly hungry. Second, stop eating the moment your stomach’s hunger is gone. Your body knows what, when and how much. Every mouthful over that is your emotional hunger. It really is that easy. The hard part is breaking old habits. When you do, you will be able to wear your skinny jeans all of the time.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: Do not peel garlic. Bang the clove with the flat side of your knife. The peel will then come off easily.

Which tastes better--sweet, fresh, buttered corn on the cob, or a powder?

I saw an advertisement for a powder, that you add to your water, which provides the antioxidants from six servings of fruits and vegetables. It is amazing how six cups of broccoli, carrots, or oranges can be reduced to a tablespoon of powder. If you do not need to eat any fruits and vegetables, what will you eat to give you energy and to alleviate your hunger pains? You could eat protein and starch all day, but then you will need a laxative.

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. It makes sense to eat and enjoy food instead of drinking a powder. Fruits and vegetable are full of flavor, their colors provide a feast for your eyes, their varied textures are a pleasure to chew, and they provide a lot of natural fiber. Your body was designed to chew and digest fruits and vegetables; it does not make sense to eat them in powder form.

Cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment is not hard to do. You will never have to worry if you are getting all of the antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber you need if you eat a variety of colorful foods and cook them as simply as possible. Eat real food with real flavor. It is that simple.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking substitution: 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup whole milk + 1 tbsp. lemon juice.

Are you raising kids who become adults who hate to cook?

Let’s Cook Tonight® believes that cooking is necessary if you want to get maximum health, flavor and enjoyment from your food. Eating out, fast foods, takeout, delivered foods, frozen and canned foods, junk foods are all delicious and convenient, but they create two major problems. They can put a strain on a family’s budget and you have no idea how nutritious the food is or what ingredients and methods were used in its preparation. Hiring a personal chef might be an option, but many families cannot afford that expense. If you eat daily, you have to cook daily.

I learned to bake when I was about eight years old. My mother loved sweets and I learned quickly that if I made her a dessert she would be happy. Creating something delicious in the kitchen meant love, attention, happiness and smiles. The association was a positive one and ultimately created my life’s work. I am not suggesting that your children need to grow up to be professional chefs, but wouldn’t it be nice if they could take some pleasure in this daily task instead of hating it?

What kitchen chores do you give your children? If you only give them unpleasant chores it stands to reason that they will associate the kitchen with something that is not fun to do. I realize that loading and unloading the dishwasher has to be done, but you also have to measure spices that smell great, cut up tasty ingredients, and take interesting looking vegetables out of the refrigerator. It makes sense that if you get your children involved in the fun parts of the cooking process they might become adults who enjoy carrying out this daily chore. Try it. Perhaps your adult child will invite you over for a great home cooked meal.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: You will never have to clean your microwave if you remember to cover everything before you place it in the microwave.

Mushrooms, breast cancer and common sense

I enjoy the flavor fresh mushrooms impart to dishes and I use a lot of them in my recipes. Let’s Cook Tonight® believes in eating real food with real flavor and mushrooms pass the test. When fresh mushroom are cooked they release a lot of flavorful liquid, they become various shades of brown and a multitude of sizes and shapes. Because canned mushrooms are precooked, the flavorful juices are lost, they are identical in color and salt and citric acid have been added. Canned mushrooms do not give the same flavor and visual appeal to the finished dish as fresh mushrooms do.

I read that mushrooms lower the risk of breast cancer. I am delighted. I cooked with mushrooms before I knew of their health benefit because they taste good. Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for maximum health, flavor and enjoyment. I do not worry about the nutritional content of real, unprocessed foods. Nutritional information is confusing, conflicting and complicated. I assume that if the food grew in the ground, Mother Nature put value in it.

I do not want to know the percentages of vitamins, minerals and fiber in my food and I do not want to have to remember which food prevents cancer, which one helps my colon and which one is good for my heart. I want cooking and eating to be a pleasure not a math or science test. Common sense says that fresh foods have nutritional value. It makes sense that most of the nutritional value will be retained if I do as little to the food as possible and it also makes sense to eat all of the juice the food releases if I do choose to cook it. You do not need a degree in nutrition to eat for maximum health just cook and eat a wide variety of colorful foods in their most natural state and you will reap the most value, favor and enjoyment from your food.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea: You will get more juice out of a lemon if you warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds and then roll it on the counter.

Do you put garlic in your apple pie?

Why is sugar an ingredient in savory foods such as bottled salad dressings, sandwich bread and soups? I really enjoy sweet foods, but I do not understand why I have to taste sugar in my dinner roll. Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a common sense approach to cooking and eating for health, maximum flavor and enjoyment. It does not make any sense to put sugar in savory foods any more than it makes sense to put garlic in apple pie.

I bit into a roll at a luncheon yesterday and I could immediately taste the added sugar. No, it was not sweet like a sticky bun, but the sweet taste was there. The majority of foods I eat are very close to their natural state so my palate quickly recognizes a flavor in a food that normally is not there. I make recipes with very few ingredients and I seldom eat processed food so I am used to the real flavor of foods. I buy all of my bread from a bakery that makes its products on the premises from scratch. They do not add sugar to their sandwich breads or dinner rolls. When you eat your sandwich on bread that has no added sugar, you will be amazed at how even peanut butter and jelly taste better. The filling is no longer competing with the taste of the bread.

I realize the amount of added sugar per portion size is probably very small, but even if it is only an eighth of a teaspoon, why does it have to be there at all? It just does not make any sense. I want to enjoy Real Food Real Flavor Real Easy®.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Simple cooking idea. When using a box grater, grate on top of wax paper. The grated food will be easier to pick up and you will have one less dish to wash.

The most important meal of the day

Let’s Cook Tonight® teaches a simple, common sense approach to cooking and eating for health, maximum flavor and enjoyment. Feeding your body for health and enjoyment is not complicated it just requires you to use a bit of common sense. Your body tells you everything you need to know to maintain optimum health, but you have stopped listening. You do not trust yourself so you constantly look for experts to tell you what to eat to stay healthy and energetic. Think about it for one minute. Who has lived inside your body? Who intimately knows how your body feels after eating certain foods, how it feels when it is tired, how it feels when it is excited, worried or full of joy? Someone outside of you does not have a clue how your body responds to anything. Only you are privy to that information.

If I asked you what the most important meal of the day was I am positive you would say breakfast. It is an automatic answer because that is what you have been taught. Let’s Cook Tonight® believes the most important meal of the day is the one when you have the most hunger. That may be at 5:00 am, 10:00 am or noon and it might change daily. Just because starting the day with a full stomach works for some does not mean it works for all. Common acceptance of an idea does not deem it true for everyone. I have the most energy and I accomplish my best work very early in the morning on a completely empty stomach. It has taken me years to give myself permission to skip breakfast. I trusted both the experts and the advertisers when they told me I needed food in the morning and I completely ignored how my body felt and reacted. What is amazing is that I have known this all of my life. I have never liked food in the morning and I could never understand why I had to eat breakfast when I was not hungry.

You cannot use a cookie cutter approach. What is good for me is not good for you. You are unique and an infinite number of factors influence your health and energy level. Start listening to your body and pay attention to how it feels all of the time. Once you start paying attention to your body you will be amazed at how much wisdom it has to give you. Then you need to trust and follow that wisdom.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

I woke up with puffy eyes this morning

I have always blamed my mother for my love of sugar. My older sister told me that my mother ate nothing but chocolate candy when she was pregnant with me. I am sure my sister is not exaggerating because my mother slept with M&Ms under her pillow to have them within easy reach when she woke up. I can attribute her weakness to heredity. My maternal grandmother insisted that sugar be included in every meal. She loved scrambled eggs with strawberry jam for breakfast. Since I had an easy excuse to absolve me of any personal responsibility, I have eaten copious amounts of sweets all of my life.

I brought home my favorite ice cream last night. During the drive, it had reached the perfect semi soft consistency and, therefore, tasted exceptionally good. I enjoyed every mouthful. Now, however, I am sitting through the morning after. My eyes are swollen, my face is puffy, it is hard to move and close my fingers and my joints feel achy. I do not need a degree in nutrition to realize that I retain water when I eat sugar. I can see it and feel it in my body. Sugar spikes your body’s insulin production; insulin causes sodium retention and that, in turn, causes water retention.

Let’s Cook Tonight® believes in a simple, common sense approach to cooking and eating for health, maximum flavor and enjoyment. It just makes sense to listen to your body and if you eat something that makes you feel bad physically, it must not be good for you. Give up the easy excuses you have been using to justify old behaviors and start paying attention to your body. Stop feeding it foods that make it feel bad. It really is that simple.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Real Food Real Flavor Real Easy®

Twenty-seven years ago, I married a man who was, and still is, twenty-five years my senior. As a young bride, I did not know how to cook and I knew even less about nutrition. I did realize that what I fed my new husband would have a great impact on how healthy he was and how long he lived. I made a decision to learn all I could about nutrition. I went to the college library and read all of the books on nutrition that were available at the time.

I am definitely not a nutrition expert, but my initial research has served me well through the years. I got a grasp of the basics and I taught myself how to cook with those basics in mind. The proof is in the pudding because at 73 my husband does not take any medications, has no illnesses that we are aware of and he feels good. He has never been over weight, except for a few pounds on occasion, and he is not plagued with colds or the annual flu. Can I attribute all of this to my cooking? Definitely not, I am not that naive. He has incredible genes and his father and uncles were all very healthy, long-lived men. However, I will take credit for not messing up his wonderful genes and keeping the odds of good health in his favor.

If I had to put my cooking philosophy into a few sentences, it would be the following. Eat a wide variety of fresh, colorful foods in moderate amounts every day. You will know a fresh food from a processed one because the fresh one never comes with a list of ingredients. If the food item has a label, it has been processed in some way. Keep foods with labels to a bare minimum. Keep fats and salt in your diet to enhance flavor and satisfaction. Do not deny yourself any foods that give you pleasure. All foods including desserts, candy, salty snacks and the ones commonly referred to as “junk foods” are meant to be eaten and enjoyed in moderation. Denying yourself the pleasure of these foods only leads to craving and over consumption. Water is my beverage of choice with tea, coffee and wine coming in second once a day. Because of their high sugar content and lack of fiber, I consider fruit juices, carbonated beverages and sweetened drinks desserts and, therefore, I treat them as desserts.

Essentially, I believe in eating real food with real flavor and cooking it simply to retain maximum nutrition and to provide maximum flavor and enjoyment. This philosophy has paid off for me as well. I am as healthy as my husband is.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.

Does your family pet eat better than you do?

I have a Maine Coon cat that I adore. His name is Settimio and he is a golden haired beauty. I got him when he was 10 weeks old and he won my heart immediately. He has been in charge since then. Like many pet owners, my cat is my child. I take care of him, love him, play with him and hope he stays healthy and happy forever.

In order to keep Settimio healthy I am careful how and what I feed him. I give him special cat food so he will not get urinary tract infections. When I give him human food, as a treat, it is not random. I control what I give him and how much he gets. I constantly monitor how much total food he eats a day because this breed has a tendency to be over weight and develop heart problems. Am I obsessive? Probably, but I am first selfish, I want him to be healthy for a very long time so he can continue to bring me pleasure.

What does the care and feeding of my cat have to do with food and cooking? I will answer that with another question. Do you put as much care and attention into feeding yourself as you do your pet? Do you feed yourself the best foods so you will not get sick? Are you careful with your treats so you will not become over weight and possibly develop the illness associated with being over weight? Do you have a family history of health problems and are therefore watchful of what you eat so you avoid those illnesses? Do you take care of your body as well as you care for your pet’s body? Do you want to be happy and healthy for a very long time?

When you take the time to cook for yourself and choose foods that offer the most nutrition you give yourself a better chance of staying healthy. Cooking is easier than you think and it is worth the time and effort. If you will not take care of yourself for yourself, than do it for your pet’s sake. He wants you around for a long time too.

The Healthiest Colors to Eat.

I am currently having my logo for Let’s Cook Tonight® designed. My designer asked me what colors I wanted to use and, without hesitation, I said dark green and deep orange. My color choice was easy, green and orange are the colors of the vegetables that contain the most nutrients. Broccoli, spinach, collard greens, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash are dark green and deep orange and they are paragons of health. They are full of vitamin, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

Not only do dark green and deep orange vegetables have a lot of nutrition, but they also have a lot of flavor on their own. When was the last time you steamed some celery for dinner? Compare white potatoes and sweet potatoes. Bake them both and you can eat the sweet potato without adding anything, but the white potato begs for salt, butter and sour cream.

A colorful plate is also like eye candy. Compare a plate of white meat turkey, white mashed potatoes, corn and a white biscuit to white meat turkey, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts and a whole-wheat roll. You do not need a degree in nutrition to eat wisely. Just make your dinner plate very colorful on a consistent basis and you will be eating all of the vitamins and minerals you need.

Cooking is easier than you think and it is worth the time and effort.

Cook Once Eat Twice

I am going to a friend’s house to drop off some food today. Her husband died a few days ago. Eating is a necessary daily requirement no matter what occurs in our lives, but after the death of a loved one cooking is the last thing on everyone’s mind and agenda. We still get hungry and need to be nourished, but no one wants to think about it.

When I cook, I usually double a recipe so I can put half of it in the freezer for another time. Even though I love to cook, Cook Once Eat Twice™ has always made sense to me. At any point in time, my freezer has always been full of delicious, homemade food. At a moments notice I open my freezer and look at my “personal takeout”. I take my choice and put it frozen solid into the microwave. I heat it on high power and a delicious nutritious dinner is ready in less than 20 minutes.

Cook Once Eat Twice™ has been a lifesaver and a source of comfort. Just knowing that I have a freezer full of food to eat eliminates the worry of “what am I going to eat tonight?” I am sure I have saved thousands of dollars through the years in not having to “pick up something quick” on the way home. I know I have saved myself thousands of empty calories by eating my “personal takeout” and not a restaurant’s takeout. I also know that eating the food I have cooked is a much healthier way to refuel my body.

Today I can see an added benefit for my Cook Once Eat Twice™ philosophy. It is allowing me to help a friend and her family.

Dinner was easy last night

I had a guest at my home for lunch yesterday and we were having so much fun that we were still talking at 5:30 PM, so I invited her to stay for dinner. It was a great opportunity to show my new friend my Cook Once Eat Twice philosophy.

I went to my freezer and pulled out a portion of Marinara Sauce (meatless tomato sauce). I had made it fresh about a week ago and had doubled the recipe, therefore, I had enough for another meal. All I had to do was cook a fresh pot of pasta, add a salad and wine and we were good to go. The meal was healthy, quick, and delicious and I did not have the extra expense of having to buy a takeout pizza.

It tasted liked I had cooked all day. Well, I had cooked it, but on a day when I had a bit more time so when I needed a quick, easy, delicious meal there it was waiting for me to pop it into the microwave. It does not get any easier than that.