Day 64

To laugh often and much.

To win the respect if intelligent people

and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation

of honest critics

and endure the betrayal

Of false friends;

To appreciate beauty,

to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better,

whether by a healthy child

a garden patch

or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life

has breathed easier

because you have lived.

That is to have success.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 63

This is a combination of three different recipes.
But be warned: lentils may make your butt sing!

LENTIL CURRY
Saute in ghee, or oil or oil and butter
1/2  cup each chopped onion, celery and carrots
2 inches of ginger, peeled and minced
3 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
Add 3 cups water (chicken or veggie broth)
Stir in
1 package dried green lentils
(red gets very mushy) washed and looked over
(sometimes there are little sticks or stones)
Then go crazy with spices:
curry powder
garam masala
turmeric
coriander
fennel
cloves
mustard (I use a teaspoon of whole grain mustard with figs)
cumin
cardamon
cayenne
 red chili flakes
cinnamon
 salt and pepper
Add whatever you want
Start small amounts and then taste and adjust
Honey, blue agave nectar or brown sugar can be added also
Bring to boil, then simmer till lentils are soft
Maybe one hour
Add extra liquid if needed
A splash or red or white wine is nice, too
Can be served with shredded coconut.

Day 62

Nothing is more beautiful than potential.

The problem with people who have no vices

is that generally you can be pretty sure

they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues.

Elizabeth Taylor

Never interrupt when you are being flattered.

 Mind your own business.

Remember that not getting what you want

is sometimes a stroke of luck.

Learn the rules then break some.

Talk slowly but think quickly.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

Read between the lines.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Day 61

BARBECUE SAUCE

I have a crush on Jamie Oliver, the 35 year old English food master.

He's just too adorable and I love his simple, wholesome approach to cooking.

This is his recipe tweaked a bit - good for ribs, lamb or chicken.

He suggests placing your choice onto a grill to blacken

after taking it out of the oven.

My oven is a bit hot and the ribs were dark enough for me.

Crushed with a pestle and mortar or in a coffee grinder

1 huge teaspoon cumin seeds

2 huge teaspoons fennel seeds

5 cloves

Chop well

4-5 cloves garlic

Bunch fresh thyme leaves

Bunch fresh rosemary leaves

Zest of 1 orange (save juice)

Salt and pepper

Add to seeds in bowl

With 4 huge teaspoons paprika

6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

8 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup catsup

2 huge tablespoons brown sugar

Mix well

Rub all over a 3 pound chicken, or 7 pound leg of lamb, or 4 pounds pork ribs.

(slash the lamb evenly 1/4 inch deep)

Place in a snug fitting pan, top with any leftover sauce, and loose fitting foil.

Bake chicken 1 hour 20 minutes

Lamb 1 hour (for pink)

Ribs 1 hour 20-30 minutes.

Can be charred on a barbecue till crusty and blackened if desired

Basted with any juices leftover in pan.

Day 60

BUMPER STICKERS

Don’t suffer from insanity, enjoy every minute of it.

If ignorance is bliss, you must be orgasmic.

The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.

I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

Wanted: meaningful overnight relationship.

The gene pool could use a little chlorine.

Indecision is the key to flexibility.

There is no substitute for genuine lack of preparation.

Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.

Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world.

The other line always moves faster…until you get in it.

Friends may come and go but enemies accumulate.

Day 59

Inspired by Gabriele Corcos - a little complicated, but so rich and delicious.
This is without a doubt, the very best lasagna we have ever tasted.

LASAGNA ALLA BOLOGNESE
Make two separate sauces:
BOLOGNESE SAUCE
First prepare a soffritto (onion mixture)
Saute in oil in a large pot until soft
1 chopped red onion
3 carrots, chopped
3 celerys, chopped
Optional:
3 bacons, chopped
or 3 oz pancetta, chopped
Place in a blender with
2 cans (28 oz) whole or chopped tomatoes
Meanwhile in same pot brown
2 pounds of ground beef, turkey, and/or pork
(drain off excess oil)
Pour in up to
1 cup red wine to deglaze
Cook till evaporated, scraping brown bits of the bottom
Return tomato mixture to pot
Season with
Garlic powder
Cayenne or red pepper flakes
Fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Simmer on low for 2 hours
Take off heat, add 1 cup milk. Stir and let sit.
BESCIAMELLA SAUCE
This is a white sauce. I added left over ricotta and some white wine.
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
Make a roux:
Melt butter, add flour and cook till slightly brown
Add 2 cups milk to boil
Whisking constantly.
Add wine if desired and any little bits of cheese.
Season with grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper.
Simmer on low for 5 minutes.
Should be the consistency of thick cream.
ASSEMBLE:
Oil baking dish(es)
Ladle a small amount of the meat sauce on bottom.
Cover with
1 layer no-boil lasagna noodles (1 - 2 boxes)
Cover with  a layer of meat sauce (must cover noodles or they will not cook)
Ladle on some besciamella sauce
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan (and/or mix with mozzarella)
Repeat 2 or 3 times
Ending with grated cheese.
Bake about 40 minutes 375 till very hot and bubbly
Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
Super rich, super delizioso.
Tastes even better the next day warmed up.
Invite many friends.
Freezes well.
Ciao.

Day 58

MAXINE SAYS:

Don't believe everything you think!

Never go to bed angry...stay up and plot your revenge.

Why don't you slip into something a little more comfortable...like a coma.

Well aren't you the most adorable black hole of need.

Shhhh...that's the sound of nobody caring what you think.

Did you eat an extra bowl of stupid this morning?

I don't know what your problem is but I bet it's hard to pronounce.

Don't make me use UPPERCASE.

If you have something to say, raise your hand and place it over your mouth.

You're not yourself today...I noticed the improvement immediately.

Would you like some cheese to go with that whine.

Don't let your mind wander...it's too small to be let out on it's own.

Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

Day 57

CHOCOLATE CROISSANTS
1 packet puff pastry (two in a box)
1 chocolate bar (milk is better than dark)
1 egg beaten
Oven at 425
Unroll puff pastry and cut into six squares.
Then cut each square in half to form two triangles.
Place  a small chunk of the chocolate ( approximately 1/2 x 3/4 inch) in center of long side
And roll up to point.
Pinch a bit to seal chocolate and shape like croissant on baking tray.
(also can be folded as triangle shaped pocket and seal edges)
Brush the surface with the egg
Bake 15 minutes.
Best eaten warm when golden and puffy.

Day 56

May the most you ask for be the least you get.

The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people,

but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others

 and can admire the other person's good qualities.

What matters is not what one believes or what teaching one follows,

what matters is one’s motivation for doing so,

and the manner in which one does it.

Dalai Lama

Do your little bit of good where you are;

its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

 Desmond Tutu

Meditation affects consciousness which leads over the long term

to a greater degree of inner strength and force of will.

Meditation is one technique that can make the difference

between a bad life and a good one.

Happiness is good health and a bad memory.

Live a good, honorable life.

Then when you get older and think back,

you’ll get to enjoy it for a second time.

Be gentle with the earth.

Day 55

This is one of those incredibly simple recipes
that is super yummy and super easy.
I always have the ingredients in my pantry.
Compliments of my wonderful friend Mary S.

RUM CAKE
1 yellow or chocolate cake mix
1 vanilla or chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup each: rum, water and vegetable oil
Mix well and put into bundt pan that has been oiled and floured
325 for 55 - 60 minutes
Boil together for a few minutes
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 cup each of rum and water
Pour over bottom of cake as soon as it's out of the oven
Let sit 10 minutes only
Then invert and remove pan
Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Guaranteed to become one of your favorites


http://www.bigwoodart.com/
http://www.artbigwood.com/

Day 54

SIGNS IN BARS

Beauty is only a light switch away.

If life is a waste of time

And time is a waste of life

Then let's all get wasted together

And have the time of our lives.

Fighting for peace

Is like screwing for virginity.

At the feast of ego

Everyone leaves hungry.

It's hard to make a comeback

When you haven't been anywhere.

Make love, not war.

Hell, do both...

GET MARRIED!

If voting could really change things

It would be illegal.

If pro is the opposite of con,

Then what is the opposite of progress?

Congress!

You're too good for him.

A Woman's Rule of Thumb:

If it has tires or testicles

You're going to have trouble with it.

Day 53

LEAN MEAN TURKEY LOAF

1.5 pounds of ground turkey (one package of Foster Farms)

.5 cup plain bread crumbs (throw crusts or bits into mini food processor)

.5 cup each onion and celery (also chopped in processor)

1 egg

.25 cup ketchup

2 cloves of minced garlic

Add a lot of seasonings such as:

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

.5 teaspoon each of dried oregano, basil, thyme

Maybe some dried sage

Red pepper flakes or cayenne

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Crunch all the ingredients together with your hands till well incorporated.

Put into loaf pan.

Optional: lay some bacon of the top for added flavor.

Bake 45 minutes or till instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees.

Let sit before serving (pour off juices in they accumulated).

Fantastic!

Great the next day in sandwiches with cheese.

Day 52

 

A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.

Emerson

I am open to positive changes in any form it takes.

The wise man is always similar to himself.

I am unlimited.

Follow your bliss and all the doors will open.

I achieve all things.

Let go of the overwhelming stuff.

Listen to your feelings.

I am lovable.

I am making progress.

Marriage is a never-ending series of one night stands.

Dennis Miller

Day 51

Something to do with the leftover coconut from the pi.....

COCONUT SHAKE AND BAKE WITH MINT SAUCE

Chicken bits (either a whole cut up - I used some thighs and legs)

Place in a large bowl

Add some oil

Garlic powder

Cayenne if you like a kick

Salt and pepper

Toss about with hands

Place almost a cup of coconut and panko in a bag

Shake up a few pieces of chicken at a time

Put onto parchment covered baking pan

375 degrees  about 45 minutes

Special sauce:

into blender put

leaves of one bunch of mint

teaspoon sugar

pinch of salt

1 cup coconut milk

the zest and juice of lime

Day 50

You are not enclosed within your bodies,

nor confined to houses or fields.

That which is you

dwells above the mountain

and roves the wind.

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

What is life?

It is the flash of a firefly at night.

It is the breath of a buffalo

in the winter time;

It is the little shadow

which runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset.

Last words of Crowfoot, Blackfoot hunter

Perhaps they are not stars,

But rather openings in Heaven

Where the love of our lost ones

Shines down to let us know

They are with us.

Day 49

SPINACH AND RICOTTA GNOCCHI

One pound bag of frozen chopped spinach,

thawed and all excess moisture squeezed out

Place in a bowl with

8 ounces of crumbled ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

1 egg yolk

A bit of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Salt and pepper

Mix everything together

Use a melon baller and make walnut size balls

Place onto greased pan

Bake 350 degrees about 15 minutes

May be served with sage leaves saute in butter

drizzled over tops and grated cheese

Inspire thru Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar

Day 48

From Dave Zinczenko, Men's Health

Choose food with the fewest ingredients:

if a 7 year old can't pronounce it, don't eat it.

Swap out sweetened teas and soda for no-cal drinks

and you could lose up to 40 pounds a year.

Eat protein with every meal.

Choose whole grain bread - especially rye at breakfast.

4 - 6 ounces of salmon a week will sharpen your mind:

better mental flexibility, working memory and vocabulary.

Cut portions by a quarter. Restaurants servings are 2 -5 times larger!

Sip water between every mouthful of food.

Eat a handful of fruit and vegetables every day.

Sip green tea for stronger bones and fresher breath.

Asparagus metabolizes alcohol - great for a hangover.

Brown wakame sea weed (used in miso soups)

can lower blood pressure.

Walnuts boost you good HDL cholesterol and lower you bad LDL.

15 milligrams of zinc a day motivate your immune cells.

recipe for pi day

In honor of pi day!

COCONUT CREAM PI

Buy or make a 9 inch pi shell

Place 2 cups of milk into a pan

Whisk in .75 cup of sugar

Heat to simmer

Separate 3 eggs

Whisk the yolks together

Add a bit of the hot milk to the yolks

Then whisk all the yolks into the milk

Dissolve .25 cup cornstarch in .25 cup milk

Whisk into hot milk mixture

Boil

Simmer till thick

Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla

1.75 cups lightly toasted coconut

1 tablespoon butter

Pour into pi shell

Totally kool

Heat oven to 400

Whip the whites into soft peaks

Add .25 cup sugar

Whip till stiff

Spread over top of pi

Bake 3-4 minutes till golden brown

U can grate your own coconut...

Poke the 3 eyes and drain out the water

Bake 400 till it cracks, about 15 minutes

Wrap in towel

Smash with hammer

The meat will easily come off the shell

Peel the brown skin with a vegetable peeler

Throw it all into a heavy duty blender to flake

Day 46

Luck is a frame of mind:

A willingness to recognize and accept opportunity.

It is a natural by-product of sincerity, open mindedness,

faith in nature and purity of motive.

Manifest that and life will somehow always give you what you need.

I exist as I am,

That is enough.

Walt Whitman

Fear gets you no where,

Faith gets you every where.

The planet needs ordinary people

willing to become

their most extraordinary selves.

Gitane

If you mind is full of indecision,

try thinking with your heart.

Learn to laugh at yourself for everything

all of the time.

Do not go where the path may lead,

go instead where there is no path

and leave a trail.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Day 45

You know what they say about oxymorons......

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED ORANGE SHRIMP

Start with a dozen JUMBO SHRIMP, shelled, deveined, tails on (handles)

Wrap each one with 1/2 slice of very thin prosciutto

Dredge in a bit of flour, salt and pepper

Saute in butter until golden, about 1 minute

Remove from pan.

Then add 1/4 Cointreau.

Ignite!

Add 1/2 cup orange juice to pan and cook down till thickened.

Pour over shrimp and serve.

Beware!

People will fall in love with you after tasting this!

Grand Marnier may be substituted.

Toooooo yummy!

Day 44

If it's happiness you want, have it!

Paramahansa Yoganada

I love my life in exactly the package it came in.

The best cannot be said.

The second best things are misunderstood.

The third best is conversation.

Joseph Campbell

Trust a little more.

Whatever you want to be eventually,

you must be every day.

With practice,

the quality of your deeds

will get down into your soul.

Frank Crane

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart

and can sing it back to you

when you have forgotten the words.

Instead of looking for the problem,

ask where is the blessing.

When somebody shares, everyone wins.

Day 43

HMMMMMMM HUMMUS

Rinse one can of chickpeas (16oz)

Place into food processor with

1 garlic clove

Juice from 1 or 2 freshly squeezed lemons

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)

Salt

Pulverize till smooth.

You may add some ground cumin.

Or a tablespoon or two of yogurt to thin.

Serve on bread, crackers, chips, carrots, celery, radishes, jicama

Or fill cherry tomatoes and olives.

Use as a sandwich spread.

Day 42

Love is Patient,

Love is Kind...

It Does Not Envy,

It Does Not Boast,

It is Not Proud...

It is Not Rude,

It is Not Self-Seeking...

It is Not Easily Angered...

It Keeps No Record of Wrongs...

Love Does Not Delight in Evil

But Rejoices With The Truth...

It Always Protects...

Always Trusts...

Always Hopes...

Always Preserves...

Love Never Fails.

Day 41

I thought the chocolate was very subtle on these chops

but my husband loved them!

Inspired by Paula Dean, y'all.

CHOCOLATE SPICED PORK CHOPS

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper

4 bone in pork chops, at least 1 inch thick

oil

Mix all the spices together in a bowl.

Rub the mixture on both sides of the pork chops.

Put oil in a cast iron skillet, medium high heat.

Cook 3 minutes on each side, then cover and cook till done

(either use a thermometer or cut them open)

Very good.

Not quite dipped in dark chocolate as I would like but........

Day 40

It’s deja vu all over again.

I don't know if less is more or more is less.

David Gill

Don’t just do something, sit there.

It is always too early to quit.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

Knowledge is limited.

Imagination encircles the world.

Albert Einstein

Be astonished by everything

Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change

All the resources we need are in our mind.

Theodore Roosevelt

Day 39

BEEF BLUE

Steak

Blue Cheese

Cream

3 ingredients! How can that be?

The best things in life are the simplest.

Barbecue or broil your steak.

I use a sirloin and like it very rare.

Let it sit.

Crumble some blue cheese into a small pan and start to melt.

Add some cream and whisk.

A lovely sauce will form as the cheese melts.

That's it!

Slice your steak. Arrange on a platter. Pour the sauce over. Indulge.

This sauce is so delicious you'll pour it on potatoes or veggies or toast!

Day 38

The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.

Paul Valery

Be kinder than necessary today,

for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

You never know how you can bless someone else

with just a smile, kind words, or a hug.

It's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

Under every one's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.

When you plan to get even with someone,

you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

Opportunities are never lost;

someone will take the ones you miss.

When you harbor bitterness,

happiness will dock elsewhere.

Make love, not war.

Day 37

This a very dense, super rich flour less chocolate cake.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

7 ounces soft butter

4 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

whipped  cream or ice cream

Heat oven to 375.

Line with parchment, grease and flour an 8 inch spring form pan

Melt chocolate (either over water simmering or in microwave).

Beat in butter a little at a time till smooth.

Beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale.

In separate bowl, beat whites to soft peaks. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat till stiff.

Whisk the chocolate mixture into yolks.

Stir in a spoonful of the whites.

Pour all that mixture over the egg whites and gently fold together.

Pour into pan and bake 40 to 50 minutes.

Top will be craggy, center moist.

Run knife around edge. Let cool.

Serve with whipped or ice cream.

Decadent.

Day 36

I once had an hourglass figure,

but the sands of time have shifted.

Among life's mysteries is how a 2 pound box of chocolates

can make a woman gain 5 pounds.

When someone says she diets religiously,

she probably means she doesn't eat any thing while in church,

Destiny shapes our  ends.

Calories shape our middles.

Childhood is that wonderful time

when all you need to do to lose wight

is take a bath.

A toast:

May all your pleasures become habits.

Man cannot live by chocolate alone,

But Woman can.

Day 35

This was one of the best things

that happened the night of the Academy Awards.

The best being our favorite witty guest

(who's identity will always be protected)

visiting from Los Angeles

losing his balance and falling slow motion head first

into the bowl of pasta.

A bit of tequila was involved.

We were all laughing to tears.

 It was priceless.

Oscar winning without a doubt.

This is a collaboration of two recipes.

NUTTY PASTA

2 ounces or 1/4 cup of each: almonds, pine nuts and pistachios

Optional: 1/4 cup of fresh mint and/or fresh parsley

A box of spaghetti (16oz)

Kosher salt

Olive oil

Grated Parmesan

Zest of 1/2 orange

Make your pasta. I boil water and add the desired amount.

Add a splash of oil and a healthy amount of salt.

Bring it back to a boil. Place the cover on and let it sit at least 10 minutes.

Then drain and serve.

Throw all the nuts into a food processor. 

You may at this time add the herbs.

My beloved husband is not too excited about "green" things in his food

so I only added a small amount of fresh mint.

Blitz till coarsely grated.

Add 2/3 to drained pasta.  Toss with salt, olive oil, cheese and zest.

Taste and add whatever else you think it needs.

Serve with some of the extra ground nut mixture sprinkled on top.

Fantastic!

Some snipped chives or green onions would also be a nice addition.

Day 34

Let all things be exactly the way they are.

A little too much chocolate is just about right.

I will judge nothing that occurs.

Table manners must have been invented by people who were never hungry.

Trust and ask for help.

Nothing seems to make children more affectionate than sticky hands.

Do all things with love.

The only way to keep good health is to eat what you don't want,

drink what you don't like,

and do what you'd rather not do.

Kindness is the highest form of intelligence.