Check out my other blog!

My cousins, Rachel and Mandy, and I have started a new blog together...Sisterhood of the Not So Skinny Pants. Each of us has had a lifelong struggle with our weight. Each of us has a slightly different approach and reason why we struggle. In an effort to share our struggles, defeats and accomplishments we thought we would start the blog. Find out what we do, why we started and how we keep charging ahead. Maybe you or someone you know also struggles with their weight. Maybe one of our stories will sound familiar. Either way, check us out over at Sisterhood of the Not So Skinny Pants. It'll be fun!

Clams, Cabbage, and Butternut Squash

Not exactly what you had in mind for dinner? Well, let me tell you about ours. It was wonderful!

First, clam cakes using clams we dug this year and Ener-G gluten-free bread crumbs. The bread crumbs are not cheap but they worked really well. And, rather than frying these babies, we baked them in the oven. Steamed the cabbage and made "fries" out of the butternut squash...and I actually liked them. Normally, I'm not too fond of cooked winter squash. These were tasty. The recipes are below if you'd like to try them for yourself.

Clam Cakes Oregon

2 c or 1 pint frozen clams
2 eggs, beaten
dash of chipotle pepper sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
2 T light mayonnaise
2 T fresh parsley, chopped or 2 tsp dried parsley
1 c. dried bread crumbs (if you don't need gluten-free, 1/2 c. cracker meal works well too)

I did mine in the food processor. Our clams were whole so I spun them around until they were chopped a bit. Added everything but the bread crumbs. Pulsed. Added bread crumbs. Put in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes. Sprayed baking sheet with oil. Divided clam mixture into 8 dollops. Flattened on the baking sheet. Sprayed with oil. Baked for 10 min. at 400 degrees. Flipped cakes over. Baked additional 5 minutes.

Note: I'm going to try 2/3 c. bread crumbs next time and then putting in oiled muffin tins (12) and baking at the same temperature.

Butternut Squash "Fries" adapted from this recipe

1 med. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into thin "fries"
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Toss squash with oil and salt. Spread out on baking sheet. Broil approx. 5 min. Stir. Continue to broil approx. another 5 min. Stir. Repeat until cooked to desired doneness.

Andy loved these. They weren't crispy like normal "fries" but might be a little crispier if you used more oil. I wanted them to be a bit healthier. Try them. I'm sure they'll be a hit in your house too!

Is it all it's cracked up to be?

I have a love/hate relationship with the whole notion of eating local. I like the idea. I think there are many benefits, some of which can include getting to know the farmer, less transportation of the food, and fresher food. But, I love things that cannot and do not grow here. I will never get an avocado grown in Oregon. If I did it would have to be grown in such an artificial environment that it would defeat the purpose of not being from California or Mexico. So, eat local or eat those things I like that aren't local or do a bit of both. I do a bit of both. Such a wide variety of tasty foods are grown in Oregon/Washington that I can usually, without trying too hard, find something in season that is relatively local (there's a lot of debate about what is local...that's not the point today).

A few things I eat just naturally seem to be local. Honey is one of them. It's readily available and I like to buy in bulk. Doesn't hurt that my in-laws gave us a gallon jar of honey. We're starting in on year two with that big boy. The fact that we don't eat large quantities plays a role as well. Today, I read an article that reminded me of another reason I like eating local. Adulteration. This can happen anywhere but it seems that more and more, food from other countries - finger pointing at China - are not all they seem. This article from the Seattle PI shows the great lengths that exporters in China have gone to export honey that is tainted with animal antibiotics (super bug anyone). Does it make sense that Singapore is now a major exporter of honey to the US and they don't have any bees?

So, while I am not a fanatic about eating local, I would like to encourage you to think about where your food is produced. Is it all it's cracked up to be? If not, you might want to consider making some changes...for your health! And read that article above. We all need to start paying attention to where our food comes from...and no, the right answer is not McDonalds!

What the hell?

The other day, I happened to be looking at BBC news headlines and stumbled on this article "Getting high on HIV drugs in S Africa." Seriously, what the hell?

People are grinding anti-retroviral drugs (the ones that keep you from progressing to AIDS when you are HIV positive) into powder and smoking them. And this is not typically the patients. Kids are doing this too. It all comes down to the money. Patients and even healthcare staff are selling the pills for money according to the author. Why are people smoking these pills? Oh wait, "Smoking the pills has a hallucinogenic and relaxing effect."

So let's get this straight. We have a country where people actually believe AIDS isn't real; we have a disease with no known cure; and we have people who are compromising their health and the ability of the drugs to work because of the potential for resistance (as in, the drugs will no longer work when someone who is truely HIV positive needs them). Sorry, climate change and peak oil don't mean a damn thing if humanity isn't on Earth!

I'll Do It Myself!

Why is it always so hard to work in a group? Is it just me or does it always seem like a few people do the lion's share of the work. I hated group projects in school. While I understand we all have different strengths, blah, blah, blah...there are a lot of times I would rather just do it myself. Thanks Dad (said with sarcasm!)

Today has reminded me of this dilemma. It appears to be happening in multiple areas of my life. I'm concerned about how easy it is to point fingers and speak poorly about others. Frustration causes me to do things I'd really rather not be doing. I don't really think pointing fingers or talking badly about one "team member" with other team members is conducive to solving the problem. Nor does it feel right.

What do you do in these situations? Do you care if you start pointing fingers? Does it bother you when you are speaking badly about other "team members"? Just food for thought.