Taking Down Christmas - One pound at a time

Winter in the Friendly Village is a foray into the world of taters and all things gravy. Every dinner has its “fluffy” part; fluffy rice fried with garlic and egg, or a pot of Yukon Gold potatoes smashed with a stick of butter and a cup of sour cream. Then there is the ultimate fluffy, that which tops cakes and is whipped into cream and folded into cookies. Each gathering provides just a little more comfort and joy, why even the rum is served Hot and Buttered. Its time out of time, a season without reason, it is indeed a “Marshmallow World” in the winter.

Somewhere between the harvest tones of golden roasted turkey gravy with dressing and the last spoonful of New Year’s Macaroni and Cheese, reality sets in and something mildly depressing occurs; skirt zippers don’t quite reach the top (forget the button, now secured with a rubber-band), the cleaners “shrink” your favorite pants, and you suffer from a chronic case of general “gaposis buttonholis”. Just the other day, Buck casually asked, “What’s that in your shirt, Babe?” to which I screeched, “Christmas, damn-it!”

So here I am in mid-January, joining the zillions of celebrants faced with the task of, “Taking down Christmas” one pound at a time. Let’s face it, we all do it; making resolutions and strict rules about what we “can or can’t have”, rules that are likely to be “bent” or downright broken at the next family gathering. I’ve made peace with that, it’s all good, in moderation. And so I commit.

This time I’m using the arts to focus my journey. My tools are not scales and measures but a focus on colorful foods located outside my favorite “fluffy pallet”. My journal is filled with photographs, drawings, quips and aspirations; and while these are my inspiration, I would be remiss if I neglected to share my passion for Weight Watchers on-line. (Go Jennie from the ‘hood) When Buck was diagnosed with diabetes after much education and classes on how to “balance” meals to keep blood sugar at its optimal rate, I found Weight Watchers, which, to this day I believe is the best “method” plan for a healthy lifestyle there is. So that’s my shout-out for “the Cult” as my friends used to call it. It is what it is; I have to have a goal, a proverbial carrot to chase. It’s the way I’m made.

So be that as it may, I promise I will NOT turn this into a self-absorbed weight-loss blog, but because I like to say in 100 words what most could say in 20. Here are some of the really great foods I prepared last week. (I will spare you the “not so great” ones)

Eating Orange Revisited: Winter Veggie Bisque

This meets my insatiable desire to eat things that are orange

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 tart apple, peeled and chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 russet potato, peeled and diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 packages (12 oz each) of frozen, cooked winter squash or the equivalent of fresh baked butternut squash. (I had two packages of frozen and one fresh squash and it worked out well)

4 cups of fat free chicken broth

1 teas ground ginger

¾ teas salt

½ teas ground cinnamon

1/8 teas cayenne

Sauté chopped veggies (I used the food processor) in oil for about 7 min or until tender.

Stir in squash, broth, ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Take soup from heat and when cooled, puree until smooth in the blender. (Do this in small batches)

Return to heat and bring to a simmer. Serve.

And finally, because I love beets and pink cheeks, a fun recipe from the “Cult” files. This is a great “chewy” dish that if fiberlicious and guaranteed to provide you with a stimulating trek to the local Trader Joes or Whole foods grocery.

Roasted Beet and Wheat Berry Salad

2 pounds of fresh beets, golden or ruby red

1 cup of uncooked wheat berries

2 TBS fresh orange juice

1 Tbsp Sugar Free Apricot Preserves

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar

5 scallions sliced (white and light green) or to taste

1/3 cup fresh parsley

½ cup of orange sections cut in quarters (you may use mandarin oranges)

1/3 cup low fat feta crumbled

¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

¼ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)

Instructions – To prepare beets

Preheat oven to 400. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray ( or lightly grease with olive oil)

Cut beets in half and lightly grease or spray, place (sliced side down) on prepared baking sheet and cover with foil.

Roast until tender (about 1 hour depending on size)

Remove from oven and allow to cool, rub with paper towel to remove skin.

Dice or cut into thin match-sticks and set aside

To prepare Wheat Berries

Rinse and place in a small saucepan. Cover with about two inches of water (use you finger to measure, this should be up to your knuckle)

Bring to a boil: reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until wheat berries are tender but not “opened”. This should take about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Drain well and set aside

Vinaigrette

In a small bowl, combine oil, vinegar, orange juice, salt and pepper.

Preparation

Toss wheat berries and vinaigrette together with scallions and parsley.

Top with roasted beets, sectioned orange, and garnish with sprinkle of feta cheese.

I cooked the beets and Wheat berries the day prior to serving. This salad can be served warm or cold.

Bonus: If you got this far in this post, you deserve a little sumpn' special

Hot Buttered Rum

Drinking melted butter seems counterintuitive, but it does slide down easily. In the old days, people used to put all the ingredients in a glass and heat it with a glowing fireplace poker. These days, you use a microwave.

1 pat of butter (see, moderation)

1 teas. Brown sugar

½ teas. Ground cinnamon

¼ teas. Nutmeg

3 oz. dark rum

Hot water

Put butter, sugar and spices in a glass, pour in rum and dash of hot water. Stir, Heat. Makes one serving.

That’s it for now…time to fix Buck a ham sandwich with mayo.