Vegetarian Black Bean Chili & Corn Bread



Vegetarian Black Bean Chili, Corn Bread and Tossed Salad



I’m not going to lie.  I am tired!!  I didn’t realize that having teenagers was harder than having toddlers.   I haven’t slept since May!  At least when they are babies and cry during the night, you know where they are.  This “out driving late every night” is a killer.   In addition, my new dog Abbey hasn’t figured out that I don’t rise before 7:00 a.m.  I’m not complaining.  I’m just stating the facts.  After packing two kids and shuffling them off to college, I can finally catch up on some much needed “me” time. 

My daughter's "coach"

Today, I am sharing with you a recent dinner I made.   This dish is perfect this time of the year.  It makes use of farm-stand fresh vegetables.  Also, since autumn is around the horizon, this dish is a bit hardier than standard summer fare.  As I was passing through the Catskills after dropping my son off at college, I came upon a wonderful farm stand.  I picked up all that was needed for the Crockpot Vegetarian Black Bean Chili recipe below.  I was also lucky enough to stop at a little stand where a woman was selling her homegrown garlic.….LUCKY ME!!  ENJOY!!

Showing off my garlic

Crockpot Vegetarian Black Bean Chili

2 medium onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsps. (or to taste) chili powder

2 tsps. Ground cumin

1 cup vegetable broth (can use water)

¼ cup organic red wine

3 large ripe heirloom tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp. honey

1 bay leaf

2 medium to large zucchini, chopped

2 ½ cups cooked black beans (*I soak overnight and cook the next morning)

1 ear fresh corn

Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Place onion, garlic, black beans, all vegetables, seasoning & liquids into the crockpot.  Stir gently to combine.  Cook on low setting for 8-10 hours.  Serve with cornbread and tossed salad.

Taking a break from cooking to play with Abbey

Teasing Abbey with some fresh oregano

Corn Bread

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon aluminum free baking powder

¼ cup honey

1 cup organic milk

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 egg

Combine dry ingredients.  Add milk, honey, oil and egg.  Mix until well blended.  No not over mix.  Pour into oiled Pyrex glass baking dish (7 x 9) and bake 15-20 minutes in a 425 degree preheated oven.  Make sure wooden pick comes out clean.

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Some of the ingredients

"Chop" is my middle name

In the crock it goes......

Corn bread fresh out of the oven

Living In A Material World.....

One of the questions I get asked the most is, “I cannot afford organic food.  It is so expensive.”  Usually, the person asking me that question lives in a four bedroom home, walks and talks with a cell phone and is decorated in jewelry.  I then have to explain how it is a necessity to eat a nutrient dense diet or else they will be spending their older years in and out of doctor’s offices with surmounting medical bills.  To which they reply, “I just don’t have the money to spend on that kind of food.”  I realize that not everyone in America can afford to eat healthy.  That is very sad for those who are just scraping by.  However, most people do not fall in that category.  Most people can afford to eat healthy.  They just choose not to. 

Americans spend less than 10 percent of their income on food.  The main reason is that food is not tangible.  Americans want something to show for their money.  We want people to see that Coach bag or that ride-on lawnmower.  We cannot show off our carrots or broccoli sprouts.  We are also a society who wants a bargain.  We want to get the most for our money.  Why should we pay $5 for the organic strawberries when we can purchase conventionally grown California strawberries for just $2.99.  Why should be pay $16 for a bottle of organic wine when we can purchase an equivalent bottle for $7.  Why should we buy organic milk for $5 when we can find milk on sale for $1.99… if we just spend an additional $10 at the grocery store?  Well, allow me to explain why purchasing the cheaper items of the foods described above is detrimental to your health.

 The cheaper conventionally grown strawberries have been tested for their pesticide load by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pesticide Data Program (PDP).  They were found to contain 54 pesticide residues, which were subsequently classified as carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins and reproductive toxicants by an environmental group.  Therefore, if you purchase the $3 strawberries and eat them, your body just ingested 54 chemicals along with the fruit.  Now, if you spend just $3 more for the organically grown strawberries, you will ingest 54 less chemicals, provided the organic strawberries were not sprayed, grown in mineral rich soil and were farmed organically.    GOT IT??!!   Now we will discuss the wine.  If you purchase the organic wine for the extra $9, you will save your body from added sulfites and GMO yeast, which is not in the organic version.  Lastly, if you purchase the organic milk for an extra $3, you will save your body from pesticides, growth hormones and antibiotics.  Purchasing the better quality nutrient dense foods is your insurance policy for your future.  After all, we know for a fact that money cannot buy happiness.  However, what money can buy in this country is……health!

There is nothing in this world more important to you than YOU!  If you don’t take care of yourself, you are no good to anyone around you.  If you make your health your number one priority, the rest of your life will fall into place.  Your body is your home.  It deserves the very best that you can afford.  It is just not worth it to cut corners and buy the cheaper conventionally grown food.  It is not worth it to drive that fancy car or live in that big house if you have to sacrifice your health to get it.  The sooner you adopt these changes, the sooner you will become the very best you can be.  Don’t you deserve it?!!

INNER BEAUTY WORKSHOP CLASSES ARE BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER, 2011.  PLEASE SEE MY WEBSITE: WWW.INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM FOR DETAILS OR EMAIL ME AT:  CHRISTINE@INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM. 

MY BLOG HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR BEST BLOG ON LONG ISLAND.  PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO PLACE A VOTE FOR ME:  http://www.longislandblogposts.com/voteforblog/innerbeautyworkshops

REFERENCES

http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=ST

Extreme Couponing: Clip, Shop & Die

There is a new show on TLC called Extreme Couponing.  It highlights various individuals clipping grocery store coupons and then shopping for their bargains.  A woman and her young child routinely dumpster dives in a newspaper recycling bin in search of extra savings.  Another young mother, while shopping with her husband and three children, purchased 600 pieces of candy.  She decided she will keep some for her family, the rest she will donate to other children at a local church.  Most of these extreme couponers have stockpiled up their bargains in the basement of their homes and cannot wait to show them off.  While this seems to be a wonderful thing to do because of the savings on grocery store bills, the savings of which can go to other home expenses, it really is not a savings at all.  Actually, their coupon clipping is going to cost them their health.

Unfortunately, most grocery store coupons today are put out by manufacturers whose products contain a host of chemicals.  The young mother who purchased the 600 pieces of candy, did she read the ingredients on the label?  Nope!  She just dumped the entire contents into her cart.  Using coupons will get you artificial ingredients, food dyes, MSG, partially hydrogenated oils, BHA and BHT, high fructose corn syrup and more.  What do you think this will do to your health bills in the future?  How about the health bills of your children?  It is NOT a savings!  To the contrary, you are investing in your own sickness.  In addition, teaching young children to clip and shop for these products sends out the wrong message to your child.

 I must admit it saddened me to watch these young parents show their children how to “shop for the bargain.”  What these parents should be doing is teaching their children how to read labels and shop for quality nutrient dense foods.  This they cannot do because there is no coupon for the carrot, lettuce or broccoli.  How will these children ever grow up into healthy adults?  What these parents should be doing is teaching their children how to pick out the best in season fruits and vegetables at their local farmer’s market.  Instead of stockpiling chemicals in the basement, how about taking those fruits and vegetables purchased at the market and demonstrating for your child how to prepare, freeze and can for future use?  Isn’t this the way it should be? 

What should we do with those coupons in the newspaper?  DON’T USE THEM!!  They are trash!  They are not worth the paper they are printed on.  Please recycle them instead.  Hopefully, the coupon in its next life will go to better use.   I asked MY SON to come along to our local recycling center located in Yaphank, New York where I was graciously given a tour of the recycling facility.  When we recycle our paper goods, it gets picked up by the town and deposited into an area called the “tipping floor.”   From that point it gets picked through for cardboard and other debris then gets placed on conveyer belts where it is further sorted.  Once it finishes its rotation, it gets bailed where it waits to be sold.  Countries such as Canada and China as well as areas in Upstate New York will purchase the bailed paper and then reuse it for some future purpose.  I enjoyed seeing what happens to my recycled paper goods.  “Kudos” to the Town of Brookhaven for doing such a good job.  Also, I wanted to send a personal thank you to Michael Des Gaines, Environmental Facilities Manager at the Department of Waste Management for the Town of Brookhaven for taking time out of his schedule to show me and my son around.  Hopefully, my coupons will have a more productive second life.

Due to the popularity of the television show Extreme Couponing, it has been reported just this week that newspaper theft is on the rise, especially in Arkansas, Idaho, Texas, Alabama, Florida and California.  People are searching for “coupons for chemicals.”  WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!! 
WAKE UP!!

INNER BEAUTY WORKSHOP CLASSES ARE BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER, 2011.  PLEASE SEE MY WEBSITE: WWW.INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM FOR DETAILS OR EMAIL ME AT:  CHRISTINE@INNERBEAUTYWORKSHOPS.COM. 

MY BLOG HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR BEST BLOG ON LONG ISLAND.  PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO PLACE A VOTE FOR ME:  http://www.longislandblogposts.com/voteforblog/innerbeautyworkshops

REFERENCES:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/extreme-couponing

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/09/extreme-couponing-newspaper-thefts_n_922268.html

Man's Synthetic Future

Hefty Bag

I recently stumbled upon an article written by Roger Adams in 1952 called “Man’s Synthetic Future.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Adams)  Actually, the title caught my eye.  I was astounded and saddened by predictions made by this man almost 60 years ago.  How in the world could he have made such bold predictions – most of which came true!  Adams was educated and trained as a chemist.  He hailed the chemist who was able to study the molecules of natural materials and take that knowledge to duplicate the same substance by synthesis.  In this article, Adams gives a series of “predictions or prophesy's” for the future that he claims scientists will be able to create by chemical processes.  He calls this article, “Man’s Synthetic Future.”  Guess what…..WE ARE THERE!

Top - newspaper plastics  Skirt - plastic grocery bags

Here is a short list of some of his predictions.  Please note these are in his words.  I did not paraphrase:

1.   The discovery of synthetic fibers which the public will prefer for most purposes to the   natural fibers.

2.   The plastics to replace cotton will also serve to replace natural leather for shoe uppers.

3.   The future will see transparent plastics that will not discolor.

4.   Finishes for wood that will remain durable for long periods of time in the presence of sunlight, salt and air.

5.   Plastic windshields on airplanes.

6.   Food crops in which the size of the plant is dwarfed and the fruit, kernels or ears of corn are of greater size.

7.   More plants can be grown in a given area and the subsequent crop will be larger.

8.   Seedless raspberries, blackberries, cranberries and perhaps many other kinds of fruits such as watermelons, pears and apples.

9.   The Chemist will search for more ideal insecticides. 

10.  A more systematic fishing industry than at present.  Certain types of fish ranches – large fenced off water areas in which fish are grown, fed and annually harvested – analogous to cattle ranches.

11.  The gradual replacement of drugs which must be administered intravenously or intramuscularly by others of equal or greater potency which may be taken orally.

12.  **When, with these extensions, the food supplies reach the limit the chemist will provide antifertility compounds which upon addition to the diet will assure a means of controlling the birth rate.

I find these “predictions” very disturbing!   Adam’s boasts about these scientific inventions of the future without discussing any of the health repercussions.  Being a scientist, I’m sure he was aware of the human consequences of his insights.  Not only that, he never mentions or discusses the cumulative toxic effects of these chemicals on our soil, plants, food, water, etc.  How can a man of his caliber and educational background not even discuss these things?  I understand that these were just “prophesys” but it is irresponsible to put out these ideas without even discussing the consequences.  Why would he predict that scientists would need to provide antinfertility compounds in our foods to control the birthrate?  I didn’t get the memo that chemists were God.  Of course, how would we know if this is already occurring?  I have my suspicions.   Even more disturbing and bewildering is how Adams was able to make such accurate “predictions” almost 60 years ago?  How can someone have such accurate insight?  Hmmmm…..Can it be that someone got a hold of his ideas and manifested them?  This is also interesting….

 This article (“Man’s Synthetic Future”)  is not found at all on Wikipedia.  It is not mentioned in the biography of Roger Adams as his written work.  When I went to further research the article, I found it available on government databases and a few scientific sites.  Check out these links:

U.S. National Library of Medicine/National Institutes of Health:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17746597

The Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System:  http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1952Sci...115..157A

pubget:  http://pubget.com/paper/17746597?cb=1312058260

First page of the article:  http://www.sciencemag.org/content/115/2981/157.extract

The bottom line is that it really doesn’t matter how these “predictions” came into fruition.  What matters from here on out is what are we going to do about them?!   We need to do a complete “U” turn.  We must demand for ourselves better choices.  As consumers, we should never underestimate the power we have.  Collectively, we need to demand natural materials that are derived from plant, animal and mineral sources.  If we refuse to buy clothing made of synthetic fibers, we will send a powerful message to clothing manufacturers to return to natural fabrics.  If we refuse to buy fish from factory farms, they will be forced to close and seek other options.  If we stop taking pills for every ache and pain and learn how to live according to the laws of nature, we will live a longer and healthier life.

Roger Adams is no longer alive to make any additional predictions.  If he was, who knows what he would imagine…..women wearing plastic bags?  I guess it’s better than plastic floating and polluting our oceans……

REFERENCES:

"A Treasury of Science," Edited by Harlow, Shapley, Samuel, Rapport and Wright, Harper & Brothers Publishers: New York, 1954 pp. 675-688, "Man's Synthetic Future," Roger Adams