Becoming Edvard Munch

I just saw the Edvard Munch at the Art Institute during one of the fab free and late Thursday nights. He is one of my all time favs and the show did not disappoint. People find this type of work depressing but I don't. I think it's liberating. For artists, it's more depressing to hold it in than let it out. I really like his color palette and how the Art Institute capitalized on it with a few of its walls painted in maroon and muted shades of viridian and cobalt. While The Scream is his most popular work, it's so wonderful to see his other works which are just as good. You can really see his influence on the graphic art world. I was taken with the very last image titled The Sun. In person it actually radiates. It was one of his last works and what a great ending.

Besides seeing good art, I have been "haunted" by the fact that my 20 year high school reunion is coming up this summer. Yikes, I am so not where I want to be in life. One of my friends said, "Well at least you are not fat." True and em . . . thanks. I guess I could use this reunion to get into even better shape. Speaking of food, I came up with a quickie recipe for left over brown rice. I was thinking that I needed something late afternoon with some protein and good carbs that I could just grab out of the fridge at my busy desk job.

Brown Rice Balls

Brown rice - let's say 1-2 cups

Nut butter

Nutritional yeast flakes

Protein powder

Cook the ole brown rice per directions on the box. I actually prepare mine in the oven which is a recipe from Miss Betty Crocker. First I soak the rice for an hour or two. Then I set the oven to 350 degrees. In a corningware style pot with a lid combine 3/4 cup of rice with 1.5 cups of hot water, a little butter (or not) and salt. Cook about 30 min or longer until it can be fluffed with a folk. My rice always comes out great this way. I never have luck with cooking on top of the stove.

In a bowl, combine the following: the rice (let it cool a bit), 1-2 scoops of protein powder (I used non-flavored Jay Robb egg white protein), a dash of nutritional yeast flakes or salt and 1-2 TBS of nut butter (I like Trader Joe's low-fat peanut butter). Mix it altogether. Form little balls and let set in the fridge on a tray or plate. Then later you can put in ziplock bags and take to work. I eat these cold out of the fridge and they are delish.

You can experiment with spices or try adding cinnamon and agave nectar for a sweeter version. Or maybe you want a savory taste so add a bit of rosemary, more nutritional yeast flakes and some salt.

Native Eating and Other Things

I’ve been fascinated with Paleo (caveman) diets for years. I’m inspired to eat more like my ancestors these days. I was thinking about my hometown of Shererville, IN and what the Native Indians of that area probably ate. It must have been a diet filled with buffalo, bear, venison, catfish, raccoon, catfish, frogs (frog legs are a very popular delicacy), poultry, lots of corn, apples, tubers and whatever greens they could find on the ground. All-in-all a very healthy diet and resourceful. Here’s a recipe for Three Sisters Soups. The “Three Sister’s” being corn, squash and beans.

Three Sisters Soup (Serves about 4 as a main dish)

1 C. dry beans (I personally like white beans but do whatever works for you)
6 C. water
1 acorn squash, cut into chunks or wedges, drizzled w/ olive oil, sprinkled with salt and roasted (375*, 30 minutes covered with foil, plus about 20 minutes uncovered)
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
a couple garlic cloves, minced (the recipe calls for this, garlic doesn’t agree with me so I skip it)
2 C. frozen or fresh corn
2-3 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs (thyme, sage, Italian parsley, or cilantro would be great) salt and pepper to taste
*1 small can of green chillies if you like it spicy

*I like to add J. Robb's Unflavored Protein Powder to boost the protein quota in this soup. I add it towards the end and stir till full blended

First of all you, dry beans should always be soaked before you cook them. I like to soak them for at least 12 hours. The soaking not only makes them cook faster but they digest so much easier. Trust me you'll thank me later.

While you are roasting the acorn squash chunks in the oven, cook your beans in a large pot with the 6 cups of water and 1 tsp. salt to start with. Four cups of the water is for the beans specifically, and the extra two (or more if you like) will accommodate the other soup ingredients.
When the squash is tender, and then cool enough to handle, peel the skin off the flesh and cut into bite sized pieces and set aside. Sautee the onion, carrot and garlic until softened and a little caramelized. Throw it all in together with the frozen corn and simmer for maybe five or ten minutes for the flavors to marry, and add any herbs you have around or some canned green chilies if you want it spicy. Taste for seasoning. I like to add tumeric and some nutritional yeast flakes for some extra tang.

I’m also trying very hard these days to stay away from processed sugar. Even some of the non-processed sugars bother me. Honey creates just as much candida in my body as white sugar. Agave nectar is better but is 60 calories a tablespoon. Stevia is a healthy option but I so wish I liked the taste. I think it’s really bitter. The sweetener I’m loving these days is Wholesome Goodness’s organic erythritol. It’s fermented so it helps digestion too. Best of all, it actually tastes good. I have no candida reactions from it. Hopefully, I won't read years from now that it causes something really really horrible in lab rats and thus humans but so far its seems safe.