Like many people, I am a good bit overweight. And like many people, on January 1, I decided to do something about it. Unlike many of them, I am still at it and I have lost five pounds.

But even more important, I sure think I have found a way of eating that will work for me from now on. It solves a lot of problems that I have had with food for a long time.

An online friend posted before-and-after photos of himself after eating in this way since last spring. Those sure caught my attention! I read his comments, and immediately went to Amazon and bought a couple of books. Read the rest >>>

One of the joys of life is home made ice cream. This past spring, I decided to get an ice cream machine. We have friends with preschoolers who were coming over for dinner quite often, and I could imagine using an ice cream maker with the kids. Of course, I thought I’d use it a lot more than that too! Like when an active 20-something friend lived with us for several weeks.

So off I went to Amazon.com, where I read reviews and put a couple of things on my wish list. Then I realized I already had something I could use to make ice cream: my old and reliable Vita Mix blender. So I pulled out the manual and did some reading. Pretty soon I was making my first batch. It turned out great, and we’ve had dozens of delicious batches since then. I think it’s better than any ice cream maker because if you do a tiny bit of preparation in advance, you can whip out your home made ice cream literally in about 2 minutes. I frequently do it shortly after dinner when we have guests.

A Vita Mix blender is a larger investment than an ice cream maker, but it does a gazillion other things too… more about that later. Now for how I do this: Read the rest >>>

A variety of beans. Image via Wikipedia

Do you eat beans much? Here are some ways to work them into your meals more, while minimizing their famous side-effect of flatulence. We’re talking here about dried beans such as garbanzos, black beans, pinto beans, and dozens of other varieties. Split peas and lentils, while not technically beans, are related legumes with similar qualities.

First, why would you want to eat more beans? Here are four reasons:

1. Beans can be really delicious when cooked properly. They need to be thoroughly cooked to be most easily digested. They lend themselves to all manner of combinations with other foods, such as rice. In much of Latin America, beans and rice are eaten together daily, prepared in an imaginative variety of ways. Read the rest >>>

Carob is an amazingly versatile food, good for the digestive tract, naturally quite sweet. I love the combination of textures that this recipe makes. It’s excellent served with a dollop of home-made yogurt on top. If you are allergic to wheat or gluten, substitute any other kind of flour that you use.

Sift together into a mixing bowl: Read the rest >>>

“If things get really bad, we’ll have to eat beans and rice,” I’ve heard people groan. Well, this isn’t such a terrible fate.

It does take a little planning. Most evenings, I spend a few minutes considering what we might eat the next day. Often there is a container of leftovers from something Kelly or I have concocted,  and if we don’t have them for lunch, we’ll have them for dinner.

If it looks like we’ll be cooking something for dinner the next day, then I consider my beans and grains. Usually I’ll get a feeling of a bean or a grain that I feel like starting with, and then I will decide what else to use. Read the rest >>>

Cooking in an ecological way does require some changes from old habits, and Lucid Food by Louisa Shafia can help you do it. Her recipes sound a little more elaborate than my simple cooking style, but I’m going to watch for this book in a library or friend’s house, and see if I am wrong. — Zana

Product Description
Words like “organic,” “seasonal,” and “local” are on everyone’s mind, but how do we integrate food politics into a daily practice that is convenient, affordable, and delicious?

Sustainable chef and caterer Louisa Shafia shows eco-conscious home cooks how to green their cuisine by making earth-friendly food choices, sourcing animal products ethically and responsibly, supporting local food, and reducing one’s carbon footprint through urban gardening, preserving, composting, and more. Read the rest >>>