Good Greek Food & Healthy Yummy Eats

This is what I have concluded after months of dieting. The gluten products in my pre-diet such as: pasta, rice, and bread are what make a person gain weight or at least that is what puts weight on me. It makes me feel bloated and blah. No, it makes me feel crappy! Without it, I can maintain my weight and feel MUCH better. The sugar however is the REAL culprit here. THAT is what is causing the aches and pains. Maybe it is the breads too, but I think the sugar has a bigger impact on me. I feel it in my feet! So strange. I am not going to go the rest of my life without sugar. It is impossible. It is in virtually everything. However, I am going to periodically let myself cheat and suffer the pain for those few moments of pleasure.

At least I now have a valid excuse for not drinking anymore. I drink to be social. I drink out of peer pressure and I know I am too old to feel it, but sometimes I do. ALWAYS HAVE!!!! I do not like the taste. If I never had a drink again, I could CARELESS! And now, I can’t because drinks are loaded with sugar and I am off sugar for the most part.

Now, I do slip…we all slip. You need to slip. Life is too short to go without a cup of Graeter’s ice cream! I had a REALLY, REALLY big slip last weekend. The Greek Festival comes to Cincinnati once a year and I love good Greek food. I always, ALWAYS ask Greek people where the BEST Greek restaurant is in the city and I ALWAYS get the same answer. “MY HOUSE!” I find that fascinating!

I dragged a friend along with me and I told her that I planned to eat my way through the festival. I think she thought I was kidding. I wasn’t. We split a slice of Spanakopita.

My mom used to make it. I love it!

Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)

Original recipe makes 1 – 9×9 inch pan

3 tablespoonsolive oil

1 largeonion, chopped

1 bunchgreen onions, chopped

2 clovesgarlic, minced

2 poundsspinach, rinsed and chopped

1/2 cupchopped fresh parsley

2eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cupricotta cheese

1 cupcrumbled feta cheese

8 sheetsphyllo dough

1/4 cupolive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9×9 inch square baking pan.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, green onions and garlic, until soft and lightly browned. Stir in spinach and parsley, and continue to sauté until spinach is limp, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, and feta. Stir in spinach mixture. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking pan, and brush lightly with olive oil. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with olive oil, and repeat process with two more sheets of phyllo. The sheets will overlap the pan. Spread spinach and cheese mixture into pan and fold overhanging dough over filling. Brush with oil, then layer remaining 4 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with oil. Tuck overhanging dough into pan to seal filling.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until golden brown. Cut into squares and serve while hot.

Then we split a piece of cheese pie. That did nothing for me. Hence, no recipe.

Then Moussaka….I love Moussaka….it has about a MILLION calories in it and I just DO NOT care!!! This is probably my all-time favorite Greek dish!! This is a shortcut recipe I found in Bon Appetit.

Shortcut Moussaka

YIELD: Serves 12

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, sliced into thin rounds

Preparation

Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and chopped onion and cook until beef is brown, breaking up beef with fork, about 15 minutes. Mix in tomato sauce, red wine, parsley, crumbled oregano and ground cinnamon. Simmer until mixture thickens and is almost dry, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Boil until thick, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Beat eggs in small bowl to blend. Whisk small amount of milk mixture into eggs. Return mixture to saucepan. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Remove custard from heat. Stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Season custard to taste with salt and pepper.

Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Arrange half of eggplant in bottom of dish. Season with salt and pepper. Spread meat mixture over. Top with remaining eggplant. Pour hot custard cheese sauce over eggplant. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil and bake 1 hour. Uncover and continue baking until golden and bubbling on edges, about 10 minutes longer. Cool 10 minutes.

Then I bought a Gyro and I FINALLY learned that the correct way to pronounce it is phonetically spelled… YEAR-O. If you don’t know it…it is pita bread loaded with sliced lamb, onions, tomatoes and tzatziki sauce (which is a yogurt based dressing). I can NOT begin to tell you how many times I walked by Gyro places in Athens, Greece and I was too scared to taste a Gyro and now I love and crave them and I missed the opportunity to eat them in Greece. It PAINS me so!!! In my opinion, the best place to get a Gyro is NOT my house but the Greek stand inside the Findlay Market. It’s very good.

Then the Dolmades…they are so well made. I would weigh 1000 lbs. if I lived in Greece. This is what fascinates me about this recipe…leaves and rice. How can it taste so flipping good, but it does!!

Greek Dolmades (Stuffed Vine Leaves)

Ingredients

Servings 20

• 1 (8 ounce) jar grape leaves (about 25 leafs)
• 1 lb. ground round
• 1 lb. ground lamb (You can use two pounds of Ground round if you can’t find ground lamb)
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
• 1 (4 ounce) box tabouli mix (I cup raw rice if you can’t find Tabuli)
• 1 onion, fine chopped any size you want, I prefer mild sweet onion
• 1 garlic clove (crushed or pressed into meat mixture)
• 3 (16 ounce) cans chicken broth (you can use just water if you want.)
• 4 lemons, squeezed or 4 lemon juice, equivalent
• 4 eggs

Directions

1. Drain, rinse and dry grape leaves.
2. Place off to the side.
3. In a large bowl mix ground round, Lamb, salt, pepper, minced parsley, onion chopped, crushed or pressed garlic and Tabuli (or rice); mix well.
4. Lay out one grape leaf stem up, place about 1 rounded tablespoon meat mixture near stem.
5. Fold stem up over meat mixture fold one side leaf over mixture, fold top over then roll the rest but not tight.
6. This is just like making a burrito.
7. I use toothpicks to keep the stuffed leaves together.
8. Place in at least 1 gal pot.
9. Continue until all leaves are filled and snug in pot.
10. If you run out of grape leaves that’s okay, you can roll little balls of meat mixture and place in pot.
11. Cover all stuffed leaves with chicken broth adding water if you don’t have enough broth, more broth if you have it on hand (you can use just water if you want).
12. Bring the broth to a boil then turn heat to low, simmer and cook covered until tender (pierced with a fork) about 30 minutes.
13. Remove about 1 quart of broth from pot and let cool down a little.
14. You want it hot just not scalding hot.
15. In another bowl beat 4 eggs until frothy adding slowly juice from lemon.
16. Take the warmed broth and add to the egg mixture slowly a 1/2 ladle at a time still beating the egg mixture.
17. After all broth is mixed with egg & lemon slowly add to pot on stove.
18. Cover the pot and turn flame off.
19. Let sit for about 10 minutes then serve.
20. I like it tart and rich so I use more eggs and lemon then the recipe calls for.

Most people would be finished eating but of course not me! If I was going to go off the wagon…I was going to go ALL the way off the wagon!

Greek desserts. The most famous is the baklava and how can you go wrong with honey, nuts, and phyllo dough? However, the one I have discovered that I REALLY love. I call Galakta ka lala….but it is really spelled:

GALAKTOBOUREKO

Now, you know why I call it what I do. I can’t BEGIN to pronounce it! No clue. I ask…the Greeks to tell me. It slides off their tongues so easily and it is LOST on me.

I love this dessert. I can’t explain why but I do!

GALAKTOBOUREKO

YIELD: Serves 10 to 12

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2/3 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel

• 1/2 cup semolina flour*
• 3 cups whole milk
• 11 tablespoons (about) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 10 fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed

• *Available at specialty foods stores, Italian markets and some supermarkets.

Preparation

Stir 1 1/4 cups sugar and 2/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add cinnamon sticks and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel and simmer 2 minutes. Set syrup aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix semolina and 1/2 cup sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk in milk and 4 tablespoons melted butter; bring to boil, whisking occasionally. Boil until mixture is thick and creamy, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk eggs and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in semolina mixture. Mix in vanilla. Cool filling completely.

Lightly butter 10-inch glass pie dish. Place 1 phyllo sheet in bottom of dish. Brush with melted butter. Top with second sheet. Continue layering with 3 more sheets, brushing each with butter. Spoon filling into dish. Top with 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Using scissors, trim excess phyllo from sides of dish. With very sharp knife, score tip of phyllo sheets, forming diamond pattern.

Bake pie until phyllo is golden brown and filling is set, about 45 minutes. Transfer pie to rack. Immediately strain 1 cup-cooled syrup over pastry. Cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve.

Yes, I really went off the wagon and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. I love Greek food. I probably love Greek men more, but in a perfect world I could have both. The men are so much less fattening.

Yoga in Washington Park on Tuesday evenings. I have been going to class weather permitting. I arrive with a stiff neck and I leave without one. I am really enjoying it. I have even been doing it at home on my own. Dulce, my dog inspires me. She does downward dog and plank ALL the time and she is so limber so I have been doing that more as well. Sometimes when I see her do it, I do it. I am sure she thinks I am nuts or a really big dog! My arms are looking good. I like it.

My dad and I had lunch at my Aunt Connie’s before she headed to Canada for the summer. She did the prettiest presentation of chicken salad in the center with avocado slices, olives, carved radishes surrounding it. It was lovely! Then she offered tomato juice with horseradish. Basically, a Virgin Mary. It was a perfect lunch! I would have never thought to serve that as a lunch drink. Brilliant idea and a perfect compliment to the meal.

My dear, dear friend Trouble has a grandson who lives in the building and he has asked me to teach him how to drive or go along with him. I have been doing this and he is a great kid. A good driver and we went to practice the driving test route and it was tricky. Supposedly, the hardest test site in OHIO. I think those of us who have driven for several years may fail it.

He takes his test on July 8 and I promised to take him on one condition. We go out for breakfast after the test.

Trouble’s granddaughter EmJ who you have heard me talk about was down from Michigan for almost a week. Sadly, Trouble’s hubby was sick and so I took EmJ. I took her to run in the Meadow with Dulce, to the pool to swim, to lunch at MELT in their garden and then she was stuck playing video games on her Kindle while I worked. She is a great kid too!

I played tennis with my friend Matthew. Dulce came along since it was a cool early morning and she could relax in the shade with a bowl of water. She so wanted to play with the tennis balls.

Look at this beautiful butterfly that landed on my flowers while I was out on the balcony.

Here is my mom’s new Facebook page with her signature Palm Tree (she sells these cards if anyone wants them!!!) and her wonderful Peri creation.

I have to create a company and I am working on finding a Chinese manufacturer since I can’t seem to find an American one. Any ideas are very welcome!! I went to Graeter’s with my friend Bill to pick his brain and we sat and talked for almost 2 hours. Ran into a childhood friend who probably thinks I am dating Bill, but for the record, if he wasn’t 76 years old. I would date him!!! But I am not. Such a nice, neat fella. Wish he was younger. Smart businessman.

Yes, I cheated again but I played tennis for an hour, walked the dog for an hour and walked in the pool for an hour. THAT ice cream was off my body before I ate it. I can rationalize ANYTHING!!!

I didn’t want to do it, but I had to do it. When I finished off the last jar of JIF. I handed it to Dulce to clean it out and then I have yet to open a new one. I eat TOO much peanut butter. Maybe that is why I am not losing more weight. So, I am off peanut butter for a little bit to see if it makes a difference. Or it is the Moussaka and Graeter’s? Nah….

On Sunday morning, my friend L asked me to go with her to Covington, KY’s Mainstrasse for a flea market. It was very fun! I bought the coolest ring for $5.

Later that day, there was a Dog Day at the Spring Grove Cemetery. This is the closest setting I am going to get to take Dulce to Central Park. She would love Central Park and I would love to take her. The brilliance behind Central Park being what it is today is due to a fella named Frederick Law Olmsted. He came to Cincinnati and Spring Grove to get inspiration for Central Park. So, as I said it was the closest she is getting to my favorite or one of my favorite parks.

Dogs are allowed at Spring Grove one day a year. It is an event sponsored by a doggy shelter in Cincy and the dogs love it. At least my Dulce loved it! We walked and walked and she jumped in the ponds and she was a mess, but happy…

Last night was a farewell to a really special lady down at WCET. Joycee was a CET fixture for the last 9 years. A wonderful worker and person and so personable and so fantastic. She will be so incredibly missed, but at least the wonderful Mary will replace her.

Speeches were given, food was served and a lot of happiness for her to retire and sadness to see her go!

Last night, I came home from the party and boiled chicken in chicken broil. Cut it up into a bowl, added a dollop of mayo, baby spinach, tarragon, salt and pepper. It was yummy.

If you are anything like me, every summer I hunt for the perfect watermelon and it is a crapshoot! I ask people how can you tell a good melon from a bad one. No one knows. I guess it is like hunting for men! Alas, there is a way to find the perfect melon. Thank goodness for Google. They told me. Now I am going to share it with you! So far I have followed these instructions and it has served me well.

WATERMELON SHOPPING

1. Watermelon should be heavy
2. Uniform in shape, no odd shapes
3. It should have a creamy yellow spot on it
4. It should be dark green, not shiny…that means it is ripe.

So, that is my first task and curiosity in the summer. The second is how to cut the bloody thing in an efficient manner.

CUTTING THE DAMN THING!!!

1. Put a cutting board in a cookie sheet or tray with a lip to it, so it catches all the juice instead of your counter, floors and toes.
2. Cut off the ends
3. Cut it in half –the long way
4. Cut those halves
5. Then slice it out
6. Pictures to explain and follow….

More yummy recipes that I have tried and enjoy!

Parmesan Spinach Cakes are a great healthy treat. The first batch I made I forgot the Ricotta and it was good. It reminded me of a Spinach Soufflé, which I love. I put the individual cakes on a fried egg one day, I put a clump of Ricotta on it another day and another day I put a slice of Mozzarella cheese on it. YUM!

It is a 70-calorie cake/treat and it is healthy and good for you. Most importantly, it tastes good.

Parmesan Spinach Cakes

Makes: 4 servings, 2 spinach cakes each

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Equipment: Muffin pan with 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups

 

Ingredients

• 12 ounces fresh spinach, (see Note)
• 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, or low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Pulse spinach in three batches in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add ricotta (or cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
• Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very full).
• Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean cutting board or large plate. Serve warm, sprinkled with more Parmesan, if desired.

Tips & Notes

• Note: Baby spinach is immature or young spinach—it’s harvested earlier than large-leaved mature spinach. We like the sturdy texture of mature spinach in cooked dishes and serve tender, mild-flavored baby spinach raw or lightly wilted. Baby and mature spinach can be used interchangeably in these recipes (yields may vary slightly); be sure to remove the tough stems from mature spinach before using.
• Weights & Measures
• 10 ounces trimmed mature spinach=about 10 cups raw
• 10 ounces baby spinach=about 8 cups raw

Nutrition

Per serving: 141 calories; 8 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 123 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 13 g protein; 2 g fiber; 456 mg sodium; 560 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (170% daily value), Folate (46% dv), Vitamin C (40% dv), Calcium (30% dv), Potassium (16% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 medium-fat meat

The above recipe was given to me by a friend who found it in an EATING WELL magazine.

 

In Bon Appetit, I found a recipe for Cheater’s Porchetta that I like. This time, I cubed the pork and placed it on a bed of spinach that I cooked in the same spices as in the pork recipe below. Then I tossed in crispy bacon and marinated portabella mushrooms.

It was so yummy. P.S. I omit fennel. I don’t like it. And I don’t refrigerate for a day or let it sit for hours on end. Maybe I should, but I don’t. You can!

Cheater’s Porchetta

Servings: 12-15

• 1 5–6-pound piece fresh pork belly, skin on
• 1 (trimmed) 2-3-pound boneless, center-cut pork loin
• 3 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 orange, seeded, thinly sliced

Preparation

• Put belly skin side down; arrange loin in center. Roll belly around loin so the short ends of the belly meet. If any of the belly or loin overhangs, trim meat. Unroll; set loin aside.
• Toast fennel seeds and red pepper flakes in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Tip spices into a bowl; let cool. Finely grind spices in a spice mill and transfer to a small bowl, along with the sage, rosemary, and garlic; set fennel mixture aside.
• Assemble porchetta according to steps 1-5 below.
• Refrigerate roast, uncovered, for 1-2 days to allow skin to air-dry; pat occasionally with paper towels.
• Let porchetta sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 500°. Season porchetta with salt. Roast on rack in baking sheet, turning once, for 40 minutes. Reduce heat to 300° and continue roasting, rotating the pan and turning porchetta occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meat registers 145°, 1 1/2-2 hours more. If skin is not yet deep brown and crisp, increase heat to 500° and roast for 10 minutes more. Let rest for 30 minutes. Using a serrated knife, slice into 1/2″ rounds.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE

• 1. Set belly skin side down. Using a knife, score the belly flesh in a checkerboard pattern 1/3″ deep so roast will cook evenly.
• 2. Flip belly skin side up. Using a paring knife, poke dozens of 1/8″-deep holes through skin all over belly. Don’t be gentle! Keep poking.
• 3. Using the jagged edge of a meat mallet, pound skin all over for 3 minutes to tenderize, which will help make skin crispy when roasted.
• 4. Turn belly and generously salt both it and loin; rub both with fennel mixture. Arrange loin down middle of belly. Top with orange slices.
• 5. Roll belly around loin; tie crosswise with kitchen twine at 1/2″ intervals. Trim twine. Transfer roast to a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.

After living in France, I bought a yogurt maker. I go in and out of phases of using it. It takes 25 hours to make yogurt the consistency I like! Now, that I am steering clear of sugar, I decided to pull out the yogurt maker and give it a whirl. I used to add sugar to it, but now, I am eating it plain and drizzled over a piece of fruit for breakfast.

Sometimes, I experiment. The other day I sliced up a peach and put in two dates, drizzled with yogurt and then garnished with mint. Enough mint that every bite was peach, yogurt and mint. I liked it.

I found this recipe below…not sure where…and I really like it. So much so that I have already made it twice.

Peach and Plum Salad

Red wine vinegar balances the sweetness of ripe fruit, while cilantro and basil add a floral note to this fresh summer salad.

serves 4-6

15 minutes

Ingredients

4 peaches, pitted and cut into 1″ wedges

4 plums, pitted and cut into 1″ wedges

¹⁄₄ cup fresh lemon juice

¹⁄₄ cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 small red onion, thinly sliced, soaked in ice water 10 minutes, drained

2 oz. baby arugula

¹⁄₃ cup basil leaves, torn

¹⁄₃ cup cilantro leaves

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

Toss peaches and plums with 2 tbsp. lemon juice and the vinegar in a bowl; transfer to a serving platter. Add remaining juice, 2 tsp. salt, and the onion to bowl; toss to combine. Using a slotted spoon, sprinkle onion mixture over fruit, leaving juice in bowl. Add arugula, basil, and cilantro to bowl. Season with salt and pepper, toss to combine, and scatter over fruit. Drizzle with olive oil and black pepper.

Well, that is all for now! Have a wonderful 4^th of July…..

Until we meet again…

Enjoy! Eat, travel, laugh…often….

Open-Faced Club Sandiwches to Flourless Chocolate Cake to Ribs, and More….

When I arrived back at the Cincy airport my father was there to greet me. He had offered to pick me up and take me to one of my old favorite restaurants that had shutdown and re-opened under new management. Walt’s Hitching Post in Kentucky. It was going to be my birthday dinner. It was on the way home from our airport, and we used to go there when I flew into town and my dad would pick me up at the airport.

 

I grew up going to Walt’s as a kid. We went with this family named the Lukins. The waitresses with the beehive hairdos used to sneak Dr. Lukin extra plates filled with ribs. They loved him. I always thought if I ever got married that I would have my rehearsal dinner there. I crave ribs. I think it is up there with sushi, pizza, steak and Graeter’s ice cream!

 

The place was structurally the same but the interiors were classed up a bit.

 

They are pushing to be more of a “steak house” than a “rib joint.” They said it was all the same, but the ribs were a little different and the sauce had a definitive change. When we left my dad said, “I think they will definitely become more well-known for their steaks.” It was good, but it wasn’t great! But I am pretty content with a slab of ribs, home fries with onions and a house salad with 1000 Dressing. Heaven on a plate!

 

My dad was trying to eat them with a fork and knife. His proper side comes out at the most odd times. As I am sitting there with a mouth and fingers covered in rib sauce.

 

I came home and I was restless. I have this building (aka a dorm) full of friends and I wanted to go visit. I went knocking on Carolyn’s door. I knew she would be awake at almost 10pm, but no answer.

 

The next day my dad suggested taking a walk together. He never comes to Spring Grove to meet me. This day he did. He kept saying are we almost done? Are we almost done? It felt like we were walking forever. Poor thing. I am referring to me. Just kidding.

 

I came home and I saw a lady in the mailroom that I have seen so many times and never knew her name. When she said Joan. I said I have heard so many great things about you. I wasn’t sure you existed! We chatted. She was lovely! She was so easy to talk with. She invited me up for a drink. I said no, she and her boyfriend insisted. I had a ball. I finally realized I really needed to get home. I went to the elevator and my friends Karen and Bill stepped out and invited me down. I knew I should go home, but little social butterfly went down there for a bit. This is what I love about my building. So many fun and fascinating friends under one roof. It really is like a college dorm.

 

The next morning was my birthday and my dad showed up with a schnecken. I can’t believe he went all the way downtown to Shadeau Breads to get me a homemade Schnecken. Schnecken’s rock! And so does my dad!!!! I grew up on them. They are made with a ton of butter (almost a literal measurement), raisins, cinnamon and lots of hard work, time and love.

 

I had a few slices with a glass of milk and I was really happy. I tried to get my dad to share it with me, but he wouldn’t. I was quite surprised because he REALLY loves Schnecken.

 

I was told that there are no calories on your birthday! Everything has zero calories and you can eat whatever you want! I am a firm believer of this way of thinking. Plus, when you survive cancer, birthdays become very special and must be celebrated!

 

My two best friends from law school, Alex and Annette took me to Trio’s for lunch. Alex was on the diet that I would begin on the Monday after my Friday birthday. We decided to eat with him and the three of us ordered a steak salad. It was exceptionally yummy. It was a flat iron steak on a field of greens with shaved red onion, crumbled bleu cheese and grape tomatoes. How I love steak! Let me count the ways!

 

 

Then my birthday cake was a slice of flourless chocolate cake. That is hands down probably my favorite cake. Nothing like a dense piece of rich chocolate.

 

That evening was my birthday party. I am sure I had consumed my entire calorie allowance for the day after the first slice of Schnecken, but calories don’t count on birthdays!

 

My friends: Stacey, Mindy and Lisa came over for dinner. Lisa who is the amazing, talented baker made a variety of cookies for dessert that included: Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter Cookies and Chocolate Chip. I didn’t think I liked Snickerdoodles till I ate one of Lisa’s.

For an appetizer, I went with a simple oldie. I took tortilla chips, salsa and three Mexican cheeses that I melted on top for yummy Nachos. Dinner was an opened faced club sandwich with homemade Russian dressing on top and then we had cookies.

 

We sat and talked for hours. I really like my friends. We had a really nice time. If I could pick men like a pick friends…DON’T I WISH!!!!

 

Later that night, Shirley aka Trouble called and asked if she could take me to breakfast in the morning for my birthday. I said sure. She wanted to try one of my favorite places the good ole Sugar n Spice.

 

Off we went. We sat there forever waiting on a table. The place was packed. I played with a few kids. I went and got the basket of ducks that they could pick a rubber duck. They were totally psyched!

 

Here is where I am probably different than most people. Most people celebrate their birthday on the actual day and watch what they eat to some extent. I celebrate for about a week and don’t count calories at all.

 

That night, I had so much leftover food that I invited my building friends who I am really close to up for another birthday dinner, a repeat of the night before.

 

The next day after treating myself to one of my New York bagels for breakfast with leftover steak, OMG good!!! Everything bagel with cream cheese is my favorite!!!!

 

I went for a walk in my beloved Spring Grove. I have never ever ever seen so many tree company trucks in one place EVER! I asked what was happening. I asked a worker. Apparently, they bring people in the spring to get the trees healthy and check on them and care for them. I was so shocked and so impressed with the care for these monster beauties.

 

Well, Monday came and after a weekend of pure indulgence, I started the only diet that has ever worked for me. THE ZONE DIET. I did this back in Boston many moons ago and lost 35 lbs. and now it was time to do it again. I hate pictures of myself. I avoid them like the plague and being a cancer survivor it is just one more thing I can do for myself to lower my odds of reoccurrence. At first, the thought of it is daunting, laughable and absurd, but once I get in the groove it is not bad at all, and actually pretty cool.

 

The way I did it years ago and decided to do it now is that you don’t eat pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, or corn. I am sure that sounds miserable to many of you. You get your carbs in the form of veggies mostly and fruits secondly.

 

Here is the other thing that at first miffed me years ago and again years later. You try to eat protein that is roughly the size of the palm of your hand. The first few days one starts this, you may think, and I definitely thought, “Are you on crack?” Who can eat that little and feel full?” Well, so you have the protein the size of your palm, the veggie serving is the size of your entire hand and then you add a little fat in there and that mixture of protein to carb to fat is what puts your body in “the zone!” It is fascinating! So, at first you want to cry. You say to yourself, if you are I, I can give up bread and pasta, but I am NOT giving up sushi! Bite me!

 

Here is what happens, doing this you take the sugars out of your diet. Sugar is what makes you hungry. You stop getting hungry, you shrink your belly (literally and figuratively) and you eat less and the weight starts to fall off. First week is usually water loss and in my case water and chocolate loss, and I lost six pounds!!! Second week, I lost one. I am two weeks out and 7lbs down! I am thrilled but what really excites me is what a difference it has made in places that it never dawned on me I would notice.

 

I got a couple bizarre or maybe not so bizarre side effects from chemo, and eating like this has completely eliminated them. AND…I am not always hungry, I feel better, I have more energy, and I am staying away from sugar and there is this big thing…okay big argument of whether cancer loves sugar or not! It depends on whom you ask. So, if I really lessen the sugar intake…it can only help me.

 

I went fourteen days without chocolate. It was like going fourteen days without sex! Wait, I do that ALL the time. What can I compare it to? Well, you get the point. It wasn’t too bad but by day 14, I was itching for a bite of chocolate. I had 6 Nestle morsels and it totally satisfied me.How shocking and insane is that!

I haven’t had any since!

 

Here is the fun shocker though! How many recipes are out there that I can eat that are technically on my diet? And really good stuff? When was the last time you heard of a diet that you could eat bacon? Ribs? It is all about the portions and staying away from the white stuff (aka bad carbs). So, I am psyched. We will see how I do. So, far so good, but I think I will share some recipes with you, because there is some really great stuff to eat! I have shelves of cookbooks and my Saveur has so much that I can cook from it. It actually is kinda fun and exciting. Eventually, I will get the shakes and have to go to Graeter’s for a mocha chip, but so far the idea of it is too sweet for me. I know! SHOCKING!!!!!

 

Trouble and 007 came over for our usual Wednesday evening get together and we have talked about this for years and are finally doing it. We are taking the Megabus to Chicago to go to Wrigley Field and see the Reds v. Cubs. Wrigley Field has been on my bucket list for a long, long time. Megabuses are supposedly great! I used to take the Chinese bus from Boston to NY and back all the time and it was great and cheap. Did you know about Chinese buses? They go all over the place! When I used to go it was btn $10-15 each way! (That is roughly the cost of these bus tickets!) It was filled with students mostly. Some had movies you could watch, but it was easy and cheap.

 

My mother instilled a SERIOUS imagination into me. I can look at clouds and see shapes, animals, faces, and I saw something the other week that tickled my funny bone. I saw a wild turkey come running at lightning speed, up a hill from a pond and she/he looked both ways and ran like hell. That is what I literally saw, what the creative soul that I am saw was a little bit different. Imagine one of the birds from the cartoon clip called SHOE. Imagine him being a she in a dress and holding it up so it doesn’t drag along the pavement. Imagine her being chased by an animal even bigger than her. Imagine how that animal would feel. The facial expression was: “Holy mackerel, I need to get out of the hen house. Here comes my husband! Yikes!” And then running like hell. THAT is what it looked like….change the story as you see fit.

 

My friend Mindy and her hubby went to Haiti to pick up their FIFTH child!!! (The second one they have adopted from Haiti). Mindy’s mom was not so sure about taking her granddaughter Ruby to The Cincinnati Nature Center and asked if I would do it.

I did. Love Ruby! She is such a cool kid.

The class was called Writing in Nature. Kids would look at things and write. They would draw things. They did all kinds of things, but the coolest thing was they took a shallow pan and covered the bottom with shaving cream and then put a few drops of food coloring into the cream, swirled it around and put their plain white journals into it and it created all these cool tie-dye journal covers. I wanted to go home and do it.

 

We left the Center and stopped at Jungle Jim’s International Food Store. Here is a pic from this wacky store.

 

They carry food from ALL over the world. Ruby and I went to Ireland, India, Turkey, Jamaica; we went all over the place and just by walking up and down grocery store aisles.

 

I bought a whole fish. The man behind the counter gutted it for me. I had cooked a few whole fish in New York, because I learned to do it living in Paris and it does give the fish more flavor, but I wasn’t sure I would remember how to get out the spine and bones. Apparently, it is like riding a bike and I forgot how easy it is! I also forgot how knock my socks off good it is too! See, something I can eat in THE ZONE!

 

I was supposed to have a book signing on April 26^th, but next to no one RSVP’d! My friend Temple said, “Surely people who have been through a wedding, a large party understand the importance of the RSVP and your need to know your numbers for planning food & seating, and it is so bloody easy to do! It is either YES or NO.

 

And a number of how many you will bring.” A person could simply respond, “Yes, 4!” Thanks would be nice but I’m not going to push my luck! I was sad to cancel. My friend Lisa was going to do the food and everyone missed out on her baking!!!! But I will do it again this summer, maybe on the hill outside here at my home.

 

That afternoon, I went to my Aunt Connie’s surprise birthday party. Aunt Connie is such a cool lady. The first time I met her, I was at my first family reunion with my mom, who is adopted. My mom found her birth family. And her mom was not the softest pillow on the couch…let me tell you, so I was REALLY leery about meeting these people. I tried to forewarn my mom that they might not be warm and fuzzy or even welcoming to her. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I just love them! Well, at that reunion, I spent a lot of time talking to Uncle Dave and Aunt Connie. Aunt Connie is cool. We had a ball. Her b-day party was held at an honorary cousins house. She is a hoot. Actually, both sisters are just too cool. The hostess and I discovered we are both HUGE Sugar n Spice fans. I left my cup at their house “accidentally” so they will have to meet me at the restaurant to return it to me. See, sometimes, I am smart!

 

I gathered a group of roughly 8 women together to sew Peri the Pelican dolls. One lady took the ball and ran with it. She is a masterful sewer. It looks spot on a pelican. Sadly, I think it needs to be more goofy and imperfect, but I will keep you posted. Once, we get our little assembly line together to sew the little birds. Watch out! I can’t wait. I think it will be a ball! Doing research on the doll, I found this totally adorable pic!!!

 

My New York friend Mare (who is also back in Cincy) and I took a 1.5-hour walk in Spring Grove last week. She is amazing. Battling colon cancer and fighting it all the way and her attitude is fabulous!!!

 

I went to dinner at Jennie’s house. I love, love, love her cooking! I had to ask: any bread? Nope! Any rice, pasta, potatoes, breadcrumbs? Nope! Okay, I can come. I have no idea what she did to that tenderloin but it was tender, juicy and delicious!

Then she made a big salad to go with it. ALL IN THE ZONE!!!! Her daughter was irate that Wyoming High had cut the senior double lunches for next year? Pray-tell-why? I am thinking a liability issue? The powers to be are insinuating it is because they fell in the rankings on a national level. If a public school is ranked in the top 100 in the USA, I think they should be happy. Think of how many schools there are in the country?

 

Mare invited me to meet her son-in-law and her two granddaughters for dinner at The Mariemont Inn. I had never, ever been and I think it has been there forever! I ordered a hamburger without the bun and a side salad. The hard thing to NOT eat and I said, “DO NOT even put them on my plate!” The burger came with crispy onions. How good does that sound? I didn’t want to be tempted and I know, I can cheat a little here and there but I am a woman on a mission!

 

This is fascinating to me. Two granddaughters. One is a fabulous eater and the other eats chicken nuggets and mac and cheese, so basically nothing. Their dad said do you want to know why the difference? I really did. Here is one kid eating asparagus, pea pods, and mushrooms and the other Mac and Cheese. He said when the first child was born he decided he was NOT going to cook down to her, he was going to make her eat up to them. Brilliant. And he is a fabulous cook! Second child, he went back to work and Mom, love her, is not a cook, so she went the easy route and viola. One is a great eater and the other is not, but they are so cute and sweet at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter!

 

I had a Kentucky Derby party on Derby Eve! I told everyone to wear a hat. I am a hat nut. I have lots and lots of hats! I used to have an Annual Derby party when I lived in NYC! I had everyone bring something sweet or savory. I had lots of leftovers that I am still eating. It was a nice time.

 

Here is something I did and it was yummy! I made an omelette and I cooked the egg and then in the omelette, I spread some leftover artichoke dip and some leftover spinach dip. Can you say, YUM!

 

Monday morning, my friends Carolyn and Jo and I went to a new joint called Tags. It was adorable. I have a picture below. I ordered an omelette called CRACK OF DAWN that contained bacon, Swiss cheese and spinach. I always ask them not to bring “the tempters” on the plate. The tempters being bread or potatoes. Instead she gave me some fruit. It was good. Really cute place and nice, nice people.

 

There is a bike ride my friend Heather did in New York almost ten years ago. It is the 5-Burrough bike ride. She said it was such a cool way to see so much of New York and you get to cross bridges and it is a ton of fun! I never did it. Then my friend Lizz did it last year. My friend Matt did it this year! I want to do it next year! It is the first or second week in May. Hopefully the weather is like the weather now and downright gorgeous outside and what a great way to see Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island (never been there), Queens and Brooklyn.

I came out onto my hammock on my balcony the other night to take a 15-minute siesta. I set an alarm on my phone. Fifteen minutes turned into 3 hours. I hit the snooze for 3 hours! I love, adore, relish, treasure my hammock! This is not my hammock or my view, but you get the idea.

 

I knew I was not going to sleep that night. I was emailing around midnight and received 2 emails from Jo and Carolyn seconds apart. I emailed back and said we need to meet on a balcony since we are all awake. Jo invited us to her place. We sat on the balcony with the city lights of downtown in the distance and we laughed and talked till about 1:30a.m. It was so much fun!

 

I have this dear, dear friend from Washington, D.C. We worked together in a lobbying firm and were chatting one day many, many years ago about our parents. I told her my mom was an artist and she painted furniture and she was really talented. Jill seemed genuinely impressed and interested and with that our boss came up to us and asked Jill if her dad would autograph a poster for his girlfriend! His girlfriend picked up the poster at her dad’s show at THE NATIONAL GALLERY @ The Smithsonian!

Here I am talking about my mom the basement art painter and my friend Jill’s dad is an artist too, but her dad is in THE NATIONAL fricking GALLERY. Jill is probably reading this blog and laughing! I called her one night from a Sotheby’s auction in NY and said your dad just sold a painting for over 2 million. It is cool, but at the end of the day, he is just Jill’s dad and he wasn’t always famous. He paid his dues like so many greats before him. Well, I got a kick out of this…I am reading my SAVEUR magazine and there is a recipe in it that they claim is one of her dad’s favorites. I scan it and send it to her and her sisters. Her one sis emails me back and says, “I’m with my dad. I’ll ask!” What a weird, small world we live in!

 

My dad is an identical twin. My dad and Uncle are inseparable. They do not go a day without talking EVER!!!! I am named Erin. My Uncle Bob has a daughter 10 years younger named Perin. Erin & Perin. Our fathers are fiercely close, but Perin and her brother Langdon and I barely know each other. Today, Perin and I went to breakfast. We used to look alike years ago. Not so much anymore. My dad said we sounded a lot alike on the phone. I didn’t believe him. However, we traded a few phone calls back and forth recently and I almost could not tell the difference between her voice and mine on the phone. I told my dad and he said, “Well, lets see! Your dad’s are identical twins and we had daughters. Makes sense to me!” We had a ball at breakfast and are going to try to make a habit out of it with our dad’s! If we can get them to join us. We sure hope so!

 

Until we meet again…

 

Enjoy! Eat, travel, laugh…often….