(UPDATED, 5/5/08:  The recipes are there for viewing—beautiful pics and inspiring ideas.)

I thought of this dish immediately.  Eating more veggies (and fruits) is at the top of my healthy eating and weight management list, keeping with the philosophy to let fruits and veggies take center stage and think of meats and poultry as condiments.  Who knew?  That parsley garnish may have been the healthiest thing on the plate!

This is a favorite.  So pretty and it just looks like summer and spring fun.  It’s endlessly adaptable—add a few leftover roasted potatoes, some corn (fresh or frozen), a yellow squash.  Good for a quick weeknight dinner or a summer party.  It’s a great taste companion for grilled meats.

Summer Stir Fry

Serves 4; 15-20 minutes hands on; ready in 30 minutes

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic

• ¼ lb trimmed green beans

• ¼ lb asparagus, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, ½“ slices, halved
• ½ medium red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 4-6 green onions, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
• salt & lemon pepper
• Parmesan cheese, optional

Spray a large skillet with a lid with olive-oil spray.  Add the olive oil and heat to medium.  Then add the garlic and green beans and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Next add the asparagus, zucchini, and bell pepper and stir fry for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the green onion and tomato over the other vegetables.  Add a sprinkling of salt and lemon pepper.  Cover and reduce to very low heat.  Cook for another 5-7 minutes.  Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan or offer it at the table.

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Once again our Easter brunch menu will be ham, Jezebel sauce, cheese grits, mixed fruits with poppy seed dressing, fresh green beans (slightly over-cooked, of course), rolls, and Eagle Brand(tm) lemon pie.

Heh. I’d never realized until I typed that out just how Southern our traditional menu is. I’ll pass on the Peeps, but don’t mess with my grits! Have a lovely Easter.

Cheese Grits

16 servings; hands on time, 20 minutes; ready in 75 minutes

• 6 cups* water
• 1 1/2 cups* quick grits (six servings according to the package)
• 6 Tbsp light butter
• 1 lb low-fat processed cheese (such as Velveeta, 2%), cubed
• 2 tsp seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s)
• dash of hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
• dash of Worcestershire sauce
• 2 large eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitute

Preheat the oven to 300* degrees. Spray a 13×9″ baking dish (glass preferred) with cooking spray. Set aside.

While the oven preheats, bring the water to a boil and cook the grits according to package directions, probably 5-7 minutes. Stir in the butter, cheese, salt, hot sauce, and Worcestershire, stirring until the cheese melts. Stir in the egg and egg substitute.

Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake for 50-55* minutes, until slightly firm. Let the dish sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

*Notes . . . cook six servings of quick grits with a bit more water than the package calls for, according to package directions. Also, you can bake the grits in a hotter oven (325 or 350 degrees) and reduce the cooking time for convenience. Just be careful that the bottom of the pan doesn’t scorch before the middle is set.

Per serving, approximately 120 calories; 3.8 g. fat; 15.0 g. carbs; .8 g. fiber; 451 mg. sodium; 7.3 g. protein

But bashing “diets” sells.  Dieting brings up visions of deprivation.  Who wants that?  Doesn’t sound like fun and sounds a whole lot like work.

Add to that, many of us know that lost pounds have a tendency to find their way home.  We diet, we lose weight, we return to comfortable habits, we gain weight, we do it all over again.  Duh?  We never said we wanted to “live healthy.”  That’s a whole ‘nuther ball game.

Several weeks ago, I got a mailer from Weight Watchers touting how ineffective diets are so I should come to WW instead.  I’m here to tell you:  Weight Watchers is a diet.  That’s not a bad thing.  I’m a big fan of Weight Watchers.  Why?  Moderation, balance, accountablity, and support.  All valuable and important.  What’s an even better thing is that the program, if you follow it, provides the time and the instruction to make permanent changes. (No, I’m not an employee, just a Lifetime Member.)

That’s my two cents.  To paraphrase some of the political candidates who are busy quoting each other, “This isn’t politics, this is personal.”  Starting next week when failed ”gently used” resolutions have been guiltily lovingly put away for 2008 to bring out again for New Years 2009, I’ll post about the Ten Things I Know about Staying After.  And why it’s so, so hard.

Then three years ago, this came to a screeching halt. When Fizzy Meals was launched, our evening meals became all about testing. What might have been considered a rough plan for the week was constantly being “adjusted” when two dishes didn’t work together or a recipe I was counting on was a disaster reject or a recipe needed re-testing before it could be published. There was almost never a night of simple, old faithful dishes that actually went together since there was always something waiting to be tested.

But on December 13, the last weekly issue of Fizzy Meals was posted. After holiday frenzy and holiday travel and holiday celebrations, it was time to go back to planning menus for us. I wanted to test the shopping list and menu planning work sheet for Enough Thyme so that’s where I started. The whole planning thing felt strange at first. As in “Really? No testing?” But it’s like riding a bike. How incredibly easy mealtime is when the menu is posted right on the fridge and the ingredients have all been purchased for the week. Duh. Not a single temptation to run for take-out. Duh, again.

This week has been fun, and cooking has been amazingly stress free. (I know, I know. That’s why people subscribed to Fizzy Meals, but it’s not something I’ve personally experienced in the past three years!)

So what was on our menu this week?

Sunday

• Old Bay Steamed Shrimp
• Whole Wheat Couscous with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• Garlic Spinach

Monday (ate out for our “big” meal)

• Rustic Tomato Basil Soup
• Gooey Grilled Cheese Toast on Rosemary Bread

Tuesday (New Year’s lunch for guests)

• Lemon Garlic Pork Tenderloin
• Black-Eyed Peas
• Cabbage and Carrot Stir Fry
• Mini Corn Muffins
• Chocolate Chess Pie

Wednesday

• Cheesy Chicken Chowder (a new recipe)
• Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

Thursday

• Salmon (something Asian–need to find a glaze or rub)
• Asian Green Beans (ala Weight Watchers)
• Green Salad with Sesame Dressing

Many of the recipes were from the cookbook and that turned out to be an unexpected treat—no vague recipes with a gazillion hand-written notes, question marks, and blanks to be filled in. The new recipe turned out way too good. (I’m almost afraid to run the nutrition, but I’ll share it anyway as soon as it’s formatted.)

Don’t get me wrong, I loved publishing Fizzy Meals—the adventure of new recipes and the satisfaction of finding a healthy version of the old classics and the incredible high of hearing from subscribers. But it’s also been a rush to once again experience the simple pleasure of planning menus and cooking dinner.

So what’s posted on your fridge?

Heh.  I can’t remember where I read this, but I would so give credit if I could.  Announcement:  this is a resolution-free zone.  Goals, yes.  Resolutions, no.  Next week, I’ll get serious about goals for the year.  By then the resolutions will have been filled away for another 12 months.

And a serious toast . . . to your health, happiness, strength, and peace in 2008 and beyond.

And the real reason is?  I have been overwhelmed by l-i-f-e.  See?  There’s the problem.  You are now thinking, “So what?  Who hasn’t been?  ‘Tis the season to be overwhelmed!”  And you would be right.

For me, it’s been getting the cookbook to the printers, proofing, approving, and packing.  No, not packing the cookbook.  A long “girl’s” weekend in New York City to see the lights and the Rockettes, to shop and eat and look at store windows got sandwiched into the work schedule.  (I use the term “girls” loosely as we are all closer to Medicare than college.)  Now I’ve lost all possiblity of any sympathy.  That wonderful weekend was followed by finishing the last two newsletters and starting to ship the cookbooks.  Now it actually is about packing the cookbooks.

But it’s the season to be overwhelmed and stressed, so here’s a quick 25-minute supper idea that also makes a wonderful gift-from-the-kitchen for anyone you know who would appreciate the gift of time.

 Better-Things-to-Do Stew

Serves 4;  5 minutes hands on; ready in 25 minutes

• 12-oz package frozen soy crumbles or 1 lb ground beef, (5% fat), browned
• 1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 1 (1 oz) envelope taco seasoning
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 Tbsp onion flakes

Mix all ingredients in a large saucepan or deep skillet.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Garnish with grated cheddar cheese and finely diced onion, if you like.

Per 1-1/4 cup serving, approximately 318 calories; 4.7 g. fat; 42.3 g. carbohydrates; 12.4 g. fiber; 23.1 g. protein

Serve with a green salad, including some spinach, and a pan of cornbread.

With cards to write, presents to wrap, shopping to do, decorating to finish, and a school program or two to attend, this is the season where the days are short in more ways than one.  A quick supper in a bag may be the most appreciated gift of all—extra time wrapped up in a holiday package.  To make a gift-from-the-kitchen, combine the last 5 ingredients of the recipe in a small decorative jar.  Pack this in a gift bag with cans of corn, pintos, and tomato sauce and a package of cornbread mix.  Tuck in a copy of the recipe and add a ribbon or two. 

Several years ago, I met a Weight Watchers member who was succeeding on a long and difficult weight loss journey. He had wonderful family support, and he shared a recipe that his brother, a chef, created for his first Weight Watchers Thanksgiving. Now Thanksgiving is definitely a day for Sometime Food, but this is a recipe with all the goopy decadence of the “real thing” without the regrets.

White Chocolate Ambrosia

Serves 8; about 10 minutes hands on; ready in 20 minutes

• 1 (15 oz) can light fruit cocktail
• 1 (15 oz) can pineapple tidbits in juice
• 1 (11 oz) can Mandarin oranges
• 1 (1 oz) pacakge sugar-free white chocolate instant pudding mix
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) fat-free sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 cup fat-free whipped topping

Drain fruits, reserving 3/4 cup liquid. Mix pudding with the reserved juice. Stir in sour cream or yogurt and then fold in the whipped topping. Fold in fruits. Chill at least 10 minutes in the fridge.

Options:

• Add a sliced banana when ready to serve.
• Garnish with toasted coconut, minced maraschino cherries and/or toasted pecans.
• There is enough “dressing” for another 15-oz fruit to stretch the dish to 10 servings.

Per 2/3-cup serving, approximately 116 calories; 0 g. fat; 26 g. carbohydrates; 18 g. sugars; 1.2 g. fiber; 1.3 g. protein

I confess that on Thanksgiving I turn this Anytime Food into a Sometime Food, throwing in mini marshmallows, coconut, and nuts. It’s a Sometimes kind of day.

What’s that I’m hearing?  Grumbling?  Doubt?

According to Charles Courtmanche, a doctoral student in Washington University’s Economics Department, since we walk more and eat out less when gasoline prices rise, every $1 increase in the price of gasoline equals a 15% reduction in the level of U.S. obesity.

In fact, according to Courtmanche, about 13% of the rise in obesity between 1979 and 2004 can be attributed to falling gasoline prices in those years.  Courtmanche (who is just as cute as a bug and younger than my favorite pair of jeans) goes on to suggest that a bigger federal tax on gasoline might be a way of addressing the U.S. ”obesity epidemic.”  I’m guessing he personally stays so slim from running.  As in, from the crowd gathered at the filling station.

Soooo, next time you’re filling up at the pump and those little numbers are whirling by so fast it makes your head spin, just remember how much healthier we all are.

 Right.

And according to Emeril (so it must be true), we each eat 130 pounds of potatoes a year—that would be every last one of us. So I’m thinking, how does my life measure up.

I have lived 32,368,200.01 Make that 9.43 minutes. It took 9.42 minutes to write this. (These deep and insightful posts don’t just write themselves. Heh.)

In my adult life, I have eaten 207.56 pounds of chocolate: 134.91 pounds because I’m stressed; 41.51 pounds because I’m happy; and 31.14 pounds because I can.

I own 29.7 cubic feet of fabric, and I don’t sew. Anymore. But I might. That’s why I bought more fabric just this month. And the fabric looks wonderful with the beads I bought last month and haven’t made into anything yet. But I will.

In my closet there are 19 many (I’d rather not be too specific) pairs of jeans in four colors and three sizes.

I own 2.3 pairs of shoes for every pair of jeans.

In my adult life, I’ve gained 143 pounds and lost 118 pounds. A little up, a little down. More up, more down. Way up, way down. Starting up? I started skinny, but it’s still a 15+ challenge, my own very slow yo-yo. (Two of those pounds are explained here.)

According to Professor Irwin Corey,

“If we don’t change direction soon, we’ll end up where we’re going.”

So here’s a plan. As of today, I’ll be more sensible about shoes. Uhmm, make that tomorrow. Today I’m going to a trunk show at Dillard’s.

I will forgo the next 223.11 chocolate candy bars, thus alleviating the 15+ challenge.

Then I will buy these . . . because I can.

As we were driving into Dallas, we were consulting by cell phone to choose a place to meet everyone for dinner.  The consensus of the group was a restaurant that is often described with statements such as “But their food is good.”  Note the italics.  Or “They really do have great food.”  Again, the italics.

In other words, this place is not known for its atmosphere.  Well, actually it is.  Eating there is a bit like subscribing to Playboy for the wonderful, thought-provoking articles.

We’re greeted at the door by a wave of noise, perkiness, and silicone.  But then we were expecting that.  So it’s on to a table for eight and menus to check out the “good” food. 

Decidedly not green.  Out of 12 side dishes, only two had any connection to the color green—other than a price tag.  There was coleslaw.  I didn’t see it, but I’m pretty confident in guessing that it was awash in mayo.  There was a dinner salad that could generally be classified as green if a few bits of Romaine amidst the iceberg count.  That was pretty much it.  You could choose from fried potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, signature spuds, potato salad, mac & cheese, corn with peppers, baked beans in a sicky sweet sauce, and fried apples.

Now we’re very pretty flexible and we had agreed to this place, so it is clearly a night for Sometime Food.  I decided to order what was the most appealing and savor the moment.  Chicken Fried Chicken, Roadhouse Spuds (a smashed up version of a loaded baked potato), and a dinner salad with blue cheese dressing.  On the side, of course.  (Heh.  Why I worried about that I don’t know.  Old habits, I suppose.)

The food arrived on platters.  No.  They don’t serve family style.  Every order arrived on its own platter.  And filled it up!  The boneless chicken breast was about 10″ long and 5″ wide.  Once I got over the horror movie visions of a chicken large enough to have a breast this size, I computed that this was about four servings of chicken.  On my plate.  Also gracing the plate was well over a cup of the smashed potatoes or two big servings.

Self-talk is called for here:  “This is a Sometime Food night; I certainly don’t have to eat all of this; just enjoy a little and move on.”

But at first bite, there was another problem.  It was wonderful.  Absolutely wonderful.  Perfectly crisp and savory with the flavors of my most favorite fried chicken.  The potatoes were rich and decadent with a blend of flavors that has become a baked potato tradition for good reason.

I managed to stop eating with over half the food still on the platter, but only because I signaled our server to whisk it away.  She wanted to know if there was anything wrong with the food.  How in the world would you answer that?  No, the food was wonderful.  Yes, there was way too much.  I settled for “Not at all.  That’s just all I want right now.”

Would we go back?  That’s hard to say.  The atmosphere is truly awful if you want to talk to, not yell at, your dinner companions and you aren’t crazy about servers that sit down at your table and reach over you to fill someone else’s water glass.  Then again, “they really do have great food” if it’s a Sometime Food kind of night.

So what is “good” food or “great” food?  Cheap, fast, healthy, comforting, delicious, adventuous, fresh, pretty, indulgent?

Have a “great” food day.