Trav'ling Whisperer

Ha!! I finally made it up to the Berkeley Rose Garden  during the day _and_ during the April/May timeframe!  And boy, was it worth it.  A and I went toward the end of May, and still saw some flowers.  I even spotted an Ingrid Bergman...sign.  I've resolved to go back next year to make a personal visit to the Ingrid Bergman rose. My favorite!

I'll admit now that I don't usually measure ingredients.  But I err on the healthy side. Kabocha squash!  I know, I know, it's a fall/winter squash and it's summer.  I guess you can see how much I like kabocha.   1          kabocha squash 1 tbsp  liquid coconut oil             salt             pepper Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Chop up kabocha (I use a cleaver.  Make sure your knife is sharp, because kabocha is hard to cut) into slices.  Toss in a bowl with coconut oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast for 30 minutes, flipping them over at the 15 minute point. It's delicious and filling!!  Even K who doesn't like coconuts liked it.  K said it smelled like butter :D

A few weeks ago, T and I went to eat dinner at a Shabuway .  T's friend was the manager, and he told us that since every worker gets to eat for free, one worker in particular gained a lot of weight.  He pointed to my shabu plate (all veggies) and T's shabu plate (all meat), and said, "you don't get big off veggies and meat.  Just starchy stuff like noodles and rice."  I had his advice in mind while making cauliflower "rice." 1 head cauliflower 1 cup chopped cilantro 1 tbsp olive oil 1 lime's worth of juice 1 lime's worth of lime zest. I put the cauliflower (chopped into small florets) into a blender (but a food processor would work better) so that the cauliflower looked like it was grated.  I heated up the olive oil in a pan, put in the cauliflower, stir fried a little, and then shut off the stove.  Finally, I folded in the lime juice and zest.  So easy! And you can't really taste the cauliflower!  Haha, but seriously.  I

While I was preparing the "Community" lesson for Junior Achievement , I decided I wanted candied pecans.  Usually, I like them accompanied by spinach and fruit, but I don't have spinach, and though I have fruit, I know candied pecans taste good on their own.   So I made a few with honey and cinnamon on a pan. Yep.  Just a few.  Yep.  I was still hungry.

I love going to any Asian supermarket on occasion (not for routine grocery shopping - that's just stressful).  In my experience, Korean supermarkets have very fresh produce.  One of my favorites in San Diego is Zion Market.  The first stop after being picked up from the airport was Zion Market. Signs like this make it clear you are not to mess around with their produce. Grapefruit the size of my hand.  Hence the price: 7 lb/$.

While I was wandering around the San Jose Mineta Airport, I stumbled upon this machine.   It tells you your weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat content, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), and heart rate.  It's a perfect way to keep your health in check after you jet back to reality after a gluttonous vacation :D

A coworker shared this with me today as I shared with him the worries of making (what seems like!) HUMONGOUS  decisions now: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-schmich-sunscreen-column%2c0%2c5909206%2cfull.column

Proverbs10:12 "Hatred stirs up dissension,  but love covers over all wrongs." A hateful spirit isn’t satisfied to forgive and forget; it insists on raking up old grudges and quarrels. A heart of love draws a curtain of secrecy over the faults and failures of others. These faults and failures must, of course, be confessed and forsaken, but love does not gossip about them or keep the pot boiling. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. 1997, c1995. Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments . Thomas Nelson: Nashville