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Root Vegetable Salad

Feb 21st, 2010
by Jim Reverend.
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Prep Time: 7 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Difficulty: Really really easy
Servings: 2 to 3 people

I call this a salad because it’s vegetables covered in a dressing. But, that’s about as far as the definition carries. It’s a very colorful dish, especially since the beet juice will dye all the other vegetables a pinkish/purplish color.

Ingredients

1 medium sized beet
1 medium sized turnip
2 large carrots
6 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp butter
water
goat cheese, parmesan,  or romano cheese
salt
pepper

Directions

Boil at least 2 quarts of heavily salted water.

Peel the vegetables. Then slice thinly (1/8″ or so). Consistency in thickness is important for consistency in cooking time. Use a mandolin if you have one.

Place butter in a pan over medium heat. Mince the garlic and add it to the pan. When the garlic begins to brown, add 1/4c of water, reduce hear to simmer, and add salt and pepper to taste. This is your “dressing”.

Once your water is boiling, toss the vegetables in and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain the water (or save it for a vegetable broth) and return the vegetables to the pan. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well.

Serve with sprinkled cheese on top. Choose a cheese that will suit the rest of the meal. If you can’t decide, go with goat cheese.

Variations

Depending on what you’re serving these vegetables with you can (and should) add fresh or dried herbs to taste. Place them in the dressing along with the water. Sage, basil, oregano, dill, and rosemary would all work well in this dish.

Texas Coast, Day II and Day III

Jul 14th, 2009
by Jim Reverend.
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Day II

Harbor Bridge

Harbor Bridge

I woke up early, showered, then went out to meet a friend I haven’t seen on a few years for a cup of coffee. Then I had a little time at the hotel followed by a late breakfast at Kerbie Lane which was quite good.

Then we left Austin headed for Rockport. We made a few stops on the way, then checked into the hotel and bummed around for a bit before going to the boiling pot for dinner. After dinner we drove to the harbor bridge for some photographs and were lucky to see the Barnum and Bailey train full of animals on the tracks.

It’s strange, and sort of sad, to see the animals outside of their element. When they are in the circus and you’re watching the act, it’s a performance. It’s not reality and it’s not meant to be seen that way. But seeing train car after train car filled with elephants, their trunks moving up and down in front of the steel caged windows made me consider their life outside of performance. I can’t say they aren’t happy. It’s obvious their life is different than it would be roaming free. But that doesn’t mean their unhappy. It’s just strange to think in those terms.

After photos, we called it a night.

Day III

my pounding chest

my pounding chest

The day began just a little too late to catch the sunrise. But Justin and I went out for some early morning photos anyway. I forgot how bad the humid air here can be on a cold camera lens and I ended up being unable to get any photographs that morning as I waited for all of the lens elements to defog. Lesson learned: leave the camera in the car overnight.

Justin and I had a damn good breakfast on the harbor and picked up something for Bonnie on the way back. Then we bummed around the hotel some more and eventually ended up heading for Mustang Island. We stopped and had some good sushi in Corpus Christi and also picked up a hat so the sun wouldn’t get to us. I had brought one but couldn’t find it and thought I had forgotten it and then later found it. Ha.

I had a fantastic time on Mustang Island. So beautiful. For me, being surrounded in nature or surrounded in love are the two ways one can be physically the closest to God. Really, I’d argue that those are one and the same.

It’s so amazing to stand on the soft, sandy ocean bottom as wave after wave crashes into your chest. Fall back and kick your feet until your back hits the ground and just wait for another wave to pass. Jump through waves as they pass by you. Let waves carry you forward toward shore, then feel the return sweep you off your feet. These waves, these tides, are the pulse of the earth. Wading in them — feeling them push against you again and again — your pulses almost synchronize. There’s nothing quite like it to show you just how small yet important you are.

Despite travelling with friends, I was alone in that moment. I found myself wishing for close companionship. Someone who would feel how heavy the world is with me — side by side — and then playfully remind me of how light it is as well. Maybe a smile, a competitive splash, a kick in the legs, a long kiss, or a playful flash. Something to say “in this world, we are small. Yet in it all, this world, too, is small. And in that, we are all important. ”

Yeah. You can say all of that without speaking.

We stopped at a Mediterranean place for dinner which was quite good. Then we headed to take night photos of Fulton Mansion and then back to the hotel for much needed rest. I should have showered before bed. But, instead, I left the sweet, sticky, salt on my skin over night, so I would be reminded again in the morning.

Cleanse Progress

Aug 15th, 2008
by Jim Reverend.
4 comments

Body

I went 48 hours without solid food. Then I starting eating one meal a day testing both my food addiction and my potential food allergies. I had to stop the “toxin flush” portion of the cleanse because it made getting to work in the morning absolutely impossible since I needed to spend about 2 hours each morning within 2 minutes of a bathroom. Not fun.

The toxin flush, though shorter than intended, was not without benefit. I feel refreshed, I have a better understanding of what goes in and out of my body, and I am most certainly cleaner. Furthermore, I highly recommend it.

The rest of the body cleanse involves making mental changes to produce a cleaner, healthier body. I’ve started strength training regularly. I’m practicing Yoga with intent. I’ve added more aerobic exercise to every day. My arms, and thighs, and abs haven’t been this sore in a very long time. I’m eating less calories and the calories that I do eat are even healthier than before. I’ve also given myself some outs so that it doesn’t feel like such a social shock to make myself better.

You don’t really realize how out of shape you are (weight aside) until you try to perform sustained exercise. (For instance: try holding your back straight and supporting yourself by your forearms and toes only — like a push up, but without moving — for 30-60 seconds without a break.) I had always assumed that all the walking and hiking I did was enough. It’s a good start, sure. But it’s not enough.

# I look good today. And I feel good too. Even if WiiFit did call me fat this morning. My body image is getting better. I know I’m overweight. I am doing something about it. I’m happy with my progress. I haven’t been able to say that in a long time.

And, yeah, # “I eat now“. This means that dinner invitations are both open and sought after once again. In fact, # last night’s dinner was awesome: Lemon pork tenderloin, quinoa, and a bean salad with lemon dressing.

Mind and Soul

Progress here has been slow and painful.

# I’ll make sense of this. Step by step, I’ll figure it out. One by one, I’ll cut off what needs to go and cherish what is left.

I’ve been spending a lot of time digging through my relationships. It’s not something anyone wants to do. In fact, most people don’t even like to talk about it because it just sounds cold and calculated. Maybe it is. Some people are able to just concentrate on the good and let the bad fall off the bottom. I don’t work like that. I have to clear the bad away and allow myself to stop worrying about it before I can free myself up to even see the good. So that means going through every relationship that causes me any pain. First I try to decide if I’ve been taking something personally that really wasn’t. Then I consider if I would have acted the same way in a similar situation. Then, finally, I look at what benefit that relationship brings me.

In the end, I don’t even have to make a decision. It just makes itself. Just giving myself the time and necessity to think about it is enough.

I’ve started rearranging my life and taking ownership of my problems. For too long I’ve been counting on other people to do their part and pitch in and it just doesn’t work. So, I’m taking ownership of it all. I’m giving plenty of opportunity and lots of warning. Then I’m moving on even if they can’t keep up. I am responsible for me.

# I’m an advocate of happiness, meaningful connections, and intimacy. There’s little to no reason to have anything else. And the improved, cleaner me will strive for that. I’ve managed to release myself from one very difficult unrewarding relationship and several other smaller ones. I feel lighter. I feel less frustrated. I’ve been able to sit and enjoy time with my wife and daughter without worrying about a hundred other little things.

mind over matter

Aug 8th, 2008
by Jim Reverend.
3 comments

Right now I’m starving. However, I know that I’m not hungry. I’ve gone much longer than this without food before without even starting to feel hungry. But I’m restless. And my body equates that with hunger and it shouldn’t. That’s only one of the many reasons for this cleanse.

The “body” portion is basically a very limited juice fast. It not meant for weight loss, though certainly some will occur. The intent is toxin cleansing. On the surface it looks like it cleanses only the body. But I selected it also because I realized what it would do for my mind as well: Clearing mental toxins.

Each 10oz drink is 108 calories. I did the math. It tastes good. Very good, actually. Better than expected. The liquid of it keeps my stomach full. On top of that the vitamins and nutrients it provides are fairly complete. I wouldn’t attempt to live off of the stuff but, I’ve certainly eaten less healthy meals for weeks at a time. It’s really easy to make. It’s not at all expensive or complicated. With all of this in place, I can be certain that I’m not starving or malnourished in anyway, that it’s not too difficult to keep up with, or costing me a fortune. Basically, at least in the short term, I can be sure that everything is cared for.

It’s a mind game. By proving to my own mind that my body is not hungry, my mind is forced to realize that the only thing crying for food is itself. That part of the mind needs quieting. Even if it wasn’t making me fat, unambitious, and lethargic, the noise that it makes is a distraction I don’t need.

I had to play the same trick with myself when I quit smoking. That’s what gave me the idea in the first place.

With each swallow and each breath I seek clarity.

you’re invited to dinner!

Aug 4th, 2008
by Jim Reverend.
5 comments

I’m tired of eating out. I’m nearly forced to do so when I travel for work. But at home, I do have options, yet I eat out a lot more than I should. Most of the time, when I eat out, it’s because I’m in a hurry, or because I’m meeting people for dinner.

So, my goal is to stop eating out. I can’t say never, of course. So instead, I’ll say no more than once a week which I will, hopefully, upgrade to no more than once every two weeks once I get going.

Instead of eating out, I’ll be eating at home: my home, your home, a strangers home, a mutual friends home. It doesn’t really matter where, as long as it’s at someone’s home.

You have an open invitation for dinner at my house every single night. Depending on the day, dinner will be served sometime between 6pm and 9pm. You need not bring anything. All food and drink will be provided. The only stipulation is that you must make reservations at least 24 hours in advance so that I can be sure I have enough food and so that I can tell you that we already have other plans.

What other plans could I possibly have, you might ask, since I’m not eating out any more. Good question. If I’m not eating at my home, then I may have been invited to eat in the home of someone else. Oh yes! I’m that rude guy who’s actually asking you to invite me over for dinner. The same basic set of guidelines as above should apply. You’ll need to have food on the table and ready for consumption at some point between 6pm and 9pm. Otherwise, making it to work the next day is impossible. Additionally, if you’re going to ask, you should do so at least 24 hours in advance. Otherwise, I may already have plans.

In case you needed more motivation other than free food and/or my presense at your meals, here are some reasons why eating out makes no sense for me (and maybe not for you either):

  1. Time is precious. Wasting 15-60 minutes getting to a restaurant, 5-45 minutes waiting to be seated, and then another 15-60 minutes to get back home isn’t doing me much good.
  2. And if I’m in a hurry to eat, in most cases, I could have preplanned a snack or quickly picked up a snack from a store. This is healthier, cheaper, and, in many cases, faster. And, if I pick up the right food, I can eat it on the way to whatever I’m rushing to do.
  3. Meeting people at a restaurant rarely leads to good conversation. Popular places are often crowded, seating can be tight, and long tables are only conducive to conversations at at each end. Further more, despite the fact that restaurants want you to drive to them, and then wait for them to be ready to seat you, once you’re done eating, unless you’re buying round after round of expensive drink, they’d usually prefer you to leave, and often do things to indicate this, like not keeping drinks full, or taking the snacky food off the table.
  4. Restaurants serve too much food. Having my portion decided for me is usually a bad idea. I’m reluctant to let any food go to waste so I feel obliged to eat everything in front of me.
  5. It’s usually not healthy food. Restaurants that serve healthy food are generally farther away, harder to get to, more crowded, and much more expensive.
  6. Finally, it’s expensive. Sure, some meals at some places are cheaper than you could make them at home for. But this is often because they are using sub-par ingredients and you are cooking for too small of a group to make it worth while.

So, if you’d like to come over for dinner, let me know. And, if you’d like to make a similar open invitation (in private, or in public like this one) please do so.

Bon Appetit!