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May 17

Burgers & Beer: The Buddha Burger

Delicious blend of Middle Eastern flavors atop a roasted cabbage foundation.

A Masterpiece Almost Too Beautiful To Eat

Veggie burgers are often thought of as discs of fake meat or pressed vegetables designed to resemble a hamburger. If you’ve been following my Burgers & Beer series, that just ain’t so! Most meat eaters are exposed to vegetarian burgers at restaurants that cater to a meat eating crowd. The veggie burger on the menu is an afterthought to satisfy the occasional veg head that arrives with their carnivore pals.

This burger was inspired by a blog I stumbled upon called Vegan Richa.com. Wonderful recipes and photographs. She takes vegetarian food and turns it into 5 star restaurant fare.

I put a few twists on the recipe and eliminated the bread. I love buns but I wanted to appreciate the full flavor of this burger without the distraction.

I served this gorgeous, easy to make burger on top of roasted cabbage. Recipe here. This time I used purple cabbage. You can follow the same recipe but reduce your roasting time by 5 minutes or so unless you like the edges really crispy (I do!).

Buddha Burger-0003

Garnished with a roasted cabbage flower topped with a Chipotle Vegenaise

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Apr 26

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★ Tangled- Parents as First Responders

Sticks and stones have been replaced with clicks and phones.

shutterstock_113919517 Parent InvolvementWelcome back to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! (Previous posts in series here). In this final post of the series, I’ll address our parental role as crisis counselor.

Concerned about child abductions, cyber bullying, gangs, and mind altering substances– today parents are concerned. Rightly so.

The playground has gotten bigger….and it’s all inclusive. The internet is a web that entices and captures. The lure of social media satisfies two human needs: curiosity and belonging. Kids still want the very same thing we wanted on the jungle gym. A bar to grab and a place to hang.

The goals haven’t changed only the methods to achieve them.

Awareness can be the ticket to despair.  Social media can be the glue that binds or a pie in the face.  A relentless slideshow of images, tweets and videos viewed by many as evidence of the green grass elsewhere.

Parents are first responders. Like soldiers in foreign lands, we don’t always know who the enemy is or when the next drama bomb will go off.

All parents need to learn CPR:  Care. Protect. Respond.  Here’s some tips to help comfort and guide your children during crisis.

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Apr 12

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★ Tangled- Parents as Coaches

You may be on the sidelines watching them but they are always on the sidelines watching you.

shutterstock_113919517 Parent InvolvementWelcome back to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! (Previous posts in series here). A tricky and often messy subject worthy of controversy. In this series, I’ll try and untangle the common parenting dilemmas related to our roles as disciplinarians, mediators, teachers, coaches and therapists.

And we think the biggest battle in America is between political parties? Well then you haven’t been to a kids soccer game recently!

Open up your collapsable chair at your own risk. And pack a concealed weapon. Duct tape. Read more

Mar 27

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★ Tangled- Parents as Disciplinarians

Discipline should be synonymous with teaching not punishment.

shutterstock_113919517 Parent InvolvementWelcome back to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! (Previous posts in series here). A tricky and often messy subject worthy of controversy. In this series, I’ll try and untangle the common parenting dilemmas related to our roles as disciplinarians, mediators, teachers, coaches and therapists.

I’d like to start this discussion on common ground. It’s far too easy to jump right into the ring and debate parenting techniques, punishments, or how young is too young to leave a child home alone. The list of parenting dilemmas keeps growing as our technological universe expands.

I believe we can, we must, create a home base on stable ground from which we can tweak, turn and twist our methods to adapt to children who spend more time on Facebook and YouTube than they do building forts in the basement. Or playing outside with friends they can actually see.

Regardless of your beliefs about discipline, there are 5 fundamental needs of children that must be met to have a stable home. Read more

Mar 21

“Ladles”- Drifter’s Chili

If there was a Chili's Anonymous, I'd be a lifelong member!

Shutterstock Ladle-Welcome to “Ladles”, an ongoing series of healthy soups, stewps and gumbos!

Given the fact I can’t draw any better than a first grader (if that), the only way I can relate to an artist staring at a bare canvas is when I stare into my pantry ready to create a new homemade chili!

I’ve been accused of having tunnel vision when I run, well… if they only could see me in the kitchen building my chili! Like a witch over her cauldron, I won’t let anybody near, let alone taste, my special potion until it has simmered and the flavors have matured over a low flame.

(My resume includes First Place Winner of the best chili of Boy Scout Troop 222! How many years ago?…..not sayin’):)

Drifter’s Chili

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Mar 8

★ Tangled- Parents as Mediators

Mediation is the invaluable skill of positive manipulation.

shutterstock_113919517 Parent InvolvementWelcome back to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! (Part I here). A tricky and often messy subject worthy of controversy. In this series, I’ll try and untangle the common parenting dilemmas related to our roles as disciplinarians, mediators, teachers, coaches and therapists.

Kids in conflict. It starts on the playground and doesn’t end until senior prom. Or does it end? In the grips of social media today, sometimes I wake up in a time warp back in middle school. Middle age drama isn’t so different. (Didn’t we mature?!)

Now more than ever, parents need to be great mediators! Sure, there are times to be dictator (stay tuned for Parents as Disciplinarians) but mediating can be the most effective way to prepare your children for the real world. Let’s take a close-up look.

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Feb 12

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★ Tangled- Parents as Teachers

Teach your kids how to fly before you set them free.

shutterstock_113919517 Parent InvolvementWelcome to my 5 part series on Parent Involvement called Tangled! A tricky and often messy subject worthy of controversy. In this series, I’ll try and untangle the common parenting dilemmas related to our roles as disciplinarians, mediators, teachers, coaches and therapists.

How much you should help your 1st grader on their homework? How should you intervene if you daughter is picked on by other girls? Or should you?

What if your child constantly complains about their teacher? What if your child athlete isn’t maximizing his potential on the playing field?

Should your home be a dictatorship or a democracy?  Do you want your child’s friends to hang out at your house?

You may want to shake or hug me, and that may shift depending on which post in the series you’re reading. With no parenting manual exiting the womb with a crying newborn, we might as well learn from parents whose children are blowing their own bubbles out in the real world.

These parents, like me, now sit back with excitement and trepidation. We watch their bubbles soar up into the blue, praying and hoping not too many pop in their face. We privately yearn for repeated validation that we did our number one job well. Read more

Jan 28

My Thai

Thai food is one of my favorite Asian cuisines and much healthier when made at home.

Thai Peanut Bowl

Thai Peanut Bowl-0016

The advantage of cooking Thai food at home is that you can control the amount of oil and sodium. Americans make the mistake of assuming that eating out at Asian restaurants is healthy. Quite the contrary! You should consider these dinners a splurge unless, of course, you order steamed vegetables and a dipping sauce on the side. THAT is the only way to insure you are eating a reasonable amount of calories with low fat content.

Remember, you aren’t in China, Japan, Vietnam or Thailand– you’re in America where Asian restaurants have “Americanized” the menu. That means huge portions, too much oil, and mega sodium!  Read more

Jan 15

The Evolving Swimmer: Total Immersion

Total Immersion swimming has its place in the pool.

Welcome to Part VI of “The Evolving Swimmer” series. Missed Part I ~ V? Click here.

To conclude this series, I’ll introduce you to a method of swimming known as Total Immersion. Developed and promoted by Terry Laughlin, this unique approach can help evolving swimmers and triathletes become more comfortable in the water and swim with less effort.

If you’re out of breath every time you swim or you’re a “sinker,” this method is for you. There are pros and cons, some of which I’ll mention, but overall Laughlin’s swim methods will help you become more balanced and at ease in the water.

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Jan 13

“Ladles”- Sweet Potato and Cabbage Soup

Hit the jackpot on a winter's night with one of my absolute favorite soups EVER!

Shutterstock Ladle-Welcome to “Ladles”, an ongoing series of healthy soups, stewps and gumbos!

A year ago my son gave me the Moosewood Restaurant cookbook, Simple Suppers, for Christmas. This recipe originated from this cookbook with a few tweaks and additions.

I urge you to try it even if you aren’t a huge fan of sweet potatoes or cabbage. This Indonesian flavored soup is savory (garlic and ginger root!), slightly spicy (cayenne!), bizarre (peanut butter!) and creamy (there’s NO cream!). Serve as a fancy shmancy fine dining course OR at halftime of the Super Bowl to sober up the crowd. Your guests will think they’re dreamin’!

Don’t be ashamed to lick your spoon- I did!

Sweet Potato and Cabbage Soup

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