Autumn walk and spicy black bean soup now with Pumpkin!

Pureed pumpkin Photo by: Melissa Bernais

I know that may people who have lived on the east coast, bemoan and sigh at the lack of autumn in California. I, as a native, love driving down to Piedmont Ave and looking at all the red and yellow leaves fall over the ground. But more than that I love, love, love the smell of wet pavement and the way the air changes to be crisp and chilly but not too cold. My housemate and I walked around the lake, at the perfect time, just after dark and the sky was a really pretty purpley blue. Then we went to Trader Joe's so I could get some canned pumpkin to make one of my favorite soups. I also bought a bag of pears! (The last time I made it I adjusted the recipe and tonight I couldn't remember what I did. Lesson learned I am writing it down this time.)

Yay for cooking food that is healthy and yummy and warm. I am looking forward to bringing this to work next week!

Black Bean Soup now with Pumpkin

1 tsp of olive oil in a quart sized sauce pan, bring to medium high heat.
Saute:
3-4 garlic cloves
1/2 of a red onion diced
3 or 4 mushrooms cubed
1/2 a yellow bell pepper

Add to that and bring to a boil:
1 can of regular chicken broth (I have realized that low sodium does not taste as good.)
1 can of black beans drained
A healthy handful of frozen corn that has been defrosted in the microwave.
1 jar of trader joes salsa authentica (I think I used 3/4 this time)
some canned tomatoes (I had them in my fridge, maybe 1/2 a small can)
1/2 to 3/4 can of pureed pumpkin
a bunch of cumin, (1 tbsp?)
a bunch of chili powder, (3 tsp?) of course this is to taste, depending on how spicy you want it.
touch of salt
touch of pepper

Serve with a dallop of fat free sour cream or plain yogurt.

I want to eat a second helping but I am so full.

Success usually comes to those who are too busy to look for it.

Happy Fall Gentle Readers,

It has been a long theatre filled couple of months.

Here are the highlights:
I was in tech for a month on American Idiot.
It opened!
I have teched 3 of 4 shows in 5 weeks.
Our show got a jumping man and I got a mention in the chronicle.
I had a birthday in the middle of the a few of the techs.
I have not had time to grocery store or cook and have been eating a lot of crap!

I have decided come hell or high water and a new nephew! On Nov.1st will be going to weight watchers, the grocery store and the gym and I will blog about it! I think I will start my own quest to blog every day.

Bring it on November! I have high expectations for you.

In need of tomatoes AND blueberries, S.

Working for a livin' and eating salad.

Whew. I know last post I said I needed to cook more when I am busy. Boy is that hard to do without spending the time to plan on one's day off. I've been working over at the rep loading in. I'm happy to say that we've been working really fast and efficiently, but man am I exhausted and hungry. I've been eating pretty well, but a lot of pre-made things. Not the worst thing in the world, but not the best either. Tomorrow, I am going to have a real hearty breakfast and a veggie burger with avocado and some soup for lunch.

I am craving my patented chicken and beet salad (this is a good side salad, too.) Two or three handfuls of spinach or spring mix. Add some sliced red onion, sliced cooked beets, a handful of goats cheese, whatever fruit I have on hand (apples, pears, and of course blueberries) and a sprinkling of walnuts. I add warm Pan fried chicken breast with oregano or basil, and a little bit of honey and balsamic vinegar added at the very last minute. Then I make my own salad dressing with some olive oil, balsamic, pepper and oregano or basil.

Yum YUM! It is easy and the perfect lunch to look forward to while I'm at work. I don't know if any of you sometimes feel like I do, where the only thing that gets you through the morning is the thought of a delicious lunch and on those special days dinner too.

Some night this week, I'll have enough time to actually make it. I think I have all the ingredients except for the chicken. Tomorrow I'm going to see August Osage County, after work, so I'm gonna have to have two meal away from home.

If you see me this week, remind me that I really need to prepare for tech. This one is going to be a long one and I am not going to want to do anything on my day's off but sleep.

Tomatoes and Blueberries

If my cupboards are bare and my fridge has only condiments, I probably still have tomatoes and blueberries. I love them in salad, apart or together, on sandwiches, in cereal or yogurt, raw or cooked. My favorite fruits.

Blueberries. Many other fruits have the versatility of the blueberry, perfect for a pie, cake but few have the durability and portability of the blueberry. I've taken blueberries all over the place in a plastic container in my pear covered lunch bag. They never get mushed by each other as raspberries or strawberries often do. And what other fruit is actually blue? or at least deep purple? Who could resist blueberries on pancakes or french toast. Yum. I bet most people share my affinity for blueberries, but tomatoes? They are such a controversial food. My own dear sister, had a period where she refused tomato sauce on pizza and drove my mother crazy having her alter her recipes so that they didn't have tomatoes on or in them. I think I love them more than most people.

I had a lovely meal over at my friend (and neighbor really) Claire's a while ago. I looked at what she had in her fridge and we decided to make a yummy southwestern salad. I was surprised that she didn't have any tomatoes and even more so when she asked me at the store to pick them out because she didn't know what to look for. It got me thinking...Doesn't everyone eat tomatoes on salad and every sandwich they make? I guess that I could probably eat all the lovely red and yellow cherry tomatoes that grow on my mother's 8 tomato plants is probably an indication of how much I love them. I had tomatoes on my sandwich and am dreaming of the juicy heirloom tomatoes at the Grand Lake farmer's market. I missed the Farmer's market today due to work, watching, I mean running the lights at the Jewish Film Festival. Come to think of it the farm that sells the most sweet deliciously delicate blueberries are in season right now. I've missed them too. What will I do? Wait another week?! well okay. (Thankfully I have a short supply of both from Safeway to tide me over.) So concludes part 1 of my multipart series on why I love tomatoes and blueberries. (Joking, gentle reader, joking!)

I just finished reading Michael Pollan's great piece about the commercialism of food and cooking, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html?em
It got me thinking. I used to cook all the time, I used to eat predominantly fruits and vegetables, which I do believe is Mr. Pollan's thesis. .After an extremely productive and positive year of changing my eating and cooking most of my meals, (thanks to weight watchers, realizing how expensive it is to eat out all the time and exercise), I lost a considerable amount of weight. Forty pounds to be exact. And then the great plateau began. I lost my motivation. I lost my drive to cook, to eat heathy, to exercise. I didn't forget the extent of my learning, I just got lazy. I was tired of being trapped eating what is healthy and not eating what I wanted (which is of course how I started gaining the weight in the first place.) I took a break. It is perfectly reasonable and rational.

Two months and I am done with my vacation. I love to eat and a love to cook. I love to eat with others. I need to learn how to manage eating healthfully when I am busy at work. I have a semi busy time before I embark on working on the biggest show I've ever worked on. I'm going to be busy busy busy, but gentle reader, I promise to you that I will eat healthfully and I will write about it in this lovely forum. I've been enjoying all this micro blogging I have been doing on facebook, and I am ready to start, yet another blog. I'm excited about this one. I am always looking for new recipes and stories, feel free to leave them in the comments!