The Accidental Sweet Life with Extra Salt

Well it has been quite some time since I wrote on this blog. Graduate school took almost all my writing priority this semester. As did the fact that my toddler no longer naps. I felt guilty indulging in a little free writing time when I have a family and other responsibilities that needed my already stretched thin attention span. Well it is December which means this semester is over and time to move on. In the meantime, I have cooked a ton, but I guess I will just start at where I am right now.

I learned a lot this semester. Something shifted inside me and I attribute it to increased knowledge and a realization in how important it is to care for others, not just to say it. I am grateful for the colleagues in my classes who shed light on issues that really touched my spirit and compelled me to integrate what I have learned into my life no matter how subtle. Here is a recap, it’s choppy, but I hope you can understand it.

This semester, I learned that bullying is wrong on a physical, emotional and spiritual level and I hope that God blesses those who are poor in spirit. Thanks Lindsey

I learned that there is a huge problem with our toxic environment…what we eat, what we use to clean our homes, and what we see and hear that deters us away from that reality. Thanks Liana

I learned that although we as health scholars are up against some pretty tough health issues, we can stay positive and find solutions with a fun factor. Thanks Micki

I learned that we all work together and teach each other. Thanks Chidi 

I learned that it’s ok to talk to a classmate for 2 hours instead of typing up a lit review just because I needed a break. Thanks Sara

I learned that we really have it good because our health does provide agency to aspire to do what we want to do. Thanks Daniel and Karen G. 

I learned that it is courageous to point out the obvious. Thanks Margarita 

I learned that I am not the only one who believes in the “thrifty gene theory” and anthropological history to the obesity epidemic. Thanks Andrea

I learned to look at health issues through different lenses and how to approach them systematically, but I am still learning…Thanks Dr. Avila and Dr. Perry and OLA middle schoolers 

Most importantly, I learned that I have a supportive family who respect that I truly believe in making a better place through my language of love…food. Thanks Fil, Devin, and Sam 

During my last week of school, I skipped some meals (not on purpose, well kind of. I chose to do homework instead) and lost some sleep. On the night before my last class, while scrambling to finish my literature review about the what researchers, popular culture and biotechnology do to impair solutions to the overconsumption epidemic causing our population to gain weight, I craved the sweetest most chocolatey thing I could get my hands on. Oh the irony! I made hot chocolate…Not hot cocoa. 

Yes, there is a difference. Hot chocolate? So what? This was a big deal because it was through an accident that I made the best hot chocolate that I ever had. Maybe it was because I hadn’t had something sweet in a while, but it put Starbucks to shame. Here is how it goes. I scrambled to my kitchen desperately looking for the cocoa powder because I knew we ran out of those premade packets of Nestle. I remembered that I left all my baking stuff at my sister in law’s house. Dammit! Frantic, I shoved stuff around the cabinet when I saw…Bingo! A few Trader Joes bittersweet chocolate disks. It was only an ounce, so I hoped it would work. 

I warmed up a little skim milk and poured it over the disks and mixed it around. I was supposed to add just a pinch of salt, but too lazy, I poured it from the box and it was more like half a teaspoon. SHIT!!! My chocolate was ruined. I tasted it and made the ick face. I added some sugar and got an idea…I told myself, screw the low fat skim milk and poured about 4 fluid ounces of half and half in a cup and warmed it up. I also found a little bit of caramel sauce in the fridge. You guessed it, chocolate + salt + caramel and cream = salted caramel hot chocolate. I combined the cream and caramel with the chocolate milk mixture, whisked it and topped it with a lot of whipped cream. Typing up my lit review was a whole lot sweeter. 

Recipe 

6 or ¾ cup fluid oz of a mixture of milk and cream 

1-2 oz about ¼ cup of bittersweet chocolate (I am going to try bitter and milk chocolate next time) 1-2 tsp sugar 1-2 tablespoons of caramel sauce

½ tsp-1 tsp salt. You can even get fancy here and use fleur de sel

A few drops of vanilla 

See above for method…Add the vanilla last. Instead of a photo of the hot chocolate, I have a collage of my accidental sweet family. I drank the chocolate of course! I will post photo soon.

Greatness

I have had some great successes.  I am the mother of a middle schooler.  I received permission to start a small school garden outside the school greenhouse.  I have made it two years with two kids.  I know to some, that is not a lot of kids, but it is to me so save it.  To celebrate, I had a modest birthday party for my baby.  We had some excellent batter fried shrimp and flat iron steak, salad, potatoes and cookie monster confetti cake.  On the downside, my oldest had to go to urgent care due to some major back up in the gut.  He eats very healthy, but kids and water intake sometimes don’t mix because after school is out, they want to play in the sun and heat. You know, swimming, running, riding bikes.  They are so busy that water is the last thing on their mind.  As much as we tell my oldest to drink water, he still forgets to tell himself.

 I admit, I get a little lazy and I don’t have fresh cold water to gulp down on a hot summer day.  I don’t know why.  I really enjoy it, especially if I have a lot of cucumbers on hand to slice up and put inside that icy pitcher.  Typically, I like to hold on to my cukes for salads and snacking, but water is just as important.  I am waiting patiently until I have a surplus of cucumbers growing in the yard so I can plop some slices into an ice cold pitcher of water.  Cucumbers are not cheap.   This is really sad that I have to save my cucumbers and I know many forgo even buying cucumbers or other fruits and vegetables because of the price.  Honestly, growing veggies is the cheapest way.  I can get a packet of seeds and end up with a hundred cucumbers or other vegetables. 

I think that so many people lose hope and just try to survive and at least try to accomplish some things in life.  It is easy to just settle for good enough rather than strive for greatness.  I have learned to not try so hard to figure out what greatness is, but to do things that make me feel great, not just good.  Starting a school garden makes me feel great not only because the students and staff can really use this garden for school projects and curriculum development, but also because gardening is very therapeutic.   I don’t know if gardening is the answer for everyone, but I know that everyone I know who takes care of something, even if it is a plant or a poem have nothing but pride to show for it because whatever it is, it is your language of love.

Here is some love language to share that is good for children and good for you.  Put your feet up and drink something pure.

Fruit and Veggie Water Ideas

First fill a pitcher with ice cubes and water then add the following or a mixture of any combination

Cucumber slices

Watermelon chunks

Melon chunks

Halved grapes

Halved cherries

Sliced strawberries

Whole blueberries

Whole black berries

Bell peppers??

Any citrus zests or slices

Mint leaves

Rosemary sprigs

Basil leaves