What do you eat when you don't feel like cooking?

You probably thought I'd tell you to run out to Burger King or what ever the nearest fast food place is. Actually, I am very lucky to have myself covered in those down-days emergencies. I can eat well and somewhat adventurously. My food is healthy and, believe it or not, delicious. And to top all that off, very, very easy.

How do I do that? Let me admit first that I keep my cupboard fairly well stocked. I have the basics: sliced whole grain bread and slices of cheese. My extras were foods were sliced button mushrooms and a stack of apples.

And my trusty toaster oven. I love it.

For my supper the first night I placed a slice of cheese on whole grain bread. During the summer when tomatoes are the gift of the gods, I place a slice of vine ripened tomato on top of the cheese. But what was I to do now that it's late fall?

Of course, nowadays there are apples galore. I had gala and cut off pieces to place on the cheese. Put that in my toaster oven and baked for a while. When the cheese was melted, the bread toasty, and the apples softened, I served it with a glass of milk on the side. You can drink whatever seems right to you: beer, wine, water (but not soda; remember we're healthy).

The next night, I covered the cheese with the sliced button mushrooms. You can sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on the mushrooms and cook until the cheese is melted and the mushrooms softening, adding the drink of your choice. 

Be willing to try new toppings. Raid your cabinets and shelves to find a topping that will bring out the best in that melted cheese. But don't work too hard. This has to be easy. 

A simple recipe is below:
Melted Cheese on Whole Grain Bread with Topping of Your Choice
1 or 2 slices of whole grain bread
Cheese slices, 1 to 2 per piece of bread (Your favorite reduced fat cheese; I often use cheddar.)
Topping
Available fruits or vegetables such as apple, mushrooms, pineapple, canned fruits, layers of spinach, and on and on. Experiment! Have fun.
Directions
Place bread slices on the toaster oven tray that has been covered with aluminum foil. Place slices of cheese on the bread, according to your appetite. Cover with the topping of your choice. Heat until cheese is melted, the bread is toasty, and the topping is softened.
Serves 1-2

Finding Peace in Our Frantic Lives

In the past few days, maybe even weeks, scraps of paper have landed on every level surface in my home. They're my tasks, things that need to be done as I work on setting up this blog with a new host (Let me know how your like it.) and on getting word out about the just-published book, Even You Can Be Healthy! Frankly I wasn't paying attention to my own health.

I tried to eat a balanced diet with mostly vegetables and fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans, low-fat dairy, and lean meats. No sodas. (I've never kept sodas in my house. Too much sugar.) And I go to the gym three mornings a week for about an hour of not-too-vigorous exercise. 

Sounds like a healthy life, doesn't it?

Wrong. I was allowing myself to get frantic with so many unfinished tasks. Finally, I reminded myself of the remedy that was there all the time. Meditation. Quiet time. Silence. I just had to take the time and do it!

I began to sit for 10 to 20 minutes in a quiet place, sometimes inside, sometimes outside. When I was quiet, I could listen to the sounds all around: the air conditioner humming, the birds chattering, lawn mowers roaring, the refrigerator cycling on and off. And when I heard those sounds, I didn't hear the nagging in my head, the urge to add to the lists on the scraps of paper. 

And since I was calm, my dear cat Elizabeth, climbed in my lap and went to sleep. Now that's calm.