Friday Funny, But a Day Late...

Lao-Tzu: The First Libertarian?

More late night reading reveals more truths. Lao-Tzu wrote these words approximately 2,500 years ago. 

Come on, people - is this concept really that difficult for a "modern" man to understand?
We've seen history repeat itself, over and over, proving the statement above to be true.

I'm angry that Washington is attempting to control my personal behavior by force of law.

I'm unhappy that the people I chose to help govern this land have turned our political system into a shambles and a mockery with partisan fighting.

"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche?" 

No, President Obama. I won't eat the cake. Didn't you get the concept of this blog? 

I don't eat cake anymore - and not your cake in particular.

20 Minute Skillet Salmon

 I found this recipe the other day on Foodnetwork.com's website as I was looking for an alternate way to prepare salmon. I always bake it in my convection oven with a drizzle of flavored olive oil. I tried this method ( on the stovetop ) and it worked really well. I didn't have any hoisin in the house when I prepared this, but I did have Korean BBQ sauce - and as a substitute, it tasted great. Now, before you get all alarmed, I'm well aware that hoisin and Korean BBQ aren't Clean. Like most Asian sauces, they are either heavily salty or heavily sugary. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons versus 4 cups of broccoli and over a pound of salmon - it's just an accent flavor. It's not swimming in unhealthy sauce.

The recipe is good for 2 things - presenting an alternate method to preparing salmon, and introducing non-Clean Eaters ( like your family ) to healthier dinners. My husband and son are now MUCH more comfortable eating healthier on a regular basis because I slowly but surely introduced recipes like this one into my cooking repertoire. 

You can get your family to eat Cleaner, too...it's just a matter of finding flavorful recipes that they like and are a snap to prepare, too.

20 Minute Skillet Salmon

Ingredients

• One 15.5-ounce can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 cups medium broccoli florets (about 8 ounces)
• Four 5-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro, optional
• Kosher salt

Directions

Combine the beans, 3/4 cup water, hoisin sauce, red pepper flakes and garlic in a large skillet. Top with the broccoli, nestle in the salmon and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, cover the skillet and cook until the salmon is flaky and just cooked through and the broccoli is crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with cilantro if using. Add salt to taste and serve.




Thanks, Food Network!

Media Quiet About San Antonio Theater Shooting / Rescue

Clean Eating and 2nd Amendment advocacy...who woulda thunk it? Since my post on gun control was my most viewed post for the past 6 months ( Google image hits on CE items not withstanding... ) I thought I'd share with you something that was sent to me by a friend. I was flabbergasted on this; I heard nothing about this heroic police woman.  I investigated the story and easily found the source story and the sequence of events.

Note: I've edited the original email I received which had several factual errors in it, and reworded it a bit. I also copied some of the news text from Snopes. You can see the original email at the Snopes link below. 

On Sunday December 16, 2012, 2 days after the Connecticut school shooting, a 19-year-old man named Jesus Manuel Garcia went to a restaurant in San Antonio Texas to kill his ex-girlfriend. After brandishing a gun in the restaurant, he chased multiple restaurant employees into a nearby theater. As Garcia was running through the parking lot, he shot the windshield of a San Antonio Police patrol car after an officer in the car shined a spotlight on him. The officer was not injured.

Garcia then ran inside the movie theater, where he continued his search for the restaurant employees. Movie-goers in the lobby, bathroom, and some theaters reported hearing multiple gunshots. The gunshots caused people inside the theater to panic.

"Everybody was just coming out of the side of the theater, running out the emergency exits. And everyone was screaming and running," a woman who was at the theater said.

Authorities said one person was shot by Garcia.

Garcia was finally stopped by an off-duty Bexar County Sheriff's Department officer who was working security at the theater. Officials said the officer, Sgt. Lisa Castellano, heard the gunfire inside the theater and ran towards the sound of the shooting to find out what was going on. Sgt. Castellano spotted Garcia coming out of a bathroom with his gun drawn and fired at him, shooting him four times.

Now aren’t you wondering why this isn’t a lead story in the national media along with the school shooting?

There was an off duty county deputy at the theater. SHE pulled out her gun and shot the man 4 times before he had a chance to kill anyone. So since this story makes the point that the best thing to stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun, the media is treating it like it never happened.

Only the local media covered it.

On December 19, 2012 the city of San Antonio gave Sgt. Lisa Castellano a Medal of Honor for her bravery and quick thinking for stopping a dangerous man.

Sgt. Lisa Cuello Castellano was met with a standing ovation.

Bexar County Sheriff Amadeo Ortiz presented the 13-year veteran with the Medal of Valor for taking down a gunman inside a south-side movie theater.

According to police and deputies at the scene, 19-year-old Jesus Garcia ran into the Santikos Mayan Palace after firing several shots inside a nearby restaurant [and] in the parking lot.

Castellano, who was off duty, yelled for people inside the theater to get down on the ground. When Garcia came out of the restroom, Castellano ordered him to drop his weapon. When he refused, she shot him multiple times.

"I'm not going to lie; it was frightening," she said. "But, you know, the training kicks in. And thank you to the sheriff's office for all of the training that we're given."

Why didn't we hear anything about this act of valor? Snopes is on point with their assessment...I'm going to reprint it verbatim. I personally disagree that the armed guard's actions saving people are speculative. She CLEARLY saved many lives with her actions. I especially like that last line..."Reporters don't report buildings that don't burn."

In general, the San Antonio theater shooting received little coverage outside of local news media, primarily because it didn't include any of the factors that typically propel such stories from local to national news: it was not an especially horrific crime (or part of a larger crime), it did not involve any deaths or the wounding of large numbers of people, and it featured no prominent persons: it was a shooting incident in which a single person was injured. The possibility that an armed guard may have prevented additional casualties by shooting the gunman might have made the incident more newsworthy than usual, but that aspect of the story was speculative, and as others have observed , the news media tend to highlight negative events rather than positive ones: "reporters don't report buildings that don't burn."

 

The NRA has it right, "A good guy with a good weapon can be a solution." Think about the story for a moment, and imagine what would have happened if Sgt Castellano hadn't been at the theater. What if there had been nobody armed ( police, civilian, or otherwise ) on the scene to stop the shooter? Now just imagine this news story if the person who stopped the bad guy had been an armed civilian. A random theater goer, who just so happened to be carrying their concealed weapon. Would the media have covered it then?

Just thought you'd like to know.

 Snopes.com : San Antonion Shooting; Media Quiet

2 Wounded in San Antonio Restaurant Shooting

And this is as close to national attention as this story received: CBSnews.com - Shots fired at San Antonio theater

Food Is Fuel, Not Your Therapist

Off Topic, But Important: Gun Control = Education

The recent uproar over gun control to "curb violence" has me increasingly frustrated.

Guns are a tool. Any tool in the hands of someone with intent has the potential to hurt.

*Hundreds of stab wounds occur each day in the US. Is there a call to ban knives?

*Obesity kills hundreds of thousands each year; not just from heart attacks or strokes, but also from the proven link that the obese have MUCH higher cancer rates than those who are fit.  Is there a call to ban forks?

*Drunk driving killed over 11,000 people in the US in 2010. What is the chief cause of drunk driving ( if you really boil it down to the essential "heart of the matter" )? Operator error. An impaired person used the tool in an inappropriate manner. Is there a call to ban cars?

The answer is not gun control. The answer is better education.  The answer is keeping guns out of the hands of felons and those who aren't of sound mind.

The drunk driving lobby has done an EXCELLENT job educating people in the past 20 years about drunk driving.

What do you do if a guest at your party has too much? You take their keys.

What do you do if you've had too much at a bar? You call a cab, or a friend.


What should you do if there is someone in your home who is mentally unbalanced and you have guns? You keep the guns inaccessible to them. You own a gun safe and you keep your firearms in it.

What should you do if you have guns and children in your home? Keep the gun inaccessible when not in use, and educate your children to treat guns with the respect they deserve. Impress upon them you are handling it because you have received the proper training and you are in control of the tool.



Gun control isn't about the government stepping in to regulate the whos, whats, and wheres of guns. Gun control is about people taking responsibility for their actions, and for the people in their lives. Gun control is about education and understanding that like all tools, guns can and will kill when used improperly or by the uneducated or mentally ill.

Think about it, before jumping on the "Ban guns" bandwagon. It's just a tool.

Pack Your Lunch!

1. Control. Do you ever wait in the lunch line only to find when you get to the front that you don’t like what they’re serving? So you reach for pizza again. A healthy packed lunch lets you avoid the lunch line (and any temptations). Bringing your own lunch also lets you control exactly what goes into the food you eat.

2. Variety. It doesn’t hurt to cave in and enjoy the occasional serving of pizza and hot dogs. But if you’re eating these foods all the time, your body probably feels ready for a change. A packed lunch a couple of times a week means you can enjoy some favorites that you might not find at every school — like a piping hot thermos of your mom’s chicken soup; hummus and pita bread; or some crisp, farm-stand apples.

3. Energy. If you have a big game or activity after school, plan a lunch and snacks that combine lean proteins with carbohydrates to give you lasting energy and keep you going through the late afternoon. Some ideas: your own “trail” mix of dried fruit and nuts or sunflower seeds, whole-grain pretzels and low-fat cheese, or a bagful of baby carrots and yogurt dip.

4. Money. Packing your lunch will save you money—no doubt about it. And I’m talking hundreds of dollars in cold hard cash! Think about it. How much do you spend when you go out to eat? $5 per meal? $10? $15? Multiply that times 20 (5 days per week times four weeks per month). Yikes! A packed lunch, such as a turkey sandwich, baked chips, a piece of fruit and some carrot sticks will run you about three bucks. You’ll be saving money you could spend on something else fun. Reward yourself! How about a shopping trip? New electronic? Running shoes? Or some cool lunch-packing supplies?!

5. Health. Whether you grab fast food or sit down at a fancy restaurant, you are probably consuming more fat and calories than you need. Instead, you can pack your lunch and know exactly what you are eating. Pack whole fresh foods that are high in nutrients and health benefits.

So what are you waiting for? Bring your own lunch! 

( TY, The Healthy Cook on Tumblr )

Comfort Zone

 I find life's synchronicities very interesting. I've been listening to country music while on my elliptical lately, and one of my current favorites is Brad Paisley's Southern Comfort Zone . I've been thinking about "comfort zones" lately.

What do I find this morning? The picture above - reminding me to look beyond my comfort zone.

Eating healthy isn't as much about picking up an apple and putting it to your lips. It's a change in mindset. It's a change in thinking that causes you to choose the apple instead of the candy bar, the bottle of water instead of the soda. Not because it is better for you, but because you've changed how you think and the candy bar and soda are no longer a viable option. You no longer view the candy bar and soda as food.

If you've been eating the candy bar and soda for a long time now, they are part and parcel of your comfort zone.

Step out of your comfort zone. Change your body. Change your mind. Change yourself.

 Luke Bryan - if you read my blog...I know you are a married man, but name the time and place and I'd be happy to shake it  for you.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you and your family. I wish you peace and happiness; nothing but the best.

A Thought For A Sunday Afternoon

I was doing some reading earlier today, and came across something I had scrawled in the margins of this book many, many years ago:

Then a few minutes ago, I saw the same words elsewhere online. Someone is trying to tell me something.

I think I will listen.

Top 10 Ways To Prepare Kale

I have been talking with a long time friend ( *hug* ) about his frequent preparation of kale. Though I live a lot farther South than he does, kale doesn't grace my table...and I'm not entirely sure why. So I've been keeping my eyes peeled for kale recipes to try out. As a winter green, kale is becoming more commonplace in grocery stores.

I found the website ( see link at the bottom of this post ) with the graphic above and a list of 10 interesting things to do with kale - not recipes as much as a recap. I don't think I would have thought of using kale in my quiches - but it's a great idea.

I like this comment on the page: "Overall, kale is a delicious and hearty green. Treat it like spinach and you can substitute it in just about any recipe. Experiment and enjoy!"

Treat it like spinach! A simple concept, but one I didn't even think about.


Top 10 Ways to Prepare Kale

Clean Eating Chopped Garlic to Recommend : Sun of Italy

For quite some time now, I've know that a significant portion of the world's garlic supply is grown and processed in China. I've worked around this by buying only fresh cloves labeled as grown in the USA. I can only find them at one store in my area; all the others don't tell the country of origin or the origin is China.

But chopped garlic in a jar is so...convenient. I really miss it. But since turning my back on jarred chopped garlic, I've still kept my eyes peeled for a brand that is clearly labeled as "Made in the USA." I pick up a jar from the shelf, put on my reading glasses - and over and over, frown at the lack of country labeling or the words "Made in China."

Until last weekend, when I looked at a jar of Sun of Italy brand chopped garlic.

"Made in the USA"

Huzzah! A Clean Eating chopped garlic product. I can eat this without concern for how the garlic was grown or handled - chemicals, nutrients, and the suspension medium the garlic is in ( oil or water ). Thank goodness!

Sun of Italy is a Maryland company, so I'm assuming the product is predominantly available on the East Coast. I'm not sure how wide their distribution will be. Typically this brand is found in the ethnic or International food aisle in your grocery store.


If Sun of Italy chopped garlic isn't available in your area; you can buy it directly from the company from this link!

( I'm not compensated in any way by any product I promote on this site - I buy them myself, try them myself - and if I like them, I'll mention them. )

Some Motivation For a Tuesday

Here's that kick in the pants you wanted...

and the only candy that is CE Approved: eye candy-

Adventures in Clean Eating Out & About, Part III - The Office Christmas Party

Once again, it was time for my company's swank Christmas party Saturday, where my co-workers and I shed the shackles of the Engineering Mines and step out to eat and drink well ( and not talk about work! )

 ( using the same pic as last year because heck, it's cute )

Because we enjoyed last year's meal so much, we decided to have our party at the same steakhouse as last year : a very upscale steak house in Annapolis...the kind where steak is priced by how long it is aged, and essentially everything is made in the restaurant...no processed foods, everything handmade.

Previous years:

2011 Christmas Party

2010 Christmas Party


     This year, I again used the techniques I've learned to control myself, my intake - and I still had a wonderful meal and a great time. There are definite ways to stay Clean while eating in mixed company ( Clean and Unclean eaters, that is! )

1. I made sure I found out the menu before hand, and knew exactly what I was going to select - no last minute wobbly "Um..." or "Well..." - I knew what I was going to eat, as if there were no choices that night.

House salad with their homemade basil vinaigrette ( tomatoes were AWESOME )
Filet mignon on a small pool of garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli
A magnificently delicious baked 1/2 sweet potato ( a side dish )
Skip the dessert course and ask for coffee instead

2. I ate a small meal a few hours before we left for the restaurant. This way, I wasn't ravenous by the time our meal was ordered and more easily swayed to make an incorrect choice.

3. I ate slowly, savoring my steak with a mindfulness  so I enjoyed and appreciated each bite. I finished my steak with a very satisfied feeling.



 When the dessert course came, and our devastatingly handsome waiter brought my coffee as requested, he made a suggestion - sometimes he'll bring a single slice of cheesecake or whatever to the table, and divide it into 4 or 6 pieces...so everyone has just a taste. I looked over at a female co-worker who also carefully watches her food consumption and she nodded. A plate of cut up cheesecake was brought forth for us, yielding about 2 bites apiece. Enough for a taste and a savor. It was delicious, I felt satisfied and not deprived, and I left the table knowing I had a well thought out meal and a little treat without going "hog wild" and eating an entire slice of cheesecake by myself.


Recap: Preplan, Pre-eat, Mindful Eating - keys to successfully staying on Path when dining out.


PS - Saturday was also my few times a year indulgence with liquor. ( I don't drink beer or wine at all. I like whiskey and will have a glass a few times a year, at most. )

The glass of Jameson was welcome, and that was all I was going to have 1 glass. I had already told myself I would only have 1 glass this year, and even warned my whiskey drinking co-hort of my plan.
He asked for a glass of Knob Creek bourbon straight up. It arrived on ice. He frowned. The waiter apologized. I couldn't see a good drink go to waste, so I took it from the waiter, smiled, and said I would drink it. My co-worker said "Um, that's a little stronger than you are probably used to..." and I assured him it was no problem. ( This morning, I looked - Jameson is 40%; Knob Creek is generally between 50-60% alcohol by volume )

Between you and me - the Knob Creek knocked me on my ass. Lesson learned. Next time I will stick to the single and double malt end of the Whiskey Pool.