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Mamma Always Said Eat Your Veggies. Here’s How to Fill Your Plate and Make Her Proud

Daily Living, Food and Cooking, Health and Wellness, Special Observations, , , , , ,
vegetable salad on plate with other veggies on table.

Do you remember as a child when mama told you to eat your vegetables? Perhaps it was broccoli, green beans, cabbage, spinach, Brussels sprouts. Or in my case those horrible canned red beets and raw  radishes! Yuck! Maybe you would dutifully eat them, as mama said, wanting to be the good little child. Hoping later for dessert or some kind of reward. Or maybe you would feed them to the dog  when mama wasn’t looking. Regardless, mamma had it right. We needed to eat our veggies. Not only as children but now as adults.

We Aren’t Eating Enough Veggies

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in 2019, 1 out of 10 adults  met the daily recommendations of eating fruits and vegetables. And it has only worsened with the pandemic  and supply chain disruptions. Now, for those  eating vegetables the amount  has decreased to about one per day. The State of the Plate: America’s Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Trends, from the Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), explains despite decades of industry and public health efforts, America’s fruit and vegetable consumption continues to decline. The research shows people are eating fruits and vegetables less frequently.

This is not good news because eating fresh vegetables has incredible benefits to our overall  mental and physical health. I can attest to this very fact. When  I was growing up vegetables were a  big part of my family’s diet. We ate all kinds of leafy green veggies. Collard and mustard greens with blackeye peas were served on a regular basis. Even  grew a vegetable garden one summer. A green salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber  and those nasty radishes were on the table daily. To this day my family eats their veggies just like mamma said.

Changed to Plant-based Diet

As an adult I still maintain  this habit of vegetables on my plate. About a year ago I  moved to a more plant base diet  which I shared in a previous post. This decision  has had wonderful affects for me. First, I just feel better. Second, my struggle with migraines  are virtually gone. I do eat some poultry and fish but most of my meals are plant based. I even changed my smoothies to plant-based protein powder and almond milk.

National Eat Your Vegetables Day

Friday, June 17, is National Eat Your Vegetables Day  and an important reminder to continue  and/or add veggies as a part of a healthy diet. The goal is to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Empish eating a bowl of watermelon chunks

What is a Serving?

As I mentioned above we are only getting about one serving daily. This is a major difference. But what is exactly  a serving? Use  this list as a guide.

One serving is equal to:

  • 1 cup of raw carrots
  • 1 cup of raw spinach
  • 1 cup of cucumber
  • 1 cup of raw bell peppers
  • ½ cup cooked broccoli
  • ½ cup cooked cauliflower
  • ½ cup cooked green beans

Now that you’ve got an idea of a serving of vegetables, it will be  easier to add them to your daily eating habits. If you’ve been slacking on consuming your veggies, use this special day to reorganize your diet and start adding more veggies to the menu.

Ways to Fill Your Plate

How do we get those servings of crunchy and leafy plants into our daily meals? Here’s some ways to fill your plate and make your mamma proud.

Empish at gas stove

1. Prepare all your favorite veggies for all your meals. This could be a vegetable omelet for breakfast. Vegetarian soup, sandwich or salad for lunch. Then top off dinner  with a vegetarian casserole. Or one of my favorites, vegetable lasagna. Too many vegetables for one day? Then pick one or two meals  to be all vegetables.

2. Not in the mood to cook. Visit a local restaurant and go vegetarian. Many  eateries  offer meatless entrees on their menu. You don’t have to be a serious vegetarian. Try a new dish and explore the possibilities.

3. Visit your local farmer’s market and purchase some locally grown produce. You not only support local farmers and businesses  but get fresh veggies too. This is a win-win situation.

4. Make your desserts using veggies. And I’m not just talking about carrot cake or pumpkin pie! Veggies like zucchini, peppers, butternut squash and sweet potatoes provide a great addition to sweets . Check out vegetable dessert recipes online for some inspiration.

5. If you are feeling industrious or have a green thumb, plant a vegetable garden. No need to worry about supply chain problems or expensive grocery store produce. Grow your own. Many vegetables like green beans, tomatoes, cabbage, squash, peppers, zucchini, onions and spinach can be grown  at home.,

For my last veggie tip. Did You Know onions are the world’s most widely used vegetable? If you love onions like me, squeeze a little lemon juice or vinegar  on raw cut onions to eliminate the strong sharp smell and taste while adding flavor. Or try sweet Vidalia onions. They are grown in Vidalia, Georgia, not far from my home.

Ready to Make Mamma Proud?

Are you ready to do what mamma said and eat your veggies? Share with me some creative ways to get in your daily servings.

5 Microwave Cooking Hacks to Put the Ho Ho Ho in Your Holidays

Daily Living, Food and Cooking, Special Observations, , , , , , ,
Empish at gas stove

Mostly Use Gas Stove

I use the microwave mostly for heating foods but not for cooking. It comes in handy for warming up a nice mug of coco during these cold winter months. Or reheating leftovers and popping my all-time favorite snack, a buttery bag of popcorn, to munch on while watching an audio described movie. Otherwise, it is sitting on the kitchen counter holding double duty as a quick device for heating foods and a place holder for my vitamins, memo pads and other odds and ends.

When it comes to major meal preparation I cook on my stove. I love my gas stove and have been cooking with it for many years. I like the way it cooks quickly yet evenly but boy does it get hot in the kitchen! Microwaves cook quickly and evenly too and can be an excellent kitchen appliance when you want to keep it simple. Over time I have learned microwaves have more functionality than for what I gave them credit. Although, National Microwave Oven Day was on Dec 6th I still want to recognize the importance of this useful kitchen appliance especially as we are in the midst  of the holiday season and gathering for special meals with friends and family.

5 Holiday Microwave Cooking Hacks

If you  want to whip up something in a pinch, create a festive and savory side dish  or just cut down cooking time in the kitchen these holiday hacks are for you. Just be sure to follow safety guidelines for your make and model and you will be ready to go. Now, let’s get ready to Ho Ho Ho in the kitchen this holiday with five microwave cooking hacks:

1.  Drying herbs-spread herbs on a plate lined with paper towels and cover with another one and zap for 1 minute followed by 20 seconds bursts until fully dry. Then store whole or grind them. Fresh dry herbs are great for seasoning soups, meats or cooked veggies. I especially love herbs to season when roasting my turkey breast.

2.  Frying garlic-place sliced garlic in microwave safe bowl with neutral oil, like vegetable, and cook for 5 minutes, stir and cook in 1-minute intervals until golden. Then strain for salads or recipes. I absolutely love fresh sautéed garlic in a skillet on my stove. The fragrant smell is to die for but using the microwave is another great option too.

Empish getting ready to use microwave

3.  Toasting nuts and seeds-put nuts in neutral oil in a microwave safe bowl, like vegetable, for 1-minute intervals tossing in between until golden brown. No need to preheat the oven for this healthy snack. Great for pumpkin seeds, pine nuts or sunflower seeds.

4.  Steaming veggies-cover veggies with damp paper towels and microwave on high for a few minutes until veggies are tender then season to taste. Be careful of heat and steam from paper towels and food when removing. Great for green veggies like broccoli, spinach, green beans and brussels sprouts. I do this one all the time instead of bringing out my clunky 4-part steamer and filling with water. Then having to wash, clean and return to my pantry. Too much work!

5.  Cook sweet potatoes-cooking sweet potatoes in a conventional oven for either side dishes or desserts can take about an hour. This is too much time and too much heat in the kitchen. Scrub the potatoes clean and prick them with a fork. Microwave up to 4 potatoes for 6-8 minutes, rotating them periodically until tender.

Share Your Favorite Hack

Are you ready to use your microwave for cooking this holiday season? Tell me which hack resonated the most with you. Or do you have one of your own to share?

Watermelon is My Favorite Summertime Food

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Empish eating a bowl of watermelon chunks

Watermelon and Summertime

Although today is National Watermelon Day eating watermelon has always been a part of my life. Ever since I was a little girl growing up in Texas these melons were constantly there during the summer months. My parents would buy these long, huge and heavy green fruits. Slice them up and place in the frig to get cold. Then later we would sit on the back patio eating slices of this delicious, sweet red food enjoying the summer afternoon. Ah, yes, those childhood memories.

Today, I have no backyard patio. But I do have the summer heat and my watermelon. Instead of purchasing large whole ones, I cheat a little. I use my visual disability as an excuse. Trying to do all that work washing, slicing, dicing and cleanup is just too much as a blind person. So, I buy it already cut up and ready to go. The grocery stores do all the work and provide them in little containers in chunks. This is perfect for my needs. I just swing through the produce section and grab a container or two of sweet and juicy watermelon. It is my favorite summertime fruit and complements my plant base lifestyle. Now, don’t get me wrong. I love grapes, peaches, nectarines, pears, pineapple, apples and all kinds of berries. But this time of the year watermelon is number one.

Here Are the Facts

It is refreshing. It is sweet. It is cool. It is nutritious. You just can’t beat it. I know, I sound like a commercial. And I am going to go a step farther with my praise in this post by sharing five facts from the Watermelon Board and Mayo Clinic about watermelons. And before I go I will even leave you with two quick and easy recipes you are sure to love.

A baby, looking directly at the camera with wide eyes, is taking a bite from a slice of watermelon while holding it with both hands as an adult helps by holding it too.

1.  Watermelon is a vegetable not a fruit. But all things relative it can be seen both ways. Watermelon is a member of the cucurbitaceae plant family of gourds and classified as Citrullus lantus. Related to the cucumber, squash and pumpkin. It is planted from seeds or seedlings, harvested and cleared from the field like other vegetables. But like the pepper, tomato and pumpkin, watermelon is a fruit, botanically. It is the fruit of a plant originally from a vine of southern Africa. Loosely considered a type of melon.

2.  Watermelon is a disease fighter. It has more lycopene than any other fresh fruit or vegetable. Lycopene is an antioxidant linked to decreased risk of cancer, heart disease and age-related eye conditions, like macular degeneration.

3.  Watermelon hydrates. As its name so clearly states, 92% of watermelon contains water. It is the most common melon eaten in America and is perfect for staying refreshed and hydrated on a hot summer day.

4.  A watermelon is completely edible, including the seeds and the rind. This means watermelon is a zero-food waste food. The green skin is edible by cooking and/or pickled.

5.  When selecting a watermelon Look it over carefully. Scan for firmness free from bruises, cuts or dents. Scratching is fine because of all the handling in getting to market. Next, lift it up. It should be very heavy for its size. Lastly, turn it over. The underside of the watermelon should have a creamy yellow spot from where it sat on the ground and ripened in the sun.

Two Watermelon Recipes

Now as I promised here are two watermelon recipes to keep you cool and rejuvenated.

1.  Watermelon Arugula Salad

This one has no official measurements so add as much or as little ingredients as you desire.

*baby arugula lettuce

*watermelon chunks

*feta cheese crumbles

*roasted nuts (Sliced almonds or pecans work best. Roast them in oil with a sprinkling of cayenne or red pepper)

*strawberry vinaigrette salad dressing

In a bowl place baby arugula lettuce. Top with diced chunks of watermelon. Add feta cheese crumbles and roasted nuts. Lightly toss. Then drizzle with strawberry vinaigrette. Eat and enjoy.

A woman's hands holding a slice of watermelon with some bites taken from it.

2. Watermelon Lemonade

Move over Arnold Palmer! This beverage will quinch any thirst. Easy to make with just two ingredients.

*Watermelon chunks

*Your favorite lemonade

Place watermelon chunks and juice in blender. Pour juice into pitcher with lemonade. Like an Arnold Palmer, half and half works best. Sip and enjoy.

Going Meatless with Tofu Taco Night

Daily Living, Food and Cooking, Health and Wellness, , ,
Empish at gas stove

I love tacos! Chicken tacos. Shrimp tacos. Ground turkey tacos. Fish tacos. Hard shell tacos. Soft shell tacos. Even tacos with just rice, beans and cheese. Or better yet a taco salad. Now, you get the point on how much I love tacos. I decided recently to start adding more plant-based foods in my life and that includes tofu. So, could I make tofu tacos?

Tofu Comes in Crumbles

Well, I was up for the adventure and decided that I could do it. I called upon my vegetarian friends, did some online research, went grocery shopping and got to cooking. I discovered that tofu comes in various options and I am still learning the myriad ways I can purchase it. But for my tacos the best was in crumbles. I found them in the frozen health food section at the grocery store. To my confusion but delight I found a variety of tofu crumbles already seasoned. Since I was not initially aware they came this way, I wasn’t prepared and didn’t understand my options but the store clerk told me   that one package had a picture of, you guessed it, A taco! Bingo, sold! That is the one I wanted.

Cooking Tofu

Next, I called up my vegetarian friend to figure out how to cook my new treasure. She said cook it just like you would ground beef, chicken or turkey. Well, that was easy breezy! I knew how to do that. I also asked about adding taco seasoning. I usually grab a packet of seasoning found next to the shells in the store adding it to my meat. She said to taste first and see how you like it. If you add the taco seasoning maybe just half the packet. Well, I kind of followed her advice but kind of didn’t. I got a little too happy and ended up using the whole seasoning packet. This made my crumbles too salty. But once I added my toppings of lettuce, salsa, tomatoes, shredded cheese and pickled jalapeño peppers I could barely taste the salt. I mostly used hard shells for my tofu tacos, warming them up in the oven on my specialized taco rack, but I tried one or two soft shells too. I served them up with a side of Mexican-flavored rice and black beans.

Perfecting Tacos and Trying Other Dishes

Ah, yes! As I sat eating my delicious meal, I was feeling pretty proud of myself for taking on this new challenge. I realized it was easier than I imagined and I was emboldened to take it higher the next time. I also realize that part of my no salt spice collection was one that would be perfect for tacos. It’s called Mexican Aromatics and instead of using taco seasoning I am going to use that instead. I think once I perfect this tofu dish, I am going to expand my palate and try tofu in other ways. I am excited about the possibilities.

Being a Vegan is not Just for White Folks Only

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The Invisible Vegan: A Movement Toward a New Consciousness poster with a green background and a black stylized fist grasping an orange carrot. In the lower left corner are the list of the featured performers'.

I recently made some changes to my meal plan and have moved more into a plant-based diet. This change surprisingly has not been too hard because fruits and vegetables are my jam. Even before I started working from home, I would take a salad to work just about every day for lunch. It would be filled with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and even green bell peppers and onions with a sprinkling of chopped nuts. My co-workers would be eyeballing my lunch as I quickly moved out of the break room and back to my office to eat my crunchy rainbow feast. So, when I heard about The Invisible Vegan documentary by Jasmine Leyva I just had to watch it. Now, before I give my two cents let me give you the summary.

Summary of Invisible Vegan Documentary

The documentary begins with the personal story of Jasmine Leyva, a 30-year-old black actress and filmmaker currently based in Los Angeles. Over the past seven years, Jasmine has committed herself to veganism, both in lifestyle and research. Taking Leyva’s unhealthy childhood growing up in Washington, DC as a point of departure, the film interweaves her narrative with the professional and personal experiences of a prominent group of vegan activists. The film integrates interviews with popular culture luminaries including Cedric the Entertainer (actor and comedian), John Salley (former NBA player and wellness advocate), and Clayton Gavin (aka Stic of the hip-hop duo Dead Prez).

The Invisible Vegan also explains how plant-based eating is directly linked to African roots and how African-American eating habits have been debased by a chain of oppression.

Africa, Slavery and Soul Food

AS I sat and watched the 90-minute film, I was nodding my head and saying, “Yes, that’s right, that’s right!” Sounding like people in the amen corner at church. She was speaking truth to power and I was not too surprised by nothing coming out of this young lady’s mouth. She started out explaining how a plant-based diet came from Africa and how it is not just for white folks. She ticked off the names of Civil rights activists who are vegetarians like the late Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and Dick Gregory. She mentioned Angela Davis too. This was enlightening because I only knew about Dick Gregory as I had read about his diet plan before. He was a firm believer in better health just as much as in civil rights.

She talked about how our enslaved ancestors were forced to eat the scraps on the plantation. How they made meals out of the leftovers. Yes, this is so true. I remember reading the book Roots and many other slave narratives where scenes played out just like this.  Because of this situation Black people passed down this type of eating from generation to generation. It is embedded in our family and culture.  

So, when she started talking about losing the “Black card” I knew exactly what she was talking about. I am nodding my head again. The type of food our ancestors ate on the plantation evolved into what we call today as soul food.  This includes favorites like fried chicken, collard or mustard greens, okra, cornbread, sweet potatoes or yams and blackeyed peas. It also includes some kind of pork product like ham, pig’s feet, hog head cheese and the all-time favorite for many Black folks – chitlins! So, if you are a Black person and don’t eat soul food then you can lose your Black card and be called out. That is not a good situation. Believe me I have been there myself. Not for being a vegan, like Jasmine, but for my efforts in trying to lose weight. Many of these items are not healthy and/or not cooked in a healthy way. So, believe me, I get it. She also talked about how eating soul food is not just the food itself but about a sense of being and belonging. These foods are comforting and connect us to our family, history and legacy in this country. If you don’t think so, go back and watch the classic 1997 movie Soul Food.

Challenges of EatingHealthy

A head shot of Jasmine Leyva with long dark hair, smiling and leaning on one arm in a casual pose. She is wearing a brown and white sleeveless top and a long silver chain around her neck.

With this being said, it is hard for people to change and move to a healthy diet or even become a vegan for that matter. She shared about her journey to become a vegan and the ups and downs of that experience. When it comes to diet and nutrition our doctors are not well equipped to help because they get little education on it when they are in medical school. They are sometimes more apt to write out prescriptions or recommend surgery. I experienced this myself when talking to my PCP and was fortunately referred to a nutritionist.  There I learned about food groups and how food impacts the body. She also talked about food deserts and lack of access to healthy foods. As they say, “No Whole Foods in the hood!”  I could also relate to that too. I have had to get on the bus and travel miles away to find healthier options. And don’t forget about the cost of healthy food! OMG! Why does organic cost twice as much? Crazy! It takes a lot of work and energy to do all of this which I find very stressful at times.  No wonder it is so easy to grab a hamburger at McDonalds. One thing I found interesting and a bit surprising was how meat processing plants are located near minority communities. I didn’t realize that. I mean I knew about how they treat animals, the hormones and the runoff; but not the location.

No Judgement to Become a Vegan

The last thing about the documentary is that it was not judgmental. Jasmine shared her life journey, laid out the facts, and had other people share their experiences. It was not this hard-line approach. She encouraged you to start where you are. I am not ready to go totally vegan but I thought I could do something like meatless Mondays, tofu Tuesdays or salad Saturdays. You know, ease my way into a plant-based lifestyle.

Although this film is not audio described for people like me with vision loss, I still got so much out of it. I encourage you to check it out especially if you are trying to change your eating habits and curious about a vegan lifestyle. The Invisible Vegan is available to watch now on TubiTV and stream on Amazon Prime

Adding Some Spice to My Life with a Little Braille

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A white plastic two-level spice rack with a variety of spices and containers.

January is Braille Literacy Month

I would be remiss to let this month go by and not talk about braille. Although I use it sparingly it is a part of my everyday life and this month is Braille Literacy Month. This is also the birthday month of its inventor, Louis Braille. In my very first post on Triple E I shared about Braille, how he created the code and how I use it daily. I won’t rehash it here but feel free to click on the link and read it.

Back in December or maybe November I ordered a set of no-salt spices from Amazon. I was getting bored with the three options I was cooking with:  black pepper, kosher salt and paprika. Sometimes I would include other seasonings but I needed to spice up my life a bit. So, I ordered this set of 24 spices and got excited about the possibilities. I know, 24 seems like a lot to get started but I can be ambitious and adventurous when I want. Once they came in the mail I had to sit and figure out how in the world I was going to keep track of all of them. I had a lot of spices to choose from and I didn’t want to make mistakes and pick up the wrong one to season my food.  I mean, adding extra black pepper is one thing, but adding extra ground cinnamon or cumin is totally another. Sometimes I would use my sense of smell to determine the differences like sniffing garlic or chili powder. But that is not always reliable especially if I am working with spices I am not accustom to using on a regular basis. This led me to an idea! I decided to use my little braille skills to solve the identification problem.

Creating Braille Labels and Spice List

A black and white braille label gun with turn dial displaying both braille and print letters and numbers.

First, I pulled out my brand-new handy dandy braille label gun. I bought that too in December and boy did I need a new one! The old one had problems releasing the Dymo tape, the printed alphabetic numbers and letters were rubbed off and the thing was just old as dirt. Second, I got a sighted friend to come over and help me out. The one cool thing about using a braille label gun is that a blind or sighted person can use it. It has braille and printed numbers and letters on the dial. We tagged teamed the project. We created the spice list in alphabetical order to make things easy. She created labels of 1-24 and I typed up a printed list on my laptop computer. She would tell me the name of each spice and I would type it on the list. Then I would give her the assigned number and she would create the braille label.

Empish Sitting in Front of Laptop Wearing Headset with Microphone

Need Additional Info on Unfamiliar Spices

photo of a variety of spices displayed in tubs on a shelf in a shop

Now my spices are ready to go. Each one has a braille number that corresponds to my electronic printed list that I have stored on Dropbox. Yet I still gotta little more work to do. As I mentioned I bought these spices to attempt something new and there are definitely some I haven’t tried or even heard of. “Anyone know how to cook with ground turmeric?”  “Has anyone heard of Provencal aromatics or seafood aromatics?” If you are scratching your head or furrowing your eyebrow, join the club because I am right there with you. This means back to my computer to do some research. Next, I will be going online and searching around the internet for info on the ones that are unfamiliar and learning how to cook with them. Watch me learn and get ready to burn in the kitchen! Intimidation is not in my vocabulary and I am up for the challenge. I am excited about this new phase; and how using a little braille has added some spice to my life.