Is your "Little Black Dress" not fitting the same, or just too little?  Getting older means people need to tune into better nutrition and exercise! 

Colonial Foods in Connecticut

I was researching a location and menu for the Annual Meeting of The Flagon and Trencher    (Descendants of Colonial Tavern Keepers....Those persons, either male or female, who can prove direct descent from a person conducting a tavern, inn, ordinary, or other type of hostelry prior to 4 July 1776 (within the area which became the first 13 states).

The society dined at The Griswold Inn in Essex, CT and enjoyed a tour of the establishment which has been in consistent operation since 1776.  Since it is located on the CT River, of course the colonists would eat locally caught fish.   It was normal practice for a colonial home to maintain a "kitchen garden" that could include, herbs, root vegetable, corn, beans and green vegetables.  Therefore the menu included:  white fish, brisket, mixed root vegetables, baked beans and Apple Betty.  An alcoholic colonial rum punch and fresh lemonade rounded out the menu.

The Trencher Award was presented to me for researching, organizing and running this annual event.

In my research for this project, I ran across this colonial "Bar Tab" for George Washington, which I presented to the amusement of the crowd of just over fifty people.

"The tab comes from a farewell party Washington's troops threw him in 1787, just days before he and the rest of the crew signed off on the Constitution. The celebration was obviously held at Philly's historic City Tavern, and things took quite a turn. Here's what George and 54 of his closest friends consumed in one crazy night:

• 54 bottles of Madeira
• 60 bottles of claret
• 22 bottles of porter
• 12 bottles of beer (probably a growler size)
• 8 bottles of hard cider (probably a growler size)
• 8 bottles of Old Stock (a.k.a. colonial whiskey)
• 7 large bowls of spiked punch

It's highly impressive Washington was even alive the next day, much less able to talk constitutional preambles and chop down the rest of the cherry trees in America, but it's this kind of freedom America was founded on.

Kristin Hunt is a food/drink staff writer for Thrillist. She definitely wishes she wrote her history thesis on this instead of the stupid Korean War. Follow her at @kristin_hunt."

Do You Struggle with Weight Loss?

Are you struggling to lose weight?
People overeat for a variety of reasons:

• Our poor food choices
• Emotional hunger
• Unmet needs
• Repressed feelings
• Confusion around self identity
• A call for love and help
• Self hatred
• Our disconnection from the body
• Past history of sexual abuse
• Being wounded by love
• Financial worries
• Repressed creativity
• Being someone we are not
• The need to forgive and move on
• The need to earn how to truly nourish and care for oneself
• Loneliness

In an article in The Institute for the Psychology of Eating, they say to "listen to your weight".  I have not researched this group, so I don't know how science based their research is, but I believe that it is important to look at the reason an overweight person thinks they struggle with weight.  Going on a "diet" is never the long term answer to the problem.  A 30 day "cleanse fast", or short term low carb diet is not the answer to life long weight management and health.

READ MORE 

Dude Food Recipe from Jeff Bridges

Since I have a "Dude Food" section, I thought it would be appropriate to ask "the real deal DUDE from The Big Lebowski", Jeff Bridges, for one of his favorite recipes.

He sent me a favorite from a page in his Mom's, Dorothy Bridges, "Tried & True" recipe book.
Many thanks to both Jeff and Dorthy!

74

                 CARROT RING

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 eggs, separated

3 cups finely grated raw carrots (about one lb.)

2 Tbs. cold water

2 Tbs. lemon juice

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

¼ cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter and

brown sugar.  Add yolks and beat until

thick.  Add carrots, water, lemon juice,

flour, baking soda, baking powder, and

salt.  Mix thoroughly.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

Fold into carrot mixture.  Generously

oil 3-qt. ring mold;  dust with bread

crumbs.  Turn mixture into mold.  Bake

1 hour.  Remove from oven and allow to

Cool 3 minutes before loosening edges

with dull-edged knife.  Turn into heated

serving platter.  Fill with peas or

whatever.  ( May be prepared and refriger-

ated day before.  Bake just before serving.)

6-8   Servings

*      *         *

        Watch Jeff gobble this up!

Bill's Scrambled Eggs with a Kick

Sunday morning after church, the entire family always looks forward to Bill's Scrambled Eggs.  No ho-hum eggs here...not with dried chilies and hot sauce!

They are not just hot though....they are also savory.

He is sharing his recipe:
1/4 to 1/3 lb of Jimmy Dean's Hot Sausage
2 shakes of dried chilis
Cook and crumble.

Beat 5 to 6 eggs and add 4 to 5 shakes of hot sauce, then pour over the crumbled sausage.
Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until cooked soft.

Top with grated sharp cheddar cheese before serving.
Yum!  They are addictive!
Thanks for sharing your recipe Bill!

Today is NATIONAL WALKING DAY

Today is National WALKING DAY. Take a walk around town, have a healthy snack....and feel like a million bucks!

What's worth more than your health---and that of your friends and family (and of course your dog IS part of the family too!)

Everyone can benefit from a brisk walk.

Favorite Saturday Morning Breakfast

Just got back from an hour and a half walk in the woods with my girlfriend and Sophie.  Not just wonderful exercise but talking with a friend, having my four footed friend with me and enjoying nature contributes to a healthy life......followed by my favorite Saturday breakfast..
An apple (full of vitamin C and fiber) with crunchie peanut butter (protein & mono-saturated fats), raisins (iron & potassium), and cinnamon (anti oxidants).  There are so many fun flavors and textures going on!