Daily Loaf

“Sex is always the answer. It’s never a question. And the answer is yes. Yes. YES!” –Nickelback.

Sex is a great answer to most every relationship problem, unless you’re with someone who’s never in the mood or uses sex as a punishment. So you had a fight. Nothing resolves the issue or rekindles your lust for one another like a passionate bout of makeup sex.  Doctors have long preached the health benefits of a good sex life–relieves stress, strengthens the heart, and improves breathing–but it’s also a great way to maintain a healthy relationship. Read the rest of this entry »

You’re buying more organic food these days, maybe for health reasons or just because it makes you feel like you’re making a difference. But did you know that most of the organic brands you find in the grocery store, like Cascadian Farm, Kashi, and Back to Nature, are owned by some of the biggest names in the food production business? That’s right, Cascadian Farm is owned by General Mills, Kashi is produced by Kellogg’s, and the number one food producer in the US, Kraft, owns Back to Nature. (Check out this chart from GOOD to see which organic brands belong to which big food company.)
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Have you ever heard the Vietnam-era quote, “war is not healthy for children and other living things?” It is a staunchly obvious and painstakingly reasonable appeal that cuts to the ethical core and casualties of war.  I read an article this week that reminded me of it, but instead of war, the murderous culprit in this story is climate change.

A new report by the Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF) says that global warming already kills about 300,000 people a year.  If that projection is not startling enough– or if you have more of an economic mind, and are not much swayed by stacks of human figures—the report also says that climate change costs around $125 billion in economic losses annually.
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As a kid I never liked salads. Do all kids feel that way? I think they do. I recall wondering what they contributed to my meal at a restaurant other than something to do while waiting for my steak and subsequent dessert. And even at the nicest restaurants, they consisted of iceberg lettuce, 2 or 3 onion slices (that were quite awkward to eat) a wedge or two of tomato and some stale croutons. Then, of course, you could order whatever goop you wanted atop the salad. House dressing was something with oil and vinegar and too many dried herbs.

Does this sound familiar to anyone else, or did my parents only take to trashy places? Perhaps you shouldn’t answer that in fear of me needing some sort of therapy later. Read the rest of this entry »

I am a big fan of guacamole, and avocados in general. So when I found this recipe for guacamole that didn’t use avocados in my Meatless Monday cookbook, I was a bit skeptical. But, as the saying goes, don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.

The great thing about this recipe is that it contains items you probably already have in your refrigerator. Otherwise, the ingredients are dirt cheap to buy at the grocery store. Just throw in anything you would add to normal guacamole — onions, jalapenos, spices, etc. Frozen peas are about a dollar, and the recipe calls for only one-third of a bag. What will probably end up happening, though, is you’ll try this faux guacamole recipe and then use the rest of that bag of frozen peas to make some more. Bonus: frozen peas are always in season.

Unless you have an aversion to peas, this replacement guacamole rivals the original — it’s slightly sweet, smooth, super tasty, and keeps its bright verdant color (as opposed to the old fashioned kind that turns brown because of oxidation). Not to mention, using peas in place of avocado reduces the calories in this dip by almost three quarters and fat by 34 grams, so you won’t have to feel guilty when snacking on this addictive appetizer.

So go ahead, try this flavorful new twist on classic guacamole and become a convert to the delicious copycat that is mockamole.

Mockamole
(makes about one cup; recipe courtesy of Meatless Monday cookbook)

1 cup frozen green peas, thawed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (or one fresh jalapeno pepper, minced)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
(I also used chopped fresh cilantro)

1. Combine the peas, cumin, onion, and garlic in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.

2. Add lemon juice and olive oil, and process just to blend.

3. Taste and season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

4. Blend for just a few more seconds, and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with chips, crackers, or fresh veggies.

Check out the Meatless Monday site for recipes and tips to kickstart healthier living! And be sure to check out my blog, Culinary Pirate, and follow me on Twitter!

After more than a year of campaigning by Eat the View and their 100,000+ supporters, the Obamas are planting a vegetable garden on the White House grounds! The White House garden proposal won an online contest early this year called On Day One.  I know it’s day 58, but I still think it’s a victory.  Almost as good as knowing the garden will be built is realizing we have a President who is listening.

Click to read the New York Times article on the subject here, or click here to get involved in Green Florida, which is helping develop gardens throughout the Tampa Bay area. Video below the jump:

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Did you know the coral reefs are being suffocated by tourists’ sunscreen? Going to the tanning bed sets up a controlled environment so you can regulate your light absorption and then have a base tan that will help you avoid sunburn and use less sunscreen, therefore preserving the coral reefs and other oceanic life affected by multitudes of tourist sunscreen!

Raydiance Tanning and Spa (and Wellness Gardens and Tea house) offers a multitude of services to keep your lifestyle “green”, healthy and inexpensive. In light of our new proposals for a universal health care system as well as the one already in place it has become all too obvious we need new ways to stay healthy that integrate into our everyday life, because the health care is way too expensive and only used in dire need. There is now a resource to end this cycle of frustration, and it located so conveniently there is no excuse to make a step to integrating preventive health care into your world.

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While speaking at one of Hillsborough Community College’s hospitality program classes last week, I found out about this program called Meatless Monday. This is a national public health campaign and non-profit organization working in association with the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health dedicated to helping prevent the four leading causes of death in the U.S.- heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

How are they trying to combat these diseases, you ask? By asking Americans to cut out meat (beef, poultry, and pork) and high-fat dairy just one day a week, thus limiting their weekly intake of saturated fat and preventing those diseases. Their goal is to reduce Americans’ consumption of saturated fat by 15% by next year, which could be done by cutting it out just one day a week. Read the rest of this entry »

Broccoli here, aka John K. I am not going to start a rant with my first blog, but I can’t take CNN anymore (or FoxNews, for my righteous right wing friends out there). Frankly, they both constantly blather on about more jobs lost and how politicians can’t figure out where to stimulate the economy (anywhere, please).

So, my partner, Eggplant and I feel the crunch. We are in the hospitality industry and yup, it is tough right now. I will NOT give any of my money to a commercial fast food operation though.  It is inconceivable to me that in this downturn Mc (insert expletive here) Donalds is posting a profit. Read the rest of this entry »