Agave - 'Honey Water'

Agave nectar comes from the Blue Agave plant in Mexico. It's very similar to a cactus, but is called a Dragon Lily. While agave (pronounced ah-GAH-vay) is best recognized as the plant from which tequila is made, it has also been used for thousands of years as an ingredient in food. The nectar made from the plant is known in Mexico as aguamiel, or "honey water."

The Aztecs prized the agave as a gift from the gods and used the liquid from its core to flavor foods and drinks.

Agave nectar (sometimes called agave syrup) is most often produced from the Blue Agaves that thrive in the volcanic soils of Southern Mexico. Agaves are large, spikey plants that resemble cactus or yuccas in both form and habitat, but they are actually succulents similar to the familiar Aloe Vera.

If you have blood sugar issues, or want to avoid issues in the future or just want to live a healthier lifestyle agave nectar is a friend. Blue agave contains healthy bacteria in the form of inulins which are naturally occurring oligosaccharides that are healthy for your digestive system.

It's true that volcanic agave nectar contains close to the same calories per tablespoon as sugar (45) but because it is so sweet to your palate, you can use less. In fact, you can use about 1/3 cup of agave nectar to each cup of sugar thus reducing your caloric intake.

Because agave breaks down fats easier it improves the functioning of the gall bladder. It also helps remove the blockages in arteries associated with high cholesterol levels.

I use a swirl of this syrup on my homemade yogurt in the morning or evening. A colorful, long, shallow dish filled with yogurt drizzled with a long twist of agave (instead of the traditional honey) gives your guests the feel of Greece or Italy. Simple! This southwestern nectar is perfect on hot cereal and in tea. Sometimes a drop is squirted onto my fingertip for a taste of sweet when a sweet tooth complains. I also use it instead of brown sugar to sweeten my homemade granola before I bake it. I've used it in bread baking, replacing honey and molasses, and in other baked goods.

I love it! And it's good for me.

Agave. A beautiful food.

Pizza from the Heart

So many pizza commercials on television! The craving began. Though hungry and out running errands, still, my sanity prevailed. I knew the ingredients for a satisfying pizza pie were in my cupboards and fridge at home.

Cassie made a crust.

I simmered up fresh marinara, browned chicken with garlic, chopped some thin asparagus, and chunked some fresh, soft mozzarella cheese.

Caroline prepped a pan, preheated the oven, and helped assemble.

In less than 45 minutes, start to finish, we had a hot pizza and, man, was it good. MUCH better than any pizzeria in the vicinity.

Patience. Oh, so worth it.

Slow Succession - One Italian Woman's Breakfasting

Our countrymen could learn much from cultures far away. Such as how to eat. By this I mean what is eaten and how it is eaten.

My husband snarfs. He dishes his food up at the table as though he is the only one present. Then he eats quickly as though in a race, head down start to finish. Inadequate chewing then gulping. He says he thinks it's because when he was a kid - an only child - he had to hurry to get his share and then get out of there before the parents began to rag on him. Trouble is, he can't stop eating that way now.

Oh, he tries now and then. It's painful to watch. He sets down his fork, tries to chew more, to recognize flavors, enjoy the food. It's like observing a dog who's been told to sit and stay when he knows there's a chunk of sausage waiting to be devoured. Poor man nearly trembles. I give him kudos for trying, though. I have high hopes that he'll figure it out one day. In the meantime it's very hard for me to eat the way I prefer - slowly and mindfully - while he's noisily slurping, shoveling, and stuffing his cheeks in his race to the finish line.

An Italian blogger describes her breakfast manner in the following. It resonates with me.

I am not a breakfast person: when I get up, the first thing I crave is something hot and liquid, which translates into a cup of black tea, followed by another cup of black tea, followed, an hour or so later, by a cup of coffee made using my stovetop coffee maker. It is not until mid-morning that I turn my attention to something solid and that something has been, for more years than I can remember, una mela (an apple).

Una mela al giorno leva il medico di torno (an apple a day keeps the doctor away), you may remind me. The reason for my breakfast choice, however, is really my lifelong love for apples. It is certainly a great bonus that apples are good for my health. What has changed in the years is my favorite kind: that spot has been occupied for some time by the Mutsu apple. This time of the year it is not available in the stores, so I am currently breakfasting mostly with a Pinova apple and sometimes with a Golden Delicious. Just yesterday, I purchased some Ambrosia apples but have not yet tasted one.

So, here is the recipe for my apple-based breakfast. Take an organic apple of your liking and wash it carefully. Bite into it and savor the juicy morsel in your mouth. Chew slowly and concentrate on the texture and flavor. Repeat until you are left with just the core. Place it in your compost bin. Wait a few minutes, enjoying the apple's aftertaste, then cut yourself a small piece of excellent quality extra dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa content) and break it into 2-3 morsels. Eat them in slow succession, savoring each one by letting it melt slowly in your mouth. Feel good.

 Above excerpt taken from the blog Briciole


Imagine if everyone could eat just one meal a day with such ease, patience, attention, and enjoyment.

The world would surely become a kinder place.