Travel Memories Strongsville Ohio

 

I'm adding a few stories about my travels. Most relate to food, fun and explorations. This one is a vignette about Strongsville Ohio. When I lived in Kentucky I would travel the roughly 387 miles to the Strongsville Ohio Holiday Inn. It was my first stop on my Northern Ohio sales trip. I would be visiting food service distributors. The Holiday Inn there had a wonderfully large pool and in those days the airline pilots and flight attendants would stay on the 6th floor. Since I was well behaved and a regular patron I typically stayed in room 610 along side them. They would be in there crisp uniforms in the lobby at check in and out flying all over the country. My room even had pictures of old Mercedes Benz automobiles over the bed. Comforting for an old 60-70's car guy.

The Chef there ran a real nice dining room and always had my favorite German hardrolls in the baskets with real butter to nosh on before dinner. I loved those rolls (called brotchen in country) and I was no stranger to butter. One Monday after Easter I came in for dinner and was presented a basket of bread. With sadface I asked my server what happened to the hard rolls thinking there was a new Chef. She said no changes but they had left over bread from the Easter buffet (fresh bread but more than they needed for Sunday's lunch and dinner). I do like rye bread but my sadface showed through and my server announced that Chef would make a basket of my rolls. Just give him 20 minutes. 

Those experiences were the norm in those days. When exceeding the guest expectations were paramont. Here I am still telling the story. 

Fitness sites VA provide FREE

 Hi Everyone

Happy Easter weekend. I'm doing two yoga classes a week now plus my regular at home routine. The links were provided for my home routine. Our Senior Center has the yoga classes free as well and the local library has Tai Chi.

I want to mention again two nice sites provided by the VA.

One: OMpractice.com  is a site providing classes for veterans and employees. You have to sign in. 

Two : https://www.va.gov/wholehealth/    go to the bottom of the page and click VAntage point blog...once there type in Tai Chi for instance...you'll find free classes. You can search for anything of interest.

Good luck! I sure like the free exercise programs. Remember less is more with exercise. It should be fun. See you on Beach Blvd riding the black Day 6 bike.

www.day6bikes.

Mise En Place ... the definition.

Mise en place to me coming from the Michigan State Hotel School, my internships and previous US Army officer club experience meant...being prepared for service...food, hot plates, utensils and equipment including pots, pans, spoons whips tongs and ladles..

  

What is mise en place...a definition.

The official definition...Mise En Place is a French culinary phrase which means to 'put in place" or "gather". It refers to the set up before cooking, and is often used in a professional kitchens to refer to organizing the ingredients. Typically cuts of meat, relishes, sauces, pre cooked items, spices vegetables and other items used to complete meal dishes including entrees, salads and desserts.

Micro Greens, Parsley Carrots and Onions

 This is a little something we have growing on the deck. I took 6 empty water containers and cut them to fit an 8" commercial bus tub. The plastic reflects the sun giving it a green house effect. Upper right is my onions. I snip the tops for a month or so to add to salads omelets and as a general garnish. 

Yam and crispy baked kale and seasalt snack

 

Cod and roasted veges lunch

 

A nice piece of Wild caught Alaskan Cod

 

Saturday Freebe

 Ok ok I know I don't have to post (my goal is once a week) but hey I'm excited and am getting into this. So every morning I bake my handful of kale on a non stick bake sheet at 270 degrees for 20 minutes. A healthy sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt on the kale helps hold moisture and flavor in. I put a previously baked sweet potato / yam on the sheet too (to warm it up) Lately I have been eating the sweet potato or yam for my after workout nosh. Today I dipped it into the kale/seasalt chips making it a  coated salty treat. The crispy salty kale makes a great topping for my roasted veges, sweet potato/ yams or even on my tacos. I'll be posting the roasted veges and tacos as I make them. I know this lifestyle is a bit different but I'm mitigating inflammation and maximizing vitamin intake naturally with food.

Tonight's Throw together sweetness. Sietefoods.com Cinnamon Cookies , Greek Yogurt, Toasted Coconut Chips and Dark Chocolate

 

Dessert consisting of Green Bananas, Raspberries, Greek Yogurt, Crushed Nuts and Dark Chocolate.

 

Dessert consists of Green Bananas, Raspberries, crushed nuts, Greek Yogurt, Dark Chocolate.

 So I seem to be on time this week being Friday. I started the Dr. Gundry food program in December. Not trying to lose weight but to reduce hip  inflammation. I have lost 13 lbs now. Dr Gundry said you would by changing up foods that aid your gut and avoiding those that tend to be sugar related. Removing inflammation related toxins from the blood. With consistent acupuncture, massage, twice daily Shakti Acupressure mat sessions, weekly chair yoga, bike riding and adding shoe inserts to adjust my leg lengths I have reduced the hip pain 60%. Mornings consist of Chi Qigong, Stretching,  Meditation and Tibetan Rites Yoga.

Look for the links posted along the with the blog entrees.

I will be posting recipes and entrees, sides and desserts pictures. I utilize these ingredients to adhere to the Dr. Gundry suggestion eliminating lectins. Bringing about good gut bugs and reducing inflammation.

I have read his books/ food guide and my food consists of the following:

Protein

Grass Fed Grass Finished Beef

Wild caught Fish and Seafood

Greek Yogurt  A2 Casein

Australian Cheddar Cheese A2 Casein

Main Carbs

Sweet Potatoes/ Yams

Spinach

Arugula

Kale

Romaine

Celery

Carrots

Brussel Sprouts

Onions

Avocado

Mushrooms

Sourdough Bread

Misenplace

Roasted Garlic

Sauteed Onion

Bacon Bits (illegal so only a teaspoon or less)

Crushed Nuts (walnuts, pistachios, macadamia, blanched almonds

Sorghum

Dark Chocolate 85% or greater

Siete Chips, Taco shells and Cinnamon cookies

Green bananas

Raspberries

Coconut Chips

There are plenty of ingredients above to make interesting and delicious meals. A positive by product is that grocery shopping is easy and repetitive helping you ignore unhealthy choices. Prep and cooking is easy as well with food ready to heat and eat.

Melissa Produce

 https://www.melissas.com/

Where I get my yams and sweet potatoes. The finger size Japanese being my favorite.

Tibetan Rites Yoga

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Tibetan_Rites

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_bY6REpIPE

Reactive Starches

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jJVtSLrrXE

Blog Writing Discipline

 Ok...so it's Saturday and I was thinking I should write everyday. A comment was made by a family member that if I only put links up was it really a blog. lol That led to a discussion on what is a blog? Versus is a what?  Linkspot? Anyway this is what happens... your thoughts and ideas morph until you finally get busy with a real project.

So I was thinking last night I would post every Friday but missed again lol so here we are. Now I have a fairly consistent routine mornings and it has changed up over the years. Lately I get up and bake some kale and reheat/bake my yams and sweet potatoes for my reactive starch portion of my breakfast diet/lifestyle. Prepare my mis en place for the days/week eating.

I did my regular exercise routine, Tai Chi, stretches, meditation and Tibetan Rites Yoga. The girls got ready to go to the farmer's market and zumba. We met at the kitchen island and actually had breakfast together,

I was eating krispy kale chips, sweet potato dipped in a sea salt and my daughter was eating a Natures Path Organic Toaster Pastry AKA PT from the big snack company K. A spirited discussion ensued as to the healthy nature of our breakfasts. Mine a Dr. Gundry approved nosh and hers, a sweet tasty breakfast I suppose. lol  At least she thought so and argued that the toasty pastry was organic and the strawberries were in season in Florida. So it met the "healthy" standards test.

So that's today's question. What is healthy eating and how do you know?  When it's around you all day as ads, and suggestions from helpful others. I'll post what I like and my thoughts. Hope you enjoy it.