Extra Virgin Lactose Blues

The only cheese around here is in my jokes.
We learned, after much suspicion, that my editor has stopped producing sufficient lactase enzymes in his GI tract. We believe it's a direct result of the round of broad spectrum antiobiotics he took during a tooth infection a few months back. Since then, his gut hasn't felt the same. And now we found the culprit. Dairy. Specifically milk. More specifically a full glass 30 minutes before bed. It's a sad day for a hubby that loves creamy dishes, white sauces, and a glass of milk to cap the day. We're believing in full restoration of all enzymes and gut flora. But until then, we're singing the lactose blues.

What are we cooking instead? 

Spicy Hummus

adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe
1 (14.5 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained or 1 3/4 c. cooked garbanzo beans
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 t. crushed pepper flakes

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. ground coriander

3 cloves garlic, finely crushed
1/2 tsp Sea Salt, to taste

1 1/2 TB lemon juice, fresh

Blend all ingredients in a food processor on the highest speed until creamy.
On spices: I like to use a coffee grinder (nutribullet) to blend the whole spices. It makes the house smell like an exotic spice jungle. coriander swinging from the trees.
On tahini: I have learned that this ingredient that traditional hummus recipes call for isn't necessary. Adding a little extra olive oil keeps the creaminess and flavor, without breaking the bank on this pricey sesame seed paste.
On Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO): I tend to cook with standard, refined Olive Oil since it tolerates a higher flash point. Heat destroys the flavor in EVOO and renders the higher price tag pointless. But when there is no heat in a dish, such as a salad dressing, drizzled over veggies, or this Hummus recipe, I stick with the Extra Virgin counterpart.

Speaking of EVOO...I learned a disturbing fact months ago about quality and authenticity issues pertaining to our favored oil friend. It turns out that our 'Extra Virgin' has lost its virginity, started hanging out with the wrong crowd, picked up some bad habits, and hit the streets - and the label on its bottle didn't even see it coming. Tom Mueller is one of the beacons shining a light on the subject in a book he published. He states some olive oils are actually cocktails of soybean, sunflower seed and other oils, colored with chlorophyll and flavored with beta carotene to produce an 'extra virgin' olive oil counterfeit. After hundreds of independent tests done within the last decade, they've noticed minimal improvement in the authenticity of imported olive oils that claim to be extra virgin. Something around the ballpark of 70% of imports (mostly from Italy and some from Spain and Portugal) are considered fake. I now buy my olive oil from local or California grown olive farmers. Some states have even gone so far as to seal the real deal with a certified label to convince consumers that their innocent Extra Virgin Olive hasn't been tainted by a rough crowd.
Sprouts sells one that is good enough for my pocket book. 

Ironing Wars

I love garage sales. When we bought our house, the first thing I did was scout the neighborhoods for sales to find everything. I came to Houston with only a Honda Fit's worth of stuff and needed everything, with the exception of a Jack Lalanne Juicer and NutriBullet. I like pulverizing food.
People's refuse and defunct valuables crack me up. I am amazed at what you can find, and what some people will actually buy! Broken furniture, a broken bucket, old playboy magazines, calendars from 10 years ago, orphaned dish sets, the list goes on. I once bargained with a guy over a rusty, beat-up, ironing board. He wanted $7. I offered $5. He shook his head 'no' and wouldn't take it. As I walked away, he stopped me and offered it to me for free, explaining he's "got quite a few already, so what the heck". "What the heck" is right.
$7 or Free. Those are interesting options.
And I'm curious why a person would collect ironing boards. Lot's of business meetings and too many shirts to iron? Maybe they hold smart-business-attire ironing contests during the evening to pass the time; I imagine them grabbing the stop watches, assuming their positions perched over blouses and blazers with hot iron in hand. Some chose to steam, some take the conservative approach and keep it high and dry. Some carry disadvantages like astigmatism, being a lefty, or having attention deficiencies. Others have years of experience training in different parts of the county, even having unique mastery of hotel ironing. But the judging is simple: speed, technique, and final product wearability.

Final wrinkle tally: 24 - 3 - 7. Betty is in the lead. Ooooh she ironed the Lycra! 2 point penalty.


Lately, I've been working weekends and really miss my drives through the neighborhoods. A few months ago I had a Saturday off and decided to visit my brother who lives 5 minutes away. On the way out of our subdivision, the streets lit up with yellow and orange and green hand written signs with arrows pointing in every direction. I had forgotten about my favorite past time. game on!

Stormie Omartian books on CD. Lot's of them. and other Christian books...hmmm let's see here. This gal must be a Christian. Sure enough she was. And we swapped phone numbers and quickly became friends. The funny thing is. Those books on CD continue to bless me. I've been listening here and there - and I felt the Lord speaking directly to me through these chapters. Start Writing. Stop being chicken. Do it.

By the way - there is a great education in listening to books on CD. First off - I never knew how to pronounce Stormie Omartian's name. I thought of martian, like Marvin the martian. The 't' happens to be strong. Second, I can sit in traffic and read and learn and be fed. Keeps me calm and relaxed while I'm moving 2 inches every 3 minutes. Houston traffic can test the fruit of the Spirit.