The authors notes are particularly interesting, although I did choose to leave out the citric acid. I didn’t have fresh, so I started with dry figs that were soaked over night in apple-pectin water:

I add a little salt and bay leaves to this recipe to make it a little more complex. It is still sweet enough for a breakfast spread, but the herbal note from the bay lets this jam come into the dinner menu, too. The citric acid adds a little zing to the jam, and it helps preserve it, too. You can find it online or through beer brewing shops. Makes 3 pints. It should last at least a year.

This makes a loose jam. The skins of the figs tend to stay the same size no matter how long you cook them, so be mindful when you are chopping — you don’t want big hunks of fig skin in the jam when you’re trying to spread it on toast, do you?

• 4 pounds figs
• Zest and juice of two lemons, washed in warm-soapy water to remove any wax
• 1 tsp. citric acid (optional – I omitted)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 4 cups sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup port or sherry

1. Zest and juice the lemons and set aside. Chop the figs roughly into small pieces. Add the bay leaves, salt, sugar, citric acid, lemon juice and zest,  plus half a cup of port to the figs and mix well. Let stand at room temperature, covered, for one to two hours (I started this in the morning before I had breakfast and then prepared my jars).
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and let this cook down for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring often.
3. When the jam is done, turn off the heat, wait for it to stop simmering and then stir in the rest of the port. Remove the bay leaves.
4. Pour the fig jam into sterilized pint jars and seal. Post process in boiling water for 10 minutes (as per Benardin’s fig jam recipe).

A few additional points about cooking with figs from About.com:

• Figs produce protein-digesting enzymes that break down muscle and connective tissue in meat, making them an excellent tenderizer as well as flavor-enhancer.
• Dried figs can be used interchangably with prunes, dried apricots, and dates in most recipes.
• When chopping dried figs by hand with knife or scissors, dip cutting implement into warm water occasionally to prevent sticking.
• When chopping in a food processor, add some of the sugar called for in the recipe to prevent fruit from sticking.

For future reference, I bought 1lb of figs and I had enough to count out 36 figs (approx equivalent to 4 lb fresh figs that are required for most long boil recipes) and the remaining 500g of dried figs was for the Benardin pectin-jam. These are the conversions I used as a guide:

1 pound fresh figs = 9 medium or 12 small = 2-2/3 cups chopped
1 pound dried figs = 44 whole figs = 3 cups chopped

• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 Tbs light soy
• 1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
• ¼ tsp cayenne
• 2 Tbs tamarind paste
• 1 Tbs natural peanut butter
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped (or you could use roasted if you had cooked a bulb with your chicken)
• 1 bag of frozen asian medly veggies (I love the kind with the baby corn cobs)
• 1 cup of cooked chicken, shredded or diced
• 2 Tbs peanuts
• rice noodles

1. Combine the lime and other savoury sauces. Mix in the PB until smooth. Add the noodles to hot water and let soak according to the package.
2. Heat 1 Tbs canola oil, add the garlic and vegetables; stir-fry on high heat for 1-2 minutes. In the meantime, slightly warm the chicken in a microwave. Add to the skillet and cook 2 minutes more. Add the sauce and noodles. Stir well.
3. Garnish with peanuts and serve with a side of slaw. Serves 4 (1½ cup portions).

You already know the recipe for beer-can chicken » We made it in the oven along with roasted root vegetables, a la Jamie Oliver. We used sweet potato, carrots and parsnips with a red onion and garlic. To the gravy I added sauteed mushrooms.

Scatter the [par-boiled] potatoes with the rosemary, half the garlic cloves [¼ bulb], a drizzle of oil, and season with salt and pepper, then spread them out evenly in a roasting tray. Toss the carrots with the [1 Tbs] honey, a lug of oil and season well with salt and pepper, then add them to the tray, spooning over any remaining juices. Toss the beetroot with a lug of balsamic and oil, and season well with salt and pepper, then add them to the tray too. Scatter over the remaining garlic cloves and roast all the veg in the hot oven [350-400F] for about 20 to 30 minutes, giving them a jiggle every so often, or until everything is crispy, golden and delicious. Keep and eye on them and rotate the tray for even cooking. – Jamie Oliver, Amazing roast veg

This should be enough for 4 servings (two dinners for two). Steve usually has the legs, I have the chicken breasts and the left overs that we take from the bones are set aside for a another recipe (days three and four of this week). This week I am making Pad Thai (stay tuned for the recipe).

Remember: don’t forget to save your bones. I toss mine in a freezer bag until it’s mostly full and then boil up some homemade stock that I  can (or freeze) for future use.  The best days to make soup are when the house is just a bit too chili and being in the kitchen with the stove keeps your bones warm, lol!

I made this soup tonight. It’s is SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. In stead of pears, I used apples, diced them and tossed them in cinnamon and roasted them with the squash. I also roasted the garlic. I didn’t have onion, but next time I will roast that with the rest of them, thus resulting in less time that the soup needs to actually simmer. I didn’t measure the curry, but probably used at least 4 tbsp, instead of just one. I also didn’t have real ginger so I used about 2 tsp of ginger powder. Instead of half and half, I used fat free evaporated milk, but after reading some of the reviews, next time I might use yogurt or coconut milk. I think I will also add a bit of nutmeg and cloves to the pot too.  Give it a try, it’s sooooo yummy!!!!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/curried-butternut-squash-and-pear-soup/detail.aspx

This is a Jamie Oliver, similar to his Food Revolution except I’m going to pan fry mine on the stove top in a glug of olive oil and its a fillet (skin on). Start with a non-stick frying pan on med-high heat. Cook skin side down for 3 minutes or until crisp. When they are looking mostly cooked through, flip and cook for about 30 seconds on the other side to finish it off.

Squeeze with lemon wedges. The skin is crispy and okay to eat (if you’d like). I’m serving this with Jamie Oliver’s steamed broccoli drizzled with an asian inspired dressing (minced ginger, garlic, sesame oil, olive oil, lime, olive oil and balsamic vinegar).

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1485

I have a fridge weekly calendar with four columns (from the $1 Store): days of the week, lunch, dinner, notes. I work systematically through the week, starting with my work calendar so I know if I have any working-lunches or get togethers and then evening commitments. Then, I check with my hubby to see if he has any other known events or food preferences for the week. For example, this week he’s having pasta every night because he needs to gain some weight and I’m having fish with steamed broccoli for the first two days, and smoked salmon with a beet salad  for the remainder of the week.

Steve has baked chicken over a mixed rice packet and a deli sandwich for lunch on 4 days/wk and a sub on Friday after the gym. He packs and apple and granola bar, homemade oatmeal muffin and glass of milk as snacks. It’s very predictable so the only choice factor is the rice flavour.

For myself, the stressful part can be finding the meals and snacks. I aim for a fresh fruit (a mixture throughout the week), 2 light laughing cow cheese wedges and  ½oz of almonds for the morning, and a rotating variety in the afternoons (greek yogurt with jam and Ezekiel cereal; greek-yogurt hummus with lentil chips; ) and I pack a Kashi granola bar for emergency incase I am hungry at the end of the work day (because there is nothing worse than coming home hungry and opening the fridge or pantry).

Lunch varies from salads to reheated servings from a casserole. This week I’m having chicken pot pie and a side of cucumber/tomato salad. The week before last, it was black bean/corn salsa with cooked chicken. Dinners are completely varied but the main consideration is the serving size and activities during the week so nothing goes to waste.

We keep a running list of household things we need (TP, shampoo, etc) and then we do a once-over on Sunday morning for the basics (eggs, # milk bags, oatmeal) and snack items (yogurt, granola bars, # fruits). Then I write out the recipe book/page # and all the ingredients I’ll need to get. That way when I get home I know what goes with what. My favourite cookbooks right now are: Jamie Oliver’s Meals in Minutes & Food Revolution, Meg Galvin’s Sparkpeople Cookbook, and Anne Lyndsey’s The Ultimate Low-fat Mexican Cookbook. I am also a regular user of Sparkpeople Recipes (online).

When we get home, the routine is simple. #1 Wash our hands. #2 put away dairy and meats. #3 wash all fruit & veg, dry and put away. #4 put away non-perishables. #5 set aside any reusable bags that need to get washed and fold the rest for storage (we use a large back to store the others). #6 happy cooking!

1 whole wheat tortilla
½ can of strained diced tomatoes
2 to 3 handfulls of low-fat goat cheese crumbles
2 chopped artichokes (or your favorite vegetable)
1 onion, sliced and caramelized
Oregano, garlic, basil and rosemary to taste

Directions

Cut up your favorite vegetables; in this recipe I used slice artichokes and caramelized onions. Spread out the diced tomatoes and low-fat cheese crumbles on the tortilla. Add the vegetables. Finally, sprinkle the pizza with fresh herbs and garlic, to taste. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350° F, or until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy.

The premise of the article is about decision making and how “it’s usually the feeling of being powerless that really gets those stress hormones flowing. A key to staying in control is using “I” statements.” The article goes on to suggest that you study your decisions over the course of a week, writing down what you did and/or the basis of a decision, and then go back over the language you chose. These are the examples that struck me because I hear them so often, from myself or my family, sometimes friends and colleagues. It is common language to describe an event but he really spells out the truth of what happened vs how you felt. By making it your responsibility, an issue can be resolved with actionable steps that you can take rather than fretting or regretting a decision:

Go back through the words you wrote, changing any passive verbs to active verbs (“My lunches are packed by my husband” becomes “I let my husband pack my lunches”) and replacing any external forces with “I” statements (“It was too cold to walk outside today” becomes “I decided I didn’t want to walk in the cold today”). Once you have done this, go through your problem statement again and see what solutions come to mind. – By Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert

I highly recommend reading the article »

Steve gave it the “make again” stamp of approval. He described it as almost like eating loaded garlic bread. He was also impressed with the presentability (i.e. good for guests).

Servings Per Recipe: 4; Amount Per Servings: 332.2 Calories

• package Crescent Rolls, reduced fat
• 1 chicken breast (cooked), diced
• 1 broccoli head, florets separated
• 1 med red pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup red onion, minced
• 2 Tbs Greek Yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• .25 grated parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbs slivered almonds

Tips:
This will taste great with asparagus or spinach with goat cheese/feta instead of broccoli & parmesan.
- Substitute dill or basil as the spices to change the flavours.
- Penny-cut the broccoli stalk and freeze for soup.
- You could  create a square-base with braided top instead of a ring and cook it on a baking tray (using a silicon mat or parchment paper). Arrange all the triangles into a rectangle, fill the middle 1/3 and then cut the outer thirds into horizontal strips. Twist and lay across towards the centre for a similar effect.

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Sprinkle stone pizza dish with 1Tbs cornmeal. Unroll crescent rolls and arrange triangles overlapping in a circle, then roll or press the dough slightly to bind.
3. Combine greek yogurt, garlic, cheese, and spices. Spread evenly on the ring and sprinkle with almonds. Prepare chicken and vegetables. Arrange on the ring.
4. Fold over the edges of the triangles to partially cover the mixture. Bake until golden brown (about 25-30 minutes).

Final thoughts: my “spark” started with a chapter preview of the e-book and when it went on sale, I bought it. In fact, I read through it so quickly and took so many notes, I decided to buy a hard copy. Well, low and behold, the latest edition had come out (which is the e-copy I bought) so the previous version was in the bargain section for only $5.99 (regularly $20.95). I bought two copies – one for me and one to loan!