It wasn’t until after I moved to Orlando that I realized just how good I had it when I was living in NYC. No one can beat our bagels and pizza! I only recently learned that the secret is in the water! Despite the cold, I’m looking forward to heading back up the NYC for the holidays so that I can see my family and friends, and so I can eat really good bagels and pizza again! I’m thankful that I get to go up north frequently to enjoy my favorite carb delights!
Well, it seems that I may have to really eat up on this next trip because Senior Mining Analyst Dusty Horwitt testified before the New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection on proposed natural gas drilling in the New York City watershed. Mining companies want to use a process called hydraulic fracturing, which involves injecting water laced with toxic chemicals into the ground. The technique threatens environmental health and the safety of public drinking water and has aroused opposition from, among others, New York pizza and bagel makers who depend on the purity of the famed New York City water for their high-quality pies and bagels.
For the full story, check out http://www.ewg.org/node/27441.
Okay, as often happens around the holidays, life has gotten crazy and I haven’t been able to keep up with the daily postings, but always have at least one thing that I’m thankful each day in my head (it's often food since I love to eat, but not always!). Today, I’ve got a triple whammy -- I am super thankful for chickpeas, yogurt, and soybeans!
Ever since I discovered hummus in college (what a deprived childhood!), I’ve been hooked! Now that I have a mini food processor, I can make it myself and control how much olive oil, tahini, salt, and garlic go into it! (Lots of garlic please!) That was the only way I ate chickpeas for years, but it recently hit me that there are so many more uses! I always have a few cans of chickpeas in my pantry now. I like to use them in my salads or in my slow cooker chili recipe. Yay for chickpeas!
Many of you know that I have yogurt (usually 0% Fage Greek yogurt) nearly every day for breakfast from the recipe I shared a few months ago (if you missed it, you can read it here). I also started using it as a cream cheese replacement by spreading a thin layer on whole grain toast with fruit preserves from the farmers market. It’s so good – like a bagel with cream cheese and jam! I’ve also made a yummy fruit and veggie dip by mixing yogurt with an apricot fruited horseradish concoction called Nip ‘N Tang. I’ve been serving it at parties and folks just eat it all up! I sure love yogurt!
And lastly, now that we are trying to stick with our Meatless Monday schedule, soybeans really help trick E into thinking he’s getting something “meaty.” We’ve always had a tofu-rich diet, but I’ve added soy burgers and soy crumbles to the mix. Soy crumbles can be found in the frozen section of the grocery store and is convenient to have on hand because you just toss some into pasta sauce, omelets, or in chili without even thawing. Thank goodness for soybeans!