Really Random Tuesday #66: A Good Dinner and a Book Winner

Was Virginia Woolf a foodie?  Ahead of her time in many ways, she wrote about the importance of giving women more equality, and was one of the first modern writers to write about food. Virginia Woolf defied the conventions of the time, and described the "soles and partridges and potatoes", the food served at a luncheon, in A Room of One's Own.  At the very least, she appreciated the benefits of eating well, of "a good dinner".

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."

~Virginia Woolf

Do you think Virginia Woolf would be a vegetarian, or even a vegan, if she lived in the present day? I  think maybe she would be.

Even if you're not vegetarian, the dish below is quick and easy to make.  I think it would've pleased discerning Virginia Woolf.

~ Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes ~

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.   - See more at: http://quotationsbook.com/quote/15338/#sthash.d80REBHP.dpuf

It's been ages since I last cooked with sun-dried tomatoes!  I used to buy them quite often.  When my friend, Diane, mentioned them to me recently, I recalled their intense flavor, and decided to make them the focus in a vegetarian pasta dish.  Diane combined sun-dried tomatoes with cappellini, or angel hair pasta, which sounded very good to me.  Since I didn't have much cappellini on hand, I decided to use vegetable radiatore from Trader Joe's, as I had a full package.  Created in the 1960s by an industrial designer, radiatori are little pasta shapes that resemble radiators. (They do remind me of the hissing radiators from my childhood, whose sounds at night were oddly reassuring.)

Ingredients:

8 ounces of pasta, such as cappellini or radiatore

1 - 2  tablespoons of olive oil

2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes

4 or 5 white mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup of water (or red wine)

Oregano or basil to taste

Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions: 
In a small pan, cook two cloves of minced garlic in about a tablespoon and a half of olive oil for a couple of minutes, then add the sliced mushrooms, an ounce or so of sun-dried tomatoes (which need to soak beforehand in warm water for 15 minutes), about 1/4 cup of water (or red wine), and generous sprinkles of oregano.  Of course, you could also use basil instead of or in addition to the oregano, and add pepper, too, if desired.  (I have a lot of organic oregano right now from my garden so I used that.)  Cook for about 25 minutes over a low flame on the stovetop, stirring occasionally.  While this mixture is cooking, cook the pasta according to directions on package, for about 10 minutes, then drain in a colander.  I used about 2/3 of a 12 ounce package of pasta to make two generous servings. This recipe can be easily adjusted to make more servings.

Toss the pasta with the sun-dried tomato mixture, and top with shredded and/or grated Parmesan cheese (unless you are vegan).  A fresh garden salad goes well with this dish.

Pasta with Sun-dried Tomatoes

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The randomly chosen winner of Margaret Fuller: A New American Life by Megan Marshall is Carol N. Wong.  Congratulations, Carol!   I think you'll enjoy this biography about Margaret Fuller, who influenced and inspired others, including Virginia Woolf.  

Thanks to everyone who participated in this book giveaway.  I have other giveaways listed on the right side of my blog for those of you interested in winning other books.  Please take a look!

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Appearing on random Tuesdays, Really Random Tuesday is a way to post odds and ends--announcements, musings, quotes, photos--any blogging and book-related matters you can think of.  If you have miscellaneous book news to gather up and are inspired by this idea, "grab" the button for use on your own blog, then add your link to the "master" Mister Linky on the Really Random Tuesday page. 

Happy Tuesday!  I welcome your participation in this meme, and your comments.

(Portrait of Virginia Woolf by Roger Fry, c. 1917, courtesy of Wikipedia.)

7 Years Younger: Review and Giveaway, plus a $25,000 Spa Trip Sweepstakes!

Let's face it, ladies!  As women we want to look and feel young for as long as possible.  7 Years Younger: The Revolutionary 7-Week Anti-Aging Plan by the editors* of Good Housekeeping magazine addresses all of the topics vital to our health and appearance: skin, makeup, hair, diet, fitness, brain health, stress reduction, and maintaining a healthy weight.  Many of the ideas presented in the book reinforce what I already know and have been doing.  Yay!  However, I'm learning and picking up more tips, tidbits, and "tricks" as I read, so hopefully I'll look and feel younger soon. 

7 Years Younger is positive, upbeat, and inspiring.  It features a practical, "commonsense" approach to health that appeals to me.  Personally, I can't stand the all or nothing mentality when it comes to health and fitness, that requires you to be extreme and overly-regimented  in your diet and exercise program.

Move it or lose it!  I'm talking about exercise, of course--and I'll try not to get too preachy!  The book advises us to find an activity that we love; it could be playing tennis or Zumba or dancing or yoga or walking your dog, but the point is get up and do something that you enjoy doing on a regular basis (because frankly, if you don't enjoy it, you won't do it for very long).  For me, it's Spin classes right now, because the music gets me pumped up; after a while, it feels as if I'm dancing at a party or a club, and it stimulates my creativity in various directions.  I am also big on walking, although it's often hard to "schedule" walks.  So, I try to walk whenever I can, if only for short distances.  As the book points out, you can take shorter (but more frequent) walks if need be--it adds up!  Take the stairs, walk a bit farther from your car to the shop, take "little" walks.  You don't have to go to the gym five times a week, which is inconvenient for most of us.  (And why go to the gym and then come home and sit in front of the TV or computer screen, immobile for hours?  Do some chores around the house: take out the trash, put stuff away, move around, pitch in; not only will your spouse or significant other appreciate your efforts, but you'll get those pesky chores done and reap other benefits as well--a neater home and a more fit and streamlined physique).  In a nutshell, find a joyful "workout", and try to naturally incorporate more activity into your life.

There is ample nutritional advice in this book, too.  I do see "food as medicine", and the book motivates me to continue to eat foods that are nourishing (although I'm not perfect, I usually do make good food choices).  One quick example from the book: prepare a big spinach salad as part of your lunch with two cups of greens, with sliced tomatoes, red peppers, and mushrooms.  Coincidentally, I've  been making similar salads many times a week for the past several months if not longer (to accompany dinner, using mostly organic ingredients), with baby spinach leaves and all kinds of good incredible stuff, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, olives, sesame seeds, and whatever else we have.  I love the salads I make (sorry if that sounds boastful but they are fresh and fabulous!).  I started to use spinach as my main green after having a terrific salad at Applebee's for lunch one day (prior to that I usually used romaine lettuce, which I also love).

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia

I was happy to read about other foods that I consume that are good for me, such as coffee, tea, and dark chocolate.  I always feel good when I read about the health benefits of foods I already love!  According to the book, coffee has "anti-aging virtues" and may lower the risk of certain diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, melanoma, and Parkinson's, whereas drinking tea may lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, strengthen the immune system, fight cancer, protect tooth enamel, and help fight memory loss. (Wow! Time for some more coffee!  Later, I'll drink my "health tea"!)  Dark chocolate helps arteries function better, lowers bad LDL cholestrol and blood pressure, and improves blood flow to the skin and brain--all the more reason to indulge in this delicious, "decadent" treat! The book calls beans and lentils "protein powerhouses" and "nutritional fountains of youth".  (Okay, I promise I'll eat more beans and lentils!)  Fruits and vegetables, which I love and eat in abundance, are among the foods richest in antioxidants.  The book includes "age-delaying" recipes near the back which sound delicious, healthy, and easy-to-make,  such as Chicken Bruschetta, Shrimp and Spicy Tomatoes, and Turkey and White Bean Chili.  Yum! There's a wealth of nutritional information in this book, and it entices you to make the best possible food choices.  The outside reflects the inside, and what you eat is crucial to your health and appearance.  Simply put, you are what you eat, health and beauty wise.

I love books like this!  7 Years Younger is a pleasure to read, full of ideas, hope, and inspiration.  It's written in a friendly, down-to-earth manner, which is not overly scientific (although nutritional analyses for every single recipe and snack is provided in the appendix).  The book features the stories and photographs of ten real women who have taken the pledge, and you can sign your own "7 Years Younger Pledge" at the beginning of the book, and commit to the goal to look and feel your best by following the program in this book, which takes about two months, and which is thankfully about setting realistic and reachable personal goals.  I believe that health and beauty go hand in hand, from the inside out.  If you eat well, exercise, and get enough rest,  you will be healthier and look better and younger.  7 Years Younger is a valuable resource book for women of all ages.

7 Years Younger will be available to the general public early next year.  But, thanks to Bostick Communications and the editors of Good Housekeeping, I have an extra copy to give away to one reader.  If this sounds like a book you'd enjoy reading, enter my giveaway today (U.S. only)!

• To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.
• For one more chance, share a health or beauty tip in your comment.

Enter by 5 PM PST on Monday, December 17.  One winner will be selected randomly and announced on Tuesday, December 18.

BUT THERE'S MORE--A FANTASTIC  SWEEPSTAKES FOR A SPA TRIP WORTH $25,000!  

To enter the sweepstakes, click here.  Good luck! 

* Executive editor Jennifer Cook, and other editors and directors 

Summer Picnics

Dieters beware! If these descriptions from the book don't put you in the mood for a summer picnic, nothing will:

"The summer picnic gave the ladies a chance to show off their baking hands. On the barbecue pit, chickens and spareribs spattered in their own fat and a sauce whose recipe was guarded in the family like a scandalous affair. However, in the ecumenical light of the summer picnic every true baking artist could reveal her prize to the delight and criticism of the town. Orange sponge cakes and dark brown mounds dripping Hershey's chocolate stood layer to layer with ice-white coconuts and light brown caramels. Pound cakes sagged with their buttery weight and small children could no more resist licking the icings than their mother could avoid slapping the sticky fingers."
~I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou

Mouthwatering, yes? I imagine the array of food, and am ready to take part in the feast. The ritual of the summer picnic described in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is full of food, full of fun, full of life.

Here's one of my favorite recipes for ice cream pie to take to a picnic or potluck on a summer day, ready in minutes!

1. Fill a Keebler ready-made cookie crumb crust, any variety, with softened ice cream, any flavor. The good thing about using the ready-made Keebler crust is that it comes with a tin and a cover for the pie.
   
2. Top with whipped light cream, and chocolate shavings, if desired.
   
3. Cover and place in freezer; remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving.