Monday 26 February 2007

What's Cooking? Recipe Sharing during Lent*


Golpe de Gulat na Ulam Pangpasta
After Fasting Days!

Ingredients (Serves 4)
For the
tomato sauce:
125 ml olive oil
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic, peeled and finely chopped
400 g can chopped Italian tomatoes
3 tbsp basil leaves
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

700 g. bass, haddock or mullet fillets
450 g live mussels
4 pcs. squids
8 large raw prawns
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. freshly chopped basil leaves
3 tbsp. dry white wine
lemon wedges to garnish

1. Preheat oven to 180C ten minutes before cooking.
Heat the olive oil and gently fry the garlic and shallots for
two minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes,
breaking the tomatoes down with the wooden spoon. Add the
parsley and basil, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook
for a further 2 minutes. Reserve and keep warm.

2. Lightly rinse the fish fillets and cut into four portions.
Scrub the mussels thoroughly, removing the beard and any
barnacles from the shells. Discard any mussels that are
open. Clean the squid and cut into rings. Peel the prawns and
remove the thin black intestinal vein that runs down the back.

3. Cut four large pieces of tinfoil, then place them on a large
baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Place one piece portion in the
centre of each piece of tinfoil. Close the tinfoil to form parcels, and
bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then remove.

4. Carefully open up the parcels and add the mussels, squid and
prawns. Pour in the wine and spoon over a little of the tomato
sauce. Sprinkle with the basil leaves and return to the oven and
bake for 5 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly. Discard any
unopened mussels, then garnish with lemon wedges and serve
with the extra tomato sauce.

*The 40 days before Easter when some Christians eat less
food or stop doing something that they enjoy.

Wednesday 21 February 2007

It 's all over on Ash Wednesday





It was a sequence of celebrations, since the start of February
this year: Valentine's Day, Weiberfastnacht, Chinese New
Year, Rosenmontag and the series of birthday parties
of all the February born women of the Eat and Meet
Club. For the birthday parties, much food, less booze.

Pssst, no comment on this tradition, I mean on Fasching
or Carnival. It is sacred to many Germans who are natives
of this Carnival stronghold.
"Hic, hic, hic, that is a joke,
all together now, Tata, tata. Wir lieben das Leben,
und wir haben immer Durst! Viva Colognia!"
One thing I like about this tradition is that one could be away
for years and yet, one does not feel that one has missed
something. Same procedure as every year.
And starting on Ash Wednesday, thank God, we will see again
the familiar seriousness of our seasonal clowns and Jeckens until
November 11 at 11 am.

Wednesday 14 February 2007

Amor Vincit Omnia! Chocolate Conquers All



I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes,
and cinnamon.
Come, let us take our
fill of love
until the morning;
let us solace ourselves
with loves.
Proverbs 7:17-18





Happy Valentine's Day!

So they say the way through a man's heart is through
his stomach.
I say, one of those ways is having a host of friends
who can cook and bake
and prepare love potions.
The cake is lovingly baked by Charito and if
you wish to have a piece of it or the whole
'orgasmic' package, let me know and we
could arrange orders and delivery
plus a lecture on how to have your
love cake and eat it too!

Loving you is easy 'coz your beautiful
Making love with you
Is all I wanna do!
Lalalalala
Lalalalala
La la la la la la la la
Dobbie dobbie duduuu
Aaahhhhhhhhhh!

Sunday 11 February 2007

Break Fast

After 8 days of Heilfasten, I decided to break it yesterday.
My weight: 57,900 on that last fasting day, still heavy for me but
I need to start eating due to planned dinning out with non-fasting
friends.
Weight: 1st 'Build-up'Day: 57,100

To break my fast and start a slow return to my eating
pattern, I consumed the ff:

a) Herbal tea for breakfast
b) One piece of steamed apple, this is my usual fasting breaker,
the first solid food after each fasting program. I took slowly spoonful
by spoonful the soft apple pieces while really enjoying its taste.
c) One pack of instant potato soup with a piece of crispbread for
a late lunch.
Later in the afternoon, I rested with a hot-water bag placed
alternately on my abdomen and buttocks.
Then I took another cup of herbal tea in the evening.
As I was not feeling hungry, I skipped this dinner of potato soup
and just took water instead. I forgot also to drink buttermilk with
linseeds. I soaked two pieces of prunes overnight for breakfast.

Sunday, 2nd 'Build-up' Day
Weight: 57,300
For Breakfast: One small glass of sauerkraut juice or whey, soaked prunes
Mineral Water
For Lunch: Three pieces of boiled potato with green salad dressed in
lime juice, sunflower oil, salt and pepper with chives.
Mineral Water
For Dinner: One glass of butter milk with linseeds and one piece of
crispbread.

It was a bit raining today and I did not feel like taking that long
walk but did some light gymnastics. Was feeling very stable except
for the slight heaviness in my stomach. Spent the afternoon
reading books on Heilfasten and reviewed and noted what I need
for the 3rd 'build-up' day.

For Breakfast: Herbal Tea and muesli (cereals with yoghurt, apples
nuts, soaked raisins, honey and a squeeze of lemon juice)
In between meals: Fruits
Lunch: Fresh vegetable salad, red beets with horseradish and one
piece of boiled potato
In the afternoon: 1 apple and 12 pcs. of wallnuts or hazelnuts
Dinner: Fresh salad of one's choice

After three or five build-up or transition days, one could go back
to normal eating with a renewed promise not to indulge on
honey- roasted nuts and dunkin'doughnuts. May the power be
with me!

Now, partying can start again before Ash Wednesday.

Monday 5 February 2007

In Bavaria, to be thin is to be unCatholic

I got this email from someone from South Germany.

An Madamme: Fasten is sehr ungesund. Als Bayer kann mich nicht
genug davor warnen. Auf bayerischen Dulten (Jahrmärkten) ist
immer wieder die greussliche Moritat von einer Dame zu hören,
die so sehr gefastet hat, dass sie durch das Abflussrohr ihrer
Badewanne gesaugt wurde. Ich habe noch den
Refrain im Ohr. "...ja so dinn war die Leoboldin..."
Im Bayern gilt Dünn-sein als unkatholisch, zwar gibt es zwischen
Faschingu nd Karfreitag eine Fastenzeit, aber da muss man
besonders fette Mehlspeisen wie Dampfnudeln, Buchtin,
Germknödin, aus'zogne Grapfn und natürlich Apfelstrudl,
Kaiserschmarm und Powidldatschgerin unserer
böhmish-österreichischen Nachbarn in großen Mengen verzehren
und dazu das nahrhafte Fastenbier trinken, nur eines darf man beim
Fasten nie: dünn werden!
Damit wünsche ich auch Madamme einen guten Appetit!

Now roughly translated: Fasting is very unhealthy. As a Bavarian,
I should really warn you. In Bavarian Dulten (fair) one hears
about a woman who fasted so radically that she was swallowed
by the drainpipe of her bathtub. I can still hear the refrain: ...
" ja, so thin was Leoboiden.."
In Bavaria, to be thin is to be unCatholic. Indeed, there is
a fasting time between Fasching and Holy Friday and
during this time one must devour especial fatty
farinaceous food like Dampfnudeln, Buchtin, Germknödin, Grapfn
and of course, applestrudel, Kaiserschmarm und Powidldatschgerin
from our Bohemian-Austrian neighbor and drink nutritious fasting beer.
Only one thing is not allowed by fasting: to get thin!

B.

Personal Fasting Note:
4th Fasting Day
Weight: 58,300
Feeling a bit hungry, had enema, did some stretching, but could
not finish even a liter water.

More later.

Sunday 4 February 2007

Personal Tips for Heilfasten or Fasting


I am sharing this fasting tips based on my personal fasting experience which I have been
doing since a decade now. Once or twice a year, normally in February, yes after those Christmas indulgences and jeans won't fit any longer, I plan a five-day Heilfasten which I normally extend up to seven days depending on my mood and invitations to birthday parties.

For beginners, I suggest that you do Heilfasten
when you are not so loaded with heavy work, on weekends or when you really decide to
slow down your socializing life a bit and enjoy some few days of meditative mood, walks, reading, sorting out papers and pure leisure time alone with yourself while your body experiences internal cleansing.

In any day of fasting, you will need:
  • 1 to 2 cups of herbal tea for Breakfast
  • Water in between meals (at least 2 liters per day)
  • 1/4 liter of fruit juice mixed with water for lunch
  • 1 to 2 cups of herbal tea (tasted with honey if you wish)
  • 1/4 liter of vegetable broth
For my vegetable broth, I normally prepare soup consisting of
potatoes, carrots, leeks, celery roots and leaves and cook it for
about 20 minutes. I sift about a bowlful of soup pressing the
solid vegetables and spice it with sea salt, bio- instant vegetable
broth and garnish it with finely chopped parsley.

For the fruit juice portion for dinner or lunch, I use juicer for my
cocktails of mangoes, pineapples, carrots, apples or buy bottled pure
juices from bio-shops.

Personal Note.

2nd Fasting Day: Weight: 59,500 kg.
3rd Fasting Day: Weight: 58,800

I felt a bit weak early this morning and did not have a good sleep.
Dreams were colorful but really chaotic. Was dreaming of these two
boxes "save as draft" and "publish".
Mouth was tasting sticky and tongue getting "chalky".
Did not apply any cream nor use deodorant and body lotion.

More updates later.

Friday 2 February 2007

Start of Heilfasting or Mga Pinay, Gusto ba Ninyong Pumayat?



February 02
Weight: 60.6kg

There are two options left when I can't get into
my jeans: buy new and baggy jeans with long
blouse or start my annual Heilfasting. I decided
for the radical choice. No chocolate, no wine, no
dunkin' doughnuts nor nuts, no solid food for the next five
days. I will begin a week of fasting and that means,
no solid food only tea, lots of water and juices and veggie
soups.

First Fasting Day: Friday

Dissolved 1.5 Tablespoon of Glaubersalz (salt) in half liter
mix of fruit juice and water. Stirred it well and drank the juice.
(Yaks! I know the taste but this is an important step before
one starts with Heilfasting.)

Stayed domestic. Kept running between computer
and john. Read old emails. Chatted with mates.
Warned a chatmate that she is sending me porno links.
She said that must be a virus and I should not open it.

More on Heilfasting:

Each day, one needs to drink 2 liters of water. (I still have to
manage even a liter!) Then one or two cups of tea for breakfast,
1/4 liter of pure fruit juice or vegetable broth either for lunch
or dinner. Better stay at home for the first and second day.
No heavy manual work. (Yehey!) One can blog the whole
day.

I'll keep you posted.

Pinay von Alemania

I saw Mommy Chewing Santa Claus





Remember the delicious looking Santa Claus I posted
last December 06 ?
See the photos.
Will wait for the new gift in December.