My sister in law raved about a new salad dressing she’d found, feta dill Litehouse dressing. Of course, my small town grocery store didn’t carry it. I improvised and it turned out extremely good. All measurements are approximate, as I’m a pinch-of-this, pinch-of-that kind of cook:

3/4 c plain yogurt
3/4 c mayonnaise (not miracle whip)
3/4 c crumbled feta cheese
1 minced large garlic clove
1 tbsp dried dill weed or 2 tbsp minced fresh dill
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

Mix and let sit 1/2 hr before serving. Works as a dip or salad dressing. I tossed with butter lettuce, cucumbers, red peppers and grape tomatoes; a true Greek salad would include Kalamata olives too.

I have a love/hate relationship with coffee.

On one hand, I love the beverage… it’s required, I live in the Seattle area. My favorite drinks are a breve cappucino in winter, or a doppio (double shot) over ice with a splash of half and half in the summer. My favorite home-brewed coffee is a medium roast pure Kona, preferably in a French Press. I also prefer my coffee fairly strong and dark, not even a little bit transparent!

I’m not a sweet coffee person, and I don’t care for flavored syrups, sugar free or not. Frappucinos and other blended coffee drinks are not coffee, they’re milkshakes. I do always like my coffee white, with half and half or whole milk, but flavored or unflavored creamers (coffee mate) whether liquid or powdered are evil in both flavor and nutritional content.

My doc (she’s an MD/naturopath) suspected that my very moderate caffeine intake (1-2 c/day) was exacerbating my migraines. She was right. After getting through the pain of withdrawal headaches, I felt a lot better. (She’s a good doc, prevention-oriented, also very supportive of my adventures in low carb.)

On the plus side, I read recently that there is a correlation between coffee drinking and reduced cholesterol levels in the blood. My cholesterol levels are not awful, but neither are they optimal, so this is interesting information.

Nonetheless, I prefer no migraines to any longer-term cholesterol-reducing impact, so I try to stay decaffeinated as much as possible. Decaffeinated coffee isn’t all that great, not really worth the fuss of making it, although I’ve found a swiss water process organic that’s drinkable.

One interesting consumer phenomenon in the Seattle area is Starbucks backlash. Many coffee drinkers avoid the ubiquitous Starbucks – on every corner! – in favor of local, independent coffee shops. I think it’s both an anti-chain business mentality and a quality issue. Starbucks’ espresso-making process is consistent. Their coffee, either espresso or drip, just is not nearly as good as some local shops; it’s harsh, bitter and sour. I’ve done a walking taste test through Pioneer Square and downtown, and Grand Central Bakery, Caffe D’Arte and Dilettante all have better brew. ☺

In Anchorage, it’s Kaladi Brothers’ coffee, hands down. Both their espresso and their very freshly roasted beans for sale are excellent. Driving by their Brayton Drive store when they are roasting just about makes me drool.

Have you ever heard of the coffee test? From Bob Sutton’s book, The No Asshole Rule:

The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the asshole. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a “decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n’-Low and one NutraSweet,” ooh, you’re a huge asshole.

I admit that I still do indulge in a real, full-caffeine cup every now and then. It’s usually a fairly simple & straightforward order (I must be a nice person) and from a caffeine perspective, I try not to make it a habit.

According to my girth, I should be a 90 foot redwood! ~ Erma Bombeck

Some recent not-so-great medical news in the extended family has served as a wake-up call for me.

I’m quite tall, big-boned and broad shouldered - the word statuesque seems a somewhat inadequate description. I also naturally tend to overweight, and compound the problem with bad eating habits and a very sedentary lifestyle.

A few years ago, I lost a lot of weight (about 85 lbs) by eating very low-carb and exercising like a madwoman. I made progress until I hurt myself by exercising over-zealously – then I ended up drifting back into my old, bad habits. I slowly gained 2/3 of what I’d lost back.

Well, after hearing about others’ medical risks, and taking a good long look in the mirror (scary!) I’m refocusing on getting healthy.

I’ve returned to a controlled carb (and controlled portion) eating plan – I’m taking sort of a South Beach diet approach, controlling carbs less-strictly and watching saturated fats, which I think is more sustainable in the long run than ultra low carb. I’ve started alternating walking and doing yoga as well. In the past month my jeans have gone from tight to pretty loose, which is encouraging. I have plenty of clothes in the next couple sizes down, unfortunately!

Last time I lost weight, I was pretty obsessed with counting carbs & calories, weigh-ins and inch loss. (Have I mentioned I’m slightly OCD?) This time around, I’m seeking that sustainable, balanced approach and avoiding scales & measuring tapes. My goal is just eating healthier and exercising more – and increased fitness level, gradual clothing size change and better medical test results should tell the tale.

I am such a foodie, I’m applying that approach to this eating plan as well; hopefully, no one will get bored. We will still tend to eat organic & fresh, rather than processed, and continue to avoid additives like MSG and sodium nitrite. (Tonight’s dinner: grilled halibut w/ herb butter, roasted red/yellow peppers, spinach & strawberry salad w/ balsamic vinaigrette)

This isn’t a diet blog – and won’t become one. How boring would that be? I just wanted to let folks know what is going on – this is pretty serious for me.

No, not PJs… fruit preserves! Janiece the kitchen magician sent me a jar of her blackberry jam. I relaxed my South Beach-style eating plan to try some on a little bagel and it is awesome. The boys are going to have to moderate their jam intake and leave me some.

Thanks, Janiece, I really appreciate the thoughtfulness and care that went into the package!

I have no other interesting news, I had a migraine this afternoon, and spent time medicated in a dark room. It’s better now, thank goodness!

Tonight I experimented & created a recipe that turned out really good.

We are trying to eat more fish and the grocery store was selling fresh filets of sole really inexpensively. When I got it home, I realized I had no idea how to cook sole.

Cooks Illustrated and Food Network seemed to like sole meuniere – dredged in flour, fried in butter, and drizzled with brown butter & lemon. It seems to me that counteracts any intrinsic healthy qualities of the fish! Plus, I hate the mess that dredging in flour makes.

So, I decided to make the fish more yummy (and less healthy) my way. This would probably work with any similar type of fish. All quantities are approximate – I’m a handful-of-this, pinch-of-that cook.

Crab and Spinach Stuffed Sole

Stuffing
1 6 oz can lump crab meat
4 green onions, minced
2 tbsp grated parmesan
½ c chopped fresh spinach
½ c cooked rice – we keep a little cooked brown rice in the freezer, it breaks down for stuffing nicely
¼ c light mayo
½ - 1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp lemon juice

Fish
8 (+/-) skinless sole filets (mine were also very thin, about ¼”)
Butter
Salt & pepper

Mix stuffing ingredients together in medium mixing bowl until well blended. Mixture should be a little on the dry side but hold together.

Lightly grease glass sheet cake pan or other glass baking dish with butter. Pat sole filets dry, sprinkle with salt & pepper. Lay half of the filets in the baking dish; fish will shrink so it’s ok to crowd it. Spoon filling onto fish in pan, spread carefully, then top with the remaining filets. Melt a couple tablespoons of butter in microwave, and brush over top of fish.

Bake in 400° oven for 20 minutes, adjusting time for thickness of fish – it should flake, but not be dry and overdone.

Enjoy!