I have had a problem with my newsletter and will need some time to figure it out. Be patient with me.
Welcome to our home in Washington, Maine. In our neck of the woods, we are settling into October with blue skies, changing colors, and cooler temperatures
Finally, the leaves are changing and it is cool enough for fall clothes and food. Though hardly anyone I’ve talked to is complaining about the balmy 70-degree weather, untypical for October in Maine. We have not yet had frost. This morning I am listening to rain pounding on our roof and skylights, writing this letter. We haven’t had much rain lately, so this is a real treat. I hate when it rains during the night and I miss it. I hope you are enjoying some fall weather wherever you are. I’d love to see your pictures of October if you want to attach them in an email to me at Empowermepeople@jfeldeisen
In writing this week
I have begun to put some old stories about my daily piano practice on Medium. I started a series called Daily Practice in 2017. When Medium canceled their Series feature this material was taken to their archives. I have made it all into three stories you can access here.
https://link.medium.com/Gdu6wRGMokb
https://link.medium.com/xFaex0JMokb
https://link.medium.com/MaXI2sLMokb
Now I’m going to continue the series in story form, hopefully, several times a week.
5 Habits that interfere with our happiness
https://link.medium.com/Rv0LJ0QMokb
Gratitude for sunny orange days
Cooking this week
Several of you have asked questions about the potassium restriction in my husband’s diet. It is important to know that potassium is a nutrient vital to the functioning of our bodies. And it is contained in fruits and vegetables, beans and dairy products, olives and avocados–all kinds of healthy foods. Because his kidneys are impaired, my husband has to have enough but not too much of it, which makes for tricky menu planning. The blood test is Monday so we’ll see if our efforts have been successful.
The Recipe of the Week –Greek Seasoned Vegetable Stir Fry
I invented this recipe this week when I wanted to use up some leftover stuffed vegetable filling as well as a few lingering vegetables from the garden. You can make the meat and rice filling and use it to stuff hollowed-out tomatoes, bell peppers, or zucchini. And/Or use it in this little stir fry for a quick second meal.
In a medium saucepan, heat one tablespoon each olive oil and butter and saute one pound of ground beef (or lamb or a combination) and one large onion, chopped, for 5 minutes. Now add one cup water or combination water and juice from hollowed tomatoes or tomato juice, one cup washed, soaked for 20 mins, and drained long-grain rice, half teaspoon salt, half teaspoon pepper, a few tablespoons to a half cup chopped parsley, a few tablespoons chopped mint, if available, and one teaspoon oregano. Cook ten to twenty minutes until rice is done, stirring once or twice. If using for stuffing, add 1/4 cup pine nuts and 1/4 cup currants or raisins now. To make the stir-fry:
In a frying pan or wok, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil, and quickly stir around several cloves of peeled and sliced garlic. Add about two cups cubed zucchini, cubed, salted and drained eggplant, several quartered tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes. A few mushrooms would be nice, also. Stir fry on medium-high until just tender. Then add the meat and rice mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup each pine nuts and currants, if using them, and season to taste with more salt, pepper, oregano, or mint. Stir to heat and mix. Serve with a little bouquet of mint and flatbread dipped in seasoned oil.
Jean Feldeisen 