Cucumber Water - Easy, Healthy, and Delicious!

Since my husband and I visited Woodward House in Front Royal for my birthday weekend, 3 items have become staples in my diet: a poached egg over a slice of homemade bread, grated orange-peel infused sugar (that I have with Oolong tea), and cucumber water.   I am ashamed to say that I used to be one of those people who just did not like water.  I tried it filtered and could taste metallic and even chlorine-tinted undertones.  I concluded that Nestle's Pure Life was the best bottled water, but I still had to almost force it down to get the up to 8 glasses I needed each day.  It was, for lack of a better word, boring.  And then, I discovered cucumber water. 

 

So simple and yet so refreshing, cucumber water is a delicious and healthy alternative to just about any other "water" out there.  The pitcher in the photo above holds about a quart of water.  I do use bottled water - usually Nestle Pure Life - and add to it 1/2 peeled and sliced cucumber.  I cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator where the flavors become infused.  The finished product, served with or without a slice of cucumber in the glass, has elevated water to a whole new level for me.  The cucumber taste is subtle and very pleasant, making the water taste fresh, crisp, and light.  I believe the cucumber undertones mask any possible unpleasantness inherent in plain water.  But it also elevates it to the level of a "beverage of choice".   I have never really been a huge fan of eating cucumber slices, but in my water, I love them!   And the best part - the "bonus", you could say - is that it is a healthy addition to your diet. 

 

As soon as the cucumber slices hit the water, they begin to impart, not only their crisp clean taste, but their nutrients into the resulting beverage.  Each glass provides Vitamins C, A, and K, as well as Potassium and trace amounts of Iron and Calcium.  And whether you choose to add a small slice of actual cucumber to your glass or not, the water contains fiber and is a natural diuretic.  Ever since I have been drinking this delightful water, I have had no problem with irregularity or with accumulating water weight.  And let's just say that both used to be issues in my life... How much do I drink?  To be honest, about a pitcher to 2 pitchers a day.  Whenever I want water (as opposed to green or herbal tea), I drink cucumber water. 

 

As the water level goes down in the pitcher, I just pour another bottle over the cucumber slices and I'm ready to enjoy another glass (or 2 or 3...).   Make sure to use new cucumber slices every 3 days to keep your water fresh.  I hope that, like me, you too will become a fan of cucumber water and that it will help you to drink those 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, giving you some healthy benefits as well.

 

Until next time, happy and healthy eating (and drinking!) 

 

Posting a Comment to this Blog

I have noticed that many of you still are having trouble posting a comment to this blog.

Today, 3/14/13, I posted a comment to a post and it was so simple.  I typed a comment in the comment box, my initials (AG) were automatically in the little box below.  I hit "publish" and it was published.  Maybe this will work for you, too??    Here's hoping!

If it doesn't please feel free to e-mail me at apibinfo@gmail.com.   Good luck!   I so look forward to hearing from you. 

Aqua Excels for Fine Dining in Duck, North Carolina

Every year for the past 11 years, we have gone to Duck, North Carolina for our summer vacation.  And, every year, we make it a point to go to The Blue Point - a restaurant that would impress even Chef Ramsey from "Kitchen Nightmares".  The food is beautifully presented and the atmosphere is elegant yet tranquil.  It is nestled at the end of a row of quaint shops and most seats offer a view of the Sound.  For 11 years, it has been the place my husband and I have gone to on our "date night".  And this year was no exception.  No restaurant in Duck has ever come close to it in terms of food quality and elegance.   Until, that is, this year.  Just down the road (heading toward Southern Shores from where The Blue Point is) we discovered a new restaurant - Aqua.  Aqua is a combination restaurant and spa, of all things.  We did not pamper ourselves with a spa treatment, but went to the restaurant for dinner twice. 

Aqua is not quite as elegant as The Blue Point, which offers intimate, candle-lit suppers in a deep red-toned dining room.  The walls at Aqua are stark white and you can see everything and everyone around you at all times.  But we sat at a table by the window both times we went there and also enjoyed pretty Sound-side sunsets.  See below:

 Where the two restaurants are surprisingly similar is their cuisine.  At The Blue Point, I had a delightful Parmesan custard with ham and greens as an appetizer, and scallops over a Hoppin' John (rice with field peas) with a corn relish on top for my main dish.  The scallops were perfectly cooked and all the elements of the meal combined beautifully. 

At Aqua, I had the best fish tacos I have ever had as an appetizer and a delightful main dish consisting of organic chicken over a pasta with fresh tomatoes and herbs bathed in a light white wine sauce.  See below:

My husband had beef tenderloin at both restaurants and preferred the one at Aqua.  It was served with a wine reduction that put it just over the top.  At both restaurants we enjoyed a nice Malbec and dessert.  There was nothing we ate that was not delicious at either place.  But the reason we went back to Aqua for a second meal in one week was twofold:  first, we were actually craving those amazing fish tacos.  The fish is lightly fried and is crispy, served alongside a refreshing cole slaw and placed within a soft flour tortilla.  The second reason we preferred Aqua is that it is not nearly as pricey as The Blue Point.   The first night we went, our bill was a good 20% lower than it had been at The Blue Point.  And, the second time, we actually did not spend much at all - having 2 fish tacos each and a couple of glasses of wine for a "lighter" meal.   

If you plan a trip to the Outer Banks, you will undoubtedly enjoy both restaurants.  The Blue Point can't be beat for its ambiance, and the food is always delicious.  And, even though its decor is not as fancy as The Blue Point,  Aqua has the elegance of the Blue Point without the high price tag when it comes to its cuisine.  They each make for a lovely "date-night" meal (although you do see families at both restaurants).  If you go to Aqua, make sure to try the fish tacos - whether you are a fan of fish or not.  And enjoy the sunset!  (Note that reservations for The Blue Point must be made a few weeks in advance if you go during the Summer season.  For Aqua, we were able to make reservations for Thursday night on Tuesday.  I would be wary though.  As people discover Aqua, that will more than likely change).

Until next time, happy and healthy eating! 

Tired of Squash

Last year, the first five or six weeks of farm ownership meant greens - Kale, Swiss Chard, and Collards mainly.  And I loved them all.  With the addition of such things as bacon, golden raisins, and broth, they became a favorite of mine and I really looked forward to cooking them again this year.  Unfortunately, this year there have been very few greens (I think we got Kale once) and tons and tons of squash.  Each and every week we receive zucchini - both green and yellow, and my favorite (not!), patty pan squash (see attached photo).  I have figured out what to do with the zucchini.  I have made bread with them, including such ingredients as chocolate, cinnamon, and walnuts, and they make a nice breakfast side.  Today I made a cake that called for 3 cups of shredded zucchini, along with cocoa, walnuts, and an orange glaze.  And it actually was quite a hit.  But I can not find anything good to do with the patty pan squash.  I have tried stuffing them - they are pretty huge - but have not been satisfied with the results.  I tried a recipe that called for fresh bread crumbs, Parmesan, and bacon, and it was so-so.  Last week I used turkey Italian sausage and mozzarella and was still not impressed.  Any ideas?   I would greatly appreciate it.  I thought the CSA was joking when it said we would be getting 104 days of squash!  I guess they decided to replace their fields of greens with zucchini and patty pans.  Too bad.  I think the squash took over the place!   Squash can do that, you know...

Yes, we have also been receiving fruit each week - from tart cherries to peaches, plums, and apples, and they have been good.  But most of the vegetables have been in the squash family.  Pout.  : (      I used to actually like squash - a lot.  Now, I am sad to say that I am sick of it.  This does not mean that I will not join a CSA again next year, but I may have to try a new one.  Oh well...

Until next time, happy and healthy eating!

Woodward House in Front Royal - Bed, Breakfast and So Much More



Last year after my husband and I came back from our first visit ever to a Bed & Breakfast, I wrote about it, asking you all, "Are all Bed & Breakfasts this good?"   After what we experienced this past weekend, I would have to say that, in Front Royal Virginia, they are!   Woodward House is a refurbished 1910 home that sits atop a small, steep hill off of what once may have been the main drag.  Upon arriving, we were warmly greeted by the owner's twin sister and were told that, because the house was being occupied by a family of 12, we had been upgraded to one of the 2 cottages that sit in the woods above the main house.  Our cottage was, for lack of a better word, adorable.  It was decorated in a country motif and contained a cozy sitting area with a fireplace that was off of a small kitchen and breakfast nook.  Because it was my birthday, the owner had left us a small carrot cake (my favorite cake, by the way!) on the table-for-two, along with a handmade card, some homemade (of course) cookies, and a bottle of wine.  To the left and tucked into its own cozy corner was a comfy four poster bed that was about 4 feet off the ground and was covered with a soft down quilt and a wide selection of pillows.  The bathroom was more than ample in size and had a heart-shaped whirlpool tub for 2 that, with the addition of rose-shaped bath beads, was so relaxing that I felt like I was floating after spending time in it.  After wrapping yourself in one of the "his and hers" bathrobes, you'll find a variety of lotions and scented talcum powder to make you feel just that much more pampered.  The cottage itself would have been reason enough to recommend this charming home away from home.  But the accommodations were just the tip of the iceberg.

Joan and Bob, the owners,  have gone out of their way to make sure your stay at their home is a special and unique experience.  They have set up an open bar area off of the sitting room in the main house where you can help yourself to home-brewed beer, wine, or ice cold water infused with cucumber slices and mint any time the mood should hit you.  After a 102 degree day, I found the cucumber water to be a real treat and plan to make it at home. 

The star attraction at Woodward House house, however, is breakfast.   Joan is an accomplished baker and, after being served a plate of fresh fruit, we were treated to arguably one of the best orange/cinnamon rolls I have ever had.  Cinnabon, step aside!  This perfectly proportioned treat (it was about the size of a baseball) was warm and tender and had just the right amount of glaze.  See photo below:

After the delectable roll, Joan sweetly asks what you would like for breakfast.  She can make you pancakes, waffles (with or without blueberries), french toast, eggs cooked any way you'd like them, homemade breakfast potatoes, and ham.  My husband chose a Western omelet and I had poached eggs atop Joan's homemade cheesy biscuits.  Both dishes were amazingly delicious!   See photo below:

This was our Monday morning breakfast.  On Sundays, Joan makes a sausage gravy that is served over her cheesy biscuits with eggs any way you like them.  Her gravy is another unbelievably delicious addition to her repertoire.  And as if that isn't enough, Joan makes spiced apples and granola that you can have over oatmeal, along with one of her homemade flavored sugars.  I loved the way her orange sugar complimented the Japanese green tea I chose to accompany my meal.   I must have had 3 cups each morning. 

Joan and Bob make you feel at home, not only with their comfortable accommodations, and the  outstanding meals and snacks they prepare for you, but with their wonderfully warm personalities.  I wish I had more time to have gotten to know this lovely couple.  But from the time we spent with them, I know that they are generous, kind, and devoted to making their guests feel comfortable, and special.  You know how you find that place that is "you"?   That makes you feel like you can be yourself while at the same time feeling  special?  Woodward House in Front Royal is that place for me.   And I hope to be able to go there again soon.  In the meantime, thank you so much, Joan and Bob, for making my birthday weekend an unforgettable one!  



CSA - A Great Start to a New Season!

Last year, when I opened my first box from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture or "Farm"), I was pleased.  The kale was delicious, as were the spring onions, and green leaf lettuce.  The cherries, on the other hand, were tiny and there weren't many of them.  If I recall, there had been too much precipitation during the previous weeks and a late frost to boot.  This year, when I opened our box, I was dazzled!   We were given peaches and 2 boxes of beautiful cherries (see photo above).  The cherries aren't the kind you eat as a snack.  They're the tart variety and I hear they make a nice pie.  I'll find out tomorrow.  I plan to use a modified version of the Blueberry Pie recipe I posted last year to make my first ever cherry pie.  We also received Swiss chard, which I cooked tonight with golden raisins, yellow onion,and bacon.  The zucchini we got was THE BEST I have had in years - since I lived in California.   I cooked up the smaller ones we got with a bit of lemon, pepper, and butter and they were incredible - not a hint of the bitter taste that the ones I find in our markets tend to have.  Our box also contained some flawless large ones that I plan to stuff the way my mother stuffs peppers and tomatoes - with ground meat (I use turkey), onion, parsley, tomato sauce, and rice; seasoned with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and mint.  The green onions are far superior to those that I buy at the market and I plan to use them to top an Indian dish I will make on Monday. 

If this first box is any indication of what this summer and fall will be like, I know we are going to be blessed with 5 months of the best of God's bounty.  I can not wait!   Last year, I was happy enough to join our CSA again even though our cherries and potato crops had been ruined.  This year, I have a feeling there will be very few, if any, disappointments. 

I seem to recall telling you all that quite often the produce I buy at grocery stores "bothers" me.  I feel queasy or downright sick after eating much of it raw.  Nothing I ate from our CSA did that last year.  These next 5 months, I will enjoy fruit and vegetables in quantities that I am usually not able to.  I wish I could find a way to eat like this all year long!   Oh well....

I hope you are all enjoying the end of what has been a very strange spring for me.  Until next time, happy and healthy eating!!





Ticks, Lyme Disease, and STARI - The Least You Should Know

There's nothing quite as invigorating as a nice long hike in the woods.  The refreshing scent of pine, the cooling sensation of a soft breeze as it sweeps over your shoulders, and the hint of sunshine that hits your cheeks as it peeks through the trees.  Ahhhhh.  It just screams, "healthy!".   And it is.  Or at least it should be.   Unfortunately, the joys of a nice long walk can be tarnished by almost invisible predators that latch onto unsuspecting hikers, stealing insignificant quantities of blood while, in exchange, potentially transmitting one of several "gifts that keep on giving."   These gifts, in order of concern in the Eastern and Western United States (as well as Minnesota and Wisconsin), are Lyme Disease, STARI, and rarely, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (not covered herein). 

Being the consummate research fanatic that I am, when I was diagnosed with Lyme last week, I took it upon myself to learn all I could about this frustrating and debilitating disease.  Frustrating because it is often undiagnosed - a negative Lyme test does not necessarily mean you do not have Lyme.  And debilitating because, when it is not properly treated in its earliest stage, it can become a life-long ailment, slapping the sufferer with labels such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and actually leading to Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).  In fact, the disease was discovered in 1975 in Lyme, Connecticut , when an unusually large number of children were being diagnosed with RA. 

Lyme disease is transmitted through the bite of a creature that is so tiny that, even when it is engorged, it is smaller than a peppercorn.  The 2 that I found on my abdomen were so small that I scratched them off (not at all the proper way to remover them!) thinking they were - well -  not anything that was alive.  I thought they could be new moles and the scratch test was my dumb idea of making sure that's what they were.  The blood that smushing them produced (another really dumb thing to do) tipped me off to their true identity.  Too much information?  Sorry, but I am trying to help you and nothing short of brutal honesty will do.  The ticks that transmit Lyme are generally black-legged deer ticks and are smaller than a pin head before they feed.  They can only transmit Lyme after they have had what is called their "blood meal", since they spit saliva into their victim when they do so.  In other words, if you find a tick on you that is not engorged, you are more than likely safe.  If you do find a tick fastened to you or a loved one, the proper way to remove it is by using a pair of tweezers and slowly pulling it off.  Once you remove it, do not handle or smush it like I did, since you can transmit its "poisons" onto your skin by doing so. 

About a week after I was bitten, I was in South Carolina with my son's baseball team and noticed that the area surrounding one of the bites had broken out in a pinpoint-type rash.  It covered a pretty large area, but since there was no bulls-eye, Lyme disease was nowhere on my radar screen.  Lesson #1:  there will not always be a bulls-eye shaped rash with Lyme Disease.  Sometimes there is no rash at all. 

Within 10 days after getting home from South Carolina, I began to get pain in my joints, in particular in the hips and arms, especially the elbows.  My first thought?   Arthritis.  After all, both my parents suffer from it.  And even though neither one of them had any symptoms of the disease until they were in their 70's (or in his 80's for my dad), I still thought that's what it must be.  Until the headaches and stiff neck, and body-wide itching kicked in.  Then I was just confused.  By the time the tell-tale fatigue and light-headedness had begun to rear their ugly head, I was sure I must have contracted some kind of nasty flu.  Especially since, when I wasn't on Tylenol for the pain, I appeared to be running a fever as well.   It was only after the 12th day of this "flu" that the thought of Lyme even entered my mind.

I awoke that day - 2 Saturdays ago - to find something hard and rather large on my back.  Like the fool I had been with anything tick related,  I did not ask for help but reached and pulled the thing off.  Imagine my surprise when I saw that it was yet another tick!  A big brown one this time, with a white spot on its back,  It's little headless body was squirming in my hand as I dropped it into an empty medicine bottle for future analysis.  And it was then that I made the call to my doctor to test me and the tick for Lyme. 

Curiously, it wasn't the big brown fellow that gave me Lyme disease.  That one was a Lone Star Tick and happens to be a carrier of a disease called Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI).  Please read carefully the symptoms of STARI - fatigue, headache, fever, and muscle pains.  Sound familiar?   It sounds a lot like Lyme without the neck stiffness and itching.  And guess what?  There is no test for STARI.   Like Lyme, it responds beautifully to a 2-4 week regimen of Doxycycline, but the poor souls who are struck with it are often left to suffer it out.  The good news with STARI is that, unlike Lyme, it does not usually cause any permanent or long-term damage if left untreated. 

Back to Lyme, it is estimated that approximately 50% of people who have it test negative because they either test too early (it needs a good 6 weeks to season in your system) or, well, just because the test does not pick it up.  Comforting, isn't it?  And the other cruel fact about Lyme is that after a while, even if left untreated, all the nasty symptoms will disappear, leaving the unsuspecting victim with a feeling of false security.  Untreated Lyme will normally rear its head again some 6 months later, with muscle pain or swelling in the knees or other large joints, heart problems, such as palpitations, and/or weakness in the muscles of the face.  Still left untreated, a year or so later, the sufferer can develop muscle weakness, numbness and tingling, and/or speech problems.  Not to mention the mental symptoms - mood changes and depression, to name a few.

Why am I telling you this?   Because if you live in tick-ville as I do and suddenly develop the symptoms of Stage 1 Lyme and they last longer than any flu (and NO ONE ELSE in your family gets it), get thee to a doctor.  If the muscle aches and neck stiffness become unbearable and the fatigue so bad that it feels like you are pushing a huge boulder uphill and getting nowhere, AND you have found a tick on you at any time in the recent past, get on a regimen of Doxycycline.  If the test comes out negative, you can stop the treatment if you wish.  What harm can it do?  If symptoms return, get retested.  In fact, because of the prevalence of false-negative test results, get retested frequently.  Lyme is a horrible disease.  (Remember, if the tick was a big brown one with a white spot on its back and you get the symptoms described above, there is no test to confirm STARI, but the Doxycycline will bring you relief).  I am convinced that Lyme is often undiagnosed and that many of the people who have been diagnosed with illnesses such as Fibromylgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome may actually be suffering from it.  I am beginning to believe that those diseases are not actually diseases in and of themselves but symptoms of a bigger disease (such as Lyme).  I also believe that some cases of Rheumatoid Arthritis, especially in young people, were predicated by untreated Lyme disease.   This was the conclusion that the researchers in Lyme, Connecticut came up with in 1975. 

Unfortunately, because we did not have much of a winter this year in many parts of the Eastern United States, there are many more ticks out there than usual.  And it doesn't just take a walk through the woods to get bitten.  You can pick them up watching a game on a ball field, doing yard work, or by taking a walk through a tree-lined neighborhood.   To prevent tick bites when engaging in these activities, wear light-colored clothing (so you can see if any ticks have landed on you) and tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your shoes.  I love wearing soft, loose, blousy tops and capri pants when I take my walks.  Well, not anymore!   If I had a bee suit, I would wear it at this point.  I do love my walks, but where I walk and what I wear when I walk will never be the same again.  

I hope all is well with you.  Until next time, walk safely and wisely and watch out for those nasty ticks!