Thoughts on the empty nest

Well, it finally happened; my youngest daughter graduated from High School this year, and last week she headed out to college. Although I had prepared them (and myself) for this moment, it still felt strange. Turning 50 did not feel half as strange as this. They're great kids, all three of them, and I'm very proud of them, but it doesn't make this venture into adulthood any easier for their parents.

Strangely enough, they feel proud of me as well - it was quite an accomplishment for a technophobe like myself to be creating websites, writing songs, and the like. Have I actually been an inspiration to them? Wouldn't that be cool?

Shucks, even their food choices have improved. Their favorite meals are baked salmon, asparagus, roasted lamb chops, couscous, homemade squash soup, and similar delights. Or maybe they just enjoyed my cooking. At any rate, some of our fondest memories have revolved around food and family. I suspect that it's the same for many of you.

Well, I'm so glad that I unloaded. I feel better already...

Why not grow a little?

Yesterday, I yearned to get my "hands dirty." I trotted over to Home Depot, purchased some MiracleGro organic potting soil, and took it home to finally plant those oregano and curly parsley seeds I've been saving. The pot is sitting near my kitchen window, and I must say, it felt good. I don't know about you, but those dried, bottled herbs that you get in the supermarket are rather tasteless, to say the least. And as for the fresh ones they sell - who knows where they've been? I sure won't need to use pesticides on my kitchen counter.

For those of you adventurous ones who'd like some information, visit http://www.organic-nature-news.com/growing-organic-herbs.html. It may make a believer out of you.

Google Dining is the peak of freshness

I learned recently about Google's famous on-campus eateries (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/03/01/FDG32H9OF61.DTL&type=printable) and I thought I'd comment on a phenomenon that I hope will catch on with other businesses. The newest eatery, Cafe 150, is so named because of its practice of utilizing only locally grown foods within a 150 mile radius. (That would rule out foods like shrimp and tropical fruit.) Many people swear by this philosophy, and some feel that it's more important than buying organic. (See the article in Time, March 12, 2007, entitled "My Search for the Perfect Apple" by John Cloud. He visited the Google cafe.) What makes Cafe 150 and the other four eateries so special is that they are responsive to employee needs, as well as purveyors of good nutrition. Charlie's Cafe, for example, serves Southwest and Indo-Pakistani cuisine. No-Name Cafe serves made-to-order salads, house-cured meat, and vegan items. Pacific Cafe serves Asian dishes. Their beverage options include such things as wheatgrass juice and kombucha. And employees eat free! Google claims to spend about $8.00/employee, and they love it. I wonder if they're hiring...

Read the label!

With all the food sensitivities cropping up lately, it behooves us to learn how to read those pesky food labels. Today, food items like trans fats must be listed on the label. At the Center for the Science in the Public Interest website (http://www.cspinet.org), you can read a list of food additives that are safe and which ones we should avoid. I learned the hard way, for example, that too much sorbitol (a sugar alcohol used in sugar-free products) resulted in loose bowels (yuck!). Unfortunately, most chemicals introduced into our bodies accumulate in our fat cells, and they don't go away. It's something to think about the next time we reach for a Twinkie.