Are you a mindful eater?

I just read this article and I think we can all admit that we've raided the fridge at 1 a.m. eating cold chicken or cheese. C'mon; I know it's not just me. I'm telling you, there's nothing better at 1 a.m. than cold chicken and a little Dijon mustard.
Aaaaaaaaaaanyway, here are some tips to be a mindful eater:

* Eat at regular times. "Rhythms are important in everything we do, from sleep to eating, so try to eat fairly consistently each day.
* Avoid other distractions while eating, except for music and conversation.
* Start your meal with "grounding" statements such as "I'm getting ready to eat" to set the tone and focus on the activity.
* Eat off a plate, not out of the package, and sit at a table for meals.
* Rate your hunger from 1 to 10, with 1 being extremely famished and 10 being that "post Thanksgiving" feeling. Eat when you are at a 2 or 3 and stop eating when you are at a 7 or 8.
* Put your fork down between bites and chew each mouthful thoroughly before picking up your fork.
* End the meal with an awareness of fullness and make a closing statement, like "I'm feeling satisfied and the meal is over."

P.S. I heart this shirt.

And the winner is ...

Red velevet cupcakes won 3 to 2. It's small, but it's a majority.

I got the recipe from Emeril.

I probably looked at 20 different recipes. I don't think there's any cake I've found more debated than Red Velvet. It seems to be a Southern staple, but nobody can seem to agree on the right taste and texture. Should it be dense? Should it be chocolate-y? Should it be really red or kinda red? Should you use food coloring* or should you use beets? And on and on and on. Reading over comments, I almost gave up.

But I also was really intrigued so I thought, even if it's not a great cupcake, it'll still be a cupcake, you know? Who doesn't love a cupcake?

So this is what I got.

This is a damn good cupcake. It's really light and moist. I followed the recipe exactly except for the cocoa powder. Emeril's recipe calls for 2 teaspoons. That just seems ... off. I even triple-checked it. I don't think 2 teaspoons is nearly enough. So I added 2 tablespoons.

And I made a Cooking Light version of the cream cheese frosting, using 1/3 less fat cream cheese. It's also really good. Some things I'll skimp on, some I won't. Using 1/3 fat vs. full-fat in the icing recipe doesn't make any difference at all, so why not save a few calories if you can. Besides, you're going to eat more than one of these cupcakes. I've already had two!



Red Velvet Cupcakes

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
2 tablespoonos cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 ounces red food coloring
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare the cupcake tins. In a medium bowl or on a piece of waxed paper, sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. Beat in food coloring and vinegar, then add vanilla. Spread the batter a little less than half full in the cups.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn onto a rack to cool.


Cream cheese frosting

1/2 cup (4 ounces) block-1/3 less fat-free cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar, divided
1-2 teaspoons milk

Place the cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (do not overbeat). Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup powdered sugar. Add the milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency. Cover and chill 30 minutes. Spread frosting over top of cucakes and enjoy.

* A little note about food coloring. Some people hate it and think it's the devil. That's why some recipes I read called for beet juice or puree. I don't have a problem with it, so I used it.

Drink up

It's not all about food here. Sometimes it's about drink, too. And what better way to get into the fall spirit than a little pumpkin ale? Here a six that I bought today. If you've never tried a seasonal beer before, I suggest you start soon. It's a great way to enjoy the best of the season.

They are (from left): Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, Samuel Adams Octoberfest, America's Original Pumpkin Ale (Buffalo Bill's Brewery), Summit Oktoberfest, Bell's Octoberfest Beer and Ichabod ale brewed with pumpkin (New Holland Brewing).

I love fall.

Food for health

Tips for Mental Agility As Your Age
Special to The Washington Post

Eat brain food: Chowing down foods rich in antioxidants helps because they cleanse the brain of so-called free radicals that corrode connections between brain neurons. Foods rich in antioxidants include leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and cauliflower, and fresh fruit such as strawberries, cranberries and blueberries. Omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish such as salmon and trout, and in pills sold over the counter, also help fight brain decay.

Also, check this out.

Microwave flounder

Yes, you read that right: fish from the microwave. I wasn't sure about it either, but after watching an episode of Everyday Food on PBS, I decided to give it a try.

You know what? It really works and the fish turns out really nice and flaky. You place the fish in a glass bowl or dish and cover with a paper towel. The moisture is trapped inside the bowl, in essence steaming the fish. The key is to not overcook it. Otherwise, it's just a dry mess.

This can be one of those quick, go-to meals when you're hungry and don't have time to cook anything complicated, but want more than, say, grilled cheese. But it also would be good for a crowd ... and again, quick.

I always have a bag or two of large, jumbo shrimp in the freezer and another kind of fish. This week I have flounder. Another week it may be salmon or tilapia. Fresh fish is always great, but frozen is one of those things that you'll never regret having on hand. And it only takes an hour to thaw if you stick it in cold water (in a zipper bag, in the fridge, of course).

You can pretty much 'dress' the fish with whatever you want. I got this great little herb butter a couple of weeks ago with parsley, red onions, garlic and other spices, so I used that. Add a little sweet corn to the mix, and you have a nice, healthy, quick meal in, like, 5 minutes. Can't beat it.

Microwave flounder

1 2-4 oz. piece of flounder

salt, pepper to taste

1 teaspoon herb butter

Thaw the fish and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of herb butter. Place fish in a glass bowl/glass dish and cover with a paper towel. Microwave on highest setting for 3 minutes.*

*If you're cooking more fish, or a larger piece of fish, up the time to 5 minutes.

First post

So I'm giving this blogging thing a try. (I know, like it's not 2007 and blogging isn't old news.)
Since I'm always forwarding recipes and sending mass e-mails, I thought, "I should just post recipes on a blog. That way, everyone can read them at their leisure."
So here's the blog. I can't promise that I'm going to update it often, but I will try for once a week.