In the Kitchen: Deceptively Delicious

I watched Oprah the other day. Her guest was Jessica Seinfeld, Jerry Seinfeld's wife, who has just published her second cookbook.

A couple of years ago, I watched her on Oprah when she published her first book. The first book had a number of unique recipes in which she hid all sorts of vegetables. She often purées vegetables and places them in soups, cookies, muffins, etc. and all sorts of other dishes where you wouldn't necessary expect them.

For example, here is a recipe found in her first cookbook Deceptively Delicious. It's for brownies and includes carrot and spinach purée.


Deceptively Delicious Brownies
Cooking spray
3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c. carrot purée (approx. 1 cup cooked)
1/2 c. spinach purée (approx. 1 packed cup, cooked)
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TBSP soft tub trans-fat free margarine spread
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
3/4 c. flour (oat flour is best - adds another gram of fiber)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8X8 pan with cooking spray.
Melt chocolate in double boiler or over a low flame.
In large bowl, combine melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine and vanilla and whisk about two minutes until smooth and creamy.
Whisk in egg whites.
Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.
Pour batter into pan and bake 35-40 minutes. Cool COMPLETELY in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.


Her new book, Double Delicious, was featured on Oprah this week.

These recipes are easy and family friendly. She has a great presence on camera and it is fun to watch her cook. Here is one recipe from her new book, that I found on her website do it delicious


Grilled Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
4 6-ounceboneless, skinless chicken breasts
1  tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1lemon, quartered


Directions
Heat a panini press or grill pan over medium-high heat. Wash and pat dry the chicken. One at a time, place the chicken in a plastic bag and pound to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Remove from the bag and coat both sides of the chicken with the herbs, oil, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the press (you may be able to cook several at once depending on your press) and cook until cooked through, about 3 minutes. If you use a grill pan your cooking time will be longer.



Helpful Hints:
•Pound with skin-side down; start with thickest part of chicken and move down
•Remove thyme leaves by pulling them off the sprig in the opposite direction they grow
•When chopping you always want to look down and see the top of the knife. Move your pile of herbs close to you for ease, safety and precision


Both of these recipes are from her cookbooks.
 
It was a good show and I have to say the combination of ease and healthy choices in these recipes makes me hungry and want to cook some good food!

Effective Communication

Effective Communication Habits 

• Speaking the truth, respectfully, even when it may cause some conflict
• Ability to negotiate
• Assertiveness
• Listening to others’ point of view, rather than assuming or expecting that you are always right.
• Owning what one says
• Using ‘I’ and showing respect for others
• Through the tone used
• Through body language and gestures.
• Through avoiding labelling and blaming

The Importance of Effective Communication

• Effective communication in the workplace is necessary for productivity and smooth operations.
• People in organizations typically spend over 75% of their time in interpersonal situations.
• People get along well, when respect and appreciation is practiced in the workplace, through good communication
• When people don’t know what is going on, they rely on others, including rumours to fill in the blanks.
• Effective communicators share information.
• Effective communication allows for feedback, which when given properly can be both reinforcing and motivating.
• Learning to communicate effectively helps prevent misunderstandings.
• Communication is collaborative, not competitive. Effective communication allows for a two-way process and an exchange of ideas.
• Effective communicators recognize the best way to deliver their messages. They understand what their audience needs to know and the best way to convey their message.

Sinclair Ross

In a previous post I wrote about Canadian short story author, Alistair MacLeod. I mentioned that I find Canadian authors to write with depth. Here is another author who fits the bill. (James) Sinclair Ross, a Canadian banker and author is known for his fiction about life on the Canadian prairies. Ross did write novels, but it is his short stories that I enjoy the most.


Ross's stories that I enjoy the most are "The Painted Door" and "The Lamp at Noon." In each of these stories, the harsh prairie environment is an important character that drives the stories as much as the 'human' characters' responses to the environment and each other. While the stories are tragic, there is beauty in their realism and in the fact that they aren't of fairy tale quality.

A monument in Ross' honour has been erected in Indian Head (where he attended school) by Saskatchewan artists and readers with a bronze statue sculpted by Joe Fafard.

Assertive Communication

Assertive Communicators

• Choose and make decisions for themselves.
• Are sensitive and caring with their honesty.
• Are direct.
• Are generally viewed by others with respect and trust.
• Are self-respecting, self- expressive and straight forward.
• Convert win-lose situations to win-win.
• Are willing to compromise and negotiate.
• Value and respect others.
• Speak with confidence, and self-respect.
• The outcome of their communication is determined by above-board negotiation.
• They respect others’ rights.

Actve Listening and Thoughtful Speaking

Seek First to Understand .... Then to Be Understood

Formulating our responses as people talk can limit our actual understanding of their message. Listening with the intent to understand, not with the intent to reply, allows us to be active listeners. We can determine our responses after we’ve heard the message. This also eliminates most misunderstandings.

WAIT!

Before you speak, ask:

Why

Am

I

Talking?

Active Listening

• Listening is as important as speaking.
• Pay attention to what is being said and how it is being said
• Show that you are listening by reflecting what is being said, using nonverbal responses.
• Ask questions to clarify or summarize what has been said
• Do not interrupt unless the conversation has turned into a monologue
• Get rid of your hidden agendas. They’ll keep you focused on how to convince people, rather than listening.
• Check your assumptions
• Practice Active Listening

Thoughtful Speaking

• Acknowledge the need to meet other people’s communication needs.
• How do they need to hear your message?
• Notice how others speak
• Adapt your language and style to maximize understanding
• Acknowledge their personality preferences
• Know your audience:
• What is the best way to share your message with them?
• What do they need to know?
• If the message is not understood, the communicator needs to reframe the message
• Practice Thoughtful Speaking

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,  by Stephen R. Covey, gives some great advice and practice in Habit 5, for communicationn skills.

Simplifying

First there was one blog, then there were two...then there were five. Talk about going overboard! It would be fine if I had lots of time to keep up with all of them.


So, it's back to two blogs.


Life's Lessons now has my books, recipes, diet, and travel stuff all posted on the same page. Having different blogs to categorize the various things I like to write about was good in theory, but difficult to keep up and still have a life that also happens so that there is something to write about! This page will have ALL of my Life's Lessons!

 

I'm still going to have the Life on Purpose page for the things I learn and read about Leadership.


I'm simplifying...


(The other blog pages will be closed for good by November 30, 2010.)

Vision

"Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating all of your energies on a limited set of targets." ~ Nibo Qubein