Category: My Family

Without a family, one seldom thinks long term

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Carne Guisada of Puerto Rico is best

Carne Guisada in Puerto Rico is made with Cilantro that is 10 times stronger
Carne Guisada

One of my facebook friends and one of my daughter Karen’s good friends is from Puerto Rico and in their honor , I tried to produce one of their national dishes called ‘Carne Guisada.’ There is much that is unique to Puerto Rico and their cuisine. But , as is true in many lands,  much that has been gained through the fusion of the many cultures on the island. Spain, South America, Great Britain, Africa and the United States has all left an influence.

Some of the spices of the island of Puerto Rico are stronger than what many are familiar. For example, Cilantro from Puerto Rico is about 10 times more flavorful. Obviously, if you can find some , it is worth it!

Although I tried to stay true to the basic recipe, I wanted to make a slightly more extravagant version.  I started with my best ‘sofrito’, the best meat and a singularly delicious gravy crowned the meal complete. I hope you love it too.

Here is my version!

Like many ‘spicy’ recipes, I have included a way you can ‘save’ the dish if it gets away from you!

bon appetite! or “buen apetito”

Roger

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before and after Jenny Craig

Actual unretouched photos of me!

Most people don’t know that I was a star of stage and motion pictures. Actually, I didn’t either until I saw myself on the silver screen! I was far too close to the handsome fellow on the left in the beginning and … unfortunately, the dieting hasn’t done anything to offset my short legs or my ‘crown of marble’ !  😉

However, allow me to indulge in giving a plug for Jenny Craig. Laura and I have been on ‘maintenance for nearly 4 years and Laura has never varied more than 2 or 3 pounds from her goal weight. I have  — let’s just say, I have had bigger swings– but thanks to the routine, I always pull things back into line. So , you ask, why don’t people lose weight when they know the benefits of better health, elimination and reduction of harmful medications , reduce depression,  and gain more confidence and energy are the result? Here are just some of the excuses I hear:

1) I never start diets on a Thursday ( or pick your day)

2) It’s all in the genes, I am supposed to be this size! Besides, everyone I know is just like me… a healthy large!

3) None of the programs work for MEeEeee !!!! ( the last word must be said in a whiny voice)

4) I have to give up all of my favorite things: lunches at the all-you-can-eat buffet, a bottle of wine and a few shots of liquor every night …and the quick stop off from work at the local cheesecake factory for a ‘ 5000 calorie snack’!

Actually, there are  only true 2 thing that are true above: number four and the fact that most chubby people have chubby friends which keeps the vicious chubby cycle going. So what do you do, what can you do? Ask yourself how important it is to be slimmer? If it’s important, Jenny should work for you. If it’s not important to you… live with it and smile when you pay for two seats on the airlines… but know that there really is a better way. It’s not easy, but it worked for me.

Good Luck… and I really mean it,

Roger

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immortality in a mousepad

immortality in a mousepad
Laura, do you now feel 'immortalized'? 😉

What really is immortality? This is a wonderful question pondered by many great minds over the millennium and although some prefer to shrug the suggestion, others find solace, hope and comfort.

Historically, immortality was an expression of a religious belief. Scientific writings as late as the early 1800’s often began with an expression of how their work was not religious blasphemy, but was, in truth, another expression of the miracles around us.

The American Psychologist  William James was someone who wrestled with concepts that often had a foothold in two worlds: scientific (psychological/philosophical) and religious. Conflicting perspectives weren’t unusual at the turn of the century (1900’s) as the theory of evolution was finding both acceptance and resistance. Scientific exploration was continuing to explode and a dichotomy between what we thought we knew and what science was beginning to theorize came in sharp contrast. In a final funny quip, William James concludes one of his seminal works with the following about salvation (immortality):

“For practical life at any rate, the chance of salvation is enough. No fact in human nature is more characteristic than its willingness to live on a chance. The existence of a chance makes the difference, as  Edmund Gurney says, between a life of which the keynote is resignation and a life of which the keynote is hope. But all these statement are unsatisfactory from their brevity, and I can only say that I hope to return to the same question in another book.”

William James ( page 526-527, “The Varieties of Religious Experiences”, 1903)

The ancient Egyptians believed that a person lived on simply by mentioning their name and they certainly carved the name of their pharaohs into every pillar and wall lest we forget. However, I think real ‘immortality’ is simply being remembered by those important to you.

So, this goes a long way to say that I created a little bit of ‘immortality’ for Laura… a mouse pad with a picture of her and her new book. Laura, do you feel ‘immortalized?’  😉

Roger

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ucsb’s virtual imaging lab and modern ghost busting

Laura at UCSB's virtual imaging lab
Modern Ghost buster or virtual warrior?

Laura has always loved science, football games and technology … things that most of the male community also gravitate. Laura will pass up the Oscars or the vast wasteland of soaps to watch the stuff I also enjoy like: the documentary channel, the super bowl game, the history channel or just sit around talking about the latest thoughts on evolutionary psychology or what William James would think if he was still alive.

So, I knew that the hardest thing would be to get her out of the Virtual Imaging lab which combines a lot of our favorite elements in a virtual environment.

Read her post.

It was fun to watch her overcome her fobias and ‘jump’ off a cliff and ‘walk over a deep ravine on a thin plank’ in the virtual world.

This picture of Laura just makes me smile.

Roger

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corned beef pie on saint patrick’s day

THE CORNED BEEF PIE AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW
THE CORNED BEEF PIE AT THE END OF THE RAINBOW

Personally, I can’t think of anything nicer than a corned beef pie on  Saint Paddy’s Day! And thanks to Karla we have a wonderful picture  to celebrate what we think is a real culinary golden pot at the end of the rainbow!

Here is our recipe.

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A few ‘facts on Saint Patrick you might not have known:

1) He was born in Roman Britain in the fifth century, at the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave

2) Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue

3) New York’s first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade was held on 17 March 1762 by Irish soldiers in the British Army.The first celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day in New York City was held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern in 1766

4) Seattle and other cities paint the traffic stripe of their parade routes green. Wikipedia says Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1962 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges and had the idea to turn the river green for Saint Patrick’s Day

As the folks at Guinness say,”everyone is GREEN on Saint Patrick’s Day!”

Enjoy the Day!

Roger Freberg