Easy Ways to Reduce Blood Pressure

Easy Ways to Reduce Blood Pressure

I've been thinking recently that I have been spending too much money on blood pressure medicine and arthritis pain relief.  I have realized for some time that I know how to combat these symptoms by spending that money on adding more vegetables and fruits to my diet and dropping some weight, especially from my belly.  Now, mind you, I know how to do that and have done it before; it just takes my determination to make a change.

So, the other night, I attended an event where my daughter was sworn in as member of the board of the county women business owners association and met a woman who was a vegetarian.  She and my daughter started talking about vegetarianism.  My daughter is a new vegetarian.  This woman mentioned that she freezes her tofu, which changes the texture and also makes it easier to cook, eat and marinate. 

I am not a vegetarian, however, my motto is, "pretty much if it's food, I like it."  I love all kinds of food, including, and not limited to, junk foods, healthy foods, international cuisine, soul food, ethnic foods, meats, poultry, vegetarian and vegan.  Other people joined the conversation and the vegetarian mentioned kale and collards and how difficult it can be to cook them with flavor without meat.  It got me to thinking about how I have cooked collards and kale and sauerkraut without the meat.

For some reason, after that conversation, I have been craving kale.  I've also been thinking about adding some vegetables that I have tried and either haven't cooked or haven't cooked for a long while. 

So my next recipe will be a kale and daikon mixture that hits the spot.  It was something new for me; because even though I feel I must eat healthy, it must taste good to me, otherwise, I can't encourage anyone else to eat it.

Annapolis Family Gathering

Dogwood trees always remind me of Easter season.  They've been beautiful this Spring in Maryland.  The trees bloomed early and at the same time as the Cherry Blossoms and tulips. My neighborhood in Wheaton has been like a lovely painting; so alive and brilliant with so many bright colors.

I traveled to Annapolis for Easter Sunday dinner at my brother's.  It was great. I was reminiscing with family and friends as we ate a fabulous dinner of ham, Maryland crab cakes, roasted salmon, potato salad, cole slaw, corn muffins, a broccoli and carrot mix, rolls and tossed green salad.  Joyce, my sister in-law is always prepared for an army of 50.  Believe me, I am not complaining. There is definitely something marvelous to be said for leftover ham, eggs and cheese for breakfast the next morning.

Then, for dessert, there were lemon meringue pie, delicious brownies made by my nephew, and ice cream.  Afterwards, with some coaxing from my sister in-law, who loves them, we all played parlor games. We had many choices and ended up choosing Logo and Bingo.  I'm not a lot for games, however, it turned out to be really fun.

I thought about Easter dinners growing up in Annapolis.  My mother always cooked a  lamb roast which we never ate with mint jelly.  That wasn't Mom's thing.  Whenever we had lamb, Easter or not, we always had Kosher dill pickles.  I think I may have tried mint jelly once later with lamb, however, I never order it like that.  I think that explains my love for dill relish in everything from potato salad to tartar sauce to my homemade deli sandwiches.  In fact, the only time I eat sweet relish these days, is when it's in someone else's dish.

I did end up having ham, scrambled eggs with grated cheese, Quinoa toast and my favorite tea--Berry Blossom white with honey and coconut milk the next day.  Yum.