The Ultimate Food Fight

Tags

Education, Goals, health, Healthy eating, Motivation, Personal Development, Prayer, self renewal, Teaching, Weight loss, Women

We’ve all seen the scenes on television or film of the campus or prison dining hall that erupts when someone yells, “food fight!” Then you see food flying and mayhem until the principal or warden comes in and wrestles someone to the floor or yells for order. No, I’m not talking about that kind of food fight.
I’m talking about the food fight that we don’t know we are fighting.
I can’t remember when I first heard or read, ‘I need to change my relationship with food’. That was an ah-ha moment for me. I had never thought of it like that before.
Many of us have this dependency, sugar-daddy like relationship with food. ‘It makes everything good, better, best. Everything good is somehow tied to eating, and unfortunately eating unhealthy, but oh so satiating, fat and sugar and salt and processed compositions, in a box, bag or from a window.
Particularly as African Americans many prevalent chronic illnesses in our ethnic community are linked to our diets. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, inflammation and obesity. These all present themselves in weight gain, fatigue, migraines, joint and muscle pain, toxicity and many ways that keep us asking ourselves, “What is wrong with me?” This is not a medical blog nor am I a medical expert or practitioner. So back to the fight.
Much of our life is tied to the lust of the cheeseburger, lust of the fried chicken, lust of the bacon, butter and deep fried, creamy, smothered, sweet, caffeinated whatever. Our senses tell us we have to have it, we can’t live without it. So even though our sugar-daddy is not good for us, we hold on to him, we stay in the fight and we keep losing. Why is that?
For so long (and still now) I was in the matrix of this food fight, this compulsive eating. It would pick me up, comfort me, then let me down, crash and cast me aside. Comfort my stress, anxiety, laden my happy times and occasions for celebration. I guess we all are dependent on something. Food seems to be the lesser of evils when you think about drugs, alcohol, nicotine, sex. However, the fight rages on.
How to stop the madness? When you have a poor relationship with food, always choosing the ‘bad boy’? You change your thinking. Ah, behavior modification, new input, thought change, education and information, but mostly desire and determination. Practice, discipline, PRAYER, more of that, and a whole new fight.
A fight for my life, my health, my well being. In the new fight, I (and you) WIN!

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” ~Albert Einstein

[This is lengthy and inconclusive, but pushed out of my sleep at 5 AM this morning. I pray it blesses and inspires someone in their fight.]

Inn on Conventry

2785 Euclid Heights Boulevard, Cleveland Hts OH 44106 (http://innoncoventry.com)

“Home-style cooking at it’s best! We’re a family-oriented commuity restaurant, offering high-quality, good-value meals. We have a passion for cooking. Established in 1981, we are a mom-and-mom restaurant…and our matriarch is 96 years old!  After twenty-nine years…we’re still doing what we do best.”

 Oh my goodness! The way you feel when you walk in there … just real homey and comforting with the inviting whiff of breakfast cooking! (They serve lunch and dinner too.)

Has Guy Fieri ever been to the Inn on Coventry? He definitely must!

I’m amazed every time we go there.  It is packed to the wood beams with people from all over town I imagine because the food is soooo good, the value is so great, and the service is cordial.

My husband and I, with our precious grandbaby, Astrid, in tow stopped in for our most recent dining experience this past Saturday morning.

He always gets an omelette and I, of course, the Mango Pancakes.  My daughter hipped me to the Lemon Ricotta pancakes though so I had to try one. Okay, this pancake is a creation of lucious, scrumptiousness that makes you close your eyes with the first bite.

I don’t know how the Inn makes them, but I looked up a recipe to share: Fluffy ricotta and fresh lemon zest are a perfect pair when swirled into an airy pancake. The biggest challenge with this recipe is sharing the pancakes with others. For best results, use fresh whole-milk ricotta cheese. (Source: http://www.chow.com/recipes/28985-lemon-ricotta-pancakes)

Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Home Fries, Sausage and Mango Pancake

The Inn on Coventry is a wonderful way to start your Saturday or any day … breakfast is served all day.  I wonder what the seating capacity is, because you definitely sit chair-to-chair, table-to-table, bumping arms with your neighbor. No matter though, there is no pretense here, just good home-style cooking. The Sun Press said, it’s “… comfort food, tasting like it’s straight from Mom’s kitchen.” (Acclaim, July 2007)

Eyes-closed yummy goodness!

 

Checking Out Stonetown

So last week I decided to check out Stonetown, the new restaurant venture of Soul Republic United Restaurants located at 668 Euclid Ave (the entrance is on Prospect Avenue), Cleveland, Ohio 44114. Offering Cajun & Creole-Soul Food and Late Night dining in the Gateway District.

First, I have to confess I didn’t know this group existed as such and is the owners of

https://www.facebook.com/zanzibarshakersquare?ref=ts&fref=ts#!/SoulRepublicUnitedRestaurants

Stonetown recently opened in December 2012. I decided to order carry-out for dinner.

After placing my order, asking how to get into the restaurant knowing it was at the 668 Residences, and about parking and access, I ventured over to pick up my order.

Fortunately, I was able to pull right behind a truck parked in front of the restaurant (on Prospect) without having to park in the garage adjacent to it for which Stonetown would validate my ticket for a minimal rate of $1.50. The only other parking options, as with all downtown venues, is metered or area surface lots.

Ruunning in quickly (my order was bagged and ready which was very convenient), I glanced around at the space which is nice, contemporary I would say, there is a nice stone fireplace wall which I immediately thought, oh that must be representative of the name, Stonetown.  It was early evening and the restaurant was empty.  The hours are 5 pm to Midnight.  It did look like a party was expected as seating was set up for a group. From what I could see, it is a nice space and aside from the parking issue, I plan to go back to dine in.

Now for the grub. I texted a friend for suggestions on what to order, but didn’t get a reply right away.

I ordered the Buttermilk Fried Yard Bird (Chicken) & Red Velvet Waffles (medallions) with Low Country Gritz; the Center Cut Pork Chops with side of House Rice; an adidtional side of Fried Cabbage; and the Catfish Fingers appetizer.

Give it, carry-out is not the same quality as dine-in, you naturally lose something in the process of taking it home, reheating it, etc. So all in all the food was okay, but not great, raving, to write home about. EXCEPT! the Low Country Gritz, buttery, southern goodness, thick, creamy, delicious. The Catfish Fingers were good too. My other items were okay. The Fried Cabbage which I anticipated to be, well you know, it wasn’t. It is a red cabbage version. My husband said the pork chops were okay too, the rice: just a white rice with peas and carrots, not seasoned at all.

So, Stonetown is not your typical, hole-in-the-wall, soul food restaurant (they have sweet potatoe fries, but no yams)  It’s soul fusion and I haven’t interviewed the Chef or found much information other than what the group does at Zanzibar (Shaker Square), but clearly it is to do the menu items we’ve come to know and love with a bit of an upscale fusion twist.

I hope you will check it out for yourself, I recommend dining in.

I wish SRUR much success as they endeavor to establish a presence in the culture of the Gateway.

Go Phyllis, It’s Your Birthday

Tags

celebration, Christian, dining, faith, food, Women

Happy Birthday to me!
J Alexander’s is one of my favorite restaurants. So I decided to enjoy my birthday dinner here tonight. It is buzzing with holiday cheer in here, big parties of ‘shirts’ (corporates), families, lovers and friends breaking bread.  For me J Alex never disappoints. My server recommended the Carolina Crab Cakes, I’m glad I followed her lead. They are succulently delicious, giving a whole new meaning to ‘lump’ crab. “Coastal recipe. Jumbo lump crab meat, chili mayonnaise and Dijon mustard sauce to cut the spice. I also love J Alex’ Kumato Tomatoes, so I chose those as a side. Sliced half, drizzled with olive oil and garnished with Kosher salt and fresh black pepper … they are vibrant, fresh and sooooo delicious.

I think I hear Charlie Brown’s Christmas over the noise of the bar crowd and nearby conversation. I must pull out my CD when I get home.

Then the most awesome thing happened. I’m dining alone because well I had a huge celebration, two as a matter of fact, over the weekend and my family are all committed to work or ministry this evening.

It turns out the ladies at the table across from me were also celebrating a birthday. When my server brought my Carrot Cake with a single candle, they offered to come over and sing Happy Birthday to their friend, Kathy, and me … How cool and amiable is that? Tara my server was so sweet too, she said, “I love birthdays, I want to make sure everyone has a happy birthday.”

God is always pouring His love out. I’m smiling down deep to my bones.