Peppered Beef and Vegetables

I love the pepperyness of this dish; relatively healthy and good.

4 oz. whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. fresh or frozen pea pods, halved crosswise
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
canola oil
1 lb. lean boneless beef, cut into thin bite-size strips

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain, keep warm.
2. For sauce, in small bowl stir together water, soy sauce, cornstarch, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
3. Add small amount of canola oil to large skillet. Heat to med-high. Add garlic and saute for 30 sec. Add pea pods and green and red bell peppers, saute a few minutes. Add mushrooms, saute until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetables from pan.
4. Add 1 tbsp. canola oil to pan. Stir-fry beef until done. Push beef to sides, stir sauce and pour into center. Cook until thickened and bubbly. Return vegetables to pan, stir and cook until heated through. Toss with spaghetti, let warm a minute.

Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth

I used to feel like I was an observer of my own life instead of a participant. This book beautifully sums up why that is true for a lot of people. I still struggle with "the voice" inside that enjoys torturing me and trying to convince me that I am somehow tragically flawed and that any minute my life can fall completely apart.

Some quotes from the book:

"We think of ourselves as walking heads with bothersome, unattractive appendages attached. It's as if we would rather pretend we don't have bodies. As if they are the source of our trouble, and if only we could get rid of or otherwise dismiss them, we'd be fine. We crash around in our arms and legs, let them lift for us, hold our children for us, walk for us without ever taking time to actually live in them. Until we are about to lose them."

"Your body is the piece of the universe you've been given; as long as you have a pulse, it presents you with an ongoing shower of immediate sensate experiences."

"Our minds are masters at blame, but our bodies...our bodies don't lie. Which is, of course, why so many of us learned to zip out of them at the first sign of trouble."

"And you realize that torture isn't having these arms or these legs; it's being so convinced that God is out there, in another place, another realm that you miss the lavender slip of moon, your own awakened presence."

Blue Diamond Nut-Thins

These are natural nut & rice cracker snacks. They are wheat & gluten free. Even if you do not have allergies, these crackers are just plain good. My favorite flavors are almond and pecan. I have seen them in the health food section of the grocery store, but just as often in the regular cracker aisle.