Caesar Salad by an Italian Immigrant Caesar Cardini

Caesar Salad Recipe
The standard Caesar salad legend credits the creation of the recipe no to the emperor Caesar but to an Italian immigrant, Caesar Cardini, proprietor of a restaurant in Tijuana. Presumably he tossed the first Caesar salad on the evening of July 4, 1924, when he was running low on food and assembled a salad for his guests from what was left over in the kitchen.
2 large garlic cloves
4 anchovies, rinsed, patted dry
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 head romaine lettuce, trimmed and torn into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish
In a mini-chopper process the garlic and anchovies into a paste. Add the lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt and process until smooth. With motor running, add oil in a slow stream and blend until emulsified. In a large bowl toss romaine with dressing and Parmesan and pepper to taste. Serves 6

Anxiety, CATS and ANTS

No, this is not an article on animals and insects. CATS and ANTs were recently used in a After 50 Article by Amy Remmele on the subject of anxiety (April, 2006).
Many of the foods and drinks we consume can affect the way we feel, breathe and act. CATS is an acronym for caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and sugar. Managing your body and that of your family has a lot to do with their lifestyle and food intake.
These addictive habits set you and your family up for health consequences. Medication doesn’t address the causes. You must know that your best bet in addressing the problems of "CATS" starts with eliminating or reducing the intake of these products in your home. There is no consolation for those using artificial sweeteners - they are part of the problem, as well.
Healthy living is related to making your body functions work properly. Getting a good-night’s sleep, exercise and watching what you eat is a giant step in the right direction. You could start by checking the menu at your child’s school. Cheese and Nachos, Pizza, Hot Dogs and French Fries are not healthy foods for your children. And check the hallways for vending machines that make candy and sugar-beverages available to your child. Why do parents and teachers ignore the influence these products have on behavior and scholarships? Isn’t it obvious that Ritalin may be a result of overuse of sugar and candy? Alzheimer’s is seen to be a result of plaque in the arteries of the brain. Soft cheese, especially the kind used for dipping, is high in cholesterol and produces "sticky blood."
If you would hire a "crossing guard" to look both ways, why wouldn’t you try to change the environment in our schools? Research shows that schools that removed vending machines had fewer discipline problems and less problems with getting students to focus on the subject. The danger to our children is immense when we trust the school cafeteria to feed our children "bad food."
Maybe we ought to offer a course in "deep muscle relaxation" or Yoga and other calming methods. Parents have to learn to teach by example and learn that worry feeds back into tension. Anxious behavior starts with the brain firing wrong messages. It can be defused with a little humor or fun, exercise or a refreshing walk around the block. Sports have become too serious and what used to be fun is now becoming a war between opposing neighborhoods. Coaches, parents and children have to realize that sports were a part of "character-building." Now, we have parents fighting and children being yelled at for their lack of performance.
People in sports have to decrease the frequency and intensity of worrying about failure and charging ahead for perfection. Teachers once had a saying, "When the subject becomes more important than the subjects (students), you have lost the focus of what we are trying to do." Stop the catastrophic thoughts and replace them with more pleasant ones. This distraction, detraction or diversion is something I use to handle stressful situations.
Practicing perfection may lead to "ANTs" (Automatic Negative Thoughts). For best results in putting an end to these self-deprecating thoughts, we only need to practice ways to ‘STOP" the anxiety. Practicing the use of diverting yourself from negative thoughts by replacing them with positive thinking will come in time.
I have witnessed full-grown men yelling at themselves for a missed shot in tennis or badminton. Once, I explained, "You are thinking negative, speaking negative and hearing negative. If you are to improve your game, you need to think positive, speak positive and hear positive, before you can make progress in playing the game." Those same people began a new approach that led to success with joy and happiness. If you don’t get the benefits of exercise by lowering your blood pressure, relieving your stress and enjoying the company of fine people, you are not playing for the right reasons.

Learn to play for fun and reap the benefits of a life filled with happiness, health and the joy of living longer.