HEALTHY MEAL PLANNING AND PREPARATION
In 1994, Betty and I became strict vegetarians in an attempt to control my cholesterol and to combat my genetic tendency to have heart disease. A year after that, we persuaded my parents to join us in this way of eating. They both lost excess weight and experienced a gain in energy. They even had less colds and flu bouts. So when they moved in with us, they didn't have to adjust their way of eating. In fact, Mom was glad to not think about meal preparation or shopping for food. And she loved Betty's cooking.
Betty can only be described as gourmet chef. Her inspiration was Julia Child. (She could even immitate her voice). She put a lot of research into  developing tasty vegan vegetarian meals. My parents savored each meal. At first, when Betty was working outside the home, she would coach me through preparing some meals. I was pretty good at breakfast. I could fake it at lunchtime. Snacks were a snap. But dinner was a bit overwhelming. I was relieved when Betty began to work at home again so we could share the load.
My parents loved to go to restaurants as a treat. Dining out reminded them of their courtship days. Once, after spending a few days in the hospital, we were bringing Dad home. He said, "Let me treat you all to lunch." We asked, "Which restaurant?" He said, "I don't care as long as it has cloth napkins and tablecloths." We chuckled and took him to one of his favorite restaurants that featured cloth accessories, of course.
Even though Dad couldn't handle his financial affairs, he still liked to pay for the restaurant meal with his credit card. When the bill came, I would check it over for correctness, add the tip, and let Dad sign it.
However, most restaurants used too much additive type salts, preservatives and flavor enhancers in the food. The next day, my parent’s legs and ankles would be swollen. I would have to adjust their Lasix to compensate for the setback. So restaurant visits became a rare treat rather than a regular event.
Dad's favorite afternoon and evening snack was homemade "ice cream," which, in our house, consisted of fruit, ice, soy milk and sugar mixed in the Cuisinart. (For more vegan recipes try my wife's website, ChezBettay.com. MORE>
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