Everyday Project Management

The third day of cooking school did not require any time in the kitchen classroom.   As we learned, the way to serve the ham and cheese of the region requires very little preparation time - you simply break apart the Parmagiano Reggiano cheese into small little chunks and you slice the Proscuitto de Parma into paper thin slices.   What is more important is the origins of these two products as there are many copycats of both this type of ham and cheese throughout the world.   So off we went to see their origins.

These tours reminded me of my childhood where my father’s idea of “seeing” the country meant seeing all the factories throughout the country.   We must’ve toured every factory open to the public as a kid.    Now in that ranking system as a kid of the factory tours - both the tours of the Parmagiano Reggiano and the Proscuitto de Parma factories, got high marks.   Why?   The tours were relatively short and at the end, we had lots of free samples.

I learned at the Parmagiano Reggiano cheese factory that local lore says this cheese increases virality in men.   I think the quantity required is something more than a little blue pill, but something less than the entire round of cheese.   If they lock in on this marketing, the price they can charge for their cheese will soar.   However, it will then likely be banned by the US FDA because of the strength of the pharmaceutical lobby.   So, keep this a secret please.    HOWEVER, you need to get the real deal.  Maybe it’s because of what the cows eat in Parma that create this unique feature.   It’s a variety of herbs in a grass like mixture.  Or it might be the enzymes in the cheese.   Maybe the cheese is like wine in that after a couple pieces whoever you’re with just gets more attractive?   Maybe it’s a pheromone olfactory aphrodiasiac?   That would explain why they love amply endowed woman of short stature who eat a lot of cheese - yes this place is good for my ego.

I also learned that when the cheese maker scores an X on the cheese rind - it does NOT mean X-TRA special.  It means the cheese is somehow defective.   For some reason, lots of these X-rated cheeses end up in the US being sold as the real thing.  Buyer beware.

The stuff that is sold in the little green jars called Parmesaen cheese and the wider distributed small packages of parmesaen cheese are NOT parmagiano reggiano cheese.  The real product is a much moister cheese - it actually won’t grate like the cheeses we purchase in the US unless it’s allowed to get stale over several weeks.   If you want the real stuff - look for the markings on the rind that are in this picture.

Next it was onto the Proscuitto de Parma factory.  Fortunately this was not like a winery in as much as it’s circled by vineyards.  It was nice that this place was not circled by pig pens.   The ONLY thing in the Proscuitto de Parma were pigs legs.  And LOTS of them.

This product was the ultimate in risk management.  To create this ham, it has to be salted and kept in the cold for 90 days.   The cold salt curing technique is a way to keep the meat from spoiling.   I inquired how they did this BEFORE refrigeration as they have been making this type of ham for centuries here.   They were only able to make this ham in the time before refrigeration from November to February - probably the reason for the 90 days in the cold with the salt rub.   It ages another nine months before it’s ready for consumption.   The area around Parma used to be under the sea and there are large deposits of salts.  These are the salts used in the sale rubs.

We learned that these are BIG PIGS.   These pigs weigh in excess of 400 pounds.  There is a copy cat product Made in Canada that got the trademark Proscuitto de Parma BEFORE the real product from Parma secured the trademark.   The pigs used in Canada are smaller pigs, weighing less than 200 pounds.   So when you see a product that says Proscuitta de Parma - if it’s long and skinny, it’s most likely made in Canada, NOT Parma.  The Proscuitto de Parma will have a crown on it that symbolizes it is the real thing.   According to some women in our group, you can actually purchase this several times a year at Costco.  Also, higher end speciality deli’s in larger cities or in specialty deli’s in the Italian districts in cities will carry it.

We left the factory tour to go visit a very old castle that was now the home of the Grappa manufacturing.   Grappa is a product made from the leftover grape skins.   Since I am allergic to alcohol, I did not get to sample this one.   Based on the looks of my classmates, I considered myself lucky.   They reported that it was intense and several had a hard time breathing.   We had lunch at the old castle - it was pretty dank and cold there.   I’m not sure why living in a castle was anything anyone would want to aspire to in the olden days.  Lunch was fun there - lots of pasta and proscuitta de parma.

We got several hours off in the afternoon for good behavior (either that or we had exhausted the staff at Academia Barilla).  At 7:30 PM it was on the bus again and off to one of the oldest restaurants in the area located in a small village for a three hour dinner.   We were served “traditional” food in an elegant atmostphere.   I’m racking my brain to remember what we had - I’m sure it was more ham and cheese.

I didn’t realize just how much I didn’t like truffles until I came to Culinary boot camp in Italy.   Which I guess is a good thing - god knows I don’t need anymore expensive habits.  However, I did have a very good time discovering just how much I did not like truffles.   We started out the second day of cooking school with an adventure to go hunting for truffles with Francesco and his truffle sniffing dog Leah.   This required an hour drive to the countryside.   And a half mile walk to their fenced in tree farm.  Truffles grow around the base of the trees and they can harvest them from September to February.   Only people who have passed a truffle exam can go get truffles and this was Francesco’s family’s private truffle tree farm.

After truffle hunting, was luuuunnnnnccccchhhhh at a local restaurant.  EVERYTHING we were served had truffles in it.  Lunch is no small event here - it lasted over two hours.   I think I learned more how to socialize over long meals in this class than how to cook italian food.

We got back to Academia Barilla in time to start cooking lesson number two - this was at 5 PM.  We proceeded to start preparations for a five course meal - which included, what else - TRUFFLES.   It appeared that some of my classmates were not faring so well from the rich lunch of cream laden truffle trifels.   So, I deviated from their menu and pulled out my ginger root.  YES, I traveled to Italy with my own ginger root.   (See post several down on my recovery kit for the swine flu).    It was a round of ginger root and chamomille tea for all.   Our teacher chef, Nicola, didn’t seem too excited that I had hijacked one of the burners and a pan for my concoction, but when he learned that it would help him get over the latest bug his two year old brought home from nursery school, he appreciated my efforts.   I turned my classmates onto the ultimate cureall of the ancient world - ginger.   Oddly enough, I could not find ginger root at the local grocery store.

Dinner was a very cool pasta ravioli like thing (I can’t for the life of me remember the name) that had an egg dropped in the middle, guinea hen in truffle sauce (we got to use a blow torch on that fowl),  polenta with a truffle cream sauce (yuck), and some almond biscotti for dessert.   I’m sure there were a couple of other courses in there - but they obviously weren’t that memorable or I would’ve remembered them.   I might have remembered if we ate before ten PM.  This dinner was another two hour affair.  By the second day of cooking school, I was getting to know my classmates VERY WELL.   Luckily - I really like these folks.    It was starting to feel like Culinary boot camp - second day - Truffle Hazing.

I made to Italy. Wrote a summary of the journey but cannot get the WIFI to work at the hotel.  So I am TESTING a post from the  IPHONE - irit wants to CAPITALIZE EVERYTHING.

When I got the last of the little birds to fly the nest off to college, I decided to go back to school as well.   Cooking school.   Nothing too extreme - I do after all have a business to run and employees to care for still.   It is part of my overall Mom Emancipation Program.   The “Mom Emancipation Program” involves doing those things that I could not do over the past 20 years and could not do the previous 27 years before that due to being in “real” school.   It will be interesting to see where the “Mom Emancipation Program” leads me as the goals are fairly vague - do those things I could not do the previous 47 years of my life.

I’m off to “Cooking School Lite” with Sur La Table in Italy.  So far the experience has been OUTSTANDING.   They have an event concierge who sends you cooking supplies before you ever get there.  Calls you every other week or so to check in on how you’re doing with your travel plans (her name is Andrea and what an asset she is to Sur La Table).   Yes I was a little anxious to do this - I’m not inclined to fly off to Europe for a ten day cooking school experience.  Plus all my cooking skills have been self taught.   I talked my foodie pal and writing guru Carey, into coming with me.

I like to see how light I can pack.  I managed to get everything I need for the next ten days stuffed into these two little bags.   The question is - will I be able to stuff it all back into those two little bags for the trip home?

Michelle LaBrosse, PMP

Okay Ina, I hope you don’t get too upset with me for sharing this. But it is the MOST fantastic soup I’ve EVER had. For those of you who love to cook - get Ina’s “Barefoot Contessaa Back to Basics” cookbook.

Here goes with the project story of how I stumbled upon this recipe.

Project Initiation

I recently listened to an audio book on tape called “Julie and Julia”. It’s a story about this woman who after recently turning 30, decides that her life is pretty blase and to spice things up, she undertakes to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s book - “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in one year. She also decides to blog about her year adventure.

My younger daughter, who’s kitchen claim to fame is “Easy Mac” just howled at the book. She purchased it on a jaunt across the country. She talked about it endlessly for several days and I figured any book that got her inspired to move her culinary exploits past the reheat button on the microwave might be entertaining on a ride to Cape Cod to go camping in the rain for three days. She claimed the actual book was a lot better than the audio version (for whatever that is worth - not having read the book, I can’t comment).

Oddly enough, when I got back to Alaska several weeks later, I had a copy of Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” on my bed. My oldest daughter had given it to me for Mother’s day and I had just started reading it before I left for my two month summer adventure. Having grown up watching Julia Child’s cooking show on PBS, I am prone to spontaneously break into Julia Child imitation when I’m explaining something I’m doing in the kitchen to anyone within ear shot. My children always just thought this was how people normally behaved while cooking, until they got older and realized, I was just doing my “Julia Child’s” schtick. So it’s no wonder I get books like this for Mother’s day.

One day last week, I randomly opened the Julia Child Mastering the Art of French cooking book on my bed and was reading a recipe for Poulet Saute or something like that related to pan frying chicken and serving it with a cream sauce. But since the book was upstairs, and NOT in my kitchen, the idea went in and out of my head to make that recipe. (For some reason when I first got the book, I had no idea it was a cook book which was why it made it’s way to my bedroom for some light night time reading - ha ha ha). An hour later, still in the cookbook mode of being, but now in the room where I happily co-exist with cookbooks, the kitchen, I was thumbing through Ina’s lovely book. With fantastic pictures, and very unique recipes. Ina’s book makes for a fantastic breakfast companion. Earlier in the week I had made Ina’s Parmesan Roasted Broccoli with my award winning broccoli, Tuscan Lemon Chicken, and Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits (three other GREAT reasons to get her cookbook). Julia Child’s team of revisionists really need to upgrade her books to the Ina Garten standard.

That morning at breakfast, would start the tastebud adventure of a lifetime. Little did I know this as I studied Ina’s Chilled Cucumber Soup with Shrimp recipe. The ingredients looked a bit like what you’d find in Tzatziki sauce. Tzatziki sauce is what is used on Greek Gyro’s that also goes great with leg of lamb roast (Trader Joe’s sells a nice pre-made Tzatziki sauce as does Costco). I figured, if it wasn’t good as a soup, I could always use it with lamb.

Okay this was Saturday when I read this recipe. I purchased all the ingredients on Sunday to make the soup. But since it required a two hour refrigeration time, I just didn’t get my act together enough until Wednesday (yesterday) to actually give it a shot. Usually I’m a bit faster on the uptake than this for new culinary adventures.

Project Planning

The ingredients for Ina’s cucumber soup are pretty basic (as she promotes on the cover of her cookbook).

3 (7 oz) containers of Greek yogurt. (all I could find was a 24 oz container of greek yogurt in my small Alaskan town).
1 cup half and half
2 hot house cucumbers - unpeeled, seeded, and chopped - I peeled the cucumber, didn’t seed it, chopped it, and used 4 instead of two. I have no idea if they were hot house or not.
1/2 cup chopped red onion - I just cut a large red onion in quarters and used that.
6 scallions - white and green parts chopped - the old wilted ones in the fridge worked just fine.
4 teaspoons kosher salt (YES that seemed like an awful lot to me too).
1 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (this is really hard to measure - I just worked the pepper grinder for about a minute).
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill - fresh dill is rather hard to find in rural alaska - I just used dill in the spice jar.
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons) - easy enough
1/2 pound cooked large shrimp, halved (okay I dominate in this area - we had just got fresh shrimp out in the cove - but it was little. Worked just fine).

Project Execution

You mix the cucumbers, onions, scallions, yogurt, half and half, salt and pepper together and then process it beyond recognition in a food processor or blender. Then you fold in the dill. Cover and refrigerate for two hours. Right before serving, put in the lemon juice and garnish with the shrimp.

Project Monitoring and Control

If you taste this BEFORE it chills for two hours, it will taste way too salty. After two hours, the saltiness mellows out and with the addition of the lemon juice, you don’t perceive it as “too salty.” With regards to putting in the lemon juice just before serving it, I had leftovers and it was just as fantastic the next day so I’m not sure how much it really hurts the soup to have the lemon juice in ahead of time.

Project Closeout

This is one of the most incredible taste bud experiences I ever had. The guests I had over dinner didn’t have as adventurous palates as I do, and they even loved it. It is very different than anything any of them ever tasted before and it is nothing at all like Tzatziki sauce. I don’t understand why the recipe suggests you don’t peel the cucumber - I really think that is a typo. Plus I really don’t like the bitterness of cucumber peels so I did away with them. GREAT recipe Ina - THANK YOU!!

Michelle LaBrosse, PMP

Okay I must admit, broccoli is not my favorite vegetable, but my gosh does it grow well in my alaskan square foot garden. My daughter encouraged me to enter one of the heads into the Southeast Alaska State Fair. So, the morning of the competition, I took knife to plant, and beheaded it. Yes, whacked it there on the spot. Then with lovely broccoli bouquet in hand, went to the exhibit hall at the state fair grounds and entered it into the competition. They even supplied the lovely vase. I’m not sure what division it was in or why it won best in division - but here it is in all it’s glory. The first of the bounty from my first alaskan square foot garden.

Was it the automatic watering system, the extensive wind protection, the uncharacteristically warm summer, the thousands of worms from Uncle Jim’s worm farm, the seaweed I mixed in with the vermeculite, composite, manure planting mix? It certainly wasn’t my attention as I was not even here all summer. I am more inclined to think it might be the lack of other competitors. No one else entered broccoli. I’m not sure if this town has many broccoli fans as the main reason I grew broccoli was because it was one of the few starts left at the nursery. Late to the party and what happens - I WIN!!!!!!! YEAH. I am so proud of my head of broccoli. I might even start to like this vegetable.

Michelle LaBrosse,  PMP

As part of my effort to teach project management through cooking, I’m posting my healthy cocktail recipes.

Project Initiation - for some unknown reason after my 44th birthday I became unable to drink alcohol without getting very violent stomach upsets (I now think this was a wonderful gift). But I am also known as the Chief Party Officer for my company. So, over the past several years, I have worked on making non-alcoholic adult beverages. The amazing thing about these drinks, they are also good for you.

Here is the research my trusty intern Erica dug up on how the ingredients in these drinks help you stay healthy:

Ginger - History and medical benefits from: http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/fitness/ginger.html and http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/ginger-000246.htm

Asian, Indian, and Arabic people have been using ginger for its medicinal properties since ancient times. China has been using ginger for over 2,000 years to remedy various ailments including stomach upset and nausea. Pythagorus was an avid user of ginger in Ancient Greece. King Henry VIII of England used ginger to protect himself from the plague. In the past, ginger has also been used for treating arthritis, colic, heart conditions, colds, flu symptoms, menstrual cramps, and headaches.

Although historically, there have been a multitude of uses of ginger, present day research has confirmed that ginger is beneficial in remedying several common ailments. For example, the American Pyschotherapy Research Laboratory in Salt Lake City and Japanese researchers found that motion sickness can be curbed by consuming ginger. Researchers in Denmark have discovered that ginger blocks substances that cause blood vessel inflammation in the brain which leads to migraines. Ginger is so effective that medical professionals often recommend the consumption of it to prevent or treat nausea or vomiting that occurs as a result of motion sickness, pregnancy, and cancer chemotherapy, digestion problems, common colds and flu-like symptoms, and inflammation.

Blueberries - History and medical uses of blueberries found on http://www.blueberry.org/health.htm, http://www.health-products-for-women.com/benefits-of-blueberry-juice.html, and http://business.intuit.com/article/history-and-facts-on-blueberries

Blueberries have long been gathered and used by native Americans. They used parts of the plant for medicine, the leaves for tea, and the blueberry juice to relieve coughing. Blueberries and blueberry juice have been proven to have powerful medical benefits when ingested. Blueberries have one of the highest levels of antioxidants of all fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals that our bodies produce as part of our aging process. Consuming antioxidant-rich foods helps curb age-related problems including short term memory loss and coordination. Blueberry juice not only protects against negative side effects of aging, it has also been shown to reduce bad cholesterol in the blood which contributes to heart disease and strokes, decrease urinary tract infections, act as an anti-inflammatory, stimulate the immune system.

Cranberries - Cranberry and cranberry juice history and medical uses from: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/cranberry-000235.htm and http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/34119/the_health_benefits_of_cranberry_juice.html

Cranberries, like blueberries, have been used as both a food and a medicine for many years. Native Americans have used cranberries to treat bladder and kidney diseases. England settlers used the cranberries in America when they arrived to aid in appetite loss, scurvy, and digestive problems. The most common medicinal use of cranberries is for preventing urinary tract infections. Cranberries prevent bacteria from attaching urinary tract walls. Medical professionals recommend ingesting cranberries (in supplemental form or juice) to help prevent but not cure urinary tract infections. Even though this is the most common and often referred to use of cranberries, there are several other medical purposes for this berry. Not only do cranberries (and cranberry juice) contain many vitamins and minerals, but it is a source of antioxidants that fight aginst heart disease and caner. Cranberry juice can also help prevent ulcers from forming by preventing bacteria that causes ulcers from attaching to stomach walls. Cranberries are high in vitamin C and contains other components that help prevent gum disease and plaque buildup.

Green Tea - Green tea history and health benefits from: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm and http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400a.htm

People have been consuming green tea for at least 500,000 years and many cultures have been using it for a variety of purposes. The Chinese are one such people that have been consuming and using green tea for its many medicinal benefits. Research has demonstrated that ancient Chinese cultures used green tea to treat many ailments from headaches to depression. Chinese and Indian cultures both used green tea as a diuretic, an astringent, a stimulant, and to maintain a healthy heart. Today, research has been conducted to uncover what exact medical benefits arise from consuming green tea. Out of the three main varieties of tea (black, oolong, and green), green tea has the highest concentration of free radical fighting anti-oxidants. Recent studies on green tea have concluded that drinking it can reduce the risk bladder, esophageal, breast, ovarian, lung, skin and several other cancers. Green tea also reduces total cholesterol and improves the ratio of good to bad cholesterol found in our bodies. Consumption of green tea has also been found to control the body’s blood sugar levels, prevent liver disease, prevent tooth decay, and boost the body’s metabolism. The many health benefits associated with green tea are due what the plant is made of including polyphenols (powerful antioxidants) and stimulating alkaloids like caffeine.

Grapefruit Juice - The grapefruit’s history is relatively more recent than that of other fruits.  The grapefruit was discovered just in the 18th century in Barbados and botanists think that the grapefruit may be the result of a natural cross breeding between the orange and a citrus fruit called the pomelo.  The grapefruit has many health benefits that are similar to those of an orange including their high levels of vitami C and antioxidant properties.  Grapefruits contain a carotenoid phytonutrient called lyopene, which has anti-tumor properties.  Lycopene is highly efficient in fighting oxygen free radicals that may cause cell damage.  Grapefruit juice is one of the most antioxidant rich juices available.  Grapefruit juice also contains phytonutrients called limonoids that prevent tumors from forming.  Other research done on this delicious fruit have show that it can lower cholesterol, prevent kidney stones, protect against colon cancer, and can help the the productivity of liver detoxification.  Grapefruit juice has many valuable health benefits but it is recommended that you discuss the addition of this fruit to your diet if you take medications because it could interfere with the breakdown or distribution of your medication.  To learn more about this fruit go to http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=25 or http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/592239/natural_health_benefits_and_uses_of.html?cat=5

Orange Juice - Oranges are one of the most popular fruits around the world and orange juice is also widely used because of its delectable taste and its numerous health benefits.  Most commonly, we have heard that orange juice contains large amounts of vitamin C.  This is true–one orange provides you with over 100% of your daily vitamin C need.  Vitamin C is an antioxidant and can protect the body against free radicals that cause cellular damage like cancer.  One study by Italian researchers at the Division of Human Nutrition at the University of Milan found that drinking a glass of orange juice is more protective than consuming vitamin C by itself.  In combination with other components of an orange, vitamin C aids in preventing illnesses caused by free radicals including heart disease and cancer.  Orange juice’s many benefits also include protection against cardiovascular disease, lowering of cholesterol, being a great source of fiber, preventing kidney stones, preventing ulcers, and protecting respiratory health.

To read more about the health benefits of orange juice go to http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=37 or http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/54063

Pomegranate Juice - Pomegranates have been eaten for quite some time and have only recently become very popular in the United States because of their health benefits.  The pomegranate is one of the earliest cultivated fruits and records have traced the consumption of it back to at least 3,000 B.C.  Scholars have even speculated that Eve in the Bible was tempted by a pomegranate rather than an apple.  In many cultures, the pomegranate is associated with fertility and rebirth. Prominent Egyptians such as King Tut were even buried with the fruit because they hoped it would help them travel to their second life.  Until recently, pomegranates have been a constant mainly in diets of the Middle Eastern people.  When studies came out regarding the health benefits of the fruit, its popularity spread to the U.S. The fruit is full of antioxidants and studies have shown that pomegranate juice aids in destroying breast cancer cells, preventing lung cancer, preventing osteoarthritis, protects arteries, lowers bad cholesterol while raising good cholesterol, prevents dental plaque, and protects the arteries from plaque buildup.  One study even found that drinking 1.7 ounces of pomegranate juice a day can lower systolic blood pressure by 5 percent.  To learn more aboutthe rich history and many benefits of pomegranate juice, go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6411097 and http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/11-health-benefits-of-pomegranate-juice.html

Agave Nectar - Agave nectar is a wise choice for a sweetener because it is low on the glycemic index and therefore will not cause sharp rises or falls in blood sugar.  Agave nectar has anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.  The Aztecs even used agave syrup as an antibacterial to help heal wounds.  Agave nectar has also been found to protect against harmful intestinal bacteria.  Agave nectar is a sweet alternative to high-glycemic sugars.  It is also thinner than honey, pours and dissolves well in both hot and cold liquids.  You can find it in the cooking section or near the honey in most grocery stores.  To learn more about agave nectar go to http://www.allaboutagave.com/health-benefits-of-agave-nectar.php and http://www.sheknows.com/articles/804491.htm.

Project Plan

Get ingredients

Seltzer water - 2 half gallons or 4 quarts
Blueberry Juice - 1 quart - no sugar added (or artificial sweetners).
Grapefruit Juice - 1/2 gallon - no sugar added
Cranberry Juice - 1/2 gallon - no sugar added
Pomegranate Juice - 1 pint - no sugar added
Ginger Root - 1 large root
Tazo Zen Green Tea Bags
5 oranges
2 Limes
Organic Cinnamon
Agave Nectar
Ice cubes - 1/2 bag or 4 cups

Equipment

16 oz drink glasses

Project Execution

Blueberry Pie Drink

I got the idea for this drink from a Tazo Brambleberry drink - but then the little store in the little town where I live wasn’t carrying it anymore so I tried to make something similar on my own. Not to be a braggart or anything, but mine is better.

Directions

Fill the glass with ice
Sprinkle cinnamon on ice
Shake to coat ice with cinnamon
Fill the glass 7/8th full with seltzer water
Fill remaining glass with blueberry juice
Enjoy

Pink Flamingo Drink

This is a drink I order when I’m out at restaurants and bars with others.   I have found that when everyone is enjoying a cocktail, they just feel more comfortable if they feel like you are enjoying a drink too.   This drink is very refreshing and I often find people switching to it after they try it.

Directions

Fill the glass with ice
Squeeze a wedge of lime on the ice and shake to coat
Fill with 3/4 seltzer water
Put in 1/8th cranberry juice
Put in 1/8th grapefruit juice
Top with twist of lime
Enjoy

Napili Iced Tea

I came up with this concoction at a family reunion in Hawaii. My nephew showed up with some type of flu virus so I administered my hot green tea steeped in ginger root water remedy. I made a big pot of this. The next day, my daughters foot was still swollen from a bee sting three days earlier so I started my green tea/ginger root remedy on her. But she did not take a fondness to it. So, eyeing a bagful of oranges my brother had scored on the side of the road, I juiced one and mixed it together, and sweetened the whole mixture with agave nectar. She loved it, drank several glasses and the swelling finally started going down. The green tea helps the liver process toxins which was exactly what needed to happen to get the bee toxin out of her system and bring down the foot swelling.

Directions

Slice up about 1/2 cup ginger root
Boil in 4 quarts water and let steep for at least 1/2 hour
Add in about 10 Tazo Zen Green Tea bags.
Let steep another ten minutes.
Mix in 1/2 cup agave nectar
Fill 16 oz glass with ice
Fill cup about 2/3 full with ginger root green tea.
Squeeze juice from one orange - mix in with green tea
Stir and enjoy

Pom Power

This is a very easy drink and it was the first one I started making in lieu of alcholic beverages.

Directions

Fill a 16 oz glass with ice cubes
Fill 7/8th full with seltzer water
Fill remaining with Pomegranite juice
Top with a twist of lime.

Project Control

When making drinks for a large group, it really helps to have the supplies close at hand.   After two or three people try the drinks, the whole party usually wants them so be prepared.   Get a nice ice bucket, slice up several limes ahead of time, and squeeze the orange juice ahead of time.   Don’t skimp on the quality of the ingredients here - using fresh juices with no sugar or artificial sweetners added makes a big difference.  For people who want their drinks a little sweeter, add Agave Nectar.   Pre-sweetened juices I have found have way too much sweetner added, even cranberry juice.

Project Closeout

What I have found in my three years of having to live life as the Chief Party Officer without drinking alcohol, people will still have a great time at a party without alcohol as social lubrication - especially if you can maintain the festive attitude that comes from mixing drinks.

Michelle LaBrosse, PMP

I had the lovely fortune to have the flu in late february. Several family members and I caught it after attending a cousin’s wedding in Philadelphia. Even the ones who had the “flu shot.” Since no medical personnel thought it was necessary to see what type of flu it was, it was just the “flu.” But it was the exact same symptoms as this latest ’swine” flu - complete with the 5th day relapse after feeling fine on the 4th day.

I had recently finished reading a book called “Anti-Cancer” and did some of the same remedies suggested in that book plus several others I knew about. So here is how you can minimize the severity of the flu:

1. Medical Professionals tell you to drink plenty of fluids - but the type of fluids make a huge difference.

A. Avoid sugar - according to the Anti-Cancer book - sugar feeds cancer cells. I figured it might help feed the flu virus as well. I am not a medical professional or a researcher but I figured it couldn’t hurt me to avoid sugar and it didn’t.

B. Drink a LOT of ginger root tea. I slice up fresh ginger root and boil it in water. I made a large pot of this and drank at least a cup every hour. I mixed it with decaffeinated green tea. Ginger root is a natural anti-inflammatory. Since the flu virus causes inflammation as your immune system does battle with the virus - this is very good for helping your body cope with the flu.

2. Stay positive - watch funny movies. DO NOT WATCH THE NEWS. Stay away from the work stress too. If the flu could kill you what will the work stress matter anyhow. Your job with the flu bug is to survive to go back to work.

3. Get lots of sleep - if you have small children or pets - get someone else to watch them - this is very important. When I had the flu, I was on a trip back east so my pets were under someone else’s care out west and the children were on their own trip for school. I was supposed to travel to meet the kids on their trip but the doctor implored me to just stay put for at least two weeks to make sure I got over it. The night time cold and flu over the counter medicines do well to ease the coughing symptoms so you can sleep.

4. Eat chicken noodle soup. Yup there is something that is released when they are making the chicken broth from the bones of the chicken that is anti-viral. I make my own - it is very simple. You first roast the chicken. Then you take most of the meat off and refrigerate, and toss the carcass in a large pot of water. Put in several tablespoons of whole pepppercorns and a couple stalks of celery. Let it simmer all day (you’re home and sleeping anyhow). Strain out all the ingredients. Chop up the refrigerated meat, put in a whole chopped onion and a the top half of a stalk of celery coarsly chopped. Put in about a cup of whole wheat pasta noodles and salt to taste. Eat this several times a day.

5. Eat a fresh berry salad. Fresh berries are also recommended to prevent cancer so I figured these couldn’t hurt either. I mix up strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and toss in some chopped walnuts and sprinkle the whole thing with cinnamon. The cinnamon helps to regulate your blood sugar so you don’t feed those nasty flu viruses.

6. Go out for a short brisk walk in the fresh air (and stay away from other people). This might seem counter intuitive as all you want to do is sleep. But in the anti-cancer book he showed how a low level of exercise boosts your immune system. If it’s cold out, bundle up. And only walk for 15 to 20 minutes.

7. Take a hot bath - at least once a day. Put epsom salt in it as well. I had a friend who was trained as a medical professional in India and he recommended sitting in hot water to all his patients when they presented with a virus as it was his experience that elevating your temperature more helped kill the virus faster. This is what a fever is doing anyhow. I’m not sure if that works, but it does make you feel more relaxed.

The flu is not to be taken lightly - no matter what the strain. Even the “normal” flu kills over 35,000 people every year in the US alone. I made the mistake the 4th day of thinking I was all over it and could gut out an aggressive work day. It set me back another two weeks. If you have a fever and a dry hacking cough - it might be the flu. It gets worse. You then get a headache that feels like your head is in a vice. Then on about the third day your eyes start to water like you’ve been chopping onions. As it moves into your lungs, you cough like you’ve smoked three packs of cigarettes a day for decades. And all you want to do is sleep. I was all alone when I had the flu on a trip back east. I was thankful for that as usually I have pets and children to care for. I was only supposed to be there for a week - I ended up just staying put for three weeks. I started to feel completely back to normal about a month after I first came down with the flu.

I had the good fortune of being alone and not having to take care of anyone but myself. If you live with other people and they come down with the flu - STAY AWAY FROM THEM. It’s not hard for people to take care of themselves with this. And the solitude is good for their recovery. You can drop off the essentials they need but the less you can be around someone who has the flu, the less likely you will be to catch it.

by Michelle LaBrosse, PMP

In Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book - The Black Swan - he points out that most catastrophic events are completely random - yet we are compelled to find causal relationships. Being an “empiricist” he shows how most of what we consider rational explanations for events are completely random and that our intuition on what should happen in a future state is more often than not completely wrong.

In Jonathon Jarvis’ presentation “Visualizing the Credit Crisis” he shows the dynamics that caused the banks to lose their shirts on sub-prime mortgages which is being implicated as the main reason for the global economic crisis. I would like to propose an alternative theory - the global economic crisis is being caused by the lack of sun spots. I’ll go out on a limb here and blame it for the global climatic crisis as well. Also, it might be what is to blame for the global rash in terrorism. Research shows that sun spot activity has a significant impact on human behavior. Lack of sunspots specifically makes us more susceptible to repressive regimes - EXACTLY what has been being put in place “protecting” us from all these global calamities.

Now the million dollar question - being the self-flagellating ego centric beings that we are - how are we responsible for the lack of sun spots on the sun? And if it’s not us who are responsible for the lack of sun spots, then who is to blame and how can we hang them out to dry for the lack of sun spots causing all of our modern day problems? Is it Tim Geitner’s inability to use Turbotax that has caused the most recent decrease in sunspot activity?

I have noticed that my own creativity has been stymied lately. I am usually a prolific blogger posting my ramblings in two locations. On this blog and for those postings related to my drive to become energy self-sufficient - on www.cheetahpower.net. But for the last month, I just have lost my zest for blog postings. I was trying to establish the cause for this. I had thought that it was due to the fact that I was getting too angry about the global economic crisis and the apparently inept leadership (but who am I to make that assessment about the quality of leadership?). I then remembered this circle of influence vs. circle of concern concept that I describe in my science of success talk. The concept is that when you focus on your circle of influence instead of wasting your time on those things that concern you but that you can’t do anything about, you find much more personal success in life. I was living in my circle of concern instead of my circle of influence. And just why was I doing this? Now I know - lack of sunspots. Well now that I know the source of my ennui, I can go about fixing it. I certainly can do NOTHING about the lack of sun spots, so I’m going back to what it is I can influence and living there. At least I’m much happier and more productive living in my circle of influence.

by Michelle LaBrosse, PMP

Like most Americans, I am pretty riled up by the greed of Wall Street and how this whole situation has been handled by the US Government. I am on a group on Linkedin called the Global Economic Crisis to better understand the current climate and how to best help project managers capitalize on the times. I came across this ten minute video presentation, on the Linkedin group, by Jonathon Jarvis. It is an exceptionally good visual presentation on how the credit crisis was created. http://vimeo.com/3261363?pg=embed&sec=

Project managers are in a fantastic position because they are the people who help others get things done. What I have found in my travels and interactions with other project managers is that as a group, we have been uniformly conservative with our own credit management and were exceptionally good at risk management. As a group, we have lived by the “new” rules that others who lived by the ‘old” rules are just learning how to adopt.