sleepless where ever

There is little dispute that sleep is too often hard to come by. Crazy busy schedules, out of control stresses, and troublesome future worries all keep a restful night’s sleep at bay. As a result chronic insomnia is not as isolated an experience as one might hope despite our finest pillow-top.       IMG_7643

 Insomnia Statistics

  • People today sleep 20% less than they did 100 years ago.
  • More than 30% of the population suffers from insomnia.
  • One in three people suffer from some form of insomnia during their lifetime.
  • More than half of Americans lose sleep due to stress and/or anxiety.
  • Between 40% and 60% of people over the age of 60 suffer from insomnia.
  • Women are up to twice as likely to suffer from insomnia than men.
  • Approximately 35% of insomniacs have a family history of insomnia.
  • 90% of people who suffer from depression also experience insomnia.
  • Approximately 10 million people in the U.S. use prescription sleep aids.

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What’s for Supper?

Vermont is one of 27 landlocked states in the US but surprisingly wild saltwater fish is on the menu in most restaurants. It’s often on our home menu too. This is because in the Northeast, fresh fish is driven overnight from Boston harbor and arrives in our neighborhood seafood market the very next day. Next to the trout caught in any of our plentiful local waterways, this is as fresh as seafood gets, and it’s always lovely. Come mid-winter I often crave a meal that tastes like summer, light yet hearty, something with tomato, something with a bite, something like a fish stew. The following is a recipe concocted by my dearest chef, the Savvy Skillet and it’s guaranteed to satisfy everyone around your table.

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Skillet Italian Tofu

Full disclosure: I don’t like to cook. Not saying I can’t, but I don’t do so with the joy necessary to be a good cook, a real cook. But I do like to eat. A lot. And, lucky for me, I have a spouse who is happy in the kitchen. Who pours over cooking periodicals, chats up recipes, scans blogs for ideas, and with great innovation prepares meals that make everyone at our table happy.

Inevitably, after our workday, our conversation goes something like this: Are you hungry? Or the other, how hungry are you? Either would elicit a yes or a very, and therefore my response would be followed up by, what are you in the mood for? Yes, seriously, the sky is the limit from my own personal spouse-chef. Vegetarian? Simple. Vegan? Varied and delicious. Italian, Asian or any combination of healthy and delicious cuisine? Of course. She opens a few well-worn cookbooks, looks over her notes, checks the fridge and cupboard, and begins with what we have on hand. And this is another point because what a cook has on hand must be plenty in order to produce such meals. Cans of coconut milk and coconut oil. Fresh fennel and basil. Sushi vinegar. Curry. And of course the right knife. Pan. Cutting board. Nothing flashy but precious objects kept in their place.

I offer to help, and there are times when I am allowed a grater and cheese, or asked to scrub up a few potatoes, maybe to gather cherry tomatoes still on the vine. Sous-chef maybe not, but dishwasher extraordinaire, yes!

The following post is from her blog: The Savvy Skillet. Here is one of our favorite dishes, a wonderful tofu. I hope you enjoy the recipe!