ISO: Ohioan (aka The Bean Queen)

[Laura B]

I don't have a bean emergency, I am just wondering where she is! She has not posted since 5/21. Maybe she is on a fabulous vacation! I wanted to let her know that she is missed. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

[sneezles]

I had also noticed Phoebe hasn't been heard from lately and thought maybe she was either giving or recovering from Finals!

[This message has been edited by sneezles (edited 06-07-2001).]

[Wendy w]

Thanks for posting, Laura! I was considering posting a Phoebe search too!

Oh Phoebe, come out, come out where ever you are!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[Wendy w]

Thanks for posting, Laura! I was considering posting a Phoebe search too!

Oh Phoebe, come out, come out where ever you are!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[kwormann]

How funny, because I was ALSO thinking of searching her out....Phoebe....does this tell you how much we need you???

[SandyM]

Bumping up - miss ya Phoebe!!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[carolyn.1]

bumping up, I also miss Ms.Phoebe. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

[Ohioan]

Aw shucks ... didn't think anyone would notice that much ... golly gee ... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

Actually, I haven't been checking in much lately, and I just stumbled on this post almost by accident. Now I'm trying to decide how to explain my absence without seeming hoity-toity or something. The trouble was, I guess, that lately it was beginning to seem as though not many people here liked the kind of food I did -- or maybe I should say I didn't like the kind of food they did. I like "light" food, and more and more people seemed to be saying they didn't really like it, but they were trying to eat more of it as a kind of duty, and what they really wanted were ways to prepare non-light food with as few calories as possible. I found myself clicking past more and more recipes and ISOs for food full of melted cheese, shredded cheese, cheese sauce, cream cheese, cream soup, creamed vegetables, sour cream, mayonnaise, etc., etc., etc., not to mention cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, cheesecakes, scones, snack bars, puddings, ice cream, whipped cream, etc., etc., etc., plus fat-and-starch entrees accompanied by fat-and starch side dishes...

Don't get me wrong; I like an occasional dish of ice cream or a cookie or pastry. But only occasionally -- and not because I'm dieting. (I'm 5'7" and 120 lbs.) I just don't like butter, mayo, cream sauce, cream cheese, cheese sauce, etc. -- what I guess you'd call "unhealthy" cooking and what I've always called "glopped-up" cooking. Ironically, if anyone ever told me that something I'd cooked "didn't taste light" (as apparently some folks here have been told) I wouldn't take it as a compliment -- in fact, I'd probably never cook for that person again. "Doesn't taste light," to me, means "tastes fatty and/or heavy."

I dunno... Maybe I shouldn't have checked back in at all. Probably everyone will jump all over me for this. But really, I'm not trying to take a moral stance on who likes what; I'm just trying to explain why I haven't been around much lately. It's the same difference in food preferences that makes us all read some cooking magazines but not others.

Oh, and by the way, I just canceled my CL subscription today, having never received my June issue and having finally lost patience with the subscription process. (I never got my Jan/Feb issue, either.) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

Sorry to be so glum, and I do hope no one has taken offense at my food preferences, but, well, gulp, y'all asked...

Gulp, gulp,
Phoebe

[sneezles]

Please, please don't feel that way! It is your sense of humor, your ideas about a healthy diet, your knowledge, etc that we love about you! Otherwise, why would we have gone looking?

[Laura B]

Phoebe, I am sad that you feel like you will get jumped on for saying what you did. Even though I am one of the people who does prefer things that "don't taste light" most of the time, I never thought you were out of place here for saying otherwise. That is the kind of variety that keeps this board interesting. If you don't feel like sticking around because you aren't getting much out of it anymore, so be it. But, please know that I doubt any one here holds your food preferences against you. I always enjoy your posts! And who will we turn to when we need help with "your kind of cooking"? You have the chance to positively influence us! I am even planning to start trying out some bean dishes just because of your posts about them and all the variety of dishes that you make from one pot of beans.

And, I don't blame you at all for cancelling your CL subscription. I have never had the problems that others have had with CL, but if I did I would drop them as well.

[Jewel]

We still love you Phoebe!! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif Makes no difference to us whether you like light or heavy-that-tastes-light, that's what makes us all different! This would be one boring BB if we all had the same tastes, wouldn't it? I for one wish you'd still keep us bookmarked and check in every once in awhile, if nothing else to help us with our bean dilemmas! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

[SueK]

Phoebe- Just have to chime in here and let you know that I always love your posts. As a matter of fact, I recently had lentil soup for lunch and thought of you, since you're the Bean Queen! Reading your posts always makes me want to incorporate more healthy, natural foods into my diet!

[SandyM]

Ditto, Phoebe. Your sense of humor, warmth, and kindness comes through every time you post. I have never taken offense at your preferences, and certainly, you're always willing to come through when people ask for fiber and/or bean issues (me included). I've incorporated more beans into my diet thanks to you, and I will forever be grateful.

I don't blame you for bailing on CL - I get every issue on time, but if I were in your shoes, I'd do the same thing. They need to figure out what the deal is and fix it for their loyal customers.

Please try to check back in, as your schedule allows. You will see how much you are truly missed! And if anyone took offense at any of your posts - they're the ones missing the point.

xoxoxo

[BlueMoose]

nevermind...

[This message has been edited by BlueMoose (edited 06-09-2001).]

[Grace]

WHAT????? The CL BB without the BEAN QUEEN???!?! I'm speechless. I agree with the others in that quite the contrary to being "offended" by your different taste, I was INSPIRED by it!!

I also agree that if you are leaving because our recipes, chatter, etc. don't interest you, well that's certainly understandable. But if it means anything, I know I LOVE and get a LOT out of YOUR recipes, chatter, etc.!!! And it seems I'm not alone - I mean really, a whole thread about "Where's Phoebe?"!!! And just wait until Emily gets back from Birmingham and sees this.... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by Grace (edited 06-09-2001).]

[KimKelly]

Ahhhh Phoebe... I'm just one more on the bean bandwagon and I owe it all to you! My husband is wondering why I've got this new bean passion, but he is enjoying it. Now if only I could do it without the cheesecake! Unfortunately I'm a cheesescakeaholic and could never give it up. But thanks to you I've expanded my main dish recipes and have begun to include many many more vegetarian/bean recipes. Thanks Phoebe!

Please just drop in once in a while and post some more recipes/ideas!

Kim

[Beth]

Grace grabbed INSPIRED before I did, but that's what I was thinking too. If we weren't exposed to different thoughts and practices, how would we expand our own or know what we truly like (as opposed to what we are used to)? I don't care for every recipe I see, but looking at different ideas keeps me thinking and my mind open to new ways to think about or treat food, and other things in life.

Did we offend with the name Bean Queen? You should think of it as a sign of respect. We are all going to see "light" as the adaptations of our own culture, heritage, lifestyle and personal taste, then any health concerns that may be superimposed. So we all pick up on it a little differently, and sharing on this BB helps expand on that, take it further than we do on our own or with the magazine.

I hope you're doing okay outside of this BB. I know I was going through a very difficult period and found this board boring, even depressing for a while. I don't know that the threads were any less interesting than usual, but I know I was having a hard time. I stayed away or at least didn't post for awhile too, but note: no one posted looking for me. I don't even have a Queen title....

You've added something here for a lot of people (and this goes for others as well). No one worth worrying about would jump on you for different views, doubts, or even a bad day, week, whatever.

Take care of you, and I hope you'll decide to stick around. Where else would you read about fried eggs and incense? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Ohioan]

I have tears in my eyes -- and I didn't even start cutting up onions for my bean pot yet. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

Thanks, you guys. And no, I'm not offended by the title "Bean Queen"; I wear my crown proudly.

Cheers,
Phoebe

[Sara Emily]

Phoebe, a HUGE DITTO to what everyone else so eloquently said!!! PLEASE.....don't ever leave us! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[KValley]

Dear dear Phoebe,

You were noticeably absent from a thread I posted last week, looking for black bean recipes! I owe at least part of my determination to seek out sources of protein other than meat to you!!

Although I believe that a day without cheese and a fortnight without fruit pie is too sad to imagine, I have found so much inspiration from this board to continue expanding my healthy lifestyle, rather than my waistline. Please don't go!!

Now on to lunch, which incidentally is all about beans http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Julie

[Mousie29]

PHoebe,

I am very intrigued (sp?)/interested in pursuing bean recipes for my family of 2 (so far).

I figure a lot of this is from your posts! Beans have so much potential for yummy recipes.

I sure have gotten lots of great recipes from your posts. As you can see, I tend to get a lot out of this board as I am really just starting to cook!

I don't know if you get much out of this board, but I've enjoyed getting your bean recipes, etc.

I'm prob. guilty of the cheese, etc. recipes, but, at this point, am just trying to get fresh veggies into our repetiore (sp?).

[This message has been edited by Mousie29 (edited 06-11-2001).]

[Gail]

Oh, Dear Phoebe--

Have people like me driven you away? What a terrible thought! I know my culinary leanings aren't limited to light cooking, but I've also always been of the opinion that if a recipe happens to be healthy in addition to good-tasting, this is a worthwhile thing. I envy your natural predisposition for those healthier foods as a way of life-- what a wonderful thing to simply dislike so many things which aren't good for us, rather than actually having to feel deprived.

If anything, being part of this community has been a learning experience for me. I've been grateful for your input and have always viewed your wonderful vegetarian recipes and methods as continuous sources of enlightenments, new avenues for me to travel, options to broaden both my dietary and culinary horizons. I only regret that I'm not able to give back something of that which I've learned, and that the end result of this lack-- and those of people like me-- has been to drive you away. I echo the sentiments of those before me who've indicated how much your presence will be missed (and has already been missed) around here. That's not even counting the countless smiles you've brought to my face with those great closings of yours "Beanily," "Yours in Alzheimers," etc.

When we spoke of those who weren't able to join us in Birmingham, yours was always one of the first names to come up. Now you're deserting us entirely? Who will be here to mend the error of my ways? Who will serve as a counterbalance to my decadent sauces and cheese fests? How am I going to I find my way?

I'm depressed... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif

[kwormann]

I agree that I like cheese too much, and wold be better if I didnt have a taste for it, but I do. HOWEVER, I LOVE veggies and beans and love the inspiration from Phoebe about new ways to cook and eat them. Please forgive our "fat tongues", but know that we also round to veggies, and its our differences that make us such a cool group.

Kim

[This message has been edited by kwormann (edited 06-11-2001).]

[BlueMoose]

I like it when my beans and rice and cheese coexist peacefully on a tortilla on my plate.
Especially with some homemade salsa and leafy greens on top. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[luv2cook]

i, too, agree with the above. We all have different tastes, some are just beginning to cook, are experienced cooks looking for new thing and/or trying to find a lighter "taste" for what we all like while maintaining a balance of healthy living.

I think we all learn from each other. What we accept or disregard is our choosing and I think we all pick up and discard what we need...I guess that's where that saying "Food for Thought" came from???? If not, pretend!

[kwormann]

oops



[This message has been edited by kwormann (edited 06-11-2001).]

[Lynn B]

Phoebe,
Don't leave us! First of all, I have LOL'd SO many times over your posts... and secondly, I just don't think anyone else can fill your crown... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
Love,
Lynn

[GayeC]

Phoebe -- Your posts and recipes have helped me incorporate more beans into my family's diet (the kids don't like them yet, but DH and I do). We had black beans and rice last night and I thought of you. Your detailed description of how to cook dried beans is classic. You have inspired me and I hope you will not leave us. Gaye

[SusieO]

Phoebe,
You are the reason I cook beans (successfully!) every weekend. I could not do this were it not for your wonderful instructions.

I also very much enjoy your wit. It makes me wish I had attended Ohio State and majored in English. Please don't go!