Category: HERO BEAR AWARDEES

Posted on

Cooking Veggies is Better for you!

Aaaaah... could you ever imagine Paella not fried?

Don’t you love it when you spend so much of your life being told that cooking vegetables destroys the ‘goodness’ and that raw veggies are best?

Now, we are seeing studies that are showing that many of the nutrient qualities of veggies are actually being ‘released’ and eating cooked vegetables is actually better for you!

Frankly, I am not surprised!

“They” did give ‘frying’ vegetables a bum rap… but I am sure the data will show that the ‘missing’ healthful qualities of vegetables were merely released into the sauce rather than being ‘destroyed’ in the frying process. If in fact this is the case… then frying may actually be a preferred method of extracting nutritional elements from vegetables… besides the side benefit of improved taste!

Roger Freberg

Posted on

Southern Cal Trojans, “G” & Emeril!

Heroes of Pasadena

I would like to congratulate the  Southern California Trojans  for their tremendous over-the-top testosterone victory! I only wish I could have been there….

Special Congrats to Chef Lagasse  for accepting the honor to be Grand Marshall of this year’s Tournament of Roses  Parade… a spectacle that I have enjoyed watching wherever I was.

I hope the Associated Press folks saw what I witnessed today…

Fight On!

Roger Freberg

another look at Troy!

Posted on

University of Southern California & Trojans

Trojan sports just like the University is first class!
The other night we traveled three hours one way to watch the Southern California Trojans ‘school’ the puppies from San Luis Obispo. To be honest, Cal Poly did put up a valiant fight for as long as it lasted… but the end was never in doubt.

Some small schools like to crow about how they really are as good as the major universities (believe me I have listened to folks from Cal Poly for years), but there are too many systemic differences to make any serious comparisons. Many who traveled down from San Luis Obispo for the game left wide eyed and bewildered.

First, I am not here to talk badly about Cal Poly… my Laura teaches there now and I did for a time as well. However, I really believe that accurate comparisons start with accurate perceptions and I think the Cal Poly Basketball team learned part of that hard lesson the other night.

The truth is that every university has a few academic and athletic ‘gems’ that they are justifiably proud … in my less than humble opinion, Cal Poly’s Professor Laura is certainly one of them… unfortunately, there just aren’t very many like her. By contrast, the academic community of Southern Cal vibrates with talent.

So, you can’t compare schools that have doctoral programs and well respected masters and professional degrees and real athletic programs with schools that have… well… much less.

Fight on!

Roger Freberg

Posted on

Secret of Life: Butter & Eggs!

the secret of life is butter and eggs
One of the wonderful things about living a while is realizing how much we are told really doesn’t stand up to the test of time. We’ve been fed a lot of bad stuff.

What has been said about good nutrition simply doesn’t sit well with the facts. Vegetarians — for example — certainly are not healthier; it is more religious fever with them than based on any scientific evidence. Now, we are learning the value of animal fats play a vital role in our well being… who knew?

There’s an interesting book entitled “Nourishing Traditions” that challenges all of the rules we have been taught about what is and isn’t good for you. Without stealing any of their thunder… here’s what is being said:

“A full-spectrum nutritional cookbook with a startling message–animal fats and cholesterol are vital factors in the human diet, necessary for reproduction and normal growth, proper function of the brain and nervous system, protection from disease and optimum energy levels.”

Here’s where you can buy it.

Frankly, this doesn’t really surprise me… and this is why I have so enjoyed the refreshing turn-of-the-century pure fat saturated goodness of ‘the Epicurean.’

Yes, Virginia, you are what you eat… and if it be the 16 egg recipe for Eclairs in the Epicurean… so be it! My total cholesterol is down to 152 total… what’s yours?

Roger Freberg

Posted on

Football Rivalries & USC Trojans!

Here I am sittnig with the Trojan Knights Protecting Tommy!Some football rivalries are worthy of Klingon Song!

It’s hard to talk about any rivalry without mentioning the fact that the Southern California Trojans and the UCLA Bruins compete in just about everything they do for the title of the city crown and bragging rights for an entire year.

Laura and I traveled down to Los Angeles and had the good fortune to stay right next to campus at the Radisson Hotel. This was wonderful in not having to hassle the normal traffic when 100,000 folks decide to all leave at the same time!

The night before the big USC-UCLA football game we atended the NCAA Regional Women’s Volleyball match at the Galen Center. We’ve been here before and it is a singularly impressive facility.

Before the match we walked around campus and Laura took a picture of me sitting with some of the ‘Trojan Knights’ guarding the statue of Tommy Trojan from Bruins who like to throw Blue and Gold on him. In fact, they held a big party all night long with fun booths and food called “Save Tommy Night.”

Laura posted some of the pictures the two of us took of the weekend . Fun Times!

Roger Freberg

My ol’ college roommate was a good sport sitting with us in the Trojan Section… it only hurt for a little while!