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Wednesday, March 21, 2007 · Page 7 From: Her Desk Drawer Individual Ontario Potato Soufflés Replacing potato for eggs makes horror stories of falling soufflés no more! Filling the potato with veggies and cheese makes for a nutritious meal, and with the power of egg whites, the filling will rise above the potato skin, creating a light airy filling. For more delicious and nutritious recipes, visit www.ontariopotatoes.ca. 4 large long white Ontario baking potatoes scrubbed 1 tbsp butter 1 small onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup chopped mushrooms 2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese 3 egg whites Prick potatoes with fork a few times and place in 400°F (200°C) oven; bake about 1 hour or until tender when pierced with knife. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, in skillet, melt butter over medium heat and cook onion, garlic, mushrooms, parsley, thyme and half each of salt and pepper about 8 minutes or until softened and golden brown. Set aside. Cut off top third of potatoes horizontally and scoop out flesh from top piece and entire potato into bowl, leaving 1/2-inch thick shell. Mash potato flesh with remaining salt and pepper and add cheese and onion and mushroom mixture; stir to combine. In bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold one third of the egg whites into potato mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining egg whites until evenly combined. Mound mixture into potato shells and place in small baking dish; bake in 350°F (180°C) oven about 20 minutes or until lightly golden. Broil about 3 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp on top. Makes 4 potatoes. - News Canada Fascination with procrastination If you constantly delay important and pressing activities while promising yourself to do them sometime in the near future, you may be among the roughly 15 to 20 per cent of the population who can be described as true procrastinators. Although most of us merely delay tasks occasionally, genuine procrastinators defer everything. They are likely to take Mark Twain's advice to "never put off until tomorrow that which can be done the day after tomorrow." Procrastinators often suffer from feelings of stress and guilt that are compounded by society's attitude towards them. We admire, encourage and reward those who "do", whereas we label as lazy, incompetent and even sinful those who "don't". In our "git er done" world, procrastinators can't even "git er started". Procrastination has traditionally been regarded as a problem in need of fixing. Many universities have whole sections on their websites devoted to advice on how to cope with academic procrastination ­ a situation in which students are constantly required to meet deadlines for tests and assignments while surrounded by enticing distractions. Much of the research into the "problem" of procrastination has been led by Canadians. Professor Timothy Pychyl of Ottawa's Carleton University theorizes that there are basically two types of people with ways of functioning and surviving in the world ­ those who are "action-oriented" (the doers) and those who are "state-oriented" (the don't-ers) who have difficulty overcoming the inertia required to begin a task. He suggests that procrastinators apply the "ten-minute rule" ­ do a task for ten minutes even if you don't feel like it. Dr. Piers Steel of the University of Calgary claims that procrastination can be explained by a simple mathematical equation (well, it may be simple to him) and that procrastinators are not perfectionists (as many have long thought). Procrastinators, it seems, have been endlessly observed and studied and yet, there is no universal consensus as to why they can't shake off their inertia and "just do it.". Now I don't mean to downplay the seriousness of the "problem" of procrastination in some people's lives. When the inability to complete, or even start a task impedes one's ability to function normally, professional counseling and assistance may be necessary. It seems to me, however, that there has to be a positive side to procrastination. Surely there are priority items in all of our lives that require a fairly strict adherence to established deadlines ­ being there on time to pick up the kids after school or paying our taxes, for example. But if you are beating yourself up over your decision to delay some unpleasant, routine, daily chore that you know you should do, I have some advice for you ­ just chill. . . . because you may have it right and the rest of us might just be able to learn something from you. Let's say, for example, that you have a neighbour (we'll call him Bob). Bob is an action-oriented guy. You, taking your cues from that chronic procrastinator Dagwood Bumstead, are not. Just as Blondie has had little success during the course of their seventy-seven year marriage getting Dagwood to forego his afternoon nap in favour of taking out the garbage, you also are similarly unmotivated. Whereas Bob's yard is precision-mowed, weedless and neat as a pin, yours has that more "lived-in" look that causes Bob so much distress. His side of the fence is re-painted semi-annually ­ yours has that natural, weathered appearance. Bob has trouble sitting still. Bob cannot "chill" ­ this has never been a problem for you. Another thing Bob can't do is wait. As soon as he sees a need to do something, it's done. When the 57-inch plasma TV was introduced, Bob had to have one. He was first in line to shell out $3,249.00. You, on the other hand, procrastinated. You thought about it for a few months and, lo and behold, the price fell like a stone. You scooped up your new TV (with added features that Bob's TV doesn't have) for a third of the price. In the Fall as leaves make their gentle fluttering descent from tree to ground, Bob's waiting there impatiently with rake at the ready. Soon all of his leaves are piled, bagged and at the curbside. You don't own a rake. What you do own is a nice TV on which you've been watching The Weather Channel. Knowing that tomorrow's predicted westerly winds will do you the favour of depositing all of your leaves in Bob's yard, you let nature take its course. A little procrastination then may not be such a bad thing. Few of us cannot recall a time when our decision not to do something had a positive result. Maybe then the key is this: procrastination in moderation. Think about it ­ if not today, then maybe tomorrow. i've got issues randy chedour "Rehab With A Personal Touch." MEET THE STAFF ROBERTA WESTON Certified Kinesiologist Roberta graduated with a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from the University of Toronto. She also has a Sports Injury Management diploma from Sheridan College. Roberta works at the Kingsville clinic, Royal Oak Nursing Home and Harrowood Retirement Home. 375 MAIN STREET EAST, KINGSVILLE 519.733.4008 35 VICTORIA AVENUE, ESSEX 519.776.7222 All Print Classified ads appear on our website at no additional cost! www.essexfreepress.reinvented.net