I have CHF but life is good

I have CHF, congestive heart failure. I had planned on doing a lot of traveling upon retiring. Thanks to CHF, I won't be leaving the country. Oh well, life still can be fine even if one stays right here in London.

CHF isn't my only health problem but it is battling for first place. I have developed a dry cough, my fingers are a little fat some mornings and my feet are a little puffy some nights. It is all a bit concerning but I'm try not to let these things bother me. I don't really have time to waste on depression.

I have three wonderful grandkids who bring joy into my life and a wife who loves me. She makes sure we find stuff to do together that won't challenge me too much while delivering a good wallop of fun. Cooking is one of those activities.

My wife made the stuffed peppers and I was responsible for the green beans and the artichoke-covered grilled baguette slices. It doesn't look it but this is a low fat, low calorie, Weight Watchers friendly, dinner. It would make my heart doctors smile as it contains no meat. The only cholesterol is in the light use of cheese, a dairy product.

As I am not healthy, I must continue to monitor the cholesterol in my diet. The recent good news about dietary cholesterol didn't change a thing in my diet. I must keep my consumption of red meat to a minimum and eggs, at least egg yolks, are simply out.

Broccoli served with pasta in a hot pepper pesto: A heart healthy dinner.

I like to approach cooking like creating art. I found the above pasta a little too dark. I was following a suggestion that encouraged cooking the pasta in chicken broth in a fry pan. The pasta absorbed the chicken broth, taking on a light flavour and a darker tint.

Tonight I tried something similar but I cooked the pasta in a pasta pot filled with boiling water. When the pasta was done, I tossed it with a mix of  hot pepper pesto, 20gm of hot pepperoni (yes, I cheated a little on my diet) half a yellow and half an orange sweet pepper diced and a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. I also diced a large tomato, minus the seeds, and added that to the mix.

My wife declared the two pasta dinners a draw but I preferred the second by far. I thought it had focus -- the hot, spicy flavour supplied by the pesto and the pepperoni. Visually, I liked the brighter colour of the second dish compared to to the first.