Food to fuel you into your 50s

I can't believe it, can barely believe that I'm going to write these next few words, but here they are: a few months ago, I turned 50. Fifty years: oh, my. Funny thing is, I don't feel 50. I don't feel old, which 50 kind of is.

Predictably, I've been thinking things that older, more responsible people think. I've been thinking about my posture and trying really hard to stand up straight. I've also been thinking about wearing sunscreen more often, about driving more carefully and I even wear a bright orange safety vest when I walk the dog at night because I don't want to get hit by a car. You know, 50-year-old stuff.

Being 50 is slowly seeping into the way I eat, too. My entire life, I've eaten with abandon. Ice cream, cake, pizza, nachos, it all went down the hatch, no regrets. But now, I think about it. I ask myself if I really need that (insert muffin, bag of chips, glass of wine, slice of pizza here). The truth is, I don't need it. But I want it. Often, because I'm 50 and it seems like the right thing to do, I'll have half the muffin or just a handful of the chips. I'll ask Paul to pour me only a tiny glass of wine.

So what's a 50-year-old to do? One who wants the chocolate and salty snacks and all the stuff that's bad for the heart of a person who's beyond middle aged? The best I can figure is that it's balance. I cook up vegetables, beans and lean meats in equal measure. Without a doubt, I've eaten enough salads to make me last another 50 years. Vegetable, salad, muffin, salad, salad, chips, salad. That's about how it goes for me. The recipes I've included here are good examples of a 50-year-old trying to eat healthy food and also be indulgent now and then.

We are chili lovers around here and I make it a few times over during the cold months, with a different spin each time. The funny thing about people who...