Every now and then something makes one think.

The spinning molecule in the GIF is Prozac.  One of the main uses of Prozac is as a treatment for depression.  It is a multi-billion dollar product for Eli Lilly.  Prozac was a research product that was patented and exclusive to them until 2001.  Now there are a number of generic versions also.  In 2010 there were 24 million prescriptions for Fluoxetine (the chemical name of Prozac) in the US and another 6 million prescriptions in the UK.  It is no exaggeration to say that there is an entire slice of the pharmaceutical industry that is devoted to the research, manufacture, and sales of this molecule. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoxetine

This year a neat paper was published that compared the major component of the spice Tumeric to Prozac as a treatment for depression: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23832433 .  It found that they were equally effective – although the side effects of suicidal ideation or psychiatric disorder associated with Prozac were missing for the spice.

Isn’t it interesting that this comparison didn’t happen until the Fluoxetine industry was permanently established as a cornerstone of the pharmaceutical complex?  Imagine  if the same study was done in 1974.

It makes you think.

As you know, awhile ago I decided to make a effort to eat healthier.  This had an effect of helping me shed about 40 excess pounds effortlessly : http://www.independentpenguin.com/how-i-accidentally-lost-40-pounds-hit-my-ideal-weight-by-practicing-conscious-consumption/ .  Many of my dishes ended up delicious, but not suited for a child’s palate. I ended up having to prepare more kid-friendly dishes for my son.

But this dish is kid-approved (two thumbs up on multiple occasions) so I thought I would share it with the world.

Ingredients:
1 Onion
2 cloves Garlic
A tablespoon or so of Olive Oil
1 Butternut Squash
1 or 2 Potato (s)
1 Stalk celery
1 Red Pepper if you have one (optional)
Chicken stock (about 32 oz, depends on the size of the squash)
seasoning: salt, pepper, curry
Sour Cream & Bacon (2 slices)

Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds and pulp (keep them!). Peel the squash with a tool that will make you happy while you work : http://www.independentpenguin.com/an-experiment-in-overcoming-hedonic-adaptation/ .  Cut the squash into little cubes (about 1 inch cubed).  Peel the potato (s) and also cut into 1 inch cubes.  Cut the celery into 1 inch pieces and also the red pepper if you have it.  Dice onion and garlic.  Heat pot on low and add olive oil.  Saute onions until slightly soft (about 5 minutes) then add garlic.  When onion and garlic start smelling good (about 2 minutes) add veggies to pot and add enough chicken stock to just cover them.  Heat to boil, then lower heat to simmer and let it cook for about 40 minutes.

In the meantime, cook the bacon so it is crispy and crumble it up.  It will be used as a garnish.

Wash the seeds and remove all the pulp.  Dry them on a paper towel and toss with a tiny amount of olive oil and salt.  Put them in a non-stick pan: http://www.independentpenguin.com/a-review-of-the-orgreenic-non-stick-pan/ and warm in a pre-heated oven at 275 for about 15 minutes.  Offer them as an appetizer, as a side dish, as a snack, or eat them yourself.  You can eat them shell and all.

When the soup is done, blend with a hand blender until the soup is your desired texture in the pot.  I like it nice and creamy.  Some people like to leave some veggie chunks.  Add salt, pepper, and curry to taste.  I use about 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp curry.

Serve the soup steaming hot with a small dollop of sour cream and sprinkle the bacon over the sour cream.  (Adults may not need this, but it really helped with the kid appeal.  The temperature of the soup is colder near the sour cream so kids can also pick the temperature zone they like the best.)