ArcaMax

My 10 Days in the Insane Asylum

The day it accepted its first 39 patients, it was known as the Northern Michigan Insane Asylum. (Today, of course, we’d call it a mental health facility but back then they used the term “insane asylum.”)

That was 1885.

In those days, there were a myriad of reasons someone might spend time at the insane asylum. You might actually be mentally ill and need a place to recover. Many of the drugs used today to treat mental illness didn’t exist, so care took time and patience.

But there were other reasons you might check in. In those days if you had a death in the family and were grieving you might check into the insane asylum. You might be going through a nasty divorce and want a place to go stay while you sort out your life. If your business had failed and it took a toll on you emotionally, you might spend months or even years at the insane asylum.

I only checked in for 10 days. For a vacation.

Today it’s called The Villages in Traverse City, Michigan.

The complex is huge and the architecture grand. Here’s a link in case you want to take a peek...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Related Recipes at PlanZDiet.com:

Pesto
Creamy Dreamy Lemon Bars

Veggie Drawer Quiche

Everybody needs the perfect recipe that uses up the little leftover bits of vegetables you have in the drawer. Instead of letting them go to waste, you can whip up this quiche. I served it for dinner. You can serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Some people even like it room temperature or cold.

Servings:

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 cups of super ground almond flour (Bob’s Mill is a good brand)
½ cup of butter, melted
½ tsp of ground sea salt
A sprinkle of pepper

Filling:

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
5 large eggs
A grating of sea salt and pepper
A wisp of cayenne for spark (optional)
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
4 – 8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped (depends on how meaty you want your quiche)
1 cup of shredded cheese. Swiss is traditional but you can also use cheddar or any other block cheese.
1 – 2 cups of veggie bits. Mine had onion, red bell pepper, and broccoli bits. Just about any veggie will work. Use your imagination and what’s left in the drawer.

Instructions:

For the crust:

Put all of these items in a bowl and stir with a spatula until it all sticks together.

Take out a 9-inch pie pan. Plop the dough ball into the pie pan and maneuver it around with your fingers until the dough covers the bottom of the pan and a bit up the sides; maybe a half-inch or more.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Check to see if any of it has puffed up. If it has you can squish it back down with the back of a spoon. Then return to bake about six to eight minutes more. You want to keep an eye on it and take it out when it’s light brown. It will turn dark quickly so do keep an eye on it. Let it cool on the counter while you make the filling.

For the filling:

In a medium bowl, add your eggs, milk, and seasonings. Put your veggie bits and the bacon bits on the bottom of the crust.

Mix the eggs and milk with a whisk to blend it all up. Pour that mixture over the veggies and the bacon. Sprinkle on the cheese.

Carefully transfer it to your oven and bake for about 35 minutes; until the middle doesn’t jiggle. Let it cool on the counter for five to ten minutes which will help it set up. Cut into wedges and serve.