Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Longevity

A man 90 years old was asked to what he attributed his longevity. “I reckon,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, “it’s because most nights I went to bed and slept when I should have sat up and worried.”
If I got paid by the hour for worrying, I would be rich today. Why is it, I wonder, I wake up at 3 a.m. and worry about something as I’m trying to go back to sleep. It may be a letter I forgot to mail or a bill I’ve forgotten to pay, mostly trivial stuff that may seem less important in the light of day. But at 3 in the morning, it takes on the enormity of a death notice.
I guess I come by it naturally. My mother was a first class worrier. If they had an olympics award for worriers, she would have won the gold.
And another thing, why, if there’s nothing to worry about, I worry that I should be worrying about something. Is it a genetic thing, the Irish in me that I have no control over. If I could have it surgically removed, I’d go under the knife tomorrow.
The late Lucille Ball, who will be forever young to her millions of fans, says that the secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. Simple formula, it worked for her.
But there are penalties to pay as we grow older. No longer can we throw caution to the wind and live as we please. Comedian Groucho Marx said, “Last night I had a typical cholesterol-free dinner — baked squash, skimmed milk, and gelatin. I’m not sure this will make me live longer, but it will surely seem longer.”
One of the curses of growing older is waking up each day with a new pain. That’s why I got such a charge out of the following story which many of us can relate to:
An older couple was lying in bed, having just awakened from a good night’s sleep. The husband takes his wife’s hand and she responds, “Don’t touch me.”
“Why not?” he asks.
She answers back, “Because I’m dead.”
The husband says, “What are you talking about? We’re both lying here in bed together and talking to one another.”
She says, “No, I’m definitely dead.”
He insists, “You’re not dead. What in the world makes you think you’re dead?”
She answers, “Because I woke up this morning and nothing hurts!”

Shipwreck Dinner
   
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 pkg. KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup milk
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Brown meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Return to skillet.
Stir in Macaroni, Cheese Sauce Mix, tomatoes, peas and milk. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 12 min. or until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally.
Top with mozzarella. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, 5 min. or until mozzarella.