Gratitude Rising

A Tranquil Meditation Garden

2011-07-31T21:10:00.008-04:00

About a year and a half ago, I met a lovely woman in town by the name of Pat Caputo. Pat is the owner and founder of Whimsiquills.com, a company that provides quilling supplies to people worldwide. In fact, Pat’s been called the Mother of Quilling in North America because of her dedication to building her business as a service to others and of course because of her beautiful creations.

It was during our initial meeting and video interview that I learned that over the course of more than a dozen years, Pat had been creating a meditation garden in her backyard. It all began one year when her husband suffered some back problems and complications associated with them, and she wanted a clear a space in the woods in her back yard to practice Tai Chi.

Over the years, little by little, Pat relocated pine trees and rocks from other areas of the woods and she brought in new plants like a bamboo tree, a twisted pine, plants from friends, and clippings from the yard that happily planted roots in their new home under the forest canopy. She even created a mossy carpet by planting plugs of moss that spread and covered the forest floor. These days, Pat sits out on the bamboo bench with her dogs and reads or enjoys a cup of tea. You can see her garden in the video below:

At one of the entrances to the garden, Pat built a fishpond with several fish, including a coy that’s survived through many winters in its home and that has grown quite large. The pond was once a breakfast stop for a Blue Heron; however, now, a replica stands watch at a number of locations to keep the large birds from stopping by for a meal.

The sound of the water traveling into a smaller pond inside the garden to a smaller pond where a resident frog likes to hang out adds a soothing quality to the tranquil surroundings. I strongly believe in the healing power of the energetic life force generated by the Earth and the trees and they provide the most beneficial atmosphere to escape from the stress of everyday life and decompress. This is why I wanted to share Pat’s garden with you–and so did she. Because it’s a place to quiet and cleanse the mind, calm the body, and rejuvenate the spirit.

It’s so important for each of us to find our own version of Pat’s meditation garden where we can regularly hide out. For me, it's sitting on the back porch, either early in the morning, or later in the day when it's shaded, with an inspirational book. For you, it may be napping in a hammock, reading a book at a local park, a walk, or strolling along quiet beach. Whatever it is, it’s equally as important as a healthy diet to staying healthy, strong, focused, and calm.

What is this place for you?

Joy Loves Company

2011-05-01T21:20:00.004-04:00

The other day, I joined a group of fellow yoga practitioners on a field trip to Laurel Ridge Farm in Northfield, CT to visit the daffodil field. Our lovely and inspiring yoga instructor, Amy, organized the trip because she is a regular visitor of the field and wanted to share its beauty with our group.

The word field is an understatement since the backdrop for the daffodils was a beautiful rolling hill, complete with trees and rock walls, and a calm lake with a daffodil island in the middle. A good portion of the hill was blanketed with several varieties of daffodils. Although the field is private property, the owners welcome visitors and the initial flowers were originally planted in 1941 based on the inspiration of a William Wordsworth poem. You can see the trip in this video:

This was the first time in over a year of practicing in Simsbury that I’ve been on a group outing and it was nice for so many reasons. Firstly, it was refreshing to see everyone clean and dressed, as opposed to half undressed and sweaty, which is normally how we hang out together.

Second, it was fun to share something other than yoga with each other and the daffodil field provided a lovely, peaceful atmosphere to share with such a fun and dedicated group of people. There’s something so galvanizing about “doing the work” together, knowing that we’re all struggling or challenged at times, yet we continue to come back for more because we experience the benefits.

Yes, the yoga has certainly helped us develop a sense of community, which makes it even more fun to spend time outside of our normal stomping grounds. The lovely atmosphere, the beautiful, warm day, the pretty blue sky, the fragrant flowers all made our time together a true gift.

We finished our field trip with a delicious and healthy lunch at @ The Corner, a quaint country-ish restaurant in the center of Litchfield. It was the perfect atmosphere to celebrate the day and the birthday of Laurie, one of the owners of the yoga studio. We also made a toast to her and her life and business partner, Richard who were recently engaged.

By the way, Laurel Ridge Farm also raises grass fed beef that can be purchased through the farm.

Breathe Life into Your Dreams

2011-04-01T10:53:00.006-04:00

I have been a Bikram Yoga practitioner for over four years and I believe it is one of the reasons that I have never felt better in my life. It’s an extreme test of strength, balance, focus, patience, and acceptance and it has helped me to grow personally, both in and outside of the yoga studio.

About fifteen months ago, I began taking classes at Bikram Yoga in the Valley~Simsbury and have been a dedicated client ever since. Why is that you ask? Because the owners, Richard Mercer and Laurie Krause have created something so special that I am grateful to have the opportunity to practice there.

In the video below, Richard shares with us what inspired him to open the yoga studio and his rationale for its design. You will also have the opportunity to see the studio and what makes it so special.

What wow’d me about the studio is that Richard seemed to think of everything. How did this happen? His intention was to create a place where he would want to practice everyday and he set out to eliminate as many variables as possible for having a bad class. This way, he could focus on his physical and mental status rather than whether there’s enough fresh air in the room. And setting a high standard for himself meant that he would be offering the same high standard to his clients.

This idea made me think that as a new business owner, if I were my own client, how would I want to be treated? I find this idea very useful for breathing life into my current dream of building my practice as a holistic health coach.

And for someone who is very sensitive to air quality and feels that the foundation of this yoga practice rests on breathing, Richard’s attention to the atmosphere especially got my attention. You can listen to Richard talk about his journey to opening the studio and to see it in the video below:

For example, the floor, walls, and ceiling are all well-insulated to keep the room humid and warm, and the heating system is green in that it transfers the heat from the air leaving the building to the new, fresh air that is being drawn into the room, helping to conserve heat and save money.

There is also continuous air flow in the room, which helps provide a continuous supply of oxygen as well as encourage sweat evaporation. This allows us to stay heated yet feel a sense of coolness, which relieves some of the distress associated with prolonged exposure to the heat.

There’s even an ionization system in the room to keep it “smell-free” and the carpet resists microbes as well. Mirrors on three walls give us more opportunities to check our form and there are lots of windows up high to bring in natural light without being distracting.

When class isn’t in session, calming music floats through the room, making it the perfect place for meditation or simply breathing. And the lobby area is a warm and welcoming community space where everyone can relax and learn from one another.

In addition, the studio has attracted some wonderful people, which has only added to the allure of an already pleasant atmosphere. So if you’re ever in the Simsbury, CT area and would like to try a Bikram yoga class, I encourage you to visit Bikram Yoga in the Valley~Simsbury. I believe it’s what the Bikram yoga experience is supposed to be…

Healing Yourself

2011-03-01T07:49:00.009-05:00

It’s something to be thankful for when you can say that you’re blessed with the perfect ensemble of support people in your life–your friends, hairdresser, doctor, dentist, trainer, coaches, massage therapist, etc. It’s not always easy to find the perfect fit and it can sometimes take years of trial and error. Well, I’m happy to say that I may just be there.

In holding with my tradition this year : ) I would like to introduce to you another amazing person in my life, my massage therapist, Suranto Stark. In my opinion, Suranto is one of the best, and he’s given me several massages over the last several months that have been nothing short of astounding.

But that’s not why I want you to meet Suranto. The reason he’s here is because of what he has personally accomplished in healing his own injuries with his own hands, his intuition, and his determination. Not only that, Suranto wants to share his knowledge and techniques with others, so what better way to help him with this process than to introduce him to all of you!

Suranto grew up in Java, Indonesia as the son of sharecroppers. When not in school, he was working the farm without the use of mules or wagons to move farm produce, which meant that he and his family would carry their loads on their heads. Among other things, their cargo would be anything from corn, cassava, coconuts, or firewood and Suranto was carrying adult-sized loads even as a child.

Although there was a hospital nearby, Western medicine was not typically practiced in Suranto’s village, except for extreme conditions. The most common method of medicine and healing was to go to a healer for medicinal herbs and for literally hands-on treatment that often involved massage. Suranto’s first experience with healing was walking on his parents’ back when they weren’t feeling well.

Suranto referred to this method of healing as “human resources”, which I love because it describes perfectly the power we all possess but that many of us have forgotten.

Several years after coming to the United States, Suranto was pulled by the healing arts and enrolled into massage school. He also studied with a Thai master and his first patient was actually his wife, who he helped heal after a knee replacement.

Not long afterwards, he was diagnosed with cervical, bilateral, herniated discs. After having no luck with physical therapy and not wanting to undergo surgery, Suranto decided to try to heal himself. So, for three months, he carried out a series of very simple stretches and movements designed to stretch and elongate his neck.

When he went back to his orthopedic physician, he was congratulated because he had healed himself. He also recently healed a full-thickness tear of his right rotator cuff in a similar manner and now, Suranto would like to teach others his simple techniques that are also beneficial for eliminating the pains, tightness, kinks, and knots that accumulate throughout our stressful days.

To hear Suranto tell the story of his upbringing and his training and experience, watch Part 1 of How to Heal Yourself with Your Own Hands.

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In Parts 2 and 3 (coming soon), Suranto demonstrates his techinques and shows how to use a few simple tools to enhance the healing process.

I hope you all enjoy! Peace and lots of love!!

I've Seen the Light

2011-01-24T16:29:00.005-05:00

As you all know, we are all going through our own journeys in life. Oftentimes, we don’t understand what we’re going through or why we’re going through it, or how much control we have over our circumstances. So when we get confused or when the going gets tough, we sometimes give up or leave things in the hands of fate or under the control of others.

The other day, I had the pleasure of talking with a friend of mine, Christine Jenns, who is a fellow yoga practitioner. Christine is a beautiful example of someone who was faced with the most serious of circumstances that she faced head on to overcome what most people would have unwillingly accepted. If you've ever found yourself in a seemingly hopeless situation, watch the videos below to hear Christine's story. Here's an introduction:

About 20 years ago, Christine was involved in a tragic car accident that left her paralyzed from the chest down. After arriving at the hospital and meeting with the doctors, Christine’s family agreed that they would be a source of positivity and support, never letting on that her prognosis was grim. And so they would visit her in the hospital without tears, but with smiles on their faces. Her family’s strength gave Christine the initial hope she needed to decide that she was going to walk again, despite the fact that the doctors would eventually and repeatedly assure her that she would never regain the use of her legs.

The fascinating piece to this story, however, is in the light that Christine believes was responsible for healing her body. At the end of her busy, structured days with doctors, nurses, and therapists, Christine looked forward to settling in for the night. It was during these moments of peace that she was able to tap into her higher source, watching as a beam of light entered her body through her head and eventually traveled to her feet.

She was convinced that when the light did reach her feet, she would be on the path to walking again. And indeed, she eventually wiggled her toes. Ironically, it was at this point that the doctors insisted that she would never walk again, but Christine would not back down and remained convinced that she would walk out of the hospital.

To listen to Christine tell her remarkable story, please watch the videos: I’ve Seen the Light – Part 1 and Part 2.

Get Ready to Grow with ZorBuddha

2010-12-30T07:03:00.022-05:00

It’s the New Year and you may be thinking, how can I transform my life into something different, something better? More importantly, how can I define that better life so that I can start to live it with passion and purpose?

Envisioning our goals, putting them down on paper, and reviewing them regularly is one of the most powerful exercises we can do to get us moving in the right direction and to keep us going that way. Whether they’re long-term or day-to-day goals, having a plan and sticking to it reinforces our intentions and ensures that every action we take is relevant.

I would like to introduce to you a dear friend of mine, Vasco Gaspar, who has developed a tool that helps the user to define, track, and follow through on goals. I met Vasco when we were both members of an online community called The Monthly Coach where we interacted with almost 400 additional individuals from around the world who, like us, were interested in personal development.

During that time, Vasco developed the tool he calls ZorBuddha that served as a stepping stone for his own life. After working as an organizational consultant in Portugal, Vasco’s own personal growth led him to his current life as an author, trainer, public speaker, and an innovation consultant and writer. Zorbuddha is such a neat tool that I’ve decided to give it as gifts to some of my clients. I also wanted you all to meet Vasco and to have him tell us a little bit about ZorBuddha.

Firstly, thank you so much Vasco for taking the time for this interview! I was fortunate to be present (virtually) for the creation of ZorBuddha and I’m excited that I can share it with everyone here.

What is ZorBuddha and what was your inspiration for creating it?

Vasco: ZorBuddha began as a free tool aimed at contributing to increased awareness and positive focus on the part of whoever uses it.

The inspiration came from the need to create something for my own personal use that would help me to be more structured and disciplined. Because I had been reading books from several authors, mainly from the fields of psychology and personal development, I began to notice common patterns in the various currents. I then decided to combine, in the same tool, those that seemed the best practices in terms of personal development.

Who are the authors/visionaries whose work is reflected in ZorBuddha and why did you choose them?

Vasco: I researched more than 100 authors whose ideas have contributed to the development of ZorBuddha. One author who perhaps had a significant impact was Robin Sharma. But there were others, like Stephen R. Covey, Richard Boyatzis, Eckhart Tolle, etc., whose ideas seemed more solid, credible, and balanced.

What benefits can people expect to gain by using ZorBuddha?

Vasco: There are several potential benefits. At the end of ninety days it is expected, above all, that a person becomes more aware of:

- the people he/she cares about;

- the activities that makes him/her happy;

- the things in life that he/she takes pride in;

- the positive things that happen to him/her every day;

- that each day is different and unique;

- what he/she is grateful for in life;

- the activities that he/she can do in order to develop overall wellness.

In addition, it is expected that the person becomes more disciplined and better able to put into practice their ideas and goals, as well as more "liberated" from some mental conditions.

We are of course talking about ideal situations, where people do actually apply all the tools and practices. It is important to emphasize that this is a process that takes effort and requires dedication and discipline. Its goal is not to perform miracles or to be a path to eternal happiness. It is, above all, like a "balance bar" that helps people to stay more centered as they walk their own path.

In fact, a graduate student in Psychology from Lisbon University reported in her thesis the following after studying Zorbuddha’s impact on a teenage population:

"The daily use of this instrument [ZorBuddha], even for a short period of time, seems to promote a greater self-knowledge, a greater sense of what is really important in life, improved problem solving capabilities, an increase in self-esteem, appreciation of the important people in one’s life and the positive aspects of life experiences, and finally, an openness to a variety of experiences."

How has ZorBuddha changed your life (both as a tool and perhaps during the process of its creation)?

Vasco: My life actually changed a lot! At first, in seeking information, I sensed that I was growing but, above all, I realized that there is still a long way to go. With the use of this tool (I used it for more than 400 days) I became more centered, focused, and disciplined.

Today I have made this a journey in itself, drawing tools and other methods around the theme, such as workshops, development programs, articles, music, videos, etc. Above all, I try to find tools and resources that help people and organizations change the world by changing themselves.

What do you hope to accomplish with ZorBuddha?

Vasco: So many amazing things have happened since this "adventure” began, for example, ZorBuddha is already in over 50 countries, that I confess sincerely, I don't know. One year ago I couldn't predict that I would be "interviewed" here, or that I would quit a secure job to chase my dream. So, who knows the future? Anything can happen!

My personal commitment is to continue to follow my intuition and to alert people's consciousness through the sharing of knowledge, methods and tools that are valid, secure and solid. ~

To learn more about ZorBuddha and to get the free online version, please visit the website and blog. Watch the video!! You can also purchase ZorBuddha on Amazon.

Letting Go of Expectations

2010-12-26T15:40:00.006-05:00

During a packed class the other day, our yoga instructor, Jen, said this: “Let go of any expectations. You have no idea what your best looks like.” What a powerful statement that was. Is it not true that if we think we know our best then we might unconsciously slam into a brick wall when we get there?

I’ve experienced this in yoga class before, although there are certainly postures that I have yet to close the gap between where I am and where I imagine my best to be. This is one of the primary reasons that I continue with my practice–I’m not there yet and I hope to never actually get there. For this to hold true, though, I need to let go of expectations.

This concept also rang very true for me this week. For years, celebrating the holiday in my family has followed tradition and so I have the habit of forming in my mind, my idea of how I would like the events to unfold. Naturally, it never turns out quite how I had envisioned and this year was no exception.

Several days before Christmas, my mom came down with a stomach flu that left her unable to keep down food or water. And then other family members got sick. Long story short, we decided to postpone our family gathering until next week. Since my dad’s birthday falls on Christmas day, I spent the day with my parents cooking for my dad.

So here I was, first time cooking a 7-lb beef tenderloin that had been waiting in the fridge for Christmas and that had to be cooked. Several hours later, I served my dad the most tender meat he had ever eaten with some sweet potato fries, cauliflower a la Alice Waters, and a nice pinot noir.

By this time, my mom was able to hold down vegetable broth with rice for the first time in days, so we enjoyed a meal together watching Ben Hur. My mom was happy that my dad had a delicious birthday meal; my dad and I were happy (and grateful) that mom could finally keep something in her stomach, and we all had a relaxing day.

I could have easily been disappointed about Christmas. But because I let go of expectations, it turned out perfect for the circumstances we had. Even better than I had imagined since I now know how to cook a perfect beef tenderloin. : )

The entire family is getting together next weekend to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. How will it go? Don’t know and I’m not going to think about it. I’m just going to let it happen and maybe be pleasantly surprised.

I want to wish everyone a happy holiday and I hope it's been better than ever imagined : )

Be Careful What You Wish For

2010-12-03T09:11:00.008-05:00

Not long ago, I was waiting at the pharmacy when a woman walked up to the counter. She seemed a bit frazzled as she put down on the counter a 12-pack of ginger ale and a box of saltine crackers. After paying for her prescription, she picked up her things and went on her way. I noticed, though, that she forgot her soda. I turned around to stop her but she was already coming back up the aisle. She could see that I was going to say something to her so she smiled and commented that her mind was elsewhere at the moment.

When I finished in the store, I walked outside and met up with her again. She went on to explain that she was a little anxious because she was bringing her husband home from the hospital. He had been in a car accident and had broken his neck. She went on to say that he had saved his whole life for a fancy Corvette and his first time out in the car he was going too fast, lost control, and crashed.

This is a very extreme example of the point here but makes it just the same: do you spend your life reaching for a goal, only to find that it wasn’t the best thing for you or not exactly what you were expecting?

It is a common belief that once we set our sights on something, everything will be wonderful once we reach the summit. Yet, from my own experience, there are lots of reasons why this may not be true:

1. Along the way, life happens. We hopefully don’t become unconscious while reaching for our goal, but experience life. People, relationships, and events rewire our brains, often in subtle ways that we’re not even aware of, and what we once thought was important or wonderful, becomes less so when we get there.

2. Our goals change. Again, as we experience life, we discover our true passions and interests emerge and may not agree with what we originally believed. I spent over a decade working on my degree, thinking I would run a research lab. But I realized it wasn’t what I wanted to do at all. The education is invaluable and something I am undoubtedly grateful for, but it’s not where my true passion lies.

3. Goals never end. As Nelson Mandela said: After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. Reaching a goal is a great accomplishment and something to be very proud of, but we don’t stop living when we get there and it doesn’t mean we should shift into neutral. As humans, I believe one of our main objectives is to continuously grow–as long as we are alive. Reaching a goal actually provides us with a stepping stone on which to begin our next climb.

4. We believe happiness lies in achieving the goal. How many of us have said, “When I get ______, I’ll be happy”? We postpone our happiness, thinking that we need to become “someone” or acquire “something” to be fulfilled. Through my own life, I’ve realized that this simple yet profound cliché is really is true: It’s the journey, not the destination, for a few reasons:

- Being happy and passionate during the journey makes it more likely that we will reach our goals. A positive attitude and gratitude for what we do have at any given moment are the keys to attracting more good things into our lives. While striving for something, this mindset will clear the way and allow us to accept and appreciate more of the same. Therefore, be patient and enjoy the ride.

- When we get there, our happiness won’t be temporary. It’s true that the new car, the bigger home, and the new job will give us happiness, but only for a short time. Our levels of happiness will return to their set points. If the dial was on lukewarm before reaching our goals, after a few days, weeks, or even months, we’ll naturally return there. But if we’re happy along the way, we’ll remain that way even after the novelty and excitement wear off.

- Think about the time spent on the road to achieving a goal. Often it can be many years. When we get there, we are likely not the same people we were when we began doing the work. Life during this journey has offered us a wealth of experiences, opportunities, choices, and lessons that influence the end result. The goal is really just a culmination of the journey and the better the journey, the better the destination. In other words, the destination may actually change along the way into something even better than originally planned for or imagined.

Whatever it is that you’re working, striving, or reaching for, consider it a beacon, guiding you in the right direction. It’s a reason to reach in the first place and something that creates focus. Honor each step along the way as vital to your success. And while you’re moving forward, enjoy and be thankful for the ride. When you get to the top, it may not look exactly as you imagined, and that may be a good thing. : )

Memories and Lessons

2010-11-25T10:26:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog with an interview from my Uncle Don where he told a wonderful, funny story that reminded him about the goodness in people.

During part of the interview, he talked about the people that held the most memories within him and which ones provided the most influence throughout his life. You can watch him discuss it here:

One major influence on his life from an early age was his family. He had 5 siblings that all had different personalities and points of view and this, he recalls, gave him a wide variety of ideas and relationship dynamics from which to learn.

He talked about his time with his family on the farm and how the kids would always be scattered outside, in the woods or the in barn exploring.

The other day, he told me that between the 6 of them, they were always able to generate some sort of mischief : ) One day, they found their father’s chewing tobacco behind the barn. After forgetting that they were not supposed to swallow it, they all walked into the house with green faces to appeal to their mother, then proceeded to get sick to their stomachs! I guess it wasn’t funny at the time, but it was a cute story.

Other major influence were people that taught him lessons that he needed to learn, like a young man whom he looked up to that disciplined him for the way he treated the man’s mother. You can hear about his reaction in the video.

Who else stuck out in my Uncle’s mind? A man who was as strong as an ox and worked on construction sites as a hod carrier, who handed the masons containers of mortar as they were laying bricks. Yet, underneath that tremendous strength was a very kind, generous, and grateful man who always offered to help the people around him.

We all have those memories and people that stay in our hearts and minds forever. What and who are some of yours?

Chocolate Bliss - Part 3

2010-11-21T19:08:00.008-05:00

If you read Chocolate Bliss - Part 1 and Part 2, you met some talented chocolatiers and saw some beautiful and delicious (trust me on that one!) chocolates. One of the highlights of the 2010 Chocolate Show in NYC for me, was a demo by Jacques Torres. Over the course of 45 minutes, he showed the audience how to mold a Christmas tree, make and assemble the branches, and garnish it with pretty gift boxes with ribbon. Out of what? Why, chocolate, of course!!

The process of creating something so pretty would be reason enough to watch the show; however, Jacques’ sense of humor gave us plenty to laugh about! For example, he tells us a funny story, breaks the refrigerator, and jokes much of the time. That doesn't stop something spectacular from unfolding, though. In the video below, you’ll get to see the fun and watch talent in action as Jacques and his team skillfully create their Christmas “chocolates”.

As I put this video together, I realized that there were also some important lessons to be learned here about making chocolate trees and about life:

1. Start small, then as you build your confidence and skill level, move onto something bigger. In other words, don’t attempt to build a 10-foot-tall tree out of chocolate the first try. Start with a 12-inch model and once you’ve mastered that, aim higher.

2. Have fun with what you do! This is so important in life and was one thing that stood out the most for me while watching the show. Jacques and his team were clearly having fun! Then again, what’s not to like about working with 30 pounds of chocolate? : )

3. It all about the techniques. Jacques made it a point to tell us that he was teaching us techniques. It wasn’t just about the tree and gifts. It was about the tools and methods he used to make the molds and carry out the assembly. After leaving there, the only thing that would prevent us from creating something spectacular out of chocolate (if we so wanted) would be the limits of our imagination. So delete the word fail from your vocabulary and go for it!

4. You can't go wrong when you create something beautiful–for the sake of beauty itself. It brings joy to people, and that is something worth expressing your talents for.

I hope you enjoy the show. I surely did!!

Chocolate Bliss - Part 2

2010-11-18T22:24:00.005-05:00

As promised in Chocolate Bliss Part 1, this post is entirely devoted to three chocolatiers who work either with 100% raw cacao beans or a combination of raw and roasted chocolate.

As a budding holistic health coach, I was very excited to discover this world at the NYC Chocolate Show. Why? The chocolate is organic and minimally processed, ensuring that the abundant profile of nutrients is preserved. They use minimal amounts of unrefined, all natural sweeteners, so that the chocolate is not too sweet. In addition, the products feature health-promoting herbs, fruits, nuts, and other superfoods that not only taste fantastic with chocolate, they turn it into something medicinal!

As a side note, I’ve come to the conclusion that chocolate goes with just about everything, because there wasn’t a combination that I didn’t like at the show or anywhere else for that matter!

Who doesn’t love a piece of dark chocolate at the end of a nice meal or when they’re feeling blue? Now just imagine how much more that bite of deliciousness can accomplish when it’s surrounded by more health-promoting goodness!!

In the video above, you will meet Jennifer Love, a co-founder of NibMor Chocolate and a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where I am currently studying. Their bars are raw, organic, gluten- and dairy-free.

They also have a line of hot-chocolate mixes, including one that is sweetened with maple, a personal favorite of mine, and another blend that combines several beneficial spices, including cloves, cinnamon, and fennel. If you like your salsa medium, you’ll enjoy this cup of chocolate!

Antidote Chocolate, founded by Red Thalhammer, combines 50% raw with 50% mildly-roasted cacao beans in their 84% organic, vegan and gluten, dairy- and soy-free bars. They are also infused with moringa, a superfood I was originally introduced to in Rwanda, which is actually given to patients with HIV and has also been cultivated and used medicinally in India for thousands of years to treat over 300 ailments!

The bars are designed to empower the inner goddess in us all (!) and combines flavors like ginger and goldenberry, red hibiscus and berry, almond and pepper, and one of my favorites: lavender and sea salt.

The third super chocolate I discovered at the show was Gnosis Chocolate. The company was founded by Vanessa Barg, also an IIN graduate. It features cholesterol, gluten, dairy, and soy-free products that are also made without the use of refined sugars.

In addition, Vanessa takes her passion for superfoods to the extreme in her products. The company produces a raw, organic, hot chocolate mix that’s sweetened with palm nectar from coconut trees and includes a potent mixture of foods/herbs, and spices, including maca root, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and dong quai.

Gnosis chocolate bars are hand-made and laced with blue-green algae, which is actually a source of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid important for healthy brain function. They have several delicious varieties, including Coconut Almond, Fleur de Sel, Cool Peppermint, and Superchoc, which is blended with a powerful mix of raspberries, goji berries, reishi mushrooms, maca root, and acai.

If you’re interested in exploring the world of raw cacao and getting a dose of “healthy!”, I encourage you to try the delicious creations of NibMor, Antidote, and Gnosis Chocolate.

Here’s to our Health!!

Chocolate Bliss - Part 1

2010-11-16T20:23:00.007-05:00

Less than one month ago I posted a blog about a visit to the Chocolate Springs Café in Lenox, MA where I interviewed the owner, Joshua Needleman. It’s a place you absolutely want to experience if you’re ever in the Berkshires.

Little did I know that I would soon be writing about chocolate again. Twist my arm! But seriously, when I discovered that the Chocolate Show was being held in New York City last week, I jumped at the opportunity to attend. This was the show’s 13^th year and the first time for me.

So after my early morning Bikram yoga class, I boarded a train for NYC then sprinted down to W 18^th Street to the Metropolitan Pavilion. My chocolate nirvana began before I even walked in the door with a sample of Callebaut callets that were a mixture of white and dark chocolate. From there, it just got better.

Just inside, we were greeted by some chocolate goddesses–mannequins dressed in the chocolate line from the fashion show on opening night. The beauty of chocolate is that whatever you can dream, you can do it with chocolate! This was evident by the stylish, elegant, and sometimes outrageous creations that were modeled here.

On to the tasting! There were over 60 chocolatiers that showcased their products and I tasted a wide array of treats including dark chocolate bonbons from Jacques Torres Chocolates, dark chocolate covered orange peel from Valrhona’s (a favorite chocolate of mine for baking), and Guido Gobino’s Crema Spalmabile Cacao, a rich, spreadable blend of chocolate and hazelnuts from the Piedmont region of Italy. Heaven on a spoon!

Then there were the Belgian toffees and dark or milk chocolates paired with nuts or filled with fruit or caramel crèmes. Once more, the dark chocolate and hazelnuts from Galler caught my eye and tastebuds. Toffee Taboo from Sendall Chocolates was a crunchy layering of toffee-coated almonds and cashews on Callebaut chocolate with white chocolate drizzled on top. Every bite was worth the indulgence!

If you love peanut butter, then you would have loved Jer’s Peanut Butter Bars and their pretty confections. Jer himself told me the story of how his company came to be. He left his corporate job to follow his bliss and has become a huge success! You can hear Jer describe his journey in the video above. It’s inspiring stories like these that continually remind me that we should all have the courage to chase our dreams! How can we possibly be anything but successful when we’re doing what we love??

Please stay tuned for Chocolate Bliss – Part 2, which is devoted to raw chocolate. You’ll meet three chocolatiers who use either 100% raw chocolate or a blend of raw and roasted cacao beans, together with spices, herbs, and superfoods. These products are right up there with broccoli and kale!

If you’re crafty and love Christmas, you’ll love Chocolate Bliss – Part 3, which features Jacques Torres and his team demonstrating how to make a Christmas tree and gifts (complete with pretty chocolate ribbon!) out of chocolate! He’s funny and entertaining.

Have you had enough chocolate yet? Of course not!! : ) xo Peace

Faith in Good People

2010-11-11T10:29:00.004-05:00

Love to drive by the runway to see the planes come in!

I’ve mentioned this before on my blog, but over the last several months, I’ve spent a lot of time with my dear Uncle Don who’s been recovering from illness. During that time, we’ve talked A LOT. About how he’s been feeling, health, diet, his experiences growing up and while working on the railroad, current events, books that we’ve read, or interesting articles. He’s an avid reader and loves National Geographic and always fills me in on interesting environmental or wildlife stories.

He also has the most vivid and event-driven dreams and has an uncanny ability to remember them in acute detail. I’ve heard many of them and believe that some would qualify as screenplays for sci-fi movies.

So, after all this time and with all of these wonderful memories, I decided it would be nice to have him share some of his wisdom with everyone. The other day, I sat down with him in front of my video camera and recorded close to 50 minutes of conversation and insights into what he feels makes a good life and what, in his 82 years of life, stands out the most as having an impact on him. I will be posting what he had to say in shorter segments.

In this first video below, he tells a sweet and sometimes funny story about a trip he made out West. In the end, when he thinks back on the experience, and the relationships he developed along the way, however brief, he draws an inspiring and heartwarming conclusion. I hope you enjoy it!

Take off the Mask and Show Your Beauty Behind it

2010-11-01T09:41:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, for Halloween, my daughter came over with the kids for dinner and then trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. After we ate, everyone put on their costumes and got ready to head out. But when the time came to leave, our 4-year-old didn’t want to go. He was afraid–mostly of the scary masks. So I stayed in with him to pass out treats while the others went out into the neighborhood. But if kids rang the doorbell wearing masks, he wouldn’t go near the door.

I thought about this after. Why is he so afraid of masks? Yes, some of them are scary and most are not very becoming, but he knows they’re not real; he knows there’s someone behind them and he knows that they can be taken off. And then I thought about the fact that he’s 4 years old and maybe he doesn’t really understand what’s not real. He doesn’t know yet how to be anything but authentic. He hasn’t yet reached the age where many of us put the mask on and leave it there. That point in our lives where we start to believe that we have to be a certain way to please everyone and to be accepted. How many of us are in this boat and as a result, unhappy, unfulfilled, and scared behind the mask?

I believe that most of us truly want to see, hear and feel what is real. We may not always like what we get, but at least we know where we stand. Real is a far more profound teacher than fake or phony. We can better tap into and understand our own authenticity if those around us are expressing their true selves and we can, in turn, help others to do the same. And when we understand exactly who we are, we can better grow into the people we want to be. And this is what true beauty is all about.

So can we all take off our masks and store them for Halloween? Hope so…

Escape into Chocolate

2010-10-26T19:33:00.006-04:00

Joshua Needleman and me at Chocolate Springs Cafe - Joshua invites you all to "Escape into Chocolate"

One of my all-time favorite movies is Chocolat, with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. It’s about a woman and her daughter who move to a small French village, open a chocolate shop and stir up the rigid community, ultimately helping them to let their hair down, be human, and to love. Second to none in this move was the chocolate. The bonbons, the cakes and desserts, the hot chocolate–you name it, it was all beautiful.

Ahh, chocolate. It could possibly be the perfect food–or maybe the perfect drug. It is complex–much like wine and coffee–having over 500 chemical compounds, including theobromine, a cousin of caffeine, and phenylethylalanine, a substance that is released in the brain when we fall in love. But to reap the benefits of chocolate, it must be good quality and of course, consumed in moderation.

Well, after visiting the Chocolate Springs Café in Lenox, MA about a month ago, I decided that the chocolate there was among some of the best to be found in this area. Better yet, the café, which is a unique blend of European and Japanese design, is warm and inviting and a great place to sit on a comfy sofa with a cup of divine hot chocolate and a delicious desert that’s almost too pretty to eat!

And if you’re there, chances are you’ll meet the owner, Joshua Needleman. He’s a brilliant and passionate chocolatier who makes all the beautiful and mouth-watering creations found in the café. The last time I was there, Joshua was nice enough to let me do a video interview with him that you can watch below.

In part 1 of the interview, Joshua explains how the raw cacao bean is transformed into the melt-in-your-mouth final product and shows us the creamy ganache that goes into making his hot chocolate.

He tells a fascinating story in part 2 about the inspiration that allowed the Chocolate Springs Café to materialize and presents a unique and symbolic model, made from chocolate, that he submitted to the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation as an idea for a new World Trade Center! This blew me away!! I know you’ll enjoy seeing the model and hearing him tell the story. And if you’re ever in Lenox, MA, make it a point to stop in at the café for a treat for you or someone you love. You’ll be happy you did. Enjoy everyone!!

A Passion for Yoga

2010-10-24T18:17:00.003-04:00

If you’ve been visiting my blog then you may already know that I’m a Bikram yoga enthusiast. I’m pretty dedicated to my practice and credit it with helping me to strengthen my body as well as to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I’m not alone in this regard. Many people tell that Bikram yoga helped them to recover from illness or injury or that it played a significant role in discovering their life’s passion. To understand how this happens, it would be best to see for yourself; however, I will say that what goes on in class is a microcosm of the rest of our lives. We’re encouraged to focus, work hard, choose form over depth (i.e., do a little bit right versus doing more, but incorrectly), dissolve any limits that we’ve imposed on ourselves, have patience, and never give up. And as we develop these skills in class, so can we apply them outside in the “real world”.

Last year, I competed for the first time in the New York Regional Yoga Asana Championship in NYC. This was a personal challenge for me because up to that point in my life, I had never competed in something like this. Just the idea of performing on stage alone, in front of an audience was challenging enough–never mind the actual yoga. In the end, I was so happy I faced my fears and did it, and it was a very happy and fulfilling day for me.

This year, I watched the competition, which was equally a treat because as a participant last year, I had missed all the beautiful performances. In addition, Connecticut participants competed at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA in the New England Regional Championship. This was a fun (and beautiful!) venue and I was able to watch the show with some of my fellow yoga practitioners and instructors and meet some new people as well. You can watch some mind-blowing poses by several of the women competitors here:

Another benefit of watching the show was that I got to mingle with the audience and meet some of the very passionate sponsors who were there showcasing their products. In the video below, you can meet Troy and Ashley from Sambazon, Laura, a Bikram instructor who also sells Shakti activewear, and Juli from Zico. It was a joy to meet them all and to even learn some interesting things that I didn’t know! If you’re a Bikram enthusiast or work out frequently, you’ll appreciate some of the information here:

Yes, it was fun to watch the competition this year; yet seeing everyone work through their 3 minutes on stage had me thinking that it would also be fun to compete again. : )

Saving Grace

2010-10-09T18:23:00.003-04:00

My companion at Chocolate Springs Cafe in Lenox, MA : )

Although I am thankful to say that I rarely have one of those days, I did one day last week. Without going into much detail, suffice it to say that it began very early and the overall mood was hectic and stressful. In addition, I had my 4-year-old grandson for the day so that I could bring him to an appointment. And later in the day, I received some unsettling news and was given a last minute change of plans for the next day–both of which caught me off balance and escalated the levels of stress I was already experiencing. In the end, it was a juggling act and a test of mental and emotional strength.

That night, while lying in bed, after my daughter had picked up my grandson, I thought about the day. I thought about the emails and the phone calls and the noise and the stress. And I thought about the moments when I was working on my computer and my grandson would run into the room to talk and ask me questions. I thought about his doctor’s appointment and how he got a little scared and needed a little comforting. I thought about the minutes when I would stop what I was doing to squat down and wrap my arms around him. I thought about how we played Cars on the computer while he sat on my lap, and how he ate two bowls of kale chips : ) I was amazed at this. I thought about how he laid next to me on the sofa and how his curiosity, innocence and pure, beautiful smile comforted me throughout the day. It could have turned out so very different and if he hadn’t been there, it sure would have. But because he was there, this wonderful bundle of energy saved my day. And for this, I am eternally grateful.

Life in the Fast Lane

2010-09-24T20:34:00.003-04:00

I’ve mentioned before that I commute to Boston for work a couple of days per week. There are tollbooths along the way. Each one has several Fast Lanes where you can drive your car through without stopping to pay the fee or take a ticket – you just receive a monthly bill based on the toll fees you’ve accumulated. I haven’t signed up this convenience yet and the other day, while on my way to Boston, I thought about whether or not it was such a good idea after all. Since I’ve begun to make this trip, I’ve had some quick but very pleasurable exchanges with some of the tollbooth attendants. Most of the time, they’re pleasant and I usually drive away feeling good. I’m familiar with many of them and with some, I’ve even been able to buy rolls of quarters for parking if I was out. I guess I like the personal interaction that I experience by going through the slow lane. And, anyway, when the traffic is heavy, the fast lanes are even more backed up than the pay lanes.

We have so many opportunities these days to forgo the face time with people. We have online banking and shopping, we can purchase our movie tickest at kiosks at the cinema or order movies through the mail. We make donations online, we can even order a meal over the internet. These are all contemporary conveniences designed to make our lives easier, streamlined, and faster.

Yet, I think about my time in Boston and who I interact with, besides my colleagues, on a daily basis: the tollbooth attendants, my friend Gene who raises money for the homeless, workers at some of the local restaurants while I’m waiting for my food, other customers who are waiting near me, a woman who was selling chocolate at the farmer’s market the other day, the security guard at the bank, the wonderful bank teller who I told the other day, “You’re good,” because she was concerned that she was giving me too many options and she apologized with a big smile on her face (she’s a doll and I love to see her), even the meter maids, who most people complain about . : ) No, my days in Boston would not be the same if I wasn’t able to take a few minutes or even a few moments and talk with these wonderful people or just say hello. As trivial as these occasions may seem, they have formed real relationships and they're the best parts of my day because they always bring me joy. Sometimes I believe that these moments are the real reason I’m there in the first place.

Yes, I could sign up for the fast lane but I’m not sure how often I’d use it. Maybe I’ll just continue to take it slow…

See Below...

2010-09-17T22:06:00.002-04:00

I was talking to a girlfriend the other day and she was saying that she gets quite a few emails forwarded to her from her boss that on the top line simply say: See below…

She then went on to say that she felt it was time for her to have the authority to delegate, to pass things on, to write “see below”. Today, I was cc’d on an email that said “see below” to the main recipient, and I just smiled.

I have to say, that in the past, I was one of those people that always felt like I had to do everything myself and would never ask for help. Or, in a position of authority, I would never want to assign a task to someone . Some say that’s a trust issue or a control thing. Or maybe it’s because I wanted to feel like superwoman—like I was capable of doing it all. OK, I’ve gotten over that and in situations where I simply have too much on my plate, I’m not afraid to ask for help. At this point in my life, I know what I really want to spend my time on and if I can get help with some things, it allows me to have more time to spend on the other things. What I have seen by doing this is that not only does it free up time to work on my priorities, it builds relationships. It builds a sense of teamwork; it builds trust; it makes people feel worthy and confident. It also gives me the time to reciprocate. This is one of the best things about it, because it feels great to be helpful, and to feel worthy, etc. And in the end, I think we’re all here to help each other out.

Are you willing to ask for help?

Are You Committed?

2010-09-04T07:04:00.004-04:00

Another lesson from yoga – sort of. For about 9 months, I’ve been practicing yoga almost daily at a studio in Simsbury, CT. There are a number of different options for purchasing classes, either individually or in blocks of classes or time. Since I’ve begun, I’ve been purchasing one month at a time for a number of reasons. Another option is pay by the month but to have the funds automatically deducted from your banking account. The benefit of this is that the price/month is much lower than buying individual months, but it requires a 6-month commitment. Today, my month was up and I told the owner, Richard that I wanted to switch to the autopay for 6 months. His reaction: “Oh my gosh, you’re committing!” I just smiled and said, “I thought you would have known by now that I’m committed.”

A couple of hours later, I was talking to a former exercise instructor who told me that a high percentage of the people who used to sign up for one year memberships at her club would never show up.

So where’s the commitment? Is it in the signature on the contract, or in the credit card? No, it’s in the person. It’s in the person who shows up everyday at the yoga studio to practice or at the gym to workout. Not in the credit card payment that goes through and not in the unused gym membership. As always, actions speak louder than words–and ink. And what makes me feel good about my choice at the yoga studio is that even though Richard would have financially benefited more from me continuing to pay by the month, he was more excited that I chose the 6-month commitment. This reaction speaks very loudly to me that he’s committed too. : )

It's How You Say it That Makes it Count

2010-08-20T12:22:00.004-04:00

Every Wednesday morning, I commute to Boston to work for two days. I can never predict how heavy the traffic will be. Some days it takes me almost three hours to reach my destination and on others, I breeze right through in less than two hours. Either way, I have plenty of listening material so that my mind has been stretched by the time I get there. I get off exit 18, the Cambridge exit and usually have to wait to pass through several sets of lights to move forward. There’s usually lots of traffic here since there are several lanes that are merging from different exit ramps.

I’ll never forget my first day at this exit. The traffic was inching its way along and as I got closer to the first light, I noticed two men on different sides of the road. They appeared to be directing traffic. One of them, I noticed, was waving his arms and speaking with such passion and enthusiasm that I was instantly impressed. As I made my way past him, he said, “All right Connecticut, have a nice day!” And it put a huge smile on my face. The next day, driving passed again, I realized that he was collecting money for the homeless, so I made a donation. And every Wednesday and Thursday morning I would drive by, make a donation, and say hello. I eventually found out the man’s name is Gene and that he is not homeless, but that he’s been collecting money at that intersection for the homeless for 30 years. Over the last few months, I’ve been able to talk to Gene and see what a wonderful person he is. I love him dearly and this past Wednesday, when I told him so, he replied, ”It’s how you say it that makes it count.” Another big smile. He knew I meant it by the way I said it.

People can always tell when you mean what you say. Sometimes, words are just words that only take on real meaning when there is emotion to back them up. The words come from the head and the feelings from the heart and I think in many situations, it’s the emotional component of (or lack of) a phrase or word that is what we’re “hearing”. And he heard me loud and clear.

This is literally how I begin my days in Boston and sometimes I think that this is the real reason I go there–or at least that this short and sweet moment is meant to be. If it’s not, though, there is still no doubt that seeing Gene sets the stage for the rest of my day and has a ripple affect on my world. And hopefully his too.

That's Not My Job

2010-08-10T09:38:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite things to do with the nice weather is to get in an early yoga class, then drive down the road to the local Starbuck’s to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea while I sit out on their great front patio and do my work. In fact, I’m sitting there right now writing this blog.

Less than five minutes ago, a woman that I’ve talked to here before on the patio was wiping down the table she was sitting at. Not only did she wipe down her table, but she went from empty table to table and cleaned them as well and she even wiped down mine as well. I offered to do it, but she did it anyway. She said, “I went in and asked them to wipe down the tables outside, but they were so busy that I asked for the towel and said I wouldn’t mind doing it myself.“

This may seem like a little thing, but to me, it’s not small at all. How many of us would offer to help do a job that wasn’t our responsibility rather than complaining that it wasn’t getting done? Wiping down the tables took about two minutes. The tables got cleaned, we’re both happy about that, and the generous act relieved someone who couldn’t walk away from what she was doing. This type of generosity bonds people and build a sense of community. It encourages people to be kind and helpful and to make every situation more pleasant. I think about how differently this situation could have turned out had she demanded that the tables be cleaned by an employee. It would have left a dark cloud on the patio. Instead, her attitude illuminated everything. It doesn’t take acts of heroism to make this happen–the little things really are the big things. And no job is too small or too beneath us. We’re all here together and making this world a better place is everyone’s job.

What's Wrong is Sometimes Right

2010-08-02T19:04:00.004-04:00

Most days during the week when I’m not working in Boston, I’m spending time with my Uncle who has been recuperating from an illness. I love the time we’ve been spending together because he’s a dear sweet man who’s shared so many stories of his life and his wisdom with me and we’ve had some profound and heartfelt conversations. I’m so grateful that my schedule has given me the opportunity to choose to spend the time with him.

The other day, we were having lunch together and he told me this story. There was a man whose wife would make him baked macaroni and cheese, but it was never right–it was never like his mother’s. No matter how meticulous she was in the kitchen, his wife never got it right for him. Then one day, she forgot about the macaroni and cheese in the oven and it burned. And the husband loved it because it was finally like his mother’s. His wife had finally gotten it right.

All those years growing up, the man’s mom paid little attention to the cooking, which is why she often burned the food, while his wife took care with the meals she prepared. For some, the wife was cooking the right way and burning the food was wrong. But for the husband who liked the burnt dish, it was done right.

So who’s right? Is it the husband who grew accustomed to his mom’s burnt food or his wife for not burning the food? Should the husband have been satisfied with his wife’s “under-cooked” macaroni and cheese, particularly if that’s the way she liked it? Did the wife finally get it right when she burned the macaroni and cheese, or did she do something wrong?

I believe in this situation, what’s right is what works. What’s important is not what the wife did that made her husband happy, but that it made him happy. So if making him happy meant burning the food, then burning the food was right, as long as she was happy with the outcome. If, however, she was unhappy with the outcome, then that complicates matters, and maybe she should stop making macaroni and cheese altogether. But that’s another story…

P.S. The picture above is my brother's meal from the other night of skirt steak quesadillas from Millie's on Nantucket. Definitely done right!

What's Your Angle?

2010-07-27T14:38:00.004-04:00

The other day, I went to New York to see the Yankees play the Kansas City Royals. My mom is in love with Derek Jeter, so for Mother’s Day this year, we got her two tickets to see him (and his team) play. Since my dad didn’t want to go, she took me. I was thrilled to go because I wanted to see the new Yankee Stadium and it gave me a chance to hang out with Mom. Plus I feel that the experience of being at a game is so much different from watching it on TV.

We had planned that when we got there, we would have lunch and then enjoy the game. It was hot and sticky outside and I felt like having something light and refreshing, but all we could find were burgers, fries, pizza, etc., and there was at least an hour wait at the restaurants. So we settled on grilled vegetable paninis that were pretty good, just heavier than I had wanted. After we had finished eating, I spotted a woman with a clipboard. I walked up to her to ask her a question and also learned that she was taking a survey about the food. I thought, this is a great opportunity to tell her how I feel. Just as I was about to talk with her, another woman approached her in a very huffy manner and began complaining about the food and the management. I was a bit surprised by her attitude and even more surprised by how long she carried on with her tirade. The poor woman that was working didn’t know what to do and finally two other women working at a cart tried to come to her rescue. I waited patiently until finally the woman with the clipboard somehow made her exit, approached us, and apologized for the unpleasant exchange.

OK, it was my turn. She asked us about our meal and the service. I told her the food was good and that the service was good as well. Actually, the gentleman who served us made us laugh so we walked away from the counter with big smiles on our faces. In fact, everyone who worked there was helpful and pleasant and made us feel comfortable, but I’m digressing. I went on to explain to her that the food was fine, but that I would like to see more healthy options for food at the stadium. She then invited me to fill out the survey, which I did, and then we parted very pleasantly.

Later, I thought about the differences between my encounter with the woman taking surveys and the woman before me. Both of us were essentially saying that we would like things to be different, yet we did it in very different ways. The woman before me went on very aggressively about what she didn’t like and what she believed was wrong and she took every opportunity to be insulting. I didn’t do that at all. I had no reason to and I never would anyway. I simply suggested things that I would like to see on the menu. Judging from the reaction to my angle versus the other woman’s, I would say that in situations like these, a positive attitude is taken more seriously than a negative one. Yes, there are cases where it’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease–but I believe it’s often to simply silence the squeak. I don't know what happened with the woman's complaint and I really don't want to. As for my suggestion, will I be purchasing fresh fruit smoothies and vegetable juices at Yankee Stadium someday? Don’t know. But I have no regrets filling out the survey and making the suggestions.

Moroccan Turkey Burgers

2010-07-19T09:01:00.004-04:00

If you're like me at all, the intense heat and humidity transform the diet to mostly fruits and vegetables. There’s nothing wrong with this and every year at this time, I eat this way to cool off. The only downside is that I eventually need some heavier foods to ground me and to keep me from getting run down. This is precisely why I began thinking about Moroccan Turkey Burgers. I made these several years ago and loved them. I’m not sure why I never made these burgers again, but I revisited them over the weekend with the recipe below that I pulled together from a couple of recipes I found from Cooking Light Magazine and CultivatingLife.com. These burgers are tender, juicy, and flavorful, and eaten on a roll or not, they're great as is. For me, they simply don’t need anything else. The other night, I made these with 101 Cookbooks’ Grilled Salt and Vinegar Potatoes and Emeril’s Cold Cucumber Soup with cucumbers and chives from the backyard. This was a heavenly meal that brought me back down to Earth. The burgers and soup were also a hit at a family barbeque over the weekend.

Moroccan Turkey Burgers

1 lb ground turkey

3 sweet turkey sausages, meat removed from the casings

3 T tomato sauce

¼ cup raisins or currants

1 shallot or 1 small onion, minced

1 t grated lemon rind

1 t cumin

½ t cinnamon

1 t coriander

½ t cardamon

½ t ground cloves

½ t sea salt

1/8 t black pepper

1-2 T grapseed oil

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except the oil, and mix well with your hands without overworking the meat. Cover and chill the mixture until ready to cook. Form into 5-6 patties about ½ inch thick. Drizzle each side with the oil and grill or cook in a frying pan on the stove. Try to turn only once during the ~ 10 min cooking process. Serve with lettuce, tomato, and condiments (or plain!) on a nice multi-grain Kaiser roll. Or skip the bun and serve with grilled potatoes and/or a tossed salad.

What, This Old Thing?

2010-07-17T20:44:00.005-04:00

Five years ago or more now, I bought a dress. It wasn’t a planned purchase, just something that I saw and liked at the time. I thought it would be a great dress for going out or even for work. Time went by, and the dress hung in the closet. I remember thinking at one point, "Maybe this isn’t a good dress for me. Maybe it’s too young looking, or too form-fitting, or maybe the pattern was too busy. Maybe I should just return it." But it continued to hang in the closet.

The other day, I was looking for something in a garment bag and what did I find but the dress–still with the price tag on it. I took it out of the bag and stared at it for a long while. OK, I thought, what am I going to do with this dress? It’s too late to return it and it’s in perfect condition. So I slipped it on over my head. Immediately, I thought, WOW, I Love This Dress!! It’s so comfortable, it fits me like it was made for me, it won’t wrinkle, and it will be perfect for work. And the next day, I did wear it to work and I had the best day. Was it because of the dress? Probably not entirely, but I sure did feel different in it and I even caught myself bouncing down the stairs to go fill the parking meter : ) And I can’t wait to wear it again.

So what changed? The dress? Not at all. It hung untouched in a bag for years. When I took it out, it was still the same dress, thankfully that was still in style (I think : ). Personally, I think any article of clothing that puts you into a positive mood, makes you feel good about yourself, and is comfortable is in style–your style. I guess it had to be me that changed. Five years ago I felt uncomfortable wearing the dress–maybe because I didn’t have the confidence in myself to be seen in it. Maybe I didn’t want to be seen, period, and I knew this dress would draw attention to me. But today, I’m happy to put it on and show it to the world–and me too. There was a reason I held on to this dress. To me, it symbolizes my personal growth. Maybe this is why it “fits” me so perfectly now. This is something I’m so grateful for. We always hear, if you haven’t worn it in a year, get rid of it. I’m so glad I didn’t take that advice...

Corn and Bean Salsa

2010-07-16T08:50:00.002-04:00

The other night, I grilled some corn on the cob. And instead of simply eating the leftovers, I decided to use them in a corn the bean salsa recipe below. This is a great, fresh, colorful summer recipe that’s full of nutrients and that can be whipped together very quickly. I’ve used frozen, roasted corn before and it works well, too. But while the corn is in season, I like to enjoy it in lots of different ways and this is one of my favorites.

Corn and Bean Salsa

2 cooked ears of corn, kernels removed

½ red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced

¼ cup diced red onion

¾ cup cooked or sprouted beans (mung, adzuki, black, etc.)

1 T chopped, fresh chives

1 T chopped, fresh cilantro, optional

juice from one lime and zest from ½ of it

1 t cumin, optional

½ t tumeric, optional

½ t sea salt

dash pepper

In a medium glass bowl, combine all the ingredients, mix well, and adjust the seasonings to taste. Pictured above, I used sprouted, raw adzuki beans and in the past I’ve used cooked black beans. In addition, I’ve listed the cilantro, cumin, and tumeric as optional. I’ve made this either with the cilantro and without the cumin and tumeric, or I’ve left out the cilantro and added the two spices. Chill in the fridge for several hours. Serve with chips, in salad, as a side for meats, poultry, fish, or Mexican dishes.

Carrot Almond Pate and Lemon Flax Crisps

2010-07-13T12:23:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, inspired by the bowl of ground almonds sitting in the fridge left over from making almond milk, I made the following pate. I came across the recipe on loloville.com, and at first, the idea of carrots and almonds together made me stop, but I am no longer a skeptic. I made a few substitutions yet it is still so tasty that I had it on toast this morning for breakfast. Yesterday, I teamed it up with the flax crisps pictured that are made with brown rice flower. The recipe is below as well. I had not originally intended to serve the pate with these crisps because the original recipe, printed on my bag of organic brown flax seeds from Whole Foods calls for a large dose of maple syrup. I followed the recipe exactly and they are fantastic by themselves and do work with the pate, but if you’d rather have a more savory biscuit, I would reduce the maple syrup a little bit, adjust the amount of flour, and add a little bit of salt.

Carrot Almond Pate

4 carrots, shredded

2 c almonds, soaked overnight (or about 1-1.5 c ground almonds)

¼ c green onions or chives (something green and onion-y : )

3 T fresh lemon juice

2 – 3 T olive oil (or carrot juice if you have)

1 – 2 t ground kelp (optional, a little goes a long way)

Grind the almonds if starting with whole almonds, then add everything except the oil to a food processor or blender and process/blend. Add a little bit of oil at a time until a smooth, even consistency is achieved. Transfer the mixture to a wax or parchment paper-lined bread pan or other dish, depending on the shape you’d like to form. Refrigerate for at least two hours. To serve, place a serving plate face down over the bowl, flip it over, then carefully remove the paper. Serve with crackers, bread, or a spoon : ) I enjoyed this so much that I had it on toast this morning.

Lemon Flax Crisps

5 T butter, melted and cooled

½ c maple syrup

1 t vanilla extract

1 T lemon zest

1 T lemon juice

½ c brown flax seeds

1 c plus 2 T brown rice flour

Preheat the oven to 350°C. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Drop tablespoons full onto a parchment paper-line baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, spread the batter into ¼” discs. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, or until browned on the edges. Let cool completely before removing from the paper (they will be a little crumbly until cooled).

Where's the Time?

2010-07-11T07:20:00.005-04:00

Not too long ago, the following occurred somewhere on the planet…

Jack and Jill were having dinner with Jane the night before they were leaving for a vacation to visit family.

Jill said to Jack, “We should visit John while we’re away.”

To which Jack adamantly replied “I say that every year and when we are there, you say no.”

Jill: “Are you blaming me? We never have the time.”

To which Jane said, “You should take the time…” And then the room went silent.

So much happening beneath the surface just from these few sentences and since I’m not Jack or Jill, I can only speculate what thoughts and emotions were going through their minds and bodies as a result of that exchange. But the bottom-line question I asked myself was this: Do either Jack or Jill really want to visit John, or deep down, do they really feel that they are obligated to do so?

We don’t find time for things. Extra time is not hiding in a closet somewhere and it doesn’t suddenly appear when we wave a magic wand. And I don’t believe we make time since all the time we will ever have already exists (so to speak). As Harvey MacKay said of time, “You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it.” In fact, we are always spending time, whether we like it or not. Therefore, we must take or use time for the things we care about by putting them into our schedule and doing them. If we care about our health, we exercise regularly and prepare and eat healthy food. If we love to read, we read daily, if we have hobbies we love, we put them into our calendar. And we make it a priority to see or at least speak to the people we care about. Should Jack and Jill visit John? I would say only if they really want to. Otherwise, I would suggest that they spend their time doing what truly matters most to them. Because as Ben Franklin said, “You may delay, but time will not.”

Random Acts of Kindness

2010-07-04T17:55:00.005-04:00

The other morning, I walked into the yoga studio and the first thing I noticed was the big, beautiful sunflower in the picture. After class as I was walking out, I asked Laurie, the owner, “Would you mind if I took a picture of your sunflower?” “Of course”, she said, “do you know where it came from?” I asked her what she meant. She told me that it mysteriously appeared on the counter and she hasn’t been able to find out who put it there. I wasn’t surprised that it showed up, simply because Laurie and her partner Richard always make the effort to add personal touches and beautifying accents to the studio, such as fresh flowers and candles in the dressing rooms, beautiful photos on the walls, and inspiring quotes throughout the studio. Maybe the flower was someone’s way of saying thank you to them for caring about their customers. Or maybe it was put there “just because” the person knew that everyone who walked in would have the opportunity to enjoy it.

What would the world look like if everyone regularly performed random acts of kindness–expecting nothing in return? There are some people that do, probably because they get that the act itself is the gift back. As the Buddhist saying goes, “If you light a lamp for somebody else, it will also brighten your own path.” Freely and willingly giving to others opens our hearts, which in turn, lets more love in. This is just an example of the point I was trying to make in my blog about loving others as we learn to love ourselves. I believe these two forms of love grow simultaneously, and random acts of kindness are just one way to make this happen.

A Wholesome Snack - Roasted Chickpeas

2010-07-04T08:02:00.004-04:00

Chickpeas: They are a good source of plant-based protein, calcium, iron, and fiber and I love them in salads, curries, and ground in hummus. Recently, an online friend posted a recipe for roasted chickpeas that sounded easy to make and delicious. Her recipe called for a canned chickpeas, but I no longer buy food in cans, and since I’m on a mission to find ways to not only use fresh ingredients but to also save time with them, I decided to modify the recipe a bit. Dried chickpeas can be found in bulk at local natural foods stores or at markets such as Whole Foods. Using these as the starting material, this is what I did:

Roasted Chickpeas

1 cup raw, dried chickpeas, picked through

Lots of filtered water

2 -3 T Grapeseed or another high smoking point oil

Spices or herbs of your choice to taste, such as garlic powder, cumin, tumeric, pepper, sea salt, etc. ½ to 1 teaspoon per seasoning works well

1. The night before roasting, place the dried chickpeas into a glass or ceramic bowl and add about 3 cups of water. Cover the bowl and soak overnight. If you’re going to extend the soaking, then put them in the fridge.

2. The next day, preheat the oven to 425 °F. Drain, rinse, then drain the chickpeas again. Dry them well with a clean towel.

3. Place the chickpeas well-spaced onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Roast for ~10 minutes, shake the pan to turn the chickpeas, then roast for an additional 10 minutes. Careful here, they started to pop in the oven if left for too long : )

4. During this 10 minutes, mix the oil and seasonings in a bowl big enough to fit the chickpeas. Remove the chickpeas from the oven, mix them well with the oil and spices, then place them back on the cookie sheet and roast for a final 10 minutes, or until crispy but not burned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

These are great alone as a snack or would make nice croutons for a salad. I’m thinking they might also make a nice roasted chickpea hummus. My next experiment with them…

Loving Others as We Learn to Love Ourselves

2010-07-02T20:14:00.006-04:00

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “To love others, we must first love ourselves.” And in some ways, I guess this is true. If we were to walk around despising ourselves, we wouldn’t be of much use to anyone else and we certainly wouldn’t be able to offer any sort of compassion, tenderness, or love. But the following has made me rethink this idea.

I’ve been reading, The Little Book of Letting Go, by Hugh Prather. It’s a very insightful book that explains how to free our minds from things such as worry and conflict, and it outlines a 30-day program with useful exercises to help achieve this. The other day, I read the following passage:

“Even when you pray, if you pray without love or connection, you may have a temporary sense of peace, but you will not touch the eternal peace within your heart. There is no kindness in first thinking of yourself, then trying to be kind to yourself alone. Love is not an act of isolation, and “loving yourself first” is not a step toward happiness. Your will never satisfactorily nurture just your own wounds or your own needs, because those concepts include no unity. Only what joins us to another can make us happy.”

I thought for a while after reading this and understood exactly what he was saying. No amount of praying, meditation, visualization, or positive affirmations will ever get us to true happiness unless we put the results to practice. And I’m not talking about accomplishing our daily or monthly goals at the gym or what we’ve deposited into our savings accounts, or how effective we’ve become at work. Accomplishing these personal objectives may help us to feel better about ourselves, but they won’t ultimately allow us to reach the point of self-love because it’s the relationships we have with others–how we act with and react towards others–how we make them feel and how they make us feel, that will ultimately lead to us loving ourselves. It’s the feeling or the realization that we do have the ability to participate in meaningful and significant relationships with others and the unfolding of those interactions that leads to us loving ourselves. Love can’t exist for long in a vacuum. What’s to love there? Love is meant to be shared. The idea of saving up our love doesn’t work. I can’t even think of a way it can be put away for later or hoarded. If we’re not loving others, then we’re simply not loving at all.

Therefore, I suggest that learning to love others, and the acts of loving others, are what teach us to love ourselves, and if we wait to love ourselves before we try to love others, it will never happen…

Nori-wrapped Quinoa and Veggies

2010-06-28T18:59:00.003-04:00

I’ve posted several recipes here with quinoa because I eat it often. It’s a great plant-based protein source that is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and it’s gluten-free which is great news for people who are gluten intolerant or sensitive. And because I eat it so often, I’m always looking for new ways to eat it. The other morning, while lying on my yoga mat, I wondered how quinoa would work in place of rice in a nori roll with lots of veggies. I thought it would be a nice idea as a light meal for summer, instead of a heavier wrap. Years ago in school, a fellow graduate student invited a few of us over and she taught us how to roll sushi. It was a lot of fun and I haven’t made them in a long time. So today, I played in the kitchen with my food. The rolls I made combined the quinoa, avocado, shredded vegetables and nori. The veggies don’t have to be shredded–they can also be sliced into thin, long strips–depending on your preference. Whatever combinations you can think up here, you can create…

Nori-wrapped Quinoa and Veggies

Nori sheets

Cooked and cooled quinoa, seasoned as desired

Avocado, mashed with a little lemon juice

Shredded veggies, such as carrots, zucchini or yellow squash, cucumbers, beets, daikon radish, etc.

Sesame oil

Sesame or hemp seeds

I cooked my quinoa in a dilute vegetable broth and added a little tamari. When it was finished cooking, I added a little bit of sushi vinegar and a few chia seeds. Because quinoa is less sticky than rice, I was thinking that chia seeds that have been soaked for a few minutes then added to the quinoa near the end of the cooking might make the quinoa a little gelatinous. It was a bit late when I added them this time, but I’ll be experimenting with this again. To deal with the possibility that the quinoa wouldn’t be sticky enough, I mashed my avocado and used that as the base for the quinoa to stick to. It worked really well.

If you have a bamboo mat for rolling nori, the assembly will be much easier; however, it is still doable without one. The directions for putting together a roll will be on the back of the nori package, but I’ll give it a try here: Place a piece of nori onto the mat with one of the shorter edges facing you. Onto this end, about one inch from the edge, spread a couple of tablespoons of mashed avocado into a one inch strip, horizontally, from one side to the other. Layer cooled quinoa onto the avocado, then shredded veggies. Press them down to keep in place. Using the mat, begin rolling by lifting the nori’s short overhang up and over the filling then bring it down and back, pressing into the filling to pack it together. Tuck the overhang under the filling and roll it snugly to keep the filling packed. Moisten the free end of the roll with a small amount of water then press it into the roll. This will help to seal it like an envelope. Brush the roll with sesame oil. Using an extremely sharp knife, cut the rolls crosswise into disks about ½ inch thick. Arrange on a plate and sprinkle with sesame or hemp seeds.

Then enjoy! These are light and refreshing and perfect for summer! I know I’ll be making these lots more, especially while the weather is hot. And if you’re planning to take these for lunch, they can be transported whole, then cut when ready to eat or even eaten whole like a wrap. Peace…

Creatures of Habit

2010-06-22T20:43:00.002-04:00

If you’re like me, once you try something new, you explore it a bit, work out the bugs, and then if you really like it, it becomes routine, i.e., habit. I’ve said before that the brain craves novelty, and I still strongly believe this, but I still have my favorite foods, my favorite clothing, favorite genres of music, and even favorite places to visit. And yes, I’m absolutely guilty as charged when it comes to my exercise routine. I practice Bikram yoga faithfully and haven’t done much else lately–except over the weekend I did get on my bike for a short ride with my grandsons. They wouldn’t take no for an answer. So glad I did because it was fun. I also like to hike outdoors and will occasionally do some weight training, which I know is so important. But back to yoga. I always take the same route to the studio. There’s a post office I like along the way, a Starbucks if I decide to stop for a coffee or tea, and a gas station where I like to fill up my car. However, there’s also been road construction on this main road and traffic has frequently come to a standstill. So one day last week, I decided to take a new way, down a back road that I hadn’t tried yet. I was told that it would come out a short distance past the studio. It turned out to be a very gorgeous, country road with pretty homes and a cute little vineyard with a farm stand. They even sell their wine on Sunday, which is unusual here. I was excited to find this place, not because I could buy wine on Sunday, but because it looked like a very warm and inviting and I’m looking forward to stopping there for veggies–and wine. Just not at 5:30 in the morning : ) And yes, I did make it to my yoga class and I’ve taken this road a few times since then.

This morning, I took it one step further and tried another turn off of this country road and stumbled upon the pretty bridge in the picture above. I was so delighted to see this that after class, I went back to take pictures and to check it out. It’s a footbridge in a very quite area and there are a couple of benches nearby for people to sit and enjoy the view.

If I had stuck to my habit of taking the same road as always, I would have never found the vineyard or the bridge. Instead, I would probably have spent several drives to class waiting in traffic or waiting to be ushered through construction. The fact that my brain wants to experience new things and that it’s good to leave our comfort zones are not the only points I want to make here. There is so much life to discover around us if we only take the opportunity to explore unchartered territory (in a personal sense). In fact, lately I’ve found some of the most amazing things at home in the yard by simply exploring a little bit: Baby rabbits and birds, a raspberry bush, some cool-looking mushrooms–who knows what else I’ll find. Life doesn’t only happen in nature either. It’s happening in libraries and museums, at the new restaurant down the street, in the CD of a recently discovered musician/artist, at a meeting with a new group of people or a new friend, and even down an unknown road.

Do I plan to quit yoga anytime soon? Absolutely not. I’m happy to say that it is a habit I’ll be holding onto for quite a while. Happily, exploring seems to be a habit that I’ve further developed lately as well. And who knows, visiting the bridge may become a habit too. I’m already thinking it’s the perfect place to read or meditate. And if I’m going to be forming habits anyway, they may as well be good ones : )

Learning to Fly

2010-06-14T19:21:00.014-04:00

I feel blessed because I’ve had the opportunity to witness something quite miraculous over the last few weeks. I’ve been able to watch the growth and development of baby Robins from two different nests. In all my years, I've never had the opportunity to witness anything like this. It began a few weeks ago. I was sitting with my uncle in the living room and we noticed a Robin flying to and from a particular branch on an apple tree in the front yard. When I went out to investigate, I discovered a nest. Although it was too high to see inside, I reached my arm up with my camera and snapped a few pictures of the inside of the nest.

Sure enough, there were several beautiful turquoise blue Robin eggs! I got so excited when I saw the eggs because I knew that life was happening in that nest (and because the eggs were so pretty!).

What surprised me the most, was that only a few days later, I snapped a few more pictures inside the nest and the eggs had already hatched! There they were, fluffy, newborn birds, sleeping peacefully. A couple of days later, I was also able to see them, once again sleeping. Then, the next time I checked, they were gone! I remember thinking, “How can that be? So quickly?" I was praying that they had indeed flown away on their own and hadn’t been eaten by another animal.

Then, several days later, I discovered a new nest at home, but this time in a bush just outside the bedroom window and only about five feet off the ground. Three Robins that had recently hatched were resting peacefully. However, the moment I moved a branch to get a better look, they sensed that mom or dad were nearby and stretched up with their mouths open for food. And this is what went on for several days. I watched mom (or dad) dig tirelessly for worms everyday and guard over the young by perching on the roof of the house just above the nest.

At first when I would get close, one or both of them would squawk and ruffle their feathers to demonstrate their fear or anger, but as the days went on, they came to see that I was not there to do harm.

At one point, they were perching their heads over the side of the nest and watching me as I talked, sometimes dozing off. On day five, I could see that they had grown to the point that they were packed into the nest pretty snugly and had developed lots of feathers. One was even trying to flap its wings. What was also interesting was that from the beginning, all three babies were often situated equidistant from one another facing out, which meant that one of the babies was frequently facing the house. So while two of the birds always had a view of the wide open space, trees, flying birds, other animals, people, and cars, this one was often looking at a blank wall. I wondered early on if that would make a difference in its development.

Then I left for two days and figured that the nest would be empty when I got back. I was wrong. Late on the second night, I checked and they were still there packed into the nest with no sound or sight of mom and dad. But early the next morning, as I got close, the squawking began as if to say “danger, danger” and before I knew it, the three little ones flapped their wings and were free from the nest.

Two of them flew away so quickly that I never saw where they went. But one landed on the grass and sat still. I don’t know if it was scared or confused, but it didn’t fly; it began to hop around. Was this the one that had been facing the house? I don’t know. I got a little nervous because I didn’t want a cat to come along and have it for breakfast, and it was because of me that they had left the nest. So I walked up to it hoping that it would fly off, but it didn’t. As much as I wanted it to, I could tell that it just wasn’t ready to fly, so I let it be. And thankfully, about 30 minutes later, I stepped outside again to see it finally get off the ground. At first, it hovered low over the lawn and then suddenly it soared high above the houses and into the treetops.

That was on Friday. On Saturday, I saw what looked like one of the parents with a little one in the back yard in the rain diving for worms in the grass. And the nest has been empty ever since…

Quick and Decadent Chocolate Cups

2010-06-11T19:40:00.004-04:00

What do you do when you want to put together a quick yet decadent after dinner treat for your guests? Start with some good quality semi-sweet or darker chocolate, add a healthy handful of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and coconut. Then top with sea salt. The great thing about these mini chocolate cups is that the possibilities are endless. You can use macadamia nuts, pecans, almonds, pine nuts or hazelnuts. Pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds are options. And for dried fruit–raisins, currants, apricots, pineapple, cherries, blueberries would work well. Whatever you’re in the mood for and have on hand will work and they can be made and ready in about 30 minutes without a lot of fuss.

Mini Chocolate Cups with Fruit and Nuts

3.5 - 4 oz. good quality semi-sweet chocolate (60-65% cacao content) or slightly darker (I used Lindt 70% Intense Dark)

1 t coconut oil

1 T chopped walnuts*

1 T hulled sunflower seeds*

1 T dried cherries, chopped in half

1 T shredded coconut

coarse sea salt

Very gently melt the chocolate with the coconut oil over a double boiler, or rest a glass or ceramic dish with the chocolate into a pot of simmering water. Continue to stir gently until the chocolate is ¾ of the way melted, then remove the chocolate from the heat and stir until it is completely melted (I do this to prevent the chocolate from overheating and separating and the residual heat in the bowl is usually enough to complete the melting process). Add the nuts, seeds, fruit, and coconut and stir well. Drop teaspoons full of the mixture into mini muffin pans that are lined with small paper pastry cups. Let them set for a few minutes, then sprinkle with a little sea salt. Chill until set in the refrigerator. This recipe makes about 8 chocolates.

That’s it! These are so quick and easy and the perfect size for a bite or two after a meal. And that’s usually all that I need to satisfy me. I’m going to experiment with different nuts, fruits and brands of chocolate since there are a few good ones on the market.

* If you’re using nuts and/or seeds that have been soaked, they should be dried really well (even dehydrated) before adding to the chocolate.

Uncommon Blessings

2010-06-05T08:13:00.002-04:00

Maybe you’ve heard the saying by Wayne Dyer, “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” This phrase could apply to anything in life and is specifically intended for situations that we are unhappy about or that we believe are having a negative impact on our lives or the lives of others. This idea is a premise behind the practice of gratitude–it helps us focus on the good rather than the bad, which allows more “good” to come into our lives.

For a little while now, I’ve been commuting to Boston two days per week for work. It’s two long and very intense days sitting at a computer. Because I don’t currently live in Boston, I park my car outside the building where I work in a metered parking spot. The meter will only allow a maximum of three hours at a time, which means that every three hours I must refill the meter. At first, I found this to be a bother; that is, getting up from my work to walk down the hall, descend the stairs, leave the building, walk to my car, add quarters to the meter, then return to my desk. However, I soon realized that this was an opportunity to get up from the computer, give my eyes a rest from the screen, get my blood pumping by walking and climbing stairs, get outside for some fresh air and some sunshine, and maybe even have a few words with someone new. In terms of my health, every single step in this process is a blessing. Do I enjoy putting money into a meter? No, not really. I wouldn’t call that a blessing. In fact, yesterday, I got absorbed in what I was doing and missed the meter by 5 or 10 minutes. And sure enough, there was a parking ticket. Yes, I was very unhappy about it–for about 10 minutes. Then I shook it off and decided it was a lesson to get up and outside regularly. So, from here forward, I will set the alarm on my phone for my meter breaks.

One of the few (or maybe the only) authentic powers we possess is the right to view any given situation in any way that we want. There’s no right or wrong perspective and actually, we never really see things exactly as someone else. We can choose to focus on the negative, or we can screen for the positive, sifting out the negative. It’s our choice. Although there will always come a time or situation where the positive may not be apparent right away, or may never be obvious, the more we practice looking for the uncommon blessings in our lives, the happier and healthier we will be…

Pineapple Wild Rice

2010-06-01T10:52:00.004-04:00

Wild rice is something I don’t prepare so much but I love it’s nutty, chewiness. It's wonderful in holiday stuffings with apricots and nuts. Earlier, I posted a recipe for a barley and wild rice pilaf made with pomegranates that I like to make when pomegranates are in season. But I didn't want to wait for that, so I decided to experiment with other flavors. Wild rice is actually not a rice at all, but an aquatic grass seed, that grows to several feet above the water. Compared to true varieties of rice, though, wild rice packs a greater abundance of nutrients. It’s a valuable source of protein and fiber, is low in unsaturated fat, and provides significant levels of B vitamins, folate, potassium, magnesium, copper, phosphorous, manganese, and zinc.

This time of year, I like to prepare cold sides and salads and decided to do that with the rice. The recipe below uses ingredients commonly found in pineapple salsa. At first, I wasn’t sure if the nuttiness of the rice would work with the citrus, but as a cold dish, I thought the flavors worked really well. I’m all about soaking nuts, beans, and grains now to increase their nutritional value and to neutralize toxins, and I’ve done the same with the wild rice. If nothing else, it cuts down on the cooking time. This rice normally takes 45 minutes to cook, but after soaking, it’s ready in 15 minutes.

Pineapple Wild Rice

1 c uncooked wild rice

1 c diced fresh pineapple with juice

2 T diced red onion

2 T finely chopped green onion

2 T diced green or red pepper

1 T minced jalapeno pepper

2 T chopped cilantro

2 T lime juice

2 T lemon juice

2 T honey

1 T olive, coconut, or grapeseed oil (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. In advance, wash and soak the wild rice in clean water for several hours. Drain.

2. Add 3 cups of water and the rice to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and cook the rice until chewy, about 15 minutes.

3. While the rice is cooking, combine the pineapple, onions, peppers, and cilantro.

4. Whisk together the lime and lemon juices, honey, oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Let sit.

5. Drain and rinse the rice in cold water, and drain well.

6. When the rice is cooled, add it to the salsa mixture and mix well. Chill for 2 hours or more in the fridge. Adjust the seasonings before serving.

Chill Out

2010-05-29T19:25:00.003-04:00

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “kids say the darndest things”. While usually the statements are funny, they often carry with them very profound messages. For example, the other day, my grandsons were playing in the backyard in the sprinkler. The youngest one Carmine, came to sit with me on the porch. His brother Antonio shouted for him to come join him to which Carmine replied, “I’m chillin’ out, I’ll play with you later.” He had been playing hard all day and it was time for a rest. Hearing this come out of a four year-old’s mouth made me laugh hysterically inside, but it also reminded me of the importance of relaxing. Most of us have busy schedules everyday and even those that have their days well-planned and are very effective with their time schedule "appointments" to just chill out. No matter how good our diets and exercise routines are, our minds and bodies regularly need rest. Our nighttime sleep, of course is one major way we can do this, but often we need more. In fact, if we’re finding that our stress levels are rising and we’re having trouble focusing, problem-solving, or coming up with new ideas, chances are it’s because the body and mind need a break. This is in no way a waste of time–it is actually a time saver, because, in simple terms, when we can dampen the neurons that are active in stress mode, we give our creative, innovative, and inventive neurons a chance to fire. I’ve experienced time and again that some of my best ideas surface when I 'turn down the volume” so to speak. Here are a few ways to do that:

Meditation. Many people meditate first thing in the morning when their minds and the atmosphere are the most quiet. But anytime throughout the day when you can find a few minutes to sit comfortably, close your eyes, and try to slow down the mind by either concentrating on your breathing, emptying your mind, or even visualizing something calming or joyful works wonders. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve come up with new ideas or solved problems while I was I’m lying on my yoga mat staring at the ceiling just breathing. It’s actually one of the reasons that I value my yoga practice so much.

Thinking. Now that the weather is nice, I love to sit outside on the porch first thing in the morning with a cup of coffee or glass of water, take in my surroundings and just think. Think about what I want to accomplish for the day; think about where I’m going, etc. It’s very rare that we give our undivided attention to this activity, particularly in a non-stressful and non-judgmental way. Yet, you’d be amazed how many of your questions will be answered (by you!) when you take the time to think. This also goes hand-in-hand with meditation.

Reading. Doesn’t it seem like a luxury these days to be able to sit down with a cup of tea and a good book and just read? It is something to be grateful for and it’s a perfect way to redirect the mind to more calming places. Books are also a valuable source of thoughts and ideas and can often trigger our own minds to create something new.

Taking a nap. While most of us like to reach for the mid-afternoon coffee or sweet, a nap would be far more beneficial. Fifteen to thirty minutes of sleep would give us a chance to reboot. Sleep is actually one way that we solidify new learning and memories and when our brain does its housekeeping, so naps are a great way to stay sharp. I know it’s difficult for so many to find the opportunity to take a nap, but if you can, take advantage of it–don’t feel bad about it!

Pampering. Nothing can calm the body and mind like getting a massage in a dark room with a few candles and soft, soothing music. It's a wonderful way to de-stress and detox. Getting a pedicure or a haircut are great ways to slow down as well. For me, there’s something about having my head worked on that calms me down. Even taking a bath with some Epsom salts and a few drops of lavender oil will soothe the body from the inside out. Treat yourself when you can.

Walking. Taking a walk may actually be more doable for people during their workdays. Although it involves movement, it’s a chance to step away from your work, get some oxygen and get the circulation going. It’s a non-stressful form of exercise that will allow you to return to your workspace relaxed and clearer.

If you don’t now, try to schedule moments of rest and relaxation into your days or weeks. I know that everything mentioned here is obvious and just needs to be put into practice, but life has a way of sometimes making us forget and we just need to be reminded. Any way you can come up with to slow down and rest on a daily basis will have profound benefits on your performance, your sanity, and your health.

Every Moment Counts

2010-05-23T19:31:00.008-04:00

Every single one of us has 24 hours, 1440 minutes, and 86,400 seconds in a day–no more and no less. So why is that some people seem to get so much more done in their days than others? There are lots of reasons:

One is planning. Effective people plan out their days. In fact, they not only think about what they’re going to do, but they decide in advance the best strategy for carrying out what they’re going to do. This saves the trouble of having to redo or undo something. They get that “if you don’t have the time to do something right, how will you expect to have the time to do it over?” And yes, planning takes time, but the time saved throughout the day as a result of planning makes it well worth the effort and time.

They focus on priorities. It’s so easy to get seduced into the trivial drama that can vacuum up the minutes and hours of each day. But this can be distracting, draining, and prevent us from spending time on priorities, whether they entail our work, studies, hobbies, or spending time with families or friends. The key is to first define our priorities so that we know where we want to spend our time. Then, when we’ve blocked out time for one, give it our undivided attention. For example, if a priority is to study for an exam, it’s probably best not to do this in front of the TV, or surfing the net reading the latest gossip. Same with spending time with family or friends. Focusing our attention on the people we’re spending time with strengthens relationships, but if we are constantly checking our email or talking on the phone during family time, it could do more harm than good. This will also mean saying no to the unimportant in order to preserve our time for what really matters. There will be times when something unforeseen or of an emergency nature will interrupt us and justify our time, but if we’re focused and organized with it, then something unexpected won’t derail our efforts so much and it will be easier to get back on track.

They make every minute count. This is one that I really never took so seriously until recently when I realized that I have filled my schedule with so many “priorities” that I was unsure of how I was going to fit them all in to my schedule. Personal development coaches will tell you to schedule your time in blocks. That is, if you need to work on X, Y, and Z in a given day, then set aside blocks of 2-4 hours to work on each task. For me, this works really well. But there are times when “in-between” moments pop up: 15 minutes here or there, for example before I have to leave home for an appointment or waiting for someone to arrive. I used to treat these moments almost as if they didn’t count–as if they didn’t matter so much. But not anymore. If I have two or three of these breaks they could add up to an hour or more every day. That’s up to 7 hours per week. I’ve realized that these minutes are just as valuable as my scheduled minutes and I have certain things that I can do when these times arise. Just as an example, earlier I had 10 minutes of “downtime” and I used it to write half of this blog. : ) I’m not saying, though, that these moments should always be spent active. A 15-minute empty period in the middle of the day could be a perfect opportunity to simply de-stress, breathe, meditate, or think. The key is awareness, knowing when we have these opportunities and to use them to our advantage, because once they’re gone, we can’t get them back.

They multitask. In general, multitasking implies that one is not focusing on a given task and for many instances this would be true and would be very ineffective. But there are certain periods of downtime where multitasking can be effective. One example is commute time. For example, if you drive long distances for work or frequently sit in heavy traffic, audio books and CDs are great ways to learn while in the car. I’m currently listening to class lectures during my long commutes. Or if you know you’ll be standing in line or waiting somewhere for your turn, a stimulating or inspirational book is a great thing to have on hand to help accomplish something meaningful with the time. You never know, you may read something that will change your life!

The question is, how much do you value your time and how much, and what, do you want to accomplish?

Breaking New Ground

2010-05-16T14:55:00.003-04:00

I’ve been using the local library a lot to do my work because I’ve found that I am undistracted and can stay focused there, which allows me to be very effective with my time. Yesterday, I checked out a library in another town for the first time. I had intended to do this for a while, but when I look back on it, “fear of the unknown” is what had stopped me in the past. You may be thinking, fear of what? Really, I’m not sure. Fear that I wouldn’t like the library. Fear that they didn’t have internet access for me to do my work. Fear that it would take work to maneuver through the stacks of books. Fear that it would be a waste of time. Maybe it was a combination of all these things–that are really ridiculous excuses. Well, when I got there, I loved the atmosphere. I didn’t know exactly where things were, so I simply asked. I found comfortable workstations with a beautiful view of the outdoors and with great internet access. They even had a nice beverage station where I could purchase a cup of coffee/tea. So I happily sat down and worked for three hours. And of course, I thought to myself, “I wish I had come here sooner!” And the best part is that I haven’t even explored the entire library or looked through the stacks of books. I’m sure I’ll be making some new discoveries the next few times I’m there for a visit.

What’s my point? Do you ever get so caught up in your routine that it becomes boring, dull, lackluster, not-so-much fun anymore? We see and do the same things and go to the same places day in and day out and before long, we put a veil over our eyes and we miss or ignore the intricate details of what is going on around us, simply because it’s become so familiar. We bias our perspective because of what we think “is” and in some ways get lazy with our vision. We think we know what to expect so we don’t bother to pay close attention. But there’s something exhilarating and exciting about venturing into the unknown and discovering the new and the different. Time and again, I find that these types of experiences wake me up, give me a jolt of energy and make my brain cells happy. And it doesn’t have to be anything earth-shattering for this to happen. Driving down an unfamiliar road and discovering something interesting or trying a new café or listening to a new artist’s music or checking out a new library are all things that work. And the more we get into the habit of shaking it up a bit in little ways, the more likely we’ll be inclined to try the big, bold things, like travel to a new country or jump out of a plane. : ) No, I don’t have that in my immediate plans, but I won’t say that I will never do it. In the meantime, though, I am going to make it a habit of breaking new ground…

Uncomplicated, Healthy Eating

2010-05-11T11:44:00.007-04:00

One of the biggest challenges that people face when they want to begin eating healthier is finding the time. There all kinds of systems in place that conveniently enable us to eat unhealthy: fast food restaurants, convenience stores, vending machines, etc., but in order to ramp up our diets and increase the nutrient density it takes planning, shopping, and preparing/cooking. Preparing our own food is one of the best ways to ensure that we’re eating the right foods without all the additives and preservatives that are frequently found in processed and prepackaged foods. I understand this more than anyone and I prepare most of my own food, and yes, it takes time. Yet I believe that we make the time for our priorities and eating a healthy diet is top on my list, along with exercise. That being said, food shopping and preparation don’t have to be complicated. In fact, the shopping part actually gets much easier when we decide to adopt healthy eating habits. With a few exceptions, we can virtually avoid the inner isles of the grocery stores where all the processed foods are displayed and focus on the produce, meat, egg/dairy, and frozen food sections. And if you also keep a few “superfoods” on hand, they can very nicely enhance the overall quality of your diet. In addition, food preparation that includes more raw foods and foods that are minimally cooked to preserve their nutrient value often take less time to prepare than foods that simmer on the stove or are in the oven for long periods of time.

One example of a very quick, healthy, and satisfying dish consists of three ingredients: dulse, avocado, and fresh lettuce leaves. This is something that can be prepared in minutes and is loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and good fats. Dulse goes by many names including sea lettuce, and is a red seaweed that grows along many coastlines including the Northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans, Iceland, Europe, Japan, Korea and the Arctic shores of Russia and Canada. It is a good source potassium, zinc, manganese, calcium and iodine as well as many essential amino acids. Dulse can be found at some fish markets and natural food stores and is sold as the leaves or ground into flakes, which is how I buy it. It can be added to soups, stews, sauces, salads–just about anywhere you'd like.

To prepare, the above dish, mash an avocado, add a tablespoon of ground dulse (you can also soak it briefly in water first if you’d like) and mix well. Then simply stuff it into clean (preferably organic) lettuce leaves and enjoy! It’s easy-creamy-savory-crunchy, and healthy. The dulse avocado mixture can also be spread on toast or even eaten by itself–it’s that good! I've had it with an egg in the morning for a very satisfying breakfast or had it with a salad or even stuffed additional shredded veggies into the lettuce leaves. It's as versatile as your imagination. I hope you give it a try! : )

One Man's Weeds are Another Man's Gold

2010-05-07T11:42:00.011-04:00

A few weeks ago, the dandelions started popping up–in yards, fields, along the side of the roads–everywhere. Soon after, I noticed the little red flags showing up in yards that signified the application of pesticides to kill the weeds, like dandelions. This belief that many of us have come to accept as “the right thing to do”; that is, killing the weeds in our yards so that the lawns are “clean” and green, no longer makes so much sense to me anymore. When we spray pesticides, we not only kill the “weeds”, but we contaminate the soil and often kill the organisms that make the soil strong, dynamic and rich. Dirt is not inert, it is actually the result of the breakdown of rocks and minerals combined with the waste products produced by decomposing plants and living, thriving organisms and the activities of the organisms themselves. Yet, when we apply pesticides, we actually do harm to the beneficial bugs, bacteria, worms, etc., and weaken the soil. We also produce a harmful environment for the birds, bees, squirrels, rabbits, and other animals that pass through the yard. Not to mention us!

Why this makes even less sense to me is that so many of the plants we consider weeds are actually a valuable source of nutrition. Take dandelions, for example. Their greens are a rich source of blood-cleaning chlorophyll, dietary fiber and vitamins A, C, E, K (over 500% the RDA in a one cup serving!), thiamin, riboflavin, and B6, as well as calcium, iron, potassium, manganese, folate, magnesium, phosphorous, and copper. They also have liver-regenerating properties. This time of year, this plant is ubiquitous and quite literally gold at our fingertips. In addition, we don’t need cultivate or care for them. They just show up for our benefit but we’ve decided somewhere along the line that they’re unsightly and unwelcome–and weeds. In fact, this led me to think that the idea of what constitutes a weed is an example of a belief and not necessarily “what is”. In other words, what we consider weeds are those plants that show up where we don’t want them or are not as pretty as we would like and this idea is simply based on our perspective and what we feel is important. For so many, a perfectly manicured, green lawn is a priority. And for others, dandelions are a source of healthy food and they welcome them in their yards. As for me, I actually like the spray of color that a yellow dandelion adds to a green background. Yet, the best time to pick the greens is before the flower buds, when the leaves are young and tender. If they were picked at this stage, it would eliminate the stem and flower that most people don’t want to see popping up in their yards, although the flowers are edible as well.

I haven’t yet picked dandelion greens, but I prepared some the other day. I washed and dried them, cut off about an inch from the bottom of the stems, chopped them into three to four equal sized lengths, then just sautéed them in some coconut oil (they sauté very quickly!) and added some minced garlic, Himalayan salt and some cracked pepper at the end. They were delicious and I plan to eat them more often as long as they're in season.

P.S. If you decide to pick your own dandelions, please don't pick those them from the side of the road or on property where you're unsure if it's been treated with pesticides. The best place to forage for them is in fields or forests that are far removed from buildings, roads, and landscaped properties.

Stuffed Medjool Dates

2010-05-01T17:25:00.004-04:00

I can always tell when a full moon is coming by the arrival of my sweet tooth! It never fails and as much as I’m tempted during these times to throw caution to the wind, I try to satisfy my craving with something that has some nutritional value. Enter Medjool dates. They are probably one of my favorite sweet treats. Yes, they’re high in sugar and calories. One large date has about 66 calories and 16g of sugar. However, they are also a source of fiber, vitamin B6 and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, copper, and manganese. By themselves they are rich, gooey, and sweet and I often do them the honor of eating them “as is”. However, I recently transformed them into a delicious confection loaded with good fats, minerals, and protein. The result looks, feels, and tastes like something we shouldn’t be eating, but on the contrary, they’ll do far more for you than just satisfy your sweet tooth. Careful, though, these should be treated like any other decadent confection. One or two make a perfect dessert and you’ll be content after that. Mom might even like these for Mother's Day! : )

Stuffed Dates

10-12 large Medjool dates

¼ c almond or cashew butter

1 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1 T shredded unsweetened coconut

1 t ground flax seed

1-2 T pure maple syrup

¼ t cinnamon

2 oz. dark chocolate, optonal (I used 90% cocoa content)

1 t coconut oil, optional

sea salt

Open and remove the pits from the dates by cutting longitudinally down one side. Set the dates aside. In a small bowl, combine the nut butter, cocoa powder, coconut, flax seed, maple syrup, and cinnamon. The mixture will have the consistency of a thick dough. If it’s too sticky to work with, chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes or more. Divide the dough into 10-12 portions and form each into a small log shape. Press one log into one side of each opened date then close the other side over the filling and press gently to seal. Arrange the dates on a plate. Melt the dark chocolate with the coconut oil in a small bowl over hot water, taking care not to over heat the mixture (once the bowl is hot, the chocolate will continue to melt when taken off the heat). Drizzle the chocolate over the dates or dip one end into the chocolate. If dipping, cool on parchment paper. Sprinkle with additional coconut and sea salt. Store uneaten dates in the fridge, if they make it that far!!

Rushing to Reach the Stop Light

2010-04-24T09:07:00.002-04:00

Maybe you’ve been involved in this type of situation. You’re driving along when the car behind you pulls out and passes you. They quickly drive by and you’re left in the dust, only to pull up behind them at the next stop light. I’ve noticed that this happens to me quite a bit lately. Maybe it happens to you too, or perhaps you’re the driver with the heavy foot. : ) I have certainly been that driver before, but lately I’ve slowed down, which has taught me a lesson about patience and focusing forward.

The more we try to push or force things or move forward haphazardly, the more resistance we experience and the more roadblocks or distractions we encounter. How frustrating does it feel when we’re in a hurry and we seem to hit all the red lights? And what goes through our minds as we’re impatiently waiting for the light to turn green? I’m going to be late or I need to do this or I should do that, which often leads to a chain reaction of thoughts about the past: Why did I say this? Or why didn’t I do that? And this negative stream of consciousness can have a profound impact on our mood for the rest of the day as well as our attitude, level of motivation and what we act on, how we handle our relationships, and the choices we make. In short, it can influence how our lives unfold their ultimate level of success.

But if we take our time, and consciously focus on what we’re doing, it’s less likely that our stops will feel like roadblocks and less likely that they will lead to diversions and prevent us from moving forward. They simply feel like pauses that make it much easier for us to regain our momentum. You know the classic story about the tortoise and the hare. In a race, the hare speeds along and is repeatedly interrupted and distracted and winds up losing to the tortoise who moves forward at a slow and steady pace. It’s the same in our lives. If we can steadily focus forward without being tempted by unnecessary distractions or moving too quickly, we will be far more effective, than if we operate with a “monkey mind”, darting between one task, idea, or goal to the next. Not only is this ineffective, I’ve found that it drains both mental and physical energy as well. And besides, in the case of our cars, it does a number on the brakes!

Vanilla Rooibos Quinoa with Coconut Milk

2010-04-20T08:17:00.008-04:00

I recently discovered Tazo’s Vanilla Rooibos tea and since then, it’s been my beverage of choice at Starbuck’s. Just take a look at one of these gorgeous, aromatic little sachets and you’ll understand why. The front of the tin describes it as “A lush and indulgent blend of rooibos, Tahitian vanilla, cinnamon, apples & peaches.” By itself, it’s so flavorful with just the right amount of sweetness that I consider it a treat. Which gave me the idea of using it to make a dessert quinoa. What I do is soak the quinoa in the tea before cooking so that it absorbs some of the flavor slowly while at the same time cutting down on the cooking time. In addition, I soak the quinoa in water first to help remove the enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid that make the seeds less digestible. This is particularly helpful for raw nuts and seeds and a very good idea if you’re eating them raw. It also stimulates the production of enzymes and nutrients in the seeds that are beneficial, since the seeds “think” it’s time to grow. In fact, you can sprout a variety of raw seeds and incorporate them into your diet as a way to boost its nutritional density. Plus, there’s something about watching life emerge from a seed that is fascinating and fun and I encourage you to try it. You can find out here where I explain how to sprout alfalfa seeds, which are best eaten cooked.

Tazo Tea Quinoa

1.5 cups quinoa

2 Tazo Vanilla Rooibos tea bags

1.5 c water

1.5 c coconut milk, divided

½ t sea salt

2 T sucanat or other sweetener

1 t cinnamon

¼ t cloves

1 t vanilla

¼ c shredded, unsweetened coconut

½ c dried fruit (raisins, currants, or apricots)

½ c raw nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)

Place the quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and rinse, rinse, rinse, to remove outer resin called saponin, which can give the quinoa a bitter taste. In a glass bowl, soak the quinoa in water for about 3 hours (add enough water so that it rises about an inch above the seeds). Soak the nuts as well in a separate bowl of water. If using almonds, soak for at least 8 hours. At least 1 hour before the end of the soaking time, seep the two teabags in 1.5 cups of boiling water. You can make this as strong as you like – I like it on the strong side for this recipe. Let cool. Drain the quinoa, then add the tea, mix well, and soak for an additional hour. Add the quinoa/tea mixture to a medium pot and heat to a boil, then add ½ cup of coconut milk, the sea salt, sucanat, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix well, bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the quinoa is cooked. This should take only about 10 minutes since the quinoa was presoaked. Add the vanilla, coconut, drained nuts, and dried fruit. Add the remaining cup of coconut milk or enough to reach the desired consistency. Mix well and serve.

This quinoa is nutritious enough for breakfast and delicious enough for dessert!

In Someone Else's Shoes

2010-04-12T14:13:00.005-04:00

Early last year, I had the privilege of spending a few months as a volunteer in Rwanda working with an organization called Gardens for Health, International. Their goal is to help groups of people with HIV learn how to independently and sustainably grow their own food with the idea that better nutrition will allow their retroviral drugs to be more effective. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to spend the time in such a beautiful part of Africa and meet so many remarkable people. As rewarding as it was, it was as equally heart wrenching to see the suffering since so many of the sick were also poverty stricken.

While I was there, I was fortunate enough to be staying in a lovely neighborhood and each morning I would walk part of the way to work before hailing a motorcycle taxi. Every morning, I would walk by a beautiful home on a hill and often, the housekeeper would be outside at the bottom of the hill sweeping the dirt from the driveway to the side of the road. Some days, if there had been a heavy rain, I would even see her sweeping the mud from the road in front of the house over to the side as well. It always reminded me of the quote by Mother Teresa: “If everyone swept their own doorstep the whole world would be clean.” Every single time I would walk by, she would wave and flash me a beautiful smile and say hello and good morning in Kinyarwandan: “Mwaramutse”, she would say and I would greet her back.

One day, I came home early and was walking up to the house where I was staying. Just as I reached the driveway, I heard something behind me and realized that the same woman had been following me. I stopped and waited for her to approach and as she did, she began to point to her mouth as if she was hungry. We could not speak to one another but I understood perfectly. As she got closer, I noticed that she was wearing a very-worn, thin, dirty and broken pair of flip-flops and that her feet were incredibly dry and cracked and a bit swollen. I remember thinking how painful they looked. I think she noticed me looking at her feet because she looked down at my shoes. I had only brought two pairs of shoes and a pair of sandals with me to Rwanda. The pair I was wearing was for everyday and they were very comfortable for walking; something that I was doing a lot. I had been wearing them for almost two months and my feet were very happy. I took off one of my shoes and she tried it on. It seemed to fit perfectly and the reaction on her face was as if she had never in her wildest dreams imagined that her foot could feel so good. Before I knew it, I had given her the other shoe. She looked at me as if she didn’t believe I was letting her have my shoes. Seriously, I never intended to give them away and the exchange happened without a second thought on my part. It actually felt a bit surreal at the time. She slipped on the second shoe and then raised her hands and looked towards the sky and with much emotion said thank you and went on reciting some things I did not understand. I smiled and said you’re welcome and gave her a big hug and she continued to get emotional and continued with her hand gestures and to say thank you as she walked away with my shoes. And I climbed the driveway and walked into the house barefoot with a smile on my face.

Later I thought that we don’t think about our feet when they’re comfortable, but their comfort certainly contributes to our overall sense of wellbeing. I thought about what it would be like to have to live out my days without shoes. It would have made my work incredibly difficult while I was in Rwanda. Many people throughout the world will never even get to experience the feeling of a comfortable pair of shoes. Maybe some have no need to, but there are many who do.

My feet weren’t quite as comfortable for the rest of my stay, but it didn’t bother me. I was happy that I put a smile on my friend’s face and made her feet feel good because she had been putting a smile on my face and making me feel good every morning when I passed by. And we both got a taste of what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes…

Trees of Life

2010-04-10T11:38:00.007-04:00

Over the last several weeks, I’ve been driving by a Pinchot Sycamore tree that is evidently the largest tree in Connecticut and the largest of its species in New England. It’s certainly no California Redwood but there is no denying that it is massive. Its main limbs stretch out and up beginning near the base resulting in an expansive reach that is wider than it is high. In 1998, it was measured to have a circumference of 26 feet, a height of 95 feet, and a canopy of 140 feet. In fact, standing on the side of the road, it was difficult to get a picture of the entire tree and looking at the pictures I did take of it, they don’t do it justice.

You may be thinking, why are you so interested in this tree? It’s not so much this tree as it is trees in general. This time of the year, the trees are budding. Many of them simply bud their leaves, but there are several varieties such as dogwoods that produce brilliant flowers that are only around for a short time. Between the daffodils and tulips and the flowering trees, it’s a very colorful time of the year around here and one where I’m guessing many people take the time to actually admire the trees. After a short time, though, the flowers drop and the leaves emerge and then the trees are simply filled with green (or red) and they mostly go unnoticed. We don’t realize, though, how valuable these trees are to us all. In fact, when I thought of all the things that trees “do”, I began to appreciate them even more:

1. They produce oxygen – essential for life as we all know;

2. They consume carbon dioxide – critical for the atmosphere and interestingly I read that because of the rise in CO₂, plants are actually growing faster. A benefit for them perhaps;

3. They remove toxins from the ground and air;

4. They provide food to all organisms – some produce fruit, some nuts, some seeds, some sweetener, and even the Moringa tree provides a valuable, nutrient-dense leaf that is being used to save lives in India and Africa;

5. They produce shade and have a cooling effect. How wonderful is it to sit under a tree on a hot summer day to rest or read a book?

6. They are home and protection to a vast number of species that include primates, birds, reptiles, bugs, mosses, fungi, and bacteria;

7. They are a source of play – tree houses, tree swings, and hammocks (mostly) would not be without the tree;

8. They stabilize the ground and nourish it.

I’m sure there are things missing from this list. The bottom line for me is that I’m convinced that without trees, we would not exist. In fact, I understand and have a great appreciation for so-called “tree huggers”- those people who are so passionate about trees that they will make a very strong statement by camping out in a tree for sometimes years at a time. So after the flowers fall and the leaves fill in the spaces, I will continue to be grateful for trees – we all should be…

The Personal Touch

2010-04-02T10:55:00.001-04:00

The other day, I walked into a fairly large and busy post office to mail a package. I didn’t have a box so I chose one of the boxes available there, filled in the shipping information, then placed the items inside and got in the long line. The gentleman at the counter was busy at work trying to take care of all the customers as efficiently as possible and I could see how organized he was. When I got to the counter, I asked him if he could tape the box for me. He responded by saying, “Sorry, but we’re not allowed to tape boxes anymore, but there’s tape on the display that you can purchase.” I said, “Really?” I was a little surprised, but decided to return with the package because I had a roll of tape at home. The following day went by with me away so the package didn’t get mailed. The next day, with the package still in my car, I forgot my tape and decided that I had no excuse and would buy the tape when I got to the post office. On this particular day, though, I went to a small, mom and pop location that I pass almost everyday. I walked in, took a roll of tape from the display and approached the counter where there was no line. There was a gentleman there that greeted me. I said hello and that I just needed to tape up my box. He said, “Is this the only thing you need to tape? I can do that for you.” I said, “Really?” He grabbed his tape gun and taped up my box. I was very thankful because I understood that he didn’t have to do that for me. When we were finished, we both said goodbye and wished each other a nice day and I walked out with a smile on my face.

I thought about the differences in the two locations. Both are doing the same thing. One is large with lots of traffic where the need for efficiency seemed to be the biggest priority and the gentleman there was doing his job very well. The other is small with less traffic and although the man who served me was no less efficient, he was able to take the time to add a personal touch to his service. I believe in today’s fast-paced society, there is an even greater need for these types of interactions on a daily basis because most of us are absorbed in our own worlds, coasting on autopilot, often even ignoring the people around us. Many of us don’t understand that the smallest of actions for each other can make all the difference in how we feel, and feeling as if we’re making even the slightest difference can have a profound impact on our moods – they do for me, anyway. When I walked out of that little post office, I decided that from now on, I would take my business there. Not because the large location did anything wrong, but because I understand the value of the personal touch, which was definitely right.

A Passion for...Buttermilk?

2010-03-26T17:43:00.012-04:00

After getting my share of buttermilk pancakes over the last several weeks, I decided that I needed to do something about the excess buttermilk that was consistently left over. Interestingly, while searching the internet for recipes, I discovered that many people were dealing with the same issue and realized that buttermilk is one of those ingredients that requires planning ahead to use up. There are lots of recipes for baked goods that looked great and I also wanted to take advantage of the health benefits of buttermilk by consuming it uncooked. I have to admit, in the past, the idea of “raw” (meaning not used in a cooked recipe) didn’t appeal to me much; however, because I am more regularly incorporating cultured and fermented foods into my diet, I decided to revisit buttermilk. So, after the last batch of pancakes, I was able to use up the remaining quart of buttermilk in two recipes. The first is not raw–it’s a blueberry scone recipe that I experimented with (since I can’t leave a recipe alone). I began with a basic recipe by Martha Stewart then put my own spin on it: I used whole grain spelt flour, a stronger sugar, some coconut, lemon zest, and nuts. This recipe produced a moist and not-too-sweet treat that I couldn’t help but dunk in my coffee!

Blueberry Scones

1.5 c whole grain spelt flour

0.5 c cake flour

2.5 t baking powder (aluminum-free)

¾ t salt

3 T sucanat or turbinado or other type of granulated sugar

¼ c unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 t cinnamon

8 T (8 oz.) cold, unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1 T lemon zest

1 c blueberries (this time of year, I used frozen, wild blueberries that I thawed slightly)

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

½ cup lowfat buttermilk

1 large egg plus one beaten for an egg wash

turbinado or other granulated sugar for sprinkling

1. Combine the first six ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well with a wire whisk.

2. Cut the butter into the flour mixture, either with a pastry cutter or with your fingers, until it reaches a uniform, crumbly consistency.

3. Add the blueberries, lemon zest, and nuts and mix well.

4. Beat the egg and combine with the buttermilk and vanilla, then add to the dry ingredients. Gently mix with a fork until the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry. Try not to overwork the batter.

5. Turn the batter out onto a lightly floured surface, gently gather the dough and knead a couple of times. Shape into a flat circle approximately 8-10 inches in diameter and about ¼- ½ inch thick.

6. Slice the dough into 8 wedges and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If not using paper, lightly oil the pan.

7. Brush the tops of each wedge with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

The second recipe is a smoothie. I used buttermilk as the base for a very simple smoothie that was surprising delicious. I confess, I expected it to be extremely tart with a sort of gloppy texture that would be difficult to get down. Instead, the result was a surprisingly smooth and tasty drink that I had for breakfast on several mornings and that was not nearly as heavy as it appeared. In fact, it was perfect about an hour before yoga class. And ironically, I was looking for MORE buttermilk in the fridge by the end of the week. It makes me happy to know that I can now buy it and easily consume it without fear. You never know if you don’t try, right? : )

Buttermilk Smoothie

1 c lowfat or nonfat buttermilk

½ banana

¼ avocado

1 t sweetener (I use maple syrup, of course : )

pinch cinnamon, optional

Blend all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy.

That’s it! So simple and delicious. If you want it thicker, use a frozen banana, or add ice before blending to thin it out. As always, the possibilities are endless and I’m sure I’ll be experimenting with this as well.

The Impact of Beauty

2010-03-25T10:26:00.010-04:00

Not too long ago, I mentioned in a post that over the last several years, I’ve simplified my life by eliminating the amount of “stuff” I have. Well, this goes for my beauty routine and products as well. After years of experimenting with products that either didn’t work for me or were simply unnecessary, I’ve pared down my routine to a few simple, yet essential items. The benefits of this are many fold:

1. Less of an impact on your body. You may be thinking, No, I want my products to have MORE of an impact on my body! With regard to the positive benefits, yes; however, the less so-called beauty products you put on your skin, the less ingredients you’ll absorb into your body. Many products have synthetic or toxic chemicals that have no business in your bloodstream or in your organs. I currently use a wonderful soap that I found from a local soap maker called Sunflower Farm. Their soaps are made with real, wholesome ingredients like goat’s milk, coconut oil, and shea butter. One of my favorites is “Honey Bee My Soap”. It makes a rich creamy lather and leaves my skin feeling like silk, including my face, which means that I no longer use separate products for my face and body. It’s great for shaving as well and it even leaves my hair shiny and silky. And as far as exfoliants go, I’ve found that an old, knobby washcloth works as well as any scrub you can find. I just use it gently to avoid pulling my skin and it leaves my face glowing.

There are a multitude of sites online that list recipes for make-yourself, at-home personal care products. What works for one may not work for another and it’s a matter of experimenting with different recipes to find the ones that you will like. I do a few simple things that work well for me that I’ve listed here:

Exfoliant - If I do choose an exfoliant or a scrub or a mask, I make it myself with ingredients in the kitchen. My favorite face scrub is a mixture of coconut oil, honey (a humectant which adds moisture) and ground flax seeds or nut meal. I’m using a wonderful, bright yellow sunflower honey right now. Mix about a teaspoon of each into a paste, then massage the mixture gently into the face, avoiding the eye area. Leave it on for several minutes then rinse off with warm water. It leaves my face dewy and fresh looking. This can also be used on the rest of the body.

Hair - A simple trick for incredibly shiny hair is this. Lather your head, then pour a cup of milk into the lather and work it into the hair. Leave in for a few minutes then rinse. The lactic acid helps to remove all the dulling residues that hair products and shampoos can leave behind. If you tend to use lots of sprays, gels, or pastes, another great way to remove the buildup from your hair is a teaspoon of baking soda in your shampoo. Mix it in before you lather your hair, then rinse as normal. No need for a clarifying shampoo! For a deep condition, I work a little bit of coconut oil into my hair (and leave it there during my hot yoga class!). If you won’t be entering a steamy, hot room, wrap your hair in a warm, moist towel for about 30 minutes then wash it out. Just lather hair before wetting, to better remove the oil afterwards.

Body moisturizer - Several oils, such as olive, sesame, and coconut work great on the skin. In the winter months, I use refined, expeller pressed organic coconut oil or even pure cocoa butter on my body – before or after I shower. In the summer, I use sesame oil.

These are just my favorite and most effective tricks that I’ve found that work for me. The key is that you will probably have many of these items in your kitchen and they’re items that you’ll have no problem putting into your body. You can also think of them as your external diet and if you’re like me, you are committed to feeding your body in the best way possible. Which brings up an important point: No product, natural or otherwise will make skin glow and hair shine if it doesn’t want to. The best foundation that will allow any product to have a positive impact is a healthy diet. In fact, a healthy body will glow on it’s own, even without all the potions.

If you’d like to know more about the safety of the personal care products that you do buy, you can look them up in the Skin Deep database provided by the Environmental Working Group. It’s a great resource that breaks down each product into its individual ingredients that it rates separately. It also assigns an overall safety rating to the complete product.

2. Less of an impact on your wallet. By freeing yourself of superfluous or redundant purchases, you’ll clearly save money. I can’t imagine how much money I’ve spent in the past on products that literally sat untouched on the shelf. Once you eliminate all of those, you can spend a little more on a couple of good products that you love. I use a nice, all-natural face cream and a few all-natural makeup products, if and when I do wear makeup. Because if my skin is glowing, the last thing I want to do is cover it up with a foundation!

3. Less of an impact on the environment. The products that you use do not stay confined to your bodies. They get washed down the drain when you shower and the packaging and residual product gets dumped into landfills. Less product means less chemicals and waste in the dumps, less chemicals in the water, and less product taking up space on your shelves!

Simplifying my personal care routine has had a tremendous impact on me overall. It’s something I don’t have to think too much about anymore or even maintain since whatever I need is usually available. It’s helped me to drastically reduce the number of unnatural compounds that I put into my body. And it’s saved me time, which means I have more to do the things I want to do. It can’t get much better than that!

Just Imagine

2010-03-18T13:34:00.006-04:00

The other day, I was on my computer at a coffee shop. There were two women sitting across the room from me at two separate tables. Suddenly, a woman walked in with her young son who, I’m guessing was three or four years old. While she placed her order at the counter, her son walked over to an empty table, pulled out a chair, dragged it over to one of the women seated alone, and sat down directly across from her at her table. The woman was astonished. He said hello to the woman and she smiled and laughed and asked the boy how he was. He then moved to the second woman and did the same thing with her. In fact, she taught him how to introduce himself to someone new and they had a very heartwarming and sweet moment before the boy’s mom came over to see what he was doing. After a few words, the mother and son left the coffee shop, leaving the three of us with big smiles on our faces.

Soon after, I said to the women, “We would probably never dream of doing that, would we?” They agreed. Most of us would never approach a stranger for fear of encroaching on their space, or interrupting their thoughts, or simply being afraid of what they might think. As children, we see each other as human beings, but as adults, we divide ourselves into countries, religions, organizations, teams, gangs, and groups. I’m not saying that this is always a bad thing. It can actually be a good thing when the goal is to unite people with common interests. But often, they set boundaries, highlight differences and perpetuate competition, resistance, and fear. Is it naïve to think about the human race as a single, cohesive group? I think so, but there’s nothing wrong with being naïve and in some ways, that’s exactly what John Lennon was doing in his song Imagine:

Imagine there’s no countries, it isn’t hard to do.

Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too.

Imagine all the people living life in peace…

Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can.

No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man.

Imagine all the people, sharing all the world.

You may say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.

I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one…

I guess I am one of those dreamers, and I can’t help but Imagine…

The Things That Make You Go Ahhh...

2010-03-16T11:47:00.009-04:00

Last week, I took several opportunities to step out back very early in the morning to take in the stillness and the silence. While enjoying my cup of coffee, I very quietly observed a rabbit, who lives under the porch, nibbling on some greens, the squirrels chasing each other up and down the trees, and the many species of birds flitting through the trees. As the weather warms up even more, I’m sure I’ll be doing it more often. Those are the moments that make me go, Ahhh… Like walking along the early morning beach at low tide, hugs from my grandsons, drinking in a beautiful field of flowers, stepping under a shower after a strenuous workout, listening to the rain fall, the feel of the warm sun on my face, a trip to the hair salon (something about having someone work on my hair puts me into a trance : ), sitting down to a beautifully prepared meal, snuggling up under a warm blanket, the way my body melts into my yoga mat after a class, sitting back with a good book, staring at a full moon, the first sip of my morning coffee – all of these things and more, make me stop, take a deep breath, and soften up a bit.

These may all seem like little things, but to me, they are the big things because they bring me back down to Earth and remind me that life is good. These are the things that allow me to remain peaceful even in the chaos. Maybe they do this, because in some ways, they are their own form of chaos that attenuate the things or events our minds normally perceive as chaos. As still and as silent as the early morning in the backyard seemed, I couldn’t even count the number of bird songs being sung simultaneously. Yet that uncoordinated melody brought tranquility to my soul. The roar of the waves on an empty beach not only penetrates my ears but I can feel it resonate in my chest – yet, as powerful as it is – the energy is somehow soothing. A spray of hot water on a body charged from a workout, the bright light of the moon on a dark sky, little energetic arms wrapped around my neck, a field of sunflowers blowing precariously in the breeze, the vision and aroma of a good meal, and the black words on a white page – all, in some way, create their own forms of chaos. If we can find peace and tranquility in the midst of them, though, then we have a better chance of facing the turmoil over which we have no control or no choice but to experience.

When it comes down to it, life is energy combined into an infinite number of configurations. And it’s this energy that will ultimately contribute to our happiness, or not. Everyday, in pursuit of our objectives, we pass by things, moments, and little jewels of chaos that are worthy of our appreciation, and in fact, are there for that very reason. Yet we often either don’t recognize them for what they are or simply miss them altogether. I believe now, more than ever, that the more of these often-inconspicuous bundles of energy we can discover that make us go Ahhh, the happier we will be because the big things (I mean, little things) that bring us joy, are very few and far between, yet the little things (meaning the BIG things) that have the power to make us happy are presented to us at every moment of everyday. Peace…

A Fragrant and Tasty Chicken Recipe

2010-03-12T11:56:00.009-05:00

After the fun I had last weekend, I wanted to try new recipes calling for maple syrup and I found one for chicken that sounded intriguing on the Cooking Light website. I’ve adapted the recipe a little bit with regard to the amounts of the ingredients I used, but I was very happy with the results. The combination of maple syrup, orange, Dijon mustard, and dill was complex but very well balanced - with no single ingredient overpowering any of the others. And because I used some of the same ingredients in the accompanying quinoa, I was able to save some prep time while preparing a side dish that complemented the chicken very well. Together with a simple salad of baby greens (with a dressing of equal parts of maple syrup and fresh lemon juice, whisked with olive oil) this made a lovely dinner. The original recipe for orange scented couscous can be found here and my simplified version of Orange Spiced Quinoa is below:

Pan-Roasted Chicken Cutlets with Maple-Mustard Dill Sauce

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded with a mallet to ~1/4” thick

1 t coconut oil

Juice and zest from one orange (use half of each for the chicken and half for the quinoa)

1T water

1 small red onion, chopped (use half here and half in the quinoa)

1/3 c Dijon mustard

¼ c real maple syrup (I used Passardi’s grade B : )

2T chopped fresh dill

Heat a heavy frying pan to medium high and add the coconut oil, coating the bottom. Cook the chicken by browning on both sides and cooking almost all the way through. Remove the chicken from the pan and place on a cutting board. Deglaze the pan on the heat by adding the water and orange juice (~2T) and scrape up the brown bits. Add the chopped onion, stir well and let cook for a couple of minutes. Add the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and orange zest to the pan, stir well and cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the chopped dill, mix well, then add the chicken back into the pan and heat through to complete cooking. For large pieces of chicken, I sliced them into 2 or 3 pieces before placing them back in the pan. To serve, plate the chicken and spoon the sauce on top. Serve with the quinoa below.

Orange, Spiced Quinoa

1 t coconut oil

½ red onion, chopped

1 c quinoa, rinsed well and drained

2 c boiling water or vegetable broth

juice and zest from half an orange

1 t coriander

½ t cinnamon

¼ t black pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy medium pot. Add the onion and sautee for 3 – 5 minutes. Add the quinoa and stir briefly, then add the water or broth, and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. When the quinoa is almost cooked, add the spices and orange zest, give a quick stir, then cover and cook until the water is absorbed. Take off heat and leave covered for a few minutes, then mix well and serve.

A Labor of Love

2010-03-07T15:28:00.010-05:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon in Willington, CT at Passardi Maple on 76 Potter School Road, where I watched the Passardi family, with Noah Passardi at the helm, prepare their maple syrup. I discovered their sign on a drive through Willington a couple of weeks ago and had stopped at their sugar-house with my Mom. As luck would have it, they were setting up lines and taps for their trees to begin the process of collecting syrup. While we were there, Richard Passardi took the time to walk us through the maple syrup producing process and was kind enough to have me come back for a visit to watch and videotape the production. I was able to see and even taste the raw material that comes dripping out of the trees and was astonished to discover that it looks like water and tastes only slightly sweet. I was guided through the entire process from syrup collection, to the boiling/evaporation process that concentrates it down and gives it the deep rich color that maple syrup is known for. I watched how they filter, grade, and finally bottle the finished product. The best part, though, was in the tasting. I was able to try one of their grade A and grade B syrups and was amazed that the seemingly simple (but actually not so simple) process of boiling had converted a thin, clear liquid into something so deliciously rich and sweet.

But what impressed me more than anything about my experience, was witnessing the care and teamwork demonstrated by the Passardi family. While I was there, they worked tirelessly to collect the syrup from their tanks, ensure that the syrup boiled just right, bottled it promptly, and kept the house neat and organized. And besides maple syrup, Noah Passardi keeps bees that produce honey and he pours beeswax candles (which I prefer because they burn cleaner than paraffin wax).

Everyone wore many hats and helped where they were needed to keep the operation running smoothly. In fact, I don’t know of a better way to describe the effort except to call it a labor of love. I spent several hours with the Passardi family, and when I left, they had many more hours of work to go before they were finished for the day. For me, watching how the Passardi family produced their maple syrup was an education and I felt good about buying their product. And I will tell you that this morning, I used their delicious grade B maple syrup on my spelt pancakes. I believe the biggest benefit to visiting the Passardi family’s sugar-house, though, was something much more important than knowledge. A sense of community develops when people become acquainted with those that are producing the food that they eat and those types of relationships are the glue that keep us all human and doing things for the good of everyone. And that's exactly how I felt at the end of the afternoon.

If you’re ever in Willington, CT stop by Passardi Maple for some outstanding maple syrup, honey, or candles. I’m happy I did…

A Time to Celebrate

2010-03-06T10:28:00.004-05:00

Last night, my family got together to celebrate my mom’s 74^th birthday. It’s hard to believe, but I can clearly remember when she was my age, reminding me of how quickly the years go by. When talking about her age, she usually speaks with pride, without regret or resentment about getting on in years. I say this only because I know that the aging process can be a bitter event in some people’s lives and they’ll do anything to turn back the hands on the clock. What some don’t realize, though, is that by living active, fulfilling and meaningful lives, we remain youthful and energetic, but with the added bonus of having the experience and wisdom of those much younger than us. I believe in my mom’s case, she’s just as active now as she was when she was my age. And although, she’s had her share of ups and downs like everyone, staying active has been an inherent trait for her.

So what is it about aging that causes people to look upon it with sadness or regret? The most obvious regret invoking trigger I can imagine is the feeling that we have not accomplished or experienced what we had hoped to in our lives. We got into the habit of saying to ourselves, I’ll do this later, or I’ll get to that another time, or I can’t do this or that now. And before we knew what had happened, the opportunities passed with time. The simplest way of avoiding that is to go for the things we want to do in life and not let excuses stop us. Easier said than done, I know that for sure. But when we look back on our lives, we’ll less likely regret doing something as opposed to not doing it at all.

For some as well, simply physically growing older and knowing that their bodies can’t perform the way they did when they were younger and knowing that their time here will eventually end puts them into a state of melancholy. I haven’t reached that point, but I can very clearly understand how that eventually happens. I don’t know of any elixir available that can suspend the aging process. We can certainly slow it, though by eating right, exercising, and keeping our stress levels low; however, time will continue to go by. Yet, how would we experience life without the passing of time? It takes time to grow, make mistakes, learn lessons, make memories, discover who we are, share good times and bad, and live through the phases in or lives that we’re meant to experience, if we’re lucky enough to reach them. And to be able to pass on our learning and wisdom to the generations that come after us is a gift that we can all share. Otherwise, the alternative is that we never reach old age, we fall short of the life that we could have lived, and we miss the opportunity to share our knowledge and wisdom. In that sense, having the opportunity to grow older is cause for celebration and I hope that if and when I turn 74, I won’t look back with regret or sadness, but with pride and joy. And one more thing, I hope that I can celebrate with a cake like the one pictured above. The chocolate mousse cake you see is courtesy of La Fiorentina in Springfield, MA and it’s one of the most delicious chocolate cakes I’ve ever had! : )

Today is a Gift

2010-03-01T08:51:00.003-05:00

The other day at my parents’ house, I reached into the cabinet to get something and noticed the china. It’s always been in that particular cabinet and in fact, it’s been stored there for over forty years. The thing is, it never gets taken out of that cabinet and every time I see it, I think to myself, what’s the point of having it if it’s never used? Many people reserve their china or their crystal or their nice linens for special occasions (or maybe not use them at all). And I think many of us do the same thing with other “things” in our lives, like nice clothing or accessories or furniture (take, for example, the formal living room that is off limits). We save these things for that special event or day and revert to our “everyday” items the majority of the time. But a couple of years ago, I was moving into a smaller place and had to make decisions about what to keep and what to give away or sell. So what did I do? I saved only my most favorite items. I gave away boxes of shoes and bags of clothing, kitchen items and even furniture that I had accumulated but didn’t need or particularly care for. I lightened my load considerably, which among other things, simplified my life tremendously. And in so many ways, it helps me have less of an impact on the environment. For example, during that time, I decided I would only use my pretty cloth napkins so I no longer buy paper napkins.

The point I am trying to make with all of this is we can make our days more relaxing, more enjoyable and even more special by having less “stuff”, and by only having things that we love. Less stuff helps to create a less cluttered, lower maintenance life style. It leaves more room, more time, and even more money, for “doing” fun and enjoyable things as opposed to “having” things. Life can be chaotic enough with our daily obligations and schedules, so any way we can minimize the busyness, physically and mentally, the better. It also enables us to be present for those moments that may spontaneously arise. For example, last night, there was a mesmerizing full moon that I was able to fully immerse myself in without the worry of what had to happen next. In a similar manner, how would our days feel if we only surrounded ourselves with the things we love? What if we only had nice dishes that we used everyday? And we treated that beautiful outfit as everyday-wear instead of leaving it hidden in the closet, waiting for a special occasion to arrive? What would our lives be like if we considered all of our days special? The fact is, they are all special because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow or next week, or even a few hours from now. When thinking about the things that I’m grateful for, “this day” is always on the list. I get that anything can happen. It’s not something that I focus on, but it’s something that always comes to mind if I’m having a bad day or feeling down. I remind myself that I’m still here, and surrounded by people (and yes, some things) for which I’m grateful. Maybe you’ve heard the saying by Leslie Gerber, “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.” So if you can, find ways celebrate your days and make them feel like the most extraordinary you’ve had so far - even if you only do something as simple as using the cloth napkins.

A Craving for Pancakes

2010-02-19T20:35:00.002-05:00

There are some foods that I would not call my favorite things to eat, but every now and then I will crave them, and so I give in. One of those things is pancakes. If I go out for breakfast, almost all of the time I will order eggs and not even give pancakes a second thought. If I’m in the mood for them, however, it doesn’t matter what time of day it is. I’ll eat them for dinner. I’ve found lots of recipes online for pancakes made with different flours and I’ve tried several. The recipe below is a variation of a common recipe that simply uses whole grain spelt flour. Spelt is an ancient grain related to wheat that can be better tolerated by some people with wheat allergies. For the sugar, I’ve substituted organic sucanat, an unrefined, precursor to white cane sugar that retains many nutrients. It has a slight molasses flavor compared to white sugar and these days I regularly use it as a sweetener.

Whole Grain Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup whole grain spelt flour

3 T sugar, such as sucanat

½ t baking powder

½ t baking soda

½ t salt

1 ¼ cups lowfat buttermilk

2 T melted butter

1 egg, beaten

2 t vanilla

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Combine the buttermilk, butter, egg and vanilla, then pour into dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Let batter sit for a few minutes.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. For each pancake, pour 1/3 cup of batter into skillet. Flip when the batter is bubbling around the edges and set is center is set. Cook until the bottom is brown and the center is cooked. Serve with butter, maple syrup, fruit or yogurt.

To save time, the dry ingredients can be mixed in bulk then measured out when needed:

4 cups flour

¾ cup sugar

2 t baking powder

2 t baking soda

2 t salt

Mix well and store in airtight container in a cool place. To make a batch, combine 1 ¼ cup of the dry mix with the wet ingredients above and proceed as usual. I have made this bulk dry mix with various combinations of whole wheat, buckwheat, and whole grain spelt flours. I’ve even replaced ¼ cup of flour with ground flax seed meal, and I’ve always have good luck with it. And—if I’m in the mood for chocolate, I will simply add a tablespoon or two of unsweetened cocoa powder. I didn’t do that yesterday morning, but they still got rave reviews. In fact, they’ve been requested again...