HARVESTING NETTLE

There is a small window of opportunity to harvest tender nettle leaves.  I was hesitant to harvest them too soon when the stalks were very short.  It seems I just narrowly escaped the point at which the plants start to produce seeds. It seems kind of odd to already be thinking ahead to next winter, but that is just what I had to do if I want to enjoy nettle tea when the snow flies. With gloves and scissors in hand, my son and I headed for the garden. Despite exercising extreme caution, we still felt the wrath of the nettle patch. I suffer gladly in exchange for a stockpile of this tea.  Nettle is energizing because it is packed full of protein, vitamins and minerals - there is no other plant that is denser in nutrition, not even blue-green algae. 

NETTLE INFUSION

30 g dried organic nettle leaves

1 litre water

Method: Boil the water.  Put the dried herb into a large Mason jar and fill to the top with the boiling water. Lid tightly and set aside to steep for at least four hours, or overnight.  To use, strain and enjoy or refrigerate for later. Drink 1-2 litres a week for vibrant health and well being.

RIBS with Maple BBQ Sauce

It's a long weekend so we had to BBQ.  I'd been saving two packages of ribs in the freezer for the perfect moment, and today seemed like the day.  I like ribs almost as much as I like bacon, and when you buy a whole pig there never seems to be enough of either. Slathered with this amazing Maple BBQ Sauce, I'd say we celebrated in style.

RIBS with Maple BBQ Sauce

4 racks organic, pastured pork ribs

1/3 cup Essence of Emeril seasoning

Sauce:

1/2 cup organic ketchup

1/3 cup local maple syrup

2 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar

2 cloves organic garlic, shredded

1 organic onion, minced

4 Tbsp organic Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Add Essence to both sides of the ribs and rub in well. Place in a large pan, cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Sauce: In a small pot, combine all the ingredients.  Bring to a boil, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

Remove the ribs from the oven, brush with sauce and grill on a BBQ for about 5 minutes or until sauce starts to caramelize.  Serve hot.

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KUNDALINI YOGA: Meditation to Overcome Self Animosity

     Kundalini Yoga is my go to practice when I feel I need to re-connect with my highest wisdom, love, strength, and beauty....which is pretty often!  Actually, I generally alternate between a Hatha Yoga practice and Kundalini Yoga so that I get the best of both worlds.  What I highly recommend is that when you find a Kundalini Yoga Meditation that really resonates with you, practice it for 40 days.  It is said that it takes that long to make or break a habit.  Maybe this will be the one for you?

MEDITATION TO OVERCOME SELF-ANIMOSITY

Self-improvement is a good starting point in one's personal development.  It takes a lot to take responsibility of an aspect of yourself and work on confronting it.  Keep in mind though that there is a fine line between self-improvement and self-acceptance.  Instead of always trying to improve yourself, practice self-acceptance.  If you cannot accept yourself, you will never be able to accept anyone else either.  Nothing anyone else does will be good enough as long as you don't see yourself as good enough. Practice compassion for yourself, and you may discover that you are already perfectly imperfect just the way you are.

Practice this Kundalini Yoga Meditation to bring your back into your birthright - into the knowledge and experience of your Divine Self.  Practice for 3-11 minutes.

Tune in with the Adi Mantra before you begin any Kundalini Yoga Meditation

SOURDOUGH SCONES with Raisins & Cinnamon

We've been invited to a potluck brunch tomorrow.  At first I was just going to send two dozen eggs from our hens and hope someone wanted to scramble them (because the three boys are going without me) but then Scott wanted to bring something more.  Well, lets see, I just came home with 3 bags of flour from the store, there are two jars of sourdough starter on the counter, and we have a fridge full of lard.  Obviously, I needed to make some scones.

SOURDOUGH SCONES with Raisins & Cinnamon

1 cups organic unbleached flour

3/4 - 1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1/2-3/4 cup organic coconut sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup organic lard or butter

2 cups sourdough culture

3/4 cup organic raisins, soaked in water

1 tsp organic cinnamon

Method:  In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.  With a pastry cutter, cut in the lard until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the raisins. Add the culture, stirring with a fork.  The dough should be soft and moist.  Turn onto a floured board and knead briefly until the dough is soft and barley sticky.  Add more flour if needed.

On a well floured board, shape the dough into a long flat, rectangular snake.  With a bread knife, cut the dough into triangles.  Place on a baking sheet and proof for 2 hours at room temperature.  Bake in a preheated oven at 375* for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.  Makes 12 scones.

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DANDELION PESTO with Hemp Seeds and Miso

While most people's lawns are littered with dandelions, mine unfortunately has hardly any.  Which is a real shame because I prize dandelions so very much.  Dandelions are really great for digestion, and as such they help you get even more nutrients from your food.  Dandelion is high in Vitamin A & C, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, B-complex vitamins, as well as other trace minerals. They make a great spring tonic and liver rejuvenator, so be sure to eat a few leaves of dandelion every day to help your body make the transition to springtime. You can add a few leaves to your salad mix, or steam them with your favourite greens. Or you can try boiling dandelion like the Greeks do. This Spring I decided to make a small batch of pesto using some of my precious stash of dandelion greens so I can freeze it and enjoy dandelions all winter long.

 DANDELION PESTO with Hemp Seeds & Miso

3/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil 

3 cups wild dandelion leaves, washed well

2 cups organic shelled hemp seeds

6 cloves organic garlic, peeled

6 Tbsp organic white mellow miso

4 tsp organic lemon juice or umeboshi vinegar

water as needed to thin

Method: Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and and blend until smooth, adding water as necessary to achieve desired consistency.  

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TODAY'S TWEETABLE: If you like a perfectly green lawn, the ultimate revenge on the dandelions taking over your lawn is to eat them.

JAMAICAN STYLE

I'm the first to admit that goat meat isn't my first pick when I reach into the freezer.  But now that I've made Jamaican Style Goat Curry things have changed.  I am super glad I still have some Scotch Bonnet hot sauce that I made last summer lurking in the back of my fridge for days like this.  The only thing missing were some roti, which I am definitely making next time around.

JAMAICAN STYLE GOAT CURRY

1/4 cup avocado or coconut oil

8 Tbsp Jamaican style curry powder (recipe follows)

3 pounds organic goat meat

2 organic onions, chopped

1-2 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, seeded and chopped

2" piece organic ginger, peeled and grated

1 head organic garlic, chopped

1 small can pureed tomatoes

2 can organic coconut milk

1 Tbsp organic dried thyme

2 cups water

3 organic potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks

2 organic sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" chunks

3 cups cubed squash (I used spaghetti because that is what I had but I'd probably use butternut or pumpkin)
1 cup frozen organic peas
2 organic carrots, chopped

Jamaican Curry Powder

1/4 cup whole organic coriander seeds

2 Tbsp whole organic cumin seeds

2 Tbsp whole organic mustard seeds

2 Tbsp whole organic anise seeds

1 Tbsp whole organic fenugreek seeds

1 Tbsp whole organic allspice berries

5 Tbsp organic ground turmeric

Spice Method: Place spices in a skillet and toast over medium heat until colour darkens slightly and spices are fragrant. Remove pan from heat, allow spices to cool to room temperature, then grind and use.

Curry Method: Cut the meat into 2-3" cubes, reserving the bones as well..  Salt the meat and set aside while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. 

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Pat the meat dry and brown well in batches.  Set the meat aside in a bowl.  Add the onions and hot peppers to the pot and sauté until the onions start to brown, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle salt on the onions as they cook.  Then add the ginger, garlic and curry powder and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Put the meat (and bones) back into the pot along with coconut milk, thyme, tomatoes and water.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the meat is very tender, about 2-3 hours.  When meat is almost done, add the vegetables.  Season to taste with salt. 

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SOUL FOOD

     Modern lifestyles are hectic and fast paced.  Humans are mentally overstimulated and physically dormant which creates dis-ease.  More often than not our motivation to eat healthy or exercise is based on an external fixation on appearance, rather than on true health and wellness.  When it comes to food, cooking is often seen as a burden and is not a priority for many people.  As a result, nutritionally inferior convenience foods have become the mainstay of the modern diet. We are blessed and cursed with an abundant and seemingly unlimited supply of food.  This food luxury is damaging to our health and preoccupying many of us in ways that are distracting and troublesome at best, and life threatening at worst. Humans have now turned pleasurable and life-sustaining food into something rife with conflict, danger, guilt, and fear.

     Plants, animals, even people, are now treated as complex mechanisms with many interrelated, yet separable parts.  Farming has become just another business and food just something else to buy. When we take the sacred out of our lives, including farming and eating, we take out the substance, and our lives become shallow and empty. Yet, humanity is beginning to ask new questions. The old questions of how can I “get” more is being replaced with questions of how can I “be” more?

     Yoga is an powerful tool for transformation because it cultivates a deeper awareness and appreciation of the body’s capacity for true health and vitality. The science of yoga teaches that movement and breath are keys to the intelligence of the body, and that these tools aid in the transition from habitual and often self-destructive patterns of eating and self-care, to more intentional and beneficial actions. 

     Yoga is a way of life, not simply a practice that takes place in a studio or on a mat.  It is about taking all that we learn from our practice and applying it to all aspects of our lives. The mundane details of everyday life become priceless lessons once we learn to see the sacred in everything.  It’s not what we do, but how we do it.  It’s not just what you eat, but how you eat it. Every choice we make (and don't make) expresses the larger truth of who we are.  If we love and respect our bodies and ourselves, we are more likely to make healthy eating choices. If we harbour deep pain or engage in self-criticizing thoughts, we may make very different choices. 

    After starting yoga and meditation, happiness begins to fill us up from within. Why? Because we’ve tapped into the source of fulfillment, which has always resided within. Yoga is a path of healing that starts with the premise that the body is good and that we can trust our own wisdom as we tune into the language of the body.  As we slow down and become still, breathe, and enjoy gentle movement, we cultivate awareness of our bodies and it’s needs.  As we experience deep calm, stillness, and openness in our practice, we can become enamoured with life and with ourselves.  It is from this place of peace and love that a desire to care for and nourish the body arises.  Eating becomes a sacred act of nourishment, an experience of pleasure,  an expression of respect for the body’s needs and desires.

     A practice of mindfulness and healthy awareness extends into all aspects of the nourishment of the body.  Healthy food choices require an active consideration of the sources of the foods we eat.  Who is growing the food, where does it come from, how are the animals treated and fed?  Is the food seasonal, local, or organic?  How are the farm workers treated?  Is the food genetically modified and processed?  A yogic diet can have many different expressions, but it is the awareness and consciousness of the quality of the foods we consume, as well as the consciousness of the person preparing the meal that make eating a spiritual practice.  For as we all know, we are what we eat (and how we prepared it, and ate it!)

PUDDING

I am loving the fresh, whole, unpasteurized, un-homogenized milk that we've been enjoying lately.  There truly is nothing like real milk.  My favourite part is skimming the cream off the top and reserving it for my husband's morning coffee, or dreaming of the creamy soups or pastas I can make for supper.  Last week I made vanilla ice cream and was blown away by the butter yellow hue - all thanks to that gorgeous milk and our pastured, organic eggs.  It truly amazes me what a difference using high quality ingredients makes in the kitchen.  The simplest of recipes become works of art when you are using the absolute best, wholesome, and nutritious raw materials.
We have a surplus of eggs around here so I thought I'd treat the family to some good old fashioned pudding, with a maple twist.

CHOCOLATE MAPLE PUDDING

2/3 cup real maple syrup

1/4 cups organic cornstarch or arrowroot powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/3 cup organic cocoa powder

2 1/2 cups whole milk, preferable raw and/or unpasteurized

4 egg yolks, preferably from pastured/organically fed hens

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

Method: Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium sized bowl; set aside.  

In a medium saucepan (not on the stove) whisk together the cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt.  Very gradually, whisk in the milk, and then the egg yolks.

Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble forms and sputters.  Reduce heat to low, and whisk for one more minute.  Remove from heat, and quickly pour through the sieve into the bowl.  Stir in butter and vanilla.

Pour into pudding bowls and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.  

TODAY'S TWEETABLE: The simplest of recipes become works of art when you are using the absolute best, wholesome, and nutritious raw materials @KeepingItRealNL

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