TASTY TURMERIC

     Even my father-in-law is aware of the health benefits of turmeric. It's become all the rage these days, and for good reason. It's about time too, seeing as it has been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb. The main active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and is a strong anti-oxidant. Low levels of inflammation in the body is responsible for most chronic diseases, and oxidative damage in the body is a factor in ageing and disease. Can you see why everyone's so excited about turmeric and curcumin?!  Curcumin is also linked to improvement in brain function and lowered risk of heart disease. So while turmeric itself has relatively low levels of curcumin, the supplemental extract is your best bet if you have chronic illness or inflammation.

     That being said, eating turmeric daily is a great way to benefit from the tonic effects of curcumin. In order to fully absorb the medicinal properties of turmeric, it is best consumed with fat and black pepper. Or just eat Indian food. A lot. Like we did last night. Not only did we eat a whack of turmeric, I also found an amazing way to eat the zucchini that are beginning to overflow in the fridge from my daily harvesting in the garden. 

I am in fall preparation mode, so I doubled this recipe and froze half of it to reduce meal preparation. With both kids in school this year, I have lots of time to work and don't want to waste it making dinner and washing dishes!

TOOR DAL CURRY

(Yellow Split Pea Curry)

1 pound organic split yellow peas, soaked overnight

about 1 litre water

2 tsp organic turmeric powder

8 cloves organic garlic, crushed

2 cm piece organic ginger, peeled and grated

sea salt to taste

4 Tbsp organic coconut oil

2 tsp organic black mustard seeds

4 tsp organic cumin seeds

3 dry chillies (optional)

2 pinches asafoetida powder

2-3 organic tomatoes, chopped
organic ground black pepper

Method: Drain the peas and place in a pot with the water and turmeric and boil for 45-60 minutes, or until the peas are soft.

Meanwhile, pound the garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle to form a paste. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over low heat. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to pop. Add the cumin, chillies, asafoetida and the garlic/ginger paste and fry until fragrant. Stir into the dhal. Season to taste with salt. Add the chopped tomato and simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

ZUCCHINI & PEPPERS

2 lbs organic zucchini, halved and sliced

2 organic green peppers, chopped

1/4 cup organic ghee or butter

1/2 tsp organic turmeric powder

1 tsp organic cumin seed

1 tsp crushed chillies

1/4 tsp sea salt
organic ground black pepper

Method: Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Melt the ghee and add the cumin, chillies, and turmeric. Heat and stir until fragrant. Add the zucchini, peppers and salt. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables release their water and evaporates, producing a nice spicy gravy, about 10-12 minutes.

Serve both dishes with steamed basmati rice, chutneys, and yogurt or raita. 

You can also try out this recipe I discovered last summer when I was making all my preserves. It's an Indian-style zucchini chutney which might come in handy if you tend to plant way too many zucchini plants like I do.

KASOUNI

(Zucchini & Eggplant Chutney)

125 grams organic ginger, peeled 

65 grams fresh organic garlic, peeled 

60 grams organic green chilli (or less)

25 ml organic apple cider vinegar

125 ml organic sunflower oil

45 grams organic black mustard seeds

15 grams organic turmeric powder

45 grams organic cumin powder

30 grams dried organic chilli flakes (or less)

225 ml more apple cider vinegar

125 grams organic coconut sugar

35 grams sea salt

700 grams organic zucchini, peeled and grated

300 grams organic eggplant, peeled and grated

Method: Place the ginger, garlic and green chilli in a blender with 25 ml of vinegar, and mince.

Heat the oil until it is very hot and then add the mustard, turmeric, cumin, and chilli flakes and stir for a few minutes. Watch to make sure it doesn't stick or burn.

Add the garlic puree and cook for another few minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir and let it simmer gently for one hour.

It is ready when the oil rises to the top and it has thickened.

Pour into sterilized mason jars and process in a hot water bath for 12 minutes. Refrigerate once opened.

PRINT RECIPES

LUNCHBOX STRATEGY

    It's almost back to school time around here and I am already thinking ahead and admittedly kind of stressing out at the thought of having to make a school lunch five days a week for the first time ever. That's a pretty big deal when you factor in having to wake two children, get them dressed, fed, and out the door and to the school by 8:45 am. If you're a parent, I am sure you can relate. Needless to say, I need a strategy if I'm going to survive that routine and keep my sanity in check. Keep in mind this is a preliminary outline that has yet only been tested on a part-time basis when my son was in kindergarten and needed lunch once a week, but I am sharing it with you anyway and will keep you updated regularly.

THE KEEPING IT REAL (and sane) SCHOOL LUNCH PLAN

1. MAKE TWICE THE AMOUNT OF DINNER EVERY NIGHT

     Leftovers are going to be my ultimate time saving option for the lunch box. I just have to stock up on twice the amount of ingredients to make what I will already be making for dinner. I will also be keeping school lunches in mind and try to make items that pack well and that the children really enjoy eating - like burritos, pasta, meatballs, fish sticks, chicken fingers, chicken wings, chili & cornbread

2. SNACK ATTACK AND FREEZE

     Make double of whatever baked goods or treats I happen to produce and freeze specifically for school lunches - like muffins, cookies, fruit roll ups, seed bars.

3. HAVE A LIST OF LUNCH IDEAS ON THE FRIDGE

     For those inevitable days when there are no dinner leftovers.  Here's my list of lunch ideas I can whip up the night before, or God-forbid, in the morning:

SANDWICHES or WRAPS- Sunflower and Apple butter (nut free of course or this would be almond butter)

- Avocado, Cheese and Sauerkraut

- Cream Cheese and Grated Carrot

- Chicken/Salmon/Tuna/Egg Salad- add ins can include dried cranberries, grated apple/carrot, celery, chopped lacto-fermented vegetables, chopped olives or capers

- Hummus and Vegetable

- Falafels with Grated Vegetables, Tahini Sauce and Sauerkraut

- Bagel and Cream Cheese with Grated Vegetables and Herbs

- Meat or Vegetable Quesadilla with Salsa or Guacamole

- Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese

- Cinnamon Raisin Bread and Cream Cheese

- Roast Beef, Mayo and Sauerkraut

SOUP and SOURDOUGH BISCUITS OR CRACKERS- from the freezer. I will be making triple batches of soup and sourdough crackers/biscuits this winter and freezing for quick dinners and last minute lunches.

DIPS- freeze batches of hummus and refried beans in small mason jars for lunches.

- Tortilla Chips, Black Bean Dip, Red Pepper, Olives & Cheese Slices

- Hummus, Veggie Sticks, Rice Crackers and Cheese

- Guacamole, Salsa, Sourdough Pita or Tortillas, Veggie Sticks, Cheese, Olives

- Salmon Dip, Veggie Sticks, Pickles, Crackers or Pita

SALADS

- Pasta Salad- Feta, Olives, Steamed Broccoli, Peppers, Cucumber

- Taco Salad- Ground Beef, Shredded Cheese, Olive, Avocado, Tomatoes, Sour Cream, Shredded Lettuce, Salsa

MISC

- Hard Boiled Eggs, Cheese, Steamed Broccoli

- Leftover Roast Dinner Meat, Red Peppers, Pickles

- Leftover Rice Stir Fried with Vegetables and Egg

- Natural Hot Dogs or Sausage, Mustard or Ketchup for Dipping, Cucumber Slices/Carrot Sticks & Cheese

- Pizza Pockets - homemade from freezer

- Tomato Melts on Sourdough- also Tuna/Salmon/Sardine Melts

- Leftover Frittata or Quiche

- Bacon

- Prosciutto wrapped Cheese

SNACKS

- Applesauce

- Popcorn with Dulse Flakes

- Ants on a Log (celery, seed butter, raisins)

- Nut Free Trail Mix

- Zucchini/Carrot/Squash Muffins

- Leftover Pancakes or Waffles

- Dried Fruit (figs, apricots, raisins)

- Apples, Pears, Bananas, Clementines, Pomegranate, Pineapple Chunks, Berries, Grapes or Fruit Salad

- Rice Pudding

- Yogurt with Blueberries and Honey

- Homemade Cookies/Bars/Muffins

- Dulse seaweed

- Fruit-Juice Sweetened Fig Bars

- Smoothies

- Granola or Cereal and Milk

- Veggie Sticks and Cherry Tomatoes

DRINKS

- Hot Tea thermos - including Chai and maybe on a snowy day Coconut Milk Hot Chocolate?

- Hot or Cold Apple Cider

- Water

4. ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT:

- Stainless Steel Food Containers

- Thermos

- Mini Ice Paks

- Stainless Steel Water Bottles

- Paper Bags

- Mini Glass Mason Jars

- Insulated Lunch Bags- big enough to hold all containers

That's all I've got for now. Time to get cooking and freezing!

What do you send in your kid's lunches?

I'M A DREAMER

     I've been asked to share my dreams, how I DO my dreams.

     Sometimes it feels like all I do is yearn and wish for more than I already have. Always imagining, wanting, comparing, judging, craving...

     What is it that I want? When will I feel content and at peace with what I have? Will my whole life be a constant desire for more, bigger, better?

     These are some of the thoughts that fill my mind when I hear the word dream.

     I know I am on the path I know I am meant to be on. But the journey isn't over yet, this constant desire is my yearning to fulfill my destiny. So I am meant to dream, and to dream big.

     Now, I'm a Kundalini Yogi, so when I have "deep thoughts" or "big questions" and need a little advice or inspiration, I turn to the wisdom of Yogi Bhajan.  When it comes to destiny, this was his take on it. Basically, as we continue to become more in tune with our true selves, our soul, we make choices based on our destiny. Yogi B said that it is very inhuman to seek, to look for something and try to get it. Instead, he told us to recognize and deliver; to be still and let things come to you. To have the power to be radiant - literally in our auras - and in the charisma that comes to us when we are clear and conscious. When we recognize and project our identity, our true identity, then everything that completes that identity will naturally come to us. It is the first principle of the consciousness of abundance. This attribute is called "Presence." When we recognize our destiny and the purpose that accompanies it, we become present in a tangible and powerful way.

     Okay, so in order to fulfill my destiny rather than succumb to my fate, I must recognize and project my identity and find that Divine spark within. How do I do this? It comes from a daily spiritual practice. Through my spiritual practice I can develop my sensitivity and identify that Light within - what its qualities are, whats its purpose is. When each person identifies the Divine within themselves first, then from a sense of nobility, grace, expansiveness and love, we can reach out to build relationships with others. Not to worship or find God, but to be the being of God. To connect with the the Infinite in the finite brings peace, kindness and prosperity not only to ourselves; but to those around us as well.

  Prosperity is about getting real with yourself. It is about taking responsibility for the position you are in, identifying what you want, and how it will happen. As a creative being, offer a vibration that matches your desire rather than a vibration that matches your observation.  Project. Use the way you talk to yourself, the way you think, and the way you feel to create goodness in your life. Becoming prosperous requires taking responsibility for what is happening to you, to become more conscious, and to make decisions that will bring you closer to your goal.

  So, how do I DO my dreams? I practice Kundalini yoga. In order to manifest, I work on being present in my body and connected to the earth.  I try to BE HERE NOW. To attract and receive, I need to be HOME! It takes practice to cultivate an awareness of Self. I am learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable with how I feel sometimes. The human spiritual journey involves both raising energy to higher frequencies and integrating this higher vibration into the body, perceptions, thoughts, and daily activities. The ascent up the chakras is enlightenment. The descent from the crown chakra to the base of the spine is the path of manifestation. I am living in the material world in order to become a master of it. I am learning how to support myself with my own creativity. 

     I once heard a man say, "Follow your excitement, then you will know you are on the right path."
     The funny thing about excitement is, what happens when the initial high of the exciting choice starts to fade? My teacher Yogi Bhajan was big on commitment. In fact, Yogi Bhajan made a list called "The Seven Steps to Happiness", and commitment was the first step. When we commit to anything, it will work. Then the universe is able to support you. When you are indecisive, the universe doesn't know what to do. Commitment takes work and you have to continually reinvent yourself and your relationships in order to make it work. Commitment is a way of pulling yourself to the other side. The other side being where you want to go with your intention. Keep going until you have it. Keep up, and you will be kept up.

     When I stop for a moment and look at my life I realize that I am already living the life of my dreams. I've married a man who loves me so much, even when I sometimes feel unworthy of his love. Together we've created the life I've always wanted. We've made two amazingly wonderful little boys - whose needs and desires we place above our own. We live on a farm growing our own food, we are healthy, we have family that love us. Wow. We are blessed. I try to remember that the attitude of gratitude is one of the most amazing tools for co-creating with Spirit. It's so important to give thanks for the blessings in life we take for granted sometimes. We can give thanks for our most heartfelt dreams before they are in our lives. This form of gratitude shows the universe that we are ready for the miracles that are on their way.

     " The attitude of gratitude is the highest way of living, and is the biggest truth, the highest truth. If you are grateful for what you have, then Mother Nature will give you more...If you do not acknowledge what you have, in gratitude, you will never have more...so be in gratitude. Make an attitude to be in gratitude, you will find the whole Universe will come to you."     Yogi Bhajan

Hey dreamers out there, how do you DO your dream?

Thanks to Debrina for inviting me to blog crawl. Why not play in the sun while you move from Dreamer to Doer or take a 10 Day Discovery Tour to rekindle your passions and breathe life back into them with Debrina Wright-Williams?

IF YOU GO INTO THE WOODS TODAY...

     ...you'll be in for a big surprise. Well that is, if you happen upon a patch of wild chanterelles. Every summer around this time, I keep my eye on a very special spot in the forest near my house because I know chanterelles grow there. If I don't get there in time, the slugs will have started eating them. It seems the mushrooms appear after a nice succession of rainy days, which we certainly had last week. This is the first year I've gathered mushrooms at what appeared to be their peak moment.

     When I still lived in the city I would buy wild chanterelles from a man at the Farmer's Market. It was always a treat to walk by his stand and see the rows of brown paper bags full of wild mushrooms. I must admit though, the thrill of finding them in the forest is even better. Anyway, my favourite way to eat chanterelles is sautéed with onions in salty butter, and served on homemade pasta. Topped with lots of cheese of course. Unfortunately, I just wasn't up for making pasta yesterday - as much as I wanted to so I could film the whole process to share with you - so I made a batch of polenta instead. I know, what a let down. That's alright, there's always next year.

(Real) GREEK VILLAGE SALAD

I've been posting recipes on this blog for a few years now, and I just realized I've never shared a recipe for a traditional Greek Village Salad with you yet. Hard to believe since it's a salad I grew up eating and which I enjoy so very often every summer. Please note I said summer. That's because this is a summertime salad, the time when tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers are in season and when they taste good. Nothing kills me more than eating in a Greek restaurant in January and being served this salad made with bland tasting imported  un-ripe tomatoes and flavourless cucumbers. As with all good food from around the world, the key is to eat seasonally and locally for optimum nutrition and flavour. Period.

I just realized I forgot to add some olives to this salad. No worries, it's still a great salad without them!

GREEK VILLAGE SALAD

ripe organic tomatoes, cut into wedges

fresh local organic cucumbers, cut into pieces

fresh local organic green peppers, cut into pieces

fresh organic red onion, cut into thin pieces (optional)

fresh or dried organic Greek oregano

organic feta cheese

Greek black olives

Greek extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and pepper

Method: Place all the cut vegetables in a large plate. Crumble the feta cheese on top. Sprinkle with cut fresh oregano, or sprinkle with dried Greek oregano. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Add a few olive. Then drizzle liberally with olive oil. Stir gently and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes before eating a with a nice hunk of sourdough bread. Don't forget to mop up all the olive oil with bread too.

PRINT RECIPE

TODAY'S TWEETABLE: As with all good food from around the world, the key is to eat seasonally and locally for optimum nutrition and flavour. Period.

RAW vs. COOKED FOOD

 I like vegetables, a lot. Give me the choice between a big bowl of piping hot steamed broccoli dripping in salty melted butter or a raw veggie platter and dip, hands down the cooked and buttered broccoli would win. It's because I find it more appealing and better tasting. Turns out my attraction to cooked broccoli is perhaps my body's way of communicating with me, because and as it turns out cooked vegetables can be easier to digest and have higher nutritional content.    

     The popularity of 100% raw food diets is (thankfully) fading.  I tried it out at one point in my life and found it unsatisfying and difficult to follow. Who needs that? Life is challenging enough, why do we insist on coming up with these complicated  and unrealistic "new" diets that leave us feeing deprived, incompetent and frustrated? So when I was recently introduced to a You Tube video of Susun Weed and Brigitte Mars debating the merits of Raw vs Cooked Foods, I was blown away! Finally, someone debunking many of the myths of the raw food diet. Basically, Susun Weed claims:

1. No enzymes but the ones the body makes are allowed in the body. Therefore all this raw food hype that the enzymes present in raw foods are a significant help in digesting the foods themselves once they are put in the human digestive system is not true. As far as she knows, there is no scientific evidence showing that enzymes in foods are used in the digestion of that food - with the exception of 3 fruits (papaya, kiwi & pineapple) and raw milk and raw meat. It is also important to note that those three fruits are only useful in the digestion of milk and meat proteins.
     Now, Susun doesn't mention this in the debate, but many raw faddists also claim that the body has a finite lifetime "enzyme potential" for manufacturing digestive enzymes, which is important for preserving health and longevity; and a portion of which is unrecoverably "used up" in producing otherwise unnecessary digestive enzymes each time cooked foods are eaten. Actually, no one has ever measured any enzyme potential, and according to modern theories of aging, processes such as oxidative damage to tissue, decreasing length of telomeres with each cell division, and other known processes under investigation, rather than enzymes, are the most likely reasons for the process of aging.

2. There is more nutrition from cooked food than raw food. Most nutrients are stable in the presence of heat, and in fact some are maximized by exposure to heat.

3. Most raw food preparation techniques are actually forms of "cooking" food. For example, sprouting, freezing, dehydrating, fermenting, marinating are all methods of altering food in a manner that breaks down the cell wall in vegetables in order to release the nutrients contained within the cell. Simply chopping, chewing, and juicing do not break the cell wall down. Even the digestive systems of goats and cows use heat and bacteria to "cook" the grass in order to nourish the animal.

4. There is evidence to suggest that there is a co-relation between the application of heat/fire in the preparation of food and human brain size.  Apparently 25% of nutrients we get from food is needed for the human brain. Therefore, cooking provided early humans with better nutrition which led to an increase in brain size.

      If you really want to optimize your digestion consider the following:

1. Don't eat too much.

2. Chew your food well.

3. Rule out food allergies.

4. Ingest probiotics via lacto-fermented foods or supplements.

5. Stay hydrated.

6. Exercise.

7. Maintain a healthy weight.

8. Eat slowly and in a relaxed manner.

And for goodness sake - if you prefer cooked spinach over raw, then eat what you like, just make sure you eat your veggies!

AWAKEN (your spine)

     I was a Hatha Yoga teacher for quite a few years before I discovered Kundalini Yoga. Well known Kundalini Yoga teacher Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa's book "The Eight Human Talents" had been sitting on my bookshelf for a long time before I finally sat down and read it and got blown away. In retrospect I think I needed to be at a point in my life where what she was saying made sense to where I was at emotionally and spiritually. I was ready to hear her words. To this day I still consider this book an essential addition to any yogi's reference collection.

    The most potent teaching I received from that book was how our physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual well-being are interconnected, and how the state of each chakra (or power centres in the body) reflects the level of our health and well-being. The beauty of Kundalini Yoga is that it is a precise and powerful technology that helps to bring back balance in all of these areas. It doesn't cost anything, no need to swallow supplements or go to a therapist, it is your responsibility to commit to a regular practice and use the wisdom shared by Yogi Bhajan to heal your life.

     The kriya I filmed the other day is called "Basic Spinal Energy Series" and is one of the basic sets in Kundalini Yoga. It is fairly simple to do, and a good place to start your Kundalini Yoga practice. It is an excellent warm-up for more vigorous yoga sets and also stands alone as a set to energize the entire system.  The practice increases flexibility and vitality of the spine which allows energy to flow more freely to the organs and glands in your body.  All twenty-six vertebrae, your chakras, and energy bodies receive stimulation and a burst of energy, which makes this series a good one to do before meditation. Tune in with the Adi Mantra before you begin.

PRINT THIS KRIYA