Happy Solstice everyone! I can hear the drums pounding at a nearby local gathering as people celebrate the longest day, the coming of summer. Oh how we look forward to this day on those barren winter nights, they pass so slowly, summer seems to zip by. Before we know it the forests will be awash with ripe berries and hungry bears. Soon the river will be just warm enough to relish in for a plentiful 2 months.
Yesterday our friends gave us a tour of their huge, epic garden. I couldn’t believe the rows of radishes, compared to my little teensy garden space. Then they brought us over to a little nook where wild asparagus was growing. Asparagus is a regal and mighty plant which grows furiously amidst a mash of strong willed weeds. If I had a vegetable puppet show, asparagus would play the intellectual, savvy friend that everybody needs to have.
There was a time when I was a raw vegan, yup, shocker. I’ve always been a bit of an extremist, but that phase didn’t last long. I even took a course to become a certified raw nutritionist. Certainly I gleaned some valuable information, especially when it comes to super foods and herbs. Maybe raw foodism is a bit extreme but there’s no denying it works for some types of people in certain climates. It would be a different story living in Hawaii or Indonesia, but even then, traditional peoples would’ve still eaten some flesh, perhaps raw fish, or wild board. Attaining all the necessary components for a healthy body on a raw food diet is mighty tricky, though it’s easier when you know what your doing. Often people pick up on the fad, think they are doing something great for their health, and in the end become really ill. The same could go for any extreme lifestyle choice. If there isn’t balance, everything topples. There are also circumstances where profound healing of many illnesses, cancers, diabetes and heart disease, just to name a few, can occur when adhering to an organic raw food diet. Dr. Gabriel Cousens at the Tree of Life Centre and Hippocrates Health Institute, offer retreats to cleanse the body of illness with programs designed and guided by professionals. Definitely helpful as things get tricky when you’re the only one in the sailboat. My journey eating raw didn’t last too long, but it was a nice cleansing time where everything is simplified.
My dad doesn’t cook. My partner doesn’t cook. Something freudian going on? Perhaps. When my pops did cook for us he made stew. Mom said when they met he had about 2 solid recipes under his belt, boston blue fish cooked in a can of mushroom soup and hearty beef stew. When I met J he kindly offered me crackers and smoked sausage, his staple foods. I’m totally blessed to have a loving supportive dad. Whatever he lacks in the cooking department he makes up for in silly jokes and knowing the answer to pretty much every question.
You know how people declare something really really tasty as ‘drool worthy’? Well how many times do they actually drool. I mean come on most people don’t drool no matter how amazing something tastes. But you know what? I drooled. Eating one of these sweet delights drool fell out of my mouth in slow motion and hit my drooling baby on the head. For it was the sweetest thing I’ve eaten during this whole body reset and God knows I of course can’t stop looking at food gawker and pining over all of donut days creations. My jaw dropped over this one, seriously chica, did you just do that? Take my word for it, these energy bites are drool worthy, in a healthy sort of way. (more…)
Today I thinned some of the arugula and swiss chard in my garden. The result of this is heaps of delicate, delicious little gems also known as ‘micro greens’. These are the epitome of cute vegetables. One of these, beside my baby boys face and no adorable puppy snuggling a pigeon can compare in cuteness. On top of that, little bitty micro greens make a fine salad, from something most people toss to the side! The radishes were also ready for harvest, big cherry bells full of spice. Purslane starting to crawl it’s across all shady spots, a common weed, filled with succulent omega-3 goodness. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to dig my hands in to the earth. Something in my soul just feels so completed, so content, so filled with wonder and hope for the future. Gardening can seem daunting to some, but I feel it is a really therapeutic and fulfilling use of free time. My dream is to someday have a huge garden with so much extra to give away. That’s what it’s all about, sharing the bounty, spreading the seeds.
