A Refreshing Way to Welcome Fall

With the changing of the seasons, this is a great time to participate in a cleanse – a stepping out of your food habits and giving your body a break from working so hard on digestion.

The ancient Eastern wisdom of Ayurveda recommends simplifying both physical and emotional elements in your life.  For the physical, you can avoid canned and frozen foods for a week, opting for very simple foods, like soup, rice and beans, or just vegetables, focusing on one type of simple food for the whole week.  For instance, make one giant pot of soup and eat it all week.  If you can, omit cheese, milk, and coffee.  Drink only water and tea. 

On the emotional/mental side, this is a wonderful time to take extra special care of yourself.  Get a massage, make sure your house is clean to refresh yourself visually, use a sauna/steam room every other day, go outside in nature as often as possible and enjoy the quiet, listen to gentle music, release any negative emotions, turn off the TV, and find a yoga class or other gentle exercise to get your energy moving.  Ayurveda recommends cleansing for one week, though many other cleanses you can find go anywhere from 7 days to 28 days.  It’s all a matter of finding what works for you and your schedule, but still refreshes your system for the new season.

It is part of our American culture to rush ahead always, constantly pushing ourselves on from one thing to the next.  Our bodies are naturally in tune with the changing of the seasons and even the changing from day to night.  This is an important time to recharge- to let yourself get ready for the new season and take a little breath.

The most nurturing way you can kick off your cleanse is to make some homemade soup completely from scratch.  It is not difficult to make soup stock, it just takes some time to stick close to the kitchen mainly to stir and initially to chop.  Please enjoy this step by step recipe from last year, towards the middle of the post. It even has pictures.  The top is a little embarrassing, as it’s titled “Get Silly and Make Some Soup (from Scratch)!”  But enjoying yourself and having some fun is important, too! 

Also, the post is labeled as “Day 13” of a 21-day Cleanse from Kathy Freston’s book Quantum Wellness Cleanse.  If you are interested in participating in a 21-day cleanse, start here  and follow day-by-day.  You’ll find the cleanse posts in July and August 2012.  There are recipes each day to support the cleanse, as well.

However you decide to do it, this is the time to honor your body, your emotions, and the seasonal change from summer to fall.

*This article was originally published in the Geauga Family Farms CSA Newsletter in my weekly column, Creative Cooking for an Organic Life. 

This post is linked to Party Wave Wednesday at HolisticSquid.com!

Sweet Corn on the Grill with Fresh & Fruity Salsa

It had been a rough day and I was actually thinking about getting some pizza instead of washing all the veggies on my delightful CSA pick-up day.  But then I saw the first ears of fresh corn for the season and I felt excited and renewed, happily washing the lettuce for one of my giant salads.

My favorite way to grill the corn is directly on the grill, without the husk.  It gets charred in places and tastes so nice and sweet.  Because we’re going out of town in a couple of days, we grilled all of the corn and I made mango salsa, a black bean & corn mixture for the salad, and then scraped some more corn to freeze for later.  Using grilled corn in soups adds a nice little crunch of smoky flavor.

Oh, wow, I hear you shouting: “Mango salsa?!  Recipe please!”  I had some mango left over from making mango pina coladas over the weekend (you can use mangoes instead of or in addition to pineapples), so I chopped up the mango slices into little cubes, diced ¼ onion, diced one jalapeno pepper, and added the kernels from about one ear of corn and half a can of black beans, the juice of one lime, a squirt of honey, some fresh cilantro (optional), plus salt and pepper.  I’ve made a similar variation with pineapple- it’s also delicious!

I love summer salads!  I took the rest of the black beans and mixed with an avocado, ½ onion, kernels of corn from two ears, diced jalapeno, and a squeeze of lemon.  I also added chipotle chili pepper, a dash of cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  We grilled zucchini and onions as well and threw all of these things on top of the lettuce.  Add your favorite Mexican dressing.  The only thing that could have made it better would have been some tomato, which we didn’t have this week. 

Having green beans frozen and waiting enhances fall and winter crock pot meals, but it’s always so difficult for me not to eat them immediately!  This time, our upcoming vacation made it easier for me to freeze the green beans for the future.  I snipped and washed them, just like I would if I were eating them right away, but then I laid them on paper towels to dry thoroughly before freezing.  Finally, I threw them into a gallon size freezer bag and tucked them away for the days I don’t want to think about - when I’ll be missing my fresh CSA veggies (and sunshine!)  With a smile, I realized that this little bit of summer will be waiting to cheer me- in minestrone soup, perhaps?

Summer, Delicious Summer!

It’s that wonderful time of year again!  The beautiful veggies from Geauga Family Farms CSA are making me jump up and down with glee this week.

There is nothing like fresh, local, organic produce that I can feel so good about eating on a physical AND spiritual level.

“In the eye of the cook or the gardener or the farmer who grew it, this food reveals itself for what it is: no mere thing but a web of relationships among a great many living beings, some of them human, some not, but each of them dependent on the other, and all of them ultimately rooted in soil and nourished by sunlight.”
– Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto

Pollan also writes, “To shop at a farmers’ market or sign up with a CSA is to join a short food chain and that has several implications for your health.  Local produce is typically picked ripe and is fresher than supermarket produce, and for those reasons it should be tastier and more nutritious.”

It’s true!  I made my delicious Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs and now it’s finally summer!  I even cut up the garlic scapes (those curly green things in the picture – they are the tops of garlic and are milder) and added them with parsley and basil.  It was delicious!

Day 21- The Beauty of a Plant Based Diet

“What we eat is a matter of life and death.  Food is who we are.” – Scott Jurek

It’s the 21st day!  We’ve done it!  I’ve heard wonderful stories from many of you about losing up to 11 pounds, feeling lighter and happier, performing better in sports and increasing running distance, and feeling liberated by the consciousness of your choices.  I concur with all of these, although I’ve only lost 7 pounds (so far).  Works for me!

We’ve learned a great deal about how beneficial it is to eat a plant-based diet.  Here are a few more facts.

“Genetically and structurally, we are designed to thrive on plant foods…Plants store the sun’s energy, which we receive by eating them.  If you can, just picture the light energy from the sun beaming down to the vegetables and fruits, and as we eat those foods, imagine that energy being transmitted into our bodies.  Our nervous systems are maintained and stimulated by this light.  What an amazing gift from nature- to be able to eat such pure foods that give our bodies so much!” – Skinny Bitch

If you’d like to step it up a notch, opt for organic, preferably locally grown veggies.  According to Dr. Todd Pesek’s book, Eat Yourself Super, based on studies performed on individuals who display longevity, it’s “worthwhile to note that their foods are locally produced whenever possible and grown in rich soils.  Your sense of place is in your local ecosystem.”

The picture to the left is all produce from local farmers.  I'm not sure what I will do in the winter!

Click here if you would like more info on where to find local produce.

If you would like more information on going vegan or vegetarian, there is some great info at Goveg.com and you can even order a free vegetarian starter kit.
 If you enjoyed this 21-day program, another one that I would strongly recommend (that I have done several times and really like) is PCRM's 21-Day Vegan Kick Start.  They share delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all 21 days.

“My refusing to eat flesh occasioned an inconveniency, and I was frequently chided for my singularity, but, with this lighter repast, I made the greater progress, for greater clearness of head and quicker comprehension.” – Ben Franklin

Not only does a vegan diet “restore health and tighten waistlines, there’s evidence it extends our lives as well.  The U.S. National Institute on Aging did a study of the longest-lived peoples in the world and found the people of Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia, and Seventh Day Adventists are among the longest lived on earth.”  Their common traits are:

• They eat lots of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains

• They don’t smoke

• They are active every day

• They stay socially engaged

• The Adventists also eat lots of nuts and beans

-The Kind Diet

Thank you for joining me on this journey of learning and experimenting with health and nutrition.  It has been an absolute joy for me to share this information with you and I hope you’ve found it helpful.  I’ve found this way of living to be so beneficial that I plan to continue a vegan lifestyle, while avoiding gluten, sugar, caffeine, and alcohol.  It sounded so difficult at first, but now I’ve found many delicious substitutes and new recipes.  I will re-introduce occasional dark chocolate (it’s dairy free!) and may have a glass of wine, a cup of green tea, or fresh baked bread from time to time, but I fully intend to maintain this healthy lifestyle.

If you decide to continue omitting any of the Big 5 from your diet, Kathy Freston encourages us, “remind yourself that you have free will and it is your choice to have or do whatever you want.  And then say to yourself, ‘Okay, I can have this piece of cake [or jigger of Scotch or chunk of cheese, or what have you], but if I do, these are the consequences.’ And then list them.” 

Starting tomorrow, I will begin regularly posting on Mondays and Thursdays.  I hope you will follow my adventures as I continue the search for life’s balance through nutrition, exercise, and whatever else life brings!

To conclude the cleanse, I would like to share Kathy Freston’s parting words:

“Now you know just how powerful you are.  Now you know that you are the healer who can heal yourself and extend that healing out into the world.  May you be well and thrive in every respect, and may you use this foundation of power to help move us all forward.”

Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs

I made one of my very favorite summer pastas last night and it was extra delicious with the fresh, organic cherry tomatoes from Geauga Family Farms.  It was the first time I ever used yellow tomatoes in this recipe and it gave the sauce a completely new taste.  Amazing!   This recipe was shared with me a couple of years ago by a dear friend.   Arlyn, I still think of you every time I enjoy this recipe!

*Note: I’ve recently been using refrigerated, fresh pasta.  If you can get the fresh pasta rather than the dry, it really makes a difference.  I used garlic & chive spaghetti from Ohio City.

This is simple to make and tastes gourmet.

Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs (Serves 2- with leftovers unless you're really hungry)

12 oz spaghetti (3/4 box)

2 pints cherry tomatoes (2 little crates – best if red & yellow mixed!)

6 cloves garlic, smashed

3 TB olive oil, plus more for serving

½ cup mixed herbs (basil, parsley, chives) I used basil and a little bit of Italian Parsley, too.

1. Heat oven to 400 F.  Bring water for the pasta to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes, garlic, 2 TB oil, and 1 tsp salt.  Roast, tossing once, until the tomatoes begin to burst (20-25 minutes).

3. Prepare the pasta according to package directions.

4. Toss the pasta with the tomatoes, herbs, and the remaining oil.  Serve more olive oil and taste to check if you should add more salt and/or herbs.

*Improvisation: Sarah J, this recipe makes me think of you.  Saute some shrimp with a couple of the tomatoes, some garlic, and basil and this will be almost as good as your signature shrimp dish.

If you like, you can watch how easy it is to make this meal: Laura Makes Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes and Herbs.  Please don't laugh - it's my first attempt at video editing and my first time preparing food while talking about it to a crowd!  It's only 5 minutes as I'm using it to audition to be a cooking instructor, so some steps are skipped, but all are listed above.  Enjoy!