I am on a crusade to cook up as many soups that look good ( great photos) and sound good from,The Cook’s Encyclopedia of Soup. I began this crusade for many reasons….
most important reason: they are simple to cook
they are nutritious
they are yummy
everyone loves them in my family ( although Pearl is slightly picky)
The first soup I tried was the Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup. Ok, it sounded good to me because I enjoy the occasional nibble of blue cheese on my salads. But when I started cooking it up I started to think about the others in my family. At the last minute I almost threw in goat cheese instead of the blue cheese but I thought about the movie, Julie and Julia, and decided to stick with the recipe.
I should have gone with my instincts.
It was ok but the kids really truly disliked it ( I would write their comments but hmmm…they were not pretty).
My second soup attempt was, Pasta and Chick-Pea Soup. And it was a family pleaser!
Heat the oil in a large pot and add the chopped vegetables. Cook over low heat ( don’t forget to stir) for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the chickpeas, cannellini beans, stir well, and cook for 5 minutes Stir in the purred tomatoes and water. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes
Add 2 cups of stock, the rosemary and salt an pepper. Bring to a boil and then smiimer for 1 hour.
Pour in the remaining stock, add the pasta and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes ( pasta is al dente!)
Remove the rosemary and serve with the Parmesan cheese.
I was telling a friend of mine this recipe and she thought some swiss chard, kale or spinach would be a great “colorful” addition. Brilliant, I thought. Next time I will definitely add it.
Love it! Ever since my childhood friend introduced me to the world by pretending to mail ourselves somewhere every time we passed a mailbox, I have been intrigued with cultures and wildlife of different countries.
My mother-in-law is in Antartica right now and a good friend of mine is from Bahia ( Brazil), which are both on the list, ” The 31 Places to Go in 2010.” Happy to say, I have visited many of the places on the list ( like walking around Cali, Columbia, alone as my husband lay sick in our hotel - maybe not safe but I survived and it was interesting!) Embarrassed to say, I needed to grab an atlas for some places and finally, some I have always dreamed about going to ( Sri Lanka!)
My husband would love to go to South Africa to watch the games in the World Cup ( summer 2010). And I would love to get my feet in African soil again ( LOVE this country!) I was surprised not to see Buenos Aires on the list, although they are calling Cartegena the next Buenos Aires and the architecture is so beautiful there!
Well, I will keep dreaming and trying to stock away some money because I look forward to seeing more of the world… especially with the kids!
Your kids will love this article! I loved the article - it brings me back to my childhood and my twenties. One of my truly amazing life highlights was seeing the mountain gorillas in Rwanda.
I arrived in Kigali, Rwanda overland from Nairobi, Kenya with 2 good friends. It was 1990, so the place was alive and full of tourists. However, most of the tourists were on planned trips and we were some backpackers just rolling into town to see the famous Dian Fossey gorillas. Luckily, Colin, loved to speak the 3 languages he knew and that the Rwandans spoke, and as we stood in the middle of a dusty road, we could hear Colin and our future tour guide make some deals in French, English and Swahili.
The next day we began our hike into mountain gorilla territory. It was rainy and actually quite miserable. The gorillas were usually seen within a 2 hour hike and we were hitting that mark. But when our guide turned to us with his index finger to his lips, I didn’t care if a storm broke out! All of a sudden, right in front of me, 2 black hands gently pushed away the branches that covered his face. And there, framed with greenery, was the magnificent creature’s beautiful face.
The clouds drifted away and the sun began to shine as we watch this mountain gorilla family eat and play in the dewy bushes. It was a sight and the feeling of true natural bliss, I will never forget.
OK, back to this article in the New Your Times. The article talks about all the different voices/calls monkeys have for predators and such. Maybe monkeys could talk if they wanted too but are choosing not too. Interesting! And it would not have surprised me if one had said hello to me…they are brilliant.
The holidays have been full of late nights - at least in our house ( but I am sure we are not alone)! This coming weekend will be about getting the kids back on schedule so they are not tired and grumpy in school. Below are some things I did when when they were small and what I usually re-introduce after a school break.
BEDTIME!
I remember the nights, very well, when it was impossible to get my kids to go to sleep. I actually think it was the true test of my patience! I never let my kids “cry it out” as it was just too painful for us all. So I decided to come up with a plan that really worked for us. I allowed myself to relax and realize that bedtime was a special time for me to have with my kids. I focused more on peacefully reading to my tired kids instead of focusing on them going to sleep. Two books and a short discussion of the highlights of their day would work…so I thought. Well, I needed to devise a more diverse plan. I realized the number one solution was to find a ritual that works for everyone and then stick to it. Here are some suggestions for settling the mood for sleep:
* Having a tea party with a sleepy time tea (or something similar)
* Purchase an 8oz spray bottle and place 1oz of essential oil mixture (rose, chamomile, vanilla and lavender work well) in the bottle and fill the rest with water. Spray on your child’s bedding, but only for naps and bedtimes
* The essential oil mixture can also be put in the bath tub for night time soak
* Purchase a lullaby or a calming cd (better without lyrics) to play in the bedroom when the lights are turned off. Only play this music for nap and bedtime
* If all else fails, let your child colour or look at a book in bed but tell her them they may not leave their bedroom (make sure they have water so they will not holler for some)
I will be out of town ( yippeee a well-deserved family holiday!) for the next few weeks so there will not be too many blog postings. I may do some twittering and messaging on HBD fan page so you may want to tune in there!
I remember watching Jurassic Park when it come out years ago and one important discussion very close to the beginning was about controlling nature. The scientist stated their was no way nature could be controlled as it was really chaos - spontaneous, living for the moment (to survive) - going with the flow ( or something like that.) Whereas the business man thought it could be controlled. Well, all of those who have watched this move, know very well how it ended…
So, in general, I have always thought that it was just finding the right balance to control the “home chaos” and well accepting it to a degree, but lately my life just seems unusually chaotic. So my question is to all of you reading this, Can I find some kind of balance within the home chaos? Or do I need to fully accept the chaos and go with the flow of it?
I believe I know the right answer, but wow, it is super hard as the parent at home the most, to do. Please tell me how you handle all the craziness! Especially with more to come with all the holidays approaching.
The halloween birthday craze began about 2 months ago when Pearl was determined to start organizing her birthday party. She had a vision of a “mystery party,” followed by bbq dinner with parents and then a night of trick or treating with her friends. It was a completely fulfilled request and most importantly, I survived it!
I highly recommend using Dramatic Fanatic mysteries for your child’s next party. Once I explained the idea behind the party, some of the kids just got it right away, and when I got into character as the host, the rest of the kids started to get into character and the mystery really began!
Dramatic Fanatic was developed for, as they say, “kids who love the spotlight.” There are several mysteries to chose from which were created by the award winning children’s television writer, Jennifer Hamburg. I loved how super easy it was to follow and how affordable it was.
Pearl is looking forward to the next party ( she was hoping for next month but not going to happen) and I think when we do the next party, we will roll out the red carpet and solve the “Movie Star Mystery.”
It was just sent to me and I couldn’t even wait a minute until I could show all of you!
The printing is a little behind but I should have in my hands the last week of October. It will be available on Amazon in November but the book can be purchased on my site now as a pre-order!
My daughter, Pearl is obsessed with Halloween ( see my previous post on Arnica to learn more.)
This year she really wanted to have her birthday party on Halloween so all of her friends could trick or treat together. She also wanted to have a mystery party. This past summer, a friend of ours, hosted a murder mystery party and Pearl LOVED the concept. We decided against the murder part ( although we do love the game Clue) and I started doing some research - the thought of writing and putting together this party seemed a bit too much for me - scavenger hunts are about as far as I can go!.
I came across this website, dramatic fanatic, and realized quite quickly that it would be perfect match for the party. Pearl and I decided to chose the, “Witchy Mystery,” and the process for checking out was simple and easy. It downloads to your computer. I just read through the instructions and it seems easy and fun!
I will keep you updated on how the rest of it will go….
When I spent my months in Kenya, I loved my trips to the local grocery store. It was always a fast and easy shop ~ there were basically no choices and I truly appreciated that!
Back here in the states there are many and many choices in the grocery stores and while I appreciate most choices, some I just do not get. When I stumbled upon this article in the Washington Post, I visioned the long aisle of toilet paper (tp) in my local store. I do not think there is even a choice for environmental friendly tp.
After reading through the article, I am thinking I really need to buck up and seek the out the friendly stuff. For one reason, my kids need to realize that soft tp is not so healthy for the environment and comfort can slide with this and second, anything I can do to help with the forests and trees I am all for.
So my question to all of you readers is… If you use environmentally friendly tp which brand do you buy?
The other day I met up with a friend I had not seen in a while. She looked amazing!…so I told her. She mentioned that in the Spring she was having some health issues, nothing too serious but could become serious. She woke up one day and said, “enough is enough,” and decided to embark on a new way of eating and living.
She came in contact with Warren Kramer an internationally renowned senior macrobiotic educator and health counselor. I love learning about new ways of being healthy and my friend really looked and felt great. She did mention that she is in the kitchen all the time ( which is not my favourite place!) soaking beans, grains and creating meals for her family.
I pretty much follow the blood type way of living as my whole family has type O blood. We all feel better eating this way so I wonder how this would macrobiotic eating would have on our daily lives.
I would love any feedback from people who promote macrobiotic eating ( or who don’t!) or if people have tried to find a balance with this type of eating with others types.
Be well,
PS For all of you who live in Waimea, Warren Kramer is visting us! His macrobiotic class lecture and cooking classes are scheduled for the weekend of October 9th. The lectures will be about common Imbalances that “Health Conscious” People Make to Loving your Liver ( I love mine! this will be a great and important talk!) The cooking classes looked great too ( any help in the kitchen I could use!). If you are interested please email me and I will give you some more information!
Last Spring a friend of mine came down with an MRSA infection. She really thought nothing of it at first but then it wouldn’t go away and seemed to be getting worse, so she went to the doctor. She was diagnosed with a MRSA infection. Luckily no long lasting sequelae occurred but there could have been.
I stumbled across this recent article on the National Geographic News and was happy to read that nature is showing its physical gifts to us! Also, made me really appreciate HoneyBee and all the things ( yummy too!) they do for us.
For all those art enthusiasts or who have children who are crazy about doodling with colour, you really need to check out this Boulder based company ~ it is beautiful.
But not only is it beautiful, it is a brilliant natural art supply company that makes you feel good about your kids hands getting colourful with paint, clay well you name it. The art supplies are all-natural, certified organic and environmentally friendly ( and so is the packaging!)
They are now available in Whole Foods Market and will soon be available in selected Starbucks stores. Keep you eye out for these…they are great gifts to everyone!
With school just around the corner, I thought it would be a great time to introduce my new discovery, Jonesy’s Allergy Cards.
An allergy card is a custom card created for your child with their name, birth date, allergies, EpiPen directions and your contact information.
To me, they seem quite essential if your child has any type of allergies from food to bees.
Jonesy offers 2 types of cards, one for a restaurant and one for play dates, that will escort your child wherever they are going. Jonesy will help design a perfect card that fits your child’s own specific needs.
Please pass this information on to anyone you may know who has a child with allergies. It is really an inexpensive way to inform people about your child’s needs.
Be well,
PS Jonesy designs an array of beautiful cards (they do custom work as well), so take a minute and check out her site
I stumbled across this article from a fellow friend and naturopathic physician. Love the conclusion!
“Daily dietary probiotic supplementation for 6 months was a safe effective way to reduce fever, rhinorrhea, and cough incidence and duration and antibiotic prescription incidence, as well as the number of missed school days attributable to illness, for children 3 to 5 years of age.”
PMID: 19651563 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
I think probiotics are extremely helpful in preventing sickness and help during a sickness. We usually have a daily smoothie and I love my kids getting some fruits from the smoothie, but I really love to throw in some extras goodies to help keep their immune systems strong. Probiotics are one of them along with Nordic Natural Cod Liver Oil and Vital Kids Berry Well.
You may be able to pick some these supplements at your local healthfood store or you can purchase through my site with Emerson Ecologics ( the access code is 96743).
I stumbled upon this website, natural doctors international, (actually I think I stumbled upontheir video first – see below) and was blown away with what they are doing.
This is directly from their site:
“Natural Doctors International delivers natural medicine to underserved communities throughout the world and works with local peoples and international agencies to advance natural medicine and fully integrate it into global health care. NDI focuses on primary healthcare delivery, global health education, global health policy, research in natural medicine, and socially responsible volunteerism and service. Our medical rotations and global health courses are for licensed naturopathic physicians & acupuncturists, chiropractors, nurses, herbalists, midwives, and conventional medical doctors with an interest in natural medicine. Undergraduate students and lay people are encouraged to apply to our programs as well.”
I wish I had known about this when I was in school. I love to travel and am always amazed at what the third world countries are doing for their healthcare. I love that NDI is helping them be more proactive (and even re introducing) in their own botanical medicines and teaching so much more. It is very empowering for these people and for the people of the organization.
If you have a moment, please watch their video and if you have some time to donate or have some monies, please contact them.
This is the last week of summer break. We have had a perfect summer combo of absolute craziness and absolute laziness ( some days the kids never got out of their PJs!) Now it is time to get back into a schedule and to get the kids immune system strong before they are back in a classroom with many kids ( and bugs!)
This is the plan….
1. Go to bed earlier ( all of us!)
2. Eat regular meals at regular times (this maybe hard!)
3. Start putting Berry Well in their morning smoothie ( this will be easy!)
And adding some Probiotics and definitely Cod Liver Oil will be good. You can purchase some of these supplements at your local Health Food Store or through my site with Emerson Ecologics.
The other week while I was in a store promoting my book, HBD: The Lucky Escape, a gentleman approached me and asked what “online school” I went to for natural medicine.
Hmmmm…I thought as I explained to him that I received my bachelor’s degree in pre-med and then went on to spend five years at an accredited medical school, National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon.
I realized that it might be important that I explain the difference between an “online school” and an accredited school in a blog.Not only do licensed naturopathic physicians(N.D) have far more education, we have years of clinical experience, which is vital to treating patients.
I highly suggest that people seek out licensed N.Ds and ask for verification. N.Ds may be members of the American Association of Naturopathic Medicine. This is a great place to find a N.D. close to where you live. There are now many accredited schools in North America:
My husband is a general contractor who is LEED certified and is working towards getting schools and businesses to become more sustainable. There are so many ways for businesses to do this and if we have the government to help, well, that is fantastic!
Schools are becoming greener and it may not happen over night but it is in the works. Hawaii seems the ideal place to be putting “greener schools” into action as we have sun, wind and salt water. Let’s hope it happens!
I may not have said that during the birthing journey but the next day I did. I feel the need to write something about childbirth because of this Los Angeles Times article which gives many reasons why our country needs to make a change in the way we think and act upon giving birth.
My husband and I decided to have a home birth with a naturopathic physician who is also a licensed mid wife and acupuncturist. I went into giving birth with no expectations. I simply just trusted my body and my doctor. My husband though, made sure we had some back up plans…so we were a pretty good balance.
This is why I loved giving birth:
1) I was in my own home. This was fantastic for labouring but more importantly I did not have to move, at all, after the birth.
2) There were no pharmaceutical medicines around that I would have been tempted to have for the pain. This let me focus on what I needed to do…I felt so primal and alive!
3) I have never felt so empowered as a woman. I felt such strength and respect for my body.
I could go on and on because it really was a very positive experience. A few important things to consider though if you are planning a home birth – you need to be healthy, have a back up plan if things take a turn and you need to absolutely LOVE your doctor. That is really key.
I plan to start writing stories and tales of what I will call the SCRUMPTIOUSfoods! My plan is to weave geography, history and nutrition into short and lively stories about vegetables and fruits that will help us all entice our children into eating these foods and understanding why they are so important for health. But sometimes the creative juices may not be flowing so the bare fun facts will have to do!
I will add a recipe that will be easy and usually kid friendly. I will also try to keep in season but since we all live in different places it maybe hard. Just remember for greatest freshness, look for foods that are locally grown and are in season.
I have had a few requests to blog about what I cook, however, I have mentioned in the past that I am not much of a cook and I am not! But this recipe my WHOLE family loves which makes my kitchen life much more pleasant! I found the recipe in a magazine but I have tweaked it a little.
Wild Salmon with a Cilantro and Lime Butter Sauce
4 wild salmon fillets
¾ to 1 stick of butter
crushed garlic clove
salt and pepper
2 squeezed limes
½ cup of chopped cilantro
In a pan I melt the butter and then add the garlic, salt and pepper, lime juice. Once it is all mixed, I place the salmon in and cook thoroughly. Once it is done, I place on plates and sprinkle with the cilantro (I usually serve asparagus and brown rice with it).
I realize that if I allow myself to be more creative I am a much happier person.I love writing, creating photo books (although I am not a scrap booker as I need to see an end) and movies and if my family is lucky, getting adventurous in the kitchen.
When I was younger, I would sew but rarely use a pattern.I would just go for it and end up spending way too make time ripping thread out and re-sewing but it was all fun for me. Knitting was also a favourite and then when I had kids, the kid crafts took over. Even if you just pull out a coloring book and some crayons I guarantee you will feel relaxed and bring out the kid in you!
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