"Sprouted" Fresh Fruit

Last week I sprouted some sunflower seeds.  Sprinkled on freshly cut fruit - what could be better!

Why sprouted seeds? Sprouting seeds make them bio-available when they are consumed. In simple terms digestion and breakdown has started before you take a bite. Sprouted seeds are softer and easier to chew and break down. Once in the stomach the seeds do not require water to soften them, and the high nutrient levels are ready for absorption! Sprouting increases the nutrient levels of protein, calcium, zinc, potassium, copper, magnesium, Vitamins A, E, D and B, as well as iron and chlorophyll in the seeds! It worth the small effort to have seeds germinate in your kitchen. Save on plastic packaging by sprouting yourself, save on money by sprouting yourself.

How to Sprout
Begin with 1/4 cup of hulled sunflower seeds, rinse and then soak for 6 hours in 1 cup of filtered water, keeping the seeds at room temperature (a kitchen glass will work for this). After 6 hours strain the seeds, saving the soaking water for your plants (the plants will love you!), and gently rinse the seeds using a colander. Spread the sunflower seeds out in the colander, cover them with a kitchen towel. Repeat the rinsing and spreading out 3 times a day. When "tails" sprout to 1/4 of an inch in length, move the seeds to the refrigerator, where they will continue to sprout. Rinse daily.

Watch as the seeds "sprout to life" before your very eyes!

Shanthi

motheringMother founder Sydney is talked about in a recent article about banning plastic bags in Pelham, NY


http://www.thedailypelham.com/news/pelham-manor-debates-merits-plastic-bag-ban

Aren't We Already Beautiful?

According to an advertisement in our local paper, the "Gift of Beauty" awaits all mothers, at the hand of a plastic surgeon. Yes, Mum, you too can be beautiful, as defined by our franchise society! Forget your uniqueness, a little botox here, and a little Restylane there. I had to google that word, I had no idea what it meant!

Keep us all looking the same, deny the existence of the lines that come on our faces with our individual way of living life, by hiding signs of aging, so that we can live in this illusion that what is on the surface matters most in life!

Happy Mothers Day to All Women. You were made beautiful by Nature. Value that.

Shanthi

The Best Way to Handle Dandelions

Yesterday I made a noodle salad, a Soba (buckwheat) Noodle Salad, as I am experimenting with gluten-free food for the next month. As I was coming into the home I noticed a few large and beautiful dandelions in the flower bed. I pulled a couple out and brought them inside. After washing well (do you know how dirty food is when it grows in an area of biodiversity?! lots of nature's bits were amongst the leaves) the dandelion was ready to be chopped.

Below are photos and a rough recipe for the salad. The dressing was a Thai type sauce that a friend generously gave to us. It had ginger, garlic, paprika, tumeric, cayenne, brown sugar, tamari, coconut milk, peanut butter, salt, lime juice - everything but the kitchen sink! Any heavier, fuller flavor dressing will work with the noodles.

Soba Noodles are often sold with gluten grains along with the buckwheat. Shop carefully if you are serving someone with a gluten intolerance. The best part was the dandelion! They are spicy and added a character of their own to this salad. Love all of nature by embracing the beauty and nutrition in dandelions!


Soba Noodle Dandelion Salad - Gluten Free

For the vegetables in this salad use whatever is in your crisper!

Cooked Soba Noodles, rinsed with cold water, drained well
Red Onion, chopped
Carrots, grated
Cucumber, grated
Dandelion, chopped
Kidney Beans, strained
Peanuts, lightly pan roasted and chopped
Dressing, refer to the list above or use your own favorite

Combe all of the ingredients in a bowl, and pour over enough dressing to taste throughout the salad. Add seasoning as necessary. Chill for 30 minutes maximum, to allow the dressing to be absorbed into the noodles. The noodles become heavier as they become colder, and the seasonings dull with the cold so this salad is best served at room temperature.

Shanthi

Final Day

Yesterday ended well, lots of energy, until I sat to read and started falling asleep. I drank a juice alone. It allowed me to connect with something greater than myself.

This is the final day of the fast. A juice this morning, and at lunch. The energy level is staying high, and the focus is amazing! Eating distracts me, and fills the gaps between things that I am doing. Without that distraction, the empty spaces allow me to behave differently. Last night I did not want to be answering emails and doing the "busyness" of life until I dropped into bed. I allowed time for reading, but not on the computer. That was a nice and necessary change.

Tonight I will attend a workshop to facilitate "spring cleaning of the stagnant energy" in the body, mind, spirit - wherever it has stagnated. What a perfect way to wrap up the fast!

Thank you for sharing with me these past few days. My wish is for your journey to be one of health, and constant discovery.

Shanthi (Peace)

The Third Day Calm

Day 3 is here and the calm and extra focus have kicked in! My juicing partner came this morning, had a juice with me, and announced that she will be moving to Kitchadi by dinner time. So I am on my own for the remainder of today and tomorrow.

After a warm bath I am finally dressed for the day. I feel more comfortable in my clothing, and for me, this helps me to stay committed. When the body is not using energy to digest, and it has adjusted to surviving on fewer calories, and the mind has accepted the fasting process, then it is as if this door has opened to work without interruption, and to see situations more clearly. Everything feels possible! Oh, let's ride on this for awhile!

Gluten Free Foods

When you begin eating gluten-free, the biggest challenge is finding the best brands. Here's a short list of foods I feel are worth trying!

-Udi's Sandwich Bread
-Udi's Double Chocolate Muffins -- They're unbelievably good, but very rich, so stick to 1/4-1/2 of one.
-San-J sauces, all delicious and gluten-free. Try the Teriyaki one in a stir fry or on tofu, YUM!
-Tinkyada brown rice pasta, the best gluten-free pasta that I've ever had. Tastes better than 'real' pasta.
-Chex Cereal -- Let me tell you, the Honey Nut Chex is amazing!
-Rice Cakes -- One of my favorite things is a little bit of cream cheese and salmon on a rice cake- better than any bagel!
-Lara Bars -- If you need to quickly grab a bar on the go, try the Apple flavor, it's hands down my favorite

If there's any other gluten free foods you'd like to find out about, make sure to leave a comment or send an email, and I'll post about it!

-Katie