Raspberry Sauce

Although I am entering this recipe with the intention that it compliment lemon ice cream, it really can compliment many flavors. For a sweet fruity treat I have poured some over grapefruit segments!


Raspberry Sauce
1 package frozen raspberries, organic and thawed
2-4 T icing sugar, organic
T = tablespoon

Allow the fruit to thaw in a bowl. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the raspberries, one third at a time, into a nylon or metal sieve. Using the back of a wooden spoon, apply pressure to the berries so that the pulp and juice go through the sieve, and the seeds do not. Take as much of the fruit out by continuing to apply pressure. Do not break the sieve! The juice from the thawed raspberries should not be added to the sauce. It will make a runny sauce. Rather than wasting it, just drink it up!

Throw the sieved seeds in the compost or garbage. To the stained fruit add the sieved icing sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Careful not to oversweeten. How much you add will be your own personal preference. Ideally the sauce is a little tart and tangy, not overly sweet. It is meant to compliment the flavor of other foods, not to overwhelm.

Makes approximately 3/4 cup raspeberry sauce.

Lemon Ice Cream

This recipe is for all of the hockey parents that enjoyed the ice cream at a recent holiday team dinner. 
There is nothing vegan about this recipe. There is nothing difficult about this recipe. To feel more holistic and earthy use organic cream, organic sugar and organic lemons! Lemon is a refreshing flavor to complete a meal.

Compliment this with raspberry sauce (see recipe).


Lemon Ice Cream

2 cups whipping cream (35%), organic
1 cup sugar, organic
1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Whip the cream with a mixer or by hand until it is forming floppy soft peaks. Add the sugar and the lemon juice. Continue to whip until firm peaks form. Be very careful not to overwhip (lemon butter anyone!).

Pour the mixture into a serving bowl, and freeze. Before serving let the ice cream sit on the counter for a good 5 minutes.

Serve, pour over raspberry sauce! And give thanks for the cow that allowed this dessert to happen!

Shanthi

Quinoa, Lentil & Arame Salad

Quinoa Lentil and Arame Salad

1 cup lentils (I used French lentils)
5 cups water
1 piece of kombu

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/4 cup raisins

2 green onions (scallions), sliced and chopped
1 carrot, grated
1/2 zucchini (raw), grated
1/3 cup arame, soaked and rinsed
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted lightly (this can be done on the stove top)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped lightly
1 avocado, sliced into long pieces

Dressing

4 T sesame oil
2 T toasted sesame oil
1 T mirin
1 T brown rice vinegar
1T tamari
2 t tahini
Salt, pepper to taste
1 bunch of kale, washed, chopped and steamed
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon


Begin by checking through the lentil beans for small stones, then rinsing the beans and adding to a saucepan with water and kombu. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. The lentils take about 45 minutes to cook. Check for doneness by pressing on them with the back of a spoon. The lentils are cooked when they are soft. Careful not to overcook. When cooking is completed drain the lentils through a colander and set aside. Chop the rehydrated and cooked kombu into small pieces and add to the salad. Don't be afraid of it - it looks and feels different but its health properties compensate for all of this.

Rinse the quinoa well under running water for 30 seconds. Dry roast in the saucepan (this means to put the quinoa in the pan with heat underneath and stir gently with a wooden spoon until the quinoa is dry). Add the water, a pinch of salt, and bring to the boil. Immediately cover the pan and turn to the lowest setting for the quinoa to cook gently. After 12 minutes of cooking quickly lift the lid and add the raisins to the top of the quinoa. Do not stir, just cover again and let the quinoa finish cooking with the raisins. Turn off the heat after 15 minutes, and let sit, with the lid still on, for 5 more minutes. Then turn the quinoa out into a bowl and let it cool down.

It is best to soak the arame for at least an hour. Just add about 1 cup of water to the 1/3 cup arame. It is fine to add lots of water for the sea vegetable to rehydrate. After the hour drain the arame in a sieve, and run cold water over it for a few seconds. Let the water continue to drain for a few minutes.

Now is the moment of combining! When the lentils and quinoa are at room temperature combine them with the green onions (scallions), carrot, zucchini, arame, cilantro. Stir to mix. Combine the dressing ingredients, pour over the combined ingredients, and stir to mix throughout.

The sesame seeds can sprinkled on the top of the salad, or served in a separate bowl with the salad, as an optional topping. Lay the large pieces of sliced avocado around the edges of the salad. Serve the steamed kale in a separate bowl.

6 Servings

Shanthi

White Woman Curried Split Peas

If you eat, love and make East Indian food enough the spices will become familiar enough for you to play with combinations. This is a dish that I made with yellow split peas. The split peas are very hearty, and high in fibre, amongst other nutritional notes. The spices help to make the food more digestible, the hing helps with gas and the tumeric helps clean the blood. Together the flavor is wonderful and the post digestive effect is wonderful!

White Woman Curried Split Peas

2 T ghee butter
1 dried chili pepper
1 t cumin seeds
1 t coriander seeds
1/4 t cardamon powder
1/2 t mustard seeds
1/4 t hing powder (asafoetida, an Ayurvedic herb)
1/2 t turmeric powder
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 t grated ginger
1 cup split peas, sorted and rinsed
3 cups water
1 large bay leaf
Salt to taste
Optional
1/4 cup slivered almonds, dry roasted
Green Vegetables
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon

Melt the ghee over a medium heat. Add the dried chili, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamon powder, mustard seeds, hing and turmeric. Let the spices cook and the seeds pop slightly. Then add the onions, garlic and ginger. Stir frequently until the onions are soft and cooked. Now add the rinsed split peas, and stir to cover the peas with the spices. After a minute add the water and the bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a gentle simmer.

Cook for 75 minutes, stirring the peas gently every 15 minutes. Careful that the heat is not too high causing the peas to stick to the bottom of the pan.

Now add the salt, stir to completely incorporate and let sit or cook a further 5 minutes. The dish can be served with a cooked grain and cooked greens. I like to cook the greens at the last minute right on top of the legumes, eliminating the need to use another saucepan! The almonds make the dish a little more fancy and rich, for special occasions. They can easily be dry roasted in a frying pan on a low heat. Shake the almonds around the pan every minute. Roast for a maximum of 5 minutes.

The dish ideally is thicker than a soup or a dahl but thinner than refried beans! Play with the consistency. I love to eat with my hands so a slightly thicker mixture is easier to group together with a leafy green and some rice.

4 Servings

Shanthi

Sweet & Spicy Adzuki Beans

The adzuki beans had been sitting in the jar for too long and it was time to get familiar with them and learn about their unique properties. Was I ever surprised! These beans are sweet and filling! I enjoyed the slightly spicy aspect to this recipe, but at the same time the sweetness. Hence the name for this recipe!

Serve the beans with a cooked grain (rice, millet, etc) and a cooked green vegetable, and you will go hours before requiring more food energy!

Sweet & Spicy Adzuki Beans

1 cup adzuki beans
4 cups water
piece of kombu

1-2 T ghee butter or olive oil
1 dried chili pepper
1 medium-sized onion, diced
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground coriander,
2 cloves garlic
1 cup squash, diced or leftover puree
1 apple diced
1/2 cup diced tomato
1 heaping T tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 t salt
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
T = tablespoon
t = teaspoon

Start by rinsing and cooking the adzuki beans in a saucepan with the water and kombu. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Let the beans cook for about 1 hour, possibly a little more than 1 hour, or until they are soft.

Over a medium heat, melt the ghee butter or olive oil, and when it is hot, add the chili pepper and cook for 10 to 20 seconds, being careful not to burn the fat and the pepper. Add the diced onion and cook until soft, stirring frequently. Add the cinnamon, coriander and garlic. Cook a further minute before adding the squash, apple and tomato. Stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes. Now add the tomato sauce, vegetable stock, cooked and drained adzuki beans and salt. Bring all of this to the boil, stir well, cover, and lower to a gentle gentle simmer. Let the beans simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Watch that there is enough liquid in the pan. Add additional stock or water if necessary. If possible let the beans sit for 15 minutes before serving.

As with many bean dishes, the flavor develops further with time. Saving some beans for leftovers is a must!

4 generous servings

Shanthi

Thanksgiving Day? Or Giving Thanks Daily!

In a quiet moment on Thanksgiving Day (yes, I found one or two!) I am reflecting on the name given to this day - Thanksgiving. Thanks for the giving - what is the giving? From whom or from whence does the giving come? What am I giving in thanks?

Within my own experience I feel disconnected when I am in the kitchen, making the cranberry sauce for the turkey that I will not be eating, smelling the flesh and stuffing as they cook. It may sound sad but it is real for me. I am drawing into the meaning of this Day of Thanks in our modern society, for myself, and possibly many others. Our relationship with food is often one of love/hate. It is very different from the early settlers in North America and the pagan traditions from which this has evolved. The food supply for them was uncertain from year to year, mine is certain, at least at this moment in time.

So what is it in our world now that is of uncertainty? What is it that is there in front of me, a scarcity, to which I am thankful? And how am I reciprocating to a Universe that is so generous to give so much?

I am dipping deep into myself and connecting . Oh the Blessings are many, countless. I offer up my Thanks to this Life, all experiences, all relationships, and the Guiding Hand that knows before I do what is necessary for the next step on the journey. From the turkey in the oven, to the leaves that have fallen from the trees, to the friends and family that share and support - THANKS. I "give" to you all that I have to offer. May my heart and door stay open to listen, feel and care.

Shanthi

mothering Mother in Daily Life Green Living Bites ~ A study has linked television viewing time and diabetes. For every 2 hours of TV time the risk of the disease goes up 20%. Is it exercise related? Is it food related? Even more reason to avoid the toxic box! ~While Emily tried a whole foods diet (see the Lean Cuisine article), Canadian Geographic is encouraging homes to go on a diet as well, an "Energy Diet." Think of your household consumption of energy as similar to your personal consumption of food, and enjoy the benefits of tightening the belt! See it here. ~ These times they are a changin'- Areas across the country are imposing legislation that will charge for plastic bags in-store, or eliminate their distribution altogether. But, don't wait around for lawmakers. Eradicate your need for plastic bags now! It is easier than ever to share mothering Mother bags with others - check out our Holiday Sale! Quick Links About Us Recipes Join Our List The mothering Mother newsletter seeks to address how integral food and its connection with the Earth is to our everyday lives. Eating healthy foods is easy if you buy healthy and natural ingredients. Get familiar with your produce and bulk bags. You do so much for others, now do something for yourself. Buy fresh produce, fresh seeds and nuts, and follow the recipe below to good and natural eating. Can we eat our way out of the environmental challenges? One thoughtful meal at a time. See the continued "Eating Our Way Out" article at the bottom of this newsletter. Share your joy for the world by using cotton mothering Mother bags and sharing your home cooked foods with others. Namaste Sydney Holiday Sale!!! Save up to 25% on Selected Bags! Now until 12/31 FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50 Buy online now! mothering Mother Blog For even more wholesome food for thought, presenting the mothering Mother blog! Check it out! From Lean Cuisine to Lentils: My month on a whole foods diet Emily Beatrice Smith As I write this, a large pot of lentils, carrots, and onions seasoned with thyme, pepper, and bay leaves simmers on the stove; Simon and Garfunkel plays in the background; and I sit in bed with a cup of tea - a lovely Sunday afternoon. This was not always my routine. One month ago I made the decision to go on a whole foods diet, meaning nothing processed. This represented a radical change for me. I was a self-proclaimed Lean Cuisine fanatic. I absolutely loved it. It tasted good, offered variety, and most of all could be nuked in 5 minutes flat (3 minutes for the Mediterranean Stir Fry). My approach to food was convenience. I would come home from work very hungry - the last thing I wanted to do was launch into an hour of complicated dinner prep with doubtful results. That's not to say I was the most unhealthy eater. My day usually started with a low fat yogurt or a bowl of cereal, a sandwich and chips for lunch, and of course the obligatory lean cuisine for dinner. Then one day, I read an article about what's in Lean Cuisines. The article concluded with the line, "Bottom line; Lean Cuisines are OK every once in a while, as long as you're not living off them." I did a quick self-assessment. I was living off Lean Cuisines. After talking with Sydney and doing a bit of online research, I decided to take on the challenge of a month without processed food. I thought I was changing my diet (and perhaps my waist line). Instead I found a change of mind and a sense of peace. For me there were three transformational aspects of the diet: the food itself; the practice of preparing the food; and, the impact of the food on my body. First, the food itself. When you eat a whole foods diet, your grocery cart becomes a basket of colors. I loved standing in the produce section picking through the zucchinis, squash, avocados, and tomatoes. Each vegetable was so unique - some misshapen, some overly large, others small, some with bumps, some without. It gave me a sense that the lettuce I was holding was a living thing, planted in soil and grown by the elements of the earth. This process of picking out the vegetables that were to come into my home gave me a feeling of connection with my food. The process of preparing the food became almost therapeutic. In my previous Lean-Cuisine-life the microwave had been the only tool I used in the kitchen. Now I found myself using every pot and pan in my cupboard (admittedly there aren't many) and dicing, simmering, and stirring like a champ. I found I loved watching my food transform before my eyes. Preparing oatmeal for breakfast or couscous for dinner became a quiet part of the day when I could reflect and breathe instead of rushing to sit in front of the TV. Finally, my body had an overwhelmingly positive response to eating whole foods. I didn't feel sluggish or bloated after meals; I didn't need to exercise serious portion control (as the produce was pretty innocent in terms of calories); and, as an added bonus, I lost a few pounds. But above all I really adopted a new attitude towards my body. Before, I respected my body, but often thought if I could just fix this part, make this part a little smaller, make that part a little bigger. Once I started thinking through with each meal how I was going to nourish my body, my relationship with it changed. Now, my body was something I cared for and nurtured. I realized after a few weeks that those previous thoughts of judgment had slowly started to be replaced with a feeling of happy acceptance and love towards the body I lived in every day....flaws and all. After a month, I truly feel I have just scratched the surface of this way of life. Although I will probably begin to reintroduce some processed foods, such as bread, I am committed to the new natural lifestyle this diet has given me. Lentil Stew This recipe is an alteration of a recipe by Isa Chandra. The weather has been vacillating between warm and cold, and after reading the first sentence of Emily's article, I just had to put some lentils on to simmer. This stew has deep flavors with a hint of hot spice at the end. Leftover stew is wonderful! It has a sweet taste the next day. Have it for lunch with a grain and add a green vegetable to the pan when warming it up, for added goodness! Flavorful Lentil Stew 1 cup lentils (green or brown or French) 6 cups water 1 cup diced yellow onion 2 carrots, diced 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 T fresh ginger, grated 2 T ghee or olive oil 1 ½ cups diced tomatoes (tinned or fresh) 2 T tomato sauce ½ cup tomato juice (if using tinned tomatoes) 1 ½ cups vegetable stock 1 t salt Spice Blend 2 t ground cumin 2 t paprika ½ t fenugreek, ground or seeds ½ t dried thyme ½ t ground cardammon 1/8 t ground cloves 1/8 t ground allspice 1/8 t ground cinnamon 1/8 t cayenne pepper t=teaspoon T=tablespoon Rinse the lentils well in a strainer under running water. Put them in a saucepan with the water, bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. When lentils are cooked, and the mixture below is ready, strain the lentils and add to the soup. In a large saucepan over a medium heat melt the ghee butter, add the onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and spice blend and cook for 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add remaining ingredients and the strained lentils. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a very low simmer for 40 minutes. Ideally it is best for the stew to sit before serving. This allows the spices and lentils to develop further flavor. As well the lentils become more digestible with the long slow simmer. Serve with a cooked grain, or corn bread, and cooked green vegetables. Enjoy the warmth of the spices and the wholesomeness of the lentils. Eating Our Way Out (Part 8) Sydney MacInnis Founder mothering Mother Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Instructor So much to do, so little time! So much to buy, so little money! Time and money are two commodities that seem to be on the shortage list for many. Or should I say for most. What is it that we do with all of this time? What keeps us so busy? Do you ever ask this question? I have, many times, especially when I was busy running like a crazy lady and a crazy mother, constantly thinking about the next moment. I started to ask what it was all about. I started to ask why it was like this, and did it have to stay like this? The running around and busyness increased with conveniences. Plastic bags are an innovation that have played a role in this lifestyle. They have had their day. Despite their short 40 years of existence, they will be forever remembered. Every bag that was ever made still exists; these bags will outlive each of us, our children and generations upon generations thereafter. In fact they never go away, they only break down into smaller and smaller pieces. And the small pieces make their way into the systems of marine life, wild life, and us! We are connected with Mother Nature and the struggle will be shared amongst all of us. Like a food consumed in excess can create an intolerance in the body, the excess bag consumption has become intolerable. Perhaps before it is creating great discomfort for humans, it is creating difficulties for marine life, where over 80% of marine garbage is plastic bags. When we discuss the cost of a plastic bag, we are only looking at the front end of that purchase, only looking at what it cost to create that bag and ship it. The real and much greater cost is at the back end- the disposal and recycling of the bags. Over 90% of plastic bags do not make it to recycling. Plastic bags for recycling pay out very poorly, making it difficult to justify the work involved in collection. The average bag is used for 12 minutes. Is it time to look at the cost of the lifetime of a bag? While attending a town council meeting discussing a proposed ban of plastic bags, I heard the words "convenience for the customer". While attending a marketing meeting for mothering Mother, I heard the word "convenience" again. Convenient according to whom? The person grabbing take out for lunch, or the sea turtle with a half ingested bag? What is convenient in the moment is ultimately creating great "inconvenience". We have the ability to shift from the place where we are. How we shift really depends on the talk that we give to ourselves and the value we place on an act. Doing for another shifts an act from the head to the heart, and acts from the heart flow with ease. It is from this place that we can make decisions and complete actions that ring true and ring through. Peace to all, Life to all, Love to all. * Happy Thanksgiving - Namaste *Words of Yogi Bhajan

Listen to the Salutation of the Dawn

Listen to the Salutation of the Dawn!
Look to the Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
  In its brief course lie all the Verities
           and Realities of our Existence:
           The Bliss of Growth.
           The Glory of Action.
           The Spendour of Beauty.
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
And To-morrow is only a Vision;
But To-day well-lived makes every
           Yesterday a Dream of Happiness.
And every To-morrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn.

From the Sanskrit

Pumpkin Pancakes

And the pumpkin blitz continues! Yes, if I am going to cook pumpkin in the oven and have the puree on hand, I am going to use it in a variety of ways. Here are some ways to compliment the Pumpkin Pancakes:

• make orange butter by blending together grated orange zest and soft unsalted butter
• make cranberry sauce (see "Cranberry Sauce" post), keeping it tart, and then add a little maple syrup when topping the pancake
• top with chopped walnuts or chopped pecans
• top with the standby, delicious, good quality pure maple syrup!

Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups soft whole wheat flour
1 T sucanat *
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
2 t pumpkin spice **
2 cups milk (cow, rice), or 1 cup soy milk & 1 cup water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree***
1 egg or equivalent substitute****
2 T safflower oil or melted butter
t = teaspoon
T = tablespoon

Sift the flour, sucanat, baking powder, salt and spice together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine the milk, puree, egg and butter or oil. Pour the combined wet ingredients over the dry and mix gently with a hand whisk, being careful not to over mix.

Cook the pancakes on a medium heat. If they seem too thick, and are not cooking thoroughly, then add a little more milk to thin the batter down.

Keep warm in the oven until finished cooking all of the batter. Serve with the your favorite toppings (see list above) and enjoy a seasonal pancake experience!

*Sucanat is an unrefined sugar that is available at most health food stores. The name sucanat is a brand name for this whole cane sugar. It is dark in color and contains the natural molasses that is in the sugar cane

**Pumpkin Spice  

Combine the following spices:

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

***See "How to Bake Pumpkin" post for homemade puree
****See ""Eggless" Egg Proportions" post for egg-free pancakes

Shanthi

Cranberry Sauce

It is very easy to make cranberry cranberry sauce, and it has a very different taste and texture from the tinned sauce. Fresh cranberries are available in the produce section of most grocery stores, especially at this time of year!

Cranberry Sauce
2 cups cranberries, rinsed and picked over to remove soft berries
1/4 cup unrefined sugar
1 t grated orange rind
1/4 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed best!)
1/4 t cinnamon
t = teaspoon

Put the rinsed berries and the sugar in a saucepan over a medium low heat. Gently shake the pan every couple of minutes as the sugar begins to liquify and the berries begin to pop. After 8 minutes add the grated rind and juice. Turn the heat to low, add the cinnamon, and let the sauce gently simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon to squish the berries. Simmer for 5 minutes. Take a small taste of the sauce and adjust the sugar if necessary. The sauce is ideally a blend of the tart berries, lightly sweetened with the sugar to take off the tart edge and then the orange to give it an extra zing. Allow to cool in the pan.

Taste the sauce again when it is at room temperature. If it requires further sweetening, use a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup. If it is too thick then add more of the orange juice. Enjoy with acorn squash that has been baked and filled!

Shanthi

"Eggless" Egg Proportions

1 egg = 2 fluid ounces (approximately)

To replace 1 egg use one of the following combinations:

1 1/2 ounces apple puree (applesauce) or banana puree (mashed banana)
1/2 ounce fat (either safflower oil or melted butter)

This replacement results in food that has a texture and taste similar to foods that are cooked with eggs.

5 Stars to Starbucks!

I went into Starbucks while traveling, bringing in my reusable travel mug, to have filled with green tea. To my delight Starbucks is monetarily acknowledging their thanks to those customers who bring in a reusable cup and save them the cost of a throw away cup. As a result the green tea cost $.27! Wow! The saleswoman said that the charge would have been $2.21. So... this left me open to donate the difference to an MS donation cup that was sitting on the Starbucks counter. Instead of contributing to the 30 million coffee cups that are thrown away daily in the USA, I was able to give my money to help the world, not hinder it!

Thanks Starbucks! Tell me of your coffee or tea story. Let's inspire one another.

Shanthi

Sea Vegetable Kale Salad

1 bunch kale

1/2 cup arame or hijiki (sea vegetables), rehydrated in plenty of filtered water for 30 plus minutes, at room temperature

1/2 cup grated carrot

4 scallions, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped (leaves only)

1/3 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated in warm filtered water for 30 minutes

1/4 cup sesame seeds, lightly roasted

Dressing

2 T sesame oil

2 T toasted sesame oil

1 lemon, squeezed

2 T tamari

2 T mirin or honey

Salt, ground pepper

Rehydrate the arame or hijiki and the cranberries in water. No simmering or boiling is necessary. The cranberries are best with warmed water and the sea vegetables are fine with room temperature water.

Wash the kale and remove the soft leaves from the hard stem that runs up the center. Lightly chop the kale and then stir fry it very lightly in a wok or frying pan. A little water in the pan from the kale is fine. At this stage be careful not to overcook the kale. It will continue to cook when removed from the pan so allow for this. Let the kale cool.

Into a salad bowl add the rinsed arame or hijiki, the carrot, scallion, avocado, cilantro and cranberries. Add the kale when cooled. Toss generously with the dressing, it is okay if the avocado softens during this movement. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top just before serving.

This salad is fine to sit with the dressing for a couple of hours in advance of a meal. The dressing can help to continue the softening of the kale and the flavor of the dressing will penetrate into the sea vegetable (arame or hijiki) and the land vegetables!

Enjoy the flavor and nutrition that is offered in leafy greens and mineral dense sea vegetables!

Namaste,

Sydney

Plastic Bag Ban

On November 13th (which is this coming Sunday) the town of Southampton, NY will be putting the 'Plastic Bag Ban' into effect. After this date, people violating this new law will face a fine up to $2,000 and the possibility of spending two weeks in jail.

Here's an interesting fact about this new law… It only bans thin plastic bags that are used in grocery and drug stores. While it's exciting to focus on this accomplishment, it makes you wonder why plastic bags specifically made for produce are exempt from this law- isn't a plastic bag a plastic bag, be it within the store or at the check-out? At mothering Mother™ we sell reusable cotton produce bags in a variety of sizes, inspiring you to buy as many fruits and vegetables while avoiding the use of plastic.

Do you know how much is costs to dispose of plastic bags? Did you know that between 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are used each year? Take a quick glance at this post, informing people about what is required to produce and deposit plastic bags.

Additionally, here is a list of countries and cities that have banned plastic bags- the list is missing a few cities, such as Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Francisco.

The push for the ban on plastic bags has been spreading, and for anyone that wants to get involved and is living in or near the Westchester, NY Area, there is a Public Hearing in Rye, NY on Wednesday, November 16th, at 8pm. The meeting will be held at City Hall, and I urge you to be a part of this important movement!

-Katie

Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf

Wow, 2 dessert type recipes and no savoury recipes to balance it out! The night that I made the loaf I also made sweet potato soup. It was a very orange day! For the soup I went to the mothering Mother website, http://motheringmother.com/Recipes/, rather than pulling out the tired hand written recipe.

The oven was on for some homemade pita pizzas so I cooked up some fresh pumpkin for the loaf. The cranberries were left over from Canadian Thanksgiving (Columbus Day weekend in the US) and were calling out to be used soon. Most cranberry loaf recipes call for oranges, and look dry. The mixture of the moist pumpkin with the tart cranberries and a little sweetness from the raisins and the loaf itself, make this a loaf that does not require additional butter for flavor or moisture.

The ground pumpkin spice brought the flavors together. I bought the spice using the mothering Mother mini sealed bulk bag from a store that sells bulk herbs and spices. Some of the spice did not fit into a jar and so the aroma from the cotton bag was wafting into the kitchen for several days! You do not have to have pumpkin spice. A homemade alternative is listed at the bottom of the recipe.

Halloween is coming, Thanksgiving (US) is coming! Enjoy the magic of savoury root vegetables!

Shanthi Shanthi

Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf

Ingredients:2 cups flour (half whole wheat and half white flour)
3/4 cup sucanat sugar
1 Tablespoon turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup chopped cranberries
1/2 cup raisins

Sift together the dry ingredients (the first 6 ingredients) and lightly whisk together the wet ingredients (pumpkin, eggs, oil). Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and gently whisk together.

Using a spatula fold in the half of the pecans, cranberries and raisin.

Spoon into the loaf pan and smooth the top with a knife.Sprinkle the remaining pecans on the top.

Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325F, cover and bake a further 20-30 minutes, until it is completely baked.

How to Bake Pumpkin

Slice a baking pumpkin in half, removed the seeds and place it cut side down into an oven proof glass dish with an eighth of an inch of water at the bottom.

Bake in a 325F oven.

When outside of the pumpkin is soft with the press of a finger, take it out of the oven and remove the soft flesh from inside the pumpkin. Cool slightly, then puree.

For an alternative stove top cooking method, see Simple Squash Lunch.

Pumpkin Spice

Combine the following spices:

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Namaste,

Sydney

Sydney's Granola

Sydney's Granola

Making granola in your home ensures freshness while also reducing costs. Buy your ingredients with mothering Mother bags at a store that offers good quality ingredients. Measure, stir, bake and enjoy!

Now a video to walk you through the process, and to enhance your understanding of good nutrition coming from your own hands! 

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 rounded t vanilla
1 rounded t cinnamon
1/2 t salt 
Dried fruit (raisins, dates, apricots)

Warm the oil and syrup over low heat. Remove and add vanilla. In a large glass dish, such as Pyrex, combine remaining ingredients, except the dried fruit. Pour the liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and stir well to coat all grains. Bake in a 300F oven, stirring every 20 minutes, for 45min to 1 hour.
Let cool completely. Add dried fruit, if desired, and mix to combine. Store in airtight containers. To avoid rancidity, eat within 3 weeks.

This is good as a cereal or snack. Makes approx 6 cups.

Getting Started in the Kitchen

For me, and the work of mothering Mother, it all starts in the kitchen. Well, maybe I should back up a little and say it starts when you are choosing the ingredients and prepared foods for the kitchen supplies. There is great joy in preparing food and sharing it with others, and I have experienced the joy of eating food prepared by friends and family.

Yesterday was a birthday for a mothering Mother associate. Baking a cake would be easy, except that Katie is gluten-free. Cake without gluten, well, what is holding it all up?! The texture and taste of non-gluten grains invite disappointment for those who are accustomed to gluten flours.

I had been working on a recipe for fruit crumble. After reading a bit about gluten-free online, and looking at other recipes, and checking in with Katie, I went ahead and made a small substitution for flour in the crumble topping, and it worked out beautifully! Even the adolescent teens were in for additional servings. And Katie could enjoy the "fruits of my labor" without any post digestive affects.

The autumn weather is around us. Warm up with some grounding grains and fruits!

Shanthi Shanthi

Katie's Crumble

Fruit
6 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 teaspoon sucanat*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Juice of 1/2 lemon


Topping
6 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cold
1/4 cup sucanat
2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar** (or skip this and add more sucanat)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons rice flour (or soft whole wheat flour)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup rolled oats (large or small flakes)

Place the sliced apples into an 8"x11" pyrex dish (or something similar, but not metal). Pour over the lemon juice and then sprinkle the sucanat and cinnamon over the apples.

The topping can be made in a food processor, or by hand with a pastry cutter. In a bowl combine the butter, chopped into many pieces, the sucanat, flour of choice, cinnamon and salt. Cut the butter into the flour until the butter is small crumbs. If using a food processor, turn the machine on and off frequently to create this consistency. Add the oats and combine process lightly so that the oats are mostly whole.

Cover the apples with the topping. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cover the crumble with a cookie sheet or something reusable, lower the heat to 325°F and bake a further 15 minutes. The apples are cooked when the apples in the center of the crumble are soft.

Remove from the oven. Let cool. Enjoy! The crumble does not require refrigeration, only covering. I often store it in the oven, eliminating the need for wasteful food wrap.

Alternative Fruit Filling
Earlier in the fall we enjoyed this crumble with a mixture of fruits that were here at home. I combined apples, pears and plums. The mixture of the flavors gave a mystery to each bite, and the red in the plum added wonderful color. This topping works with many fruits.

 (Click photo to enlarge)

*Sucanat is an unrefined sugar that is available at most health food stores. The name sucanat is a brand name for this whole cane sugar. It is dark in color and contains the natural molasses that is in the sugar cane
**Turbinado/Demerara Sugar is a partially refined refined brown sugar. It is found under these two common names.

Into the Wild: For a Summer, For a Lifetime

Joanna Falcone mothering Mother McGill University Student         As a student of the environment entering my final year at McGill University in Montreal, I was looking to have a little adventure this summer before I graduate and  enter the "real world". Desiring to avoid the typical summer jobs, I ventured outside the box to the US National Parks website. There, I discovered a section devoted to youth corps programs. These programs revolved around conservation projects and were located across the country. I applied to several, but decided on Rocky Mountain Youth Conservation Corps,  a non-profit organization partnered with AmeriCorps, and based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Basically, I was to be living in the woods for 3 months on a chainsaw crew with eight of my peers working outdoors and truly experiencing nature.  Not a bad place to work... When I first heard chainsaw, I thought "isn't this supposed to be about conservation? How will cutting DOWN trees help with that?" I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. I packed up my life into a 45lb backpack and headed out to Colorado. The first week was a whirlwind. My crew was stationed at a desolate campground in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. Here, we built a fence and planted trees. My crew & I bonded immediately because we were with each other 24/7. As the weeks went on, we underwent intensive chainsaw training and found most of our projects to be about forest fire mitigation and forest health. A few years ago, there was an invasive pine beetle epidemic that left most of the Rocky Mountain pine trees for dead. To help remedy this problem, one of our projects was to go in and remove fallen trees, which could potentially fuel a forest fire. We put them into teepee-like piles to be burned in a controlled environment come winter. We also cut down these "beetle kill" trees, as they could fall and become hazards to hikers or campers. We then utilized this wood to construct a fence that was used to protect an endangered plant species.  The work was meaningful, but the best things about my experience were meeting amazing people, being isolated from society, and living completely in the now. Living in a tent and going to work everyday was my life. I didn't have to worry about paying bills or rent, or buying gas. It was so refreshing to have a single focus rather than constant sensory stimulation. Where I used to find myself bored without an iPod to listen to or a computer to surf the web, I experienced a new form of stimulation- nature and my own thoughts.  I have always had a love for the outdoors, but living in a city, I find it difficult to take time out and be strictly in the present. I found myself taking in more than the fresh mountain air. It was my own form of meditation that allowed me to reaffirm my values and reconnect with myself in a sense. On the weekends, we took recreational trips in the region, adding more and more locations to my adventures. The breathtaking scenery was perhaps more incentive to be completely aware of where I was. The smells, the sights, the sounds, the feelings- I took in every detail that was presented to me in these fascinating places.   I was not in complete isolation the entire summer, however. We would venture into nearby towns to restock our food supply and shower every weekend. I did notice I reacted differently to people upon these visits. Large crowds overwhelmed me and loud "city" noises made me anxious, neither of which had ever really been an issue before. It was culture shock almost. After 2 months back in civilization, I have adjusted to the city sensations. I am so grateful that I was able to have this experience, and can honestly say I've changed in a positive light. My passion for the environment and being in nature was most certainly confirmed, and, as I prepare to venture away from the academic world that I have known for so very long, I hope this passion will lead me to more amazing adventures.

Fruits of the Harvest

We have included 2 recipes in the newsletter this month! The first recipe came out of the late summer fresh ingredients. In this recipe quinoa is used as the grain to replace bulgur. In our wheat-based world (bulgur is a wheat grain) it is nice to eat a grain that is from a different grain family.  Experiment, try something new! Alternative Grain Tabouli ½ cup quinoa 1 cup water pinch of salt 1 tomato 1 cucumber large bunch of parsley Optional: several mint leaves, chopped finely Dressing Olive oil Juice of ½ lemon Salt, pepper Rinse the quinoa well under running water. Roast in a pan to dry the grains, then add the required amount of water and salt. Bring to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover and let cook for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat but leave the quinoa to sit in the pan for a further 5 minutes. Turn the cooked grains out into a non-metallic bowl. As the grains cool off chop the tomato, cucumber and parsley (and mint if using this). Combine the ingredients for the dressing. When the quinoa is at room temperature add all of the remaining ingredients, including the dressing.  Stir well to mix everything together. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning if necessary. And that is it! Enjoy the simplicity of each taste! Makes 3-4 servings. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The second recipe centers around a paragraph in the "Eating Our Way Out" article. Since the cookie recipe is egg-free it is safe to nibble on the batter right out of the bowl, or use it for cookie dough ice cream. No concern for salmonella! Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies ½ cup unsalted butter ½ cup sucanat 2 T turbinado sugar Egg replacement - mashed banana or applesauce equivalent                                (¼ cup) ½ t vanilla 1/3 cup rolled oats ¼ cup shredded coconut ½ cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup white flour ½ cup chopped walnuts 1 scant cup chocolate chipits ½ t baking soda ¼ t salt Cream butter with the sugars until it is soft. Add the egg replacer and the vanilla. Cream together again. Add all remaining ingredients at one time. Mix on low only until the flour disappears. Drop by spoonful onto baking sheets. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking tray for a couple of moments before moving to wire racks. Cool completely before eating, if you can wait that long!   Makes 24 cookies

Eating Our Way Out (Part 7)

Sydney MacInnis Founder mothering Mother Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Instructor I have recently been exploring different aspects of our food consuming habits. Sitting in a public place, and watching all of the activity going on, gives time to observe our habits. Specialization was created to raise us up from minimum survivors to group thrivings. Having persons specialize in different trades gave rise to increased production and less time spent on pure survival. As barter and trade advanced to money, the levels of exchange increased, as did the specialization. Although this is not meant as a mini history lesson, the question of what benefit has come to the world from this specializing, and how far can we take it until it is no longer beneficial, came to my mind. Has the pleasure of feeding your Self  become a task that is left to others? Time and effort is needed to properly nourish the body, mind and spirit. Eating food from your own home, from your own hands, with focus, attention and care, does create a different level of awareness of life. As one becomes attuned to the physical body, and the post digestive effects of foods, one begins to become more attuned to the physical world around. How attuned are we to the words that another is speaking? How far into conversation until the attention is averted elsewhere? A friend is "fasting" for an upcoming religious celebration. To prepare the body, mind and spirit for this event, all flesh foods including eggs are to be avoided. So when offered a cookie, she will ask if there are eggs in it. Her young son wanted a chicken dish for dinner. Despite his young demands he was told that they would not be eating that right now. The interesting observation is the subtle development of limitations and restrictions, and living consciously and happily with these restrictions in place. Most often we are fearful of what life will be like without our favorite food, or our favorite drink and this fear can paralyze us, and keep us stuck where we are, which may not be where we want to be.  The act of denying a food, or limiting a food, begins an inner discipline. We are able to develop this discipline with school and work, because we are accountable to others and scored for the effort and achievement. What about a personal health plan? A personal environmental commitment? Who is keeping score? And what is the purpose? Only you can answer this question, although I will give you some nudges on this journey!  There is the recognition with this fasting practice that what feeds the body feeds the mind and the spirit. The mind is a great tool that works best when it is sharpened regularly. What this means is that everyday the mind is bombarded with information that comes in through the senses, and this information is processed with a hue from past experiences. Who you are now is a culmination of your experiences and processing. The mind becomes cluttered with this information and as a result spends most of the time in reverse or fast forward as opposed to the present moment. Practicing daily times of intentional quietude and stillness begins the process of calming and clearing the mind.  The following is a quote from a talk given by Ravi Ravindra, a professor of physics, philosophy and comparative religions. His words below are in reference to the mind. "[Begin a practice of the] silencing of the mind, with the clear suggestion that the mind is not the real knower. It is an instrument of knowledge and that as long as it is noisy it is a bad instrument. But it can be quieted with practice and then it can be a good instrument... Then it can be like a clear diamond, wherever it is placed it just shows the color of that thing without introducing its own color." So now I have filled your mind with knowledge. Joanna has filled your heart with her personal discoveries in nature. Unclutter your mind of all our words. Let silence wash over you and sit in quietude. It is then that the real message will arise, and give you the strength and joy to act accordingly. May you shine for those around you. May others shine for you. Namaste, Sydney