Mayan Calendar - Ending & Beginning

Today is the end of the Mayan calendar! What all of it means, I don't know, but I do know that I want intention and awareness to be invested in the day.

What is it that brings us to a place of seeing and experiencing from the Heart? The Native American speaker on the film "Shift of the Ages" stated that "The longest journey we will take in life is from the head to the heart." Why is it that way? If the heart enriches our life experience and the totality of our experiences, why is it a challenge to get there?

I know from my own life that it is the journey in the challenge that can give the greatest serendipities. It is really, within each challenge, that we have an opportunity to journey to the heart, to journey with the heart.

Within human nature are qualities that avoid new journeys. These qualities will come up, that is part of our programming, and the 'living in the head' to which we have been programmed. To walk differently is... is... risky. It is new and uncharted territory. Fear grabs us, and we justify to ourselves why we need to recoil and stay where we are.

This new walk is risky, I won't diminish it. But I won't accept it. Fear of fear itself keep us in the head, and bumbling along, asleep a the wheel of life, while the autopilot steers our ship. The value of shifting to a fuller and richer experience of life can never be fully described, because no two experiences are alike.

"Who am I?" Let that phrase reverberate throughout your day. As you encounter your day, keep that subtle question moving within your thought process, agitating you to move beyond the mind.

Journey well, journey together. We are in the Age of Community!

Peace & Joy
Love & Light
Shanthi (Peace)

Holiday Calm from mothering Mother - Newsletter Dec 2012

mothering Mother in Daily Life

Green Living Bites ~ Replace wrapping paper with wrapping cotton, and cotton reusable bags! Even better, give gifts in the mothering Mother drawstring and velcro closing bags!  ~Give with meaning this holiday. Create something from your own hands.!Yes it takes more time. And yes, it has more meaning!  ~Give the best gift of all - Your Peace. If doing more means that you are falling apart, then the negative energy cancels out the good deed. The greatest gift in the greatest shortage is the gift of time - give a "lunch together card ", with a date in the New Year. Time with a friend or family member can mean more than a material item. mothering Mother Blog For even more wholesome food for thought, presenting the  mothering Mother®  blog! Check it out!  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. Eating Earth healthy foods benefits everyone. 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 Calmers Any time that the the mind starts to run faster than the body, begin to bring union to yourself with some of these ideas. Ultimately you are in charge of how you move through this season, so take back yourself from the illusion that has been created at this time of year.  The Breathe - this is the immediate connector for the body and mind. Breathe in for 5 slow counts and breath out for 6 slow counts. Inhale through the nose, and exhale out the nose. Inhale smoothly and evenly for all 5 counts, and exhale slowly and consistently for all 6 counts. Let the increased prana (energy) in the body work its magic! Go to the original messages of the holiday season! The weeks leading up to Christmas are about the candles of Advent. Each candle celebrates and invites us to live with deeper meaning and connection. Hope, Peace, Joy and Love - let these qualities permeate your Being. Hanukkah is a commemoration of "rededication" and a celebration of faith and courage from this dedication.  For the mystics out there, this particular year is a very auspicious time! It is a time to "write down your wishes, desires, plans for the New Year and the New Era - one that begins on Dec. 21 when the ancient Mayan calendar ends.  This also marks the shift from the Piscean Age to the Aquarian Age...we are now moving into a time of community, of brotherhood and sisterhood.  An understanding of our interconnectedness, with one another and with all on the planet." (see  www.goodenergyyoga.com and Melissa Elstein) Create away! It is your meaning, your wishes, and your intentions that can make every day a celebration!   KISS - Keep It Simple Silly Bring out the slow cooker! Before heading to work, or heading out to run errands, put on a pot of soup and come home to a meal! Red lentils cook easily, and have a high nutrient density. This is a favorite in our home. I will not take credit for this entire recipe. It comes from the Moosewood Restaurants Cooks at Home book. Using water, not vegetable stock, and simple ingredients that are often in your kitchen, make adaptions to suit your taste and your ease. Red Lentil Soup 1 1/2 cups red lentils   7 cups water 3 bay leaves 1 clove garlic, chopped finely (optional) 2 slices of fresh ginger 2 carrots, grated to make 1 cup 1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or tinned) 1/2 cup diced pepper 1 1/2 cups chopped onion 2 T ghee butter or olive oil 1 1/2 t ground cumin 1 1/2 t ground coriander 1/8 t cayenne (or to taste) 3 cups leafy greens, chopped 2 T fresh lemon juice Salt, pepper to taste Rinse the lentils in a stainer under running water. Add the lentils, bay leaves, garlic, and ginger to the pot or slow cooker. Turn on the heat. While the lentils begin to cook, chop and cook the onions with the ghee butter or oil. When the onions are translucent, add the spices. Add all of this, with the carrots, tomatoes and pepper to the slow cooker. If you are doing this on the stove top, then cook the lentils with the carrots, tomatoes and pepper for 30 minutes, then add the cooked onion combination. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. The leafy greens can be added with the lemon juice, just before serving. Adjust the seasoning, remove the ginger pieces and bay leaves. This soup is an excellent leftover. The flavors of the spices mellow into the lentils. Makes 4-6 servings. Yummy! Eating Our Way Out (Part 18)  Sydney MacInnis Founder mothering Mother Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Instructor At this time of year overconsumption is the way of the day. Approaching holiday eating with your own boundaries will help you to feel merry now, and on Jan 1, 2013! Overeating is not a symbol that you are having a good time. Quite to the contrary, we usually feel more down with ourselves when we overeat!   While enjoying the conversation and connectedness of gatherings, choose foods that are lighter. Keep servings of flesh foods and dairy to a minimum. These foods tend to be high in fats and stay with us for longer. Keep servings of vegetables high. These foods tend to give us micronutrients, fibre, and a feeling of atiation. Feeling a little Grinchy, I will say that meat 'is the first thing to go!' Whatever the reason for motivation - the environment (meat carries a high carbon footprint, creates toxic waste, encourages antibiotic resistance, compromises water quality), or health benefits, or the humane interest of the animals themselves - find something that resonates with you to make this a part of your regular dietary habits. If you are eating meat, make it the side bar of your meal. You will feel better, and everyone will benefit! Consume, on every level, with intention! May health be your birthright! Namaste

Ow, I was Bitten by the Temptation

The price of food does play an influence on decision making. Yesterday I was bitten by the temptation to buy Breyers ice cream for a dinner that we are hosting with children. On every level the ice cream is not a good decision - health-wise it is loaded with refined sugars, high fat and stabilizers; environmentally it has plastic packaging on the lid; and, Breyers tends to be a higher priced ice cream.

But the price, oh, not a $5-$7 gouge, this was a mere $3.25! In a flash I found the flavor desired and I purchased away. At home, I now opened the freezer door to take out some legumes for dinner, and there it was, staring me in the face! How did I come to have this in the freezer?! Oh yes, you justified it through the price. Now I will face dealing with the packaging when we are finished; reflecting on the message and conditioning that I am giving to these children; and, I will face dealing with our son, who will ask for ice cream daily, once he knows it is there. Then I will have to employ more decision-making strategies!

So do I leave the ice cream where it is and let the children have some tonight, or do I return it to the store, and purchase, or make, a dessert that does not challenge so many levels of my personal value system? Cheap food elicits cheap decision making values. It would have been easier to walk by that freezer case if the price was higher.

Where and how do each of us draw the line around our food choices in a society where the poorest are also the heaviest?

Shanthi

Convenience - ing!

A new verb has just been created! "But it's not convenient."This is the most common Western objection to living a green lifestyle. It is all about convenience. We have been programmed to think about convenience first.

And when we have convenienced our way through the day - are we happy? We have more conveniences now than ever in the history of mankind, and yet we are less happy, more stressed, more depressed.

Go to a "convenience store" and ask yourself if this experience is uplifting, enlivening.

At some stage we will tire of convenience, and its inability to speak to our hearts, and we will embrace a way of life that uses different words to define meaning in a day, and meaning in a lifetime.

Make that stage and time in your life today! Become aware of convenience for Mother Nature, and make that your convenience focus.


Shanthi

After "Math"

After an interesting evening listening to Bill McKibben and the 350.org group speak in NYC, there are several reflections that I have. McKibben wrote an article for Rolling Stone Magazine and it summarizes the issues and plans for action.

350.org is an organization that is addressing the numbers, the "math" around global warming. The storm that hit the East Coast recently, Sandy, is sadly a demonstration of exactly what the experts predict to be an outcome of global warming. McKibben is telling us that we are to target the oil companies that are making lots of money, and creating environmental degradation for which they do have to pay. They are recommending divestment and rallies. Read the article for a further understanding of their position.

We all have an opportunity, many times each day, to look at our own contribution to the global situation. We all have contributed to greenhouse gases through our activities and our purchases. At mothering Mother we are focused around what you and I can do today to help reduce our carbon footprint. Our actions, our purchases, our eating, are all political decisions that we engage in everyday. Choosing to walk or take public transit rather than drive, choosing to have less "stuff" or to buy something used, choosing to eat lower on the food chain, all are choices that we make each day.

We are all part of the problem, and we can all be part of the solution. While the work of 350.org bubbles and moves along, embrace little steps of simplicity in your own life. We are all going to need to learn to live with a little less. There can be so much joy and satisfaction within us when we engage our own "Pioneer Spirit".

Shanthi

With my good friend and fellow yoga teacher Melissa.

"Do the Math" Talk

Tonight I am going to a talk in NYC given by Bill McKibben of 350.org. I know very little about Bill and his work. The bit that I do know is that it will be a numbers presentation focusing around the environment and the changes happening with global warming.

I have not attended many of these types of talks in recent years. I have heard them before, over 20 years ago, information about the atrocities that were happening then to the earth, to Mother Nature. I did not know what to do with all of the information. And the sadness. And the anger. Fast forward 20 years and I am asking myself what large scale changes have taken place.

We need the environmental solutions to come from all generations, from persons of all shapes and sizes, of all income levels and of all genders. No waiting for the government, or your family or your neighbor. Start to make the changes in your own life. Your eating, your spending, your habits, your language, your awareness - all of these can make massive changes in the world today!

Be an agent of change. Mother Nature needs you; you need Mother Nature! Take this reciprocal relationship into your heart and move with Love throughout your day.

Shanthi

October 2012 Newsletter

mothering Mother in Daily Life  Green Living Bites ~ Make your own replacement for paper towels. Reusable cleaning cloths can be made from old sheets, old towels, old tshirts, old pj's... anything that is cotton and old! Use, wash, then reuse. ~Another way to reduce the use of paper towels is to line the crisper drawer with a cotton kitchen towel instead of paper towel. The kitchen towel can be washed and reused, and it will keep your vegetables from exposure to the chemicals in the paper towels! ~Love 'Em & Leave 'Em! A new catchy phrase for your fall leaves! Mulch the leaves with your mower. Leave the mulch on your lawn, use in your flower beds or in your home compost. Mulching at the source saves on hauling and dumping, and leaf blowing! mothering Mother Blog For even more wholesome food for thought, presenting the  mothering Mother®  blog! Check it out!  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. Eating Earth healthy foods benefits everyone. 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 India & Back Jordan McConnell & Meggie Guest Students North Toronto High School Upon our arrival in Udaipur, the advice and all the words of wisdom people had given to us left our minds, and all we could focus on was what was in the moment. Suddenly, the visions we had and the predictions we made about India disappeared. What was facing us was a big dose of reality; one that was totally foreign from anything that we had experienced back home. This would be our reality for the next 3 weeks. No matter how much advice we were given, we couldn't have imagined the adventure we were about to embark on. While we were in India we participated in many eye-opening experiences, including the 'Water Walk'. Our group of twenty students got up bright and early and went over to a nearby village and assisted a mother with her daily chores. We were all shocked at how physically demanding it was! We did everything from gathering copious amounts of water, to plastering her house with cow dung. Living in Canada, we have been blessed with access to clean water at all times. In contrast, the government in India provides the village with water for only half an hour a day. From these experiences we have learned that just because you have certain resources does not mean you should abuse them. One habit that we continue at home is to stagger our showers, meaning we turn off the water while rubbing the shampoo or conditioner in our hair. Another habit we continued upon returning is taking on a more vegetarian diet. For the majority of the time in India, we ate a mainly vegetarian diet. This was partially because of the fact that the Indian population is largely Hindu, and they do not eat cow, and also because of the culture. We have found this dietary change to be extremely rewarding. When following the vegetarian diet, we have found ourselves producing less waste. This includes packaging, wrappers, and garbage in general. Similarly, no one in India wasted a thing. If it was reusable, it would be reused. If it didn't have to be used, it wouldn't be. It's crazy to compare the amount of garbage produced in Canada to India. When we left the village we worked in, we gave the children clothing to make our travel bags lighter. Their sincere appreciation touched us in a way that is indescribable. We have certainly cut back on our consumption.  Although we had given so much of ourselves emotionally and physically while we were in India, we came home with so much more than when we left Toronto 3 weeks earlier. Fun Fall Millet This is a wonderful blend of the fall offerings - squash, cranberries, herbs and the pumpkin spice! Enjoy the grounding qualities of the grain, squash and oil, and the sweet fruity flavor from the cranberries and maple syrup.  In the photo below the millet is paired with cooked kale. Share your tasty meal with a friend! Thank you Lindsay and Prasanthi Studio for introducing me to this combination!   Fun Fall Millet ¾ cup millet, rinsed ½ t pumpkin spice 1 t dried thyme or 1 T fresh thyme (or sage) 2 cups vegetable stock or water 2 cups diced butternut or other winter squash (medium sized pieces) 1 cup cranberries, picked over and rinsed 2 T maple syrup 1/2 t salt 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds Olive oil Dry roast the rinsed millet in a saucepan over a medium heat. Once the water is gone, add the pumpkin spice, the thyme, stock or water, squash, cranberries, maple syrup and salt. Bring to the boil. Stir, cover with a lid and lower the heat to the lowest possible setting. Let the millet cook for 35 minutes. Gently dry roast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over a medium low heat. Toss regularly and do not overcook. The idea here is to lightly crispen the seeds. Once cooked, let the millet sit with the lid on for 5 minutes. Then remove the lid and let is sit for another 5 minutes. If the food is too hot it is difficult to taste the flavors. Check the seasoning, then serve into bowls. Pour over a teaspoon of olive oil and top with pumpkin seeds. Cooking on the stovetop allows you to have a dinner without the longer and less energy efficient oven. If needed the millet can cook in the oven. Once the millet boils, cover with a lid and put into a 350°oven for 50 - 60 minutes. Then follow the instructions for letting the millet sit, and for serving. 4-6 servings Eating Our Way Out (Part 17)  Sydney MacInnis Founder mothering Mother Holistic Nutritionist and Yoga Instructor A few times this month I have said the words "The body is the mind solidified" and that repetition has prompted me to write about this. What does this crazy line mean? I learned it in yoga teacher training, when we would discuss the connection between the body and the mind. Each thought that we have sends a message to the body through the nervous system and the endocrine system (hormones). Our thoughts have the possibility of either strengthening us or weakening us. Each emotion and thought pattern is reflected in a particular part of the body. For example anger is reflected in the functioning and well being of the liver. Natural healers use different parts of the body as a diagnostic tool, or a road map, into the health and quality of thoughts as well as the health of the body itself. The body begins by gently speaking to us when it is out of balance and in need of repair. This comes in the form of a discomfort, an aching, usually something mild. At this stage we have the first opportunity to look at this as a window into our body and mind. We have the choice of discounting what is going on with the body by ignoring it or numbing the symptom with medication, or we can look at it as a message.  If we miss this first opportunity the body will turn up the volume in an effort to get our attention. The pain and discomfort may increase, the frequency of the symptom may increase, or the area of discomfort may grow larger. Once again we have another opportunity. Behind each symptom that the body gives is a source, or imbalance. The longer that we leave the situation the greater the intensity and possibly the greater the intervention that is required. Our body is speaking to us. Are we listening? Our minds are constantly creating thoughts. What is the quality of those thoughts? We cannot rid ourselves of the mind, but we can attend to the thoughts that form by training the mind! We can relax the body, and thus allow the mind to relax. Each day, take moments for quietude, for gratitude, for connecting the dots of your well-being. Namaste

What we bring into each Moment

Today I was out for a walk early in the morning, when the sun was only beginning to come up. As I walked down a street there was a car, idling, waiting for a passenger to come from the home. I went over to the window and the gentleman put the window down. I asked him if he knew that NY has a 3 minute idling law, and he smiled and said that he had just turned the car on and that the light in the front hall of the home indicated that the passenger was coming out. I thanked him for his care for the environment, and he smiled and said good day.

On the next street I encountered the same situation. I went to the car, and this driver hesitantly opened the window a quarter of the way. He did not smile, he looked at me with suspicion and apprehension. I asked if he knew of the idling law and he shook his head, indicating that he was not interested. I thanked him for caring for the environment and he hurriedly put the window up, continuing with the unhappy expression and the idling.

A moment later I broke out laughing! All of the teachings were there. It isn't what happens to us in life that will define us, but how we handle what happens to us in life. We can approach life like an open book, ready for new words and new stories, or we can approach life with fear of the unknown and defensive of our position.

Embrace each moment with the freshness of a puppy at a fire hydrant! Embrace the you waiting to be experienced! Be an open book and let others share in the joy of reading you!

Shanthi

How-to Video Series 13

In this video Sydney shows you how to make a quick, nutritious and delicious salad!

Banana Bran Muffins

Okay, the chill of the fall has me wanting to warm up the home and warm up our spirits with the aroma of good wholesome baking! The wheat bran has been sitting on the counter for several days, the bananas were ripening, and ripening, and the combination seemed like a good idea. Thanks Marianne for starting off this recipe idea!

No molasses here! A simple sweetness from the bananas, applesauce and sucanat.

Stay cozy!

Moist and delicious!

Banana Bran Muffins
1 cup bran
1 cup whole wheat soft flour
1/2 cup oatmeal (large oats)
1/4 cup sucanat
3/4 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup milk (I used Rice Milk)
1/4 lemon, juice squeezed into the milk
1 t vanilla
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup raisins


Blend all of the dry ingredients, as well as the walnuts and raisins, together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Stir well, then pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients. Blend and fold only until they are well combined.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups. Bake for 15-18 minutes in a 350〫oven. Let the muffins sit for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool on a wire rack.

No honey needed here! The muffins are wonderful on their own, and they become more flavorful and moist overnight, if you can wait that long!

Makes approximately 9 muffins (depending on the size)

Michael Pollan & "Food" Magazine in NYT

This article by Michael Pollan speaks to every part of the heart of mothering Mother! Becoming aware of and caring about the food that you eat speaks to every level of your existence - physical, mental, and spiritual. Thank you Michael.

Get the information and vote with your fork, or chopsticks, or hands, at every meal!


Shanthi

Iain's Bran Muffins

With the arrival of the colder weather here, my husband said that he had "a hankering for a bran muffin"! What a great request! It has been years since I made a real bran muffin, not a banana bran muffin, he wanted a traditional muffin with raisins and molasses.

A friend dropped in shortly after I had made the muffins, and she was delighted to share in the tasting, although she insisted that I get the recipe onto the blog quickly! So, here it is Gary!

Iain's Bran Muffins
1 1/3 cup wheat bran
1 1/3 cup soft whole wheat flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins (maybe a small handful extra!)
1 cup rice milk
1 t apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup

Stay cozy this fall with bran muffins, and a cup of tea!

Blend all of the dry ingredients, as well as the walnuts and raisins, together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Stir well, then pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of the dry ingredients. Blend and fold only until they are well combined.

Spoon the batter into muffin cups. Bake for 18 minutes in a 350〫oven. Let the muffins sit for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool on a wire rack.

The muffins are wonderful on their own, or topped with a little honey!

Makes approximately 10 muffins (depending on the size)

Stop Judging Motherhood

Me with our "mothered" children!

Marissa Mayer, because of her high profile and high paying job, is out on the table for judgement on how she is handling the birth of her child. I do not know Marissa, most of us do not, but to be at the position that she is at in the business world, she has made many choices in her life that have favored her work over her personal life. Fine, yes FINE. Her choice, her life.

Now that she is a mother, and making the choices that are right for her, why do we know better? Not all birth mothers are the same. Although we have all carried a child for 9 months, we all handle the physical, mental and emotional experience differently. As a stay home mother I saw all styles of being a stay home mum, and there were times when I thought that I had the right formula. Well, life had a way of humbling me, and teaching me that the more that I looked to others and faulted them, the more that I had coming back to me.

So Marissa, go ahead, be the woman and now the mother that you are and want to be. Your child will have his own unique journey, with a mother who is so successful in the outside world, the outside the home world. And life will go on.

Let's not divide women over motherhood. It is in the judging that we most hurt ourselves, as a gender, and as the creators that we are.

Shanthi

How-to Series Video 12

In this video Sydney takes you through the soaking, cooking and storing techniques for dried beans.

Quick Salads

Here are a selection of delicious salads created with minimal work! The colors and flavors of the vegetables did all of the work!

All of these salads were ready for my family to eat while I was out for the evening. I grabbed a container and had my meal on the go! Take out from my favorite restaurant - home cooking at its best!


Beet Salad

Country style home cooking!

Beets, washed, whole and skins on
Yellow onion, diced
Apple cider vinegar
Salt, pepper
Fresh thyme (or any fresh herb that you have on hand)

Cook the beets in simmering water until they are cooked all of the way through. A skewer or knife inserted into the beet should go through easily. Let cool in the saucepan. Then move to the refrigerator and chill.

Peel the skin from the beets with your hands, or with a paring knife. The skin will easily peel off if the beets are thoroughly cooked. Dice the cooked beets. Add in the diced onion, pour over a couple of tablespoons of vinegar. Season and stir.

The flavor of the salad will develop further if it is now left in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. Stir before serving.

You will quickly get to know how much onion to beet proportion you like, and how much vinegar you need to pour over the beets. Herbs are optional.

Enjoy the simple bounty!
www.thesaladqueen.wordpress.com
Cooked Eggplant Dip
Eggplant
Tahini
Salt, pepper

My talent lies in cooking, not presentation!

Oregano, fresh or dry

Wash the eggplant. Trim off the stem end and then cut in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on an ovenproof glass dish. Cook in a 350〫oven for about 30 minutes. Gently squeeze the eggplant to see if it is cooked.

Leave the eggplant to cool for 30 minutes. Using a spoon gently scoop the pulp from the inside. The skin will not be eaten. Mash the pulp gently with a fork, season and refrigerator. Use about 1 tablespoon of tahini for each eggplant.

This salad also has more flavor if it is left to mellow for a little while. If you used dried oregano, this time will also allow the herb flavor to develop.

Enjoy with vegetable sticks or crackers or pita, or on the side of a tossed salad. Is this baba ghanoush?! Maybe, with our own simple spin on it!

Kale Salad
1 bunch of kale, washed, remove leaves from stem
Diced yellow pepper
Grated Carrot

Simple kale, so green, so healthy!

Fresh Thyme

Dressing
Sesame Oil
Half of a lemon, juiced
Salt, pepper
Tamari

Chop the kale lightly. Cook it quickly in a wok, or similar pan. Remove the kale as soon as it begins to wilt. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add the vegetables, really you can add any vegetables that you have on hand, and season with a herb. Pour over the dressing ingredients. Toss, and eat. If it is going in the refrigerator, cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.


Eat well even when you are on the go. You feel better, Mother Nature feels better!

Add in a fork and cotton napkin and this is a wonderful portable meal!

Shanthi

How-to Series Video 11

More Bean Burger Photos

Breadcrumbs are easily made in the food processor from bread ends.

Then put all of the ingredients into the bowl of the food processor.

Mix to blend and mulch together. Leave some chunks in the mixture - do not puree!

After covering lightly with the breadcrumbs, cook in a frying pan to crispen and brown the crumbs. No fat is necessary. Gently turn to cook the other side.

You can see a little green in one of the burgers - I had some cilantro on hand and I chopped it up and added it to the mixture.

For the full recipe refer to the mothering Mother newsletter. Sign up for the newsletter is on this home page.

Eat simply, live simply.

Shanthi

How-to Series Video 10

Still Falling, Floating..... Autumn WInds

I was at lunch yesterday with a friend. I found out that she is going through a very similar experience with this fall season. Are there others out there that are feeling the effects of the fall?

Knowing that I would find some comfort reigning in my life, I have continued to watch the food consumption. Do you know that feeling, when you don't know what to do next, so having something to eat fills the void! Stepping on the scale each morning is helping me to remind myself that the answer will not be found in food.

Oh, I can hear the Yogic sages saying it, the answer is within you. Sometimes "within" feels like planets and light years away! I have thrown out lots of possibilities for the fall, and they will land as they need to, and I will reach a moment when I will exhale completely, and say that the sages were right, the answer was there all along.

Until the Light comes in, meditation and yoga are good tools that will help me search. Family life has changed, work life has changed, the weather has changed...  I need to remember to be good to myself.

To Stay Grounded During Fall 
Eat cooked foods
Eat root vegetables (to ground you)
Add a little oil to foods (the winds of the fall dry you out)
Pay attention to bowel movements (prone to dryness and constipation)
Spend time in Nature
Begin to create a daily meditation time, morning is best (even if it is just 5 minutes - it is a start)

Share your Fall Free Falling experience with us!

Shanthi

How-to Series Video 9

Check out our cooking demonstration teaching you how to prepare millet either as a hot breakfast cereal or a delicious side to your meal! 

The Winds of Autumn

Although fall is not officially here, I can feel the winds increasing and the effects of the "Vata Season" on my already vata sensitive body. Vata is a dosha in Ayurveda, the amazing science of healing that originated in India thousands of years ago.

When I return to the academic new year in the fall, the winds of change blow around me. It is very easy for me to get "unbalanced", so the meditation practice and diet are very important. Amongst the uncertainty of the changes I am tempted to just nibble away the day, until I have exhausted that option. I need to ground myself in some boundaries and limits.

So, away with nibbling, and in with committing and harnessing this energy that I have. Our home has changed dramatically with the shift of another child going to college. And he is far enough away that there is not the opportunity for casual visits. Looking forward, focusing on the new, eating well, and knowing that there are so many new doors to open, keep me grounded for today.

Letting the winds of fall lift me off of the Earth, swirl me to something new, and then gently place me down, is a process of Trust. I am trusting, trusting that each day is a Salutation of the Dawn, of the "dawning" in me of all that has not been so far but can be!

Shanthi

Kidney Bean Dip

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked kidney beans

1-2 T jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional, but gives a great kick!)

1 clove garlic, minced 

1/4 t cinnamon

3/4 t ground coriander

3/4 t ground cumin

1 cup diced tomatoes

3/4 t salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Puree in blender or food processor. The dip is best served a few hours later, when the flavors have further developed. Eat with vegetable pieces or crackers. Enjoy!

How-to Series Video 8

Our new mothering Mother "How-To" series demonstrates techniques and recipes that will guide you through the basics of whole foods cooking!

Sections:
0:21 - Lettuces
1:47 - Leafy Greens
2:34 - Herbs
3:36 - Snacking Vegetables
4:52 - Preparing the Drawer

How-to Series Video 7

We talk about Quinoa a lot here at mM, and now Sydney shows you how to prepare the perfect batch of the delicious grain! Our new mothering Mother "How-To" series demonstrates techniques and recipes that will guide you through the basics of whole foods cooking!

How-to Series Video 6

Our new mothering Mother "How-To" series demonstrates techniques and recipes that will guide you through the basics of whole foods cooking! The post for this recipe can be found at HERE

August 2012 Newsletter

mothering Mother in Daily Life

Green Living Bites ~Soaking seeds before consuming is not only good for you, but it is also good for your plants! Use the soaking water from your seeds to give plants a nutritional boost. They will love you for it! ~Weather hot outside? Not enough air circulating in your bedroom? Make a campout right at your own home. Make a bed by moving a mattress near an open window. Wake up to the exhilaration that nature offers!  ~A fitness publication recently listed 4 sneaky ingredients that are often found in foods typically viewed as healthy. 1. Transfats in margarines and buttery spreads 2. Sugar added to dried fruit 3. Oils in packaged food (crackers, bottled dressing, granola bars) 4. Artificial sweetners used in products advertised as low sugar or sugar free (inhibit bodily functioning) And for a not so sweet ending, the average American consumes 30 teaspoons of added sugars each day! mothering Mother Blog For even more wholesome food for thought, presenting the  mothering Mother®  blog! Check it out!  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 Perimeter Shopping  According to an article in the New York Times on Aug 11th,  supermarkets are experiencing a decrease in sales in the center aisles of the store (packaged and prepared foods) and an increase in "perimeter shopping." Perimeter shopping refers to literally the perimeter of the store, where stores can create their own fashion in the way that they present produce, dairy items, bakery goods and meats. The center rows of the store are labeled as the grocery atherosclerosis.  People are beginning to shun these aisles in favor of healthier foods. Major food companies (Heinz, Kraft, Kellogg) have seen a decline in sales this calendar year. How are they planning to handle this? By add pizzazz to their processed products, such as shortening the microwave cooking time of some foods, adding new flavorings, and tweaking packaging! From the moment that we walk into a supermarket we are being marketed! We are being watched and scored from the choices that we make to the amount we purchase and the time that we spend in the store. So, congrats to all who are speaking loudly with their food dollars by shifting to choices that are fresher and more wholesome! One meal at a time we can all make a difference to our own health, and the health of the planet! Split Pea Curry 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. Enjoy! Start Earth Munching with the help of http://motheringmothernature.blogspot.com  Eating Our Way Out (Part 15)  It is the summer and no doubt everyone reading this has spent many a meal lounging around with family and friends. Summer is a great time to connect and talk and eat and drink! That is a reality. If you have chosen to embark on a new eating regime it can be challenging when in these settings to "stay the course." It is a careful balancing act! But it is worthy of your effort and reflection. It is with friends and family, who have known us for longer, where we are often presented with the greatest challenge to be something different than we have been thus far. It is not easy to gently decline a food that you are choosing not to eat. By altering your diet you are voting to not to be the same person, whether that decision centers around weight or the quality of the foods or the source of the foods. You are voting for change. Food choices are not like a ballot, they are not done in secret. We can quietly make changes to our diet in our own kitchen, but going out involves a more public display of your vote. I constantly walk the line between "being too principled" and making others feel comfortable. I do not want attention brought to the way that I eat, but when it is so far from the average plate at the table, attention happens. I am shedding some of my apologetic shell. I am learning to voice in advance my unique dietary needs. Unique that is in comparison to most meals in North America at this time. What could be better for all of us than a meal that centers around plant based foods?!  Recently it was worded to me, that this advocacy is carving the way for the next generation. Demographics show that a higher than average number of young adults (20-30 years) are choosing a vegetarian diet. This group is a large part of the change in shopping habits in the grocery store, discussed in the Perimeter Shopping article above. Step out, stand up, differentiate yourself from the crowd! Let your unique approach to eating for health, longevity and planetary vitality come forward. After the initial discomfort, we all benefit from this approach. Namaste Sydney