~ Replace wrapping paper with wrapping cotton, and cotton reusable bags! Even better, give gifts in the mothering Mother drawstring and velcro closing bags!
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~Give with meaning this holiday. Create something from your own hands.!Yes it takes more time. And yes, it has more meaning!
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~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.
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mothering Mother Blog
For even more wholesome food for thought, presenting the
mothering Mother®
blog!
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Join Our List
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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 |
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Holiday Calmers
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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!
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KISS - Keep It Simple Silly
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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!
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Eating Our Way Out
(Part 18)
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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 |
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