Ponderizations..."Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms," Psalm 95:2.
Garden Gate...I purchased two hibiscus, which I'll plant Friday. Ever since I was a little girl, hibiscus has been a favorite. All along the south wall of my school cafeteria where we stood in line for food, hibiscus bloomed beautifully and enticed little girls to put them behind the ear. Of course we were forbidden to pick the flowers. After all if every little girl in the 1200 student, 1-4 school picked a flower, it would have been stripped.
Movement...digging dirt is excellent physical exercise and medicine for the soul. Walking the dog is a real pleasure. The new Essentrics videos for posture, pain, mobility, and bone strength are helping me get back into movement, too. In fact, I feel so good, I want to ride my bike again. However, I don't think I'll ever walk the dog far from home again after being stalked by coyotes in the wee smalls. They don't bother me on my bike.
Sound of Music...with the new Essentrics videos, my stiffness is lessening. I hope I can pick up my violin and uke again soon. If not, I can still sing hymns in the mornings.
Teaching Little Children...When I was at my worst physically, this volunteer project is what kept me going. I love, love, love teaching and watching these babies blossom into capable, competent, peaceful creatures.
Doctor Ginger, Medicine Woman...I am neither a trained doctor nor medicine woman; I am simply a student of natural, nutritional healing. As many who read my blog know, I adopted this way of eating under my doctor's advice because of multiple allergies that led to auto-immune issues. When others eat wheat, soy, oils, animal excretions, or dead animals, they don't have immediate, violent reactions similar to ingesting poison. Mostly, oil and animal products do their damage silently; the person suddenly presents with arthritis, vascular or kidney disease, cancer, or acne out of the blue so they think. I suppose one could argue that I'm lucky my reactions are so violent, because following a plant-perfect lifestyle isn't a hard choice. In my family, one particular individual with many health maladies insists on making unkind comments about my diet whenever we eat together. You can just bet if I were a diabetic, he would be very supportive of a special diet; his mother died of complications from diabetes. Why do people insist on rudeness, when gatherings might be so pleasant otherwise? I try to avoid and ignore this constipated, obese, arthritic, diabetic person with heart disease, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis, when on these rude kicks, secretly reciting my mantra: "Eat like that, look like that, feel like that, die like that." This mantra is kryptonite for my resolves not to eat what amounts to poison.
So, if the above person wants to understand why my current doctor speak on the diet he prescribes for those with autoimmune problems, watch this:
Cucina Fresca...In the winter, I drink green smoothies for lunch, because I just get too cold drinking them for breakfast. Instead I make all sorts of hot breakfasts from savory or fruity polenta to various oat dishes to fajita sweet potatoes to veggie miso soup with rice to this savory low-calorie, oil-free, cholesterol-free, stick to your ribs lentil dal with or without idli.
Rice Cooker Curry Dal with Rice
1/4 c each brown lentils, brown rice, and red rice (this is the cup that comes with the rice cooker and not a standard US cup)
water to the 2 line in the cooker
1/2 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 inch chunk ginger root, minced or grated
1/2 inch chunk turmeric root, minced or grated (optional)
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1 T curry powder *
1/8 t pumpkin pie spice (it's pretty close to garam masala but usually fresher in the store)
6-8 curry leaves, chopped (use twice as much if dried)
2 wedges of un-peeled Kabocha or other sweet winter squash
1/4 c moringa or spinach
1/4 fresh, minced cilantro
Put lentils, rice, onion, garlic, ginger, pepper, water, and spices in cooker. Top with squash wedges skin side down. Cook on brown rice setting. Stir in moringa or spinach and let steam with lid closed for a couple minutes. Put into two bowls. Garnish with cilantro and coarsely ground salt. *-I've tried lots of varieties and even mixed my own, Spice Hunter is the best one I've tasted by far.
