We're pretty much all reeling from the abrupt change in the temperature from yesterday to today. 70+ degrees, warm sunshine, blue skies=yesterday. Bone-chilling winds, cloudy skies=today.
How about something healthy to enjoy as a "new and improved" comfort food?
Once again the wonders of quinoa take center stage.
I found this recipe on http://mindbodygreen.com. I'm planning on enjoying this tonight with our "breakfast for supper" meal. This recipe, paired with a great-tasting omelet gives you just the right amount of savory and sweet.
See the Recipes page for Coconut-Lime Quinoa Breakfast Bowl.
Spring is coming! Keep the faith!
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Recipe Tuesday
Be sure to check out the recipes page for two new and tasty desserts-- coconut/cashew bars and a one minute mug muffin (say that fast three times and the muffin will be done!). Both of these recipes are gluten-free and the coconut/cashew bars are a great source of healthy coconut oil. Hop on over to the page and enjoy!
What a beautiful day we had today...hope everyone was able to get out for at least a few minutes to feel that warming sun. I took time to work in a sun salutation on the deck and then just meditated enjoying the sounds of the birds and frogs. What a treat we're in for with the emergence of spring.
What a beautiful day we had today...hope everyone was able to get out for at least a few minutes to feel that warming sun. I took time to work in a sun salutation on the deck and then just meditated enjoying the sounds of the birds and frogs. What a treat we're in for with the emergence of spring.
Farmers Market is New and Improved for 2014--Come Be a Part of It!
There's good news, folks!
The Pike County Farmers Market Association is gearing up for a new year, and what a positive new year it will be!
That's two exclamation points in two statements, so that should tell you something.
As you know, we're changing our location to the Petersburg Branch of the Pike County Library. They have very generously agreed to share their space with us each Saturday morning from 9-noon. We will be much easier to find as well as being in a much more relaxed environment.
And that's not all...
We want to create an inviting place for many to attend; in order to do that, we are planning for a great deal of participation on behalf of many of you, our county folks. There's a tremendous amount of talent throughout the county in so many areas. We ask that if you would like to sell any of the following, come and be a part of the community fun:
produce growers--veggies, fruit, herbs, flowers, plants, etc. (locally grown only--no imports)
meat and protein growers--beef, pork, eggs, chickens, etc. (ready to eat)
craftspeople--handmade crafts of all types
And musicians...what would an event be without music? We'll have a special place of honor for those who come to donate their time to share their talents. We welcome you. Let's have some great community jam sessions. What a wonderful opportunity for our young kiddos to learn from some of the masters in our county.
We hope after reading this that you're intrigued and ready to find out more about the new and improved Pike County Farmers Market Association. Please come to our first meeting of the season. It will be
March 18 (Tuesday)
6:00 p.m.
Log Ends Bed and Breakfast located at 2769 W. SR 56, Petersburg
Questions? Contact us at eatwelllivewellpikecounty@gmail.com
Friday, March 7, 2014
Changing Your Ways? Baby Steps!
We had a very successful inaugural healthy cooking class yesterday evening at the Petersburg Branch of the Pike County Library. Thanks to all of you who attended the class--please do come back again next month when we gather together again on April 10 from 5:30-7:00. For anyone else that would like to attend, feel free to contact me at eatwelllivewellpikecounty@gmail.com to join the group.
A big thank you to Mrs. Vicki Edwards who had a really neat activity for the kids of those in attendance. They all had a fun evening, too.
We all agreed unanimously on two things last evening: We all need to take our food much more seriously; we need to take baby steps in order to achieve success.
For starters, giving up things with white flour is very healthy step. You'll be amazed at how many things needlessly have white flour in them. This highly over-processed wheat does our bodies no good; in fact, it causes internal inflammation which, in turn, creates a horrible environment for our organs, our brains, our blood vessels, etc.
Check ingredients on labels--better yet, buy more things that don't need labels. The less ingredients, the better! Much better to eat an apple with the ingredient list of "apple" than a processed apple food that contains a great deal of ingredients--some which can hardly be pronounced.
So, as spring nears and we can finally get out and about, give your wonderful body a break and allow it to truly become healthy and able to enjoy the out and about times.
A big thank you to Mrs. Vicki Edwards who had a really neat activity for the kids of those in attendance. They all had a fun evening, too.
We all agreed unanimously on two things last evening: We all need to take our food much more seriously; we need to take baby steps in order to achieve success.
For starters, giving up things with white flour is very healthy step. You'll be amazed at how many things needlessly have white flour in them. This highly over-processed wheat does our bodies no good; in fact, it causes internal inflammation which, in turn, creates a horrible environment for our organs, our brains, our blood vessels, etc.
Check ingredients on labels--better yet, buy more things that don't need labels. The less ingredients, the better! Much better to eat an apple with the ingredient list of "apple" than a processed apple food that contains a great deal of ingredients--some which can hardly be pronounced.
So, as spring nears and we can finally get out and about, give your wonderful body a break and allow it to truly become healthy and able to enjoy the out and about times.
Thursday, March 6, 2014
The Incredible, Grindable Egg Shell
After you've eaten a healthy meal of eggs, how about letting your garden have an equally healthy meal with egg shells?
According to a really neat article in Grit Magazine, we're just a few simple steps away from creating some really high-quality diatomaceous earth from those egg shells. To do so, just follow these instructions:
1. After emptying the contents of the shells, set them out to dry completely.
2. Using a coffee or herb grinder (you can usually find an abandoned one in second-hand shops, Goodwill, etc. for a song). Grind the egg shells into a fine powder. You can use the powder right away to sprinkle on leaves of plants that are being "bugged" by the bugs such as beetles, slugs, or snails, or put it on the ground beside the plants. The egg shells are loaded with calcium, so that's a plus for the garden.
That's it! The ground egg shells will act as little tiny glass-like shards to poke at the bugs. They'll either a) not like it and crawl to friendlier territory; or b)fight it to the bitter end--and the egg shells will win.
So...an organic, earth-friendly way to keep pesky bugs at bay.
(Be sure to keep this away from eyes and off of your skin as much as possible...if it pokes and cuts the varmits, it will do the same to you!)
According to a really neat article in Grit Magazine, we're just a few simple steps away from creating some really high-quality diatomaceous earth from those egg shells. To do so, just follow these instructions:
1. After emptying the contents of the shells, set them out to dry completely.
2. Using a coffee or herb grinder (you can usually find an abandoned one in second-hand shops, Goodwill, etc. for a song). Grind the egg shells into a fine powder. You can use the powder right away to sprinkle on leaves of plants that are being "bugged" by the bugs such as beetles, slugs, or snails, or put it on the ground beside the plants. The egg shells are loaded with calcium, so that's a plus for the garden.
That's it! The ground egg shells will act as little tiny glass-like shards to poke at the bugs. They'll either a) not like it and crawl to friendlier territory; or b)fight it to the bitter end--and the egg shells will win.
So...an organic, earth-friendly way to keep pesky bugs at bay.
(Be sure to keep this away from eyes and off of your skin as much as possible...if it pokes and cuts the varmits, it will do the same to you!)
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Jumpy/Restless Legs? There's Hope (Naturally)!
Anyone who has ever suffered with restless leg syndrome (RLS) can verify that it is a miserable feeling. According to Brad Chase in an article on the naturalnews.com website, there are some ways to control the situation naturally.
First of all...the "bad guys" of inflammation rear their ugly heads once again with RLS. Avoiding sugar, processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and transfats will help the body better control inflammation that tends to run rampant throughout the body, creating havoc.
Also, watching omega-6 intake is a good idea, according to Chase. Proponents of paleo eating site that what was once a 1:1 ingestion of omega 6s to omega 3s in our diets are now more in the vicinity of a 15 or 20:1. That causes inflammation in the body. The ubiquitous corn oil that is pretty much used in most all processed foods, has a ratio of 83:1.
There are some great anti-inflammatory foods that can help combat RLS along with other inflammatory issues. These include cherries (not the pie kind with all the sugar goop!), peppers, walnuts, fatty fish, berries, beets, tomatoes, and leafy greens.
There are also a great number of supplements that will help battle RLS. Be sure to get good advice from your health practitioner of choice before loading up on these. Sometimes a little goes a long way!
Food can, once again, be our best friend or our worst enemy--make it your friend.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
NOW is the Time to Make Some Changes for the Better!
Okay...going out on a limb here...I'm thinking that perhaps this is the last of the snow and ice we'll be seeing for the late winter of 2014 (wishful thinking for sure!).
So, it's time to get ready for more pleasant weather. Let's check the usual list that we make when thinking of warmer days:
1. Lose some weight
2. Exercise more
3. Sleep better/more
4. Eat healthier
Guess what?
ALL of these things are easily attainable with just a few simple adjustments. To lose some weight, just call the relationship with white flour and white sugar over in your life--these are culprits behind so many health woes. To exercise more, take a walk, dance around the room to music on the radio, or learn some basic yoga stretches. Every little bit helps. To sleep better and/or more, turn off the TV a hour before you go to bed. Same goes for the computer. The backlighting on color TVs and computer screens interfere with our natural supply of melatonin. To eat healthier, ditto on the part about calling it quits with the white sugar and white flour. That's an incredible start. Then start shopping more of the perimeter of the grocery store and less of the aisles.
Baby steps in all these areas will make you a healthier person. Once you attain better health, you'll find yourself wanting to take further steps to feel even better. You can do it!
----------------------------------------------------------------
Remember, there is a free cooking class starting Thursday evening from 5:30-7:00 at the Petersburg Branch of the public library. Call the library to sign up.
So, it's time to get ready for more pleasant weather. Let's check the usual list that we make when thinking of warmer days:
1. Lose some weight
2. Exercise more
3. Sleep better/more
4. Eat healthier
Guess what?
ALL of these things are easily attainable with just a few simple adjustments. To lose some weight, just call the relationship with white flour and white sugar over in your life--these are culprits behind so many health woes. To exercise more, take a walk, dance around the room to music on the radio, or learn some basic yoga stretches. Every little bit helps. To sleep better and/or more, turn off the TV a hour before you go to bed. Same goes for the computer. The backlighting on color TVs and computer screens interfere with our natural supply of melatonin. To eat healthier, ditto on the part about calling it quits with the white sugar and white flour. That's an incredible start. Then start shopping more of the perimeter of the grocery store and less of the aisles.
Baby steps in all these areas will make you a healthier person. Once you attain better health, you'll find yourself wanting to take further steps to feel even better. You can do it!
----------------------------------------------------------------
Remember, there is a free cooking class starting Thursday evening from 5:30-7:00 at the Petersburg Branch of the public library. Call the library to sign up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)