Blueberry Picking
July 26, 2009
Ricky Methta + Detour Drive + A Big Bucket =
A beautiful day picking blueberries and yum in the tum
Ricky Mehta showing off his blueberries!
Blueberries
Blueberries are at the top of the list of antioxidant-rich foods. Antioxidants are a class of substances with certain nutrients, minerals, phytochemicals, herbs, and enzymes that counteract the negative effects of free radicals on the body. Free radicals are unstable molecules and fragments of molecules that are toxic to cells and tissues because they attack them at the molecular level, causing destruction and mutations. They are believed to be the incentive behind premature aging and many chronic degenerative diseases. Therefore, antioxidants are powerful neutralizers that reduce the harm.
Key nutrients in blueberries include fiber, vitamin C, folate, iron, manganese, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, zinc, copper, fructose, glucose, sucrose, vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, vitamin E, silicon, and small amounts of lipids and amino acids.
Select blueberries with a uniform dark bluish-gray colour with a silvery bloom. Blueberries should be pump, firm, uniform in size, dry, and free of stems, caps, and leaves. Avoid moldy, bruised, or green berries. If you cannot find fresh blueberries, buy frozen ones. Wild blueberries have more skin than flesh; however, both the wild and cultivated variety contain powerful antioxidant that have the same health benefits.
Click here to find your closest picks: Ontario Farm Visit, Pick-Your-Own
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
July 19, 2009
#1 Chocolate Chip Cookies
There is just enough dough to hold the chocolate chips, but also enough blueberries to nutritionally balance them!
wet ingredients
1/3 cup ghee, coconut/olive oil
3/4 apple sauce
1/4 cup agave syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch unrefined Celtic sea salt or Himalayan rock salt
dry ingredients
1/2 cup each rice, barley and quinoa flour
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup organic chocolate chips
1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries or ones in season
Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease a large cookies sheet with coconut butter or ghee.
Melt the ghee/coconut oil if you are using them in a heat proof bowl in the oven or measure the olive oil in a large bowl. Add the apple sauce, agave syrup, vanilla extract, and salt and cream with a wooden spoon until uniformly smooth.
Measure the 3 kinds of flour, pour into another bowl and mix thoroughly. Add chocolate chips, chopped walnuts and blueberries into the flour. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix quickly with broad strokes.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a non-stick cookie sheet.
Bake at 300°F for 20-25 minutes or until bottom is slightly brown.
Note: Ghee is a Sanskrit word for a clarified butter used primarily in Indian cuisine. It can be purchased in grocery stores especially in Asian or Indian markets or home made
Theme Song
July 15, 2009
If you could pick 1 song to be the Theme Song of your life what would it be?
This song would be a melody played and heard by you and others in any given moment(s). This melody would carry you through the ebb and flow of your life. It would be empowering and inspirational to yourself and hopefully others. This melody would say and stand for YOU!
What song would you like to be strutting down the street to or hear when times are tough? I invite you to find that one song and share with me or someone else what that song may be. Here is mine:
PS: I Love you Casey Teixeira
Monday Groove
July 13, 2009
May this bring a little more groove to your day!
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Go With the Flow
July 12, 2009
Dedicated to my friend Jason Mortlock
“I want something good to die for. To make it beautiful to live.”
- Queens of the Stone Age
Choose Love
July 9, 2009
“When all your desires are distilled, you will cast just two votes: to love more, and be happy.” The Sufi poet Hafiz
SimplyRaw – Natasha Kyssa
July 5, 2009
The SimplyRaw Living Foods Detox Manual
A four-week detox program, which includes mostly raw and living foods to gently and effectively cleanse the body of toxins and to provide optimum nourishment for rebuilding cells.
Taken at the Waldorf School during Natasha’s book signing June 27th
In mid-May, I had the pleasure of getting my hands on a copy of Natasha Kyssa’s – The SimplyRaw – Living Foods Detox Manual. And what perfect delight it was to have, read through, and follow (not the full four-week program) but enough to understand and feel the essences of Natasha’s knowledge, experiences and gift to us. And through the inspiration of her work I decided to do a feature of her on my blog (my first feature may I add.)
We had a lovely phone interview early June. Unfortunately, my laptop made friends with a destructive virus and he wiped out everything including the interview! I will do my best to recreate our interview but I apologies ahead of time if Natasha’s words are less detailed and short (I have an amazing ability to forget things.)
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Connie: What inspired you to become an author of your own work?
Natasha: It was after observing so many people detoxify through herbs and vitamin supplements, but not making fundamental changes to their diets that inspired me to write a book that focused on the fundamental of eating live, natural, and whole foods that will both cleanse and nourish the body.
Connie: What advise would you have for raw, foodie rookies?
Natasha: You do what you can! Good health is an ongoing journey that requires perseverance, patience, and trust. Stick with it and you will achieve your goals!
Connie: What is your biggest take away from writing SimplyRaw?
Natasha: My biggest take away is being able to witness people go through the program and have such a positive response to it. They feel much better, energy increases, weight is loss, symptoms are alleviated, and best of all people have this beautiful glow to them. And even though some people may not continue with 100% raw and vegan they will still hold the main health-enhancing practices and incorporate them into their daily lives.
Connie: One of my favourite recipes is the Mixed Green Salad Deluxe! What would you say is one of yours?
Natasha: Honestly, the longer I live this lifestyle the simpler I get with my eating. I love all the green juices and smoothies as they provide everything I need to keep me balanced and happy.
Connie: Will there be any other books written in the course of time?
Natasha: Yes! When I had finished writing SimplyRaw I thought to myself “No, more!”, but once you open and start written you just can’t stop. I’ll be working on two more books. One will be about effective weight loss through raw, living foods.
For more information about Natasha Kyssa please, link to her website and or blog:
http://www.simplyraw.ca/
http://ottawaraw.wordpress.com/author/simplyrawsome/
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Much gratitude and appreciation to Natasha Kyssa for giving this gift of The SimplyRaw. It is apparent that you devoted much thought, energy, and love into this book. I know how it has guided me and will continue to guide me and I’m ecstatic to know that it will bring just as much or more to others. I am blessed to have you in my life!
- Much Love, Connie Kwok
