Divine Mushroom Marrow Vegie Gluten-Free Soup

This is a beautiful soup! I changed it up a little, but I got the basic recipe from a very generous and talented Venezulan woman who has a blog called "Mommy's Home Cooking." Oriana is amazing! Check her out!

As you know, recipes are a passion for me. I am always experimenting, looking for new things, changing them up, comparing them with other recipes, looking at healthy ingredients, and having something of a mad scientist in the kitchen approach! But also, for me, taste is paramount! My willing husband is my most favorite test subject. Some nights, he really deserves a medal. But, honestly, it is so much fun to study his expressions as he dives into my new concoctions!

I have made this soup twice now, my own way both times. And had so much fun learning about new things, like bone marrow!

But please prepare yourself. This, although not difficult, takes a few stages to make.

 Ready, Set, Go!

Ingedients:

-3 cloves roasted garlic 

-1-3 carrots, peeled slightly

-2 medium/large red potatoes, skins on

-1 lb. beef marrow bones

-3-4 T. unsalted butter

-3 packages mushrooms, thinly sliced (about six cups or more when sliced) (about six small mushrooms thinly sliced should be reserved raw for garnish)

-3 large zucchinis thinly sliced

-4 cups chicken "broth" (I go with the regular as unsalted leaves me wanting for flavor)

-1 cup whole milk

-1 cup heavy cream

-1 T. Worcestershire sauce

-1/4-1/2 t. dried thyme 

-salt and pepper to taste

-fresh parsley for garnish

-fresh cracked pepper for garnish

-bread to accompany  if you choose (I didn't - doesn't need it)

~~

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425

Place marrow bones (this was–and still is–new to me, using marrow bones!) set on end (up) on parchment paper on a baking rack, drizzle with a little oil (I use grapeseed oil, which I love because it is so HEALTHY, and also so light, and can take the heat, but olive oil is fine) and pepper, rub it in a bit.

On a separate, smaller oven tray or pan, place your carrots, drizzle with grapeseed or olive oil and salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Put them both in the oven for 25 minutes. Check the carrots, if they're bigger, they could take another ten minutes, and may need to be turned. You want them to slightly caramelize.

After 25 minutes take the marrow bones out, set on stove top and let cool. When carrots are ready, take them out and set aside as well.

Put a slice through each of the red potatoes, set in a little water in a (glass) bowl and pop in the microwave for 10-12 minutes.

Time to chop chop chop and thinly slice your mushrooms and zucchini, into separate piles. Remember to separate out the ones for garnish use later.

Regarding garlic: my take is to buy it pre-roasted. It doesn't last that long (never keep too long, look at the sell by dates), but it is less intense in the house for me this way and works beautifully.

Heat about 1 T. unsalted butter in a large Dutch Oven to medium and add in your 3 cloves of garlic (even the pre-roasted type). Depending on whether or not they are getting roasted for the first time or having a second round (about 3 minutes or so), roast until slightly browned and sizzling. Remove and set aside to later put through your garlic press.

Add another T. of unsalted butter to your pan, saute the mushrooms until browned. Remove to a plate or bowl, separating out about 2 cups.

Add the sliced zucchini into the pan, saute until soft and thoroughly cooked.

If you have enough unsalted butter, you don't have to use more, but I go with the 2 T. (above) for the garlic and the mushrooms and then add–in small increments– up to 2 more T. unsalted butter if the mushrooms or zucchinis require more.

When the zucchinis are cooked nicely, set aside about about 1/2 cup in a separate bowl for later, and put the rest on a plate.

Cut up your cooked red potatoes and toss them in the pan to give them a little brown in the remaining butter. Remove.

Okay, now you have to wait (or mess with putting your extra large portions of vegetables in ice water) for the vegetables to cool because it is DANGEROUS to put hot stuff in your food processor.

In the meantime, scoop out the marrow from the cooled bones into a bowl and set the bones aside separately. I know, lots of plates and bowls. But wait til you get to the results. (I do the dishes as they become free and it's all good.)

Chop one of the carrots into itty bitty pieces. Set aside.

Have a glass of wine now. Give your husband one of the other carrots as an appetizer and you have one too. You guys are getting hungry! But it won't spoil your appetite. Just a little tease.

When the vegetables (the larger portions only) are cool, add them together: the potato pieces (with the skin on), the mushrooms, and the zucchinis and mix with 1 or 2 cups of the chicken broth and then run (in batches if necessary) through the food processor until smooth (or relatively smooth), then put back into the Dutch oven.

Once that's all done, add the rest (4 cups total) of the chicken broth into the Dutch oven. Add 1 cup of whole milk, press the garlic in, stir in the bone marrow, add in 1/4 t. (or a tad more) dried thyme, and salt and pepper. Stir, then, when combined, add in the marrow bones.

Bring to a low boil, (while waiting, stir occasionally and I take this time to also load the rest of the  empty dishes into the dishwasher), then turn down and simmer uncovered for 20-35 minutes to combine, while you go back out and finish that glass of wine or whatever beverage you might be relaxing with.

When the timer goes off (and it's okay to let it keep simmering a little longer if you want so long as you keep your eye on it...about ten more minutes), stirring occasionally, then remove the marrow bones, add in the set aside 2 cups of sauteed mushrooms, the set aside 1/2 cup sauteed zucchini, 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 T Worcestershire sauce, the caramelized carrot bits, (for a bit of natural sweet!), and more salt and pepper to taste. Stir and then let it simmer another 3 or 5 minutes.

Serve in generous bowls, adding a few pieces of the raw mushroom slices and fresh parsley and cracked black pepper over the top of each serving.

You will NOT regret all this effort. Like I said: This is a beautiful soup!

It is thickened with vegetables, not flour, so it is gluten-free, and full of such flavor that culinary dreams are made of.

By the way, in case you don't have a LOT of people to feed, the reason I had you make the whole big batch of this is because you want your efforts to pay back. I separate my leftover soup, when it's cooled into three freezer bags, labeled and dated, for future soup that's already ready and waiting for when you desire it next! And you can always saute a few mushrooms and add them into the defrosted portions, in case you ate all the separated sliced ones because they were so good you couldn't help yourself!

It's very rich soup, but oh so healthy and oh so delicious!

Bon Appetit!

bbffair

 

Chicken Pho Fabulous! Hot and SPICY Vietnamese Soup!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thai_peppers.jpg
By Daniel Risacher (Own work) [GFDL
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)
or CC-BY-SA-2.5-2.0-1.0
 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5-2.0-1.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

Beautiful Thai Pepper Bush! 
Wouldn't you agree?!

(And, BTW, after just a few days of R+R, my stomach is feeling better and way ready to resume a spicier diet! Yea! And, FYI, believe it or not, in spite of a lot of disbelief in this, a lot of chili peppers really are kinder to your digestion that you might have guessed.)









Chicken Pho Fabulous! Hot and SPICY Vietnamese Soup!

I am not a big fan of commercially pre-made soup base or soup starter. But I do believe in great chicken or vegetable stock and Pacific is a great brand and food producers are getting savvier. So, when I saw this:

www.pacificfoods.com

 "

Organic Chicken Pho Soup Base

"Inspired by the traditional Vietnamese Pho (pronounced ‘fuh’), our delicious Organic Chicken Pho Base makes it simple to prepare authentic Pho at home.

INGREDIENTS

• Organic Chicken Broth (Water, Organic Chicken, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Onion Powder)
• Organic Cane Sugar
• Sea Salt
• Organic Lemon Juice
• Organic Spice Extracts
• Organic Lime Oil
• Organic Rosemary Extract

SUITABLE FOR THESE SPECIAL DIETS

1. Low Fat
2. Gluten Free
3. Dairy Free
4. Corn Free
5. Soy Free
6. Wheat Free
7. Yeast Free                "

in my local grocery store's health food section, I thought, why not give it a whirl. I've rarely had a Vietnamese soup and I'm always up for a healthy culinary adventure!

But, as I cannot help myself, I did go wild with the ingredients. I followed some of the suggested directions and most (Okay, ALL of them except for onions) of the ingredients plus a few of my own and all I can say is:  WOW!!!  WOW!!! WOW!!!!

So here's the Ingredients I used:

1 box (4 cups) of Pacific Chicken Pho soup base.

I bought a 6.75 oz. package of Dynasty Maifun Rice Sticks (thin rice noodles). (Now this is important because some rice noodles taste like cooked cardboard (like the last ones I bought for my husband to use, that had a name I couldn't read in Chinese, and that ruined my husband's triple batch of Thai crab cakes). Others are awesome delicate and beautiful to behold. But I am still getting used to which ingredients work for my recipes and which ones don't, so I like to mention them.)

I cut up a package of three fresh full size boneless, skinless chicken breasts. (I am very fussy about my chicken. It has to be organic, fresh, no hormones or antibiotics, and it has to look good. I split my pieces in three piles: The gristle that I'll cook later with some rice for the dogs that I add, now and then, to their dog food, about 2-21/2 cups of quarter size pieces for the soup, and about 2 cups of medallions that I'll use in another dish later this week. I double bagged the two piles for later and put them away in the fridge.)

6 Tablespoons of hot chili sauce. I use Sriraja Panich Chili Sauce. VERY awesome.
(And note: in my experience,  hot chili sauces can vary widely. A wrong one can overpower or underwhelm or even ruin a good recipe, whereas a great one, like Sriraja Panich, can make your dish beautiful! Sriraja Panich has this lovely way of adding spicy and heat and dimension by blending with smokey undertones and doesn't stand out. I have tested about a dozen different hot chili sauces so far and thrown many of them out. The right ones, like this one, can make a huge difference to the success of so many of my Asian and Thai dishes that I have made a point of knowing where to buy this one locally, how it is shelved -which can be in a different location that other hot chili or "Sriraja" sauces in some stores- or how to get it online.)

3 Tablespoons of  House of Tsang Hoisin Sauce (Note; it has a little wheat in it,  so if that's out for you, I also have in my cupboard a gluten free brand, Sun Luck, but I confess I haven't used it yet and a little bit of wheat doesn't throw me off these days.)

3 to 5 cups of fresh bean sprouts

1-1/2 to 2 organic limes

Fresh Basil

Fresh Cilantro

Black Pepper to Taste (about a teaspoon)

1 Hot Red fresh Thai Chili Pepper with the seeds (cut up into tiny pieces with a scissors, I am getting cleverer, but still wear cooking gloves. Warning: chili peppers are hot!)

1-1/2 - 2 Fresh Red Fresno Peppers (These are about 2 inches long.) Note that on these chili peppers: Don't use the seeds or inside meat. These I cut with a knife into strips and then into pieces. These peppers look like this:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fresno_pepper_7.jpg
By Nadiatalent (Own work)
[CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)],
via Wikimedia Commons

And here's how I made it:  i.e., The Directions:


1. I boiled about 3 quarts of water while I cut up the chicken. After it came to a full boil, I turned it off and let it sit a few minutes.

2. The rice sticks come in three bundles. I took two or 2/3's of the package and put them in a metal bowl and poured the hot water over them, covered them and let them sit for 10 minutes.

3. I drained the noodles in a colander. Then I cut them up with a scissors and put them back in the metal bowl.

4. I rinsed the beansprouts in the colander and cut those with a scissors and left them there.

5. I scissor cut my Thai chili pepper including the seeds into pieces and knife cut 1-1/2 of my (cleaned of inner skin and seeded) Frenso chili peppers all on the same plate.

6. I poured the whole 4 cup box of Pacific Chicken Pho soup starter into the deep soup pan I boiled my water in. At first I didn't like the smell of the soup so much, but if that happens to you, just wait until the soup is brought to completion.

7.  When the soup starter mix came to a full boil, I threw in the 2-1/2 cups of cut up chicken, covered and turned the heat down to medium low. The chicken was cooked thoroughly in about 2-4 minutes.

7. Then I threw in my rice noodles, about 3 cups of my beansprouts, the chopped peppers and scissor cut a few fresh basil leaves, zested about 1/2 of a lime and squeezed 1-1/2 lime juice into it. I added 3 Tbsp. of Hoisin sauce, 6 Tbsp. of the Chili Sauce and black pepper to taste. Swished it around on simmer for about 1-2 minutes and served with fresh cilantro.

Yummmmm!

Now for the calorie countdown:

If you cook it like I just described above, 1/4th of the whole batch (a pretty big serving amounting to about two cups worth between the broth, the vegetables, the ingredients, and rice noodles) is about 194 calories. (1/8th is abut 97 calories.)

If you add in the extra two cups of beansprouts,  1/4 of the whole batch (a pretty big serving) is about 211 calories. (1/8th is about 106 calories.)

If you cook it using the above recipe, but use only 1/3 the package of rice sticks, then 1/4th of the whole batch is about 136 calories. Again a pretty big serving. (1/8th is about 68 calories.)

If you cook it with the extra two cups of beansprouts and don't use the rice sticks, a 1/4th serving then amounts to 93 calories. (1/8th is about 46 calories.)

If you use the gluten-free hoisin sauce, add 15 calories to 1/4th serving (or 8 calories to 1/8th).

You CAN have your rice and awesome taste and keep your diet too!

I can't wait to test drive this soup on my husband when he comes home tonight!

Bon Appétit!

And Kindest Regards from,

bbffair 

Note: 
This recipe is good for about eight servings, which can be perfect for a guest party first course. However, if you're not going to serve it on the first and second day, I'd recommend going with 1/2 of the above recipe as a better choice, because (due to the delicacy of both the bean sprouts and the rice sticks) it has a shorter refrigerator life than other soups.

King's Omelette

King's Omelette: 
Wild and Garden Herb and Vegetable Omelette


Lately, I've been reading A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin. There is a lot of exotic, detail described, freshly prepared food the characters partake of in this series. Without all that warring and conspiring, how would they ever burn off all the calories? And yet, much of the fare is mouth watering to read, especially their many coursed feasts. However, most of their breakfasts (breaking the fast as they say in ye old world of A Song of Ice and Fire) were very simple, a bit on the dull and repetitive side ( a lot of boiled eggs) , and overall failed to inspire me.

I decided it was time to create one of my own, an inspired kingly breakfast. I aspired to indulge the Ladies and Lords with a different fare: a delectable and hardy, but healthy, herb filled first (or second or third, fourth, fifth? etc) meal for ye royal appetites of olde: a breakfast fit for a King!

Zürich, Grossmünster church : Crypt with Charlemagne statue (original) of the southern tower. By Roland zh (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grossm%C3%BCnster_-_Innenansicht_-_Krypta_-_Charlemagne_2010-08-30_16-37-00.JPG

And here it is:

A many herb -including fresh dill- mushroom, spinach, tomato, and dandelion leaf omelette with roasted herb potatoes served with a dill sauce, and a side herb salad.

Ingredients:

Coffee (of course!) (I know they would do beer or mead or wine, but me, I like my coffee just fine with my eggs) (If you're really going for a theme, you can always brew dandelion root tea or roast dandelion roots for dandelion coffee. Me, I like dark roast coffee, but the dandelion coffee or tea is very nice too.)

Omega 3 Grade A Organic Eggs 

Organic Milk

Organic Unsalted Butter  (Oh those were the days when you didn't have to ask for organic)

Olive Oil Pam  (Of course, modern inventions save on calories for those of us who do not wander the kingdoms for our daily exercise routines)

Fresh Orange Juice

Fresh Dill

Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Thyme

Fresh Lemon

Fresh Sage

Fresh Dandelion Leaves (You want to harvest these fresh in the spring somewhere where there are no pesticides in the ground, before they flower or else they will be too bitter. When in doubt or out of season Whole Foods -of olde- carries them too.)

Fresh Red Potatoes

Fresh Herb Lettuce or Spring Mix  (All the fresh goodness from ye handy nearby garden or cook's greenery)

Good Dijon Mustard (I like Maille old style  -it's olde style also, so go with it, it's keeping the theme alive-  whole grain Dijon. It's a little up there in calories, but the taste is divine.)

Mayonnaise (I know but sometimes you have to) (I am still searching for taste in alternatives.)

Sea Salt

Black Ground Pepper

Black Grinder Pepper

Ground Paprika

1/2 Shredded Carrot

Fresh Baby Spinach

Fresh Brown Mushrooms

Cherry Tomatoes

Chi-Chi's Chunky Hot Salsa  (some ingredients you have to go back to the future for)

Fresh Parsley

Turmeric Powder

Grape Seed Oil

~~
Potatoes:
Thin slice the potatoes and put in a shallow baking pan sprayed with Pam Olive Oil. Spray potatoes with Pam Olive Oil, pepper generously and sprinkle with a few pinches of fresh parsley.

If you want, you can also squeeze a tablespoon or two of fresh lemon and 1 or 2 T. of grape seed oil in a bowl and brush the potatoes as well.

Put the potatoes in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, turning at least once, or more as needed, (and if using the lemon and oil, brush on again when turning). Shred (mince) 1/2 carrot, chop up some fresh dandelion, and rough cut about four cherry tomatoes and stir these in about fifteen minutes before potatoes are done.

Prep:
Place a handful of fresh herb lettuce on each serving plate.

Scissor cut about 5 loose Tbsps. of fresh dill, put 3 T in a bowl and set aside.  Set aside another T. of fresh dill on a spice plate. Throw in the remaining dill scraps over the herb lettuce portions.

Cut up about 6-7 large dandelion leaves. Chop up the stems in little pieces and the leaves in bigger pieces. Throw a couple of leaves in with the salad on the plates.

Dill Sauce for Potatoes:
In the bowl with three T. of fresh dill, add 3 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper, 4 teaspoon of good Dijon, and 1/2 cup loosely packed mayonnaise. If you want to stir this the olde way, you can just take a fork or a whisk (Did they have whisks in ye olden times?) and whisk this to a cream. Or, if like me, you want to dash back to modern appliance times, just throw it in the Magic Bullet for a few seconds. Set aside.

More Prep:
Chop fresh thyme and rosemary and sage pieces and set aside with the T. chopped dill.

Begin Vegetable and Herb Saute:
In a  small fry pan, coated with Pam Olive Oil, add 1-2 T. butter. Add some of the thyme and rosemary and sage and dill pieces, then saute a whole pan of sliced mushrooms. Add pepper and  a touch of paprika.

In a second small fry pan, melt 1 T. butter and then put the butter in a small bowl and mix with 3/4 teaspoon of ground turmeric.

Check the potatoes:
They should be about 30-35 minutes by now with another 10-15 minutes to go.
(If they aren't cooking, raise up the oven to 450 and turn again in 10 minutes before proceeding. )
When the potatoes seem close to ready, proceed.
If you are using the lemon and oil mixture, brush on one more time. Stir in the extra ingredients (shredded carrot, minced cherry tomato, and dandelion accents) into the potatoes. (The last ten - fifteen minutes is a good time for this, so they integrate, but don't get fried over the longer time the potatoes need.) Also, you can add some lemon zest over the potatoes either now or just before serving.

Continuing the Sauteed Vegetables:
When the mushrooms are starting to brown, add in about 6 (sliced in half or thirds) cherry tomatoes. A few minutes later, stir the turmeric butter into the pan as well. Continue sauteing. Towards the end, throw in a handful of the chopped up dandelion stems too.

Begin Omelette:

Stir 2 eggs per person with milk in a bowl.*

*Note: This recipe is for one hungry person, or, if you aren't that hungry, you can split it. But if you are cooking more, keep to a 2 egg + milk omelette in a small pan for each portion; there are a LOT of veggies in this and a bigger one may not flip well.

Melt another 1/2 T. of butter in the second pan. Add egg mix into the heated pan. Add more of the chopped thyme, rosemary, sage, and dill and pepper. Add the chopped dandelion stems and then the leaves. Add spinach leaves. Let wilt a minute in the egg mixture while the omelette sets up. Add all or a lot of the sauteed mushrooms and cherry tomatoes mixture over the top. Sprinkle with more pepper and lemon zest.

Let this set up and omelette brown nicely before turning. When you turn, add in 1/2 T. more butter so that omelette browns nicely on opposite side.


Serve:
Serve with potatoes on plate with drizzle of dill sauce over. Serve omelette with Chi Chi's hot salsa on side or over. Leave salad undressed. Pour orange juice and fresh coffee with milk.

This omelette is so colorful, so exotic, and so healthy!

Yumm!

-bbffair
(Ye Olde King's Cook - (or Queen's)- whoever wins the Game of Thrones)

Ginger and Lemongrass

Ginger and Lemongrass

Two of my most favorite Thai spices. And so, I have planted some of both. Will see how my garden grows!

-bbffair






"Pink Ginger" by Jayen466 courtesy of Wikimedia @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pink_Ginger.JPG

Indian Spicy Lemonade

Experimenting With Lemonade


About lemonade: it can get interesting.

It doesn't always have to be the sugary high-calorie version or the oddly vacant diet formula.

Recently, I found this very different recipe for spicy Indian lemonade.*






The Ingredients:

1 tsp. fennel seed

1 star anise

1 tsp. fresh grated ginger

2-3 whole lemons, squeezed

1/4 cup of fresh mint leaves loosely packed

2 Tbsp. sugar (you can add two more Tbsp. to taste)

2 cups of water

2 cups of ice


The Recipe:

In a frying pan, stir the fennel and the star anise and toast them dry -without oil- constantly stirring until they are nicely browned.

Then ground them up in a Magic Bullet or coffee grinder

Then get out your blender and toss them in with the ginger, the juice from the squeezed lemons, the fresh mint, sugar, water and blend.

Pour through a strainer to get out the bits.

Put it back in the blender and add in the ice and hit the blender until the ice is crushed.

It makes about 4 servings, each of which is about 31 calories in the 2 Tbsp. sugar version and about 51 calories in the 4 Tbsp. version.

Enjoy!

-bbffair


* For a version of this and other wonderful lemonades and drinks, as well as many awesome dishes, visit:
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/search/delegate?searchString=lemonade 

~~ 

The beautiful picture above is "Lemonade" by Suat Eman courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos 

 http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Other_Drinks_g65-Lemonade_p10832.html

Spring Sprint - Week Three - Focus on Lightness

  
Lightness

Third week (or fourth if you count the prep week) and I see I'll have to re-clean the house again.

But what I am thinking about here is lightness.




Apple blossom, courtesy of wikimedia commons @ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DSCF4435.JPG

I am thinking about the light that has returned to the north country, the light-as-a-feather touchdown in the bounce and the air in the lift and less muscle. Yes. Less muscling through. Less endurance. More focus on lightness.

And this may seem counter-intuitive, but it's interesting. You see, playing around last week with the intervals, I could not seem to resist how great that felt to do that AND how hard it was on my body. I ended up working twice as hard and twice as long. And that is okay in a spring sprint week, but there are warning lights with overdoing and they include risk of self-injury and, especially, burn-out.

So, if this is going to work, it needs that lightness, that lift-off, that sustainable sweet spot that is neither too much or too little. And, hence, the refocus, this week on lightness.

And, it is paying off. I've modified my spring sprint workout again, this week,  to do only 25 minutes of the bounce on five days, keeping it lighter than ever,  light as a feather, and, in addition, to only do the Callanetics (still at 1/2 time like I describe) only just 2-3 times instead of 4 times and the arm exercises only 4 times.

I've added twenty minutes a day in vitamin D sunlight time, soaking those nourishing light rays in through my skin. And I am lightening up on foods, thinking apples and greens and lighter fare, fish three times this week, water, water, water, and remembering my vitamins.

And I am allowing the idea of light and lightness to permeate my mood, my awareness, my body, my mind, my heart. And, in the name of spring, spirit and light opening.

And nothing more this week. That's it. No add-on walks.

Anything I feel like doing extra is just for joie de vivre. I am listening deeply to my body. It can rest when it needs to and dance when it wishes.

And, now I know that it shouldn't seem to make any sense that light would reap more results, but it can. The body does not need to be kicked down the street into wellness. It needs to be loved. And in this gentling and honoring, like spring flowers opening, the body opens and responds to the light and the lightening.

-bbffair

Spring Sprint - Week Two

Intervaling

The basic premise about interval workouts is that you alternate easy, steady lower intensity workouts with small bursts of high energy output.



Spring Crocus Field, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crocus%28loz%29.JPG

Likewise, you can have also devise a plan-of-action where you have burst of energy weeks AND alternate them with easier, steadier weeks. Therefore you are pushing yourself hard one week and then pacing yourself the next.

Or, in a given exercise, alternating the workout from light to intense to light to intense.

This is supposed to be excellent because the lower intensity burns fat and the upper revs up your metabolism and burns more calories.

So last week was a burst week and this week is a pace week.

It's the same basic routine as week one, only keeping the bounce to 25-35 minutes and maybe playing just a little with some intervals inside the bounce, i.e. like still going with the steady pow-wow-like, continuous moving but with a few placed jumping, leaping movements, just one or two or three bursts tops. And bringing the walking down to 15 minutes and going slower but higher, deeper, stronger movements in it.

See how it can adjust.

-bbffair

Spring Sprint Exercise Plan Week One

 Now on to my idea of a Spring Sprint: Week One:

Monday - Tuesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday

45 minutes continuous inside skip jogging/bouncing:

This is light light, no sweating required, inside skipping or jogging. The important point here is continuous movement, light as a feather is fine. Barefoot on a bouncy floor or in good shoes on a harder surface. 

Crocus, courtesy of wikimediacommons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Krokus-kih.jpg

As an alternative, this can be split up into two (30 minutes and 15 minutes) or three (15 minutes each) if desired. But go at least 15 minutes at a time and try to do the last 15 minutes after your last meal. And, sometimes, the three smaller but still bright sprints are more effective than the one longer one. Experiment and see.
  
*Note: This is NOT for beginners. If you are a beginner, recovering from illness, or otherwise not used to or ready for this, this is NOT where you should begin. You need to build up to this. I will post for a special  routine for beginners. And this is more than I usually do: This is a Spring Sprint week! (I usually do 25-45 minutes, alternating with how I feel, but this is a boost week!)

  
15-30 minute walk - inside walk/ inside ice skate/inside march, etc. or outside walk

An Inside walk can be a lot of things with variables like easy walking or inside ice skate/inside march, etc. which is more flamboyant, uses more muscles, is actually a good workout. These are also more dramatic. Lately I like to mix it up when I am "inside" walking: some marching, some ice skating, some waltzing. Slow and strong and high stepping and rhythmic. "Inside" walking can also be in place.

I personally tend toward less dramatic movements when doing my outside walking, out in public, (unless I am in California or Santa Fe where there are other people like me out there :-D). 

5 minutes of arm strengthening and posture exercises

(No more than 10 reps of anything you do.) They work. You can use any you like. (I do the after breast surgery ones, the physical/occupational therapy ones and a couple of Tracy Anderson's with no more than 3 pound weights.)  Just don't overdo these. We are not muscle builders. We are just working at reasonable strength and posture. (Hint: you can do many of these while doing the light bounce/skip or the inside walk.)

Monday and Thursday:

1/2 Original Callanetics: The standing portion of the Original Callanetics. (5 minutes) 

(Do the reps as directed except the ones that ask for 100 beats/counts. On those do no more than 50 reps of anything/otherwise same as directed.)

Tuesday and Saturday:

2/2 Original Callanetics: The floor portion of the Original Callanetics. (10-15 minutes) 

(Do the reps as directed except the ones that ask for 100 beats/counts. On those do no more than 50 reps of anything except the leg squeezing one! Do 100 of those. Do that exercise last, at the end. For the first 50 counts/beats squeeze continuously and for the last 50 counts/beats squeeze hard for each individual count/beat. Then relax!)

BTW, since radiation, I have changed to this way of doing my tried and true Original Callanetics. It is soooo easy to sustain this practice and get a full two rounds of these great exercises in these shorter sessions, doing only the standing ones one day, and alternating them with the floor only ones on other days. I also have added in a few of my other favorite "spot" exercises to the floor or standing ones. This is so much more doable than trying to carve out a larger time and exercise routine twice a week.

Wednesday: 
Day Off.  You've earned it. You need it. It will help your muscles recover and repair. Resist the urge to add in another exercise day. Instead, pamper yourself, read a book, go to the park, get your hair done, go out shopping, go to lunch with the girls!

Sunday: GGG

Day Off.  Breathe. Go to Church. Climb and sit on a mountain top. Go out to brunch. Sleep in.  Let your body relax, repair, and enjoy!

*Now, please, please note: 

*I am NOT a fitness expert. I am just another woman on a path, sharing what has been working and workable for me, in hopes that it might benefit you too. We all deserve to look and feel our best and that is my wish for you as well. But, as they say, check with your doctor and also, Try at your own risk.

*Do not do more than I have suggested or ever more than your body wants to do and never, ever work hurt. (Hurt means you should take a special extra day off.)

But I would still love to hear from you!

Happy Spring Cleaning! Inside and Out!

Kindest regards,

bbffair

Spring Sprint

 Spring Sprint 

- 

In The Beginning

Did I say I was READY for Spring? I am READY for SPRING!

So for Week One -The Prep Week!-  of My Spring Sprint: 

Step One:

First of all I spring-cleaned my house top to toe! Yeah! It took me a week with two separately planned intense work days with my husband helping, but we DID IT!! (Since the radiation, I have to pace myself, my energy can get all used up and then I have to make up for it.)


But we DID IT!! We even got the famous sheepdogs all cleaned up and now even they are preening around like movie stars. Every body enjoys a tune up!

Jörg Hempel  http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prunus_dulcis_LC0009.jpg
 
And so now my palette is clear. It feels like the RIGHT way to begin.

This was the Prep Week! I kept to my regular exercise with my big goal of getting the house clean and clear. The next six weeks, I'm going to be in full gear!

Next Week, I will post Week One or What A Spring Sprint Week Looks Like To Me.

Until then, the sun is out, the sky is blue, it's beautiful, and so are you, won't you come out to play!

Have a wonderful week end!

Kindest regards,

-bbffair


Dear Prudence

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence won't you come out to play

Dear Prudence open up your eyes
Dear Prudence see the sunny skies
The wind is low the birds will sing
That you are part of everything
Dear Prudence won't you open up your eyes?

Look around round round
Look around round round
Oh look around

Dear Prudence let me see you smile
Dear Prudence like a little child
The clouds will be a daisy chain
So let me see you smile again
Dear Prudence won't you let me see you smile?

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence won't you come out to play

-The Beatles

Here Comes The Sun

Spring Cleaning-Inside and Outside

Making Way For New and Renewed Life

 February, this year, seemed like a long, hard winter month to walk.  I often think of January like that, but not so much February.

Some of this was me and some of this just seemed to be going around. I finished radiation at the end of 2011 in December and I was whipped by it. But January wasn't as darn mean and cold as it usually is, so there was this sense of getting through the winter lightly. That is, until February snagged a bunch of us.


Spring, photo courtesy of: http://commons.wikimedia.or/wiki/File:Spring_2005.jpg

For the past ten months, in spite of cancer, I've been getting consistently lighter and healthier. I've been in my zone and fine tuning things and keeping the lightening going even through cancer. 

But in February???  I tipped up the scales six pounds! I'm still in my zone, but still!  How could that happen??? Time to regroup and rethink and get real.

(And yes I know, in my zone, that's not a big deal -to anyone else but me- but to me, it's a wake-up call before I get into anything more like really bigger trouble!)

I also have a theory. I think that the seasons are important to us, biologically, spiritually, physically, mentally. They affect us and are supposed to. So, for one thing it is natural when it gets cold and snowy and ye old winter winds are beating down your door, that you are supposed to get cozy by the fire with a little bit more you on your bones and take a few more zzzzz's in (even if you didn't have radiation treatments) and sup on root vegetables and hearty stew. But when winter doesn't walk you through it, you will still feel the season, and, even eventually, it may still catch up to you later and demand its due.

Anyway, this year, every single still-exercising, still eating mostly right and healthy, still working-it woman I know told me she tipped it up a few pounds in February and/or the scale just got stuck all month.

Tsk. Tsk.

But I wonder, thinking back on my contemplations of the plateau, if there really is some innate logic to this?  Perhaps it is the last step necessary to moving into the light of spring? Sort of like stepping back to boost your new, next upcoming leap forward.

Anyway, I'm counting on this AND I am recommitting  to my spring this year starting right here and now. I cleaned my house top to bottom, part one, last week, and will finish part two, the dogs, this week. I have cleaned out winter, cobwebs, cancer, worry, and all things that get bottled up and start to grow weird in those bottles. And I am recommitting to a strong five days a week forward in moving in my exercises, not so much more, but with more joie di vivre and light! I want that light in my body too!

And so the next six weeks, I'm channeling my light into my Light Body with new life. I'm going to re-lose that six pounds and aim for four more!

Anybody want to get into the sweet spring dance with me too? Time to Lighten Up!

-bbffair


Here Comes The Sun 

Here comes the sun (doo doo doo doo)
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been clear
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right
It's all right

-The Beatles

Healing Light

Today I finished my radiation treatments. I never thought I would make it. Every single day it was like that for me.

I cannot thank enough the amazing staff at the Radiation Department of University of Michigan Hospital that worked every day to get me through, who were so very very kind and gentle with me. This was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.

Here is to healing light that it may touch all of us when and where we need it the most.

-bbffair

Shiva and Shakti Dancing

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AShiva_dancing_Tandava.jpg

Shiva Dancing

I found these awesome photographs of statues of Shiva dancing that I thought I would post today. This is definitely in the zone. This is how the body feels when it is free and light and dancing, when you let go and become one with your movement and your life force.

These beautiful statues led me on a journey to re-look up Shiva and Shakti, who is his counter-part. I love it when mythology shows up and calls out. There is always some morsel of something potent that is there.

This is some of what I found:


On Wikipedia:

"Shiva (ta: சிவன் ) ; ( /ˈʃɪvə/; Sanskrit: शिव Śiva, meaning "auspicious one") is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a sage at Mount Kailash.^[2] In the Shaiva tradition of Hinduism, Shiva is seen as the Supreme God. In the Smarta tradition, he is regarded as one of the five primary forms of God.^[3] Followers of Hinduism who focus their worship upon Shiva are called Shaivites or Shaivas (Sanskrit Śaiva).^[4] Shaivism, along with Vaiṣṇava traditions that focus on Vishnu and Śākta traditions that focus on the goddess Shakti, is one of the most influential denominations in Hinduism.^[3]
Lord Shiva is usually worshipped in the abstract form of Shiva linga. In images, He is represented as a handsome^[5] young man^[6] immersed in deep meditation or dancing the Tandava upon Apasmara, the demon of ignorance in his manifestation of Nataraja, the Lord of the dance, goodness, humility, and every good quality a human should have. It is said that He looks like an eternal youth because of his authority over death, rebirth and immortality. He is also the father of Ganesha and Murugan ; (ta முருகன் ) ;(Kartikeya)."

and

"Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति) from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism.^[1] Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes referred to as 'The Great Divine Mother' in Hinduism. On the earthly plane, Shakti most actively manifests through female embodiment and creativity/fertility, though it is also present in males in its potential, unmanifest form.^[2]

The Kundalini-shakti from the Yoga tradition: life force/sexual energy that can be awakened for conscious creativity.

Not only is the Shakti responsible for creation, it is also the agent of all change. Shakti is cosmic existence as well as liberation, its most significant form being the Kundalini Shakti,^[3] a mysterious psychospiritual force.^[4] Shakti exists in a state of svātantrya, dependence on no-one, being interdependent with the entire universe.
In Shaktism, Shakti is worshiped as the Supreme Being. However, in other Hindu traditions of Shaivism and Vaishnavism, Shakti embodies the active feminine energy Prakriti of Purusha, who is Vishnu in Vaishnavism or Shiva in Shaivism. Vishnu's female counterpart is called Lakshmi, with Parvati being the female half of Shiva."

More simply,  the male Shiva, embodies transformation, and the female Shakti creativity.

I found a poem on http://swamij.com  (http://swamij.com/loop-secret-shiva-shakti.htm):

The Secret of Shiva and Shakti Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati(endless audio loop*)

Shiva and Shakti are one and the same. There is no place that He is not. There is no place that She is not. They are one and the same. She is in every thing. She is in every word. She is all there is. See Her in all things. Hear Her in all sounds. Know Her in all thoughts. Feel Her in all feelings. She is all there is. She is the one in the three worlds**. Shiva and Shakti are one and the same. That is the secret. (Shiva is the universal latent or masculine energy, and Shakti is the universal active or feminine energy.)

 But, for me, it feels very much like the statues tell it all. There is beauty that dances, life in movement and movement in life.

On the dancing path, one may only sense that freedom at first, but as the body lightens up, when one begins to embody that lightness, the dance become exquisite.

What's not to love about a dancing entity?

-bbffair

Chola dynasty statue depicting Shiva dancing as Nataraja (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva

The Beauty of Plateaus

The Beauty of Plateaus

In the beginning of an adventure in getting your body beautiful or back to beautiful, weight wise, there can be all these amazing BIG results. They are impressive and ever so sweet.

But then comes the times when you hit plateaus. The going is slower, more precise, more streamlined.

Once you are "in your zone" this is more apt to happen. But this is a VERY GOOD THING.

Many of us are conditioned to believe this is where we are stuck or not making progress. (And, where that might be the case, it might be something much, much better than that. Though if we are stuck on our progress, we might need to make an adjustment, add or subtract something, have a few earlier, lighter dinners, something.)

But today I am not thinking about the kind of plateaus associated with being stuck. Instead, I am thinking about the ones where your body is deeply adjusting and  becoming one with its newer lighter being. It is memorizing and learning to live there. And that is a sign that this is a very nice place for the body to be in. Let it find its feet, stop upon the journey, and look out at (and from) the beautiful landscape and take some time to truly drink it in.

The definition of a plateau is: an elevated, fairly stable and level ground, something one might have climbed high or long, or with great effort to arrive at.

In the zone, your body may want to stay at or close to its new weight for awhile. My body likes to go up and down about 4 pounds for about four weeks each month as it adjusts and relaxes into the lighter weight. Then it lets go of the upper level and moves gently and naturally lighter the next month another 2-4 pounds.  Now I know that is not as drastic and freaky-thrilling as losing a ton in the beginning. (And, by the way, if you boot camp your way ALL the way up, you are much more likely to crash and end up at the bottom again and all defeated. So don't do that!)
But this is the part of the path that's perfect for gentle, natural, beautiful, healthful deepening momentum. The marathon part is over and the dance is poetic and sweet and totally to be enjoyed. It will release what may be left to release in its own perfect time. Your job is to fall into harmony with your body and believe again in the beautiful creature that you are.

By the way, isn't the picture above breathtaking! It's Castle Rock in Sedona, Arizona, a place of beautiful energy and healing. I've been there and been awed.

The photograph is kindly offered for sharing by the photographer named Grombo and is shared here by courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.  Info to look at his portfolio is below.

-bbffair

<By Grombo (Own work) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Red_rocks_Sedona_Arizona.JPG /
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Grombo  /
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page >

Sleep

 Getting Your Beauty Sleep

I've been on a post-surgery sleep schedule. Which means my body wants to sleep and heal. It really works too. The more I sleep, the more I heal.

Sleep is a luxury for many. But it is a dieter's best friend and it also is pretty darn good for your skin too.

I am noticing that the more I can sleep, the more my body relaxes and lets go of what it doesn't need, (i.e., extra weight)! Seriously, this is very effective for losing those pounds and building health. So give yourself a sleep regimen and see for yourself if it doesn't make a difference.

Isn't this kitty cute? I have only to look at pictures like this and I get all sleepy in the best and most relaxing ways. I think I might need a picture* of a cat sleeping next to my bed at night for when I need help drifting off into those zzzzzzs.

-bbffair

*(My two sheepdogs might object to a live kitty and I am allergic to cats, but otherwise a real kitty can be helpful in the z-department too!)


<"Sleepy Cat" by ShivaPrasad Madaiah, courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net>

Callanetics and My Basic Exercise Plan

Callanetics, along with my own version of daily cardio-dance,  have been my tried and true exercise program for the most part for more than twenty years. You only have to do the Callanetics two times a week. It is gentle and deeply nourishing and you get results.

Twenty years ago, I bought the original video for the Callanetics program. It is a very deeply thoughtful and well researched program with dance moves and yoga moves in mind, with enormous respect for the neck and the knees and posture, etc. It is about working little muscles, but not straining or injuring anything.

When I originally used Callanetics, after working with it awhile, I abbreviated it, mostly changing the exercises from 100 reps to 50 reps. This allowed me to do the program in 20 minutes. Furthermore, I memorized it. I only had to do it twice a week for results. In fact, it asked you to take days in between so that your muscles and any soreness (and you will be amazed at how sore these "gentle" exercises can make you if you are new to them) repaired and recovered first.

A month ago, I had a hurt neck (not good) from Tracy Anderson's Metamorphosis and, admittedly, also some boredom. I had a serious "bump-in-the-road" and I needed a new plan-of-action.

(Another member over on Tracy's forum also wrote about going back to Callanetics when the going got tough with the Tracy route, which made me thoughtful.  The Tracy method is and has been very effective for me–for the first three levels anyway–but hey, we all need to pay attention to what needs to be tailored to our specific needs and capacities, and whereas I am not giving up entirely on the Tracy meta program,  I may need to add it back in more like seasoning or alternating workouts on a more workable plan for me as I go).

I began by taking a longish break from her routine after 30 days. Though I had had a LOT of results from the first 30 days, on the 4th level, when I injured myself, I needed some time off, which I took without too much of a loss from my results.  I still feel they are very inspiring (!) , but I needed a more sustainable plan. I am just not an "ongoing bootcamp" kind of girl.

Then this last week, I actually sprained my neck (will explain that in a future post).

So where did I turn? I always return to Callanetics.

This week, I began a new program for myself:  It begins with gentle 20 minutes of Callanetics (all the exercises, but at 50 reps max except for the last inner thigh exercise which I do for the full 100 counts).

I began with a Tuesday and Saturday routine (giving me at least two days in between each workout for repair and restoration) for these. Eventually, when I am ready and my body and schedule can accommodate it, maybe in a few weeks, I will add in Thursday too, just for extra toning.

I do these gently. Even with a sprained/strained neck, I can do these. And, believe it or not, even after the Tracy exercises, the first Callanetics in a longish time left me feeling the burn and the work of these gentle exercises the next two days!

But they are sooo gentle, that I have been able to do them without any fear of further injury to my poor sprained/strained neck, doing them especially respectfully to that of course.

I have added into the middle of them a select few of the Tracy exercises for extra leg and butt work.

The beauty of the basic Callanetics (beside the results!!) is that they are so soothing to do. One feels quite relaxed afterwards and (since I have them memorized) I can do them while watching a television program or the news. I don't have any dependence on a DVD or video to move through them.

I am so impressed with these tried and true exercises that I goggled Callantetics to see what they have developed since. LOTS!  I plan to order the cardio (See the youtube clip above for an example of that! Looks yummy to me!) and a couple of the specialty ones. Why not? The original worked for me off and on for many years and I always have come back to it to add into my own cardio.

~~

So My Own New Ideal Exercise Program, right now, has morphed to the following:

Monday:

30 minutes light cardio (I've never felt it made a difference to sweat or work that hard for  "results" but the "continuous" part is essential!) 

and (Additional Option Add On):


3 mile walk* (about 45 minutes, leisurely walk, can be social, like with a friend or my husband or dog or a walk to the store, etc.)  (*weather and time permitting and if my body feels like it).

(*Note: I aim for 3 to 5 of these leisurely 3 mile walks a week on average when I am feeling like moving more or upping my on-my-feet momentum.)

~~

Tuesday:

30 minutes light cardio

20 minutes  Callanetics (with a choice few of Tracy's leg and butt moves added into the  floor work)



and (Additional Option Add On):

3 mile walk* (about 45 minutes, leisurely walk, can be social, like with a friend or my husband or dog or a walk to the store, etc.)  (*weather and time permitting and if my body feels like it).

~~

Wednesday:   

30 minutes light cardio

 and 


Housework or Garden Work (It's exercise too, right?? Right!!)

~~


Thursday:   

30 minutes light cardio

and (Additional Option Add On):
 
3 mile walk* (about 45 minutes, leisurely walk, can be social, like with a friend or my husband or dog or a walk to the store, etc.)  (*weather and time permitting and if my body feels like it).

 ~~


Friday:   

30 minutes light cardio


and (Additional Option Add On):
 
3 mile walk* (about 45 minutes, leisurely walk, can be social, like with a friend or my husband or dog or a walk to the store, etc.)  (*weather and time permitting and if my body feels like it).

~~


Saturday:   

30 minutes light cardio

20 minutes  Callanetics (with a choice few of Tracy's leg and butt moves added into the  floor work)



~~

Sunday:  

Off

~~

(*Note:  And, while injured, I am permitting myself to let go of the 30 minutes cardio for now, so I can heal, and emphasizing the walking, when I can, instead. And I am being more careful with the calories as I will explain in a post over the next week.)

~~

There is freedom in having an exercise program that you can adapt to your own needs and that frees you from necessarily needing DVDs or gyms or studios to go to.

And, I am so impressed with the glimpse of the new Callanetics cardio, that I am going to order it and try it and a couple of the other new videos out and maybe mix them up a bit! Hey! Why not?!

(P.S. And I'll let you know, down the road how they work out for me too! Promise!)

I'd love to hear about any of your own altered–specific to your own needs–adapted programs and how they serve you. But thought you might enjoy hearing about mine too!

 -bbffair

(P.S.  Callanetics has a killer inner thigh exercise: You sit on the floor with your legs outstretched towards a chair and put your feet (middle of the soles) on the outside legs of the chair and squeeze your legs and thighs together as hard as you can, keeping up the intensity of the squeeze for the slow count of 100 and then release and you feel amazing afterwards too.)

Fruits and Vegetables

Isn't this an appetizing image!! All that delicious life force laid out before you.

Looking at, smelling, handling the food with joy and appreciation is all a part of healthy eating. When I am buying food, I want it to be beautiful and to call to me. I want it in my kitchen, in my vegetable drawer. Isn't it a wonderful experience to go to a farmer's market or a place like Whole Foods where they make walking through the produce department so inviting!

(I remember when "health food" had a lot of very depressing and anemic-looking glum people hanging around drab bins of oats with brown paper bags. No more!! Back then I thought that if that was health food, I wanted me my decadent food. Eating right needs to be attracting, don't you think! Marketers finally caught on. Nowadays, it is with relish that we walk through health food displays.)

It seems to me the first order of business in eating right is to enjoy it thoroughly! The tastes, smells, textures, colors, variations. I no longer feel that way about sugary heavy foods that used to call out trying to seduce me, and although I still love a fine wine or a sweet dessert now and then, I let my senses be drawn towards the life energy of naturally good-for-me foods. And when I prepare food or cook, I like to smell each ingredient, pick up the vibration and the energy of it all and enjoy being in my kitchen. And I love the presentation of serving it like works of art.

It can be such a nourishing practice to love and appreciate your food knowing it is perfect and will be good for you.

So that's your assignment, if you aren't doing it already. Go out shopping next time leaving any old thoughts about that bakery section behind and let the fruits and vegetables section of your market have at it with you and shift your allegiances.

May The Force Be With You!

-bbffair

[This great picture today of Fruits and Vegetables came from http://www.knowabouthealth.com]

Tip for the Day: when you are eating out, you can learn to ask for "double vegetables" and skip the starch, fresh fruit for dessert, and skip the cheese in your omelet. (Did you notice that I do!)