Inspired by Others...Dr Fuhrman

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community...



my front porch; photo credit: Angela Zimmerman

I have often lamented the fact that community seems to be falling by the wayside in many areas of our lives. I have heard people asking where the front-porch-in-evening-waving-friendly-hellos-to-passing-neighbors mentality has gone.

And with it, seems to have gone the communal passing of an extra basket of green beans over the back fence to the neighbor lady who doesn't garden...or exchanging dill for a few tomatoes...or some other such neighborly act.

When I started changing my lifestyle and eating plant strong, I did my own juicing. For a time. But it would come and go and I would think "I wish I had more inspiration to get my juicer out and then wash it up at the end of that job." But inevitably, either the phone would call me away or I would discover I didn't have an ingredient for the juice recipe I was going to use. Sigh.

Juicing is a way to get nutrition into the body fast and at a cellular level. It is a good addition to a plant-strong diet because

1. many of our soils are not as high in good stuff as they should be and maybe we aren't getting as much nutrition from the food we eat as we think we are and

2. we don't eat as perfectly as we want to eat every single day. (at least most people that I talk to)

So here's where community comes into action. About a year ago, I first learned of Juice Plus, a company devoted to bringing to us nutrition through fruit and vegetable juices that are dehydrated into powder and sold in capsules. I was intrigued but cautious as I purposed to learn more before I dismissed it or accepted it.

As I've heard friends share, and seen the results they have been blessed to know, it dawned on me that this is community.

Many people do not garden. So there are farmer's markets and neighbors to pass along produce.
Many people do not wish to invest in a juicer and the time it takes to juice on their own.
So there is Juice Plus.
I think it is a neat idea and also enjoy the fact that

1. there is more variety in Juice Plus than anyone can put into their homemade juicing (altho there is certainly a benefit from home done juice) and
2. it is more economical than the consistent use of home done juice.

So I decided I would go ahead and use Juice Plus as the juiced nutrition part of my family's diet.
I am happy to know that every day I am getting a hefty dose of fruits and veggies at a cellular level besides the fiber-rich plant eating I do.

With Juice Plus, there are no overdosing possibilities as warned of when taking vitamin supplements.
It's just whole-food based nutrition.

I'm happy to have found this product and I bless the company for filling a communal need.

If you have any questions or interest about Juice Plus, feel free to contact me. I would love to hear from you and share the blessing as my way of entering into the spirit of community.

Oh for Honesty in this World!

Quinoa...

Today's lunch: Quinoa and Veggie Stir-Fry.

We have already put veggies with whole wheat couscous (and when I was thinking about what starch to add to the veggies today, my daughter suggested couscous) but today I decided to use quinoa for several reasons:

1. couscous is a flour product and I try not to over use flour products
2. quinoa is a complete protein
3. quinoa is a whole food
4. I have 25 lb of red quinoa waiting to be used in my pantry.
5. quinoa is delish!

Here is what I used today:

 

red onion

red pepper

zucchini

(had a half quart left after my daughters processed a

5 gal bucket full from my garden this morning and put in the freezer)

green beans

(had a pint in the fridge leftover from the weekend; also garden fresh!)

mushrooms

garlic

red quinoa

soy sauce

Adobo

(can be found in the

 Goya/international/ethnic foods aisle at the grocery story)

 

I stir fried the veggies while the quinoa was cooking.

(double the water from the amount of dry quinoa you use)

Then I stirred together in a serving bowl and served

with various Asian sauces:

sweet chili

General Tso's

sweet and sour

(I was tickled to find a line of Asian sauces at our local grocery store

without MSG or its cousins!)

 

We all thoroughly enjoyed our lunch.

Finished with some watermelon.

 



Putting it Into Perspective...

I am a huge fan of simple. This pretty much covers it for me in the health realm.

 

Ah, Summer, How I Love Thee!

Here is what I am up to these days!

 

 

many squash flowers = prolific yields = winter stir fry options

that free up the budget for something else!

 

 

"General Tso's" Stir Fried Veggies with Rice Noodles...

a wonderful lunch on any day!

 

 

3 (65 foot) rows of green beans and 12 squash plants = aching back and leg muscles

Thank You, God for bountiful harvest! Thank You for plants to provide fuel for my body.



 

 

And thank-You, God for a 13 year old daughter

who made  cherry pie Laraballs for me after she did the breakfast dishes,

a wonderful "after-bean-picking" snack!

 

 

does this spell 'summer', or what?!



The view from my kitchen sink window these days...

This is my favorite garden, filled with herbs and all my favorite perennials...



 

many tailgate lunches and suppers for my Farmer.

Thank-You, God that I have a healthy husband who works hard

and provides well for his household.

 

 

These are the some of the joys of summer in my life.

What are the joys of summer in yours?



Kickstart Your Health 5

I am getting a little long in between posting menu ideas, but it is summer so please forgive me as I am busy weeding veggie and flower gardens, mulching and stringing tomatoes, harvesting zucchini and yellow summer squash, organizing freezers, cutting cilantro, dill and mint from my herb garden, enjoying red beets from my 'bit of earth', and picking bushels of green beans for winter's use.

Here is a plant-strong menu idea:

Breakfast:

Shredded Potato/Mushroom/Pepper/Onion and Garlic Scramble
Green Smoothie with ground chia and flax seeds

Lunch:

Strawberry and Spinach Salad
(layer spinach, sliced strawberries, pine nuts, red onion on a plate; drizzle with strawberry balsamic vinegar and walnut oil)

Baked Sweet Potato 'fries'
(peel sweet potatoes and cut into wedges. Layer onto a pan lightly sprayed with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and chipotle pepper. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes or til done)

Supper:

Rainbow Salad
(layer chopped red and green cabbage, romaine, shredded carrots, diced red onion, chopped cilantro, broccoli, and diced tomatoes in this order in a glass baking dish or pretty glass bowl; serve with a low oil Italian dressing)

Rice and Beans
(in a baking dish place 2 c brown rice, 1 t salt, 1 t dried onion flakes, 1/2 t pepper, 1 rounded T taco seasoning mix without MSG-I use McCormick's brand. Add 4 c hot water, 1 T olive oil or butter to prevent grains from sticking together, and 1 quart black, red or pink beans. Bake at 350* for 1 hour or til done. I often do this in the crockpot on high for 4 hours)

Pineapple/Strawberry Medley

(fresh pineapple chunks and sliced, fresh strawberries; toss in a pretty bowl and serve)