10.25.2011

It's official......




Pumpkins & Ghords & Corn........




OH MY!!!!

This is the first year I have actually decorated for the fall season. Not only Halloween but the whole feeling of the harvest and the colors that come with this wonderful time of year.

I am so inspired by the offerings of nature and especially the most amazing weather we've had in quite some time!


MANA

I spend a lot of time in my car & have finally bought a book on CD. The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo.

It is an interesting offering of daily meditations and insights. Today he spoke of Mana. This is a word with origins in Polynesia and is used to refer to the, "extraordinary force, spiritual electricity, unconscious influence of one being on another".
This can be a person, animal, or maybe inanimate object.
It's so interesting to think about that magnetic pull that we have to certain things.

Mana is also described as the force behind magic.

I guess it's just the un-explainable.
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Last night I taught for the first time in a while. With traveling and Jewish holidays going on I have been a little disconnected from my practice. I feel it for sure!!!
It was an awesome night, for me, to reconnect with everyone and to really find my voice again.
I love teaching and I love what yoga offers to anyone who practices.
Since I teach two totally different types of classes back to back I get to see how they can offer so many changes to different types of people.

I'm a yoga dork & I love it!!

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B12

This has become my greatest hurdle....this seemingly simple vitamin is quite the contrary.
Come to find out that being a raw/vegan carries a few complications.
In order for it to actually be a healthy lifestyle we have to supplement.....especially B12.

I watched a webinar yesterday offered by David Rainoshek who has studied and co-authored with Gabriel Cousens.

The jest of it was that even if you eat meat you are likely to be in some way deficient in B12.
The best way to up your levels, if they are severely low, is to have injections of Methylcobalamin. This is the human active strain.....all others are worthless.

Good to know!!

The next best are these patches that are small round discs that go behind the ear. Twice a week for 24 hrs at a time. 

Since I am having such problems with this and are already getting the injections I ordered the patches as soon as I heard of them!! I am going to test my levels again soon so we will see where they are.

Lacking in B12 causes all sorts of crazy complications & is also linked to Alzheimer's disease, infertility, and a long list of others.

When in doubt......take a B12 supplement!!


light & love
xoxoxo






10.21.2011

save them!!!

No kill animal shelters America
Beyond the health of our bodies, the main reason for so many of us to be vegan is that we wish to be humane human beings. Our food doesn’t have a face, or a mother, thank goodness. Our clothing isn’t constructed out of the fur or fleece of anyone’s child.
My vegan journey has led me to focus on dogs and cats.  Even though these animals are not part of typical American diets or clothing, they are exploited and abused in other ways. Therefore, I feel they are worthy of our attention.
The biggest tragedy for dogs and cats in America is that 4 million of them, most in perfect health and good temperament, are killed every year in so-called animal “shelters.”
They have been picked up as strays, or turned in by owners who can no longer care for them. The cities and counties which run the facilities cannot find enough adoptive homes, and their holding pens are filled beyond capacity. So the animals, who are completely healthy (and loving and trusting and precious) are gassed or given lethal injections.
What can be done? For starters, here are 10 simple strategies that allow everyone to hack away at this horrible statistic and to help make America a no-kill nation for our dogs and cats:
  1. Spay or neuter your pet. If we can prevent the birth of litters, then there will be fewer dogs and cats that have to be “euthanized” down the road. It is a cop-out to say that you will be able to find homes for all the babies your dog or cat will give birth to. A far better approach would be to find homes for the puppies and kittens that are already born and languishing at the shelter.
  2. Become a foster mom or dad for one of the homeless animals at your local animal facility. Even if there is no room in your home, or your life, for a permanent four-legged addition right now, maybe you can commit to loving one of these creatures for a little while. Fostering helps to socialize the animals, making them more adoptable. It also frees up space at the shelters so that more animals can be given more time to be adopted.
  3. Spend a few hours per week, or month, at your local shelter, petting and walking the animals. This, too, helps to socialize them so that they are better candidates for adoption.
  4. Lobby against puppy mills and backyard breeders. Even the ones that claim to have impeccable safety records have no reason to be in business. They are flooding the market with a “product” that is already in over-supply. Animal shelters contain purebred dogs and cats who are desperate for loving homes. There are also animal rescue organizations specializing in various breeds—they can place in your arms ANY breed of dog or cat that you might desire.
  5. Don’t leave your dog on the end of a chain, and reeducate your friends and neighbors not to do so either. Dogs get bored, lonely, frustrated, and injured when they live out their lives tethered to a stake in the ground. They are social pack animals who need the freedom to roam in their own safe spaces. The frustration can lead chained-up dogs to bite children and others who wander into their territory, which then leads to the destruction of the dogs. Also, the chains often break and the dogs run away, adding to the epidemic of homelessness.
  6. Join your local TNR brigade. TNR stands for “trap, neuter, release,” and it is one of the best methods for dealing with feral cat colonies. If cats have been living away from human homes for some time, they are often unable to be re-socialized to live with humans. So, concerned cat ladies and gents round them up, see that they are fixed, and then return them to live out their lives in peace.
  7. Fight breed-specific legislation whose aim is to bar people from owning pit bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and other breeds of dogs who have a reputation for being vicious. In actuality, there is no breed which is more dangerous than any other. Almost any dog can be turned into a killer if it is starved, beaten, or trained with abusive methods. Conversely, with the proper handling, most dogs can be loyal, loving human companions, irrespective of their breed. Laws which prevent people from owning certain dogs only contribute to the homelessness problem.
  8. Speak to landlords about their no-pets policy. So many renters would love to have a dog or cat companion, but their building or rental home doesn’t allow it. Landlords need to be told that animals are no messier or destructive than their human tenants.
  9. Donate food, old towels, chew toys, and other supplies to your local animal shelter. If the shelters don’t have to spend their limited funds on these things, they might instead be able buy a few more cages or dog runs so that they can save that many more animals.
  10. Visit your children’s school or summer camp to talk about responsible pet care. Kids love hearing about animals, and already have a natural affinity to be kind to them. If we can get through to the children, we have the best chance of a humane no-kill future for America’s dogs and cats.
Sarah Gross, Contributor One Green PlanetSarah Gross is the founder and president of Rescue Chocolate, a vegan chocolate company whose profits are donated to various animal rescue organizations. She is also a co-founder of U.S. Veg Corp, a new company which stages vegetarian events such as the New York City Vegetarian Food Festival. After a brief career as a professional ballet dancer, she became a certified Pilates instructor. Additionally, she earned her bachelor’s degree in humanities from the University of Maryland. Sarah now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her rescued pit bull, Mocha.
Pit Bull Puppy Image Source: Sarah Gross






Have a beautiful weekend & enjoy this amazing weather!!!!!

peace & light
xoxo

10.17.2011

Good times!!

Another great weekend!
It started with Joshs' gig @ Swamp Grass Willy's.

Always a great time!!

Green Market season is finally here!
I look forward to this ALL year.
We checked out the market in PGA and met Carl from KaiKai farms up in Stuart.


This will be my home away from home if it turns out to be as great as it sounds.
Local Organic Produce.......what!!??

I'll keep you posted.

My amazing husband was nice enough to take me to my favorite place to eat, Christopher's Kitchen.
This is an all Raw Living Foods restaurant in PGA.
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!!

We started with the Maui juice........
 creamy seaweed roll......
then the falafel salad & flatbread trio.....
&
we saved the best for last!!!!!





Chocolate icecream brownie banana sunday!!!!

HEAVEN.



We ended our weekend by celebrating my Aunt & Uncles anniversary.
Their son, Tyler, is a truly happy baby!




Good food....
 lovely family....
great music.

Good Times!!!

xoxoxoxo

10.14.2011

California Rocks!!







The decision to either buy or adopt a cat or dog just got a lot easier in Irvine, California — you don’t really have an option! The Irvine City Council has voted to ban the sale of dogs and cats in retail stores. And as if that wasn’t cool enough, they also banned rodeos and circuses that feature exotic animals.

“It’s just a win for animals all around,” said resident Wendy Fears, one of a small local group that helped organize supporters of the ban.

The effort to try to shut down retail pet sellers of dogs and cats comes as part of a larger effort to reduce the number of animals bought from puppy mills, and to encourage pet adoption.
According to the Los Angeles Times, more than 50 public speakers presented arguments to the council citing inhumane conditions found in puppy mills and buyers’ lack of knowledge about them and the associated health risks.
The city is also considering a campaign urging residents to spay and neuter their pets.


I think that would be an amazing thing for us to accomplish here in South FL!!

Any ideas?

Enjoy the weekend & maybe adopt a dog!!!
Second Chance Rescue..... we found Buddy Miles Davis through them!!!

xoxo



10.13.2011

bits




Marisa on a Harley in front of Stuart Recycling.
Mod Rockstar!






My newest batch of Alfalfa sprouts!
Over floweth!
The Easy Sprouter makes doing this fool proof.
Find it on my Favorite Finds page.



How about the FULL moon last night! Pretty amazing......even though the dogs were crazy!



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REBORN HIGHWAY

This Saturday night @ Swamp Grass Willy's in PGA.
10:30pm

rock it out boys!!
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xoxo





10.12.2011

yum & yum

I often day dream of spending hours upon hours in our kitchen making amazing food!!

Until those days arrive I will collect my most favorite recipes and share them with you!

This is a recipe that I came across today. I don't usually post a recipe unless I have tried it myself, but, this one looks very promising!

TEMPEH PICATTA

Tempeh Picatta Ayinde Howell

Ingredients:
  • ¼ Cup celery small diced
  • ¼ Cup onion Small dice
  • 3 Cloves garlic pressed
  • 2 Teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 2 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 Teaspoons rubbed sage
  • ½ Cup low sodium soy sauce (braggs or nama shoyu)
  • ¼ Cup cider vinegar
  • ¼ Cup water
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 8oz package tempeh
  • 1 Cup All-purpose flour, for dredging
  • 6 Tablespoons earth balance buttery spread
  • 3 Tablespoons canola oil
  • 1/3 Cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½ Cup vegetable stock
  • ¼ Cup brined capers, rinsed
  • 2 Tablespoons Extra virgin Olive Oil
  • 1/3 Cup fresh parsley chopped
Preparation:
Step 1: To make marinade combine herbs and liquids in a mixing bowl marinade Tempeh for 20 minutes (careful not let it go longer.) While that is marinating cut Tempeh in to fillets 3×4 inches and a half inch thick and set aside. Once done remove tempeh and dredge in flour and shake off excess.
Step 2: In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of "butter" with 3 tablespoons canola oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of tempeh and cook for 3 minutes. When tempeh is browned, using spatula, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Repeat until all Tempeh is cooked.
Step 3: Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Add 2 tablespoons of your marinade to the pan. Return all the tempeh to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tempeh to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over tempeh and garnish with parsley.
Thank you Ayinde Howell, vegan chef
I would pair this with any marinated or steamed green & a citrus salad.


I'm so excited to try this out and all of the ingredients are awesome.
Tempeh is the only "meat substitute" that is recommended my raw foodies.
Enjoy!

xoxo

10.10.2011

lengthy but worth the read!!

I am always searching for the latest and greatest research having to do with nutrition. This article has definitely shown some light onto this sometimes confusing topic. 


Agave nectar is no longer the go-to sweetner and of course if it's too good to be true then........it is!


It takes a little while but we CAN retrain ourselves to not need so much sugar......as well as salt. It's amazing how much you can actually taste when you aren't covering up the taste of a food. 

Simplify & Enjoy!



Why Most Unrefined Sweeteners Really Aren't That Healthy

Written by Whitney Lauritsen   
sugar syrup
No matter how clean your diet is, chances are you have a hard time resisting a decadent piece of chocolate or a homemade batch of organic cookies, but not without investigating the ingredients first. You know that refined sugars are a big health no-no and perhaps choose to consume alternatives like agave nectar and coconut sugar to get a guilt-free sweet fix. However, if you've ever thought these substances taste a little too good to be true, you're kinda right. While unrefined sweeteners are much better for you than refined, they still have some drawbacks. Here's the lowdown.

Unrefined vs. Unprocessed

Just because a sweetener is unrefined does not mean it's unprocessed. If it is in powder or liquid form, it is not a whole food; it has gone through some sort of process to get to that state and is highly concentrated. The fiber has been stripped away, which is responsible for making you feel full and helps your body slowly absorb sugar. Whole forms of sugar, such as fruit, are ideal because of the fiber content and lower calorie content, which will leave you feeling satisfied a lot faster. If you really want some cane sugar, chew on sugarcane!

Nutrition

Sugar (glucose) is a necessary fuel for our bodies and is found in most foods, namely starches, vegetables and fruits. Natural sweets - such as bananasoranges and apples- are nutrient dense, so you're getting a lot more out of them than just a sugar rush. On the other hand, when sweet plants are processed they usually lose their sustenance and can actually inhibit the body's ability to absorb minerals, vitamins and enzymes. Most sweeteners are over 90% fructose, which researchers have linked to cancer cell development. Too much sugar of any variety can compromise your immune system, prevent weight loss, rot your teeth, cause inflammation, mess with your hormones and lead to diabetes - yikes!

A Happy Medium

It'd be unreasonable to ask you to stop eating sweet things - sometimes you just want something more stimulating than fruit (though the right strawberry can be ecstasy). Since sugar is especially addictive, if you deprive yourself of it you might crack one day and over do it. So, if you feel the need to indulge have some unrefined sweetener in moderation, aiming for 3-4 times a week max. FYI, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 5% of daily calories from processed sweeteners - for the average diet that means about 5 teaspoons (not a lot considering one can of cola contains 10 tsp!). Check out our 10 Tips for Reducing Sugar Intake.

Your Best Bet

If you're looking for a truly natural, unprocessed option, use dates (deglet variety is low cal) or grow your own stevia and use its leaves (the latter is even suitable for diabetics). Most health experts agree that you can have almost as much of these sweets as you'd like… well, as long as they're part of a balanced diet. If those sweeteners aren't an option when you're out and about, unrefined is the best way to go. Enjoy treats made with organic brown rice syrup, raw agave nectar, maple syrup or date sugar, which each have some nutritional value and are minimally processed.
Image credit: Joana Petrova



A little information about Dates:


Health benefits of dates are uncountable, as this fruit is affluent in natural fibres. Dates are even rich in several vitamins and minerals. These natural products contain oil, calcium, sulphur, ironpotassiumphosphorous,manganesecopper and magnesium which are advantageous for health. It is said that consumption of one date daily is necessary for a balanced and healthy diet. Dates help in fighting constipation, intestinal disorders, weight gain, heart problems, sexual weakness, diarrhoea and abdominal cancer.


Health benefits of dates have made them the best nourishment for muscles development. People consume dates in several ways, like mixing the paste of the dates with milk, yoghurt or with bread or butter to make the food tasty and healthy. This paste is beneficial for both adults and children, especially during the time of recovery. According to the modern medicine survey, it is known that dates are useful in preventing abdominal cancer. It is also seen that many Muslims break their fast by eating dates andwater according to their traditions. Breaking fast with eating dates helps us to avoid overeating of the food after the fast. When the body absorbs the nutritional value of the dates, the feeling of hunger gets pacified.

Although dates carry tremendous nutritional values, great care should be taken in their selection because they consists of sticky surface which attracts various impurities in them. Hence, you should consume only those dates that are processed and packed properly. Make sure to wash them thoroughly before consuming. This will help remove the impurities present in them.

ORGANIC!!

This is the perfect addition to nut milks as well.