Sick Day Scramble

The title says it all really.  When you feel rotten but still have an appetite and need to nourish yourself here's a very simple quick recipe to really go deep with your nutrients.

(By the way, I've been on a bit of a hiatus due to some personal issues but I intend to get back to blogging in the early new year.  There is no end to my inspiration. Thanks for reading...)

Enjoy...


Sick Day Scramble
Heat some butter and or cold-pressed oil in pan at low heat.  
Add 6 shitake mushrooms, sliced and 1 large garlic clove, chopped. 
Sautee for a few minutes until the aroma infuses the room and they look softened.  
Add 2 organic eggs and a smathering of organic spinach, pinch unrefined salt and a dusting of cayenne pepper.   Mix and cover until cooked to your liking. *Do not overcook egg yolks as it oxidizes their good cholesterol.
Accompany with a half an avocado and a gaggle of your favourite sprouts.
Divine. 

Your getting needed protein to heal, a range of quality fats, a variety of vitamins and minerals and antioxidants.  Anti-inflammatory and immune boosting compounds from garlic, shitakes, cayenne and spinach, enzymes from the fresh sprouts and avocado and electrolytes from the unrefined salt.  I could go on...

A complete and healing meal in many respects.  All you have to do now is enjoy it and your body will do the rest...

I am in love. again.
I have re-discovered the world of fermented beverages and my newest adventure has been with water kefir. I had tried my hand at other home-brewed bevvies in the past with success. In fact, ginger beer and T'ej (Ethiopian honey wine) were staples around my house for some time.
But water kefir has really rocked my boat. I think a big factor is that it takes a fraction of the time that others take to make - and who doesn't appreciate that?
The most pleasing attributes for me though are the flavour and how great it makes me feel after drinking it. It is the cleanest crispest flavour I've experienced in a ferment. Now I'm no fermented beverage aficionado - not by any stretch of the imagination - but I have had my fair share of 'booch' (aka: kombucha).
And there is also no denying how happy my belly feels after a cool crisp glass of my homemade water kefir. When I first made it a few months ago after a workshop I took with the talented Andrea Potter, I couldn't stop!  I was hooked on the first sip and had to have more. 
I was also adequately convinced that the refined sugar (something I don't normally use at all) was metabolized in the fermentation process and so it did not create any of the ill effect it would have if it had not been fermented. The refined sugar is virtually consumed by the active bacterial cultures within the kefir 'grains' and used as fuel to make this deliciously healthy drink. Some of the nutrients within include: enzymes, probiotic / friendly bacteria, antioxidants, assorted vitamins and minerals.
Now that's some good food magic
The method is simple once you get your hands on some water kefir grains (ask around at health-food shops and organic markets - many folks have them you just need to ask around in neighborhoods where people make or grow their own food).

Basic Recipe:
Approx. 1/4 tsp. kefir grains (that's all you need for a litre!)
1 litre boiled/purified water
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
Approx. 1/4 cup fresh or dried fruit of choice
a few sprigs of herb of choice (ie: mint, thyme, basil, fennel) - optional but recommended to achieve complex flavour and higher nutrient value.

Method:
1. Place clean jar(s) on counter top and add 1/4 cup sugar to the bottom of jar.
2. Pour just under 1 litre water into jar over sugar and stir.
3. Add the herbs of choice to the hot sweet water.
4. Let cool to room temperature.
5. Add the fruit - I mash the berries to get the maximum nutrients out of them. If I'm using lemon or lime wedges I squeeze them a little first too.
6. Then add the kefir grains. I first put them into a little reusable tea sac to avoid having to strain them out of the fruity/herbal much afterwards.
7. Place a tea towel or cloth napkin over the top of the jar and fasten with an elastic band.
8. Let sit for 48 hours in a warm place away from direct sunlight and stir with a non-metal implement every           8-12 hours. (They don't like metal so I use a wooden spoon.)
9. After 48 hours, remove the little sac with the kefir grains and place it in the refrigerator in a jar with some of the liquid from the kefir to keep it moist and fed. It will be fine for a few days but feed it with a little sugar and water if you leave it for longer. Even better, use them for the next batch right away - this keeps them the healhiest.
10. Strain the rest of the fruit/herb bits and bottle the strained liquid. *Note: Bail top bottles are my favourite and they are nice and strong for holding back the sometimes powerful carbonation that builds during fermentation. Wine bottles and corks work too - put on lids tightly :)
11. Leave the bottle at room temperature for another 24 hours if you like carbonation.
12. Transfer to fridge after 24 hours in the bottle and enjoy once cooled.
*Be careful opening your fermented beverage as it can act like champagne sometimes and flow over wildly!

A few favourites: Rhubard and vanilla pod, lime & mint, summer plum, pomegranate, aumtumn pear or pineapple + coconut water.

"Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy" as my son Oskar would say!

Enjoy drinking in the goodness...

Food Glorious Food

For those of you who love to garden (or aspire to) - raise your hands.
Gardening can take many forms. I started small; growing herbs in my window and throwing the odd seed in a pot when I lived in shared housing back in my college days.
I had little to be responsible for back then (compared to my days now as a mother). And I had something to watch grow. My education was less tangible it seemed, i guess ;)
This year I've planted my biggest edible garden yet. I feel so fortunate to have the space and the time (albeit not a lot!) Rather than have the token tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and beans and various herbs that I had last year, I have decided to go big.
This Summer I want to feed my family from the garden. I can always share any extras, right?
Then, my plan is to start making my move toward expanding into the fall and winter months and learn ways to extend the season. I've been learning much  from others who have been doing this for years. It's just about having a little know-how and taking the plunge. And making the best use of the space you have.

It's got to be one of the most gratifying things an individual can do - to grow your own food.  Not only is the process exhilarating - watching those tiny seed pods burst forth into seedling and then mature plants (all from a tiny seed!) - but the finished product pretty much blows your mind. Well, when things turn out, that is. There are never any guarantees with gardening but the risk of course is part of the excitement.

I lately been rather enthralled with the many ideas on the internet exploring vertical gardening. The ideas seem endless and so ingenious. It seems that folks want to grow wherever they are and no matter their space restrictions.  Good on them, I say!
I think that we all need to reconnect with our foods sources. So even if you live in a wee little north facing apartment with a black thumb. There is hope. You can grow - somehow.

Here's some links to get you started:http://www.windowfarms.org/
http://www.facebook.com/willemvancotthem
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/roof-wall-gardens-videos.html

Happy growing to you...

Culinary Spices for Life

Check out my latest Alive Magazine article

Orange Cheese - why!?

Have you ever wondered why cheese in North America is often orange? I have!  Not until I became a little more food savvy of course but I just grew up thinking that some cheese were just 'that way'and not ever questioning why or even how. I think it has, over time, just become an accepted thing or, perhaps more accurately, an unquestioned thing. Until fairly recently that is, as consumers are becoming more in the know about food additives they are wanting to avoid them as much as possible.

I was please to be forwarded this article today from a good friend and fellow concerned foodie:
http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/ever-wonder-why-block-cheddar-bright-orange-160000906.html
Please pass it on as we as consumers need to stop supporting food companies that use these additives - for the sake of our kids and our collective health!

Another Women's Day post (from fellow blogger)..

Perhaps it should have been Women's Month!

Here's The Queen of Green on Women's Day...

Eating it Real Celebrates International Women's Day

Today's post is dedicated to all the young women of the world who deserve all the opportunities that they can dream of.

As a woman, I believe that empowerment via knowledge, wellness and spirituality can be trans-formative.
It is my wish that people will realize the far reaching effect a healthy diet has not only on one's body, mind and spirit but also the effect we all have as individuals in the world (environment, economy, social policy, human rights...)
On the topic of self-nourishment, my hope is that young women of the world will not only realize the vast benefits of self-nourishment (physically, mentally & spiritually) but practice it daily, without guilt, without fear...without hesitation!

I think there are few key of ways to initiate and inspire the young women in your life to do this:
First is through education. Many people do not have the first clue how to just physically nourish themselves so proper nutrition education is paramount. Make efforts to ensure that nutritional education is prominent in your community. As the effort toward physical nourishment (via food) is strived for, it will then nurture the idea of self-importance; another form of nourishment reaching the soul/spirit.

Another way to inspire young women to care for their nourishment is to celebrate them; tell them what they mean to you, show them how much you care and how important they are to this world.

Next, cut out the body image banter! Enough already with pressuring women to look (and talk!) like Barbie. This is impractical and unhealthy for the vast majority of the population.

These simple practices can change the world. Afterall, women are the 'nourishers' (of others) and once we become depleted who's going to do it? We must include ourselves in the nourishing! So, be the change you want to see in the world and inspire through action...

Happy International Women's Day! Please see this link for other blogs that are writing for this special day:

Thank you and be well nourished,
Lisa Marie

My recent Interview of Lindsay Coulter - Queen of Green

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Lindsay Coulter, David Suzuki's Queen of Green. She's SO great!  My new favourite person...

(You may recall that she interviewed me just a short time ago. Now the tables have turned - mwah-ha-ha-ha...)

Check it out here

Berry Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes - oh my!

Today I made something I've never made before. Well, actually something we make often but with a twist!  And the idea was all my son Oskar's. We set out this morning, as we often do, to make our staple buckwheat pancakes (we're a milk and gluten free family) but Oskar had set in his mind to start his day with a glass of chocolate almond milk which I had picked up from Choices Market recently. I explained that that was not a healthy option to start the day with. So, as any 4 year old would do, he figured out a way to convince me.  So, naturally, he suggested that we add it to the pancake mix in lieu of regular almond milk; one of the ingredients in our recipe. I was about to say no when  I realized that it was Valentine's Day and why not treat ourselves to something a bit decadent?  So, off we went with reckless abandon and created a rather yummy breakfast treat. I snapped a shot to share with you. Perhaps you'll enjoy it too...
Hope there's love in your day!

Oskar's Valentine's Berry Chocolate Buckwheat Pancakes (with berries)
You'll need:

 2 cups Buckwheat groats (fresh-ground is way better, taste and nutrient-wise. *Buy whole/raw and use your coffee grinder!)

Approx. 1.5 cups Chocolate Almond milk (or Vanilla Brown rice and/or coconut milk - use just enough to make pancake batter creamy and thin enough to pour but not runny/milky) add more if needed.

2 organic eggs

2 tablespoons. non-alum baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch of nutmeg

Fresh/frozen organic/seasonal fruit (thinly sliced apples, pears and/or berries work great).

Method 

1.) Blend all ingredients, except fruit, well.

2.) Heat skillet to medium and add butter/ghee/virgin coconut oil to coat pan.

3.) Scoop out enough dough for one pancake.

4.) Add fresh/frozen fruit and flip when it bubbles.

5.) Once finished cooking, drizzle with real maple syrup, raw honey or homemade jam or apple sauce and perhaps even a dollop of organic, non-homogenized yogourt….enjoy!

The Dailey Method Vancouver

I recently worked on a small project with the gals at The Dailey Method here in Vancouver and really enjoyed it. I am including a link to their Facebook page: (scroll down to Jan. 19, 2012) where they posted the info I supplied them with for their community board at their studio.
Sharing the love of food and the wonders of good health it provides...
In good health, Lisa Marie

Queen of Green

I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Lindsay Coulter, David Suzuki's Queen of Green.  Her blog is really informative and provides useful information for anyone trying to improve their choices and live a more sustainable lifestyle, including making better food choices.

We spoke about how to eat and get the health benefits from eating sustainable fish.  I'm providing the link if you care to read more about this fishy topic

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/queen-of-green/2012/01/how-to-eat-the-healthiest-and-sustainable-fish/

Be well and stay tuned for more...

Shopper's Guide to Healthier Choices

Hey Folks!
I thought I'd post some brief but imperative links, one of which is a list of what foods consumers ought to make sure they buy organic (or risk ingesting some seriously sketchy residues).
It's the work of Environmental Working Group. They independently research everything from food to sunscreen and are an authority on which is best for us and the environment. They provide detailed info on which items that are healthiest to: put in your mouth, put on your body or use to clean your house.

It's a link everyone should  have at their fingertips so I'm sharing it with you...so get your fingertips warmed for this hot tidbit...and consider printing the handy little PDF and give it to your favourite people.

Be well!

Hello? Happy New Year...

Hello?  Are you there?  I want to hear from you!

I know I haven't posted for a while.  I want to reinvent my blog and am now in the planning stage. I may just turn it into a full website. I have 20 sensational members (and many lurkers) and I want to hear from you!

Would you take a moment and tell me what you'd like to see on my blog?
(ie: more recipes, more/less rants, more links, more quotes, full articles, more pages...anything that comes to mind)

I would really appreciate it.

Thank you!