Kreativ Blogger Award

I was so pleased and flattered yesterday to discover that Evergreen from The Happy Raw Kitchen (one of my favorite blogs) has nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thanks Everygreen. One of the rules for accepting is I must share 7 interesting factoids about myself.

So here it goes...

Things I do - Who I am - Stuff I love

1. Some of my friends and family like to call me "The Apothecary". Sick, Injured? I have herbs, tinctures and band aids at the ready... what can I say, I was a Girl Guide - "Be Prepared" is still my motto.
2. I love to harvest wild herbs/edibles - I get giddy when berries start to ripen in the fall.
   
3. I have to be in the water at least once a day or I just don't feel right.
   
4. I enjoy researching and organizing information. Google is a close personal friend.
   
5. I'm a William Morris groupie.
   
6. I'm an armchair traveler/adventurer. I spend a fair amount of time planning trips.
   
7. I live in northern Canada - I'm usually barefoot - which means berry blue toes for much of the year!

Blogs I enjoy and would like to nominate...

1. Marc and Angel Hack Life
2. Adventures of Raw Goddess Heathy
3. Life is beautiful
4. Lucid Bites: Vegan Recipes
   
5. Life Is Beautiful
6. Radish_Queen
7. Raw in Montana
8. The Raw Chef Blog

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Adrenals/Thyroid

I found this the other day. Dr. Brady Hurst is a wholistic Doctor based in the US. If you suffer from Adrenal/Thyroid problems or an autoimmune disease such as Graves or Hashimotos (like me). The videos I've posted below are well worth a watch.

Dr. Brady has several videos posted on his site which I found very informative.. If you want to watch more here is the link

http://doctorbrady.wordpress.com/category/hashimotos-thyroiditis/

The Adrenal / Thyroid Connection

Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and the Immune System- The Functional Medicine Approach

Hypothyroidism and the Gut Connection

Mesclun with Better Than Ranch Dressing

This Ranch Dressing puts the dairy based version to shame. Rich and creamy a it is a perfect topper for a mesclun salad with red pepper, white onion, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.

Better than Ranch Dressing

• 1/2C Raw Macadamis nuts
• 1/3C Apple Cider Vinegar
• 4T Olive Oil
• 4-6T Italian Seasonsing
• 1 Medium Garlic Clove
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Water (should be pourable so add more water if needed)
• 1/2t of Lemon Juice

Great as a salad dressing or make it a little thicker and use it as a dip for raw veggie sticks.

Prune Plum Parfait

I found some wonderful BC Prune plums at the market yesterday. Their tart skin pairs really well with this creamy parfait topping made from avocados and lime (if you haven't tried avocado custards give this one a try. You will be surprised at how much like the the traditional milk based version this is).

Prune Plum Parfait

Fruit Salad (makes 2 cocktail glasses of parfait)

• 5 small prune plums sliced/pitted
• 1 handful of seedless red grapes sliced
• 1 handful of pecans (soaked 1/hr and dried)
• sprinkle of cacao nibs

mix fruit, nuts and cacao in 2 cocktail glasses leave room at the top for parfait topping

Topping

• 1 large avocado skinned pitted
• 1 pitted dated (pre-soaked till soft)
• 1tsp vanilla
• 1 prune plum sliced pitted
• 1tsp coconut oil
• juice of one small lime
• 4T agave

Blend all till smooth in a high speed blender. Spoon over fruit and spinkle with cacao nibs. Serve immediately or chill in refridgerator for 2-3/hrs.

Rosehip Fruit Leather

Rosehip Fruit Leather

• 6C Rose Hips (tops off)
• 1/4C Lemon Juice
• 3T Agave
• 3C Water

Mix Hips, Water and Lemon Juice in a blender until pulp is smooth - the seeds will not break down so strain the pulp through a mesh strainer into a large bowl. Add Agave and if you like 1T of ginger or 1t of Cinnamon to pulp and stir well. Pour pulp mixture onto a teflex sheet and place in deydrator. Dry at 105 overnight then peel off teflex and try for another 3 hours. Cut into strips and roll up.

Rose Hips

Every year I go wild rose hip picking and every year I'm amazed that more people don't bother to harvest these berries which grow wild, in abundance, in Canada.

A bit about Rosehips...

Did you know that three average rose hips have as much Vitamin C as a medium-sized orange! During World War II hips were harvested in Britian when imports of citrus products were limited, most of these were turned into syrups and supplements that were given to children. Rosehips also contain high levels of antioxidant flavonoids with known anti-inflammatory properties. Hips are also used as a laxative and diuretic. Hips ripen in September just before the first frost and should look like the ones above when harvested.

Dehydrated Rose Hips

To dehydrate rose hips first twist off tops then wash well.

If you are using them for a tea put them on dehydrator racks as is and dry at 105 for aprox 24/hrs. To dry them to eat like a raisin or to candy you must split them open and remove the seeds before drying (this can be a little tedious but is worth the effort if you have the time). Other options are using the pulp to make smoothies, raw soups, or fruit leathers.

Bath Salts

So this is a little off topic. I had a friend ask me how I make my bath salts last night. She was shocked at how easy and inexpensive they are to make so I decided it was worth sharing how to do it here. By making your own you know exactly what is in the mix so you don't have to worry about what you are breathing and soaking in when you have your bath. Here is the recipe.

Bath Salts

• 2C Epsom Salts
• 1C Sea Salt
• 3-5 Drops of your favourite essential oil (use the real stuff)

Pour Sea and Epsom Salts into a large glass jar like the one on the right - put on the lid and give it a good shake. Take the lid off and put in 3-5 drops of your favourite essential oil - this is plenty! don't over do it or your salts will be too strong. Put the lid back on give it another shake and let the scent do its thing.

Some of my favourite essential oils for making bath salts are

1. Peppermint - (quite strong so I usually use only 3 drops) - if you have a headache or need to perk up this is a good one
2. Eucalyptus - for congestion
3. Lavender - if you want to relax
4. Frankincense & Rose - good if you are feeling stressed.

BTW incase you didn't know...

A little about Epsom Salts and why they are so good for you.

Most people know that epsom salts are good for softening the skin and relaxing sore muscles.
But did you know that Epsom Salt is mainly made up of magnesium and sulfates?

Many modern diets are deficient in magnesium and sulfates, but they are important minerals. Increasing levels of magnesium may help to improve heart and circulatory health, flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, improve nerve function by regulating electrolytes, improve the body's ability to use insulin, raise the body's levels of serotonin which reduces stress and elevates the mood, improve sleep and concentration, regulate the body's enzymes, improve oxygen use, lower blood pressure, reduce muscle pain and inflammation, and help muscles and nerves to function properly. Sulfates are also necessary for good health. Sulfates are used by the body to flush out toxins, improve the absorption of nutrients, form joint proteins, brain tissue, and mucin protein, and to help prevent and ease migraine headaches.

Epsom Salt softens the skin, soothes aches, reduces swelling, inflammations, exfoliates the skin, removes odors, relaxes the muscles, provides relief from joint soreness and arthritic pain, and is a natural emollient. Unlike other salts, it does not leave the skin feeling dry. On the contrary, Epsom Salt leaves the skin with a soft and silky texture.

Magnesium and sulfates are readily absorbed by the body externally. This means that soaking in a bath with Epsom Salt is not only enjoyable, but is also good for you!

(info adapted from http://www.botanical.com/products/learn/epsom_salt.html)

Chipotle Flax Crackers

Crunchy flax crackers with a smoky mexican flavour.

Chipotle Flax Crackers

• 2C Flax Seeds Soaked in 1.5C of water (2-4hrs) - flax will soak up the water and become jelly like this is what you want.
• 1C Corn (or you can use another cup of flax)
• 1Red Pepper chopped
• 1 Tomato Seeded and chopped
• 1-2 Chipotle Pepper (one if large, two if small) soaked in 2C water overnight - take off tops and chop small after they are soft - keep soak water

Place all ingredients in to food processor (including 1C of chipotle pepper soak water). Process until well blended. Should be pourable but thick. Spoon onto teflex dehydrator sheets and spread thin with a spatula (about 1/4 inch thick). Dehydrate for 5hrs then score into squares - return to dehydrator for another 3hrs. After about 8hrs flip crackers and remove from teflex sheets dehydrate until crunchy - around 12hrs. Drying times will depend on where you live. I keep a sample cracker on the corner of my sheets in the dehydrator - I break a piece off every few hours and sample it until I am satisfied with the texture.

Full Moon In Pisces

Full Moon in Pisces in opposition to the Sun in Virgo. Focus is on matters of the heart - feelings of longing and desiring to break free of rules. This Full Moon is high energy, and gives you a chance to realign with your purest intentions. Think about what gifts you bring to the world, re-examine your passions. Pay special attention to what YOU are longing for and be brave enough to break your own rules or self defeating thought patterns it should be easier now.

Famous Vegetarians/Vegans

I went out with friends the other night and was the only person at the table who doesn't eat meat or dairy. The restaurant we went to had 1 item that if I asked for no cheese would work for me - a green house salad with lemon- uninspiring. A little blue when I came home - I needed to remind myself that I've made a choice to eat this way and am not alone even though I may sometimes feel like it. I've posted a short list of a few famous vegetarians/vegans followed by a youtube video (not by me). Interesting - Leonardo Da Vinci - who knew!

1. Alanis Morissette, singer, vegan
2. Albert Einstein, renowned scientist
3. Alicia Silverstone, actress
4. Allen Ginsberg, poet
5. Aristotle, Greek philosopher
6. Barry White, musician, vegan
7. Billy Idol, musician
8. Bob Barker, US TV show host
9. Brooke Shields, actress
10. Buddha, Indian Saint and Spiritual Master
11. Daryl Hannah, actress and environmental activist, vegan
12. Dustin Hoffman, actor
13. Eddie Vedder, singer and songwriter of Pearl Jam
14. Ellen Degeneres, TV personality, vegan
15. Immanuel Kant, philosopher
16. JD Salinger, American novelist
17. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher
18. Joaquin Phoenix, actor, vegan
19. John Cleese, British actor and comedian of Monty Python
20. Johnny Cash, country musician
21. Leo Tolstoy, Russian writer and philosopher
22. Leonardo Da Vinci, Italian painter and inventor, vegan
23. Leonard Cohen, singer and songwriter
24. Morrissey, singer, vegan
25. Oliver Stone, American film director
26. Olivia Newton John, Australian singer and songwriter
27. Percy Bysshe Shelley, writer
28. Pierce Brosnan, actor
29. PJ Harvey, musician, singer and songwriter
30. Plato, Greek philosopher and student of Socrates
31. Raffi, musician childrens tunes
32. Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and poet
33. Rob Zombie, musician and film director
34. Sir Isaac Newton, physicist
35. Socrates, Greek philsopher
36. Thomas Alva Edison, renowned inventor
37. Voltaire, French writer and philosopher
38. Woody Harrelson, actor and environmental activist , vegan