Pumpkin dessert

I love pumpkins whether its dinner or dessert. Every year I buy pie pumpkins and try to make something new. This is new a new one for me. I got the idea while researching. There are a lot of similar recipes online but they call for unnecessary sugar or use methods that didn't seem as easy. This will take a couple hours to make BUT most of it is just baking time. Prep time is about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

1 medium sugar pumpkin or 2 small pumpkins, washed

5-6 granny smilth apples, cored,and chopped

1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup broken walnuts opt.

1 TBSP ground cinnamon

1 TBSP ground nutmeg (preferrably fresh ground)

2 TSP fresh grated ginger

1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:

Cut the top off the pumpkin and remove the seeds. Place cut side down in a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes or until soft. Cool for a few minutes.

With a metal spoon, scrape out the cooked pumpkin, leaving a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick shell. Stir together scraped out pumpkin, apples, pineapple, walnuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. Spoon mix into the pumpkin shell. Cover with the top. (At this point you can put it aside to cook later when you are ready) Bake in a preheated oven at 400-degree F oven for 45 minutes or until the filling is hot. Serve plain or over vanilla ice cream.

Greens Pizza...delicious AND healthy

One of our favorite meals at our house is homemade pizza. It's so easy and there are so many versions that we never get sick of PIZZA! About a week ago I came up with another version. Dark leafy greens are so nutritious but can be a challenge to add into the diet. Well, I made a small pizza with this topping (because it was an experiment) when I should have made more. It was a hit with everyone...It may seem a little involved but it's not.

Here goes:

1 medium precooked sourdough pizza crust (or other of your choice)

12 ounces chopped chard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp fresh grated garlic clove (or more if you like)

2 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp black pepper

1 cup dried tomatoes (I dried from the garden)

3-4 Tbsp water

Feta cheese

In a medium pan put greens, water to cover and salt. Simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a pan on low gently heat oil and garlic. allow to infuse for 3 minutes. Add rosemary, pepper and tomatoes. Toss together. Add water and cover. When greens are done strain and press water out. Add to tomato pan. Toss together and keep over low heat until water is absorbed. Spread on pizza crust. Top with feta cheese and bake in a 450 degree oven 7-10 minutes until done.

Olive oil is a healthy oil. We should all know that we need generous amounts of HEALTHY fats in our diet every day to aid in weight loss, help hormone regulation, encourage healthy heart function, and in reducing cancer.

Garlic has been used for centuries as a medicine that helps fight infection and helps clean the blood.

Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.

So you see, pizza can be tasty, filling and nutritious. Enjoy!

Mmmm, Mmmm, Miso soup!

Miso soup is a wonderfully nourishing soup that has been consumed all of over the Orient for over 2,500 years.

What is miso? It is a fermented soy bean past that is so delicious and good for your health. Many people will have a bowl or cup of miso soup before their meal to help digestion and increase meal nutrition. Below is a list of SOME of the benefits of miso

1. Contains all essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.

2. Stimulates the secretion of digestive fluids in the stomach.

3. Restores beneficial probiotics to the intestines.

4. Aids in the digestion and assimilation of other foods in the intestines.

5. Is a good vegetable-quality source of B vitamins (especially B12).

6. Strengthens the quality of blood and lymph fluid.

7. Reduces risk for breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers.

8. Protects against radiation due to dipilocolonic acid, an alkaloid that chelates heavy metals and discharges them from the body.

9. Strengthens the immune system and helps to lower LDL cholesterol.

10. High in antioxidants that protects against free radicals.

(Taken from www.care2.com)

I love having miso when i start to feel like I'm getting sick, when the weather changes or need something quick. At Wal-mart I buy the little bead containers and fill them up with this recipe, then just add water. it's great on the go and you can make it a light broth OR a filling soup.

1 Cup hot but NOT boiling water water

1 TSP white miso

¾ TSP fish sauce

1 clove of grated garlic

¼ TSP tamari

Optional add-ins (in small amounts):

Fresh Ginger juice to taste

Crushed arame (seaweed)

Pressed tofu

Cooked brown rice

Fresh or frozen peas or carrots

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy.

On the GO:

Combine all ingredients BUT water in a small container. When ready to enjoy add ingredients to a cup of warm water and stir for an instant, nourishing soup

So, there's the Yummy recipe. There are a few ingredients that I was skeptical about eating, like fish sauce, but it makes all the difference in the taste. Trust me I DON'T LIKE FISH FLAVOR.

Fermented Cod Liver oil

Cod liver oil. It’s possibly one of the most disgusting substances on the planet (slight exaggeration) with the longest continual use for the hard to find vitamins A and D. I have my degree in Holistic Nutrition and several certificates in the field of health and wellness. After studying and experimenting with many of the trendy diets and suffering from different maladies I stumbled into what is, quite possibly, the best nutritional books I have ever found (trust me I have and have read too many to count? ) My questions were the same as yours…1)Which diet is the healthiest…Atkins, South Beach, Vegan, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, etc? 2)Why is there a huge list of foods I cannot eat? One day something is good for me and then WHAM it’s on the “no-no” list. 3) When I look at the research it seems like I have to choose a diet based on the diseases I can live with…If I can live with heart trouble go for Atkins…If I can live with crazy diseases stemming from artificial sweeteners and processed meats go with South Beach…and it goes on. How do I choose a diet that I can feel satisfied with and feel great? 4)Why all the supplementation (pills, powders, etc)? Shouldn’t I be able to get the nutrients I need from FOOD?

Then I came across The Weston A. Price Foundation (and his book) and Nourishing Traditions cookbook. It not only challenged a lot of what I had researched but it answered my questions. Anyways, that is a whole different subject. I am here to tell you about Fermented Cod Liver oil. My family enjoys good food (traditionally prepared, local, seasonal, and organic if possible), Fermented Cod Liver Oil (FCLO), exercise and a few tonic teas to give us optimum nutrition. The information I will be giving is from Nourishing Traditions by Sally fallon and a few quotes from Staying healthy with Nutrition by Elson Haas, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price and The New Optimum nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford. All of these are amazing books, huge, but full of information.

Why FCLO?

1)CLO is an excellent source of vitamins A and D. CLO also contains DHA, a fatty acid essential to the development of the brain and Nervous System“. ---NT p 237

2)“Vit A must be supplied in liberal portions not only during the growth period but during the adult period as well if a good condition of nutrition and a high degree of health and vigor are to be maintained" --NT p 302

3)FCLO is one of the most concentrated food sources available for omega-3 fatty acids, including both EPA and DHA.

Where can I get FCLO?

I have found that I like http://www.radiantlifecatalog.com/ . You can try to get one of the flavored ones but in my opinion “oil” from a “COD fish LIVER” that’s been “fermented” doesn’t taste any better if it’s orange or cinnamon flavored or drizzled on ice cream.

Can I overdose?

No (not the fermented kind). First off, you’ll probably NEVER get a hankering big enough and it’s a FOOD!

CLO can be given in moderate doses without injury and to great advantage. …it is better to take clo with the meal rather than before or after, as it aids in the utilization of the minerals in the food-NT p. 391

Why “Fermented” Cod Liver Oil?

It is important to choose a high quality, toxin free oil. Walmart won’t do. Radiant living ( http://www.radiantlifecatalog.com/ ) sells a wonderful oil and HIGH vitamin oil. You can research the benefits of combining the two though http://www.westonaprice.org/

FCLO has not been damaged by heat and, therefore, contains a balance of A and D.

How can I take it?

After much trial and error we (my family and I) found that the best way we can take it is with a chaser of prune juice. In the beginning when they complained I told them I’d double the dose!! I’m a mean mom ;O) There are also capsules you can take…but…it’s more cost effective for my family of 5 this way.

Read these books and visit the websites below for more information. There is sooooo much about this subject that it requires more than a blog post but I hope the above information will get you started.

http://blog.radiantlifecatalog.com/bid/28419/Fermented-Cod-Liver-Oil-Benefits-far-outweigh-the-taste

http://www.cheeseslave.com/2008/10/10/why-fermented-cod-liver-oil/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/280825-benefits-of-fermented-cod-liver-oil/

http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/10/fermented-cod-liver-oil-series-part-1.html

http://www.marysgarden.com/colostrum/blue_ice_royal.htm

Facial class...

A few of you have asked me to put together a class on making face cream. Most of the products out there are FULL of carcinogens (known cancer causing), toxins, irritants, and fillers. I will teach you to make a face cream that not only works amazing but is completely natural and toxin free.

You will learn:
How to make the base cream
The benefits of the ingredients used
Essential oils that are good for skin
Where to find the ingredients
How to do a safe, natural, nurturing, low-cost and no-chemical facial

What you’ll get:
Hands on instruction
A facial
Informational handouts
Samples to take home and use

The class will be held July 27th at 6pm. If you’d like to join the cost is $8 before July 23 and $10 after. There is limited space so make sure you get in early. You can send checks or cash to 316 S. Pine St., Fremont, Ia, 52561 to reserve your spot. See you soon.

Cold showers?!?! You’re kidding, right?

I have often wondered at the insanity of some of our Northern (and European) friends who will bask in the moist warmth of a sauna and then, stoically, walk across the ice and plunge into the water where a hole has been cut through the ice. You’d think that the craziness would stop there…lesson learned but, NO!! They will do this repeatedly. Time and time again. As a student of life I began to wonder, “What would drive a person to such madness?”

ONE WORD!!! Hydrotherapy (hydro=water + therapy). Hydrotherapy is basically the therapeutic use of water, steam and ice for treatment of injuries, illness or prevention. It can be used for the entire body (baths, steam rooms) or parts of the body (sitz baths, compresses, foot/hand baths, etc.) Water therapy has 3 general categories:

1)HOT WATER: 98 degrees (F)and above. Hot water stimulates the immune system, increases circulation which helps relieve the body of toxins. Soothing to the nerves, hot water, relaxes and calms the body. “The hot immersion bath is probably most useful for producing powerful eliminative effects primarily through increased sweating.” (The Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook, Green, 261)

2) COLD WATER: Below 65 degrees (F). Cold water causes a reflex and constricts the blood vessels which helps to reduce inflammation and fever. “Cold water is a physiological tonic that awakens the quintessential nervous activity without putting a burdon on any vital organs and without hampering the activity of any bodily function…the skin, with its vast network of sensory, motor, sympathetic, vasomotor, and thermic nerves, arouse every center, every sympathetic ganglion, every sensory and motor filament in the entire body to heightened life and activity. Every blood vessel and cell in the entire body is awakened and quickened with vital impulse.” (The Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook, Green, 255)

3)ALTERNATING HOT AND COLD: Alternating water temperature has been found to stimulated organ function by increased circulation, alleviate upper-respiratory infections and, in my opinion, enjoy the benefits of both cold and hot water.

From here I am assuming that most of us enjoy hot showers regularly but that the majority of us avoid cold. Whenever I am playing with an idea I research it…sometimes to death. First, I found several lists of pros for cold showers. Second, I searched contraindications. Third, I compiled ways to do this successfully. Fourth, tips others have found.

Pros for Alternating Hot and Cold showers:
EXTERNALLY:
*Makes hair healthy and shiny
*Better looking skin (with a glow)
*Reduces the appearance of eye circles
*Reduces grey hair
*Keeps skin soft (natural body oils)
*Flushes toxins from the skin
*Cold showers are one of the great antiaging secrets for keeping your skin tight, elastic and vibrant

INTERNALLY: (get ready for this…)

* Brings blood to the capillaries, therefore increasing circulation throughout the body.
* Cleans the circulatory system.
* Reduces blood pressure on internal organs.
* Provides flushing for the organs and provides a new supply of blood.
* Strengthens the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems.
* Contracts the muscles to eliminate toxins and poisonous wastes.
* Strengthens the mucous membranes, which help resist hay fever, allergies, colds, coughs.
*wakes the body and mind creating energy for the day.
*strengthens immune system
*Less steam is made in your cold showers because it is not hot (Therefore less chlorine is inhaled into the lungs through the steam.)
*Increases fertility in men
*Has an anti-depressant effect on your mood
*Balances the autonomic nervous system (This makes you feel relaxed and peaceful, yet still alert, when you get out of the shower.)
*Helps you develop the ability to handle lower temperatures while maintaining your body heat (No more complaining about cold weather!
*Cleanses your body and mind of negative emotions that are your own or picked up from others
*Enhance immunity against infections and cancer
*Give your glands (thyroid, adrenals, ovaries/testes) a boost, improving hormonal activity
*Crank up your metabolism to fight type 2 diabetes, obesity, gout, rheumatic diseases, depression, and more
*Normalize your blood pressure
*Decrease chronic pain
*Deepens your breathing
*Help with insomnia
*Improve kidney function
*Reduce swelling and edema
*Regulate temperature, fighting chronically cold hands and cold feet and excessive sweating
*Improve hemorrhoids and varicose veins

Wow!!! So if that’s not enough here are a few more:

~Although this is counter intuitive, in the winter, cold showers are the best thing to keep you warm for the rest of the day (It's ideal to have a heater in your bathroom so that as soon as you step out of the shower you can quickly towel off and have warm air on your skin.)
~You save money on your energy bill
~You will have a shorter shower time
~Builds courage and will power (A.k.a. nerve force, which makes other tasks in life easier to conquer with the "soul mirror" exercise.)
~Contributes to your longevity potential

I am not suggesting that this is a “cure all” but with a list like this it’s worth a try. There are some Contraindications.
*Cold showers should not be taken during a women's time of menstruation. A woman needs extra rest and gentleness during her menses. Taking a cold shower is too much for the reproductive system during menstruation. A lukewarm shower is recommended. Generally speaking, hot showers are not good as they tend to depress the various physiological systems of the body.
*Heart disease. If my normal, healthy heart felt like it was about to explode, imagine how a diseased heart will feel.
*High blood pressure. The contraction in your blood vessels caused by cold water could cause a stroke. Apparently.
*Overheated or feverish. Your blood vessels need to dilate in order to release heat. Cold water causes them to constrict.
*Women after the 7th month of pregnancy (This all depends on your reaction to the water. If you're not thrown into shock by the cold water, it might be OK.)
*Immediately after a man has ejaculated (His body is focused on making new sperm cells and semen at this time, so cold showers can be a bit too stressful.)
*Suffering from an eating disorder
*Immediately after a vigorous workout (Start hot and finish cold to avoid muscle cramping, it can happen!)
*If you are underweight
*Some people have experienced cold showers making depression worse (Although it has also been said that cold showers can help depression, it's best to use your own judgment.)

The Majority of the lists I have gathered from books, websites and other sources. I do not claim that ALL of these are my findings but a compilation of many sources and personal experience. So, without further ADO Her is My regiment:
1)I do an ALL over body brush
2)get into a nice warm shower
Wash hair
Condition but DON’T rinse
Shave
3)Stand under the water and slowly turn the cold water on until it’s as cold as I can handle.
4)Shave again (inevitably I have gotten goose bumps)
5)wash my body and rinse (my hair too…it makes hair nice and shiny)
6)turn the hot water on just to barely warm to take the edge off.
7)Dry off and wrap in my fluffy robe.
8)oil my body with my personal essential oil blend.

There you have it. Many reasons why you should try it, a list of benefits/contraindications and a tried and true way to experience the wonders of an insane BUT effective form of hydrotherapy.

Creamy coconut Fruit dip....so easy!!

Please read further for nutritional information
Ingredients:
1 can coconut milk
1/2 TSP cinnamon
1/2 TSP stevia or other sweetener to taste (local raw honey, real maple syrup, etc)
pinch of salt optional

Materials:
Bowl
cheese cloth (may need to be doubled)
rubber band

Directions:
lay cheese cloth over the bowl. Open can of coconut milk and empty it into the cheese cloth. Gather all of the corners and secure with a rubber band. Suspend cheese cloth above the bowl using a hook or kitchen knob. Allow to fully drain, about 2 hours.

When coconut milk is drained place it in a clean bowl. Mix in cinnamon, sweetener and optional salt. Chill. Serve chilled with slices of apple, strawberry, jicama, etc.

Nutritional information:

Years ago coconut milk/oil and eggs (mainly yolk) carried a similar negative connotation. They were branded as being severely unhealthy and should be avoided, if not, eliminated from the diet. New research has found that not only do they have health benefits but they now encourage everyone to partake. (I do have to add that the health benefits of the egg yolk is from free range organic eggs that contain high levels of vitamin K and healthy omega fats. Not just any egg from the grocer.) So in light of this "NEW" information I want to share a recipe that is easy, healthy and very tasty.

As always I want to share with you the health benefits of the ingredients. There are only 3 ingredients to this recipe. Coconut milk, cinnamon and stevia (or honey, real maple syrup, or other sweetener). The benefits of Coconut milk include (but are not limited to):

Aids in weight loss
contains MANY vitamins, minerals and electrolytes
Is considered anti-bacterial, anti- microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral
gives relief from sore throats and ulcers
Supports immune system
Lowers blood sugar
Lowers blood pressure

Cinnamon benefits:
regulates blood sugar
aids in digestion
anti-clotting effect on the blood
contains fiber, iron and calcium

As many of us know our health (or lack of health) is a result of habits. If we make walking meditating, deep breathing, healthy eating and healthy life choices a habit our health will mirror that. Consequently when our habits are stress, sedentary lifestyles, drive-thru's, and excuses our health and well-being will reflect that into our lives.

Food is one part of a multifaceted plan.

Today's Quote: A man (or woman) with his health has a thousand dreams and wishes; a man without it has only one wish; to regain it!!!