HERBAL TEA REMEDIES, CHINESE CABBAGE AND ROSES

Pick-me-ups

Spearmint - use one tablespoon of fresh leaves per cup

Ginger - infuse freshly grated root ginger in tonic water for a natural energy boost

Early morning wakeners

Peppermint - use one sprig of this fresh herb per cupful

Disturbed sleep

Chamomile - make with 1 teaspoon of dried chamomile per cup and add a pinch of lavender for extra relaxation zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Headaches, anxiety and depression

Rosemary - one or two small sprigs per cup

Lemon balm - a couple of fresh leaves per cup

Borage - use a couple of flowers, fresh or dried, per cup

Coughs and colds

Thyme - one teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh per cup

Digestive troubles

Fennel Seed - crush the seeds and simmer in a pan for 10 minutes and strain. Caraway seeds can be prepared in the same way.

Cinnamon - infuse a cinnamon stick in boiling water for three to four minutes. Leave to cool and drink.

You don't have to feel ill to enjoy the benefits of herbal teas, use these herbs to make a refreshing tea at any time of the day.

Chinese Cabbage and Sugar Bean Stir Fry

You will need;

Chinese cabbage - sliced, onions - sliced, chilli, cooked sugar beans, tomatoes - chopped, red pepper - chopped, olive oil, salt and pepper

What to do;

Stir fry onions, chilli, red pepper and chinese cabbage in olive oil then add tomatoes and sugar beans and stir fry for another 2 minutes or so. This is delishus with oven baked sweet potato chips - cut sweet potatoes into chip shapes and stir in olive oil and cayenne pepper, bake until done.

Cabbage and Rose Poem - Anonymous

I wonder if the cabbage knows
he is less lovely than the rose;

or does he squat in smug content,

a source of noble nourishment;

or if he pities for her sins

the rose who has no vitamins;

or if the one thing his green heart knows ---

that self-same fire that warms the rose?

Positive Thought for Today

'Feel the pain of others. Understand their struggles and disappointments, their hardships and inadequacies, and open your heart to them. Realize that everyone is doing the best they possibly can. Judge no one. But rather, cradle all of humanity in your heart.' - Daniel Levin

Today, remember to take time out to play and make a conscious effort to diarize a fun day .....................................

Have a lovely 1st of March everyone.

Peace 'n whirlpools of luv

xxx

THE GOODS ON WATERMELON

Did you know that watermelon belongs to the same family as pumpkin and squash.

Watermelons are native to the Kalahari Desert. The earliest recorded watermelon crop was recorded in hieroglyphics in Egypt, about 5000 years ago. The Egyptians revered the watermelon and left it in the graves of their dead so it could be eaten in the afterlife.

This crunchy, pinkish delight is made up of over 90% water. It is truly a great food for people wanting to loose weight, as the body actually uses more calories to digest the watermelon than it provides.

As a result of its high water content the watermelon offers more nutrients per calorie than many other fruits. It is a very good source of vitamin C, beta carotene, several B vitamins including B3, B5 and B6 as well as the minerals biotin, potassium and magnesium. In addition to this it provides a good amount of dietary fibre.

Great for summer - it keeps the body well hydrated, is an excellent diuretic and helps to prevent fluid build up. Watermelon also contains lycopene, which is an antioxidant and the plant pigment that gives tomatoes, watermelon and grapefruit their red colour. Lycopene provides many health benefits and can aid in heart disease prevention and reduce the risk of certain cancers such as hormone related cancers and digestive tract cancers.

What to do with watermelon;

• good in smoothies (include pips) or juice
• yummy as a salad with feta
• eat as is - wearing a bib
• add to fruit salad

Reflections

Peace in the Wilderness - Aranna Sutta

Standing to one side of him, a deva said to the Buddha:

These people who dwell in wild places,

living a life so peaceful and simple,

eating just one meal a day,

how is it that they look so serene?

The Buddha said:

They are not sorrowing about the past,

or longing for the future.

They are living in the present.

That's why they look so serene.

It is by sorrowing about the past

and longing for the future

that foolish people wither away,

like green reeds drying in the sun.

Scrumptious Recipe

Double Broccoli Quinoa

You will need;

3 cups cooked quinoa, 5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems, 3 garlic cloves, slivered almonds - toasted, grated parmesan, salt, lemon juice, olive oil

What to do;

Cook broccoli just long enough to take the edge off - set aside

To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, garlic, almonds, Parmesan, salt and lemon juice. Drizzle in the olive oil.

Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with the pesto. Drizzle with chilli oil top with sliced avocado and some slivered almonds.

Today I am grateful for the wonderful weekend I had;

• long, lazy vegetarian breakfast @ Arnolds on Sunday
• sunshine, pizza and spritzers on Saturday afternoon lingering into the early evening hours - bliss!
• my garden mole - he just won't move on

Spiritual Activism

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead

Today, trust in our Universe -however or whomever you believe created you. Trust that you are on the right path, that things will work out for you. You deserve to enjoy your awesome life. Most importantly trust yourself, your family and your friends and your anxiety levels will drop ........................

TIME TO DETOX

Yes everybody, it's time to detox. We need to give our 'temples' a well-deserved break after over-indulging during the fabulous, frisky festive season. To detox naturally is easy. This need not be difficult, here are a few simple tips you can incorporate into your daily life.

watercress : add to salads, soups and sandwiches. These peppery little gems have a diuretic effect that helps move stuff through your system. Added bonus - rich in minerals.
garlic : a blood cleanser and natural antibiotic, it also reduces blood fats thinning the blood and lowering blood pressure. Also activates liver enzymes that help filter out the junk. Eat raw for max benefits. If we all eat it we won't notice the smell.
sesami seeds : protect liver cells from the damaging effects of alcohol and other chemicals - WOWZA!!!
green tea : speeds up liver activity. Remember, if your liver is healthy your immune system is strong.
coriander : accelerates the excretion of mercury, lead and aluminium from the body - a super duper contributor in the detox process.
cayenne pepper : purifies the blood, increases fluid elimination. Add to your morning lemon water.
ginger : stimulates blood circulation.
parsley : flushes the kidneys. Chew on parsley throughout the day.
cabbage : dive into coleslaw sans the mayo - cabbage activates the two main types of detoxifying enzymes in the liver.
green leafies : protect the liver and help to wipe out environmental toxins such as pesticides and heavy metals. Beetroot is also recommended.
lemons : a powerhouse detox vitamin as it helps to convert toxins into a water-soluble form that is easily flushed away. Add to water for an all day refreshing drink.

Together with the above..... take a deep breath and slow down, lighten up, learn to laugh at yourself and be happy.

Do you know???
It takes five of today's apples to get the equivalent amount of nutrition as one apple from 1965 ( Healing our World - Hippocrates Health Institute). Where do you see the nutritional situation 50 years from now???? Our soil is dying!

Morning Detox Smoothie
banana, apple, watermelon (including pips), goji berries, flax and sesami seeds, wheatgrass powder,lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Whizzzzzzzz in a blender and glug!

Try to drink/eat only juice or smoothies until supper.

Nelson Mandela turned to this poem for support during his dark times on Robben Island.
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
my head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
looms but the horror of the shade,
and yet the menace of the years
finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
how charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul. - William Ernest Henley

Today, remember to accept the good with the bad. Each one is there to teach us - good or bad would not exist without each other. Notice the blessings around you and you will notice all the things that make your life exquisite. And, most importantly, our thoughts create our future. Have fun and dream ..........

Have a nice day everyone.

Peace 'n whirlpools of luv
xxx

HAPPY BODHI DAY

Bodhi Day, traditionally the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, has been observed on December 8 in Japan since the Meiji Restoration (1862-1869). It is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni or Siddhartha Gautauma, experienced enlightenment, also known as Bodhi in Sanskrit. According to tradition, Siddhartha had recently forsaken years of extreme ascetic practices and resolved to sit under a Pupul tree and simply meditate until he found the root of suffering, and how to liberate oneself from it.

All traditions agree that as the Morning Star rose in the sky in the early morning, the third watch of the night, Siddhartha finally found the answers he sought and became Enlightened, and experienced Nirvana. Having done so, Siddhartha now became a Buddha or ' Awakened One'.

The Buddha describes his enlightenment in three stages;

• During the first watch of the night, the Buddha discovered all of his past lives in the cycle of rebirth, realizing that he had been born and reborn countless times before.
• During the second watch, the Buddha discovered the Law of Karma, and the importance of living by the Eightfold Path.
• During the third watch, the Buddha discovered the Four Noble Truths, finally reaching Nirvana. In his words : "My heart, thus knowing, thus seeing, was released from the fermentation of sensuality, released from the fermentation of becoming, released from the fermentation of ignorance. With release, there was the knowledge, ' released'. I discerned that birth is ended, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world."

Quote

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. - Martin Luther King Jnr

Dream Chef (Dorian Haarhoff)

he travels by sea,by land

with the taste of Asia,

this night conjurer

who comes to cook for me.

loose tops, loose shoes.

recipes in cursive

scribble his pants.

skillet in hand,

wok on the flame

he fills the kitchen

with seeds, greens, bulbs

roots and oils.

he serves a dish

so rich in East

my mouth's an aroma cave.

i lick my fingers

and hug his giant

who feeds me such cuisine.

i rest my cheek

against his ribs, his heart.

my arms embrace

this dream god's roundedness.

i hear food music from within.

Butternut and Potato Roast

• sliced butternut (unpeeled)
• potatoes, cut into quarters
• olive oil
• chopped thyme
• garlic, crushed
• garam masala
• salt
• cinnamon, ground
• soft brown sugar or honey

what to do;

• combine into a marinade the olive oil, thyme, garlic, garam masala and salt
• add butternut and potatoes and toss.
• place into greased ovenproof dish and pour any remaining marinade over.
• sprinkle the cinnamon over the butternut slices and then drizzle the honey or brown sugar over these.
• bake until golden and crisp

also delish if you add;

• halved onions, cloves of garlic in their 'pyjamas', cherry tomatoes.

Today I am grateful for;

• another purrrfect day
• by new burglar bars - cheerio Burglars
• the swim I shall have after work
• refreshing green iced tea (home-made)
• the gorgeous spanish lace skirt I am eyeing ..........(I think it's meant for me)
• thanks for the special pic's Manf
• the gorgeous butterfly in my garden

This year use the holidays to create a Vision Board or a Vision Book - what you document will become reality. Also, take time out to lie on the grass and photograph the clouds, make a wish and take a moment to just be .............

Peace 'n whirlpools of luv

xxx

HAPPY 1 DECEMBER 2009

Lemons grow in abundance in India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mexico and the West Indies. Ayurveda regards lemon as a valuable fruit. Lemon is sour, warm, a promoter of gastric fire, light, good for the vision, pungent and astringent. It checks the excessive flow of bile and cleanses the mouth. It prevents vomiting, throat trouble, acidity and rheumatism.

Though lemon is acidic in taste, it leaves off alkaline residues in the body. This is why it is useful in all symptoms of acidosis.

It also contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin P, niacin and thiamin.

The body is well cleansed if lemon juice and water is taken on an empty stomach early in the morning.

Lemon also contains more potassium than apples or grapes, which is very beneficial to the heart. In addition to this the vitamin C content of lemon helps considerably in calcium metabolism - therefore good for our bones.

Basic rules of happiness - Meghan Telpner

• appreciation without expectation
• being not doing
• being anchored in the present

Last night's yummy potato dish;

• potatoes, thinly sliced (with the skin)
• onions, sliced
• balsamic vinegar
• fresh thyme
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

what to do;

• parboil potatoes
• slowly fry onions in olive oil together with fresh thyme until onions are golden and soft
• add balsamic vinegar to onions and simmer until vinegar is absorbed
• layer half of the potatoes in a baking dish add salt and pepper
• add onion mixture
• top with remaining potatoes add salt and pepper
• ' squelsh ' the mixture
• drizzle olive oil over the top
• bake for 30 minutes
• EAT together with a green, crunchy salad and steamed butternut.

The world's whales are being threatened;

Go to www.stopbloodywhaling.org to help stop this.

Fave Taoist poem by Chade Meng

The breaths of a lifetime

A lifetime is not what is between the moments of birth and death.

A lifetime is one moment between my two little breaths.

The present, the here, the now, that's all the life I get.

I live each moment in full, in kindness, in peace, without regret.

Today I am grateful for;

• beams, which have been finalized
• the pizza I had for dinner
• gorgeous pics of Kent and Morgan I received yesterday
• the fabulous pressie my cuz gave me (will always treasure it - thanx)
• the Tibetan Tea House
• Southern Wright
• December and the silly season
• the surprise, special necklace my BFF gave me

Celebrate your life and shyne like a star .......

Peace'nwhirlpools of luv

xxx

ZEN WEDNESDAY

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Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our everyday routine - Shunryu Suzuki

• do one thing at a time
• do it slowly and deliberately
• do it completely
• do less
• put space between things
• develop rituals
• designate time for certain things
• devote time to sitting
• smile and serve others
• make cleaning and cooking become meditation
• thing about what is necessary
• live simply

Wednesday in the kitchen in India

Mostly the corner of one room serves as a kitchen area. Food is cooked on a sunken stove or a portable clay stove. Wood or dried cow dung is used as fuel. There are only a few supplies; some pots 'n pans, utensils and a flat pan for cooking chapattis. Foodstuffs are stored in baskets or brass pots. Often the legs of large bins are set into little bowls of water so that insects cannot climb up the legs and get into the food supply.

The floor is kept very clean because cooks traditionally prepare meals while crouching or sitting on the floor. Instead of a knife, a woman uses a bonthi,which is a sharp blade mounted on the floor. The floor is washed thoroughly every night. The water runs down a drain in the middle of the room. A traditional Indian family eats seated on the floor in a big circle. It is considered a courtesy to allow the men to eat first.

Wednesday in my kitchen in Cape Town

Last night's dinner - Sweet Potato and Cabbage Hash

• sweet potatoes, cubed
• cabbage, chopped
• red onions, coarsely chopped
• olive oil
• Himalayan rock salt and black pepper

What to do;

• steam sweet potatoes until almost done
• heat olive oil and fry onions
• add cabbage and stir fry
• add sweet potato and mix/stir until the mixture appears "hashy"
• add salt 'n pepper

In addition to this we had loads of fried tomatoes garnished with organic Basil leaves from the garden and a raw broccoli, carrot 'n red onion salad in a lemony/olive oily dressing - a powerful healthylicious dinner.

A fave poem

I will not die an unlived life,

I will not live in fear,

of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid, more accessible,

to loosen my heart

until it becomes a wing,

a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance;

to live so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom

and that which came to me as blossom,

goes to fruit. - Dawna Markova

Today I am grateful for;

• my Vitamix blender - best smoothies ever
• my peaceful life
• Stubat - fun ancient Dornbirn reads
• pink 'n green highlighters - turn my diary into a creative work of art

Quote

Smile, breath and go slowly. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Wisdom Card Reading (Louise L Hay)

I am taking the next step for my healing.

The moment I say positive affirmations, I step out of the victim role.

I am no longer helpless.

I acknowledge my own power.

Remember : You have the power to make the angels swoon- Sera Beak

Learn it, luv it, live it - connect to your soul and bell-laugh endlessly ......

Peace 'n whirlpools of luv

xxx