Container Gardening and the Lazy Cook

 
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Container Gardening
Apartment dwellers and those with less than perfect gardening options can still enjoy the fresh food experience.  Any small space outdoors that gets good sun for some of the day is a great place to grow culinary herbs; of course, the closer to the kitchen, the better.

Get bigger pots and intense plant all the herbs together.  This allows the soil to hold the moisture better between waterings as well as looking big, abundant and beautiful.  I always add at least one plant in the group just for 'pretty'.  Mesclun mix, lettuces and spinach do really well in large pots in any sunny area.  This is a good time of year to plan for the growing season.  Pots and garden stuff will soon abound.

Squirrels can be a big problem.  Finding a fertilizer that is safe for food can be a challenge.  There is one solution for both of these concerns in the form of 'bone and blood meal'.  I put about an inch of the granules on top of the soil in each pot.  The little rascals will not dig through it, guaranteed. This layer needs to be refreshed about once a month.  Some people place chicken wire near the top of the soil.  This works too.

I always plant tomatoes and basil together in the same pot.  For parsley, if you have the space, in the fall dig a hole and put in pot and all.  Cilantro (coriander) and dill will self seed. Rosemary will have to be brought in, but will survive through the winter.  Spearmint will usually survive anywhere, and often pokes up everywhere.  However, mint is an essential addition to a summer herb garden.

When my garden was limited to a balcony, I just had to bite the bullet and buy new transplants every year.  It was still worth it to have abundant and readily available fresh food all summer and early fall. 

The Lazy Cook

It is hard to be enthusiastic about cooking when one is hot and hungry.  Pasta is easy to cook in huge batches.  Divide the cooked pasta into serving sizes and store them in airtight containers in the freezer.  When you need it, either leave it to defrost, or run cold water over into the container and then drain.

The ‘no time to cook’ Basic Pasta with Fresh Herbs

1 Tablespoon cooking oil

1 Onion cut in crescents

1 clove garlic crushed

½ red pepper cut in slivers

3 mushrooms, sliced

5-6 sugar snap peas (or ¼ cup frozen peas added at the very end)

1 Morga Soy Cube softened in a little hot water, (or sake, or wine)

(1-2 Tablespoons) ½ to 1 cup of fresh herbs chopped coarsely – mint, basil, rosemary, Italian parsley, curl leaf parsley, cilantro

½ to 1 cup fresh greens

Fresh scallions - optional

Grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Defrost Pasta and reserve.  Heat oil in a skillet/wok or saucepan and Sauté onions and garlic until lightly browned.  Add the peppers and mushrooms and cook until just tender, add the peas and cook until just tender-crisp.  Add the pasta and the water/soy cube and heat to serving temperature.  Serve by topping with fresh greens, herbs scallions and Parmesan.  Enjoy!
Keep well_
Nelda

Springing Ahead in Health

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Ahh, spring!  We can look ahead to days where we don’t have to struggle just to stay warm.  We don’t have to work flat out for 20 minutes dressing like Eskimos just to go outside. We can relax and stretch out into the great outdoors.  Food is fresh, natural and plentiful.  The sun is shining and life is good.

Spring is the one time of year where we can design, direct, and improve our health in a big way.  According to Oriental Five Element tradition, the liver is in the wood element, which describes the gland and organ (liver/gall bladder) that is hot and juicy.  Conversely, the kidneys are cold and damp, just like autumn.  The moist hot days of spring are the best time to eat very simply, eat a little less, and show our body more care by adding cleansing tonics and fibre to our diet. A little focused attention on your liver will have year long benefits

The whole digestive tract is governed by the liver.  This multi-purpose gland is located just beneath the ribs on your right side.  The busy liver also works to filter the blood, biodegrade hormones and balance aspects of the immune system.  The large intestine is the last process in the liver/digestive system.  In the bowel water is reclaimed and re-cycled back into the body and wastes are eliminated.  This is the reason for auto-intoxication. 

When bowel transit time is slow, many people experience chronic sinus congestion, laborious digestion, lymph congestion, or various skin issues.  Surprisingly, when questioned, most people consider their bowel elimination to be good even when they experience these signs of overload.

Liver cleanses can be a misery if the stored toxins that are being released have difficulty exiting the body.  Nausea, cramping, bloating, prolonged fatigue and headaches are a common complaint, when there is ‘no easy way out’.  The first order of business is to open the bowel. Not everyone is robust.  Extended fasting, and aggressive herbal cleanses are not for everyone.  This is an area where personal and genetic vitality (constitution), determines how a person’s body can handle releasing toxic accumulation on a cellular and system level.

The body also pushes some forms of toxins to the adipose (fat) cells.  I believe there is a correlation between weight gain and toxin.  Extra care needs to be given to weight loss programs where the toxins released can damage the liver/gall bladder and kidneys.   

As a practitioner, I like to develop specific and unique programs for every client.  An alkalizing food plan can initiate the detoxification process, for example, if one has trouble maintaining balanced blood sugar levels.  A week of lemon juice in water every morning, and fasting until lunchtime may work

for some.  A personal plan may also include other resources such as dry brushing the skin, infra-red saunas, enemas, Epsom salts baths, foot patches, and lymph massage or ion foot baths. 

The liver is always trying to unload toxins and repair itself.    Natural plant based remedies can help the body help itself.  It’s the way nature designed us.   A little timely housecleaning and repair can do wonders to increase our energy and immunity, and for improved over all well being for the whole coming year.

Let Food Be Your Medicine 

Scandinavian Winter Salad

2 Cups Pickled Beets (or Roast 4 large beets in oven) until tender, cool and peel

3 large carrots peeled

Grate beets and carrots in food processor

Chop ½ Cup green onions

1 Cup chopped parsley

Mix in large salad bowl

Dressing:  ½ Cup light tasting oil (Organic Canola) and ¼           1Cup apple cider vinegar

                Basic sprinkle and herbamere

                Grind 1 tsp Thyme and 1 tsp coriander (optional)

* Scandinavian salad gets better when covered and marinated in the fridge for an hour or more.

Swiss Dandelion Salad

1 large potato, scrubbed, cooked whole and hot

2 handfuls of wild or cultivated dandelion greens, washed and drained and chopped fine

Dressing:  Apple cider vinaigrette

                Herbamere

                Fresh ground pepper

The trick with this is to first wash the greens really well.  If you are using dandelion greens gathered from the wild, washing is a huge job, but is worth it in the end.

The next thing is to mash the cooked potato quickly in the bottom of a salad bowl and throw the greens in really fast and toss well.  Then dress the salad and serve. The hot potato takes out the bitterness of the greens.  This is the best spring tonic ever, and it’s tasty too.

Steamed Artichokes

1 medium or large artichoke for each person

Sauce:  Melted butter with fresh squeezed lemon juice and crushed garlic for dipping.

Prepare the artichokes by cutting off the stem, and then cutting off the top inch so it will perch nicely upside down in a steamer.  Cut off all the ‘picks’ by using scissors.  Rinse in cool water and drain upside down.

Steam artichokes upside down until the base is tender when tested with a toothpick.  Don’t over cook.  Remove from steamer directly onto the plate. To eat, the trick is to remove some of the tough outer leaves and discard them, and then eat by ripping off each leaf and dipping the base into the butter/lemon and then use your teeth to scrape the pulp of the base of the leaf. Discard leaf remains as you go.   Keep doing this until you come to the inside fuzzy core (the choke).Use a spoon to scrape away the fuzz and then cut the ‘heart’ into quarters and dip and eat.

These little wonders cleanse and nourish the liver and make a wonderful light meal with a green salad and basmati rice.

Visiting Another World

For me, visiting Texas was like visiting another world.

 

I had gone hoping I would be able to brush up on the 'Texas Two Step', but got no closer than the local grocery store.

 

What a store! 

 This is to prove that you can get artichokes almost as big as your head.

According to local residents, there are 5 seasons in West Texas:

Fall, Winter, Summer, Spring, and March! The weather ran through the gamut of very comfortably  warm, hot and dry, rain torrents, snow sleet and hail, windy, .......and this was just within less than a week.

When we left Lubbock to embark upon the 2 hour trip to the Palo Duro Canyon, it was about 71 degrees.  By the time we got there, the temperature had dropped to 2 degrees above freezing.  We were able to catch the trail-ride at 4  p.m.,but the 6 o'clock ride was canceled due to a sudden appearance of winter.  

Even though we were prepared for the ride with about 3 layers of clothing, we had not factored in a 70 degree drop in temperature. The operators very kindly gave us the loan of thick hoodies so that we wouldn't perish during the ride.  No chance of getting lost here!

                        

 

The very flat, unremarkable landscape was made beautiful by the express ways that travel though the city.  A marvel of engineering as well.  I was driving in unfamiliar turf very happily.  I am going to load up on photos, and just leave the pictures to speak for themselves.

 

Up In The Air

My connecting flight was cancelled due to bad weather, about 20 minutes before board time.  This was after the 3 hours lead time to allow for the extra security and all that.  Another 2 hour wait in line at Air Canada Customer Service with many others with the same concerns. What were they going to do with me?

The long and short of it is that I could spend overnight in Toronto and try again the next day, or be placed on a direct flight to Houston, and spend overnight there, courtesy of Air Canada.  I could then hop on the next flight out to Lubbock bright and early the next morning.  The only drawback was having to go out and come back in through the 'wash cycle' of Canadian Customs and the US security system again.  I chose Texas - for the Adventure.

Sounds good.

Except when I got to Houston, the local Air Canada agent had no idea that such arrangements had been made.  It took some convincing on my part that it wasn't logical that I would choose to come all the way to Houston, just to be stranded in an airport terminal at night in an unfamiliar country, when I could have stayed at a hotel in Toronto for free.  The agent eventually agreed and set up hotel and shuttle arrangements.  Shuttle in 15 minutes in the pick up area.  Check!

After waiting outside for an hour, without seeing the afore mentioned shuttle, I went inside the terminal to confirm that they were coming.  Air Canada office is closed now, but a phone call from the general customer service desk confirms that the shuttle will be on their way in 15 minutes.

After waiting another hour, I went inside the terminal and found everyone gone from customer service area.  A shuttle driver phoned hotel from his cell phone.  In fact, they said they were going to be about 15 minutes.

Another hour passed.  I was tipping over the point of sanity.  I have been either in an airport terminal or in a plane for the past 13 hours.  I went inside the terminal again and met up with a lovely female police officer who kindly phoned the hotel again.  Apparently, the shuttle in question was a large orange bus that was zipping around quite frequently in the three hours I had been waiting.

So out we go and the officer puts me on the shuttle.  Off to the hotel  When the shuttle driver escorted me inside the hotel lobby, we were informed that there were two hotels with the same name and this wasn't my hotel.  The shuttle driver also informed us that he didn't go to that hotel.

God Bless 'em, the owner of that hotel was willing to drive me to the hotel that I was booked in, about 8 miles away.

A fully conscious individual may give pause to wonder 'what was that all about'?

I did catch the right shuttle to the airport the next morning, and was prepared for a short hour and twenty eight minute flight to Texas West.  You know...... flat, dry, tumbleweed....

 I couldn't believe what I saw from the air.  It was a bright cloudless morning so the ground was totally visible from my window. It was as if I was in a art gallery, looking at an exhibition of surreal paintings. The bright colours of indigo, terra-cotta, buff, maroon and plum.  The little patches of water here and there were like bright turquoise glass.  I was stunned.


Although I never expected such a difficult day of travel, I never expected to see one of the most amazing breath-taking sights of my life. Was it worth it?  You bet!

I did find a website whose photos may give you an idea of what I saw that morning.

http://www.clusterballoon.com/assets/thumbnails/AmericasChallenge2008_PaloDuroBelow_thumb.jpg

 http://www.clusterballoon.com/assets/AmericasChallenge2008_StatisticiansDream.html

Maybe the next time I will try the balloon-method of flying. Being up in the air is certainly a different viewpoint.

Back On the Planet

Happiness might be 700 square feet of great floor.

I am thrilled with the soft luster of this bamboo flooring. It is tough, eco-friendly and oh so beautiful.




It is amazing to see how order rises out of chaos.









Bits of my world are coming back into order, and surprisingly, I have been able to let go of many things.




I have had to size down by two rooms. If it isn't functional or beautiful, - out it goes.

Some serious spiritual house-cleaning has been going on.

I know what a strange creature I am by what I am attached to.

An example:
Two years ago my daughter was packing for her move to Texas. She gave me her sushi style platter that was shaped like a leaf. It was really beautiful but had a chipped edge. I never used it because it was obviously damaged. I just set it up on a shelf on its edge so that the chip didn't show and looked at it from time to time.

As I was packing to move, I had this dish in my hands, preparing to throw it out. I just couldn't do it. I said to myself, "She gave me this. I just can't let go of it".

I put it right back on the shelf. Then I watched it slide down and crack in half.

I threw it out!



This is a sneak-peek of my new office with the glorious floor finished.

Like most upheaval, this has been a walk of faith. I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends.





Now that I am back on the planet, I hopefully will be able to attend to other aspects of life. I am planning to visit my daughter for a week. I still have some final details and some wall painting to finish when I get home. But over-all, I'm done with renovations.

I am mostly settled after the exodus. As much as I feel grateful for the opportunity to co-create my own home and office, I'm glad to be back.

The Internal Romance

When I put on make up, fuss a bit with my hair and dress up a little, people wonder if I am trying to attract a man. When I don’t get all gussied up, people wonder if I’m letting myself go.

The point is, what I do, I do for me. I have a love affair with life, and in this life I am the leading lady. Do I cast myself as the cleaning drudge or the hard done by divorcé, or even the less favoured sibling?

Are these true? I get to decide! They are true if I say they are.

I get to decide what my story is all about; is it a tragedy, a comedy, an adventure story? Ahead of me, all blank pages. The pages to the left have been written in already, but I am also editor of my story. I can go back with my magic red pen and change the flavour, point or purpose of the story

It’s my story. It can even be a romantic comedy.

The manure for a good story is always just about the same. There are interesting characters that are facing times of testing, and rising to the challenges. As the story resolves we see our characters gaining wisdom, growing in perspective and maturing. They are sharing their story with others.

So what’s with the romance thing? In my world, a story about a dog or a horse is a romance story. A story about children, or estranged families reconciling, or even stories about finding our ancestors. These things are the very essence of romance; anything about relationships, interactions, impressions, perceptions. Romance is who we are, where we are and how we are and with who.

Film Shot: Put a man alone looking at a mountain sunset, and Yup! – We’ve got ourselves a romance story.

I remember a line in a Sarah McLaughlin song. “In a world created for romance”. Think Maui, The Grand Canyon, the Sahara or Niagara Falls! To me, this world that we live in, that is the backdrop to our lives is created for romance.

What perks me in the very core of my being connects me with the God who created me. I understand more of God’s nature by what my own heart responds to: Romance, adventure, excitement, mystery; a story with great characters. The stories that we love, and flock to the theatres to see, are romance stories through and through. The Titanic grossed millions. Think of some other timeless classics: Gone with the Wind, Gladiator, Old Yeller, Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Lawrence of Arabia.

It is always marvellous to see ordinary people living extraordinary lives, or even people living ordinary lives in an extraordinary way. This world we are in is created for Romance.

In the Valley of the Details

The other day I was too weary to cry.

I don’t know about you, but I seem to travel from mountain to mountain. While I am standing on the peak, I can see with total clarity; where I am going, where I’ve been. I’m standing in the thrall of the vista. All of a sudden, everything makes sense. My decisions are clear and I chose my direction with purpose and commitment.

Once that decision is made, I start to travel down into the valley. At some point in the decent, I lose all sense ‘rightness’. The clarity is gone. I endure, I trudge, I put one foot in front of the other. Every fear kicks in. My mind is caught in a litany of negative messages.

Self pity, frustration, and discouragement reign. I am lost in the Valley of the Details.

I had been renovating in filth for 6 weeks. I had been painting 50 kilometres of baseboard, door and trim for four whole days and I realized on the fifth morning that the old brown paint was shadowing through. I absolutely had to do a fourth coat.

Many dark thoughts traveled through my mind that day. This was my low point. I was tired of being dirty. I hurt everywhere. I was definitely past my point of patience with crud and dry wall dust. I was totally sick and tired of painting trim. My life was reduced to nothing but paint, tea and sleep.

My neighbours, God bless them, noticing that I was feeling ‘lower than a snakes belly in a wagon rut’, offered to share their pot of chilli with me. This was their ultimate comfort food. Probably if I had been offered something I liked, I might have been distracted enough to move into a better state quickly. However, distraction was not forthcoming.

Truly, I loathe chilli. Chilli is what you eat when you are surrounded by cattle, and ‘nothing’. Chilli is what you eat when you are desperate and going to die otherwise. Chilli is what you eat when there is no more hope left to be had. Add a whack of soft bread and I am definitely on the slippery slope of depression.

Coming to the end of ourselves; this is where, for me, faith kicks in. No distractions, no rescue. This is where we have to just ‘gut it out’.

This whole day was an uninterrupted therapy session. I did persevere. Later that evening over tea and banana loaf, I was able to giggle with my chums and make fun of myself.

The trim looks great and has transformed the space. Friends are dropping by to oooh and ahhh. My landlords have kicked into gear and are speeding the process. The 720 square feet of bamboo flooring is being laid next week.

I am out of the valley and can see the completion of the project. Thanks to the team of ‘Angels’ who have helped and encouraged in so many ways.

Nutritional Solutions for Winter Ravaged Skin

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Many people at this time of year are noticing the discomfort of cracked fingers or are experiencing other weather irritated skin issues. It is important to remember that our skin is an organ. Our skin is responsible for regulation (fluids, temperature, and toxin removal) and protection. Basically it keeps our insides in and the outside, out.

With this in mind, it is important to nourish the skin from the inside out. Winter is a good time to supplement with essential fatty acids. When the body is nourished this way, you will notice a reduction of the need to use a topical moisturizing product, or that what you use topically will be more effective.

If you would benefit from intensive hand or foot treatments, I suggest buying a pair of light cotton gloves/socks. Slather on a heavy moisturizing product at bedtime and put them on to protect your bedding and keep the product on the affected area longer.

In respect to topical products, many natural based creams and ointments are available and are amazing in their ability to help heal the skin. A light application of Grape seed oil is a wonderful protection for dry irritated skin. The oil is more ‘skin friendly’ and is used by many massage therapists for this reason.

I keep a small vial of a mixture of Grape seed/Calendula oil handy. The benefits of Calendula are many. First, it protects the skin from bacteria entering deeper into the tissues. As an antiseptic, it reduces inflammation and itching of the skin. It takes the heat out of burns and soothes abrasions. Calendula also promotes and speeds healing. A light coating of this over my regular moisturizer provides a bit of extra protection before going outdoors.

It also stands to reason, to take precautions to clothe your self adequately when going out and about in cold climates. Gloves and scarves are a wonderful invention.

I am outdoors more; walking downtown or to my renovation site on a daily basis. I am also experiencing the drying effect of drywall dust on my skin and hair. At this time I am using Super EFA Liquid, Berry EFA Plus, Evening Primrose Oil, Black Current Seed based GLA. As well as nourishing my skin, I am nourishing my glandular system, nervous system and immune systems.

Be sure to keep well hydrated. Drink plenty of pure water. Also consume broth and teas on a regular basis. Also make sure that your trace minerals are up to snuff. I like to use sea vegetables (Gomasio) to meet this need. Minerals are responsible for holding water balance in our tissues.

Morning Smoothie

3 ounces pure water

½ banana

¼ cup frozen berries

½ ripe avocado (optional)

1-2 heaping Tablespoons protein powder (Rice Pro or Soy or Harmonized Vegan Protein

1 teaspoon Progressive Nutrition - Vegge Greens or Vegge Greens Blueberry Medley

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1 Tablespoon Progressive Nutrition – Phytoberry Powder

1Tablespoon Berry EFA Plus (essential fatty acids)

1 Teaspoon Super EFA Liquid

Blend until smooth. Dilute down with more water as desired.

Optional:

Use juice instead of water

Use peaches or any soft fruit

Use a purchased smoothie blend diluted half and half with water

Add 1 tablespoon organic golden flaxseed, freshly ground

Give this a try daily for two weeks and you will be amazed by the change in your skin.

What the Heck Is She Thinking!

Hold on to your sanity! She's renovating again!

About a year and a half ago, a friend was viewing my progress while I was painting my present apartment/office. She turned to her husband and said, "Lets buy a property in town and rent it to Nelda".


Well, due to many earth-shaking changes in their world, they did buy a rental property, and after a lot of soul searching, I have decided to...dare I say it....MOVE!

Its rather like having 2 pregnancies in one year. I'm really happy about it, but I know that a huge labour looms before me and my memory is too good. Thank goodness for the help of friends.

This building is just up a block from my present location. The building is Circa 1907, has tall ceilings and full bay windows on both levels. It's a WOW!


There are many pluses. No disruption overhead. One of my best chums is also my downstairs neighbour (who provides wonderful laugh filled tea breaks regularly while construction is in progress).

Her family-owned business was a lighting store, and she is well experienced in the art of cobbling together amazing creations out of Re-Store pieces. Our total budget for the entrance lighting is about $5.00.

Thrown (willingly?) into the deal is her partner who is an absolute wizard of all things pertaining to building, plumbing/heating/carpentry/electrical/drywall. So far he cheerfully and kindly responds to my call. He is teaching me how to skim plaster. The man is a saint!

I have every assurance that in this new location my business will be respected and supported in the way it deserves. This is going to be beautiful (trust me).

What a blessing! It will be wonderful to be back in the arms of loving kindness again. I am so looking forward to feeling settled. It will feel like my own. I'm thrilled.

Maybe the clincher is the TUB. It has that cute little rectangular rod above for attaching a shower curtain. 'She sighs'.



I love to design, paint and decorate. I have had 3 official interior design jobs in the past, 1 residential and 2 businesses.

This is your first view of my future home/business location.


I have given up trying to look like a girl. Drywall compound plays havoc with your hair, especially when afore mentioned hair defaults to frizz anyway.


This hole was just covered with a layer of wallpaper. When I scraped off the paper, about three cups of soot landing on my face and in my mouth. Yuk!

I do love working with paint effects on old plaster. I am so excited about the entryway.









I do apologize for not keeping up with my posts. Be assured that I am not keeping up with anything else either. But, stay tuned and you will be able to see the step by step progress as my team and I transform a 'sow's ear' into a 'silk purse' .