Moments in my garden

California flower
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Some of the most visually rich and gratifying moments spent in my garden are when I see beauty in the random and un-composed. It could be an unswept patio, still littered with leaves and blossoms from the strong spring winds, but that "litter", though chaotic, can make a naturally beautiful patterns.

Sure I love to have my garden look nice and cleaned up with orderly plantings, carefully selected by color and size. But the juxtaposition of the designed and not designed can make for a beautiful design in and of itself.

Orange poppies popped up in my bed of purple tulips - I would never mix warm & cool colors. Combined with the hose I leave out and the pebbles out of place looking messy and unkempt. But for some reason, it all works and I was compelled to capture this scene because it drew me in... into that magical moment when you just feel so happy to be in your garden.

And the photo below is another neglected area... but the pink tulips come up every spring, as dependably as the perennial geraniums push out bright red flowers. Both brighten up and make the path a place where I can stop and ponder.

This ramble will either make sense to you or not. Hopefully it does, but if it doesn't... well then, thanks for sticking with it to the end. :-)

Re-using vintage dishes

Retro dinner party
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Look! My friends and I had a pot luck using our vintage dishes. Not only did we feel good about making good and healthy food for our friend's birthday dinner (last summer), but we also used old dishes that were passed down from our Moms or found at garage sales or thrifts. Re-using (or continuing to use) old stuff instead of filling the landfills can be fun.

The vintage look and the bright retro colors was perfect. Mid-century goodness for our mid-century friend.

The menu:
- vegetarian waldorf salad made with organic brown rice, apples & walnuts
- grilled wild salmon
- organic mixed green salad with avocado, feta, cucumber, toasted almonds witn EV olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- crudite platter of veggies with various dips (hummus and a couple others, can't remember exactly)
- multi, whole grain organic bread
- blackberry cobbler (berries picked and baked the night before)
- and birthday cupcakes

We certainly enjoyed a delicious and colorful feast!

High flavor, high protein breakfast

Soy chorizo & eggs
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Quick breakfast tip...

I love the flavor of chorizo sausage but I'm not a fan of pork so I was happy to discover SOY chorizo at Trader Joe's a couple of years ago. It's already cooked too so whipping up a scramble with eggs takes no time at all. It's such an easy way to get a high protein breakfast that's really flavorful.

It keeps a while in the fridge so you can pick one up on your next TJs shopping trip and just keep it handy in your fridge.

Roasted fingerling potatoes

Roasted fingerling potatoes
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Yellow, red & blue potatoes seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and a little bit of fresh rosemary from my garden. Toss in olive oil and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

I'm confused about whether potatoes are healthy are not. I know they're high in starchy carbs which can lead to weight gain, especially for people like me who don't tolerate carbs as well as others. But I also know that they have a good amount of vitamin C and I always leave the skin on which has all the nutrients and fiber. Are they toxic because they're in the nightshade family of vegetables? Is potato really a vegetable? I suppose it's all about moderation. Well... I cooked the potatoes so I guess I have to eat them! Yum!

What to eat?

How do we ensure we eat for wellness? There are so many things one must consider, it can get daunting to make the right decision.

- what's the nutritional value?
- meat, vegetarian or vegan?
- locally grown or not? what's the carbon footprint?
- what's the environmental impact?
- organic or conventional?
- should I avoid GMOs?
- what foods should I avoid?
- raw or cooked?
- am I allergic?
- ratio of carbs, protein and fat
- how much to eat
- how often to eat
- am I getting enough fiber?
- should adults have milk/dairy?
- do I have the proper bacteria in my gut?
- how much sugar is too much for me?
- is coffee/caffeine bad for me? how much is ok?

The questions are endless. Everyone has a different body... different tolerances, preferences, metabolisms, philosophies, cultures, environments, etc. so the answer is very different for each individual. There aren't too many places one can go to get a simple answer, so I suppose it's each person's responsibility to observe their own body and figure out what's right for them. It's not easy but it seems to be the only way.

BTW, my food gurus are Sally Fallon, Michael Pollan and William Wolcott. I try my best to follow their approach to food/eating, but it's not always easy to apply all that knowledge. :-)

About the photo
Taken in September 2003 at the open air market in Helsinki, Finland (kauppatori).

Quick & easy dinner

Dinner
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

When I buy precooked food (like the falafels from Costco in this photo), I feel like I'm cheating and not really eating a healthy meal. When I combine it with other healthy food (steamed broccoli is easy) I trick myself into thinking it's OK.

The third item on the plate is a mix of brown rice, quinoa and lentils that I cooked in a rice cooker the night before. I sauteed onions with ground lamb, seasoned it and added the rice mixture. And the tasty red tomatoes adds color and nutrients and makes it look more appetizing.

It really was super fast and easy to make and delicious too.