Spring Thyme!

Woodland Brown 1 quart
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Thyme is my favorite herb in my garden. It's easy to grow and versatile in cooking - goes well in many dishes. This time of the year my thyme plants are thriving and the fresh spring leaves are beautiful and tasty.

Recently I learned some cool things about thyme I didn't know before.

Did you know...
- Thyme is native to areas such as Asia, southern Europe and the Mediterranean region.

- It retains its flavor on drying better than many other herbs. As a rule of thumb, use one third as much dried as fresh thyme, a little less if it is ground.

- Either in its fresh or dried form, should be added toward the end of the cooking process since heat can easily cause a loss of its delicate flavor.

- 20-54% of thyme leaves contain Thymol, which is an antiseptic and is the main active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash. Before the advent of modern antibiotics it was used to medicate bandages.

- The ancient Egyptians used it as an embalming agent to preserve their deceased pharaohs.

I'm fascinated by all the great things I learned about this herb from www.wikipedia.com and www.whfoods.org. I've gained a whole new respect for this plant and will be more mindful of it's power when I'm gardening or cooking with it.

About the photo
A friend gave me a thyme plant a couple of years ago which I planted in my garden. It has been thriving ever since, and I think of her every time I see the plant. In this photo is the batch I had to prune to keep the plant healthy. I kept it in my fridge for almost 2 weeks - used for cooking, added to salads and gave some to neighbors. A gift that keeps on giving.

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!

Antioxidants

Single origin chocolate from Trader Joe's
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

No matter how hard I've tried over the years, I just haven't been able to get rid of my sweet tooth. Not that I like sickly sweet desserts and I don't even like sugary candy, but I do like to have something a little sweet every day.

I wonder if there's a biological need to have that sweet tooth daily? PERHAPS, we need the boost of sugar right after a meal to give our digestive system extra energy??? I'm happy to go with it, even though my waist line could probably go without it.

My sweetness of choice is chocolate and the darker the better (up to 75%, preferably not below 50%). Luckily for me they say that dark chocolate has lots of antioxidants. Hurrah! My waist line may not get slimmer but with the antioxidants I will have fewer wrinkles and my body will be better equipped to fight of those bad cells. Or am I just finding ways to justify my chocolic habit? ;-)

Spring haiku

Camelia
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

garden awakening
spring bursts colored energy
now is the new year

Ha! My first attempt at a haiku (since 4th grade)... inspired by my excitement that spring is finally here. The camelias in my garden are in full bloom and my fruit trees have started to blossom. In think we all would appreciate having spring come in full force and rejuvenate us from the long winter.

Bugs

Bugs
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Yuck! While hiking on a trail I saw these bugs and was disgusted but also marveled at how these orange colored creatures all ended up on this fence in this pattern. I was nervous that one was going to jump onto me and bite me while I was taking the photo.

I'm a bit torn about bugs... on the one hand some are creepy and annoying, but on the other hand there are beneficial bugs that are necessary. In my vegetable garden I know that ladybugs and praying mantis eat the bad bugs that can kill my plants. And I know that my digestive tract is suppose to be filled with good bugs (bacteria) to prevent the bad bacteria from taking over.

The good bacteria, also known as probiotics, produce vitamins to give you nutrients and enzymes to help you detoxify. I try my best to get a good dose of probiotics by eating fermented foods, raw foods and sometimes taking probiotic supplements. I've even cultured vegetables and made yogurt and they came out great. It wasn't actually that much work but I get lazy and disorganized so I don't do it on a regular basis, though I should.

And as for the bugs out in nature... I've come to terms with the fact that they're there for a reason. And even though I may not like the way some of them look, I try to find something about them to appreciate, though some are easier to appreciate than others. :-)

About the photo
Taken at the Palomarin trail in Bolinas, CA.

Panko macadamia crusted wild salmon

Panko macadamia crusted wild salmon
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

One of my favorite ways to prepare salmon is to bake it with a crust consisting of:

- panko crumbs
- chopped macadamia nuts
- black sesame seeds

First whisk an egg with a little salt and garlic powder in a small bowl. Slice the fish fillet into individual servings. Dip each piece in the egg mixture, then roll in the crust mix and bake on a lightly greased (olive oil) pan at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. (I know wild salmon is out of season now but it's available frozen.)

I always make a big batch so I have enough for lunch and dinner the next day. When it's cold it can be served over a bed of organic baby greens (dressed with EVOO and balsamic vinegar) to make a delicious salad. Yum!

Yoga to nourish the body and mind

I took my first yoga class about 20 years ago but only in the last 18 months have I practiced more regularly (1 to 2x a week), mainly because my husband has gotten into it (thanks to a particular instructor). I've seen many benefits from my more consistent yoga practice, so I am committed to continuing the once or twice per week practice... hopefully for the rest of my life!

In some ways I feel my progress is so slow because most sessions are just so challenging. But in other ways I feel big changes have been made in my body's strength and flexibility in a relatively short time. For example, recently I've been able to do the back bend position, but 6 years ago my back was in such bad shape I thought there would be no way in my life time that it would be possible (even my chiropractor didn't think so). In fact, my back is so much better I've stopped going to the chiropractor after just 6 months of practicing more consistently.

Besides the physical benefits of yoga, each practice is a wonderful opportunity to escape my thoughts. There is no opportunity in class for the mind to wander... only to focus on my teacher's instructions. There's no choice but to focus on NOW. It's meditative and relaxing to the mind, while challenging for the body. I'm not sure what is more valuable... the relief from my anxious and active mind or the toning of my muscles. I suppose both equally support good health.

In the spirit of sharing good health with my friends and readers, I want to acknowledge my wonderful yoga instructor, Sean Michael Hall. He is totally committed to wellness and he has made a huge contribution to my and also my husband's health.... and for this we are grateful. Anyone who lives in the Berkeley/Oakland area would find it convenient to go to one of his yoga classes. He also has an acupuncture practice that specializes in pain management and women's issues.

To your health!

About the photo
Taken at the Palomarin trail in Bolinas, CA.

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.