Always Apply a Joyful Mind

This morning, reading a bit in a library book before I rolled out of bed, I ran across this quote by Akisha, 11th century. "Always Apply a Joyful Mind" Rather like the 5th Reiki Precept: 'show gratitude.' I am grateful, indeed I am grateful for many blessings, health, happiness, family, food/shelter/warmth, clients, time, music .. & I have much joy in my life.

Life has been good & busy - since I began 'facebooking' I notice I've blogged less & less - instant gratification? & communication with a vast community - I recently read that 1/3 of the internet use is spent on Facebook ... now is that really true? While I write here, my FB is 'open' so am I considered spending time there, while I'm actually 'here' ??

(excuse me, I had to pop over cause I had comment notifications ...)

You see how it goes! & then there was a call from my March Red Hat Hostess, checking to see if she had everyone's contact information ... we're going to Wednesday Wines, with catering from Harvest Fresh across the street! Yes, those lovely photos are actually of the produce & other shelves! & if I didn't have a CSA share, I would be quite happy with the lovely OG & local fare -

A week or so ago, my former hubby called my daughter to ask about HIS family history - two of his sisters & a niece & nephew have celiac & have gone gluten free. My son & his family think about doing so, but haven't really stepped off the wheat wagon, ...

Now what is wrong (um, short sighted?) with a family of biologists, who, when they see several members of the family have a 'disorder' that is now known to have genetic links, & have health problems that are also related, but 'wonder' if they could also have gluten issues?? Do you think? He is lactose intolerant, which often follows gluten sensitivity, & 'does better' when he doesn't eat bread ... it's not just about bread! Sigh. At least he's asking questions!

Yesterday I received 'Gluten Toxicity' e-book from Shelly Stuart - a compliation of her research & info she'd posted on her website - yea!!
Love these quotes: "Unfortunately, gluten appears to be a difficult protein for everyone to digest. Humans don't have all the gastric (stomach), brush border (intestinal) & pancreatic (pancreas) enzymes necessary for ... it to... be broken down & digested easily." (chapter 2)

A DIFFICULT PROTEIN FOR EVERYBODY TO DIGEST!

& this one: 'like a ticking time bomb, perhaps, everyone who is ingesting gluten has the potential for an unfavorable outcome" (cancer, auto immune damage & diseases, malnutirition ...

Off to enjoy the morning - lots of light, off & on sun ... blessings on your day, may it be joyful!

Gluten Free Scones for Beltane

I'd usually make oat cakes for Beltane, but GF oats are now ~ $4- a # - yikes!! So for our dance tonight, I decided on scones.

I found the inspration for these on-line last summer, when my Red Hat group was going out for tea, & the hostess said she could do every course except 'you'll have to forgo the scones!'
Loving scones, I decided to do a bit of sluthing, & found this recipe. It quickly became a favorite - scones are one of those 'quick & easy' breads that are perfect for GF baking.

Gluten Free Scones
1 C favorite GF flour mix (I use a basic 'brown rice'potato starch/tapioca flour mix)
3/4 C sorghum flour
1/4 C coconut flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder (aluminum free)
1/4 tsp baking soda
~ 3 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
(1/2 tsp garam masala spice mix, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, & ~ 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger - optional)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (not absoulutely necessary in 'quick bread' recipes)
3 Tbsp cold butter, sliced fine, & 3 Tbsp coconut oil

cut the oil/butter into the sifted/stirred flour mix
add 1/2 C nuts &/or 1/2 C dried raisins or other dried fruit (chopped)

mix together:
3/4 C coconut milk or C milk kefir
1 egg (we just use the whites, as my daughter's sensitive)

Add wet to dry ingredients, & gently knead, then roll & cut into 8 wedges, or pat into wedges or rounds (I pat into ~ 10 - 12 wedges) I bake on a clay baking sheet, so put them on the cold sheet, & heat the oven as they're cooking.

400* for 12 - 20 minutes - I stick them with a toothpick @ 12 min, & ~ every 5 min till it comes out clean.

Enjoy!! & happy Beltane!

Square through four

New Moon yesterday - how the year is flying! Molly offers some great tips on Clearing while you're cleaning - great to combine with New Moon (Would be easier if I could find my floor, lol!! But I am making progress & want to implement some of these ideas!)

I've been doing Lots of dancing - ballet, ecstatic, & I finished the 'basic' Square dance lessons on Monday! Our class 'graduates' this Saturday - & I feel much more 'at home' with the calls! One of my best friends through grade & High School & my college roommate both took up Square dancing in the late 70s, when I began studying Ballet. My roommate became one of the few female callers, & called for several clubs over the years. She's now 'retired' from calling, but still dances.
For about 15 years I took ballet classes several times a week, did some point work (beginning that when I was in my mid 30s!), was in performances with our local studio, & enjoyed it immensely. For awhile, the whole family took ballet, & this last winter, all my grandkids (& my son & dau-in law) performed in the Nutcracker.
Over the years, I added other dance forms - belly dance, Ecstatic (free form), Dances of Universal Peace, studied & teach Tai Chi/Qigong, & love them all.

I began taking ballroom classes about 10 years ago, & learned more about 'partner' dance, as much of what I'd done had been more core or individual work. With the ballet background, I was often chosen to help the teacher demonstrate, & that was fun too!
Though we have a lovely ballroom, dances haven't been well attended, & are rarely offered, & dances in other locations are often fundraisers & quite expensive, so there's not much opportunity to practice what we're learning! And while the teachers recommend 'rotating' partners during lessons, which gives the beginning dancers opportunities to practice with more experienced dancers; at actual dances, it's much rarer to dance with more than a few folks, as most couples dance with each other.

Then a couple of years ago, my Ballroom buddy Steven invited me to try Round Dance, basically, ballroom done with a 'cuer' who gives direction, so everyone does the same moves. Fascinating! It takes the pressure off the 'lead' to think of patterns. Our cuer teaches two step, waltz & cha-cha, & we took each series. Having grown up in the Grange, it was fun to go out to the hall for the Round dance lessons, & I went to a dance or two, but with only a sketchy memory of grade school Square dance, I sat out half the dances, which alternate square 'tips' & round sets.

Steven wasn't interested in Square Dancing, & is busy with the ballroom (which he manages), so last fall, I decided to join the Square Dance lessons on my own. (& invited a gal friend who used to dance to join the lessons mid-stream)
Our club hosts dances twice a month, & area clubs offer 'New Dancer Dances' (& our members car-pool to attend) around graduation (they offer classes around the same time); so I've gone to a couple of dances already - & rarely sat out!! One of the 'rules' is that NEW DANCERS NEED TO DANCE! So the more experienced dancers dance with us!! There were enough dancers at our last dance for 6 squares (48 dancers on the floor, with another 8-10 sitting out!) & I only sat out a few dances! I was asked by THREE different guys (inc. a teen who took the lessons with us) to dance when I did sit down!!
The club also has 'experienced' clothes sales, so I've picked up several skirts (remember tie skirts?? They make a great square dance skirt, with a bit of eyelet sewed to the bottom) & one outfit; usually $5-10 per piece, & several soft petticoats. A number of the gals dance in 'prairie' skirts - about calf length, & not as full as the shorter skirts. My galfriend also got a skirt & top - pink Seminole style patchwork - lovely!!

Yikes!! It's almost 11, time to join my Red Hat sisters for lunch (& get all dolled up!!)
My most recent project is starting some socks - bamboo & superwash wool!! Several of my friends have been knitting socks, so I got a book from the library with a likely sock pattern, some of my mom's kneedles, & (sigh) another trip to the yarn stash store, to choose something yummy to knit with - I'm calling the colour 'nutmeg' (BBQ sauce doesn't roll off the tongue quite right, . . . ) cheers, babuskas!

2010 - Dance of Spirit

Woo hoo - New Year! It feels good already - & (come Feb New Moon) it's a Tiger year - & I'm a metal tiger woman!

I often spend some time revamping my living space (painting, re-arranging, tweeking) & most of Sun was in the kitchen, washing counters, folding laundry (have one of those laundry closets off the kitchen) . . .

& that afternoon, went out for a friend's BD dinner (Chinese, so just had salad & steamed rice, as they cook EVERYTHING with breading &/or soy sauce, which contains wheat!) . . . & a glass of plum wine :) Then a GF desert at a nicer restaurant (chocolate flourless tort!) & off on a shopping expedition where I found this lovely red PURSE!!

My dear friend Gwynne, who is a Feng Shui consultant, suggests a shiny red purse as a statement to the universe that you expect abundance! When I saw this one at our fav. discount store, & checked that it had adequate pockets & a zip for the checkbook etc, I knew it needed to go in my cart for the New Year! One in Purple is another option.

I have a sweet Red Hat coin purse that a friend gave me from her mom's stash, a sweet sparkly addition to that red purse! The Staffordshire 'CALICO' tea pot is full of yummy chai I made from scratch! My Breitenbush housemate Ray (who worked in the kitchen) would be proud - he'd make fresh chai every few days, which our other roomie, Emily & I would happily drink; but always begged off making!

This is a variation on Rosemary Gladstar's "Longevity Chai" (from 'Family Herbal' p. 38)

6 slices fresh ginger (fresh)
a cinnamon stick, broken (or several Tbsp cinnamon chips)
tsp ginseng rootlets
tsp licorice root
6 shizandra berries
6 crushed cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
simmer for 15 min (don't boil!) in 1 quart water.
Strain into a warmed tea pot, add ~ 1/3 C coconut milk per cup of tea (I just added in the teacup) & stir briskly - add a bit of honey (I used 1/4 tsp per cup) - mmmm!! She suggests adding vitex berries or pepper corns, I had the schisandra, an 'adaptogen' like ginseng & other long life herbs - this is from the Mt. Rose Herb website: "The lignans in the (Schisandra) berry appear to protect the liver by stimulating cells that produce much needed antioxidants. Because of its adaptogenic properties, it has been applied next to some herbal medicines like Ginseng as a stimulator for the central nervous system, increased brain efficiency, improved reflexes, and an accelerated rate of endurance."
It's common for Asian users to steep berries in fruit juice, or do the 'soft simmer' (as for the chai), using ~ 1 tsp daily.

Well, I must be 'off' to my office, to RECEIVE a massage from our newest therapist! What a great way to begin the year - 'see' you soon!! & Many blessings for a prosperous 2010!

Time for Tea

Suzie the Foodie has a great recipe for green iced tea, & comments that Prevention suggests cool brewing enhances the antioxident properties (which makes perfect sense!)

For several years I've enjoyed S African Red (rooibos) & honeybush teas, naturally sweet, since they lack tanins, but still full of antioxidents!

I used 5 tsp of Stash's red & white fusion tea, & one tsp of their Gogi Berry green for a bit of pizzaz! With spring comes lemon balm - a nice fresh addition for that 'lemony' taste BoHo mom suggested! Delish! You can dry lemon balm, but it's much better 'straight from the plant!'
Gogi or 'wolf' berries are a bit smaller than raisins, & tasty - I have a rather unruly bush in one of my gardens. I often add a few dried berries to my morning granola, & eat the ones from a cup of tea.

Today was my 'Red Hat' luncheon - & it was my turn to choose the venue. One of our nice restaurants recently added lunch, so I took the gals to Nick's Italian Cafe! A classmate of my daughter's, Carmen Pirano, took over management from her dad (Nick) a few years ago, & they recently added a traditional Pizza oven. (None of us had pizza - tho we were all curious! The 'speck & Arugula, with house smoked pork, mozzarella & fresh arugula sounded so good! But I ended up with the veggie & herb panini)
Nick's is known around the country for its 5 course, Northern Italian meals, so lunch is a nice way to test the waters!

While I was at lunch, my son-in law & his mom ventured over to One Green World for some serious plant shopping - I sent a list, & got a sweet selection of rather unusual fruit. An 'purple rose' akebia to 'balance' (& hopefully cross-fertilize) this white one climbing one side of my porch, a 'cinnamon vine' (diascora, or 'wild yam') which has edible tubers, a tasty Mountain Ash with purple fruit, a gooseberry, & an Asian Pear (I have two of these already - my granddaughter's LOVE them!! Well - we all do . . .

This green 'hose in hose' prim came from a sweet plant (& stuff) shop just down the street - Incahoots. The gal who had my home before me worked there, so some of my herbs were already en residance when I moved in. This was a nice foundation - I've added things like a bay tree (now taller than I am), fig, a couple of combo apples, several rosemarys & more lavender, . . .