Shell Candles

Over Thanksgiving, I visited my sister who lives in St. Marys, GA, a beautiful coastal town just north of the Florida border.  One day I went with her and her husband on a boat to Cumberland Island.  It's a beautiful maritime forest, with old oak trees covered in Spanish moss, the interior is covered with palms, and the beach, covered with shells.

On our hike from the boat landing, we saw magnificent old trees covered in Spanish moss...

the ground was covered in palms

After a long hike through the forest, we finally reached the beach.

tons of horseshoe crabs...

a rich assortment of shells everywhere!

I brought a small bag of shells home with me, to remember my visit to Cumberland and decided to make shell candles from the clam shells for Christmas presents.

I went to Michaels Arts & Crafts and purchased:
microwaveable soy wax, 2" wicks, & a bag of Spanish moss.

I picked up some unfolded boxes from my favorite local thrift shop, Mt. Carmel Thrift Shop.

I set up newspaper on the table and melted the soy wax in small glass measuring cup, for easier pouring.
Because of the angle of the shells just sitting on the table,
I wasn't able to fill them enough, so set them in small cups to adjust their angle.
Then I placed in the wick and a dash of sparkle.

The wax hardened within an hour. I placed Spanish moss in the box and
 added the shell candles along with a few of the smaller shells I collected.

There they are, all in a row, ready to go! It was a fun and inexpensive holiday project.
My daughter and her boyfriend even got in on the action!

Thought for the day from Abraham-Hicks:
Use whatever excuse you can to vibrate in harmony with those things you've been saying you want. And when you do, those things that are a vibrational equivalent flow into your experience in abundance. Not because you deserve it, not because you've earned it, but because it's the natural consequence of the Law of Attraction. That which is like unto itself is drawn. --- Abraham
Excerpted from the workshop in Silver Spring, MD on Saturday, April 19th, 1997

Kindle Cover

Part of wellness for me is my need to express creativity...

I recently got a Kindle e-reader. The Kindle covers I saw online were not very interesting and seemed expensive, so I decided to make my own.

I had been at my local library book sale (Mill Valley Library Book Sale) and picked up some old books for $.25 a piece. I happened to have one that was the perfect size for my Kindle.

Next, I took a single-edged razor blade and cut out the pages.

this book was dedicated to someone who knew Greek!

this book was published in 1958, 
so the binding tape was old

book lays flat with pages gone

select some type of padding, like bubble wrap,
 or thin foam

I selected a small piece of fabric from my stash, covered the padding and glue-gunned it in.  Then I found some gold tape and glued that in position to hold the Kindle.
_____________________________________________________________________________

* My Kindle is protected in two ways: the actual screen is protected and the Kindle is 'hidden' in a book!  


Thought for the Day from Abraham Hicks: "When you reach for the thought that feels better, the Universe is now responding differently to you because of that effort. And so, the things that follow you get better and better, too. So it gets easier to reach for the thought that feels better, because you are on ever-increasing, improving platforms that feel better."

--- Abraham
Excerpted from the workshop in San Francisco, CA on Saturday, March 11th, 2000

Eat Food by Michael Pollan

I picked up a booklet from the Community Alliance with Family Farmers http:// www.caff.org where they publish information about all the local farmers markets.  On page 3 of the San Francisco Bay Area version, Michael Pollan writes about his thoughts about food, which I really appreciate!!

Food for thought ~

Law of Attraction abounds, and when it is said to you, "Ask, and it is given," there is no more powerful statement that is at the basis of what makes things happen than that. Now, how is it that you think you ask? With your words? The Universe doesn't hear your words. You ask with your desire. The desire that is born out of the contrast. That desire. That wanting. That's what summons the Life Force. --- Abraham
Excerpted from the Abraham Hicks workshop in Seattle, WA on Sunday, June 21st, 1998

Veggie Swap & CSA

So one of the coolest things we have in Mill Valley, CA (as well as in neighboring towns) is a Veggie Swap.  Every summer Sat. morning at the local park (which I can walk to), neighbors bring extra vegetables, fruits, seeds, seedlings and baked goods to swap!  It's so great. It's put together by Marin Open Gardens http://opengardenproject.blogspot.com/ and they also coordinate gleening for when your fruit tree is laden with ripe fruit, people sign up to come help with the harvest.

 It's also great if you get CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and have left over produce you want to swap. I am excited to be getting my first delivery of Betty's Organics tomorrow!  http://www.bettysorganics.com/
The locally grown organic produce arrives in a box (which gets returned for the next shipment). 

We have friends who live in Stinson Beach and their daughter just dropped off an amazing bag of produce they grew and a dozen fresh eggs!!! Look at those Meyer lemons!!! Thanks Barb!!

Food for thought ~ You are meant to live an expansive, exhilarating, good-feeling experience. It was your plan when you made the decision to become focused in your physical body in this time-space reality. You were born knowing that you are a powerful Being; that you are good; that you are the creator of your experience, and that the Law of Attraction (the essence of that which is like unto itself, is drawn) is the basis of the Universe, and you knew it would serve you well. And so it has.
Excerpted from Money and the Law of Attraction, by Abraham Hicks — 3/31/09

Eating 4 Health

Last month I assisted at a free public education forum hosted by CMPC's Institute for Health and Healing.  I heard Ed Bauman, founder of BaumanCollege http://www.baumancollege.com/
(holistic nutrition and culinary arts) speak.   He is a very knowledgeable and entertaining speaker.  He shared a poster based on his philosophy of nutrition and health which I want to share.  Click here to read about it: http://www.baumancollege.com/about/eating-for-health-philosophy.html

Choose fresh, seasonal, chemical-free, nutrient-rich, organic foods.  "The goal of this unique system is to provide optimal amounts of macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), phytonutrients (plant alkaloids with protective value), and other vital factors (enzymes, tastes, energetic properties) that can be most efficiently digested and assimilated."

I LOVE his idea of 4 levels of eating:
1. Eating for pleasure
2. Eating for energy
3. Eating for recovery
4. Eating for health

I know this list is long, but it's helpful in understanding his common sense view of health and eating....

Eating for Health Guidelines

• Increase intake of local, seasonal, fresh, organic foods.
• Drink plenty of purified water each day, about one-half cup (four ounces) every hour. To determine the total amount you need, divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces of water.
• Read labels and avoid foods with artificial ingredients.
• Decrease intake of refined and artificial sugars, white flour products, unnatural fats, added hormones, preservatives, colors, and antibiotics.
• Diversify sources of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.
• Ingest 1 gram of protein per kilogram (2.2 lbs) of normal body weight.
• Eat protein by ten in the morning and 1-3 more times during the day.
• Eat protein to curb sugar cravings.
• Minimize caffeine intake to 50mg or less (1 c. black tea, 3 c. green tea, or ½ c. coffee or espresso).
• Eat more monounsaturated fat (olives, avocados, almonds) than saturated fat (animal, dairy, coconuts) or polyunsaturated oils (soy, corn, sunflower).
• Decrease consumption of glutinous grains (wheat, rye, oats, barley) to prevent digestive disturbance and inflammation.
• Increase consumption of gluten-free grains (rice, corn, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth), which are mineral rich and easy to digest.
• Increase consumption of leafy (e.g. kale), crunchy (e.g. broccoli) and starchy (e.g. yam) vegetables to provide abundant minerals.
• Eat three portions of vegetables in a meal to 1 serving of protein and 1 serving of fat for pH balance.
• If body temperature is cold, eat more proteins, essential fatty acids, seaweeds, and warming spices such as ginger and cayenne.
• If body temperature is warm, eat more cooling foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and green herbal teas and spices like mint, rosemary, lemongrass, and rooibus.
• Determine a diet direction according to your metabolic tendency: Building if metabolism is fast, Cleansing if metabolism is slow, or Balanced if metabolism is neither fast nor slow.
• Add booster foods to the diet to increase energy, detoxification, and antioxidant activity.
• Undertake a simplified diet or fasting program seasonally, including colon cleansing and increased spiritual practice.
• Enjoy your food and let others eat in peace.

Chia seeds

I was recently at a spiritual retreat and a friend was walking around with a glass of water filled with little black seeds floating around.  When I asked her about it, she said it's chia seeds! She told me that chia seeds are a top source of omega 3's, among other benefits.  I had seen bags of chia seeds in the 'raw' section of the grocery store, but was never sure what to do with them.  Here is a site that lists 10 health benefits to eating chia seeds:

http://www.mychiaseeds.com/Articles/Top10ChiaBenefits.html

So I purchased a bag of organic black chia seeds and stored them in a glass mason jar.


Each morning, I add about 1 teaspoon of seeds to a glass of good quality water and stir.  After a short time, the seeds become a bit gelatinous.  They really don't have much taste, but I like that I am getting omega 3's.  I also add a squeeze of fresh organic lemon juice for natural source of vitamin c.  Lemon is alkaline producing in the body.

 In case you didn't know, we all want to have slightly alkaline bodies.  Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment.  Here is a great resource that explains:
 http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm.  There are many ways to alkalinize our bodies, not only by what we eat and drink, but by what we think and how we breathe! I took a class to learn more about this.  When we walked in to the class, we were asked to test our pH level.  (we were asked to go to the restroom to urinate on some litmus paper) Then we learned about how some foods are acidic outside of the body, yet are alkaline forming once ingested.  During the class, we drank ionized water and did some deep breathing exercises.  After 2 hours, we measured our pH again, and everyone's pH moved up the scale from some level of acidity toward alkalinity!  Tap water is acidic and is not beneficial.

I will talk more about acid/alkaline diet in a future post.  Meantime, get some chia seeds and enjoy!

Gluten-free

You have probably been hearing a lot about 'gluten-free' lately. I have been 100% gluten free for 7 years! Almost instantly, being gluten-free changed my life! I was symptomatic for about 5 years before that but no doctors could tell me what was wrong.

Gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease is when a person's body cannot tolerate or 'process' gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Here is a precise definition http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/ if you're interested. The biggest change in my life was that I basically stopped eating processed foods (yay!), and my symptoms subsided. I am NEVER tempted by 'glutenized' food...it's poison to my body. I hear that some people can tolerate small amounts, but I cannot.

Many people are learning that they or their children have issues with gluten. Do not despair!!

I am so excited to report that there are so many gluten-free options available today!!

Let's start with bread...

• For example, my favorite breads are: Grindstone Bakery, of Sonoma, CA~ Sprouted Seeded Loaf (Quinoa & Millet loaf + Sprouted Seeds (Pumpkin, Sesame, Sunflower). I am lucky because my local Whole Foods carries this bread, but you can order it here https://bear.he.net/~grindst/epistore/index.php?category=Gluten+free.

 It's best sliced and toasted! It's interesting to read about the care Gindstone takes in hand crafting their bread....
"There is no commercial yeast present in our breads. The leavening power is achieved by the use of a long fermentation by wild microorganisms.

Fermenting this way takes longer, but the bread develops all the good flavors of the grain, a dense crumb and a wonderfully satisfying chewiness.

Our fermentation cultures are the result of years of capturing and experimenting with different combinations of the wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria naturally present in the microbiologically, and otherwise unique environment of the region's vineyards, farms an wildlands.

We call them “Sonoma Cultures”. Each one has a particular mixture of several wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria strains that allows us to create different breads with a relatively lower acid content than most sourdoughs, rich in flavor and color and resistant to spoilage without the use of preservatives."

• If you are looking for something that is more like a sandwich bread (although not organic) that kids would like, try Udi's sandwich bread and Rudi's also has a tasty cinnamon bread. I am able to find these two brands at local grocery stores. They also carry pizza crusts, bagels, sweets, etc. Whole Foods also has a line of gluten-free baked things.

• If you would like your local grocer carry gluten-free items, speak to them. I spoke to the owner of our fabulous local grocery, Mill Valley Market, David Canepa, http://www.millvalleymarket.com/about stocking and notating gluten-free products. They now have a whole section, with products to bake your own breads, sweet treats, etc. So thank you David! My favorite item I get there is Chebe Bread mix http://www.chebe.com/so I can make my own pizzas! I make the crust (just add oil, egg and water) then top with greens from the garden, a little sauce, goat cheese...yum!
  

• In San Rafael, CA, a neighboring town, Marisa and Chad North have opened a gluten-free grocery store, called Sans Gluten where everything is gluten-free and they host lectures. http://www.sansglutenfreegrocery.com/
  

• Even one of my favorite local restaurants, Piazza D'Angelo~ Mill Valley, CA, Executive Chef Partner Massimo Covello , has recently made the commitment to offer a gluten-free menu! That takes commitment and understanding (he has to create gluten-free areas for food prep, etc.) They are serving gluten-free breads from Mariposa Bakery (artisan-crafted gluten-free breads out of Oakland, CA http://www.mariposabaking.com/index.html and gluten-free pastas. Thanks Massimo!!
  

Next time, I will share more gluten-free essentials...until then, be well!!!!

Food for thought....comes from Abraham Hicks : "Every time you say, "I appreciate that. I really like that. I applaud that. I acknowledge the value in that." Every time you do that, you spend some of your Energy, and it is the spending of the Energy that creates a vacuum, so to speak, or an attraction, so to speak, that draws more and more and more and more."

*I haven't figured out why the post is appearing with so many fonts styles and colors...hmmm.

Fresh juice

How I start my day....


I love to start my day by going to my garden, harvesting some greens (kale, swiss chard, parsley).












I wash off a couple of whole organic carrots, celery, a quarter of a red beet, and peel an orange.


Then I put them into the juicer (my friend Christina loaned me her Breville Juicer-which is an amazing juicer) and voila! the most tasty, smile-making, nutrient-filled, alkalinizing and beautiful nectar you could imagine!!

When I the fruits are ready and ripe, I have the great fortune of going into my yard to pick Gravenstein apples, Santa Rosa plums, navel oranges, and lemons. Fruits and vegies are most beneficial to eat right after picking, they are most vital and alive with nutrients.

- I highly recommend it as a great way to start your day!!