Happy Weekend folks! It is time for Video Friday. Recently my new friend from San Fran and fellow classmate Chelsea posted this video on facebook. It is very intriguing! Before refrigeration, how did people store food? Watch this video and see how one artist, Jihyun Ryou has taken the knowledge of our ancestors to build a visually interesting piece of art that also functions as a modern way of storing food.
Have a great weekend everyone!
My hubby Anthony had a training for work in San Francisco and I got to go with and bum around town! It seems to never fail that I get sick when I travel. For the record I have not been horribly sick in over 2 years! Which is amazing for me because I usually get strep throat or a sinus infection every year. For some reason my immune system becomes compromised when traveling and walking through germ-ville aka the airport clearly does not help matters! Right after we arrived in San Fran I started to feel a wee bit under the weather, that was on Saturday, by Monday I had a full blown cold, or strep throat, or something! It was horrible! By Tuesday I had a beautiful delivery to my hotel door (I was avoiding going to the urgent care like the plaque, because I knew they would just give me antibiotics, and I wanted to avoid that as long as I could). Oh yes, what was the delivery you ask? Beautiful Juice!
So instead of going to the urgent care, I opted to have some cold fighting nutrients delivered right to my door! I found a amazing company online, Living Greens, juice delivered right to your door, home or office! Brilliant! I chugged that juice all day, and by Wednesday I felt amazing! 100% better! And look at the adorable bottles they are delivered in! Too cute! I am keeping them as a souvenir from my trip!
I was super happy with my service from Living Greens, Michelle was super helpful with excellent customer support! I felt so rejuvenated by the yummy organic juice! It taste so good, and after all the juice I drank in San Fran, I am now begging my hubby for a juicer! I simply can’t survive, I need one! Check out the Living Green website to learn about the benefits of juicing.
Who else is begging for a juicer? Or do you already have one and are enjoying amazing juice? Or maybe you live in San Fran and get to order from Living Greens all the time, you lucky dog! Got a juice recipe? Send it my way! For now I will just read it, and drool, wishing I could make it, but soon I will be able to make it and post the recipe on this blog (yay!).
eat & be well,
Brittany
Honey really is a wondrous creation, natural to the earth, a beautiful sweet Gift from God!
My son, eat honey because it is good,
And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul;
If you have found it, there is a prospect,
And your hope will not be cut off.
Proverbs 24:13-14
Honey which is “raw” meaning that it has not been pasteurized or filtered, taken directly from the hive is not only praised for its nutritional value but also for its medicinal purposes. Honey is antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, supplies instant energy with out the surge of insulin which is caused by white sugar, it provides essential vitamins and minerals, helps to fight off colds and respiratory infections, helps with seasonal allergies and can even heal burns. These are just a few of the amazing qualities that honey can provide. Kelly Joyce Neff in her article on The Healing Power of Honey, lists a wealth of knowledge in the many ways that honey can be used:
BURNS – Apply freely over burns. It cools, removes pain and aids fast healing without scarring. Apart from being a salve and an antibiotic, bacteria simply cannot survive in honey.
BED WETTING – A teaspoon of honey before bed aids water retention and calms fears in children.
INSOMNIA – A dessertspoon of honey in a mug of warm milk aids sleep and works wonders.
HYPERACTIVITY – Replace all use of white sugar with honey. White sugar is highly stimulating with no food qualities. Honey provides the energy without the “spike.”
NASAL CONGESTION – Place a dessertspoon of honey in a basin of water and inhale fumes after covering your head with a towel over the basin. Very effective!
FATIGUE – Dissolve a dessertspoon of honey in warm water or quarter honey balance of water in a jug and keep in the fridge. Honey is primarily fructose and glucose, so it’s quickly absorbed by the digestive system. Honey is a unique natural stabilizer: Ancient Greek athletes took honey for stamina before competing and as a reviver after competition.
FACIAL DEEP CLEANSER – Mix honey with an equal quantity of oatmeal, and apply as a face pack. Leave on for half an hour, then wash it off. Great as a deep cleanser for acne and other unwanted blemishes.
POOR DIGESTION – Mix honey with an equal quantity of apple cider vinegar and dilute to taste with water. This is also wonderful for the joints – and promotes weight loss.
HAIR CONDITIONER – Mix honey with an equal quantity of olive oil, cover head with a warm tower for half an hour then shampoo off. Feeds hair and scalp. Your hair will never look or feel better!
SORE THROATS – Let a teaspoon of honey melt in the back of the mouth and trickle down the throat. Eases inflamed raw tissues.
FOR STRESS – Honey in water is a stabilizer, calming highs and raising lows. Use approximately 25 percent honey to water.
ANEMIA – Honey is the best blood enricher by raising corpuscle content. The darker the honey, the more minerals it contains.
FOOD PRESERVATIVE – If you replace the sugar in cake and cookie recipes with honey, they’ll stay fresher longer due to honey’s natural antibacterial properties. Reduce liquids in the mixture by about one-fifth to allow for the moisture present in the in honey.
BABY’S BOTTLE – Four teaspoons of honey to a baby’s bottle of water is an excellent pacifier and multivitamin additive. If the baby’s motions are too liquid, then reduce the honey by half a teaspoon; if too solid increase by half a teaspoon. (Caution: Don’t give raw honey to babies under 1 year old; it’s just too rich.) For teething, honey rubbed on a baby’s gums is also a mild sedative and anesthetic.
OSTEOPOROSIS – Research has shown that a teaspoon of honey per day aids calcium utilization and prevents osteoporosis – probably not a bad idea for anyone over 50.
LONGEVITY – The most long-lived people in the world are all regular users of honey. An interesting fact, yet to be explained, is that beekeepers suffer less from cancer and arthritis than any other occupational group worldwide.
MIGRAINE – Use a dessertspoon of honey dissolved in half a glass of warm water. Sip at the start of a migraine attack, and, if necessary, repeat after another 20 minutes.
CONJUNCTIVITIS – Dissolve honey in an equal quantity of warm water. When cooled, apply as a lotion or eye bath.
COUGH MIXTURE – Combine 6 ounces (170 grams) liquid honey, 2 ounces (55 grams) glycerin and the juice of two lemons. Mix well. Bottle and cork firmly, and use as required.
I am off to go get a spoon full of raw honey, yum!
Eat & be well,
Brittany
Last summer I discovered this recipe while reading one of the many food bloggers that I follow, Shutterbean is a super fun blog filled with recipes, life and fun photos! These yummy lemon bars are inspired by the Lemon Lara Bars you may be familiar with…At first I was a little hesitant trying this recipe, simply because as much as I love lemons, I am not a fan of lemon mixed with anything sweet, but alas these bars totally hit the spot and they happen to make my husband very happy! He loves them. They even prove to be a great boosts of energy during long 50 mile+ bike rides!
So give this “gooey” sweet recipe a try!
recipe adapted slightly from Shutterbean
In a food processor mix pitted dates, almonds, cashews & lemon zest until a thick paste forms. Add in the lemon juice and pulse a few times to combine. (If you want a few bigger chunks of nuts in your bars, pulse the nuts first and set some aside. Then incorporate the chunks into the final mixture)
Take the the bar mixture and press into a parchment lined 8- inch brownie pan, cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Cut the bars into smaller rectangles (or any size you prefer). Wrap them up in plastic wrap. Keep the bars covered, in the fridge for up to a week.
About 3 years ago I got super sick, the doctors had no clue what was wrong with me, after loads of tests, a CT scan and a ultra-sound, one specialist decided to test me for Celiac Disease. He immediately put be on a g-free, and lactose diet for 4 months, and I instantly felt better (this was actually a placebo effect if you will, I was actually suffering from a intense panic/anxiety attack — a story for another time!). When my test results came back I did not have Celiac Disease, but I continued to “dable” in the g-free world. Why on earth you ask? That is simply crazy? Well, even though my test results came back negative, I feel so much better “off gluten” versus “on”, and now it has gotten to a point where I can enjoy it once in a while and as long as I am eating enough fruits and leafy greens, but if I eat gluten for 2-3 days in a row I am in trouble!
The journey into gluten-free is a evolutionary one. At first you are in shock, you want to try and find everything you eat normally in a gluten-free form. Luckily in today’s markets gluten-free products have become more and more wide spread. You really can have everything you want! Bread, crackers, pasta and cookies galore!! The whole works. This is all great and dandy, and when I first went gluten-free I was all over these products, especially since most gluten-free companies are organic, so even better! Discovering all these products is all just a part of the journey.
After a while I started to see that by body still felt sluggish, and for me personally I was not feeling completely better, so I evolved yet again, and started to avoid all gluten- free products/as well as gluten. I started to focus each week on adding in more leafy greens, vegetables and fruit into my diet. By changing my focus from what I can’t have “gluten” to focusing on adding in fruits and veggies I was able to slowly remove (or eat significantly less) bread like products, gluten or gluten-free from my diet. My poor husband who does not seem to be affected by gluten was dying for just a sandwich now and again! Poor thing! Over time he adjusted, and would treat himself when he went out with co-workers, or when we went out on dates…and I myself would treat myself as well, savoir it, and after remember why I don’t eat gluten (if you know what I mean!). Going to friends or family was the most difficult. I wanted to stick to my diet but after being a vegetarian for 9 years as a child and people making a stink about it everywhere I went, I didn’t want to cause any inconveniences so I just ate what I was given. I did not want to be a fussy guest!
Recently I have decided that I can no longer “dable” in the world of “on and off again”. You may be wondering what this looks like? I am gluten-free, which means 99% of the time I do not partake in the breaking of bread (whereas before I was eating 80% of my diet was not gluten, but 20% was, that 20% was mostly on weekends, or with friends) but occasionally I will treat myself to something now and again, and I feel totally fine about it, no guilt! We have to enjoy life right? Although after this long journey I have discovered that I really don’t miss it, or crave it anymore, and if I do enjoy something say a cookie or a muffin, I usually am not satisfied by it which just reminds me that it is something that I don’t need any longer.
So this brings me to my current journey, discovering the beauty of making my own homemade gluten-free goodies! It is fun to have a few things “gluten-like” now and again…because let’s be honest once in a while I do crave the warmth of fresh bread with melted butter, or a homemade cookie! So I am trying to find a few recipes that we can enjoy once in a while and share with friends. Last Friday we had some friends over for dinner and I made this gluten-free bread to go with our homemade curry wild rice soup and it was a hit! Within a few minutes the loaf was gone! Even if you are not gluten-free, I think you will enjoy this healthy, scrumptious bread!
What are your favorite g-free recipes?
Eat & be well,
Brittany
my kitty Jack wants some almond bread too..naw, he really is wanting the butter, he is a little stinker and we are horrible parents and let him sit at the dinner table with us during dinner…who can say “no” to your furry child, not I!
adapted from Ginny’s Low Carb Kitchen
You Will Need:
Directions:
This video is creative and inspirational!
What is one thing that you can do to improve your health!? Watch this video to find out.
Have a wonderful weekend!
“Polyunsaturates…tend to become oxidized or rancid when subjected to heat, oxygen and moisture as in cooking and processing. Rancid oils are characterized by free radicals—that is, single atoms or clusters with an unpaired electron in an outer orbit. These compounds are extremely reactive chemically. They have been characterizes as “marauders” in the body for they attack cell membranes and red blood cells, causing damage in DNA/RNA strands that can trigger mutations in tissue, blood vessels and skin. Free radical damage to the skin causes wrinkles and premature aging, free radical damage to the tissues and organs set the stage for tumors, and free radical damage in the blood vessels initiates the buildup of plaque. Is it any wonder that tests and studies have repeatedly shown a high correlation between cancer and heart disease with the consumption of polyunsaturates? New evidence links exposure to free radicals with premature aging, with autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and with Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Alzheimer’s and cataracts…..Excess consumption of polyunsaturated oils has been shown to contribute to a large number of disease conditions including increased cancer and heart disease, immune system dysfunction, damage to the liver, reproductive organs and lungs, digestive disorders, depressed learning ability, impaired growth, and weight gain.”
For further research, check out:
Sources:
Last summer 2 inspired film makers visited my town, Milwaukee Wisconsin, as one stop of many throughout the whole country in order to create a documentary about urban farming. The filming is now finished, but they need our help to bring the work to final completion. Check out this amazing video preview below, after go to their Kickstarter link and donate, even just $1 dollar goes a long way!
Last weekend my good friend Liz and I aka Lizard went to Cafe Manna for a celebration lunch. We had just biked our first 30 miles of the season together in preparation for the MS150 that we are both participating in yet again, round 2 here we come! Liz is always “teasing” that she is going to drop out. Today I was sort of thinking “hmmm maybe I’ll drop out too, 150 miles is just so much to do in 2 days!” But No! I gotta keep going, keep training and pressing on, after all I love biking, so why not right! I got 2 legs, which I am pretty thankful for! So as long as I got legs, why not! Right? Lizard we can do it!
Lizard was sooo sweet and treated me to a fabulous lunch at Cafe Manna, which I have never been. It was delightful! We started out with a green juice, moved on to a yummy mushroom appetizer and finished with the most amazing RAW veggie Cristini sandwich! I can’t tell you how good it was, it was like a veggie Christmas in my mouth with the most amazing flavors! Lizard had the falafel which was also super yummy!
Cafe Manna is a organic restaurant with vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian and raw options. It is located just outside of Milwaukee in Brookfield. If your a foodie and love trying new things, or maybe your gluten free and struggling to find places to eat you must try Cafe Manna! You won’t be disappointed!
eat & be well,
Brittany
Just wait! Ok so I know it says in the niffy little photo above “chia as in the chia pet” but before you get all excited, please don’t go eat your chia pet seeds. You will want to get your chia seeds from a organic source. I personally love Bob’s Red Mill.
Good old chia seeds! Yes they are old, the Aztecs used them for medicinal purposes and “chia” in Mayan means “strength”!
I LOVE putting chia seeds in my morning smoothies. It is a staple now in our house, especially since I have seen a decline in my waistline when I add these bad boys into my diet on a regular basis. You can also put them into your granola bars, homemade treats like muffins, or add them to my Raw Cacao Truffles! A little goes a long way, I only add 1-2 tablespoons to my smoothies depending on how “chia” I am feeling that day. Be sure to soak them before adding them to anything that does not have a liquid consistency, like oatmeal, a salad or granola bars, this allows the nutrients and power of the chia to be more readily available for your body to digest.
Who else is diggin’ the chia seed?
eat & be well,
Brittany
Hello! Welcome to Salt N’ Pepper! Here you will find super scrumptious healthy RECIPES, tips on nutrition, GREEN LIVING, and random thoughts and tid bits on life and possibly a few entertaining videos (at least I hope they are entertaining) but who really knows!
eat well & be merry,
xoxo Brittany
Thrive Foods: 200 Plant-Based Recipes for Peak Health by Brendan Brazier
A Field Guide to Getting Lost Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) by Rebecca Solnit
The Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You’ve Always by Kimberly Snyder