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Saturday, February 9, 2013
There are times when I do things and then I think "everyone should do this at least once." It's the standard egoism of liking something and wanting to share and get others to do it too.
I decided to make a list of things I've done, or still do, that I think everyone should try at least once. Because I'm a foodie, a lot of the things are related to food or health, but trust me, they are worth it.
1. Watch the sunrise intentionally. Just because it's a beautiful reminder of our place in the world and how lucky we are to be alive.
2. Make your own butter. This is a dreadfully easy thing to do and it's sciency, I first saw it on Bill Nye The Science Guy. For die-hards you just pour a carton of heavy cream (organic & grass-fed is best) and a little bit of sea salt into a large wide-mouth canning jar. Seal the jar and shake. And shake. And shake. It took me about 25-30 minutes to go from heavy cream, to whipped cream to butter. You know it's butter when it happens. All the fat solids adhere to each other and clumps and separates from the liquid. Or you can just beat the cream in a mixer until it becomes butter, but the jar is far more fun and a great workout. And the taste is so wonderful.
3. Plant a vegetable garden. It can be big, it can be small, but plant something and eat it when it grows. You can grow a single tomato plant. They will be the best tomatoes you've ever eaten. For great ideas, one of my favorite books is Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy.
4. Drink your greens. For one week or one month, add a daily green smoothie or green juice to your day. I've had both and it never ceases to amaze me how energizing a green juice can be. I feel more awake and energized after one green juice than I do after multiple cups of coffee. Green Smoothies are a great way to regulate your digestive system.
My favorite green smoothie is from FoodBabe:
I decided to make a list of things I've done, or still do, that I think everyone should try at least once. Because I'm a foodie, a lot of the things are related to food or health, but trust me, they are worth it.
1. Watch the sunrise intentionally. Just because it's a beautiful reminder of our place in the world and how lucky we are to be alive.
2. Make your own butter. This is a dreadfully easy thing to do and it's sciency, I first saw it on Bill Nye The Science Guy. For die-hards you just pour a carton of heavy cream (organic & grass-fed is best) and a little bit of sea salt into a large wide-mouth canning jar. Seal the jar and shake. And shake. And shake. It took me about 25-30 minutes to go from heavy cream, to whipped cream to butter. You know it's butter when it happens. All the fat solids adhere to each other and clumps and separates from the liquid. Or you can just beat the cream in a mixer until it becomes butter, but the jar is far more fun and a great workout. And the taste is so wonderful.
3. Plant a vegetable garden. It can be big, it can be small, but plant something and eat it when it grows. You can grow a single tomato plant. They will be the best tomatoes you've ever eaten. For great ideas, one of my favorite books is Edible Landscaping by Rosalind Creasy.
4. Drink your greens. For one week or one month, add a daily green smoothie or green juice to your day. I've had both and it never ceases to amaze me how energizing a green juice can be. I feel more awake and energized after one green juice than I do after multiple cups of coffee. Green Smoothies are a great way to regulate your digestive system.
My favorite green juice recipe is from Hungry for Change:
- 2-3 stalks of Celery (leaves removed)
- 1 small Cucumber (or 1/2 of a larger one)
- 2 large Kale leaves
- 1 handful of Parsley
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Apple or Pear
Hari Shake:
2 cups kale removed from stem
- 2 large stalks of celery chopped
- 1/2 cucumber chopped
- 1/3 grapefruit
- 1 cup frozen pineapple
- 6 ounces of water
***Please buy all organic ingredients if possible***
Directions
- Wash all vegetables thoroughly and place into a large bowl
- Add 6 ounces of water into a blender with celery, cucumber, and grapefruit
- Blend for 30 secs until just incorporated
- Add all other ingredients and keep blending for another 30 secs – 1min
Makes 1 serving – Sip slowly and drink with intention immediately after or store up to two days.
5. Play with a child. Seriously. You may hate children. I wasn't fond of them for a long time and I still struggle liking ones that aren't my own but playing with a child, really playing with them, letting them direct the play and seeing the activities through their eyes gives you a perspective you've lost and need to regain, even if for a moment.
**Note: Don't just go to a park and play with strange children, this could lead to complications. Play with a relative or friend's child.
**Note: Don't just go to a park and play with strange children, this could lead to complications. Play with a relative or friend's child.
6. Go meatless for a month. And don't become a bread, pasta and cheese vegetarian. Cook meals from fresh veggies and really taste them. I guarantee that after even a week all those processed products with just taste like mush to you.
7. Try grass-fed, pasture raised organic meat. At least once, preferably more than once. Seriously, if you eat meat nothing beats the taste and texture of pasture-raised all grass-fed meat. Commercial meat is grain-fed which is against nature. I won't get into all the details here. Read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan for a good primer. Pasture-raised, organic grass-fed meat is what nature intended omnivores to eat. It's good for us (in moderation, the average American diet is heavily meat based and unhealthy for us) and good for the planet. Like a fine wine or a diamond, this is meat aged to be the best it can be and it will be worth the extra money. My family no longer eats conventional meat. We eat grass-fed meat and wild caught fish and only about once a week. This keeps the grocery bill down and helps us to appreciate the quality for which we pay. Look on Eat Wild for resources.
7. Try grass-fed, pasture raised organic meat. At least once, preferably more than once. Seriously, if you eat meat nothing beats the taste and texture of pasture-raised all grass-fed meat. Commercial meat is grain-fed which is against nature. I won't get into all the details here. Read The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan for a good primer. Pasture-raised, organic grass-fed meat is what nature intended omnivores to eat. It's good for us (in moderation, the average American diet is heavily meat based and unhealthy for us) and good for the planet. Like a fine wine or a diamond, this is meat aged to be the best it can be and it will be worth the extra money. My family no longer eats conventional meat. We eat grass-fed meat and wild caught fish and only about once a week. This keeps the grocery bill down and helps us to appreciate the quality for which we pay. Look on Eat Wild for resources.
8. Tell yourself how great you are. Every day, at least once a day, say something or write down one thing that is great about you. The best compliments come from within. Do this for a week or longer. If you keep talking to yourself positively, you'll realize how true all this greatness is!
9. Stop negative talk for one day. Try to stop talking negatively-about yourself, about others, about the weather, whatever. Keep it positive for at least one day, even in the face of adversity. Even better-do it for a week, or a lifetime! Before you say it, or let that thought permeate your brain THINK-Is it TRUE, Is it HELPFUL, Is it INSPIRING (or INTELLIGENT) Is it NECESSARY and Is it KIND? If not, don't say it.
10. Take a Risk. Even a small one. What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? Is there something you always wanted to do or to try but you let fear get in the way? DO IT! Take a calculated risk. I put off going to graduate school because I was too frightened to give up the security of full-time work. Even after I was more secure (through marriage) I was too afraid to do it, for fear it would be selfish to ask my husband to support me while I went back to school. The resentment and the sadness of giving up on my dream started to make everything in my life seem grey and pointless. Don't let this happen to you. I'm not saying quit your job and move to an ashram (unless it's what you really want to do and you aren't screwing people over to do it, for example, you need to take your family into account and such) but do things that overcome your fears. If you're ultimate dream is something big make a list of the steps and incrementally reach your dream. The ultimate takeaway is to conquer your fear to improve your life.
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