November 16, 2008 by velvetfont
Costa Rica Fresh is the brain child of Tricia Stapelton.
Tricia began this project of building a farmer network of small sustinable producers, selling cooperatively to discerning consumers of the Osa Penninsula in 2004. Since that time service has expanded to cover Chirripo to the Golfo Dulce.
Costa Rica Fresh is a small distribution network of local farmers and food producers working to bring the southern zone of Costa Rica our very best. We distribute fresh produce and other natural foods to restaurants, lodges and individuals in neighboring communities.
(SEE MARKETS. Our goals include providing sales opportunities for local small farmers, supplying our community with high quality, nutritious foods and promoting a local sustainable food system that conveys the quality, variety and value of Costa Rica’s harvest. We pledge to protect our land and water resources, treat animals with care and respect, and support a sustainable economy for the local community.
visit us at our website
Costa Rica Fresh and find out “Whats New” in our product line.
Posted in Blogroll, cultural exchange, earth, food as medicine, healing, health, herbal remedies, relationship | Tagged Costa Rica, Dairy, fresh produce, healing, health, international markets, meat, sustainable | 1 Comment »
September 12, 2008 by velvetfont
Fall Equinox, also known as Mabon, occurs in the middle of September. It is the main harvest festival of the Wiccan calendar and marks the beginning of Autumn. The Goddess manifests in Her Bountiful Mother aspects. The God emerges as the Corn King and Harvest Lord. Colors are Orange, Dark Red, Yellow, Indigo, and Brown. It is the festival of thanksgiving.
Select the best of each vegetable, herb, fruit, nut, and other food you have harvested or purchased and give it back to Mother Earth with prayers of thanksgiving. Hang dried ears of corn around your home in appreciation of the harvest season. Do meditations and chanting as you store away food for the Winter.
Posted in cultural exchange, earth, healing, health, love, relationship, spiritual | Tagged cultural exchange, fall equinox, harvest, pagan, seasonal celebration, wiccan | No Comments »
August 24, 2008 by velvetfont
Hopefully if you’re at this site and reading this you are well aware of the alternatives to using disposable bottles and recycle the ones you do. The advent of bottled water sent our already wasteful consumer culture into pollution overdrive and it’s a tremendous task to put the brakes on the momentum of this waste. Here is a list of plastic bottle fun facts that put the magnitude of this pollution into scope.
* Plastic bottles take 700 years to begin composting
* 90% of the cost of bottled water is due to the bottle itself
* 80% of plastic bottles are not recycled
* 38 million plastic bottles go to the dump per year in America from bottled water (not including soda)
* 24 million gallons of oil are needed to produce a billion plastic bottles
* The average American consumes 167 bottles of water a year
* Bottling and shipping water is the least energy efficient method ever used to supply water
* Bottled water is the second most popular beverage in the United States
Although it can be easy and convenient to pick up bottle beverage products the end cost to the environment is staggering. So be mindful when you drink…and remember, friends don’t let friends drink from disposables!
Posted in Blogroll, earth, health, love, relationship | Tagged plastic, pollution, recycle, waste | No Comments »
August 2, 2008 by velvetfont
I tried this recipe last night and what a treat. The combined sweet, smokyness of grilled peaches against bitter greens and blue cheese made a delicious end to the day. I sat and watched the sunset over the Pacific ocean feeling content and happy. I love summer and outdoor grilling adventures. Try this one you won’t be sorry.
Grilled Peaches with Bitter Greens and Blue Cheese.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup pecans
4 firm, ripe freestone peaches, halved and pitted
2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 ounces arugula, large stems discarded
One head frisée, torn into bite-size pieces (4 cups)
3 ounces Cabrales cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
1. Light a grill. Put the pecans on a sheet of aluminum foil and fold into a small pouch. Place on the grill and toast for 7 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Transfer the pecans to a plate and let cool, then coarsely chop.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the peaches with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the peaches over a medium-high fire until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the peaches to a work surface and cut each half in half.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula and frisée and toss well. Transfer the salad to a platter and scatter the blue cheese and toasted pecans on top. Arrange the peaches around the salad and serve.
Serves 8.
Posted in food as medicine, healing, health, herbal remedies | Tagged BBQ, digestive bitters, food as medicine, healing, health | No Comments »
April 30, 2008 by velvetfont
Watermelon is one of America’s all-time favorite foods. You can find it at almost every summer picnic or outdoor party and in the produce section of most food markets. The average American eats about 15 pounds of watermelon a year.
Although many people think of watermelon as a fruit, it is also considered a vegetable by some.
With a name like watermelon, it’s no wonder the melon is 92 percent water. So in addition to providing a sweet treat, watermelon can be a source of fluids for young athletes before, during and after sporting events. This doesn’t mean you should substitute it for water and sports drinks on the playing field. You still need to have those drinks nearby.
Nutritional value
Watermelon has zero saturated fat, is low in sodium and cholesterol free. Because of its high water content, watermelon is also low in calories. A good food for dieters!
It is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6 and C as well as potassium. Two cups of diced watermelon provides 20 percent of the recommended daily intake for vitamin A and 25 percent for vitamin C. In fact, the United States Department of Agriculture’s 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommends we include two cups of fruit per day in our daily diet.
Lycopene, a potential antioxidant found in watermelon, may have disease-fighting benefits. Researchers believe lycopene might have a role in the prevention of some diseases, such as forms of cancer and heart disease. There are about 15 to 20 milligrams (mg) of lycopene in a two-cup serving of watermelon, compared to 4 to 5 mg found in one tomato.
Posted in Blogroll, food as medicine, healing, health, herbal remedies | 2 Comments »
April 21, 2008 by velvetfont
I found this great blog Radish Boy, it that has easy to follow gluten free recipes. These are gluten free oat matzoh, that I made for our seder tonight. Matzoh is unleavened bread eaten on Passover, the holiday that celebrates the escape of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt.
According to Jewish law, matzoh must be made from one of the five grains traditionally eaten in Egypt that could become leavened. These grains are wheat, barley, rye, spelt or oats. It is made quickly, so that the grains don’t have time to ferment and leaven the bread. No more than 18 minutes can pass from the time that flour and water are mixed together to the time that the bread is finished in order for the bread to be considered matzoh.
Unfortunately for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, it is difficult to find gluten free matzoh, and it can’t be made from alternative grains such as rice, buckwheat or quinoa. There are several companies that sell gluten free oat matzoh, made specifically for Passover.
So in an attempt to follow the rules, I made gluten free oat matzoh using oat flour and water, and following the 18 minute time limit.
Here’s the process:
2 cups gluten free oat flour
1 cup water
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. In a bowl, mix the flour and water. Spread a thin layer of oat flour on a board and then knead the dough until it becomes a workable, about 5 minutes. Roll the dough into a snake and cut into inch size pieces. Roll each piece into a thin circle, and prick all over with a fork. Bake for 7 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Make sure that the entire process takes only 18 minutes from start to finish. These matzoh will be very crisp and have a delightful, nutty taste.
Technically, these are not Kosher for Passover because the oat flour I used was not supervised by a Rabbi to ensure that it did not ferment or become contaminated during processing. But I think it is a good substitute to teach our kids about the meaning of Passover, without being too strict about the law.
Posted in food as medicine, health, herbal remedies | Tagged food as medicine, matzoh, oats, passover, radish boy | 2 Comments »
March 2, 2008 by velvetfont
Milk Thistle has been used in the treatment of liver diseases including liver cancer for years. It heals the liver by lowering enzyme levels and assisting the liver in its process of detoxifying the body. Herbalists and Chinese Physicians have prescribed milk thistle for all types of liver disorders including cirrhosis, inflammation, high liver enzymes, jaundice, hardening of the liver, hepatitis and liver cancer. Herbalists recommend milk thistle for any type of cancer as it is vital in aiding detoxification of the blood.
Posted in Lifestyle, Minerals, Natural Medicine, Vitamins, biophilia, earth, food as medicine, global healing, healing, health, herbal remedies, life, love, relationship | 1 Comment »
February 10, 2008 by velvetfont
What Causes the Toxic Build-up?
We put our colons under a great deal of stress with our modern lifestyle. Years of fast food, cigarettes, prescription drugs and alcohol keep the colon busy. Add to that indigestion, constipation, work-related stress, illnesses and sedentary lifestyles, and you have a recipe for an unhealthy colon.
Don’t underestimate how important a healthy colon is to your body - Colon cancer is second only to lung cancer among cancer deaths in the US. Waste and toxins can build up in your system, and even if you don’t feel constipated your colon may need your help!
Colon Cleansing uses herbs and natural supplements to help your body mend its internal organs and restore you to health. The crucial part of a colon cleanse is the addition of Psyllium to your diet.
Juice fasting is a great way to restore your system to health, cleanse the colon and lose weight at the same time. Often your body tells you it is hungry when you really just need to drink some water, so drink one of these juices every time you feel hungry. This way you’re staying healthy and not engaging in unnecessary binge eating.
Here are a few recipes to get you started.
Stomach Cleanser
Ingredients:
1 bunch Grapes
1 basket Strawberries
3 Apples
4 sprigs Fresh Mint
Water
Healing Juice
Ingredients:
3-4 Carrots
125g Fresh Spinach
Handful of Flat Leaf Parsley
2-3 Sticks of Celery
Water
Vegetable Super Juice
Ingredients:
1 whole cucumber
4 sticks of celery
2-4 handfuls of spinach
8 lettuce leaves
Optional boosters: parsley and fresh alfalfa sprouts
Water
Posted in Lifestyle, Minerals, Natural Medicine, Relationships, Selrealization, Sustainability, Vitamins, biophilia, earth, food as medicine, global healing, healing, health, herbal remedies, holistic health, hormone enchancer, life, love, relationship | Tagged coclon cancer, colon cleanse, juice fasting, lung cancer, toxic build up | 5 Comments »
February 3, 2008 by velvetfont
How to Elevate Oatmeal to Superfood
Drink a glass of this with your oatmeal to help elevate your breakfast to superfood status: orange juice.
Why? The nutrients in oatmeal and OJ work synergistically to provide double the benefits you’d expect from simply adding their powers together.
So how can you take advantage of more food synergies? The best way is to eat a varied diet rich in colorful fruits and veggies, healthy fats, different kinds of whole grains, and few or no processed foods. This will give nutrients the best shot at meeting up in your body and reinforcing one another as they guard against disease.
Posted in Lifestyle, Minerals, Natural Medicine, Vitamins, earth, food as medicine, global healing, global village, healing, health, herbal remedies, love, money, news | Tagged food Syngeries, oatmeal, phenols, superfood | No Comments »
December 15, 2007 by velvetfont
Foods to Calm You Down Fast
Holiday to-do list expanding too fast? Work pressures got you tearing your hair out? No date for the season’s festivities? Regardless of the cause, when we’re stressed we often counterintuitively turn to diet-busting goodies for comfort. Instead of soothing our frayed nerves, many of them ultimately make us feel worse.
Take the classic, curling up with a pint of ice cream. It’s a total backfire. Why? Sweets are insidious: After the initial rush, the body’s insulin response kicks in, causing a sudden blood-sugar drop that triggers the release of stress hormones. Soon you’re feeling more jangled than you were before you inhaled that whole container of Chunky Monkey. And alcohol, of course, is a wolfish stimulant in calm sheep’s clothing.
But true comfort foods do exist:
• Berries, any berries. Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure’s on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won’t have a blood-sugar crash. The bonus: They’re a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in cortisol, a stress hormone.
• Guacamole. If you’re craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs in order to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus, their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips — crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.
• Mixed nuts. Just an ounce will do. Walnuts help replace those stress-depleted B vitamins, Brazil nuts give you a whopping amount of zinc (which is also drained by high anxiety), and almonds boost your E, which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multitasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you’re releasing a little tension.
• Oranges. People who take 1,000 milligrams of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressures than those who don’t. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind, and you’ll get a bunch of C as well.
• Asparagus. Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.
• Chai tea. A warm drink is a supersoother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away.
• Dark chocolate. Okay, there’s nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that’s at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they’ve got to be able to temper tension’s effects.
Read More………
Posted in Lifestyle, Natural Medicine, Vitamins, biophilia, cultural exchange, earth, food as medicine, global healing, global village, healing, health, herbal remedies, humor, life, love, news, relationship, social investment, soul, spiritual | Tagged adreanal gland depeltion, calming foods, emotional pressure, emotions, holiday stress, stress | 1 Comment »
Older Posts »
