Vata-Soothing Ginger Cookies
As the weather grows cooler and we enter Vata season in the Northern Hemisphere, it is particular important to keep this primary dosha in balance with warm, grounding foods. These sweet and spicy cookies are flavored with the ginger, cinnamon, and molasses – all Vata-pacifying ingredients. Enjoy them with your favorite herbal tea or other warm beverage.
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Makes 36 cookies
½ cup ghee
1 egg
½ cup molasses
1 cup turbinado sugar (set aside ¼ cup for topping)
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F). In a large bowl, combine the ghee with ¾ cup of sugar and mix with a wooden spoon. Add the egg and molasses. In another small bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, using a wire whisk to sift. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well. The dough will be soft. Dust lightly with flour, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Scoop out 1-oz portions (about 1 heaping tablespoon) and shape into balls. Place an inch apart on an oiled or greased cookie sheet, pressing flat with two fingers. Sprinkle with the ¼ cup of reserved sugar. Bake for about 10 minutes or just until cracks appear on surface. The cookies should be browned on the bottom only. Cool on a wire rack.
Friday, November 20, 2009
The Very Best Tofu Burgers
The Very Best Tofu Burgers
Makes 8 Burgers
Ingredients
2–3 slices of dried bread
1 teaspoon ghee* or olive oil
1 cup chopped leeks or onions
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
16 ounces fresh, low-fat tofu, firm or extra firm, drained and crumbled
1/4 cup mixed nuts/seeds (sunflower, walnut, pine nut, almonds, or others)
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1 teaspoon tarragon, dried
1 teaspoon minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or tamari
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Place the bread in a food processor and pulse into bread crumbs, then set aside. Heat the oil in a small sauté pan; add the leeks and pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes over high heat. Remove from the heat and cool. Place the tofu, mixed nuts and seeds, grated vegetables, and sautéed leeks in the food processor. Pulse a few times, then add the herbs, garlic, and aminos. Continue to pulse to a smooth consistency. The mixture should be thick, yet firm.
Scoop out the mixture with a 1/2-cup measuring cup and form into balls. Flatten the balls into burgers and coat each side with the breadcrumbs. Heat the ghee or oil in a pan and sauté briefly until the patties are golden brown. Place on an oiled sheet pan and bake for 10–15 minutes or until firm. Serve on a bun or as an entrée with a sauce of your choice.
Makes 8 Burgers
Ingredients
2–3 slices of dried bread
1 teaspoon ghee* or olive oil
1 cup chopped leeks or onions
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
16 ounces fresh, low-fat tofu, firm or extra firm, drained and crumbled
1/4 cup mixed nuts/seeds (sunflower, walnut, pine nut, almonds, or others)
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup grated carrot
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 teaspoon thyme, dried
1 teaspoon tarragon, dried
1 teaspoon minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos or tamari
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Place the bread in a food processor and pulse into bread crumbs, then set aside. Heat the oil in a small sauté pan; add the leeks and pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes over high heat. Remove from the heat and cool. Place the tofu, mixed nuts and seeds, grated vegetables, and sautéed leeks in the food processor. Pulse a few times, then add the herbs, garlic, and aminos. Continue to pulse to a smooth consistency. The mixture should be thick, yet firm.
Scoop out the mixture with a 1/2-cup measuring cup and form into balls. Flatten the balls into burgers and coat each side with the breadcrumbs. Heat the ghee or oil in a pan and sauté briefly until the patties are golden brown. Place on an oiled sheet pan and bake for 10–15 minutes or until firm. Serve on a bun or as an entrée with a sauce of your choice.
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Vow of Emotional Independence
The Vow of Emotional Independence
This vow’s proclamation says I, _________, _________, will no longer be bound by the slavery of my past.
I will never again give my power away to some food or substance or disempowering craving.
I will stop allowing others to define who I am and I will stand for my highest expression.
I will stop trying to please others and instead please myself.
I will stop listening to the voice of my critical internal mother and father and I will listen to the voice of my most supportive and loving self.
I will break free from the strangulating grip of myself-defeating behaviours and choose powerfully each and every moment to make choices that leave me feeling great about myself and my life.
I take this vow NOW as a positive stand for my soul’s highest expression and for every man, woman, and child on this planet today.
As I set myself free, I am freeing all others from the violence of my darkest thoughts and my negative projections.
And now, as I close my eyes, I ask all the powers that be to support me in living this vow each and every moment of each and every day.
And it shall be
Written by: Debbie Ford
This vow’s proclamation says I, _________, _________, will no longer be bound by the slavery of my past.
I will never again give my power away to some food or substance or disempowering craving.
I will stop allowing others to define who I am and I will stand for my highest expression.
I will stop trying to please others and instead please myself.
I will stop listening to the voice of my critical internal mother and father and I will listen to the voice of my most supportive and loving self.
I will break free from the strangulating grip of myself-defeating behaviours and choose powerfully each and every moment to make choices that leave me feeling great about myself and my life.
I take this vow NOW as a positive stand for my soul’s highest expression and for every man, woman, and child on this planet today.
As I set myself free, I am freeing all others from the violence of my darkest thoughts and my negative projections.
And now, as I close my eyes, I ask all the powers that be to support me in living this vow each and every moment of each and every day.
And it shall be
Written by: Debbie Ford
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Beginners Vegetable Garden
If you're a beginner vegetable gardener, remember this: It's better to be proud of a small garden than to be frustrated by a big one!
One of the common errors for beginners is planting too much too soon and way more than anybody could eat or want. Unless you want to have zucchini taking up residence in your attic, plan carefully. Start small.
The Very Basics
Here are some very basic concepts on topics you'll want to explore further as you become a vegetable gardener extraordinaire:
Vegetables love the sun. They require six hours (continuous, if possible) of sunlight each day, at least.
Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Most backyard soil is not perfect and needs a helping hand. Check with your local nursery or county extension office about soil testing, soil types, and soil enrichment.
Placement is everything. Like humans, vegetables need proper nutrition. A vegetable garden too near a tree will lose its nutrients to the tree's greedy root system. On the other hand, a garden close to the house will help to discourage wild animals from nibbling away your potential harvest.
Vegetables need lots of water, at least one inch of water a week. In the early spring, walk around your property to see where the snow melts first, when the sun catches in warm pockets. This will make a difference in how well your vegetables grow.
Study those seed catalogs and order early.
Deciding How Big
A good-size beginner vegetable garden is 10x16 feet and features crops that are easy to grow. A plot this size, planted as suggested below, can feed a family of four for one summer, with a little extra for canning and freezing (or giving away).
Vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, spinach and turnips. For the plan below, your rows should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun.
Make your garden 11 rows of 10 feet each of the following veggies:
Tomatoes — 5 plants staked
Zucchini squash — 4 plants
Peppers — 6 plants
Cabbage
Bush beans
Lettuce, leaf and/or Bibb
Beets
Carrots
Chard
Radish
Marigolds to discourage rabbits!
Leave 2 feet between bush beans, 1/2 foot between bush beans and lettuce, and 1 foot between all of the rest.
(Note: If this garden is too large for your needs, you do not have to plant all 11 rows, and you can also make the rows shorter. You can choose the veggies that you'd like to grow!)
If you're interested in planting potatoes, just remember that tomatoes and potatoes are not ideal companions and need "distance.
One of the common errors for beginners is planting too much too soon and way more than anybody could eat or want. Unless you want to have zucchini taking up residence in your attic, plan carefully. Start small.
The Very Basics
Here are some very basic concepts on topics you'll want to explore further as you become a vegetable gardener extraordinaire:
Vegetables love the sun. They require six hours (continuous, if possible) of sunlight each day, at least.
Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Most backyard soil is not perfect and needs a helping hand. Check with your local nursery or county extension office about soil testing, soil types, and soil enrichment.
Placement is everything. Like humans, vegetables need proper nutrition. A vegetable garden too near a tree will lose its nutrients to the tree's greedy root system. On the other hand, a garden close to the house will help to discourage wild animals from nibbling away your potential harvest.
Vegetables need lots of water, at least one inch of water a week. In the early spring, walk around your property to see where the snow melts first, when the sun catches in warm pockets. This will make a difference in how well your vegetables grow.
Study those seed catalogs and order early.
Deciding How Big
A good-size beginner vegetable garden is 10x16 feet and features crops that are easy to grow. A plot this size, planted as suggested below, can feed a family of four for one summer, with a little extra for canning and freezing (or giving away).
Vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, rutabagas, spinach and turnips. For the plan below, your rows should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun.
Make your garden 11 rows of 10 feet each of the following veggies:
Tomatoes — 5 plants staked
Zucchini squash — 4 plants
Peppers — 6 plants
Cabbage
Bush beans
Lettuce, leaf and/or Bibb
Beets
Carrots
Chard
Radish
Marigolds to discourage rabbits!
Leave 2 feet between bush beans, 1/2 foot between bush beans and lettuce, and 1 foot between all of the rest.
(Note: If this garden is too large for your needs, you do not have to plant all 11 rows, and you can also make the rows shorter. You can choose the veggies that you'd like to grow!)
If you're interested in planting potatoes, just remember that tomatoes and potatoes are not ideal companions and need "distance.
Companion Planting: The Three Sisters
The classic example of happy companion plants is the legendary "three sisters"—corn, pole beans, and either pumpkins or squash. This trio is one of the easiest and most satisfying to grow.
Tips for growing the three sisters:
To try them in your garden, in spring, prepare the soil by adding fish scraps or wood ash to increase fertility, if desired.
When the danger of frost has passed, plant six kernels of corn an inch deep and about ten inches apart in a circle about 2 feet in diameter.
As the corn grows, mound up the soil around the base of the stalks until a hill about a foot high and 3 feet wide is formed.
When the corn is about 5 inches tall, plant four bean seeds, evenly spaced, around each stalk. About a week later, plant six squash seeds, evenly spaced, around the perimeter of the mound.
Each of the sisters contributes something to the planting. Together, the sisters provide a balanced diet from a single planting.
As older sisters often do, the corn offers the beans needed support.
The beans, the giving sister, pull nitrogen from the air and bring it to the soil for the benefit of all three.
As the beans grow through the tangle of squash vines and wind their way up the cornstalks into the sunlight, they hold the sisters close together.
The large leaves of the sprawling squash protect the threesome by creating living mulch that shades the soil, keeping it cool and moist and preventing weeds.
The prickly squash leaves also keep away raccoons, which don't like to step on them.
By the time European settlers arrived in America in the early 1600s, the Iroquois had been growing the "three sisters" for over three centuries. The vegetable trio sustained the Native Americans both physically and spiritually. In legend, the plants were a gift from the gods, always to be grown together, eaten together, and celebrated together.
Tips for growing the three sisters:
To try them in your garden, in spring, prepare the soil by adding fish scraps or wood ash to increase fertility, if desired.
When the danger of frost has passed, plant six kernels of corn an inch deep and about ten inches apart in a circle about 2 feet in diameter.
As the corn grows, mound up the soil around the base of the stalks until a hill about a foot high and 3 feet wide is formed.
When the corn is about 5 inches tall, plant four bean seeds, evenly spaced, around each stalk. About a week later, plant six squash seeds, evenly spaced, around the perimeter of the mound.
Each of the sisters contributes something to the planting. Together, the sisters provide a balanced diet from a single planting.
As older sisters often do, the corn offers the beans needed support.
The beans, the giving sister, pull nitrogen from the air and bring it to the soil for the benefit of all three.
As the beans grow through the tangle of squash vines and wind their way up the cornstalks into the sunlight, they hold the sisters close together.
The large leaves of the sprawling squash protect the threesome by creating living mulch that shades the soil, keeping it cool and moist and preventing weeds.
The prickly squash leaves also keep away raccoons, which don't like to step on them.
By the time European settlers arrived in America in the early 1600s, the Iroquois had been growing the "three sisters" for over three centuries. The vegetable trio sustained the Native Americans both physically and spiritually. In legend, the plants were a gift from the gods, always to be grown together, eaten together, and celebrated together.
Dr. Morgens
"Never make your home in a place. Make a home for yourself in your own head. You'll find what you need to furnish it. Memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things. That way it will go with you where ever you journey. You'll never lack for a home - unless you lose your head of course..."
Dr. Morgenes (Dragon Bone Chair)
Dr. Morgenes (Dragon Bone Chair)
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