Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Young(?) Women Have Angst About Making Themselves Useful at Home

There is this thing I keep noticing (I've seen it at least three times) some (I imagine young) woman posts something good and useful about how to do something- baking, canning, whatever and then has to add some defense about how she isn't "barefoot in the kitchen" or a "dowdy submissive." I read an article by a woman who says she's been baking for her husband as he's been having a lot of stress, and her friends have been giving her a hard time. Really? For being nice to your husband? It's the baking part you are supposed to be embarrassed about? I am going to start tossing links to this phenomena here as I find them, because they are so weird.

She wears shoes to stir a pot in her kitchen? Oh, she is saying that she doesn't want us to think she's an old-fashioned woman who knows how to do stuff. Are we really so convinced that it is a waste of time to make things, because we can just buy products instead? Can you imagine a man writing this stuff? You can't, right? Why would anyone apologize for knowing how to do stuff?


http://shellyfish.wordpress.com/tag/bread/

Quick Post on Cleanse the Body Cleanse the Mind

Part 2

There hasn't been any part of anything I've eaten or drank this past week that was particularly "cleansing." In fact, I've consumed more coffee in the past two weeks than in ages... But- I rocked a supermove on cleaning out the attic and shed in preparation for ART. All the purging, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, mopping.. a cleanse of sorts.

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As far as my organic garden is going,

dandelions are taking over my world.

It is sooooo getting me down.

I picked up 7 dark pink double knock-out roses on clearance for $12 a piece and am now not too sure where to put them. I mean- I have a long fence line and so I can space them all around with low growing flowers. A neighbor has a line of dogwoods with white roses and lavender beneath them. It looks fantastic. I thought I'd do the same (working with dark pink roses.) BUT then I read online that dogwoods get 15' - 20' feet wide AND that you shouldn't plant beneath them as this will interfere with their roots. So, I'm going to leave plenty of space around my one dogwood- and then just do the roses, lavender thing elsewhere. I also have blue geraniums and who-knows-what-else growing back there. And- then have a bed 6' x 4' for vegetables/herbs in the center of the herb garden. Nursery doesn't sell German Chamomile but I'm still trying to source it.

But- big sigh- dandelions are taking over in between the flagstone where the creeping thyme is moving too slowly. This is why most people (is that assumption true?) say Heck! and give up. Pat once told me and Stephen (because I asked) - if you always pull your weeds the minute they start coming up, in seven years you'll have a weed free garden. (Assuming your neighbor has a weed free garden.)

Monday, June 15, 2009

Cleanse the Body Cleanse the Mind

A group of friends and I are doing a "Spring Cleaning." The theme is "Cleanse the Body Cleanse the Mind." The organizer of this is the wonderful Somatic Massage Practicioner Kristin Welch, located here in Seattle.

My experience this Spring is very curious.

Definately my biggest stumbling block is the cleanse the mind part. For a couple of days this weekend- what, that's the whole weekened?- I just could not get off my toxic thoughts. Sunday morning I was listening to satsang and had a little glimmer of "So, this is it Ruth. I would rather stay with being right, and feeling sorry for myself, and focusing on a bunch of negative stuff, and flit back in forth in my mind between the awful past and awful future and grandize the pain of these thoughts- I would rather have that- then GET OFF IT. And for a few minutes, I would get off it- and then just pick it right back up." Groan.

Luckily my husband has a really good sense of humor so I just started making some jokes and pretty soon we were both laughing.

Anyway- the mental cleanse- that is the big thing!

Also- today I tackle the attic! Yay! I am planning to create a space to make art! We did the closet clean out for Spring on March 20 and I didn't have much to give away as I don't hoard. But the attic... has been collecting stuff... and it needs to get looked at, dusted, organized. But I am so looking forward to this. (And then I can get my art groove on.) I have been so inspired by reading some art blogs out there.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

7 days for June

I am starting a new series: 7 days. The idea is to provide guidance for folks living in the Pacific Northwest- who wish to eat locally, and healthfully, to prepare meals quickly, are semi-vegetarian all the way to vegan, and benefit from easy on the budget meals.

If you are vegan- then round out the days' protein with chickenpeas, almonds, sunflower seeds, tahini, oatmeal, flaxmeal/flaxseed crackers, buckwheat (which, I believe is not related to wheat) and (if you eat it) wheat. Obviously, if you are a vegetarian then you might add eggs and yogurt. If you think you have "seasonal allergies" try going off milk for a week and see how you feel! I personally feel so much better without milk products. If you don't drink milk- be sure to get calcium from other sources such as brocolli, leafy greens, (*canned) figs and almonds.


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7 days Begin with what is in season then add a grain and protein source to make a meal. The meals are nutritionaly complete without meat. If you do eat meat- eat the fish while it’s freshest the first two days after buying, then roast the chicken and it will last another few days. The tighter your budget, the more you will benefit from "rounding out" the meal with grains and legumes, as well as vegetables. Eat fruit in the order of perishability- for example, eat your berries first, then cut the cantaloupe and finally eat your apples last. This way- you won’t go to the store as much which saves time and money.

This is What is Seasonal for June: (* out of season alternative)

Drinks: Good Earth Cinnamon, Chamomile, Ginger-Lemon with Agave, Hibiscous, Mint, Bancha
Vegetables: Salad Greens daily, Broccoli, Green Beans, Asparagus, Cabbage, Carrots, Snow Peas, Cauliflower, (*Tomato Sauce in a Jar)
Grains: Millet, buckwheat, amaranth, oatmeal, brown rice, frozen heirloom corn, quinoa
Proteins: Chickpeas, French Lentils, Red Lentils, Black Beans, White Beans, Chicken, Fish
Fruit: Apples, Strawberries, Cherries, Blueberries, Apricots, Pears, Raspberries

Monday: Asparagus, brown rice, French lentils (fish optional)
Tuesday: Blanched broccoli in garlic olive oil, chickpea hummus with rice crackers and carrot dippers (fish optional)
Wednesday: Heirloom corn and roasted green bean salad, black bean soup
Thursday: Roasted cauliflower with curry ghee, millet, red lentil soup (chicken optional)
Friday: Snow Peas, Radishes, Three Bean Soup, Brown Rice Crackers, Green Beans Baked in Tomato Sauce with Garlic
Saturday: Creamy cauliflower and carrot soup made with rice milk, salad with quinoa and greens, oatmeal cookies (made with applesauce instead of butter and 1/3 less sugar)
Sunday: Buckwheat noodles with tomato sauce and brocolli, (frozen cod baked in tomato sauce), blueberries and strawberries.