Hibiscus: a tasty addition to your edible garden.

I love the Fall, a season of bright orange or yellow flowers, many many butterflies, and the time of the year to harvest wine color fruits like Muscadines and Hibiscus calix.

Hibiscus Roselle is in the Malvaceae family, like Okra and cotton. It thrives in Blount County, Alabama. Grow in full sun, if it doesn't rain water once a week. The bushes grow 4-5' high and 4' wide. After the flower blooms, a bright red calix forms. You remove the "petals" that surround the seed pod, and that is what you dry to make delicious Agua de Jamaica, or hibiscus tea, etc. If you want to make a relish, or jam google for the recipes. 

When you are removing the petals notice the color of the seedpod. If they are green  - discard; if they are brown it means the seeds can be saved and used to sprout new seedlings in the spring. 

In March or April soak the seeds in a wet paper towel, store inside a plastic container for about a week. Once the seeds have sprouted transfer them to a six pack and grow until they develop a good root system. They are best transplanted outdoors once the temperature warms up in late May or early June.  They are tropical plants they grow and thrive in Mexico and Nigeria. 

My favorite Agua de Jamaica is made with dry hibiscus petals, fresh ginger, peppermint, and a dash of sugar. To serve I add a squirt of lime juice.

Hibiscus Tea has many benefits, such as:

• Packed with antioxidants
• May lower blood pressure
• May help lower blood fat levels
• May boost liver health
• Flavorful and easy to make

 

 

2016 Intentions

Translate to Spanish every poem in the book  A Year with Rumi, daily readings, Coleman Barks

Submit illustrations to  They Draw and Cook

A drawing, watercolor or colored pencil a day

Garden, garden, garden

Challenge Vegetable for this Year: Jicama

Daily readings with Alden: The Whole Heart of Tao, The Whole Heart of Zen, A Thousand Names for Joy

Allow for Seven Meditation Retreats to happen...

Not just a hair cut... a new image

On Thursday January 9th, 2014 two days after returning from a Vipassana 10 day Meditation retreat, I flew to Guadalajara to visit Talia, mom, Rocio, family and friends; and of course to have a dental appointment. Actually the surgery went so well I did not have to take pain medication at all.
Saturday morning Talia called Paulina, a hairdresser with 27 years experience that Talia really likes; she described my hair as being mid-back length, dry at the tips and turning gray. At 2 pm we got to the beauty shop for a hair cut and high lights.
As soon as I sat on the chair Paulina (a woman my age) started cutting big chunks of hair, as she did so she said "I am only trimming the ends so we can apply the highlights". I thought "she didn't even ask what I want, and its is going to be too short"; something inside said "trust", so I relaxed to enjoy the process.
A few minutes later Thalia and Fabi, two young ladies that work at the beauty shop, began to straighten my hair, it was beautiful to watch 4 hands above me dancing as they pulled strands of hair through a flat iron. Like a Hindu goddess at work! Next a thick rubber cap was placed on my head and strands of hair were pulled trough tiny holes. When Paulina was telling the girls how to do it she really poked; Thalia and Paulina were ever so gentle I didn't feel their hooks. The highlights were applied and a hot cap was put on for 20-30 minutes. After which Thalia washed my hair, and then Paulina did the final trim, she used regular scissors, thinning shears and an electric hair shear with a #4 guide comb... when I saw this I really thought I would end up bald!
While trimming Paulina casually asked, "When was the last time you had a hair cut", I had to think for a minute and said "24 years, since 1990". Talia says Paulina jumped back a few inches and said "Oh my this is not a hair cut, it is a change of image" we all laughed. The process went up a notch, Paulina gave it the extra touch.
Then Fabi dried my hair, she was meticulous and slow, she would flip the hair between the round brush and the blow drier, never letting a hair fall, amazing to watch. It took her 45 minutes to dry my hair from bottom to top. The end result was a beautiful, gorgeous bouncy hair and of course a new look.
Talia and I are so happy! it was her Christmas gift! thank you thank you.

The following day Carmina, Rocio, Hanna and Fernanda really liked it. Alejandro said it looked like a wig!
Silvia and Trino said "Wow you look so young, like when I met you; Talia this is how your mom looked when you were a child".
I washed it until the following Friday and got the natural curls, for which Talia suggested a hair cream to keep the curls curled and not have to comb or frizz my hair. It looks beautiful.
Alden really likes it too!

It dries on its own, all I do is apply a dab of hair conditioner that holds the curls

Not yet combed after shower

Brushed before the shower

Lentil Soup

Deliciously delicious plus nutrient rich soup!

1 pound lentils
3 - 4 carrots,  wash but do not peel, then chop in bite size pieces
1 sweet potato, wash but do not peel, then chop in bite size pieces
1-2 potatoes,  wash but do not peel, then chop in bite size pieces

1 large onion - finely chopped
3 garlic cloves - finely chopped
1-2 Tbsp butter or coconut oil

Several Shitake mushrooms- chop to bite size pieces

1 tsp Ground cumin
1 tsp Curry
1 tsp Smoked paprika
3-4 Whole pepper corns, freshly ground
2-3 Whole cloves, freshly ground
Some pieces of lemon grass
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil enough water in a soup pot, add lentils, potatoes and sweet potato. Cook over low heat.
In a separate pan add butter and stir fry the onions and garlic, then add the mushrooms and cook just a bit longer.  Add to the soup, and at the same time add the spices, you can add all of the spices or choose a few. Simmer until the lentils and veggies are tender.
Serve with a dash of cream, or finely chopped parsley, cilantro or chives; or better yet with some lacto fermented carrots or peppers. Yummy!

I like to make this soup in a slow cooker.

Sopa de Zanahoria

Hace un par de annos Lisa me dio esta receta, y se ha vuelto una comida favorita. La receta original ha ido evolucionando porque me gusta anadir especias para variar el sabor. Es deliciosa y nutritiva, y sienta bien cuando se sirve caliente en invierno o fria en verano.


4-6 tazas de agua o caldo
1 kilo de zanahorias lavadas y sin pelar (aprox 10-12 zanahorias)
1 papa mediana lavada y sin pelar 
1 camote chico lavado y sin pelar
2 cdas de mantequilla o aceite de coco
1 cebolla mediana, fianmente picada
2-3 dientes de ajo
1 cdita semillas de mostaza
1 cdita pimenton ahumado
1 cdita curry
Sal y pimienta al gusto

Cortar las papas, camote y zanahorias en trozos.
Calentar el agua en una olla para sopa; cuando este caliente anadir las zanahorias, el camote y la papa. 
Derretir la mantequilla y freir la cebolla y ajo; casi al final anadir las semillas de mostaza (que se inflan como palomitas), tapar y cocer a fuego blento hasta que la cebolla se torne transparente. 
Anadir  el sofrito al caldo con zanahorias y cocer de 15 a 20 minutos o hasta que las zanahorias esten suaves. Casi al final anadir las especias, sal y pimienta. 
Dejar que enfrie un poco y luego procesar en la licuadora, le puedes anadir liquido de los lacto-fermentos o simplemente agua fria. 

Servir en un plato blanco (para contrastar con el color anaranjado) y anadir verduras lacto-fermentadas, o cilantro, cebollines o perejil finamente picados; o una cucharadita de crema agria o yogurt.

Para cambiar el sabor las especias se pueden sustituir con canela en polvo, jengibre, comino, una pizca de chile cayene en polvo, jengibre fresco rallado, pimenton ahumado, curry, curcuma fresco rallado o en polvo, semillas de cardamomo, o rebanadas de coco fresco. A veces no le anado el camote o la papa. 

Tambien se sirve con garbanzos o edamames!

Pan para cambiar de Vida, receta de Sarah Britton

Pan para cambiar de vida

Cantidades para hacer una barra

1 taza de semillas de girasol
½ taza de semillas de linaza
½ taza de almendras o avellanas
1 ½ tazas de avena
2 cdas de semillas de Chia
4 cdas de psyllium
1 cdita de sal de mar
1 cda miel de abeja o de maple (para dietas sin azucar una pizca de estevia)
3 cdas de mantequilla, ghee o aceite de coco (derretir antes de mezclar)
1 ½ tazas de agua tibia

Directamente en un molde para pan combinar todos los ingredientes secos. En un tazon mezclar la miel, mantequilla y agua. Incorporar a los ingredientes secos y mezclar todo muy bien hasta que todos los ingredientes esten humedos y la masa este espesa; anadir 1-2 cucharadas de agua si queda tan espesa que no se puede mezclar. Aplanar la parte superior y dejar reposar a temperatura ambiente por lo menos 2 horas o durante la noche.  

Calentar el horno a 180°C.

Hornea el pan durante 20 minutos; sacalo del molde y voltealo de cabeza directamente sobre la parrila, y hornea de 30 a 40 minutos mas. Sonara hueco cuando este listo. Dejar enfriar completamente antes de cortar en rebanadas. 

Almacenar en un recipiente hermetico hasta 5 dias. 

http://www.yahoo.com/food/the-bread-that-will-change-your-whole-world-73342291256.html?soc_src=mags

Esta receta de Sarah Britton produce un pan denso y delicioso como el pan Danes y es sencillo de preparar. Los ingredientes se mezclan en el mismo molde,  no hay que amasar, ni anadir levadura, solamente dejarlo reposar para que las semillas activen sus nutrientes y el pan sea  de facil digestion. Tambien se pueden sustituir los ingredientes, por ejemplo si no tienes almendras utiliza avellanas, o espelta en vez de avena; miel en vez de maple, cacahuates o semillas de calabaza en vez de semillas de girasol, etc.

Rico en proteina y fibra,  sin gluten y vegan, es sabroso y nutritivo. 

Life Changing Loaf of Bread

The Life-Changing Loaf of BreadMakes 1 loaf

1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup flax seeds
½ cup hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt
1 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
3 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee, melted
1 ½ cups water

In a loaf pan, combine all dry ingredients. You may want to slice almonds and hazelnuts, and grind the seeds. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a separate bowl. Add mixture to the dry ingredients and combine until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick, adding 1-2 teaspoons water if dough is too thick to stir. Smooth top and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake bread for 20 minutes, then remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down, directly on a rack, and bake for another 30-40 minutes (it should sound hollow when tapped). Let cool completely before slicing.

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.