Blog
Composting Workshop
Worm composting, also known as vermicomposting, is a method, and even more, an opportunity that allows us to recycle our organic wastes and turn them into something useful. Come learn how to deviate your kitchen scraps from landfills and not only take part in alleviating some of the most pressing environmental problems, but also produce the most fertile, sweet-smelling soil that you could ever find. This will be a hand-on workshop where you will learn how to produce a worm bin with just a few simple steps and with simple, constantly available materials to any home. Best of all, it is a CLEAN composting system that does not require much maintenance and can be placed anywhere from a home with large yard to a small studio apartment. |
Gluten-Free Almond Orange Scones
LOVE LOVE this new recipe for Gluten-free Almond Orange Scones! So easy and perfect for a lazy weekend morning, it literally takes about 6 minutes to prepare the dough and under 15 minutes to bake. They also freeze perfectly also so you can eat throughout the week as well. A great and festive exchange is to use hazelnut flour instead of the almond four and viola, you have a whole new recipe. Some fresh fruit or berries make a great addition as well.
It was inspired from Elana’s Pantry…a must visit site for all things gluten-free and non-processed.
Photo provided by Ben Thacker
Gluten-Free Almond Orange Scones
Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon himalayan salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, cherries etc
2 large pasture raised eggs
2 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or agave
1+ Tablespoon orange or lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
Makes 8-10 servings
Thai Mango Cucumber Salad
This is one of my favorite salads and perfect for mango season here in South Florida. I made it as a demo for the Annual Mango Festival at the Fairchild Tropical Gardens last month and it was a hit. It is the perfect blend of sweet, tangy, salty and spicy…just how Thai food should be!
Thai Mango Cucumber Salad with Mint & Toasted Cashews
Ingredients:
1 large tomato or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 large cucumbers, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch slices (peeled if not organic)
1 medium semi-ripe mango, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2-3 Tablespoons coconut sugar*
2-3 Tablespoons fish sauce or low-sodium soy sauce or low-sodium Tamari
2-4 fresh Thai or serrano chilies, thinly sliced
3 medium garlic cloves, smashed**
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped cashews or peanuts
Serves 4
Squash and Sage Flatbread with Goat Cheese & Pistachios
This is SUPER easy and crowd pleasing. It makes a nice appetizer cut into smaller pieces or a great entree with a salad. Change up the squash for another seasonal vegetable, zucchini, fresh corn or tomatoes are perfect!
Winter Squash Flatbread with Goat Cheese
Ingredients:
1 pound store-bought pizza dough, preferably wheat, thawed if frozen
1 pound delicata, acorn or butternut squash, seeded, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (if using butternut be sure to peel it)
1/2 medium red onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
8-10 large fresh sage leaves
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Good quality olive oil, as needed
8 oz of goat cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste
cornmeal for the pan
1/3 cup pistachios, chopped
Healing Herb Infused Water
Many of you who have been to my classes have raved about this simple herb infused water. It is tasty, very healing and easy as pie. I make all different flavors from rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, cucumber and melon and anything in between. Get creative, there are so many possibilities!
Sneaky Names for MSG
Just when I think I have gotten a handle on label reading (and I read most labels), I realize how deceiving they can be. Have you ever bought anything that contained “yeast extract” or “soy protein”? I sure have. As a matter of fact I have encouraged my clients to buy the Better Than Bouillon veggie base. It is organic, gluten free, economical and cuts down on the waste of the cardboard containers that stock usually comes in, oh and I bought it at Whole Foods, a seemingly safe zone. read more…
The Vanishing of The Bees
Bees pollinate 80% of all flowering crops, which makes up one third of our diet. Without the honey bee, we would have much less food. Bees pollinate dozens of the plants that produce what many Americans eat. From almonds, apricots, avocadoes and beans, to cucumbers, melons, pears, asparagus, zucchini, and the list goes on. Bees also pollinate many of the grasses that feed the animals we eat. These include alfalfa and clover which in turn fuel the beef, poultry, lamb and dairy products industries.
The growing use of insecticides and pesticides for agricultural pest control has created the side effect of killing the bees necessary for maintaining our crops. Such environmental stresses have devastated honeybee populations in the United States beginning in the 1980s. This has made it necessary for farmers to rent bees from keepers in order to get their crops pollinated in order to sustain food production. In recent years commercial honeybee hives have suffered from colony collapse disorder, which has left many bee boxes empty of bees.
What can we do to help save the honey bees?
- Plant nectar plants in your gardens so your local bees have the food they need.
- Reduce the amount of pesticides you use.
- You can support companies that support bee research and breeding programs.
- Go to Save The Honey Bees for more info
- You can go to this FREE screening of The Vanishing of The Bees and learn ALL about it!
