Are You Throwing Medicine In The Trash?

Citrus is in season!..at least it is in California. If you are lucky to live in an area where you can get organic lemons from a trusted source, you are probably as happy as I am :)
But do you toss the seeds and the peel? You may be squeezing lemon juice on salads or add some to your drinks but does the peel end up in the trash? I used to throw away the non-juicy parts…not for quite a while though!..
I've always loved lemon zest. My mom used to add some to some sweet dishes and desserts so it's nothing new to me. In certain parts of Africa and other parts of the world it's also commonly used as a condiment, usually in a fermented form. The zest is used every now and then by people in western cultures but, in general, the peel is not nearly as utilized as it could be. I, personally, used to throw them away because I just never trust the ones from the store. Lately, however, I have been getting a lot of Meyer lemons from a friend and I couldn't be more grateful! I've always left the seeds in for juicing and dressings (blended ones) and now the peels are saved too! More often than not, the peel gets used in something soon after I used the juice of the lemon, and if not, I save it for later so I will have some handy when I have no lemon to peel. Why bother?

The Hidden Treasures of Lemon (and other citrus*) Peels
Being rich in vitamin C and calcium is a good start, but did you know that lemon peels have a myriad of other health benefits? By adding lemon zest to your dishes or consuming whole lemons instead of just their juice, you'll get to take advantage of their

- cancer fighting properties
- ability to dissolve bad estrogen (a lot of which we have accumulated over time in our bodies)
- anti-fungal qualities
- mood enhancing / uplifting, anti-depressant properties
- high fiber content (to support digestion and regular elimination)
- maintaining of youthful skin / anti-wrinkle qualities (hence the frequent usage in cosmetics)
- boosting of the metabolism (which supports weight loss)
- strengthening the bones (due to their high mineral and vitamin C content)
- blood pressure regulator quality (potassium content)
- cleansing effect (lemon juice and the peel are both known to assist in the cleansing of the liver)
- ability to reduce oxidative stress (elimination of free radicals, and thereby, prevention of diseases)
- amazing flavor (lemon peel is an amazing flavor balancer if not used in large quantities)

*Be aware, that lemon and lime peels are edible raw, but others, like the peel of orange, grapefruit, etc, have to be fermented / candied / cooked or prepared some other way before consumption.

Quite a list, right? If these benefits appeal to you,  I recommend that you…

Get organic lemons from a trusted source.
Wash them and either juice them whole, or peel them first (you will save some of the pith that is so rich in bioflavonoids) or carefully cut the zest part of the peel off with a sharp knife. This way, if you're not using the whole lemon then you can save the peel or zest for later to be used in other dishes.

What do I do? At first, I thought I would save the zest only. But why break them down more than necessary? Before I ever grated any I realized the ideal way would be to just save the entire peel and if I don't use them soon freeze them that way. So I cut 1-2 inch pieces and put them into jars (any container will do) and I always have some within reach.

How to eat them?
Besides the obvious (eating some peel whenever using lemons) you can:

- add a piece of peel to a smoothie (avoid using too large of a piece because it can throw off the flavor, for example, make your smoothie more bitter than you'd like)
- add zest to salads by sprinkling some on top or mixing some into your salad dressing
- add zest to desserts by mixing some into your cookie dough or adding some to a batter or cake mix, or sprinkle some on top of any sweet dish

What Else To Use Citrus Peel For?
Since I love the aroma, I also put a lot of peels on top of the heat vents, in the colder months when the heater is going, and keep replacing them. They provide a small amount of humidity as well as a wonderful smell that fills up the space. Obviously, they're a much better "air-freshener" than the chemical-based, artificial diffusers you can plug into an outlet.
They're also a great disinfectant so you can use them to clean your cutting board or sink by just rubbing them on the surface to be cleaned.

Warning: Watch out for rabbits (or other pets??) because my little guys "steal" them and run off with them! They love peels, however fresh or dried out they are, they grab them off the vents and run, like dogs with a bone. So funny! :) So if you notice that yours are missing you might know where to look for them, or who is to blame….haha. Also, make sure to use entire halves (like after squeezing a lemon) or longer / larger pieces to avoid having them fall through the slots and end up in your heat pipes!

Alright, hopefully, just in time before you start preparing a lot of New Year's party drinks and end up with tons of peels that you would toss…now you know what to do with them! : )

Have a Wonderful New Year, Everyone!  ♥

Start A Garden!....If You Haven't Yet

My sister and I grew up with a garden. Well, kind of. We had a grandma that lived in a village where everybody grew their own food and going to the store for anything was very rare. If one didn't have something, chances were he/she could trade with or borrow from the neighbor or someone else down (or up) the street. It was a one-street village so those were pretty much the choices you got. Everyone knew everyone and you knew exactly where to go for what when you were in need.

Later, when I was 13, we moved into a house and started our own garden. We had red current (my favorite fruit) bushes, gooseberries, raspberries, strawberries, a pear tree, a quince tree, and grapes. My mom also planted vegetables every year. We had tomato plants, rows of green peas, carrots, and maybe even some greens but I can't recall....I was on a different diet back then ;)

Besides having to pull weed with my sister (I remember how much we moaned and groaned while squatting over small patches of dirt that were densely populated by a variety of weeds that were seemingly impossible to extract, even with the help of a spade. We were less-then-ethusiastic about this weekly chore and counted the minutes...) I really loved being outside, chasing butterflies, watching the ants being busy and of course harvesting fruits and veggies. This part of my life lasted till I was 19, which is when I left that house. And ever since then I've been just dreaming of having a garden and growing food that's as pure as it gets.

After a few years of growing some tomatoes, peppers and herbs in planter boxes while moving around the country it was time to go on an adventure and try to create a small garden outside last year. The tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries all did quite well but it was still not the real thing. This season, however, we're taking it to the next level and I couldn't be any more excited about it!

New Beginnings...
I spent yesterday planting tomatoes, peppers, basil, mint, and oregano in the green house and outside are the squashes, cucumbers, corn, kale, mustard greens, dill, and even purslane (for some reason they're not popping up here wild, unless they do but the deer get to them before I do).
I wouldn't call myself an expert at gardening but I've done my best researching (as always) and I'm confident that with all the love I give the babies they will do more than fine : ) While I have farmers I go to on a regular basis for produce, there's nothing like fruits and vegetables raised at home. Besides, one's food can't get any more inexpensive and eco-friendly...

What have I done so far to ensure their best "upbringing"?
1. Needless to say, they're all organic and heirloom, whenever it was possible.
2. The babies were planted in organic soil.
3. Newly purchased baby worms are working the soil as we speak.
4. The water I use to water them I let sit at least overnight or however long it's possible. This is a practice I have been following for as long as I can remember for my (argh, every once in a while I still do that) the plants indoors as well. I highly recommend that you adopted this simple "trick" for better water. Most of us are not lucky enough to have spring water or well water or any kind of clean water around and might not even be able to collect rain water (some places it just doesn't rain much). City water is full of stuff, of course and letting it sit lets the chlorine escape from it and makes the water sightly acidic....just the way the plants prefer. Just do your best.
5. They have been fed organic vegan food...yay :)
6. Finally, I've planted marigolds in the "pflanzengarten"for added color and to keep some of the bugs away.

What do I need to work on?
1. No matter how little it rains around here (I live in zone 9a), I insist on getting a rain barrel and collect whatever amount of water possible. It will be more than what buckets can hold.
2. COMPOST. I need to start a compost. Shame on me!!!!! This has been my dream for so long too and since nearly 100% of my "trash" is scrap from produce and pulp from juicing I really am ashamed that I still don't have one. What's wrong with me? Well, ok, moving into a new home and starting new jobs in a new area comes with its own hectic schedule, but still...*sigh* I'm going to get on this ASAP.
Anyone has a compost tumbler he/she doesn't want anymore??? There better not be anyone! You should be using it.

Ok. I need to get busy. Here are some more pictures of the nursery and updates will follow!
What have YOU planted this season???
♥

Blessings of Nature...

....all around us.
Have you ever been out of greens, that is, opened your fridge only to be reminded that yesterday you used up your last piece of kale or spinach or whatever used to be there? This happens to me waaaay too often, but the truth is I don't forget, I just simply run out because when I stock up while visiting the farmers market nearby (that is, only once a week during the winter) I simply don't have any more greens to juice or blend after a few days, period. So what's a raw girl to do? Well, let's be reminded that nature has always taken care of us! And even during times when GMO crops are spreading around the world at the speed of light, it seems, there's a place to go for the freshest, highly nutritious, unmolested, purest, wild, tender greens....and that place is called the YARD!

Don't have a yard? Surely you can find a place nearby where you can hike and pick some greens along the trail. Well, I hope you can, for sure you can if you live in the Bay Area...

What is there to find?

Dandelion
Remember the days when you were assigned chores by your parents? I do. And maybe the list included  pulling weeds??? Mine did! Little did I know back then that I was killing stuff we could have eaten. They were considered harmful invaders...haha. I find it really funny looking back.
Now, do you remember the yellow flowers of a weed with long stemmed green leaves that when you picked them released a milk-like substance? How about the puffy ball that you picked to blow on and make a wish? All these memories are describing dandelion. The weed that some health-food stores sell by the bunches for $3-5 a bunch! And it's free to pick. Chances are, you just have to step outside your home and they're there for you. More good news: the more you pick them, the more they'll grow, so you'll have an endless supply of dandelions, the incredibly nutritious, liver cleansing plant, freely provided by nature.

Where to find dandelion?
I've lived in many places and this weed is literally everywhere. I'm pretty sure you won't have a hard time finding some. Go picking!

What does dandelion have to offer?
Since they're dark leafy greens it won't come as a surprise that they're loaded with vitamin K and A, also have a good amount of vitamin B and they're high in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, and iron. All-in-all, they're very good greens for beautiful skin, strong bones, and for cleansing the liver, as I mentioned before. But wait, would you have guessed that just about two cups of them provide you with 3g of protein?! They also have antiviral qualities and are a good addition to your diet for cancer prevention. Pretty respectable, isn't it?

Ok, let's move on to my new found delicacy...

Miner's lettuce
I've recently learned that these heart-shaped, tender greens, called miner's lettuce (claytonia perfoliata), are edible. I've been picking them over the past couple of weeks and adding them to juice mainly. I even picked a few and ate them just like that out in the yard but they will be a great addition to a salads too. They have a very mild flavor, no wild-green bitterness one might expect, at all.
The leaves and the stems, basically the entire plant is very delicate. They have somewhat of a velvety feel to them when you sweep your hands along the top of a cluster of them.
When they're young, especially when they first pop up, they have heart-shaped little leaves, which later become a different form with a tiny white flower at the center. Quite unique, in other words, easy to identify.

Where to find miner's lettuce?
They might be around anywhere in the Northern states of the U.S. especially during spring time, but this plant I have only seen here, in California. If you can find them where you live (as long as you live somewhere other than California), let me know, please, I'm curious to learn of its whereabouts!

What's in miner's lettuce?
This wild lettuce is famous for having qualities that help prevent scurvy, from which we can guess that they're rich in vitamin C. Wherever you find information about them the same historical fact is mentioned: they got their name from being consumed by the miners during the California Gold Rush to prevent scurvy.

An exert from the fed database http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/claper/all.html  states:

NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
The nutritional composition of miner's-lettuce has been determined to be
37.1 percent protein, 42.5 percent total carbohydrate, and 12.4 percent
crude fiber.  The calcium:phosphorus ratio is 0.66:1.0 [37].

Note: be careful when picking them. Do not pull on the stems, if you do, the entire plant will come out with the root. They seem to be barely connected to the earth. You can just pinch them off or use scissors if you wish instead and leave the bottom part of the stem and the root undisturbed. Also, try to not clear a large area because the seeds need to spread for next season. Leaving some scattered will ensure their existence : )

So look around in your yard and see what's waiting for you there. There's not a more eco-friendly way of living. Expect more on "what's in your yard".
Happy Foraging!

♥♥♥

Proposition 37: Label GMO Foods!

Let's just say I have never been a huge fan of politics and that is an understatement. From what I've seen most politicians, if not all, never tell you the truth, or at least not the entire truth. Well, that's why I never think politics is even worth my time. BUT this is something completely different!

The elections are just around the corner and unless you already had your chance to cast your vote early you'll be given the choice to mark little boxes (?) next to propositions, yep, not just who you'd like to be the next president of the United States. And if you're registered to vote in California you'll see Proposition 37 on the list. THAT is the one you want to say YES on. WHY?

Would you eat anything without knowing whether it's been in contact, or has any ingredients from genetically modified (GMO) foods? Chances are, since you're reading an article on this site, that you're aware of at least some of the reasons why it's not a good idea to consume GMO foods but if you still need to be convinced here are a few points that I've collected:

What Does Genetically Modified Mean?
Genetically modified plants have had foreign genes forced into their DNA. These genes come form species like bacteria and viruses and are inserted into plants to help them survive deadly doses of weed killers.

Why Is It Only A Problem Now?
It's not that it was safe before but, as it usually happens, political appointees who were under orders from the White House to promote GMOs did their best to hide the truth from the public. Twenty years ago the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claimed that it had no information showing the dangers of GM foods and that they were safe to consume. Interestingly, Michael Taylor, the former attorney (and later VP) for Monsanto, the largest biotech company, was the FDA official in charge.

Health Risks and Consequences of Genetically Engineered Foods
GMO foods have been linked to toxic and allergic reactions, thousands of sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ and system studied in laboratory tests performed on animals.

Farmers use a much larger amount of herbicides on GM crops, in other words, GM foods have a much higher amount of herbicide residue.

GM soy cause allergic reactions

BT (made by Monsanto) corn and cotton are linked to allergic reactions

BT cotton is forced on farmers in India and with devastating results. Watch the movie "Bitter Seeds"

GMOs might cause liver problems. It does in laboratory tests. Rats and mice have suffered due to altered liver cells caused by GMO feed.

GMOs also affect the reproductive systems of laboratory animals. How they affect the human body is unpredictable.

The French team has released shocking images of tumours in mice caused by exclusively eating GM corn. However, the research has been criticised as being of 'no value' by other scientists

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2205509/Cancer-row-GM-foods-French-study-claims-did-THIS-rats--cause-organ-damage-early-death-humans.html#ixzz2BJh7CZLp 

BT crops are linked to sterility, disease, and death. Thousands of farm animals in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. have fallen victims to GM foods and Filipinos in several villages got sick when nearby BT corn was pollinating.

DISTURBING: There are no human clinical trials of GM foods. The only published human feeding experiment revealed that the genetic material inserted into GM soy transfers into bacteria living inside our intestines and continues to function.

More Relevant Facts
Over 60 countries require labeling of GE foods.
Labeling didn't increase the cost of food in those countries.
About 68% of GM crops are herbicide tolerant. - what do you think that may do to your health?
About 19% of GM crops produce their own pesticide secreted by the inserted genes in every cell. When this pesticide is eaten by a worm its stomach breaks open, killing the worm. - How do you think this might affect your body?
Good news: thousands of California Farmers and all major natural and sustainable food businesses and leading labor groups are saying YES on Proposition 37 : )

Foods That Are Most Likely Genetically Engineered In The U.S.
Soybeans
Corn
Cottonseed
Canola
Sugar beets
Hawaiian papaya
Zucchini
Yellow crookneck squash
GE salmon  is on its way to people's dinner plates too!

Source: Some of the above information I've been aware of for a while and the rest I acquired from a Responsible Technology Flyer.

For more information, go to: www.ResponsibleTechnology.org

Please share this with family and friends for your own health's sake, for the planet, for all of its creatures and to help stop the poison from spreading! 
If you know of additional information that should be included here, feel free to share in a comment below and I'll be happy to add it to the above.

From Farmers' Market to Salad Bowl

One of my favorite things to do is to go to the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market and visit my favorite growers to see what they have just harvested. There’s nothing like seasonal, fresh, organic food, grown by caring people. Of course, I would love to grow my own fruits and veggies, that would be ideal, but where I currently live I’m only able to “raise” strawberries, chili peppers, and some herbs. “City living”, as we call it, only allows for a “garden” that consists of five little planter boxes. So farmers' market it is…

I went, I grazed, I picked, I bought, I carried, and brought home some fruit and such delicious ingredients for a salad that it really didn’t even need any dressing. The French are right: it’s all in the ingredients! Some of the goodies I picked up are French plums, a variety of heirloom tomatoes and even wild arugula!
There’s no such thing as coming home from the market with the fresh, crisp greens and not making a salad. They are the only types of dishes where I don’t mind combining lots of ingredients. They’re still all vegetables. No matter what, a salad can’t be that hard on you!
So I layered romaine lettuce, wild arugula, cucumber, red onions, red radishes, bell pepper, pineapple heirloom tomatoes and made just the simplest dressing to go with it.

Basic Salad Dressing 
(for salads that are too good to be drenched in an overpowering “sauce”)
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
salt to taste

Variations
Sometimes we don’t have the best ingredients on hand or just want a more flavorful dressing or want to make something to impress… So here are some other combinations that I love to dress my salads with:

Garlic and Herbs Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp mustard
1-2 cloves garlic (pressed)
chopped fresh (or dry) herbs such as oregano, basil, or your favorite(s)
salt to taste

Honey-Mustard Dressing
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp mustard
1-2 cloves garlic (pressed)
½ tsp honey (NOT vegan, but you can substitute agave or maple syrup, which is not raw)
salt to taste

Whisk together all of the ingredients with a fork or shake it all up in a jar, pour over the salad, mix, and that's it! You've got a bowl full of antioxidants, anti-cancer qualities, fiber, copper, folate and the list goes on....it's a pile of vitamins and minerals "thrown" together in minutes!  It can't really get any healthier or more eco-friendly...

Yay, No More Plastic Bags!

I get most of my grocery shopping done in Santa Monica at the farmers market and the Co-op. Both of these places have signs up to warn about the new law (Santa Monica Plastic Bag Ban) going into effect on September 1, 2011. Yaaaay, I couldn’t be happier about this! My eyes even welled up when I saw it. To me, it’s a dream come true! I have a friend who will also really appreciate this; you know who you are! : ) What this means is, starting next month, plastic bags are prohibited, paper ones will cost you 10¢ and all retailers (at least so I heard) will stop bagging your new shirt or book or whatever you’re buying…

 “Single-use bags, both paper and plastic, represent a huge threat to the environment. This threat is not only related to the sheer volume of them ending up in landfill, but also to the resources needed to produce, transport and (occasionally) recycle them, and the emissions resulting from these processes. Single-use plastic bags are also well known for their interference in ecosystems and the part they play in flood events, where they clog pipes and drains.”

Plastic (and Paper) Bag Facts
- Approx. 380 billion plastic bags are used in the United States every year. That’s more than 1,200 bags per US resident, per year.
- Approx. 100 billion of the 380 billion are plastic shopping bags.
- An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.
- Only 1 to 2% of plastic bags in the USA end up getting recycled.
- Thousands of marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution.
- The United Nations Environment Program estimates that there are 46,000 pieces of plastic litter floating in every square mile of ocean.
- Plastic bags are often mistakenly ingested by animals, clogging their intestines, which results in death by starvation. Other animals or birds become entangled in plastic bags and drown or can’t fly as a result.
- Even when they photo-degrade in landfill, the plastic from single-use bags never goes away, and toxic particles can enter the food chain when they are ingested by unsuspecting animals.
- Greenpeace says that at least 267 marine species are known to have suffered from getting entangled in or ingesting marine debris. Nearly 90% of that debris is plastic.
- Americans consume more than 10 billion paper bags per year. Approximately 14 million trees are cut down every year for paper bag production.
- Most of the pulp used for paper shopping bags is virgin pulp, as it is considered stronger.
- Paper production requires hundreds of thousands of gallons of water as well as toxic chemicals like sulphurous acid, which can lead to acid rain and water pollution.

What Can I Do to Make a Difference?
I grew up in Europe and whenever we went shopping we took woven baskets and other bags to fill up at the store or market. Whoever didn’t have a bag had to pay a good chunk of change for one! Genius, isn’t it? : )
Well, here are some simple things you can do:
- If you drive, always have a bunch of bags in your trunk. That way even if you didn’t plan on stopping by the grocery store on your way home you will have bags handy.
- Go shopping with your existing bags
- Buy a reusable bag to take with you at all times. You can buy ones that pack into a ball the size of a small apple
- If where you live bags will still be given out and you feel you must take advantage of it then use them for your trash (or reuse them for anything else) instead of buying plastic trash liners.
- For buying produce, either do not use bags, or again, bring your own, or reuse the ones you got before. You may also buy little produce baggies made of natural fibers, such as hemp! What else could you ask for!
On rare occasions, when I already have my bags full or forgot one, I stuff as much of the groceries I buy into my purse as I can and carry the rest in my hands. It really is possible to make a difference! Bag single use bags!

Reference: http://www.envirosax.com/plastic_bag_facts