Here’s a recipe for my favorite iced tea at the moment.
8 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon maple syrup (I like Coombs Family Farm Organic Maple Syrup)
2 tea bags Zhena’s Gypsy Tea in Mojito Mint
5 mint leaves
Steep, sip and be well.
Archive for June, 2009
Perfect Summer Iced Tea
Monday, June 29th, 2009New Healthy Cookware
Friday, June 26th, 2009People often ask me what my favorite cookware is….cast iron, stainless steel, non-stick, aluminum, etc. I have to say, I am a fan of cast iron, absolutely love Le Creuset, like stainless steel for certain things and have a hard time frying an egg in anything but a non-stick.
But there’s a new cooking line that I just recently tried and have become a huge fan of. It’s called 360 Cookware and the idea is that you can cook foods without using a lot of water, oil or fat. The pots use ‘vapor technology’ by surrounding the food with “vaporous sustained heat” from all directions (360 degrees)…. hence the name.
The sealed in heat extracts liquids from the food so you’re able to cook with less oil, and it cooks foods 2-6 times faster than conventional cookware. They come in a variety of sizes from saucepans to stock pots so there’s something for every meal request.
Conserving Water
Monday, June 22nd, 2009Every once in a while I get a viewer or fan who will write to me about their favorite way to “go green” around their home. Well, just this weekend I got a great one from someone who had just finished reading my book and had learned about my family bathroom mantra, “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.”
She wrote: We have placed a stainless steel mixing bowl in the bathroom sink…..and we empty it into toilet before washing hands and that flushes down the yellow and the soap helps cleans and deodorizes the toilet bowl….then the next person empties after using the restroom into toilet….it works…..we are minimizing how much water goes into septic system.
She also said that because of the bowl in the sink her family has become much more aware of how much water they actually use to wash their hands.
Here are a few other ways you can conserve water (in case that one isn’t for you!):
- Skip the pre-rinse and simply scrape then load your dishes into the dishwasher to save up to 7000 gallons of water a year.
- When hand washing your dishes, avoid wasted water rushing down the drain by filling one side with sudsy water and one side with clean water for rinsing.
- Run your washing machine and dish washer only when absolutely full and you can save as much as 1000 gallons of water every month.
- Water your lawn and gardens in the morning or late evening with the threat of evaporation is lessened.
- Lay down mulch to help plants retain moisture and to save you time and money.
A Fitness Respite at Lake Austin Spa Resort
Friday, June 19th, 2009This week I landed myself in Austin, Texas at the Lake Austin Spa Resort with the primary purpose being to teach a cooking class as one in their series of “culinary week” experiences. But while I was there, I got to take care of my mind and body a little as well.
Lake Austin
My first spa treat (although, these spa experiences are not considered “pampering” at Lake Austin Spa, they are considered investments in health and wellness) was a full body Swedish Massage. The After Workout Massage looked appealing as well. Then I was off to bed.
Entering the spa
The next day I had a Lime and Ginger Pick-me-up body scrub (absolutely one of my favorite body treatments every) and a Skin Brightening facial given by a delightful asthetician named Erin.
One of the culinary gardens
The food was healthy and incredibly delicious with a focus on local and organic. In fact, they grow a great portion of their produce in their own culinary gardens which are open for guests to stroll through. The view across the beautiful Lake Austin was relaxing. The rooms were comfortable and private. I had nothing short of a pleasant, enjoyable and rejuvenating experience.
I think it’s important that in these crazy times we take the time to comfort ourselves and offer our bodies a brief respite from the many demands we place on it each day. If you’re not fortunate enough to afford the time or money to visit a place like Lake Austin Spa Resort, try to make your own at home body scrub and spend a relaxing Tuesday evening sitting in the bath and gently rubbing your body down to relieve tired muscles and lighten heavy heads.
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Homemade Rosemary Body Scrub
1 cup epsom salts 1/4 cup jojoba oil 1 tablespoon dried rosemary |
Restore Your Youthful Radiance
Monday, June 15th, 2009Today I started out with a Vinyasa Flow yoga class. I felt like I was glowing when I walked out of there (ok, it was mostly sweat, but it looked kind of glowy/dewy). Step one to restoring my “youthful radiance.”
After that I drank a big glass of water with one of my favorite electrolyte tabs.
Then I sat for too long in front of my computer, scarfed down my lunch during a conference call (my end was muted of course), and then decided I better take another drastic measure if I’m really going to restore that radiance.
And so I’m off to bed to give my face a good washing and lie for a bit with a face mask on before turning out the lights and getting my zzzz’s. Of course, I’ll be choosing an organic skin care line. I think I’ll reach for Pangea tonight. They have a special gift set that is supposed to give me all that I’m looking for.
Pangea Radiance Gift Set
Aaaah, youthful radiance, here I come!
Swine Flu a Pandemic…Sanitize!
Friday, June 12th, 2009Not only just since the Swine Flu outbreak, but for a long time now I haven’t taken a single airplane trip without my hand sanitizer. I’m not much of a germ-phobe, but I do try to be careful, especially when spending full days in public places.
There are two natural hand sanitizers that I really like.
The first by CleanWell is made with essential plant oils that are lab proven to kill 99.99% of the harmful germs that can make you sick. It’s all-natural, alcohol-free and, speaking from experience, handy. My CleanWell traveled all over Africa with me!
My other favorite is by Frais. This powerful product is made of a delicious smelling essential oil blend of ginger, tangerine, lemon myrtle, miaouli, orange, basil, grapefruit and cardamom. Not only does it kill germs but it leaves your hands feeling, no lie, silky smooth. And I particularly love this one because it comes in all sizes – teeny tiny for your pocket, an everyday purse size, and a large pump that I like to keep next to my kitchen sink.
So, get out there and face the world….just don’t forget to sanitize.
High performance sports gear….made from trash?!
Wednesday, June 10th, 2009Looking for the latest in high performance fitness apparel? How about a shirt that’s healthy, earth friendly, with a social message attached as well?
After running a race during which his red sports shirt bled dyes that ran down his leg and colored his shorts, socks and shoes, Atayne founder, Jeremy Litchfield, got a little worried about the chemicals he was exposing his body to and set out to create a better line of sports performance apparel. And he’s done it! Using trash, essentially, Atayne now makes clothing out of recycled polyester (from recycled plastic bottles) and the activated carbon from coconut shells.
"The idea is to blend the promotion of an active lifestyle with an environmental and social message."
The current version of the shirts feature two designs: reduce. reuse. recycle. run., and another that reads run hard tread lightly. At Atayne, they call this “performance with a point of view.” Later this summer they’ll be launching more than a dozen new logo designs featuring a variety of activities from running to yoga to climbing to paddling. They say, “The idea is to blend the promotion of an active lifestyle with an environmental and social message.”
And because 80% of a garment’s environmental impact happens during the washing and drying of the garment, Atayne’s tops are outfitted with a “loop” on the back neck to encourage people to simply rinse and hang their shirt in the shower, and forget about taking it to the laundry room all together.
Not enough reasons to check out this cool company? Here’s one more. They’ve put together a team of “trash runners” who race their way through marathons with a retro-fitted baby jogger, picking up trash along the way. Right now the trash runners are hitting the streets in Chicago but you can expect to see, and hopefully join, them in other cities throughout the summer.
Though I’m not much of a runner, I love to slip on my long-sleeve POV top after a particularly sweaty yoga class. The shirts run true to size, can be purchased on-line and in select retailers, and start at $38.
natural soy wax candles
Monday, June 8th, 2009My nose was recently graced with the sweet smell of candles from a new (or new to me) soy wax candle company. 
With scents like Bamboo, Cashmere, Moss, and Sweetgrass, they tempt your nose without tainting your home. The candles are made with soy wax and essential oils. And they come equipped with their own set of matches glued inside the lid which, to me, screams hostess gift!
Starting this Friday, Linneas Lights are giving away a candle every week on their blog/website and facebook and twitter pages.
Though this time of year you can throw open your windows to the fresh scent of moss and sweetgrass, it’s still nice to have some candles around enhance your favorite smells.
Brown rice, vegetables, lentils – the perfect foods!
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Lunch today was leftovers from last night’s dinner.
I made brown rice (yes, the old fashioned kind that takes 45 minutes to cook, but all that requires is a little advance planning) and served that topped with sauteed vegetables (onions, garlic, broccoli, carrots and snow peas) in a curry sauce.
Then I paired that with a very simple preparation of lentils. Lentils are an excellent accompaniment (or centerpiece) to a meal because they are high in fiber, a rich source of protein, but very low in calories and fat. I cook them in water with a little kombu (a sea vegetable that helps with the digestibility) and a pinch each of salt and cinnamon.
Three types of lentils. I made green lentils for this dish but generally prefer the red ones for soup.
The meal, though completely vegetarian, was plenty filling, even for my husband who had just finished playing two hours of tennis.
If you don’t have those vegetables in your refrigerator, get creative. Green beans or cauliflower would have worked just as well.
Remember, good food doesn’t have to come from a restaurant and it doesn’t have to be difficult to make. Have fun in the kitchen and get healthy doing it!
