Herbal Medicine Box

Recap: Weston A. Price Conference 2011 - Mythbusters!

2011-12-31T12:45:00.008-05:00

Due to a scholarship, I was very lucky to be able to attend the Weston A. Price Foundation's 12th Annual Conference - Mythbusters! in Dallas, Texas in November.

In short, The Weston A. Price Foundation is "a nonprofit, tax-exempt charity founded in 1999 to disseminate the research of nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price, whose studies of isolated nonindustrialized peoples established the parameters of human health and determined the optimum characteristics of human diets." The Weston A. Price Foundation is run by President and Treasurer, Sally Fallon, and a board of directors. To read the rest of the foundation's mission statement, go here.

The main part of the conference ran from Friday, Nov. 11 - Sunday, Nov. 13, and there was always plenty to do: lectures typically ran from 9 am - 10 pm, with breaks for meals and time to visit the exhibitors, in addition to optional yoga and and a few other pre-breakfast activities. There were so many lectures at the conference that it would be impossible to cover everything, so I will highlight just a few of them here!

Exhibitors at the conference included Fab Ferments, Cultures for Health, and many, many more

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride spoke about GAPS : Gut & Psychology/Physiology Syndrome. GAPS is a condition that establishes a connection between the health of the gut and the health of the rest of the body. The father of medicine, Hippocrates (460-370 BC) stated "All diseases begin in gut." We also learned that gut flora:

Are "the housekeepers of our digestive system"
Protect us from invaders
Aid in detoxification, vitamin production, digestion, and absorption
Compromise 90% of our cells
Help to modulate the immune system
Is important for the health and integrity of the gut

Many factors can damage gut flora, including: poor diet, antibiotics, drugs, steroids, birth control, bottle feeding, stress, infections, disease, pollution, radiation, alcohol, dental work, toxic chemicals, and more.

According to Dr. Campbell-McBride, diseases are related to an unhealthy gut, such as autism, ADHD/ADD, dyslexia, epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, any digestive or autoimmune disorders, and more. Thus, by addressing the health of the gut, one can positively impact many health conditions. To learn more about GAPS, visit Dr. Campbell-McBride's websites here and here, and read her book: Gut and Psychology Syndrome- Natural Treatment for: Autism, ADD, ADHD, Depresseion, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Schizophrenia.

I also listened to David Wetzel, owner of Green Pasture Products. Green Pasture Products produces high-vitamin butter oil and fermented cod and skate liver oils. Cod liver oil is the most important superfood of the Weston A. Price Foundation, because it naturally contains vitamins A and D, "which Dr. Price found present in the diet of primitives in amounts ten times higher than the typical American diet of his day." In addition, the foundation recommends consuming cod liver oil with high-vitamin butter oil, because Dr. Price "found that cod liver oil on its own was relatively ineffective but combined with butter oil produced excellent results" due to the presence of vitamin K2 in grass fed butter oil.

David Wetzel spoke of how his fermented cod liver oil differs from other cod liver oil brands on the market. For example, some brands of cod liver oil may go through processes that remove some of the natural vitamins, resulting in a product with low levels of vitamins A and D, or a product that has manufactured vitamins A and D added to it. Green Pastures cod liver oil is a naturally produced, "fermented high-vitamin cod liver oil that is made using a filtering process that retains the natural vitamins." The business aim of Green Pasture Products is to "provide high-quality sacred-food oils just as they were made prior to the industrialized food and farming revolution...Fermenting the livers of fish to extract the oil is an old world practice that may go back as far as biblical times ..."

Vitamin D is important because although the skin can synthesize Vitamin D with sun exposure, in northern latitudes one cannot make adequate amounts of vitamin D from sun exposure alone, especially in the winter. Learn more about vitamin D here and here.

Samples of Green Pasture products were available in the exhibitors section. The Cinnamon Tingle BLUE ICE Royal Butter Oil/Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend was by far the tastiest of the fermented cod liver oils, and I did not even attempt to try the Skate Liver Oils given the negative reactions of some of my fellow peers. However, they do have capsules of their fermented fish liver oils if one prefers not to taste them. I also took home a sample of one of their skin balms made with their cod liver oil and butter oil blend. Even though I make my own natural body products, my skin never felt so soft as when I used their skin balm, so incorporating cod liver oil in my own body products is definitely something that I will be working on in the future!

Dr. Joseph Mercola gave the keynote address at the conference awards banquet on Saturday. He spoke on a variety of topics, including some of the dangers of fructose. Fructose is one of the leading sources of calories in the U.S., often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, such as in sodas and processed foods. Fructose causes wrinkling, cellulite, beer belly, and obesity, and is also a major cause of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Fructose itself isn't bad, however the problem today is that individuals are consuming fructose in much larger quantities than in the past. Around a century ago, individuals only had around 15 g of fructose per day, such as from vegetables and fruits. Today, the typical adolescent may get as much as 73 g fructose/day from sweetened drinks. Read more about what Dr. Mercola has to say on fructose in these articles.

Dr. Mercola also discussed fitness. He says what many exercisers do wrong is doing too much cardio, which causes oxidative stress. Instead, Dr. Mercola recommends what he calls peak fitness: an exercise program in which for no more than three times a week you exercise, by raising your heart rate up to your anaerobic threshold for 20-30 seconds, recovering for 90 seconds, and repeating this cycle for 8 repetitions. You would also begin this exercise with a 3 minute warm-up, and end with a 2 minute cool down. If you follow this routine, every time you exercise will only be an investment of 20-25 minutes, which he says is better than traditional cardio. Peak fitness exercises increase the amount of human growth hormone (HGH) you produce naturally, because it engages the white muscle fibers, which are the only muscle fibers that increase production of HGH. HGH is "key for strength, health and longevity." Dr. Mercola first learned about this approach to fitness from Phil Campbell, author of the book "Ready, Set, Go!". For more about peak fitness, read Dr. Mercola's articles: "The Major Exercise Mistake I Made for Over 30 Years..." and "Flood Your Body With This 'Youth Hormone' in Just 20 Minutes," which includes an explanation and demonstration of the peak fitness program with Phil Campbell himself.

The food provided at the conference was in line with the Weston A. Price Foundation's nutrition principles, including grass-fed meat, butter, and dairy products, plenty of bone broths (have you ever had beef broth in a Starbucks cup?), fermented foods, and much more. I thought there should have been more vegetables with the meals, but the lack of vegetables may have been due to the drought in Texas.

Overall, it was a great conference with diverse speakers on a variety of nutrition and health-related topics, and it was great to meet others who were also interested in nutrition and their health. I also enjoyed visiting Dallas, Texas for the very first time!

The Pioneer Plaza Cattle Drive in Dallas, Texas

Read more details about the 2011 Mythbusters Conference here, visit this page for conference recordings from 2006-2011, and stay tuned about the Weston A. Price Foundation and their next annual conference on their website. I hope this article has given you some food for thought, and here's to a happy new year!

Handmade BU II 12/2

2011-11-28T12:30:00.002-05:00

I am very excited to be participating in Handmade BU II this Friday!

"Hosting student vendors, Handmade BU II will showcase the DIY talent of BU, and offer the community a chance to buy fabulous goods for you to keep warm for the winter, to buy gifts for friends and family, or to treat yo' selves.

All are welcome, including students, faculty, staff, and our friends and neighbors in the greater Boston community!

Vendors will be selling vegan cupcakes, homemade lotion, handknit hats and gloves, tooled leather pouches, unique and charming jewelry, originally painted nail decals, chainmail jewelry cuddly plush animals, silk screened t-shirts...

HMBU will be hosting Sustainability@BU as well, bringing in some of the great artists you've seen at the farmer's market all year."

Read more about Handmade BU here, and check out the Facebook event for Handmade BU II. Thanks to The Center for Gender, Sexuality, and Activism at BU for sponsoring the event!

When: Friday, December 2, 2011, from 10 am - 6 pm

Where: The link at the George Sherman Union (GSU) at Boston University (775 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215)

Items that I will be selling include, but are not limited to:

Handmade moisturizer creams for body, face, and hands
Deodorant
Lip balms and lip glosses
Facial exfoliating scrubs
2-in-1 body wash and hair cleanser
Moisturizing and massage oils
Make Your Own Lip Balm Kit
And more

I'm looking forward to the event and I hope to see you there!

"Food Fight" Screening and Discussion

2011-11-01T10:55:00.004-04:00

The Harvard Food Law Society hosted a film screening and discussion of the documentary film "Food Fight" last week on National Food Day, with Director Chris Taylor.

Food Fight "is a fascinating look at how American agricultural policy and food culture developed in the 20th century, and how the California food movement has created a counter-revolution against big agribusiness." Chris Taylor also described the film as a "murder mystery, with taste as the victim."

How did big agribusiness develop? Before World War II, major problems in the United States included an inadequate food supply and malnourishment. Post-WWII, fertilizers, pesticides, and large-petroleum based machinery developed during the war encouraged the growth of large farms, so much in fact that the number of farms in the U.S. decreased from 6 million to 2 million from 1945 to 1970.

In addition, in the 1970s, Earl Butz of the U.S. Department of Agriculture supported large scale agribusiness. While previously the government regulated agriculture by keeping supply and demand in balance, in the 1970s, the government supported large farms by encouraging them to grow large quantities of commodities, such as corn and soy. "Don't worry about overproduction, Butz told farmers on trips through the Midwest. Produce all you can, and we'll the sell the surplus overseas!" This led to the growth of cheap food, and to produce being grown for their shipping qualities, and not for their qualities of taste and flavor. Overproduction of commodities also led to the development of many processed foods, such as foods containing corn and variations of corn, including high fructose corn syrup. Foods were being developed for their cheapness and convenience, not for their quality and taste.

The movie also showed that although food costs have gone down over time, instead, we are paying increasing prices for the cost of health care, which is partly related to more Americans getting diseases from an unhealthy food supply. Below is a graph that demonstrates this idea, although it is a different one than was used in the movie.

Photo link from this article

To counter industrial food, "Food Fight" identifies Chez Panisse in California as a major player in the counter-revolution in California. Alice Waters and Chez Panisse "are convinced that the best-tasting food is organically and locally grown and harvested in ways that are ecologically sound by people who are taking care of the land for future generations." However, originally in opening the restaurant, Alice Waters wasn't looking to promote local and organic food. She wished to provide the most delicious and pleasurable food, and in searching for that, found that this food was local, organic, and sustainably grown.

To wrap up the film, we finished with a Q&A session with Director Chris Taylor, who is also a Harvard alum.

If you haven't previously thought about where the food on your plate comes from, the documentary "Food Fight" is a good place to start. Thanks to the Harvard Food Law Society for putting on the event, and here's to voting with your fork!

Christopher Hobbs: Plant Walk and Talk

2011-10-17T12:25:00.005-04:00

The other week, I was lucky to be able to attend Christopher Hobbs' plant walk and talk on "An Integrative Approach to Pain and Inflammation" at Mass Audubon's Habitat Education Center and Wildlife Sanctuary in Belmont, sponsored by Rainbow Light.

Christopher Hobbs is "a licensed acupuncturist and 4th generation herbalist and botanist with over 30 years of experience with herbs." In addition, he is the "director of formulation" of all Rainbow Light products, and has written numerous books on herbs and health.

Christopher Hobbs, as he talks about oregon grape root
Photo courtesy of Melanie Flach

Here, I will recap some of the points that Christopher Hobbs made in his plant walk and talk. I think the food-loving side of me caused me to take more notes on the culinary herbs, so you should be familiar with many of them!

We first came across a patch of wintergreen, the leaves of which can be used for tea. Wintergreen is easy to grow in the shade, and wintergreen essential oil can be applied externally to help relieve pain, arthritis, and more.

Wintergreen
Photo courtesy of Melanie Flach

When using plants for healing, it can be important to know where the plant is from and the environmental conditions that it grew in, because the concentration of compounds in a plant and the scents they emit can vary greatly, according to environmental threats, the quality of the soil, and more.

Christopher Hobbs recommends using fresh herbs whenever possible. Ideally, one would have some garden space, such as in a backyard or a community garden plot. If you don't have access to a plot of land, you can also grow plants on your windowsill. Don't have a green thumb? There are still fresh herbs in the supermarkets if need be!

Next, Christopher Hobbs gave several cooking tips. He recommends adding fresh herbs at the end of cooking, so that the volatile oils, often which have protective compounds, don't evaporate off. In addition, when cooking with garlic, it is advised to crush the garlic well first, let the garlic sit for at least 2-3 minutes before use, and add it to the cooking food shortly before serving. Crushing the garlic and allowing the garlic to sit for a few minutes before use is needed for allicin to break down, the compound in garlic that offers many health benefits. Christopher Hobbs is a particular fan of the Zyliss Garlic Press, which he says releases many of the garlic's juices (to release the allicin, just chopping the garlic won't work. Crushing or pressing the garlic is required as well).

The herb thyme has a variety of uses. Thyme has antiseptic, antispasmodic, and expectorant effects, and is taken for various ailments such as whopping cough, bronchitis, coughs, and sore throats. It also contains thymol, a broad spectrum antibiotic. Thyme can be served as a tea, and is also used in other forms.

Thyme
Photo source

We looked at several mushrooms species, as well. The turkey tail mushroom has a long history of medicinal use, and much scientific research to support its use.

Turkey tail mushroom

The turkey tail mushroom has been found to be helpful against cancer. Some identifying factors include "zones" on the top of the mushroom and a pore-like surface on the underside of the mushroom. The turkey tail mushroom also grows in shelf-like structures. However, be cautious if you are mushroom hunting- it can be easy to accidentally identify a poisonous mushroom as a safe one if you are not experienced! Learn more about mushrooms in Christopher Hobbs' book, Medicinal Mushrooms.

In addition, Chinese medicine offers a wealth of information on herbs. For those interested in learning more about Chinese medicine, Christopher Hobbs recommends the book The Web That has No Weaver: Understanding Chinese Medicine by Ted Kaptchuk. And to purchase chemical-free and high quality Chinese herbs, check out Asia Natural Products based in San Francisco, California.

Finally, Christopher Hobbs finished off the day with a presentation on additional herbs and discussion of how herbs are integrated into Rainbow Light's products, which are 100% food-based supplements.

It was an informative morning and I am glad I was able to attend. To learn more about herbs and health from Christopher Hobbs, visit his website.

Recap: Integrative Nutrition Live in NYC: Fall IINto Action 2011 Conference!

2011-09-21T15:34:00.002-04:00

I had a great time this past weekend at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition's conference, Fall IINto Action. Since January, I have been training to be a health coach at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition through their distance learning program, so it was great to see the lecturers in person at the conference! In addition, I enjoyed meeting fellow IIN students and graduates, who came from the U.S.A. and all over the world to attend the conference for the weekend.

Speakers we heard from included Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. David L. Katz, Dr. Mark Hyman, Pierre Dukan, Sally Fallon Morell, Dr. Deepak Chopra, and Kathy Freston. And of course, Joshua Rosenthal, founder of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Joshua Rosenthal

Here, I will share highlights of some of the lectures of the conference:

On Saturday, Sally Fallon Morel of the Weston Price Foundation addressed some of the discrepancies in the United States Department of Agriculture, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 that they helped to develop. The dietary guidelines were "developed to meet nutrition needs...Though they have not been specifically tested for health benefits..." (source: page 50 in this document). In addition, Sally Fallon spoke about several benefits of raw milk. For example, raw milk contains components that help to strengthen the immune system. In addition, raw milk is easier to digest than pasteurized milk: in one study, over 80% of individuals who had been advised by health care professionals that they were lactose intolerant were able to digest raw milk without a problem. I am exited to be attending the Weston Price Foundation's 12th Annual Wise Traditions Conference this November, so look forward to hearing more about the Weston Price Foundation then!

Dr. Joel Fuhrman talked about the rise in infectious diseases, due to numerous causes such as the overuse of antibiotics and increased travel. In order to maximize our immune function, we need to increase our intake of macronutrients. How to do this? One way is to eat GOMBS:

G- greens
O- onions
M- mushrooms
B- beans and berries
S- seeds

Learn more by checking out his book, Super Immunity.

On Sunday, Dr. David Katz told us that the masters of our medical destinies are our feet, forks, and fingers. Dr. Katz also discussed some of the programs that he is involved with to improve nutrition and physical activity in schools and at home: ABC for Fitness (Activity Bursts in the Classroom), A-B-E for Fitness (Activity Bursts Everywhere), and Nutrition Detectives, a program for elementary school children that shows them "5 clues" to reading food labels, helping them to identify and choose healthful foods.

Finally, Dr. Deepak Chopra spoke about well-being, consciousness, awareness, and more. Ten questions that he recommended that we ask ourselves everyday, in order to help us to identify with ourselves and our purpose include:

Who am I?
What do I want?
What is or what would be a peak experience to me?
What's my life purpose?
What kind of contribution do I want to make to the society and the world?
What does a meaningful relationship mean to me?
How do I contribute to relationships?
What are my unique skills and talents and how do I use them to serve the world?
Who are my heroes in history, mythology, and religion?
What's my story?

Again, it was great to hear from such a diverse set of speakers, who each had different philosophies on nutrition and health. The diverse range of nutrition theories presented relates to IIN's theory of bio-individuality: that no one diet works for everyone, because we all are different. Interested in learning more about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition? Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, and you can also read more about IIN through their website here. If you are interested in signing up for their health coaching program, please let me know- I currently have an offer where you can receive up to $1,000 off of tuition from their distance-learning program if you sign up by September 29! Not ready to take the plunge yet? No worries! I occasionally receive discount offers off of the program tuition for friends and family, so if you ever consider signing up in the future, please contact me. I also offer free initial health consultations if you are interested in working with a health coach to meet your health goals. More information about my health coaching services can be found on my other site, http://www.annabelleho.com.

Eat happy and eat healthy, and I hope you are enjoying the farmers markets while local produce is still in season! :)

How to Make Herbal-Infused Oils

2011-09-08T12:07:00.008-04:00

Making herbal-infused oils is a great way to add properties of an herb to an oil, such as for their color, their medicinal properties, or for their scents. Herbal oils can be used on their own, or they can be used in various body products. There are numerous ways to prepare herbal-infused oils, and individuals each have their own ways and opinions on how to make herbal oils. Keep in mind that herbal-infused oils are not the same as essential oils, and cannot be used interchangeably. When making an herbal oil, it is best to use a stable oil that will not go rancid quickly, and the ideal choice is usually cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. If you are making an herbal oil with an oil that is less stable, such as almond oil, then the infused oil will need to be used more quickly. Here, I will introduce you to a few different methods on how to make herbal-infused oils. Enjoy!

Herbal-Infused Oils with Dried Herbs

Adapted from Dina Falconi's directions in Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair, p. 222

Making herbal oils with dried herbs is a great way to begin learning how to make herbal-infused oils. Because dry herbs contain little or no water, they are much less susceptible to spoilage as compared to infused oils made with fresh herbs.

Add 1 oz. of herb by weight to a clean and completely dry glass jar with a tight lid.
Pour 4 fl. oz. of oil over the herbs in the jar. If infusing a fluffy and voluminous herb, such as chamomile or calendula, add 5-6 fl. oz. of oil instead of the 4 fl. oz.
Stir the contents of the jar well until the herbs are completely saturated with the oil, then tightly cover the lid. Label the jar with the date and contents.
Try to shake the jar daily, as the agitation helps to maximize the release of the herbal properties into the oil. Placing the jar in the oven with the pilot light on can be helpful, as the warmth helps to encourage the extraction process. Steep the oils for 6 weeks or longer.
After steeping the oil, strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer.
Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get. However, even after thoroughly squeezing out the oil, expect a loss of ~20-30% of the oil, because some oil is absorbed by the plant material.
Store the oil in a clean and dry glass jar with a tight lid. Store the jar in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Alkanet root-infused extra-virgin olive oil, made with dried alkanet root. I can't wait to make some lip balms with this red-tinted oil! Annatto seeds can also be used to infuse oils, giving them a yellow-orange shade.

Herbal-Infused Oils with Fresh Herbs

Information adapted from Dina Falconi, in Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair, p. 222-223

More care needs to be taken when making herbal-infused oils with fresh herbs, because the water content of fresh herbs makes these infused oils more susceptible to spoilage. Rotten smells are a sign that the oil has gone bad, and if this happens, the entire contents need to be thrown out and you will need to start over. If the infused oil grows mold but the oil still smells good, you can attempt to save the oil by removing the moldy part, and adding more oil to keep the herbs submerged. Thus, it is sometimes easier to make herbal-infused oils with dried herbs rather than fresh herbs, because spoilage is much less likely. However, keep in mind that St. John's Wort oil needs to be prepared with the fresh plant, in order to obtain its healing properties. For plants that have a high moisture content or protein content, it may be easier to dry them for a few days before using them to make an infused oil, or to make these infused-oils using a heat method.

Directions for Making Herbal-Infused Oils with Fresh Herbs, Without Heat

Adapted from Dina Falconi's directions in Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair, p. 223

Fill a clean and completely dry glass jar with fresh herbs, loosely packing them in.
Pour oil over the herbs until all of the herbs are submerged, so that none of the plant material is exposed to the air.
Cap and label the jar with the date and contents.
Place the jar in a bowl, just in case oil seeps over the edges of the jar.
Try to shake the jar daily, as the agitation helps to maximize the release of the herbal properties into the oil. Placing the jar in the oven with the pilot light on can be helpful, as the warmth encourages the extraction process. Steep the oils for 6 weeks or longer.
After steeping the oil, strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer.
Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get.
Let the strained oil sit for a few days, which allows the water from the fresh herbs to collect at the bottom of the jar.
Pour off the oil into a clean and dry jar with a tight-fitting lid, and discard the liquid that has collected at the bottom. If the water isn't separated out, the oil may spoil.
Store the oil in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Making Herbal-Infused Oils with Heat

Making herbal-infused oils with heat is an excellent method for infusing herbs that contain a lot of moisture or protein. Heating the oil helps to evaporate water from the fresh herbs, which discourages spoilage of the oil. Making herbal oils with heat can also be used for dried herbs to speed up the infusion process, and sometimes yields a more potent oil.

Directions 1

Adapted from Dina Falconi's directions in Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair, p. 223

Place the herb and oil filled jar (following the proportions in the other directions above), uncovered, on a heat source that doesn't exceed 125 degrees F. Keeping the jar uncovered encourages the water from the herbs to evaporate. The heat source may be, for example, a radiator, warming tray, or whatever will offer consistent, gentle heat. You can also place the jar in a water bath of an electric cooking pot or slow cooker set on low. However, if their lowest heat settings are above 125 degrees F, you may need to turn it on and off throughout the day to adjust the temperature. If you don't have a thermometer to check the temperature, feel the oil to make sure it isn't too hot. Oil at 125 degrees should be cool enough to touch without burning yourself, although if you continue to touch the oil for a few seconds, it should feel a little too hot for comfort.
Infuse the herb and oil mixture for 10 days.
Strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer.
Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get.
If infusing fresh herbs: let the strained oil sit for a few days, which allows the water from the fresh herbs to collect at the bottom of the jar. Pour off the oil into a clean and dry jar with a tight-fitting lid, and discard the liquid that has collected at the bottom. If the water isn't separated out, the oil may spoil.
Store the oil in a clean and dry glass jar with a tight lid. Store the jar in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Directions 2

Adapted from Rosemary Gladstar's directions in Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, p. 383-384

Place the herbs and oil (following the proportions in the other directions above) in a double boiler and bring to a low simmer.
Slowly heat for 30-60 min., checking frequently to ensure the oil is not overheating. The lower the heat, the longer the infusion, the better the oil.
Strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer.
Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get.
If infusing fresh herbs: let the strained oil sit for a few days, which allows the water from the fresh herbs to collect at the bottom of the jar. Pour off the oil into a clean and dry jar with a tight-fitting lid, and discard the liquid that has collected at the bottom. If the water isn't separated out, the oil may spoil.
Store the oil in a clean and dry glass jar with a tight lid. Store the jar in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Solar-Infused Oil for Dry or Fresh Herbs

Adapted from Rosemary Gladstar's directions in Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, p. 383

Place the herb and oil filled jar (following the proportions in the other directions above), tightly covered, in a warm and sunny spot.
Shaking the jar daily helps to maximize the release of the herbal properties into the oil. Let the oil steep for 2 weeks.
Strain the oil by placing a strainer lined with a thin cloth, such as cheesecloth, over a bowl, and pour the contents of the jar into the cloth-lined strainer. Gather the ends of the cloth together and squeeze out any remaining oil from the herbs. The more you squeeze, the more oil you will get.
Add a fresh batch of herbs to the oil and infuse for 2 more weeks, following the same directions as described in steps 1-2.
Strain the oil again as described in step 3. This will give you a very potent medicinal oil.
If infusing fresh herbs: let the strained oil sit for a few days, which allows the water from the fresh herbs to collect at the bottom of the jar. Pour off the oil into a clean and dry jar with a tight-fitting lid, and discard the liquid that has collected at the bottom. If the water isn't separated out, the oil may spoil.
Store the oil in a clean and dry glass jar with a tight lid. Store the jar in a cool, dark, and dry place. Depending on the oil used, herbal-infused oils may last for several months, and sometimes years.

Sources:

1. Falconi, Dina. Earthly Bodies and Heavenly Hair. Woodstock, NY: Ceres Press, 1998, p. 221-223.

2. Gladstar, Rosemary. Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2008, p. 383-384.

Herbal Medicine Box at the Boston University Farmers Market!

2011-08-29T12:55:00.007-04:00

I am really excited to be a participating vendor at the Boston University Farmers Market this fall.

The market runs on Thursdays, September 8 - October 27, from 12 - 5 pm, at the George Sherman Union (GSU) Plaza at BU, at 775 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215. Although the market runs from 12 - 5 pm, I will be at the market from approximately 12 - 4 pm, because I waitress at night at Taberna de Haro. For more information about the BU Farmers Market and participating vendors, visit their web page and keep updated with their Facebook page.

I will be selling various natural body products, including, but not limited to:

-Moisturizer creams

-Lip balms

-Shampoos

-Body washes

-Facial exfoliating scrubs

-Other rotational items- stay updated on Facebook

Geranium Moisturizing Cream

Items will be subject to availability. If there is anything that you would like to see me sell at the market, let me know, I love hearing suggestions and feedback!

For the latest updates on the products I will be bringing to the market, connect with Herbal Medicine Box on Facebook.

Hope to see you at the farmers market!

Recipe: Homemade Deodorant

2011-08-22T15:12:00.007-04:00

I had a great time at my Kitchen Cosmetics Demo a few weeks ago, and so I wanted to share another natural body product recipe with you: homemade deodorant. I first tried out this recipe when I saw it on Alex's blog, Feed Me Like You Mean It, and I'm so glad I did! I've found it more effective than the natural deodorants I've tried in stores, and it's really simple to make. Read Alex's post on homemade deodorant here, and two sources of his inspiration to make it here and here. Below is the recipe including Alex's adaptations and some of my own:

Coconut-oil based deodorant:

1/2 cup coconut oil
3 tbsp baking soda
1.5 tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch
8-32 drops assorted essential oils (including tea tree)

Directions:

If the coconut oil isn't already melted due to warm temperatures (it melts at around 75 degrees F), gently melt the coconut oil in a warm/hot water bath. Pour the coconut oil into an 8-oz glass jar.
Add the baking soda, arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), and essential oils, and stir until combined.
Once the ingredients are combined, cover and put the jar in the refrigerator so that the deodorant solidifies. I usually keep my deodorant in the refrigerator, so it stays at a solid state. If you leave the deodorant out at room temperature and if it's warm enough, the ingredients will separate, so just mix the ingredients before use. In addition, you can fill an old and empty deodorant container with this deodorant recipe. To use, apply the deodorant onto underarms.

Explanations for the ingredients:

Coconut oil acts as the base.
Baking soda cleans and deodorizes.
Arrowroot powder and cornstarch aid in absorbing moisture and here, perspiration. Arrowroot powder tends to be gentler and smoother on the skin, so that is what I used.
Essential oils aid with their beneficial properties and pleasant scents. Antibacterial essential oils are especially helpful in deodorant, because it is bacteria that causes body odor. Thus, tea tree essential oil is recommended, because it is one of the strongest essential oils in terms of its antibacterial properties. I used 16 drops juniper essential oil, 12 drops of tea tree essential oil, and 4 drops lemongrass essential oil in this recipe, because tea tree and lemongrass are both antibacterial essential oils. Lavender is another nice essential oil, that is also antibacterial. Choose essential oils according to their properties and your own preferences. To read more about essential oils and the aromatherapy course that I took, read my blog post here.

Again, there are many reasons to using homemade and natural cosmetics, including not being exposed to various chemicals and toxic substances that may be found in commercial products. To read more about what may be found in your everyday cosmetics, check out The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. In this recipe, all of the ingredients are edible (although consuming essential oils should be done with caution, if done at all, as I previously mentioned. If you have any concerns about this, you may want to contact your health care practitioner).

I hope that some of you will try out this homemade deodorant, and please share if you do!

Kitchen Cosmetics Demo 8/6

2011-07-24T17:23:00.003-04:00

I am looking forward to my next Kitchen Cosmetics demonstration on Saturday, August 6! I hope to see you there!

When: Saturday, August 6, 2011, from 3:00 - 4:30 pm

Location: Brookline, MA. Close to the Harvard Ave. stop on the B (green) MBTA line. For the address, please e-mail Annabelle at info [at] herbalmedicinebox.com or RSVP through The Urban Homesteaders' League.

Cost: Sliding Scale, $15-$30

Details:

Ever wanted to learn how to make your own body care products? Many commercial body care products may contain ingredients or chemicals linked to toxicities. Your skin is your body's largest organ. If you can't eat it, why put it on your skin?

In this workshop, Annabelle will demonstrate how to make a homemade moisturizer cream, lip balm, and exfoliating scrub, all made with natural ingredients, and many of which can be found in your own kitchen! She will discuss the ingredients used for these products, and how the recipes can be customized to suit individuals' needs.

Everyone will receive a sample made in the demo.

RSVP: by e-mailing Annabelle at info [at] herbalmedicinebox.com or through The Urban Homesteaders' League.

Get Your Farmers Markets On!

2011-07-20T16:48:00.007-04:00

The growing season in New England is in full swing! I've written before about farmers markets and The Lexington Farmers Market. If you don't already have a CSA and haven't made it to a farmers market yet, now is the perfect time to stop by!

Shopping at farmers markets helps to support the local community and helps to support the farmers, because you are buying directly from the producer. In addition to more flavorful and fresher produce when you buy fruits and vegetables that are in season, you may also find different varieties of fruits and vegetables at the farmers market that you can't find at the grocery store. By shopping at a farmers market, you can also learn more about the foods and how they are produced, because you can often talk to the farmer or producer. Nowadays, farmers markets contain more than just produce vendors: depending on the farmers market, you may also find fish vendors, meat vendors, baked goods, sauces and salsas, wine vendors, artisans, and more.

I biked from Brookline to The Lexington Farmers Market last week, and couldn't help but purchase some golden raspberries from F. Busa Farm's gorgeous fruit display.

To find a local farmers market near you, check out the Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets site, Local Harvest, this interactive Google map at Mass.gov, and Edible Boston's listing of farmers markets. And if you see Flats Mentor Farm at the farmers market, consider stopping by and seeing what they have to offer! Read my article about Flats Mentor Farm for the Lexington Minuteman here. Finally, when cabbage is in season (or you can use other vegetables as well!), how about making some sauerkraut?

Hope you are enjoying this season's bounty!

Fermenting Rice: Amazaké

2011-06-30T16:05:00.014-04:00

Ever since I first tried the fermented rice drink, amazaké, from Whole Foods, I've been intrigued at how to make it. It was hard to believe that such a sweet beverage could be made only with rice and a fermentation starter, without any added sweetener! Although amazaké literally means "sweet sake," it contains almost no alcohol because the fermentation process is stopped with the addition of heat. (Or if the fermentation process isn't stopped, then making amazaké can be the first step to making sake, the Japanese rice wine). Amazaké can be made with grains and koji, or it can be made with sake lees, which are byproducts from the sake making process. Like many other fermented foods, amazaké is thought to be very nutritious. For example, it is said to contain B vitamins. And because I love fermentation, I thought that making amazaké would be a great culinary endeavor!

Here, I am providing a brief recap of the recipe to make amazaké (a combination of the recipe listed in Sandor Katz's book, Wild Fermentation (1), and South River Miso's Amazaké recipe). For a more detailed set of directions, check out South River Miso's Amazaké recipe.

Ingredients:

-Water

-2 cups grain (I used brown rice, but other grains may be substituted, such as millet)

-2 cups koji (I ordered my koji locally from South River Miso. The koji is the fermentation starter, and here it's brown rice inoculated with the spores of the mold Aspergillus oryzae)

Brown rice koji from South River Miso

Directions

1. Cook the grain in 6 cups of water. Please note: do not add salt when cooking the grain.

2. When the grain is finished cooking, remove from heat, uncover the pot, and allow the grain to cool down to about 110-130° F. Don't let the grain get too cool- koji can tolerate temperatures as high as 140° F.

3. Add the koji to the cooked grain and stir well.

Brown rice with koji mixed in

4. Keep the container in a warm place for about 5-8 hours or overnight (at least 90° F or above). The amount of time you ferment the mixture will depend on the desired level of sweetness and the temperature. The higher the temperature, the quicker the fermentation process will take place. Do not let the grain get above 140° F, which can kill the koji. Suggestions for incubation: a rice cooker on keep warm, with a towel on top instead of the hard cover. Or incubate in the oven with a pilot light, in a hot water bath, etc.).

Amazaké after about 5 hours

5. When the amazaké is at your desired level of sweetness, gently boil it with some additional water or heat it up to stop the fermentation process (which will prevent the amazaké from turning into alcohol). Be careful not to burn the amazaké.

6. Amazaké can be stored for several weeks in the refrigerator. Serve the amazaké as is as a pudding, or add water to it and put it in a blender to made a sweet rice drink. You can also seasonings to it, such as honey or spices. Amazaké can also be used as a sweet base for various preparations, such as breads and baked goods. Read more suggestions for what to do with amazaké here.

My amazaké didn't turn out as watery as I thought it would be, so I ended up making sweet rice balls with my amazaké:

Amazaké rice balls, covered with black and white sesame seeds, coconut flakes, and sea salt, with a peanut in the center.

Two comments from my experience:

-I tried freezing some of the rice balls, but they did not taste very good after being kept in the freezer.

-I used a slow cooker to incubate and ferment the amazaké. However, from a quick google search, it seems that slow cooker temperatures, even on low, can reach temperatures to above 140° F. This meant that I was constantly monitoring the amazaké to try and ensure that it didn't get above 140° F (I didn't have a food thermometer, so I was estimating). So, ferment amazaké in a slow cooker at your own risk...

Amazaké is a fun and different way to enjoy your grains. In addition, amazaké is a great way to have a sweet snack that is also healthy, without any additional sugar added.

If you are interested in trying amazaké before you attempt to make it, I have found amazaké at various Whole Foods Markets and at the Harvest Co-Op. At the Harvest Co-Op, I've also found amazaké in various delicious flavors, such as Almond Shake and Go Hazelnuts. You may also find amazaké in your local Asian grocery store. If you have any stories about your experience with amazaké, please share!

Source:

1. Katz, Sandor Ellix. Wild Fermentation. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2003, p. 118-119.

Aromatherapy Course

2011-05-05T10:00:00.004-04:00

This past February, I completed an Aromatherapy Certification Course with Clinical Herbalist, Linda Patterson, at The Boston School of Herbal Studies. This course ran from November-February, one Saturday class a month from 10 am - 5 pm.

In the course, we learned about the different body systems (including the respiratory system, digestive system, olfactory system, and more), their typical ailments, and the essential oils used to treat these ailments and body systems. Throughout the course, we were introduced to 50 essential oils, and techniques used for blending them.

It was pretty amazing to learn what essential oils can do. They can be used to treat numerous ailments, including depression, muscular pains and aches, infections, stress, and more. After taking the class, it was hard not to purchase a variety of essential oils.

Every essential oil has different properties, and it's fun and interesting to learn about, to experiment with, and to combine different oils. Essential oils can be expensive, though, and if you did have to narrow down the ones you were buying, these are the recommended top two: Tea Tree, the "king" of essential oils, and Lavender, the "queen" of essential oils. Tea tree essential oil is primarily known for its antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, which also make it a great natural preservative in homemade body care products. It is also a powerful antiseptic, and has many other uses. Lavender essential oil is very calming, has an enjoyable floral fragrance, and is cytophylactic, encouraging the growth of skin cells, among other numerous benefits. For a book on the properties of different essential oils, The Directory of Essential Oils by Wanda Sellar is one recommended read.

Where to purchase essential oils? Throughout the course, Linda persistently reminded us about the importance of using practitioner grade essential oil whenever possible, meaning that the essential oils in the bottle contain only the oil from the first distillation of the plant, ensuring that the oil is of the highest quality and integrity. (As opposed to the same plant material being distilled twice, ensure that there are no other preservatives or other ingredients put into the oil, etc.). To guarantee that your essential oils are of good quality, you may need to do a little research. Currently, I purchase essential oils from Aromatherapy International, because this company has essential oils of high quality and there is a distributor of this line in Boston. Other recommended companies to purchase essential oils from include Floracopeia (they are expensive but their essential oils smell AMAZING) and Fragrant Earth.

Essential oils can be applied using various methods. A single essential oil diluted in a carrier oil or a blend of 3-5 essential oils diluted in a carrier oil can be applied topically. Carrier oils can be any type of oil, such as almond oil, apricot kernel oil, extra virgin olive oil, etc. Typically (but there are some exceptions) it is not recommended to apply essential oils topically by themselves without a fat or some type of carrier oil, because essential oils are very strong. In our class, we diluted 15 drops of essential oil in 1 oz of carrier oil. In addition, we learned never to take essential oils internally (again, essential oils are STRONG). However, this opinion differs depending on who you talk to.

Another way that essential oils can be enjoyed is by diffusers and nebulizers. In order to preserve the quality of the essential oils, especially if you are using them for medicinal purposes, it is important not to add heat to them (this rules out most diffusers, such as candle diffusers). Nebulizers technically are not supposed to use heat when diffusing the scent of an essential oil across a room. For example, a picture of a glass nebulizer can be found here. The downside to this nebulizer is that it requires a lot of essential oil when using it, and it is very hard to clean. The other nebulizer that was recommended to us in the course was the Heavenly Scent Diffuser/Nebulizer:

Heavenly Scent Diffuser/Nebulizer

Add some water to the nebulizer and 5-7 drops of essential oils, plug it in, and you can enjoy the scent for 50 min. - 9 hours, depending on what timer settings you choose. The downside is that the diffuser does use specially designed plastic cups to put the essential oils in for use. However, they last for quite awhile and shouldn't need to be replaced often. The upside is that the nebulizer does not require much essential oil for use, is easy to clean, has a convenient timer, and produces a lovely mist! To diffuse the essential oils, this nebulizer uses a fan that breaks down the molecules of the essential oils, and releases them into the air. The Heavenly Scent Diffuser can be purchased from Aromatherapy International. Something to remember if purchasing a nebulizer other than the ones mentioned here is that not all nebulizers sold are actually nebulizers. Again, technically, nebulizers aren't supposed to use heat to break down the essential oils, whereas diffusers can use heat. Many nebulizers sold on the market may use heat, even if they are called nebulizers. So if you are considering purchasing a nebulizer, make sure that you are in fact paying for a nebulizer, and not a diffuser!

Finally, in our last aromatherapy class, we made several natural body products, and applied our essential oil blending techniques to use in the products. Items we made included body powders, bath salts, and a moisturizer cream.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Aromatherapy Certification Course, and would highly recommend it to others. For myself, I've found it important to learn more about my health and ways to take care of myself using natural methods. If you have any questions about the course, please let me know! And to learn more about The Boston School of Herbal Studies and the classes that they offer, check out their website and join their mailing list!

Living Foods Lifestyle Program: Wrap-Up

2011-04-28T14:36:00.010-04:00

After eating a vegan, raw food diet for two weeks, it's strange being back in Boston and to be introduced to cooked foods again! Here, I would like to wrap-up my experience doing the Living Foods Lifestyle Program at the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute.

As I mentioned in my post on day one, we were kept rather busy in the program. On the weekdays, there was optional yoga at 6:15 am, juicing and drinking wheatgrass from 7:30-8:30 am, silent breakfast from 8:30 - 9:15 am, class until 12:30 pm with a break for snack in-between, and a nice afternoon break that was perfect for taking naps, with optional yoga at 2:45. Classes resumed at 4:15 until 6 pm, then dinner, and a final class at 7 pm. See sample schedules of the institute's programs here . Topics varied, with classes based on nutrition, disease, and health, the mind and the body, how to grow your own food,

Learning how to grow wheatgrass and sprouts

Composting class. Their composting system is very efficient- this pile turns into usable compost within a mere six weeks!

how to prepare your own food,

Preparing zucchini flaxseed crackers in Food Dehydration Lab

and more.

Coconut experience class. Mmmm fresh coconut water and coconut meat!

Because of my interest in nutrition, health, gardening, and food, I enjoyed many of the classes. One topic that struck me was how they reiterated the importance of cleaning your colon, via enemas and implants. The colon is an extremely important organ, after all. Although I had been nervous about doing them at first, I actually began to enjoy the clean feeling that I got after doing enemas. The wheatgrass implants, however, are something that I still need to get used to. I even got a colonic at the institute (which apparently are as strong as approximately 40 enemas) to see what it was like. It was a strange and interesting experience, but I did enjoy the clean feeling that I got after completing the colonic. Even though I can't imagine getting colonics on a regular basis, I imagine that some colonics lie in my future.

As for the food, energy soup, a combination of blended greens, sprouts, sprouted peas or lentils, and rejuvelac, made the base of the diet at the institute. Other toppings allowed to be added to the energy soup included papaya, a source of fat (usually flax cream or sunflower seed yogurt), pureed garlic, pureed sauerkraut, and dulse flakes, as pictured here. Because the energy soup is so nutritionally dense, somewhat predigested because of the addition of the fermented rejuvelac, and because it is the base of the diet at the institute, the soup was available at all meals and available in the fridge throughout the day.

When I first arrived at the institute, the energy soup tasted ok to me. After all, it is basically just a salad, blended. However, the second day that I was at the institute, I got extremely sick, with diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, and was rushed to the hospital. There, they replenished my fluids with several IV bags of saline solution. Reasons for my sickness may have been a bug or virus of some sort, related to detoxing, and/or related to a deficiency in salt and electrolytes. At the institute, no salt is used, except in the form of seaweed, which was usually available as dulse flakes that we could sprinkle on our food. In any case, after my sickness on the second day, I had trouble drinking the energy soup, perhaps because of the traumatic experience.

Besides the energy soup, the other food option at silent breakfast, which you were not allowed to combine with the energy soup, was a fruit salad (usually papaya and banana) with sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat that you could sprinkle on top.

Lunch was typically a salad bar and energy soup.

For dinner, energy soup was available daily, and there were usually some flaxseed crackers to go with it as well. Snack in-between meals (one at 11 am and one at 3 pm) was usually coconut water, and occasionally fruit, such as bananas, oranges, or papaya.

On day one, I mentioned that wheatgrass was something that was new to me in the program. Despite the numerous reported health benefits of wheatgrass, I never got accustomed to it. It made me nauseous, which many of the others at the institute said was normal in the beginning. However, after a week of trying the wheatgrass and the continual nausea, I decided that it was time to give drinking wheatgrass a break. The second week, I continued to do several wheatgrass implants, but stopped taking wheatgrass by mouth. Although the wheatgrass didn't work for me this time, I imagine that if I return to a raw food center again at some point in the future, I'd be willing to give wheatgrass another try.

Besides being in classes, it was nice to travel around Puerto Rico on the weekend (renting a car or getting car access is necessary to get around in Puerto Rico). We went snorkeling, visited some beaches,

Beautiful, unnamed beach near the sand flats in southwest Puerto Rico

stopped by San German, the original capital of Puerto Rico,

enjoyed some beautiful sunsets,

and more.

Dinner at sea

We were definitely kept busy over the two weeks. But before I knew it, the graduation ceremony with joyous dancing and festivities came up,

and I received my certificate for completing the two week intensive Living Foods Lifestyle Program.

Directors of the program, and me on the second left.

Me and my fellow graduates. Check out our graduation caps (sprouting bags).

The course had its ups and downs, but overall, I enjoyed the experience. It was great to talk to and get to know others who were interested in learning about this lifestyle and improving their health. In addition, it was great to meet so many people of different backgrounds and perspectives. Besides my classmates, there were also many returning students at the institute, who could come to any of the classes if they wished, or who could just enjoy the food and being at the institute and Puerto Rico. We were a very international community, with participants coming from all over the world, including Germany, numerous French-speaking regions, Iceland, Ukraine, and more. The staff was very friendly and supportive, and to be in this supportive environment with others who were going through the same thing as me provided encouragement throughout the program.

How has my return to Boston been? For starters, the flight was a bit of a disappointment. I had planned to leave late Friday night the day my program completed. However, because of a delay in my connecting flight to Boston, I had to reschedule my flight for two days later. I was not happy with Spirit Airlines because a similar problem had occurred on my way to Puerto Rico as well. After this experience, I am not sure if I will be taking Spirit Airlines again.

In other aspects, as I mentioned in the beginning, it is strange to return back to having the option of eating cooked foods again after eating raw and vegan foods for the past two weeks. One of the most significant changes that I've noticed is salt. Because there was no salt used whatsoever at the institute except for the dulse flakes, I am now more aware of any additional salt added to foods. Additionally, the diet was gluten-free at the institute. Although I am not planning on remaining to be completely gluten-free, I am hoping to have a diet that will contain less gluten than what I was originally eating before the program.

Do I plan on staying raw and vegan? Not at the moment. I enjoyed the experience of eating a raw and vegan diet, but I don't think that this diet is right for me at the time, for numerous reasons. Staying raw and vegan is especially hard for those who live in regions with cold winter climates, such as Boston. I also enjoy occasionally eating and getting nutrients from non-vegan foods, such as eggs, fish, meat, and poultry (although of course I aim to purchase as much ethically and sustainably-produced foods as possible, such as organic and local foods and grass-fed meat). I plan to slowly incorporate some cooked and non-vegan foods in my diet, although I plan on keeping some raw foods in my diet, as well (who doesn't love salads, fresh fruits and vegetables, and fermented foods?), and to do what I feel is best for my body. Something important that I remind myself from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition is the concept of bio-individuality: everyone's body has a different constitution, and everyone has different needs. I did enjoy eating a clean, unprocessed diet for two weeks (and losing eight pounds!), but eating a raw, vegan diet isn't appropriate for me at the time.

I enjoyed the experience. However, I don't imagine that I will be retuning back to the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute. In the future, I hope to visit some other raw food centers, such as the Optimum Health Institute and the Hippocrates Health Institute, and am looking forward to seeing some of the similarities and the differences between the programs.

If you are considering visiting a raw food center at some point, or if you have any questions about this lifestyle or the program that I attended, please feel free to contact me!

Living Foods Lifestyle Program: Day 1

2011-04-11T20:54:00.005-04:00

Today was my first day at the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute for their Living Foods Lifestyle Certification Program: 2 weeks of eating, learning, and immersing in a vegan, raw, and living foods lifestyle in sunny Puerto Rico.

But before I get into the program, I'd like to backtrack into how I got there:

The plane ride to Puerto Rico was not the best. A delay in one of my flights meant that I missed a connecting flight, so alas I had to stay an extra day in New York City. The upside was that in my NYC I was able to visit One Lucky Duck, which offers raw foods and juices, and Candle Cafe, which offers vegan and farm fresh food options. The sushi at One Lucky Duck was delicious, filled with marinated shiitake, avocado, asparagus, red pepper, jicama rice, and nama shoyu. However, their chocolate garnache tart, although good, was extremely dense and something that you will want to share with many friends. At Candle Cafe, I loved the BBQ Tempeh and Sweet Potato sandwich served with a side salad and an amazing shallot sage aioli. Their vegan and gluten-free oatmeal and chocolate chip cookie was on the slightly dry and crumbly side (probably due to the spelt flour), but it was good considering that it can be hard to make a good gluten-free cookie.

After rescheduling my flight and after an 8 hour layover at the Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida, I was happy to finally arrive at the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute at 3 am this morning.

please note that these pictures were not taken at 3 am

I have to say that I cannot complain about the surroundings.

The beach next to the institute

A few hours after my arrival, I woke up tired but enthusiastic for my 7:30 am class on juicing wheatgrass. After our class on wheatgrass, we went into the dining room for breakfast. Today's breakfast options were a fresh papaya and banana salad with sprouted buckwheat grains, or energy soup, made with blended green vegetables and sprouts, and that could be topped with various toppings such as pureed ginger and dulse flakes. Breakfast at the institute is the one meal that is always silent, allowing individuals to focus on the meal and to concentrate on chewing, a part that can be often forgotten about in eating: chewing is the first step in the digestive process, allowing the enzyme salivary amylase in our saliva to begin breaking down the food in our mouths as we chew.

After breakfast we had a two hour class learning more about Dr. Ann Wigmore and the institute, which was broken up by a 15 minute snack. Then we had lunch, optional yoga at 2:45 pm daily (there is also yoga daily at 6:15 am), another snack, and then class again at 4:15 where we learned about enemas and implants. Dinner is regularly at 6 pm, and after dinner there is typically a class at 7 pm. Classes are on weekdays, and weekends we get off.

Dinner, featuring energy soup, papaya, sunflower seed yogurt, dehydrated flax seed crackers, and various toppings

If eating raw foods is something that you are new to, it definitely takes some getting used to. Even though raw foods has always been an interest of mine in reading, culinary adventures, and dining out, going completely raw and vegan in my diet is not the same as reading about and dabbling in it.

Rejuvelac, a fermented beverage, is always on hand. Pictured here is rejuvelac made from cabbage (left) and quinoa (right). The cabbage rejuvelac is basically like drinking sauerkraut juice.

Two daily activities that I know that I'll need some getting used to are juicing and drinking wheatgrass regularly twice a day (the wheatgrass flavor is strong) and the enemas and implants (enema: clearing the colon, such as with filtered water, and implant: here we implant the colon with wheatgrass juice for cleansing and detoxification. Read more about enemas and implants here). Of course, you only do what you are comfortable with in the program, and it's important to listen to your body. Another challenge that will be coming up very soon (tomorrow) will eating only blended foods for the next three days!

These next two weeks will be an experience featuring different and new food and lifestyle challenges. I am interested to see how my body will adjust to these changes, and also how my diet and lifestyle will change after I return from this trip. Overall, I'm glad to be here, I'm sure that this will be a worthwhile and learning experience, and I'm looking forward to what the next two weeks will bring!

Natural Body Care Demo

2011-03-31T10:07:00.007-04:00

It's been a whirlwind of demonstrations lately! Two weeks ago I had a Kombucha Demo with The Urban Homesteaders' League, this past Sunday I did a Food Preservation and Fermentation workshop at Bountiful Brookline's annual Spring into Gardening event, and this coming Monday I will be teaching Natural Body Care demo with The Urban Homesteaders' League. All of this before an exciting two weeks doing Ann Wigmore's Living Foods Lifestyle Certificate Program in Puerto Rico: a comprehensive two weeks of learning about raw, living, and vegan foods! I am very much looking forward to beginning this program April 10, and I hope to write about some of my experiences here. But in the meantime, I am looking forward to my Natural Body Care demo this upcoming Monday as well, so here is the information about the demo below if you are interested in attending:

Natural Body Care

Date: Monday, April 4, 2011

Time: 6:30 - 8 pm

Location: Brookline, MA. Close to the Harvard Ave. stop on the B (green) MBTA line, or the Coolidge Corner stop on the C (green) line. Please RSVP to receive the address. RSVP details below.

Cost: Sliding Scale, $15-$30

Details:

Ever wanted to learn how to make your own body care products? Many commercial body care products may contain ingredients or chemicals linked to toxicities. Your skin is your body's largest organ. If you can't eat it, why put it on your skin?

Annabelle will demonstrate how to make homemade moisturizer creams, shampoos, lip balms, and more, all made with natural ingredients. She will discuss the ingredients used for these products, and how the recipes can be customized to suit individuals' needs.

RSVP: on the Urban Homeasteaders' League or by e-mailing me at info[at]herbalmedicinebox.com.

Hope to see you there!

A Gardener's Weekend!

2011-03-23T15:55:00.009-04:00

This weekend there are two wonderful events with gardening workshops galore, to get pumped for the spring season!

On Saturday, March 26, from 11 am - 5 pm, the Boston Natural Areas Networks will be holding their 36th Annual Gardeners Gathering at the Curry Student Center at Northeastern University. From their website: "Gardening workshops for community and residential gardeners for both beginner and experienced gardeners. Enjoy networking, door prizes, info gallery, community garden awards, and more! All invited to join with more than 300 community gardeners to welcome spring. Free event, all welcome, walk-in registration..." For more information about the event, click here.

On Sunday, March 27, from 10 am - 4 pm, is Bountiful Brookline's annual Spring into Gardening event at the Pierce School at 50 School St., Brookline, MA. A day full of workshops, panels, keynote speech given by Greg Watson, a demonstration area, children's activities, and more. General admission is $10/person, $20/family. Or if you volunteer at the event for 2 hours, general admission is FREE. If you're interested in volunteering, contact bountifulbrooklineevent [at] gmail.com. For more information on the event, go here.

I will be teaching a Food Preservation and Fermentation Workshop at Spring into Gardening at 2 pm: "This workshop will provide a brief overview of various methods of food preservation, including drying herbs, canning, and fermenting. Emphasis will be on fermentation. This workshop will include a demonstration on how to make sauerkraut."

I am looking forward to the workshop and I hope to see you there!

Book Talk with Author Eric Herm: "Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth" 3/13

2011-03-10T10:46:00.008-05:00

I am happy to be hosting the following event with The Urban Homesteaders' League this Sunday:

Book Talk with Author Eric Herm: "Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth"

When: Sunday, March 13, 2011, from 3 - 4:30 pm

Location: Brookline, MA. The location is close to the Harvard Ave. stop on the B (green) line and the Coolidge Corner stop on the C (green) line. For the address, please RSVP (RSVP details are below).

Description:

Join us for a book talk, Q & A, and signing of the book Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth, with author and 4th generation farmer Eric Herm, who lives on a farm in West Texas.

Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth examines commercial agriculture's strain on our natural resources, delicate ecosystems, and the farmer. As a fourth-generation farmer, Eric Herm deals with the harsh economic realities and complicated legislation facing farmers, as well as the undeniable health impact of GMO crops and excessive chemicals on all living creatures. Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth provides ample resources of natural, healthy alternatives that will inspire the farmers’ transformation from corporate-motivated producers back to the flesh and bone guardian angels of the Earth.

About the Author:

Eric Herm grew up on a cotton farm near Ackerly, Texas. He left the farm to pursue other interests, traveling to various places across the world before returning to his roots. Upon arriving back on his family farm, he noticed many changes in not only the landscape but the methods of commercial agriculture that were causing more long-term problems. He began searching for answers to these problems, slowly discovering healthier organic methods which provided the inspiration for his book, Son of a Farmer, Child of the Earth.

For more information about the book, please visit the website: http://www.sonofafarmer.com.

To RSVP: RSVP through The Urban Homesteaders' League, on Facebook, or by e-mailing me at info[at]herbalmedicinebox.com.

I am looking forward to the event, and I hope to see you there!

Herbal Apprenticeship

2011-02-08T10:20:00.002-05:00

Last year, I took an Herbal Apprenticeship with The Boston School of Herbal Studies in Arlington, and I really enjoyed it! My teachers were Madelon Hope and Tommy Priester.

The Herbal Apprenticeship was one weekend a month, from April - October. Saturday classes were from 10 - 5 pm, and Sunday classes went from 10 - 4:30 pm. Every month, we covered a different system of the human body, and the herbs used to address those systems. The systems we covered included the digestive, respiratory, nervous, and immune system, and more. Lunch on the weekends were potluck feasts.

We were exposed to herbs through numerous ways throughout the apprenticeship. Things that we did included going on plant walks to learn how to identify medicinal plants,

Wild Solomon's Seal

doing a medicinal steam,

Medicinal Steam
Photo courtesy of Shawn Westendorf

going on a shamanic plant journey with Tommy,

and learning how to make flower essences.

Gathering queen anne's lace for a flower essence

Other topics that we covered in the program included learning how to make medicinal tinctures, infused oils, teas, salves, floral waters, and more.

When I first applied for the Herbal Apprenticeship, my only main exposure to herbalism were the pre-made herbal tea bags sold in stores. One year later, I now know a lot more about herbalism than when I began. What helped a lot about this apprenticeship is that it is very hands-on. It is one thing to read about an herb, and quite another to identify the plant in the wild and to use it! Both instructors were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the material. I also enjoyed meeting and connecting with others in the program, and I am sure we will keep in touch.

The Herbal Apprenticeship gives a very good foundation in herbalism, and next year I am hoping to take the Advanced Herbal Training with The Boston School of Herbal Studies. This program is a more intensive course for those with a background in herbalism, and offers diagnostic classes, herbal clinics, and two intensive weekend trainings with prominent herbalists.

If you are interested in taking the Herbal Apprenticeship with The Boston School of Herbal Studies, now is the perfect time to sign up for the 2011 class! (The Arlington class is full, but the Jamaica Plain class, which runs from May-November, is still open). For more information about the program, go here. To register, go here. Please let me know if you have any questions about the apprenticeship, I highly recommend it!

NE Women's Herbal Conference Part II: Kitchen Cosmetics, Herbal Skin Care, and an Herbal Shampoo!

2010-11-26T19:38:00.015-05:00

Although this is much delayed continuation about my experience at the New England Women's Herbal Conference, I want to discuss one of the workshops that I attended.

There were many workshops at the New England Women's Herbal Conference that I enjoyed, but one that stood out to me in particular was Kitchen Cosmetics and Herbal Skin Care with Dina Falconi, author of Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair: Natural and Healthy Personal Care for Every Body, and founder of Falcon Formulations. At this workshop, we learned how to make body creams, salves, lip balms, facial scrubs, facial mists, deodorant, and more, all using natural ingredients! For example, salves and balms can be made just with oil (such as olive oil) and beeswax, and a basic cream is made with liquid oils, solid oils, beeswax, and water. Recipes for herbal body products are all covered in her book, as well.

I really enjoyed this workshop, and making your own personal care products is actually not hard at all! In addition, just like my food, I like knowing the ingredients that are going into my personal care products, because I will be using on my body. One major point that Falconi emphasized throughout the workshop was that many people today may over-wash. For instance, our bodies sweat for a reason, and we do need to be exposed to germs in order to develop resistance against them.

After attending this workshop, I was inspired to make some of my own herbal body care products. And, for my last weekend of my Herbal Apprenticeship at The Boston School of Herbal Studies in October, we were required to make an herbal product for everyone in the class, which was the perfect opportunity! I ended up making a variation of the basic shampoo recipe from Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair for everyone in my herbal class, and it turned out great. My hair has never been better, and there is no way that I will be purchasing commercial shampoo again. I have provided the Falconi's Basic Shampoo Formula below for your convenience, but as for her other recipes, you're just going to have to buy her book, which I highly recommend!

My first herbal shampoo batch

Basic Shampoo Formula(1)

Ingredients:

6-8 oz. herbal infusion of choice (for ex., 1 tsp. nettle leaf, 1 tsp comfrey root [cut], & 1 tsp basil infused in 8 oz water)
3 oz. liquid castile soap
1/4 tsp carrier oil of choice (ex. olive oil, almond oil, etc.)
Up to 60-70 drops essential oils of choice (ex. tea tree, lavender, rosemary)

Directions:

Make herbal infusion with herbs and water, let steep for 4 hours and strain.
Pour strained infusion, liquid castile soap, carrier oil, and essential oils into a jar or squeeze bottle, cap and shake. It is ready for use. Always shake these shampoos before use. Makes about 9-11 oz. of shampoo.
If you don't use up the shampoo within a few weeks, refrigerate to prolong shelf life.

Variations:

The amount [and types] of essential oil you will use will depend on the ones you choose and the effect you are trying to obtain. You can omit the carrier oil if your hair is very oily, or add more if your hair is very dry. Additional ingredients, such as aloe, tinctures, etc., may be added to this basic shampoo recipe to adapt it for various hair and scalp needs.

As a heads up, 9-11 oz. will last you a lot longer than a few weeks. And because homemade care products have shorter shelf lives than commercial products, you may consider cutting this recipe in half when you first try it, or plan to share it with others! In addition, tea tree essential oil is great to use in herbal products because it is one of the strongest essential oils in terms of its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, so it is a wonderful natural preservative. Finally, different essential oils, carrier oils, and herbs all have different properties, so it is great that this shampoo can be so customizable to address individuals' different hair types.

Speaking of essential oils, now that I have completed my Herbal Apprenticeship with The Boston School of Herbal Studies, I am very much enjoying the Aromatherapy certification course that I am currently taking, which is another course with The Boston School of Herbal Studies. The class meets one Saturday a month from November-February, and I am learning so much more from these hands-on courses through The Boston School of Herbal Studies than I could ever learn from a book or online! If you do want a book to get you started on aromatherapy, however, one recommendation is The Directory of Essential Oils by Wanda Sellar.

I hope that some of you will consider making your own kitchen cosmetics and herbal personal care products, and please ask me if you have any questions!

Source:

Falconi, Dina. Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair: Natural and Healthy Personal Care for Every Body. Woodstock, New York: Ceres Press, 1998, p. 52.

23rd New England Women's Herbal Conference - Part I: Overview

2010-08-25T11:35:00.008-04:00

I had a wonderful time this past weekend at the 23rd New England Women's Herbal Conference.

This was my first time at the New England Women's Herbal Conference, but I wasn't alone. Attendees ranged from newcomers to old-timers, and women who had no previous experience in herbalism to herbalists who have been teaching and practicing herbalism for years. Over 500 women attended the conference.

This was the last year that the New England's Women's Herbal Conference was held at Sargent Center in Hancock, New Hampshire. The food at the conference was catered by Blue Heron Restaurant & Catering, which focuses on sourcing local, organic, and sustainable foods whenever possible.

The conference began on Friday with an opening circle, music, and greetings.

Rosemary Gladstar giving an opening speech

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were filled with workshops, and morning activities began as early as 7 am. Most workshops were 1.5 hours, although there were longer 3-4 hour intensive workshops as well, allowing participants to work more closely with individual teachers and to explore particular topics in more depth.

Workshop time

Numerous vendors were at the conference, selling herbal products, natural care products, books, jewelry, and handmade crafts and clothing. In addition, on Saturday, there was a Great Barter & Trade Faire, where participants could bring their own homemade items to barter, trade, and sell. I ended up purchasing a sari (fair trade and made from recycled silk) from EcoQuette and Rose Petal Elixir from Avena Botanicals. (I missed the roses this season, but I plan to make my own rose elixir next year!)

Outside vendors

Vendors under the tent

Friday and Saturday night, there were music and stories; and on Saturday, a fire circle with dancing.

The weather over the weekend was perfect for tenting, although it did begin to lightly rain Saturday night and into Sunday. However, my friend and I had the great opportunity to stay at our friend's beautiful home and practice, at Back to Life, Chiropractic and Alternative Services, run by Stephanie Clark in Hancock, NH.

The house and practice

Herb garden

Treehouse

Although the weekend was tiring, the conference was definitely well worth going to. Stay tuned for a recap of some of the workshops that I attended!

Welcome to http://www.herbalmedicinebox.com!

2010-08-11T12:38:00.008-04:00

Hello readers,

As I mentioned before, I am really enjoying the Herbal Apprenticeship that I am taking with The Boston School of Herbal Studies. I like it so much in fact, that I am hoping to learn and write more about herbs. Thus, I am transitioning http://wholesomecuisine.blogspot.com to Herbal Medicine Box at http://www.herbalmedicinebox.com! Don't worry, all of the old links still work. And of course, I am still interested in food, foodie events, gardening, farms, and the like, so expect to continue reading posts on these subjects. The plan, however, is to focus more on herbalism!

I hope you will enjoy the journey with me, and keep on reading!

Taberna de Haro

2010-07-31T23:50:00.005-04:00

It's been a busy summer with two part-time jobs and numerous classes and activities, but I am very glad to have gotten a job as a waitress at Taberna de Haro, a Spanish wine and tapas restaurant, in May. Although I have had no previous experience with the Spanish language or cuisine (I am now taking a beginner's Spanish class at the Boston Center of Adult Education), and a 200+ wine list is never easy for anyone to master, there are many things that I enjoy about working at the restaurant.

The outdoor patio seating is a definite plus during the warmer months.

In addition to working with a fabulous staff, as a foodie, I love all the locally sourced items on our menu. All of our beef comes from River Rock Farm, based in Brimfield, MA, and is grass-fed and raised without antibiotics or artificial growth hormones. The organic eggs are from Country Hen based in Hubbardston, MA, and our bread is from Iggy's, based in Cambridge. Occasional special menu items include local produce from Siena Farms and the owner, Deborah Hansen's, garden. Several other items on our menu are locally sourced as well.

Some of my favorite tapas include the Arroz negro (black paella with ali oli), Espinacas a la catalana (sauteed spinach w/ garlic, pine nuts, & golden raisins), Gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic and olive oil), Almejas con jamon (big local clams with ham, white wine, & EVOO), and of course any of our beef dishes (hey, you gotta love it if it's grass-fed!).

I love all things fermentation, so learning about Spanish wines is a blast, although it is still a somewhat overwhelming task. One of our wines, Les Sorts Jove from the Priorat country, is made by carbonic maceration, in which fermentation takes place within whole grapes in a carbon dioxide rich environment, as opposed to the normal winemaking process, in which grapes are crushed and fermented with yeast. Pretty cool! Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Taberna de Haro is located at 999 Beacon St., Brookline, MA 02446. Check out their tapas menu and wine list . You can make a reservation online or by phone at (617) 277-8272, and say hello if you stop by!

Community Garden Plot at the Fenway Victory Gardens!

2010-06-01T08:54:00.005-04:00

I had lost all hope of getting a community garden plot this year, until I recently received an e-mail that several plots at the Fenway Victory Gardens were available!!! Even though I have just a few summer activities, including taking biochemistry at Tufts, resuming volunteer work with CitySprouts, interning with Bountiful Brookline, and starting a second part-time job at Taberna de Haro (all their beef is from River Rock Farm!), of course I had to say yes. This weekend, I finally had a chance to view the available plots, and I even got to choose my own!:

Plot L-19. There were weeds everywhere, but that was nothing a few hours of weeding couldn't cure:

I am using the weeds as ground cover for the moment. They help to keep the moisture in the soil and help to prevent new weeds from growing.

The plot clearly needs a lot more work, but I am very lucky that there are already some raised beds installed. There are also some perennial plants left from the previous owner, including sage, chives, oregano, and some gorgeous blackberry bushes in the back. I plan to grow plenty of vegetables, including carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, and kale, and I also hope to put in some medicinal plants. Sending a soil sample to UMass Amherst's Soil and Plant Tissue Testing Lab is another task on my to-do list.

Because this is my first garden, I know I will have many successes and failures alike. But they will make my garden next year that much better!

Expect more updates about my garden plot, and please stop by L-19 and say hello. :)

Medicinal Herbs: Black-Eyed Susan

2010-05-12T10:06:00.006-04:00

I am very glad to be taking an Herbal Apprenticeship with The Boston School of Herbal Studies this year.

Each month, we study an herb, and for May I studied the Black-eyed Susan. While Black-eyed Susans are typically used for landscape beautification, this flower has numerous medicinal applications as well! Although there is limited information on Black-eyed Susan's medicinal properties, here are some interesting facts that I found:

Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta L.

Photo source

Parts used:

Root (1-5)

Uses:

Root tea for worms, colds (1-4)
External wash for sores, snakebites, swelling (1-4)
Root juice for earaches (1-4)

Actions:

Antimicrobial
Diuretic (4-6)

Notes:

In the coneflower family (Rudbeckia)
Like Echinacea, has been found to have immuno-stimulant activity (1)
Recent studies report that coneflower (Rudbeckia) root extracts can be more effective at stimulating the immune system than extracts of Echinacea (which is not in the coneflower family, although it is also known as purple coneflower) (4)
The seeds of most Black-Eyed Susans are poisonous, so avoid using the seed for any herbal uses (3)
The roots but not the seedheads can be used much like Echinacea (5)
Black-eyed Susan tea should be strained to remove the irritating hairs (4)
Caution: contact sensitivity to the plant has been reported (1)

References

Foster, S. and Duke, J. The Peterson Field Guide Series – A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000, p. 142.
Nuffer, B. Black-eyed Susan – Rudbeckia hirta. NY: New York Conservationist, 2007.
Black-Eyed Susan – Rudbeckia. Gardens Ablaze, 7 May 2010. http://www.gardensablaze.com/WildflowersBlackEyeSus.htm.
Q&A - Toxic Perennial Plants. Richters. 8 May 2010. http://www.richters.com/newdisplay.cgi?page=./QandA/Animals/20091230-1.html&cart_id=111.100.
Black Eyed Susan. Outdoor Edibles. 8 May 2010. http://outdooredibles.com/2009/black-eyed-susan.
Herbs. Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. 8 May 2010. http://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/research/HerbIntro.htm.

Master Urban Gardener

2010-04-12T15:22:00.008-04:00

I was very fortunate to be able to participate in the Boston Natural Areas Network's Master Urban Gardener (MUG) Program this winter!

MUG is an intensive "horticultural leadership training course for community garden volunteers."

In the class, we covered numerous topics related to community gardening, including garden operations, community garden design, plant growth, soil and soil health, pests, plant maintenance, the vegetable garden, and nutrition.

Because I have WWOOFed (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) and interned with CitySprouts in the past, MUG was the perfect program for me to fill in some gaps in my gardening knowledge.

Although the classes were intense, every Saturday from 10 am - 3:30 pm with a half hour break for lunch, the classes were designed well and included a combination of lectures and interactive sessions, in which we did small group problem-solving activities with our fellow classmates. Many of the activities included scenarios that you would encounter in the community garden, such as determining which pests were attacking the cabbages (was it the flea beetles or the aphids??), and what the appropriate recommendation would be to deal with such pests.

In one class, we learned about seed starting, and we planted our own seeds to begin indoors.

Different topics were covered in the AM and PM sessions, and it was a lot of information to take in. Luckily, we were given a pretty thorough manual (which we also received a CD version of) that we used in class, that covered all the topics that we discussed in class, and that we can refer to for future reference. In addition, the 40 hours of community service required to validate the Master Urban Gardener Certificate is a great way to apply the concepts that we learned and to get more involved in community gardens and gardening related activities.

Yes, you will need to bring this manual to every class.

This program is free and open to the public! It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to take this class, and I enjoyed MUG not only for the concepts that I learned, but it was also great to meet fellow urban gardeners in the area.

Master Urban Gardener Class of 2010
*Photo courtesy of BNAN*

Thanks to Jo Ann who runs the program, the guest lecturers, and the other volunteers who help to make the class possible.

I highly recommend the Master Urban Gardener program if you are involved in community gardening. However, if you have a backyard, MUGatHOME may be perfect for you. MUG and MUGatHOME both cover various gardening topics. But while MUG focuses on community garden leadership and organization, MUGatHome focuses on landscape training and residential gardening techniques. Other programs that the Boston Natural Areas Network runs include SLUG for those involved in urban school-based vegetable gardening, and a Seed, Sow & Grow program.

If you are looking for a community garden plot, look at BNAN's community garden plot listing. Although unfortunately I don't believe I will be receiving a plot at the Fenway Victory Gardens this year, I look forward to applying the concepts that I learned with CitySprouts and BNAN's Learning Garden at City Natives this upcoming growing season.

BNAN is a non-profit organization, and they also host various events every year and offer many volunteer opportunities. To learn more about the Boston Natural Areas Network, visit their website.

Love Me Some No-Knead Bread

2010-03-08T08:31:00.011-05:00

I love homemade bread, and I love making it. Ever since Slow Food BU did a Sourdough and No-Knead Bread Workshop with the Urban Homesteaders' League, I've been all about no-knead bread!

At the bread workshop, Lisa Gross of the Urban Homesteaders' League demonstrated her no-knead bread recipe.

The finished loaf

However, at home, I first tried Jim Lahey's no-knead bread introduced by Mark Bittman in the New York Times article The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work. This dough is so sticky and hard to handle, that it's basically impossible to knead. Making the bread simply requires mixing the ingredients (flour, yeast, salt, and water), letting the dough sit for 12-18 hours, shaping the dough and letting it rise for another 2 hours, and then popping the dough in the oven.

As if this method couldn't get any easier, Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois later developed another no-knead bread method, Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. This recipe requires more yeast than the other method, resulting in a faster rising time. The ingredients (flour, yeast, salt, and water) are mixed to form a dough, let to sit for 2-5 hours, refrigerated at this point for storage or shaped and let to rise for another 40 minutes, and then put into the oven. One great thing about this bread is that the dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, and every day, the flavor of the bread develops as more fermentation occurs. Whenever you want freshly baked bread, you can take a portion of the dough out of the refrigerator, shape it and let it rise for 90 minutes (instead of the 40 minutes required for room temperature dough), and then put it into the oven. Read this article for a recipe and more information on this no-knead bread method, read the New York Times Article Soon the Bread Will Be Making Itself, or check out the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

These no-knead bread recipes don't require kneading because of the wetness of the dough- the high moisture content allows the gluten molecules to align faster and more easily than in drier bread doughs.

Making no-knead bread is extremely easy and results in delicious bread with great visual appeal, good structure, and a crunchy crust; and the variations and possibilities are endless!

I really enjoy making (and eating) homemade bread. Although I also enjoy kneading bread (or perhaps I enjoy this step because who knows if I'm doing it correctly), when I find myself very busy, the no-knead method is a happy medium. I also love what Satish Kumar said at last year's Future of Food Conference at BU: "If you don't have time to bake bread, you don't have time to live." (Read Satish Kumar's posts Reconnect with Tradition: Baking Bread as a Spiritual Act and Real Bread). So what are you waiting for? Go bake some bread!

Worm Update!

2010-02-05T12:59:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my Worm Update, a follow-up to Vermicomposting, Part I!

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts to take care of my new little friends, they kept on trying to escape.

For days, I tried adjusting numerous factors including:

The amount of food
The amount of bedding
The humidity

I even made an emergency run one night to get more newspaper to add to my bedding.

But no matter what I did, my adjustments somehow did not click, and my worms were everywhere.

Sadly, I wasn't able to figure out what I was doing wrong; and eventually, many of my worms reached the end of their days on my floor, while the remaining worms in the worm bin dried up from dehydration because I had decreased the moisture too much. (As I mentioned in my vermicomposting post, the bedding needs to start off moist because worms breathe through their skin).

At the time, I was really upset about my failed attempt at vermicomposting, especially because of my past gardening and farming experiences, and I have done outdoor composting in the past without a problem!

But I have accepted the fact that vermicomposting is not for me, at least for the time being. I would love to have a second try at vermicomposting. But, I have also come to the realization that, at the moment, my small apartment does not have the capacity to keep such a large vermicomposting bin.

So, I have donated my worm bin to the greenhouse of BU's wonderful Organic Gardening Collective (O.G.C.).

Luckily, Lisa Gross from The Urban Homesteaders' League also gave me some extra worms, and I was happy to drop them off at the greenhouse as well.

What a serious looking composter.

Although I am a bit disappointed to not vermicompost myself, I know that I can always vermicompost at the O.G.C., compost at my friends' outdoor composting bins, and compost at the Whole Foods on Prospect St. in Cambridge. In addition, next year I will be living in a house, and we plan to have an outdoor composting bin there. For those of you who have a backyard, outdoor composting bins are subsidized by many towns, such as in Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline!

Even though I will no longer be vermicomposting in my apartment, vermicomposting may still be for you! Often you can remedy the second time around what you did wrong the first time. And the third time is always a charm! Tip: the holes that you drill in your worm bin should be smaller than your worms so that they can't escape. (This should have been the case for me, but clearly something went wrong).

Ask Ryan, who taught The Urban Homesteaders' League's workshop on Vermicomposting, your indoor composting questions at compostboy[at]yahoo.com. Or if you purchase the book Worms Eat My Garbage, 100+ pages of vermicomposting knowledge will be yours.

More reasons to vermicompost - did you know that:
In 2008, Americans generated 250 million tons of trash. (source: EPA's 2008 MSW Facts and Figures). Of this,

~12.7 % is made of food scraps
800 thousands of tons of food scraps were recovered (or composted) in municipal solid waste
30,990 thousands of tons of food scraps were discarded in the municipal waste stream, and this number has been on the rise since 1960. (Source: EPA's MSW Data Tables 2008).
Aka, ~97.5% of disposed food waste was sent to landfills in 2008

So if you haven't started yet, let's reduce our waste and compost!

Will Lexington have a community farm?

2010-01-10T11:14:00.002-05:00

Last month, the Town of Lexington became the owner of the 8-acre Busa Farm property in Lexington, MA. But what will become of it? Because the farmland was purchased using Community Preservation Act funds, the land must either be used for recreation, open space, historic preservation, or affordable housing (1).

Members of the Lexington Community Farm Coalition (LCFC) would like to see the land used for a community farm.

What is a community farm?

The LCFC hosted a discussion panel “A Year in the Life of a Community Farm” in December to address this very question.

Community farms are run for and by the community. Around Massachusetts, such farms are frequently run by nonprofit organizations. What will happen to Busa Farm is particularly important, because it is one of the last, few working farms left in Lexington.

Panelists included representatives from community farms in neighboring towns (from left to right): Matt Celona and Christy Foote-Smith of Drumlin Farms (Lincoln, MA), Michael Iceland from The Food Project (Dorchester, Lynn, and Lincoln, MA), Jen James from Codman Community Farms (Lincoln, MA), Verena Wieloch from Gaining Ground in Concord, and Greg Maslowe of Newton Community Farms.

There are many benefits of a community farm, including:

Educating people of all ages about farming and where their food comes from, such as through farming apprenticeships
Local and fresh food for the community and to be donated to local food pantries
Increasing individuals' physical activity
Bringing together the community

For a recap of the panel, read Leah Bloom's excellent article "Residents study community farm options" in the Lexington Minuteman. In addition, read about the LCFC in the Boston Globe, and what the Boston Localvores said on this issue.

Lexington is my hometown, and I am currently studying nutrition at BU. But I never really thought about where my food came from and how it was grown until I was introduced to the group Slow Food BU my freshman year. Ever since then, farming and local and sustainable food have become very important in my life. I WWOOFed in Canada two summers ago, have been secretary of Slow Food BU since last year, enjoyed my first CSA share from Stillman's and interned at CitySprouts this past growing season, and will be taking the Master Urban Gardener Program with the Boston Natural Areas Network this winter.

I wish I had known about and taken advantage of community farms such as Drumlin Farms and The Food Project when I was younger, but it is never too late to learn about and become active in these issues. Sustainable and local food is not only important for the environment, but is more nutritious, and tastes better. Above all, it is extremely important to educate youth about how food grows and where it comes from, which is what a community farm can help to do. Luckily, there have already been some developments in Lexington over the past few years to help increase awareness about where our food comes from:

What can you do?

You can help support the LCFC's effort to use the Busa land as a community farm by simply signing this petition.
The LCFC is helping to sponsor a screening of The First Millimeter: Healing the Earth, followed by a discussion with Jim Laurie at the Cary Public Library on Tuesday, January 12 at 7 pm. More info about the screening here.
On Sunday, January 24th, the Lexington Selectmen will be deciding what to do with the Busa land. Come to ask the selectmen your questions and find out what they have to say about farming and what the land should be used for! Time: 7:30-9 pm. Location, TBD.

Keep updated on the Lexington Community Farm Coalition by visiting their site, joining their Google Group, following them on Facebook, or following them on Twitter @lexfarm. Or better yet, get involved!

My Experience Through Hell: Dante's Inferno in 10 Courses

2009-12-23T11:20:00.003-05:00

Having aided JJ Gonson from Cuisine En Locale in the past, when I heard about JJ's next O.N.C.E. one month ago, I knew I had to take part. JJ's O.N.C.E.'s, or One Night Culinary Events, are multi-course meals held on short notice sporadically throughout the year, and include as much locally sourced food as possible.

However, this was not like any other O.N.C.E. It was not going to be just once. Three nights, 10-courses, full with actors, dancers, music, and script: a culinary, theatrical, and musical interpretation of Dante's Inferno. Welcome to

O.N.C.E. in Hell

Venue: Club Oberon, home of the American Repetory Theater's The Donkey Show.

Dante's Inferno is the first of three parts of Dante Alighieri's allegorical work, The Divine Comedy. This poem describes Dante's journey through Hell (Inferno), Purgatory (Purgatorio), and Heaven (Paradiso). The great Roman poet Virgil is Dante's first guide, and it would be he who would lead guests through Inferno and the 9 Circles of Hell, in what would be a magnificent production.

Weeks of work were put into the event, from all aspects of production and people of all talents. As a part of the kitchen crew last Tuesday, I was led by the three chefs of the show: JJ Gonson, Trevor Smith, and also Jennifer Ede, who did an amazing job communicating between the kitchen crew and the servers. The kitchen work involved some very intense chopping, cooking, dishwashing, and plating to serve approximately sixty people, and the work could not have been done without the contribution of many other Cuisine En Locale volunteers. Because of the intensity of the work, the time flew by. And before I knew it, we were already plating the tenth course, Heaven.

Luckily, in addition to being a part of the kitchen crew on Tuesday, I had the opportunity to attend the event on Wednesday. And it was wonderful to be able to see the hard work put into the kitchens become a part of this:

Virgil, our guide for the night, led us through the 9 Circles of Hell, each with its own culinary, theatrical, and musical interpretation, for the evening.

The night began in "Limbo," with a Clear Flour bread roll and water. Next, the two lovers Paolo and Francesca tangoed in "Lust," while we were served a Duxbury oyster shooter with a Keown Orchards Green Apple mignonette sauce. Guests were subsequently brought to the third course, Gluttony, where the servers, who were essential to creating the feel for the evening, carelessly tossed baked beans and Stillman's apple cider-glazed pork ribs in our plastic bowls with extremely large spoons. As we were served, Virgil led Cerberus, 3-headed dog and guardian of the Gluttons, engage in an eating contest with himself and a large bowl of beans. "Wrath" presented irritated and impatient waiters. So if you had been too busy enjoying the show rather than eating, you had best be prepared to wolf down the Jasmine kale salad with Grapes of Wrath Vinaigrette. "Heresy" was next, with a lobster salad enclosed in a delicate and flakey tomb-shaped puff pastry, adorned in a chili pumpkin sauce.

We were then taken to the seventh course, "Violence," where the Minotaur, part man, part beast, tore beets and smeared the "blood" all over his body, as we were served Jen's dark-red, sauerkraut cold beet soup, topped with white creme fraiche. "Fraud" followed as the eighth course, where guests received, suprise: Tofu Wellington, not the anticipated Beef Wellington that was written on the menu. In "Treachery," we were given Beelzebub's Beelzeburger, as the servers rocked out to a song about fast food. And then Lucifer came forth, Prince of Hell.

Lucifer, Virgil, and the servers

After the nine circles of Hell (and bypassing Purgatory), we found ourselves in Heaven, guided by Dante's dead and beloved Beatrice (who did some amazing acrobatics), and where Dante comes face to face with God (Anthony Saffery), who strummed some lovely tunes on the guitar.

It was a wonderful, entertaining night, and enjoyable in more ways than one.

Many thanks to Clear Flour, Keown Orchards, Stillman's Farm, Verril Farms, and Sherman Market, who provided much of the locally sourced food for the night. And a big thank you to everyone else who made these nights possible, including the servers, actors, dancers and Oberon staff, the sound, production, and tech staff, the Cuisine En Locale crew, volunteers, and many others!

For another take on the event, a more detailed course-by-course description of the night, and some links to the musical components of the evening, I encourage you to read this review on LimeyG bends yer lughole.

It was wonderful to not only be a part of the kitchen crew one night, but also to be able to enjoy and appreciate the show on another evening as well. I am already looking forward to the next O.N.C.E.

Vermicomposting, Part I

2009-12-11T11:21:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I had the chance to attend the Urban Homesteaders' League's Vermicomposting Extravaganza workshop with Ryan Gray. And last Saturday, I finally received my worms! Before the workshop I didn't realize how easy and simple vermicomposting actually is, and I am very excited to start!

Vermicomposting is a method using earthworms to turn food/organic waste into nutrient-rich compost. Vermicompost contains worm castings, bedding materials, and organic wastes at various stages of decomposition, and contains worms at various stages of development and other microorganisms associated with the composting process (2). Worm castings, or worm poop, is the end product formed after the earthworms break down organic materials. Worm castings contains many beneficial microbes and nutrients and is a very nutrient-rich plant fertilizer (2).

Vermicomposting is perfect for those living in urban areas. And if you are composting correctly, the compost bin shouldn't even smell at all!

What do you need to begin vermicomposting?

A container with a lid
Bedding material, such as shredded newspaper. Ink should be soy-based!
Moisture (ex. water in a spray bottle)
Redworms aka red wigglers or Eisenia fetida (Get them from a friend, or order them online, such as from WormWoman).

Shredding the newspaper

Photo courtesy of Lisa Gross

Directions

Drill ventilation holes around the top sides of the bin and on the lid. (The worms need oxygen to breathe. And drill small holes so your worms don't escape!)

Drilling the ventilation holes
Photo courtesy of Lisa Gross

It's all about teamwork
Photo courtesy of Lisa Gross

Completely FILL your bin with bedding, such as shredded newspaper. Ryan recommends to shred the newspaper thin, around ¼ to ½ inch thick.
Worms breathe through their skin, so the bedding needs to be moist. Spray the newspaper so that it's "fluffy and damp," but not soaking. You don't want your worms to drown!

Add the redworms and some food scraps to the bottom of your bin and let them get to work!
Be careful about OVERFEEDING your worms. You want to avoid the odors of rotting food, and you want to give the worms enough room to move around as they get adjusted in their new home!
Once your worms begin reproducing and become assimilated to their environment, you can begin feeding them more. Have excess food scraps? Refrigerate or freeze them for later!
You can add more bedding if it gets low, and be cautious that the bin doesn't become too moist.
Every few months, harvest your fertilizer! One easy way to do this is to put food scraps on one side of your bin to attract the majority of your worms (or you can also do this on the ground on top of some spread out newspaper/plastic). Once you've gathered /separated your compost and picked out any extra worms hiding inside, add some new bedding to your bin and you can begin the process all over again!

Sources: Ryan, myself, here, and here

A Word About Temperature:

Redworms are happiest at ~60-75 degrees F, but they can survive at temperatures of 50-80 degrees F.

DO compost

Raw vegetable products
PLAIN, cooked vegetable products (no oil added, etc.)
Eggshells (it's recommend to rinse them first)
Cereals and oatmeal
Coffee grounds
Tea bags
Beans
Newspaper (with soy-based ink!)

DON'T compost

Meat, chicken, dairy, or fish products
Oily/greasy foods

BE CAUTIOUS with:

Non-citrus fruits (they are completely compostable, but they may smell more and attract more flies)
Citrus fruits- at a minimum, or just avoid them!
Bread- at a minimum

Tip

The smaller the food scraps/the larger the surface area of your food, the easier it will be for the worms to break it down! They "lick" rather than chew.

Some of Ryan's Recommended Sources:

An indispensable book: Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof
Worms as Recyclers
Wormpoop.com
Brochure: Here's the Dirt: Worm Composting
Once you've got your bin going, join your fellow vermicomposters here!

-Fun fact: Worms eat over half their body weight in organic matter a day.

What to do with your food scraps that aren't good for your redworms, or what to do if you aren't up for vermicomposting just yet?

Whole Foods on Prospect St. in Cambridge accepts compost in their public recycling center at the back of their parking lot!

Vermicomposting is a wonderful way to recycle your food and to create some very healthy and nutrient-rich soil!

Have questions for Ryan about vermicomposting? Contact him at compostboy[at]yahoo.com.

Thanks to Ryan for a great workshop, great information, and for breaking down vermicomposting into a simple and easy process. Thanks to Erik Zornik as well, who also provided some great tips. And of course, thanks to the Urban Homesteaders' League for hosting this workshop. Look forward to an upcoming blog post on Worm Updates in the next few weeks!

WWOOF! World Wide Opportunitites on Organic Farms

2009-11-01T21:10:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile, but I wanted to say a few good words about WWOOF. WWOOF, or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, is a world wide network linking individuals interested in volunteering on organic farms with farmers looking for volunteer help. In exchange for volunteering on a farm, room and board are provided for free! It's a wonderful and cheap way to travel, and there are WWOOF organizations all over the globe!

Last summer, I had such an amazing experience WWOOFing in Canada at the farm Artisans de la Terre. Located in Ste.-Marcelline, we were about 15 minutes away from the town Joliette, and about an hour away from Montréal.

What were my days like?
I was only required to work 5-6 hours a day, 6 days a week- although I often worked more than that because I wanted to. Growing a diverse range of vegetables (and a few fruits) was the focus of this farm at the time, although they are still expanding. The farm also had chickens and a few animals, and they distributed CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) baskets twice a week. Although every day was different, some of my daily activities included feeding the chickens, watering the plants in the greenhouse, weeding, harvesting, helping to prepare the CSA baskets, helping to prepare meals in the kitchen, and more.

The house, the kiosque (farm stand), and the greenhouse

The barn and the greenhouse

Time to weed!

Bringing the chickens water

Preparing the CSA baskets

Besides getting to work outside and being able to work with some fabulous people (including some fellow WWOOFers), one of my favorite things at the farm were the communal meals. At lunch, they were an absolute must. After working for the majority of the day, it was wonderful to enjoy everyone's company for a group meal of delicious and farm-fresh food.

Making chapati

And because we were in the Québec region, I was able to practice my French skills and learn various farming terms and expressions en français! In addition, I learned how to cook with all the new vegetables I was being introduced to. (I now love kohlrabi, my second favorite vegetable after carrots!)

WWOOFing is a great way to learn about farming, sustainability practices, and where your food comes from, and it's a great way to travel and to improve your language skills as well!

Interested in WWOOFing?
Every country runs its WWOOF network just slightly differently, so look them up at WWOOF.org. There is usually a small fee to get the detailed listing with the addresses and contact information of the farms, but once you receive the booklet/online access for the detailed listing, you're all set to go! From there, the only fees you should need to pay for is transportation to and from your farm.

My insights as a WWOOFer:

It's usually recommended to stay at a farm for at least two weeks to get accustomed to it.
Most WWOOFers only stay at one particular farm for a few weeks. (Farm-hopping is common). If you're interested in staying for longer, it's sometimes recommended to see how the first two weeks go first, before making that extra commitment. But communicate with your farmer - it will all depend on the situation! I ended up staying at my farm for 6 weeks.
Farmers may be difficult to get a hold of. Don't give up, and be persistent! And don't always rely on e-mail, you may want to give the farmer a call (or 10 ;) ).
Communicate with your farmer ahead of time to make sure that you're on the same page, and so that you know each other's goals and expectations.
People's WWOOFing experiences vary, so you may also want to try searching online to see if the farm you're interested in has any past WWOOFing reviews.

WWOOFing again is definitely in my future! Please consider doing it, and ask me about it if you have any questions!

CitySprouts' School Garden Celebration!

2009-10-07T11:37:00.003-04:00

Last Saturday, I volunteered at CitySprouts' School Garden Celebration (formerly the Harvest Festival), which was a blast!
Despite the rainy weather, we had a fabulous set-up indoors, which still allowed us a view of the Graham & Parks school garden.

I had the opportunity to work at the Stone Soup station with JJ Gonson from Cuisine En Locale.

The kids did a wonderful job chopping up the vegetables for the soup, the majority of which were a generous donation from Parker Farm!

Photo courtesy of Susan Young

Although most of the festival was indoors, we cooked the stone soup outside. The soup, which was mostly vegetables, salt and pepper, and just a little bit of stock, came out delicious and warm and was perfect for the cold, rainy day.

At the celebration, each of the schools set up tables, held activities, and sold various items to help raise money for their gardens.

Photo courtesy of Susan Young

Activities during the day included pumpkin decorating by the Haggerty School, and apple cider pressing!

Photo courtesy of Susan Young

There were various informational booths at the festival, including one with School Nutritionist Dawn Olcott. Dawn coordinates the Tasty Choices program in the Cambridge Public Schools, which helps to bring more local foods into the school lunches.

In addition, the King Open School will be involved with the program Food to Flowers, part of an environmental iniative by Compost That Stuff and the City of Cambridge.

And how could I not take a picture of this gorgeous broccoli?

Despite the rainy weather, the School Garden Celebration was very well attended by children, parents, and the community.

CitySprouts' is a nonprofit that now maintains gardens in ALL of the public schools in Cambridge, and helps to incorporate these gardens into the school curriculum. Read my previous post about interning with CitySprouts. Interested in volunteering? Find out more information here!

All photos taken by Annabelle Ho unless otherwise noted.

Gaining Ground and Time For Lunch!

2009-09-12T14:20:00.000-04:00

On Labor Day, I had a wonderful time with Slow Food Boston at their Eat-In at Gaining Ground in Concord.

The pavilion

Begun in 1994, Gaining Ground grows fruits and vegetables using organic methods. ALL of Gaining Ground's produce is donated to food pantries and meal programs within 20 miles of the farm, and within 24 hours of harvest!!! With a small staff and most of the work on the farm performed by volunteers, it's great what Gaining Ground is able to accomplish! And anyone can volunteer - read more details about volunteering here.

What a huge scale!

Onions galore

Drying the garlic

Love the bees!

Slow Food Boston's volunteer day at Gaining Ground involved 1-2 hours of farm work, with plenty of weeding!

The Crew

Afterward, we broke for the Eat-In portion of the day with a delicious potluck that included potatoes with home-cured bacon, red quinoa, a beet salad, and much more! The Eat-In was a part of Slow Food USA's Time for Lunch Campaign.

The Child Nutrition Act, which governs the National School Lunch Program, is reauthorized in Congress every 4-5 years. Since school budgets have been cut, schools have been struggling to give children the real food they need. And because the Children Nutrition Act is being reviewed this fall, it's time to tell Congress that real food needs to be in school lunches! If you are concerned about the food that is in school lunch, sign the petition and read more about how to get involved!

CitySprouts (and The Food Project)!

2009-08-31T18:30:00.004-04:00

This summer I had the fabulous opportunity to intern with the organization CitySprouts. Based in Cambridge, MA, this nonprofit will maintain gardens in all of Cambridge's public K-8 schools by this fall.

During the academic year, the CitySprouts' garden coordinators work with the Cambridge school teachers to incorporate the gardens into the school curriculum. Additionally, during the summer, CitySprouts runs a middle school intern program, in which middle school students learn, among other things, how to grow, harvest, and prepare food in an urban environment.

During my internship, I was able to assist two of the garden coordinators with their middle school intern programs, and I held two of the school garden drop-ins while the middle school intern program was in session. I also had the opportunity to work in the CitySprouts office, allowing me to see both sides of the organization.

Working with the CitySprouts staff, and interacting with the other college interns, parents, students, and volunteers in the community was definitely an amazing experience! I would highly recommend volunteering with CitySprouts and volunteering at the CitySprouts' drop-ins, which are held at the various public schools all over Cambridge, from the end of April until mid-November.

And, as you can see, I also had a wonderful time taking plenty of photos during my internship. I am working on creating an online photo album with all of the pictures that I took- I simply could not resist taking pictures of all the beautiful vegetables, flowers, and plants that were in the gardens!!!

And if you do not live in Cambridge, there are plenty of other organizations to volunteer with to get your hands dirty, including The Food Project! The Food Project's mission is to "grow a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system." During certain times of the year, individuals can volunteer at their drop ins at their Lincoln and Roxbury locations on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. In May, I had the opportunity to volunteer at The Food Project in Roxbury with a group that I am involved with, Slow Food BU. Read about SFBU's experience at The Food Project here!

I cannot believe that classes are starting again and that it will already be September. But that also means that cranberries, pumpkins, and winter squashes will be in season!

Have a great week!

Get Your Ferment On - Fermented Veggies, Food Preservation, & Live Active Cultures!

2009-07-31T22:28:00.001-04:00

Today's post is dedicated to the wonderful world of fermented veggies.

To start off, here are a few definitions to clear up some initial confusion:

Lacto fermentation- "using salt to suppress spoiling bacteria while fostering growth of beneficial lacto bacillus bacteria, which are present on vegetables and produce the preservative lactic acid." (1)
Pickling- "Using vinegar to preserve vegetables or fruits along with spices and herbs."
Hot water bath canning- "using a boiling pot of water to push air out of sealing-lid glass jars containing high acid foods." (1)
Pressure canning- "Using a pressurized canner to create even higher temperatures (steam) that pushes out air and seals the lid of glass jars containing low acid foods." (1)
Culturing- "Using microorganisms to transform the sugars or lactose of various liquid foods into other kinds of nutritious and tasty substances." (1)

Vegetables usually ferment best when using a brine, which is basically salt dissolved in water (2, pg. 38). In some vegetable ferments, such as sauerkraut (aka fermented cabbage), the salt draws water out the vegetables via osmosis (2, pg. 38). Meanwhile, in other vegetable ferments, such as cucumber pickles, a brine solution is mixed separately and then poured on the vegetables (2, pg 38). The salty environment prevents strains of several harmful and pathogenic bacteria from growing, while it encourages the growth of certain desired strains of bacteria- in particular, Lactobacilli (2, pg. 38-39).

In addition, the more salt you use (2, pg. 39):

The slower the fermentation process
The more acidic/sour the product
The longer the product will store for

Fermentation vessels include crocks or simply large, glass wide-mouth jars. A smaller glass jar can be placed inside a wide-mouth jar to put pressure and weight on the fermenting vegetables.

And fermenting vegetables can be as simple as this:

Make a brine by dissolving ~3 tbsp salt in 4 cups water (or to taste)
Put 1.5-2 lbs of cut up vegetables (for ex., cabbage, carrots, beans, squash, radish root vegetables, a combination, etc.) into crock(s) or jar(s). This can be done with or without the addition of spices or herbs (for ex., whole peppercorns, mustard seed, caraway, dill, etc.)
Pour the saltwater brine over the vegetables, making sure that the vegetables are submerged in the liquid.
Put a plate or weight on top of the vegetables to weigh the veggies down.
Put a cloth or towel over the container, and let sit at room temperature for 2-4 days (to taste)
When the vegetables are ready, store in the fridge

Helpful hints:

It is important to make sure that the vegetables remain submerged, because fermentation is an anaerobic (without oxygen) process. If there are vegetables above the liquid, they will be exposed to oxygen, and can encourage the growth of mold.
Try to remember to check on your fermented veggies everyday and make sure that they are submerged under the brine, and also taste them to see if they are ready for refrigeration. If there are any moldy veggies on top, you can just remove them (the mold only grows on the surface). And if there is water loss by evaporation, simply add more brine to your fermenting vegetables.
Fermentation occurs more quickly at higher temperatures.

By making your own fermented vegetables, (including sauerkraut, sour beets, kimchi, and more), you can control the saltiness and sourness/acidity of your fermented food!

In addition, there are many benefits of fermentation and from eating fermented foods:

Fermentation preserves nutrients, and "breaks them down into more easily digestible forms" (2, pg. 6)
Fermentation creates new nutrients, such as B vitamins (ie. folic acid, riboflavin niacin, thiamin, and biotin) (2, pg. 6)
Fermentation "removes toxins from foods" (2, pg. 7)
"Many fermented foods can be consumed live...and alive is the most nutritious way to eat them" (2, pg. 7)
"Many commercially available fermented foods are pasteurized," such as commercially sold yogurt in stores, "which means [that they are] heated to the point at which [beneficicial and nonbeneficial] microorganisms die." (2, pg. 8)
"Lactobacillus fermentation inhibits the growth of diarrhea-related bacteria such as Shigella, Salmonella, and E. coli." (2, pg. 8)
Fermentation is another way to preserve foods.

After you've done it once, you'll find that fermenting vegetables is actually very easy! Look at my sample recipe above or links to some recipes below.

For more information on fermentation from Sandor Ellix Katz, read his book Wild Fermentation, or take a look at his website for recipes on how to make sauerkraut, pickles, and more!

In addition, Gabriel Cousens from the Tree of Life Rejuvination Center provides a little information on fermented foods in his book Conscious Eating. Preview Conscious Eating here through Google Books, and go to page 743 to read the section on Fermented Vegetables and also to find a few recipes.

In his book, Gabriel Cousens notes:

"Sauerkrauts are fermented foods that help re-populate the colon with health-promoting, lactic acid-producing bacteria. Raw sauerkraut has these healthy bacteria, but store-bought, pasteurized sauerkraut does not." (3, pg. 743)

And although I already went through some definitions, I would like to reiterate that room temperature vegetable ferments are not the same as pickled vegetables made and stored in vinegar (when you put the vegetables directly in the fridge for preservation/to develop flavor). Although both are food preservation methods, vegetables fermented at room or warm temperatures for several days or weeks rely on the bacteria lactobacilli to create lactic acid. Thus, these fermented vegetables contain live active cultures. Read a little more info on this subject here.

If you would like some more reading on sauerkraut fermentation, look no further.

And on another note, the other day I was at the Russian grocery store Bazaar in Brookline, and I tried a pickled apple! I probably won't be getting one again, but it wasn't bad! (It was sweet and sour at the same time!)

Happy Friday everyone! :)

Sources:

Ben Grosscup. "9-19-09: Date of Food Preservation Workshop Near You." NOFA - Massachusetts News - August-October 2009, p. 4.
Katz, Sandor Ellix. Wild Fermentation. White River Junction, Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2003.
Cousens, Gabriel. Conscious Eating. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books, 2000.

The Farmers Markets (@ Lexington, MA, and elsewhere!)

2009-06-30T01:09:00.006-04:00

Hello everyone,

I wanted to express my love for the Lexington Farmers Market (and all farmers markets, in general!)

The Lexington Farmers Market has a diverse array of farmers and vendors, including gelato from Giovanna Gelato, rotational artisans, and fresh, daily caught fish from Globe Fish Co.

To honor the bikers, the first 100 people to ride to the Lexington Farmers Market and check in with the Bike Valet receive a $2 Market Gift Certificate, which can be used to purchase any food items at the LFM!

There was even music entertainment on the day that I stopped by the farmers market (June 16th).

And at the LFM, I was very glad to meet Charlie from Rad Urban Farmers, who farms and maintains the land at homes in Arlington, MA and Lexington, MA, in order to sell goods at farmers markets. In exchange, the host families/individuals are provided with fresh produce that was grown in their own backyard! This concept is great!

I tried some carrot cake muffins from Glutenus Minimus, which sells gluten-free baked goods, and they were delicious! (You can see that I ate the muffin top on the right before I took this picture :) )

And I could not help but buy some fresh baby spinach from Butterbrook Organic Farm. I love baby spinach! MmMm...

I am continually impressed with my hometown's farmers market, and I love visiting! I would encourage anyone to stop by if they are in the area- the Lexington Farmers Market runs every Tuesday (6/6-10/27) from 2-6:30 pm, at the corner of Mass. Ave. and Fletcher Ave. You can check out the LFM's Calendar of Events here.

On another note, I am very happy to announce that Boston University (which I am currently studying at) has begun a farmers market with local vendors and farmers for the first time! Read more about Boston University's Farmers Market.

More and more farmers markets are popping up everywhere, which I am very excited about! If you do not currently have a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), or if you already have a CSA and would like to supplement it with more locally produced food items, look at Mass Farmers Markets, LocalHarvest, MassGrown's listing, and Edible Boston's listing for farmers markets that are in the area.
In addition, see when various fruits and vegetables are in season, and watch Edible Boston's video and tour of Opening Day at Copley's Farmers Market.
Have a good week, and enjoy the farmers markets while fresh produce is in season!

The Future of Food Conference & Michael Pollan!

2009-05-25T18:48:00.002-04:00

My apologies for not posting in awhile...I always seem to get busy no matter what time of year it is!

In any case, I had a wonderful end to finals week with the conference The Future of Food: Transatlantic Perspectives on May 8th and 9th. And the next Tuesday, I finally saw Michael Pollan speak at the West Roxbury Branch Library!

The Future of Food Conference, organized by the Institute of Human Sciences, was meant to encourage people to think more consciously about the food they buy and eat. It discussed some of the present problems regarding our food systems and sustainability, and also presented some potential solutions to these problems.

The two day conference began with the workshop "Wild Fermentation," which featured Sandor Ellix Katz, author of the books Wild Ferementation and The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved. Katz taught us about fermentation and how easy and simple it is to make sauerkraut. In vinegar or acetic acid fermentation, yeasts convert carbohydrates -> alcohol + CO2, and bacteria subsequently convert the alcohol -> acetic acid + water, producing vinegar (1).

After Katz, Bryant Terry, whose latest book is Vegan Soul Kitchen, talked to us with a lecture, cooking-demo, and dinner. Terry, also an eco-chef and food justice activist, spoke with us about his experiences; and the menu included recipes featured in his book, such as citrus collard greens with raisins.

Next up was a free screening of King Corn, with an introduction by filmmaker Ian Cheney and subsequent discussion with film director Aaron Woolf. The film discusses how corn has become a commodity and is in almost everything we eat. Additionally, corn is one of the U.S.'s most over-produced and over-subsidized crops. If you have not seen this film yet, I highly recommend it!

Saturday was comprised of five panels and two keynote addresses. The presenters included Satish Kumar, editor of the magazine Resurgence; Mark Winne, author of Closing the Food Gap; Benedikt Haerlin, president of Save our Seeds; Harriet Lamb, Executive Director of the Fair Trade Foundation; Michael Ableman, farmer and author of Fields of Plenty, and many more!

Numerous thought-provoking facts and comments were made, such as:

40% of greenhouse emissions are food related
30-50% of food produced in the U.S. is thrown away
30-40% of the cereal production in India is rotting after harvest
The food crisis is the product of cheap food/food subsidies
Many genetically modified plants are marked with antibiotic-resistant marker genes, which has led to some controversy.
In the Union of Concerned Scientists report "Failure to Yield" by Doug Gurian-Sherman, genetically engineered crops actually do not increase yields! See the press release here.

There were many great discussions, questions, and comments made on Friday and Saturday, and hopefully videos of the entire conference will be up on the Institute of Human Science's website soon!

For another take on this conference, read Slow Food BU's blog post or my friend Elizabeth's post.

Last year I had made a trip to Brown University in Rhode Island to see Michael Pollan, only to be told that the room was packed and that I could not get in. So on Tuesday, May 12th, I was very excited to finally see him in Roxbury!

Michael Pollan highlighted a few topics from his books, which include "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food."

In short, Michael Pollan suggests that we should "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." A few other things that Michael Pollan touched upon:

Nutrition science- it started in the 1830's/1840's, so it's not very strong yet, and it's arguable at best. Most often, they are based on food frequency questionnaires, which are not the most reliable.
Nutrition labels- can be off by ~20-30%!
Companies/committees can say to eat less of a nutrient but not less of a food.
-This caused the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition to recommend to ''Choose meats, poultry and fish that will reduce saturated-fat intake," and to not to give their original recommendation to "reduce consumption of meat," due to uproar from the meat and dairy industry (1).

The traditional Western Diet, which includes everything but vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, often leads to chronic disease. Thus, we need to rethink about what we're eating, and so Michael Pollan is currently collecting Food Rules to make this transition for Americans easier. Some rules he has already collected include:

Don't eat anything you've ever seen on TV
Eat all of the junk food you want, as long as you make it yourself
The Japanese quotation: "Eat until you are 80% full"

If you have any other helpful food rules, e-mail them to Michael Pollan at foodrules[at]michaelpollan.com!

And if you would like to read another recap of Michael Pollan's visit to Roxbury, read my friend Elizabeth's blog post here.

For those of you in the area, hope you've enjoyed the long weekend and the lovely weather!

Raw Vegan Carrot Cake

2009-04-09T01:10:00.002-04:00

This past Sunday, I attended a Boston Localvores potluck. There were so many good eats and I had a great time!

I decided to make a raw vegan carrot cake based off of this recipe, and it received rave reviews! At first I was worried that the cake was too sweet, but I found out there is no such thing! Here are the ingredients and directions that I used, and as you can see I just made a few substitutions (pecans instead of walnuts, and dates instead of prunes) and doubled the original recipe so I could fit the cake into a 9 by 5 inch pan.

Cake

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup pinenuts

1/4 cup cashews

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

3 dates, soaked for 5-10 min. in warm water

6 dried apricots, soaked for 5-10 min. in warm water

1/4 cup raisins, soaked for 5-10 min. in warm water

2 tbsp unsweetened, shredded coconut

3 medium carrots

*A pinch of nutmeg and/or allspice would work great, too!

Grind up the nuts and spices in a food processor, blender, or Magic Bullet until it's crumbly. Add the rest of the cake ingredients and blend until everything is a sticky mass. (Don't be afraid to do some mixing by hand, as well!) Oil a 9 by 5 inch pan and fill with the cake filling. You can put the cake in the fridge to cool while you make the frosting.

Frosting

1/4 cashew butter

1 1/2 tbsp agave nectar

2 tsp coconut oil

-Process/blend/mix the ingredients until it's well combined. If you only have cashews on hand that can also work, but the frosting may not come out as smooth.
-Frost the cake.

Caramel Sauce

2 tbsp agave nectar

1/4 tsp. vanilla

pinch of cinnamon

~2 tbsp pecans, as desired

Mix together the vanilla, agave, and cinnamon. Stir in the pecans to coat. Place the pecans on the cake and drizzle the cake with caramel.

Makes 1 (9 x 5 inch) cake.

Yum!

Agave is a nectar made from various species of agave plants, most often Blue Agaves- spikey, desert plants that resemble cacti but are actually more closely related to the plant aloe vera (1, 2). Agave tastes sweeter than sugar, and is made by extracting the juice from the agave core, and then filtering, heating, and treating it with enzymes to convert the carbohydrate inulin into sugars (1).

Many people love agave for its taste. Some also choose to use agave because it has a low glycemic index, meaning that when it's eaten alone, it has a low effect on your blood sugar levels (1, 2). (When you start combining and cooking foods, the effects of them on your blood sugar levels are a whole other story). Although agave is a popular sweetener among raw foodists, there may be some controversy over whether or not agave is raw when it's labeled as such. (In the raw foods world, the enzymes in foods that can benefit digestion are destroyed at 112°F).

I am not a raw foodist, although I love and am really interested in the concept of raw and living foods! Look for more posts in the future about raw foods!

Vegan Quiche #1 and #2

2009-03-29T02:12:00.004-04:00

oodI love making crustless, vegan quiches! They are so easy to make and so healthy! They also are a great variation to eating tofu and give you the wonderful benefits of nutritional yeast!

Yeasts have long been used as supplements. While brewer's yeast is a by-product of making beer, nutritional yeast is made specifically for human consumption (1). It is a rich source of B-complex vitamins, trace minerals, and some protein (1)! Nutritional yeast has a cheese-like taste- sprinkle some on your popcorn, or substitute nutritional yeast for parmesan. However: nutritional yeast is not a good source of vitamin B12 (a vitamin of particular concern for vegans), unless it's been fortified with it (2)! You can find nutritional yeast in the bulk section of Whole Foods or the Harvest Co-Op.

The first recipe I made was the Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche from Happy Herbivore. You cannot compare vegan quiche to quiche made from real cheese, but I was happy with my first attempt at making a vegan quiche!

My second quiche was adopted from Fat Free Vegan's Asparagus and Mushroom Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust. However, I doubled the tumeric so it was more yellow, and I substituted some of the veggies. I think it was the addition of tahini in this recipe that won me over, and so this is probably a recipe that I will be returning to. I may have also liked this recipe better because it did not have lemon juice, as the other one did. I did not make the brown rice crust this time, but I definitely need to try that the next time around- it sounds great! Here is my crustless, modified, and simpler version of the recipe:

Servings: 5
Cooking time: 45-60 min

Ingredients:
One 14-ounce package firm tofu
1/4 cup plain soy milk
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon tahini
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon salt
10 oz spinach (fresh, frozen, or defrosted frozen is fine)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Add the first eight ingredients in a blender, and puree until smooth.
3. -If you already defrosted some frozen spinach, skip this step!
-If you are using still frozen spinach: put the spinach in a bowl. Boil some water, and pour the boiled water over the spinach. Ta-da! The spinach is ready to use. It should be soft and not icy. A little ice is ok. Alternatively: steam the spinach, or add some water to a pot and cook the spinach until it's wilted.
-If you are using fresh spinach: steam the spinach, or add some water to a pot and cook the spinach until it's wilted.
-Note: feel free to substitute or add any veggies as you wish!
4. Drain and press the spinach to remove the extra water.
5. In a bowl, combine the tofu mixture with the spinach/vegetables.
6. Pour the mixture into a greased pie dish. (Psst- feel free to add a garnish, now or at the end, for some nice visual appeal!)
7. Bake for 45-60 min. The quiche should be slightly crusty around the edges, and when you cut through the quiche it should be somewhat solid.

Note: this quiche is light. It makes a good snack, or an accompaniment to a meal. I divided it into 5 servings, because each 14-oz package of firm tofu is about 5 servings, with 70 calories, 3 g total fat, 2 g carbohydrate, and 7 g protein each.

And I apologize that I am not the world's best photographer. But I promise you that the quiches tasted delicious! :)

Enjoy!

Juicing Power

2009-03-16T03:19:00.001-04:00

For many months I have been DREAMING OF JUICING CELERY. (Weird, I know). But last week I finally got a juicer!!!!!! OMG it was so worth it!!! I got the Breville BJE200XL juicer from Amazon and so far it has been performing wonderfully. Plus, clean up is not hard at all!

WHY JUICE?

Juices from raw vegetables is great, because when vegetables are cooked, some of the nutrients are lost, and some of the proteins become denatured, making them undigestable! (Meyerowitz, 14)
Fresh juices are predigested, in that they are more easily digested, because they lack the fiber. This gives your body easier access to nutrients, improves your body's assimilation of nutrients, and conserves your body's energy, giving you more energy, and increasing your ability to fight disease! (Meyerowitz, 14-15)
Fruits and vegetables have numerous phytochemicals, which help prevent against disease!
The complex vitamins and minerals that are in plants cannot be replicated or reproduced with nutrition supplements (Meyerowitz, 16). Juices come from whole foods, while nutritional supplements are anything but!
Juicing can concentrate pounds of produce and their nutrients in just a few glasses!
In one study, scientistists analyzed the antiviral activity of fresh apple juice to apple cider, apple wine, and apple juice from concentrate. The most antiviral activity was seen in the fresh apple juice. Why? Because pasteurization in commercial juices destroys protective enzymes, and thus, decreases antiviral activity (Murray, 9). So drink some fresh, raw, un-pasteurized juice!
If you have digestive problems, juicing could be your anwer!
Juicing has helped some people with weight loss.

BUT- What about the lack of fiber?! The big juicing controversy.

Fiber is indigestible. It is actually the juice that provides nourishment. (Murray, 8)
Juicing is not meant to replace eating. Eating has its own role, and so does juicing. (And I'm sure that supplementation has its own role, too).
Plus, you can still use the pulp (which has lots of fiber) that is left behind! Use some leftover carrot pulp to make carrot cake, replace a little bit of the flour in your recipe with leftover pulp, or use the pulp in some baked goods or dehydrated breads! (If none of these options appeal to you and if you're up for it, the pulp would also make some great compost!)
If you are looking for some fiber, beans pack a punch! (Sorry, this is a somewhat unrelated side note!) :)

My first concoction:

Salad in a glass! I actually used a third of the ginger that's in the picture, and the drink was a little strong on the kale. But it was still delicious and nutritious, and you can see a bit of orange foam on the top of the drink from the carrots!

Some good things about:

Kale- rich in calcium, chlorophyll, vitamins: C, E, B6, K, & folic acid, high in minerals: iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, and zinc; possesses cancer protective compounds, oxygenates the blood, improves red blood cell counts, the list goes on! (Meyerowitz 337-338)
Carrots- great source of beta-carotenes (pre-vitamin A), contains B-vitamins & coenzyme Q10, good for dry skin problems, protects the respiratory system...(Meyerowitz, 313-314). They are also super sweet and great for juicing!
Celery- used as a diuretic and laxative, helps to break up gallstones and heal wounds, rich in potassium, one of the best sources of coumarins, which help to inhibit various forms of cancer (Meyerowitz, 315-316)
Ginger- stimulates digestion, releavies abdominal bloating, vomiting, and diarrhea, has anti-inflammatory properties, supports a healthy cardiovascular system, etc. (Meyerowitz 327-328)

I am going to be consuming so many vegetables with my lovely juicer! Juicing is DELICIOUS, it's EASY, and it makes it easy to consume LOTS OF VEGGIES!!!! What more could you want?! (You can juice fruit, too!) <3 size="1">Sources:
Meyerowitz, Steve. Power Juices Super Drinks. New York, NY: Keningston Publishing Corp., 2000.

Murray, Michael T. The Complete Book of Juicing. Rocklin, CA: Prima Publishing, 1992.

The Art of Making Masala Chai - Part II

2009-03-14T18:27:00.001-04:00

OK, so here I will try to explain the factors that will affect the boiling time and the ingredients that you put into your masala chai!

Apparently, the spices typically used to prepare masala chai are pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and ginger (1).

Partly why I didn't include any measurements is because I never use any, and I do everything according to taste. Two things to remember: there is no standard recipe for chai (everyone's recipe is unique). Additionally, any recipe you read is the author's best approximations. So when you prepare a recipe, you may have to add little more of this, and a little less of that. People also have different preferences, so don't be afraid to adjust recipes to your liking!

In any case, here are my tips/advice on making masala chai:

MILK TYPE:

Nut/seed milks- it's possible, delicious, and healthy!
*I don't drink cow's milk that often. I usually use soy milk, and it turns out very well!
*I made masala chai for Slow Food BU's potluck last week (which unfortunately was cancelled due to the weather), and actually made the chai out of unsweetened almond milk because a friend was allergic to soy. I was really happy with the result- I put the spices in with approximately the same ratios that I do for soy milk, and the almond milk masala chai came out great!
*Note- I tried making masala chai out of homemade sesame seed milk once, and it did not come out very well. When heated, the milk separated and was somewhat grainy. I do not know if this doesn't happen to the seed milks that are sold in stores, because they are typically homogenized/pasteurized.

*If you decide to make masala chai out of regular cow's milk (the traditional way!), the ratio of spices you put in will differ (different spices dilute out at different rates, and the rates will also vary according to the type of milk, because each milk has a different chemistry). You will also need to boil for a longer time and put in more spices, because the flavor of cow's milk is stronger than that of nut/seed milks.
*It takes me quite awhile to get my chai made out of cow's milk to taste right. I'm so used to making masala chai out of soy milk, that making it out of cow's milk is a whole new game!

SPICES AND TIME

You can make homemade masala chai in as little as 10-15 minutes. However, to make it this quickly, you will need to add more spices, in a little different ratios than if you slow-cooked it, and you might not be getting the most use out of your spices. See the section "save your spices!" below.

I enjoy the process of boiling the tea for a long time (at least an hour). It's relaxing and makes me appreciate my chai even more! I also feel that it gives the masala chai more depth and complexity, and I get more use out of the spices this way.

Save yourself some time and use up your spices- make a big batch of masala chai at once! You can refrigerate your leftovers and warm them up wherever, and whenever you want! (Or better yet, share it! :) )

The newer and higher quality the spices are, the better flavor they will impart and the stronger their flavors will be (they will be more expensive, but will lead to less cooking time). Or if you have older or less quality spices, you will just have to boil longer or use more spices. Some places to buy spices: Whole Foods (check out their bulk section!), the Harvest Co-Op in Cambridge and Jamaica Plain (bulk section!), and Christina's Spice and Specialty Foods in Cambridge (even though it will be more expensive from here).

SAVE YOUR SPICES!

Buying all of the spices for chai is expensive!!! Save your used spices in a container and put it in the fridge. Then whenever you're ready to make your next batch of chai (hopefully within a week or so- the spices might not last much more than that), you'll be prepared! You may need to add various amounts of different spices when you make your next batch, however.

When I was at the farm, we actually stuck the whole pot (spices included) in the fridge for the next day (we made it everyday)! We were so addicted. :)

If you don't have the time or the spices- you can buy chai tea bags or tea mixes in stores. They typically have black tea leaves and some of the common spices added to it. Like any tea, you boil water, add the tea bag, and add milk and sugar as desired, and there you have it! Chai in less than 5 minutes! However, these tea bags or pre-sold mixes will typically be less complex and will not have the same depth and intensity of home-made masala chai!

VARIATION

Looking for a caffeine-free version? Make masala chai w/o the tea leaves, and you have spiced milk. It's delicious and GREAT before bed!!! MmMmMm...
Someday I want to try making chai/spiced milk w/ rosehips. That will be fun!

Sorry for cheating and not actually giving a real recipe here >.< ...but how to make masala chai is so personal and depends on so many factors and your own opinion! If there is enough demand for it, I may come up with a recipe someday. In the meantime, if you absolutely need a recipe to follow, here are some starting points: Culinary Teas - Masala Chai and chai-tea.org.

Have fun!!! ^.^

The Art of Making Masala Chai - Part I

2009-03-13T16:07:00.001-04:00

When I WWOOFed at the farm Artisans de la Terre in Canada over the summer (I had an AMAZING experience by the way. WWOOF is a program in which you volunteer on a farm, in exchange for food and housing), I had the great opportunity of learning how to make masala chai from a fellow worker who had spent a couple of years in India.

Chai is simply the word for tea in used in many cultures (1). However, in the U.S., the term chai generally refers to Indian masala chai, a tea made with a sweetner, milk, and spices (1). There is no one recipe for masala chai. Masala chai in India is like coffee in the U.S., is often sold in the streets or by street vendors known as chai wallahs in India, and Indian families each have their own unique way to prepare it (2).

How I make masala chai:

I put milk in a pot and add water to the dilution desired.
I put in the following (from top to down and left to right as seen in the picture): black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, freshly ground nutmeg, star anise, ginger, a little sugar (usually, but not always, sucanut), black tea, green cardmom, and coriander seeds.
Stir everything together, than cover the pot and bring it to a boil.
I leave the pot to simmer, usually for at least an hour. (Be careful that it doesn't boil over!)
-I usually taste the tea every now and then. I sometimes adjust the amount of spices, add a little milk, or add a little water, according to taste. I leave it on the stove until I like the taste.
Strain the spices out.
That's it! Enjoy!

Ok, so that is the simplified version...and you may have noticed that I didn't put in any measurements or specific times. Um, and don't expect me to give you those, either. Sorry! Unfortunately, I am leaving it up to you to figure out these specifics (joy!), which will differ depending on how you like your chai. Look for my advice tomorrow- when I will try to explain the different factors that will influence the amount of ingredients that you put in and the time that it takes for you to make masala chai!

My Search for the Perfect (Vegan) Protein Powder - Part 2

2009-03-11T14:50:00.001-04:00

First, to recap part 1- personally, I was not a big fan of Life Time Life's Basic Plant Protein and Vega. They had a nice mix of proteins, but they also had "characteristic protein powder tastes," probably due to the addition of powdered vanilla and stevia. Living Harvest's hemp protein original flavor was the most natural, with only one ingredient: 100% certified organic hemp seed. However, it has a very strong and district greens/hemp flavor. (If you are interested, they also have vanilla and chocolate flavors sweetened with unrefined whole cane sugar). I would highly recommend PB2, but with only 5.65 g protein per 2 tbsp, it's mostly a low-fat peanut butter alternative rather than a protein supplement. And at $7 for a 6.5 oz jar, it is not a purchase that I will be repeating any time soon.

For me, I guess there currently is no perfect vegan protein powder. Each has its pros and cons and is good in its own way. I think something that I forgot when I began this search was that protein powder is a supplement and not a whole food. I was trying to find a powder to count as a major source of my protein intake (apparently healthy adults optimally have around .8 g protein per kg of body weight per day*). However, I enjoy getting most of my nutrients through complete foods and not isolates, because a whole food is more than the sum of its parts.

After this search and after experiencing several slight headaches, slight dizziness, tiredness, some weight gain, and a strength training workout during which I simply could not lift the weight due mostly to (I believe) lack of enough protein, I think I will be straying further away from the vegan path. (I can only consume so many beans [fiber!] and soy in my diet!)

According to Nina Planck's Real Food, humans are "omnivores with bodies designed to eat plant and animal foods...[and] [t]here are no traditional vegan societies" (Planck, 21-22). Of course, everyone has their own opinion, and what works for one person may not work for another. While many people have successfully gone vegan, at the moment, a vegan diet is not for me. Remember, the right kind of diet is one that works for you, and there are many diets out there. However, I will try to keep animal products in my diet at a minimum for now. (Things can always change. And it's too bad I can't afford local meat from a farm like Stillman's more often!) In future posts, I hope to discuss veganism, vegetarianism, industrial meat, etc.!

And as a last note, all is not lost in my vegan protein powder world! I will probably continue to incorporate vegan protein powder in my diet, but just in small and unnoticeable amounts (baking?!). Most likely, I will continue with hemp protein; but whenever I'm feeling up to it, I have heard some good things about NutriBiotic's rice protein. Their plain rice protein only has one ingredient, too!: "enzymatically processed rice protein from whole grain brown rice."

*Brown, Judith E. Nutrition Throughout the Life Cycle. 3rd ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth, 2008.

My Search for the Perfect (Vegan) Protein Powder - Part 1

2009-03-10T11:30:00.001-04:00

Because I have been trying to eat primarily vegan for the past couple of months without much success, I felt buying a good vegan protein powder was in order.

To preface, I hate the taste of whey protein powders. My brother and I overdosed on vanilla and chocolate flavored whey powder in the past- the smoothies tasted great at first, but after 6 months-1 year, I couldn't handle it anymore!

I also wanted to avoid a soy protein powder, because I already consume a lot of soy and don't want to develop an allergy/intolerance to it.

So my protein powder search began with hemp from Living Harvest. Each 4 tbsp contains 120 calories, 3 g total fat, 10 g total carbohydrates, 9 g fiber, 13 g protein, 600 mg of omega-3's, and all of the essential amino acids! The only thing about hemp protein is that it has a very strong and characteristic greens taste.

Next I tried Life Time Life's Basic Plant Protein with my friend Elizabeth. She really liked it! This powder was nice because it contains a variety of plant proteins (rice, pea, hemp, and chia), with each scoop containing 120 calories and 22 g protein. The chia also helped the powder to form a gel when it was only mixed with water! However, to me, this vanilla flavored protein powder (which was sweetened with stevia) was reminiscent of whey powder (I hope I'm not scarred for life!)

Via Elizabeth's recommendation, I tried the natural flavored and chocolate flavored protein powder by Vega next. It also has a nice combination of plant proteins, from hemp, yellow peas, brown rice, and flax. Each serving contains 26 g protein and 15 g fiber! Both powders had very "earthy" tastes to them, and I was not particularly fond of either. And even though Vega calls one of its powders "natural," vanilla flavor and stevia are still added.

Last but not least, I tried PB2, which has been receiving a lot of buzz lately. Verdict- I actually liked it!! Each 2 tbsp serving has 53.2 calories, 1.87 g total fat, 3.4 g carbs, and 5.65 g protein. However, PB2 is used mostly as a low-fat alternative to peanut butter, rather than as a protein powder/supplement. You just add 1 part water to two parts PB2, stir, and presto! You have some low-fat peanut butter. And PB2 even looks and spreads somewhat like real peanut butter! Although PB2 can never truly replace real peanut butter in flavor and taste, it can be great when you're hiking, in baked goods, or if you are a peanut butter junkie. I would not recommend eating PB2 by itself, however. For full enjoyment, eat it with something- such in a PB&J sandwich or in a smoothie.

Unfortunately, there are a few cons:

PB2 is only sold in a few select locations or online.
PB2 is expensive!!!, and can come out to around $6ish each when you include shipping costs. I picked mine up at My Healthy Fit in Woburn, MA, but it still costs $7 for one. This is about 3 times the cost of regular peanut butter! (and it's not like it's organic, either)
PB2 is sweetened with sugar. There are currently no sugar-free or salt-free versions of PB2! Contact Bell Plantation so we can increase customer demand so this will change! :)

Look for my post tomorrow about my overall comments and thoughts on this protein powder adventure!

Who Owns Your Food and Water Globally and Locally?

2009-03-08T15:03:00.002-04:00

Last Friday, Simmons hosted the 12th annual International Women's Day breakfast: Who Owns Your Food and Water Globally and Locally?

The breakfast started off some amazing bread from Mamadou's Artisan Bakery in Winchester. One of IWD's slogan, Bread & Roses, calls for fair pay, decent working conditins, and respect. The phrase originated from a protest in Lawrence, MA, in which women's factory hours were reduced, but production increased and workers' salary was cut.

In the U.S. and many other parts of the world, we are used to the idea of paying for water. However, Patricia Jones from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee spoke about access to water as a human right.

According to a 2006 Report on the Water Crisis by the UN:

1.1 billion people don't have access to safe water
2.6 billion don't have access to water sanitation
5 million die annually from water-related diseases

Nevertheless, here is a good sign: South African was the first constitution to incorporate water as a human right. Improving water sanitation is within our interests. Every dollar spent on water sanitation benefits the economy by $8!

With the number of water shut-offs rising and increasing water scarcity due to global climate change, among other reasons, we need to learn more about our water. You can start from as little as paying more attention to your water bill, learning more about the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act, or supporting grassroots organizations such as the UUSC. At the moment, the U.S. has no national water policy. What Patricia recommends: the U.S. needs a just and equitable national water policy with women involved, and which has a priority for the poor.

Other speakers included Ruby Maddox-Fisher, the co-founder and past director of the community-based urban agriculture program in Springfield, MA: Gardening the Community. The GtC:

Makes use of abandoned lots to grow fruits and vegetables
Helps to educate youth about urban agriculture
Increases access to locally produced food, and promotes the community
Contributes to the greening of the city and helps to recycle urban wastes, such as grey water
Grey water, or water produced from domestic purposes such as dishwashing or doing laundry, can be filtered and cleaned and used for other purposes!

Jenny Ruducha, involved with several NGO's such as Save the Children and PATH, spoke to us about the international outlook on Food and Nutrition. Some interesting facts to note:

World agriculture produces 17% more calories per person than 30 years ago.
982 million people live on <$1/day. And unsurprisingly, around the same number of people, 963 million, suffer from hunger worldwide.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 1:3 people are chronically hungry.
According to FAO, 33 countries are facing critical food shortages.
Poor nutrition is the cause of more than 1/2 of all child deaths worldwide.

Solutions include food and cash transfers (a project already undertaken in Malawi) and addressing chronic food insecurity through productive safety nets.

Last but not least was the director of Natick Community Organic Farm Lynda Sinkins. Because we all eat, we are all part of the agriculture system. And because 85% of food is imported, and 15% is produced locally, we need to support and buy from our New England farmers so they do not run out of business. And with local CSA's, greenhouses, and urban agriculture, the ability to buy local produce and to do so year round is increasing every day!

And if you would like to learn more about International Women's Day, look here!

Rice Dream's Strawberry Ice Cream

2009-03-06T20:44:00.002-05:00

When I visited the Harvest Co-Op this week, Rice Dream Non-Dairy Frozen Desserts were on sale for $3/pint! I had never had it before, but via recommendation from a friend, I knew I needed to try it and decided to go for the strawberry flavor.

The verdict: it was very good. I finished the pint in two days, and had to restrist myself in order to prevent finishing it in just one. Although the taste is definitely non-dairy, I was very impressed by this rice ice cream! It was creamy, rice-like (Asians love their rice), smooth, not too sweet, and had just the right amount of strawberry flavor!

Pros: It is sweetened only with unrefined sweeteners, including brown rice syrup, fruit sweeteners, and agave syrup. It has 0 g of cholesterol-raising saturated fat per 1/2 cup serving, compared to 8 g in Ben & Jerry's Dairy & Organic Strawberry Ice Cream!

Cons: The price, and my (lack of) self control.

Although Rice Dream's ice cream isn't the same as getting some fresh vegan ice cream from Wheeler's Café and Ice Cream Bar (which makes vegan ice cream from a soy and nut base, and which will be the topic for another post), it is highly recommended! I need to try their other flavors, which you can look at here.

Nutrition Information: 1/2 cup (85 g): 150 Calories; 5 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 25 g total carbohydrate; 0 g dietary fiber; 12 g sugar; 0 g protein

The World Food Crisis and Response

2009-03-04T16:37:00.001-05:00

This semester, BU is offering a free Gastronomy Lecture Series in Food Studies! (However, you need to call and reserve your space in advance!)

Last Friday, professor of Anthropology Ellen Messer spoke about Food and Security: Crisis, Challenges, and Choices. She addressed hunger, defined as access to nutritionally adequate food. Although enough food is produced worldwide to feed everyone a nutritionally adequate diet, there are the problems of access, unhealthy food choices, and underdeveloped community food organizations.

Photo source: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.cho/children_in_poverty_worldwide

One problem decreasing access to wholesome foods is high prices. High prices can result from decreased production (due to weather, politics, and warfare), increased demands for commodity crops and biofuels, a decreasing economy, and more. Because farmers see so little returns for their crops, many end up growing a combination of cash and specialty crops in order to have enough food to eat, while still making enough money to survive.

More than half of the hungry live in 7 countries: Bangladesh, China, DRC, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

There are controversial solutions to these problems, including biotechnologies vs. agroecological/organic technologies, large-scale vs. small-scale farming, and free vs. fair trade.

What the individual can do: You can become more a more informed consumer: suggested reads included What to Eat by Marion Nestle and Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé. Several international organizations involved with sustainable food systems worthy to look up are Oxfam International, Care, and Global Exchange.

The next lecture in the gastronomy series: Henry Ford, Colonial Kitchens, and the Performance of National Identity by Abigail Carroll on March 27!

And if you haven't checked out the Culinary Historians of Boston yet- they have a monthly speaker series always open to the public!

High Country Kombucha

2009-03-03T14:38:00.007-05:00

Even though I have a whole other blog dedicated to this, I would feel bad not writing a post about the fermented tea kombucha that I brew here! Kombucha is a fermented and fizzy drink, said to have probiotic and detoxifying effects. When I drink it, I always feel great! Although the taste definitely takes some getting used to, once people get into drinking it they are usually hooked.

I walked into the Harvest Co-Op in Cambridge yesterday, and was happy to see that in addition to their usual stock of GT's, Katalyst, and Wonder Drink Kombucha, there was a new brand: High Country! At $3.49 for 16 oz it is quite pricy, but because it was a new brand for me I couldn't resist trying just one.

I ended up buying the Wild Root Kombucha to be adventerous- and it just tastes like root beer! Hight Country also has more traditional flavors like original, ginger, and Goji Berry, if root beer flavored kombucha isn't your thing. If you would like to read more about Kombucha look here.

Flour Bakery + Café

2009-03-02T18:01:00.002-05:00

So I feel a little hypocritical about having my first food post on dessert- but who can live without it?

When my family and I were in the South End, we knew we needed to stop by Flour Bakery + Café. With two locations, this bakery is now green certified at Washington St., with its Farnsworth St. location soon to follow suit. Flour has high quality desserts, with their sticky buns so popular that it's recommended to order them in advance! Or you can order them online- but there is a hefty $50-$70 overnight shipping fee.

When we went inside I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had vegan muffins! However, my family opted for Flour's acclaimed oreo, which had two crunchy, chocolate cookies sandwiching a cloud of creamy filling. We also ordered a slice of Boston Cream Pie- the light cake was interspersed with layers of whipped cream and covered with a chocolate ganache, which had a slight but pleasant tinge of coffee. And the sugar was caramelized to perfection in the creamy crème brulée , providing a crunchy contrast to the soft and creamy custard.

I will definitely be stopping by Flour Bakery again! I hear their cookies are amazing, and I need to give their sandwiches a try! Check out Flour's menu here.

Real Food Summit!

2009-03-01T23:40:00.001-05:00

Last weekend several members of Slow Food BU and I visited UMass Amherst for the 2nd Annual NE Real Food Summit, where over 300 students from the northeast gathered to network, attend workshops, and brainstorm ideas on how to bring local, sustainable, fair, and real food into our schools.

Real foods help to nourish the earth, producers, consumers, and communities. And with over $4 billion dollars spent on food every year by universities, colleges can make a significant impact on food supply trends. Thus, a goal of the Real Food Challenge, which runs the food summits, is to get 20% of all foods purchased by colleges and universities towards real foods by 2020.

Ways that students can become involved in the movement towards more sustainable foods include joining the Youth Food Movement, creating or joining a Slow Food on Campus Convivia, joining the Real Food Challenge, or by holding an eat-in.

Workshops included "Building Food IQ and Sharpening Your Sound Bytes" by Dr. Susan Rubin, the founder of Better School Food. At this workshop, students learned, among other things, that the sweetener high-fructose corn commonly found in commercial foods has been indicated to be contaminated with mercury. Furthermore, it takes around 17 feet of sugar cane to make 1 cup of sugar. Suggested reads included The End of Food by Paul Roberts and Death by Supermarket by Nancy Deville.

Meanwhile, in another workshop students discussed The Farm Bill and the Northeast with Simmons faculty member and NESAWG consultant Larry Dixon. Although improvements to the Farm Bill can always be made, students recognized some of its positives- including the fact that the farm bill sets aside money (over $2 billion for the next five years) for nutrition and food safety net programs.

I will discuss food and food issues in later posts, but in the meantime here is a movie that I highly recommend: The Future of Food.