Adventures of a Barefoot Princess

Cooperative Community In the Making

2011-04-30T09:43:00.004-04:00

Something is brewing in Hopewell, New Jersey, and I think the horeses can smell it.

Stonybrook Meadows Equestrian Center has expanded its vision and is now in the process of becoming the area's hub for sustainability education.

So far at the farm you can buy organic, free-range eggs, recieve acupuncture treatments for $20, take a yoga class, and participate in workshops ranging from Yoga for Equestrians, Wild Edible Plants, Shiitake Inoculation, as well on focused classes that bring the garden to the kitchen!

Plans for the future include a community garden, farm dinners, and Own Your Own Lamb, Chicken, Turkey, or Quail!!!

An Ecovillage Dream

2011-04-25T11:16:00.003-04:00

Many ideas are seeming to come together for me recently. All that I have learned about myself through exploring my interests, my hopes and dreams, are beginning to paint a clear picture for me.

I believe a life goal of mine is to support the creation a sustainable human settlement that integrates various aspects of ecological design including green building, renewable energy, permaculture, and supports a thriving local economy. In other words, an ecovillage...

...In the tri-state area...

more to come...

The Roof Is Alive... With Garden Gnomes?

2011-04-16T13:09:00.015-04:00

As promised, work is completed on the living roof for our chicken palace. What once was a slight eye-sore as I peered into the forest from my bedroom window, is now a beautiful, magical sight. Once the foundation for a green roof was placed, a little gnome quickly came in and gardened the hell out of it!

It really is that simple.

First, I carefully secured a tarp over the roof, making sure that no rainwater would penetrate. Then I nailed down an old, unused, stinky shaggy carpet. The carpet gives the soil and roots something to hold onto.

Finally, we dug up sod. (Or shall I say,

the gnome did.) First from our garden, a thick ground cover of chickweed. Then beautiful patches of mixed colors, height, and textures from around our yard- short grass, tall grass, dandelion, dead nettle, gill-over-the-ground, little pink flowers... plus some store bought perry winkle as well as english ivy that will hopefully secure itself and hang down the walls. There is even a little stone terrace!!

Though my reason for wanting a living roof on our chicken coop is aesthetic, green roofs are beneficial in many ways. They provide insulation and will create an air-conditioner effect inside a building...

But their perhaps most useful function is in cities where they create habitat for wildlife, absorb rainwater and help to lower urban air temperatures and combat the heat island effect.

You can create a green roof on any surface that does not have too much of a slant. You can garden the roof of your home, your barn, commercial building, even a skyscraper!!! You can also use your roof to grow food and medicine if you don't have much land or it is the only spot to get sun.

I must say, the gnome man and his gardened roof are a much welcomed addition to our home...

And he sure loves the view.

Images of the process to come.

Constructing our Chicken Palace

2011-04-11T17:00:00.009-04:00

My father came on a Sunday to help my housemates and I construct a chicken coop in our yard. We used an existing structure left behind by the last tenants, a wooden playhouse, and extended out. The only main thing left that we would like to do is build a living roof.

We have 3 hens and rooster, all heritage breeds purchased from . Though you do not need a rooster to get eggs, the place we got them only sells their birds in groups of 3 hens and a rooster. I have had great experiences with roosters in the past and we all wanted to experience the cycle of life bring baby chickens to our little herd. The rooster is like the chief and they like to stay close by him. They free range all day, eating spring sprouts, worms, and grubs. Their diet is supplemented with high quality grain, and they are gifting us beautifully rich orange eggs, about 1 per bird, per day.

Chickens are such a pleasure!! They have pleasant personalities and are fun to watch and interact with. Not the mention the freshest, best quest quality eggs you can get!! I recommend them in any garden. And yes, hens (not roosters) have a home in many suburban and urban yards.

Growing Shiitakes at Home

2011-04-03T10:26:00.016-04:00

After my unsuccessful attempt at inoculating hardwood logs with Shiitake spawn 2 autumns ago, I felt strongly that I had to get it right the next time. So when my shiitake starter kit arrived from Mushroom People I immediately read all the directions and made sure to follow them exactly. After 1 phone call and 1 email with questions to owner Frank Michael (with no response) I hoped that I had enough information I needed to give these mushrooms the best chance at fruiting and emarked on my quest.

I have decided that my failure 2 years ago resulted either from not using the right wood, or more likely, from dehydration. However, I also did not take much care to keep the bark undamaged, and follow other directions exactly.

So this time I took great care.

It is challenging to find the right trees when they have no leaves, and when they are too young to have distinguishing bark features. With my friend Shannon's help (who knows more about trees than I do) we carefully selected a young white oak which was not receiving enough sunlight to thrive. She still had a few of the previous season's leaves so right away we knew it was oak- the best of the hardwoods for Shiitake plug spawn. She was about 8 inches at the base, beautiful, straight, with no branches extending from her trunk for a good distance, until her diameter was too small to be used. Since it is important to not damage the bark, it is good to find a tree that will not have many branches that you will have to cut off. We marked the chosen one with purple yarn. She was perfect.

Later I returned with another friend Christie and neighbor Herman's chainsaw. We decided which way the tree would fall and laid a few fallen trees across the path and over large rocks in order to help cushion the trees fall. After a ceremony of gratitude and with the smell of chainsaw fumes our tree fell as desired.

As directed, I cut the tree into approximately 40 inches in height, ranging from 3-6 inches in diameter, and carried the logs one by one out of the forest.

While wax was melting in a double burner on my stove, I began to drill. Starting 2 inches from the base, I drilled a hole 1 in. deep with my 5/16 in. drill bit. Then continuing around the base, I drilled more holes 2.5 inches apart. Then, like a grid, I continued upward from each of those holes, drilling 6-8 inches apart until I reached the top. When I finished drilling the first log, I brought out my plugs and melted wax. With a hammer I lightly tapped the plug into the hole so it was flush with the inner bark, trying not to damage the outer bark (which cannot be entirely helped.) After all the plugs were in, I then used a paint brush to cover each plug with a thin layer of wax. I carried each log to its final home, laying along the north end of the house, in the shade, on top of bricks so as to keep them up off the ground.

I would recommend finishing each log before continuing on to the next one. I had only completely a few logs before I had to stop for the day, and was happy that I did not have unplugged holes, as you want to insert the plugs immediately after you drill the holes.

In addition, I found that at first I had trouble with the brush I was using for the wax. It hardened and became unusable. The next paintbrush I used I kept in the wax when I wasn't using it, even letting the wax harden over it, and then melted the wax with the paintbrush still in it. I had no troubles with the brush using this method.

It also helped to have more than one drill. When the battery got low and the drill stopped working well, I aimply charged the battery and used another drill. Had I only had 1 drill it would have been a HUGE hindrance.

I did not have enough logs from the white oak to use all the plugs. They are currently in the fridge. I don't know if I will take another tree, or if I will save them for use in the fall. I don't know yet if they will store until the fall. We shall see.

In the meantime, I will be sure to soak my logs thoroughly, and let them dry in between soakings, about once every 2 weeks. I will be dunking them in clean garbage cans filled with fresh water. I will also flip the completed logs every few months, placing the top on the bricks, to ensure even moisture...

It was a great day, a cold, kind of dismal, tiring, great day. Plus I had the joy of hanging with our chickens, who are usually sociable, but were especially interested in my mushrooming activities.

I pray that come fall, or at least by next spring, I will be cooking up my own home-grown, organic shiitakes.

Gardens Reviving Our World

2011-03-29T21:37:00.004-04:00

Permaculture in New Brunswick.

http://gardensrevivingourworld.org/

A spiritual life in the modern world.

2011-02-21T17:04:00.002-05:00

The following quote has been deeply resonating with me lately. Thought I should share...

"Trying to live a spiritual life in modern society is the most difficult path one can walk. It is a path of pain, of isolation, and of shaken faith, but that is the only way that our Vision can become reality. Thus the true Quest in life is to live the philosophy of the Earth within the confines of man. There is no church or temple we need to seek peace, for ours are the temples of the wilderness. There are no spiritual leaders, for our hearts and the Creator are our only leaders. Our numbers are scattered; few speak our language or understand the things that we live. Thus we walk this path alone, for each Vision, each Quest, is unique unto the individual. But we must walk within society or our Vision dies, for a man not living his Vision is living death."
-Grandfather, as written in The Quest by Tom Brown Jr.

Organizing my life

2011-01-15T09:12:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I spent some time doing for myself what I am so frequently doing for others...

Organizing and decluttering!!

Over the years I have come to the inescapable conclusion that my living space is a reflection of the current state of my life and my mind. When I am overworked and stressed, my home looks like a tornado passed through. I don't have the energy it takes to keep up with basic tasks like putting my clothes back in the closet after I try them on. Instead they live on the floor for weeks.

In this state of chaos I struggle with time management. I begin to run late everywhere I go. And I generally feel unhappy and discontent.

There is something so freeing and grounded about living in clean, clear, organized space. I love helping other people organize their garages, closets, pantries, and play rooms so that they can feel this same lightness and freedom.

Last night I felt the inspiration grow in me. On Sunday I am beginning a 10-month yoga training. Some yoga books I had ordered arrived in the mail. I needed a home for them. And I needed a sacred space for myself, a place dedicated not only to my yoga studies, but to myself... A safe place to sit quietly. To stretch. To relax. To let go. To breath deeply. To study. To check in with myself, and to envision my dreams coming true.

SO I did it. Finally.

To manifest your Vision, you must make every decision in alignment with that vision. That includes how you keep your space around you.

Does your space support you in your health, happiness, productivity, and spiritual growth?
So many people today are giving so much of their time and energy to their career and family, they can barely keep up with the basics, like putting things away in an organized manner, cooking a healthful meal, and taking time to sit back and breath tension away.

There is help. Many people have housekeepers and nannies, they see massage therapists, acupuncturists, and life coaches, they go to yoga class or the gym...

I love offering myself as another resource for creating a healthy, sane life with Living Light. People are so excited to find out what I do. Almost everyone I talk to tell me that either they need it or they know someone else who would want our help. I also love to experience a client's joy when they open their closet and see their life organized before their eyes!!!

In this western culture, we too often want to do it all ourselves. But around the world, people know that it takes a village.

Bridging Food Ethics: Veganism vs. Sustainability

2010-11-21T08:45:00.005-05:00

A quick stop at New Hope vegan restaurant Sprig & Vine leads to the meeting of two ethical eaters intending to dine solo. Educated on a variety of issues and endowed with our life experience, we share stories and beliefs, and part ways having affected each other in some important ways.

He- a vegan of 2 years and vegetarian for longer, with serious values considering the cruel treatment and exploitation of animals. Myself- non dogmatic, permaculturalist, with deep concerns regarding sustainability. Both of us willing to open our hearts and minds and have meaningful, contemplative conversations with a stranger. We compare factory farms with small, local farms, discuss hunting, raw food, Gary Null, the Farm, sardines, chickens, goats, Namaste Cafe, Kayas Kitchen, and of course, PETA.

Our care for the ethical treatment of animals are shared however it is our views on the issue that differ. In my opinion, if we are to be ethical human beings, then we are to be compassionate to our Earth Mother, and we must localize our supply chain in a big way. I believe that animals can be raised and slaughtered with compassion and in the most sacred of ways, if done on a small scale, by caring human beings. I believed that raising farm animals on a small scale brings stability to the local food supply which, at least in agricultural zone 7, could not provide for the protein needs of a vegetarian through gardening and foraging alone. I would even go so far as to say that hunting or raising your own livestock for slaughter might in fact be more humane than being a vegan or raw foodist.

Don't get me wrong. I love raw foods and I eat a largely vegan diet. But it's the large-scale, industrial farms are the problem. If all of us who cared about animal cruelty and exploitation- vegans, vegetarians, and meat-eaters decided to eat animal products from small, family-owned, local producers, that would make more of a statement to the owners of factory farms than just choosing not to eat meat at all...

Most vegans and raw-foodists purchase exotic foods shipped from all across the globe, and in doing so, they support oil companies, monocrops, and the inflation of "super" foods- staple crops that have been consumed by indigenous communities for centuries who now can no longer afford them. (see this NY times article about quinoa in Bolivia: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/americas/20bolivia.html)

If the bottom line is about life and death, that is a black and white issue, and the killing of one animal life to sustain another life is wrong.

However, if the concern is for suffering, then we must open our eyes to the broad scale effects of our current system that cause suffering in more than just animals. Our agricultural system depends on huge monocrops, which organic or conventional, come at a distastrous price to the environment, our culture, and the quality of our food. Read about it here.

If the concern is for a more sustainable future, then we have a lot of work to do as well as much to learn from our ancestors, our farmers, our gardeners, our permaculturalists, beekeepers, homesteaders, foragers, hunters... each other...

Now for the exciting part... Sustainable, AND vegan diets.

A great start is to read this book: How to Grow More Vegetables (and Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops) Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine by John Jeavons, who is reviving small-scale farming to counter monocrops through his writings, educational internships on his farm, as well as worldwide workshops.

"Jeavons says mini-farming can feed a person a nutritious vegan diet with 4,000 square feet of land, compared to 7,000 square feet needed for a vegan diet with conventional farming and 30,000 square feet to produce the average American diet."

VOILÀ ! A practical solution for sustainable system design and compassion for animals! Through a system such as the biointensive one described and practiced by Jeavons, livestock can then be added to the system not by need and exploitation, but for the love of the animal.

Now I'm singing, all you need is love, love, love. Love is all there is.

A Rant About NJ

2010-11-20T10:28:00.017-05:00

This is a celebratory post for the Adventures of a Barefoot Princess, as well as a little rant about New Jersey. I started this blog in February of 2008 while working at The Farm, an intentional community and once-hippie-commune in rural Tennessee. It marked the beginning of an output-phase, where I began transfering my wisdom, knowledge, experiences, and inner guidance into some sort of offering to the world.

We all go through times of creative inspiration, and ride the wave to the other end of the spectrum and back again. Recently the spark in me was rekindled when I decided to move forward with a long envisioned project to localize the barefoot princess blog to New Jersey. Now that I live in New Jersey, I naturally want to post everything that is going on in my area. The barefoot princess blog is now becoming a place where folks living in the Garden State can find local events and resources for holistic health, natural living, earth education, and so much more.

I've been around the country a few times, and to farther parts of this big beautiful Earth, and for a time felt discouraged by the negative outlook most people have for New Jersey. Most of them had never even been off the Turnpike and yet still believed that their limited, biased, and what I would also dare to call ignorant opinion had enough merit to encompass the entire Garden State and sometimes the northeast as a whole.

High Point

In defense I would bring up the expansive Pine Barrens in the south, the Applachian Trail that cuts through the northwest, the Delaware Water Gap, Sandy Hook Beach, and the bountiful farms, forests, rivers, and creeks. I would also mention the Catskill Mountains of NY, the Berkshires, Vermont...

Pine Barrens

To them there was no possibility for beauty. They would say there is no culture, no community. I would offer the Wilderness Survival School, the thriving yoga community, the organic farms, the artists, the vegan restaurants, health food stores, CSA's, permaculture meet-up groups, and primitive skill shares... and beyond New Jersey I would mention centers like Kripalu and Omega, EarthDance in Western Mass, on and on and on....

Great Falls of the Passaic

Sandy Hook

......and on and on.....

Palisades

Delaware Water Gap

...and on...

Buttermilk Falls

Only someone who knows the Garden State would be able to tell you that there is something here for everyone. Like any other state we have our poverty. Like any other government we have our corruption. We suffer the butt-end of our nation's and world's insatiable and disastrous greed for energy and resources, with many good people living in the unfathomable pollution it causes. We host mean-spirited, unhappy residents. Drugs. Crime. Concrete. Cars. Yes you can find that all here.

But what you can also find are the seeds, blossoms, and fruits of positive, creative, regenerative culture. I feel honored to document the non-profits, for-profits, collectives, community centers, wellness centers, farms, teachers, artists, classes, gatherings, and wild places, so that those living in and around New Jersey who are inspired to live better, more conscious lives can gather information, find support, and seek out their community.

Trillium Charter School

2010-11-20T09:51:00.000-05:00

Finally! A FREE PUBLIC school that holistically honors children's natural curiosity and love for learning, is rooted in experiential- project-based learning, has small class size, multi-age classrooms, AND holds a strong commitment to health and environmental sustainability.

Founded by a group of concerned educators and parents, Trillium Charter School will open its doors in September 2012 to students from the districts of Flemington-Raritan, Readington, and Hillsborough, and the surrounding region.

"To fulfill our students' potential, we are responsible to develop them not only academically and intellectually, but also physically, emotionally, and socially. Through community service and outdoor education, our students cultivate an appreciation of their vital roles as members of families and communities, and as stewards of the Earth. We strive to empower our children to make positive decisions in regard to their own education and growth, as well as to the sustainability of the interdependent world around them."

Other progressive schools in the area include The Waldorf School of Princeton and Montessori. Though I think both schools are awesome and if I had children I would happily send them to either one, they are private and therefor less accessible for families. The Trillium Charter school is the only one in the area that I know of that will offer both RESPECTABLE* AND FREE* education for children.

Rock on Trillium!

A Paradigm Shift- Everyone Just Needs Someone to Care

2010-11-18T12:13:00.003-05:00

Great video. Isn't this so much what it's all about?

Natural Teeth Whitening- Home Remedies

2010-11-18T09:54:00.004-05:00

My father always told me that healthy teeth are yellow, not white. But aside from my dad, not many of us actually like our teeth looking yellow. If you are like me, you don't want to use harmful chemicals in your mouth. Not only are they toxic, a while ago I tried one of the over the counter teeth whitening products and found that they painfully aggravated my gums during application as well as created a prolonged sensitivity to cold. My personal experience was then corroborated by others, and I came to learn that whitening your teeth with these products come at a painful price.

So what do conscious consumers do? Why, we arm ourselves with collective wisdom through research of course, and we create the solution at home, using safe, natural, and affordable products.

Here is some advice before begining any teeth whitening home remedies:

While baking soda is a cleaning agent and deodorizer, and may get rid of stains and make the teeth sparkle more, it is also very abrasive, and its regular use has the potential to damage the enamel of the teeth. From my own experience, even short-term use of baking soda tooth paste causes increased sensitivity to my teeth and gums

Some home remedies you will find on the internet invlove the use of lemon juice. Citric acid in lemon juice and orange peels is another popular way to whiten your teeth at home because of its natural bleaching properties. But citric acid eats away at the enamel and speeds up tooth decay. My mother, who ate sliced lemons, was the first to warn me of the damaging effecs of lemons an teeth and always advised me not to follow in her footsteps. "Do as I say, not as I do."

Please remember that anything in excess can be harmful, so do good research and use your best judgement as to the frequency and duration for any home whitening treatment.

After doing the research, my number 1 choice for natural teeth whitening at home is.....

Olive oil!

SO easy!! Every household should have olive oil. Requires no mixing, no prep work. Simply put some olive oil on a cotton ball or some toilet paper and rub on your teeth for instant effects. However, this remedy comes with 1 very important warning everyone should know... Olive oil rub will produce a naturally white smile, and is not meant for an artificial, professionally bleached look. So if you are into the artificial look, make an appointment for whitening with your dentist, and combine it with a trip to the tanning salon.

View some comments about olive oil for whiter teeth on the My Home Remedies site.

Healing Coconut! Spread your RAÍCES in New Brunswick

2010-11-18T08:58:00.000-05:00

I love my coconut. Not only one of my favorite good fats, coconut oil is also one of the only moisturizers I use on my face. Other natural products I use for my skin include sesame oil and jojoba oil, but coconut wins my prize for best feel, best smell, and best results.

"Coconut is considered a medicine food by many ancient civilizations. Civilizations that consumed coconut regularly had no knowledge of cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes. Some of the healing properties of coconut oil are:
antiviral, antifungal (kills yeast too) and antibacterial. It attacks and kills viruses that have a lipid (fatty) coating, such as herpes, HIV, hepatitis C, the flu, and mononucleosis.... It kills the bacteria that cause pneumonia, sore throats, dental cavities, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhea, food poisoning, pneumonia, and many, many more bacterial infections. It kills the fungus/yeast infections that cause candida, ringworm, athletes foot, thrush, jock itch, diaper rash and more."

Wow. For only $10 bucks, this is an event you shouldn't miss. Support a great non-profit organization AND learn more about this fantastic medicine food.

Raíces Cultural Center of New Brunswick
100 Jersey Ave., C-108, New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Herbal Healing from the Island of Puerto Rico: COCONUT
November 21, 5pm – 7pm

Learn about the healing properties of coconut and how to prepare coconut based food and drink. Taste delicious samples and bring home the recipes. Workshop presented by Angela Lugo. Angela is a practitioner of herbal healing arts from the island of Puerto Rico. Join us as she presents the next part of her workshop series on traditional Puertorican herbs and spirituality. Workshop fee $10 in advance/$12 at the door, donation to Raíces Cultural Center. To reserve a space in advance, call 732-317-2649, e-mail raices@raicesculturalcenter.org or see a Raíces Cultural Center Director.

http://www.raicesculturalcenter.org/index_en.html

Dining on the Edge

2010-11-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

If you've made your way to this blog, you are probably familiar with the term CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), but have you ever considered supper clubs??

"A good way to think of a Supper Club is perhaps as a Community Supported Kitchen (CSK). In the United States, Supper Clubs operate mostly in private homes and are open only on occasion. Normally the menu is fixed and guests have reserved their seats in advance. The list of invited guests are the members of the Community Supported Kitchen.

In many “developing countries” Supper Clubs are the absolute norm and are open virtually everyday for three meals. Commercial restaurants are a recent development, which are patronized by tourists. Restaurants are not a part of the local culture. So naturally, the community often gathers to eat in the homes of the best cooks in town." Read more on supper clubs here.

Supper clubs are popping up across the country. In the Lambertville area, there is one such community called Kindle Cafe. Kindle Cafe is a 'pop-up' eatery specializing in organic, locally sourced, plant-based cuisine." It has no location. No staff. Just community-minded individuals and delectable menus, sometimes live music, and always good conversation.

http://kindlecafe.com/blog/
http://www.buckshappening.com/vince-peterson-ignites-passionat-kindle-cafe
http://www.packetinsider.com/blog/naturalchoice/?p=177

Look UP! Medicinal Trees

2010-11-13T22:30:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow. Sunday, November 14th, 2-5 pm.
Look Up! Medicinal Trees, Edible Nuts - A Wild Walk with Dan Farella

Join us as we do something different for a change, look up! At all the beautiful trees around us. After the leaves have fallen is a great time to observe the bark of trees and observe the different leaf patterns.

We will discuss medicinal and utilitarian applications of many barks, saps, twigs, leaves, and needles as well as how to harvest, prepare, and eat many delicious, healthful tree nuts. And im sure a few mushrooms will say hello along the way.

Hope to see you there!

http://www.returntonature.us/

See what the Barefoot Princess has to say about Dan.

The Journey Continues

2010-11-13T21:33:00.000-05:00

Are you Barefoot and in New Jersey, and looking for your community? Look no further. The barefoot princess compiles the resources for you, so that you may find the tools you need to be healthier, live better, and blossom into your fullest expression of your Heart's vision, all while living or visiting the Garden State.

For further reading while this site is building, please make your way over to The Adventures of a Barefoot Princess- In Search of Sustainable Culture.

Thank you, and have the best day ever.

A Battle Cry

2010-11-07T11:37:00.005-05:00

...From Gaia Emerging...

CO-INSPIRE : CONSPIRE : CONSPIRICY

"The world keeps telling me in lists and bullet points:
• be pragmatic
• get a job
• go back to school
• do what we tell you

yet my visions keep coming with no rhyme or reason
flowing like a river
swelling like the ocean
sweeping me away with crisp visions of utopia
things can be different my heart cries out in defiance.
We can live in eden
as soon as we realize
WE DO LIVE IN EDEN.
eating the fruit from
the tree of knowledge gave US the responsibility to tend the garden.
That is all
we are gardeners of this planet.
what a gift
what a
responsibility..."

not burdened by personal or family wealth...
given the opportunities only kings and princes ever had
along with the immense responsibilities that they never knew...."

in my hands
the fate of a planet
IN YOUR HANDS THE FATE OF A PLANET..."

The battle cry continues.... continue onto Gaia Emerging.

Trailblazing Your Life Path

2010-10-23T12:13:00.009-04:00

My response to a friend's post confessing her sense of urgency about being someone grand and important, instability not knowing what to "do" with her life, feelings of hopelessness around creating a livelihood that is a unique expression of her personality and values, fear that being herself is not good enough.....

"Thank you for voicing many of my own dreams, fears, goals, self-criticisms, and essence. Lovely lady, you are making a difference each day you choose to be your real self and not conform to societal expectations. You change worlds with your laughter and your tears.

I share this path with you, and we are walking side by side. They say you cannot connect the dots moving forward, that you can only connect them looking backward, and you just have to TRUST that your dots will somehow connect to your future, leading you on and on in the direction of your heart's greatest Vision. I honor your strength, your power, and your humility. And you don't have to be anything different than your truest reflection of what is inside, for your heart is your greatest compass. TRUST IN IT!

As far as your dream of being a housewife, there is nothing wrong and everything wonderful about caring for home, caring for family, tending the soil. I used to feel inadequate in my simplicy, because every one around me was or wanted to do BIG things, and I felt somehow less. So I convinced myself I was like them, because I too wanted to be important. But I could not fake it for long. Over time I came to accept and empower my simplicity, and came to realize that I gain energy by giving, that my creativity is naturally and happily expressed in the home, that I find great joy in cooking for others and cleaning, in providing, in nurturing.

SO, a year ago I put an ad out on craigslist offering vegetarian and vegan cooking for busy overworked parents and professionals. After doing that for over 8 months, I began going into peoples homes to cook, clean, organize, and spend time with their children for $15/hour. In two weeks I will be doing a postpartum doula training and will finish with my certification in the following months, so I can create greater abundance doing what I love, helping people, AND make double what I am making now!!! You see, you can be simple AND make a difference AND make a good livelihood for yourself!

My advice to you is this: Meditate on what brings you joy, and put it out there on craigslist for a fee. Someone will want it!

"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

You are a powerful Creator.

BELIEVE it

and

OWN it!"

Return to Nature

2010-10-17T09:46:00.021-04:00

"We never left Eden," writes forgaging expert Dan Farella on his new website, Return to Nature. "There is an amazing bounty of wild food and medicine that exists beginning the moment we leave our houses... Once we recongnize and reclaim our oneness with Nature we realize an ever present bounty that Mother Nature provides that is local, organic, healthy, and wild! Just the way Nature intended."

Though his website is just getting started, Dan has already become known in the Princeton area for his informative and inspiring plant walks. He has a unique and natural way of teaching that guides a deeper connection between person and plant, helping anyone with an interest and open heart really get to know a species as one would get to know a dear friend.

I have followed his Facebook posts about his continous wild harvests. Here are two recent posts from this fall's experiences of mushroom hunting: "Wild, fresh picked oyster and chicken of the woods mushrooms, sauteed in oil and garlic with backyard oregano and a zucchini for good measure- yummy lunch." "Just ate wild lions mane mushrooms, wild dandelions sauteed in their oil, and wild pears for dessert. All from a lovely afternoon walk in the park. Those lions manes are soooo delicious and succulant, like vegetarian lobster. And it has incredible studies done on it to reverse dementia and alzheimers."

I look forward to more detailed information that will surely be provided on his website, reflective in one of his first posts, Edible Puffballs In Your Front Lawn, where he not only tells you how to identify Calvatia cyathiformis, he also tells you how you know they are too old, poisonous lookalikes, and cooking suggestions.

Return to Nature and step into a world where the earth more than provides for ALL its inhabitants, including humans. Return to Nature and experience the magic that happens when wild food and humans collide.

In addition to plant walks, Dan offers Herbal Medicine and Health consultations, 1 on 1 Plant Mentorships, Guitar, Bass, and Didgeridoo lessons, Theta Healing, and private Yoga and Meditation classes. Visit his website returntonature.us.

The Voice of Divine Presence

2010-10-16T09:33:00.000-04:00

at Mountain Light Sanctuary.

Mountain Light Sanctuary

2010-10-06T23:20:00.008-04:00

In the ancient Applachians of current day North Carolina lies an oasis of mountain light sanctity. I visited for a few days this summer as a home base for exploring Asheville and the surrounding areas, but to also get my fix of community, retreat, and butterfly faires. Despite being found on hostelworld.com, this place is nothing like what one might imagine of a typical american hostel.

Barefoot and in the Kitchen

2010-06-20T09:01:00.006-04:00

My little barefoot feet have been busy in the kitchen. About 6 months ago I started a little vegetarian personal chef enterprise. Now I have 12 people signed up for my vegan "Cook For Your Health" class this Saturday.

A lot of this was made possible by my attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. The program helped me with the confidence and support I needed to begin developing a sustainable livelihood!

Onward!

Sustainable Living Solutions

2010-02-27T18:04:00.004-05:00

The focus of this eco tour video-pod is on the Ecovillage Training Center, a learning center for sustainability founded by Albert Bates. The Ecovillage Training Center is a living workshop environment where you can learn organic food production, natural building, permaculture and how to create and live in harmony within the means of nature. This video pod is an educated walkthrough intended to create a window into some of these eco methodologies and green technologies as well as thoughts and ideas by Albert regarding the creation of an ecovillage and the need to scale down our wants and needs.... I lived here!!!

Healthy Home Cooking

2010-02-27T17:08:00.009-05:00

You are: A professional or full-time parent who truly values and understands high-vibrational food, and who is having trouble providing the healthy meals you and your family deserve.

I am: A home cook dedicated to the highest quality ingredients and cooking methods... Excited for the opportunity to live my passion and at the same time support you in creating a more healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family by providing a few vegetarian meals a week.

Healthy Home Cooking
Serving Hillsborough, Princeton, New Brunswick areas.
Click here for my current meal and price list

Contact: healthyhomecook [at] gmail.com --> replace [at] with @

Meals are prepared in my home Monday night and delivered to your home Tuesday in the early evening. Groceries are purchased Sunday evening or Monday. Eliminate much of your shopping, cooking, and clean-up so you can have more time caring for yourself, your family and home.

More about Healthy Home Cooking....

To me, preparing food is a devotional act. I believe that my energy goes into the food, and so I create meals with love and gratitude. I promise when I create a meal for you it will be the highest quality that was possible for me at that time.

I am a very conscious consumer and have the same standards when shopping for my clients. I prefer to buy produce at farmer's markets and support small health food stores. I purchase organic and local ingredients whenever possible, and I also try to support small businesses and family farms. In the summer much of the produce will either be grown organically by me or friends. I prefer bulk goods or items with minimal packaging. I only use high quality sea salt, soy sauce, organic oils, etc. I also only use natural cleaners that biodegrade quickly.

***

I am currently attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC and will soon be offering Health Counseling services.

Treating Burns Naturally

2010-01-04T12:15:00.010-05:00

My friend Shannon got a terrible burn on her wrist, from over 200 degree water. The people she worked with wanted her to go to the hospital, and her mother wanted her to take antibiotics. Luckily for me, her desire for natural remedies presented me with an opportunity to put to use my herbal medicine training. And here I extend to you our natural treatments and her healing progress. I encourage you to do your own research as well and choose the treatment you feel most comfortable and safe with.

The first thing to understand is that the area that has been burned is intensely heated and aggravated, and so you want to cool and soothe it. Most people recommend running your burn under cool water. I have heard that you may not want to do this for a severe burn. Please consult your doctor or use your best judgment on this one.

For me, the easiest and most accessible treatment for burns is honey. Honey is not only soothing and cooling, it also contains antibiotic properties and provides a protective barrier over the burn. Cover the entire area with a thick layer (though not too thick that it drips off). Continuously add honey as needed. I personally would use raw honey because I believe it is more medicinal and moisture-rich, or another high quality honey, but any honey would be helpful.

Some people recommend wrapping plastic wrap around your honey-covered burn. Feel free to try this treatment if it resonates with you, however for me I would think that wrapping your burn in plastic wrap would trap heat in and suffocate it, and what we want to do is allow your wound to breath and cool.

Aloe vera is also a great external natural burn treatment. You can sometimes find an aloe vera leaf at a farmers market or health food store. You can also plan ahead by having this beautiful and easy plant in your home. If you cannot find an aloe plant or leaf, then you can buy aloe vera gel at many different places. Take care to look at the ingredients and try to find one that is 100% aloe, or only a few other natural ingredients. The one I have contains sunflower and safflower oil.

Herbal Remedies for Burns...

Now for some less-accessible, but very effective burn treatments....

I have learned that St. John's wort oil is superior for burns. St. John's wort contains, among other chemicals, hypericin- a powerful antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory substance. As my teacher Gail Edwards states in her book, St. John's wort "promotes rapid

healing of the skin and prevents infection. Studies of people with severe burns found St. John's wort oil substantially cut healing time and significantly reduced scarring. I once pourned an entire pot of boiling potatoes on my foot (don't ask me how). I used honey and St. John's wort internally and externally. The discomfort was soothed and I healed beautifully... Today you cannot see a trace of that burn."

I have an infused oil of St. John's wort that I made in Maine in my medicine chest. You can purchase the oil and tincture from Blessed Maine Herb Farm, click here. You can also make it yourself. All you need is to know where to harvest the plant, olive oil, and a ball jar. Infused oils need to sit for about 6 weeks so this is something you have to prepare ahead of time in case you or someone you know gets burned!

To be sure that the plant is St. John's wort, pick off a yellow flower and crush between your fingers. If it gives off a purple dye, it is St. John's wort. You can also identify it by holding it up to the sun- you should see tiny holes and little red dots. Gather the top part of the plant, both the leaves and the flowers, on a sunny day. Any dew on the plant can cause your oil tooil. Stir to make sure all parts of the plant are covered in oil and to release any air bubbles. Fill to the brim with oil, doing your best to keep all plant material under the surface. Cover with lid. There should be no air in the jar, which for me usually means a little oil spills

over when I fill it. For St. John's wort oil AND ONLY FOR ST JOHNS WORT, you want to leave it in the sun for about an hour to activate the medicinal properties. Then leave in a cool dark place for 6 weeks, checking on it every once in awhile. It will be purplish. If mold appears at the top, scrape off the top layer of plant material and fill with oil. If mold is throughout then the oil is ruined and you must throw it away and start again. Use topically on your burn. Shannon liked to mix it with honey. Gail used the tincture internally and the oil externally to aid in healing.

If you want to make an oil for your medicine

chest and you can't find St. John's wort, another

great plant for burns, and very easy to find, is Plantain. It is soothing, cooling, and healing.

Follow the directions above, omitting the part where it is left out in the sun. THE ONLY OIL YOU LEAVE IN THE SUN IS ST JOHNS WORT. Again, this oil is for external use only.

To help reduce the risk of infection while treating your burn the natural way, be sure to eat lots of antibiotic raw garlic and honey.

How To Stay Young

2009-12-11T13:48:00.003-05:00

Found this in some old papers of mine... I don't know who wrote it or where it came from but I like it! Read on....

How To Stay Young

Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight, and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay her/him.

Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

Enjoy the simple things.

Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever... your home is your refuge.

Cherish your health: If it's good, preserve it. If it's unstable, improve it. If it's beyond what you can improve, get help.

Don't take guilt trips.

Tell the people you lve that you love them, at every opportunity.

And I would add to that list:

Pick your battles. Most of the time its just not worth it.
Be silly. Get in costume and go to a halloween party. Or throw a costume party.
Let go. Life is what we take out of it. Take out the good things and leave the bad.
And the obvious... EAT WELL! Use your kitchen. Eat lots of vegetables, mostly raw. Keep organic dark chocolate in your house. But also go out to a yummy restaurant and thoroughly enjoy the food, atmosphere, and the company you are with. Rich restaurant food and junk food can be good for the soul as long as you don't loose control, and as long as you don't feel guilty while eating it.

Make Your Own Personal Pizza- Simple and Healthy!

2009-12-09T19:38:00.004-05:00

My friend Shannon made this one for me, and I liked it so much I prepared it for one of my personal chef clients. It is simple and delicious....

Buy whole wheat pita bread.

Saute a little garlic and onion with olive oil in a frying pan for a few minutes and add tomato paste mixed with a little water until it reaches sauce-like consistency. Add salt, pepper, oregano, marjoram, and basil. (If you don't have marjoram or basil don't worry about it, but in my opinion the oregano is key.) Saute on low heat for 10 or 15 minutes, stirring as to not burn the sauce.

Spread the sauce over the pita bread. I leave a little space around the edges for a crust.

Add grated cheese (I like cheddar)

Cut some zucchini and mushrooms thinly and add to the pizza. Chop broccoli, red peppers, and whatever else you like and add it as well, pushing it gently into the pizza.

Put the pizza in the oven on 350 for 15 minutes, checking a few times to make sure it doesn't burn.

Take it out and add feta cheese and olives.

Time Flies- plus another American Roadtrip

2009-11-25T12:19:00.014-05:00

It has been too long since I last posted. Since August I finished up the fall season at the yoga retreat center, participating in retreats like the the Raw Foods and Juicing 10 day cleanse and the Thai Massage workshop. During the Thai Massage retreat (led by Jason Beasley) we flew in a beautiful Thai cook who provided one authentic Thai meal each day. We were also blessed by the visit and prayers of Lao monks dressed in bright orange robes. To top it all off we had an incredible costume dance party Saturday night to celebrate halloween.The fall provided us with a local bounty of fresh vegetables to cook for our guests. I breathed deeply as I walked the leaf covered path through the forest from my cabin to the main lodge each morning and every night. It was the best I've ever lived, ending with bittersweet goodbyes just 1 week ago.

I rented a car with a silly friend and we headed north out of Tennessee into Kentucky, stopping first at the Blue Grass Brewery in Louisville. From there we followed our princess feet and the stories of strangers to Daniel Boone National Forest. Unable to find a highway on the map, we stopped at a gas station where a gatekeeper showed us the hidden way. When we entered the 70-foot one-lane rock tunnel portal we discovered ourselves amidst the magic and beauty of the famous Red River Gorge. We were soon running and playing and climbing on the different rock formations and sky bridges, finally nestling into the ovary of Princess Rock.

Our next stop was Athens, Ohio to visit a friend from the Ecovillage Training Center who just finished building his 30 ft. yurt in the beautiful country outside town. I was impressed with the countryside with its dairies and farms that provide locally, and also fell in love with the town and the Farmacy- a food coop, a used book store, a trade-conscious coffee shop, and a worker-owned restaurant called Casa Nueva. While in Athens I bought locally-made soap, a used book, and a vintage green cashmere sweater.

From there we drove through Pennsylvania to Willow Pond herb farm, just in time to view a live lavender pruning----- demonstrated, to our shock and amusement, with a chainsaw. It is a pretty farm that specializes in lavender (they have over 100 varieties) and also grows other herbs, providing products like bulk medicinal herbs, homemade soap, tea, potpourri, and more.

Just a 10 minute drive from there and we traveled back in time to civil war era Gettysburg, walking amidst women in bonnets and protruding skirts, men in uniform smoking cigarettes on grassy knolls, some with small children also dressed the part, others getting drunk on the porch outside the pub... Confederate flags waving in the wind... It was a site to see and experience...

Our last destination before my vagabond traveling companion and I parted ways was Annapolis, capitol of Maryland and beautiful little city. I spent the night there, got a yummy cup of coffee at City Dock in the morning and traveled north by myself to my final stop- Colts Neck, NJ.

And here I am, searching the internet for a vehicle to maneuver my way through this driving culture, and either an apartment a walk-away from work or a work-trade scenario for a room in an old farmhouse in exchange for rent. The journey continues as I search for a sustainable solution for living in this place and these times.

Raw Food and Juicing Cleanse

2009-09-22T20:53:00.007-04:00

I am currently in the middle of a juicing cleanse, and I am feeling great after a slump in energy and attitude yesterday. I began changing my diet last week, consuming a large amount of raw foods, and not going out to eat. On Friday I began eating only raw, live foods, which believe me was not at all what you would call squirrel food. We had crackers and spreads and dips and kimchee and a fat salad. Saturday for breakfast we ate soaked oat groats blended with dates, banana, and ginger, and a large fruit bowl. For lunch it was spring rolls, veggies wrapped in collard greens and smothered in the most delicious almond butter sauce, and dipped in a pineapple red pepper flake sauce (recipes to follow). Another one of my favorite dishes was baby portobello mushrooms, marinated and stuffed with pesto, then put in the dehydrator for an hour. For breakfast on Sunday we had crepes- with an incredible coconut sauce.

Dinner on Sunday was liquid, and since then I have been drinking 3 different juices a day followed by an evening smoothie treat.

A nurse came by to give us a check-up. She was concerned about my low blood pressure: 74/59. I have known for a few years now that I have low blood pressure but that was the lowest I've ever had. She asked if I felt tired and I told her that I'm tired almost every day, sometimes I feel too tired to stand, but I just push through it. So she thinks I may be anemic and (she is vegan) recommended blackstrap molasses to raise my iron levels. I searched through my herb bible- Gail Faith Edwards' Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs- to search for herbs that are good for anemia. Her book has an awesome index and I easily found what I was looking for. I decided to go to her website http://www.blessedmaineherbs.com/ and was pleased to see that it had been redesigned and was now easily navigable. She offers TONS of information, like articles on building healthy heart and bones, herbs for women, herbs for mind and spirit, etc.

I found her Mama Roots Iron Tonic- blood building, iron-rich, building strength and vitality for those who are easily fatigued. For $22 this tincture contains yellow dock, dandelion and nettle.
The cleanse also consists of dry brushing your skin to scrub away the toxins, getting sunshine, rebounding exercises to help clear the lymph nodes, saunas, yoga, and plenty of good spring water. (see my post What the Doctor Ordered)

The Sledgehammer Approach To Spiritual Awakening

2009-08-16T16:26:00.009-04:00

Emerging at dawn from my solitude in the Pine Barrens to join again with my fellow vision-questers, I can barely contain my joy as I rush back to base camp for warm hugs and miso soup. I am thrilled to be out of my 10' diameter circle I called home for the 4-day fast. My chigger bites no longer itch but BURN. I will never again say there are not enough hours in the day. Every thunderstorm that comes my way I will recall dancing naked in the pouring rain in complete acceptance of my spot between the two largest trees I could see. Malcom calls the vision quest the "sledgehammer approach to spiritual awakening," and this is not to be taken lightly, for if you choose this it will most likely be the most difficult thing you do, both during and after.

Today I feel sick with this modern culture and its chemical-filled food, advertising images, florescent lighting, abandoned strip malls, and ever-growing concrete. In my culture shock I see clearly how much change I would love to see and help create, yet the change that is needed is so drastic and so massive in this moment I no longer believe it is possible. Maybe our only real hope is the mastering of primitive skills and permaculture. I am so thirsty...

Looking at my nightmares.... My feelings of instability run so deep- deeper than getting thrown into an entire new family dynamic in my pre-teen years, deeper than my mother leaving, deeper than my brother dying... The very nature of Earth, spinning in space around an immortal star, meteors flying by, ocean levels rising, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, tornados, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, nuclear war, the evil that government is capable of, pollution, irradiated food, street violence, air plane crashes... How can I feel stable in this life? Sometimes there is so much fear and insecurity in me it is almost crippling...

Everyone wants to be happy
Don't keep serving them your pain!

If you could untie
your wings and free
your soul of jealousy
(and fear, and anger, and blame)

You and everyone
around you would
fly up like doves.

-Rumi

And I realize, all you can really do is nurture yourself, love the people you share their life with, be kind to those you meet along the way, and try to make the most conscious and compassionate choices possible in this crazy world.

A New York Saint

2009-08-05T15:20:00.005-04:00

Jorge Munoz is a bus driver in Queens, NY, who provides the homeless in his neighborhood with a home-cooked meal every night. With roughly half of his $700/wk paycheck, Munoz and his family's personal outreach program have provided 120 to 140 meals every night over the past four years, an estimated 70,000 dinners.

Imagine what the world would be like if there were people like Munoz in every neighborhood? We don't need big bucks to make a real difference, just big compassion and dedication.

Watch this video or read the article here

Dancing With Discomfort

2009-07-31T18:49:00.006-04:00

How relaxing and rejuvenating yoga can be. I lie on the floor, first on my back, then on my belly.... Taking my time I gently roll around, taking notice of tightness in my neck, shoulders and back. A downward dog gracefully maneuvers into an upward dog and back again. I sigh deeply. Life is good... One leg swings forward into a lunge and suddenly,

as if all the trees had been ripped up from Earth like in that Star Wars movie,
I hold my breath I start to sweat my face gets tense with struggle as a silent groan emerges from the depths of my hips which I swallow before it can leave my lips and as quickly as my stiffness lets me I move back into the safety and relative ease of downward dog.

Who likes discomfort?

It is the parts of our bodies that ache the most that we need to give the most attention to. It is in these areas that we store our stress and our fears. Sure, our ego feels really good when we can touch our toes or stand in headstand for 5 minutes. But by ignoring the areas that cause us discomfort we are turning down a beautiful opportunity to really learn something and progress in our yoga.

Growth doesn't occur when we always take the easy way out. A seed must fight through the dense darkness before emerging into the light. It is by practicing the postures that are most difficult for us that we can begin to explore our intimate selves- How do we handle stress? What images do our minds drift off to in order to avoid discomfort?

Dance on the edge of your limits. This applies to more than asana. Where in your life are you avoiding discomfort? Perhaps you still haven't called someone back. Maybe you're avoiding having 'that talk'. Move forward with your intentions, sit in your discomfort with a gentle smile of acceptance, and be open to the beauty this experience can bring.

Into the Woods- A Vision Quest

2009-07-23T21:06:00.009-04:00

I recently signed up for the 100-person vision quest taking place in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey this August. This decision will put me alone in the woods for 4 days with only water. "The Vision Quest is an ancient rite of passage used for thousands of years by indigenous cultures and mystical societies for spiritual growth and expansion. The tradition passed to us consists of 4 days and 4 nights immersed in the beauty and healing energy of nature, alone in a Quest circle, no distractions, fasting from all things familiar. You come face to face with yourself, and get to know more deeply who you are (and who you are not). With all distractions and the noise of daily life removed, and the voices of those around you silenced, you are more able to hear the whisperings of your soul reminding you why you came here in this life. 4 days and 4 nights -- just you alone with the Creator."

While reading up on the history of the vision quest and what to expect, I came across the following quote, which kind of makes me laugh at the things we humans do in the quest for spiritual growth.... "It is said that a strong urge to leave the quest area will come to the seeker and a feeling of insanity may set in. However, the seeker normally overcomes this by reminding him or herself of the overall outcome of the quest, causing the mind to stop wandering on random thoughts. The individual can generally find solace in the fact that he or she will not die in just two to four days." read more here

Its not so much the solitude or the silence, its the fast that I am apprehensive about. I fasted with the Master Cleanse for 9 days, and lived on fresh vegetable and fruit juice and raw food for 2 weeks. I also spent 10 days in silence during a Vipassana meditation. But I never lived not even 1 day of my life with just water. I just have to remember that my body will survive 4 days without food, and remind myself of all the others in the forest who will be questing as well.

To prepare, I have already cut out caffeine and sugar (which is very difficult!), I will want to abstain from alcohol at least a few days before the program begins, try to meditate more and spend time alone outside, and I will do a water fast (only drink water) one day a week for the next two weeks. I also am advised to develop a list of specific questions I want answered or clarified during my time alone with the Creator.

I meet the group August 8th, and go alone into the woods at dawn a day or two later.

My first garden

2009-07-15T12:11:00.004-04:00

This weekend I will be helping my dad get started on our first garden ever. This is going to be a fall garden with seeds to be sown in early August. We have decided to use the lasagna gardening technique advocated by Patricia Lanza, author of Lasagna Gardening- A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding!

"Lasagna gardening is a nontraditional, organic, layering method you can use to create better soil while keeping your gardens neat and attractive. Based on a commonsense approach and readily available natural ingredients, lasagna gardening is an easy, time-saving way to install and maintain any kind of garden without removing the sod, digging, or tilling. Close planting and generous mulching greatly reduce the time needed for watering and weeding. And because of the healthy growing environment, lasagna gardens are plagued with fewer garden pests."

The basic technique is as follows:

Layer 1: Smother grass with overlapping thick pads of wet newspapers and/or cardboard
Layer 2: Add 2-3 inches of peat moss
Layer 3: 4-8 inches organic mulch (like animal manure, compost, grass clippings, hay, chopped leaves, peat moss, sawdust, newspaper, etc.)
Layer 4: more peat moss
Layer 5: more mulch
... and continue adding alternating layers of peat moss and mulch until the beds reach a height of about 18-24 inches. Optionally, you can scatter bone meal and wood ash on the top for added nutrients, as you would parmesan cheese on lasagna.

You can plant directly into this bed, or you can cover with a black plastic bag for 6 weeks, allowing it to cook in the sun, to speed up decomposition.

I've watched gardeners work so hard removing sod, digging up the earth, and weeding, and though I had never gardened before something inside me told me that all that work is unnecessary! This is why I've chosen to lasagna garden, because it saves work, energy, time, and money. "After you make the beds, all you have to do each year is plant and mulch- no tilling or digging required. The ground stays cool and damp under the layers of mulch, so regular watering is a thing of the past. Setting all the plants close together encourages them to fill in faster, so weeds don't stand a chance, and the few that do pop up are easy to pull from the loose mulch."

It seems that lasagna garden, especially when companion planting is used, is a superior method of gardening.

For information on how to create great compost, refer to my post Compost Changed His Life...

Plant Medicine

2009-07-13T13:02:00.003-04:00

I recently emerged from the woods of Maine, after living for 4 weeks at the Blessed Maine Herb Farm School of Herbal Medicine. As an apprentice at the herb farm, I helped as much as I could in the gardens given the abundance of rain bestowed upon us.... I learned so much about the plant world in general, but specifically about the personalities and uses of particular herbs, and how to make medicines. I know that I barely know anything, however I feel so much more confident in my ability to create medicine for myself and my loved ones.

My teacher, Gail Faith Edwards, has an amazing book called Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs. The book includes an introduction to the Wise Woman tradition, a section on ceremony and traditional earth-honoring days, a bit on wildgathering, drying herbs, water-based medicines, tinctures and extracts, flower essences, oil-based medicines, and detailed information about the traditional uses of as well as her own personal experience with TREES like apple, ash, birch, cedar, elder, elm, larch, maple, oak, pine poplar, and willow, and HERBS such as agrimony, angelica, basil, blackberry, blessed thistle, borage, burdock, calendula, cannabis, cayenne, chamomile, chaste tree, chichweed, cleavers, coltsfoot, comfrey, corn, dandelion, echinacea, elecampane, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, ginkgo, ginseng, goldenrod, goldenseal, horehound, horsetail, hyssop, lady's mantle, lavender, lemonbalm, marjoram and oregano, milk thistle, motherwort, mullein, nettle, oats, pennyroyal, peppermint, plantain, red clover, red raspberry, rose, rosemary, rue, sage, saw palmetto, shepherd's purse, skullcap, St. John's wort, thyme, uva ursi, valeria, violet, wild grape, yarrow, yellowdock, and more.

What I like most about the tradition carried on by Gail is its emphasis on Whole Plant Medicine, and the use of herbs that are common and abundant in the area you live (instead of those from overseas or across the country for that matter).

As Gail states in her book, "I pray that you understand that herbs are not drugs. They carry powers and properties not measurable by scientific means. They are gifts from Great Mother Goddess intended for your spiritual, emotional, and spiritual sustenance... I pray that you open your wild heart and learn to listen to the herbs. They are important friends and allies and have many secrets to share with you."

Another great herb author is Euell Gibbons, whose books, including Stalking the Healthful Herbs, are an incredible resource for wild edible and medicinal plants.

If you are looking to grow herbs, a good resource is Your Backyard Garden: A Gardener's Guide to Growing Over 50 Herbs Plus How to Use Them in Cooking, Crafts, Companion Planting, and More, by Miranda Smith.

Chocolate For the Chocoholic

2009-05-30T15:23:00.010-04:00

Another fantastic project emerging from middle Tennessee, this is the Booya Cacao: Just.Sustainable.Chocolate.

My special connections with the visionaries and makers of Booya Cacao have afforded me the privilege of buying the product at wholesale to sample with anyone I want to share delicious chocolate love with... Without trying to sell, they've bought jars from me. And with just 4 sales I get a jar for free!

From the website:

"Booya Cacao is a different kind of chocolate... using only pure ingredients our formula maximizes the BOOYA taste sensation and health benefits of Cacao, the healthy and antioxident ingredient of chocolate. Made on an artisan scale from hand picked beans, distributed through local food systems, and with a mission to strive for zero emission trade by using, sail, bike and animal powered transportation, Booya Cacao brings sustainable cacao to its customers in the Cumberland Green Bioregion and beyond."

Made with only cacao, coconut oil, and cane sugar, certified fair trade, certified organic, and shade grown under the rainforest canopy, now you can have your chocolate and eat it too.

Order some and taste for yourself, Booya Cacao is absurdly good chocolate.

Natural Dying withTurmeric - and Natural Tie-Dye!

2009-05-30T14:40:00.009-04:00

I had this beautiful white skirt that I absolutely loved but had become stained and old-looking. I decided to use turmeric for a beautiful summer yellow color, despite what I read about it not being light-fast (meaning it fades in light) as well as fading in the wash. The monks use turmeric to dye their clothing and need to re-dye every few months. Turmeric is super cheap and the dye process is super easy so I didn't pay too much mind to all that...

I read both the following websites before starting the project:
Tiny Choices: DIY Natural Dyeing
Plant Cultures: Hands on- Turmeric dye

You will need:

4 Tbs Turmeric per 2 pints water (I dyed a few other articles of clothing with it so I used about 10 pints water and didn't have enough turmeric, yet it still produces a strong dye)
Use a large stainless steal pot, NOT aluminum. Use no aluminum, so that probably means no tongs. Use a wooden or plastic spoon to stir.

This is the process:

Add turmeric to the pot of water and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer for a about 15 minutes. Let cool a little.
Soak fabric in cold water first. I washed my skirt in the washing machine and added it wet to the pot.
Stir the liquid again and then add your fabric. Leave the fabric in the pot for as long as you like, being sure to stir it frequently. You want to make sure that your fabric dyes evenly, and for me this meant even pulling the clothes out of the hot water to pull pieces apart that have clung together. (This is why it is a good idea to let the water cool a little.) I left it in for about a half hour.
You can stop here, removing your articles and rinsing them in cold water until the water runs clear, or you can wring out the fabric, hang it up to dry, and then repeat the whole process. This will produce a darker color.

DO NOT PUT YOUR FABRIC IN THE DRYER! HANG TO DRY. This may seem obvious to some but not to me and I didn't have a very fun time scrubbing the inside of the now-yellow dryer.

The 2 websites mentioned above left out an important part of the process. You will want to set the dye by rinsing it with water mixed with a lot of white vinegar and salt.

Something bizarre and unexpected happened after I rinsed out the fabric. The fabric started getting spotted with red. I think maybe the turmeric hadn't been mixed thoroughly. But then I noticed that I could spread the red with my hands. I had a little fun with this, twisting up my skirt like when you tie-dye, running my hands up and down the skirt. I was pleased to discover that this created a natural red and yellow tie-dye.

And for the result...

How fun!!

I think what happened is the turmeric dye on my hands reacted with the dye on the skirt and produced a beautiful blood red. Any other thoughts or knowledge to share??? I would love to hear!
Happy Dyeing!!

Laughter is contagious

2009-05-10T22:19:00.001-04:00

Bodhisattva in metro

Why I Wake Early

2009-05-04T14:25:00.006-04:00

poem- Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.
Hello you, who make the morning
and spread it over the fields and
into the faces of the tulips
and the nodding morning glories,
and into the windows of, even,
the miserable and the crotchety-

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever-darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light-

Good morning.
Good morning.
Good morning!

Watch, now, how I start the day in happiness, in kindness.

What the doctor ordered

2009-04-12T21:06:00.012-04:00

Last week some friends and I went to a Naturopathic Doctor at Osa's Garden in Florence, Alabama, who used a machine to read the health of my organ systems, and prescribed to me:

a 100% raw diet for 30 days
daily fresh juices of carrot, apple, celery, beet, romaine, tomato, red bell pepper, and raw potato juice, some a few times a day
high protein smoothies with hemp protein
rebound exercises (lymph nodes don't drain unless you shake your body or bounce like in dancing, running, jumping jacks, etc)
good thoughts
massage coconut oil into skin daily
coffee enemas (which stimulate the liver and gall bladder to release toxins)
flax seed oil
deep breathing exercises
lymph massage
and sunshine daily

How many times have you gone to a doctor who recommended that you think happy thoughts, massage coconut oil into your skin, and breath deeply in the sunshine??

For the last 6 days I have been on a raw foods diet, which has included not only juices and smoothies but gourmet meals like lasagna and tostadas and and raw chocolate desserts. This cleanse is coinciding perfectly with the Juicing and Raw Foods Retreat at Gray Bear Lodge.
I went through about 2 days of feeling agrivated and tired but since yesterday I feel GREAT!

Raw Food Recipe:
This "Cheezy Bean" Dip recipe, from Let's Get Started Eating Raw Foods by Linda Lagos, is absolutely fantastic and will be enjoyed by ANYONE!!!

1 large red bell pepper
1 tbsp. raw tahini
3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. onion powder
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. cilantro, chopped

3/4 cup raw cashews or sunflower seeds
4 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 1 hour or until softened
1 small jalapeno
3/4 tsp. cayenne or more to taste (reduce the spice for kids)
1/4 cup water or more to reach desired consistency

Put the liquids into the blender then add all the other ingredients gradually. Add extra water if needed to reach the desired consistency of a dip.

Soaking Time: 1 Hour
Preparation Time: 25 Minutes
Makes: 1 1/2 - 2 cups

I've made this raw food recipe without sun dried tomatoes and it still comes out delicious... Instead of 1/4 cup water I added 1/4 cup tomato juice. In Joy!!

Food Forests

2009-04-08T14:02:00.006-04:00

I received an email today about forest gardening, and it reminded me of a bumper sticker I've seen: If you eat, you're involved in agriculture. This doesn't have to be so! An alternative to agriculture is permaculture- an ecological design system for sustainability and regeneration which is applied to, among other things, how we grow our food.
Agriculture is designed to grow a lot of food for a lot of people. It is not designed in a way that is beneficial to the earth, to the microorganisms and insects and fungi that comprise healthy soil. It is not designed in a way that brings optimum nourishment to the plants growing and in return optimum nutrients for our bodies. The food is then shipped thousands of miles, decreasing the freshness and nutrition content by the hour.

Food Forests=Forest Gardens=Biodiversity=Sustained Productivity=Food Security

I recently received the following in an email:

What is a Food Forest Garden?

Imagine a forest where every single tree is dripping with fresh fruits and ripening nuts. Every shrub is packed with delicious berries, and every other plant is a medicinal herb, culinary spice, or beautiful edible flower. Tubers and root crops are abundant underfoot, gourmet mushroom logs sprout in the shade, and hardy kiwi vines climb back up through the layers of this multi-functional forest of food.

Food forests are diverse gardens modeled after natural ecosystems designed to mimic the way a forest thrives and regenerates. A forest continuously nourishing all elements in the system and produce a vast diversity of outputs, but requires little or no inputs to sustain itself. By recognizing the self-supporting, mutually beneficial relationships of the elements in a forest - from tall trees, smaller trees, shrubs, herbs, ground covers, vines, nitrogen fixers, insectaries, fungi, animals, and more, the food forest garden designs a similar system but replaces the components that are in a common forest with species that are preferred edibles and more useful for humans. The forest then becomes a Garden of Eden, in which edible or useful plants are found from head to toe, where something in season is always ready to eat, and the system requires little or no maintenance to sustain and regenerate.

Join the campaign for local food security and learn how you can help to transform gardens, lawns, parks, and empty spaces into thriving edible landscapes that are beautiful, regenerative, and produce an abundance of delicious, locally grown food!

Upcoming Forest Garden Courses:

Forest Garden Immersion Course in High Falls, New York - April 23-26, 2009

Food Forest & Agroforestry Workshop in Maui April 14-18

Here are some links for further reading on forest gardens

http://www.edibleforestgardens.com/
http://www.rootstofruits.co.uk/?p=29
more links coming!

Computer fasting

2009-04-06T12:23:00.004-04:00

We've all heard at least once before of the many health benefits of fasting. A few days ago I decided that I needed to take a sabbatical from my computer, despite how intelligent and worldy I think it is, and no matter how connected and important it makes me feel. I had come to the realization that I had given my power to this machine, checking it all too often throughout the day to see if someone had emailed me, if a friend was on skype, who commented on my Facebook photo... Hmmm, as if I was becoming addicted.... almost like many I've heard from who have expressed computer co-dependency.
My intention was to fast for 3 whole days, however like all cleanses I have intended, I stopped early, on day 2. In that short time I feel like I have successfully regained my power... If you are on the computer every day, consider a detox too! and let me know how it goes....

Hohenwald in Transition

2009-03-30T20:27:00.010-04:00

This is what's happening in the ever-greening town of Hohenwald in middle Tennessee, where I currently reside....

Financial Permaculture:
Greening A Rural American Community

This video by Byron Palmer is 32 minutes long, and worth your time. It documents the happenings at the first ever Financial Permaculture Course, Oct 2008. Why should you care? During the Financial Permaculture course people from over 30 states and 3 countries gathered in this small town to learn tools and skills to address the economic and environmental challenges of 21st century America, designing real business proposals for the town of Hohenwald that would create green enterprises and localized, resilient economies.
In this video: permaculture, food and farming, ethanol, natural building, good music, Hopi nation, inspiration, good scenes,

A few months later, county lawmakers signed a proclamation that confirmed their interest in greening this American community...

"On Monday, March 16 a Transition Proclamation was presented to County Lawmakers. Connie Sharp, Debbie Landers and Jennifer Dauksha-English stood before County Commissioners, the County Mayor, the County Executive Director of Economic Development, and the public, explaining the proclamation. In summary, they stated that Lewis County and the City of Hohenwald proclaim to be a community interested in relocalizing its economy through energy conservation, applying Permaculture designs, and through the creation of more green businesses. The proclamation will build on Hohenwald and Lewis County’s efforts to make the town and county greener, safer and more economically viable. Members of the County Government gave an unexpected standing ovation after Ms. Sharp, Ms. Landers and Ms. English finished their presentation." Click here to read more.

What is a transition town?
Financial Permaculture Course
Financial Permaculture Blog with an emphasis on happenings in Hohenwald, TN

Compost Changed His Life...

2009-03-27T16:34:00.005-04:00

Often referred to as 'black gold,' compost is a dark, nutrient-rich material that is vital to soil building.

To create great compost (from Patricia Lanza's book Lasagna Gardening):

1. Select a site on level, well-drained soil in full sun.

2. Plan on each completed pile being 3 to 4 feet on each side. You can make it free standing or build an enclosure using lumber, chicken or fence wire, or other readily available materials. If you build an enclosure be sure that air can circulate through the sides. Leave air space at the bottom by laying down a foot or so of heavy brush or a 6-inch layer of scrap wood in a grid pattern.

3. Feed you pile in a 4:1 high-carbon to high-nitrogen ratio. High-carbon ingredients include brown, dry material, such as leaves, straw, and hay. High-nitrogen ingredients include moist- and often green- material such as grass clippings, manure, and kitchen waste like leftovers, rinds, peels, crushed egg shells, used coffee grinds, tea bags, etc. You can also add cardboard, newspaper, and sawdust from your fireplace. If you don't have enough high-nitrogen material, use a thin layer of bloodmeal bought from a garden center. DO NOT add fats, meat, bones, oils, pine needles or wood, or cat or dog poop.

4. Chop or blend the materials into small pieces to speed up the compost process.

5. When the pile is about 3-4 ft high, its big enough to start heating up. When it cools off, let it sit for another week or two before using the somewhat chunky end product. For a finer, more crumbly material, stir or fluff the pile with a pitchfork, then let heat and cool again before adding to your garden.

Today I learned (3/23/09)

2009-03-23T21:42:00.004-04:00

Today I learned that pipes, cigarettes, and cigars are all native american inventions. In Europe they had been smoking herbs (like coltsfoot) for medicinal reasons long before tobacco was introduced, however they inhaled smoke from the burning leaves in a more primitive manner.
(Euell Gibbons, Stalking the Healthful Herbs)

Obama turns the White House lawn into a Garden

2009-03-21T19:40:00.005-04:00

For the first time in 60 years, the White House is turning a section of its finely trimmed lawn into an organic garden, setting a great example for those of us who are still stuck in useless lawn world.

In the Chicago Tribune: "This year, the vegetables served at the White House will be as locally grown as possible--right on the South Lawn..." read the rest of the article here.

(image- South Lawn, where the garden will be)

Efficient Cooking

2009-03-17T23:25:00.005-04:00

Three topics:

Haybox
Solar Oven
Rocket Stove
plus instructions on how to make each...

"Haybox cooking
(also called retained-heat cooking) is an age-old method that can be used to conserve energy not only during times of crisis, but anytime. Depending on the food item and amount cooked, the use of a haybox or insulated cooker saves between 20% and 80% of the energy normally needed to cook a food...
The principle of retained-heat cooking is simple. In conventional cooking, any heat applied to the pot after it reaches boiling temperature is merely replacing heat lost to the air by the pot. In haybox cooking, food is brought to a boil, simmered for a few minutes depending on the particle size (5 minutes for rice or other grains, 15 minutes for large dry beans or whole potatoes), then put into the haybox to continue cooking. Since the insulated cooker prevents most of the heat in the food from escaping into the environment, no additional energy is needed to complete the cooking process."

We used hayboxes almost every time we prepared a meal at Lost Valley Educational Center in Oregon. They are a must have...

From Holistic Economics:
A haybox is an insulated box that is used for cooking. Traditionally it was a wooden box lined with hay. Basically, the idea behind haybox cookery is. 1) Bring a pot of pre-soaked beans to a boil 2) Remove from heat and place inside haybox 3) Do whatever you want for the next few hours 4) Come back to a perfectly cooked pot of beans (or rice or whatever else you choose to slow cook).

another blog on how to build a haybox, Home Matters Most

On Solar Ovens:

Solar ovens, aka solar cookers, use only sunlight as an energy source. They use no fuel, cost nothing to run, and can be made using inexpensive materials. I ate delicious pizza prepared by Frank Michael (of the Farm) on a solar oven at the Sonnenschein festival in Hohenwald Tennessee.

one example of a solar oven

Instructions on how to make your own solar oven on The Farm's site...

Rocket Stoves:
From wikipedia: "this stove operates on about half as much fuel, and produces substantially less smoke. Furthermore, the design of the stove requires small diameter lengths of wood, which can generally be satisfied with small branches. As such, sufficient fuel for cooking tasks can be gathered in less time, without the benefit of tools, and ideally without the destruction of forested areas. Because these qualities improve local air quality, and discourage deforestation, the rocket stove has attracted the attention of a number of Appropriate Technology concerns, which have deployed it in numerous third-world locales."

click here to view more videos on Aprovecho's advanced stove technologies.

Earth Art

2009-03-15T23:15:00.002-04:00

Honoring Earth Artists...

A friend sent me this cool link:
42 Magnificent Works of Modern Earth Art
on Web Ecoist; Sustainable Living, Green Design, and Environmental Oddities

2009-03-09T13:07:00.023-04:00

Natural Building

2009-03-09T13:07:00.022-04:00

Natural Building flows like poetry, rhyming and singing and rising its natural forms out from the Earth, made of the Earth herself.

This is the building I slept in when living at the Ecovillage Training Center on The Farm.
It stayed cool in Tennessee's hot summers, and warm-ish in the cold of winter. Its living roof reminds me of how a hobbit would build. Lying in bed felt like being cradled in the womb of Gaia herself.

From the Natural Building Network...

“Natural Building is any building system which places the highest value on social and environmental sustainability. It assumes the need to minimize the environmental impact of our housing and other supporting systems while providing healthy, beautiful, comfortable and spiritually uplifting homes for everyone.” Michael G. Smith

Natural Building is about using the resources we need and leaving the rest. You can create beautiful buildings that are safe, renewable and healthy, often for much less money than you might think - sometimes without debt or a mortgage.

Some of the materials used in Natural Building include: Strawbale, Cob, Straw-Clay, Cordwood, Bamboo, Timber Frame, Stone, Roundwood, Adobe, Earthbags, Rammed Earth, Underground, Salvaging & Scrounging, Recycling & Repurposing, Retrofitting & Remodeling, Environmentally-Preferable Products, Passive & Active Solar, Rainwater, Graywater, Composting Toilets, Blacksmithing...There are as many ways to approach natural building as there are people approaching it.

The Heartwood Homestea ds blog of fellow ecovillager Wade Austin is in the works. Heartwood Homestead looks like it will be this natural builder's enthusiastic and informative documentation of his building and teaching experiences as his new business grows.

A post from Heartwood Homesteads:

A song to build a house by...

http://www.solarhaven.org/FrankMeyer.htm (I definitely recommend listening to this. )

This song will help you absolve all your ties to high VOC paints and flooring while encouraging the sort of angst one needs to pursue the alternatives.

“I like straw and I like clay, make mine natural anyday…I want a house that’s poison free, don’t sell me nothing on no TV.”

Breath- our divine connection

2009-03-04T14:18:00.003-05:00

Last night I arrived at the enchanting lands where I will be spending the next few months, living at a rustic yoga retreat center nestled in the hills of middle Tennessee, helping run the business, mostly cooking and cleaning but also assisting wherever help is needed. This morning's yoga practice reminded me to be present here, and to remember my breath as the moments turn into hours and the days turn into weeks. It is with our breath that we can truly live in the present moment, and the only way that we can experience the glory of our existence. Without being present, without completely immersing ourselves in our experience, it is like looking at another person's pictures. Sure, we can admire the pictures, we can rationalize that we have a good life, but we are like ghosts following in the shadows, never truly living.
I can't say that I follow more than 10 breaths a day. I've lost my daily meditation and yoga practice. It is not easy to keep up a daily practice. How foolish it would be of me to say, I want to practice being present, so I will meditate for an hour each day and an hour each night.... This would be setting myself up for failure! Instead I will say here and now, tomorrow morning when I wake up, I will sit quietly for 5 minutes, and try to be present with each inhale and every exhale as if I were listening intently to a child, as if I were face to face with God. And throughout the day, like Tich Nat Han and Eckhart Tolle suggest, if I remember while driving or doing the dishes my intention to follow my breath, I will then become aware of my breath- its depth or shallowness, its speed or slowness....
It is my experience that when I take the time to check in with my breath, I begin to sink into my body, and notice subtleties that I didn't notice before. I might notice that I am dehydrated. I might notice that I really need to eat some fresh greens. I might notice that I need to stop and stretch. I might realize that the altercation I had a few hours before was affecting my interactions with other people. I might remember my intense love for my parents. I might notice regret. I might connect with this feeling deep inside me known as intuition, which is our only compass, our only map.

2009 Polar Bear Plunge

2009-03-02T11:17:00.021-05:00

When my brother and his finacee asked if I wanted to plunge with them into late February's almost freezing ocean waters of Seaside Heights, New Jersey, I said, why not?

This year was the 16th annual Polar Bear Plunge, a benefit for the Special Olympics where thousands of locals brave the cold windy beach to either run like mad people into crashing waves, or laugh from the sands and boardwalk.

Medical personal in yellow diving gear prepared for heart attacks. A police boat waited in the water. The countdown began, and we waited in our bathing suits for eminent doom.

One man ran in, and the rest followed...

I didn't linger for long, but rather ran like hell to get dressed and get warm...

The photos shown below are from "Report from a Polar Bear Plunge: Seaside Heights, NJ"

It was
Madness...

Questioning again...

2009-02-16T09:49:00.008-05:00

Upon the advice of a friend I started reading the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gītā: As It Is, as translated by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. (In sanskrit, भगवद् गीता, "Song of God"). I never really read any holy book...some excerpts from the Bible, less from the Bhagavad-gita... But I have been practicing yoga for a few years now and felt some interest in this spiritual text. Prabhupada claims this version is superior to the many others in that, unlike other versions, he does not insert his own personal opinion, only translates directly from the sanskrit texts. I sit on my yoga mat, and prior to my morning meditation I open the book, curious as to the wisdom I will learn from it. I read the introduction, where it is stated:

"What is material nature? This is explained in Gita as inferior prakrti, inferior nature. The living entity is explained as the superior prakrti. Prakrti is always under control, whether inferior or superior. Prakrti is female, and she is controlled by the Lord just as the activities of a wife are controlled by the husband."

AAAAAAHHhhhhhhhhh!!!

........Contradictions aside.......

Here I am, 3rd generation questioner of all organized religion, searching for truth in this crazy world, always finding it in nature or through meditation or through open-hearted conversation, oftentimes finding it in ancient spiritual teachings, realizing yet again that on the journey to enlightenment one must always always question everything, even holy books, even one's guru, even the great Buddha himself.

It was my dad who originally taught me to question authority. And so now I wonder, since this (and all) spiritual teaching is so influenced by the culture of the people of that time, maybe we've got it all wrong. Maybe the supreme entity is dominated and controlled by us, the living entities. Maybe there is in fact no dominating force at all, but rather we are all equals, the original creator is equally supreme as we, the present creators. I do already believe that as humans we are god, creators and destroyers. But I did also believe that there is something greater than this experience, than our reality, that guides our way. Could this be so? When so much of my spirituality has been influenced by spiritual teachings passed down and ammended over thousands of years, spiritual teachings that are affected by cultural assumptions and limitations like the role of Woman in society, I must now go sit, unlearn it all, and continue to seek inside me for what is true in this crazy world.

Local art is better art

2009-02-07T12:44:00.013-05:00

Open your eyes and you just might find that great art is just around the corner. I am utterly amazed by the talent of friend Daniel Lyons from neighboring Matawan, NJ. Soon he's off for the west coast, and in honor of him and his incredible artwork, here is a small selection of his prints... I am hoping to update this post, adding more information about this artist, including contact information if you are interested in purchasing his work.

You Don't Create, Therefore You Consume"

2009-01-28T18:33:00.012-05:00

"We are what we consume. For many of us around the world, we are our televisions, our ipods, our movies, our billboards, and commercials, we are affectively a corporate identity tailored by corporate entities. We reflect a culture of pure consumerism. What I find so challenging to my people, my people, being you, the listener, whoever you are, is that we are not a culture balanced between creativity and consumption. When you have an imbalance such as this, we become entropic. We pick off more than we can eat, and harvest more than we can replace. This ethos creates a megalomaniacle society. A society that will liquidate the forests, poison the water, and wage incalculable wars in the name of consumption. This consumer identity is so perverse because mass media is prolific, and its content is consolidated into only one culture. And that culture is created and provided not by us, it has very little to do with us, in fact, i will be as bold to say, that what you are accustomed to seeing in pop culture, has absolutely nothing to do with you. It is, and has always been, created by the advertising industry, which ultimately is a product of your sensational desires, and lack of creative energy. You, my people, my friends, you don't create, therefore, you consume." ...Trip

Read Trip's entire post here...

I appreciate the connection made here between creativity and consumption... Of course even in our fullest manifestation of our creative energy we are still consumers, but our consumerism would be a more conscious, tasteful expression of our wants and needs. I do see it is lack of creativity that we not only lose our dollars to the financial abyss, we lose our sense of connection to the products and services we mindlessly buy, and turn our backs to consequences of our choices.

Every time we spend money its a choice. With our choices we make our world. When we are creative we create a culture based on an expression of our own values.

In an interview for Communities Magazine last week, I was asked some questions regarding community living and its financial implications. I was reminded of what I learned from the concepts of financial permaculture as well as 2 years of living intentionally in community.

When we spend our money at a local store (or for the services of a friend), we not only support our neighbor, we are also reinvesting that money into our local economy, increasing the economic activity in our area. Hopefully that money is then recirculated within the community, creating a multiplier effect, achieving greater overall economic impact each time it is used. "The multiplier effect is when incomes from one person are passed to another within the same community. The multiplication effect stops when the money leaves the community." financialpermaculture.org. When we spend our money at a chain store, that money goes out the window, it does not invigorate our local economy.

When creativity and consumption balance evenly on the pendulum, the People in their Power turn their backs to the manipulation of the advertising industry, and create the goods and services they deem important and necessary, aligning their business models with principles of Earth Care, People Care, and Equitable Distribution of Resources, honoring art, history, cultures, Gaia, family, civil rights.... the list goes on....

In essence,

Put your Money where your Mouth is.

In what ways does your spending choices support, create, contribute to, or even diminish positive cultural change in your area and the world?

Commercial Airline's Biofuel Test Flight Successful

2009-01-17T10:28:00.013-05:00

Continental Airlines conducted a successful test flight of a commercial aircraft running on a biofuel mixture on January 7, 2009. The aircraft's number 1 engine operated on 100% traditional jet fuel, while the second engine used 50% biologically-derived fuel and 50% traditional jet fuel. The biofuel blend consisted of components derived from algae and jatropha plants - "sustainable, second-generation fuel sources that don't impact food crops or water resources and don't contribute to deforestation." Continental While some biofuel mixtures require modifications to the engine in order to operate, the algae/jatropha biofuel used is a "drop-in" fuel, requiring no modifications to the aircraft or engine. “The airplane performed perfectly,” said test pilot Rich Jankowski. “There were no problems. It was textbook.”

This was the first biofuel-powered demonstration flight of a U.S. commercial airliner.

Read what Continental has to say here

Link to my post Defending Small Scale Ethanol

COCONUT MILK YOGURT! plus a homemade yogurt recipe

2009-01-16T23:05:00.018-05:00

That's right, yogurt made from coconut milk has hit the market. I found it in my local health food store, Dean's Natural Food Market of Shrewsbury, NJ. This SO Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk is real yummy, very creamy, way better than soy yogurt. And it has all the benefits of dairy yogurt... but it is dairy-free... and soy-free.

I was not suprised to find out that this coconut goodness is made by a privately held natural foods company headquartered in Eugene, OR.... home of the out-of-this-world, mouth watering organic, vegan Coconut Bliss ice cream made with agave nectar... the best non-dairy ice cream on the planet! The founders of Coconut Bliss, Larry and Luna, spent some time living at Lost Valley Intentional Community (where I lived for almost a year) before moving to the nearby town of Eugene.

...While we are on the subject of vegan ice cream, the best soy ice cream is called Ice Bean and is made by the FarmSoy company, on The Farm, an intentional community in Tennessee, where I also happened to live for a short time.

You can make yogurt from any type of milk in your own home...

Here is a simple recipe for homemade yogurt...

1 gallon milk (any type- you can use dairy, nut milk, soy milk, coconut milk...)
1 cup plain yogurt with active cultures (but a small container of yogurt in your health food store, but be sure that it says it contains live active cultures)
1 gallon glass jar with cap (or several glass jars that equal 1 gallon)
oven, heat lamp, or well-insulated cooler

Heat milk on a low flame in a glass or enamel pot. Stir and feel the milk frequently. When it feels just a little warm (105 degrees) remove from heat.

Put 1 cup of yogurt into a glass container and add a cup of the warm milk. Stir well, and pour back into the pot. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

Set to rest in a warm place (100-110 degrees) for 8-24 hours. The longer it sits, the easier to digest. Though energy inefficient, you can heat your oven to 100 degrees and put the pot in. Apparently you can also make a hot water bath in a well-insulated cooler, changing the water as the temperature drops. Ive also seen a heat lamp used, just don't ask me for specifics. Just be sure to check the temperature frequently with a thermometer.

You are all set! Put your yogurt into your jar... Keeps refrigerated for 4-6 weeks.

(I recieved this recipe in Susun Weed's Wise Woman Newsletter)

...Almost nothing is more empowering than making your own fermented foods...

Help me find my bioregion!

2009-01-15T16:54:00.010-05:00

I have been educating myself more on bioregionalism since being contracted to edit the website of the bioregional congress, and I am left to wonder, what bioregion do I belong to?

If you are asking yourself, What is a bioregion and who cares anyway? read my last post on bioregionalism here.

There happens to be a lot information on the web about the Cascadia bioregion, which follows the Cascade Mountain range, stretching from Alaska down into California and east into Montana and Idaho. With a google search I found maps, a myspace as well as a tribe group... Cascadia is even listed in wikipedia.

I found information posted by Ethan Roland of AppleSeed Permaculture about my neighbor to the north, New York, part of the Hudson Valley watershed... In his document- Northeast Permaculture and Beyond: An Organizational Vision, January 25th 2006- Ethan roughly defines this bioregion as being composed of the 10 counties on either side of the Hudson River from Albany in the north to New York City in the south.
Props to Ethan for representing the northeast...

But I can't seem to find solid information as to the bioregion of my current home, central New Jersey. I think I have finally pinned down that New Jersey belongs to the Atlantic Ocean watershed, so does that mean that we are in the Atlantic Ocean bioregion? And if so, who else do we share it with? Looking through this List of ecoregions New Jersey seems also to be a part of the Eastern Temperate Forest, the Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens, and perhaps the Northeastern Coastal Zone.

I would also like to find a map that shows the different bioregions of the Americas, and the world. It seems sad to me that I cannot easily find this information, and I would like to change that.

In my quest for the name of my bioregional home, this is a request for maps or links or any information from anyone who may know...

What bioregion does New Jersey belong to?

Ethan's links to permaculture resources in the northeast:

Northeastern Permaculture Wikispace: www.northeasternpermaculture.wikispaces.com
Hudson Valley Permaculture (NY): www.hudsonvalleypermaculture.org
Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute (NY): www.flpci.org
Hancock Permaculture Center (NY): www.hancockpermaculture.org
D Acres Organic Farm and Educational Homestead (NH): www.dacres.org
Green Mountain Permaculture (VT): www.greenmountainpermaculture.com

Evolution

2009-01-09T23:55:00.018-05:00

My sister in law found my long lost relative through the internet, and put her picture next to my baby picture...

...And some people don't believe in evolution

Homegrown Farmers Adopt Their Own Standards

2009-01-08T15:05:00.006-05:00

This is a great follow up to my recent post What Does Organic Mean to You?
The article speaks to the flaws in organic certification and what some farmers are doing to create more trustworthy standards.

Homegrown Standards
An attractive alternative to national organic certification
by Ari LeVaux
Published in the January/February 2007 issue of Orion magazine

....
Clark Fork Organics is not an organic farm—not according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While Slotnick and his wife, Kim Murchison, haven’t changed their farming practices, they also haven’t paid the thousand dollars in fees, filed the forms, or shown the federally accredited inspector their compost pile.

Instead, after fourteen years of farming certified organic, Clark Fork Organics has dropped the federal seal of approval and joined eleven other western Montana farms to establish the Montana Sustainable Growers Union, marketing produce under their new “Homegrown” label. The label’s ten-point pledge covers everything from crop rotation to a ban on absentee ownership.

"Homegrown is the first group in the nation to collectively drop organic certification and replace it with their own local organic guarantee,” says Elizabeth Henderson of the Germany-based International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements. “Given what happens with oil prices, wars, and sabotage, sustainable food ultimately depends on local networks of people working together based on trust. It’s a good idea to get used to.”

“What we took for granted—that organic means small and local—is gone,” says Slotnick. “The label that describes tomatoes flown two thousand miles from a three-thousand-acre monoculture worked by migrant workers who don’t make a living wage—that doesn’t describe the food my family grows.”

Read the entire article here

Natural, eco-friendly, sustainable clothing designs

2009-01-06T12:01:00.013-05:00

...a hand dyed skirt using eco-friendly and sustainably-harvested materials

New York-born, Jersey-raised, Oregon-nourished artist Lenore Semperviren just recently put some of her fashion designs up on Etsy.com- a source to buy and sell handmade goods. Lenore is an innovative young artist who works with a wide variety of mediums, from textiles, to printmaking, painting to experimental movement. She utilizes many different natural techniques including natural materials, natural dyes, and recycled materials, calling upon inspirations and techniques from her travels throughout Asia, as well as the eco-conscious culture in Oregon.

Visit her gallery on Etsy

Check out the beautiful hand-dyed skirt featured at the top of this blog as well as other clothing and prints on her site, lunaexpression.com

Bioregionalism

2009-01-04T13:54:00.009-05:00

My recent days have been spent learning Dreamweaver in order to update the website of the Bioregional Congerss, http://www.bioregional-congress.org/.

Planet Drum defines a bioregion as a distinct area with coherent and interconnected plant and animal communities, and natural systems, often defined by a watershed. A bioregion is an area defined by its natural boundaries, instead of political boundaries.

Why is it important to have a bioregional perspective? Biodiversity ignores the invisible political boundaries humans have drawn up, and if we are to look at conservation and earth regeneration, our policies need to address the unique non-human as well as human communities. Bioregionalism advocates a restructuring of systems within a given bioregion, orienting toward regeneration and sustainability of the whole life community.

From the Bioregional Congress website...
The essence of bioregionalism is what we can best remember and piece together of the oldest earth traditions and wisdom, tracing back to the beginnings of humanity... and before that into the root ecological principles of life itself. Bioregionalists advocate bioregional self-reliance, deriving as much as possible of our livelihood from within, and close to, our community, only moving farther afield when we must. To be sustainable, we must better see our reliance on and interdependence with the nonhuman members of our community. We must rely on each other for health, sustenance, and wisdom.

And so a bioregionalist believes in a change in government "toward decentralization of power to smaller units of population and land for the purpose of: keeping wealth at home in local communities, preserving and enriching the natural systems of water, air and land, and practicing ways of living that foster sustainable energy use in human endeavors."

Since the early 80's, every 2-4 years about 250 people converge from across the Americas for a Bioregional Congress....

"The original congress form goes back to the Six Nations Iroquois-Mohawk Confederation—the Haudenausaunee Nation. To my knowledge this is the oldest participatory democracy on Earth, and one based on natural laws at that... May ecological congresses bloom and thrive all over the Earth."

The next Continental Bioregional Congress will take place Oct 4-11, 2009 on The Farm, where I lived this past year! All are invited! READ MORE ABOUT BIOREGIONAL CONGRESSES HERE...

Raw Foods Putluck and Yoga

2008-12-30T01:00:00.009-05:00

I am feeling high on bliss tonight after attending a community yoga class and raw potluck in a neighbor's home in the Navesink River Inlet town of Red Bank, NJ. There were many delectable delights including veggie burgers, guacamole, spinach quiche, spicy thai noodles, kimchi, rice (Not everything was raw. You can, however, enjoy delicious rice raw buy soaking for a few days until they 'sprout' or open), chili, cashew cheese on home made crackers, fresh bread, apple-stuffed squash, as well as some awesome desserts.

I brought a parsley-pesto coleslaw made with chopped cabbage and shredded carrot. For the pesto I added lots of parsley, a clove of garlic, walnuts and cashews, olive oil, miso, and some salt into a food processor unil it tasted just right.

I also made up some raw brownies from a recipe I learned while in Tennessee, working at Gray Bear, credited to Jennifer Cornbleet for this recipe in her book Raw Food Made Easy...

1 and 1/4 cup raw walnuts, unsoaked, in a blender until finely ground, add a dash of salt, and 10-12 pitted medjool dates, one by one. The misture will begin to clump together. Add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (carob tastes great here too), 1/2 tsp vanilla or cherry extract, and a tsp or 2 of water if it needs more moisture. Put into a bowl. Crush 1/4 cup walnuts and mix in. Add some chopped dried cherries or cranberries (1/4 cup). Then you can roll the dough into little balls and roll in dried unsweetened coconut flakes. Or you can make squares if you're feeling c. This makes enough for a decent party, about 25 servings, and they're so rich most people can't eat too many~!

Red Bank is a pretty hip place for these parts... Home to a diverse population, international restaurants, Jay and Silent Bob's comic book store, weekly summer jazz concerts on the river. Bead stores, Faith's Aura... Nearby Blue Moon Yoga Studio... In my search for sustainable culture I overlooked the growing community of eco-conscious people right here in my home state of New Jersey!

Well it was good times, and I wanted to share some of the goodness*

Awareness

2008-12-23T01:30:00.005-05:00

dancing the line between rest and ungroundedness

fearful swelling inside me aches

striving for more, for attainment, obtaining

longing for peace, satisfaction, contentment

where shall a restless heart shelter

where shall a waiting spirit wait

inside is

outside is not

missing myself my sacred of solitude.

Defending Small-Scale Ethanol

2008-12-19T14:57:00.010-05:00

Ethanol has been criticized by many near and far, and recently by the local food movement represented by eatlocalchallenge.com...

"Mr. Vilsack is known for his support of ethanol production and genetically engineered crops -- both issues which the sustainable food community opposes." read more here

Which sustainable food community do they speak of? Because my sustainable food community supports a whole systems approach to small-scale ethanol production. Let us focus a second on the inspiring Gaians of middle Tennessee...

On the Gaia Emerging blog Watershed Scale Ethanol, Greg Landua describes an ethanol system that not only creates fuel but also high quality food and fertilizer that can be cycled through an agricultural system as feedstock, then as material for methane digester which produces energy and heat. "A system such as this can be an integral part of a community or homestead-scale permaculture system that provides food, fuel and fodder for a zero waste system."

On the Financial Permaculture blog: "The Ethanol team is working hard to develop a solid plan for Ethanol production in the local area of Hohenwald.... A whole systems approach has also been introduced using Permaculture principles to include Ethanol as one of a number of outputs that a farm would have. The Ethanol system uses only the starch’s contained in the distilled feedstocks and doesnt disturb the positive nutreints and proteins which then could be fed livestock and be developed as fertilizers. The fertilizers in return could be used to grow Ethanol producing crops. Im a newby to the Ethanol world, and was sceptical that the energy return would be more then the energy input, but so far im impressed, and when intergrated into a whole farm systems approach, IT JUST MAKES SENSE!"

I believe that if one does their research and educates themselves on the possibilites of ethanol, they will not be swayed by the history of propoganda against it.

Here are the facts (from Alchohol Can Be A Gas by David Blume):

Alcohol production ferments corn and makes it's nutrients more nutritious and digestible for livestock. So essentially you can grow corn, process the sugars into fuel, and then use what is left over, the "waste", as a superior feed than the unprocessed corn you began with.
Using the best farm land for fuel production is down right stupid. Corn is not the best choice for alcohol! Alcohol fuel can be made out of many things, from waste products like stale donuts, grass clippings, food processing waste, even ocean kelp. Many crops produce many times more alcohol per acre than corn, using arid, marshy, or even marginal land in addition to farmland. Just our lawn clippings could replace a third of the auto fuel we get from the Mideast.
Alcohol fuel production and use is clean and CAN BE environmentally sustainable, and will revitalize families, farms, towns, cities, industries, as well as the environment. (Recent studies show that in a permaculturally designed mixed-crop alcohol fuel production system, the amount of greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere by plants-by using carbon dioxide- and then exuded by plant roots into the soil as sugar- can be 13 times what is emitted by processing the crops and burning the fuel in our cars.
Unmodified cars can run on 50% alcohol, that means both old and new cars, plus, the conversion to 100% alcohol or flexible-fueling (both alcohol and gas) costs only a few hundred dollars. As a fuel it is superior to gasoline... at 105 octane, it burns much cooler with less vibration, is less flammable in case of accident, is 98% pollution free, has lower evaporation emissions, and deposits no carbon in the engine or oil, resulting in a tripling of engine life. Specialized alcohol engines can get at least 22% better mileage than gasoline or diesel. If you didn't know, Henry Fords early cars were all flex-fuel. It wasn't until gasoline magnate John D. Rockefeller funded Prohibition that alchohol fuel companies were driven out of business.
In Brazil, half their cars run on alcohol fuel made from sugarcane, grown on 1% of its land. I don't have the figures on how many cars that is and how it compares to the United States but its impressive nonetheless.

I think that people have doubts about ethanol because they are immagining poorly designed, centrally controlled mega ethonol production centers. Blume states, "Most of the widely publicized potential problems with ethanol are a function of scale. Once production of plants gets beyond a certain size and are too far away from the crops that supply them, it becomes problematic." Good design would be small, local, zero-waste production centers in each county or bioregion. "Instead of fuel expenditures draining capital away to foreign bank accounts, each gallon of alchohol produces local income. Smaller-scale operations can more efficiently use a variety of crops than huge specialized one-crop plants, and diversification of crops would largely eliminate the problems of monoculture."

I believe the sustainable food community would be in support of local ethanol production if they were well informed of sustainably-designed systems. What we need to do is organize and take matters into the hands of our local communities and not wait for mega corps to monopolize this potentially energy-independent opportunity.

What Does Organic Mean to You?

2008-12-19T12:56:00.018-05:00

By now most of us know the reasons behind consumers' increased demand for organic food products... Organic food has been proven to be more nutritious, on average, containing higher levels of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron, chromium, and antioxidants. I doesn't contain the questionable additives, pestiside residues, genetically modified organisms, drugs and hormones that conventional foods do. And by prohibiting the use of polluting, carcinogenic chemicals in agriculture, and replacing them with effecive methods like composting, mulching, cover-cropping, traditional plant breeding, and the use of carefully planned designs and crop rotations to build healthy soil and balance essential nutrients, organic farmers are taking more responsibility for their environment than their conventional cousins. Plus many people say it even tastes better. (Paraphrased from Chapter 1 of Food Not Lawns by H.C. Flores)

So what is there to think about? Just grab that carton of organic eggs or milk and be on your way, right?

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO CONSIDER THAN

IF THE FOOD YOU ARE BUYING IS CERTIFIED ORGANIC!

First, as Flores points out, it is important to note that even certified organic farms often engage in harmful practices, while many small, ecologically sound farms choose not to certify themselves organic for a variety of reasons. My knowledge that cow milk is organic does not satisfy me. How are the cows treated? Are they well cared for? Do they have sufficient space? What are they fed?

"Few consumers realize that many producers of 'organic' or 'naturally raised' animal products, raise their animals in confinement and feed them grain---just like the operators of conventional feedlots. Feeding large amounts of grain to a grazing animal decreases the nutritional value of its products whether the grain is organic or conventionally raised. The reason is simple. Compared with grass, grain has far fewer omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. Therefore, grainfed animals have fewer of these important nutrients in their meat and dairy products. Grainfeeding also interferes with the creation of a cancer-fighting fight called conjugated linoleic acid or CLA. A test by an independent lab determined that milk from one of the largest organic grain-fed dairies had no more omega-3 fatty acids or CLA than milk from ordinary dairies. Similarly, meat from organic grain-fed beef has the same nutritional profile as meat from the largest Kansas feedlot." Beyond Organic By Jo Robinson

Second, where is your organic produce coming from? I sometimes feel like my ecologically responsibility is compromised when I buy organic produce from California in a New Jersey health food store. "Our food now travels an average of 1,500 miles before ending up on our plates. This globalization of the food supply has serious consequences for the environment, our health, our communities and our tastebuds. Because uncounted costs of this long distance journey (air pollution and global warming, the ecological costs of large scale monoculture, the loss of family farms and local community dollars) are not paid for at the checkout counter, many of us do not think about them at all." ...from the Locavores website, http://www.locavores.com/

Another thing to consider is packaging. I'll choose the cardboard egg carton over a plastic carton of eggs. When comparing organic tea I usually prefer to go with the brand that does not individually wrap each tea bag... What a waste!

As Flores states, "I encourage you to look at where your food comes from with a critical eye and choose according to your own ethical beliefs. Certification, after all, may be merely a piece of paper acquired by paying fees and jumping through bureaucratic hoops. Real ecological integrity in agriculture comes only through personal accountability... (Go to where the food is grown and ask questions.) Support the local farmers and gardeners you trust."

SOME GUIEDELINES BY THE LOCAVORES:

If not LOCALLY PRODUCED, then Organic. This is one of the most readily available alternatives in the market and making this choice protects the environment and your body from harsh chemicals and hormones.
If not ORGANIC, then Family farm. When faced with Kraft or Cabot cheeses, Cabot, a dairy co-op in Vermont, is the better choice. Supporting family farms helps to keep food processing decisions out of the hands of corporate conglomeration.
If not FAMILY FARM, then Local business. Basics like coffee and bread make buying local difficult. Try a local coffee shop or bakery to keep your food dollar close to home.
If not a LOCAL BUSINESS, then Terroir, which means 'taste of the Earth'. Purchase foods famous for the region they are grown in and support the agriculture that produces your favorite non-local foods such as Brie cheese from Brie, France or parmesan cheese from Parma, Italy.
Hit the farmers' market before the supermarket. Plan your meal around local ingredients you find at the market.

And plant a garden! "Whether you live in an apartment, in the suburbs, on a farm, or anywhere in between, growing food is the first step toward a healthier, more self-reliant, and ultimately more ecologically sane life. Those who control our food control our lives, and when we take that control back into our own hands, we empower ourselves toward autonomy, self-reliance, and true freedom." (AND HEALTH!) ... Flores

http://www.foodnotlawns.com/

To close, we don't all live in bountiful Northern California. Do the best you can with your given circumstances. Be a consumer who is conscious about how your choices affect the world, and choose what you feel is the most compassionate of the options you are given. Choose according to your own ethical beliefs. Speak your beliefs, and stay open to the beliefs of others.

Good luck on your journey*

Jan 8 update...

Read Homegrown Standards;

An attractive alternative to national organic certification

by Ari LeVaux

Published in the January/February 2007 issue of Orion magazine

"“What we took for granted—that organic means small and local—is gone,” says Slotnick. “The label that describes tomatoes flown two thousand miles from a three-thousand-acre monoculture worked by migrant workers who don’t make a living wage—that doesn’t describe the food my family grows.”

...or the food I want to be eating.

Read the entire article here

Squash, Fennel and Apple Soup

2008-12-14T13:54:00.005-05:00

This is a fabulous take on squash soup. The addition of sweet apples and flavorful fennel bring about a complex blend of unconventionally rich flavor. For those who aren't wild about fennel... many people love the way it tastes in this blend. This recipe is taken from the Voluptuos Vegan cookbook by Myra Kornfeld....

Ingredients:
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 medium fennel bulb, finely chopped (I've made it without and it still tastes great)
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and cubed (any apple will do)
4 cubs Veggie broth
2 tbsp raw white rice (Adding white rice to thicken soup is a classsic French technique when blended makes the soup super creamy)
Salt, fresh ground black pepper, cayenne, and some sage for garnish

Roast fennel seeds in a dry skillet until fragrant
Crush seeds in a mortar and pestle or in an electric spice grinder and set aside
Warm oil in a pot. Add onions and fennel bulb and sautee 5-7 minutes over medium-low heat until they begin to soften. Add cubed apple, garlic, and ground fennel seed and sautee another 5 minutes.
Add squash cubes, stock, and rice; turn up heat and cover. When liquid reaches a boil add 1 tsp salt. Lower heat to simmer, and partially cover. Cook 10-15 minutes until squash is tender.
Puree soup in batches in a blender, making sure not to fill blender more than halfway. Return the soup to the pot and add more salt if needed, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Serve garnished with sage or and finely chopped apple matchsticks for garnish.

I like to add a little maple syrup to this recipe, a couple tbsps according to taste.

In*joy!

Stay healthy this winter

2008-12-03T19:56:00.007-05:00

One important factor in maintaining health and vitality through the dark cold winter months is by eating right. With prices up, income down, and fresh local produce at a minimum, what are some ways we can easily get and afford vibrant living foods?

FERMENTATION. Ferment your foods to increase digestibility and nutrition content, and for the benefits of living cultures in your digestive system. Fermentation breaks down nutrients into more easily digestible forms as well as creates new nutrients. Microbial cultures create B vitamins, including folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and biotin. (Sandor Katz's book Wild Fermentation is a great resource on this topic. Go to his website http://www.wildfermentation.com/) Making your own batch of saurkraut or kimchi is easy and fun, and its so delicious... Soaking grains before cooking (usually overnight) neutralizes phytic acid, a compound contained in all grains which can block absorption of zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, and other minerals. You can do this with oatmeal, millet, quinoa, rice, nuts, seeds, etc.

SPROUTS. Grow your own sprouts at home. Read my previous post on Sprouting and Germination. Bulk seeds and grains are cheap cheap cheap. I have broccoli sprouts and lentil sprouts in my fridge right now.

Drink KOMBUCHA (pronounced Komboocha), a sweetened black tea that, like yogurt, contains beneficial live cultures and enzymes. This stuff is so tasty and so good for you! But don't spend $4 for a 16 oz. bottle in the store. Making your own Kombucha is quick, cheap, and easy. http://www.kombucha.org/ Sells cultures http://www.kombu.de/ World wide kombucha exchange

Make a SALAD DRESSING that will rock your socks off and keep you healthy during the cold season. 1 clove garlic (or more!), 1/4 large onion, 2 sq. in. ginger root, tablespoon miso, and add 2 parts olive oil to one part apple cider vinegar in a blender. Add whatever spices you want. I like to add a spicy pepper too.

These are just a few helpful hints on how to eat more healthy this winter. Eat what is in season and is grown locally when you can. Eat lots of warming root vegetables like carrots, squash, radishes, potatos, sweet potatos, garlic, and onions, and warming spices like ginger, mustard seeds, and cayenne. Cabbage, broccoli and califlower grow in winter as well.

I wish you health, vitality, peace, and fun kitchen creations....

New Jersey Jam Band Is More Than Good Music

2008-11-30T12:49:00.015-05:00

Conscious Peace Revolution's Coming

It's already here...

I went to a Natural Breakdown show last night at Paul's Tavern in Belmar,

and this New Jersey jam band rocks it out every time I see them.

Spiritually uplifting, conscious lyrics combined with a winding river of sound

and a participatory audience make their live performances one in a kind.

On their website they state that they want to bridge the gap between performers and audience, and I experienced this first hand as band members, artists, healers, yogis, lovers and groovers co-create the enjoyment of a Natural Breakdown show. On the dance floor I feel like we are one body here together, singing and dancing, sending vibrations of peace and joy out to the far reaches of the universe.

Listen to their cd Inside the One and other songs on their website naturalbreakdown.com or their myspace page.

Some lyrics to Hallelujah... Do the words resonate with you???

COME ON let your hair grow long,

You can feel it CHANGE is happening in the air, its everywhere

The POWER'S with the people don't you know?

You know its true, so what about you?

Give up your FEARS lets get it together

The BATTLE'S fought for dough dont you know?

To keep themselves up on top, some GREEDY people will do anything

But only LOVE will win out in the end,

You know its true so what about you?

With hearts and minds lets get it together

Come along now, we've got work to do.

Everywhere the MESSAGE is the same,

Don't you see the common thread thats running right through everything?

Its LOVE!

Everywhere, All the time, If you use your heart and not your mind

You create your world from your beliefs

Many many many people know, Many many many people dont know

That we're all in this together, And everything, even the weather

Reflects our inner state of being, Who we are and what we're seeing every day comes from

What we BELIEVE and who we think we are

What you BELIEVE about yourself

What you BELIEVE about the world in which you live

What you BELIEVE becomes what you receive and what you give

Your current situation flows from deep inside you.

Yeah you can change the world, you know it's what you're here to do!

Peaceful Revolution's coming, Its already here

Consciousness Revolution Happening all around the world... its already here.

Natural Breakdown was selected

January '08's New Groove of the Month

on jambands.com. Read the interview...

Foraging with the "Wildman" : NYC

2008-11-27T13:25:00.012-05:00

Last weekend I joined naturalist "Wildman" Steve Brill on an edible plants hike at Inwood Park in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. Neither friends nor family could believe that you could find an abundance of edible plants in the city, until I came home with bags full of wild goodness.

I really loved the hike, I could already identify myself many of the plants we found as well as their uses, and I found a carrot all on my own! For dinner I ate a fat salad with all wild greens including dandelion, shepherds purse, chickweed, sheep sorrel, wintercress, garlic mustard, goutweed, wild onions, and poor man's pepper, sauteed oyster mushrooms (yum!) with olive oil and soy sauce, and steamed some curly dock. I also collected burdock root which I am going to pickle, Kentucky Coffee which I will roast and use as a coffee substitute, crab apples, and Ginko nuts that I roasted and added to an Indian dish! I also brought home clover flowers to make tea with, a good liver tonic!

I have 3 of Brill's books: Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and not so wild) Places, Shoots and Greens of Early Spring in Northeastern North America, and the Wild Vegetarian Cookbook. They are great resources and are also blessed with some corny humor. The cookbook is extra special... for each wild plant it offers physical descriptions, how to prepare them, as well as several recipes!

Wildman offers these hikes in different parks throughout NYC during spring, summer, and fall. Usually Saturdays and Sundays though sometimes Fridays also, the hikes go from 11:45-3:45 and he asks for a $15 donation. Visit his website http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/. What a wonderful way to explore New York City!

HAPPY FORAGING*

Search engine saves energy

2008-11-11T22:07:00.003-05:00

Blackle.com is a google search engine whose black screen saves considerably more energy than white backgrounds. It takes a lot of unnecessary energy to light up a screen, when it is just as easy to design a darker website. For those of us who program Google.com to be our homepage, programming Blackle.com instead is an easy way to save a little more energy*

This is one thing I learned in the 5-day Solar Installation Course I took at the ETC last week. And on this note, a screen saver is meant to save energy when you are not using the computer. If your "screen saver" is a fancy background or a an animated graphic, you are not saving anything. Consider the plain black version.

Permaculture Design of Financial Ecosystems

2008-11-11T20:27:00.007-05:00

A great blog on the intersection of Finance and Permaculture is a little difficult to read but very interesting to follow up on. This course has created a major buzz throughout the (not just permie and financial) world...

Permi Revolution Dressed in a Suit an Tie by Gregory Landua

"The end of the Financial Permaculture course in Hohenwald, TN last week was quite an event. It is not often that you see the convergence of Finance and Permaculture in an intentionally designed forum. More often than not the two are butting heads and pointing fingers..."
Read more on www.gaiaemerging.com

In your average permaculture design course, students form in groups to design a site and present their work to the class on the last day. In this Financial Permaculture course, design presentations were given to an audience that included state senators, representatives from the USDA, city and state officials as well as prominent business people. Whether their designs will be implemented by the government or not is not important. What is important is that we the people work together and make the changes we see are needed, and that we continue to address our leaders and offer them working alternatives to our currently degrading system.

Often applied to gardening, permaculture is a design methodology, international movement, and lifestyle ethic. Read the wiki on permaculture here.

How to cultivate Shiitake mushrooms

2008-11-02T09:47:00.008-05:00

Grow
your
own
mushrooms
at
home

I took a half day course with Frank Michael of MushroomPeople at the Ecovillage Training Center yesterday. 16 people came for the course from Tennessee and a few surrounding states. I was interested in learning more about growing mushrooms since we grow lots of Shiitake here at the ETC and I enjoy their bountiful harvests. I wanted to know how someone like me would go about growing my own.

And it is so simple! Set up the right conditions and the spawn does the rest. Purchase a starter kit from MushroomPeople and you're on your way. After that all it takes is getting fresh logs of the right sizes- fell them yourself or purchase them from someone else. Then using a drill an drill bit, you drill holes in the logs, hammer in your plug spawn into the holes, and cover with wax. It is more specific than this, and there are other ways of doing it, especially for other mushrooms, but you get the basic idea...

I've been inspired to purchase a starter kit to bring it back with me to New Jersey. I thought of my dad who may get into something like this... Its almost like a carpentry project, but you get to eat from it! Imagine stepping outside a few days after a rainfall, and harvesting fresh, delicious, nutritious, medicinal mushrooms for a fraction of the cost in the stores.

Some of the easiest (and tastiest) to grow at home are the Shiitake and the Oyster, which I love. Soon my dad will be growing specialty mushrooms in his backyard!

Go to MushroomPeople's website- http://www.mushroompeople.com/

Blueberry Pie Recipe and Tips

2008-10-05T16:55:00.005-04:00

I am house sitting at Marilyn's and she's got a 2 freezers packed full with blueberries picked this summer from the orchard on The Farm.

To make my first pie ever, I used The New Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen. It has both a recipe for crust as well as blueberry pie. It took only about a half hour to make and the pie is in the oven right now.

The recipe calls for a 9-inch pie pan, I had to modify the recipe a bit because I didn't have enough butter. I used a small cast iron, about 5 inches wide, so I cut the recipe in half.

For a small pie (about 5 inches across):

CRUST
6 Tbs butter or margarine cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups flour (I used a mixture of pastry flour and a light wheat flour)

I used 2 forks to cut the butter and flour together, though a pastry cutter or food processor is easier. Cut together butter and flour until the mixture is uniformly blended and resembles coarse cornmeal.

Add just enough liquid (about 4 Tbs. of cold water, milk or buttermilk) to hold the dough together. Mix the water into the flour with your hands.

(If the crust comes out too tough, you are either using either too much water or too little shortening, or you failed to cut the shortening into the flour thoroughly before water was added, or you handled the dough too much after the water was added... from GRANDMOTHER IN THE KITCHEN, by HELEN LYON ADAMSON. Another tip is to use ice water instead of just cold water.)

Divide the dough into 2 pieces, one larger than the other. Lightly sprinkle a clean table with flour and roll out the larger piece, with a roller to make a thin, round crust. Using your fingers will work if you don't have a roller, but will make the crust tough. Fit it into the pan, building it up slightly at the edges. (Pie pans with small holes at the bottom improve crispness of undercrust.)

Now roll out the smaller piece to a thin circle. Cut it into narrow strips, about 1/4 inch wide, and set aside. These will be used to criss-cross on top of the pie.

Put about 3 cups of berries (fresh, frozen or defrosted) into a bowl, sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar, and 3 Tbs. flour. You can add about a Tbs of fresh lemon juice. Toss gently until all the berries are evenly coated.

Pour the berry mixture into the crust. (It is a good idea to fill the pie shell slightly higher in the center than the edge, because the top crust must rest on a solid base.) There will be some flour and sugar mixture left over in the bowl. Decorate the top with the strips of dough in a criss-cross pattern.

For a crispy brown top crust, brush with slightly beaten egg whites.

if you are using a pie pan, place on a tray and bake at the bottom half of the oven for 45 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly around the edges and the crust is lightly browned. I just took my pie out, about 20 minutes early, it was slightly burning on top and the filling was bubbling at the edges.

Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. I think it tastes best after overnight refrigeration.

It smells so good.....

Treating yeast overgrowth at home

2008-09-08T20:02:00.004-04:00

Men can get yeast infections so this isn't just a female problem. Oftentimes they are transferred between couples without either person realizing it. This post is about treating yeast infections at home, with natural ingredients.

It surely is not comfortable, and though store brands get rid of the problem quickly, I found it was worth it to take more time doing a home treatment. I got more in tune with my body and feel as though I am now have a deeper understanding of my digestive system.

So here is what you need to understand if you are dealing with this problem...

Yeast overgrowth is a result of an out of balance digestive system. We need good bacteria to protect us from overgrowth of 'bad' bacteria. That is why people suffering form a yeast infection are told to eat a lot of yogurt. Yogurt contains acidopholus, and some contain more live cultures..... But don't just limit yourself to yogurt. Kimchi, kefir, homemade sourdough bread and homemade wine are also a good choice of foods that introduce "good bacteria" into our guts.

Cut out all sugar as much as you can- including honey, molasses, fruit, juice, etc. And limit carbohydrates as they transform into sugars in your body. Eat fresh vegetables and beans.

Now for treatment... I took acidopholus pills several times a day as well as a Candida Clear twice a day (an intestinal health formula with Oau D'Arco, Oregano Oil, Black Walnut and Caprylic Acid). I occasionally used yogurt internally. You can also open acidopholus pills and mix with warm water. This really relieved discomfort, inside and out, and I believe was the most effective treatment I used. The live cultures in the yogurt work to "eat" the yeast inside the vagina, while the pills help support your intestinal flora do their job and bring you back into balance.

It took me about 2 weeks until I experienced no symptoms. I believe it would have taken less time had I been informed at the beginning the best way to heal myself. This is not an easy thing to do. I found that inserting garlic inside the vagina considerably reduced my discomfort, and I don't think I would have made it the natural way if I did not have this relief. Thank you garlic!

WARNING: Just because you stop experiencing symptoms does not mean you do not still have yeast overgrowth! If you are not careful you can easily slip back into the painful reality of a yeast infection. Say no to sex and sugar for at least another week, wash your underwear and towels after each use as they can also spread candida, and as soon as you experience the slightest discomfort listen to your body and take better care of yourself!

Goat Milk

2008-09-06T17:00:00.001-04:00

When my local connection to goat milk dried up, I found this summer's free issue of Local Table- A guide to food and farming in middle Tennessee. Page 5 had a spread on Bonnie Blue Farm, producer of award-winning farmstead goat cheeses. Located in Waynesboro, TN, it's not too inconceivable for me to take hour drive from my home on The Farm in Summertown. Of course I don't yet know if they would even sell me a few gallons of goat milk. But it's a good lead nonetheless.

This issue Local Table provides a 10 page local farm guide, including what the farm offers, their practices (organic, free range, etc.), what markets they sell at, and how to contact them. Using this guide I have found several other farms that produce dairy, though I don't know if any have goats.

Why do I want goat milk? First, goat milk is more easily digestible than cow milk, and many people who are lactose intolerant or even allergic to cow milk find that they can tolerate goat milk, and sheep milk as well. Also, goats are smaller than cows, so they consume less and require less land to graze on, so not only are they less of an environmental impact but also it more accessible for regular families to own goats, provide for their own dairy needs, and also supply some to their neighbors for some added income.

For more on the benefits of goat milk, click here.

Beyond the benefits.... I really want to make cheese, yogurt, and kefir (What is kefir). And if I have the choice of cow or goat I always choose goat. I worked on an organic goat dairy in Oregon called Ferns' Edge and I really fell in love with the whole production-the goats, the milk, and the cheese. Oh the cheese....

I am extremely interested in getting local organic unpasteurized goat milk, but people who provide that are probably few and far between. We'll see how my search goes. I'll take what I can get... My cheesecloth is getting impatient....

2006 Journey West

2008-09-04T19:15:00.009-04:00

November 2006

It was just a few days before I embarked on my spontaneous journey west, by car, with two beautiful strangers from a far away land. I wondered what was in store for when I arrived in Oregon. Curious as to what experiences the trip would bring. Decided it was best not to think, to not plan, to refrain from imposing human input on fate, and instead to see where the ride takes me. I think we think too much, and sometimes it is best to not think at all.

It is rumored that where they came from there are glaciers the size of skyscrapers and they say that the sun never sleeps in the summer, and hides all winter long. We were all ready and willing and open to all experiences coming our way, and I, with an intense desire to give love and receive love, found myself at the beginning of what could be a sad ending.

And before I knew it we were already in Chapel Hill, contra dancing and binge drinking with our southern cousins. Again I awoke without the recollection of going to sleep. (This would be for the last time.) The weather was quite unusual for a typical November day, clear skies, a blazing sun and resulting heat that made me feel like we had traveled back into summer.

A chocolate candy left me with the words

"In dreams, as in love, all is possible"

translated in 4 other languages, just in case.

After driving to Asheville, spending time by a fire outside of a majestic country home, and the next night in a hotel in nowhere Arkansas, we made it to Oklahoma before noon, on Rt 40 West, where we witnessed at 80 mph a hawk fly away with a desperate snake. An omen?

A 12 hour drive until we reached our longed for visions of Taos and the surrounding countryside. What were we searching for?

For me, a landscape of solitude, reflection of
historical heartbreak,
and a reminder of the
simplistic reality I
hoped to create for
myself one day.

Wilderness skills and medicinal plants

2008-09-03T18:20:00.006-04:00

Searching for different schools on the east coast that teach wilderness survival skills, wild edible and medicinal plants, herbalism, etc, I came across some great resources that I want to share for others who are searching for similar programs:

Herbal Medicine:
Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in Asheville, NC (I'm told Asheville is a cool place)
Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine located just outside Asheville, NC
Susun Weed's Herbal ApprenticeshipsWoodstock, NY (More magik-oriented than the above schools)

Wilderness Training:
Tom Brown Jr's Tracking School in New Jersey (I've heard a lot about this guy already)
Vermont Wilderness School

(These are just a few programs and I encourage comments in you know of any others or if you have participated in any of these or others and have opinions....)

I became interested in wild plants after a guided tour with Darryl Patton in the Bankhead National Forest of Alabama.... Link to that post on ecovillagers blog Terra Firma

This page on wildfoodplants.com has a great list of resources for wild food events and festivals, websites, and instructors. I've only given it a quick overview but I'll be exploring it more soon.

Raw Vegan Summer Soup

2008-09-02T09:46:00.006-04:00

Even if you hate gazpacho (cold tomato soup of Spanish origin) chances are you'll really enjoy this recipe for cold tomato soup. Great for lunch on hot summer days, probably the most easy and healthy thing you could put together. At this point I don't have exact measurements, but you want to make sure tomatoes are the main thing. From there just add the rest of the ingredients and keep tasting.

Take a bunch of ripe tomatoes and blend them up with a clove or two garlic, some onion, ginger, optionally a hot pepper of your liking, a bell pepper, basil, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, pepper, some spices like garam masala or chana masala, cumin, whatever else you want to add (just don't overdue the spices.)

That's it. You don't cook it. Enjoy raw goodness...

If not spicy enough garnish in your bowl with crushed red pepper- my favorite.

Forest Love

2008-08-30T18:43:00.013-04:00

Awaking to sunlight trickling through the trees

the sounds of chickens and forest friends.

Sand paths beneath my bare feet as I stroll carelessly the sacred grounds.

My naked body swimming in the clear lake.

Morning yoga in the glass house overlooking the duck pond.

A labyrinth winding around a lone tree with offerings at its base,

where the light shines from the sky as if it were the soft breath of the goddess.

Sitting on a composting toilet, art surrounding me while I enjoy reading the log book, the words written by many others before me.

Dream catchers with gems in the center hanging from trees mimicking the forest spiders.

The smiling faces that greet me with hugs and tell me I am home.

The sounds of good music, pictures on the walls of friends old and new.

Community dinners preceded by hands coming together in a
circle of thanks, for each of us to reflect on those things we are
grateful for on that day.

Drawings, poems, words of love and wisdom everywhere reminding me of the deep love in my heart.

This is my experience of the place in southeast Georgia they call the Hostel in the Forest
where I called home for five special days.
All these memories I will carry with me wherever I go, along with a saying they have here
"May the Forest be with you!"
May the forest be with me.
May the joy and connection I feel while here never leave me.
May I cultivate this joy and connection along with peace and love spread these vibrations to the ends of the universe and back.
May I remember presence, that "I am from here," and that though home is wherever I make it, there is family all over, waiting to meet me.

Meditation Boot Camp

2008-08-30T17:47:00.004-04:00

I recently completed my first 10-day Vipassana Meditation Course, with the intentions of purification of the mind, increased independence and inner strength, to break myself from attachments that are holding me back, and to find some inner guidance to help direct me on my path.

I knew a little about what to expect- long hours sitting eyes closed, no communication of any kind, verbal, eyes, touch...

It was a powerful experience, very challenging, very rewarding, and I would recommend it to anyone who has the desire to observe their deep pattern habits and pain body and come out the other end more aware, compassionate, objective, equanimous, cheerful, motivated... One man compared it to fighting a war, and I had made the same comparison earlier that day... fought with motivation, concentration, and patience.

This course is FREE, yes free, and is funded by old students who have completed a course, know its benefits, and want others to be able to experience it.

Vipassana meditation homepage

For a center near you

Butterflies and Redwoods

2008-08-10T15:28:00.009-04:00

I had the opportunity to see Julia Butterfly Hill speak when she visited The Farm in July. She is most famous for living at the top of a 180 ft. Redwood tree for over two years in order to stop Pacific Lumber from clear cutting the area. The land next to it had recently been clear cut and soon after a land slide destroyed the homes of the residents of Stafford living below it.

In August I came across her national bestselling book, The Legacy of Luna; The story of a tree, a woman, and the struggle to save the Redwoods, in a bookstore. For someone who rarely finishes a started book, I couldn't put it down, and finished it only a few days later. She relays her experience of living in the tree for over 2 years, including two harsh winters, as well as how she became involved in the tree-sit.

Its a great read, and I was intrigued and inspired by her story, her courage, determination, hope, and trust in god*, in the universe.

This photo is of me wide eyed and mouth open in wonder at the size and beauty of the Redwood tree.

I had the opportunity in December of 2007 to spend just a few hours in the Redwood forest while on a road trip from Oregon to New Jersey.

When one experiences an ancient forest, trees of such majesty, one must think that only a madman can destroy them.

Fortunately there are countless hardworking activists out there who are fighting to save the remaining ancient forests. There are also many others who purchase clearcut property for their homestead site and work to regenerate the land. Read this blog for more on Clearcut Remediation in Tennessee.

Natural Dyes

2008-08-07T09:59:00.004-04:00

In my quest for making my way-too-white pants another color, I wanted to find a natural dye that is easy for a novice to use. I found this website Pioneer Thinking that lists so many different plants used for dye.

Since this is my first time, I'm going to go with the easiest of them all - tea bags. They are non-toxic and you can find them almost anywhere.

I am following this recipe (you have to scroll down a bit on that page.)

RESULTS:

The pants came out looking sloppy. They look like they've become brownish due to dirt, sweat old age. Plus some places dyed darker than others and there are streaks. I think this is due to sitting in the pot and not being stirred around. My guess is that any time you dye something you need to be prepared to stir almost constantly, just to be safe. Also, if you want to neat look, don't go for tea or coffee, as these tend to give clothing an aged, worn look. For me, I don't like my clothes looking like I've been on the road hitchhiking and homeless for months.

At this point I don't know what I'm going to do. They are light enough to be dyed again, this time much darker. I'll look around for some fool-proof dark brown recipes.

Manifestations

2008-08-05T23:10:00.009-04:00

What I want to create in my life:

yoga meditation cooking baking sprouting fermenting health being outside paradise permaculture garden a family crafts love abundance ... I vow right now not to take an office job after my contract is up at the Ecovillage Training Center. I want to learn more about my body, how to use my hands. I am having fantasies about being a natural builder and traveling the world studying different techniques. Learning more skills necessary to be self-sufficient.

Been looking into farm internships, like with Bobolink Dairy in Vernon, New Jersey, learning artisan cheese making and bread baking. As well as Catskill Merino Sheep Farm learning sheep care and hand dying of yarn with natural colors, and possibly some knitting and crocheting. (Search ATTRA website for more great paid farm internships)

What will the future bring? One can never know. One can only make conscious intentions for what one wants.

Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck in an administrative role, that it's too late to learn anything else and I should continue this path, since I went to school for business and have been working behind a computer since then. No matter what age we are, 23 or 35 or 65, we should never give in to this fear of the unknown. We are never stuck.

May you find what you want and still want it!

What does yoga mean to you?

2008-07-15T17:41:00.008-04:00

To me, yoga is a lifestyle of conscious practice in every moment-
mindfulness in breath, body, speech, thoughtscape...
It offers a pathway for living a joyous, fulfilling life.
Practicing yoga reminds me how loved I am by all the universe,
how essential I am in the wholeness of creation.
Yoga unites me with my sacredness, with the divine,
with my father and a few blessed friends.

Though my yoga began much earlier, I began practicing asanas my senior year of college in 2006. I was not treating myself as I knew I should, but prior to discovering Yoga I had no pathway to living the way I wanted to live. I was raised with no religion, no tribe. I was taught to be kind to all living creatures, and to honor my body as a temple. With this upbringing I did well but was lost. When I found yoga, I found a union between my unfulfilled longing to live rightously and a new empowerment.

I believe it is through yoga that I blossomed into all that I've ever wanted to be but couldn't embody. I made my way from an unhappy existence in business school to following my soul's longings to live lightly and ethically on earth. I followed my heart to an intentional community, learning and practicing and teaching sustainable, ecological-based culture. I am now a powerful woman confident in my life path.

(This was part of my scholarship application for Kripalu's Yoga Teacher Training, answering the question, What does yoga mean to you?)

CD Baby Wins My Heart

2008-07-15T12:03:00.008-04:00

Yesterday I sampled tracks from a contemporary folk album on CdBaby.com that was so good I bought 3.

First about the album- Vanessa Torres's Witness, (I found out only after falling in love with it) was produced by David “Goody” Goodrich who worked with my love, roots legend Chris Smither. It's not only really good listening, it's conscious, and real. I freaking love this woman and her band, Touching Ground. Though I get into any music that is good music, I haven't had much interest in folk (or contemporary folk) until recently.

Now about CD Baby-

CD Baby is one of the largest sellers of independent music on the web. They only sell music that comes directly from the musicians. Musicians, not distributors, send them their music, and they pay the musicians directly. Quoting CD Baby, this is a "cool thing: in a regular record deal or distribution deal, musicians only make $1-$2 per album, if they ever get paid by their label. When selling through CD Baby, musicians make $6-$12 per album, and get paid weekly."

Yeah, independence.

So I bought my 3 cds, and what do you know, the fun doesn't end with my credit card payment. To my surprise, CD Baby really loves me. Not only do they put my cds on a satin pillow after removing them from their shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves, 50 of them inspected my cds, polished them, they lit a candle and put them in a fine gold-lined box. They celebrated this momentous occasion, marched to the post office where the entire city of Portland, Oregon waved "Buen Viaje!" The cd is on its way to me, in a private jet.
To top it off, I was voted Customer of the Year!

That's customer service, baby.

Thank YOU, CD Baby.

To Listen to Vanessa Torres's cd on CD Baby click here

Expression in a Box

2008-07-14T18:25:00.007-04:00

I hate having to express myself in a box. I need an octagon or a geodesic dome or something.

My main beef with NVC (Nonviolent Communication) is just this- that I am not allowed to access the complexities of my mind. I must communicate in black and white.

Beef aside...

Black and white makes things really clear. There is no interpretation. There is no assumption.

When I use principles of NVC I am received much better, my point is understood. That's because I'm leaving out all the bullsh*t details, the story, and I'm getting right down to it. Plus I'm taking responsibility for the way I feel, and not placing blame on the other.

As Nala Walla says, keep the drama where the drama belongs. If you want to vent, call up your friend, write in your notebook, scream into your pillow. When you want to communicate and be heard, use the simple principles of NVC.

For more information on Non Violent Communication, check out The Center for Nonviolent Communication website www.cnvc.org
About the Nonviolent Communication Process click here

Is it Love or is it Addiction?

2008-07-14T18:22:00.003-04:00

Even the healthiest of relationships can fall into a trap of addiction. Instead of acting out of a place of centeredness, we cling, expect, assume. I picked up a book called Is it love or is it addiction and read a few interesting pages. Afterwards I noticed I had a different perspective on my interactions with my partner. I was able to identify if the way I was acting was out of love or out of addiction. How powerful! When we recognize which habits are based in addiction, we can work to overcome them. We can admit that addiction to our partner and they can help us through it instead of pushing us away. We can grow stronger and more independent, leading us to love in a more grounded way.
Here is an example:
One day I was having a hard time, feeling sad and lazy... I felt a need to connect with Greg. I was about to find him when I stopped to examine what I was doing. Why did I want him? What would this accomplish? What need would this fulfill? Is this something that is for our highest good or is this me trying to get my fix? And what I noticed was that I didn't want to be with Greg simply to enjoy my company. I needed him like an alchoholic would need a drink. It was a reaction that wouldn't be healthy for neither him nor myself. I spent some time alone nurturing myself, pouring my heart out into a notebook. Afterwards I approached him to tell him of the process that I went through and he was so grateful that I didn't just dump on him, and proud of my choice to try to work out my own problem.
Since then I have even been sensitive to his motives, and I can see when he is acting out of an "addictive" and "needy" space. And when I notice that he is coming from that place, I reflect that to him, and give him the opportunity to examine if this is what he really wants.
Through this practice we have developed a much more healthy relationship.

May you love others and not forget about the strength of your own being!

April Alabama Trip

2008-07-14T18:18:00.006-04:00

Coming from the north east, I've had some assumptions and prejudices about the south. What I found during my trip to Alabama was good friends, motivated people, and majestic landscapes.

Wade brought myself, Greg, Nathan, Kurt, Caroline, and Rob to a guided hike led by Darryl Patton, who once apprenticed with legendary folk herbalist Tommy Bass.... He led us through native lands of the Bankhead and showed us the magic of the fauna around us- foods, medicines, fibers... It was a great experience.

We then went to Camp.... where Wade's friends live and work, and they took us on a canoe trip to explore a beautiful river gorge, we ran with our shoes off, playing under the dripping water, walked under a waterfall..... I was amazed by the beauty. I was amazed by the willingness of Wade's friends to show us a good time. They even set us up to conquer our fears on the trapeze.

Alabama is gorgeous. I can't understand how it is possible for anyone to destroy lands like this.

soul revival*

2008-07-14T18:17:00.003-04:00

I am blessed to have close by a sacred retreat center, where I help cook on some weekends, and rejuvenate my soul in the hot tub, sauna, meditation hut, and forest surroundings. I find that I really vibe with that space and the people, and this re-sparked in me my love for yoga, for the divine.

Before opening Graybear, Dianne and Adam took a workshop on starting a yoga center, and then they did it! How inspiring*

I've pondered on opening my own yoga retreat center, even prior to visiting Greybear. What I imagined looks much like that place. I enjoy swimming in my own fantasy. And feeling the power in knowing this can be done! My vision only includes more gardens, and a bit more community. And it feels like home.

Ecovillage Training Center

2008-07-14T18:13:00.004-04:00

Transitioning from business major to ecovillage intern at Lost Valley to Office Manager at the Ecovillage Training Center... Inhaling wisdom and beauty and community and spiritual growth... Evolving mindscapes and worldviews...

The Ecovillage Training Center has been offering sustainability workshops for over a decade, ahead of the curve for must of us greenies who only started believing in global warming after Al Gore made his movie. The history of the land it lies on is interesting, destroyed by clear-cutting several times before being settled on by a caravan of hippies from Berkley. Founded in 1971, the Farm has evolved from commune of 2,000 people growing 98% of their own food to intentional community with 200 people and thriving non-profits and for-profits, and despite the name, growing almost no food.

Staff includes 6 of us living on-site, plus 4 more off-site. There are also anywhere from 5-8 apprentices living at the center with us. We share facilities- bathrooms, kitchen, common area. It is fun to have beautiful people around all the time.

I am learning that I don't want to be in an office anymore. I look through the window and out of the darkness of shade at the others, barefoot outside enjoying the sunshine while they work. I feel disconnected from the earth and the sun and the moon. I long for a craft, for an art, to join them in their play. I need to empower myself to make the time to go out there and work alongside them.

All good learning.

I am taking a drumming class, I went on a guided hike and learned about the local plants and their uses, and this is just the beginning of my conscious blossoming into the world of all yet to be explored by me.

Eat, Pray, Loved My Heart Out

2008-02-12T12:52:00.002-05:00

It was love at first sight the moment I held Elizabeth Gilbert's New York Times Bestseller, Eat, Prey, Love, in my hands. The fading blue background.... Three beautifully vibrant words speaking to me......eat.....pray.....love.... That's my mantra, alright.

As the cover says, this is the true story of a woman's year-long journey across Italy, India, and Indonesia. I immediately connected with Liz and with her story.

Unfulfilled and miserable despite her success, Liz leaves it all behind to reclaim her life, her health, her spirituality, her passion. It is a story of self-care and self-discovery, a search for truth, a quest for happiness... A story many women, and men, can relate to.

I poured over the words and plowed right through the book, acknowledging the joys, sadness, longing, and inspiration I experienced along the way. It is simply written, yet deep. Worldly, and humble. It is real. And honest.

If you appreciate stories of spiritual growth, if you love different cultures, if you have ever longed for more than what the life you were living had been offering you. Pick up this book. Take out a journal. Discover parts of yourself you forgot along the way.

Seva- selfless service

2008-02-07T14:22:00.004-05:00

The idea of selfless service provides the moral backbone of many religions, including Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

My yoga teacher at the Freehold Yoga Center in NJ, Omkar, loves to remind his students that only a small part of yoga is the actual postures. In fact, according to India's great sage Pantanjali in his Yoga Sutras, there are actually 8 limbs, or parts, to yoga. In addition to the asanas you do in class, yoga includes ethics and integrity, self-discipline and spiritual observance, breath control, sensory withdrawal (from cravings and desires), concentration, meditation, and ecstatic states, or enlightenment. See Yoga Journal's column for further description of the eight limbs.

I first heard of the word 'seva' through a volunteer program at Kripalu Center For Yoga and Health. The program allows for individuals interested in spiritual sustenance, ancient and modern health, and emotional wellness, to live at this remarkable place for free. For the month of January, 2007, I lived, worked, studied, and played at the beautiful site in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. In exchange for 40 hours of work each week, I lived there, enjoyed 3 deliciously wholesome meals a day, had access to the facilities including sauna and hot tub, and participated in daily yoga classes and other offerings like Tai Chi, satsang, kirtan, and Thai Shiatsu massage class.... How much better can it get?

This was a very important experience as it was a nurturing environment to foster my spiritual development. And I learned that the money doesn't matter. The experience matters, education matters, social connection, ethics, and values matter...

Kimchi- Nice and Easy

2008-02-04T17:23:00.002-05:00

Kimchi is a fermented Korean vegetable side-dish.
It is high in fiber, ascorbic acid, and carotene,
a source of vitamin A, thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), calcium and iron
(and more depending on which veggies you use!),
and contains a number of lactic acid bacteria.

Like fine wine, it gets better with age.

The first batch of Kimchi I made went bad. I used a complicated recipe, and after searching Google for easy Kimchi recipes, my second attempt was successful. My guess is that it isn't a traditional recipe, but it's perfect to get you started, and you get to enjoy all the health benefits of a fermented vegetable dish!

(Sanitation is especially important when fermenting. Make sure you wash your hands, clean the vegetables well, and sanitize all dishes and utensils.)
____________________________________________________________________________

I followed this recipe:

1. Mix 4 cups water with 3 cups sea salt in a bowl. You do not want the diameter of the top to exceed the size of your largest plate. You will be using a plate to weigh down the vegetables so that they are completly submerged when you soak them.

2. Chop whatever veggies you want to use... You can keep it as simple as you like, only using cabbage, or you can add carrots, radishes, peeled cucumbers, broccoli, scallions, beats... This time I used white cabbage, carrots and radishes (with their greens).
Slice them small and thin so they will soak up all the flavor. Also make sure you separate the layers of the cabbage. Throw in the greens of the carrots and beats and others...
(Save garlic, onions, ginger, and hot pepper for later.)
As for quantity, it depends on the size of your jar. I tend to use more cabbage than anything else, then carrots.

3. Soak your vegetables in the salt water for a few hours or overnight, until soft. Use a plate to weigh them down. All the veggies should be submerged.

4. Now is the time for the spices. Chop ginger, garlic, onions, and hot peppers (remove seeds). I read somewhere that you shouldn't use waxed vegetables, so if you are buying your peppers in the store they probably have wax on them. I use red chili flakes and they work perfectly. You can also add grated horseradish.
I love spicy food, so I used 5 or 6 cloves of garlic. Again it all depends on how much you are making, your jar size, and also your relationship with spices. If you tend to like spicy things, do it up! Don't be afraid of adding too much or too little, it matters little in the success of your Kimchi.

5. Drain and reserve brine. Taste the vegetables. If they taste too salty for you, rinse them. If you can't taste the salt add a little more.

6. Combine the vegetables and the spices in your jar. Add the brine until the vegetables are covered. Leave about 2 inches from the top of the jar. Mix well. Close the jar and store for at least 3 days. I like to go 7 or more days. Stir it up each day to allow the veggies on top to submerge. Taste your creation!

7. When you are satisfied with the taste and want the fermentation process to slow down, just put it in the fridge. Kimchi can last months like this! It does have a bit of a smell to it and that doesn't mean it has gone bad.

How do you know when your Kimchi has gone bad? It is hard to tell for someone who has never eaten it or only tried it a few times. It should have a slightly pungent aroma, but not smell like it is rotting.