Zentangle® Meditation & Go Green Recipes

Zentangle Meditation

Tripoli

During CZT seminar 16 which Ed and I attended and Ed became certified, Molly Hollibaugh took us through a Zentangle meditation. There was no visual instruction; Molly verbally instructed us through our drawing. It was so relaxing and fun. I’ve wanted to do it with a class ever since. In the style of Molly, Holly Atwater has posted a Zentangle audio meditation on her blog Ha! Designs. My voice could in no way compare to Holly’s soft and soothing voice. Thank you Molly and Holly for this gift!

Go Green Recipes

Since my last post when I challenged you this month to add green to your plate, an article, “Amazing Avocados” in the March 2015 issue of Experience Life magazine grabbed my attention. My husband and I have fallen in love with the Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Sauce recipe. Now there's a green salad! However, instead of slicing the zucchini into thin strips with a mandolin or vegetable peeler as the instructions suggest, I used my Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer. such fun!

You can buy a Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer at Amazon.

The article tells about the nutritional benefits of avocado. It's one of my favorite foods and finds its way into my diet nearly everyday: on salads, in smoothies and salad dressing and as a garnish. Avocado helps to lower LDL and to raise the HDL and, in studies, has also shown to have anti-cancer properties. 

Another great recipe from the Jan.-Feb. 2015 issue of Experience Life magazine incorporates kale into a super simple supper, One-Pot Pasta. (This recipe is from The Family Cooks by Laurie Davis. More about this book later this month.) When the directions say to "reduce the heat to a simmer" I also covered my pan to keep the steam inside.

Kale goes off the chart with its nutritional benefits: it's high in vitamin K, a key regulator of inflammation, and it also has anti-cancer and cholesterol lowering properties. Kale now finds itself on the menues in fancy restaurants. How far kale has risen from only being a garnish on the plate!

Kale and broccoli find their way into my weekly shopping cart.


From my kitchen:

Asian Broccoli
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 pound broccoli florets
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger (optional)
1/4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 tbsp. Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)

In a pan with a good fitting lid, at medium temperature, heat the oil and sauté the garlic for a few seconds. Add remaining ingredients, stir, lower hear, cover and let steam for 4-5 minutes, until the broccoli is tender-crisp. Stir occasionally. If your lid doesn't fit tightly, you may need to add a little water.

I use Bragg’s because it’s a non-GMO liquid protein concentrate derived from soybeans. It’s an excellent replacement for both tamari and soy sauce. There is no salt added but it does have naturally occurring sodium. As we were accustomed to low-sodium soy sauce, we find that Bragg’s taste saltier. If that’s a problem for you, try diluting it before adding to a recipe.

Dish Up the Greens!