Being sick....sucks

Catching any bug is not fun. The last few days I have dealt with different symptoms: sore body, fever, phlegm (sexy), headaches. Whenever I have any ailment, my go to book for about the last ten years has been EveryWoman's Guide to Natural Home Remedies by Sally Freeman. This was no different, especially having congestion and developing a dry cough. The book gives you herbal and folk remedies; and I find it interesting what people in different regions in the world do. I decided to make the Puerto Rican cough syrup, the recipe follows.



Juice of two lemons
1/2 ounce honey
2 cups whiskey or other hard liquor (I used rum)
2 pieces of fresh anise or 2 teaspoons anise seed

Boil for ten minutes and take as needed.

I did change alittle something in the recipe. Because I buy raw honey, I did not want to cook it and kill it's health benefits. Therefore, I boiled the fresh lemon juice, rum, and anise seed for ten minutes, when it cooled I mixed in the raw honey. Please note that the liquor does reduce, so you will end with a solution of atleast half of what you started with. Also, take it off the heat and transfer after the ten minutes because it can continue to reduce.

Verdict: This cough syrup tasted so yummy to me, tangy and sweet. I also slept better than the night before where I kept waking up with constant coughing.

Compassion and Setting Limits: Finding the Balance

photo source

Firstly, I was going to title this entry: Compassion vs. Setting Limits, but it hit me, these two areas (amongst others in our lives) should not be put up against eachother, instead, somehow work together. It's easy to feel conflicted and confused when we pull ourselves in two or multiple directions. The challenge comes when trying to make situations, thoughts, feelings work in harmony rather than against eachother. Setting limits to me is about not tolerating such behaviors or treatments from others that are negative in any way. It's knowing you are important, that you matter and you shouldn't be abused in any form, you shouldn't be made an option when you have made them a priority and so on. Which brings me to a very recent situation that inspired me to write about this topic: a man. A handsome and intelligent man at that, trust, on paper he looks great, unfortunately I didn't get to find out.

Subtle was his initial approach, and it was in essence his interest in me that eventually piqued my interest in him. (I can really appreciate men that are not thirsssty and only trying to get their holleration on). From the jump, he proclaimed his shy nature, and I took that into account. I experienced shyness in my teen years, and I knew how hard it could be to get the courage to speak or merely contact someone. So I understood when he wasn't aggressive or too forward. I decided this was a good guy and with a little nudge, figuratively speaking, maybe it would help him open up. I decided to put my big girl draws on and my pride aside. With that came some reaching out on my part; suggestions on things we could do, a couple text messages, and one phone call. Some texts got replied to, others didn't, the suggestions and the phone call went ignored. Anyone looking from the outside in would simply say... He is just not that into you! And you know, to some degree that is correct. I feel men are pretty simple creatures when it comes to women. I have a theory which is- either a man is feeling you or he is not. Women, mujeres, sisters! there is no reason to make a list, notify or convince a man on how fly you are; any man that truly sees your light will be attracted to you (and put in the necessary work).

At this point I had to realize: was I being compassionate or making excuses? I took a look at my limits and it just didn't sit right with me to be disregarded. So after a week, his number and any trace of him on my phone was erased. There is absolutely no reason for women to chase men (umm, please see theory above) if a man wants to get to know you, meet up for coffee or fly across the nation to see your face, he will do it!

Ok, ok so it was only a week, dramatic much? Not really. If one week was unproductive, why would I want to waste a month? And if this is any indication of how future communication will be, then surely I can do without it...

When in NOLA.

Oh, New Orleans, you are a wonderful town! And as a foodie, I must mention some great spots we ate at. For the first time I stayed in the arts district, this gave us access to walking to different areas of the city I hadn't explored before. For starters, sis + fam arrived before us so they got to eat breakfast at Surrey's Cafe and Juice Bar, which they relayed the info about. And of course we had to go. photo source

The place is small and eclectic. We waited a cool 20 minutes, but that was on a weekday, it does get thick. We all got dishes and shared; I tried eggs, potatoes, french toast, coffee...and who know's what else?! It was however, delicious. A yummy breakfast spot.

For details click here>>> Surrey's Cafe and Juice Bar

photo source

To close off our trip we headed to Cochon for dinner. I noticed this restaurant as we were walking to some club that it was in the cut. I suspect Cochon was closed that night because I didn't really see anyone, but the night we went, maaan, we waited atleast an hour. When we got called in, we were seated in a large table near the back. The restaurant was beautiful, simple, with wood tables and some paintings. Very urban farmer-ish. Best way I could describe it. I wouldn't be surprised if this was at some point a warehouse. The menu had a variety of stuff, but none was chicken. As you would guess pork is the main thing here, which I don't eat. They did have gator though! But I didn't go for that neither. I opted for some side dishes. I found the cucumbers and herb to be particularly delicious. We also had dessert, vino, but most importantly a lovely experience.

For details click here>>> Cochon

the study living of life.

"Your planet is very beautiful," he said. "Does it have any oceans?"
"I couldn't say," said the geographer.
"Oh!" The little prince was disappointed. "And mountains?"
"I couldn't say," said the geographer.
"And cities and rivers and deserts?"
"I couldn't tell you that, either," the geographer said.
"But you're a geographer!"
"That's right," said the geographer, "but I'm not an explorer."

-Antoine de Saint-Exupery
The Little Prince (1943)

I'd like to add that you don't necessarily need to jump on a plane to explore (though it is wonderful to see different people and places). So many jewels can be found in your own town and surrounding. Los Angeles offers so much, and it's great to drive atleast a few miles to experience new things. Support mom and pops restaurants and stores; visit cultural centers, shows, art. You'll be amazed at all the lovely things that are waiting to be explored.

sights & words.

Some months ago I had a conversation with a co-worker; though we have had small talk in the time we worked together, this was the first time we had a full conversation. And it was great! We talked about travel, cultures and food. He then asked if I had read The Road to Lost Innocence, which I hadn't. So lovely he brought the book the next day for me to read. And read I did. The book is the true story of Somaly Mam, a child in Cambodia sold into sex slavery. Somaly is now an adult and risks her life to help other children. A great book and look into the reality of children sold into the sex slave industry.

I had caught a glimpse of the trailer for Biutiful, and was like... I gotta see that. I didn't even know what it was about, but it looked so aesthetically beautiful, or should I say, biutiful? Ok, that was too easy. Finally on a rainy day in LA, sis I and headed to one of the theatres that was showing it (limited release). I sat down, oblivious to even the synopsis of the movie, and took the 2 hour and 43 minute journey. I loved this movie, as sad, funny, horrid, ugly and triflin' as what happened was, it is reality. Watch it if you can.

In the meantime, the trailer is here.

Traditional Pickling Class

From the flyer:

Class description:
Learn to make sauerkraut, sauer-reuben (turnip/rutabaga), & kombucha beverage. Samples of each to taste and recipes to take home.

Where:
Milagro Allegro Community Garden, 115 S. Ave. 56, Los Angeles, 90042 (behind the Highland Theatre)

When:
Sunday, February 13, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.

Fee:
$5-10 suggested donation

“Order and simplification are the first steps toward the mastery of a subject.” Thomas Mann

photo source


Grant it, sometimes I think there is a village developing in the backseat of my car. Ok, maybe it's not thaaat bad, but you get my point. However, with my home I really do make an effort of keeping stuff organized. It may sound odd that you should have respect for your stuff, but when you do, you take care of it. Part of this respect would be having a place for it. The hooded hair dryer I had on my living room room floor for 3 days? Yea, that is no place for it. Organizing and keeping things organized just feels good. For example, when I travel I make sure everything is tidy before I leave; when I return back to my home the energy is right and I don't have those dreaded feelings of having to clean up, it's the continuation of my trip if you will. Over time I think of new things I can do to improve my way of living, and I also get great ideas from others (especially reading other blogs). Here are some tips that have helped me with home organization:


1. Keeping bills together. I have a beautiful wood-carved mail holder that I got at the thriftstore for just a few bucks, but all that would not serve it's purpose if I didn't use it. You need not have a mail holder, it can simply the corner of your desk. The main thing is keeping your bills organized so you can easily look at the days payment must be received, which ones you owe on, etc. It's happened to me in the past, I open mail and stick it in my purse or leave it in my car and find it way later. Paying a $39 late fee is never cute, this is definitely a case where being organized pays!


2. Have a place for important documents. Places like office supplies stores and Target sell safe boxes that are fire and water proof, they range at about $50. Make the investment if you can, this will fully protect important papers in case anything should happen, and that includes tipping over a cup of water.


3. Keep your records for 7 years. That is always the recommended time. I keep them tied up together by year in a bin and can easily access them should I need to. Digging through drawers and boxes is not usually fun. I shred receipts a couple months after they have posted to my account, but I do keep those of large purchases and add to my records.


4. A yearly binder. This one I thought of a few months ago when I got a hold of dividers with the months on the side of them. I thought about how I could utilize them, and then it hit me to but them in a big zip up binder that I have and with pockets between them and keep my bills paid, statements or important papers I get in the mail and organize by month. My method before was keeping everything on a yearly basis in a shoebox sized bin, but even then that could be a pain trying to find a certain paper from a certain month. At the beginning of the year all those papers get transferred to the larger bin (see #3).


5. The kitchen. For me having stuff organized by their purpose makes it easier for me when I am cooking. Spices together, cookbooks together, anything-with-a-plug together and so on.


6. Seasonally cleaning. It makes it easier to think of doing big cleanses during the changing of seasons (and while your at it, change your toothbrush around the same time too.) There is usually some stuff that we just will never wear, or don't care to. Someones trash is definitely somebody else's treasure. If it's in decent condition, donate it. If it's stained, ripped or just plain not worth it, throw it away or find another use to it like cutting up a shirt to make rags to wipe down counters with.


7. Weekly/bi-weekly/monthly cleaning. When you get a chance, vacuum, wipe down counters and so on. Smudge (cleansing the air with burning sage) if that's something you like and which I happen to. Take a good look at your home cleaning products. Lots of them may smell good but that is because it's loaded with chemicals. I keep just a couple products to clean my home completely which is very different from how I grew up. The whole space underneath the sink was filled with cleaning products. Ahh the smell of Pine Sol may be nostalgic but there are other alternatives.


8. Open the windows. If even a bit, it will help circulate the air in your place.


9. Calendars and planners. Having a planner is a wonderful thing to have. You can spend time organizing your week, things like which days to work out, completing things on your to-do list, and sometimes we need to schedule when we will have our Me-Time.


It seems when dishes start piling up, the more clothes on the floor, messy papers and everything seems chaotic the less we want to deal with it. You will notice when there's a place for the stuff around you, you tend to feel more free. When it comes to organizing it isn't about micro-managing your life, it's about simplifying it.

DIY: Lemon Verbena Face Mist

A few weeks ago I went to the Altadena Urban Farmer's Market and it was such a lovely experience. I stopped by one of the vendors to see all the goodies she had for sale (which happen to be things that she grows.) I asked what those stems with leaves that got my attention were, and she said it was lemon verbena. The smell was dreamy, citrusy and sweet, powerful yet subtle. Powerful enough to have people stop and ask me what it was and where did I get it from.
When I got home I just hung it as a natural potpourri. It dried in about 2 weeks but I didn't want to do dispose of it, I wanted to make something with it. That is when I turned to a book I had bought at the thriftstore called "The Potted Herb." In it, I found a recipe for a face mist; these are the steps I took...

Dried lemon verbena

Witch hazel (this one is from Target)

I semi-crushed the dried lemon verbena leaves with a mortar and pestle

I filled a recycled jar (it's handy to keep some glass jars you have used and thoroughly clean them) with witch hazel and lemon verbena. This is to sit for 2 weeks in a warm area. It has been nippy out here lately, so I left it on my windowsill to get the bit of sun and warmth we are getting. After 2 weeks, strain and place contents in a spray bottle.

Enjoy.

Our hairy, four-legged children.

Growing up, we always had larger breed dogs, and small dogs weren't really my thing, UNTIL this yummy dog entered my life in 2008. She was homeless, dirty, filled with fleas, and yet, I was so in love; the connection was immediate. For the first time I would be taking a lot of responsibility for a dog. First thing I did was research on more natural and healthier approaches to taking care of a dog. I went to the library and I got a DVD by Gary Null about Holistic pet care. One of the things mentioned that really stuck, was the use of BHT, which you will see in some (namely larger "name brand") dog food. BHT is used as a preservative, but that same preservative is also used on tires. Can someone say, yuck? I also noticed one day while looking at a cereal box for humans that BHT was used for the box. No bueno. Gary cooks all the food for his pets, which is wonderful, however I tried it for a couple weeks and found it to be too time consuming to cook a small amount of food everyday. Since then I look for healthier dog food such as Newman's, Halo, etc. She gets a mix of dry and canned foods. Also, something I learned on the video was the benefit of flax oil for the dogs heart and coat.
Recently it hit me that I can make a larger amount of food, pack it individually and freeze it. I came up with this recipe and she loves it. I take out one serving and thaw it out the night before so it can be ready the next morning. Also, once I serve it, I pour a good teaspoon of organic flax oil on top of it (she loves it on it's own, but doing this makes one step less.) By the way, cats are carnivores not dogs, which I thought them to be; still giving dogs meat is o.k. but not completely necessary if it's something you don't agree with.

Nana's homemade dog food
1 cup organic barley
Water (check barley package for amount)
2 organic carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled, chopped into chunks
1 yam, peeled chopped into chunks
3-5 slices turkey bacon, cooked and cut into smaller pieces (I prefer Applegate Organic Turkey bacon)

In a pot I add the water and barley and cook for about 15 minutes before throwing in the carrots, sweet potato and yam. I cook everything for the remaining time together (see barley package instructions for length of time of cooking.) Once cooked, I mash all together till in small chunks. Lastly, I mix in the turkey bacon pieces. And voila!

I then divide the servings into BPA-free containers and put in the freezer until ready to use. If you will be using all of the food within a few days, it should stay good in the refrigerator, but freeze if it will be longer than that. You can also double this recipe easily.

Wonderful Mini-Documentary

Shadeism from Shadeism on Vimeo.

Giving thanks...

I find the word gratitude a pleasant one. Even the way it sounds. It's a word that floats around but I've been hearing it alot this past week and I suspect it's due to Thanksgiving being around the corner. Ah yes, the one day where being thankful is emphasized. But wouldn't it be nice to practice gratitude on a daily basis? It can be difficult, especially since complaining, feeling negative and living life in constant motion is so darn easy.
Here are some tips I have come across:
For every bad thing that happens, think of 2-3 good ones. I had an experience a couple months ago where my car had a problem that a few mechanics couldn't detect. I do take responsibility for still driving around my car in such condition, and then one day it literally stopped, overheated, a mess. Deep in my soul I could've cried with all this happening, but the way everything went down I really could not help but laugh, laugh so hard I had tears in my eyes. I thought, I have 2 other people in the car and we are all safe and I managed to get my car home. It didn't mean that I was pleased as punch that all this occured but I really felt so much more calm and overall better.
Think and appreciate the journey your food took to get to you. Something as simple as an apple just didn't show up. It took soil and sun for the tree, the person that picked it, the person that delivered it to either a farmers market, a warehouse or grocery store and then you to get/purchase it. Whew! I believe if we could appreciate our food's journey we could have a better relationship with what nourishes us and pleases our palate.
Keeping a gratitude journal. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, a piece of paper or a notebook. Jot dot things that you are thankful for (preferably daily). It's the little things that make life so great and you can be thankful for something as simple as the person that held the door open for you.

Give thanks and celebrate your beautiful life!

Beyond Eden Art Show

The Beyond Eden Art Show took place on October 9th at Barnsall Park in the LAMAG. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was held in a huge space with so many artists represented. (There is a smaller gallery right behind it that I have visited prior to). Here are some of the pieces I really enjoyed.
I really liked the bee representation of this artist.

How can you not love a fish with that face? Well... atleast stare for a bit.

I loved this piece, especially since it was a PAINTING, looks like a picture right?

A saint for today? Major corporations like Coca-Cola, Budweiser and Pepsi represented here. Say word.

Mierda means shit in Spanish, so I just had to...

I grew up with a paleta man in my neighborhood. This was one of a two part painting. Which was titled "Mexican-American". The first one was an Aztec with the words "Mexican" on it and this was the second piece, with the words "American" on it. I found the visual to be pretty deep.

Fresh graf piece, this artist uses newspaper comics in the background; and can definitely be appreciated more in person due to detail.

Nazi gnomes, what the hell? I love gnomes and found it pretty hilarious.

Give alittle bit of yourself why don't you?

LA Free Store

This Saturday there will be a very cool community event where everything will be free. Yes, free. You bring stuff you no longer need or want, and take from what you may want that others have brought. It may not be new, but it will be new to you... enjoy.

Info:
You can go to their site here
Location: Casa Princessa Cafe 4527 York Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

"Can Urban Gardens Create Community?"

From American Friends Services Committee:

Urban gardening has grown in popularity in Los Angeles. But is this phenomenon a passing trend or a sustainable reality? Hear various expert speakers working in the community, in schools, co-ops, and other publc spaces use urban gardens as a way to rebuild community. AFSC Los Angeles will also share its work in creating two gardens at local high schools as a form of peacebuilding. Following the dialogue will be a freereception for the opening of our art gallery exhibit, "Cultivating Spirited Land."
Speakers include: Mud Baron, the Green Policy Director for the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education; Connie DePaepe-Layton, Master Gardner and a leading advocate for greening Los Angeles; and Megan Hobza, a noted community leader in the field of time banking.

When:

Thursday, November 11, 2010 7:00 pm to 8:00 p.m.

Where:
AFSC Los Angeles Office 3rd Floor
634 S. Spring St.Los Angeles, CA 90014
(recommend parking at Joe's Parking Lot on 530 S. Spring St.)

Contact Information:
For more information contact: Anthony Marsh, Los Angeles Area Program Director 213.489.1900 x119 or amarsh@afsc.org

when in highland park...

Highland Park is definitely a place I have yet to explore, and going to Milagro-Allegro Community Garden was a great opportunity to take a look around (even if brief).
I had a new GPS and I'm the type of gal that reads manuals later. Like. Way later. I didn't know why it was taking me on a Tour de France Highland Park, and then hello! I realized it was on the "bicycle path" setting. The good thing about all that was driving by the Good Girl Dinette. It was so cute and it's simplicity is what actually made it stand out to me. I had set it in my dome that I would be returning back to eat there at some point.
At the garden the Good Girl was mentioned as they give their scraps to the garden to use for compost. They also mentioned that they use local and sustainable ingredients; already this place was sounding quite alright to me. Sis and I returned the following day, and boy was it yum to the tum. They serve Vietnamese food. I had the chicken baguette with spicy fries, sis had the vegetarian pho, we both shared the coffee brownie dessert and coconut pudding. The food was great. And will I return? Too late, I already have. If you're in the area I suggest you check it out too, even if you have to purposely drive there, this is a great spot to support, which in turn supports the community.

Good Girl Dinette

110 N. Avenue 56

Los Angeles, CA 90042

(323) 257-8980

Let's get crafty! Halloween edition

boooooo... It's that time again. Halloween. Time for pumpkins, candy, black + orange, and all things dark and eerie. Here is a cute and simple craft that can be used as little gifts or for party favors. I got this craft from Martha Stewart (her website is great for arts and crafts ideas). I present you: Pumpkin favor pouches for Halloween. I must note that I found it hard to find orange crepe paper, but did get my hands on orange tissue paper and used that. I kept the instructions the same by doubling the paper.

For party favors or treats on Halloween night, fill crepe-paper pumpkin pouches with tiny toys and candy eggs. To make a pouch, cut two 10-inch-diameter circles from orange crepe paper. Stack circles and put goodies -- candy and small toys -- in the center. Pull sides of paper up around treats to make a pouch. Gather paper just above the treats, and twist a little. Secure by wrapping green floral tape around the base of the twist, binding upward to create pumpkin stem. If necessary, trim excess paper before binding. Foliage curls can be made by wrapping floral tape around a pencil.Here is the one I made. I added some "pumpkin leaves" using green tissue paper. You can do that, or use the method used here with the floral tape.

Tip of the day...

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Wallets get lost. Wallets get stolen. Cards get forgotten, or eaten by the ATM. And then.... you have to remember which card(s), the number and "Was it a Visa or Mastercard?" so you can call to report it. Not such a fun task. Which brings me to something that was told to me: make a copy of your the cards in your wallet, front and back. And if you can, write the customer service number next to it to make it even a smoother process.

Halloween Chocolates

A couple weeks ago sis and I headed out to Surfas in Culver City to attend their Halloween Chocolates cooking demonstration with pastry chef Jean-Marc Viallet (he is the pastry chef for the Disney Resort). As with all cooking demonstrations at Surfas, you get step by step visual of how to make the recipe, a recipe print-out and the best part, to taste it. Everything was delicious! You can't go wrong with these pumpkin and chocolate combinations. Below is the recipe for the pumpkin empanadas with chocolate chipotle sauce. Yes. It was special. And if you want to visit Surfas or get on their email mailing list to find out about all their cooking demos, click here.


Pumpkin Empanadas with Chocolate Chipotle Sauce Recipe
From the demo: Halloween Chocolates Recipe
Courtesy of Chef Jean-Marc Viallet

Ingredients:
Dough:
20 oz flour
10 oz cold butter
4 oz cold shortening
1 oz sugar
1/2 oz salt
1 cup ice cold milk
Filling:
8 oz of canned pumpkin
3 oz of sugar
Cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg (to taste)
Egg for wash
For Chipotle Sauce:
12 oz of heavy cream
1/4 tsp of cayenne
Cinnamon stick
Vanilla bean
Procedure: For dough: Mix flour, cold butter and cold shortening. Add sugar, salt, ice cold milk. Mix just to combine. Place in a container with flour, let rest. Roll to 1/3 ” thick, cut rounds of 3″. Reserve.
For filling: Mix pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Deposit a dollop of filling mixture in the lower part of the dough circle. Brush outer side of the circle with egg wash, fold the dough to create a 1/2 circle and press the edges lightly. Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins. Serve warm dusted with powdered sugar.
For the sauce: Bring to a boil heavy cream, chipotle chili, cayenne, cinnamon stick and vanilla bean split open. Let infuse 5 minutes. Pour the hot cream infusion over 12 oz of 75% chocolate drops, mix well . Sauce can be refrigerated for 3 days. To serve reheat in a microwave or in a double boiler.
Serve warm as dip for empanadas.

Holistic Breast Cancer Presentation

Free workshop on Holistic Breast Cancer prevention and treatment offered this Saturday. You can register by calling 626-303-3300. Snacks will be provided by Whole Foods.

click to enlarge

when in brooklyn...

Wow, I can't believe it has been about 10 months since my visit to these two places I am about to recommend, but here you go kids.

First place: Madiba Restaurant

In reality Madiba was our plan B spot; I've been wanting to try Jive Turkey for quite some time and we end up going on the one day it's closed, and so off to Madiba we went (and I'm glad we did!) The restaurant is so cozy and colorful, perfect for the cold winter night in which we went to. We first ordered Amagwinya Vetkeok (fatcakes) a delicious fried dough served with marmalade. It stated "artery-clogging and delicious" it seemed quite right to give it a try. For the main course I enjoyed the Yebo Burger with salmon. Yum yum. The restaurant was a pleasurable experience in thanks to the company (my sister), the ambiance and food. Give it a try when in the area!

Madiba Restaurant

195 DeKalb Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11205

at Carlton Ave.
718-855-9190

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Secondly, Desserts by Michael Allen. This quaint shop is located in the Clinton Hill area. There is a seating area, a couple little tables and couch. The fam and I ordered a couple of the cupcakes, cookies, madelienes and coffee; all were enjoyable!

Desserts by Michael Allen

1015 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11238
718-230-3360

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"I'm the kid who has this habit of dreaming. Sometimes gets me in trouble too. But the truth is, I could no more stop dreaming, than I could make them all come true."

-unknown