How much beauty can you take?

I end the day under the influence of a small amount of wine (2/3 of a bottle is small, right? Oh yeah, plus a beer...), relieveing me of the USUAL influence of my ego.

I find myself reflecting on the incredible beauty that was interwoven through my day. In awe. I see that if we were to live in the divine light every moment of every day, we simply could not have the experiences we came here to have. My personal awareness of the infinite beauty around me ebbs and flows. Tonight it is at high tide.

I am swept away by the sychronicity of events today. It is astounding and beautiful. At every turn, there was reason and love, beauty and meaning. I spent time with dear loved ones virtually, in person, and in spirit. I laughed raucously. I listened intently. I learned. I observed others laughing and listening and learning. I met old friends intentionally and coincidentally. I relaxed and let my true self emerge without reservation amongst new friends. I lived this day fully.

And now I finish my day quietly, with my dog by my side, a cherry-topped english muffin in my belly, and a wish to record this emotion forevermore. What emotion is this? Contentment seems too small a word. I am full of excitement, yet completely at peace. I glow.

Have you glowed lately? Are you radiating your peace, your love, your joy outwardly? Come join me! I'm not sure how much longer I may be here, since this adoration for everything I see makes me feel like I will just float up and out of my body, it's so overwhelming. How much beauty can I take? My knitting beside me, the chair I'm sitting in, this uncomprehensible piece of technology at my fingertips, the original painting on the wall--and that's just what my eyes perceive. Each object containing such perfection! It reminds me of when I first became a mother; the feeling of wonder and love and instinct were all so strong, I felt like I would burst--and the worry, the fear, the fight in equal parts felt. It consumes like fire, and I had to learn to suppress it, lest I not be able to function normally!

Euphoria. That's what it is! Euphoria. Experiencing the divine in all--the wonder of it all--and being at peace with its infinity.

It's like looking at the stars in the sky, with their multitudes of planets, their vast distances, and knowing your role is so ridiculously miniscule, but with full knowledge of the necessity for each tiny piece to play its role accordingly. It's an empowerment.

Pardon my rambling. I just had to try to put this in words. Perhaps now my brain will rest. Goodnight, all.

Product Review: Food For Thought Cherry Honey Mustard and Cherry Hot sauce

So far everything I have tried from Food for Thought has been wonderful. I love their jams!!  We have also had their Cherry Honey Mustard which is really good!! My Daughter loves it on her turkey sandwiches!!  

We recently tried the Cherry Habanero Hot Sauce. It has a really great flavor and even though it is habanero, isn't overly spicey.  It is hot, obviously but sometimes the habanero sauces can be so hot you really don't taste anything, not this one.

I love that this company is so "green" and committed to supporting the environment and our local MI economy as well as create a superior product!!

Lisa  

Honey Laundering

Had enough refined sugar this holiday season? If you're turning to honey, here's another reason to by local: Chinese honey. It's sometimes tainted, but not always labeled as Chinese. See Honey laundering - international trade increasingly rife with crime and If it's American honey, it's likely not organic.

Raid on Ohio home-based co-op!

I find this situation VERY disturbing. It really scares both myself and my husband, and I urge you to read the article, watch the video, and donate to the Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund.

This operation is much like my own. I am trying to advance my operations to move out of the house, but balancing out the financials without raising prices is proving to be a tricky task. Any helpful ideas are welcome. I will also be sending out new contracts soon...sigh.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=83865

Restaurant Review: Pekoe & Joe

My family and I had lunch at a new restaurant the other day. It’s called Pekoe & Joe, and I think you’ll like it for a lot of reasons.

First, it used to be a KFC. The KFC failed, and the fellow who bought the place gutted it, and used recycled materials to turn it into a place that serves organic food. That fact alone got me through the door. It gets better.

The folks who work there are friendly and accommodating. The plates and utensils are all made from vegetable fiber and compostable*. The menu ingredients come from certified organic sources. Pekoe & Joe is certified by the Green Restaurant Association. The coffee is roasted on-site. The décor is retro, and you can sit on a stool at the counter, on a chair at a table, or in a couch or easy chair in a wee living-room-like setup. There are magazines and free wi-fi. The food’s pretty good, too. Here’s the menu.

I had the egg noodles with pesto and a cup of tomato basil soup, with Mexican hot chocolate to drink. Really, I should’ve picked a different beverage, because while the hot chocolate was delicious, it didn’t go well with the food I ordered. My fault. But the noodles were perfectly cooked, firm and not at all sticky. The pesto was flavorful, with bigger bits of basil than average. The tomato soup was substantial and hearty. The kids enjoyed their meals as well. Alex wasn’t quite able to finish his grilled cheese sandwich, which came with carrot sticks and cucumber slices instead of fries.

So is there anything wrong with the place? Well, it’s a bit pricey (lunch for four cost around $30, or about $10 more than at our favorite Coney Island place), but as locavores know, you get what you pay for. Quality ingredients are more expensive, and Pekoe & Joe charges accordingly. Fair enough, I say. There was also no place to hang up our coats, but I pointed this out to one of the crew and she said, “Hey, that’s a good point. We should fix that.” I fully expect to see a coat rack or two next time I visit. We didn’t see any high chairs or boosters for little ones, though they may have been available. Zack is big enough now that he doesn’t really need one, so we didn’t ask. Oh, and tomato soup in December? It may be organic, but it probably isn't local.

I think Pekoe & Joe can be forgiven for not buying local ingredients in the dead of a Michigan Winter. Face it, there isn’t much local produce to be had right now, and the place just opened. It’s not like they could go back in time, get a bunch of local produce, and preserve it for January use. Maybe next Summer, though. Plus, the Green Restaurant Association gives a ton of points for buying whole food ingredients from within 100 miles of your place. This may be the beginning of some beautiful friendships...

Drop in to Pekoe & Joe. It’s on M-59 at Voorhies, a couple blocks west of Telegraph. The food is good, and so is the karma. Maybe I'll see you there?


*I don’t really know if compostable disposable plates and utensils are better than the kind that get reused, but I imagine that when you take into account the energy, water, and chemicals used to clean reusable eating ware, it’s (forgive me) a wash.

Predicted food trends, 2009

Fellow trendsetters: Here's what the Food Channel believes is the next wave for 2009. Some of these are good news, indeed--others, not so much. (The Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch has the whole story, based on a press release from the Food Channel.)

1. Home on the Range — Downsized economy breeds new generation of home chefs, more food-savvy than their predecessors.
2. Foodie 2.0 — Growth of virtual and non-virtual food communities.
3. Going, Going Green — Kitchens go eco-conscious.
4. Living La Vida Locavore — Eating locally and seasonally, both at home and in restaurants.
5. TMI? — Is seeing the calorie count on the menu Too Much Information (TMI), or will it lead to healthier choices?
6. FrankenFood — The rise of bioengineering and genetically modified food; the next evolution of last year’s Functional Food trend.
7. Food Philanthropy — Individuals and companies address world hunger.
8. Food Insecurity — The call for tighter food controls, after the tomato and jalapeno scares of 2008.
9. Brewing Business — Striking a balance when cost is an issue; the divide widens between the exotic and day-to-day food needs.
10. Where in the World … — is the next flavor trend coming from? It’s all about globalization and variety.

Obama's choice for Secretary of Angriculture

Interesting blog post on the upcoming Secretary of Agriculture. I would have chosen Michael Pollen, of course.

Another (happy) reason to shop with La Vida Local

Compare the price Julie's apples from right here in Michigan to the organic apple gift boxes at Seeds For Change! Yikes!

I also just received as a gift a loaf of Zingerman's cranberry pecan bread. My generous gifter paid $15.00!! PLUS postage (probably another $15 to overnight it from Ann Arbor). It was good, but Avalon's is just as good if not better.

Another (disgusting) reason to avoid industrial meat

Some Austin pork plant workers struggle with disease and its aftermath
by Sea Stachura
Minnesota Public Radio
December 18, 2008

A year after a neurological disease surfaced among workers at a pork plant in Austin, some workers still can't get worker's compensation for their illness. Doctors traced the disease to a mist of pig brains at Quality Pork Processing.

Food Additives, China

This is beyond ridiculous. Lye, formaldehyde, boric acid, etc used as food addivites in China.

Read Associated Press article here.

Notice some of the language about not using some of them excessively...um...how 'bout not at all???

I think we really need some changes in our labeling laws so we know where our ingredients are coming from!

Or, we can eat local. : )

We Are What We Eat: The Movie

Hi, all! I've just posted a link to a 15-minute short, which is serving as a preview to a full-length feature film still in production. This short has merit, although at times it feels like it doesn't have a lot of substance...stick with it, and there are some great snippets. It's basically a montage of interview clips. It was sort of annoying not knowing who the people were until the end--hang around for the credits so you can see the wonderful bios for the people interviewed--I was happy to see a face to put with Joel Salatin's name! : )

I was most moved by Brock Dolman--the guy with a cowboy hat speaking in front of some wild-looking shrubbery and grasses. I'm really looking forward to learning more about his work, and maybe even inviting him into our community in some way.

The link is over there to the right, but I'll put it here, too. Be well! Julie

http://wearewhatweeatthemovie.com/short.htm

What to do with all those cranberries?

For nutritional benefits and recipes, see http://experiencelifemag.com/issues/november-2008/healthy-eating/cranberries.html

Local talk of interest

"How might Detroit plan for health food for all?" Lecture

[I received this through my Wayne State email, but I'm sure it is open to all. Contact info at the bottom to double-check.--Lisa]

Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend a free lecture, “How might Detroit plan for healthy food for all?” with guest speaker, Wayne Roberts of the Toronto Food Policy Council. The lecture will be held on Thursday, November 20 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium in the Law School. The lecture is co-sponsored by SEED Wayne, Detroit Food and Fitness Collaborative, Detroit Black Community Food Security Network, and the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems. A book signing will follow the lecture.

Wayne Roberts manages the Toronto Food Policy Council, a citizen body of 30 food activists and experts, which developed Toronto’s Food Charter and the Food and Hunger Action Plan. Roberts is the author of several books, including the No-Nonsense Guide to World Food (2008), Real Food for a Change (1999) and Get a Life (1995). In 2002, he received the Canadian Environment Award for his contributions to sustainable living. NOW magazine named Roberts one of Toronto’s leading visionaries of the past 20 years. In 2008, he received the Canadian Eco-Hero Award presented by Planet in Focus.

Roberts also serves or has served on several national and international boards such as the Coalition for a Green Economy, the Community Food Security Coalition, and Food Secure Canada. He is on the board of Green Enterprise Toronto, an organization of local eco-businesses that's associated with the Business Alliance for a Local Living Economy across North America. He is regularly invited internationally to speak on strategies that combine food security, community empowerment, environmental improvement, social equity and job creation.

The Toronto Food Policy Council partners with business and community groups to develop policies and programs promoting food security. Their aim is a food system that fosters equitable food access, nutrition, community development and environmental health.

For questions regarding the lecture, please contact Kami Pothukuchi at k.pothukuchi@wayne.edu or Will Ahee at w.ahee@wayne.edu.

We hope you will be able to attend this important lecture.

Help the Environment and the Homeless

Hello,
My daughter, Catrina, and I are doing a project together to help out a few good causes and hopefully make a difference in our world.
We are encouraging everyone to both register to purchase and actually purchase some organic socks online from the Sierra Club (www.sierrasocks.com). You can register at any time your intention to buy the socks, then, on November 01, 2008, visit the website again to make the actual purchase. For each pair purchased, another pair will be donated to the National Coalition for the Homeless (www.nationalhomeless.org). When registering and/or making your purchase, please make mention of the fact that "Catrina Guenther" inspired you to do so. Please also send this email to all of your contacts in your address book, asking them to do the same.

By doing the above, we hope to achieve 3 objectives:
1) Provide warm socks to the homeless or those who might otherwise not be able to afford them
2) Help the environment, both by supporting the Sierra Club (whose mission is to "Explore, Enjoy and Protect" the planet) and by helping to eliminate some of the 5 billion or so pairs of synthetic socks that end up in landfills. Ten percent of the proceeds from the sock sales will benefit the Sierra Club directly.
3) Provide concrete evidence that one person has the power to evoke change. By tracking Catrina's name, we can see how many homeless people received socks as well as the amount of money benefiting the Sierra Cub (and ultimately, the environment). We can also infer how many nonbiodegradeable socks were prevented from ending up in landfills.

I hope to show Catrina that she can make a significant impact on her world by doing some very simple things. In addition to helping me gather email addresses, she is planning to make some fliers up describing the sock-a-thon on Nov. 01 and distributing them throughout our neighborhood and to local schools, community centers, etc. She is also looking up info on the Internet regarding important topics such as homelessness and the environment to better understand the issues and what can be done about them.

Thank you very much for your consideration and participation in this event. In today's world, we are constantly bombarded with things essentially out of our control -- war, bailouts, foreclosures, etc. Let's show our kids that good things happen as well.

So, please:
1. Register to buy a pair or more of earth-friendly socks at http://www.sierrasocks.com (or sierraclubsocks.com) referencing Catrina
2. Spread the word to your friends and family via email.
You'll get an email reminder if you've registered to order your socks on November 1, and help donate $ to the Sierra Club and socks to the National Coalition for the Homeless.
Please contact me if you have any questions.

Fondly,
Catrina Guenther and
Sharon Atma
SharonAtma@comcast.net

Homemade Peppermint Toothpaste

In response to the call to buy peppermint oil, one of my customers sent me to this website to see a recipe for homemade peppermint toothpaste that she likes--a great use for this local oil!

http://www.tammysrecipes.com/homemade_toothpaste

Help Save a Local Mint Farm

Most of you have already received my notice about this, but just in case we have some browsers the next few days...

Please visit getmint.com and purchase a bottle or two of peppermint oil by November 1st to help this family keep their farm from foreclosure! They have enough inventory to pay the bills...

This farm is in St Johns, MI, and you can view a video at the site above. Thanks!

Farmer-in-Chief by Michael Pollan

Thanks to LVL members yet again for keeping me in-the-know on food-related articles. This latest one that I linked to on the side (under Food in the News: Politics) is a letter to the future President-Elect written by the great Michael Pollan (Omnivore's Dilemma, Botany of Desire, etc) and printed in the NYT. It's quite long--if you click on the "print" button they provide, you'll get a more reader- and printer-friendly version. It also might not be a bad one to study up on to be able to throw some arguments around in your food discussions.

Here's a link here, too!

Farmer in Chief by Michael Pollan

Product Review: Leelanau Cultured Veggies Dilled Carrots

These sounded good and my family already loves their Ty's Spiced Beets.

These exceeded my expectations!! They are addictive. They are wafer thin slices of carrots which lend a beautiful color on your plate, with a bit of shredded cabbage mixed in and flecks of dill they are pleasing to the eye and make your tongue do a happy dance!! They have a wonderful sourness (like a pickle) from the natural fermentation but there is also a hint of sweetness from the carrots themselves that just go well together. They are great!! I eat them as a quick snack or on my plate with a sandwich, but really they are good with anything.

I think these are going to be my favorite!!

Lisa

Product Review: Creswick Farms Canadian Bacon

Melissa: What is that?
Me: Yummy Canadian Bacon. M'm!
Melissa: You don't expect me to eat that do you?
Me: *sigh* I guess not, but that'll leave more for me, so...

[sounds and smells of cooking emanate from the kitchen]

Melissa: Hey, that smells pretty good.
Me: Dinner's ready, guys!
...
Alex: Can I have some more of that bacon stuff?
Me: If you ask politely, you may.
Alex: Please?
...
Melissa: Will you pass me a small piece please?
Me: Sure, here.
...
Melissa: Pass the bacon, please?

And we ate it all.

Grab your torch and pitchfork!

Apparently we need to form a mob and march on the castle of Dr. Frankenchicken.

I just found out that the FDA is going to start considering proposals to sell genetically engineered animals as food. Here's an AP article from Thursday, Sept 18th.

Now, I'm not totally against people raising frankencows if they want to. But if they do, and they want to sell them as food, they should be required to label their frankenbeef as such. As of now, the FDA has no plans to require genetically modified meat to be labeled in any way, unless it makes some health claim, like, say, low-cholesterol T-bone steak. If they don't claim a health benefit, they don't have to label it as genetically modified.

I don't know about you, but I want to be able to decide for myself whether I eat a frankenburger or not, and I can't do that if the meat isn't labeled. We can't even trust the government to allow the non-GM meat producers to label their meat as franken-free. Remember the legal battles about whether dairies could label their milk as hormone-free?

So what do we do about it? Well, you can get a draft of the proposed rules for frankenmeat here. Scroll down to the line that says

Draft Guidance for Industry #187 - Regulation of Genetically Engineered Animals Containing Heritable rDNA Constructs | html | pdf |

and click on the format you like best to get a copy of the proposed rules. Once you've read them, you can go to this site and type "Docket FDA-2008-D-0394" in the search field. When the document comes up, click the link that says "Send a Comment or Submission." A page will appear with a bunch of blank fields for you to fill in. Whatever else you may have to say about frankencritters being sold as food, I hope you'll tell the FDA that any genetically modified animal product sold as food must be clearly and prominently labeled as genetically modified meat.

Of course, you can easily avoid GM meat by raising your own, buying all your meat directly from the farmer, or ordering it from La Vida Local.