My Friend's Strength

It is the Sunday night after Thanksgiving and I cannot sleep. I am tossing and turning. The lovely Miss Bear feels my restfulness and is at my side slamming into the bed for reassurance, all is ok. (and yes, Miss Bear only moves in big heavy lumbering motions)
The reason I cannot sleep is that I have a dear friend who just had a dbl masectomy and is suffering so. She keeps a blogsite of her ordeal and I just read several days worth before going to bed tonight.
My friend is teaching wisdom and inspiration as she struggles so, her candidness, power and strength overwhelming in the face of her battle. She keeps looking for SL (silver linings) and finds them in so many simple pleasures. The giggles she shares with friends, the all encompassing strength of her small daughter's strong, wrap around leg hugs, as this is the best way for them to love right now.
I feel such pain and love for her tonight, in such a raw way.
Why do bad things happen to extraordinary people sometimes? I don't know, no one does.  I know my friend is seizing the moment in every way she can. Sharing, making those of us with the gift of her friendship more aware every moment of what can happen in our lives. Mindfulness in its roughest form.
I love you my friend, Good night. May dreams at least keep the pain at bay til morn.
xo ginny

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just about here, I am setting my table and cooking away. Not only for the day, but for the boys arrival into town.
I have been following and making my menu primarily from the NY Times link that for the past three weeks has been posting incredible vegetarian and vegan dishes from top chefs across the nation. How far we are coming. In today's NY Times Health section on pg 5 ( Link will be forthcoming on FB page) The article is titled A Vegetarian Thanksgiving Even for Carnivores, it says and I quote; " Interest in vegetarian cooking is surging, even among those who eat meat." Please read the whole article.  Also the recipe link will be reposted on FB.
In my house it is interesting, my husband, my mom, a friend all adore the vegetarian dishes. (My husband has really come to embrace it,  but it definitely took time)  My father, who used to think I was the most fabulous cook is so disappointed in my cooking lately. He likes old fashioned meat and potato dishes. This is just not my way.
Thanksgiving I will compromise, there will of course be turkey and traditional dishes, but just as many if not more dishes of all beautiful colors and textures bringing health, and hopefully having my kids sort to embrace what I hope they come to embrace as the traditional holiday food. Kale, and butternut, chickpea stew, zucchini pancakes, roasted brussel sprouts, cous cous, quinoa, fresh cranberries and orange zest, stuffing full of veggies...I could go on and on.  Hope your thanksgiving is beautiful. Remember to eat well and to sit back comfortably full,  and not more so, so the day after is a day of grace and not regret.
xo, ginny

Mindful Organics' 30 Day Challenge on Facebook

Last week I decided to start something easy and fun. To address the numerous Facebook posts/questions I get in regards to maintaining and healthy, clean diet- I thought that posing a community challenge would be a great way to get people involved, talking and participating in the easiest, mildly committal manner possible- an online challenge via Facebook.


Basically, you have to join the Group called "Mindful Organics' 30 Day Challenge" and are required to follow for 30 days- the challenge.  This month's challenge is the Pescatarian challenge.  No beef, chicken, meats- other than seafood. Also, no refined sweets, processed foods, white carbs, alcohol. Essentially a healthy vegetarian diet plus fish! Plus, a requirement of exercise each day for at least 45 minutes. 


Each group member is required to 'check in' each day by simply sharing a post- talking about their day and how they ate/exercised, sharing recipes, tips and words of encouragement. After the course of 30 days, all successful participants will receive a Mindful Organics organic tote bag (valued at $40) and not to mention probably the gift of some shed body weight and perhaps a healthier and more energized system!


Stay up to date on our challenges through our Facebook page! www.facebook.com/mindfulorganics


Here is my latest Challenge post that I wanted to share:


What fun this is. Yesterday morning I started with a beautiful run on the Venetian Causeway. I love listening to great music on a run. I always feel so incredible running, on such a natural high, I love to smile and say good morning to everyone I pass. It makes me feel so good, especially when it lights up someone else's face. People don't expect to be greeted, how very sad. 

I was in heavy production mode baking samples of ginnybakes yesterday, fulfilling some brand new large orders, exciting. Hopefully ginnybakes is moving into a commercial kitchen soon!! Dinner was the chick pea soup stew from the recipe site Annhy passed it was absolutely delicious. Funny thing is I looked around the table, I had added poultry for my men and a salad and thought the meal would have been even more beautiful had I just served the Stew with a great hunk of great bread and some fresh cheese. It was not necessary to add the additional protein the soup had everything we needed. My husband and one of the boys couldn't get enough and it was very chunky. I am learning as always yes, simpler is always more pleasing. 

On that theory, tonight for dinner I am making Roasted Squash with quinoa and nothing else! I bought 2 delicata squash, but you could use any smaller squash that you can stuff.


Roasted Squash with Quinoa1. Preheat the oven to 400' (always use a really hot oven when roasting vegetables)
2. Cut the squash, halve it lengthwise and seed. 
3. Brush both sides with olive oil season insides with S&P and roast 45 min, cut side down on a roasting sheet. 
4. Meanwhile make quinoa, same as basic rice directions though always rinse your quinoa well, first. 
During the last few minutes of the quinoa cooking- add 2 tablespoons golden raisins. Let cool. 
5. In a separate bowl- whisk together: 1 tbl sherry vinegar, 1 TBL honey, 1 tsp olive oil- and add to the quinoa.
6. Season to taste with S&P and dice well, one granny smith apple (the tart flavor is nice with the sweet of the raisin), add 1 minced shallot, 1 minced garlic, 2 TBL chopped mint 2 TBL chopped parsley and 2 cups arugula.
7. Toss gently and fill each squash half and enjoy!!

Spicy Grilled Eggplant recipe

Fall is my favorite season, and who can resist it with all the fresh bounty coming forth from the earth? I love the fresh vegetables all being drawn in from the garden.  The CSAs are starting up, and at our local CSA (Community Supportive Argriculture), our green bags are beautiful and overflowing with colors.

Here is a recipe that was tucked into our produce this week,  I made it- and the family loved it.  xo ginny

Spicy Grilled Eggplant with Red Pepper and Parsley

(Makes 2 servings, recipe can be doubled or tripled. Adapted from a recipe in Williams-Sonoma Complete Grilling Cookbook.)

1 medium globe eggplant or 2-3 long Asian eggplants
1-2 tsp. salt, to remove water from eggplant (not needed for Asian eggplant)
1-2 T olive oil, to brush eggplant for grilling
1 T chopped parsley
1 T chopped mint
(You can use 2 T of either mint or parsley if you don't have both.)

spicy sauce:
2 T olive oil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. garlic puree (from a jar) or finely minced fresh garlic (or less if you don't love garlic)
1 tsp. Aleppo Pepper (or less, to taste. Use whatever kind of red pepper flakes you have.)
1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional, but highly recommended)

Remove stem end and wash eggplant, but do not peel. Cut eggplant into slices 1/2 -3/4 inch thick, being careful to make all slices the same thickness. (Cut Asian eggplant on the diagonal to get bigger slices.) Put eggplant in colander in single layer and sprinkle with salt. Let drain 20 minutes, then turn over and sprinkle other side with salt and let drain 20 minutes more. (If you're using Asian eggplant, they don't need to be salted.)


While eggplant drains, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, garlic puree, Aleppo Pepper, and Spike.

Preheat gas or charcoal barbecue grill to medium high. (You can only hold your hand there for 3-4 seconds at that heat.) Remove eggplant from colander and put each piece between two papers towels and press with your hand to squeeze out water. Wipe eggplant dry and brush both sides with olive oil.

Place eggplant on grill and cook 4-5 minutes per side, rotating after a few minutes on each side if you want to get nice grill marks. Watch them carefully because they go from nicely browned to overly dark quite quickly.

When eggplant is done, remove from grill and place in large plastic bowl. Pour in spicy sauce, and gently stir eggplant to coat with sauce. Let sit 10-15 minutes so eggplant can absorb sauce flavors. Chop mint and parsley while eggplant is resting in sauce.

To serve, assemble eggplant on serving plate and sprinkle with mint and parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lewisburg

This past Monday my husband and I celebrated our 24th anniversary. Pretty cool, especially since the two of us still feel like kids. We spent the weekend in West Virginia, and I was anxious to go apple picking, something I did do as a child and I looked back upon with a longing to do again.
We picked Morgan Orchard after traveling through beautiful country roads full of the colors of fall heading from Lewisburg, a small fascinating little town. Lewisburg has the feeling of being a small southern town entrenched with Civil War history, yet upon further exploring you begin to realize you are in a most magical, unusual place. The town was discovered after the Vietnam War by liberal Northerners, who seeked a place for their Back to the Land Movement. They lived in communes in the start up days, caring for each other's children as they grew their own food. As time progressed they incorporated themselves into the community. The arts are multifold, library stunning, and most alluring to me was the holistic, organic side and feel of the place. The gourmet market, Bellaluna, was filled with grass fed beef and chicken, all organic products. Even vital choice canned wild Alaskan salmon could be found there. The cheeses were from grass pastureland, alpine regions known for their higher omega 3 contents. The wines all organic. I went hunting down a yoga studio I saw a street sign for, it turns out it was 3 floors up on the most beautiful, creaky, old wood floors. The type that announces their connection and history to a place. The yoga studio had a sign on the door that Barbara had eye surgery and she was so sorry, for the interruption in yoga practice for her students. As I peeked in the door, I could see the peacefulness of her studio, simple floors with big windows looking out. The sparseness, was it's beauty. She was clearly living her passion. I could feel it without meeting her, just seeing part of her soul through her environment.
I was climbing down the stairs as gentleman popped out of his office. Within 2 minutes, I was sitting in a big armchair in his office having neuropathy done. Again a person living his passion, anxious to share. I was in my element, so much so, that I forgot I left my husband on the street saying I would be right back. He finally found me, baffled and yet could see my peace. To be so surrounded by people living their lives, doing good, healing work. Selling products that worked for our body and land. What a gift Lewisburg gave us on this our anniversary. I could go on, I haven't told you yet about the apple picking. Some stories are just meant to meander, to begin and end as they do... xo ginny


Though I never told you about our actual apple picking here is a great recipe. I plan to make for my boys tonight. Enjoy
Don't forget add extra cinnamon for it's protection against insulin and glucose spikes. Great for the management of type 2 diabetes as well.

Sour Cream Apple Pie
Recipe makes 1 pie
For the topping:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 


For the filling:
1 1/3 cups sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eeggs
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 large Granny Smith apples (about 2 1/4 pounds)


ginger whipped cream as an accompaniment


Make the topping: 
In a small bowl blend together the butter, the sugar, the cinnamon, and the flour until the mixture is combined well and chill the topping, covered, while making the filling.


Make the filling:
In a large bowl whisk together the sour cream, the sugar, the salt, the vanilla, the eggs, and the flour until the mixture is smooth, add the apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin, and stir the filling until it is combined well.


Spoon the filling into the chilled shell, smoothing the top, and crumble the topping evenly over it.  Bake the pie in the middle of a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until it is golden and the apples are tender, transfer it to a rack, and let it cool completely.  Serve the pie with the ginger whipped cream.


Easiest Pie Crust Ever
Makes 1 pie shell
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil
2 tablespoons cold milk


Measure flour, sugar and salt into an 8-or 9-inch pie plate and whisk to blend.  Beat oil with milk and pour over the flour mixture.  Use a fork to mix just enough to moisten the flour, then press into bottom and sides of pie plate.  Use the tines of the fork to press into the top to form an edge.  If baking without filling, prick all over with a fork and bake at 425 degrees  for 15 minutes.  If using for a fill-and-bake pie, follow pie-recipe directions.

Goodness Gracious Granola Bars!

As promised, here is the recipe for the oh-so-simple but deliciously good granola bars I whipped up for the event at Temple Beth Sholom last weekend.

I have always made my own granola and granola bars because it's actually quite simple and most store bought granola bars are sadly chock full of food no-no's from high fructose corn syrup, corn flours and even added coloring.



Almond Apricot Granola Bars
1/2 cup almond butter or other nut butter
1/2 cup of honey (or maple syrup or agave nectar)
1 cup crispy brown rice cereal (pref. organic)
1 cup of granola
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil for greasing the dish

1. Put almond butter and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the melt together; whisk to combine
2. Put the crispy cereal, granola, almonds, apricots and salt in a bowl and add the melted mixture of almond butter and honey' stir well to combine
3. Grease a 7- or 8-inch square baking dish with a little oil and line it with plastic wrap. Spread the granola mixture evenly into the dish, pressing down gently, and cover with more plastic wrap. Refrigerate until set, at least one hour.
4. Once set, remove by lifting up edges of the plastic wrap out of the dish; peel off the plastic and cut the bars into any size or shape you would like (use cookie cutter shapes for the kids!)

Yield: about 16 - 20 granola bars.

Now that's good, healthy snacking!

Gardening

I just spent a beautiful hour in the garden before the sun rose. It was quiet, cool and so very peaceful. The lovely Miss Bear at my feet,  and Sam our cat there as well. Pretty magical having both my pets as serene as I,  just being in the moment.  That is the magic of creating your own garden. I left it when the sun starting to warm us, carrots, eggplant and potatoes  planted this morning. I feel so accomplished, a quiet joy. This weekend I will be at Fairchild attending workshops and buying some seeds and seedlings. This is the time in our region for planting.
 As The Miami Herald captioned this week- Save The Planet, fuel your body with home-grown vegetables. The vegetables and herbs you grow at home taste a world apart from the ones you buy in the store that have been traveling upwards of two weeks to get to your local store.  The taste is deeper, richer, the benefits of knowing you are eating things fresh from your own soil without pesticides, should give you such joy, peace of mind and good health.
 What you are doing for our environmental goes beyond words, we make the difference, our actions each of us, have such an impact on our planet.  Questions? Ask me, if I can't answer you I will put you in contact with someone who can. This year my seedlings and seeds are coming from Natural Gardening Company. There are lots more great companies out there,  please order organic let demand lead where big business goes. Once again you honor me by visiting my blog. Thank you. xo ginny

community

I am still making my way through the Sunday magazine section from last week. I am enjoying each article. They all point in the same direction as to food creating community. It is so true, I feel it everytime I do a workshop. This past week Mindful had an incredible raw food workshop, and it was interesting because so many of the attendees had crossed paths before. Connections from life were discovered. Many were yogis from the same studio, had met at previous community events whether thru Mindful Organics or other sources. I find the people that are drawn to my company are intelligent, passionate people who I get so excited to meet. I learn as I give.

This week we have our 1st meeting for our CSA, a green smoothie workshop at Green Monkey after yoga Friday night at 6:30 Miami Beach location, I am teaching on Food and the connection to breast cancer Thursday at a local corporation. We have Nov 13, a Yoga and smoothies for kids workshop. Join a CSA, attend something like what I have mentioned through me or any community event, Nov 19th at Green Monkey we are showing the movie What's Organic about Organics? Sit on pillows with us, enjoy our raw vegan snacks, be part of a dynamic group. There is a fabulous night planned for local eating by wonder chefs under the stars and moon, at the Botanical Gardens this Friday night . Fairchild is having its edible plants weekend this coming weekend. Join in to community, become impassioned and dig into the earth, start your gardens. Do something, anything that helps our understanding of food as the core of relationships to eachother and the planet.

I know these are Miami area events mentioned, but trust me if you look all kinds of things are available in your area too. xo ginny off to teach tots about Whole Foods-love my life.

Eating Together

I quote from The New York Times Magazine section today. It is The Food Issue.

Over the centuries, we've moved from huddling around a fire to gathering around a hearth to sitting around a table to clustering on the Web. But food is what has always brought us together-for sustenance as well as for conversation. In the last decade, the movement toward buying locally has, perhaps inadvertently, resulted in the creation of new communities. Conversations are started when people ask questions of men and women who grow, make, cook and serve their food, as they are when they seek out others with similiar tastes. One result is a multitude of new-and often surprising -connections. Strangers are chipping in to buy a whole steer together. Orthodox Jews are eating wood-fired pizza next to West Indians and hipsters. Graphic designers are trying to revive an impoverished county with an all butter crust. In one city 100,000 people have converged to eat street food and learn how to butcher, pickle, home-roast coffee and brew beer. In this, our third annual food issue, the hunger to connect is stronger than ever.

The Food issue is incredible and I for one am so proud to be forging ahead in this movement.

I will refer back to the articles this week. Perhaps we can work together as Mindful's FB community to see how we can make more of a difference, maybe in each of our own communities we can begin with a communal table once a month where we share in ideas, passions, and breaking bread together. Maybe as individuals we can make a commitment to ourselves to have animal free Mondays, or decide to slowly move into more dinners cooked with fresh, simple ingredients instead of ordering in. What a gift to ourselves, children and communities if we too could start to gathering around the table together with delicious smells we have created with our own hands. Maybe it is time to understand cooking at home is the greatest gift we give to ourselves and the ones we love. Just some thoughts, please share yours.

xo ginny

Get Slow

Leave your watch on the bedside table.

Check email only twice a day.

Take the scenic route.

Light candles before you start to cook dinner.

Make up rituals.

Say a silent word of thanks and make eye contact with everyone at the table before you start eating.

Make a handmade present for a friend.

Set aside private time every day, give yourself permission to just be.

Spend as much time as possible outdoors in natural settings.

Pay attentiom to the cycles of the moon and the changing seasons.

Sit for a moment with your eyes closed before you turn on your computer.

Take a few moments before you climb out of bed in the morning to remember your dreams and think about what you want from the day.

When your cellphone rings choose if you want to answer it.

Factor in extra time when estimating how long something will take.

Always jump at the chance to play with a child.

Create a garden and spend time seeing all the changes.

Never pack your schedule so tight that there is no room for a short walk.

Take a left where you generally take a right.