Fennel Soup Recipe

Fennel Soup

1 quart chicken broth
2 cups water
1 can garbanzo beans
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 TBS olive oil
1 pound tomatoes (chopped)
1 cup fresh basil (chopped)
1 bulb fresh fennel (chopped)
1-2 onions (chopped)
1 cup fresh peas (shelled) - frozen peas are ok too.
salt and pepper to taste.

Bring broth, water, beans, 2 minced garlic cloves, fennel and onions to a simmer in a large pot. Cook about 15 minutes or until the fennel and onion are soft. Heat oil in a frying pan and cook tomatoes, basil and the rest of the garlic until the basil wilts (about 2 minutes). Add tomato mixture and peas to the soup pot. Cook about 5 minutes more or until the peas are cooked. Salt and pepper soup to taste. Serve.

Give Me Sun

It has been my contention for the past few years that the sun is not as damaging as many think. The more I read about the benefits of sun exposure, the more I am convinced that this is true.

Our bodies use the sun's rays to manufacture vitamin D. However, most people wear sun block when they are outdoors, which severely limits the amount of vitamin D production. This is why we have started seeing vitamin D fortified foods.

We know that some people suffer seasonal depression and that exposure to UV lamps or a nice vacation in a sunny place will help clear that up. But, new research shows that vitamin D can help prevent cancer too.

I have also heard of people who go on raw vegan diets who do not use sun screen and no longer get sun burned! There is new research that suggests the amount of antioxidants in your skin determine the skin's ability to resist sunburn. I think this is a wonderful revelation! I rarely use sun screen on myself or my kids. Gabriel and Andrew have never been sunburned, but they eat tons of fresh raw fruit (especially blueberries) that are high in antioxidants.

This is great news. It is time to lose our fear of the sun. I encourage you to enjoy the sun this summer!

By the way, use common sense when you are outside on a hot and sunny day. We go out during the morning and late afternoon to avoid the harshest and hottest part of the day. If we have to be out for more than an hour, especially during midday, we apply sun screen. Also, drink plenty of water. Hydrated skin is healthier skin.

Road Trip

My almost 3 year old son, Gabriel, asked to go on a road trip today. It was a great idea! He was feeling a little bored with the same old games and toys. He brought me his shoes, said 'car', gave me the diaper bag (he knows that I take it whenever we get in the car) and got his own bag packed with his favorite book, put it on his shoulder and we were ready to go. I decided a visit to our local Hewlett Packard duck pond would be a great surprise. Plus Daddy was at work there and could meet us for a little break. Gabriel was ecstatic when we got there. The ducks were already in the parking lot and started surrounding the car as soon as we parked. They are very used to handouts. I should have brought some old bread or crackers, but I forgot. Gabriel proceeded to chase the ducks everywhere and I was chasing him. Andrew was having a pretty good time too, bobbing along on my hip. (I am sure it was a hilarious sight to watch. Luckily no one was there to see). Daddy got there just in time to watch the last few ducks jump into the water to escape my son. Then Daddy surprised us with a quick trip to the local ice cream parlor. A real treat since my kids have only had ice cream a few times (actually, it was Andrew's first time). After dropping Daddy off at work we went home. About a half mile from our house I saw a coyote trying to cross the very busy highway we live on. It is a rare sight to see. So all-in-all, it was a great idea and a fun little excursion, all thanks to my son.

GMO and GE Foods

I had heard of GMO and GE foods, but I did not know what the genetic modifications were or how prevalent they are in our food supply. I am very concerned about this issue. About 70% of food in the supermarket has been genetically modified. The kinds of genetic modifications that I know of are pesticide/herbicide resistance, built-in vaccination and nutrient fortification. Pesticides and herbicides are inserted into the DNA of a plant, such as corn. The purpose is to make the plant resistant to the targeted insects or weeds. Vaccinations are injected into the DNA so that the consumer will become automatically resistant to the targeted disease. Hepatitis B is going into bananas. Yuk! I really have a problem with this. We are supposedly still allowed the freedom of choice concerning vaccination, but not if it is hidden in our food supply. Finally, vitamins are being injected into the DNA of plants to make them healthier, but it is questionable how beneficial this really is. There has been NO testing to verify the safety of GMO foods. There are many countries in the world including much of Europe that require GMO labeling. Other countries have banned GMO foods all together. The FDA does not require any labeling of GMO foods. Our government is doing a mass "experiment" on unknowing and in some cases unwilling participants. There is absolutely no way to know if a prepared food is GMO unless the box specifically says it is not. Furthermore, there is no way to know what the genetic modification is. Luckily, produce is labeled. Look on the sticker of any fruit or vegetable. A 4 digit number indicates standard produce, a 5 digit number starting with a 9 is organic and a 5 digit number starting with an 8 is GMO. My opinion is that the best way to avoid GMO foods (if you want to, that is) is to buy organic. By definition, organic foods cannot be genetically modified or engineered. There still is the issue of drift (GMO crops pollinating non-GMO and organic crops. But with organic your chances are much better of not getting a mutated food.

An Eczema Treatment That Works (NAET)

My younger son, Andrew, has eczema. The breakouts started when he was about 6 months old. An itchy, oozing rash covered his whole body. It was very frustrating for me because the only options my doctor gave me where to isolate/eliminate the allergens and to apply steroid creams. I eliminated everything except for fruits and veggies and he still wasn't getting any better. I switched laundry detergents and went to all natural cleaners and soaps. Then my mother-in-law told me about NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques). She worked for a doctor who did the treatments and had seen many people, including babies, be cleared of their allergies and eczema. So we tried it and it worked wonderfully. The doctor was able to tell me exactly what my son was allergic to; dairy, gluten, cotton, mold, mildew, yeast, and fungus. He was also deficient in calcium and trace minerals. I saw improvement from the first visit. Within 3 months his eczema cleared completely. Andrew is now 1 year old and is able to eat the foods he was allergic to and he is able to wear cotton clothing. He still has minor breakouts when he contacts harsh chemicals. For example, I painted two bathrooms two days ago and he is reacting to the paint fumes. I could have him treated for this as well, but I am waiting to see if he will clear up on his own as the rooms air out. More information on NAET and practitioners near you can be found at www.naet.com. There is a link to this website under my Favorite Health Links section.

No More IRS

If you hate paying taxes as much as I do, then you will be happy to know that one of the candidates for president does too. Ron Paul would love to see the IRS go away! Go to You Tube at http://www.youtube.com and do a search for Ron Paul. You can hear speeches he has made and see what he stands for.

Raw Almonds

As of Fall 2007 all almonds will be pasteurized (by a heat process), but will still be labeled raw. The is another stupid FDA regulation and it allows dishonest food labeling. Things like this really make me mad. Already there are hundreds if not thousands of ingredients that are not required to appear on the label. They are in there, but you will never know about them. If possible I buy brands that state on the label that there are no hidden ingredients.

Yogurt Cheese and Breakfast Crepe Recipes

Yogurt Cheese:
1-2 cups plain Nancy's Yogurt (or any live culture yogurt)

Place yogurt in a fine mesh strainer, cheese cloth or coffee filter over a bowl and allow to drain 4-24 hours in the refrigerator. Move yogurt cheese to a clean bowl and reserve the liquid for a fruit smoothie.

This is a great cream cheese replacement. You may sweeten it with honey or agave nectar or add spices like dill, garlic, salt and pepper.


Breakfast Crepes:

Favorite crepe mix or recipe
Favorite fresh fruit (sliced)
1-2 cups sweet yogurt cheese
Agave syrup, honey or maple syrup

Make crepes and fill with sweetened yogurt cheese and fresh fruit. Drizzle a little agave syrup over rolled crepe if desired. Serve warm. Yum!

Strangest Thing I have Seen Today

Today while I was at a doctor's appointment for Andrew, I saw an odd sight! Actually, I heard the sirens first; ambulance, fire truck and police. They all stopped right across the street from me at the WINCO parking lot. When I looked to see what the commotion was, I couldn't believe my eyes. A car was parked on top of another car and was wedged up against a tree. Apparently the driver had his parking break on and revved the engine so much that it launched the car up and on top of the other car when he released the parking break. I imagine he felt pretty stupid. I expect to see it in the newspaper tomorrow.