Thursday, May 17, 2012
Oh darn
Well, I haven't been doing very well the last two weeks with exercising, eating right, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water or taking my vitamins. Today I'm turning the leaf back over! How is everyone doing? It's definitely difficult to keep up a healthy lifestyle. No slacking!! Good job everyone.
Monday, May 7, 2012
42 Flowers You Can Eat!
Excerpted from the book True Food: Eight Simple Steps to a Healthier You (National Geographic, 2009) By Annie B. Bond, Melissa Breyer, and Wendy Gordon
The culinary use of flowers dates back thousands of years to the Chinese, Greek and Romans. Many cultures use flowers in their traditional cooking – think of squash blossoms in Italian food and rose petals in Indian food. Adding flowers to your food can be a nice way to add color, flavor, and a little whimsy. They make a salad look beautiful and exotic, and candied flowers can be used in decorating to make cakes look elegant and professional. Some flowers taste spicy, and some herbaceous, while others are floral and fragrant. I make rose honey every year that is amazingly good in tea. The range of possibilities is pretty surprising.
It’s not uncommon to see flower petals used in salads, teas, and as garnish for desserts, but they inspire creative uses as well – roll spicy ones (like chive blossoms) into handmade pasta dough, incorporate floral petals into homemade ice cream, pickle flower buds (like nasturtium) to make ersatz capers, use them to make a simple floral syrup for use in lemonade or cocktails. (See a recipe for Dandelion Syrup here.) I once stuffed gladiolus following a recipe for stuffed squash blossoms – a little out-there, I know, but they were great. So many possibilities …
Eating Flowers Safely
So. as lovely as eating flowers can be, it can also be a little … deadly! Not to scare you off or anything. Follow these tips for eating flowers safely.
- Eat only those flowers you're certain are consumable – if you are uncertain, consult a reference book on edible flowers and plants.
- Eat flowers you have grown yourself, or that you know are safely (organically) grown for consumption.
- Flowers from the florist or nursery have almost always been treated with pesticide and/or highly toxic chemicals. This is especially true of imported roses and other blooms.
- Do not eat roadside flowers or those picked in public parks. Both may have been treated with pesticide or herbicide, and roadside flowers may be polluted by car exhaust.
- Eat just the petals and remove pistils and stamens before eating.
- If you suffer from allergies, introduce edible flowers gradually, as they may exacerbate allergies.
- To keep flowers fresh, place them on moist paper towels and refrigerate in an airtight container. Some will last up to 10 days this way. Ice water can revitalize limp flowers.
List of Common Edible Flowers:
Allium
All blossoms from the allium family (leeks, chives, garlic, garlic chives) are edible and flavorful! Flavors run the gamut from delicate leek to robust garlic. Every part of these plants is edible.
Angelica
Depending on the variety, flowers range from pale lavender-blue to deep rose and have a licorice-like flavor.Anise Hyssop Both flowers and leaves have a subtle anise or licorice flavor.
Arugula
Blossoms are small with dark centers and with a peppery flavor much like the leaves. They range in color from white to yellow with dark purple streaks.
Bachelor’s Button
Grassy in flavor, the petals are edible but avoid the bitter calyx.
Basil
Blossoms come in a variety of colors, from white to pink to lavender; flavor is similar to the leaves, but milder.
Bee Balm
The red flowers have a minty flavor.
Borage
Blossoms are a lovely blue hue and taste like cucumber!
Calendula / Marigold
A great flower for eating, calendula blossoms are peppery, tangy, and spicy – and their vibrant golden color adds dash to any dish.
Carnations/Dianthus
Petals are sweet, once trimmed away from the base. The blossoms taste like their sweet, perfumed aroma.
Chamomile
Small and daisylike, the flowers have a sweet flavor and are often used in tea. Ragweed sufferers may be allergic to chamomile.
Chervil
Delicate blossoms and flavor, which is anise-tinged.
Chicory
Mildly bitter earthiness of chicory is evident in the petals and buds, which can be pickled.
Chrysanthemum
A little bitter, mums come in a rainbow of colors and a range of flavors ranging from peppery to pungent. Use only the petals.
Cilantro
Like the leaves, people either love the blossoms or hate them. The flowers share the grassy flavor of the herb. Use them fresh as they lose their charm when heated.
Citrus (orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, kumquat)
Citrus blossoms are sweet and highly-scented. Use frugally or they will over-perfume a dish.
Clover
Flowers are sweet with a hint of licorice.
Dandelion
Read a whole post about dandelions here: Eating and Harvesting Dandelions. (I am nuts about dandelions.)
Dill
Yellow dill flowers taste much like the herb’s leaves.
English Daisy
These aren’t the best-tasting petals – they are somewhat bitter, but they look great!
Fennel
Yellow fennel flowers are eye candy with a subtle licorice flavor, much like the herb itself.
Fuchsia
Tangy fuchsia flowers make a beautiful garnish.
Gladiolus
Who knew? Although gladioli are bland, they can be stuffed, or their petals removed for an interesting salad garnish.
Hibiscus
Famously used in hibiscus tea, the vibrant cranberry flavor is tart and can be used sparingly.
Hollyhock
Bland and vegetal in flavor, hollyhock blossoms make a showy, edible garnish.
Impatiens
Flowers don’t have much flavor – best as a pretty garnish or for candying.
Jasmine
These super-fragrant blooms are used in tea; you can also use them in sweet dishes, but sparingly.
Johnny-Jump-Up
Adorable and delicious, the flowers have a subtle mint flavor great for salads, pastas, fruit dishes, and drinks.
Lavender
Sweet, spicy, and perfumed, the flowers are a great addition to both savory and sweet dishes.
Lemon Verbena
The diminutive off-white blossoms are redolent of lemon – and great for teas and desserts.
Lilac
The blooms are pungent, but the floral citrusy aroma translates to its flavor, as well.
Mint
The flowers are – surprise – minty! Their intensity varies among varieties.
Nasturtium
One of the most popular edible flowers, nasturtium blossoms are brilliantly colored with a sweet, floral flavor bursting with a spicy pepper finish. When the flowers go to seed, the seed pod is a marvel of sweet and spicy. You can stuff flowers, add leaves to salads, pickle buds like capers, and garnish to your heart’s content.
Oregano
The flowers are a pretty, subtle version of the leaf.
Pansy
The petals are somewhat nondescript, but if you eat the whole flower you get more taste.
Radish
Varying in color, radish flowers have a distinctive, peppery bite.
Rose
Remove the white, bitter base and the remaining petals have a strongly perfumed flavor perfect for floating in drinks or scattering across desserts, and for a variety of jams. All roses are edible, with flavor more pronounced in darker varieties. Hint: The stronger their scent, the more pronounced their flavor.
Rosemary
Flowers taste like a milder version of the herb; nice used as a garnish on dishes that incorporate rosemary.
Sage
Blossoms have a subtle flavor similar to the leaves.
Squash and Pumpkin
Blossoms from both are wonderful vehicles for stuffing, each having a slight squash flavor. Remove stamens before using.
Sunflower
Petals can be eaten, the bud steamed like an artichoke.
Violets
Another famous edible flower, violets are floral, sweet, and beautiful as garnishes. Use the flowers in salads and to garnish desserts and drinks.
http://www.fggardens.org/
Good news!
Good news everyone. I've lost about 6 pounds that haven't come back! I don't know about the rest of you but my weight fluxuates about 3-4 pounds depending on what time of day it is. But there is about 5 or 6 pounds that don't come back. Hurray! 5 pounds in 5 months... doesn't sound like a lot but I can see results. Haven't heard about how things are going for the rest of you, but keep up the good work! Don't be discouraged, lifestyle changes take time.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Journal entry for today
It takes me 10 minutes to walk 6 times around the gym at work. It does get my heart rate going! Then I come back to my desk with a pitcher of ice water. I also brought my lunch to work today. I tried to relax during lunch by reading. I'm reading a book right now called Torn; it's volume 2 of the Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking.
Enjoy your day
Thought for the day
Your primary goal should be making small, gradual lifestyle changes that you can incorporate into your daily routine and stick with over time.
This looked interesting
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Relaxation techniques: Try these steps to reduce stress
Types of relaxation techniques
Health professionals such as complementary and alternative medicine practitioners, doctors and psychotherapists can teach various relaxation techniques. But if you prefer, you also can learn some relaxation techniques on your own.
In general, relaxation techniques involve refocusing your attention on something calming and increasing awareness of your body. It doesn't matter which relaxation technique you choose. What matters is that you try to practice relaxation regularly to reap its benefits.
There are several main types of relaxation techniques, including:
- Autogenic relaxation. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. In this relaxation technique, you use both visual imagery and body awareness to reduce stress. You repeat words or suggestions in your mind to relax and reduce muscle tension. For example, you may imagine a peaceful setting and then focus on controlled, relaxing breathing, slowing your heart rate, or feeling different physical sensations, such as relaxing each arm or leg one by one.
- Progressive muscle relaxation. In this relaxation technique, you focus on slowly tensing and then relaxing each muscle group. This helps you focus on the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. You become more aware of physical sensations. One method of progressive muscle relaxation is to start by tensing and relaxing the muscles in your toes and progressively working your way up to your neck and head. You can also start with your head and neck and work down to your toes. Tense your muscles for at least five seconds and then relax for 30 seconds, and repeat.
- Visualization. In this relaxation technique, you form mental images to take a visual journey to a peaceful, calming place or situation. During visualization, try to use as many senses as you can, including smell, sight, sound and touch. If you imagine relaxing at the ocean, for instance, think about such things as the smell of salt water, the sound of crashing waves and the warmth of the sun on your body. You may want to close your eyes, sit in a quiet spot and loosen any tight clothing.
Other common relaxation techniques include:
- Hypnosis
- Massage
- Meditation
- Tai chi
- Yoga
Relaxation techniques take practice
As you learn relaxation techniques, you'll become more aware of muscle tension and other physical sensations of stress. Once you know what the stress response feels like, you can make a conscious effort to practice a relaxation technique the moment you start to feel stress symptoms. This can prevent stress from spiraling out of control.
Remember that relaxation techniques are skills. And as with any skill, your ability to relax improves with practice. Be patient with yourself — don't let your effort to practice relaxation techniques become yet another stressor. If one relaxation technique doesn't work for you, try another. If none of your efforts at stress reduction seem to work, talk to your doctor about other options.
Also, bear in mind that some people, especially those with serious psychological issues and a history of abuse, may experience feelings of emotional discomfort during some relaxation techniques. Although this is rare, if you experience emotional discomfort during relaxation techniques, stop what you're doing and consider talking to your health care professional or mental health provider.
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