Doldrums, Food, Imbolc

February 4, 2010 in News by bursty | 1 comment

dsc_0040

January is over!  It was a tough one (car totaled, family members struggling with health problems, cats broke our beautiful macro lens, and cold. cold. cold.) … but that’s in the past, and we’re moving toward the future!

Thought I’d give you a little insight into what we’ve been eating lately.  Recent dinner staples have made many repeat appearances over the past few weeks:  garlic ginger seitan with chick peas and cauliflower over rice, angel hair rice noodles with garlic and shoyu and steamed vegetables, pitas/hummus/garlic sauce, lentil soup, and tempeh reubens. 

Overall — pretty macro!  Quite light — and we’ve been doing yoga through yogatoday.com, which is actually totally awesome!  The classes are challenging, it’s reasonably priced, and you can do it from the comfort of your own home!  I’m feeling good — strong, clean, and ready to move into spring sooner rather than later!

Imbolc was this past Tuesday — a time of things stirring beneath the surface, a time of possibilities, creativity, and the gathering of energy.  As we move toward spring, I’m gearing up for some energy clearing in my life as well as some sludge clearing (planning a juice cleanse!).  Stay tuned!  And Happy Imbolc!

Trendsetting: Macrobiotics

January 28, 2010 in Reviews by cooljuice | 3 comments

101114_p11_chef1Living in America during a recession can put a real strain on people’s diets. When pennies are being pinched, one of the first things to go is healthy, locally grown food. Why pay $50 for a bag of groceries when you can get two burgers, fries and a Coke for for $3 at McDonald’s? —a rhetorical question, of course, but one that many people are answering by spending their money on fast food.

That’s why the Korean Times article about well-being and macrobiotic cooking that was published a few days ago made me so happy: people around the world are getting it. You are what you eat and if you want to be healthy, you have to eat healthy.

Read the rest of this entry »

Archives

January 27, 2010 in News by bursty | 3 comments

daisies

Hello dear readers!

We realize that we’ve been less than consistent in our posting over the past… say… year…  hmmmm…  But we’re still here!  Still ‘learning to be macro, one grain at a time’.  Our goal in 2010 is to rededicate time and effort into living the macro lifestyle - and to be more consistent and thorough about blogging our adventures, here at AGAD.  Incidentally, we welcome your thoughts and ideas about what you would like to see here.  We also welcome your testimonials about struggling to eat healthier and to adhere more closely to the macrobiotic lifestyle!  If you have such testimonials, please contact us (editor [at] agrainaday [dot] com).  We’d really love to hear from you!

As we gain our foothold here in 2010, please take some time to peruse our archives.  There is a lot of great information found in there about macrobiotics.  Here’s a little tour.  Everyone needs inspiration and new ideas to incorporate these principles.  Kristina Turner’s book is a real gem.  Of course, we also love the Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics (mentioned over and over throughout the archives).  I’ve done a series particular to those female macros out there, and we’ve included lots and lots of macro recipes for you to try!  If you check out “Your Macro Guide” on the left, you’ll see a glossary, and links to other macro information. Read the rest of this entry »

Print

January 19, 2010 in Quotes, spirituality by bursty | 1 comment

sandalwoodtrue

Inspiration is important.  It gives meaning, hope, understanding… As you’ll notice on the left, we here at AGAD have taken the pledge to read the printed word — meaning, in books.  newspapers.  magazines.  turning pages, smelling ink.  In honor of that — and recognizing that there’s nothing like a long weekend filled with books, papers, poetry, used book stores, and projects… as winter rages on — this poem gives me some thought of spring, of color, of light… one of my favorites:

Peonies by Mary Oliver

This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
to break my heart
as the sun rises,
as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers

and they open —
pools of lace,
white and pink —
and all day the black ants climb over them,

boring their deep and mysterious holes
into the curls,
craving the sweet sap,
taking it away

to their dark, underground cities —
and all day
under the shifty wind,
as in a dance to the great wedding,

the flowers bend their bright bodies,
and tip their fragrance to the air,
and rise,
their red stems holding

all that dampness and recklessness
gladly and lightly,
and there it is again —
beauty the brave, the exemplary,

blazing open.
Do you love this world?
Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?

Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
and softly,
and exclaiming of their dearness,
fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
their eagerness
to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
nothing, forever?

Setting Intention

January 17, 2010 in Macro Home by bursty | No comments

singer2

I’m usually not really too into New Years resoluting.  But this January, I’ve felt a pull toward setting more intention in my life.  So that’s what I’m calling it.  Intention.  Much of my intentions seem to be pulling me toward expressing my creativity in a variety of ways.  So — This year, I intend to:

1.  Journal

2.  Eat Macro & blog about it

3.  Ride bike

4.  Yoga

5.  Sew

6.  Admire beauty more…

7.  Photograph

What are your intentions for 2010?

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Cold Moon

January 6, 2010 in Seasonal Eating by bursty | 3 comments

seitan-stirfry

January is the month of the Cold Moon, according to many Native American tribes.  The full moon will be on Saturday, the 30th.  This month of the Cold Moon lends itself to long-cooking dishes that are hot and cozy in your mouth and tummy.  Take time to honor this by making some stews, lazy crock pot soups, curries, and baked grains.  Jake made his fabulous homemade seitan feast (homemade garlic ginger seitan with steamed veggies and brown rice, picture above) last night for friends at our house, and it reminded me of how much I need dishes like this during these very very cold days (it’s been getting down to 30 degrees below zero at night here in Minnesota!). 

Eating this also makes me glad that macrobiotics has redefined my sense of comfort food.  I no longer crave cheesy, creamy stuff when my bones need a good warming.  Instead I crave ginger, garlic, brown rice, lentil soup, etc.  And I feel sooooo much better the next day than I would if I had eaten what used to be my definition of comfort. 

So — I encourage you to do some slow cooking during this month of the Cold Moon.  Pick up your knitting needles and knit something cozy.  Be introspective, joyful, and warm.

Macro Orange Spice Cake

January 4, 2010 in Recipes by bursty | No comments

cake2

Sometimes a girl’s just gotta have some cake.  I was feeling that way over the long weekend and came up with this - yum!

Macrobiotic Orange Spice Cake

  • 1 c. whole wheat flour
  • 1 c. spelt flour (or all purpose white flour)
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1 t. baking powder
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 1 t. cinnamon
  • 1/2 t. ground ginger
  • 1/2 t. nutmeg
  • 1/4 t. cloves
  • 1/2 c. canola oil
  • 1/2 c. brown rice syrup
  • 1 c. rice milk (or soy depending on your preference)
  • 1 “egg” (1 T. arrowroot powder + a little warm water, whisked with one of those fab little tiny whisks)
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1 T. orange zest

The key here - as with all cakes - is the mixing process.  Cakes need lots of vigorous mixing to add air to the batter so that you get a nice fluffy moist cake that looks puffy and happy after it comes out of the oven.  So - mix together the dry stuff and the wet stuff separately - then add the wet to the dry, and mix your little heart out - I used a hand mixer (the kind you turn round and round by hand - you can even do a little dance while you turn it to make it a little more fun) — you can use an electric one, or a whisk and just really go at it - for like 5 minutes, really fluff it up!  Don’t be afraid - you’ll thank your sore wrist later, as you’re savoring the fluffiness.  Once you’ve mixed and you feel good about it, pour the batter into a small cake pan (I used a pie plate, actually) that has been sufficiently olive oiled (or, vegan buttered & floured is even better).  Bake it for about 30 mins at 350 degrees.  I ate it with some lovely soy yogurt spooned on top.  Delish. 

Oh - and Happy New Year!!

Kombucha update

December 8, 2009 in News by bursty | No comments

Hello dear readers!  I’ve been a delinquent blogger lately, please do forgive me.  With the Solstice fast approaching, there are many many projects to attend to!  One of which is my ever-growing stash of Kombucha!  Yes!  Success!  Remember a few weeks ago when I posted our brewing projects of late fall? 

The Kombucha is producing like mad.  And it’s really GOOD!  I’ve added a little pomegranate juice to each bottle… and it’s fabulous.  The first batch was a little on the sweet side as I think I added a little *too much* of the pomegranate juice - but I’m hoping to have perfected it in this last batch out of the jar!  The mushrooms are growing beautifully, despite the fact that their resting place is not quite at the ideal temperature (most instructions I’ve read say to keep that mama mushroom and her brew at about 70 degrees.  I would venture to guess that ours, “Franny,” is brewing just fine at about 60 degrees, thank you very much!).  It takes about 2 weeks to get a finished batch in the jar, and then we give it a good five days in the bottle before we break the seal.  SO tasty!

Soon to come: thoughts on the holiday season, updates on other projects, and hopefully some fabulous macro recipes and pictures!

Lemon Blueberry Scones

November 23, 2009 in Recipes by bursty | No comments

picture from www.101cookbooks.com

picture from www.101cookbooks.com

Made these for breakfast yesterday and they were absolutely wonderful!  (Adapted from Lorna Sass’s amazing Complete Vegetarian Kitchen.) 

  • 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
  • 1 c. spelt flour
  • 2 t. baking powder
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 t. ground ginger (fresh grated ginger for a bigger flavor)
  • 2 T. ground flax seed

Mix these dry ingredients together and set aside.

  • 1 “egg” (1 T. arrowroot powder with a little water whisked together, egg, or other egg substitute)
  • 1/2 c. canola oil
  • 3/4 c. apple sauce
  • 1/3 c. agave nectar
  • 2 t. vanilla
  • 2 T. juice from fresh-squeezed lemon
  • 2 T. grated zest from organic lemon

Mix the wet ingredients together and add to the dry — stir well with a wooden spoon until all of the dry ingredients are well-moistened.  Then add blueberries — as many or as few as you’d like.  Drop onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper to the size you’d like — Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  Makes 5 large scones, or about a dozen small ones.

Aromified

November 19, 2009 in Reviews by bursty | 2 comments

prairieoct09

I am reading Diane Ackerman’s A Natural History of the Senses, currently.  I’m only on the first segment, which is about smell.  It’s full of hella-interesting facts about this all-too-often overlooked sense!  Like:

  • heredity determines the shade of yellow of the olfactory area — “the deeper the shade, the keener and more acute the sense of smell”
  • “smell was the first of our senses, and it was so successful that in time the small lump of olfactory tissue atop the nerve cord grew into a brain”
  • “babies can smell their mother entering a room even if they can’t see her; mothers of school-age children can pick out t-shirts worn by their own child (not true for fathers)”
  • “violets contain ionone which short-circuits the sense of smell — the flower continues to exude fragrance but we lose the ability to smell it after a moment or two (wait another minute or so and you will get another waft before it fades again)”
  • “an odor must first dissolve into a watery solution our mucous membranes can absorb before we can smell it”
  • “only humans sneeze with their moths open and a sneeze expels the air at 85% the speed of sound, fast enough to scour bacteria and other detritus from the body (the sneeze’s goal)”
  • “perfume smells strongest just before a storm in part because moisture heightens our sense of smell and in part because the low pressure makes a fluid as volatile as performe spread even faster”

Fascinating!

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