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Made my first green smoothie! It was actually amazing! (Taken with instagram)
Fresh Cold Soup on a Hot Summer’s Day
Saltibarsciai, pronounced shal-tee-bars-chay, literally means cold beet soup. In Lithuania, it is a beloved summer staple, served both at home and in restaurants, by the lake and in the city. Made with grated beets and fresh buttermilk, it is the color of a brilliant fuschia, perfect for dressing up any Easter table at the opening of its season. Indeed, it does have a season; you will never find Saltibarsciai served from October to April in Lithuania. But when the violets bloom, so does this soup. Either for lunch, dinner, or an afternoon snack, a bowl of Saltibarsciai best served with a tall glass of beer will always hit the spot. And, the best thing about this quick and easy recipe, is that while it can be eaten right away, it gets even better allowed to chill overnight in the refrigerator. Just don’t call it borscht!
Serves 6
3 Eggs, hard boiled, cooled, peeled, and quartered length-wise
6 cups Low Fat Buttermilk
4 large Beets (2 15oz cans of cooked, shredded beets may used instead)
1 Cucumber, peeled and diced, without seeds
1 cup Green Onion, finely chopped
2 Radishes, thinly sliced
Fresh Dill, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Eight servings of your favorite potato: boiled, roasted, fried, etc. Traditionally served as a side dish.
Directions:
Boil the beets for about 30 minutes. Drain, and set aside to cool. (Skip this step if using canned beets.)
When the beets are cool enough to touch, peel the skin off and shred them. Or for a more elegant presentation, julienne the beets.
In a large glass bowl, add buttermilk to the shredded beats until covered, and a the consistency of a medium-thick soup. If the buttermilk is too think, it can be thinned with a little cold water. Add cucumber, green onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
To serve, place to egg quarters in the bottom of a bowl. Gently add soup to fill. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, radishes, and dill. Serve with hot potatoes on the side, and a tall glass of pilsner.
Take Action: National Women’s Health Week
National Women’s Health Week encourages and empowers all women to make health and wellness their top priority this week. This year’s theme is “It’s your time!” Take the pledge to get all of your annual check ups and be a wellness warrior! Are you in for the challenge?
Receive regular check ups and preventative screenings. Get active. Eat well. Manage stress. Avoid unhealthy habits. There are just a few of the simple steps that you can take now that will have a major impact on your health in the long run.
Old habits die hard. Are you looking to end an unhealthy behavior? Journey to Joyful author, yoga instructor, and wellness coach Dashama Konah recommends the following three keys for eliminating addictive behavior in the following excerpt:
Meditation and the Observation of Thought | Fundamentally, this is where it all begins. When you quit something, whether it is drinking, smoking, overeating, laziness, or letting go of a codependent relationship, to name a few examples, you reprogram your subconscious mind to no longer need or want that thing, activity, or person in your life or at least not allow it to control your life. On a physical level, we crave what we are addicted to. We have emotional cords tied to these things, and spiritually, we are bonded as well. It is a process of cutting the cords on all levels and this begins in the mind. It is essential that you have a good journal to write down your thoughts as they arise for you. This will help when you feel drawn to relapse. Also, even if you do have a temporary relapse, keep coming back to your thoughts. Observe: is it a specific time of day, or is there a trigger that sends you into a relapse?
Find an accountability partner | When I quit drinking, it was easy, because I was really ready. Additionally, I was with a man who was in the same place in his life and we both did it together. We had had enough. It was clear that it was doing us more harm than good. We had both had run-ins with the law, jail time (only a few hours), and now we were committed to experiencing a higher vibration. We both wanted to create something real and impactful with our lives, and this bonded us in a powerful way. It was a process of eliminating the negative influences/friends and environments that were drawing us into the trap of habituation that led to the negative patterning we were ready to release. We had to reprogram our entire lifestyles, and it was easier to do this since we had each other. It is ideal if you are married, if your accountability partner is your spouse, or even your lover or best friend, since they are often the number-one influence upon your lifestyle choices. If this is not your situation, then ask those to whom you are close to please support you in your new lifestyle choices. I guarantee you will get overwhelming responses of positivity and encouragement.
Replace the Habits | This is key. If you typically find yourself drinking at a bar on a Friday night, or even having drinks at home, or whatever your issue is that you’re ready to let go of, you must find another activity that is equally enjoyable for you to replace the other. I recommend exercise, yoga, meditation, singing, dancing, and connecting with nature in various ways like camping, hiking, walking on the beach—anything that gets your body moving and away from what’s sucking you into the trap. If your old friends are not interested or ready to let go of these negative habits, just find other ways in which you can connect with them. This happened to me. When I decided to quit drinking, it led to a complete transition in friends. This was hard at first. There was a period of time when my only friends were my sisters and my boyfriend. That was fine, however, since I was so excited about the new level of energy, enthusiasm, and excitement about life and my future that I was ready to move on and up from the old habits, thus I was grateful to let them go. Embrace releasing of the old to welcome in the new. It will serve you richly for the entirety of your life.
The fastest way to freedom is to feel your feelings.
—Gita Bellin
(Source: nabcommunities.com)
Wondrous Child Giveaway
According to a study by MetLife, about one in ten households headed by a grandparent has at least one grandchild living with them in the US. With record numbers of Baby Boomers settling into their roles as grandparents during a time of economic unrest, parents have much to gain from the help of grandparents in raising their children.
North Atlantic Books co-founder and author Lindy Hough captures an honest yet tender panorama of grandparenting in the modern age with her latest anthology, Wondrous Child: The Joys and Challenges of Grandparenting. The 29 vivid essays written by grandparents and grandchildren from all walks of life will appeal to both grandparents, as a celebration of their place in the family, and new parents curious about how grandparents can contribute to their children.
Soulshaping
Born in Toronto, Canada, Jeff Brown did all the things he was supposed to do to become successful in the eyes of the world. He was on the Dean’s Honor List as an undergraduate. He won the Law and Medicine prize in law school. He apprenticed with top criminal lawyer Eddie Greenspan. It had been Brown’s lifelong dream to practice criminal law and search for the truth in the courtroom. But then, on the verge of opening a law practice, he heard a little voice inside telling him to stop, just stop.
In our recent podcast interview with Jeff Brown, author of Soulshaping, he explains what ultimately motivated him to leave his successful career in law to pursue his “innate image.” Offering guidance to anyone who is compelled to do the same, Jeff also explains concepts like “The Healthy Masculine” and “The Divine Feminine,” and shares inspirational stories of his work with the Open Heart Gang.
Intrigued? Tune in to Jeff Brown’s interview and be sure to share it with others who may be searching for their soul’s purpose. Also enter to win a free signed copy of Soulshaping here!
Is Your Sushi Sustainable?
Casson Trenor, Greenpeace activist and author, shares his work in the sustainable sushi movement in this TEDxTalk. Learn how your dining decisions impact the health of our oceans as well!
Love the title of this children’s book. As angsty and angry as we vegans are known to be (whether it’s a myth or reality) the core of ethical veganism is love— for animals, for people, for the planet. A little corny, but it’s so true.
Should Kids Go Vegan?
Ruby Roth’s children’s book Vegan is Love is the latest subject of intense debate firing up the internet and news outlets like the Today Show over the issue of whether or not kids should go vegan. What are your thoughts? Should kids be allowed to go vegan?
"…a writer has the duty to be good, not lousy; true, not false; lively, not dull; accurate, not full of error. He should tend to lift people up, not lower them down. Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life."
E.B. White, via The Atlantic
(Source: pattayy)
"So here is a dilemma: The way the realm of goods and services expands is by transforming nature and social relationships – the very things that the World Happiness Report cites as essential to happiness – into products and services. In order to keep the financial system functioning, we are destroying the basis of human well-being."
These days, basic environmental education is as normal as any other school subject. It’s easy to take this for granted—it’s been an integral part of my generation’s upbringing, and school children are growing up understanding the value of the environment more than any other generation before them. Sadly, it’s a relatively new consciousness in relation to other past and present national and international priorities. Today’s youth can thank activists from the late 1960s and 1970s for bringing environmental appreciate to the mass media. The history of Earth Day is a lot for kids to process, and while it’s great to encourage green potential in children, you can begin cultivating their interest in environmental issues though simple activities.
Here are three of our favorite ideas:
1. Join a community garden, eat local.
Many cities have garden plots intended for public use. Some are hosted by churches, food banks, schools, NGOs, etc. and are usually welcoming of all volunteers. Others use a rental system and are available for seasonal or yearly use. A quick internet search should familiarize you with options in your area. If there aren’t any, start your own initiative! The American Community Garden Association has a program to help start plots in new areas. You might have to do some fundraising, but it’s a program that never stops giving back. Urban farms and community gardens are the perfect way to bring people together. Food can unite even the most remote strangers and gardening is an activity for all ages. You’ll find this activity to be fun, educational, environmentally productive, socially progressive, and healthy.
2. Green your diet for a week
Making small changes in your diet–like going vegetarian or vegan–can have a large impact on your carbon footprint. The meat that you consume on a regular basis has a direct impact on your carbon footprint. For example, did you know that eating a diet that’s heavy in red meat can create a carbon footprint of 3.57 tons? A full vegetarian diet will reduce your footprint to 1.5 ton of emissions per year! While results may vary depending on where you live and how much meat you currently consume, greening your diet can definitely make a great impact towards protecting this planet. Make it a team effort with your little ones and turn family meals green for the week.
3. Make a living herb box
For city dwellers especially, a living herb box can be an especially useful resource to have when there is no room for a full-on garden. Many home-grown fresh herbs are more powerful in flavor as well, so you won’t need to use as many either! Build the box together with your kids for a fun home-crafting activity for a sunny afternoon.
Pledge an act of green today and celebrate earth day on April 22, 2012. Keep an eye out for more Earth Day related articles on NAB Communities to come.
Sacred Pregnancy Book Trailer: for any moms to be who need some loving guidance and a place to journal the transformation that accompanies pregnancy.
World Book Night 2012!
April 23 marks this year’s World Book Night—an annual event designed to spread the love of reading and books. While it’s too late to join this year for book donations (darn!), I just wanted to say how much I support this campaign and love working for a non-profit independent publisher that advocates literacy and transformational learning. How will you be celebrating this year? Whether you plop down with a book or recommend your favorite novel to a reluctant reader, there are many ways to participate. For more information, please visit the World Book Night official website.
