40:100 swine flu, eek!

40:100 swine flu, eek!



yesterday we got a report that a 40 yr old woman died in our
small local hospital from the swine flu.
on wednesday i came across 3 people at their homes who
had been diagnosed for h1n1. (i didn't go in- left asap)
i was rubbing my 4 thieves oil on my hands every few hours!!

then this morning i woke to the report that 19 more children
had perished from the same last week.
how important it is for us all to maintain proper hygiene during this time.
eat well with lots of fresh fruits & veggies, get rest, sunshine, pure water,
plenty of cleaning & hand washing, etc...
health seems to be on everyone's mind these days.

we just got back from a weekend of spiritual encouragement
and learned how not to neglect our spiritual health.
so many of the same principles apply when it comes to our minds and hearts
keeping proper spiritual hygiene. how important that is also!

today the sun shines here brilliantly
and i intend to get my full 15 minutes of vitamin d
perhaps i will do my Bible reading out on the deck
before i get to scrubbing my house
on this wonderful monday morning.

stay safe & healthy my friends,
making sure of the more important things!
xoxo
snowdrop

snowdrop’s blonde fruitcake recipe

i absolutely looove this recipe
i hope you do too.
it was created for my book 'raw delights' but i just had to share it with my loyal readers.
here is the recipe:


snowdrop’s blonde fruitcake recipe

cake
Soak 1 hr:
¾ c dates (packed)
½ lemon juiced
½ orange juiced
2 t almond extract
pinch sea salt

grind, sift, & set aside in bowl:
1 c almonds
1 c dry coconut shreds
½ c cashews
(to make a dark spiced fruitcake add your spices to the dry ground nut sifting)
1 T cinn
1 T cocoa pwd
½ t nutmeg
2 star anise ground
1 t ginger pwd



fruit filling 1
combine in any ratio to equal ¾ cup total
your choice of the following dry fruits:
raisins, cherries apricots, pineapple, cranberry, currants
in similar size cuts
soak 1 hr in ¼ c of fruit juice of your choice (or brandy, rum…)
in the dehydrator 1 hr

fruit filling 2
1” fresh ginger root sliced & slivered
1 T lemon zest
1 T orange zest
2 T agave

put in bowl in dehydrator 1 hr


candied nuts
1/3 c walnut halves
1/3 c pecan halves
2 T maple syrup
½ t cinnamon
pinch sea salt

toss in small bowl put on teflex sheet in dehydrator for 1 hr

lets put it together!

cake:
after the hour of soaking, take the ginger bowl & just drain the juices into the dates (set ginger citrus zest aside)…take the date mixture and blend into a smooth puree.
pour into the ground nut mixture and stir lightly till combined. set cake batter aside.

fruit & nuts:
drain the fruit and put onto cake ‘batter’, also add the ginger citrus zest, …set aside the nicest dozen pecan halves for the garnish and break up the rest of the nuts into the cake batter into small enough pieces. (remember, if the nut pieces are too big… the knife will have trouble slicing the cake neatly… ask me how I know…)

cake:
stir the additions lightly till combined then press into your 5-6” cake mold. (Use plastic wrap lining to make sure you can get it back out again.)
plate your cake and decorate with icing if desires & pecan halves.

icing:
i used ground coconut & lemon zest powder with a little agave and enough water & 1 T coconut oil to make it workable... it's not a recipe that is perfected yet, but it worked well enough for tonite.


we are just getting belted with the next round of snow and it is falling quite heavily (they expect 1-3" per hour at certain points in this storm) then we have another storm due sunday and another on wednesday. so it is now very white outside and will continue to be so for quite a while. good thing i like it :)
one of my favorite things about deep fresh snow is how it muffles all the noises except the little birds singing. i picked up some extra birdseed today just for them. tweet tweet!

well i better keep my shovel handy today...

happy & raw days to you all
xo
snowdrop

organic or not?

$$

too bad it is costly to eat foods that are not genetically modified or drenched in poisons.
many times i ponder in the produce aisle, which to buy, especially when the price margin is large
and i have been given a little help in deciding whether it is in the budget this week or not.
you may have seen the 'dirty dozen' floating around on the internet. i have also seen it, benefited by it, and thought i would incorporate it into today's blog.
of course in the sweet sweet summer it is so much easier to grow your own or go to the farmers markets, but as the days get shorter and the nights more frigid, it seems anything fresh and green and juicy- costs alot more.
so here is the list of the dirty dozen- the bad guys to avoid when your $$'s allow.

The Dirty Dozen: Top 12 Foods to Buy Organic

If you have budget constraints, your money is doing more for your health when you put it towards organic varieties of the following fruits and vegetables (listed in descending order, starting with greatest levels pesticide contamination):

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Pears
9. Imported grapes
10. Spinach
11. Lettuce
12. Potatoes

The Cleanest 12: Save Your Money & Buy Conventional

If going totally organic is too difficult or pricey, play it safe and eat the following conventional produce items to minimize your exposure. These ,are known to have the least amount of pesticide residue (listed in ascending order, starting with of lowest levels of pesticide contamination):

1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Sweet corn (frozen)
4. Pineapple
5. Mangoes
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas (frozen)
8. Kiwis
9. Bananas
10. Cabbage
11. Broccoli
12. Papaya

good eats to you!!
:)
snowdrop