Agua Fresca is a light fruitful drink that’s popular throughout Mexico. It’s usually sweetened with sugar but honey works nicely here. 2-1/2 pounds of cucumbers, peeled 1 cup water 3 tbsp honey 3 sprigs of mint Juice of 1-1/2 limes pinch of salt Sparkling water Working in batches, puree the cucumbers in a food processor. […]
The Three Steps of Forgiveness
When we look at our challenging situations or people we have to see how we are tied to it. In any situation we get the chance to let go of our challenging emotions and to move into a deeper connection with ourselves. What we can hopefully see when we look closely at our challenges is […]
Chive Blossom Salt Recipe
Did you know those beautiful, purple, chive blossoms are edible? You can use them in salads. You can use them to infuse olive oils and vinegars and you can also use them to make a nice, mildly sweet, onion flavored, salt. Just remove the blossoms from the stems and place them on a flat surface for about a week […]
Easy Veggie Sandwich Recipe
Sometimes when I share photos on Instagram I include a recipe. The recipes are usually so easy it’s hard to call them recipes. However, this one was pretty popular so I thought I’d share it with you this morning. Are you on Instagram? Let’s connect there too! Easy Veggie Open Faced Sandwich 1 sprouted grain whole wheat […]
Carrot & Spinach Wheat Berry Risotto
I’ve been craving risotto – these chilly spring evenings are the perfect time for such a hearty and satisfying dish. I had some wheat berries in the pantry and decided to use those as a substitute for rice. Whole grain wheat berries still have the entire wheat kernel intact and haven’t yet been processed into […]
Farro Salads: Farro, Red Cabbage and Apple Recipe
Farro was one of the very first cultivated crops in ancient farming communities. Domesticated some 12,000 years ago, farro kernels have even been found in Egyptian tombs. Farro (pronounced FAHR-oh) was a primary source of food during the height of the Roman Empire and is still popular in Italy today. Farro is an ancient relative […]
Dear Shenandoah Valley:
It’s time to Ditch the Bleach!
As I sat in my house for five long days, snowed in by one of the biggest storms Virginia has had in history, I decided that it would be a good time to start getting my spring-cleaning plan together. Detoxing and cleansing the body are popular trends, especially this time of year, so it makes […]
How to Heal Negative Thoughts
One of the most common issues we have is our battle with negative thoughts. We seem to be in a constant tug of war with our mind. We think something negative about ourselves and we cut it off by trying to change the content of our thoughts. In a way, this is like adding more […]
YOGA: 5 Steps to Get You Started
Okay, you’ve heard all the benefits of yoga and you want to try it but you keep putting it off because you just don’t know if it’s for you. After all, you can’t touch your toes because you just aren’t flexible so where do you begin? You begin right where you are, right now. Yoga […]
The Take-A-Hike Group
Dark Hollow Falls and Rose River Falls Hike I’m use to Indian Summer in the Shenandoah Valley arriving around the end of October. For me, Indian Summer means one last glimpse of warm weather with balmy temperatures in the 70’s or even low 80’s. This was exactly what we had on the first Friday of […]