Sunday, June 13, 2010

Lotus Moon for Lovely Locks

This hair pomade is awesome and I use it every day to give my hair texture and light hold. It works especially great with short hair to give it a piecey look and to smooth flyaways. You only have to use a little bit, so it lasts forever. I also love the all natural ingredients. I bought mine from AllNaturalCosmetics.com

Ingredients:
Ricinus communis (Palm Christi) Oil, Apis mellifera (Beeswax), Copernicia prunifera (Carnauba) Wax, Palm Stearic Acid, Euphorbia anisyphilitica (Candelilla) Wax, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Limnanthes alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Oleoresin, Azadirachta indica (Neem) Oil.

Savory Hummus Hors D'oeuvres

This is a nice recipe my cooking classmate Nicole and I created with the help of Chef Hideki Kawai for our graduation from healing cooking school. It was a big hit and everyone loved the simple but flavorful hummus. Enjoy!

Hummus with Tiny Toast and Endives Hors D'oeuvres

2 cups chickpeas
1 stamp sized pieces of kombu
Fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
Tablespoon ume vinegar
1 finely grated raw yellow onion
Garlic powder or fresh garlic

15 leaves endives
15 triangle sliced pieces of whole wheat sourdough bread
Olive oil
Ume vinegar
Salt
2 red peppers
1/2 bunch parley, finely chopped

Hummus:
1. Pressure cook the chickpeas with the kombu for about an hour (fill water to 1/2 inch above beans in the pressure cooker).
2. Let pressure come down and put in the olive oil and ume vinegar. Simmer beans for 10 minutes and then let them sit to cool off.
3. Grate raw onion and juice the lemon.
4. When chickpeas have cooled, put them into a food processor with a small amount of the cooking liquid and add the onion and some lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
5. Taste the mixture and add more lemon juice or ume vinegar if needed and sprinkle in garlic powder or chopped raw garlic.
6. Blend again thoroughly. Taste again and adjust flavor to your taste.
7. Chill in refrigerator.

Toast:
1. Slice each slice of bread diagonally across twice, creating 4 triangle pieces.
2. Heat up a cast iron skillet.
3. Dip each slice of bread lightly on both sides in a plate of olive oil.
4. Place in skillet.
5. Once one side gets browned and a bit crunchy, flip and brown other side.

Endives:
1. Wash each endive leaf and dry.

Red Peppers:
1. Wash and thinly slice red pepper into pieces about 1 inch long.
2. Put some olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.
3. Sautee peppers with some salt.
4. Turn to medium low heat.
5. After they have cooked for a while (about 10-15 minutes), add ume vinegar to give a nice flavor.
6. Taste to make sure you like it.

Assemble:
1. Put endives or toasts on a plate.
2. Put chilled hummus in a pastry bag and squeeze hummus on toast or endive.
3. Top with red peppers.
4. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

The Cove


Academy Award winner for Best Feature Documentary in 2009, The Cove is a movie that involves activists, filmmakers and divers as they work to uncover hidden eco-crimes involving dolphins off of the coast of Japan. These dolphins are captured and held in captivity or killed and served to people, although their meat contains toxic levels of heavy metals.

Watch the Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KRD8e20fBo

Cove PSA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k62kc07m1Dc

Learn more and take action:
http://www.thecovemovie.com/home.htm

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Positively Praiseworthy: Pangea Organics


I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Pangea Organics bar and hand soaps, which I happen to have in my bathroom right now. They smell amazing, produce a generous lather, and leave my skin feeling soft and clean.

Pangea Organics believes in "integrity – of product, performance, practices, people, planet and purpose." They source their ingredients through organic and fair trade practices and ensure their products are cruelty-free and hand crafted in small batches. They have also won many awards for being a socially and environmentally responsible business and awards for various skin care products.

For 25% off of body lotion and body wash until June 30th, 2010: http://www.pangeaorganics.com/browse/Body_Lotion

Check out the Pangea Organics website:
www.pangeaorganics.com

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Soy? Delicious!


For a frozen treat that's delicious and healthy, try the nondairy "ice cream" Soy Delicious. They have a variety of awesome fruit sweetened flavors that are sure to satisfy your craving for trendy summer fro-yo, but without the guilt (from corn syrup, artificial sweeteners or dairy).

Check out their website for more info and an ingredients list:
http://www.turtlemountain.com/products/its_soy_delicious.html