Amazing!! The difference that good food makes....

Amazing!! The difference that good QUALITY food makes....

I've got to share my secret to my current morning meal!

I'm feeling amazing and I just have to share it with you.  Every week I make 4 small stoneware dishes of this delicious breakfast - so simple to make! Easy to heat up in the morning AND it KICK STARTS every day... Monday to Thursday!

I truly believe this combination of ingredients cures so many ailments...  (I found this recipe in one of my favourite healing books by Julie Daniluk HOT DETOX, this one is called "The Early Riser")

What you are eating:

1. Sweet Potato:  The sweet potato has some incredible health benefits!

• The Sweet Potato is super nutritious!! They "are starchy root vegetables that are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They’re also high in antioxidants that protect your body from free radical damage and chronic disease", check out this list:
• Carbs: 41.4 grams
• Protein: 4 grams
• Fat: 0.3 grams
• Fiber: 6.6 grams
• Vitamin A: 769% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin C: 65% of the DV
• Manganese: 50% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 29% of the DV
• Potassium: 27% of the DV
• Pantothenic acid: 18% of the DV
• Copper: 16% of the DV
• Niacin: 15% of the DV
• Sweet Potato is known to promote GOOD GUT HEALTH!  Many studies today are showing that good gut health will fight cancer and many other inflammatory diseases.  "Animal and test-tube research suggests that the anthocyanins and other antioxidants found in sweet potatoes may protect against certain cancers. However, human studies are needed."

I start by cutting up some sweet potato and adding it to a bit of olive oil I've placed at the bottom of my dishes. See George Karimali from Ikaria, Greece who taught me the importance of Olive Oil in our diets.  George gives lessons on how and why good quality food is so important as he prepares his Olive Oil (Avacado Oil is also a good alternative, especially for heating up).

2.  Kale: Kale is the next most fabulous ingredient I add.  I find Kale SO DIFFICULT to love as it is a tough green to eat.  Sometimes a bit bitter and definiately tough leaves... it is easy to want to eat a different green... but once to realize how important this one is... and how easy it is to GROW yourself!! IT's FREE!!  (We supplement with store bought, however, I've added my own I've been growing all winter in the photos below).

Benefits of Kale:

• Healthline writes that Kale is the most nutrient dense food in the world. Who needs a vitamin B and Omega 3 supplement for Brain Health, Anti-Anxiety and prevention of cognitive decline!?? 
• "A single cup of raw kale (about 67 grams or 2.4 ounces) contains (1)":
• Vitamin A: 206% of the DV (from beta-carotene)
• Vitamin K: 684% of the DV
• Vitamin C: 134% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 9% of the DV
• Manganese: 26% of the DV
• Calcium: 9% of the DV
• Copper: 10% of the DV
• Potassium: 9% of the DV
• Magnesium: 6% of the DV
• It also contains 3% or more of the DV for vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), iron and phosphorus
• Kale contains very little fat, but a large portion of the fat in it is an omega-3 fatty acid called alpha linolenic-acid.
• Kale has large amounts of flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol which are POWERFUL "heart-protective, blood pressure-lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-depressant and anti-cancer effects, to name a few..."
• CALCIUM and MAGNESIUM - did you see that Kale is a source of Calcium... put away that no good dairy milk, yogurt and cheese.  Eat Kale instead for your source of calcium. "It is a good plant-based source of calcium, a nutrient that is very important for bone health and plays a role in all sorts of cellular functions. It is also a decent source of magnesium, an incredibly important mineral that most people don't get enough of. Eating plenty of magnesium may be protective against type 2 diabetes and heart disease."

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: From a US website INSIDER.com - "Kale also lists highly in the US for being contaminated with pesticides, so you should wash it thoroughly before eating it raw." - Please only buy veggies from our local organic farmers who do not use pesticides... it is quite likely many illnesses we are seeing are being encouraged by this terrible agricultural methodology.

3. Next on the List I mix together Eggs, Parsley, Basil, Ginger and a bit of pink Himalayan salt.

Roam Free and Organic

• Parsley - More flavonoids, antioxidants and Vitamin C, "Parsley is particularly rich in flavonoid antioxidants and vitamin C, which reduce oxidative stress in your body and may lower your risk of certain cancers. For example, high dietary intake of flavonoids may reduce colon cancer risk by up to a 30%"
• Basil - Basil has more of the good vitamins we need as well as more Calcium, Magnesium and Omega 3!...  "It is an excellent source of vitamin K, manganese, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C. It's also a good source of calcium, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids."
• Ginger - I always add a bit of ginger to soup, teas, and my eggs.  Who wouldn't like a little extra protection against Alzheimer's? 
• Local free range eggs

Add the Egg mixture to your dishes and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Before :)

These can store in the Fridge to eat each morning, or you can make a bunch up and freeze them to heat up whenever you like. Yum Yum!

After :) 

Last morning dish for me is a plate of Olive Oil, sweet lemon balsamic vinegar with sheep and goat feta, sprinkled with basil and pepper.  It is truly so delicious and so healthy - a meal to kickstart the very best of days. ENJOY!! xoxo

When DREAMS slap you in the face

"If you have a heartbeat.... there's still time for your dreams" - Sean Stephenson

It's Saturday morning at our house.  In the distance I hear the girls listening to "I could die a happy man" by Thomas Rhett in the hot tub.  The fireplace is burning warm and bright, warming my legs as I sit and enjoy my turmeric tea... contemplating the day ahead.  It is beautiful here, and I do love our winters.  The white snow fills the lands around our home like a fluffy blanket, protecting and keeping us warm.  The vegetation all sleeping, preparing for this summer growth and fall harvest.

I've found my old copy of the 2019 Farmer's Almanac by Harrowsmith (I've not yet bought 2020 version) as I love the stories.  I'm going through it to find articles on Homesteading and Gardening, little nuggets of information to help inspire my upcoming year at the Dreamhouse Homestead.  I find myself reading the Editor's letter as the title caught my eye: "Job perks of being an editor-in-chief".  Jules Torti writes of how she gets to write about all sorts of things that amaze and interest her... the same things that interest me.  "In one afternoon, I can talk to a brewmaster about milk stouts, an elk farmer about how antler velvet is used in supplements, and a horticulturalist on Salt Spring Island about mastering the growing of mangoes and avocados in Canada." Can you imagine!  She gets to read about peoples stories, learn about how they go about their journey, and then summarize the tale for magazines - Yes, this is exactly what would make me very happy to be doing too.. even if only part time.  Writing has been a distance dream for as long as I can remember - I wrote stories in scrap books when I was a very young girl.

I have loved reading, writing and sharing, in this blog, on facebook and in person.  All I have to do, is keep writing.  HOW SIMPLY WONDERFUL! This is my dream slapping me in the face, reminding me of what I love, just when I got too busy and forgot about her. I love the synchronicity of how this keeps happening.... your dreams speak to you.... just listen.

I have recently applied for a position with the GIST - a sports newsletter written for women, by women. I'm hoping to be a part time editor for them... I'm worried that my heavily technical resume doesn't scare them into thinking I may be too LEFT BRAINED ;)

Nothing would please me more than to be writing, sharing, experiencing, learning and supporting the education of our ideals!

Step up to the plate, grab the batt and swing!  I may just get that home run.