Month: October 2011

Raw Vegan: Vegetable wrap; Vegan Mofo

Aynaria 5 Comments

Raw veggies

October is Vegan Month of Food, also known as Vegan MoFo.

Since I knew I wouldn’t be able to actively participate, I didn’t add my name to the list. However throughout the month of October I’ll try to post at least one recipe per week. For those looking to cut a few calories, or simply add more plant based items into their daily lifestyle.

Please stop by the Vegan Mofo Blogroll, there’s over 700 bloggers on that list.

I was a raw vegan for a little over a year. Gradually I started adding some cooked foods into my diet, and I find that I have similar results as when I was completely raw consuming about 75% raw food. My diet is a whole food diet, which means I eat foods as close to its natural food source as possible. You won’t find me eating junk food or over processed foods. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy treats. I do, I just make sure that the treats consumed not only are delicious but are healthy too. Healthy snacks are an excellent alternative to the empty calorie junk foods that are so common in Westernized cultures.

One thing to remember, just because an item is vegetarian or vegan doesn’t automatically mean it’s healthy. You can be a very unhealthy vegetarian/vegan if you make wrong choices. There’s plenty of veggie junk food available, some people regularly consume theses products thinking they’re eating health simply because it’s plant based. Guess what? You can eat a meat based diet, and still be healthy. It’s all about the decisions you make. Educate yourself!

One of my favorite foods is a raw vegetable wrap, and so I’ve decided to include a simple recipe below. Dark leafy greens (like collards or kale) are nutrient dense powerhouses and they also make excellent raw sandwich wrappers. Raw nori is another wrapper that can be used in place of a traditional sandwich wrapper. My daughter loves nori, and requests it often. Nori can usually be found in your local health food store — or it can be purchased online.

In the article Health Benefits and nutritional properties of nori, Hiroyuki Noda said…

A sulfated galactan, similar to agar, occurs in relatively large quantities; this is a water-soluble dietary fiber that has important functional activities such as an antiblood coagulant, antihypercholesterolemia and shows antitumor activity. Minerals which occur at relatively high levels in nori include Zn, Cu, Mn and Se. It is concluded that nori is a valuable health food in human diets.

I’ve always had a lot of energy, but have found that my energy levels increased depending on the amount of raw foods I consumed.

Raw Vegetable Wrap

  • 5 large leaves of green leafy lettuce, coarsely chopped
  • 2 collard leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 3 medium carrots grated
  • homemade mustard (optional)
  • homemade tarter sauce (optional)

Wrapper

Large leaves of lettuce, collard, or raw nori

Directions

  1. Combine ingredients in mixing bowl
  2. Spread vegetables on your wrapper
  3. Roll
  4. Add condiments, if desired
  5. Enjoy

 

References

What causes acne?

Aynaria 4 Comments

Pimple popper

The main cause of acne is the overproduction of an oily substance called sebum.

Sebum serves a vital role it keeps the skin and hair lubricated and supple. The problem arises when sebum pairs up with naturally occurring dead skin cells. They block hair follicles from escaping.

The sebaceous glands begin to swell, causing an increase in sebum production. This gets the ball rolling and causes a bacterial overgrowth. Since the sebum cannot escape, this is an ideal place for bacteria to thrive. The bacteria multiples and soon your skin becomes inflamed, producing a pimple.

Common Causes of Acne

  1. Diet (although it might not directly cause acne — it can make it worse)
  2. Skin irritations
  3. Certain medications
  4. Hormonal activities
  5. Menstrual cycles
  6. Constipation

Do not squeeze pimples

Squeezing acne can  make the situation worse. Why? Squeezing acne can press the bacteria deeper into the skin. Squeezing acne can also injure the skin around the pimple, Additionally it can lead to scarring, and in extreme cases, this can be permanent.

Do not touch the face

Many people touch their face out of habit, so it is essential to remember to leave it alone. Why is this a problem? The hands contain oils and bacteria which can make the acne worse. It is not only your hands. Think about anything that touches your face like your hair, glasses and phones. They all must be kept clean to help break this cycle of infection.

References:

Weekends upon us – hanging with my favorite person

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JAV Graduation Night

Is it lame that my daughter is the best person I’d like to hang out with? I don’t think so. I really enjoy her company.

My daughter is eight years old, and I love the fact that she still enjoys hanging with mom. We spend a lot of time together — always have. When she was younger, it was a lot harder but I still made it work, even though I work from home.

It looks as if it’ll be warm in Maryland, and so we’ve planned an insect hunt on our property. I’ll be sure to take pictures with my Nikon. I’m sure she’ll beg me to use my camera. She’s been snapping pictures since she was three. A few of those bug shots might make their way onto this blog.

In other news, the little miss has a piano piece she has to ‘perfect’. Her piano teacher requested she create her own song. She  completed that yesterday. Being the ‘noob card maker’ (yeah I’m using leet speak) that I am, I decided to turn her masterpiece into an album. Forget the noob bit, even if I’d been making cards for years — I’d see this as an opportunity to create another project. That’s how I roll.

The above photo was taken on my daughter’s kindergarten graduation. That was a few years ago. People that have known me for years, say she looks a lot like myself, especially when I was that age.The dress was something I created for her. She loved that dress, and held onto it long after she outgrew the ability to wear the item.

Kitty Witch; National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Aynaria 7 Comments

Kitty Boo

Why hello there!  Here’s my latest card making creation…

A lot of the card making sites seem to be over my head, many of the sites (when describing items used) talk a lingo that I don’t even understand. If you’ve been making cards for a long time, you most likely know what they’re referring to, however, someone new (like myself) is left in the dark when giving brief explanations. Many times I find myself Googling to determine what they’re talking about.

Making the card

The above card was made with the Kitty Witch digi-stamp (digital image). It’s a free digi-stamp from Kich N Bleus designs.

I used colored pencils for the cat. After the cat was completed, I cut it with an X-ACTO knife. I actually prefer that to scissors. I wanted a tiny outline around this cat, so I left a bit of white space. I placed this cat on four panels. Behind the panels is black construction paper.

I purposely placed the panels at increasing distance from each other. The panels were made from blue construction paper. The contrasting black design was made by continuously swiping a black ink pad over the blue paper. Once I achieved the effect I wanted, I set it aside to dry.

Once dry I used my paper trimmer to cut four 1″ strips. I then placed the strips in the same order (as was cut). The panels, although spaced apart, still have a consistent pattern (since I placed them in order). I googled and found the words Boo from a free site. I used glitter glue on the spider and the eyes.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, which is why this cats hat is pink. Initially it was going to be orange. I’ll most likely add a tiny bit of pink ribbon to this card. Since my daughter loves cats, I’ve decided to give this one to her. I’ll make a few additional cards and send them to some of my lady friends. Inside I’ll include tips relating to breast cancer awareness.

When it comes to card making, I’m still in the practicing stage. However, I’m having a lot of trying out various ideas that pop into my mind.

Natural remedies that soothe mosquito bites

Aynaria 3 Comments

Mosquito bites

Despite the preventative methods available to keep mosquito’s away, at times these pests still manage to feast on  untreated skin. The resulting irritation can be extremely uncomfortable for some people.

Do all mosquitos bite?

Females are the only mosquitos that bite. Human blood contains isoleucine, which she needs to make her eggs. Blood is required for its survival. As the mosquito bites, she injects a small amount of her saliva into the victims blood. Her saliva works as an anesthetic that stops the blood from clotting, and it numbs the victims skin. The human body react defensively to the protein mixed with her saliva, which manifests itself by the telltale itching and the bumps.

Do not scratch the itch

Never scratch a mosquito bite since doing this can make the irritation worse. In some cases, it can lead to infection, skin discoloration, or scar formation. The next time an annoying mosquito  launches a successful attack fight the itch with a natural anti-itch remedy that soothes the mosquito bite. These natural remedies are gentle, kid friendly, good for the environment, and most people will have some of the items in their home.

Natural remedies for mosquito bites – Apply directly to area

  • Leaf from aloe vera plant
  • Lime
  • Vinegar
  • Banana peel
  • Ice to the bite
  • Clean with soap
  • Apply two drops of lavender essential oil

References

  1. Department of Environmental Science and Technology: Taking a Bite Out of Mosquito Research

 

I’m part of the Clear it Out Design team

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Celebration

Yesterday, I received an invite from Martha to be part of her Clear it out Design team.

You can check out her main card making blog by visiting Creating is Fun. Don’t forget to check out her Creating is Fun Etsy shop. She has a nice selection of buttons and gorgeous trim.

The Clear it out Challenge are done bi-weekly. Which works perfectly with my busy schedule. I’m looking forward to participating in them, and visiting other participants also.

I really like the idea, using the items you have on hand to make a card. Thus far, that’s what I’ve done with the cards I’ve made. True, a few weeks ago, I had to purchase some items. That’s expected, I’m still new to card-making. It’ll be a while before I catch up with their card making stash. However, I’m having a lot of fun. The Cuttlebug was my first big card making purchase. I still have my eye on the Cricut Expressions.

I’ve met many of the women from the group, and stopped and commented at their virtual homes. I could have easily stayed at their virtual homes for hours. There’s so much talent amongst these wonderful ladies, and I got some ideas simply by browsing through their cards.

Many thanks to Jennifer at Blissful Place for making the suggestion to Martha for becoming part of this friendly and supportive team. Thanks Jen, your friendliness and support means so much.

How to make your own vegetable wash

Aynaria 4 Comments

Vegetables

Buying organic might be the number one way to ensure that the foods purchased are free from pesticides.

The price of organic produce can make it financially impossible for some people to make the purchase.

Spraying your produce with a natural vegetable wash, is a way to clean up some of the pesticides that could work their way into your produce.

If you purchase your produce in stores, you might find that, some of them will have a wax coating.  Using a homemade produce wash is a gentle way to strip the wax off the fruit. Stores carry a variety of vegetable washes. Homemade vegetable washes are cheaper than the store bought vegetable wash, and more effective than water.

Why are vegetable washes effective?

Vinegar contains acetic acid. This acid is effective in killing bacteria, dissolving sprayed on wax, and the pesticide residues.

Homemade veggie wash recipe

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp baking soda
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions for harder skinned produce

  1. Spray fruits and vegetables with your all natural veggie wash Scrub it wash into the skin, rinse with water. Directions for soft skinned produce
  2. Fill a large mixing bowl with equal parts water and vinegar Let set for five minutes
  3. Wash and rinse your fruit

Suggested items to purchase

  1. Vegetable scrub brush to scrub the vegetables with your homemade vegetable wash.
  2. Spray bottle to store your all natural vegetable wash

Storage tips

When not in use, store the natural vegetable wash in the refrigerator, since this will increase the shelf life. Create natural vegetable washes to remove pesticides from produce.

Products that are good for you can, at times, be more expensive. The good news is that many products can be made at home.