Grow where you Are: My Front yard Edible Landscape

EDIBLE LANDSCAPE

I grew up eating mostly food that my parents grew.  So, when someone says they "can't grow food," I don't quite understand that.  For me, you just do a little everyday work along with God, nature, the universe and you get blueberries.  I love blueberries and love picking them from my front yard.

Very happy that I listened to my "little voice within" which said back to me one day --as I was lamenting that there were too many trees in my backyard and that I didn't have the money to cut them all down to make a garden there -- "USE WHAT YOU HAVE."  The space I had at the time was a front yard which got a little more sun than the back
yard.  I've been at it now for some years, and I am so proud to harvest so many great herbs regularly:  sage, cilantro, oregano, rosemary, spearmint, stevia.

My blueberries continue to increase.  This year, I am trying cantaloupe for the first time.  I also have tomatoes and cucumbers.

Speaking of where you are, I believe that my back deck gets pretty good sun too, so I am growing some things in containers. Yes, grow where you are and trust that your good intention and a little bit of work will go a long way.  Ase.'

Back to Raw: Look not where you fell but where you slipped (African Proverb)

Some of you were with me back in February just before Black Love Day when I was rockin' it -- pretty much 100% raw.  I was comfortable to go on with it -- was feeling good; looking good  -- no pain in knees, hip, legs; no stiffness in neck.

Well, I slipped, and today I write about my slipping and type out some of what I believe I need to continue my raw journey most successfully.

On the night of the Black Love Day Celebration, I didn't have anything to eat.  I had planned so well for everyone else, and I came up short.  I remember coming home and doing the best I could with what I had.  The next day, I was up saying I need some pampering, someone else to cook for me; Also, my kitchen was not ready for me to prepare anything -- needing cleaning badly.  And, I didn't have much food in the kitchen.  I was into my month of 28-Days of Black.  It was going to take too long to clean the kitchen; drive to the west side of town and shop at my black grocer and then come back and prepare something that I really like; plus I wanted to rest and relax and be cared for.

Lessons:

1.)  Make sure I have food for special occasions and not just something to get me by.  Make sure that I have celebratory food so I can be fed not only physically; also in other ways needed.

2.) Keep enough food in the house, and keep some food that I can go to quickly.  My friend Aggie told me yesterday that she keeps some cashew cheese on hand that she can throw into some nori (seaweed).  I'm having some now, and while it only takes a few minutes to make, it'll be good to just grab some when needed.

3.)  Make my eating and raw food lifestyle a priority.  The logic of going off diet when it is so challenging because there are so many other time-sensitive priorities doesn't hold up.  When I go down the road of cooked food, I eventually get to the worse ones:  coffee, sugar, etc., and then all my pains come back.  My production lags.  I can't make the case, especially when it comes to long term, and I must consider the long term since I want a life of longevity, abundance, vibrancy, etc.

So glad to be back.

Still Raw / Live -- Doing Fine

This time around I am really loving my raw ourney.  I have gone on a mostly raw food diet before, always with  at least one to two cooked meals per week, though. 

This time around, I decided I needed to do some serious detoxing and not interrupt the process every few days.  Wekesa, my husband, has continued with the two cooked meals (every Wednesday and Sunday), and he appears to do just fine.  I notice that he doesn't live for the next cooked meals, either.  Me, my cooked meals became my cooked days.  My rationale:  "Since I am having a cooked lunch or dinner, I may as well have a cup of coffee this morning; oh, and some cake or pie too."  This way, I never got out of the cooked food enough to not miss it.  Going almost 100% raw (I eat roasted seaweed), I am really getting into the lifestyle.  The meals that I remember and crave now are raw/live.

This past weekend put me to the test.  On Friday night, I attended a birthday party and was okay that there was nothing for me to eat.  I pulled out my two emergency-food oranges when needed.  I also took my own spelligrino water, and it was refreshing and special.

On yesterday, at a pizza joint, I had the owner build me a very nice salad, and she brought me lime and a garlic-infused olive oil that was right on time.  Delicious.

I am now into my second month of my raw food journey.  Feeling stronger.  I am getting past my first level of detox and on my way.

Loving my journey...

Prancing, Bending, Moving Freely Without Pain -- There's a Party Tonight

Feeling so happy today and excited, for there is a party tonight, and I like to dance with my whole body -- going down to the floor and coming back up with a smile and not pain.  My knee stopped hurting after the fourth day on my raw / live food diet.  Let me tell everyone that that was reason enough to continue.  It is my commitment to myself to never accept pain as a natural, must live with phenomenon.  I view pain as a messenger and vow to always listen to it as such and then take on the challenge of doing or not doing what is needed to take care of the cause of the pain.

For those with joint pain, this article may prove very helpful.  Perusing it, I excitedly see that I am not eating or drinking the items that are said to lead to joint pain and injury  and that I am eating pretty much all the foods that are said to aid in healing.  Yay me!   Click to read FOODS FOR JOINT HEALTH.

 

Broccoli Delight

Today was the first time I decided I didn't want to eat "cold" food.  I am a room temperature kind of person when it comes to eating and drinking -- not hot or cold; just right.  After I first started this raw food journey, I realized that I had chosen the coldest time of the year.  "I'm gonna freeze my __ hind off, "I said.  Actually, I've been fine.  It has been colder too.  I am still in the snow blizzard of 2014.  Snow has still not melted on the ground.  I've been fine.  So glad I did not delay.  And, no I have not missed hot soup.  I can always make mine a little bit warm and be fine.  Usually, I take my food out of the refrigerator in the early part of the morning, and by lunchtime, it is just like I want it -- at room temperature.  Not today.  So, the broccoli was really cold.  What I did to warm it was put a little water into the bottom of a pan and put the heat almost down to the pilot light  and just let it sit there for maybe about 5 minutes.  It was then at room temperature.  I was really clear that I was not attempting to cook the broccoli.  I am eating raw / live food right not -- food not heated past 115 degrees.

Okay, so how did I make my Broccoli Delight.  I was thinking Asian flavors.  Oh, the olives?  I put them into almost everything.

I chopped up onion, garlic and ginger, broccoli, olives, and finely chopped carrots in the food processor.  When I put it into the pan to warm it a little, I threw in some braggs liquid aminos (soy sauce will work too).  I also put in a little toasted sesame oil (remember, I was thinking Asian).  Oh, incidentally toasted sesame is not considered raw.  I mixed it all up a little and put everything into the bowl.  Then, I chopped up some papaya and avocado for good measure.  I am loving it right now. 

Detoxing Continues -- The Peeling of the Onion

My detoxing this time around has really not been so bad, especially from the beginning.  I was thinking that I'd get out pretty lucky this time.  These first symptoms I did not have

• Skin breakouts
• Bloating, stomach pains
• Headaches
• Food cravings
• Trouble sleeping, nightmares

Starting late Saturday night, I started these:

• Fatigue, drowsiness, low energy levels
• Irritability
• Congestion or Mucus that feels like a cold

"Oh, no, I don't have time to slow down.  I have EVERYTHING to do.  Not, now, please.  I started this lifestyle of eating so I could go full-swing all the time."  My body clearly said, "NO."

Okay, what's a smart girl to do?  I decided to tune in and listen to my body.  This is what I heard and subsequently did.

1.)  The first message:  "It aint ova." I would not be getting out so easily, and this would not be the last time that my body would go into this DETOX mode.  "It's like peeling away an onion layer, and then another and then another.  My body sees an opportunity to do some good cleansing, and it is taking it.  Some schools of thought say, "Slow down the detox process by eating some cooked food or whatever you have cut out of your diet."  I decided against this, as I don't want to give my body mixed signals.

2.)  "Don't feed me right now."  One reason that I knew I was into some kind of phase/zone is that I was not hungry at all.  Nothing appealed to me:  raw or cooked.  Didn't even miss Wekesa's popcorn anymore.  Didn't want papaya (one of my favorite foods).  I forced a fruit smoothie and later on that night my body seemed to want four oranges and some water.  Today, I have been drinking water and young coconut water.  The coconut water is soothing to my tummy.  I will wait for my body to tell me to eat again.

3.)  "Rest.  Yes, stop the presses and rest."  "Yes, I know tax season is on; I know your Algebra students need you.  Yes, so much else is expected from you, and you will rest for awhile."  This is hardest for me.  I am never sick.  Folks who know me best don't know me taking days off sick.  I remember reading that our ancestors' wisdom taught:  "give energy to a fast, and eventually you will get back abundant energy."  This is my prayer, and it helps to know that I will benefit greatly.  I have made myself warm and comfortable and focused on the goodness of what is going on.  Also, as I came back to work today (moving ever so slowly), I kept reminding myself that one of the most important things in life I can focus on is my health and well-being.  With that reminder, I continue pulling back one more onion layer.

Are you Black-Owned? Yes and Christian Too

I saw the sign and said, "Let me check this one out.  Hopefully they're Black-owned."  "Yes," the sister employee said, and then smiled and said, "The owner is Christian too."

I thought to myself, I don't think your competition is with Muslims or Buddhists, etc.  I think your challenge is to draw our people from mostly white-owned establishments who choose them especially because they are white.  Anyway, I laughingly said to myself.  I am not going to hold either against you.  In fact, that you are Black-owned pushes me to you today.

Yes, I am pushing myself more to buy Black, and not just when it is comfortable or feels right, especially when it feels not-so-right. 

The market of thrift is mine.  I consider myself an excellent, seasoned shopper.  I know how to shop this market and get what I want at the best price.  I don't buy items that I must repair or that I will use when I lose weight, retire or when the Lord comes, etc.  I get what I want and need and most often feel very fulfilled in my purchases.  So, I already have shops in mind, online stops, bartering options, etc.  Not one of them is a Black-owned business. I push myself to find yard sales in my community --  no regular businesses though.  The few that I have patronized in the past have closed.  Why?  Probably because I did not support enough, and enough of my kind did not. 

So, I looked with eyes that said, "There are items in here for me."  I was happy to hear about the 24% discount, and I pushed myself to pay a little more if needed.  I found two beautiful vases.  I love fresh cut flowers and was in the market for a beautiful vase as a wedding gift for our (AYA's) science teacher.  She is going to love it, and she will love it more knowing that I purchased it from a Black-owned business. 

Ringing me up, the sister must have added 25% to the sale price.  I helped her figure it all out, and she expressed sincere gratitude.  I also suggested that she get herself onto the Around the Way app so more of us can find her.  It's a smart phone app that will let you know our businesses that are closest to you.  Go to:  http://aroundthewayapp.com/.

Also, join me in Buying from only Black-owned establishments during the month of February, 2014. 
My daughter Ife and some comrades of hers at Bennett College are kicking this out.  28 Days of Black.