Wellness Wednesday

Although we treat it as a noun, health is a verb.  Health doesn't exist as a thing, rather as a reflection of lifestyle.  What we do, eat, drink, and breathe has consequences for our health.  We be proactive and do what we know supports our bodies or we can be passive and indulge in habits that cause harm.  

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One important way to ensure healthful living is to read labels - and to know what those labels mean.  A good example is a prepackaged food I recently purchased:  dry roasted peanuts.  You would assume that this would be a pretty healthy snack.  However, I was surprised when I actually read the label one day when my husband and I were snacking on them.  I had naively thought that dry roasted peanuts would have two ingredients:  peanuts and salt - but I was wrong.  There were several other ingredients on the label and the one that really stood out for me was MSG.  I was stunned.  Needless to say, I won't be buying that particular brand anymore AND I am much more careful about reading labels - no assumptions anymore.

As you go about your day, keep in mind that health is not some static attribute - like having brown eyes - but is a fluid condition that you can influence through your lifestyle choices.

Taste of Tuesday

It has been a while since I shared a recipe, but now with asparagus coming in strong, I thought I'd share this new and easy way to use the harvest:

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Pasta with Asparagus

1/2 pound penne, ziti, or similarly shaped pasta
5 garlic cloves, minced 
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2-3 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook pasta according to directions, drain, and set aside.  In a skillet, cook garlic, red pepper flakes, and hot pepper sauce in heated oil and butter for 2-3 minutes.  Add asparagus, salt, and pepper.  Saute until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 8 minutes.  Add Parmesan cheese and mix well.  Pour over hot pasta and toss to coat.  (Source:  www.foodnetwork.com)
 
Bon appetit!

Monday Morning Amusement

Happy Monday!  I can never resist a funny animal video - enjoy!

Quote for the Day

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"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.

Live the life you have imagined."

~Henry David Thoreau

Quote for the Day

Social Justice Saturday: Fair Trade

Below is an example (found on Elephant Journal) of why it is so important to support companies that pay a living wage.  While this shirt costs consumers $14 and gives the retailer over $8 in profit, the person who actually made the shirt was paid 12 cents.  This is even less than what the agent made.  While I often hear complaints about everything being made overseas, I rarely hear any thoughts on the workers who literally slave away to give us cheap products (because we demand them) and help large corporations make even more money.  Even doubling a worker's wages would make a significant impact on his or her life while having virtually no impact on the retailer's bottom line.  What person in the developed world would want to make a shirt and be paid 12 cents?

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Farm Friday

Whew!  A crazy week.  And despite my best intentions, I neglected my blog.  Here's a few highlights from the week:

We had a successful open house on Saturday, with about 40 people attending.  It was a beautiful day.  We couldn't have asked for better weather, especially since the day was sandwiched between two bouts of bad weather.  

Visitors learned about our shiiitake mushrooms

A discussion on raised bed gardening was part of the program

Hay ride!

Squeaky waiting for his fans

We had to wean Squeaky this week since he's now 3 months old.  Kind of breaks your heart when you hear him calling - screaming, actually - and expecting his bottle.  

Tomorrow is opening day at the farmers' market so we've been busy all day, picking and washing produce, cutting herbs, baking granola, and doing all sorts of things to get ready.  

On a side note, I attending a meeting held by local organization for nonprofit professionals.  Now that I've resigned from my position with Danita's Children, I'm looking for something closer to home and was told that getting involved with this organization would help me make good connections.

Have a great weekend!