To say I'm excited about this movie is an understatement. it opens in NYC and LA this weekend. I am thrilled at the promise that a wide-release film may tap into the public's growing curiosity about food, health and environment - and how they all impact each other. More after I've seen it... here's a link to the trailer, and to a fantastic discussion about it on the Brian Lehrer Show (WNYC)
My friend Myra writes a unique monthly newsletter that's like a breath of fresh air. Her missives take the form of a poem rife with seasonal imagery and a cleverly embedded recipe. She's also one of the most gifted nutritional counselors I know. Enjoy her June "mouthful", below:
The fretted forest offers no order the pattern, though replete, is random, chaotic and stymies our willful wantingEach tree is different
though all of these are shagbark hickories
Each leaf, stem and twig varied
The roots have a common habit
but exercise it differentlyEach flower, each thorn, each whorl of lichen
has its own imprint
its own long short life
it plays its own note
for this is the genesis of musicHere and there the trees move in rhythm to it
the oak quivers in the light
each leaf a shining disk
spanking the light back
again and back
until the entire tree glitters
making a sound like grain
running down a sheet metal trough
or like the rain that fell
in the black night to leave mirrors
in every hollow and cup
until the sun burnt them dry
and the wind swept them up
to build the clouds
in what is the first sky of summerCelebrate with the young lambs quarters
growing in the yet untilled garden
Wilt them in garlic and oil in a cast iron pan
whip in half a dozen eggs,
dot with hearts of artichoke
and goat cheese coins
When the eggs are just set
slide under a hot broiler for a few moments only
until the frittata puffs and is beautiful
Tip it onto a board and cut into wedges for servingThe encircling forest has not the order of our wanting
yet we know it since the time
we rose on two feet and listened
to the calling birds to guide us
and read the shadows of the leaves
on the grass like booksWe can look at the crystalline blue of the sky
and feel the catch of our heart –
that it belongs to the blue
not to usDon't look away
look deeper – let your heart take you there
Fear not
the wind will hold you up
the trees stand by you shimmering
the birds' simple song show you how
Brought to you by
Myra Klockenbrink
Holistic Health and Wellness Therapy
email: mhopehome[at]yahoo[dot]com
Open your fridge. Take a snapshot. What does this say about what/how you eat - and about YOU?
Check out these fridge shots: which one is like yours?
At the Brooklyn Food Conference, I attended a workshop about how climate change affects the food system. What I got most out of it was learning how our casual, daily behavior here dramatically impacts smaller civilizations around the world and that that, in turn, impacts our own food and sustainability issues. It was enlightening, and inspiring to realize that those daily decisions we make - from conserving energy to voting with our wallets - do make a difference.
In a related light, The Nation has published this list of "Ten Things You Can Do to Fight World Hunger"
Not surprisingly, many items on this list - tailored to address world hunger, a very important issue in its own rite - also would directly impact our own cultural food issues. Suggestions like
"Write letters to the editor and op-ed articles in your local paper calling on the government to cut or end subsidies that encourage large agribusinesses to overproduce grains and dump their surpluses on the developing world at sub-market prices."or
"Eat less meat"are emblematic of the type of change we need to take to clean up epidemics here and policies which bely them.
It's a great list - I only wish it provided more actionable resources.
Since having my daughter 14 months ago, I have become so very hyper aware of the shortness of the 24-hour day. Every single day, I create ambitions for my day that must be clipped in half to remain somewhat realistic - and even then, I feel like I ran a marathon trying to accomplish them. Before having a child, I got these lists of things done and still had time to lounge, grab a coffee, call a friend, and take a long shower - and if something unforeseen popped up, I could probably find room for that, too.
Often, my reality is 1-2 things can be accomplished each day (grocery shopping & playground; work & making dinner; work, ordering in, & catching up on email). It's been really hard for me to grasp that when that one little thing I'd love to do pops up, I simply cannot 'rearrange this' or 'not do that' to make room for it. Part of me rebels. ("there must be time here somewhere... maybe - oh. maybe! - oh. hrm...") there simply isn't any more time to be squeezed out of my day. I sometimes find myself eyeing people on the subway who look young enough to be childless and thinking "if she wanted to go to yoga, she could just CHOOSE to go - she has no idea how free she is!"
And now for my little secret - between me and the birds: rising early. I have reclaimed a couple hours of me-time and it's happening when no one else is awake. Often, for me, I wake early to exercise (- I NEED exercise). But sometimes I just go for a quick walk and come back and get organized about something, or write email, or journal. It feels so good to get something quietly accomplished.
I started this in the winter, and I will say: it was a huge challenge. it was dark and cold and not very welcoming to the early riser. But now spring is upon us, and the birds know nature's loveliest secret - that the wee hours of the early morning can provide you with an amazing, fulfilling jump start to your day, and the gorgeous spring morning is like your own little private gift of sunny newness. Ok, yes, that is a little rosey for 5:30am, but after you've gotten over the initial pain, you really do realize how amazing it feels. And the weird truth is that you really can steal the time: funny enough, I go to bed at pretty much the same time, and I have more energy than when I slept in later.
So, here's to a couple of delicious early-morning reclaimed hours. If you'd like to give it a shot at waking earlier, I recommend this fantastic post: How to become an Early Riser.
