Powered By Plants

Plant Power for 2016

Aloha from Hawaii. It's resolution time and all my cooking classes always bust at the seams in attendance during January. Yesterday in Honolulu, was no exception. Many students talked about having a healthier year and are hopeful to make changes towards a plant based Livet ( I like this word over Diet). This always makes me happy, and I am more than happy to help people along their journey to become Powered By Plants!
Something to put into perspective is that choosing wisely is our key to success. Many have made the change to a vegan Livet and still battle with weight and sickness due to unwise choices. You can still be "vegan" and eat junk food (candy, soda, fried foods).
Eating a wide variety whole plant Livet is optimum. When we choose a wide range of beans, legumes, fruits and veggies, we increase the variety of our nutritional intake.
Getting enough protein, vitamins and minerals is easy when we do this. I'm frequently asked where I get my protein. I get it from plants of course, all plants have protein and I should be getting 43-45 grams a day. When I eat a variety of whole plant goodness, I can do this easily. Shucks, lentils alone have 17 grams in 1 cup. 1 cup of kale has 4 grams, and throughout my day I get plenty.
Another thing to remember is that each day is a brand new start, your slate is clean every new morning. So if you struggled the day before with tempting foods, don't beat yourself up, make wise choices today.
Here are some tips to help you overcome temptations and to have a successful plant based year:

• Plan weekly menus. ( I like to make a big pot of beans on Sunday and plan meals for week around using them in a variety of ways)
• Shop weekly at farmers market for fresh, local and organic produce or join CSA farm program and receive weekly produce and plan menu around what's in season. 
• Make meals and eat at home. ( eating out can not only be expensive, but also may not be organic, and also contain GMOs. It can also be unhealthy if fried and full of sugar. When we make food at home, we control what's on our plate and in our bodies, no surprises.
• Don't bring junk food home. ( don't buy it- keep it out of the house).
• Drink water! Water helps fight cravings and is a shower for our insides. Would you shower in juice or soda? Our insides need showers too. I shoot daily to drink water in ounces equivalent to my weight.
• Fast food is fruit and veggies! Banana and apples are my most favorite fast foods.
• B12 is needed when going vegan. Take a supplement, eat moringa and blue green algae ( I put these in my morning smoothie). 
• Organic! Be Organic, choose Organic! Pesticides break down our immune system and eventually cause dis- ease in our bodies. This inevitably leads to various diseases. 
• Choose Raw fruits and veggies- beware you will acquire hidden super powers that you did not know lived inside you when you eat raw! Raw fruits and vegetables contain all vital nutrients with out having been cooked out. I always say, "Salads save lives". Eat a salad a day and watch how your life changes for the better.

Here is how I focus my day whether raw or eating cooked:

• Morning Green smoothie.
• Fruit snack before lunch
• Large.. Very large salad for lunch.
• Green juice before dinner.
• Whole pant cooked dinner or raw when raw.

This year I'll post recipes for this daily paradigm I like to follow. It's simple and satisfying. 

I hope to help and encourage you on your journey to a healthier 2016. Please let me know how I may assist you. You can email me privately at ItalKitchen808@gmail.com I would be honored to be of service. 

️Sending love to you wherever you are. I strongly believe that we are one family! Love you all!

Love,

Mama T

Vegan Stewed Collard Greens

Aloha Family,

I pray you are well this lovely Fall season. I'm just starting to play with making videos. I'll be sharing them with you and ask for your patience while I learn.
This recipe you'll need to add 2 cups water... I said said 1 cup in video.
I will also keep 1/2 of the vegan bacon out and leave crispy to top before serving next time. In the video I put it all in stew and will not do that again. It was good, but I will add crispy texture next time. Toasted pine nuts would be good sprinkled on top before serving too.

Hope you try it! I would love to hear from you if you do.
Hope you have a blessed day.
Love you,
Mama T

Fall Scented Playdough

Aloha Sweet Family,

I pray you are well and surrounded by love.
Yesterday I had a lovely day at home full of crafting and cooking.
My little one helped with all he fun and especially loved making the Fall Scented Playdough.
The recipe is so easy and provides fun for hours with little ones.
Here is what you will need:
2 cups all purpose flour
1cup salt
2 tsp Cream of Tarter
Vegetable oil-1Tbsp for each divided bowl of dry ingredients
Just boiled water- about a cup and a 1/2 that will also be divided
Food coloring- I make red, orange, and purple for Fall colors
Spices: ground clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon
1. Mix dry ingredients and divide into 3 bowls.
2. Add each spice to separate bowls.
3. Add oil to each bowl
4. One at a time slowly add just boiled water a tablespoon at a time with food coloring of choice and mix, adding more water until you get a Playdough consistency.
5. Knead dough until color is evenly distributed.
6. You can add more spice at end to make smell stronger.
7. Enjoy and have tons a fun!!!

I pray you have a beautiful day today and throughout the Fall season. May you be blessed and loved.
I love you all!

Love,
Mama T

Raw Beet Sashimi

Aloha Everyone,

Today was a beautiful day. I got to create this beautiful dish with beets. There are things that I do miss that I used to eat, flavors, not animals, so making plant based versions of those favorites is always exciting..especially when the flavor is on point. Hope you enjoy this recipe. I had a woman in my class tell me tonight that I was responsible for her now loving  beets. Cheeehooooo

               Raw Beet Sashimi

🌱3 medium beets, sliced thin using a mandolin 

🌱Lemon zest of 1 lemon

🌱Juice of 1 lemon

🌱1 tablespoon of grated ginger 

🌱3 tablespoons tamari 

🌱3 tablespoons sesame oil

🌱1-2 tablespoons agave

🌱3 tablespoons Life Foods Furikake

🌱1/4 cup diced green onions

Place all ingredients into a bowl and throughly coats beets. They soften as they marinate. Let marinate for 1 hour in fridge. Garnish with green onions. Serve and enjoy with loved ones.

Love in the form of: Double Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

Hi and Happy Day. Hope this day brings joy and yummy healthy food. So most who know me, know that baking has never been my gift. I admire bakers so much, but the mastery of precise measurements and science has not been my style of cooking, ever. But I love to make treats for my loves and so I am making a concerted effort to improve this. So far I have had great success in making breads, banana chocolate chip muffins and cinnamon rolls. But cakes...oh cakes have always been the thorn in my side. On Saturday I attempted to make a double decker for my friends daughters birthday party. It was a complete and utter disaster that ended with me buying a cake to bring #sadface. But I was determined to try again on Sunday, which happened to be my husband and I's anniversary of 11 years of being in love. He suggested that we have a small spontaneous dinner party ( so unlike him- but made me happy because I love gatherings). So anyway, I decided I was going to try again, this time making a chocolate cake and I was going to make some chocolate covered strawberries to go with it. Then I had the idea of combing the two ideas and making a chocolate covered strawberry- chocolate cake. Well it was huge hit! The beauty of this decadence is that although it looks crazy sweet, it's actually quite subtle and the fresh fruit pairs perfectly with moist cake and melted vegan chocolate chips. This cake is organic and vegan- my favorite combination. Hope you enjoy!

•  1 1/2 cups coconut milk 
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar- combine in bowl with coconut milk- let sit 5 minutes to acitvate 
•  1 1/2 tablespoons egg replacer with 1/4 cup water- in separate bowl
•  2/3 cup coconut oil- melted 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• Dry-separate bowl- Sift togther- I use a colander to sift 
• 2 cups organic all purpose unbleached flour 
• 1 1/3 cup coconut palm sugar 
• 1 cup cacao powder 
• 2 teaspoons baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
•  1 to 1 1/2 packages of vegan chocolate chips- double boiled to melt 
•  2-3 cups fresh berries or fruit of choice- sliced- 

1.  Heat oven to 350*
2.  Grease and flour a 9x13 pan 
3. Combine all wet ingredients, once coconut milk and Apple Cider Vinegar has activated. 
4. Sift in dry ingredients into wet.
5.  Use hand held mixer to mix until no lumps are present.
6.  Pour into baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool- at least 30minutes 
7. While cake is baking melt chocolate chips.   
8. Once cake cooled, carefully turn upside down on flat platter- I used a cutting board.
9. Top with fruit. Using a spatula, evenly sprinkle chocolate sauce all over and coat sides as well. 
10. Place in fridge until chocolate hardens. Serve to loved ones and Fulljoy! 

 I love you all and pray that today is filled with love, joy and laughter.

Love,
Mama T

Glysophate and Your Health

Are you RoundUp Ready? Monsanto seems to think so. RoundUp aka Glysophate is the pesticide that was created specifically for GMO crops so that they would be resistant to any harm when sprayed but all the weeds attacking plant would be killed. Perhaps you've seen it at Costco, Kmart, Walmart stacked high ready to be sold by the dozens, and believe me it sells like crazy. Because it has been dubbed as "harmless", everyone sprays it. Probably, even your next door neighbor sprays it. I know that it is sprayed all over in large sums at Kapiolani Park and parks and recs around Oahu. I once saw someone spraying in Kapiolani Park and asked what it was,I was told it was RoundUp and it was sprayed throughout the park. This week I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a Professor at MIT speak on her findings that Glysophate is actually the cause of an alarming number of illnesses that we are seeing on the rise today. First of all, Glysophate has immunity to any studies that would prove a link to it causing any harm to people and the environment. Many years ago when it was first introduced commercially the test limits were set very low that determined Glysophate harmless. The truth is that they have now raised the allowable limits so high because crops now require so much more due to super weeds and super bugs, but still claim it is safe with out testing the effects of higher usage- because the status of "safe", at low limits, made it "untouchable". Dr. Seneff uses computer science to map out the parallel exponential growth of Glysophate and Autisim and other diseases. http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/ Above is a link to Dr. Seneff's site and studies. Dr. Seneff says always eat organic. She has many testimonies of people who were sick and switched to 100% organic and healed themselves. I hadn't realized that all wheat- unless organic, is sprayed with Glysophate when harvested in order to be less resiny when processed. It makes for a cleaner process. Many people who are jumping on the bandwagon for Gluten Free diets could actually be having a reaction to the Glysophate which attacks the gut killing all the good microbes and bacteria. I learned that bloody noses are one of the symptoms of Glysophate poisoning. This is alarming to me because my daughter began getting them when she started Kindergarten. She had never had them before and then would get them frequently. Oahu Park and Recs are sprayed,her school is attached to a park. After lengthy conversations with Dr. Seneff, I asked how can we begin to heal? I want to be a part of that process. She said, Glysophate causes a Sulphide deficiency. We can start eating more cabbage and fermented foods. But most importantly she stresses eating organic. She said I should read "Cows Save the Planet: And Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth" By Judith Schwartz. I am inspired so much by what I learned from Dr. Seneff. Although I am very conscious about what I eat, I know I can do better. I want to be 100% organic. I slip sometime when I justify that it is NonGMO Project verified or vegan, but most importantly it should be organic. Dr. Seneff said when she is home she is 100%, but when she travels it is hard. Here in Hawaii this can be very easy if we make connections with organic farmers, make our own food and grow our own food. The bottom line is these Chemical Cartels will keep selling their product as long as people keep buying it. Please stop buying it, urge your neighbor to stop...urge your local stores that sell it to stop. If the demand disappears so will Glysophate. We are not RoundUp Ready and neither is our planet. All this toxic, chemical dumping pollutes our soil, water, air, animals and us. Enough already, it's time to heal. Please join me in this healing. Organic is the way to a sustainable future for our planet, and future generations. If we all start choosing organic with our buying power then the scales will tip and the increased demand will lower the prices and drive out the chemicals. Let's do it! The time is now. I love you all. #GoOrganic

Bone Health

Aloha All. I pray you are having a beautiful day.

This week I was blessed to go to a bone health lecture with dr. Howayeck a podiatrist from Cali. It's was so informative and he also gave ultrasound bone density tests for the participants. Here are some of the amazing facts that I learned:

Not surprising the highest ranking things that are bad for you are in order of severity:


1. Caffeine- he said soda is the absolute worst thing you can consume.
2. Alcohol
3. Sodium - bleached table salt.
4. Meat - very acidic
5. Sugar

Basically anything that causes acid in your body links to all degenerative diseases and is not surprising that it is related to bone health too.

Now the things that promote good bone health.

1. Calcium- All green leafy vegetables- Collards are #1 vegetable with highest calcium, highest fruit are prunes. You can also get calcium from liquid bentonite. This is what they give the Astronauts. Sesame seeds are profoundly high in calcium so eat up that tahini dressing!
2. Exercise that causes foot to pavement contact. Swimming not good for bone health but good for muscles. Dancing and walking are excellent.
3. Getting enough vitamin D. The sun won't do this because we need to get it directly perpendicular to our skin for absorption. You can get it through Chlorella. He recccommends Sun Chlorella
supplement daily.

We want our bones to be strong and carry us through a happy healthy life. We have power and control  to nourish them so that they are firm and not brittle. Plant based "livet" will promote healthy bones to optimum strength. Choose wisely what you put in your body. Alkalize and disease cannot thrive.

In life there are so many things we cannot control. But those things that we do, we must seize power and do our best, so we can feel our best. Dr. Howayeck has a book called Bone Health Made Easy, I highly recommend it. So here's to wishing a day and life full of health. Choose wisely what you decide to put in you, it has the power to heal or make you sick. You have a choice. Love you all, Mama

The Gift of Friendship

Aloha Beautiful Family,

I just felt like writing about the gift of true friends in life. Our special Angels that we are blessed to have in our lives.

These beautiful souls remain the same when we see them no matter how much time passes since the last time we saw them. When we are with them they lift us up and we can feel their love. They make us laugh and know how to comfort us when we are feeling down. They pray for us. They are true.

I feel so blessed to have many of these Angels in my life. True friends that I love with all my heart. They are gifts from Jah and I am certain we crossed paths because of him. I cherish them, and want always to give them the same love they show to me. So to you, all my Angel -True Friends, Thank you! Thank you for loving me. Some say, "No new friends", I say yes to new and old friends that are true and come with love...because I know you are a gift. I Love you, Mama T

Ackee in Hawaii

Yesterday I was blessed from a dear Bredrin with some fresh Ackee from a tree here in Hawaii. Although everyone from Jamaica knows what Ackee is, people from Hawaii may have only distantly heard of it, or not know about it at all.
Hidden on the UH campus, known to only a select few lies an infamous Ackee tree. Ackee is not cultivated or commercialized in the US because if picked or cooked improperly it is deadly.
When I would visit Jamaica, I learned quickly, you do not buy Ackee from anyone you do not know and trust because many people have died from it. In the photo above you can see the Ackee pods. There is a poison inside called Hypoglycin, it is released in toxicity when the pod is fully open. If you pick and harvest when pod is partially open and try to force it open then they will be deadly.

Once you have picked fully ripe Ackee, you must properly clean them as well, otherwise the posion remains and you will get sick. The black seed is easily removed and the inside (red-beige vein) must be completely removed and cleaned. Leave nothing inside and thoroughly wash.

Cleaned Ackee will look like this. Now you can bring your water to a boil and cook Ackee. I like to salt the water. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until Ackee is very soft, almost pudding like, but does not fall apart. In Jamaica their national dish is Ackee with Salt fish, cooked down with some onion, scallions, hot pepper, tomatoes and some thyme. But in this vegan kitchen we leave out the fish.

Many say Ackee looks and tastes like scrambled eggs. To me it just taste like Ackee. Very distinct and very delicious. I absolutely love it as one of my favorite foods.

I have not been able to find one market in Hawaii that sells Ackee =(, not one!!!

 So I am always making on-line orders or I am blessed by house guests from the mainland that know this is my favorite. Linstead Market is my favorite brand.

I hope you get and opportunity to taste Ackee. Just writing about it is making my mouth water! Unless you are in the Caribbean or Florida, or have a friend in JA who will bring you fresh Ackee, it is likely your best bet to taste is the can. Of course the can does not compare to the fresh, but still, it is delicious.

Would love to hear your story of trying Ackee and thoughts.

Have a beautiful day.

Love you all,
Mama T

Children Our Blessings

No matter how old my daughter gets (now 7), she has always makes me laugh with the way she thinks and what she says.
Lately she has been telling me she wants me to home-school her. She has said that she heard 3rd grade is so hard and she wants no part of it. I have been doing my best to tell her she will be just fine in 3rd grade.

So this morning she started her worry rant about 3rd grade again. She said, "Mom, I have to study all summer about eyeballs. I need to learn everything about them." I couldn't imagine why she was saying this. She told me that her friend in 3rd grade had to take an eyeball test and failed, and she cried and cried I still told her not to worry about it. Tears formed in her eyes as she told me what a loving kind girl her friend was, and that she would never lie to her. Then it dawned on me, "Honey, Jasmine probably cried because she didn't want to wear glasses. I'm pretty sure her 'Eye test', was to see if she needed glasses." Then immediately her expression changed, she got a big smile on her face and said, "Yea, MOM! She doesn't want to wear glasses! Oh I hope I fail mine next year". Then she asked me if she could wear her fake eye glasses to school. 

What a beautiful journey it is to be a mother. These little ones fill our lives with so much joy, making it so much more entertaining. I am so thankful for this blessing. Sending you all an abundance of love where ever you are.

Aloha Family! I pray you are happy and healthy. How do you like my raw friend, Mr. Cabbagehead? He's so cute, ya?
Today was the 1st day of another 30 day raw food challenge with a group I started 2 years ago on Facebook. It is a very nice support group with lots of recipe ides for the challenge. Here is a link to the group if you would like to join us. 30 Day Raw Food Challenge-
I came home from vacation last week and feel like a cleanse is in order. Raw foods help me to overcome junk food cravings, increase my energy and get that inner glow happening =).
When I have been sharing to people about needing to cleanse from my vacation and letting them know how horribly I have ate, their first question is if I wasn't eating vegan. No, I was eating vegan, but you can be vegan and eat horribly. Fried foods, sweets...etc.. I have to let you know that I loved every bite of it! We ate at some amazing vegan places....but still, it's no way to sustain a livet.  A vegan can eat french fries and soda as regular mainstays in their diet, and they will not be healthy- SURPRISE ;).
No matter how or what you eat, the focus should be to eat a "Livet". Clean eating: organic, unprocessed food as it comes from nature. So my goal for the next 30 days is to get back on track. Don't get down on yourself, just make it right, one step at a time. If soda is your vice...cut back. If you eat meat for every meal, everyday, try cutting it out once a week. Find ways to make small adjustments that will lead to greater health. Always drink lots of water. Increase fruits and veggies- they make you happy. Give thanks for the things we have control over, and pray about the things we don't. I love you family- we are one!

Italkitchen808.com

Aloha,

Hope you are having a beautiful day. Just sharing this photo from Monday's shoot of Ital Kitchen. This is the series called, "Healthy 20 Minute Meals". I am really excited about this special episode because of all these precious little ones featured in this picture. I really am so blessed with be surrounded with such beautiful families raising their children to to be conscious, loving people. All of these bright faces make this episode of Ital Kitchen my favorite yet. I really want to do more shows that include the children. It will be airing soon, I can't wait for you to see it. Sending you an abundance of Love wherever you are. Love, Mama T 

Kale

Oh Kale how I love thee, let me count thy ways.

If you know me, you know that kale is a huge part of my life. I love all varieties, Lacinato (dinosaur), Curly, Red Russian, you name it, I love it. I am definitely not alone in this love. In 2011 Kale was named vegetable of the year. Here is a great article about all the nutritional benefits of kale, a great reason to start using it more.

Kale is amazingly easy to grow. From seed to full grown plants takes about 2 months. We have a few potted plants on our porch that continue to give and give. All you have to do is keep trimming the leaves and they keep growing back. It is so awesome! I use it to make:

• Kale Pesto- 3-4 cups of kale, 1 garlic clove, 3 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper.
• Kale Smoothie- Throw it in you favorite smoothie and greenify it.
• Saute Dishes- As a base, I toss it with onion, garlic, tomatoes and garbanzo beans and serve over quinoa or rice. ( You can add any vegetable you want with this saute).

These are just a few ways that I use my little porch kale plants. I encourage you to grow a little kale plant for yourself. You can even place your plant in very small spaces. It is such a fun project to do with kids. They feel so proud watching their living plant grow from such a tiny seed. Hey, it will make you proud too =).

I would love to hear how you use your kale. Also if you decide to grow a little kale plant, I would love to hear about it.

Here is a recipe for Kale Chips that I created for my Raw foods class at Down to Earth.

Happy Kaling.

Love you,
Mama T

Health is Wealth

Aloha Family,

I pray that you are well and full of vibrant health.

As I increase in age I find that sustaining health means always fine tuning and listening to my body. Currently this journey has adjusted itself to define me as a "Gluten free vegan, who is GMO free". Yowza, that's a mouth full! I have also learned that making these adjustments, as challenging as they may be at times, is worth every sacrifice. When I am able to feel significant changes in my health it solidifies my discipline and there is no turning back.

I recently had some scary intestinal issues that were unexplainable. I know stress was a huge factor, but my "livet" (not diet) was pretty clean. Something inside me kept bringing gluten and wheat into my thoughts. I decided to be very strict and go gluten free and see if helped my critical state. This was not easy because gluten is a huge part of my vegan life. I LOVE IT!!! I make mock meats with vital wheat gluten and it is so amazingly delicious. BUT... It has been a little over a month that I gave up gluten and I have never felt better. Within 2 weeks, my tummy soreness disappeared. Some of my very critical symptoms disappeared after 3 weeks. I lost 8 pounds with out doing anything different (except giving up gluten-that is) But my appetite remained the same, and I still lost weight.

I also have started taking some supplements. I am by no means an expert, but this seems to be working for me. I take 1 Tablespoon of flax oil in the morning. In the evening after dinner I take spirulina, vitamin C, oregano oil ,  and psyllium husk. It is important to choose organic variates of these supplements.

Our bodies are amazing. They are naturally healing machines that are constantly evolving and showing us what they need. We just need to listen. I can not begin to tell you how happy I am to be feeling better. Being sick is scary and painful. Health is our wealth. Choose wisely my dear friends, listen to your bodies. Every day we are given a free will to nourish ourselves to optimum health. Eat clean and let food be your medicine. I love you family, I pray you have a beautiful day.

Love,
Mama T

2013- Cleansing Time

Aloha and Happy New Year.

2013- Wow! It's goal setting time. I actually love this time of year for this reason. Right at the top of my list this year is to cleanse and simplify. I want to cleanse on several different levels; Mental, Physical (body and environment), and Spiritual.

• Mental Cleansing: Will be a concerted effort to be positive and make no more room for negative thoughts or actions. Let love be the ruler of all thoughts and actions.
• Physical Body: Will involve, exercise, clean eating (Vegan & GMO Free), juicing, green smoothies, and fasts.
• Physical Environment: Will involve getting rid of clutter. My best friend since we were 8 years old has always told me that no house should have a junk drawer. I've always had several, even a junk room, but my goal is to go through everything and de-clutter and purge. I've been deep cleaning like a mad woman and the results always make me feel so great. Clearing out dust and spraying essential oils to purify the air. Ahhhh!
• Spiritual Cleansing: The greatest of all. This will include prayer, reading, meditating, singing. I will start each day in reverent prayer and let it set the tone for the day, through the day. 

This is just the beginning of a new era. I am focused and willing and wanting to grow in love. I am blessed with what I need and want to always show thanks for this.

I want to share this simple Green Smoothie recipe that is tasty and so good for you.

• 2 bananas
• 1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries
• 1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• 1 Gala apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 2 cups kale, de-stemed
• 2 cups ice
• 3-4 cups water

1. Place all ingredients in a blender in the order that they appear.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy. 

Serves: 2-4 people

No added sweetener is needed for this smoothie. It is just delish as is =)

I love you family!

Mama T

He's Got The Whole World in His Hands

Aloha Loved Ones,

I pray you had a beautiful day. I was very thankful that I got to just be at home doing what I love best- cooking. I started off today making some vegan cinnamon rolls, and then made 3 different Jamaican dishes. Needless to say, one of my other favorite things to do is eat, and I did a lot of that today too.
I am as passionate about vegan cooking as I am about having my food be GMO FREE. Cooking your own food is one way to ensure that the food you are eating does not contain GMOs. If are new to this subject, I encourage you to look into this topic. A great resource to learn more is Project Non-GMO Verified, and the Center For food Safety. One of my hero's who speaks out against GMOs is Dr. Vandana Shiva- she will be visiting Hawaii 1/15-1/17. You can find a complete schedule of her talks at HawaiiSeed Please see her if you can- and Google her if you have never seen her speak. I love you family.

Merry Christmas,
Mama T

Opening Our Hearts

Today was a beautiful day full of surprise. I got 2 missed calls from a number that I didn't recognize. I Listened to the messages left and found out that it was Patricia Bragg, the renowned daughter of Paul Bragg. I called her back and we had he most wonderful conversation about life and health. I was so happy to let her know that her father's book, The Miracle of fasting basically changed my life. She said that she still fasts every Monday and 3 days once a month. She is full of life and just a joy to talk with. I am looking forward to interviewing her for a new show I am working on.
I am looking forward to making this blog outlet more of a priority and connecting with you all. Health is wealth. I love that we can always learn and grow when we open our hearts. This is my focus right now in my life journey. Open my heart, so I may learn and grow. Please join me on this journey. I will share what I learn and post as often as I can. I love you family.
   

Thankful

Aloha April.....
Hi family, it's been a minute, I pray all is blessed.
Earlier this year I had a life changing experience. It has really helped me to put many things in perspective. I think most of all it helped me to put time into perspective. Time is the precious gift that defines our PRESENT.
We spend so much time worrying about the future, but the present is our gift. I want to be able embrace this each moment.
Utilize your gift of time to feel joy, not stress. Feel love, not hate, and health, not pain. Embrace your present.
I love you family.
mama

The Almighty Food Processor

Ok Ya'll the 7 cup Cuisinart food processor is on sale at Macy's for $59- if you don't have one, it's time to invest.

I bought mine at Costco- it's the 14 cup Cuisinart $150. All I can say is that it has saved me hours prepping in the kitchen, and I can't believe it took me so long to get one.

Here's a little insight to these gadgets. First, it slices veggies, shreds, and processes. I no longer have to mince garlic- boom! into the processor and done! Pulsing is a great feature that many overlook. It is excellent for chopping and won't turn things into mush. Onion, beans, and veggies can all be "chopped" if you pulse. Oh, and it can also make fabulous dough.

I love my food processor and I encourage you all to invest and get one too...especially if you love to cook.

Happy cooking!

I love you-mama

Oil Chart

Here is an important list to help choose an appropriate oil depending on your recipe. Smoke points should be closely watched, otherwise the oil can become toxic.(chart is from: whatscookingamerica.net)

Fats or Oils	Description	Cooking Uses	Type of Fat	Smoke Point °F	Smoke Point °C
Almond Oil	Has a subtle toasted almond aroma and flavor.	Used in sauté and stir fry of Oriental foods.	Monounsaturated	420°F	216°C
Avocado Oil	Vibrant green in color with a has a soft nutty taste and a mild avocado aroma. This is a very healthy oil with a profile similar to olive oil. This oil can be used for very high temperature applications.	Stir frying, searing	Monounsaturated	520°F	271°C
Butter	Whole butter is a mix of fats, milk solids, and moisture derived by churning cream until the oil droplets stick together and can be separated out.	Baking, cooking	Saturated	350°F	177°C
Butter (Ghee), clarified	Ghee has a higher smoke point than butter since clarification eliminates the milk solids (which burn at lower temps).	Frying, sauteing	Saturated	375-485°F (depending on purity)	190-250°C (depending on purity),
Canola Oil (Rapeseed oil)	A light, golden-colored oil.	Good all-purpose oil. Used in salads and cooking.	Monounsaturated	400°F	204°C
Coconut Oil	A heavy nearly colorless oil extracted from fresh coconuts.	coatings, confectionary, shortening	Saturated	350°F	177°C
Corn Oil	A mild, medium-yellow color refined oil. Made from the germ of the corn kernel.	Frying, salad dressings, shortening	Polyunsaturated	450°F	232°C
Cottonseed Oil	Pale-yellow oil that is extracted from the seed of the cotton plant.	Margarine, salad dressings, shortening. Also used for frying.	Polyunsaturated	420°F	216°C
Grapeseed Oil	Light, medium-yellow oil that is a by-product of wine making.	Excellent choice of cooking oil for sautéing or frying. Also used in salad dressings.	Polyunsaturated	392°F	200°C
Hazelnut Oil	The nuts are ground and roasted and then pressed in a hydraulic press to extract the delicate oil.	Salad dressings, marinades and baked goods.	Monounsaturated	430°F	221°C
Macadamia Nut Oil	This oil is cold pressed from the decadent macadamia nut, extracting a light oil similar in quality to the finest extra virgin olive oil.	Saute, pan fry, sear, deep fry, stir fry, grill, broil, baking.	Monounsaturated	390°F	199 °C
Olive Oil	Oils vary in weight and may be pale yellow to deep green depending on fruit used and processing.	cooking, salad dressings, saute, pan fry, sear, deep fry, stir fry, grill, broil, baking	Monounsaturated	Extra Virgin - 320°F Virgin - 420°F Pomace - 460°F Extra Light - 468°F	160°C 216°C 238°C 242°C
Palm Oil	A yellowish-orange fatty oil obtained especially from the crushed nuts of an African palm.	Cooking, flavoring	Saturated	446°F	230°C
Peanut Oil	Pale yellow refined oil with a very subtle scent and flavor. Made from pressed steam-cooked peanuts. Used primarily in Asian cooking.	Frying, cooking, salad dressings	Monounsaturated	450°F	232°C
Rice Bran Oil	Rice bran oil is produced from the rice bran, which is removed from the grain of rice as it is processed.	Frying, sauté, salad dressings, baking, dipping oils	Monounsaturated	490°F	254°C
Safflower Oil	A golden color with a light texture. Made from the seeds of safflowers.	Margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressings	Polyunsaturated	450°F	232°C
Sesame Oil	Comes in two types - a light, very mild Middle Eastern type and a darker Asian type pressed from toasted sesame seeds.	Cooking, salad dressings	Polyunsaturated	410°F	232°C
Shortening, Vegetable	Blended oil solidified using various processes, including whipping in air and hydrogenation. May have real or artificial butter flavor added.	Baking, frying	Saturated	360°F	182 °C
Soybean Oil	A fairly heavy oil with a pronounced flavor and aroma.	Margarine, salad dressings, shortening	Polyunsaturated	450°F	232°C
Sunflower Oil	A light odorless and nearly flavorless oil pressed from sunflower seeds. Pale yellow.	Cooking, margarine, salad dressings, shortening	Polyunsaturated	450°F	232°C
Vegetable Oil	Made by blending several different refined oils. Designed to have a mild flavor and a high smoke point.	Cooking, salad dressings	Polyunsaturated
Walnut Oil	Medium-yellow oil with a nutty flavor and aroma. More perishable than most other oils.	Saute, pan fry, sear, deep fry, stir fry, grill, broil	Monounsaturated	400°F	204°C