raw broccoli

tomato

cucumber

raw egg

All mixed together and microwaved until set. Seasoning as preferred.

Yeah, I guess you can pan fry it or bake it. As I mentioned above, I wanted to have it as quick as possible

However, work has carried on in the garden although a lot of the time has been spent on hedge cutting and flower planting in the other part of the garden.

All the courgettes and cucumber are growing ok – except for the plants which I bought (one is a squash) which are still very feeble. The plant in a growbag close to the greenhouse seem to be getting on better than those in the ‘protected’ raised bed.

Courgette & cucumber in growbag

Contrast with:

Courgettes, cucumber & squash in covered bed

Meanwhile the broad beans are all flowering and the lower flowers have already produced tiny beans. The climbing beans are a mixed story, one of the two is already a couple of feet up its cane, the other is still producing a growing tip. A day or so ago I planted two of the ones from the greenhouse against the other two canes of the ‘tepee’, one of the is ok but the other is looking rather sad at the moment. However, I have two plant in reserve so not a problem. The other french bean plants are just getting into their stride now so won’t be too long before they start flowering.

Broad beans in full flower (nearest ones are dwarf Sutton)

All the tomatoes, both in and out of the greenhouse are looking a lot happier now and coming on well – the greenhouse plants are in full  flower now and even the ‘bush’ tomatoes outside the greenhouse have started growing now. The first pepper plant I bought is in flower in the greenhouse as well.

Greenhouse tomatoes in flower

The peas look like they may be about to flower, and I really need to sow a few more to make up another row so the peas continue to be available once the first row is producing. A row of beetroot in the bed closest to the greenhouse is just starting to show, whereas a whole set of carrot seed in a tall container sown at the same time is not showing any shoots.

The salad crops outside the kitchen are coming on ok and may be available by the time the salad in the container is over – some of the plants are in flower now, so not much longer. Some rocket and a few lettuces in the bed close to the greenhouse are still a week or so away from being used.

Wildlife – well another squirrel has been taken for a holiday and I’m still having to scare off pigeons every day as well. The blackbirds are probably feeding a second brood as they are very active looking for food. A couple of house-sparrows were having a bath in the same container this morning, and that’s the first time I’ve seen two together this year, number have really declined and it isn’t our fault as the nest sites in the eaves are still available and not occupied by bumble bees this year as far as I can see. Also, we’ve had plenty of greenfinches but the nijer seed has been untouched virtually as no goldfinches have been around for some time now – no idea why. The robin has of course been making an appearance whenever I’ve been gardening just to see if I’ve uncovered any juicy morsels.

A mix of delicious food. The duck in the picture (that is drenched in sauce and surrounded by Bok Choy, that was my most recent dinner on a recent trip to NYC. The meal was from a place where I am a regular, Saigon 48.  It’s a day later and I can still taste the moistness of the duck. I can still picture the way the meat slid right off the bone. I can still taste the mild spiciness.

Ordering that duck was the first time I strayed from my regular meal at Saigon 48. Normally I get the shrimp-mango. But, let me tell you, I was not disappointed with the change. I think I finally have a new menu favorite. And, guess what! Since I ordered it for lunch, it was only 7.95. So college kids, don’t hesitate. You know if you are paying a visit to New York or live there, this is a place that is worth checking out.

On the other hand, the other meat pictured, with the sauce and the raw vegetables, that was my mothers meal. She loved it. And I have had some of her pork chops, and even I can vouch for their deliciousness. They are cooked well, and are nice and tender.

Did not expect any souvenir from her cos I have told her not to buy anything. More important was for her to be able to perform her umrah as smoothly and peacefully as she could. So was quite surprised to receive these jilbab from her. Husband said these were chosen for me by my SILs. Alhamdulillah, rezki

Today was also the day, I went to collect the goody bags for the FairPrice Walks with U …. an event that will take place at Marina Barrage in two weeks time.  My kids accompanied me even though they too were not feeling well and I was so thankful cos the goody bags were heavy … there were 4 bags altogether, with my tennis elbow still bothering me, I do not think I could have handled nor carry all 4 of them.

Inside the bags were a variety of items ….here are just some of it.  I’m really looking forward to be able to walk at this event, it’s a first for me

Then, just now, I prepared a bottle of cucumber pickle … thanks to a post at the facebook, I get the urge to make it.  I really love anything that is spicy, savoury or sour.  Now its waiting in the fridge, tomorrow after breaking fast, I will eat it, insyaAllah

Ingredients: 

1 small papaya (save the seeds for later)

8 oranges, juiced on a citrus juicer squeezy thing

1 medium carrot

1 head of green leaf lettuce, or 2 small heads

1 cucumber

water, as needed

Directions: 

Blend everything together in a high-speed blender

Greek Kale Salad

Serves 4-6

• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 4 oz feta, crumbled
• 1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
• Italian dressing to taste

In a large bowl, add kale and about 2-3 Tbsp of Italian dressing, massage the kale until tender.  Add remaining ingredients and serve.

I had just prepared a delicious green juice! Here is the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 glass Pomegranate (Bio natural juice non-sugar added)
1 cup of raw spinaches
1/2 cup of raw beetroot
1 stalk celery
1/2 cucumber
Stevia to sweeten “if desired”

Prepare in a blender & add 1 glass of water. Mix all the ingredients until you get an homogeneous juice.
I recommend you to drink it in the morning before breakfast & in the afternoon.
Enjoy!
Angelica Orozco – Sport Nutrition Specialist

Español

Hola! Me he preparado un zumo super energético y delicioso! Aqui esta la receta.
Ingredientes:

Jugo de granada bio sin azúcar añadida (1 vaso)
1 taza de espinacas crudas
1/2 taza de remolacha cortada cruda
1 rama de celery
1/2 pepino
Stevia “si así lo deseas”

Mezclar todos los ingredientes en una licuadora con un vaso de agua hasta conseguir un zumo homogéneo.

Te recomiendo tomar estos zumos al despertar en la mañana antes del desayuno y otro en la tarde.
Saludos!
Angelica Orozco – Sport Nutrition Specialist

Make a double batch and this will keep well covered for 3-4 days in the fridge.
When ready to serve and any extras as desired:

lettuce – chopped
cheese – cubed
cucumber – chopped
celery – chopped
olive – chopped
avocado – chopped
cherry tomatoes
sweetcorn
mesculin mix / rocket
snowpeas
salad dressing

Pick a handful of firm, dark green cucumbers and pop them into your shopping basket. Congratulations! You have just bought yourself a fruit (yes, the cool cuke is fruit, not a vegetable) full of good health!

Here is a short list of the impressive health benefits that a cucumber carries:

• Keeps you hydrated. If you are too busy to drink enough water, munch on the cool cucumber, which is 96 percent water. It will cheerfully compensate!
• Fights heat, both inside and out. Eat cucumber, and your body gets relief from heartburn. Apply cucumber on your skin, and you get relief from sunburn.
• Flushes out toxins. All that water in cucumber acts as a virtual broom, sweeping waste products out of your system. With regular use, cucumber is known to dissolve kidney stones.
• Lavishes you with vitamins. A B and C, which boost immunity, give you energy, and keep you radiant. Give it more power by juicing cucumber with carrot and spinach.
• Supplies skin-friendly minerals: magnesium, potassium, silicon. That’s why cucumber-based treatments abound in spas.
• Aids in weight loss. Enjoy cucumbers in your salads and soups. My favorite snack? Crunchy cucumber sticks with creamy low-fat yogurt dip.
• Revives the eyes. Placing chilled slices of cucumber on the eyes is a clichéd beauty visual, but it really helps reduce under-eye bags and puffiness.
• Cuts cancer. Cut down your risk of several cancers by including cucumber in your diet. Several studies show its cancer-fighting potential.
• Stabilizes blood pressure. Patients of blood pressure, both high and low, often find that eating cucumber brings relief.
• Refreshes the mouth. Cucumber juice refreshes and heals diseased gums, leaving your mouth smelling good.
• Helps digestion. Chewing cucumber gives the jaws a good workout, and the fiber in it is great for digestion.
• Smooths hair and nails. Silica, the wonder mineral in cucumber makes your hair and nails stronger and shinier.
• Soothes muscle and joint pain. All those vitamins and minerals in cucumber make it a powerful enemy of muscle and joint pain.
• Keeps kidneys in shape. Cucumber lowers uric acid levels in your system, keeping the kidneys happy.
• Good for diabetics. Patients of diabetes can enjoy cucumber while also reaping its health benefits: cucumber contains a hormone needed by the cells of the pancreas for producing insulin.
• Reduces cholesterol. A compound called sterols in cucumber helps reduce bad cholesterol

• Picking your Greens – pile them on!!! (keep in mind a usual salad has about 3-4 cups at least depending on how much you want.)

Spinach- Only has 7 calories per 1 cup and very high in Vitamin A, low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Romaine-  10 calories per cup. a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Magnesium.

Spring Mix- 6 calories per cup. Since this is a mix, you get all kinds of good-ness!!

Iceberg- 8 calories per cup ( not my fav, because it doesn’t have many nutrients, its basically eating a plate of water.. id skip this one, but if your not that used to salads all the time this may be a way to wean you into them. )

Mixed Baby Greens – 6 calories per cup. Since this is a mix, you get all kinds of good-ness!!

• Protein

Shrimp – 60 calories, 1 gram of fat per 3 oz.

Chicken (breast, skinless) – 179 calories per 4 oz. 4g fat. 35g protein.

Beans-  calories, 0 grams of fat per 1/2 cup. (there are SOOO many different kinda too! My fav ?, black, kidney, and chickpeas)

Steak – 162 calories, 9 grams of fat per 3 oz.

Tofu- 34 calories per slice (around 84g). 1g fat. 5g protein.

Tuna (canned, in water)- 179 calories per cup. 1g fat. 39g protein. Good source of Vitamin B6, Phosphorus, Niacin, Vitamin B12 and Selenium.

Salmon (Wild, Atlantic) – 281 calories per 1/2 Fillet. 13g fat. 39g protein.

Hard Boiled Eggs- 78 calories per Med. egg. 5g fat . 6g protein.

• Cheese

Feta- 99 calories, 8 grams of fat per 1/4 cup.

Cheddar- 114 calories, 9 grams fat per 1/4 cup

Blue- 119 calories, 10 grams fat per 1/4 cup.

American- 94 calories per 1 oz. 6g fat.

Dairy-free (G0-Veggie Brand) - 90 calories per 1/3 cup. 6g fat.

• Fruit

Strawberries- 24 calories, 0 grams fat per 1/2 cup.

Dried Fruits  (Apricots) – 34 calories. 0g far per 4 pieces.

Dried Fruits ( Cranberries) – 123 calories per 1/3 cup.

Grapes- 52 calories. 0g fat per 1/2 cup.

Pears- 1 pear 86 calories. 0g fat.

Apples – 95 calories per 1 medium apple.

Mandarin Oranges-103 calories per 1 cup. 1g fat

• Pile on the VEGGIES! – and they pretty mush all have 0g fat.

Cucumber- 8 calories per 5 slices.

Broccoli- 20 calories per 1 cup.

Olives-  63 calories per 4 jumbo olives, slice them up, they will go a long way!

Cauliflower- 27 calories in 1 cup

Onion- 8 calories on 2 tbsp.

Carrots- 50 calories in 1 cup of shreds.

Tomato – only 3 calories in 1 cherry tomato.

Bell Peppers- 5 calories in 10 strips.

Mushrooms- 22 calories in 1 cup

Sugar Snap Peas-  41 calories in 1 cup

Radishes- 9 calories in 1/2 cup

• Other Random Goodies!

Corn- 16 calories per 2 tbsp. o g fat.

Avocado- 23 calories per 1 tbsp. 2g fat.

Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin ,etc.) -  depends on what kind you get – be sure to read label and look at serving size.

Mixed Nuts -  depends on what kind you get – be sure to read label and look at serving size.

Water chestnuts- 60 calories per 1/2 cup

Croutons- 122 calories per cup

• To Top it Off — Dressings. (ALL PER 2 TBSP. )

Oil and Vinegar- 81 calories. 7g fat.

Light Balsamic- 20 calories. 1g fat.

Fat-free Italian – 13 calories. 0g fat

Thousand Island- 111 calories. 11g fat.

Honey Mustard- 139 calories. 12g fat

Ranch- 149 calories. 15g fat.

Caesar- 163 calories. 17g fat.

Salsa -depends on what kind you get – be sure to read label and look at serving size.

When my lovely box of 6 juices for my ONE Day Cleanse last week arrived at the door…. my inner cheerleader came through and this is what I said in my head:  ’Let’s Go, Let’s Fight, We’re Rockin’ the Gym Tonight!’  Because that is how excited and thrilled this giddy cheerleader was to start her cleanse.  First and Foremost, it must be said that the packaging is totally awesome and it comes chilled and ready to be put in your fridge.  And how cute are the straws?!?  During this cleanse day, I never felt hungry as I was spacing each juice by 2.5 hours.  So, I drank my first one at 8am (after my hot water and lemon tea!), next one at 10:30am, followed by 1pm, 3:30pm, 6pm and last one at 8:30pm.  I then headed to bed early…..9pm! And slept like a baby!

I ordered the Plenish’s Pick of Green Dream Team which included 3 Mind Body Green and 3 Sweet Sexy Green.  Why is this their pick of the litter?  On their website www.plenishcleanse.com they say: ‘Supplement your regular diet with Plenish’s green juice. Drinking chlorophyll-packed green juice is one of the best things you can do to boost immunity, fight disease, lower acidity and balance pH’.  And after reading that, I was SOLD!

The Mind Body Green has over 5lbs of organic greens (yes, in ONE bottle!) so it really packs a chlorophyll punch while alkalising your body.  What’s in this one, you ask?  Nothin’ but goodness:  Pear, Parsley, Kale, Spinach, Lemon, Ginger, Cucumber and Romaine.  Delicious.

Sweet, Sexy Green is chock a block of antioxidants and calcium and rids your body of toxins!  Hello?!?  How amazing is that!!!  This one is filled with:  Pear, Kale, Celery, Spinach, Broccoli, Cucumber and Romaine. Yummy.

But what’s so awesome about Plenish is that you can do a 1-Day, 3-Day or 5-Day Cleanse and choose from not only the two juices I had, but also Cashew Milk, Pineapple, Spicy Lemonade and Beet Box.  Summer is here, holidays and vacations are right around the corner – so get your body back by doing one of these awesome cleanses!

If you like this post and green juices then why not LIKE my Facebook page too?  If you are interested in nutrition consultations, head HERE to find out the options that I offer.

Threw together this very late lunch-for-two today, after taking a spontaneously extended hike in the Hunua Ranges with a friend (ahem… ie, lost.) Needless to say we had quite ready appetites! On the way home, we picked up some cucumber and rocket (known as arugula elsewhere) to complete the green-and-crunchy portion of this sandwich, as well as the Turkish, flat-style bread.

Had a salt filled Mexican meal last night? Feeling a bit puffy since you had that pizza for lunch? Try these natural diuretic foods to expel excess water weight.

Fruits:
Watermelon
Lemon
Tomatoes
Cranberries

Vegetable:
Asparagus
Cabbage
Beets
Cucumbers
Carrots
Celery
Artichokes

Other:
Apple Cider Vinegar
Caffeine (Tea, Coffee)

Herbs:
Ginger
Garlic
Parsley

prevent bloating by avoiding salty foods and processed sugars.

Not meant for little kids. But for farmers. From when my mother was a kid herself and rode seven miles on a donkey’s back just to bring lunch to my grandpa who was ploughing the land.

Back then, in the very dawn of the Portuguese 50s, there were no shoes other than to go to church, no running tap water and no juicy piece of meat to feed the 9 people surrounding the hearth of the house.

But there was no food scarcity too. For the land provided all the raw ingredients and the ingenious cooking skills of my grandma bestowed the rest. Cooking only with the elementary is a hard gourmet lesson. Savoury honesty is something hard to come by. Nowadays, even more. But that was what she managed to do boiling inside her worn-out iron pot some potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes and runner beans. And a dash of pasta. And to enhance flavour, some chorizos and pork fat. That very hot food would then be spooned into a rustic bowl and topped with fresh-diced cucumber.

This was what my mother ate several times in her teens and what she made me grew up with. Chunky, genuine and surprising food from the earthy offerings of a farmers land.

After about a week of gradually increasing the greens and fruit in my diet, I have indeed found that the nausea I was experiencing has lessened. So I wanted to quickly post here my top 7 alkalising favourites from this past week. In no particular order:

1. Spinach – eaten raw in a salad, or cooked with either some garlic, chilli and olive oil, or just lemon juice and olive oil. It is cheap, quick and easy to prepare, and a source of Vitamins A, K, C, B2, folate, iron, magnesium (great for our moods), and chlorophyll (which is anti-inflamatory and a great blood builder).

2. Cucumber – cooling on the digestive tract, calming, rehydrating, and full of vitamins K and C, potassium and magnesium.

3. Brocolli – again, delicious steamed or boiled and dressed simply with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. It too is a great source of B vitamins, vitamins: C, A, K, E,  (ha – it spells cake. Have your C.A.K.E. and it eat too!), folate, magnesium, selenium and calcium. It’s great for the skin, digestive system, immune system and is an awesome cancer preventer.

4. Avocado – also known as pure deliciousness. I love avocados! They are perfect in salads, with some lemon juice on them to stop them going brown, or they make an exquisite dip. They are superstars with their anti-inflammatory, blood-sugar balancing and heart health properties, and they are full of vitamins B5, B6, C, K, folate, and potassium (potassium is great for relieving anxiety and stress, and balancing the metabolism and nervous system)

5. Grapes – Yum! These have been my week’s favourite. They are hugely rehydrating, and a great source of a powerful antioxidant compound called resveratrol, which helps protect against cancer, heart disease and viral infections.

6. Cherries – omg – little bliss bombs they are. Plus they are in season at the moment, yipee! Cherries are rare as a natural source of melatonin – which helps regulate our sleep patterns. They also help balance your blood pressure, and ease muscle soreness (perfect for me at the moment, still in recovery from my personal training session). They also have loads of vitamin A and C.

7. Blueberries – my all-time favourite berry. Scrumptious eaten just as they are, and they also make a killer (in a good way) green smoothie when combined with a handful of kale, a banana, some honey/agave syrup/stevia and some almond milk or water. Blueberries have an extremely high anti-oxidant content, and are also brilliant sources of vitamins A, C and E, potassium, manganese, copper, iron and zinc (zinc is great for our immune system, accelerates the renewal of skin cells, and helps protect our eyesight)

These are my top 7 for this week. Absolutely packed full of deliciousness and vitality. I feel good when I eat them, because I know that I am supporting my body, and helping myself to continue feeling better, better and better.

So, here’s to another week filled with great health, uplifting thoughts, and lots of good feelings!

Lots of Love to all of you! xxxx

HEALTHY STUFF
“I can see healthy stuff.”
Age 5

It’s our kitchen. That’s the floor, with all of the tiles [along the bottom] and they’re the vegetables on the table.
They’re to remind me I need to have 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
The long, sticky thing’s a cucumber; the pointy thing with a bush on top is a carrot; and the bushy thing with a stalk? Broccoli.

Related articles

• Healthy Snacks for Kids – Part1- Fruits and Vegetables (pinkplexus.me)
• freshy, fresh juice in cucumber cups (nutrisue.ca)

Whee wish whee could tell you whee got them from our garden but ours still look like this:

Actually while whee are on a garden update whee would like to call upon our Sherlock Skilled furfriends. Something has been scoffing our little ‘unlucky cucumber’. The cucumber was called unlucky due to the fact it was dropped twice on the way home and reduced price because it was smaller than the others. Now it  has been scalped, something has turned it into a tough skin head cucumber plant! Whatever it was has stolen our basil plant too, as there is nothing left where it should be now!?

From this . . . .

To this . . .

And this . . .

And from this . . .

To this . . . .

What do you think nommed on our little unlucky cucumber? And who stole our little basil plant?! Who dunnit?!

Whee will do some investigating and reveal who it was tomorrow!

Have a great Saturday efurryone.

Nibbles

xxxx