papaya

I satisfied a craving at breakfast today. A fresh papaya, plucked from the tree at the end of my uncle’s driveway. Sweet, tender, meaty deliciousness.

Papayas are versatile fruit. Have you ever had green papaya salad at a Vietnamese restaurant? Looks nothing like the papaya pictured here, but it’s satisfying in its own right.

These past few days have been filled with so much excitement and inspiration. Art Basel really left me feeling like a changed person! Wow, I have never been around so much eye candy in my life. Not to mention, the people watching was incredible. I saw this couple waiting in the women’s line for the restroom fixing their outfits:

So many people were walking pieces of art themselves. I also had other moments which didn’t quite feel real. Sidenote: Val Kilmer looks totally different now!

Okay, so I will do my best to catch you up!

I tried the Lemon Poppyseed Heart Thrive that morning. The last one of the bunch that was graciously sent to me. I saved it for last because many of you told me it’s your favorite. I really wasn’t too keen on the flavor of this one – it had an odd soapy after-taste. I had this with vanilla Greek yogurt, ginger syrup, pineapple tidbits, and cashew butter. Overall, I enjoyed these vegan suncakes. My favorites were: Cranberry, Chocolate Chip, and Raisin! And don’t forget, if you order them online you can mention my blog. They also have a section of the site that has serving suggestions. (Cream cheese + brown sugar over a warm Heart Thrive = yumm!)

Goat cheese with dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts

I finally arrived in Florida close to 11 pm. It was nice to just relax and talk in the kitchen with my mom, while fulfilling my duty and finishing the pint of vanilla bean ice cream with amaretto. The next morning I woke up and I realized my window was open all night. I had to smile to myself that this can happen in December. I went into the most spacious room in the house and did some yoga. Then I had…

I love the Kashi GoLean Crunch! I haven’t tried the honey almond flax flavor (love it). I think bananas are the perfect fruit for this cereal. Along with some rose green tea and I’m set to go!

Incredible Vermont Cheddar, tomato, and horseradish sauce. It was just missing some green, even cilantro.

Inside the wrap: crunchy peanut butter, apricot marmalade, and Asian pear slices. I also had a lentil soup with some bread for dipping.

I actually had to check my camera in because they weren’t allowed. Don’t worry though, I eventually my camera went undetected through security mwahaha!

The first day I was overwhelmed and left with a high! So much incredible art, who can help but be left with a glorious dizzy spell.

I sprinkled on a medley of nuts: pistachios, pecans, cashews, and almonds. On the side I had a bowl of yogurt with kiwi and the most delicious papaya I’ve ever tasted. Organic and straight from the papaya tree my parents have been growing in the backyard!

I made myself a similar sandwich to my dad’s from the day before. Tomato slices, Vermont cheddar with cracked black pepper, horseradish sauce, and olive tapenade. I usually don’t like olives but this particular tapenade is the exception. I also made some rotkohl with chunky spiced apple sauce and coconut oil.

I totally lost track of the time…

My mom boiled sweet potatoes; good thinking! I topped mine with coconut oil, cinnamon, and pineapple bits. I also had some more Vermont cheddar, tomato, avocado, and leftover rotkohl.

A long night of dancing in Miami!

I got home very late, but I woke up early and eager for my third day attending Art Basel. This time I was going with my parents and a family friend. It was nice to view all the artwork alone for the first couple of days, but I found myself wishing I had someone to discuss things with. So on Saturday I was blessed with the gift of gab! But before all that happened, breakfast had to be eaten.

Avocado, Vermont cheddar + cracked black pepper, tomato slices, and horseradish sauce. I also made a teriyaki stir-fry with yellow squash and snowpeas.

Sneaking in my camera was a success on day 3! I took so many pictures of the art, so I’ve decided that I will be spreading them out over the next couple of posts. Seeing this stuff in person is mind-blowing.

Perfect for an on-the-go snack!

The strawberry Fruition bar is my favorite flavor from the new ProBar line.

After 6 + hours of walking around and taking everything in, we headed over to Lincoln Road Mall for some dinner. We went to a couple shops, but before we had dinner we had to make a pit stop…

Giving out peppermint bark - can you hear the sleigh bells?

It was funny because I saw they had peppermint bark when I looked at their ad outside. Right after that thought my mom’s friend announced they were giving out samples of it. I squealed with excitement!!!

We went to a Cuban restaurant

We decided to go to Yuca, we had passed it many times and it always seemed to draw the crowd in. Come here on a Friday night and you get a night of salsa dancing!

I love this picture of us!

Warm bread with a sweet garlic butter

Ravioli Yucalotti

“Homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli with a cream of black bean, and infused with goat cheese” This was so delicious! I just realized I forgot to take a picture of dessert. But I’ll tell you what it was. A Tres Leches de Turron: “‘A yuca original’ sponge cake with Spanish ‘Turrón de Jijona’,  served with our homemade guava cream cheese ice cream” So good! The sponge cake tasted like a meringue.

I decided to spend my last night in Florida just relaxing because I had to take up at 4 am to catch my flight back up to Richmond. I only have a few exams left and then I go back to Florida on Friday. The sunshine is waiting for me, and I’ll be sure to share it all with you. I have so many things to look forward to in these upcoming weeks.

What exciting things do you all anticipate? Can you believe 2009 is almost over?

]]> http://bites4thebetter.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/hair-and-wine/ Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:55:49 +0000 bites4change http://bites4thebetter.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/hair-and-wine/

Good evening! How’s your Saturday? 

Last night when I talked to Lindsay, she wished me a “gentle” weekend. I can gladly say that is just how I would describe my weekend so far  

I slept this morning until 8 and had some oatmeal after I got out of bed. 

The usual: 

• 1/2 cup oats
• Water/milk
• 1 tsp flax
• 1/2 banana
• Brown sugar
• PB

With some pom grean tea: 

You’re never going to believe what I’m about to say: when I was eating my oatmeal, I was thinking about how I’m starting to get sick of oatmeal! Holy Martha, who would have ever thought I’d see that day? I’m going to lay off for a bit! 

After breakfast I laid back in bed for a half hour reading the December issue of “SELF,” which felt just awesome. Then I hit up a yoga class at Central Lakes Healing Arts. 

I know I’ve told you before that the CLHA studio is in a big ‘ole school, which rents to local businesses and artists. I just love this place and took some pics inside this morning! 

Outside of our classroom studio. 

Christmas Locker Swag

Classic signs

After yoga, I experienced something very exciting. I went to the Co-Op to shop with my $50 gif certificate! I was so overwhelmed and really wanted to try some cool new products. The $50 went soooo fast. Shopping is fun when it’s free! One of the new products I bought was dried papaya! Unfortunately, we don’t grow exotic fruits in Minnesota, but at least we can eat dried exotic fruit! 

They look like worms

I had these plus one more “worm” on my way home. 

When I got home, I made myself a sandwich for lunch, with raw goat cheese, ham, pickles and spicy mustard. I used some new rolls I bought at the Co-Op, but they were dry and I ended up eating the sandwich open-faced. 

 

On the side, a big huge carrots, some crackers/hummus and a clementine. Nice! 

This afternoon Maggie and I got in the Christmas spirit! 

 

 

Hooray for Christmas! And blueberry flax granola + yogurt: 

Afternoon munch

 

Early this evening, I had coffee and did some shopping with Miss Brittni. As usual, it was good to see her. We had a fun time singing Christmas songs (LOUDLY) in the car to my Amy Grant Christmas CD. Hanging out with and acting like a 9-year-old is healthy Before I met up with Brittni, I had a Fiber One bar (no pic), since I would be having dinner so late. 

And I’m sorry, but no dinner pic either! Maggie and I went to Matty’s, one of my favorite spots in town. The food is always good, but never healthy. I ended up ordering a cheeseburger and a light beer, and Maggie and I split an order of fries. I ended up eating a little more than half my burger and wayyy too many fries. I still have a stomach ache! Yuck! 

Tonight Danielle came over to hang out and we spontaneously decided to color my hair… it didn’t go well! I had a glass of wine while we were mid-color because I had a feeling it was going to end badly. It did. Picture dark brown and bright copper. That’s what my hair currently looks like.  But you know what? No big deal, we’ll figure it out tomorrow. It’s just hair and lucky for me I live in MN, where I can wear a hat until it’s fixed. 

Alright, time for some zzzs! See you tomorrow

In lieu of the holidays, I wanted to put up some of the holiday clothing that I have been shooting at Papaya recently. Also, to get more into the spirit  I put some snow on my blog, kinda cool isn’t it?

I also really really like this zip up hoodie. If I were a girl, I definitely buy this.

Papaya (carica papaya) is a trunked plants upright and wet.  Papaya-like palm, white flowers and ripe fruits reddish yellow.  Papaya tree height can reach 8 to 10 meters with strong roots.

Papaya plants known as a multipurpose plant, because almost all parts starting from the root to the leaves useful for humans, either as a food, beauty and medicine.

Chemical contained in the papaya tree:

Content of ripe papaya fruit (100 gr) – Calories 46 cal – Vitamin A 365 SI – 0.04 mg Vitamin B1 – Vitamin C 78 mg – 23 mg Calcium – 12.2 grams of carbohydrate – 12 mg Phosphorus – 1.7 mg Iron – 0.5 mg protein – 86.7 grams Water content of fruits Papaya Muda (100 gr) – Calories 26 calories. -  – Vitamin A 50 SI –  -  0.1 grams Fat – 2.1 grams Protein – 4.9 grams of carbohydrate – Calcium 50 mg – 16 mg Phosphorus – 0.4 mg Iron – Vitamin A 50 SI – 0.02 mg Vitamin B1 – Vitamin C 19 mg – Water 92.4 grams papaya addition also contains elements of antibiotics, which can be used for the treatment without any side effects. Papaya Fruit also contains elements that can make food more perfect digestion, in addition to a power which can create acid urine react, which is scientifically known substances caricaksantin and violaksantin. Papaya leaves also contain a variety of substances, among others: – Vitamin A 18,250 SI — 0.15 mg Vitamin B1 – Vitamin C 140 mg – 79 cal Calories – Protein 8.0 grams – 2 grams of fat – 11.9 grams of carbohydrate – Calcium 353 mg – 63 mg Phosphorus – 0.8 mg Iron – Water 75, Ingredients 4 grams of papaya leaf carposide efficacious as a medicine for worms. In addition to the leaves, roots and sap of papaya also contain papayotin, karpain, kautsyuk, karposit and vitamins.

Benefits of the papaya plant:

Papaya leaf:

• treatment of malaria illness: 1 to take the young papaya leaves are still fresh and boil, drain and cool .How to eat: boiled young papaya leaves eaten as Lalapan, or juice from the boiled leaves of papaya drink.
• launched breast milk (milk): take 30 grams of papaya leaves crumpled, and then put over the fire until the leaves wilt. How to use: papaya leaves are attached while warm around the breasts, but nipples.
• treat acne: take papaya leaf old 30 grams, dry in the sun for a while, then milled until smooth and add 30 cc of water. How to use: herb used as a mask on the acne skin
• abdominal pain during menstruation: papaya leaves 30 grams, 30 grams kencur (), 15 grams of fruit acids () plus salt to taste.  All materials are ground up finely and add boiled water, then squeezed up to 200 cc of water to drink. How to use : drink at the time of menstruation.
• Sick Keputihan : 1 slice papaya leaf, 1 slice of grassroots reed, fennel pulosari .sufficiently. Method: papaya leaves finely chopped, then boiled with other materials with 1.5 liters of water to boiling and filtered . How to consume: 1 times daily drink 1 glass and carried out regularly.

• Malnutrition (lack of one of the symptoms of food substances in infants) a.Ingredients: 2 pieces of papaya leaf, petiole 3 dadap spare, sufficiently whiting. How to make: all these ingredients together until finely ground. How to consume: is used as a powder and applied to the toddler stomach pain.

b. Ingredients: 1 slice papaya leaf . How to make: 1.5 cups boiled with  water to boiling, then water is filtered to be taken .How to eat : drink in infants 2 tablespoons each day.

Papaya:

• Facilitate defecation: 300 grams of ripe papaya fruit, peel skin and cut small pieces and soak in salt water. How to eat: eat the papaya slices 2 times a day, do   regularly every day.
• baker burns: young papaya fruit mashed and rubbed on burns  it. Do it until healed.

Papaya fruit seeds:

• overcome gray hair: 30 grams of ripe papaya seeds roasted and ground seeds until smooth then add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and mix well. How to use: herbs applied to the hair thoroughly for 1 – 2 hours, then wash, do 1 time a week.

Sap papaya:

• burn patients: take the sap from young papaya .How to use: apply a resin is the part that burns.

Papaya plant roots:

• kidney inflammation: take 30 grams of papaya roots, wash them clean and then boiled with water to 800 cc 400 cc of water left boiling roots boiled, strain and add honey to taste. How to consume: potion to drink 3 times a day, with a dose of 150 cc.
• rheumatism: 30 grams of papaya plant roots, 20 grams of lime leaves, fresh sambiloto 15 grams, 20 grams of leaves ketepeng china, 30 grams of fresh betel leaf, cayenne fruit 5. All ingredients mixed with finely ground and then I soak it in alcohol 75% for 7 days. Then squeezed and filtered . How to use: the water from the herb is used to rub and massaging the affected part, apply 2 – 3 times a day.
• Hypertension:  2 pieces of papaya root .How to make: boiled with 1 liter of water to boiling to stay 1gelas, then filtered. How to eat: drink 2 times a day 1 cup.
• Urinary tract disorders  :Ingredients: 3 pieces of papaya roots .How to make: 1 liter of boiled water with the water to boiling and then  filtered.  How to consume: 1timesdaily taken 0, 5 glasses.

PHILOSOPHY SHOULD LEAD SCIENCE

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

 Any high school student will tell you that leaves of plants use carbon dioxide of the atmosphere and water absorbed by the roots to make starch in the presence of sunlight for use by the cells of plants. As a layman, certain doubts arose in my mind which I discussed with senior students and a professor in university. I should confess, instead of clearing my mind, it only helped to confirm my thesis that every cell in the plant (except dead cells !) re-uses the CO₂ and H₂0 , released during respiration, for synthesizing starch. This is purely a philosophical conclusion,as I lost touch with the world of science in March 1957 after B.Sc. examination.I shall enumerate some of my points :

1)      The extremely tender, minute root tips are always growing and require continuous supply of starch.In very tall trees,the distance from top leaves to the root tips may be as much as 300 metres.There is no proper mechanism for transport of starch over such distance,unless we can locate different channels for upward movement of water and downward movement of starch in dissolved form, right from root tip to leaf tip and back. Xylem and phloem tissues are mentioned as responsible for this movement,but in trees like teak, jackwood etc all tissues inside the bark except perhaps a thin  layer of cortex, are absolutely dead and impervious to water, being filled with wood oil and compressed by the weight of the trunk. That is why we are able to make furniture,boats,ships etc with wood. Actually, the clever tree is making use of the dead cells as a skeleton-like support for its branches and leaves ,the latter being mercilessly dropped after making use of them!

2)      In Silent Valley in Kerala, I was shown a very tall tree, hollow inside, with two convenient natural holes, one at the bottom and the other at the top. We can see the sky, looking up from the bottom hole! The tree is alive. How is water and starch transported when xylem and phloem are absent?  

3)      In Australia, ring cutting was extensively resorted to, for felling trees. The bark and a small part of cortex was removed by making an eight inch deep cutting round the trunk at the bottom. After about six months, the tree falls down dead. This clearly proves that the outermost live cells are responsible for water transport.

4)      We plant rose cuttings. The cells on one end develop into a shoot and cells on the other side produce roots .Plant cells are remarkably versatile.Every cell can split and produce all chemicals required for making a duplicate cell . It is impossible to believe that a root cell will wait for starch to come from leaves, when raw materials are available as a result of its own respiration, and it has the necessary technical know-how for making even complicated proteins. Do we not re-use waste in a space station? Are we cleverer than plants?

5)      There is no way for a plant cell , except in the leaves, to get rid of CO₂ produced during respiration. When I, earlier, circulated my doubts in this regard, via email,I got only one response .The botanist had only one word-‘diffusion’ to desciribe the process. In the humans, is it enough if we just say ‘respiration’? We study all detailed mechanism in human physiology. In the same way, should we not describe the method used by plants to obtain oxygen and get rid of CO₂? The professor also said the same thing.As adjoining cells are also producing CO₂, how is diffusion possible?The area surrounding the roots will become saturated with CO₂.The root will die. The conclusion is inescapable: cells are recycling water and CO₂ produced during respiration.

6)      When mango fruits are produced in bulk during the season,the number of leaves are actually curtailed! Will farmers curtail production of food grains when it is required in bulk? Laburnum tree becomes almost yellow with flowers in the season, leaves hardly visible. How is starch produced when leaves are reduced?

7)      Bamboo, papaya tree etc are hollow,in the case of the former, there are segments,each one a waterproof compartment . Coconut tree mysteriously carries gallons of water to make toddy. If you cut the tree, not a trace of water is found. Are trees using nano technology?

8)      In my view,the main function of leaves is to pump water up for which lot of energy is required.Naturally,they make large quantities of starch which attracted the attention of botanists who hastily came to the conclusion that only leaves are concerned in this process.

9)      Maximum number of fish thrive in the deep oceans eating planktons which make starch in strata which receive practically no sunlight.

In view of the above, I feel more research is needed before we come to a firm concusion about the mechanism for production of starch and its transportation.

Today, institutions like NASA have all the technical capabilities to study this issue which should not be left to the comparatively ill equipped botanists.

[okay, I'm finally getting around to blogging about my trip to Mexico late last month]

For some reason, Plaza Garibaldi is the place where the Mariachis hang out. If you need a mariachi, you can flag one down there from the street. It’s really kind of amazing, though I’m not sure why they hang out there….

Inside Plaza Garibaldi

At Plaza Garibaldi is this building that has a bunch of little restaurants. I didn’t manage to go at night, but I went for comida corrida, which is a multi-course meal in the late afternoon. It’s a fixed price meal with different main courses and sauces and stuff. You also get soup, rice, tortillas, pickled jalepenos, and vegetables. I went to the busiest stall I could find and sat down. Of course, I kind of forgot that I don’t speak Spanish when I took a seat and was having a really hard time ordering. Luckily, the lady was kind enough to let me check out the kitchen and figure out what I wanted.

Chicken Mole

And what I wanted was: chicken mole. Oh my goodness, this chicken leg was so tender, it just fell off the bone. I’d also like to point out that, for some reason, mole is the single most difficult stain to get off of clothes. I thought I’d learned my lesson with moles in the past, but I really really haven’t.

Street Papaya

The place was pretty busy with families. And, oddly enough, I was sitting with a plain-clothes mariachi who spoke a little English and was super nice. Afterwards, we went and got some papaya with honey and granola for dessert. Then he borrowed a violin from a mariachi friend and played for me. Turns out he was classically trained in Europe, could play both Mozart and bluegrass.

carried away…

All the goodies

Papaya dressing!

Here comes my bite

]]> http://ediblearia.com/2009/11/21/ancho-grilled-sirloin-with-avocado-and-papaya-pesto/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:43:40 +0000 Ren http://ediblearia.com/2009/11/21/ancho-grilled-sirloin-with-avocado-and-papaya-pesto/ http://deepplate.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/november-2009-exercise-%e2%80%93-matthew-beard/ Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 +0000 teller19 http://deepplate.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/november-2009-exercise-%e2%80%93-matthew-beard/

November 2009 Exercise – Matthew Beard, Executive Chef, Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club, Sarasota, FL

Braised Pork Belly with a Shrimp and Papaya Salad. Served with a Mango-Habanero Mustard

To participate in the next exercise, please send an e mail to: jeffrey@bauscherinc.com

See all your favorite chefs’ collections of past submissions at Deep Plate page on Facebook.  Please become a “Fan”. 

http://deepplate.wordpress.com and “Deep Plate” on Facebook

Aunque quedan todavía cuatro desayunos por contar, creo que ya puedo asegurar que el de hoy ha sido el más triste. No porque sea el último en Pipa, no estoy triste por irme. Ojalá todos los viajes fueran como este: vine cuando quise y vuelvo cuando me da la gana. Un buen plan. El desayuno ha sido triste por cutre y escaso. Confiaba en las naranjas y la papaya que quedaban en la nevera, pero no han estado a la altura. Las naranjas estaban secas y con tres no he llenado ni medio vaso de zumo. La papaya estaba más que verde, la pulpa era blanca y dura así que lo único que he podido hacer con ella ha sido tirarla. Tampoco he podido hacer unas tostadas con requesón porque estaba caducado. Con el culín de zumo y un yogur he tirado, pero he llegado a la hora de comer muerto de hambre. 

Me habría gustado que fuera un poco más espectacular, pero así ha sido. Hasta el día 22 tengo tiempo de preparar algo digno del final de este blog.

En la playa he estado muy a gusto, casi solo. Había nubes así que no he tomado mucho el sol y casi he pasado la mañana entera en el agua. Luego he dado un paseo por el pueblo de punta a punta y para casa, listo para empaquetar. Casi todo está dentro de las maletas, sólo falta guardar algunas cosas y a mis mejores amigos: el iPod y el ordenador.

Siempre me agobio antes de un avión. Me falta esto, me falta lo otro, habrá retrasos, llegará el taxi… Como muestra basta decir que voy a llegar al aeropuerto entre cuatro y cinco horas antes de que salga el avión, y aún así tengo sensación de urgencia, de llegar tarde.

Me voy a la ducha . Mi última ducha en el hemisferio sur, donde en los desagües el agua circula en el mismo sentido que en el hemisferio norte, digan las leyendas urbanas lo que quieran. Luego me vestiré de largo y sé que me va a molestar el pantalón, aunque no menos que los calcetines y las zapas. Al subir al avión me pondré mi flamante chaqueta nueva y empezaré a acostumbrarme a la manga larga y las capuchas.

Mañana me servirán el desayuno en una bandeja, ya os contaré. De momento, unas fotos.

Parece que no se han cargado muy bien las fotos. Echadle imaginación, o si no venís.

Suena I don’t like your band de Annie. Escuchando esto me dan muchas ganas de volver a ser urbano. La de tiempo que hace que no veo un semáforo…

Hasta mañana.

Femeile au mult mai multa grija de sanatatea lor decat barbatii, si asa trebuie sa fie, deoarece organismul lor este mai putin rezistent in fata pericolelor de tot felul. Afla in continuare ce trebuie sa consumi pentru a avea un organism cat mai sanatos.
Papaya
Papaya este un fruct tropical care contine de doua ori mai multa vitamina C decat o portocala, aminteste Readers Digest. Acest fruct este foarte bun impotriva bolilor vezicii biliare, care afecteaza de doua ori mai multe femei decat barbati. Un fruct de marime medie iti va oferi 188 de miligrame de vitamina C si 119 calorii.

Semintele de in

Brutarii folosesc semintele de in la prepararea unor produse pentru a oferi aroma si pentru a adauga mai multe fibre produselor. Oamenii de stiinta spun ca semintele de in sunt foarte bune in cazul cancerului de san, deoarece incetineste cresterea tumorii. Cel mai bun mod de consum a semintelor de in este sa adaugi cateva linguri peste cerealele de dimineata.

Tofu

Proteinele din soia sunt bune pentru nivelul colesterolului si pot reduce bufeurile aparute in perioada menopauzei, datorita isoflavonelor, prezente in boabele de soia. In urma mai multor studii s-a demonstrat isoflavonele sunt foarte bune pentru oase, in special pentru coloana vertebrala. O jumatate de ceasca de tofu contine 25 – 35 mgr de isoflavone.
Varza
Varza  poate ajuta in combaterea osteoporozei, boala ce afecteaza foarte multe femei in varsta. Aceasta leguma contine calciu, vitamina D si vitamina K, foarte importante pentru oase. Mai multe studii au demostrat ca femeile care consuma multe alimente bogate in vitamina K au cu 30% mai putine sanse de a suferi o fractura de sold.

Tomorrow will have an exciting post with another Trash The Dress! Stay close!

Do people make fun of your complexion?

Never worry about that if your really cautious and ready to try the below tips!

Make a face pack with cucumber juice and lemon juice. Extract three tablespoon of cucumber juice, mix a tablespoon of lemon juice and combine it with rose water. Apply it on the face neck and arms or on the sun exposed body parts. Leave it for twenty minutes or more and then wash off. Apply it twice daily, for better results.

Gram flour is very helpful in preventing suntan and bringing the color back to the skin. Mix it with lemon juice, which proves to be excellent bleach, and blend in some yogurt. Apply it every day, before taking bath, for twenty minutes and then rinse off. See the results in a few weeks only.

Turmeric is also an excellent skin-lightening agent and is used in various beauty creams too. Take half teaspoon of turmeric, mix it with milk (preferably raw) and add a few drops of lemon juice. Apply it thoroughly on the face and the neck and leave for twenty-five minutes. It may sting a little, but that only means it is working. Now, rinse off with water.

You can make your own home made bleaching agent too. Take one-teaspoon turmeric powder, mix half spoon of curd in it and add a few drops of olive oil. Put in half spoon of curd and a pinch of salt. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and apply on the face and neck. Keep on for 15-20 minutes and then rinse off.

Papaya pulp can also be applied directly to the skin, as a skin lightener. Drinking coconut water and applying its milk to the face also proves helpful in getting back the fair complexion. In addition, the mixture of leaves of Holy Basil and crushed orange peels can also be applied on the skin, to improve its complexion.

The blend of milk powder with almond oil, honey and lemon juice also brightens the face and gives it a glow. Another remedy would be to mix buttermilk with oats and thoroughly apply it on the face. Leave it for some time and then rinse. It helps in exfoliating the skin and bringing out the natural color.

Saffron is an excellent skin-whitener. Mix two, three strands of saffron with little milk and leave it for sometime. When the water turns pink, apply it on the face and neck. Keep for 10-15v minutes and then rinse off. It is one of the most effective home remedies.

With all the home remedies, make sure to add lots of fresh vegetables and fruits to your diet. Incorporate protein and drink plenty of water. Use sunscreen lotion and umbrella when going out.

Following the above remedies, you will find yourself fairer within few months. You will never believe your eyes when someone tells you that “You look gorgeous”

WHAT IN THE WORLD DO I HAVE TO GAIN FROM EATING THIS WAY?

Energy

Sun Power!

Serious—power a small city, build bigger pyramids, apply for the “HELP WANTED: SUPERHERO” position advertised on craigslist, kind of energy. I have never felt lighter or freer…EVER!

You’ve heard raw food zealots talk about it, try it for yourself and see why so many athletes are turning to a diet high in raw foods to give them a competitive edge.  ULTRA-MARATHONERS are eating this way! When was the last time you ran 100 miles?

Mental Clarity

I don’t know that I can convey how clear my thinking becomes eating this way.  There’s a precision and depth to my thoughts that I DO NOT experience when eating cooked foods.  Some might even refer to it as

Whose more "in the moment"? Kids or dogs...

spiritual.  I’ll skip that label and just say raw foods are very expansive…

Addicted No More

Three weeks ago I was addicted to food, alcohol, and caffeine.  No other way to call it.  I was.  I don’t necessarily mean in the “I better get to a 12-step meeting” kind of way.  I mean how most of us are addicted to these things that should enhance our lives but for many don’t.

Having a couple beers with your friends is nice.  Sitting alone and spending your insomniacal hours working on a case of beer isn’t.

A glass of wine with your pasta dinner can be a beautiful thing.  Eating whole pizzas because your bored and drinking 50, 75, 100, or more drinks per WEEK…not so pretty.

The simplest, fastest, most effective way to break your food/booze/caffeine cravings is to go 100% raw with a focus on green foods. Doesn’t have to be forever, but give your body the break it deserves.  You will be surprised by how effective green foods are at combating your addictions.

Transcendence

It feels kinda cool to transcend food.  Best analogy I can think of is the totally in-control bartender who doesn’t drink himself…

So much of modern life can feel out of our control.  And it sucks to feel like you are always letting yourself down and breaking your own promises.  I gotta admit that I feel a sense of power being able to go to work in an Italian resaturant and bar and only eat tangerines on my shift while everyone else is eating pizza and getting drunk.

One man–a diabetic–comes in every night and drinks two or three bourbons while chowing down on minestrone, a caesar salad, a basket of garlic bread, a heaping plate of chicken alfredo, and some cheesecake.  All while lamenting how cursed he is to have diabetes!  It feels good not to be that guy.

Healthier Every Day

I remember literally feeling like every day I woke up my health was deteriorating markedly.  It really blows to be only 36 years old and huffing and puffing up a flight of stairs.

So many of the ailments people “come down with”, “contract”, or “suffer from”, are 100% avoidable.  Please don’t take me as some kind of jerk who is going to insist that all sickness is self-made.  I don’t think that at all.  But most of the everyday “conditions” we live with are.  The guy I mentioned who comes into my bar every night…he CHOOSES to be a diabetic.  One month eating raw and he’d be a different person and he would NOT be a diabetic.

Another example of the health benefits of eating raw is how totally it covers all the bases.  I was in the health food store the other day waiting for my fresh watermelon juice to be made.  So I decided to walk around and look at the shelves.  Two thirds of the stores shelves contain vitamins, powders, supplements, tonics, etc.  TWO THIRDS!  I had a funny reaction–literally–and started laughing out loud.  It all seemed so ridiculous.  None of those pills are going to fix anything. Total waste of time and money.  Let alone pharmaceuticals…

Natural Weight Control

Oprah and Ricky can talk all they want about the need for heavy people to accept themselves and the evils of a society obsessed with being thin…it doesn’t change the fact that none of us want to be fat!

If you read my Fat Kid Suit story you know I grew up being a fat kid in a fat family.  It sucked!  You know why I think people dislike being fat the most?  Because all those layers are proof that you are hiding shit and that your thoughts aren’t your own.

Have you watched the Biggest Loser?  Ever see people cry that much?  Even for reality TV these “losers” are shedding more tears than I thought humanly possible.

Being fat is not congruent with any kind of personal authenticity.  When I’m fat I start avoiding eye contact.  It’s a terrible terrible way to be and while I’m all empathy about how hard it is to make up your mind to change it, it’s 100% on you.  Eating raw has helped me quickly realize that, and I no longer want to abdicate my responsibility to and for myself.

If you haven’t tried eating 100% (or at least mostly) raw yet, you may not believe me when I tell you that eating raw is NOT a diet.  And I hope you know that I don’t mean that in some cheese-ball marketing sense.  It simply isn’t a diet.  I’ve lost a lot of weight already, and I have NEVER ONCE thought about a calorie, a carb, or wondered how many fat grams I was eating.  NEVER EVER do I tell myself I shouldn’t have seconds or thirds of anything.

I pour the olive oil on THICK!  I eat a whole avocado as a snack. I lick honey off of spoons.  The other day I got a massive pineapple and ate the whole thing for lunch.  You know those a-holes who say that drinking fruit juice is the same as drinking soda?  I drank a quart of fresh pressed seasonal apples juiced into a cloudy lover of a concoction that zinged in my mouth and sweetened my soul like no other…yeah it was that good.  My body SOAKED it all up into my cells which collectively broke out in song.  And guess what?  It wasn’t the Coke song.

Sex

Oh, NOW you’re paying attention!  Yeah sex.  That thing you try and squeeze in between cocktail dreardoms and buffet bellyaches.  Only a very small group of fetishists find belching and food induced comas to be a turn on.

You know what’s really sexy?  FRUIT!  Farmer’s markets are the new sex shops.  I don’t mean you have to use the fruit that way, just eat it.   And then let all that stored solar stuff of life bump up against some other radiant beings overflow.  In other words, sex is better the more raw foods you eat.

NO idea who this guy is, but HE'S got the right idea!

Having that youthful raw foods “glow” and lightness of being make you FEEL sexy at any age.  That kind of confidence and feeling of self-worth is the only real aphrodisiac…

The Environment & Animals Everywhere Will Thank You

This one is obvious to most people.  I’m not going to get all science right now.  There are tons of great resources out there regarding the undeniable connection between what we eat and the environment.  If anything, I’m sick of the words “green,” “sustainable,” “vegan,” and “carbon footprint.”  These are becoming marketing buzz words, overused, and to me they are often elitist terms with very little real world application for the majority of the worlds population.

I wasn’t attracted to raw foods for ethical reasons.  If anything I’m a borderline Nihilist who is completely A-political.  But, what we do most of the time makes the largest impact in our personal lives and on the human family as a whole.  Eating less meat and dairy has a far greater impact than driving a Prius does…

I’m not an “animal lover,” but the more raw foods I eat the more empathy I feel for animals, other people, and myself.  Having apparently turned my hatred toward plants, I’m now regularly butchering papayas the size of infant children and braining coconuts to get at their sweet innards.  You can’t please every species all of the time I guess.  Besides, the other day when I drove by a small farm, the chickens waved.

My Conclusions

I’m sure there are heaps more benefits that I don’t even know about yet.  I’m only just beginning with all of this.  Three weeks in I’m loving the results and wanting more.

Can I do this 100% of the time?  Probably not.  And I don’t think that’s what matters anyways.  But I can see myself mostly raw from here forward.

Your Input

What are some benefits to eating raw that you have experienced and that I failed to mention?  What percentage (roughly) of your diet comes from raw foods?  What do you like/dislike about the raw food movement?

PLEASE comment and join in on the discussion!

P.S.

Tomorrow I weigh myself and will post the result of week three’s weight loss.  All while NOT dieting.  So please check back for that and more!

Thanks!

Una tipa me ha dicho hoy: “¿Dos meses? ¿Y qué haces para no aburrirte?” Hay tantas opciones en el mundo que le debería haber contestado: “¿Y qué haces tú para aburrirte?”, pero por no faltar mi respuesta ha sido: “leer y escribir, como en el cole”. Se reía, la inocente.

De hecho, mis actividades principales han sido esas y algo de cole ha tenido el asunto. Me he reconciliado con mis minúsculas, por ejemplo. Durante años he estado escribiendo con mayúsculas porque nadie me entendía de otra manera. De tanto usar mi libreta estos meses he acabado con una caligrafía más inteligible, aunque tampoco tiene mucha importancia. Hace tiempo que las cosas serias de la vida se dicen por mail o en voz alta.

En cuanto a la lectura he devorado libros que me han apasionado y otros los he leído por pura obligación, como en el cole una vez más.

Las clases de cocina no son parte de la enseñanza oficial, pero me he currado unos desayunos que no veas. El de hoy, agotando existencias, un batido de papaya y yogur y un bocata de salami y provolone. Tampoco es reglada la astronomía, y me habría gustado. Así podría haber encontrado la Cruz del Sur, que sólo se ve desde este hemisferio. Antes me sabía todas las constelaciones, cuando me dedicaba a enseñar astronomía a chavales de la ESO. Fue entonces cuando vi Saturno desde un telescopio. Creo que nada que vea me alucinará tanto como esa visión.

También he aprendido idiomas, lo necesario para sobrevivir y algo más. He recordado las clases de inglés cuando nos hablaban de los false friends, los falsos amigos, esas palabras que parece que quieren decir una cosa y son otra. Hablando de menaje, aquí un copo no es una copa, es un vaso y una taça no es una taza, es una copa. Los cubiertos de la cena de hoy, por cierto, y los de muchos restaurantes, son de comedor infantil, con mango de plástico y metal blandengue.

Cada fin de curso hay dos hechos ineludibles, que los alumnos se suban a la chepa y el festival de fin de curso. Hoy he tenido un poco de cada. Los alumnos son la fauna y ya se me pitorrean: una hormiga gigante en las sábanas, una mariposa posada en la mosquitera, un dragoncillo trepándome por las piernas y un saltamontes de tamaño percherón posado en el teclado del ordenador. El festival de fin de curso lo he protagonizado yo, han sonado seguidas unas cuantas canciones bailongas y no he podido evitar moverme. Aunque hace años que no soy dado a bailar en público y siempre soy el tipo soso de la barra, hoy no lo he podido evitar y hasta he sudado al ritmo de la música. La culpa ha sido del What a feeling. A ver quién se queda quieto escuchándola.

Y un poco de educación para la ciudadanía. Es de buen ciudadano pasar los controles de fiebre amarilla y el dengue. En cada lavabo público y en algunas de las casas donde he estado tienen esta pegatina conforme van pasando los controles. He meado en sitios que pasaron su último chequeo en 2006, pero en general la cosa está bien organizada. Es curioso que en las recomendaciones y consejos que ta da el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores en su web para viajar a esta zona no habla de ninguna de estas dos enfermedades. Igual es que sólo afecta a los locales. Cuando vuelva hablaré con Moratinos. Lo que sí advierten en esa web es que no se deben hacer fotos por Marruecos sin consultar a la policía, no sé si el autor de este blog lo estará teniendo en cuenta.

Suena Yo soy aquél, de Raphael. Máxima, suprema, sublime. No sé si Loud, mi letrista de cabecera, estará de acuerdo pero es que a mí me puede.

HOLA:

Soy Francisco De La Peza Berríos y soy mexicano. Te quiero dar la más cordial bievenida a mi blog, y agradecerte que lo visites. A través de este blog quiero compartir contigo todo lo que soy, cuales son mis aficiones y todo lo que hago.

Pero sobre todo, permítme compartir contigo todo lo que me ha ofrecido la vida, ya que, sin duda alguna, estoy seguro de que muchas de mis experiencias pueden servirte para contribuir al desarrollo de tu éxito.

Para comenzar déjame decirte que no soy cocinero, ni chef, sino un simple aficionado a la cocina. Por eso te voy a compartir una de mis más grandes aficiones culinarias, el arte Mukimono y el Arte Ikebana.

ARTE MUKIMONO E IKEBANA

Generalidades

Formalmente sólo existen siete bellas artes reconocidas en el mundo de la cultura, que son: Arquitectura, escultura, danza, música, pintura, literatura (que incluye la poesía), teatro, y en la época moderna se ha logrado introducir la cinematografía a la que se le ha denominado el séptimo arte.

El arte está íntimamente relacionado con el ser humano, ya que es, a partir de la aparición del homo sapiens, cuando comienzan las primeras expresiones artísticas como parte de los rituales mágico – religiosos, y en términos generales se ha denominado arte a toda aquella actividad a través de la cual la persona expresa ideas y emociones sobre percepciones y sensaciones de lo que constituye la visión más íntima del mundo, a través de los diversos recursos plásticos, lingüísticos, sonoros o mixtos.

Actualmente, la noción de arte, está sujeta a profundas polémicas. Esto se debe a que el significado de la palabra “arte” varía según la cultura, la época, el movimiento, o el grupo de personas para las cuales el término expresa ese sentido.

Etimología de la palabra arte.

Arte proviene de la palabra latina ars, y que es equivalente al término griego téchne o tekné, que significa técnica.

Originalmente se aplicaba a toda la producción realizada por el ser humano y a las distintas disciplinas del saber hacer. Así, artista era tanto el cocinero, el jardinero, o el constructor, como el pintor, el poeta o el músico. Con el tiempo, la derivación latina (ars –> arte) se utilizó para designar a aquellas disciplinas relacionadas íntimamente con lo estético y lo emotivo; la derivación griega (téchne –> técnica), comenzó a utilizarse solo para aquellas disciplinas que tienen que ver con las producciones intelectuales y de artículos de uso.

En la actualidad, es difícil encontrar que ambos términos (arte y técnica) se confundan o utilicen como sinónimos. De hecho, en ciertas artes, como en la pintura, el artista expresa que técnica utilizó, pero no como una parte integral del arte, sino sólo como el medio con el que logró la obra.
A finales del Siglo XV durante el Renacimiento Italiano, es cuando comienza la distinción entre artesano, artista y las bellas artes, y, equivalentemente, entre artesano como productor de obras múltiples, y artista como creador de obras únicas.

Es también en este período cuando se elabora un lenguaje propio para diferenciar la forma exterior de la representación formal, quedando clasificadas las artes liberales (las actuales bellas artes) en tres oficios: arquitectos, escultores y pintores.

El arte efímero:

Podríamos definir el arte efímero como toda aquella expresión de ideas y emociones cuya duración es muy corta.

Hacia los años 50s, los distintos movimientos del arte expresionista, pretenden expresar que, la sublimación de la espiritualidad humana, puede desaparecer con cualquier situación externa que destruye los anhelos más elevados del ser humano. Esta idea es producto de la estela que dejaron los años de guerra y destrucción en Europa, durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Al menos eso fue lo que quedó bien fijo en la mente de los teóricos, críticos, historiadores, filósofos y público en general, y por supuesto en la de los artistas. Desde luego, es aquí donde se dibuja una línea bien definida entre sobre el concepto de arte oficial y burgués. Unos eran protegidos por las instituciones y mientras que a otros los rechazaban.

Es así como comenzó la crítica de lo que se ha denominado “El Aura de lo Artístico”, y que en resumen, son las características que distinguen a todo el arte Moderno y se ha fijado su inicio en el Renacimiento. Es decir, único, irrepetible, universal y perdurable; y en el concepto de perdurable es donde subyace algo que parece expresar la antítesis del arte, y es lo que se refiere a la visión mercantilista del arte, ya que, en la medida en la que pasa el tiempo, socialmente adquiere ese plus que se refleja en el valor monetario de cada obra.
La forma de responder contra el “arte oficial” era hacer que el arte no se transformara en una mercancía que hiciera más evidente las diferencias de las clases sociales; aunque, a lo largo del tiempo, así se refleje. El Arte efímero está relacionado con el Conceptual Art; con el Arte Acción (performance, happening, intervention) en tanto que ya no es valorando un objeto en sí mismo, sino de la idea misma que lleva a su realización.

Su duración puede ser de momentos o periodos de tiempo más o menos largos, y todo depende del artista.

Hay arte efímero en el earth y land art, en el arte povera, el body art; Ahí donde se intervenían espacios urbanos… que rompieran con la monotonía espacial. Hay mucho de Arte efímero en los trabajos de los Grupos Mexicanos de los 60’s. Y como no, el 90% de la Pintura Graffiti es efímera, por sus fundamentos tiene que serlo.

Sin duda otro aspecto que distingue al Arte Efímero, sea cual sea el campo de trabajo, el tiempo va a ser el fundamento material – plástico por excelencia.

Ahora bien, el conocimiento del arte efímero lo podemos alcanzar a través del registro fotográfico del mismo, ya que si es arte efímero y no hay un registro fotográfico del mismo, entonces no podremos decir jamás que dicha pieza de arte existió.

Mukimono, un arte efímero.

El arte Mukimono tiene su origen en la China de los siglos XVI y XVII durante la dinastía Tang. Desde entonces el arte de la escultura en frutas y vegetales ha sido practicado en este y otros países asiáticos como Corea, Tailandia, Japón y Filipinas. La aplicación que se puede hacer del mukimono en la gastronomía es especialmente en el área de la cocina fría, ya que nos ofrece una amplia la gama de formas y contrastes con los podemos deleitar la creatividad de quien lo hace.

Se usa para decorar bufes en los que se elaboran adornos y guarniciones comestibles para platillos fríos, para platones de quesos o carnes frías, y como centros de mesa en los cuales pueden tallarse figuras con detalles alusivos al tipo de evento.

Al momento de colocar las figuras o adornos en charolas es importante usar la simetría y buscar un punto focal para obtener una fluidez visual. Los vegetales que México produce nos permite contar con una gran diversidad de productos con los que se puede llevar a cabo el arte mukimono.

Entre los vegetales más usados se encuentran el betabel, camote, zanahoria, nabo, rábano, pepino, berenjena, cebolla, pimiento rojo, verde o amarillo, jícama, calabaza y apio. Por su parte, las frutas más recurridas son el melón chino, melón valenciano, kiwi, manzana, sandía, piña, papaya, jitomate, y las frutas cítricas como la naranja, toronja y mandarina.

Generalmente, en los cursos en los que se enseña este arte, quienes lo imparten, suelen irse a la enseñanza de las figuras clásicas, tales como un pingüino con una berenjena, una mariposa con betabel, un dragón con camote amarillo, una canasta con un melón, un cangrejo con un pepino, una paloma con jícama, un barco con una sandía, una langosta con zanahorias, o un florero con una piña, sólo por mencionar algunos.

Sin embargo, cuando la persona que aprende este arte aprende el fondo de este arte, es decir, cuando aprende a manejar las herramientas, las frutas, legumbres y verduras, así como las distintas técnicas y conceptos, no tiene porque quedarse con el conocimiento de la elaboración simple de las figuras, sino que puede y debe procurar encontrar todas las posibilidades que le brinda este arte, y cuando lo logra, nunca tendrá límites para elaborar cualquier cosas que se proponga.

Para llevar a cabo estos trabajos es necesario tener paciencia y disponer de tiempo para trabajar cuidadosamente. Contar con las herramientas necesarias, tales como los cuchillos mondadores y torneadores.

Los cuchillos mondadores, torneadores y las gurbias son las herramientas básicas para llevar a cabo las esculturas.

La mayoría de las decoraciones requieren ponerlas en agua con hielo, pues el agua fría permite que las secciones y cortes de los vegetales se abran, separándose en forma de espiral o curvas, sin perder su rigidez.

Ciertas decoraciones requieren de cortes de vegetales que sean flexibles y suaves para poder entrelazarlos, doblarlos o pegarlos sin que se rompan. Así mismo, dar un brillo y atractivo ENTRE MUCHAS COSAS MÁS…

ARTE FLORAL IKEBANA:

“Ikebana” es la palabra japonesa utilizada para referirse a un arreglo floral.

Los principios artísticos en los que se basa el arte Ikebana, reconocidos a nivel mundial, lo caracterizan por el profundo amor por las formas lineales, que le dan forma y color, presentes en todo el arte oriental.

El Ikebana es una composición lineal, cuyo material está integrado por ramas comunes, generalmente secas, sin embargo, cuando dichas ramas se disponen en una armoniosa línea fluida, suscita un atractivo mayor que el que puede despertar un arreglo realizado con los hermosos colores de capullos.
Pero eso no es todo. Tan importante como la perfección lineal, es el conocimiento naturalista, ya que la comprensión del desarrollo natural de los materiales utilizados y un amor por la naturaleza en todas sus fases es lo que nos permitirá lograr que el conjunto de elementos destaque con su belleza.

Iniciado hace trece siglos, el Ikebana fue concebido como la expresión simbólica de ciertos conceptos filosóficos japoneses del budismo. Sin embargo, con el transcurso del tiempo, la completa “japonizacion” del arreglo floral Ikebana y su adaptación al genio peculiar del pueblo japonés, hicieron que se perdiera una gran parte de su sentido religioso y adquiriera mayor relieve la instrucción naturalista.

En el Ikebana, el concepto de “el paso del tiempo” cobra una importancia simbólica fundamental, ya que al terminar el arreglo floral, se hará evidente para el ojo perspicaz. De ninguna manera sería aceptable el concepto Ikebana, si no surgiera de él el entendimiento de las estaciones y el tiempo, ya que es parte del continuo devenir y desarrollo de los elementos vegetales utilizados.

Materiales empleados:
- El pasado: capullos abiertos, vainas vegetales y hojas secas
- El presente: capullos semi – abiertos u hojas lozanas
- El futuro: yemas y capullos cerrados, como sugerencia del desarrollo futuro

Tipo de arreglo:
- Primavera: arreglo vital con curvas rigurosas
- Verano: arreglo amplio y desplegado
- Otoño: arreglo tenue y ralo
- Invierno: arreglo estático y algo nostálgico

En general, todo arreglo floral japonés Ikebana está compuesto de tres grupos triangulares de flores o ramas: un grupo central vertical; un grupo intermedio que se inclina apartándose de la estructura vertical, y un grupo triangular invertido que se inclina desviándose del grupo central hacia el lado opuesto del grupo intermedio.

Los japoneses rara vez efectúan arreglos florales sin su propio follaje natural. La mayor parte de ellos constan de unas pocas ramas de un árbol o arbusto, como así también de pequeñas “flores herbáceas” que podrían crecer naturalmente en la base del árbol.

Los occidentales no acostumbrados a este tipo de diseño floral, a menudo no alcanzan a apreciar su belleza natural y se admiran de que los japoneses hagan uso de tal follaje con propósitos decorativos. La razón por la que utilizan otros elementos distintos a las flores es la de que los japoneses encuentran belleza en todas las formas y desarrollo de la naturaleza.

Las flores preferidas son las que crecen naturalmente en el jardín o en el campo en el momento de efectuar el Ikebana. Raramente se utilizan flores totalmente abiertas o follaje: por el contrario, se prefieren capullos cerrados. No se emplean ramas de árboles que producen hojas grandes o arbustos con abundancia de hojas, excepto cuando estas se hallan en brote.

Esta práctica tiene una doble finalidad: primeramente, cuando una rama se halla todavía en brotes, la belleza de la línea de la vara no se ve disminuida: en segundo término, el empleo de brotes permite que el observador disfrute del placer de verlos abrir lentamente, Por otro lado, cuando se efectúan arreglos con flores llegadas a su punto de perfección, estas pronto se marchitan y quedan inanimadas, expresando de este modo tan solo muerte y disolución.

Esta idea de comunicar desarrollo continuo de la vida y de expresar vitalidad es fundamental en todo el arte japonés y debe constituir la guía principal para el estudiante extranjero de arreglos florales Ikebana.

Desarrollo Histórico del Ikebana

Ikebana clásico.

En el siglo VI de nuestra era, comenzaron a verse los Ikebana en los templos budistas y su uso rápidamente se fue generalizando esto en todo el Japón. En virtud del tamaño de los templos y de la riqueza ornamental de los elementos propios del templo, los Ikebana tenían que ser grandes y rígidos, ya que de alguna manera debían ofrecer una adecuada armonía con todo el contexto.

Con forme fue pasando el tiempo, paulatinamente se fueron flexibilizando y comenzaron a realizarse ikebanas con una tendencia de crecimiento a lo ancho.

Los elementos vegetales se utilizan para representar diversos objetos naturales; las rocas y las piedras son simbolizadas por ramas de pino; las aguas del rió y las pequeñas corrientes por crisantemos blancos; la luminosidad solar, las sombras y los diversos colores de la estación son igualmente expresados por medio de la colocación, en lugares adecuados, de plantas convenientemente escogidas.
Ikebana naturalista.

Los cambios de mayor significación en el desarrollo del Ikebana tuvieron lugar durante el siglo XV. En este tiempo las grandes edificaciones como las pequeñas casas eran un reflejo del amor por la sencillez. En estas últimas se introdujo un sitio en el interior de las construcciones destinada a la veneración en donde colocaban objetos de arte y arreglos florales Ikebana.

Moribana.

Todo evoluciona y el Ikebana no es la excepción, en los últimos 50 años, conservando el concepto ancestral, el estilo “Moribana”, que de alguna manera nos muestra la influencia de occidente.
Es una especie de mezcla entre el más ancestral estilo Rikka, con formas artificiales, junto con el concepto naturalista “Nageire” en proporciones similares, y con un tercio similar se añade la evocación de un paisaje natural. Este tipo de Ikebana utiliza más flores

Principios fundamentales del Ikebana
La línea, el ritmo y el color son las bases fundamentales para lograr la composición ideal para alcanzar la máxima belleza. De hecho, el conjunto de conceptos del pasado, el presente y el futuro, son los elementos que realzan dicha belleza, aunque hay que decir que, tal vez, para los japoneses lo más importante es el ritmo lineal.

No podríamos hablar del concepto de arte japonés, si el Ikebana no tomara como parte fundamental de las líneas expresadas, si no simbolizaran los tres grandes elementos que son el cielo, el hombre y la tierra, y que son las líneas que forman el armado de todo Ikebana.

Een handig document om de spaanse benamingen voor de fruitsoorten te leren. Zeker in het begin sla je het één en ander nog wel eens door mekaar.

bron: Espania culinaria

The Papaya has been regarded as one of the most valuable tropical fruits. It is cylindrical or pear-shaped. The central cavity is surrounded by hundreds of small seeds, though sometimes seedless varieties of the fruit are also found.

The fruit has a thin smooth skin. It is dark green in color at first, but as the papaya ripens, it changes to bright yellowish or orange. Inside, the thick juicy flesh has a soft melting quality, and maybe yellow or pink. It has a delicate aroma and delicious flavor.

Food Value:

Papaya is regarded as a wholesome fruit. The daily requirements of some of the essential nutrients like proteins, minerals, vitamins can be met from this fruit. The vitamin C contents in papaya increases as the maturity progresses. Its carbohydrate content is mainly of invert sugar which is a form of predigested food. Papayas offer not only the luscious taste and sunlit color of the tropics, but are rich sources of antioxidant nutrients such as carotenes, vitamin C and flavonoids; the B vitamins, folate and pantothenic acid; and the minerals, potassium and magnesium; and fiber. Together, these nutrients promote the health of the cardiovascular system and also provide protection against colon cancer. In addition, papaya contains the digestive enzyme, papain, which is used like bromelain, a similar enzyme found in pineapple, to treat sports injuries, other causes of trauma, and allergies.

Natural Benefits and Curative Properties

The papaya has remarkable medicinal virtues which were fully recognized even in ancient times. It is not only one of the most easily digested fruits, but it also aids the digestion of other foods. Ripe papaya is an excellent tonic for growing children, for pregnant women and nursing mothers. It is an energy giving food.

Digestive Aid:

Modern scientific investigations into the properties of the papaya have confirmed many of the ancient beliefs in its virtues. The most important of these virtues is the discovery of a protein-digesting enzyme in the milky juice or latex, which is carried in a network of vessels throughout the plant. The enzyme is similar to pepsin in its digestive action and is reputed to be so powerful that it can digest 200 times its own weight in protein. Its effect is to assist the body’s own enzymes in assimilating the maximum nutritional value from food to provide energy and body building materials.

Intestinal Disorders:

Papian in the raw papaya is highly beneficial in the deficiency of gastric juice, excess of unhealthy mucus in the stomach, in dyspepsia and intestinal irritation. The ripe fruit, if eaten regularly, corrects habitual constipation, bleeding piles and chronic diarrhea.

Roundworms;

The digestive enzyme papian in the milky juice of the unripe papaya is a powerful anthelminitic for (i.e. which has the power to destroy) roundworms. Therefore the fresh juice of the unripe papaya if taken regularly eradicates this problem.

Skin disorders:

The juice of the raw papaya, being an irritant, is useful in several skin disorders. It is applied with beneficial results to swellings to prevent pus formation or suppuration and to corns, warts, pimples, horn, an excrescence or an abnormal outgrowth of the skin and other skin diseases. The juice as a cosmetic, removes freckles or brown spots due to exposure to sunlight and makes the skin smooth and delicate.

Menstrual Irregularities:

The unripe papaya helps the contraction of the muscle fibres of the womb and is thus beneficial in securing proper menstrual flow. It is especially helpful in case of cessation of menstruation due to exposure to the cold or due to fright in young girls.

Throat Disorders:

Fresh juice of the papaya mixed with honey can be applied with beneficial results over inflamed tonsils for diphtheria and other throat disorders. It dissolves the membrane and prevents infection from spreading.

Spleen Enlargement:

Ripe papaya is highly beneficial in enlargement of the spleen. The fruit should be taken liberally in these kind of conditions. Slices of raw fruit with cumin seeds and pepper can also be used once daily to cure enlargement of the spleen due to malaria.

Protection Against Heart Disease:

Papayas may be very helpful for the prevention of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease. Papayas are an excellent source of vitamin C as well as a very good source of beta-carotene, very powerful antioxidants. They are also a very good source of fiber, which has been shown to lower high cholesterol levels.

Cancer Protection

The nutrients in papaya have also been shown to be helpful in the prevention of colon cancer. Papaya’s fiber is able to bind to cancer-causing toxins in the colon and keep them away from the healthy colon cells. In addition, papaya’s folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, have each been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer.  Increasing your intake of these nutrients by enjoying papaya is an especially good idea for individuals at risk of colon cancer.

Immune Support

The fiber found in papayas may also help with the symptoms of those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, vitamin C and vitamin A, which is made in the body from the beta-carotene in papaya, are both needed for the proper function of a healthy immune system. Papaya may therefore be a healthy fruit choice for preventing such illnesses as recurrent ear infections, colds and flu.

Other Uses:

Papaya is used in a variety of ways. The ripe fresh fruits are eaten throughout the tropics for breakfast and dessert, and in fruit salads. They are used for making soft drinks, jams, and ice cream flavourings. They are also canned in syrup. Unripe fruits are generally taken as a vegetable or turned into mouthwatering pickles.

Quick look on how papaya is good for you:

1. Has more carotene compared to other fruits.
2. Contains very less calories.
3. Will ensure a good supply of vitamin A and C.
4. Is an excellent aid to digestion.
5. Can be prescribed for dyspeptic patients.
6. Is an ideal food for invalids.
7. Can be used as tenderizer in cooking.
8. Is reported to speed up healing.

Yummy yummy Papayas need to be a regular in our diets.

Do you have any yummy papaya uses and recipes you want to share? Comment away…..

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After we dropped mom off at work, Molly and I came home and I set her down on her back, as usual, to get her bottle ready. When I got back she’d turned over, scooted away from her play gym and was already on to play time, busily trying to get her blocks out of their dog-resistant bag.

…As I look at that, it almost looks posed. It’s not, I swear. She’s less and less satisfied with waiting for stuff to be brought to her, which is good, I think. Much rolling around was accomplished this morning.

And, since it got up to nearly 70 today, in Colorado, in November, we went to the park again. The kid likes to swing, baby.

Molly got all of her naps today in the car, whether it was dropping mom off, picking her up, running errands or hitting the park. On the plus side, she sleeps quite well in the car seat, especially in the moving truck. On the minus side, since sleeping while driving is considered poor form, dad didn’t get the rest he’s quite used to. But I suppose I can count on sleeping when she goes to college.

Out-of-town grandma and grandpa sent some papaya which arrived today; as I read, the jury seems out as to whether we can mash some up for Molly to try. We’ll see how we do as the little fellows ripen.