Tuesday, September 20, 2011

A Psalm 104 Kind of Morning

I spent some time at Castlewood park this morning, hiking through the Lord's amazing creation.  Once my climbing partner and I reached a great outlook I sat down on a rock, pulled out my Bible, and this is the Scripture that the Lord laid open for me (Psalm 104).  I took pictures just after reading this and couldn't help but find all of the wonderful connections.  What a mighty God we serve! I was so blessed this morning by the ways that He individually and specifically touches my life and the lives of those around me.  Lately He has been showering me, literally flooding my life, with unexpected blessings and provisions.  Proverbs 8:34 says "Blessed are those who listen to Me, watching daily at My doors, waiting at My doorway."  If we listen for Him to speak, obey when He He gives direction, and allow Him to take the reigns and guide our paths, He WILL bless!  I'm a living, breathing, example of this.  Don't give up just because you don't see things coming together as YOU may have desired because, guess what?, His ways are higher and He will orchestrate things in such a picture perfect way that you'll end up praising the Lord that YOUR way didnt work out. Trust!

See the reminder He gave me of His greatness this morning...set to His creation:

"Praise the LORD, my soul.
LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers,[a]
flames of fire his servants.
5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth. "

"He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.
16 The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.





19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go out to their work,
to their labor until evening.
24 How many are your works, LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27 All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.


31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the LORD, my soul.
Praise the LORD.[b]

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

What Items in YOUR home might be killing you?

Last month 212 held an Advanced Talk on toxins in the home, basically what products are we using daily that are really acting as silent killers.  Sadly, I was unable to attend but fun enough Yahoo! News posted a story on the 12 Scary Products to eliminate from your home.  (See Link Below)

12 Scary Household Items to Eliminate

One such product? Room airfresheners.  The chemicals contained in most (probably 98%) of aerosol room freshener sprays can not only irritate existing allergic or pulmonary conditions, they have also been linked to creating neurotoxicity, immune system issues, cancers, etc. Pitch the can... It's not worth it!
Better Option: Soy Bean Candles....they are all natural and usually are scented with natural essential oils.

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Another example? Toothpaste. Many toothpastes contain a pesticide known as Triclosan.  Here's what the Eviromental Working Group has to say in a recent article on Triclosan Toxicity: "Lab studies link triclosan to cancer, developmental defects, and liver and inhalation toxicity. A secret study by Colgate scientists revealed exposure to low levels of triclosan caused liver tumors in mice (See 1996). Colgate refuses to release this study to EPA for evaluation, though it provided it to FDA in order to ensure it could add triclosan to toothpaste and other oral care products." I would highly suggest checking out the rest of the article through this link: http://www.ewg.org/node/26701 Triclosan is also found in many hand soaps and other body products.
Better Option: Tom's of Maine Toothpaste.  I switched out my paste last month and am now using a Tom's paste and LOVE it.  The taste is good, consistency is good, and it leaves my mouth feeling super clean!  What is great is that you no longer have to spend the few extra dollars to get it at Whole Foods.  It's actually carried at WalMart and Target for a buck or so cheaper...not as many flavor options but still a great deal!

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Final example: Plastic storage containers...including water bottles. Most, if not all plastic food and beverage containers contain some level of BPA.  But what is BPA? Bisphenol A is a chemical released when plastics are heated that changes the chemical components of whatever the plastic is surrounding. BPA can be found in everything from baby bottles to water bottles to food containers. According to EWG this is what you can look out for on your plastic products: "BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters "PC" recycling label #7. Not all #7 labeled products are polycarbonate but this is a reasonable guideline for a category of plastics to avoid. Polycarbonate plastics are rigid and transparent and used for sippy cups, baby bottles, food storage, and water bottles. Some polycarbonate water bottles are marketed as 'non-leaching' for minimizing plastic taste or odor, however there is still a possibility that trace amounts of BPA will migrate from these containers, particularly if used to heat liquids." Some plastics are passible...such as those with recycling numbers #1, #2, and #4.  Ideally you should store your food in glass storage containers which you can find at anywhere from Whole Foods to Target.
Better Option: For water you should also choose either glass or stainless steel containers. I know what you're thinking, GLASS WATER BOTTLE?! But seriously, there are some great ones out there right now that have a no-slip rubber grip on them to help avoid dropping or breaking.  More companies are coming out with great Stainless Steel options as well.  If you're like me you like the convenience of a bottle that you dont have to screw the cap off of to drink out of.  Well now you can find the stainless steel with mouth pieces.  Yoga company, Gaiam, not makes stainless bottle with straws.  They are super sweet and can be found atTarget!  You do have to watch for the lining in certain stainless steel bottles as some do contain BPA.  Make sure that the stainless steel bottle you're purchasing is classified as BPA free. 
Check out Gaiam's website for some great products! http://www.gaiam.com/category/fitness-center/water-bottles.do

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 These few items don't begin to cover the lengthy list of household items that are slowly doing you in.  Might be time to start taking stock of what you're using everyday.  If it's not helping you be healthy, it's helping you get one foot in the grave that much quicker.

Food for thought!

Live Green TODAY!

Monday, September 12, 2011

Who wants some green candy?

My friend Jamie is about as big a health nut as I am and I love seeing what she's into these days.  Today on Facebook she "liked" a page called "Natural Candy Store".  Being the sweet treat lover that I am I had to find out what this page was about.  Much to my delight it is a candy store that, like it says, features all natural candy.  That's right folks, they bost candies and other treats that are free of artificial ingredients, colorings, flavors, perservatives, and hydrogenated oils.  They have everything from mints to hard candies to candy bars and popcorn balls.  I was thrilled to find through some research that this store is owned by a mom and her2 daughters (sounds very Kirk-like!) who wanted to provide only the best organic, all-natural candy available!  While I may be on a sugar fast right now, you better know I plan to try out some of their yummy offerings as soon as it's over.  If you'd like to check out this great site head over to www.naturalcandystore.com!


Here are just a few pics of what I'M looking forward to ordering :)

Dark Chocolate Mint Wafers!
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups!
Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cashews

On  a non-foodie topic, have any of you been keeping up with Bachelor Pad this season?  Yes, I watch reality tv...but not all of it...no judging! lol I'm watching the finale as we speak so know I'll mention my thoughts on that later.  I cannot believe Casey and Vienna are still hanging on.  If they don't wint the $250,000 then they should most definitely win the "Most obnoxious couple ever" title. Just sayin'!
Let me know your thoughts, but I'm hoping either Ella and Curt or Michael and Holly will win.  We shall see!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Green Baking Failures

Ok, So why is it that though I follow the recipes to the letter, the baked good NEVER turns out how I want them to?! This never happened when I baked with regular flour but now that I have to use flax meal and coconut flour, things turn out drastically different.  Exhibit A: Zucchini Cake.  The recipe in the Max Living book says to use Almond flour but I did not have any and used Coconut Flour instead.  I worked the wet and dry ingredients separately but when I put them together a catastrophe insued that resulted in the batter looking more like play-do than cake batter.  I added almost a full glass of almond milk and water and was still unable to get the batter thinned out.  I went ahead and baked them but the cakes came out more like a shortbread than a cake. SOOOO frustrating! 

I'm thinking about venturing to other recipes to find success. My sister found some amazing dessert recipes through www.healthyindulgences.net.  I came home from work Sunday night to get to try an AMAZING Black Bean Chocolate Cake made by my sister.....who's first time it was to use odd ingredients to bake and yet her stuff turned out amazing in comparison to the baked goods I've attempted so far.  Why is is that recipes NEVER put the right amount of liquid needed to make a batter?  I've seen recipes that only require 3 TBSP of water for an entire batch of brownies....It is IMPOSSIBLE to make brownie batter out of 3 TBSP of water and mix. Try it, I dare you! If any of you have any tips for avoiding organic baking blunders, please let me know!

Apart from my own dismay at failed Zucchini Cake, the night was wonderful.  My mom and I went down to Forest Park, Art Hill to be exact, to hear a free concert put on by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.  They are preparing to kick off their season and compiled all of the best works from all of the shows they'll be presenting over the coming months.  It was an amazing concert on an amazingly beautiful night.  The weather was perfect and the sky was absolutely beautiful.  Check it out for yourself!








Gorgeous, right?!  We are so blessed to live in such a great city with all sorts of free events going on at a moment's notice. I don't think we often stop and think about how many wonderful, cultural outlets we have here that we can access for free or for reasonable price.  If you haven't taken advantage of all St. Louis has to offer lately, you should!


So, here we are friends, on the precipice of another weekend.  While most of you are counting down the hours to freedom, I'm counting down the hours to helping aid in freedom....I have to work. :)
I hope you all have a wonderful and restful weekend filled with lots of laughter, fun, and much peace.

Stay Healthy and Green!  - Ash

Monday, September 5, 2011

"You is smart...You is beautiful...You is loved"

What a beautiful day today was!  I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend and got out today to enjoy the gift God gave us today in the form of His perfect creation. Today I was blessed enough to experience one of those "perfect days".  You know the kind I'm talking about?  The kind where from the minute you wake up and set your feet on the floor you just know that each step is going to bring you to a barrage of blissful moments that eloquently knit together a day that can neither be repeated nor topped. I know you've had to have had one, and if you haven't, I'll pray you do soon because its just the sort of day that reminds you how incredibly loved you are by your Creator.

My day began by making a delightfully delicious breakfast for my mom and sister consisting of Coconut flour pancakes with a homemade cinnamon strawberry syrup (no sugar) along with some yummy spinach scrambled eggs and fresh sliced avocados.  Really?! Who can't have a perfect day after that?  As soon as we finished breakfast we headed out. On our way out we happened to pass my favorite lil' farmer's stand and they just happened to have mammoth zuccini's and other produce.  Perfect!  Look at the bounty we collected for only $4.75!


Cannot wait to make some awesome zucchini bread, muffins, cake, and linguini! I'm telling you, buying local is the way to go.  Those mammoth (and I mean MAMMOTH) zucchinis were only $.75 a peice! The cucumber was $.40, the banana peppers were $.20, and the little green pepper was $.40. Couldn't beat it!

After picking up some lovely produce we headed to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and I could not think of a more perfect sunny day to do it. We had never been there but definitely fell in love with it as soon as we walked in...(we even became members haha).  The Japanese Festival was going on this weekend there as well so we were able to take in the last few moments of that.  Lots of food, vendor booths, exhibits, and more. The grounds are absolutly gorgeous and I could not believe how HUGE this place is. If you've never been I definitely suggest you check it out! (I'll post pics as soon as my lovely sister downloads them :) )

We had decided earlier to see a movie but decided to eat dinner at home before going.  Mom had the awesome idea of cooking a crockpot Italian Beef so that when we got home everything would be ready to go. One of my FAVORITE things is walking into the house and smelling Italian Beef simmering in a crockpot and well, I got that today! Along with the Beef mom made a homemade coleslaw (with healthy dressing made by yours truly) and we paired it all with some great green beans.  Dinner was finished off with my sister's amazing black bean chocolate cake (tastes JUST like regular chocolate cake.  You'd never know it was beans.  No texture difference!).  So how could the day possibly get any better?

Add The Help.
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This movie was so fantastic that I cannot even begin to assign it words that would apptly capture how much I loved it.  I laughed, cried, was moved, and inspired.  I thought the way the relationships were constructed was absolutely beautiful and tugged at my heart more than once. What was great was to be able to see it with a wonderful group of women I care so much about, my mom, sister, and Mary! Nothing better than seeing a wonderful movie with kindred spirits.
I will say that it's so sad to think that racial discrimination displayed in this movie was from a time not so long ago and what's even sadder is that it still exists in some forms even today.  My heart was broken for the general state of humanity during that time and how it is reflected now.  We've definitely made huge progress but only in so much as we no longer hold domestic slaves...but there certainly are remnants of the attitudes of hate. I choose to live my life color blind and to love people because of who they are and not because of the color of their skin. How about you? If you've seen this movie I would love to hear your feedback as well!