Posts Tagged ‘Health’

Yoga and Prayer: Breathe in, Breathe out

June 3rd, 2010

Today is another Thursday and that means I led a group of women in a yoga and prayer time again this today. You can see what we did last week, here.

This week we focused on our breath. So often we don’t even realize the influence our breathing has over our health and well being. Even our attitudes and emotions can change through our breathing. Take a second and try to speed up your breathing – take quick shallow breaths. How does it make you feel? Hurried, stressed, anxious, nervous, fearful? Now, slow your breathing down. Take a few deep, calm, cleansing breaths, filling your body with fresh life giving air. How does that make you feel? Better?

So often as we hurry about our day we allow our breathing to become shallow and stunted. We don’t slow down enough to pay attention. During yoga today we slowed down and we paid attention to our breathing. We noticed subtle changes in our breath as we moved and we did some pranayama (breathing exercises) to engage our breath. Most of all we focused on when and how we breathed in and when and how we breathed out.

We listened to Brian Eno Ambient 1: Music for Airports
throughout our time today.

Yoga and Prayer: Breathe in, Breathe out

Easy Pose

“Breathe in the breath of God
Breathe out your cares and concerns
Breathe in the love of God
Breathe out your doubts and despairs
Breathe in the life of God
Breathe out your fears and frustrations
We sit quietly before the One who gives life and love to all creation,
We sit in awe of the One who formed us in our mother’s wombs,
We sit at peace surrounded by the One who fills every fiber of our being.
Breathe in the breath of God
Breathe out your tensions and turmoil
Breathe in the love of God
Breathe out your haste and hurry
Breath in the life of God
Breathe out your work and worry
We sit quietly before the One who gives life and love to all creation,
We sit quietly in awe of the One who formed us in our mother’s wombs,
We sit at peace surrounded by the One who fills every fiber of our being.” (written by Christine Sine)

Skull Brightener Breath

Cat/Cow Pose

Downward facing dog on an inhale

Plank pose on an exhale

(Repeat downward facing dog and plank 3 times – moving smoothly from one to the other as you breathe)

Sphinx pose

Child’s pose

Mountain Pose

Upward Salute

(Repeat mountain pose and upward salute 3 times)

Chair pose

Upward Salute on an inhale

Mountain pose on an exhale

Eagle Pose (without crossing the legs)

Upward Salute on an inhale

Mountain pose on an exhale

Gate Pose on both sides

Hero Pose

Lion Pose

Childs pose

Bharadvaja’s Twist (twisting to the right)

Half Lord of the Fishes with the left leg over the right

Staff pose

Bharadvaja’s Twist (twisting to the left)

Half Lord of the Fishes Pose with right leg over left

Bridge pose (dynamic – moving up into bridge pose on the inhale and down again on the exhale)

Knees-to-chest pose

Happy Baby Pose

Corpse pose

Breathe on us Breath of God
Breath for us Breath of Life
Fill our Lungs with life
Fill our Beings with Love
Remove from us all guilt and shame
Fill our Hearts with Grace
Fill our Beings with Love
Remove from us all fear and distrust
Fill our Minds with Truth
Fill our Beings with Love
Remove from us all discouragement and discontentment
Fill our Bodies with Rest
Fill our Beings with love
Remove from us all stress and worry
We Breath in that which is of Life
We Breath out that which is of Death
Breathe on us Breath of God
Breath for us Breath of Life

Easy Pose

“The man who lives from God’s breath can recognize with joy that the same breath sinks into the lungs of his fellowman, and that they are both drawing from the same source. At this mutual realization, the fear of another disappears, a smile comes to the lips, the weapons fall, and one hand reaches out for the other. He who recognizes the breath of God in another can truly let another enter his life, too, and can receive the gifts which are given to him.” Henri Nouwen, With Open Hands

Peace be with you.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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Super Simple Dutch Oven Rabbit

June 2nd, 2010

Have you tried Rabbit? The first time I tried cooking rabbit was soon after we moved to Prague. I believe it was one of those shopping trips when I went to the store and they were LITERALLY out of chicken – that’s right, no chicken. I’m glad that this doesn’t happen as often now as it used to! So on that fateful day I got rabbit instead. Two rabbit sides are actually quite cheap here and, although I don’t remember how I prepared it that first time, my husband and I quickly learned that rabbit is YUMMY! In a way, it’s like a juicer, tenderer, more flavorful chicken.

Last week we made rabbit in the Dutch oven (which we borrowed from our neighbors – have you noticed yet what a moocher I am?). It was the best rabbit I’d ever had. It was so easy and super simple, but sooooo good! My husband raved, and we both had a second helping. So, here’s my Super Simple Dutch Oven Rabbit.

Ingredients:

2 rabbit sides (or more if you want)
Onions, cut in quarters (I used very small one’s so I used about 4 of them, but you could use less if yours are big, or more if you just like onions)
Carrots, sliced in chunks (I think I used 3 or 4 carrots)
Garlic (I used 2 or 3 cloves, but you could use more or less depending on your preferences)
Potatoes, cut into small chunks (I think I used about 5 small potatoes, use however many you have or desire)
Celery Root, cut into small chunks (I used about half of a large celery root)
Water or bone broth (I just used water because I didn’t have any broth on hand)
Salt and Pepper

Place your Dutch oven on the stove top and sear the rabbit in a little butter until it is just browned on each side.

Next turn off the stove and add all the veggies to your Dutch oven. Pour in enough water or bone broth so that the veggies are almost covered (using bone broth will add even more flavor to this dish especially if it’s a homemade broth).  Place the Dutch oven with the rabbit and veggies in it in an oven on medium heat (I think I had it at about 150 degrees Celsius) and leave it for about 2 hours. Check on it every so often to make sure that there is still some water in the Dutch oven, especially if you leave it longer than 2 hours. Once the meat is tender, the veggies are all soft, and the liquid has cooked down a good deal, you can pull it out and enjoy it.

We just ate it with a little salt and pepper, some Worcestershire sauce, and big slices of homemade sourdough bread. You could also serve it with sour cream, or yogurt. If you wanted you could add some more spices or seasonings to this as it cooked, but we found that the veggies and meat had enough flavor on their own.

PS – watch out for the bones. Rabbit bones are often smaller than chicken bones so you have to be careful as you eat this!

NOTE: If you don’t have a Dutch oven you can make this dish in a Crock pot or slow cooker. Just sear the rabbit in a frying pan on the stove top and then put the rabbit and all the veggies in your crock pot/slow cooker and add enough water to almost cover everything. Cook in the crock pot until all the vegetables are tender and the meat is fully cooked.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Beth Stedman

This post has been entered in the Real Food Wednesday blog carnival. Click on the link to check out all the other wonderful posts from this week.

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Make Way for Whey

May 28th, 2010

Lately we’ve been making whey – LOTS of whey. Well, I guess we aren’t really “making” whey, we are just collecting it.

IMG_5098

You see, I recently learned that you can make your own cream cheese from yogurt (thanks Nourishing Traditions!) and ever since we have been making homemade cream cheese every week. It tastes so much better than the store bought stuff, it’s cheaper, and it is so easy!

Here’s how you do it:

It’s easy. According to my husband all you have to do is “Get the yogurt out of the whey.” Yes, he thought that was funny. So, start by putting some yogurt in double layered cheesecloth or a paper coffee filter (I actually just use an old t-shirt of my husband’s that I’ve cut up and washed well and designated just for that purpose).  Hang the yogurt over a bowl and leave it for a few hours or overnight (like in the picture). You can also just leave it in a strainer instead of hanging it. Afterwards you will be left with yummy yogurt cheese in the cloth and a bunch of whey in the bowl.

So, what do you do with bowls and bowls of whey? Honestly, I haven’t really known. I use some of it to make my beet kvass, and I plan on using some of it to ferment some vegetables soon. But, I feel like I have so much of it I haven’t been able to use it fast enough.

Whey is something that I realized I know almost nothing about – apart from the nursery rhyme “Little Miss Muffet”, of courses. In all honesty that was the only time I’d heard of using or eating whey. So, of course, I got online and decided to learn all I could about whey.

Here are a few things I learned:

  • Whey is good for you! It contains a high quality protein that is easily accessible to the body, as well as all the water-soluble vitamins and minerals from the milk.
  • Whey has been shown to increase lean muscle mass.
  • Whey protein is sometimes referred to as “the most nutritious protein available.”
  • It can increase energy.
  • It may help reduce stress fractures in athletes.
  • It can strengthen the immune system.
  • There is some research to suggest it might help with cancer, particularly prostate cancer.
  • Whey is recommended to burn patients because the quality protein it contains can help speed up the healing of wounds.
  • Whey can cause migraines in some people.

After a little more research I now have a whole list of ways to use whey:

  • Make Ricotta Cheese (although I’m not sure that I can do this with the whey left over from yogurt cheese – does anyone know?)
  • Use it as a substitute for the liquid in baked goods (pancakes, scones, bread, etc.)
  • Mix it with fruit juice for a quick energy drink
  • Make lacto-fermented pickled vegetables
  • Use it as a substitute for buttermilk in recipes
  • Add it to soup stock
  • Water acid-loving plants like roses with it
  • Feed it to chickens, pigs or other animals
  • Cook pasta or rice in it instead of water
  • Pour a mixture of 50% whey and 50% water on berry bushes to increase the yield
  • Make smoothies out of it (for example mix it with a banana and cocoa powder)
  • Make Mysost
  • Drink it plain (Whey used to be a popular drink at inns and coffee houses)
  • Take a bath in it

Well, that gave me a lot of ideas… Now I think I’ll go sit on my Tuffet, eat some curds and whey and pray no spiders come along. Speaking of which, does anyone know what a Tuffet is?

Have you ever collected whey after cheese making? If so what did you do with it?

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

This post has been entered in the following blog carnivals: Fight Back Friday, Food Revolution Friday, Food on Fridays, and Wholesome Whole Foods. Check out all of these links for lots of other wonderful posts all about food.

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5 More Days to Sign Up for the Hottest Real Food Resource Around

May 27th, 2010

If you read Real Food blogs then you have probably already heard about the Online Cooking Class offered by Jenny at Nourished Kitchen. Maybe you’ve already even signed up or maybe you’re just sort of tired of seeing it everywhere. Well, if that’s the case I’m sorry, you can ignore this post and go check out my other post from today.

If you haven’t heard about Jenny’s class or if you’re still on the fence and not sure if you really want to sign up then please read on – I’m so excited to tell you about this great resource!

Jenny at Nourished Kitchen really is one of my favorite bloggers and I love what she is doing with this cooking class. I heard about it weeks ago and was super impressed with the lessons she has planned and the quality of what she will be offering. In fact I had been planning on writing about it this week for a while now. Then yesterday I found out that I could become an affiliate with Nourished Kitchen and potentially benefit a little from writing about this great class. So, here’s my disclaimer: I’M NOW AND AFFILIATE WITH NOURISHED KITCHEN SO I WILL GET A LITTLE COMMISSION FROM ANY SALES MADE USING ANY OF THE LINKS IN THIS POST (OR USING THE LINK IN THE SIDEBAR ADVERTISEMENT). Isn’t it great when you can write about something you believe in and want to write about AND have it benefit your family a bit?

Ok, so let’s talk about this class… And let’s talk quick because there’s only a few days left to sign up!!

Do you want to be a healthier? Do you want to cook wholesome, nourishing, healthy meals that your family will love? Do you want to do all this within a budget and without spending a fortune on food? The truth is we would probably all answer yes to those questions, wouldn’t we? I know I would. Like all of you, I do my best to make sure that the food I’m placing on my table is healthy for my whole family. And since I don’t work right now and my husband is in the process of starting up his own business, I try to do it in a VERY tight budget. But, sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes I get lost in the sea of “eat this, don’t eat that”. Sometimes I know what I should be feeding my family, but I have no idea how to cook it or how to buy it without breaking the bank. Sometimes I get frustrated. Do you?

Well, this cooking class is exactly what we need.

Here’s the great thing… You can take the class AT YOUR OWN PACE! The video lessons and materials will be posted each week on Tuesday beginning June 1st, but you can watch the video’s and down load the materials ANY TIME THAT IS BEST FOR YOU and AS MANY TIMES AS YOU NEED. When you sign up and pay for this class you will have lifetime access to the information and the class forum. How cool is that? Also, there’s a 14-day, no-questions-asked refund policy. So, really you can’t go wrong!

With this class you’ll get:

  • 12 Comprehensive, Multi-media Online Classes
  • Video Tutorials Teaching You How to Cook Real Food
  • Digital Workbook to Take Notes & Develop Your Own Recipes
  • Charts Outlining Seasonally Available Foods
  • Fact Sheets and Handy Tips Analyzing the Value of Real Food
  • Online Discussion Forum for Members Only
  • Menu Planning Tips & Sample Meal Plans
  • Sample Shopping Lists and Equipment Recommendations
  • SPECIAL BONUS: Discouts & Coupons from Companies I Trust

Here’s the overview of what each of the lessons will cover:

Lesson #1: What is Real Food & Where to Find It
Lesson #2: Soak Whole Grain for Pilafs and Scones
Lesson #3: Homemade Sourdough Bread
Lesson #4: Homemade Salad Dressings
Lesson #5: Braise and Roast Seasonal Vegetables
Lesson #6: Make Real Pickles and Fermented Veggies
Lesson #7: Roasted & Slow-cooked Meats
Lesson #8: Stocks, Broths & Soups
Lesson #9: Easy Homemade Yogurt & Cheese
Lesson #10: How to Make Water Kefir & Kombucha
Lesson #11: Natural Sweeteners, Desserts and Seasonal Fruits
Lesson #12: Menus & Meal Planning
Want to watch the promotional video and find out more? Click here.

Want to sign up NOW? Click here.

I really think this is one of the best resources for healthy cooking and eating that I’ve seen and I highly recommend checking it out.

What are some of your favorite resources for cooking and eating well? I’d love to hear about them.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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Yoga and Prayer: Centering

May 27th, 2010

Sometimes I have a hard time staying focused. Sometimes I am easily distracted. Sometimes I run from one thing to the next barely stopping to breath. Sometimes I feel like I’m always giving. Sometimes I feel off center and unbalanced. Today’s yoga and prayer class was all about getting off that roller coaster. It was about stopping, focusing, centering.

Here’s what we did:

We started the time with a prayer Labyrinth (walk labyrinth into the center). I made a labyrinth on the floor of our living room using duct tape. We slowly, meditatively walked the labyrinth while I read a centering prayer I wrote for the occasion:

We move in towards you, Lord,
the Center of All.
We leave the worries of the day,
And draw near to You.
We leave the external things that fight for our attention and allegiance,
And draw near to You.
We leave the struggles, the tears, the heart-ache of this life behind,
And draw near to You.
We leave the joys, the triumphs, the little pleasures,
And draw near to You.

You are the Center
In You is Life
All things come from your hand

You are the Center
We orbit around your Son
To Him be glory and honor both now and always

You are the Center
In you we find our home
Center us in Your spirit

You are the Center
We let go of all else
And grab hold of you.

I had Four Tet playing in the back ground. Once we got to the middle of the labyrinth we all grabbed our mats and did this practice:

Easy Pose – while in easy pose make large circles with the upper body stretching out and working the core.
Lotus hand throw – still sitting in easy pose place hands in lotus shape at chest, then extend arms straight out to the side. Bring arms back to lotus on the exhale and extend arms on the inhale. Do this for about 2-5 minutes
Cat/Cow Pose
Table Top with leg lifts and arm lifts
Child’s pose
Sphinx
Locust
Cobra
Child’s pose and child’s pose with upper body twists
Downward facing Dog
Child’s pose
Bharadvaja’s Twist on both sides
Seated forward fold with belt
Bridge
Reclining half lotus
Reclining leg stretch with belt
Reclining twists
Savasana

I read this prayer from the Celtic Daily Prayer Book while we laid in Savasana:

All that I am, Lord, I place into Your hands.
All that I do, Lord, I place into Your hands.

Everything I work for I place into Your hands.
Everything I hope for I place into Your hands.

The troubles that weary me I place into Your hands.
The thoughts that disturb me I place into Your hands.

I place into Your hands, Lord, the choices that I face.
Guard me from choosing the way perilous of which the end is heart-pain and the secret tear.

Rich in counsel, show us the way that is plan and safe.

After Savasana we again walked the Labyrinth this time moving from the center out to the beginning again. As we walked I read this prayer from the Celtic Daily Prayer Book:

We will journey with the kind-hearted Savior.

Give us the courage to say:
Leave me alone with God as much as may be. As the tide draws the waters close in upon the shore, make me an island, set apart, alone with You, God, holy to You.

Then with the turning of the tide, prepare me to carry Your presence to the busy world beyond, the world that rushes in on me, till the waters come again and fold me back to You.

Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rejoicing in the journey -
Bethany Stedman

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