This summer switch up the classic burger for a grilled portabella mushroom sandwich. It’s a great alternative to beef that will satisfy the meat-eaters and the veggies at your next backyard cookout. Even grilling newbies can cook one of these little guys!
Tag: health
Hat Trick: Staying Safe in the Summer Sun
Summer is officially underway! It’s time to get outside for picnics, beach trips or just sitting in the park, sipping on sun tea and reading this summer’s best-seller.
When you’re making your way out the door this summer, don’t forget your hat. It’s one of the easiest (and in my opinion, most fashionable) ways to stay safe in the sun. But how does it actually help, you may wonder?
Simple Summer Recipe: Mango Salsa
Now that you’ve learned how to dice a mango, what to do with it? You can throw the pieces of one mango into about two cups of your favorite pre-made salsa for tasty semi-homemade recipe. I like to pair mango with a medium or hot salsa because the sweet, cool fruit cuts the heat a little.
If you’re in the mood to make salsa from scratch, give this easy recipe a try.
Cutting Mangos Can Get Dicey
Mango season is almost over, so be sure to scoop up a couple of these yummy fruits the next time you’re in the store. When selecting a mango, pick one that is firm with just a small amount of give. You want a firmness between an apple and a ripe peach.
If you haven’t sliced a mango before, then you may not realize that there is a large seed in the center. You need to be careful to avoid cutting the seed because it’s very hard and your knife could slip and…well…bad things man…bad things. Also, don’t cut too close to the seed because the fruit around it is fibrous and not very tasty. Check out the pictorial below for some tips on how to dice a mango!
Now that you have this wonderful bounty, what shall you do with it? It’s tasty as-is, or you can toss it together with some raspberries and blueberries for a fancy fruit salad. There’s mango martinis, mango smoothies or one of my favorites…mango salsa.
No matter what you pick, it’s bound to be delicous because these little guys are at the peak of freshness and flavor through the end of the month.
Enjoy!
Celebrating the Multi-Generational Traditions of Women
Most of the images on my site are photographed by myself, however; this lovely image came from istockphoto.
I have studied herbalism for many years and enjoy using the knowledge that I have gained to create both simple and complex herbal remedies, delicious teas, tisanes and brews, and to make natural skin and hair care products. I get to share a lot of this knowledge in my weekly column on hellogiggles.com as The 21st Century Herbalist. Once a week I like to repost the column here, just in case you missed it!
Original publish date: September 20, 2012
enerations ago, there were tiny homes cobbled together by the people of the surrounding village, with each neighbor helping the next to create a community. Inside these little homes you’d find simple furnishings and functional décor. Keep looking and you’d notice a fire burning low in the hearth and table made of heavy wood, flanked by empty chairs and benches awaiting their occupants. On shelves sat tools worn with use, yet cared for by the very hands that worked them so hard. If you were to open the cupboards, drawers and cabinets you’d find them brimming with trinkets of nature, bottles of herbal brews, oils, salves and lotions. This is where the secrets of generations past were stored. This is where the true old wives tales were born and this is where they were passed on.
As an herbalist participating in traditions that were started long before I came into existence, I’m interested in the beginnings of these sacred practices. When I use my mortar and pestle, I imagine the wise hands of elders cupping the hands of young ones, showing them the motions and flow needed to grind the herbs. I picture small bottles of golden oils filled with the essences of plants and pure waters from rain, river and well, being set out for the brewing that was to come. Around a table sat women of generations each with a journal, some as large as tomes, filled with the knowledge of their years. Each book was tabbed with bits of ribbon and string, bookmarked with feathers and scrawled with herbal recipes. Back then (and even now) there were the few that could understand the plants, they were attuned to them and they knew how to use them. It was the plant walker that usually became the medicine man or woman of the village. As an herbalist of today, it is these medicine women of the past that I think of when making healing herbal brews. Learning about traditions that started long ago and were enacted as hearth fires were lit, foods
…read more (you’ll be redirected to my column on hellogiggles.com)
The Healing Powers of Drippy Ducks
It’s officially summer! Let the outdoor-free from school-fun begin! Of course, with all of that fun will come bumps, scrapes and bruises, especially for the little kidos in your life and Drippy Ducks are great way to make things all better. My mom used to make these for my brother and I when we were little and I can attest to the fact that they definitely help make booboos better…faster. Just insert an ice cube into the Drippy Duck’s bill and hold on the injury.
Edit: My mom just found the Drippy Duck rhyme that she made up when my brother and I were little, scroll all the way down to see it!
In addition to these fun little duckies, check out my column on hellogiggles.com. This week I’m talking about three great herbal remedies for healing those minor summertime booboos.
I hope your summer is off to a great start! I’d love to see pictures and hear your stories if you give this fun crafty project a try!
