Since the purchase and reading of the "Healing with whole foods" book, quite a bit has changed around here. Our grocery store bill has been reduced by 150.00 a month! Amazingly that $150.00 was contributing to our slow deaths by allowing the purchase and ingestion of chemicals, preservatives and other un natrual items.
This week there were no pre prepared foods purchased. By pre prepared I'm speaking of salads, breads, sauces, condiments, dairy products etc.
In the place of pre prepared foods there where purchases of raw whole organic beans, organic whole wheat flours, wheat berries, steel cut and whole oats, azuki beans, organic fresh vegetables and fruits, fresh organic soy beans, and organic unsweetened unsalted juices, spices fresh herbs. Whoever said that organic was more expensive is just because they consume gluttoness amounts of food. If you purchase what your body needs organic is cheaper.
We drank the Raw unpasteurized, unhomogenized kefir and milk. It defintely tasted different and better. We did consume it alone with no other food product in conjunction as dairy was intended to be consumed by our bodies for proper processing. I really do think though that dairy such as cheeses, kefir and eggs will be a treat in this household consumed maybe a few times a year only, as they are not really needed and the trouble it takes to consume them (must be on an empty stomach and no eating for four hours after ingestion) is not really worth it to us.
Rejuvelac was made and drank. I also used it to make a bread starter, frement oats for oat yogurt and then I reused the wheat berries that were used in processing rejuvelac to plant for wheat grass!
Rejuvelac was a fun experience. I enjoyed the fact that the wheat berries in rejuvelac really represent and entire cycle and can be used from start to finish several times and then planted after use in the rejuvelac process to yield us more goodies like the wheat grass!
The rejuvelac itself is good tasting, like a nutty flavored leamonade. It provides probiotics to us as well as acts as a detoxification agent. I might make it once a month or so for consumption in liquid form but the process while now easy is a long process. I guess anything worth doing well however takes time.
The oat yogurt from fermented rejuvelac and oats suprisingly DID IN FACT taste like yogurt and the texture was smooth as well. It was very filling and quite enjoyable. Unfortunately the after taste I did not enjoy and the smell is pungent at first. Apparently you can decide at what sharpness you like the yogurt and stop the fermentation at any time by sealing and placing the container in the fridge...we shall see, I may try this again, if I'm in the mood for yogurt. I will never purchase yogurt again however organic or not. Keifer maybe if found unhomonegenized and unpasteurized.
The bread starter from rejuvelac was amazing IM THRILLED about the whole wheat sourdough bread that was yielded!!! I cannot wait to produce other such whole and sprouted breads. Although I must add that bread will not be a main staple consumed in this house hold.
The congee I believe is the winner of the week! Both Erik and I have discovered how to make congee the SUPER food! We eat it with cinnamon, stevia and fresh nuts for breakfast as a porridge. We consume it with citrus and curry powder for a dinner. We add tofu or other protein sources to it for a snack or a lunch. Congee is amazing! Congee by the way is simply organic whole brown rice over cooked into a porridge form.
We also steam brown rice for a more grainer texture and to add to meals as supplements.
The azuki beans were soaked for 24 hours and then slow cooked for flavor and texture. The slow cooking process was...well...slow but I have never tasted a better bean in my life time, and to know that they impact our health in such a productive way even gives them a little more kick.
The soy beans I PROCESSED MYSELF at home to make miso paste, which yields us miso salad dressing, miso soup, miso drinks and even miso mayo! Miso is a joy to work with because of its ease.
Today we had congee porridge for breakfast and then consumed azuki beans with home made organic veggie salsa, guacamole and cucumber for lunch. I cannot tell you how amazingly fresh and delicious this felt and how awesome we feel!
The azuki beans were pre slow cooked by myself. The salsa was made from organic onions, tomatos, cilantro, sea salt and jalepenos. NOTHING CANNED BOXED OR JARRED! The guacamole erik made with fresh jalepenos prepared by mincing along with garlic that was salted with sea salt then incorporated into organic avocados. We heated the beans and topped them with guacamole, salsa and chopped cucumber! This was one of the MOST delicious meals of my life time. So much flavor.
I was skeptical reading that food could give you energy and make you feel better, that it actually had healing properties. I thought the healing was more mental from knowing that you were consuming what is good for you. I must say...the healing IS IN FACT PHYSICAL.
After the consumption of whole foods, consumed properly prepared, and paired (pairing is a huge key) you do not feel sluggish, you do feel refreshed and you DO HAVE ENERGY. My body has become a different capsule so to speak. Erik's blood pressure has decreased a significantly without an increase in medication. My stomach problems have lessened, I have lost weight and I WANT to consume water more often.
The lessons that we have learned from the whole makeover of our kitchen are:
- Whole foods do heal.
- You do not need a thing from a box, can or jar to make amazing meals.
- Whole foods physically in fact do make you feel better.
- The preparation process of whole foods is not as time consuming as predicted.
- Calcium from alternate sources (NOT DAIRY) works much better and is used properly by our bodies.
- Calcium from dairy is a no no as it causes arthritis, alzheimers disease and artheriosclreosis.
- Organic foods are MUCH cheaper and living organically/whole is much cheaper than living processed and fake.
- Wheat berries and brown rice are amazingly versatile super foods.
I have lost a total of 9 lbs in a 18 day period.
Erik has lost a total of 11 lbs in a 12 day period.
Sunday, January 18
Wednesday, January 14
Revealed
Just completed the reading of Susan Cheever's most recent work titled: "Desire, Where sex meets addiction." The book is personal to me because it deals with issues that I find prominent in my life. I won't disclose those issues here to save everyone from boredom but I will say that the book sheds a new light on addiction. I found the entire work captivating from cover to cover, as a matter of fact it took me four hours to finish the 200 some odd paged book.
The book is not entirely about sexual addiction but it defines sexual addiction as the most acceptable of all addicictions/obsessions. In using sexual addiction as an core or as i like to think of it as a needle attached piece of string it weaves its way through the various views of addiction. Susan takes us through the history, psychology, philosophy, physiology, biology and even the religion of addiction. She address the history of Alcoholics Anonymous and the roots of addiction recognition. The book ends in recent times, six months ago as a matter of fact, and brings us through our understanding of addiction to date as an American society.
The wrap up of her the author's journey is one that is surprising and unexpected but none the less captivating and inspiring. A must read for every person of my generation whether touched by addiction directly or far removed from its talons.
In reading this book it tied into my recent studies and ponderings of life. In my previous blog about child rearing I surfaced my concerns about the four aspects of disciplene. I also brought forth my belief that fostering disciplene is encouraged or motivated by love.
The insight from Susan's newest book, has given me a more through prespective of love and thus allowed me to chip away at the rock that traps my wholeness. I have come to understand that part of the reason I feel anxious about my life, my role changes and my ability to be at peace with myself currently is because of my childhood. I agree that the person I'm now has been shaped by genetics, environment, socialization but I will not deny that before every being molded by those tools my parents and their rearing of me played a great part. I do believe that it was the molding by my parents that influenced the ways in which i interacted with external forces and the ways upon which they acted upon me.
I'm one who is found quick to upset at someone who busies them self with blaming the world around them for their condition, as i firmly believe that possessing and external locus of self control is devistating to growth. I'm one who is disgusted when I catch myself tinkering with believing that the external world is at fault for my happiness or lack there of whichever I may be experiencing at the time.
Despite all of these understandings I have uncovered a certain reason for my destructive desires, addictions and lack of integrity at times. The reason for these destroyers of my wholeness is soley the teachings and devalue that my mother placed on integrity and honesty. My mother was an honest person when honesty benefitted her. I firmly believe that her motives in life where self serving and selfish. Although my mother is not all to blame for these reasoning mechanisims as my mother and my aunt are all apples from the same tree, my grandmother. I'm able to recognize the purely selfish motives that have transcended through the maternal female portion of my family.
My mother and her mother and so on and so forth where all women who dared not blame themselves or take accountability for any wrong doing. They were all victims. This victim mentality can only be traced as far back as my grandmother and great aunts since they were all orphaned as mere children, the oldest being 5 and the youngest, my grandmother 6 months. In being orphaned they were victimized or at least that is the running theme in the stories they have passed onto us. This victim mentality which has been taught to my mother was always something that I despised. In my journals from the lowly age of 8 I recorded the disgust of my mother's actions. In my writings it is evident that I was aware that I was never really wanted or loved by her. I have been told that by her throughout my lifetime in times that she was upset. I never really dismissed the belief.
As I matured and aged, in order to hide these feelings of resentment towards me she would learn to lie to me and teach me to lie. In order to justify and excuse her lack of responsibility and accountability for her actions my mother tried to foster in me the difference between lying and fibbing. All the while I never saw the difference, to me, a lie was a lie. There were great differences between my mother and I in my teenage years that wedged a seperation between us and and today are partially responsible for a distant superficial relationship where neither of us truly accept or care to understand one another. This lack of understanding of my mother has brought me frustration, anxiety and grief. I have almost lost my mother to her illness on two occasions and looking back her life was spared I believe so that I might be given a chance to further examine my faults and their genesis.
Upon reviewing my studies over the past few months I have come to a greater understanding of how to deal with the demons in my life, and how to better prepare myself to influence the life of a child and be a wife and confidant to my husband. The past few years and months have not been with out folley and faux pas, but they have generated a richer understanding of what path I must follow to transcend self deception, and thus avoid destruction.
I'm coming along in the healing process. A month ago I was outraged that my mother had lied to me about something. She still does not know that I know that she lied and is still lying to me. Quickly after the discovery of the lie and manifestation of outrage I became quietly inquisitve. Today through the comprehension of my current reading I was englightened. The reason I was so upset with my mother's lack of integrity was because I was still viewing her as an influencial person in my lifetime, as by all means I should be able to. I know that it is a parents responsibility to foster honesty and integrity and to discourage falsifications as they prevent one from truly living life and developing relationships with others in the personal and professional world. A parent who teaches dishonesty fosters a child who does not trust, who does not understand ethical principles and thus lives a life of despair and constant dissapointment in oneself. I have truly experienced these bleak feelings throughout my growing process more often than not.
With the understanding that my mother did not correctly instill integrity into me, I can now go on to correct that mis step. In correcting that mis step there must also come an embrace of my faults, responsibility for the actions that may have caused others harm from my faults and the forgiveness of my mother. I'm glad to have made this step, although it seems minor at the moment it instinctually feels much greater than I currently know it to be.
I can be a better person despite my past.
The book is not entirely about sexual addiction but it defines sexual addiction as the most acceptable of all addicictions/obsessions. In using sexual addiction as an core or as i like to think of it as a needle attached piece of string it weaves its way through the various views of addiction. Susan takes us through the history, psychology, philosophy, physiology, biology and even the religion of addiction. She address the history of Alcoholics Anonymous and the roots of addiction recognition. The book ends in recent times, six months ago as a matter of fact, and brings us through our understanding of addiction to date as an American society.
The wrap up of her the author's journey is one that is surprising and unexpected but none the less captivating and inspiring. A must read for every person of my generation whether touched by addiction directly or far removed from its talons.
In reading this book it tied into my recent studies and ponderings of life. In my previous blog about child rearing I surfaced my concerns about the four aspects of disciplene. I also brought forth my belief that fostering disciplene is encouraged or motivated by love.
The insight from Susan's newest book, has given me a more through prespective of love and thus allowed me to chip away at the rock that traps my wholeness. I have come to understand that part of the reason I feel anxious about my life, my role changes and my ability to be at peace with myself currently is because of my childhood. I agree that the person I'm now has been shaped by genetics, environment, socialization but I will not deny that before every being molded by those tools my parents and their rearing of me played a great part. I do believe that it was the molding by my parents that influenced the ways in which i interacted with external forces and the ways upon which they acted upon me.
I'm one who is found quick to upset at someone who busies them self with blaming the world around them for their condition, as i firmly believe that possessing and external locus of self control is devistating to growth. I'm one who is disgusted when I catch myself tinkering with believing that the external world is at fault for my happiness or lack there of whichever I may be experiencing at the time.
Despite all of these understandings I have uncovered a certain reason for my destructive desires, addictions and lack of integrity at times. The reason for these destroyers of my wholeness is soley the teachings and devalue that my mother placed on integrity and honesty. My mother was an honest person when honesty benefitted her. I firmly believe that her motives in life where self serving and selfish. Although my mother is not all to blame for these reasoning mechanisims as my mother and my aunt are all apples from the same tree, my grandmother. I'm able to recognize the purely selfish motives that have transcended through the maternal female portion of my family.
My mother and her mother and so on and so forth where all women who dared not blame themselves or take accountability for any wrong doing. They were all victims. This victim mentality can only be traced as far back as my grandmother and great aunts since they were all orphaned as mere children, the oldest being 5 and the youngest, my grandmother 6 months. In being orphaned they were victimized or at least that is the running theme in the stories they have passed onto us. This victim mentality which has been taught to my mother was always something that I despised. In my journals from the lowly age of 8 I recorded the disgust of my mother's actions. In my writings it is evident that I was aware that I was never really wanted or loved by her. I have been told that by her throughout my lifetime in times that she was upset. I never really dismissed the belief.
As I matured and aged, in order to hide these feelings of resentment towards me she would learn to lie to me and teach me to lie. In order to justify and excuse her lack of responsibility and accountability for her actions my mother tried to foster in me the difference between lying and fibbing. All the while I never saw the difference, to me, a lie was a lie. There were great differences between my mother and I in my teenage years that wedged a seperation between us and and today are partially responsible for a distant superficial relationship where neither of us truly accept or care to understand one another. This lack of understanding of my mother has brought me frustration, anxiety and grief. I have almost lost my mother to her illness on two occasions and looking back her life was spared I believe so that I might be given a chance to further examine my faults and their genesis.
Upon reviewing my studies over the past few months I have come to a greater understanding of how to deal with the demons in my life, and how to better prepare myself to influence the life of a child and be a wife and confidant to my husband. The past few years and months have not been with out folley and faux pas, but they have generated a richer understanding of what path I must follow to transcend self deception, and thus avoid destruction.
I'm coming along in the healing process. A month ago I was outraged that my mother had lied to me about something. She still does not know that I know that she lied and is still lying to me. Quickly after the discovery of the lie and manifestation of outrage I became quietly inquisitve. Today through the comprehension of my current reading I was englightened. The reason I was so upset with my mother's lack of integrity was because I was still viewing her as an influencial person in my lifetime, as by all means I should be able to. I know that it is a parents responsibility to foster honesty and integrity and to discourage falsifications as they prevent one from truly living life and developing relationships with others in the personal and professional world. A parent who teaches dishonesty fosters a child who does not trust, who does not understand ethical principles and thus lives a life of despair and constant dissapointment in oneself. I have truly experienced these bleak feelings throughout my growing process more often than not.
With the understanding that my mother did not correctly instill integrity into me, I can now go on to correct that mis step. In correcting that mis step there must also come an embrace of my faults, responsibility for the actions that may have caused others harm from my faults and the forgiveness of my mother. I'm glad to have made this step, although it seems minor at the moment it instinctually feels much greater than I currently know it to be.
I can be a better person despite my past.
Tuesday, January 13
Childecoration
And upon thinking about having a child...there is a fun side that I'm sure I would enjoy as well. I found these ideas on other blogs and simply fell in love with them. The first set of photos are ideas for a childs first birthday party or a baby shower that I completely adore! It is just a color themed party for either gender. This entire Birthday party can be done for under $100.00
Coloring Wall for the and Paint Stations
Candy Wall
Colorful cupcake treats
Candy Plants
Buffet Table will be served with colored fruits and veggies, Rainbow Jello and Rainbow M&MS
Twister Wall Banner
Table Centerpieces are Fisher Price Rainbow Toys
Color Candy cake
Colored Labels for the soda cans and Water in different colors
And of course rainbow balloons
Then the next set of black and white themed paraphenalia is the theme I ADORE for a nursery! It would be perfect for either gender and can be accented with bold solid colored items.
Last but not least are the COOLEST blocks ever which would make and amazing toy for a child. Each one of the letter carved blocks has a scientific related object that correlates with the letter! How awesome are those?
http://www.xylocopa.com
Coloring Wall for the and Paint Stations
Candy Wall
Colorful cupcake treats
Candy Plants
Buffet Table will be served with colored fruits and veggies, Rainbow Jello and Rainbow M&MS
Twister Wall Banner
Table Centerpieces are Fisher Price Rainbow Toys
Color Candy cake
Colored Labels for the soda cans and Water in different colors
And of course rainbow balloons
Then the next set of black and white themed paraphenalia is the theme I ADORE for a nursery! It would be perfect for either gender and can be accented with bold solid colored items.
Last but not least are the COOLEST blocks ever which would make and amazing toy for a child. Each one of the letter carved blocks has a scientific related object that correlates with the letter! How awesome are those?
http://www.xylocopa.com
Child Rearing
There are days when I think that I'm definitely ready to expand our little family, and add a baby, much like today. Then there are days when I cannot sleep at the thought of how I'm no way near ready to have a baby quite yet.
The reasons that I would love to have a baby are:
- A playmate.
- I want to nurture and influence life.
- I love children.
- I would love to share the world with a child.
- Erik and I both want a child.
- I'm getting older and my body is READY now.
- I'm more ready than I have ever been financially to have a child. (but i could be more ready)
- I want to share parenthood with my parents, inlaws, and loved ones that will not be around much longer.
The reasons I'm afraid:
- A child is a full time job
- I have issues in my life that I still need to come to terms with and there are aspects of my personality that i DON'T want to bring into rearing a child.
- The can be a scary and dangerous place for a child right now, these are uncertain times.
- A child is not a play toy or for convinence purposes, it requires love all of the time.
- My body is old and ready but it could weaken quickly.
- I'm not as financially ready as I would like to be.
So many people are telling me that having a child is easy, and things just come naturally but what I want for my children is something different than that. I want to be in a situation where I'm physcially and mentally healthy so that I can give my all to my children. I do not want negative influences from the outside world pressuring me into upset because my child will see and feel that. I don't think that it is fair that I bring a child into a situation where it could and would be affected by negative forces such as a bad economy, environment etc.
One of the ways in which I guage my "readiness" for having a child is by looking at the standards and requirements for ADOPTING a child. For adopting a child you must:
- Meet certain income requriements
- Preform at a certain level on academic/educational tasks.
- Be evaluated and critiqued by a psychiatrist.
- Preform at a certain standard on mental and personality inventories.
- Preform to certain standards on exams in regards to child rearing.
Now I have taken samples of the academic exams, we meet the financial requirements, I excelled in the area of child rearing but the personality and mental inventories are what discourage me.
Here is what I believe:
Life is a series of problems. From a basic level to the grander scheme of things life is about learning and we learn through solving problems. I ask myself constantly, "Julieann, do you want to moan and whine about your problems or solve them?" "Julieann, Do you want to teach your children to whine and moan or do you want to teach them to solve problems?" I agree that there are times when I much rather whine still, and that would NOT make for a good parent.
You see, disciplene is the basic set of tools which we require to solve life's problems. WITHOUT DISCIPLENE WE CAN SOLVE NOTHING, WITH ONLY SOME DISCIPLENE WE CAN SOLVE ONLY SOME PROBLEMS, BUT WITH TOTAL DISCIPLENE WE CAN SOLVE ALL PROBLEMS.
Both Jesus and Buddha taught this philosophy.
The whole process of meeting and solving problems is what gives life meaning.
Benjamin Franklin said: "Those things that hurt, instruct."
Wise people learn to not dread but to WELCOME problems. Most of us are not so wise, fearing the pain and anguish that comes with problem solving and self disciplene. Most of us attempt to avoid problems DENIYING looking at the WHAT IF scenarios, pretending that everything will be okay. The wise person looks at those things, prepares for them, and then moves on, that way if the WHAT IF's DO in fact arise the wise person is already equipped to deal with them.
What makes life difficult is the PROCESS of solving problems. Problems depending upon their nature evoke feelings of grief, frustration, saddness, guilt, lonlieness, regret, anger, anxiety, fear and even despair. Sometimes we choose to give into these feelings too much, as a parent YOUR JOB is to TEACH your children how to embrace these feelings and then USE THEM to solve problems. How do i teach a child that if I don't even completely know how?
PROBLEM SOLVING comes from DISCIPLENE. Self disciplne that is. When we teach ourselves and our children discipline, we are teaching them and ourselves how to suffer and also how to grow.
DISCIPLENE is actually not one thing or trait but rather a set of tools that are used to solve problems CONSTRUCTIVELY and FACE and DEAL appropriately with problems.
There are four tools of disciplene:
1 - Delaying of gratification
2 - Acceptance of responsibility
3 - Dedication to truth
4- Balancing
These tools are not complex. The problem is NOT in the COMPLEXITY of these tools but rather in the WILLINGNESS to use them. If one seeks to avoid legitimate suffering (and stunt their own growth) then owne will avoid using these tools.
THE KEY TO USING THESE TOOLS and what gives us the WILL to use these tools is LOVE.
The question that I have is, "Is my love for a child, for myself, strong enough to want to use these tools?"
The reasons that I would love to have a baby are:
- A playmate.
- I want to nurture and influence life.
- I love children.
- I would love to share the world with a child.
- Erik and I both want a child.
- I'm getting older and my body is READY now.
- I'm more ready than I have ever been financially to have a child. (but i could be more ready)
- I want to share parenthood with my parents, inlaws, and loved ones that will not be around much longer.
The reasons I'm afraid:
- A child is a full time job
- I have issues in my life that I still need to come to terms with and there are aspects of my personality that i DON'T want to bring into rearing a child.
- The can be a scary and dangerous place for a child right now, these are uncertain times.
- A child is not a play toy or for convinence purposes, it requires love all of the time.
- My body is old and ready but it could weaken quickly.
- I'm not as financially ready as I would like to be.
So many people are telling me that having a child is easy, and things just come naturally but what I want for my children is something different than that. I want to be in a situation where I'm physcially and mentally healthy so that I can give my all to my children. I do not want negative influences from the outside world pressuring me into upset because my child will see and feel that. I don't think that it is fair that I bring a child into a situation where it could and would be affected by negative forces such as a bad economy, environment etc.
One of the ways in which I guage my "readiness" for having a child is by looking at the standards and requirements for ADOPTING a child. For adopting a child you must:
- Meet certain income requriements
- Preform at a certain level on academic/educational tasks.
- Be evaluated and critiqued by a psychiatrist.
- Preform at a certain standard on mental and personality inventories.
- Preform to certain standards on exams in regards to child rearing.
Now I have taken samples of the academic exams, we meet the financial requirements, I excelled in the area of child rearing but the personality and mental inventories are what discourage me.
Here is what I believe:
Life is a series of problems. From a basic level to the grander scheme of things life is about learning and we learn through solving problems. I ask myself constantly, "Julieann, do you want to moan and whine about your problems or solve them?" "Julieann, Do you want to teach your children to whine and moan or do you want to teach them to solve problems?" I agree that there are times when I much rather whine still, and that would NOT make for a good parent.
You see, disciplene is the basic set of tools which we require to solve life's problems. WITHOUT DISCIPLENE WE CAN SOLVE NOTHING, WITH ONLY SOME DISCIPLENE WE CAN SOLVE ONLY SOME PROBLEMS, BUT WITH TOTAL DISCIPLENE WE CAN SOLVE ALL PROBLEMS.
Both Jesus and Buddha taught this philosophy.
The whole process of meeting and solving problems is what gives life meaning.
Benjamin Franklin said: "Those things that hurt, instruct."
Wise people learn to not dread but to WELCOME problems. Most of us are not so wise, fearing the pain and anguish that comes with problem solving and self disciplene. Most of us attempt to avoid problems DENIYING looking at the WHAT IF scenarios, pretending that everything will be okay. The wise person looks at those things, prepares for them, and then moves on, that way if the WHAT IF's DO in fact arise the wise person is already equipped to deal with them.
What makes life difficult is the PROCESS of solving problems. Problems depending upon their nature evoke feelings of grief, frustration, saddness, guilt, lonlieness, regret, anger, anxiety, fear and even despair. Sometimes we choose to give into these feelings too much, as a parent YOUR JOB is to TEACH your children how to embrace these feelings and then USE THEM to solve problems. How do i teach a child that if I don't even completely know how?
PROBLEM SOLVING comes from DISCIPLENE. Self disciplne that is. When we teach ourselves and our children discipline, we are teaching them and ourselves how to suffer and also how to grow.
DISCIPLENE is actually not one thing or trait but rather a set of tools that are used to solve problems CONSTRUCTIVELY and FACE and DEAL appropriately with problems.
There are four tools of disciplene:
1 - Delaying of gratification
2 - Acceptance of responsibility
3 - Dedication to truth
4- Balancing
These tools are not complex. The problem is NOT in the COMPLEXITY of these tools but rather in the WILLINGNESS to use them. If one seeks to avoid legitimate suffering (and stunt their own growth) then owne will avoid using these tools.
THE KEY TO USING THESE TOOLS and what gives us the WILL to use these tools is LOVE.
The question that I have is, "Is my love for a child, for myself, strong enough to want to use these tools?"
Monday, January 12
Already
It's only 0900 and...
I received Rain Makes Applesauce in the mail and read it cover to cover.
Tasted and purchased non homogenized plain goat kefier and Raw un pasteurized milk.
Realized that an actress I adored when I was 13, Kirstie Alley, turned 58 today.
Listened to Nirvana's "Teen Spirit" and became nostalgic about high school.
Learned how to re park the car now that the surfboards are in the garage.
Tended to my indoor herb garden.
Received two netflix movies in the mail, one being "Into the Wild."
Carried most of my junk from the car into the house.
Had to deal with people with severe personality disorders (at work).
Made and drank a tincture.
Reviewed how to make Rejuvelac.
Scouted out organic grains and the best place to purchase.
I may just work on the photograph of the moon and go to sleep for a bit.
I received Rain Makes Applesauce in the mail and read it cover to cover.
Tasted and purchased non homogenized plain goat kefier and Raw un pasteurized milk.
Realized that an actress I adored when I was 13, Kirstie Alley, turned 58 today.
Listened to Nirvana's "Teen Spirit" and became nostalgic about high school.
Learned how to re park the car now that the surfboards are in the garage.
Tended to my indoor herb garden.
Received two netflix movies in the mail, one being "Into the Wild."
Carried most of my junk from the car into the house.
Had to deal with people with severe personality disorders (at work).
Made and drank a tincture.
Reviewed how to make Rejuvelac.
Scouted out organic grains and the best place to purchase.
I may just work on the photograph of the moon and go to sleep for a bit.
Saturday, January 10
Softer
www.webesharin.com
A place to save money and the earth.
Stretching fabric softner sheets.
Take liquid fabric softer and pour 2 ounces in a 32 ounce spray bottle. Dilute with 20 ounces of water and mix.
Spray reusable cloth sheet with fabric softner before tossing in the dryer with wet clothing. You won't have to worry about matching the scent of your liquid softner with unmatched fabric sheets. It saves money and the reduces waste.
A place to save money and the earth.
Stretching fabric softner sheets.
Take liquid fabric softer and pour 2 ounces in a 32 ounce spray bottle. Dilute with 20 ounces of water and mix.
Spray reusable cloth sheet with fabric softner before tossing in the dryer with wet clothing. You won't have to worry about matching the scent of your liquid softner with unmatched fabric sheets. It saves money and the reduces waste.
Thursday, January 8
Silence
Currently I'm reading:
This is a must read for every man,woman and child. If it doesn't serve as an inspiration for us to change then it will at the very least reveal to us how and why we will need to learn to live extremely devistating lives of ill being and eventually sucummb to an early death. Don't forget to check out the links below
The Story of Silent Spring
How a courageous woman took on the chemical industry and raised important questions about humankind's impact on nature.
Although their role will probably always be less celebrated than wars, marches, riots or stormy political campaigns, it is books that have at times most powerfully influenced social change in American life. Thomas Paine's Common Sense galvanized radical sentiment in the early days of the American revolution; Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe roused Northern antipathy to slavery in the decade leading up to the Civil War; and Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, which in 1962 exposed the hazards of the pesticide DDT, eloquently questioned humanity's faith in technological progress and helped set the stage for the environmental movement.
Carson, a renowned nature author and a former marine biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was uniquely equipped to create so startling and inflammatory a book. A native of rural Pennsylvania, she had grown up with an enthusiasm for nature matched only by her love of writing and poetry. The educational brochures she wrote for the Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as her published books and magazine articles, were characterized by meticulous research and a poetic evocation of her subject.
"Things Go Out of Kilter"
Carson was happiest writing about the strength and resilience of natural systems. Her books Under the Sea Wind, The Sea Around Us (which stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for 86 weeks), and The Edge of The Sea were hymns to the inter-connectedness of nature and all living things. Although she rarely used the term, Carson held an ecological view of nature, describing in precise yet poetic language the complex web of life that linked mollusks to sea-birds to the fish swimming in the ocean's deepest and most inaccessible reaches.
DDT, the most powerful pesticide the world had ever known, exposed nature's vulnerability. Unlike most pesticides, whose effectiveness is limited to destroying one or two types of insects, DDT was capable of killing hundreds of different kinds at once. Developed in 1939, it first distinguished itself during World War II, clearing South Pacific islands of malaria-causing insects for U.S. troops, while in Europe being used as an effective de-lousing powder. Its inventor was awarded the Nobel Prize.
When DDT became available for civilian use in 1945, there were only a few people who expressed second thoughts about this new miracle compound. One was nature writer Edwin Way Teale, who warned, "A spray as indiscriminate as DDT can upset the economy of nature as much as a revolution upsets social economy. Ninety percent of all insects are good, and if they are killed, things go out of kilter right away." Another was Rachel Carson, who wrote to the Reader's Digest to propose an article about a series of tests on DDT being conducted not far from where she lived in Maryland. The magazine rejected the idea.
Silent Spring
Thirteen years later, in 1958, Carson's interest in writing about the dangers of DDT was rekindled when she received a letter from a friend in Massachusetts bemoaning the large bird kills which had occured on Cape Cod as the result of DDT sprayings. The use of DDT had proliferated greatly since 1945 and Carson again tried, unsuccessfully, to interest a magazine in assigning her the story of its less desirable effects. By 1958 Carson was a best-selling author, and the fact that she could not obtain a magazine assignment to write about DDT is indicative of how heretical and controversial her views on the subject must have seemed. Having already amassed a large quantity of research on the subject, however, Carson decided to go ahead and tackle the DDT issue in a book.
Silent Spring took Carson four years to complete. It meticulously described how DDT entered the food chain and accumulated in the fatty tissues of animals, including human beings, and caused cancer and genetic damage. A single application on a crop, she wrote, killed insects for weeks and months, and not only the targeted insects but countless more, and remained toxic in the environment even after it was diluted by rainwater. Carson concluded that DDT and other pesticides had irrevocably harmed birds and animals and had contaminated the entire world food supply. The book's most haunting and famous chapter, "A Fable for Tomorrow," depicted a nameless American town where all life -- from fish to birds to apple blossoms to human children -- had been "silenced" by the insidious effects of DDT.
First serialized in The New Yorker in June 1962, the book alarmed readers across America and, not surprisingly, brought a howl of indignation from the chemical industry. "If man were to faithfully follow the teachings of Miss Carson," complained an executive of the American Cyanamid Company, "we would return to the Dark Ages, and the insects and diseases and vermin would once again inherit the earth." Monsanto published and distributed 5,000 copies of a brochure parodying Silent Spring entitled "The Desolate Year," relating the devastation and inconvenience of a world where famine, disease, and insects ran amuck because chemical pesticides had been banned. Some of the attacks were more personal, questioning Carson's integrity and even her sanity.
Vindication
Her careful preparation, however, had paid off. Anticipating the reaction of the chemical industry, she had compiled Silent Spring as one would a lawyer's brief, with no fewer than 55 pages of notes and a list of experts who had read and approved the manuscript. Many eminent scientists rose to her defense, and when President John F. Kennedy ordered the President's Science Advisory Committee to examine the issues the book raised, its report thoroughly vindicated both Silent Spring and its author. As a result, DDT came under much closer government supervision and was eventually banned. The public debate moved quickly from whether pesticides were dangerous to which pesticides were dangerous, and the burden of proof shifted from the opponents of unrestrained pesticide use to the chemicals' manufacturers.
The most important legacy of Silent Spring, though, was a new public awareness that nature was vulnerable to human intervention. Rachel Carson had made a radical proposal: that, at times, technological progress is so fundamentally at odds with natural processes that it must be curtailed. Conservation had never raised much broad public interest, for few people really worried about the disappearance of wilderness. But the threats Carson had outlined -- the contamination of the food chain, cancer, genetic damage, the deaths of entire species -- were too frightening to ignore. For the first time, the need to regulate industry in order to protect the environment became widely accepted, and environmentalism was born.
Carson was well aware of the larger implications of her work. Appearing on a CBS documentary about Silent Spring shortly before her death from breast cancer in 1964, she remarked, "Man's attitude toward nature is today critically important simply because we have now acquired a fateful power to alter and destroy nature. But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself?[We are] challenged as mankind has never been challenged before to prove our maturity and our mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves."
One of the landmark books of the 20th century, Silent Spring's message resonates loudly today, even several decades after its publication. And equally inspiring is the example of Rachel Carson herself. Against overwhelming difficulties and adversity, but motivated by her unabashed love of nature, she rose like a gladiator in its defense.
Tuesday, January 6
Hopes
Been a while since I have posted, well a while for me. I had a busy weekend, cleaning and recovering from an atrocious work week. I chose not to post anything on New Year's resolutionish, or nostalgic because I was not really in the mood. I also don't believe in resolutions being set just because it is the new year. People will change when people want to change not just because it marks the beginning of some psychological concept of time. Hmph! Enough of the rant.
While I did not post resolutions today I noticed that there are personality aspects that some people display that really bother me. I of course understand that the reason these behaviors bother me so greatly is because I have the potential to exhibit them. I recognize these behaviors as unhealthy and binding to a life of sorrow. I fear these behaviors because I'm at such risk for them. These behaviors that I so dispise are so easy to adopt because they feed the ego. We all seek to have an satisfied ego, unfortunately the quick satisfaction will eventually result in death. It is the entire concept of delayed gratification. We smoke the cigarette, or eat the candy, drink the booze, suck the caffiene, do the drugs or seek the sex in order to feel that LOVELY moment QUICKLY instead of seeking that long term satisfaction that endures through life. The quick fixes in life such as the above mentioned offer us a temporary satisfaction but not without the consequence of death, bad health, depression, or a life of darkness. The quick fixes for the ego also result for us in death, death of the soul, oppression of the spirit and loss of ones inner light.
The quick fixes for the ego are simply behaviors that get us immediate recognition, validation, or acceptance. The behaviors that yield these results are usually behaviors that will quickly be recognized by the truly enlightened as behaviors of mental or spiritual illness. Once these behaviors are recognized as such our actions that seek quick fixes for the ego will become annoying and we will become transparent, having to go to greater extremes to receive satisfaction for our ego. Unfortunately the "greater extremes" will eventually be disregarded or deemed unacceptable by society and we will be found lost, pinpointed and disregarded, the EXACT OPPOSITE of what our souls needs.
The answer to preventing this life of disregard, loneliness and sorrow is to work on developing a silence of the heart and mind. Quieting and taming that inner need to be recognized or adored and learning how to build others up by appreciating what is good in them. In order to become the whole person that I aspire to be, I hope.
I hope that I never see it as acceptable to find the failure in others and bring it to light as to make myself appear better. (I already catch myself doing this in some respects.)
I hope that I never forget what it feels like to be forgiven so that I may always forgive.
I hope that I learn to always let go of the past so that it does not shape my future in a negative way or send me too far down the wrong path. Holding onto the past can quickly eliminate life.
I hope that I learn to accept validation so that I no longer seek it.
I hope that as time goes on I will grow more and more mute so that I can make room for wisdom.
I hope that patience, tolerance, and integrity are things that I will continue to strive for.
While I did not post resolutions today I noticed that there are personality aspects that some people display that really bother me. I of course understand that the reason these behaviors bother me so greatly is because I have the potential to exhibit them. I recognize these behaviors as unhealthy and binding to a life of sorrow. I fear these behaviors because I'm at such risk for them. These behaviors that I so dispise are so easy to adopt because they feed the ego. We all seek to have an satisfied ego, unfortunately the quick satisfaction will eventually result in death. It is the entire concept of delayed gratification. We smoke the cigarette, or eat the candy, drink the booze, suck the caffiene, do the drugs or seek the sex in order to feel that LOVELY moment QUICKLY instead of seeking that long term satisfaction that endures through life. The quick fixes in life such as the above mentioned offer us a temporary satisfaction but not without the consequence of death, bad health, depression, or a life of darkness. The quick fixes for the ego also result for us in death, death of the soul, oppression of the spirit and loss of ones inner light.
The quick fixes for the ego are simply behaviors that get us immediate recognition, validation, or acceptance. The behaviors that yield these results are usually behaviors that will quickly be recognized by the truly enlightened as behaviors of mental or spiritual illness. Once these behaviors are recognized as such our actions that seek quick fixes for the ego will become annoying and we will become transparent, having to go to greater extremes to receive satisfaction for our ego. Unfortunately the "greater extremes" will eventually be disregarded or deemed unacceptable by society and we will be found lost, pinpointed and disregarded, the EXACT OPPOSITE of what our souls needs.
The answer to preventing this life of disregard, loneliness and sorrow is to work on developing a silence of the heart and mind. Quieting and taming that inner need to be recognized or adored and learning how to build others up by appreciating what is good in them. In order to become the whole person that I aspire to be, I hope.
I hope that I never see it as acceptable to find the failure in others and bring it to light as to make myself appear better. (I already catch myself doing this in some respects.)
I hope that I never forget what it feels like to be forgiven so that I may always forgive.
I hope that I learn to always let go of the past so that it does not shape my future in a negative way or send me too far down the wrong path. Holding onto the past can quickly eliminate life.
I hope that I learn to accept validation so that I no longer seek it.
I hope that as time goes on I will grow more and more mute so that I can make room for wisdom.
I hope that patience, tolerance, and integrity are things that I will continue to strive for.
Friday, January 2
Digslikes
Kinda like dislikes, but since most people dig these items, I call them digslikes. Its a word, I made it up. It stands for things others dig that I dislike.
Top 10 (suppossedly) diggable items of 2009 that I dislike.
1 - The phrase "Go Green" (read my blog titled HUE)
2 - Purple Lipcolor. Lips should only be purple when one is dead or dying. Not attractive thanks
3 - Parachute pants. I don't think I need to explain myself in regards to these.
4 - Electroshock color on everything - Yea don't like my cones and rods burned. I'm too plain for this and probably always will be.
5 - Pleated pants for men - NO!
6 - Frankenfood - Food that is biogenetically altered or engineered. I don't trust science when it comes to what I eat especially in this case. I let others be the guiena pigs, this will have to grow on me but for now it gets the digslike category for being un natural.
7 - The Bob is BACK - This hairstyle does not do me any good...so...NO!
8 - Living in a shoe with mother hubbard - It is predicted that more people will be living under one roof due to the economy. Not healthy, and its only because they didn't know how to manage their lives in the first place. I hope they all learn a lesson!
9 - Philadelphia - Nothin against the place but I don't think it should be one of 2009's hottest destinations with no reason why.
10 - Crappy economy - Its inevitable so I will adjust by nature. I'm willing to live frugal and do my part but the government better check itself and start giving to those of us that deserve. Ya know the hardworking, citizens of this country! Yea thanks.
Top 10 (suppossedly) diggable items of 2009 that I dislike.
1 - The phrase "Go Green" (read my blog titled HUE)
2 - Purple Lipcolor. Lips should only be purple when one is dead or dying. Not attractive thanks
3 - Parachute pants. I don't think I need to explain myself in regards to these.
4 - Electroshock color on everything - Yea don't like my cones and rods burned. I'm too plain for this and probably always will be.
5 - Pleated pants for men - NO!
6 - Frankenfood - Food that is biogenetically altered or engineered. I don't trust science when it comes to what I eat especially in this case. I let others be the guiena pigs, this will have to grow on me but for now it gets the digslike category for being un natural.
7 - The Bob is BACK - This hairstyle does not do me any good...so...NO!
8 - Living in a shoe with mother hubbard - It is predicted that more people will be living under one roof due to the economy. Not healthy, and its only because they didn't know how to manage their lives in the first place. I hope they all learn a lesson!
9 - Philadelphia - Nothin against the place but I don't think it should be one of 2009's hottest destinations with no reason why.
10 - Crappy economy - Its inevitable so I will adjust by nature. I'm willing to live frugal and do my part but the government better check itself and start giving to those of us that deserve. Ya know the hardworking, citizens of this country! Yea thanks.
Ceramic
Erik and I officially purchased our "I'm not a paper cup." cup. We have made an agreement to donate our plastic reusables. We are keeping a few plastic reusables to take with us to fast food restaurants to demand that we be given our soda in reusable cups versus disposable. There will be 2 plastic reusables in each car for cold drinks/fast food jaunts. If we leave the house without our ceramic cups we WILL NOT purchase coffee in a to go cup. (We both have resuable mugs for coffee at work)
The Facts
* When you purchase one cup of coffee (or tea) in a disposable container every day, you create about 23 lb of waste each year. -Ideal Bite
* About eighteen percent of garbage we produce is composed of disposable containers, of which hot beverage cups represent a large portion.
* Styrofoam cups are the worst culprits, as it never degrades. Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam cups every ear. Even 500 years from now, the foam coffee cup you used this morning will be sitting in a landfill somewhere. -The Recycler's Handbook
* Starbucks just started rolling out new cups that contain 10% recycled paper. (Whoopee).
Whether made of recycled paper or not, disposable hot beverage cups more often than not end up in landfills.
Using a Ceramic cup one time saves the amount of oil it takes to produce 39 paper cups and 1006 foam cups. Thats just oil for production and shipping! Think how many trees you are saving and the impact on landfills you are reducing.
JUST THINK ABOUT IT
The Facts
* When you purchase one cup of coffee (or tea) in a disposable container every day, you create about 23 lb of waste each year. -Ideal Bite
* About eighteen percent of garbage we produce is composed of disposable containers, of which hot beverage cups represent a large portion.
* Styrofoam cups are the worst culprits, as it never degrades. Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam cups every ear. Even 500 years from now, the foam coffee cup you used this morning will be sitting in a landfill somewhere. -The Recycler's Handbook
* Starbucks just started rolling out new cups that contain 10% recycled paper. (Whoopee).
Whether made of recycled paper or not, disposable hot beverage cups more often than not end up in landfills.
Using a Ceramic cup one time saves the amount of oil it takes to produce 39 paper cups and 1006 foam cups. Thats just oil for production and shipping! Think how many trees you are saving and the impact on landfills you are reducing.
JUST THINK ABOUT IT
Thursday, January 1
Goatscream
Yet another reason I want to own goats!!! I simply must visit this frozen treatery! I wonder if they have Goat Frozen Yogurt or Frozen Goatgurt! Boy I sure love goats!
A place To Visit
A place To Visit
Save the Earth Java
I dislike the phrase, "Go Green." The phrase is to simple and bothersome to me and too cliche. In dissection of the phrase It is apparent that it has caught on to the bandwagon and achieved popular status from its simplicity. The problem is that it is popular and that is about the extent of it. In my biased and narrow minded examination of the way things are I don't really see any changes in the habits of others since "Go Green" has been falling of the tounges of everyone around. If it has changed people, enough to make a dent in the environmental crisis storm we are in the center of then I fear that as soon as the uniquness of the phrase fizzles out along with it the dreams and efforts of those that are motivated by it will also turn into wet ash. Therefore I will not use the phrase "Go Green."
I however, am trying to make a difference to changing the status quo of our environment. As most know 2009 is about simplifying my life. When I was 10 I started and environmental group in my neighborhood. We met in our tree house. One year for Christmas we made over 1300 reindeer candy canes and sold them. The profits went to the Surfrider foundation! We raised money and participated in the earth walk in 1993. My parents always encouraged us as children to be "environmentally aware." We had book after book and our parents engaged us in a variety of projects such as creating volleyball nets out of plastic six pack rings in order to keep our minds actively thinking about what we could do to make a difference. In college I pursued a Master's Degree in environmental studies but was influenced into environmental law. After my path was so diverted I finally became an RN, however I never lost my compassion and desire to assist the environment with its wellness.
I don't per se believe in "Going green." I believe in being green, and blue, and red and black. I believe in living a life of variety and wellness that flows in harmony with the environment. When you understand your lifestyle through awareness and an open mind then it will become obvious to you how it impacts the world. "Go Green." is a catchy slogan for propaganda but it doesn't teach, instill and steward values that are necessary to change.
I don't feel that I'm in a place to teach and instill those values directly but I do hope that by publicizing the changes that I have made in my life that I can encourage others to understand and maybe adopt some of the methods that I have developed for making an impact.
In recent years every time I purchase coffee from a coffee shop I think about the impact the purchase had on the environment. Not just the cup, lid and holder I'm using but the resources for shipping, the energy utilized to run the coffee shop and the lands that the beans are from. I posted a few posts back about the "This is not a paper cup," cup from DCI, which I have every intention of purchasing. Along with this purchase I think that I have found a solution that will decrease my purchases from coffee shops/houses by about 90%. You see Erik and I only purchase from coffee shops when we are out and about or on our way to work. We usually purchase due to the quality of the coffee we receive. Starbucks lost our buisness when they came out with the lame Pike's Place brew. Didriech's went out of buisness, so most of our purchases are from CB&TL due to their brew quality.
In one of our random weekend trips Will introduced us to some gourmet beans he has shipped in from Ethiopia and the wonders of the French Press. Wife Santa brought a French press into the house for the holidays, and revolutionized our lives!
Since the French press has made it's home on our kitchen counter we have lost all desire to set foot in a coffee shop. We hardly use the coffee maker/brewer we have and we waste a lot less coffee.
I will provide updates about how well this whole plan is working but so far I must say...I think saving the earth will be much more energizing and tasteful than I had thought. This is a double stamp for us, amazing java and less waste! Aw the joys of simplicity! The flavor of coffee tastes even better when its doing a WORLD of good!
I however, am trying to make a difference to changing the status quo of our environment. As most know 2009 is about simplifying my life. When I was 10 I started and environmental group in my neighborhood. We met in our tree house. One year for Christmas we made over 1300 reindeer candy canes and sold them. The profits went to the Surfrider foundation! We raised money and participated in the earth walk in 1993. My parents always encouraged us as children to be "environmentally aware." We had book after book and our parents engaged us in a variety of projects such as creating volleyball nets out of plastic six pack rings in order to keep our minds actively thinking about what we could do to make a difference. In college I pursued a Master's Degree in environmental studies but was influenced into environmental law. After my path was so diverted I finally became an RN, however I never lost my compassion and desire to assist the environment with its wellness.
I don't per se believe in "Going green." I believe in being green, and blue, and red and black. I believe in living a life of variety and wellness that flows in harmony with the environment. When you understand your lifestyle through awareness and an open mind then it will become obvious to you how it impacts the world. "Go Green." is a catchy slogan for propaganda but it doesn't teach, instill and steward values that are necessary to change.
I don't feel that I'm in a place to teach and instill those values directly but I do hope that by publicizing the changes that I have made in my life that I can encourage others to understand and maybe adopt some of the methods that I have developed for making an impact.
In recent years every time I purchase coffee from a coffee shop I think about the impact the purchase had on the environment. Not just the cup, lid and holder I'm using but the resources for shipping, the energy utilized to run the coffee shop and the lands that the beans are from. I posted a few posts back about the "This is not a paper cup," cup from DCI, which I have every intention of purchasing. Along with this purchase I think that I have found a solution that will decrease my purchases from coffee shops/houses by about 90%. You see Erik and I only purchase from coffee shops when we are out and about or on our way to work. We usually purchase due to the quality of the coffee we receive. Starbucks lost our buisness when they came out with the lame Pike's Place brew. Didriech's went out of buisness, so most of our purchases are from CB&TL due to their brew quality.
In one of our random weekend trips Will introduced us to some gourmet beans he has shipped in from Ethiopia and the wonders of the French Press. Wife Santa brought a French press into the house for the holidays, and revolutionized our lives!
Since the French press has made it's home on our kitchen counter we have lost all desire to set foot in a coffee shop. We hardly use the coffee maker/brewer we have and we waste a lot less coffee.
I will provide updates about how well this whole plan is working but so far I must say...I think saving the earth will be much more energizing and tasteful than I had thought. This is a double stamp for us, amazing java and less waste! Aw the joys of simplicity! The flavor of coffee tastes even better when its doing a WORLD of good!
BierGlas
I don't drink wine. It gives me a headache and I find no enjoyment in it, beer on the other hand I heart! Maybe its the fact that I'm 85% German, or maybe I just love beer, either way I always felt a hint of envy that the vino snobs had their wineries and tasting parties, so when I ran across this knowledge I couldn't hesitate to share. For me this is life altering! I have come across the method for beer tasting as well as the following useful information.
So what's in a beer glass? Hopefully beer, but there's much more to be found. Though some beer novices say "the vast majority of glassware is just marketing," this couldn't be further from the truth. As beer advocates, we feel that beer drinkers deserve better than this. So here's the real deal ...
Sure, there's a marketing component to beer glassware, but one only needs to look beyond the branding to discover that something bigger is taking place. As soon as the beer hits the glass, its color, aroma and taste is altered, your eye candy receptors tune in, and your anticipation is tweaked. Hidden nuances, become more pronounced, colors shimmer, and the enjoyment of the beer simply becomes a better, more complete, experience.
Still think it's just marketing? Well the sophomoric pun "head is good" has a mature side. Scientific studies show that the shape of glassware will impact head development and retention. Why is this important? The foam created by pouring a beer acts as a net for many of the volatiles in a beer. What's a volatile? Compounds that evaporate from beer to create its aroma, such as hop oils, all kinds of yeast fermentation byproducts like alcohol, fusels and fruity esters, spices or other additions. So a glass that promotes a healthy foam head may enhance the trapping of certain volatiles. And as varying levels of head retention and presentation are desired with different styles of beers, different styles of glassware should be used accordingly. Presentation marries science.
So which glassware do you use? The answer can often be overwhelming. In Europe, especially Belgium, each brand of beer will often have its own glass. In fact, some breweries have been known to engineer the glass before the beer, and many bars will also stock unique glassware for every brand of beer they serve, which could be hundreds or thousands. And while it's always a good idea to use glassware designed by the brewery for a specific brand of beer, sometimes this is not an option. But fret not! We've complied a quick guide of recommended glassware that will cover most beers and arm you with a very versatile arsenal of glassware.
Flute Glass
Flute Glass The world of champagne lends elegance to certain types of beer. Long and narrow bodies ensure that carbonation doesn't dissipate too quickly and showcase a lively carbonation or sparkling color. Stems will often be a bit shorter than the traditional champagne glass, but not necessarily.
Benefits: Enhances and showcases carbonation. Releases volatiles quickly for a more intense upfront aroma.
Goblet (or Chalice)
Chalice Glass Majestic pieces of work, ranging from delicate and long stemmed (Goblet) to heavy and thick walled (Chalice). The more delicate ones may also have their rims laced with silver or gold, while the heavy boast sculpture-like stems. Some are designed to maintain a 2-centimeter head. This is achieved by scoring the inside bottom of the glass, which creates a CO2 nucleation point, and a stream of eternal bubbles and perfect head retention as a result.
Benefits: Eye candy. Designed to maintain head. Wide-mouthed for deep sips.
Mug (or Seidel, Stein)
Dimpled Mug Glass Heavy, sturdy, large and with handle, the mug is a fun and serious piece of glassware that comes in many sizes and shapes. The best part of using a mug is that you can clink them together with more confidence than other types of glassware, and they hold loads of beer. Seidel is a German mug, while a Stein is the stone equivalent that traditionally features a lid, the use of which dates back to the Black Plague to prevent flies from dropping in.
Benefits: Easy to drink out of. Holds plenty of volume.
Pilsner Glass (or Pokal)
Pilsener Glass Typically a tall, slender and tapered 12-ounce glass, shaped like a trumpet at times, that captures the sparkling effervesces and colors of a Pils while maintaining its head. A Pokal is a European Pilsner glass with a stem.
Benefits: Showcases color, clarity and carbonation. Promotes head retention. Enhances volatiles.
Pint Glass (or Becker, Nonic, Tumbler)
Nonic Pint Glass Near cylindrical, with a slight taper and wide-mouth. There are two standard sizes, the 16-ounce (US Tumbler - the pour man's pint glass and most common) or the 20-ounce Imperial (Nonic), which has a slight ridge towards the top, a grip of sorts and helps in stacking them. The 20-ounce version is preferred to accommodate more beer or beers with large crowning heads. A Becker is the German equivalent, tapering at the top.
Benefits: Cheap to make. Easy to store. Easy to drink out of.
Snifter
Snifter Glass Used for brandy and cognac, these wide-bowled and stemmed glasses with their tapered mouths are perfect for capturing the aromas of strong ales. Volumes range, but they all provide room to swirl and agitate volatiles.
Benefits: Captures and enhances volatiles.
Stange (Slender Cylinder)
Stange Glass A traditional German glass, stange means "stick" and these tall, slender cylinders are used to serve more delicate beers, amplifying malt and hop nuances. Substitute with a Tom Collins glass.
Benefits: Tighter concentration of volatiles.
Tulip
Tulip Glass
A stemmed glass, obviously tulip-shaped, wherein the top of the glass pushes out a bit to form a lip in order to capture the head and the body is bulbous. Scotch Ales are often served in a "thistle glass," which is a modified tulip glass that resembles Scotland's national flower.
Benefits: Captures and enhances volatiles, while it induces and supports large foamy heads.
Weizen Glass
Weizen Glass Nothing beats serving your Weizenbier (wheat beer) in an authentic Bavarian Weizen Glass. These classy glasses, with their thin walls and length, showcase the beer's color and allows for much headspace to contain the fluffy, sexy heads association with the style. Most are 0.5L in size, with slight variations in sizes. Forget the lemon garnish, the citric will kill the head.
Benefits: Specifically produced to take on volume and head, while locking in the banana-like and phenol aromas associated with the style.
Oversized Wine Glass
Wine Glass "A wine glass for beer!?" Yep, an oversized 22oz wine glass will be most suitable for serving most Belgian Ales. Its size allows for headspace, while the open bowl creates an amazing nose. A lot of smart beer bars are now serving their Belgian Ales in these. It also makes for a great crossover conversational piece. "Is that wine that you're drinking?" And you reply, "No, it's De Ranke XX Bitter from Belgium. Wanna try?"
Benefits: Replacement for a Tulip or Goblet. Conversational.
Last but NOT LEAST...
DAS BOOT which is actually not a joke
Beer boots are a German invention (love my heritage) where they are called a "Bierstiefel", however there are varying historical explanations. The history of beer boots is centered around the German military towards the beginning of the 20th century. As with many "traditional" and informal sources the veracity of such claims may be disputable but the tradition itself does have a cultural source.
One Tradition holds that a Prussian general swore to his troops that he would drink beer from his boot dependent on the successful outcome in a coming battle. When victorious, the general ordered a glass fashioned in the shape of a boot to fulfill his promise without "having to taste his own feet".
Another tradition holds that the beer boot began during World War I when German soldiers, having nothing else to drink from, instead passed around an actual leather boot of beer before heading into battle. They would flick the boot before drinking from it for good luck and again after drinking to wish next soldier good luck.
So what's in a beer glass? Hopefully beer, but there's much more to be found. Though some beer novices say "the vast majority of glassware is just marketing," this couldn't be further from the truth. As beer advocates, we feel that beer drinkers deserve better than this. So here's the real deal ...
Sure, there's a marketing component to beer glassware, but one only needs to look beyond the branding to discover that something bigger is taking place. As soon as the beer hits the glass, its color, aroma and taste is altered, your eye candy receptors tune in, and your anticipation is tweaked. Hidden nuances, become more pronounced, colors shimmer, and the enjoyment of the beer simply becomes a better, more complete, experience.
Still think it's just marketing? Well the sophomoric pun "head is good" has a mature side. Scientific studies show that the shape of glassware will impact head development and retention. Why is this important? The foam created by pouring a beer acts as a net for many of the volatiles in a beer. What's a volatile? Compounds that evaporate from beer to create its aroma, such as hop oils, all kinds of yeast fermentation byproducts like alcohol, fusels and fruity esters, spices or other additions. So a glass that promotes a healthy foam head may enhance the trapping of certain volatiles. And as varying levels of head retention and presentation are desired with different styles of beers, different styles of glassware should be used accordingly. Presentation marries science.
So which glassware do you use? The answer can often be overwhelming. In Europe, especially Belgium, each brand of beer will often have its own glass. In fact, some breweries have been known to engineer the glass before the beer, and many bars will also stock unique glassware for every brand of beer they serve, which could be hundreds or thousands. And while it's always a good idea to use glassware designed by the brewery for a specific brand of beer, sometimes this is not an option. But fret not! We've complied a quick guide of recommended glassware that will cover most beers and arm you with a very versatile arsenal of glassware.
Flute Glass
Flute Glass The world of champagne lends elegance to certain types of beer. Long and narrow bodies ensure that carbonation doesn't dissipate too quickly and showcase a lively carbonation or sparkling color. Stems will often be a bit shorter than the traditional champagne glass, but not necessarily.
Benefits: Enhances and showcases carbonation. Releases volatiles quickly for a more intense upfront aroma.
Goblet (or Chalice)
Chalice Glass Majestic pieces of work, ranging from delicate and long stemmed (Goblet) to heavy and thick walled (Chalice). The more delicate ones may also have their rims laced with silver or gold, while the heavy boast sculpture-like stems. Some are designed to maintain a 2-centimeter head. This is achieved by scoring the inside bottom of the glass, which creates a CO2 nucleation point, and a stream of eternal bubbles and perfect head retention as a result.
Benefits: Eye candy. Designed to maintain head. Wide-mouthed for deep sips.
Mug (or Seidel, Stein)
Dimpled Mug Glass Heavy, sturdy, large and with handle, the mug is a fun and serious piece of glassware that comes in many sizes and shapes. The best part of using a mug is that you can clink them together with more confidence than other types of glassware, and they hold loads of beer. Seidel is a German mug, while a Stein is the stone equivalent that traditionally features a lid, the use of which dates back to the Black Plague to prevent flies from dropping in.
Benefits: Easy to drink out of. Holds plenty of volume.
Pilsner Glass (or Pokal)
Pilsener Glass Typically a tall, slender and tapered 12-ounce glass, shaped like a trumpet at times, that captures the sparkling effervesces and colors of a Pils while maintaining its head. A Pokal is a European Pilsner glass with a stem.
Benefits: Showcases color, clarity and carbonation. Promotes head retention. Enhances volatiles.
Pint Glass (or Becker, Nonic, Tumbler)
Nonic Pint Glass Near cylindrical, with a slight taper and wide-mouth. There are two standard sizes, the 16-ounce (US Tumbler - the pour man's pint glass and most common) or the 20-ounce Imperial (Nonic), which has a slight ridge towards the top, a grip of sorts and helps in stacking them. The 20-ounce version is preferred to accommodate more beer or beers with large crowning heads. A Becker is the German equivalent, tapering at the top.
Benefits: Cheap to make. Easy to store. Easy to drink out of.
Snifter
Snifter Glass Used for brandy and cognac, these wide-bowled and stemmed glasses with their tapered mouths are perfect for capturing the aromas of strong ales. Volumes range, but they all provide room to swirl and agitate volatiles.
Benefits: Captures and enhances volatiles.
Stange (Slender Cylinder)
Stange Glass A traditional German glass, stange means "stick" and these tall, slender cylinders are used to serve more delicate beers, amplifying malt and hop nuances. Substitute with a Tom Collins glass.
Benefits: Tighter concentration of volatiles.
Tulip
Tulip Glass
A stemmed glass, obviously tulip-shaped, wherein the top of the glass pushes out a bit to form a lip in order to capture the head and the body is bulbous. Scotch Ales are often served in a "thistle glass," which is a modified tulip glass that resembles Scotland's national flower.
Benefits: Captures and enhances volatiles, while it induces and supports large foamy heads.
Weizen Glass
Weizen Glass Nothing beats serving your Weizenbier (wheat beer) in an authentic Bavarian Weizen Glass. These classy glasses, with their thin walls and length, showcase the beer's color and allows for much headspace to contain the fluffy, sexy heads association with the style. Most are 0.5L in size, with slight variations in sizes. Forget the lemon garnish, the citric will kill the head.
Benefits: Specifically produced to take on volume and head, while locking in the banana-like and phenol aromas associated with the style.
Oversized Wine Glass
Wine Glass "A wine glass for beer!?" Yep, an oversized 22oz wine glass will be most suitable for serving most Belgian Ales. Its size allows for headspace, while the open bowl creates an amazing nose. A lot of smart beer bars are now serving their Belgian Ales in these. It also makes for a great crossover conversational piece. "Is that wine that you're drinking?" And you reply, "No, it's De Ranke XX Bitter from Belgium. Wanna try?"
Benefits: Replacement for a Tulip or Goblet. Conversational.
Last but NOT LEAST...
DAS BOOT which is actually not a joke
Beer boots are a German invention (love my heritage) where they are called a "Bierstiefel", however there are varying historical explanations. The history of beer boots is centered around the German military towards the beginning of the 20th century. As with many "traditional" and informal sources the veracity of such claims may be disputable but the tradition itself does have a cultural source.
One Tradition holds that a Prussian general swore to his troops that he would drink beer from his boot dependent on the successful outcome in a coming battle. When victorious, the general ordered a glass fashioned in the shape of a boot to fulfill his promise without "having to taste his own feet".
Another tradition holds that the beer boot began during World War I when German soldiers, having nothing else to drink from, instead passed around an actual leather boot of beer before heading into battle. They would flick the boot before drinking from it for good luck and again after drinking to wish next soldier good luck.
2009 Hurts
Happy New Years my Hung over Friends!
How to recover from a hangover. Okay, its too late now to do the PRE party planning but scroll down to #3 and follow the instructions from there on. Then prepare for next time by printing out and studying steps 1-5 for next time!
Stole this one form Susan Ciminelli a NY spa owner.
1. Fortify
Before you leave the house, take the following supplements:
B Complex, which is eaten up from alcohol
Milk Thistle, which supports liver function
Anti-oxidants, which also get destroyed by booze.
2. Prehydrate
While out, drink one glass of water after each alcoholic drink. (You knew that, we know. But start doing it!)
3. Rehydrate…The morning after,
Drink eight ounces of water with lemon.
Eat oatmeal to clear the acidity of the blood
Eat a few cucumbers to rehydrate the system.
Have an apple, a pear, and some Acidophilus to adjust the colon to the shock of the alcohol, preventing blemishes and guarding against disease. (Sure it’s gross. But it’s your own darn fault.)
4. Detox
Later in the day, have some adzuki-bean soup, which helps remove alcohol from your blood.
5. Repent
Swear you’ll never drink again. Then start at the top.
How to recover from a hangover. Okay, its too late now to do the PRE party planning but scroll down to #3 and follow the instructions from there on. Then prepare for next time by printing out and studying steps 1-5 for next time!
Stole this one form Susan Ciminelli a NY spa owner.
1. Fortify
Before you leave the house, take the following supplements:
B Complex, which is eaten up from alcohol
Milk Thistle, which supports liver function
Anti-oxidants, which also get destroyed by booze.
2. Prehydrate
While out, drink one glass of water after each alcoholic drink. (You knew that, we know. But start doing it!)
3. Rehydrate…The morning after,
Drink eight ounces of water with lemon.
Eat oatmeal to clear the acidity of the blood
Eat a few cucumbers to rehydrate the system.
Have an apple, a pear, and some Acidophilus to adjust the colon to the shock of the alcohol, preventing blemishes and guarding against disease. (Sure it’s gross. But it’s your own darn fault.)
4. Detox
Later in the day, have some adzuki-bean soup, which helps remove alcohol from your blood.
5. Repent
Swear you’ll never drink again. Then start at the top.
My Cup 2009
2008 was an amazing year. I don't really feel the urge to post a reflection here. I'm yearning for 2009 with anticipation. My hope for 2009 is that it will be growthful for my self and loved ones.
2009, I'm hoping will be a year of learning, changing and refining myself into so that the life that surrounds me is not ever wasted.
2009 is going to be my cup of tea, mug of coffee or glass of beer and of course not with out a gallon of humor, and a splash of realism.
Just to keep with the topic, encourage learning and share something that I discovered, I posted some interesting information below!
In 2009 I'm striving to live a more clean, simple and effective lifestyle so that everyone around me may benefit. Here is a very unique way in which I found to contribute to my plan. This is called "I am Not a Paper Cup." It is a REUSABLE 3.5x6-inch double-walled porcelain cup with a silicone top. What I love about this is that reviews state that unlike other plastic and aluminium mugs/cups this one has a silicone lid that seals on tight for over 1600 uses. Unlike their predecessors the lids are replaceable and you don't have to worry about loosing the seal or the ribbing on the screw in part of the lid stripping or melting during washing! Amazingly brilliant idea says I! Think of all the trees you could save by not using paper cups, and all of the pollutants you could decrease by halting the production of plastic. Not to mention the decreased risk of phalate ingestion!
Check it here: www.popdeluxe.net
I'm in love with these mugs. I found them a few years ago in a magazine on a plane flight. I have yet to purchase them because as you know I don't feel right collecting useless things. Fortunately the more I examine these the more I see their potential.
More info about these mugs and ordering can be found @ the link below.
http://www.suck.uk.com
2009, I'm hoping will be a year of learning, changing and refining myself into so that the life that surrounds me is not ever wasted.
2009 is going to be my cup of tea, mug of coffee or glass of beer and of course not with out a gallon of humor, and a splash of realism.
Just to keep with the topic, encourage learning and share something that I discovered, I posted some interesting information below!
In 2009 I'm striving to live a more clean, simple and effective lifestyle so that everyone around me may benefit. Here is a very unique way in which I found to contribute to my plan. This is called "I am Not a Paper Cup." It is a REUSABLE 3.5x6-inch double-walled porcelain cup with a silicone top. What I love about this is that reviews state that unlike other plastic and aluminium mugs/cups this one has a silicone lid that seals on tight for over 1600 uses. Unlike their predecessors the lids are replaceable and you don't have to worry about loosing the seal or the ribbing on the screw in part of the lid stripping or melting during washing! Amazingly brilliant idea says I! Think of all the trees you could save by not using paper cups, and all of the pollutants you could decrease by halting the production of plastic. Not to mention the decreased risk of phalate ingestion!
Check it here: www.popdeluxe.net
I'm in love with these mugs. I found them a few years ago in a magazine on a plane flight. I have yet to purchase them because as you know I don't feel right collecting useless things. Fortunately the more I examine these the more I see their potential.
More info about these mugs and ordering can be found @ the link below.
http://www.suck.uk.com
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