The act of breathing is often overlooked, relegated to a function that runs in the background but one that doesn't get much attention-- yet, it is so very important to so many areas of life.
Today, I'm including a video for readers to watch and enjoy. Let's celebrate life by . . . breathing!
Autumn gives us a wealth of colors and natural materials that make a perfect medium for fall projects. Brightly hued seasonal materials can be used to make attractive decorations for the home.
Creating an autumn table decoration is a neat way to mark the autumn season.
An autumn table centerpiece adds an especially nice touch when entertaining. If you are planning a family gathering, why not dress up the table with a pretty, budget-friendly autumn table centerpiece?
Learn more about autumn table decorations: what materials to gather to make a stunning centerpiece.
A friend of mine has written an excellent article Getting Plants Ready for Seasonal Changes--Autumn and Winter.
I thought I had a good idea of yard and plant preparation but this article provided some fresh insights.
If you regularly prepare your flower beds for winter and rake your yard so the leaves offer added winter protection, you may find this article on how to protect plants and helpful.
Autumn Offerings
*Fall Gardening--Protecting Potted Mums Over the Winter
*Mulch is a Must for a Healthy, Work-Free Garden
*How to Build an Manure Hotbed and Plant Early Vegetable Garden
Do you enjoy knitting? There's pleasure in making homemade items. It can give you such a good feeling to produce something you've fashioned with your own hands.
On a trip to Newfoundland, I had the good fortune to visit the Viking village and we were introduced to the Norse knitting style called naalbinding. This form of knitting was passed down from the Vikings and employs the use of a single eyed needle.
Naalbinds, as they are called, are challenging to make and result in sturdy, stretchy material. It has been said that naalbinding is a cross between sewing, darning and crocheting. Naalbinded items are truly unique . . .
Learn more about The Ancient Art of Naalbinding
Many of us enjoy tasty pistachios. They make a great little snack. The nuts are soft and creamy and have a distinctive taste. Better yet, pistachios are good for you.
Pistachios have gotten the thumbs up (U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans), and are considered an excellent, nutrient dense food. Nutrient dense foods offer distinct benefits. They contain important vitamins, minerals and other substances supportive of human health.
My article, The Health Benefits of Eating Pistachios has proved popular with readers. If you are looking for a tasty and healthful snack that offers phytonutrients, protein and fiber, pistachios fit the bill.
Pistachios and Antioxidants
Did you know?
Pistachios contain phenolic compounds, which are believed to account for the antioxidant capability of certain foods. The pistachio nut is placed in the highest group for antioxidants.
Red more about the health benefits of eating pistachios
Nuts About Nuts
Nut Butter Nutrition Facts
Eating Tree Nuts for Health
Walnuts and Omega-3s
Ground chick peas can be used to make tasty and nutritious menu items, balls and patties that can be eaten in place of meat.
Falafel is popular with vegetarians but is being adopted by others who have sampled it. It has been standard fare in Middle Eastern countries but is showing up in the West in restaurants and food bars.
Learn more about falafel, what goes into it, how it's cooked, and how it's served.
Vegetarian Fare
How to Use Bean Flour in Cooking
Kamut: Ancient Grain in Modern Times
Lavender Pancakes
As we enjoy beautiful fall days, this is a good time to gather blooms, petals, leaves and vines from the garden. Each year I do this starting with the first flowers in spring and continuing well into fall and until the first frost.
Why gather flowers? These can be pressed and, when it's hard getting out-of-doors, you'll have a supply of natural materials for craft projects.
I like to make pressed flower cards and small pictures as gift items, which are perfect to give out around the holidays. I'm thinking of using pansies and then fixing them to trays and sealing them in for a lovely effect.
If you've seen those lovely pressed flower cards and have always wanted to try your hand at making your own items using pressed flowers, read on to learn how to press flowers for craft projects.
Other Crafting Ideas
The Ancient Art of Naalbinding
How to Create a Christmas Scrapbook
The Ancient Art of Tatting
Captivating Crocheting: Make Doilies, Crocheted Table Runners, Wall Hangings, Curtains and More
Pine Needle Baskets
12 Quick and Easy Crochet Projects for When Time is Short
Frugal Knitting: Knit on the Cheap With Money-Saving Resources
In my last post, I discussed how to stuff and bake zucchini flowers. In today's post, I'm including a link to my article: Carving Zucchinis for Fall Porch Decorations.
This is a kid-friendly project because zucchini skin is easy to cut into. This makes for a safe endeavor for young and old alike.
As gardeners bring in vegetables from the garden, many are looking at ways to either can, freeze, or dry the surplus. A fun way to use up extra zucchini is to carve them for porch decorations to kick off the Autumn season.
It's easy to get started. My article discusses creative how-to's to use up those extra zucchini.
As summer winds down, gardeners are often busy bringing in vegetables from the garden. Around this time, most people find they have an abundance of zucchini.
The great thing about zucchini is that most of the plant is edible. The skin, seeds, flesh, and even the flowers can be eaten.
Zucchini flowers can be dipped in a batter and fried, chopped and added to salads, or stuffed and baked in the oven.
Today's post will take a look at at the latter: how to stuff and bake zucchini flowers.
You can stuff zucchini flowers with a mixture of rice, combined with chopped cooked chicken, turkey or cooked hamburger. Vegetarians may prefer to use rice in combo with grated cheese to stuff their zucchini flowers.
I'm including a link to my article Stuffed and Baked Zucchini Flowers. If you are experimenting with using edible flowers in cooking, this will get you started, with a basic recipe for a stuffing mixture and how-to's for preparing zucchini flowers.
Edible Flowers Resources
Hello Everyone!
I hope you like the new look to Alternative Health/Holistic Living. I think this new look is cleaner, and should make for a functional blog format.
I will be tweaking over the coming weeks so please bear with me.
To kick off the new blog design, today's post is about a recipe I'll share.
Healthful Homemade Sesame Crackers
I just love these homemade sesame crackers. The actual cracker is soft but the sesame seeds add a delightful crunch and because these are baked in the oven, the seeds adopt a lovely toasted flavor.
You control the amounts of sodium and use butter over hydrogenated fats, so these sesame crackers are a healthful alternative to packaged crackers, loaded with salt and who-knows-what other preservatives and chemica
ls.
A girlfriend and I went for a drive and we took a thermos of tea and packed a baggy with sesame crackers. They made such a good pick-me-up, when I pulled to the side of the road to rest. We wanted to take pictures of Cape Split, so traveled to Diligent River, Nova Scotia.
What a wonderful day we had! Such an inspiring view!
Click on the article link below for the recipe:
* Homemade Sesame Crackers: Nutritious and Crunchy Appetizers Fresh From the Oven
Posts
All Comments
