Za ’atar
I’m excited about this season’s Za’atar, because its almost entirely from foraged or home-grown spices.
We picked the sumac along a dirt road in Northern New Hampshire in late June. It was the most luscious, oil-packed, fragrant sumac I’ve ever encountered. (Read about how to find and dry sumac here.)
The oregano and thyme hailed from Pennsylvania and New York City, grown in sis Rosemary and friend Paula’s container gardens, as well as my own window box in the mountains. I dried the sumac by laying them it for a couple of weeks on a cooling rack atop a baking sheet, and the other herbs...
Source: The Blog That Ate Manhattan - November 16, 2023 Category: Primary Care Authors: Margaret Polaneczky, MD Tags: Uncategorized food gifts handmade holiday gift homemade gifts spices Sumac Xmas gift za'atar Source Type: blogs
21 spices for healthy holiday foods
The holiday season is one of the hardest times of the year to resist salty, fatty, sugary foods. Who doesn’t want to enjoy the special dishes and treats that evoke memories and meaning — especially during the pandemic? Physical distancing and canceled gatherings may make you feel that indulging is a way to pull some joy out of the season.
But stay strong. While it’s okay to have an occasional bite or two of marbled roast beef, buttery mashed potatoes, or chocolate pie, gorging on them frequently can lead to weight gain, and increased blood pressure, blood sugar, and “bad” LDL cholesterol.
Instead, skip the butter...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - December 4, 2020 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Heidi Godman Tags: Health Healthy Eating Heart Health Inflammation Nutrition Source Type: blogs
The wildflower meadow myth
What could be more natural more evocative, more quintessentially English than a wildflower meadow nestled in the countryside, teeming with bees and butterflies, day-flying moths and countless other pollinators perhaps home to some ground-nesting birds and dozens of tiny mammals, a complete ecosystem when coupled with the natural reservoir in the neighbouring field?
And your wilding projects? Often the packs of seeds we scatter in our gardens to create a wild area or on roadside versions are cultivated mixes of cornflower, ox eye daisy, borage, (bizarrely) California poppy, and a few others. That said, I’ve tried to g...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - August 25, 2020 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Botany Source Type: blogs
Wilding our gardens with Seedball
A nice big package has arrived from the lovely people at Seedball. As I mentioned previously I am hoping to wild two patches of our front and back gardens to provide a couple of localised ecosystems for invertebrates, such as bees, butterflies, and moths and also to invest in those for the sake of the bats and birds.
Indeed, the various mixes that have arrived after discussions with Seedball are their bee mix, butterfly mix, shade mix, and a bat mix. Each has a wonderful mix wildflower seeds in their clay seed ball system that one simply spreads over the surface of a roughly prepared patch of soil (or in tubs). The balls h...
Source: David Bradley Sciencebase - Songs, Snaps, Science - January 27, 2020 Category: Science Authors: David Bradley Tags: Sciencebase Source Type: blogs
How to Overcome Shyness: 90 Remarkably Fresh Strategies
Note: This post is written by Dan Stelter
Terrified in social situations?
Feel everyone’s eyes on you? Like they can’t wait for you to screw up so they can criticize you?
You may feel it’s impossible to overcome your fear.
Will you be reserved to the corner of the room, or maybe your own home, for your entire life?
Nope.
You can be confident and comfortable in social situations that have haunted you your entire life.
Well, you can if you follow these 90 strategies for overcoming shyness:
Your anxious thoughts lie to you. They always tell you you’ll mess up and someone will reject you. A rare few people do. Most do...
Source: Life Optimizer - April 12, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Dan Tags: Attitude Relationship Source Type: blogs
10 Ways to Beat Insomnia and Get Better Sleep
Two-and-a-half years ago, I experienced a terrible case of insomnia. I took the sleeping drug Lunesta (eszopiclone), which afforded me a few wonderful nights’ sleep until I realized it substantially increased my anxiety during the day. Within a week on the drug, I became addicted, experiencing more and more withdrawal (anxiety) symptoms. Other sleep aids had the same effect — even over-the counter medications like Benadryl (diphenhydramine). So I was forced to figure out how to get my sleep back on track naturally.
I asked anyone I knew who had ever suffered from sleep problems for tips on catching some quality Z...
Source: World of Psychology - January 23, 2017 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Therese J. Borchard Tags: Alternative and Nutritional Supplements Bipolar Depression Mindfulness Sleep Spirituality Chronic Insomnia Circadian Rhythm Melatonin Mood Disorder Sleep Aid Sleep Disorder sleep supplements Source Type: blogs
