Veggie Balls

Ingredients:

2 c lentils

1/4 c plus 2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

2 tsp salt

3 tbsp tomato paste

8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced

3 large eggs

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

1/2 c bread crumbs

1/2 c chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Directions:

1 Bring lentils and 2 quares water to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook until lentils are soft, about 25 minutes. Drain and cool.

2 Saute onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and salt in 1/4 c of olive oil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and stir frequently for 15 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool to room temerature.

3 Add the lentils, eggs, parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley and walnuts to mixture and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Refrigerate for 25 minutes.

4 Preheat oven o 400 degrees.

5 Rol the mixture into about a dozen round, golf ball sized meatballs and place in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish coated with 2 tbsp olive oil, allowing 1/4 inch of space between them.

6 Roast for 30 minutes, or until firm and cooked through.

The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15

A new report issued by the President’s Cancer Panel recommends eating produce without pesticides to reduce your risk of getting cancer and other diseases. According to the Environmental Working Group, certain types of organic produce can reduce the amount of toxins you consume on a daily basis by as much as 80 percent.

The Environmental Working Group put together two lists, “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean 15,” to tell us when we should buy organic and when it may not be necessary. These lists were compiled using data from the United States Department of Agriculture on the amount of pesticide residue found in non-organic fruits and vegetables after they had been washed.
The fruits and vegetables on “The Dirty Dozen” list, when conventionally grown, tested positive for at least 47 different chemicals, with some testing positive for as many as 67. For produce on the “dirty” list, you should definitely go organic .

“The Dirty Dozen” list includes:
celery
peaches
strawberries
apples
domestic blueberries
nectarines
sweet bell peppers
spinach, kale and collard greens
cherries
potatoes
imported grapes
lettuce
All the produce on “The Clean 15” bore little to no traces of pesticides, and is safe to consume in non-organic form. This list includes:
onions
avocados
sweet corn
pineapples
mango
sweet peas
asparagus
kiwi fruit
cabbage
eggplant
cantaloupe
watermelon
grapefruit
sweet potatoes
sweet onions

Yin and Yang

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste the adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." ~Anne Bradstreet

"Completion represents the fundamental relationship between Yin and Yang...according to Tao Teh Ching, any force, object or idea is incomplete and meaningless without reference to its own essential opposite. Good has no meaning without evil to define it, beauty is invisible without ugliness to contrast it...The Taoist way is to recognize and balance the opposing forces underlying all situations and phenomena.." Daniel P. Reid

Tomato-Basil Pasta Primavera

Ingredients:

8 ounces dried whole wheat or whole grain penne or mostaccioli
2 cups Green Giant® frozen sugar snap peas
1 cup assorted fresh vegetables (such as fresh red sweet pepper strips, 2-inch-long pieces trimmed fresh asparagus, and/or quartered-lengthwise packaged peeled baby carrots)
1 cup sliced zucchini or summer squash
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups low-fat milk
1/4 cup dry sherry or Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese (3 ounces)
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil, coarsely chopped
4 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme or oregano
1/3 cup sliced green onions (optional)

1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook pasta according to package directions; add the sugar snap peas and the 1 cup assorted vegetables for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain well. Return to hot Dutch oven. Add zucchini and cherry tomatoes.
2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together chicken broth, flour, and salt until smooth. Stir in milk and sherry. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat; stir in cheese, basil, and thyme.
3. Add herb sauce to pasta mixture; toss gently to coat. Divide among six serving plates. If desired, sprinkle with green onions.

Corpse Pose

The Corpse Pose or Savasana may look like a simple relaxing pose that is done in between or after an Asana, but this exercise requires a lot of concentration and will develop through continued practice. This exercise, if done correctly, will stimulate blood circulation and will lessen or relieve fatigue, nervousness, asthma, constipation, diabetes, indigestion, and insomnia. It will also improve one’s mental concentration.

1. Rotate your legs in and out, and then let them fall gently out to the sides feet hip width apart. 2. Let your arms fall alongside your body, slightly separated from the body, palms facing upwards.
3. Rotate the spine by turning your head from side to side to center it. Then start stretching yourself out, as though someone is pulling your head away from your feet, your shoulders down and away from your neck, your legs down and away from your pelvis.

4. Relax the whole body including the face, let your body feel heavy.
5. Breathe deeply and slowly from your abdomen.
6. Hold the pose for 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of exercise. Catch your thoughts as they come along and then let them go, concentrate on your breath or the body.
7. After doing the pose, bend your knees. Using your legs, push yourself onto one side. Push yourself in a sitting position.

Fresh Country Air

Toxic gases, dust, chemical fumes, and so forth all take the form of positive ions when released into the atmosphere, and these big spongy ions trap and absorb the light little negative ions, leaving the air virtually devoid of vitality. Pure country air contains an average ratio of two or three negative ions for every positive ion. In cities, the ratio drops drastically to one negative ion for every 300-600 postive ions. Negative ions, or chee, are thus the vital difference between pure and polluted air, not oxygen. The Tao of Health... Daniel P Read

Moderation

Moderation is considered a key part of ones personal development in Taoist philosophy and religion and is one of the three jewels of Taoist thought. There is nothing that cannot be moderated including ones actions, ones desires and even thoughts. It is believed that by doing so one achieves a more natural state, faces less resistance in life and recognises their limits.

"To know when you have enough is to be rich beyond measure."

Author Lao Tzu

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Curry

1 butternut squash peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks (approx. 6 c)

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp ground ginger

6 c low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

1 can (approx. 14 oz) coconut milk

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Toss squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast for 3o minutes or until tender. Set squash aside.

3. Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add onoin and saute 10 minutes. Add spices, stirring mixture occasionally for 1 minute.

4. Add broth, coconut milk, and roasted squash. Bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer about 10 minutes to allow flavor to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Carefully transfer mixture to a blender and blend until soup is smooth. Or use an immersion blender if available.

Half Lotus Pose

This is a common posture for meditation. From a seated position cross the legs. Place one foot on top of the opposite thigh. Place the hands on the knees. Touch the first finger with the thumb and extend the other fingers out. The hands can also be placed in front of the chest in prayer position for meditation.

Note regarding your leg position:

There are several different leg positions that are possible while seated this way. The first and simplest is the Burmese position, in which the legs are crossed and both feet rest flat on the floor. The knees should also rest on the floor, though sometimes it takes a bit of exercise to be able to get the legs to drop that far. After awhile the muscles will loosen up and the knees will begin to drop.

Another position is the half lotus, described above, where the left foot is placed up onto the right thigh and the right leg is tucked under. This position is slightly asymmetrical and sometimes the upper body needs to compensate in order to keep itself absolutely straight.

The most stable of all the positions is the full lotus, where each foot is placed up on the opposite thigh. This is perfectly symmetrical and very solid. Stability and efficiency are the important reasons sitting cross-legged on the floor works so well.

Keep in mind, what is most important is what you do with your mind, not what you do with your feet or legs.