Tuesday, August 27, 2013

An Heirloom 'Pineapple Tomato' Sandwich With Avocado And Purple Onion!


Ahhhh the simple pleasures of life! Mmm mmm mmm Are tomatoes a gift from heaven or what? Just finished gobbling down this "Pineapple" heirloom tomato avocado sandwich. Excuse me while I float down from the clouds. I think I tasted a bit of citrus in that last bite. Oh man I want more, and that was the last tomato! Give up your garden fresh tomatoes! I need another 'samich' now!

The warm fresh summer garden tomato sandwiches are the best! When my kids were young and we were monetarily challenged, one summer we only ate the tomatoes from a neighbors garden for our meals. I thought my children would turn red, like those folks who turn orange from only eat carrots for a long period of time. We all survived. And guess what? I never got tired of tomato sandwiches! These days I rarely eat a full on sandwich to avoid the grains, but when I do I make it an awesome experience! So I thought I would share a photo, of this simple lunch or dinner option to get your mouth watering too. It's the simple easy pleasure of fresh organic food.



We used a large beefsteak size heirloom 'Pineapple' tomato from Farmer Tom at our local organic CSA. Looks like a brain, right? Anyway, I think it does. Well... that's because it's smart food! haha! 



The bread came from our local Wegman's food market, an organic nutty seedy bread called 'Marathon.' Wow! That's the best! We buy the sliced version and keep it in the freezer for those times one of us would like to have a sandwich. Just slide the frozen slices in toaster oven for a minute or so and it's ready to go. If you live near a Wegman's market you must check out this bread.



Instead of using mayo I opt mashed avocado. Oh my! "My favorite food in all the world!" Just repeat that sentence like a song!!! I also like to add thin slices of purple onion. This sandwich is a delectable winner. Every single item about this sandwich is made of my favorites! I loved this sandwich so freaking much!!!



Hubby still likes his "Mato Samiches" with mayo, although it is a non-GMO version. Here is a shot of his version of this mighty combo of goodies or goldies! Hope this temps you to enjoy one of the great pleasures of summer before the fall takes hold, and our fresh tomato supply dwindles till next growing season. Add Himalayan salt and some pepper grinds to taste. Big Yum! Big Love! Be happy! Be healthy! Be peace!



Thursday, August 22, 2013

Roasted Cauliflower And Root Vegetables


Loving the many colorful root veggies coming in from the CSA the past couple of weeks! Around here the weather is starting to feel like the Fall season and some of the children are back in school already! I think it's time for some warm comfort food! I often making this quick and easy dish which I wrote about in a post last year called Easy Roasted Root Vegetables. There is a wide variety of options when it comes to what vegetables to use in addition to your root vegetables. Such as asparagus, broccoli, eggplant, Brussel sprouts, and today's choice of cauliflower. It simply has to do with what you have on hand. In my last post I used sweet potatoes, parsnips, and Yukon gold potatoes in the mix as well.

Basically you clean and chop your veg, drizzle some olive or coconut oil, and add spice. Our friend Tamera recommends adding in maple syrup and chili powder for a sweet n' spicy flavor. We have tried the maple syrup and it sure is a wonderful sweet twist! 



This version has organic potatoes from our CSA, organic red carrots from the CSA, Golden and Red Beets from the CSA, organic celery, organic regular carrots, organic purple/red onions, and organic cauliflower. 

I just cleaned up the roots, peeled the beets, and chopped all ingredients. Placed all in a bowl then drizzled barely 1 TB of olive oil, so the spice sticks to the vegetables. (Half of last years amount of oil.) 



The spice I sprinkled over the rainbow of vegetables are Garam Masala, cumin, turmeric, Penzey's Maharaja curry powder, parsley, fresh picked thyme, fresh picked rosemary, and some Penseys 'Mural Of Flavor.' Plus a few grinds of Himalayan salt and pepper. Mix well to coat. Lay out evenly on cookie sheet. You could line your cookie sheet with parchment paper, (although I forgot) for easy clean up! Bake at 370 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn your veg mix, and bake 15 minutes more. All done. 



For another flavor burst... drizzle some balsamic reduction sauce over these vegetables too...just sayin'.




Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Two Of The Best Non-Toxic Deodorants: Terressentials And Coastal Classics


I have found a super protection non-toxic deodorant that even this Queen of hourly hot flashes can recommend! My two favorites which I feature in this post are 'Terressentials Organic Fragrance-free Super Protection Deodorant,' and 'Coastal Classics Creations Wave Crest.' 

When I started learning the truth about processed food, I naturally started looking into the other industrial products in my life that could be hazardous to people. Common antiperspirants contain aluminum which is absorbed into the skin right over a very important lymph gland near the breast. Parabens which are used in deodorants and many cosmetics, have been linked to cancer because they mimic estrogen. study done on women with breast cancer found that 99% of tissue samples contained parabens from personal care products. Many other chemical compounds and toxins that are endocrine disrupting are in everyday products, as well as in fluoridated water. 

Time to rethink our modern life as a 'big untested cocktail of chemicals' coming at you from all the situations and products you encounter, not one isolated product. When will our body reach a crisis point from all these combinations? 

Each of us have our own genetic weak points which may be compromised by any number of chemical toxins and sensitivities. Since the armpit is near the breast for women I personally feel this is another reason to eliminate any possible toxins from this susceptible area. Even if government agencies and cancer foundations 'say' that it's not harmful, I really do not put my trust in these purveyors of corporate propaganda. Adding chemicals everyday to the same spot on the body may have long term effects that I am no longer interested in being a guinea pig for, especially since I have already had a breast cancer diagnosis. Why take a chance? 



There is an overwhelming amount of green-washing in the regular marketplace, as well as with so called organic personal care products. Many well known personal care companies are claiming a product or product-line is organic, when it is not. You can go to this page on the Organic Consumers Association website and read down the left sidebar column a list of some fake organic product lines which claim to be organic. Lower down on that left column is the list of true organic product companies. Look for the green USDA seal on products, not just the word organic. Also there is a cheater label branded "Fair Trade" given out by a group called 'Trans Fair' which licenses companies who pay a fee to get the label. The company can have as little as 2% fair trade ingredients to qualify. Here you can view a copy of David Bronner's complaint against this practice which was filed in 2011. Go to this page to view a larger photo of what that deceptive sticker looks like so you can avoid any products that use this type of fake branding and trickery. I recently found a brand of chocolate with that symbol which I will not purchase.

Unfortunately like most people, in the past I was just blindly using the myriad of products found loading down shelves in the beauty and pharmacy section of stores. As we know there are entire aisles dedicated to the toxic pit products. Sad. Modern deodorants and antiperspirants contain ingredients like Aluminum chlorhydrate, cocobetaine, coconut fatty acid, cyclomethicone, dicaprylate-dicapriate, glyceryl monolaurate, glyceryl stearate, methyl/propyl paraben, octyl palmitate, PEG-100 stearate, polysorbate-20, potassium sorbate, propylene glycol, sodium stearate, stearyl alcohol, tap water, tetrasodium EDTA, xanthan gum... and other things that make you go hmmmmm????



Now I go to the Environmental Working Groups list of acceptable non-toxic products and make that my starting point for investigating what I should use, or where to make changes. Fragrance free is generally the best way to go when trying to keep your life as toxin free as possible. True organic companies may do a better job with fragrance, but it is best to check on the quality of every product line.

Checking the 'EWG's Skin Deep' list is how I found the two products that I have used this past year. I wanted products that were as mean and green as my fresh made juice! That Green 0 -2 rating by the EWG, means low or no hazard ingredients. Isn't that what we strive for now? As little toxins in our body as possible, so that our body can focus on healing us, instead of constantly being distracted by fighting toxins and chemicals everyday. At least we can try to do 'better' than we have in the past.

I have been diagnosed with severe menopause, and I have had hot flashes regularly for the past five years. Lucky me! The saving grace is that the sweaty hot flashes are only once an hour now, down from every 10-20 minutes. I wish I could say that I have found a food or herb cure for these buggers of mine, but not yet. So in the mean time I sweat, get dizzy, and as you may guess I need a fantastic deodorant!



The first product I tried last year was by Coastal Classics Creations and was called 'Wave Crest Deodorant'. This is a simple powder that comes in a small tin which is then applied to the skin with an organic cotton ball. I purchased the extra strength version which contained the Ingredients: Zea Mays (Corn) Starch; Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) and lemongrass oil.

Just as with the food you eat, so as with the personal care products that you put on your body. Less ingredients the better! This product received a Green 0 rating, which is the best. I love the smell of lemons, so this particular scent was great for me. The product worked good, and would be completely fine and do the deodorant job for a normal person. Since I endure severe sweating every hour, sometimes I needed to reapply the powder. The downside is that a powder as such can be slightly messy, but not so much that I would not use the product. The little metal deodorant tin lasted me about six months which is a good value for such a small product. A little powder goes a long way in this case. It is a good product if you wanted to use a delicate powder form of deodorant.





Six months ago I thought I would try a different brand of nontoxic deodorant. When researching on the EWG site I came across the 'Terressentials' company. To my surprise and delight I found that they were a local company making products as pure and as safe as possible. As a matter of fact they are making organic food grade personal care products that are certified organic by the USDA, and they care about environmental impact of all that they do. What was even more amazing is they had a store in Frederick Maryland, that I had already visited! In their brick and mortar stores they also sell fair trade items, along with their Terressentials personal care product line, and some ultra cool lamps made of leaves that I adore. At the time I was shopping in their store I did not pay attention to the shelves of personal care products, because I had become wary of everyone's products and claims. 

After checking 'Terressentials' on the EWG website, I was thrilled to find that this company was a 'Green 0' in most everything! It does not get any better than that folks! The owner and founder of this company was also a cancer patient and she is totally dedicated to creating the least toxic organic products available. Since they could not find good non-toxic products that they could trust, Jim and Diana started this company to make the best organic products themselves. They are both thoughtful about their reasons behind their chosen ingredients, as well as outspoken in the movement to get personal care products to have standardized organic labeling that really means something. As it is now, anyone, or any company, can call their product 'organic,' but it really means nothing. A personal care product must have the green USDA seal to be truly organic, and you can learn more about that subject on this Terressentials page




We set out to visit the store in person, and happily got a parking space out front. The young lady working at the Terressentials Store was quite knowledgeable, and gave me a rundown of a number of their available personal care products. We decided to go home with the deodorant, a lip balm, hair oil, and a fair trade Boho style purse. Isn't it gorgeous! A gift from my hubby! Definitely need more of that chocolate mint lip balm that you see in the photo below. So yummy and soft! My favorite lip balm ever! Since lip balm gets in your mouth I'd say that was an important product to buy organic.

Terressentials deodorant is the best! Seriously... it works all day and evening for me. I am one tough customer to be sure! I no longer suffer from the super pits of Hell problem! Yes I still sweat every hour, but with 'Terressentials Super Protection Fragrance Free Aloe Vera Deodorant' I can also feel secure being around other people. I know I sound like a TV commercial (no I am not an affiliate for their company). It's just flat out true! This fantastic deodorant is applied with an old fashion roller ball design with 4 swipes. It is not sticky or messy, although it is wet, so I just wait a minute or so before putting on clothing over the area. I am then ready for my day. It is gentle and does not burn or cause discomfort after shaving either. The ingredient list is as follows: Organic aloe vera juice, mineral blend, baking soda, organic extract of wildcrafted usnea, organic extracts of organic yucca, and organic white willow. I have been using this roll on for 6 months and it is still going strong! I should probably plan on getting a new one soon. I quite enjoyed their Frederick store that is filled with fair trade treasures from around the world! So many beautiful scarves, purses, and items for the home that are truly unique.



Therefore I proclaim that I highly recommend Terressentials organic deodorant which anyone can order online here. By the way as an artist, I love the label design of some of the other products which feature lovely Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Check out this small company's website since they sell a variety of hand made personal care products that you can be sure are organic, and have been researched thoroughly as to what would be the safest of ingredients for most people. Diane and Jim have their own herb farm in Middletown Maryland, which is utilized for many ingredients too. Terressentials website is overflowing with information about the ingredients found in most personal care products. Poke around the website and read some of the handy information. Start with this article from the Washington Post about Diana and Jim. Then here is a short page on those nasty 'Parabens.' In addition Terressentials has put together a detailed page of information called: "The Healthy Persons Guide To Personal Care Ingredients." 

If you are ever in the Frederick or Middletown area of Maryland, check out one of their enchanting stores which also sell fair trade artisan goods from around the world. One of these days we are going to order one of those awesome leaf lamps! I think upon doing your own research, you will also conclude that Terressentials is the ultimate in organic personal care products! Thank you Diana and Jim for your personal commitment to excellence and dedication in creating thoughtful products we can trust.

The next deodorant I am going to try is a homemade recipe my daughter gave to me recently. I will let you know how that experiment works out too! Till then...Don't be stinky! Be happy. Be healthy. Be peace. 

UPDATE: It's now October and Kris Carr talks about deodorants and antiperspirants here. Plus there's Unicorns!


If you are new to The Queen's Table Blog you can become a follower on facebook, and learn about healthy eating, losing weight, and even get the scoop on some FREE product GIVEAWAYS!



Monday, August 12, 2013

Mixed Veggie Juice To Go!


Take your freshly made juice on the road! Fill a mason jar to capacity with your veggie juice, pack the tightly lidded jar on ice, and enjoy later in the day. Yes I realize this mixed vegetable juice may not look as pretty as some others, as it's a bit muddy looking in color due to orange and green items. So remember that the beauty of this baby shines in the healing cancer fighting nutrients that will fill your glass...or jar! Tastes good too! Since this recipe makes enough for two you can share with a loved one, or pack the extra to go!

Mixed Veggie Juice

3 Dinosaur Kale Leaves
3 carrots
2 apples
1 cucumber
5 Romaine Lettuce leaves
4 celery
1/2 lemon
1 inch ginger peeled
1 large broccoli stem and a few florets

Optional to stir in your juice after it's made.
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Tsp Maca powder

Place items into the juicer in the order listed above, or just remember to put harder vegetables into juicer after soft produce, to help push them through the machine. Add any optional ingredients to your juicing pitcher and stir well. I like to mix the maca powder in a small saucer with a bit of water first, then add to the pitcher. Pour the liquid magic into a glass and/or mason jar...and you're off on your beautiful day!



Thursday, August 8, 2013

What's That? Rambutan







Yes, that's one hairy looking little creature. Sitting coyly in a wooden bin at a large supermarket, I brought two of these unusual and crazy Rambutan fruits home to taste test. What to do next? 

I searched online for information on how to open these strange little buggers. Seems the people in Southeast Asia who live in the actual areas where Rambutans grow, are able to twist them open easily. Perhaps after all, they are eating them fresh from the tree, or from a recent harvest that the spiky casing is not hard. Then I found out that the really fresh Rambutan actually are red or yellow, (just look at the photo below) not brownish black like the ones from the local supermarket that I purchased recently. Darn!










To open the tough skin of what we bought, I scored around the hairy outer shell to pop it open and reveal the inner fruit. The soft insides are much like a large translucent grape. Many say it is reminiscent of a lychee. Tastes like a mild grape to me. Since we do not get fresh Rambutan here where we live, I doubt I will be getting this tiny fruit again unless they are brightly colored and there is a greater quantity. A bunch of grapes would be less work and more abundant in taste opportunity. I admit that since our fruit was not very fresh it probably lost much of the flavor. If I vacation in a tropical area then that would be a more suitable situation to eat Rambutan. Still I try to be Ms.Adventurous and sample the exotic fruits when available at the market. Makes food fun!





The name Ranbutan is Indonesian/Malaysian, and means 'hairy, or messy hair.' Makes sense. Although I would name mine 'creepy hair.' As I opened the Rambutan, the glistening white fruit inside had me imagining painting the pupil and iris of an eyeball on the flesh, and then partially closing the outer shell down. You could scare the bejeezers out of someone in the dark on Halloween! Just sayin'! This could be really creeeeeepy! Am I the only one thinking this? Per chance I was pranked at a party as a young girl, and while blindfolded, was doused in a bucket of room temperature plain slimy pasta. Told it was worms.




Considering our Rambutan's were not fresh is perhaps why they looked so menacing to me. The red and yellow Rambutans are actually pretty, even though they have quite a bizarre rubbery hair-raising texture.




Inside the grape like interior there is also a seed. Most people do not eat this seed, although it is said that you could do so without harm. It is recommended you buy Ranbutan with the branch still attached as that protects the fruit from rot and damage from pests. I would recommend they actually have some color too!




The lesson in this post is to buy much fresher Rambutan than I did, or visit a tropical area where you can have access to these fruits in a more abundant manner to make it worthwhile to enjoy this strange sweet fruit. Otherwise you may get an outrageous looking Halloween prop like I experienced! Could be cool!

Here are is a video showing how to eat a Rambutan.




Credits: Some photos in this post use creative commons photos available from Wikipedia.



Friday, August 2, 2013

Pear Sprout Blackberry Super Smoothie




Instead of bananas, today I am using pears with my greens and berries. This is a simple easy smoothie to get your day started. Just look at that gorgeous color! Drink in your daily supply of veggies and fruits! You can use any berry to substitute, or in addition to the blackberries! I always have various types of cancer fighting berries frozen in the fridge ready to go into what ever smoothie I am creating for the day!  




I also buy fresh pea sprouts and/or alfalfa sprouts every week for my smoothies, and to add to my daily salads. They are little powerhouses loaded with enzymes and nutrition. Sprouts and berries are must have produce items in my healthy kitchen everyday! In addition we always add our superfood seeds to the mix. To learn how to conveniently store your super-foods in a pull out container, to make morning smoothie time even faster and easier, just click here to read my post on that subject. I love it!


Pear Sprout Blackberry Smoothie

1/2 - 1 cup Coconut water
2 TB hemp seeds
2 TB chia seeds
1 tsp unhulled sesame seeds
2TB fresh ground golden flax powder 
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 TB coconut flakes
5 Romaine lettuce leaves
handful of pea sprouts
2 ripe pears
1 cup of blackberries

Optional
red raspberries
blueberries

Wash your produce and try to use as much organic as possible. Don't want to put pesticides into your healthy drink. Then add all of the ingredients to your blender in the order listed above. As always, with smoothies you can adjust amounts and type of produce as needed. I think I got a few red raspberries in mine too. Look at the green goodness, soon to turn bright purple red! Blend just until mixed well. If you have a Vitamix no more than 30 seconds blending is quite enough time, as you don't want to heat up any of your fresh ingredients. Serves two people.





This morning smoothie is a drink that helps fight against cancer, 
so slurp it up and get on with your healthy bad self!