Dear Friends

Still half dressed, I've run over to grab my laptop to write this post....
 I just finished trying on my summer clothes (I know this cold, wet weather will soon change) and the most amazing thing has happened! Nothing, except my cute sail boat pj's fits. Some I couldn't even get past my lower thighs, let alone done up. While that's not the amazing part, the best part was my internal reaction. I though oh, OK. Well, I guess I'm going shopping! How fun is that! 

Typically this sort of situation would kick start me into a familiar pattern of self loathing and an instant diet plan, or regime as I typically call it, scale hoping, mirror staring and exercise boost, or at least the promise of!  But instead I observed myself thinking: we'll isn't this interesting, I didn't notice this much change over the winter and its OK, I LOVE MY BODY! I actually said this!!! Friends, I am healthy, strong and feel beautiful. I walk my my new dog everyday and I feel great! For the first time ever I don't care what the size label says.  Ahhhh, what a relief. This is true spiritual progress. This is friendship and love. 

I see too many children and adults suffering with who they are, trying to be thinner, or look like someone different. It has got to stop. Yes of course be healthy, move your body because it feels good, eat, eat well and enjoy your food. Pay attention to how you feel and what you think.

Two years ago I was in that mode of exercising daily, sometimes twice daily, restricting my food intake and choices. Planning it all out and sticking to it. I was gluten free, sugar free, processed food free etc. But really, I can see now that I was anything but free. As a nutritionist I felt a great sense of success in knowing what do do and seeing it work. I had lost 25 pounds or more. Even though I was a size 4 and could wear anything, it wasn't until a debilitating case of sciatica came and hung around for a whole year that I realized I wasn't actually happy or emotionally healthy.  Almost overnight I went from extremely active to totally sedentary. I would make the kids lunches, get them to school and come home, cry and lay on my back under heat and ice every day for almost a year. I slowly stopped dieting too. I was on a path to feel better though. I found ways to be happy anyway. I went gratefully to my amazing chiropractor Dr. D Warner at foster family chiropractic, some times 3 times a week and every other week to my osteopath Ryan Richardson. Slowly and then finally one day I woke up and this pain was gone. I was just so happy and grateful that I felt good, that life feels good again that I now can see I wasn't balanced, or loving toward myself at all. This was the gift or silver lining to my sciatica situation.

I am a lover of food, I enjoy and feel better when I eat healthy wholesome foods and I will always continue to do that. But instead of cringe and fear the clothing experience I just had, I celebrate this journey of self love that I am on. If I don't love my body now and the size I am , I can loose all the weight in the world (its not that hard to do) and I still won't love my body. So here and now, and I hope you're joining me in saying I LOVE MYSELF and my beautiful, strong and healthy body!!

That's it

with love,
Lora

how to make almond milk

Thanks for Watching!

The recipe:

1 cup almonds soaked over night 

4 cups water

Method:

cover your almonds with water and allow to soak overnight.

drain and rinse. Blend on high with 4 cups fresh water for a couple of minutes. Strain with cloth or coffee filter into a jug or jar.

lasts up to a week covered and refrigerated.  

optional add ons:

1 tbs pure vanilla extract or beans

dates

honey

cocoa powder

cinnamon 

almonds soaking in a jug

If you enjoyed this video, you may also want to watch my video posts on Making granola or making green smoothie kits! 

Making Easy Skillet Granola

Making Green Smoothie Kits

Enjoy with love,
Lora

Easy Skillet Granola

Making your own granola is simple and fast to do. Top quality natural and organic granola can be costly to buy and not as fresh. As with any recipe,  when you make your own food you know exactly what is in it and you can create a modified version to suit your nutrition needs.

This recipe is gluten free, and refined sugar free.  

The Recipe:

5-6 cups organic Large flake oats

1/4 cup butter

1/4  raw coconut oil

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw honey

ground cinnamon to taste 

Cook over med. heat in a large skillet, stirring constantly until golden. Less than 5 mins. Remove from heat and allow to cool on a wire rack. As the granola cools it will get crunchy.

Getting kids involved in the kitchen is always a good idea. Not only   is it a fun screen free activity to do together,  it also teaches them how to be proactive about their health, learn vital skills, provides teaching moments about nutrition, self care and food in general.   It's FUN and builds confidence!

Why choose this recipe?

 

Oats provide a great fibre for kids and have magical calming powers that sooth the nervous system. *Cinnamon is a wonderful spice that helps to balance blood sugars. Raw honey is a natural sweetener with amazing health benefits including immune boosting, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Of course the amount of honey can be modified to taste. Honey has a healthy glycemic load and doesn't cause a sugar spike like white sugar.

*For more modifications or information on managing blood sugar for any reason please visit carlacrothers.com. In under a year Carla reversed her diabetes and lost a lot of weight. She  shares a wealth of information on lowering blood sugar, eating a high fat, low carb. diet, plus tips and helpful links.  This is one super amazing woman you'll want to follow.

Thanks for watching!

love,

Lora

AMAZING BENEFITS of your Green smoothie

I hope you enjoyed my first video tutorial on making green smoothie kits!

The benefits of a green smoothie are many, but mostly the quality vitamins, mineral like calcium, magnesium and iron, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, protein and dietary fiber.

Greens, like spinach and kale are a great way to support your restorative and cleansing powers and provide vital nutrients.

Flax seeds are high in fiber, omega 3's or ALA, and are mucilaginous, meaning they are slippery and good for your GI tract! Gets you moving.

Hemp seeds are a wonderful plant source of protein, fats, calcium, iron and a complete protein at that. That means they have all 20 amino acids and the 9 essential amino acids your body needs!

All in all, this smoothie supports and enhances your:

hormones
blood sugar
healthy skin, hair, nails
immune system
cardiovascular system
energy
total well being
free of common allergens
a balanced breakfast for your kids that support learning

and..

Its easy to make and tastes great!!!
What a wonderful way to start your day....

with love,
Lora

green smoothie kit- video tutorial

The Recipe:

per smoothie you will need the following:

.5-1 banana broken into pieces

1 handful of baby spinach

1-2 leaves of kale, ribs removed

1-3 pitted dates according to your desired sweetness

1 tbs hemp seeds

1 tbs whole flax seeds

1 tbs coconut oil

1/4 tsp spirulina

The above goes into a ziplock bag, ready for the freezer! 

you can make as many or as little kits as you like. Each bag makes one smoothie. 

Typically, 1 bunch of kale yields 8 or more kits.

I buy a tub of baby spinach in the salad section of the grocery store and a couple bunches of organic bananas.

Have fun!

Lora 

Tomato and Vegetable Soup with Lentils

This soup is one that's perfect to bridge winter and spring. Its cleansing and light in preparation for spring, yet warm, hearty and sustaining with the lentils for winter.

Tomato and Vegetable Soup with Lentils

ingredients:

oil or butter for the pot
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic minced
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1-2 carrots shredded
3 tbs diced red pepper
handful of green beans, sliced long
handful of Kale, chopped
1/4 cabbage, green, chopped
1/2cup red lentils
1 can of diced tomatoes
1-3 LTRs of soup stock for desired consistency, (veggie or bone broth* )
herbamare or sea salt
bay leaf
oregano, basil, tumeric etc


* a homemade or good quality store bought bone broth is far superior to any broth. It is restorative and highly nutritional. Use Veggie broth for vegetarians, in the absence of a quality bone broth, or for a lighter soup.

Directions:

Heat large soup pot on medium/low (4). Sautee the onion in enough oil or butter, add garlic, and Veggies as they are prepped, stir with each addition.  season. Add lentils and tomatoes followed by the stock. Turn up heat to medium/high until the soup come to a boil.  Reduce temp to simmer until veggies and lentils are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Enjoy!


I like a thick and hearty soup, my hubby says I always put too many veggies in and not enough broth. It's a personal preference I suppose, so do what you like!

a perfect pair with some locally made soup bowls!

Homemade Kombucha tea

In my experience nothing sorts the system out as well as KOMBUCHA!

My parents introduced me to the making of your own kombucha and now, a few batches in I'm ready to share!

Kombucha tea is a fizzy drink served cool. Its is teeming with beneficial bacteria and yeast allowing the consumer all the rewards of a healthy gut! The probiotic is formed from the SCOBY a Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast. It is a weird and wonderful thing.

No more questioning the viability of store bought probiotics, or paying the big $$!!

Basic Instructions:

1) Start with a SCOBY and starter tea. 

2) Brew a big batch of green or black unflavoured tea. For the jar I'm using, I used 7 tea bags, 4 green, 3 black.

3) Add sugar. I used 3 cups. Don't worry, the sugar is what feeds the bacteria so in the end it's not a sugary drink! At this point the tea tastes very sweet. 

4) Remove tea bags and allow tea to cool to room temp. 

5)Add the cooled tea and starter with scoby to a big jar, cover opening with a cloth, and allow to ferment for a few weeks, or until desired taste. It should be a balance between sweet and sour. It's up to you!

6) For the second fermentation, you add your desired fruit and or flavour, plus the tea and bottle until fizzy. The ratio of juice to tea is about 1:4. I like using cool receycled swing top lids. You can use mason jars, glass Perrier jars or jars from store bought Kombucha 

7) allow your kombucha tea to sit at room temp (with the lid on this time) for as little as a few days and as long as a week until it's nice and fizzy!!

 

Favorite Flavours:

~fresh ginger juice ( I juiced it) with Lemon
~Fresh Ginger with Honey
~Apple cider with Ginger and cinnamon (small piece of a stick)
~pinneaple- I juiced fresh pineapple chunks
~fresh grapefruit (1/2 graoefruit + 1 tsp sugar)

Cheers!

Pottery sale and Christmas market set up

Christmas pottery sale and market

What Christmas/holiday sale would be complete with out some delicious edibles?

I've lovingly prepared flourless chocolate cakes, Ginger cookies (real ginger and sprouted spelt flour), homemade Bailey's cream liquor, grain and sugar free almond blueberry muffins, And for my savory lovers: kale chips with organic sea salt herbamare and olive oil, sweet potato kale soup with smokey lentils and chickpeas (vegetarian) and French onion soup (to go with the FOS bowls of course)! Have I mentioned that my husband makes the best French onion soup!

Beautiful bath salts and paintings by Carla Crothers www.carlacrothers.com 

 and  greeting cards by Iwona Konart http://www.iwonalemke.net/Illustrations/cards/

And Santa sticks, holiday love birds, paper mâché star tree toppers...

...And much more! 

Come by any time between 10am-3pm sat. Nov 21st (tomorrow!) at my studio 11 ransom St.

See you tomorrow!

With love,

Lora

Mugs, bowls pitchers and plates

Birch Vases, canister and platers

French onion soup bowls

I made a set of six French onion soup bowls for my Christmas sale this Saturday! 

My husband makes the WORLDS BEST French onion soup that I crave all winter long. It doesn't get better than having a special bowl to put your favourite soup in!!

Homemade Herbal Vapor Rub

I mad a batch of herbal Vapo rub for the upcoming Christmas sale this sat. and of course I made one for myself too!

I tried it on myself and the kids and we all love it! It leaves a nice tingling sensation, creates a beautiful warmth where applied and has a mild Vic's aroma all without the yucky petroleum and synthetic/ questionable ingredients in the Vic's Vapo rub.

My herbal Vapo rub is made with premium organic unrefined coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, pure unrefined beeswax and the pure essential oils of eucalyptus, spike lavender (spike has more camphor than the usual lavender) tea tree, peppermint and spearmint.

All in all this rub is anti inflamitory, anti bacterial, Anti fungal, decongestant, immune supportive, completely natural, mild, safe and effective for the whole family! 

I don't have a cough or cold right now while testing the product, but I did notice it kept my chest feeling warm while out in this cold while walking my dog!

Come get yours this Saturday and add it to your natural remedy kit this winter season!

Lora

Pre Sale Peek for remembrance day

In honour of remembrance day today, I thought I would leak a peek of a few sale items:

Here is a little peek of the brilliant brushstrokes by Carla Crothers who will be selling some of her gorgeous original artwork at the sale!

Acrylic on canvas by Carla Crothers

Acrylic on Canvas by Carla Crothers

Acrylic on canvas by Carla Crothers

Enjoy,

Lora

Recipes from the Workshop

On friday, 12 women gathered together to honour ourselves in our lives and unique journeys. We shared laughter, tears, juicy information, a nourishing lunch, and herbal handmade products to take home and use!
I had so much fun in the company of some pretty terrific, inspiring women.

I thought I would share the recipes from our Lunch:


Potato Kale Soup
2 TBS oil (olive, coconut, butter)
2  onions
2 cloves of garlic, chopped or pressed
2  white or yellow potatoes of voice with skin on, cubed
2 sweet potatoes with skin on, dubbed
1 carrot, diced
a few strips of red pepper diced
1/4 cup red lentils
3 kale leaves, finely chopped 
1/2 cup apple cider (unsweetened)
2 or more litres of soup stock
bouquet of herbs of choice (rosemary, sage, parsley, cumin)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat oil on med/low to melt. add onions, allow to soften. Add garlic, herbs of choice and apple cider. allow flavours to meet and mingle. add potato, sweet potato, carrot and red pepper and lentils. stir, stir, stir, add soup stock. increase heat to boil. reduce heat to a simmer for 20 mins or so until lentils are cooked and carrots are nice and soft. at this point taste, make adjustments, puree some or not. its all about the consistency you like. I take about 2 cups out, puree it and re introduce it to the pot. finally, add your kale.  Enjoy!

I also made a kind of Coleslaw using swiss chard from my Moms garden, kale, green and purple cabbage all cut in thin, long strips. shredded carrot and shredded apple in a dressing of apple cider vinegar, raw honey and olive oil mayo

And some quiches, 

-swiss card, gueyre, sage and onion,

-broccolli and cheddar

-red pepper, olive, goat cheese and basil

This was such a fun way to learn. I'll definitely be hosting more fabulous workshops for women in the future!

enjoy!