Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is the oldest continuously celebrated Jewish festival.

There is no fixed date for Passover, but it normally begins at sundown on the night of the first full moon after the vernal equinox. 

In Exodus, the Bible tells that God helped the Israelites escape slavery in Egypt by inflicting ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Israelite slaves; the tenth and worst of the plagues was the slaughter of the first-born. The Israelites were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term "passover."  When Pharaoh freed the Israelites, it is said they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for their bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover, no leavened bread is eaten.  Matzo (flat unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday.

The Afikomen (a piece of matzo that has been broken and hidden)  is the last piece of food to be eaten at the Seder meal. It is a tradition to hide the Afikomen, and for the children to find and "negotiate" for its return.  The Seder cannot be concluded until the Afikomen is redeemed. 

"Haggadah" is the name of the religious Jewish text that  explains the complete story of Passover.

Spring is full of rituals and diverse celebrations, and it is a wonderful feeling to come out of hibernation and celebrate the freshness of new life with the regeneration of our own lives.  Spring cleaning beckons,  as does clearing out last year's remains in the garden. It's time to clear out whatever clutter is getting in our way! 

 The Pagan festival of Beltain is set in the heart of Spring.  A fertility festival, it usually culminates with dancing around a Maypole. The bunny, which has become ubiquitous with Easter, originated as a symbol of fertility.  The egg is another symbol of fertility, and it is also part of the Passover and Easter holiday traditions.

In Greece, people paint hard-boiled eggs red and bake them into sweet bread loaves on the Thursday before Easter. The red color represents the blood of Christ.

Easter egg hunts continue as a fun ritual for kids, as they fill their baskets with a plethora of sweets: chocolate bunnies, egg-shaped jelly beans, marshmallow chicks, candy-filled eggs, and chocolate malted eggs. 

However you celebrate, Fiona wishes you a sweet and Happy Spring!

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Earth Day 2011

History  

The history of Earth Day traces back to the 1960's. Wisconsin governor, Gaylord Nelson, envisioned the Earth Day movement as a grassroots event aimed at increasing public awareness on ecological issues. His goal was to get the public sector, the private sector, and our government on the same page and working toward the same goals. Governor Nelson, selected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, spent seven years trying to focus national attention on his environmental agenda. His efforts paid off, mostly because of the response at the grassroots level, and the first Earth Day was observed across the country on April 22, 1970.

Earth Day has evolved over the years, with communities organizing events to address local environmental issues each year. We dedicate our feature article to Earth Day to remind us that every citizen has the power to make a difference at a community, national and global level.  

What can we do this Earth Day, and every day?

Here are some simple, daily things we can do to ensure we are working toward a better environment in the years to come:

• Take the bus, or bike to school and work.

• Carpool, or even do a car share.

• Recycle and reuse. Leave no trace whenever possible.

• Replace light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs.

• Donate to a green cause.

• Get out and volunteer on the land. Find volunteer opportunities in your community.

• Know your carbon footprint, and make an Earth Day resolution to reduce it.

• Connect kids with nature.

• Make your home as energy efficient as possible.

• Drive less, walk more.

• Wish Fiona's father a Happy Birthday!

From Fiona's Natural Foods

Fiona believes in being as earth-friendly as possible, from production through packaging. At her bakery, all the ingredient bags and boxes are either composted or recycled. The 12 oz. retail boxes and the outer cases are made from 100% recycled fibers. The minimum post-consumer content is 35%, and all the boxes are 100% recyclable. The retail boxes are printed with soy-based ink in a Colorado factory that is 100% wind powered.

www.fionasgranola.com

What are you doing this Earth Day? We'd love to hear your views...feel free to post to our Facebook page!

Charoset

Passover is one of Fiona's favorite Jewish traditions.  And, her favorite part of the Passover Seder is the charoset!  Traditionally made with plain walnuts, we've put our own twist on this wonderful holiday meal and used our soon-to-be-famous Walnuts a L'Orange.  This recipe can be enjoyed any time of the year!

1 cup chopped apples  

1/2 cup Fiona's Walnuts a L'Orange

2 tsp cinnamon

2-4 Tbls. Kosher-for-Passover sweet red wine 

Chop the apples into very fine pieces. Add the chopped Walnuts a L'Orange and cinnamon, and stir together.  Add enough wine to hold mixture together, and stir to combine all ingredients.

Fiona's favorite :  Walnuts a L'Orange