Somehow the shortest month of the year feels like the longest month of the year! I think it has something to do with all of the snow, parking restrictions and shoveling. Plus I am just aching to get my hands in the dirt and do some gardening. Thank goodness for seed catalogs to take the edge off of gardening cravings.
This year the Chinese Lunar New Year fell on February 3rd, and it is the Year of the Rabbit. The Year of the Rabbit embraces many admirable qualities to guide the year ahead.
I've got some great classes that I'll be teaching this spring. Make sure to save the dates and register early.
The long winter months are my favorite time to catch up on book reading. One of my favorite topics, not surprisingly, is food. Read on for my latest book thrill.
This newsletter has a very sweet ending. . .mmmmm. |
The Year of the Rabbit
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 The Chinese Lunar New Year always lands on the second new moon after the winter solstice. We just exited The Year of the Tiger with all of its uproar, so it will be nice to experience the peaceful cooperation that the Year of the Rabbit ushers in. The Rabbit is best known for manifesting Abundance/Prosperity, Tranquility, Stamina, and Diplomacy. Sounds like a year where we can all just get along. . .
Click here if you'd like to learn more about the history of Chinese New Year.
Click here if you'd like to determine your astrological animal and check out your Chinese Astrology for 2011. I'm a Rat according to Chinese Astrology. The Rat is the first of the 12 astrological animals. |
Upcoming Classes
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 I do so enjoy teaching, and I've got three great classes offered this spring that are back by popular demand. All classes include great handouts.
It's Not Just What You Eat,
But What You Digest!
Learn the Top Ten Tips for improving your digestion to promote health, eliminate or reduce acid reflux, bloating, flatulence, sinus infections and excess mucous production. Even if you eat the best of foods but aren't digesting them well, you're not getting all that your food has to offer. Whether you'd like to eliminate uncomfortable digestive sensations or simply optimize your health, this class is for you.
When: Wednesday, April 13th, 6:30-8:00 PM
Where: Seward Co-op classroom, 2823 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis
Cost: $20/$18 Co-op members
To Register: Pre-register by calling Seward Co-op at 612-338-2465 or stopping by their Customer Service desk. Health and Healing from the Flower Garden
Flower gardens have much more to offer than just their beauty. Did you know they also offer up first aid remedies and can give vegetable gardens a bit of competition as far as nutritional powerhouses go? Presented as an hour and a half long PowerPoint Presentation with many photos, you'll gain a new perspective on the plants in your own garden. When: Wednesday, April 27th, 6:30-8:00 PM
Where: Seward Co-op classroom, 2823 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis
Cost: $15/$12 Co-op members
To Register: Pre-register by calling Seward Co-op at 612-338-2465 or stopping by their Customer Service desk. Choosing Breast Health Over Breast Cancer
When it comes to breasts, many of us may spend time worrying whether they're too small or too big, or other cosmetic issues. But how much time have we actually spent thinking about whether they are healthy or not? Many women think that breast cancer is inevitable. Not so!!! We'll cover the issues that adversely affect breast health and steps to take to promote breast health. When: Wednesday, June 1, 7:00-9:00 PM
Where: Bethany Lutheran Church, 2511 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis. Enter in 25th Ave. door and head down the stairs.
Sponsored by: the North Country Herbalist Guild
Cost: $5 donation recommended
To Register: Pre-registration is not required, but by sending an RSVP email to bod@nchg.org, we can better determine how many handouts to print. |
Adapt, Adjust, Improvise
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 These three actions are life savers in a difficult situation. A former co-worker of mine, Matt, said that this advice was one of the best things that his father had taught him. I am thankful to Matt for passing along his father's wisdom to me because I have used them often when I get into a sticky situation.
One of the three, whether it's Adapt, Adjust or Improvise, will get you back on track when you are thrown for a loop, stuck in the mud, or experiencing the infinite dilemmas that frequent our days and nights. |
As Always, Julia
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 I have often been inspired by Julia Child, but after reading As Always, Julia - The Letters of Julia Child & Avis DeVoto I have even more respect and admiration for her. Julia has long been known as the oh-so-entertaining chef on PBS's The French Chef. The French Chef was one of the very first cooking shows on TV and ran from 1963-1973.
As Always, Julia was edited and annotated by Joan Reardon, a noted food historian, and details the decade during which Julia was writing and developing recipes for Mastering the Art of French Cooking that she co-wrote with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle. The amazing thing was that Julia lived overseas (Paris, Germany, Norway) for the majority of the time she was writing the book.
Julia and Avis DeVoto began a friendship because of an article that Avis's husband, Bernard DeVoto, had written about the quality (or lack of quality) of cooking knives. Julia wrote a letter to Bernard in response to his article, Avis answered much of Bernard's mail, and thus began a friendship that stood the test of time. They were corresponding via the mail for three years before they even met!
In this book Julia's intelligence, political awareness (McCarthyism was in full swing), and perseverance come shining through. At times it was hard to reconcile Julia's goofball TV personality with the worldly woman you get to know through her letters.
In honor of Julia Child, my Recipe of the Month features a recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Chocolate and Almond Cake with Chocolate Icing, aka Reine de Saba avec Glacage au Chocolat.
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Recipe of the Month
| Reine de Saba avec Glaçage au Chocolat (Chocolate and Almond Cake with Chocolate Icing)
 Alas, I do not have a photo to post of the Reine de Saba cake. I made this cake for a Valentine's celebration with our Moms, but we ate it all before I remembered that I needed to photograph it.
The recipe is from Julia's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, so it is very detailed in its instructions. This incredible cake is one of the most satisfying chocolate cakes I have had the pleasure of making. It is a single layer cake with chocolate butter cream frosting decorated with sliced almonds.
One small piece brings enormous satisfaction. |
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As Always. . .
Your First Wealth Is Health,
Katherine Krumwiede, L.Ac.
Diamond Stone Oriental Medicine, Inc.
612 872 9133
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Quote of
the Month
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"If we treated everyone we meet with the same affection we bestow upon our favorite cat, they, too, would purr."
Martin Delany
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Newsletter Archive
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There's a wealth of health-inducing information contained in past issues of my newsletter.
Newsletter Archive
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Gift Certificates Are Available
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Give the gift of good health to your friends and family.
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The Benefits
of Acupuncture
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De-stress
Alleviate pain
Improve concentration levels
Lift the cloud
of depression
Get a better night's sleep
Improve digestion
Boost energy levels
Insure success with smoking cessation
Excellent preventative medicine
And many more. . .
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