Baby Butternut Squash

Last Sunday, my husband and I biked to Sport Hill Farm, one of our favorite places in our hometown of Easton, CT.  It was a cold and blustery fall day, so we were happy to warm up in the market farmhouse.  My eye was caught by the cutest squash I have ever seen: a miniature variety of butternut squash called honey nut.  I decided to throw a few in my backpack, alongside fresh eggs and cider, and later roasted them up for supper. I enjoyed these personal-sized squash so much I wanted to share the recipe with you!

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Musings of an Acupuncturist, Part III

In today’s fast paced society, it’s ever more important to work at our own balance.  We need to go back and listen to ourselves.  We need to cultivate our own Qi, or vitality.  It’s also crucial to have a spiritual perspective, beyond the material realm, and do all the things that we know are good for us.  It’s then that we can really thrive and have abundant lives on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
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Ujjayi: A Breath to Massage Your Nervous System

There is one yogic breathing technique that can be practiced anytime by just about anyone: Ujjayi pranayama.

The word Ujjayi means “victorious” in Sanskrit. The prefix ud means upward and superior, and jaya (from root ji) means to conquer and have victory over.  Consistent practice of ujjayi breath, can lead to victorious results for your body and mind. 

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Delectable Delicata Squash

The autumn harvest is here! It’s the perfect time to fire up the oven and roast squash, root vegetables, apples, and more.

This is one of our favorite, easy-to-make oven recipes: roasted delicata squash.  Though technically a summer squash, delicata has a hard flesh that’s entirely edible and delicious.  This versatile squash is also high beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber.

Enjoy as a side dish or a nutritious snack.

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Pickled Watermelon Rind

I have many fond memories from my childhood in Shanghai in the 1970s. Like many households at that time, my family did not own a refrigerator. The healthy consequence of this is that my parents would visit the local market every morning. Their ritual was to wake up at 5:00 and be back home by 6:30 with seasonal fare grown by farmers who lived beyond the city bounds.

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Musings of an Acupuncturist, Part II

Acupuncture is a tool that helps to normalize imbalances in the human energetic system. It certainly is effective at eliminating symptomology and restoring health; yet, it is important for people to continue working on themselves, as there is no shortage of stressors in modern-day society. Chinese Medicine as a whole emphasizes the need for the human individual to live in harmony with Nature and to keep disease at bay through proper lifestyle and thinking that is balanced and heart-centered.

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Tahini with Love

Just over two weeks ago, my mother cooked a delicious Middle Eastern supper for our entire immediate family. We were so excited to be together as my older brother and his husband had just returned from a couple months of summer travel. The menu included yogurt marinated lamb kabobs, hummus, tabouli, and tzatziki.   Eager to contribute, I offered to make babaganoush with a bulbous eggplant I had recently purchased at Easton’s Sport Hill Farm.

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Musings of an Acupuncturist, Part I

Simply put, we are energetic beings living in a world that is full of energy. In fact this experience that we call life is nothing but a play of energy and vibration. This energy is experienced, felt, seen, and heard in myriad ways – whether in the form of humans, trees, animals, rocks, houses, weather systems, or wireless networks. The universe is nothing but a play of energy in multiple forms and layers of vibratory expression. The human being is an energetic microcosm within this macrocosmic universe, and its life-force is largely dependent on the healthy flow of vital energy. The ancient Chinese termed this vital energy “Qi” (also read as “Chi”), and its flow throughout the body dictates the strength and vitality of a human being.

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Amazing, Natural Shower Scrub

It’s a bold statement, but this DIY natural shower scrub made from a few common household items has changed my life. In addition to effectively battling mildew and grime, this cleaner is non-toxic and free of nasty fumes. Plus, it’s super easy to make. All you need is baking soda, white vinegar, and water.

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July Reflections

July is a very special month for me.  Perhaps because I was born in the midst of winter, I can see this time of year from a perspective of craving the longer days, the warm sun, the sense of Nature’s vitality, and the relaxed pace of life in the summer. 

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