Hike to Glen Canyon Park in San Francisco

Posted on November 15, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

A few weeks ago I visited Professor Angel Boy and DIL in SF. While DIL was at work, my son and I walked to Glen Canyon Park (or Glen Park Canyon) from their home.

Who knew this deep pocket of wilderness is steps away from high density living in the middle of the city?

Everything is either UP or DOWN. It was quite a strenuous workout, especially since I had to keep up with my six-foot-plus son.

We were looking for the coyotes that live in the canyon. My son saw one recently on a previous visit and we hoped to see him or her again, but we had no luck.

Lots of raspberries. Twin Peaks.Angel Boy is always lightyears ahead of me.

The free flowing Islais Creek. It was a little hazy in the afternoon. I hadn’t traveled with my good Canon — pics were taken with Canon point and shoot. Finally, he turned around. You can tell he’s saying, “Hurry up, Mom, and stop taking so many pictures!”According to Wiki: The park and hollow offer an experience of San Francisco’s diverse terrains as they appeared before the intense development of the region in the late 19th and the 20th centuries. The park incorporates free-flowing Islais Creek and the associated riparian habitat, an extensive grassland with adjoining trees that supports breeding pairs of red-tailed hawks and great horned owls, striking rock outcrops, and arid patches covered by “coastal scrub” plant communities. In all, about 63 acres (25 ha) of the park and hollow are designated as undeveloped Natural Area. Elevations in Glen Canyon Park range from approximately 225 feet (69 m) above sea level at the south end of the park to 575 feet (175 m) above sea level at the north end and along the east rim of the canyon; the walls of the canyon are extremely steep, with many slopes approaching a length-to-height ratio of 1:1

Ultimate Smoothie Recipe

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Yup, another smoothie recipe.

Don’t HATE.
Don’t say YUCK.
Don’t roll your eyes at me.
TRY IT!

I’ve been torturing my family for years, forcing them to drink the ~~sometimes~~ often dreadful concoctions that I formulate from a deranged aggregate of ingredients — adding a little of this and a little of that — sometimes palatable, sometimes not.

While the raw Cauliflower-Brussel Sprouts Smoothie was NOT a winner, I think I’ve finally developed the perfectly Ultimate Smoothie.

Tastes delicious
Nutritious
Helps with digestive/gall bladder issues (me)
Provides lots of energy

Ingredients:

Garden of Life Raw Protein Powder in Vanilla, Vanilla Chai, Chocolate, or Marley Coffee
Slippery Elm powder, great for digestion
Flaxseed Meal, full of healthy fiber
Chia seeds
EmergenC, one or two packets
Beets, canned/unsalted or from my garden (good for gall bladder)
Garden of Life Perfect Food Raw Organic Wheat Grass Juice Powder
Garden of Life Perfect Food Raw Organic Powder
Juices: A combo of Rio Red Grapefruit, Apple, Mango, Cranberry
Banana (one or two)
Any other fresh fruit, this time I used blueberries and pears, but anything you have is yummy — from peaches to watermelon
Nonfat yogurt, regular or Greek for more protein or soy/hemp/almond milk for vegan.
Ginger (to taste, I use about an inch-peeled)
Turmeric powder…great anti-inflammatory (1 teaspoon)
Cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
Ginseng (I use Korean Ginseng tea granules)

Additions: I usually add a handful of kale, chard, spinach, parsley, mint…just about any greens, even dark leafy lettuce

I throw it all in the blender and process until very smooth. You’ll never taste the greens or the beets, but they add a bright undertone to the fruit.

If you have a lime or a lemon, add a squeeze or two. I have a friend who tosses in a whole orange, peel and all, from her own organically grown tree. I’ve never done that, but it’s certainly an option.

Whether you try my smoothie as a meal replacement (like I do) or as a healthy between-meal snack, my Ultimate Smoothie will provide added energy and lots of nutrition for your busy day.

P.S. Yes, I use a lot of ingredients, but it’s still easy to do and can be made anywhere if you have a blender or even an immersion blender.

Bon appétit!

I hate swallowing vitamins and supplements but the smooth and creamy texture of my ultimate smoothie helps them go down without gagging.

Since I’ve been taking Garden of Life Kind Organics supplements, I feel so good and it’s really helped with my digestive issues (and my son is a fan, too!) I’m a big believer in pre and pro-biotics, balancing intestinal flora and fauna, and you remember I’m a junkie for wheat grass!

Here’s what I take every day:
Garden of Life Primal Defense
Garden of Life Fungal Defense
Garden of Life RAW Enzymes Women
Garden of Life Kind Organics Women’s Multi 40+

My tugboat man and son have the same routine, but theirs is especially formulated for men.

Enloy and be HEALTHY!

Confession: I’m Addicted to Wheat Grass

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

I’m not REALLY addicted, I was being hyperbolic — what I really mean is that I love wheat grass and greens of all kinds.

But I AM a wheat grass junkie!

I love the fresh green fragrance; I love the way it tastes; I love the grassiness of it, I love the color, and I love the feeling that it’s happily dancing in my body with all of its gorgeous greenness infusing my cells with energy and light.

Garden of Life’s Raw 100% Organic Young Wheatgrass Juice Powder — is SO GOOD.

A shot of freshly pressed grass is a great pick-me-up on one of my marathon shopping days — the kind of endurance shopping that calls for stamina and more of a lift than caffeine provides — but THIS is superior on a daily basis.

Always great in a smoothie, but I also love it mixed with water for workouts. It’s perfectly yummy in my Hello Kitty/Yale water bottle.

I know lots of people scrunch up their faces and think it tastes yucky, but I swear it doesn’t and the more you drink it, the more you’ll love it.

Here’s a tip: Eating a slice of freshly cut orange after you drink wheat grass helps just like a squeeze of lime helps with shots of tequila, I guess 🙂

Garden of Life

Drops and Drips: Water

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud

Water is essential for life.

We all know this; we all carry disposable or reusable bottles of water — water is a billion dollar industry.

Here in California, the drought is so extensive that restaurants don’t automatically serve water; you have to request it.

There are voluntary water restrictions for lawns and gardens.

Yet there’s water all around us if we only LOOK.

Wasted water.

Dishwashing water, washing machine water; water swirling around our feet in the shower — all lost down the drain.

It really frustrates me that there isn’t a easy way to reclaim this “gray water”.

My tugboat man and I are committed to leaving as small a footprint as possible and to be good stewards of this world, yet even for my guy who has a degree in nautical engineering, figuring out how to make a gray water system in our home is not as easy as I assumed.

Our challenge is a tri-level home with the laundry room on the third floor — apparently you can’t just stick a hose out the window — according to hub, it’s more complicated than that.

We, but I really mean HE is designing a functional system, but every single time I see a drop of water down the drain instead of being diverted to the garden, I get very sad!

To honor precious water and its importance to our bodies, check out this series of photos I took at my photography class.

I haven’t liked doing anything this much since I discovered the magic of that little plastic card that meant all the pretty treasures could come home with me!

My son reminded me of our kitty, Bandit, who loved to sit in the sink and drink dripping water. Still miss her so much…

Part One, October theme, Healthy Living