Ingredients:
one roasting chicken (or breasts if you like – just change the baking time)
2 tablespoons djion mustard
1/2 cup mint cranberry sauce (i had some leftover from the holidays) you could use canned or make fresh
chopped fresh basil
one onion
a few fresh lemon slices
1/2 – 1 cup veggie or chicken broth (made w/ lots of Chinese herbs but any will do)
various spices & herbs

1. separate the skin from the breast & stuff it with fresh basil
2. spread a few tablespoons of dijon mustard over the chicken
3. chop the onion in large pieces and place half of them in the cavity, the rest in the base of the pan
4. place a few more lemon slices in the cavity and/or ontop of the chicken
5. spoon out 5-10 tablespoons of cranberry sauce over the chicken
6. place 1/2 – 1 cup of broth in the bottom of the roasting pan
7. add herbs – my favorite is Bragg’s herbal seasoning

cook at 450 for 20 minutes
then cook at 350 for 20 minutes per pound
check the chicken for tenderness and see if you need to cook longer.

served over dairy free mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach (or whatever greens you like)

Much easier to just throw in some other veggies like potatoes and carrots in the pan and cook them with the chicken

Here are some of the medicinal properties according to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western nutrition:

Cranberries – full of antioxidants, great for weight loss and rich in both flavenoids and polyphenols.

Basil – is warm and pungent, harmonizes the stomach and induces sweating.

Onions – also warm and pungent, help reduce phlegm and act as a diuretic. They are rich in sulphur which is beneficial for the heart.

Mustard – warming, burns fat, and rich in isothiocyanates.

So I have to share my newest health find! It is the most delicious sorbet you have ever tasted…and there is nothing but healthy ingredients in it! Guiltless gourmet sorbet – what more could a girl ask for? Here are the ingredients:

Raw Honey. Raw Coconut Water. Fresh Fruit.

My picks: coconut or raspberry (I actually mix them together  – but I like to mix things up a bit)

It is dessert that is actually beneficial for the mind, body and soul. The sorbet is heavenly…The best part is that you can get this in Whole Foods, the Santa Monica Co-op and PC Greens – so if you are local to Southern California then you are in luck!

We love to support other women that are handmaking amazing products and she even shares our passion for storing quality products in glass containers!  Yes, you can reuse those handy glass jars that the sorbet is packed in for many things -they are the perfect size!

Kippy, the owner, is a fellow Texan (yeehaw!) relocated to Cali (like myself) and she is very passionate about her handmade treats! I don’t blame her – they are delicious and worth every penny. I just wish I had one of every flavor.

Here’s GreenLaGirl’s recent post on Miss Kippy Miller and her sorbet! Check it out!

Check out Ellen’s List of all Vegetarian sources of Calcium.

Dangers of Cow’s Milk posted by Green Our Kids

“Raising a child without cows milk seems risky to most parents. Most of us have been raised drinking it and are conditioned to believe the immense benefits it has to offer. It is believed by many, that cows milk is an absolute must to everyone’s diet, especially a growing child who needs the calcium for healthy bone growth.

Think back to as early as elementary school, do you recall the ever so popular food pyramid hanging in your cafeteria that says you need a whopping 3 servings of dairy per day? What about the “Everybody Needs Milk” ads? And the cute little cartons of milk? What child can pass on the school lunch staple – chocolate milk in a cute little carton with a cute little cow?
Our “nutritional education” starting as early as public school (which by the way is partly funded by the dairy industry), taught us that dairy products are one of the four basic food groups we all need for proper nutrition. Cows milk is promoted to be, without a doubt, the most perfect food for humans, especially for children. Being against milk almost seems wrong, and questioning its benefits is bizarre to most. We are told that milk is good, therefore you must believe it is good. But is this really the truth or part of a dairy industry myth?

The Dairy Industry got this part right – Everyone Needs Milk. That is, during infancy, everyone needs milk. Milk is Mother Nature’s most perfect creation. Not only does it provide a baby with the proper nourishment, it also serves as golden medicine. It swarms with antibodies and white blood cells drawn from the body. By drinking it, a baby shares its mothers immune system and much more. Milk provides just the right balance of fats, proteins, vitamins, hormones, and enzymes for the developing baby. Sounds perfect right? It is.. the only catch is that this wonder food is perfect only for the baby whose mother provides it with. In other words, cows milk is perfect… for the calf.. until it is weaned. Dog milk is perfect too, for the puppy of course, as rat milk is for the rat, etc etc etc. Does it make sense to feed a human baby, or adult, with milk that comes from a different species?

To get a better understanding of why cows milk is not meant for humans, lets analyze the difference between a human baby drinking the milk of its mother versus the milk from a cow. The type of milk an animal produces reflects the nutritional needs of its babies. In other words, the milk of each species appears to have been specifically designed to protect the young of that species. In human babies, the high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) provided in breast milk is responsible for rapidly developing the brain; tripling in size by the age of one. Cow’s milk contains a significantly lower amount of PUFAs and a higher level of body-building saturated fats contributing to the rapid growth in body size, rather then brain development. Human milk is 5 to 7 percent protein and it takes an infant approximately 180 days to double their birth weight, whereas a calf requires only 45 days to double their birth weight since the cows milk is 15 percent protein. See the major difference?

Besides the amount of protein present in the two milks, the composition is completely different. Cows milk contains 20 times more casein, the primary type of protein, then human milk, making it nearly impossible for us to assimilate. Also, a large majority of us are lactose intolerant. What does this mean exactly? Being lactose intolerant means that we cannot digest lactose which is the sugar in milk (cow’s milk and human milk). An enzyme known as lactase is responsible for digesting lactose. It has been learned that we lose the lactase enzyme activity between the ages of one and a half and four years old. This appears to be a normal process of maturation and shows that in nature, we were never intended to consume lactose containing foods after the normal weaning period. Having proteins that are not assimilated by our body leads to a weakened immune system causing a wide array of problems such as allergies, asthma, skin rashes, arthritis, heart disease and more.

You might be wondering, what about calcium? You will be surprised to learn that although cows milk contains a large percentile of calcium, it is very hard for us humans to assimilate it due to a different composition of enzymes. As a matter of fact, those that are daily dairy consumers have less calcium in their blood when compared to those that do not consume any dairy. Green leafy vegetables are a great source of calcium as well as other essential nutrients.

Besides all this, you must know that nearly all cows, unless you have raised it yourself, are full of toxins such as pesticides, antibiotics, hormones and growth favtors. Just like in human milk, toxins pass through the cows milk. You might say, well, pasteurization takes care of that. Yes, Pasteurization kills most, but not all of these toxins. Pasteurizing milk also greatly diminishes its nutrient content. After pasteurizing, cows milk has up to a 66 percent loss of vitamins A, D and E. Vitamin C loss usually exceeds 50 percent and vitamins B6 and B12 are completely destroyed. Pasteurization also destroys beneficial enzymes, antibodies and hormones. Pasteurization destroys lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fat, which impairs fat metabolism and the ability to properly absorb fat soluble vitamins A and D. (The dairy industry is aware of the diminished vitamin D content in commercial milk, so they fortify it with a form of this vitamin.) Basically, we are pretty much left with a nutrient-less, chemical full concoction that is high in fat content that gets stored in our cells and contributes to a wide range of health conditions. Does this sound like the perfect food for our developing children?  If however, you still firmly believe that cows milk is a MUST in your diet, please find a reputable farm where you can purchase RAW  cow milk products from Grass Fed Cows.   Raw Cows Milk still contains all the enzymes that are needed for our body to assimilate the proteins found in  milk.  Grass Fed Cows are treated humanly, do not get any antibiotic or hormones, and therefore provide a safer dairy option then a store bought Organic milk.

Who would of thought that something so basic to the American diet be so harmful? Do you know that Westerners suffer from many more alignments then Easterners? Is it a coincidence? I believe not, but don’t take my word for it. Think through all of this thoroughly and come to your own conclusion. What makes the most sense? How can the much “needed” food contain so many minuses to it? How can any perfect food cause such an array of health conditions? If cows milk was so necessary by the human body, would it cause colic, ear infections and eczema in infants? What do you think?

Fortunate for us,we can turn to delicious plant based alternatives to get our nutritional requirements such as calcium. Enjoy some Hemp Milk, Almond Milk or Coconut Milk and be assured that no health alignments will arise from them. Indulge in some almonds, spinach, swiss chard, collards, broccoli, sesame seeds, chia seeds, sprouted sunflower seeds and many more, and you will more then meet your nutritional requirement.

Here is a list of conditions Cows Milk has been associated with:

Acne
Allergies,
Asthma
Arthritis
Colic
Eczema
Bloody Stools
Colitis
Respiratory Conditions
Sinusitis
Pulmonary Infiltrates
Osteoporosis (Might be surprising since Milk is supposed to prevent this condition!)
Iron Deficiency Anemia
Mental Depression
Hives
Diabetes
Cancer
..and many more.

Think wisely, don’t follow the herd, make your own decisions and protect your family.”

//

I would be remiss if I failed to mention Elemental Herbs other amazing products. The lord of all, my personal fav All Good Goop. Ideal for any imperfections from burns (yes i did use it on my sunburn and yes it helped quite a bit) to bites and anything that feels chapped or dry, anywhere. They also make the most bomb lip balm, All Good Lips. I love the herbal original flavor. Basically I love everything they make, but if I had to pick, you got my top three. So a huge thanks to Caroline for sharing her passion for nature and her magical, organic, herbal healing stuffs.

Shades Facebook Page – become a fan!

Shades Menu of Services

Products

If you’re like me you probably have a few eggs leftover in the fridge. As an active member of the “No Mayo” club I have to be creative when it comes to egg salad. Today I tried out something new and it delighted both me (unabashed mayo hater) and my family (who seem to love the stuff). So here’s to a healthier egg salad.

5 hard boiled – preferably Easter eggs

4-6 tbls Dijon mustard

juice of  1/2 lemon

1 large pickle diced

1/4 red onion diced

1 small handful chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems

Mix and spread on a slice of toasted rye bread.

Just so you know eggs nourish yin, build blood, lubricate dryness and calm the fetus (think egg for an egg). They are wonderfully rich natural beauty boosters. If you are totally over egg salad, but still rich in hard-boiled eggs try adding them sliced to salads for a protein boost.

Eggs are also amazing for the skin. Cheap and convenient pore shrinkers an egg white mask makes the perfect pre-party ritual. Just mix up an egg white with your favorite Golden Path Alchemy Herbal Mask. As the mask dries it shrinks both your pores and your face. Smiling and talking can become pretty funny with shrinkage. Laugh, rinse with warm water, moisturize and you are red carpet ready!

In nutritional terms tea is cool, bitter and sweet. It clears the head, refreshes the mind, relieves thirst and restlessness, resolves phlegm. It is a diuretic that aids digestions, detoxifies, promotes weight loss and reduces cholesterol. Those are a just few reasons why you should enjoy a cup. This morning I prepared my favorite, Butterfly Wings the way Naja suggests with a dab of honey and a dash of milk, it’s divine. Ashley can’t get enough of the Pink Passion.

Whether you’re a lover of green, black, white, herbal or rooibos Naja has it all. Every sip of tea is a gift, filled with love and passion, just like Naja herself. She has created an array of delightful blends that will calm, soothe, relax, refresh or energize mind, body and spirit. So savor the moment and treat yourself to the perfect cup of Naja Tea.

You can also check out Naja’s blog to get more info and tea tips. Plus she now has a refill program where your future refill teas are discounted!

As you may know we are both finishing up our masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine at Yo San University helping people feel better, naturally. Over the last couple of years we have also been on the road with our holistic, herbal skin care company Golden Path Alchemy. Attending and participating in green trade shows and festivals we have had a chance to meet so many amazing people and products. Herban Girls is all about sharing our passion along with our favorite products to support your holistic lifestyle.