I am reposting this rather militant article I wrote last year for a local magazine in Los Angeles which has now gone under. Although it was written a while ago, I have to say that I still agree, but now I think that many ’sleeper agents’ are already awake – watch out multinational corporations!

Printed in Far West Almanac May 2009

To organize work in such a manner that it becomes meaningless, boring, stultifying, or nerve-racking for the worker would be little short of criminal; it would indicate a greater concern with goods than with people, an evil lack of compassion and a soul-destroying degree of attachment to the most primitive side of this worldly existence.

‘Buddhist Economics‘ by E.F. Schumacher in Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered.

One of the tactics of the Nazis to keep people thinking they had control in the face of tyranny was to give them a nonsensical choice. When faced with two choices, we have three possible actions. Choose one or the other or none at all.

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This dip is generally served with Swedish gravad lax, but is good on crackers or as a dressing for salads.

• 6 T olive oil
• 4 t cider vinegar
• 3 t mustard (powdered)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t honey
• pinch of pepper

Method: Mix mustard, salt and cider vinegar together. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking quickly, blend the oil into the mustard. Add honey and pepper to taste.

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I never knew I could like liver until I had paté! Fantastic stuff, especially if you have the right combination of spices and a touch of lime or something sour. This recipe uses the wonderful combination of onions, garlic and ginger that I love so much from Burmese and other Asian dishes. Mix and match spices to find your own favorite combinations, and don’t be afraid to use a heavy hand when flavoring it up!

• 1 lb liver
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1/2 head garlic, pounded
• 2 inches ginger, pounded
• fat for frying (lard, olive oil, butter etc)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 Tablespoons ground coriander
• 1/2 – 1 c butter, soft
• 1 – 2 limes juice
• salt and pepper to taste

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This recipe has developed over the years from Sally Fallon’s recipe for raisin chutney in her wonderful cookbook Nourishing Traditions.

• 3 c organic raisins
• 1 t red chili flakes
• 1/2 head garlic, crushed
• 2 T coriander seeds
• 1 T cumin seeds
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 T fenugreek seeds
• 2-3 cardamom pods (remove shell)
• 1 T black mustard seeds
• 1 T black peppercorns
• 1 t ground turmeric
• 2 inches ginger, grated
• 2 t Himalayan salt (sea salt)
• 1/4 c whey
• 1/2 c non-chlorinated water

Method: Soak raisins in warm water for at least an hour. Peel and pound ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle. Place the whole spices in a pan and dry roast until the aroma rises from the pan. Process until well ground.

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This interview is from The Agora’s March 2010 issue. The interview was done by Ryan from The Agora, interviewing Randall Ross, the Vancouver Ubuntu’s ‘buzz generator’. I think it answers the sort of questions many of us have when we hear “Ubuntu, Ubuntu…” Ubuntu is an amazing, flexible tool which comes with an international community and is here to assist everyone in their quests for freedom and connection.

The full conversation can be found on the Vancouver Ubuntu Community Meetup Website here. I had been wanting to interview Randall for a while but I didn’t know where to begin. Ryan does a fantastic job of getting right to the heart of the matter, take a few minutes to read this interview–it could change your life–at the very least it can save you a lot of money!

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“There are numerous ways in which the body rids itself of harmful materials, metabolic products and radiation. The liver, kidneys, intestine, skin, lungs — all work in concert to rid us of everything harmful and superfluous. Anything that strengthens these organs is also strengthening the capacity of the body to detoxify itself.” p146 Moon Time: The Art of Harmony with Nature and Lunar Cycles by Johanna Paungger

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We just made a batch of these and the wonderful aroma fills our apartment. These are so delicious, you barely realise you are on the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet. Based on the Zucchini Muffin recipe in Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall.

• 2 c grated zucchini
• 2 c ground almonds
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 c ghee or melted butter
• 1/3 c honey (raw)
• 2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t baking soda
• couple of pinches of salt
• A couple handfuls of frozen or fresh blueberries

Method: Mix almond flour, zucchini, fat and honey. Add the eggs, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Mix very well. Add blueberries (or other fruit), but don’t add too many or the muffins will not hold together.

Bake in muffin tins filled 2/3 full for about 20 minutes in a 350 F (180 C) degree oven.

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After reading Anna’s positive experiences with the GAPs diet I ordered the book and have just finished reading it, I have tried a lot of diets over the years especially after living in a moldy apartment in Wellington, NZ which has resulted in problems with my digestive tract ever since. November last year was a month of non-stop rain here in Vancouver, BC and with the temperature change, was the perfect breeding ground for mushrooms, mold and yeasts. As a result our health problems reared their ugly heads again and showed us that we still have an overgrowth of harmful yeast in our systems. In some ways this is good because we at least know that we need to deal with it.

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My copy of Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride arrived last week and over the weekend I had leftover spaghetti squash. On page 149 I found a recipe for egg-free bread/cake/muffins which called for mashed squash. Spaghetti squash is a little watery so it comes out quite dense, but very healthy and tasty.

Carrot, Blueberry and Spaghetti Squash Muffins

1c spaghetti squash (cooked)

1c carrots, grated

3T butter (lard, duck/goose fat, coconut oil)

1 1/2 c almonds, ground

1/2 c walnuts, ground

3/4 c date puree or seedless dates (about 2 handfulls)

1/2 c boiling water (soak dates in water 5 mins)

1/2 c frozen blueberries

1 t cinnamon

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This recipe is adapted from D. Mary’s recipe for Cucumbers in Jars on page 75 in the book Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning

• 1 1/2 T sea salt per quart (litre) of water
• unchlorinated water
• small handful fennel seeds
• 6-10 black peppercorns
• 1 T mustard seeds
• 5-7 cloves
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 8-10 small to medium sized cucumbers, washed
• dill flower heads and leaves
• small handful of coriander seeds
• clean jars with canning tops
• 1 horseradish root, sliced (to keep cucumbers firm)

Method: Add the salt to a bottle of transmogrified water and shake it until it dissolves. Give your cucumbers a good wash and put the spices and garlic into the jar. Pierce the cucumbers with a fork a few times so the brine will penetrate into them. Squeeze the cucumbers upright into the jar (with the horseradish) and place the dill on top.

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