|
Ginger a natural remedy |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
31/10/2008 15:20
|
|
|
I have spent the day baking for our visitors this weekend and there are some very nice smells coming from the kitchen which will do our diets no good at all. I sometimes wonder why I seem to have this need to make everything myself it would be easier to just buy ready made cakes and biscuits. I expect we will be having the local children round tonight as well in honour of Halloween so I have sweeties ready for them.
In the course of my baking I have made some ginger shortbread with a delicious topping with crystallized ginger and cashew nuts so when I came across a post about some of the benefits of ginger I thought I would pass it on.
Ginger has played an important healing role throughout history. It’s often referred to as the universal medicine in Indian Ayurvedic teachings, and it’s used in more than 50 percent of traditional Chinese herbal formulas. It contains essential fatty acids, phytochemicals, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, numerous B-vitamin ...
|
 |
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|
|
Eco - Crunch! |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
30/10/2008 16:45
|
|
|
Another bright and crisp morning when Peter left this morning it was -4 I went out later and took a few pictures in the garden which you might like to see.
This is a view of Klibreck which I can see from my kitchen window its completely covered in snow.
You can see how frosty it is on the far side of the river.
Shula waiting for me to throw her ball!
I was reading a small article in the paper today entitled 'Eco-crunch warning to wor ...
|
|
|
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|
|
More Green Living |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
29/10/2008 17:18
|
|
|
A lovely day today with sun and beautiful clear light, there is snow capping the mountains but it's about as unlike yesterday as it's possible to be. We have visitors coming for a few days on Saturday so it was a trip to Alness for some food shopping for me and lots of cooking still to do. I expect some of the local children will be round on Friday for Halloween so I need to have some 'treats' ready.
I have a bit of news for you I have accepted a part time job as a Smoking Cessation Adviser and will not be around for three days a week so I am not sure at this point whether I will continue to blog daily.
I spend a lot of time looking for green tips to pass on and there is an awful lot of repetition but I suppose there are some things that are always worth saying again. I felt very guilty today because I have been trying very hard not to waste food apart from the cost in money there is all the energy and so on used to produce it. But I confess I threw away a half pot of phi ...
|
|
|
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|
|
A tale of two babies |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
28/10/2008 14:24
|
|
|
We awoke to a white world this morning and lots of the white stuff has been coming down intermittently ever since. The mountains at the back of the house are all clad in snow and look beautiful when the sun is shining on them not that its been doing much of that today. Our new chickens were amazed when I opened the coup this morning and first of all came tip toeing out and then seemed to pick up their skirts(metaphorically speaking) and dash all round the run madly. Both dogs have been out chasing around and enjoying a general rough and tumble whereas the cats have booked seats as close to the fire as possible.
I have been trying to write an article this morning it's a very short one about two babies-
This is a tale of two babies living in very different households but equally loved and cared for. Baby one is adorable and very trendily dressed in tiny denim jeans and a sweatshirt. Everybody says how sweet he looks. Unfortunately baby one is not so sure. Denim is rather ha ...
|
|
|
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|
|
Children today. |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
27/10/2008 12:28
|
|
|
Our weather continues pretty horrid here we have had lots of rain, sleet and hailstones and some strong winds. All that withstanding I still value the beauty and tranquility of where we live so I read with interest a piece in the Telegraph which stated that one in eight people in the UK live in 'green place poverty' which is defined as having access to two or less green spaces nearby.
Sadly in urban areas the figure rose to one in four, despite the fact most people believe regular contact with the natural world is important to quality of life. The top reasons given for visiting open spaces were to experience fresh air and space, for relaxation and to see wildlife. Increased demand for housing has meant that green spaces have been built on and local authorities stretched for money have not seen maintaining an area for dog walkers and parks as being high priority. Yet this is so short sighted isn't it? We read constantly in the media about children not playing outside and the increa ...
|
|
|
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|
|
Bad news media |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
25/10/2008 14:29
|
|
|
Another wild wet day here in the Highlands a friend and I had planned to go to the Taste of Tain a celebration of locally produced food. We set off and had a very scary time with roads blocked with fallen trees and branches and a terrifying drive over Dornoch bridge with the car seeming to have a mind of it's own. But we got there eventually and had a very enjoyable time with lots of food tasting going on and samples of things as well as entertainment from fiddle players and a fashion show. I bought some lovely goodies to bring home! Anyway back now safe and sound.
Listening to the news yesterday I began to wonder how many ways there are to tell us we are-
a) In a recession
b) About to enter a recession
Depressing when it is pushed at you at every opportunity I know there is such a thing as burying your head in the sand but I don't need to be told every single time I listen to the radio or switch on the TV. There is such a thing as remaining positive but ...
|
|
|
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|
|
African Black Soap |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
24/10/2008 11:31
|
|
|
It was a very wild wet and windy night here but the forecast said it would be nice on the East coast today so that is where the dogs and I went to the beach at Dornoch. It rained all the way there but seemed to be clearing as we arrived and got out of the car. I have never come across this phenomena in the South but we seemed to have a different weather front going on in every direction. It was clear and blue out to sea although the water was a horrible khaki colour with all the sand churned up by the wind. In another direction a rainbow and inland raining and black clouds. Luckily I had gone prepared and was togged up in all my wet weather gear. We left Dornoch in lovely sunshine and got home to heavy rain again.
I wanted to tell you about my recent market research(I'm being a bit pretentious here I was just trying it out!) for Cebra I had a trial of washing my hair with the African Black Soap& ...
|
|
|
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|
|
Toys for toddlers |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
23/10/2008 13:45
|
|
|
I have been having a very frustrating day writing my newsletter and trying to get it into the correct format as you will know if you read this blog I am not the most computer literate person so what others can do in a short while takes me forever! I have also been trying to sort out some printing with no success so far it's just not my day!
I was reading an interesting blog today about toys that you buy for your toddlers the idea's are great but speaking from personal experience my grandson who is only three already has very definite idea's about toys that he likes. Anyway I hope that this list will give some idea's and hopefully steer the kids in the right direction.
Basic guidelines: Purchase toys made of solid wood that are either unfinished or have a non-toxic finish; purchase toys made of organic cotton, wool or hemp. Avoid any long or loose strings, small parts and sharp edges. Remember that toddlers tend to put toys (and everything) into their mouths, so ...
|
|
|
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|
|
Regifting |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
22/10/2008 15:06
|
|
|
This morning was beautiful blue skies and sunshine so I took the dogs to Rosehall for their walk. We took a new path which had a notice saying it was steep and climbed to 900 feet. Undaunted we set off and it wasn't long before I was puffing a bit and I swear my bottom was decreasing in size.(this is so patently untrue but I can hope!) When we got to the top there were stunning views in every direction to the North the mountains were snow capped (I use the term' Mountain' loosely as I have never know when a big hill becomes a mountain). It was a truly beautiful walk and a good cardiac workout as well.
On another note I thought you might like this link to Ethical Junction list of companies who are into energy efficiency and saving. Some useful information here. Another bit of information that may be of interest with the festive season approaching fast is Regifting [noun] - the act of giving a ...
|
|
|
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|
|
Think Green! |
|
Linda's Highland Blog
|
By Linda on
21/10/2008 10:45
|
|
|
I was flicking through the weekend colour supplements today prior to putting them out for recycling and I was struck by how little there is in the way of Eco friendly items advertised.Sometimes when like me you are completely immersed in green issues and Eco friendly websites you get a biased idea of how mainstream the interest in Organic and Fairtrade actually is don't you ?
When I looked in the Saturday magazine there is one page which is devoted to green ideas and there is a different person featured weekly. Fashion is all about famous designers and the high street and very little about organic sustainable textiles. Expensive cosmetics, skincare and treatments but nothing about all the unpleasant chemicals they contain or features on people who are producing fantastic organic and ethical toiletries and skincare. That is of course unless they are very high profile for whatever reason like Bono's wife for example, not that I have any axe to grind about her she obviously believes in what s ...
|
|
|
|
Comments (0)
|
More...
|
|