Cookbook with a Cause: a Review of Recipes to Remember by Barbara Magro

When was the last time a cookbook made you cry? Recipes to Remember: My Epicurean Journey to Preserve my Mother's Italian Cooking from Memory Loss, by Barbara Magro, is a cookbook to read cover to cover.  If you are anything like me, have some tissues handy.

Recipes to Remember is a chock-full of interesting tidbits. It is an Italian cookbook, and, like the church potluck cookbooks of my youth, it is a fundraising cookbook.

It is also a memoir, and a family tribute. It is the story of one woman's spiritual journey. It is a poignant snapshot of cultural heritage with which all Americans will identify.

When the full reality of her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis hit Barbara Magro, she knew what she needed to do.  Although Barbara had traveled the world and could cook the gourmet delicacies of many cultures, she had never learned to cook her mother's traditional Italian meals.

As Barbara learned about her mother's disease, she felt the need to educate people about Alzheimer's and to help raise money for the Alzheimer's Association.

Barbara gathered her mother's recipes and made them the centerpiece of a beautiful book that celebrates family, culture and food.

Recipes to Remember includes holiday recipes, soups and desserts. There are discussions of Italian foods and where to find them. Both meat-lovers and vegetarians will be delighted with the offerings here. Those on a diet will appreciate Barbara's low-fat alternatives to the traditional recipes.

The graphic layout of the book is very appealing, and includes pictures from Barbara's own family celebrations. The recipes are written clearly - even a klutz in the kitchen like me could follow them and create an authentic Italian dish!

Barbara Magro's website is http://recipestoremember.net. Here you will find sample recipes, Alzheimer's Information and an opportunity to support the Alzheimer's Association with your purchase of Recipes to Remember.

Cha Cha Japanese Café - A Hidden Treasure

Cha Cha Japanese Café
155 South State Rd 7
Wellington, FL

Cha Cha Japanese in Wellington, FL is a very special hidden treasure. It is small, and in the back of a plaza. Boxes of Pocky are available at the counter and the TV in the corner is tune to an all-Japanese station. Your anime-loving teen will be in heaven here.

If you like real Japanese food, you will be in heaven, too. The prices are reasonable and the service is fast and friendly. Cha Cha is family-owned and serves the local Japanese community.

We ordered tea which turned out to be a traditional teapot of smoked green tea. The miso soup and seaweed salad were amazing. My friend and I split a bowl of hot and sour Ramen. It was super spicy but really delicious.

For our main course my friend got teriyaki chicken, which came with broccoli and sprouts. It was a lovely presentation, and delicious.

I got the Ten-Don, which is tempura and rice. I also couldn't resist a vegetarian sushi roll.

With everything we ordered we had a feast of flavors and textures. Everything was beautifully prepared and presented.

My favorite was the sushi, which was fresh and inexpensive. The next time I want to eat a sinful amount of sushi I know exactly where to go!

Elementing

A few months ago I posted about the new trend of "Earthing." Earthing is a practice of consciously connecting to the Earth. In that post I recognized the importance of making that connection, but was dismayed for two reasons. First, I hate it that we have grown so apart from our planet that we have to teach people to do what should come naturally to all of us. Second, I am always suspicious of New Age fads. Connecting to the Earth shouldn't be a fad; it should simply be part of life.

Today I have another point to make. Not only do we need to connect to the Earth; we need to connect, both physically and spiritually, to all the four elements.

I can't imagine that we would call connecting to Fire "Firing," or connecting to Water "Watering." Firing, watering and airing all mean something else.

But just as we need to make a conscious connection to the Earth, we need to connect with Fire, Water and Air.

I've often wondered if some of our common addictions might be exacerbated by our lack of connection to the four elements. If we could dance around a fire every night would we still feel the urge to smoke? If we could skinny-dip in a lake, river or ocean every day would we still drink too much?

Every day in our modern world there are many ways to connect with the elements. Burn candles, fly a kite, and take a shower. We do these things anyway. If we do them consciously, we will make that important connection to the elements. By making that connection to all four elements we will be more balanced, happier and healthier.

Why I love Beyonce

I have absolutely no interest in football.  I have only minor interest in the collateral Super Bowl buzz- the parties, the ads, the half-time show. But I love Beyonce, so I made sure to watch a clip of her stunning half-time performance.

I have loved Beyonce since Destiny's Child was a group of four girls wearing dresses made by Beyonce's mother. I saw Destiny's Child open for TLC many years ago. Their big hit at the time, if I remember correctly, was "Bills, Bills, Bills." Even then there was one girl who stood out above the rest. I remember looking at her and thinking she would have a powerful solo career one day. Later I discovered her name was Beyonce Knowles.

Hip Hop, R&B and Pop are not my favorite genres of music, although my years working in FM radio gave me a certain appreciation of each decade's best jams. Beyonce has set herself above the rest not only with her vocal range and power, classic grace and snappy dance moves. The thing that in my mind makes Beyonce the current reigning diva supreme is this.

Underneath the skin-tight clothes and sexy moves, Beyonce is a feminist. While so much of the Hip Hop vibe is obviously degrading to women, Beyonce used the medium to empower women.  Her songs such as "Independent Woman" and "Single Ladies," so beautifully reprised during the half-time show, remind us of our power as women. Her decision to put together a great all-female band reminds us that women aren't just showpieces, or pretty girls who sing. Women have power.

That's a message young girls and women need to hear and remember.

Back in the days of the "Second Wave of Feminism" it often seemed that powerful women needed to avoid being attractive. If you were pretty you were simply playing to the patriarchy. To have power your looks needed to be unremarkable.

Even in recent years the most powerful women in our country have usually not been the most beautiful. Oprah has a weight problem. Hilary is the queen of the pantsuit.

Beyonce demonstrates that we can have our beauty and our brains as well.

We can be sexy. We can be desirable. But that doesn't make us weak, and it doesn't make us playthings of men. Beyonce shows us we can be strong, beautiful and independent.

Hop Won Dinner Club

Hop Won Dinner Club and Skinny Bar
4825 SW 148th Ave
Davie, FL 33330

It had been a long time since a restaurant meal delighted me. That's a shame, too, because I really enjoy dining out.
 

The other night my friend and I went to the newly refurbished Hop Won in Davie. Davie is a nice little town filled with equestrians, churches, parks and tropical plant nurseries. We have a Waffle House and an Outback. It's not really a place where you might expect a place like Hop Won.
 

Hop Won is tucked into a plaza with a Publix, a Subway and a few other shops. The first think you notice when you walk in is the décor. Red, black, pink and white are the colors. They work together to create an atmosphere that feels chic, upscale and casual all at the same time. The bossa nova style music playing and the fun selections at the "Skinny Bar" lightened my mood immediately.
 

Hop Won calls itself a "Dinner Club and Skinny Bar." If every about it weren't perfect that would sound pretentious.
 

The menu at Hop Won boasts authentic Chinese food, Chinese American food and some interesting fusion. The skinny cocktails include a Cucumber Martini and a Cosmo with half the calories of a traditional Cosmopolitan.
 

My friend ordered the Churrasco Steak and I had the Singapore Noodles with Spicy Shrimp. The food was presented beautifully and tasted just as good as it looked.
 

The service at Hop Won was friendly and fast. The prices were easy on the wallet. We'll definitely be back.

The Difference Between Helping and Hurting

Anyone who drive faster that I do has a death-wish. Anyone  who drives slower than I do is a slow-poke. Aren't those statements true for most of us?

It also shows up when we think about spirituality. Anyone who believes something more fanciful than what I believe is superstitious; anyone who can't believe what I believe is shallow.

In our American culture we maintain a high value on respecting each other's beliefs. I think most of us feel this is a good thing. It's one of our core founding principles.

But what happens when one person's beliefs infringe on someone else's rights? What if your beliefs make it acceptable, or even necessary, to be hateful to me?

We see these problems emerging from many cultural perspectives. Should Muslim Americans be allowed to practice Sharia law? Should Catholic employers be allowed to deny reproductive health coverage to their employees? Should fortune-tellers be allowed to scare clients into paying money to escort the deceased into heaven because it is part of their religious heritage? Should Born-Again Christians be allowed to discriminate against people based on sexual orientation?

Perhaps the litmus is this. If your beliefs cause you to hurt other people maybe you need to re-examine your beliefs. Maybe spirituality, no matter the history or heritage, needs to be about healing rather than hurting.

Maybe if you believe your God wants you to kill, hurt, manipulate or suppress others you just might be wrong. Maybe your scripture has been poorly translated or poorly interpreted. Maybe your scripture is just a reflection of the time in which it was written.

Perhaps of greater importance than religious text and tradition are the brains and hearts Higher Power gave us. We each have the ability to discern what helps from what hurts. Isn't that what any true Higher Power would want us to do?

Religious traditions may include some practices that seem silly to those from other cultures. But practicing those traditions can have power and significance to the individual and to the community.

Honoring our traditions can be wise, sacred and meaningful. But we also have to remember that some traditions can be hurtful. Traditions such as slavery and mutilation don't serve us - and never did.

Perhaps it is time to relinquish the aspects of our traditions that hurt while honoring the aspects that heal. Perhaps there is a space where reason, kindness and spirituality can meet.

The Tarot Certification Quandary

For almost as long as I have been a professional tarot reader there has been an ongoing (sometimes heated) conversation in the tarot community about tarot certification.

Professional tarot readers like me appreciate the opportunity to work toward comprehensive educational and professional goals. We appreciate the credibility that certification can give us.

The problem is finding certifying organizations that are themselves credible.

Some of the problems I have seen over the years include organizations that grant certification for political reasons rather than merit, and well-intentioned examiners granting certification to candidates who clearly don't deserve it because the examiners feel badly about declining the request.

Another area of concern is the fee structure for many certifying organizations where the candidate pays to be examined and certified at each level. This creates an incentive for the organization to grant the certification whether or not the certification is merited.

One of the things that makes tarot so special is exactly the thing that makes certification so difficult. Each reader has his or her take on the cards. Each reader has his or her own style. There is a question about what is really being certified. Is it knowledge of the cards? Is it psychic ability? Is it the candidate's ability to give a passable reading?

Beyond providing credibility for deserving readers and vetting quality readers for the public does certification have another purpose? Could certification help us preserve our traditions and our roots even as we are exploring new ways to use, design and understand tarot?

There are so many tarot traditions, and tarot is quickly evolving. Most certified readers cannot demonstrate competence in every tarot tradition. Therefore, should certification be more specific than just tarot? Should we certify in Waite tradition and Crowley tradition separately, for instance?

Many designers of unique decks offer special certification programs in working with their specific deck. These certifications are granted after participation in an intensive workshop.

In general, certifications for the successful completion of specific classes seem to make more sense than an overall fee-based certification program. The rubric for completion is verifiable and quantifiable, and the fee is paid to take the class, not to certify the candidate.

As I continue to expand my continuing education program for students I will begin offering examinations and certifications for specific premium classes. If other educational programs offered similar programs for their classes these education-specific endorsements might be helpful in qualifying candidates for more generalized tarot certification programs.

If there are to be valid certification programs the certifying agents must be above reproach. Certification must be granted on demonstrated merit alone. The certifying organization must be responsible for perfect recording-keeping, displaying the certification on a website and verifying certification by phone and email.

It is very likely that tarot organizations will choose to create certification and endorsement programs because many tarot readers desire it, and with good reason. My certification has been extremely helpful in helping me present myself as a legitimate business person at Chamber of Commerce meetings, meetings with town officials and when obtaining business licenses.

Tarot is evolving, technology is evolving and our community must evolve with it. We do have a responsibility to preserve our traditions, educate students and provide the public with access to quality services.

The question we must answer is whether or not tarot certification is a viable way to accomplish these worthy goals.

Metaphysical Footwear from Juil - A Shoe Review

In the 1980s I often used medical tape to affix crystals and gemstones to my body. I wasn't alone in this pursuit. Chi Pants developed a design of pants that actually had a quartz crystal sewn in near the root chakra.

To this day I believe that the laying of crystals and gemstones onto the body can have a positive effect on health, wellbeing, emotional balance and spiritual attunement.

After mining crystals in Arkansas a couple of times I became uncomfortable with the mining process and its devastating effects on the planet. I decided since all the stones came from the Earth one could simply connect directly with the Earth and gain their benefits.

I guess I've always been a tree-hugger.

Recently I heard about a New Age fad called Earthing. I posted about it on this blog. In some ways I was happy that people were remembering the value of connecting with the Earth. In some ways I was upset by the commercialization of it, the faddy nature of it and the fact that they called it "Earthing."

Then I discovered Juil, a company that makes shoes for men and women that use copper to enhance the connection with the Earth.

I love to be barefoot but it's not always practical. The idea of comfortable shoes that would help keep me connected to Mother Earth seemed brilliant, and, yes, just a wee bit hokey. But I am the girl who taped crystals to my body. Copper in my shoes is not a huge leap for me.

It was hard to choose between the sandals the clogs. Since I live in Florida I went with the sandals, specifically the Napa sandals in black and burgundy.

Juil footwear is available primarily on-line. My sandals arrived quickly and came in a lovely box with an interesting carrying bag. The sandals have five little round copper discs at the toes and another at the heel.

I am usually a solid size eight, but my new sandals were very tight - definitely too small. Juil was very kind and quick about getting me a size nine, which fit well.

After wearing the sandals for a couple of weeks I have to say I am happy with them. They aren't inexpensive, but they are very well-made. The foot bed is covered in leather and very comfortable. They feel good on my feet. They don't flex at all, which some people might not like but doesn't bother me. And they still look new after a few weeks of hard Florida wear.

But the big question, of course, is this. Do I feel more grounded and more connected to the Earth when I wear them? Actually, yeah, I do. I feel more focused, too - a benefit of being grounded.

Metaphysicians say that copper is a conduit and amplifier, which is how it can conduct the energies of the Earth. Copper is thought to be of specific benefit to the root chakra; the chakra that grounds us.

As high-end sandals go my Juil Napa Sandals are as good or better as others I have tried - Birkenstock, Earth Shoes, etc. The grounding copper works for me. I have spent years attuning myself to the energy of gemstones and minerals. Someone less attuned may or may not feel the benefits, but they would be benefitted nonetheless.

Time and Tradition

During the holiday season we hear a lot of talk about tradition. Traditions matter, not just at this time of year, but always. Traditions give us our sense of identity. They can give us a sense of unity within our families and our communities. Traditions can help us remember our history, our symbols and our myths. Traditions mark the passage of time. Traditions give us a sense of uniqueness and a sense of belonging.

Sometimes traditions are used to hurt and oppress people. Sometimes tradition is what keeps people from doing what they want to do. Some people use the concept of tradition as an excuse to continue practices that exclude people, or that honor one group of people over another.

Today I am thinking about tradition because it is the second day of Kwanzaa. I feel a bit of kinship with those who celebrate Kwanzaa because I see a similarity between the traditions that came out of the Black Nationalist Movement of the 1960s and traditions of Wicca which all grew out of a book published by Gerald Gardner in England in 1954.

Each of these movements is very young in comparison with Christian traditions that are at least a thousand years old and Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist traditions that have been practiced for thousands of years.

Often younger traditions are ridiculed as non-traditions, or as things that a single person or small group of people "just made up."

Wicca and the Black National Movement have something else in common in that both have tried to reclaim and reconstruct traditions that are lost in time. In doing so sometimes the history is not quite accurate. Once again comes the accusation; "You just made that up!"

My answer to that accusation is this. When traditions are lost due to violence, oppression and fear one hasn't got much choice. Why is it wrong to build on what you know and imagine the rest? And, is that any different from medieval artists imagining what Jesus might have looked like and painting pictures that to this day define for us our image of Jesus?

Many families create their own traditions that may or may not be passed to the next generation. Perhaps a tradition is simply what works for a group for a period of time - no matter how long or short.

On the other hand, a practice that is thousands of years old can have power simply because of its age. Can we say that the lighting of the Hanukah Menorah is more powerful than the lighting of the Kwanzaa candles or the God and Goddess candles simply because Hanukah has been celebrated for at least two thousand years longer than Kwanzaa or the Neo-Pagan Wheel of the Year?

Sometimes religious ceremonies require creativity. When that happens new traditions are born. Who is to say that the creativity that inspires new traditions is not the same creativity that inspired traditions that began thousands of years ago? Everything needs to start somewhere. The Spirit that inspires us, whatever we may call it, is just as present now as it was in the ancient past.

To reclaim, reconstruct and reinvent that which has been ripped away helps us heal ourselves and strengthen our communities. To celebrate a tradition, no matter how young it may be, brings power to the present and hope for the future. From this perspective the celebration of Kwanzaa and the Wheel of the Year is just as valid, powerful and important as traditions with an ancient history.

Our Holiday Symbols Could Unite Us

Here in the US the holiday season is filled with bickering. Many devout Christians become irritated at the secularization of Christmas and want us to remember the reason for the season. Then modern Pagans become irate and encourage the irate Christians to remember that the true reason for the season is the winter solstice.

Then arguing breaks out over the symbols of the holiday. What we forget is that symbolically, whether we are celebrating the returning sun, the birth of Christ, the lamp that continued to burn or even the seven days of Kwanzaa, on some spiritual level we are all celebrating the same thing.

Often we look to the origins of our symbols and traditions to defend our position. Perhaps it is time to focus on our similarities instead of our differences.

What if we celebrated the season side by side, marveling at the unity we share, rather than being divided by our differences?

When we look at the origins of many of our seasonal symbols it seems we share some clear themes. Our symbols come from a reverence for life, and a celebration of light. What could better describe the holiday season, be it Christmas, Yule, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or others?

Here are some quick descriptions of the origins of a few of our common holiday symbols.

Wreath

Today we decorate and hang wreaths on our doors during the holidays. We also make advent wreaths that lie flat on a table with four candles arranged around the wreath and a fifth candle in the center.

This tradition seems to have a universal appeal. Many earlier civilizations used greens and candles as symbols of hope.

In ancient Rome, wreaths were a sign of victory. In pre-Christian Germany, greens were brought into the home and arranged with candles as a reminder that warmer weather would soon return.

During the Scandinavian winter in ancient times a wreath of greens would be made with candles all around it. The candles were lit and prayers were said to the God of Light to turn the wheel back toward the sun.

Tree

Bringing an evergreen into the house and decorating it was an early European Christian tradition to celebrate Christmas. It is a tradition many Christians and secular-Christmas-celebrators enjoy today.

Because evergreens stay green all year round they have always been a sign of hope and life for cultures around the world. Evergreens in the form of trees, wreaths and garlands were brought into home to celebrate eternal life by the Egyptian, Chinese and Hebrew people, as well as the Scandinavians.

The Evergreen tree was also used in traditional medieval morality plays given on December 24 to symbolize the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.

Mistletoe

Mistletoe was considered sacred and mystical throughout pre-Christian Europe. Druid priests gathered mistletoe at both the summer and winter solstices to use in their rituals. Mistletoe was associated with Greco-Roman Saturnalia; another December holiday.

Kissing under the mistletoe seems to come from two origins. Many European cultures honored mistletoe as a bringer of fertility. Therefore kissing under the mistletoe could bring love, fertility, prosperity and long life.

Scandinavians saw mistletoe as a bringer of peace, so kissing under the mistletoe could mean a truce, or a treaty.

There are also myths that give mistletoe the ability to heal the sick and to restore life to the dead.

Holly

Modern Pagans claim virtually all Christmas traditions as their own. While some may argue over certain traditions the fact that holly was first a Pagan Yule tradition can never be disputed.

Ancient Romans associated holly with their Sun God who returns at the winter solstice. Ancient Celts brought holly into their homes in winter. The green leaves of the holly symbolized eternal life. The red berries symbolized the menstrual blood of the Goddess.

Candles

Again we can look to the Roman festival of Saturnalia for the origin of holiday candles. Candles were lit against the darkness as the winter solstice approached.

The Druids used candles to actually symbolize the sun in their celebration of the winter solstice.

Later, Christians placed candles in their windows as a symbolic guide to the Christ child, while the candles in the advent wreath symbolized the light of Christ.

At Chanukah eight candles are burned; one for each night the lamp oil lasted.

At Kwanzaa seven candles are burned; one for each of the Seven Values of Kwanzaa.

Rather than allowing our differences to separate us, let's gather around the candles and celebrate the light we all share.