Life flies past us so quickly, and sometimes I’m certain the sound of the wind is actually the sound of life flying by.  That’s the way it’s felt lately; a whirling blur, a constant hum, non-stop motion.  Since my last post in August, I’ve gone on a 14-state road trip, moved from the East Coast back to my beautiful California, and re-entered the corporate world after a year-long hiatus.  My husband quit his job to launch a graphic design business, we found a goat living on our new property, summer faded away into the brilliance of autumn, and I discovered almond flour.

Yes, that’s it.  I discovered almond flour. Extraordinary, delicious, versatile almond flour.

It’s not cheap — I paid about $35 for 5 pounds from my local co-op — but I’ve never enjoyed gluten-free baked goods more.  A single cup of almond flour provides the following nutrients:

• 140% of the RDA for vitamin E
• 80% of the RDA for magnesium
• 60% of the RDA for phosphorus
• 48% of the RDA for protein
• 32% of the RDA of calcium
• 16% of the RDA for folic acid

There’s more.  Almond flour also makes the best banana-nut bread/muffins ever.

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It’s nearing May in the heart of Japan’s Nishio area, and beneath the cover of carefully arranged netting, row after row of brilliant jade tencha tea plants are gradually hidden from the sun.  As the sunlight fades and the plants retreat into the shade, growth of the plants’ leaves slows, allowing the chlorophyll and antioxidant content to increase.

And under this shaded refuge, Japan’s number one organic matcha is tenderly nurtured. Only the newest small leaves are harvested.  After undergoing a gentle steaming process, the tiny leaves are kiln-dried and stone-ground into the AOI (Ah-oh-ee) Tea Company’s prized green matcha powder.

Matcha, which can be enjoyed a variety of different ways, offers a wealth of fantastic health benefits, including antibacterial and antiviral properties.

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But Artevist is a community of artists, not just another graphic tee company. There are no mass-produced designs, sweatshop garments, pesticide-laden cottons, or plastic inks here.  Artevist shirts are made in America from sustainably grown organic bamboo and cotton fabrics, and are printed without using pthalates or PVCs. Each unique limited-edition design is created by an eco-conscious artist, not a corporation.

How does the Artevist model work?

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Do you ever have an insatiable craving for a delicious, summery burger — but don’t want the autolyzed yeast extract and soy protein isolates contained in many commercial veggie patties? There’s no need to go without!  You can make your own grain-free version using just a handful of healthy ingredients. Organic french lentils and fresh portobello mushrooms combine to make a nutritious, mouthwatering vegan burger.

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Individual grains of teff are extremely small, just 1/150th of the size of a kernel of wheat.  When cooked as a hot cereal, the tiny grains –  comparable to the size of a poppy seed — create a deliciously smooth texture.  In fact, the taste and consistency of teff porridge is more like cream of wheat than any other gluten-free whole grain I’ve prepared.

When you see teff’s impressive nutritional profile, you’ll see why it provides a compelling case for adding this gluten-free grain to your diet.

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Designer Adele Wechsler, a South Africa native and current Toronto resident, doesn’t see green weddings as merely a passing trend, but “as more of a movement that’s here to stay.”  Adele’s newest Eco-Couture Collection transcends preconceived notions of eco bridal wear by seamlessly blending high fashion luxury with organic fabric and fair-trade labor.

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There’s no better time than summer to indulge in a sliver of chocolate cake, so rich in contrast to the simplicity of the gingham tablecloth and the mason jars overflowing with wildflowers.   This cake is made without using wheat, corn, or dairy ingredients, yet it is unmistakably, deliciously, chocolate.

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“With Indigenous Designs, we haven’t created just a charity situation,” says co-founder Matt Reynolds.  “It’s about taking responsibility to better our communities.”

This Fourth of July, Indigenous Designs and Feelgood Style are giving you the opportunity to win a gorgeous piece of clothing, constructed from all natural and organic fibers and eco-friendly dyes!

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So why did the President’s scientific advisory team for last fall’s election include Sharon Long, a former member of Monsanto’s board of directors?

And why did Obama recently appoint Barbara Schaal, a plant geneticist with connections to Monsanto, to his Science and Technology Advisory Council?

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Beginning December 1st, “bottled water containing E. coli will be considered adulterated,” says the US Food and Drug Administration.  You don’t say?  It doesn’t seem as though we’d need a press release to tell us that, but this is the FDA we’re talking about.

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Last month, Canada, the United States, and Australia announced unprecedented plans to join forces and commercialize genetically-engineered wheat, saying that biotechnology was crucial to the future of the wheat industry. The National Farmers Union of Canada, however, immediately refuted the tri-country claim, pointing out “the overwhelming majority of farmers in Canada are still opposed to the introduction of genetically-modified wheat.”

On June 1, fifteen organizations across Canada, the United States and Australia publicly confirmed that opposition with the release of “A Definitive Global Rejection of Genetically Engineered Wheat“, a powerful document speaking out against biotech wheat.

But the battle against GM wheat is not a simple one, nor is it restrained to select countries.

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This is nothing new. The company’s glufosinate-resistant LL62 genetically modified rice isn’t commercially grown, but that doesn’t mean that it hasn’t already entered the global food supply.

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Even the huge corporations don’t completely hide the hazards of the product.  Right there on oustide of the package, in plain view, the manufacturers warn us of the risks – severe allergic reaction and blindness. Of course, they leave out the dirtier details, like the association between hair dye and cancer. How bad is the situation? Well, even the FDA has admitted that “consumers will need to consider the lack of demonstrated safety when they choose to use hair dyes.”

Given the evidence, what’s a girl to do? Go green, of course — but preferably without literally green results. Fortunately, there is a solution.  I’m delighted to introduce a safe hair dye that actually works!  Advanced Cosmetic Technology’s permanent hair color is 100% vegan and plant-based, and is free from paraphenylene diamine (PPD), ammonia, parabens, resorcinol, bleach, and peroxide.

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For starters, the batter actually rose above and beyond the baking tin’s edge.  When’s the last time you remember anything gluten-free doing that? These muffins even manage to disguise shredded fruits and vegetables without coming anywhere near the dreaded dense description.

Goodbye flat, vaguely muffin-shaped globules.  It’s time to move on.

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Outside, brave little seedlings are gasping for breath while new blossoms hold their eyes tightly closed against the rain.  Shoots of bright green grass struggle to keep their slim heads above water.  I see an orange cat dart across the street.  He struggles to maintain aloofness, but it is clear that the weather has taken a severe toll on his dignity.  The mail retrieved from the streetside box is soggy and lifeless, the adhesive on the envelopes succumbing to the humidity.  Even inside, newly washed clothes hang limply, moisture stubbornly clinging to the threads and fibers.

On a day like this, what better thing to do than to curl up with a book?  I just received a brand-new copy of Vegan Rustic Cooking Through the Seasons, authored by Diana White of the UK’s Vegan-Organic Network, an organization whose fascinating farming methods go a step beyond traditional organic farming.

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Over the course of a lifetime, the average American consumes over 87,000 slices of bread.  Yes, you read that correctly — eighty seven thousand. That’s more than a loaf per week per person, not counting the additional 5,000 hot dog buns and 12,000 hamburger buns each American devours in his or her life.

All that wheat calculates out to a lifetime grand total of 21,947 loaves and buns.  The National Geographic Society’s Human Footprint project has illustrated this shocking bread obsession in a stunning visual (see the video clip below).   In the words of my little brother, who is no stranger to wheatless ways,  “That is a totally nasty amount of bread.”

There’s no argument that bread is an American staple.  Amber waves of grain are, after all, an American icon.  But we can’t live by bread alone.  So what are some wheatless alternatives?

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