Have a laughter filled weekend everyone! Some notable posts and news:

How bad are microwaves?

Wow, a four-ingredient pumpkin pie.

Advice on health from someone who recently turned 100 years old.

Stop using dryer sheets and you’ll save money and reduce toxins.

10 protein-packed plants.

Do you use umami-boosting ingredients?

We all know five-inch stilettos might do a number on our feet, but those thin and flimsy ballet flats might not be so great either.

I read things like this and cringe when I think about how much McDonald’s I used to consume.

Living Forest Designs makes products and furniture that are built to last a lifetime. Think carefully crafted goods “like they used to make ‘em in the old days” that can be passed on from generation to generation; thereby reducing waste and keeping family memories alive. A majority of the lumber they use is certified as sustainably harvested by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), the finishes are water-based and have low levels of volatile organic compounds. Oh, and even their website is hosted on 100% solar-powered servers. They do custom work, single pieces, and small production runs, and can make everything from a pen to coffee tables. How beautiful are these food-safe bowls?

And a few other beautifully crafted pieces for the little ones.

This is a small company that just launched last year. For those that can financially afford to spend more on well-crafted investment pieces, please support local and independent businesses whenever possible! Check them out on their Facebook page.

What’s also great is that the beneficial compounds of celery are said to hold up well during the cooking process. So as the farmer’s market nears its final stages (big sigh), I’ve been quickly trying to add celery to my weekly meal plan. And because it’s been so cold lately, celery soup immediately came to mind. I’d never made celery soup so I was searching for recipes that didn’t incorporate too many extras like milk or heavy cream. I decided to adapt this recipe from Chef in You. Celery as the star of this light soup dish was a success! The celery flavor gets really mellowed out, but it’s definitely there. The soup was both refreshing and comforting. And since we didn’t use too many ingredients, the soup was affordable and healthy. I served this with some lightly toasted sprouted bread. Just note that this recipe is very light on flavor (for example, I used water instead of stock), so it might not be for you if you’re used to a lot going on in your soup. But because it’s a nice basic recipe, you really can use this as a starting point to venture into different directions depending on your taste and what you have on hand.

Ingredients :

• 7 stalks of organic celery
• 1 onion
• 4 medium potatoes
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• Black pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Oil for cooking

Method:

• Chop onion, clean and chop celery

• Saute onion with curry powder and turmeric on medium heat for a few minutes until onions are translucent.

• Add celery and potatoes, and saute for five minutes. Add salt and black pepper, to taste.

• Add water, add more  black pepper, cover and cook until the celery and potatoes are fairly soft (15 to 20 minutes).

• Puree the vegetable mixture in food processor (or blender) in batches – it took us about 4 batches for our small food processor. Pour back into pot and heat back up, add more black pepper, herbs or other garnish as desired. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Images via Growing with Plants and renest.

Image source unknown.