The Voice
Monthly Archives: February 2015
Uh oh spaghetti o’s
Campbell’s introduced the idea of canned spaghetti back in 1965,
I’ve added the Franco American commercial at the bottom…”the greatest invention since the napkin!”
You can anellini pasta for a traditional Spaghetti Os shape, but you can easily substitute whatever small pasta shape you have on hand. For gluten-free Spaghetti Os, just use a gluten-free pasta… they even make gluten-free quinoa anellini if you want a true Spaghetti Os shape.
Ingredients
- 15oz no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp milk of choice
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 3/4 tsp to 1 tsp salt (depending on your preference. I like 1 tsp.)
- 2-3 tsp butter-type spread (such as Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light)
- 3-4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- pinch pure stevia OR 2 tbsp sweetener of choice (agave, sugar, whatever)
- 1 cup uncooked tiny pasta of choice (If using a larger pasta, such as elbows, increase to 2 cups)
Instructions
Homemade Spaghetti Os Recipe: In a small saucepan, stir together all ingredients except the pasta. Bring to a boil, then lower and cook on low until the butter spread melts completely. Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, throw in the pasta and cook until desired texture is reached. Drain, then pat dry with a towel. Pour the pasta into the sauce, and stir to combine. Serve. Before reheating any leftovers, stir and add a little milk of choice if needed.
Safe has plans….
Peter Arthur Ellis 1942 – 2015
Last Sunday I received a call from my mum, saying that my dad was being taken to hospital by ambulance and could I meet him there …..
My father has lived with Parkinsonism for the last few years and has been declining with each passing month.
He fought bravely this past week and allowed us to be by his side each day until he passed away peacefully on Friday with my brother and my daughter by his side. They held his hands and comforted him through his last breaths.
My sister and I and my mother had been with Dad all week, my brother came on Wednesday and my daughter came on Monday, Tuesday went back to her home 3 hours away and came back again on Thursday and stayed with him. I know..way too much detail 😀
I was asked to write something for his service, I didn’t have time to complete it, but I wanted to share it here.
My father wasn’t always available when I was growing up, I didn’t make that any easier for him, I gave both my parents a run for their money…
I never listened, Dad would say, while we watched the loons on the lake (laughing birds we called them) he would say, stay away from the rocks you might fall in the water..did I listen? No… Splash. Angela be careful the bbq is hot…again did I listen, No, required a trip to emerg with a terrible burn on my arm…
Well this week I listened.
In the last year or so dad was unable to speak. But it didn’t stop him from communicating. Dad loved to talk, once you got him started you knew you’d better pull up a comfy chair.
I can’t imagine his frustration, but he pushed through as Parkinson’s slowly took his abilities away, first his ability to walk, then his speech, motor skills started to fail, he was eating pureed foods, he was often in pain but he still maintained his ability to smile and make those around him smile.
He used those beautiful blue eyes of his, facial expressions, lots of smiles and hand gestures to let you know what he needed or how his was feeling.
If I hadn’t visited in a while boy did I hear about it!!! He stared me down brows furrowed and refused to acknowledge me, only lasted moments but felt like a life time!
This past week he became ill and was admitted in to hospital. He took his time in typical Ellis style, just took his time 😀 he allowed us this time with him, when he needed us the most and when we needed him.
We were watching silly videos online, telling jokes, reminiscing, cooling his head with cool damp facecloths and using our warped humor which we learned from him, telling him he looked like a little Amish girl or a creature off of star wars with all the sound effects included, he loved it smiling through his pain and high fever, we continued caring for him until his final breath with him guiding us all the way.
He needed us there to hold his hands, they were stuck in a fist like position with a little cushion wedged between so he wouldn’t hurt himself, we removed them so we could hold his hands properly, sliding our hands inside the gap, as soon as one of us moved our hands his eyes would open and back to hand holding, his eyes would close.
I sat with him one night early in the week and he kept pointing his hands together, finally I figured it out he wanted me to hold his hands, we both fell asleep.
We all had special moments with Dad like this throughout the week.
We also had some really tough decisions to make on his behalf , I know he is proud of us as we are of him.
I cant’ thank him enough for reminding us, to keep fighting , keep smiling, continue to be kind no matter what, continue to treat people with dignity and respect and most of all he taught us the great power of love.
I’ll miss my father, he was a good , kind caring man, I’m at peace with his passing, I have no regrets other than I didn’t have enough time with him, nothing was left unsaid.
We told him we loved him and that we knew he loved us.
He’ll be missed by many, his family and his extended family at the long-term care facility he called home.
We are truly blessed he allowed us to help him on his journey “home”. He passed peacefully on February 13.
In a dark time…
Deer in the headlights…..
It’s been a rough week, Pauls father passed away hours before my father, we both still have the “deer in the headlights” “what the heck just happened” feeling.
We are, along with our families deeply saddened at the loss of the two wonderful men we both called “Dad”.
We had a service for my dad on Sunday…
My daughter chose the following passage to be read on Sunday, it couldn’t have been written more perfectly…
God saw he was getting tired and a cure was not to be,
So He put His arms around him and whispered “come with me”
With tearful eyes we watched him suffer,…
And saw him fade away,
Although we loved him dearly,
We could not make him stay,
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands out to rest,
God broke our hearts to prove to us,
He only takes the best!
≈Laugh loudly, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly≈
Try to remember
Sweet Curry Butternut Squash Soup
Another fabulous recipe from the Alkaline Sisters!!!!
and
some awesome facts they’ve shared!
Sweet Curry Butternut Squash Soup w/ Cilantro Creme
Yield: 4 servings
1 sm-med sized organic butternut squash
1 sweet organic onion, diced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp fresh lemongrass, tender white portion only, finely minced
1 tbsp raw organic coconut oil
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp organic curry powder
3/4 cup organic coconut milk
1 1/4 cup filtered water + 1/4 cup
2 dried dates, soaked for 1 hour min
Method
Carefully cut squash length wise and remove seeds. Roast cut side down in 350 degree oven on parchment paper until fork tender, approx 45-60 mins. Remove from oven, set aside to cool. Lightly saute onions in pan with coconut oil, ginger, lemongrass, garam masala and curry, adding 1/4 cup water once mixture is heated thru, simmer 1-2 mins and then remove from heat. Scoop squash into blender or food processor, add onion mixture, coconut water and dates and blend til smooth, adjusting consistency with additional water if required. Serve luke warm with Cilantro Lime creme or you may gently reheat, carefully, so as not to burn. Enjoy alongside a salad.
Cilantro Lime Creme
Yield: 3/4 cup approx
1/2 cup organic Brazil nuts, soaked 2 hours min
6 tbsp organic cilantro, roughly chopped
juice of one organic lime
1 tbsp raw organic coconut oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp fine Himilayan salt
Method
Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and combine until creamy. Drizzle over soup.
Because this isn’t a raw soup, be sure to serve it with a salad to provide your dose of enzymes and living energy for this meal.
The Hard Facts I learned this week about our toxic world;
Preservatives & Additives
There are 3,000 different kinds, and none of them are safe for human consumption and they are in most everything. The average person consumes 160lbs every year! This industry is not regulated, there are recommended levels that are still not safe, but are also not being adhered to. The mandate by the powers that be is “just use what you only need to produce a product”- can you believe???
Benzidine, a yellow colour additive is one of the most lethal- the recommend use is 1 part/billion but uses have been recorded as 5 parts/billion upwards to 941 parts/billion and it is often found in children’s vitamins, candy and treats- the most susceptible age group to chemical intake. Lead is used to make most colourings and no level of lead exposure is safe.
Caramel flavour IS Amonia-eeek and GMO corn! Does not resemble food what so ever! No level of caramel flavour or colouring is safe for consumption especially for children.
30% + cases of ADD/ADHA are closely linked to the chemical toxicity of food, esp colourings; yellow #6 which contains tartrazine/coal tar, or red #40, or any “natural colouring”. These should be avoided at all costs especially by children.
Sulphites/Benzoic Acid–found to be linked to Leukemia, blood disorders
Nitrates–inhibit cells from carrying oxygen- eeek- kinda important! All processed meats have these unless indicated except baby foods.
BHA, BHT–both are known human carcinogens, cancer causing
BVO/Brominated Vegetable Oil–responsible for growth retardation, enlarged heart, thyroid issues; This chemical is accepted and used widely in Canada but has been banned everywhere else in the world!! A political move of course. Children and babies are at the highest risk.
MSG-MSG-OMG!! There are 60 different names for MSG!!! Just Google it! It is a popular flavour enhancer that has the ability to cross the blood brain barrier and kills neurons! Symptoms are headaches, vomiting, nausea, cramps and dizziness. Babies and children once again along with seniors are at the highest risk. Torula yeast is MSG-found in seemingly harmless rice chips! They were my fave until now!
Natural Sweeteners
Any thing labeled with ‘natural sweeteners” is HFCS-high fructose corn syrup, don’t trust it. Causes increase blood sugar levels and contributes to IBS- irritable bowel syndrome and many, many more terrible symptoms and disease. Stick to powdered stevia, maple syrup or dates for sweeteners.
Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame–directly linked as a catalyst to MS/multiple sclerosis
PKU/Phenylalanie–causes severe mental retardation in babies- creates a major chemical imbalance in brain yielding depression
Methanol–causes blindness- also used for chemical warfare- how about that!!
Ace-K/Acesulfane-K-causes brain & lung tumors, leukemia
Many of these are found in DIEt pop, meant to thrill, but will kill!!!
Canola Oil– one of least favoured oils for health- Canada paid 50,000,000 dollars to pass the FDA standards!! Something fishy here don’t you think??
Pasteurization–That which is dead, cannot give you life! Pasteurized foods have been heated to kill pathogens but now the food is dead. Anything pasteurized will say Refrigerate or Best Before
Irradiation–used to kill insects, destroy micro organisms but it increase free radicals, does chromosome damage to kids
Measured by RADS- 1 RAD is equal to one chest x-ray. Potatoes receive 15,000 RADS, Flour 75,000 RADS and Spices 1,000,000 RADS!! So buy local and grow your own!
Water
Tap water is chlorinated, and has flouride & ammonia added
Distilled Water– has no minerals & is acidic
Reverse Osmosis-low in minerals
Filtered Water- strips minerals and most Chemicals
What is in our water generally, world wide;
Pharmaceuticals– passed thru our bodies end up in our water system as well as vast quantities of medicines that are flushed annually down the toilet by individuals, pharmacies and hospitals. Just recently a collection system has been devised- a little too late tho!
Vitamins–in whole or dissolved quantities, most of which are synthetically created
Bottled water leaches toxins and is generally just tap water poured into bottles including Brands like Dasani, Aquafina or Nestle so it’s very expensive tap water! In a pinch the only alkaline water with some minerals is FIJI, that’s why it costs more! Starbuck’s always carries it esp. in airports after security points when you need it most, for an incredibly dehydrating flight! Buy Two!
Take a look at this trailer on the water documentary called Tapped to believe it for yourself- you can view it on Netflicks I think or just order the DVD.
Your water needs to be: filtered, full of minerals, alkaline and ideally have an ionic charge that gives energy versus taking energy. Water should be structured so that the molecules cluster properly for optimal absorption by our bodies otherwise we just pee it out with out absorbing it, thus the reason so many people are dehydrated even tho they drink water! See my water post here.
You can easily create good drinking water by doing this.
Buy an affordable filter for your budget, the more you can afford the more it will extract, just avoid network marketing as you may end up paying more than necessary. Then either get alkaline drops for adding minerals back or use a brine of soaked Himlayan Rocks. Soak a few rocks with filered water, continuously in a jar, and add just a teaspoon to your glass of water with lemon (preferably the lemon w/rind has soaked over night in water). Next to all this you can buy an alkaline water filter and it will structure, filter and alkalize your water but they can be expensive. Prices are coming down with the supply and demand so keep your eyes open at Costco in the coming year!
That’s it for now, enough to digest I think!! Now… I seriously need to study, but thanks for the review:)
Brain Scan.. Not as pretty as my artwork…
Dearest friends, fans, FAMILY!
Please reblog, share, tweet, FB, you name it!
Over the years it has been my freehand spray paint artwork that many of you are accustomed to seeing. There will be more but for now, there is this. My wife and I are working hard on keeping you up to date. We are blown away by the more than 60K followers who show there support to us daily on the blog and other social media platforms!
So, here is a scan of my brain and the Tumor is circled. Its bigger than first thought. On the 9th I have one more MRI w/ spectroscopy to determine the rate of growth and cell types. Then it gets really hairy.
I am doing the best I can to be in good spirits and will continue to strive! It really helps knowing I have touched so many people with my artwork…
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Angies Grapevine 