Bobbie's Organic Planet

February in Switzerland and France

2010-03-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

What is it about Europe I love so much? Could it be the love affair I have with wonderful food or is it the fact that meal time in Europe is sacred? Meals mean family time, freind time and a long time to savour and enjoy the chef's creation that day. I have never been to a European home where meals are hurried and great conversation is not de rigeur.

What a pleasure for me, as I am possibly one of the slowest eaters in the world. I take pleasure in each bite of food I take, and do as I was taught by my mum - I actually put down my knife and fork often inbetween bites!

I am so proud of my two daughters, Brooke and Bree. They have hectic lives - Bree often has to travel around the world for her job and has a stressful career, albeit an exciting one! Brooke is 9 months pregnant and has 3-year old Sienna. Anais is Bree's creation and is 12-years old. However, they always sit down at meal time and eat healthy, home-made meals.

I just returned from a marvelous 2 week stay with my daughters in Geneva. And, much of our social time was spent at the dining room table, whether at Brooke or Bree's or invitations out. Our first invite was to Anais's grandparents who live in the Valais. Jacqueline is a great entertainer and her dishes ooze with flavour and creativity. Lunch time at their lovely home was a delightful 4 course meal. However, upon leaving, I did not feel overly full and uncomfortable. Proportions and food combining enable one to be sated but not "stuffed"!

Another evening was spent at my dear friends, the Burke's. Vegetarian fare was made exciting by including smoked salmon, baked salmon and a wide assortment of cheeses and salads. It is always fun to eat at their home and dine buffet style.

Nicole Porte, who is Luc's mum always entertains with such elegance. Her meals are scruptuous and made even more so by the fine Baccarat cyrstal glasses used to drink J.P.'s luscious wine choices and the exquisite silver to gather outstanding morsels of food. Parcels of swordfish topped with scallops and seasoned with fresh tarragon was undeniably delicious.

A drive to Annecy, France for the day was another highlight for moi. what made it even more special was that it was just we 5 girls - Brooke, Bree, Anais, Sienna and me. We walked the charming cobblestone streets of "the Venice of France" oohing and aahing tiny clothing and epicurian boutiques. After walking the old town for a half hour, we chose a local eating spot away from the river where tourists congregate.

Bree and I sipped a kir before lunch. I chose a typical Savoyarde dish "reblechonade" which is made with the cheese of the same name - reblechon. It is served melted atop gratin potatoes and is rather heavenly in one's mouth. It was served with a fresh salad and a delicious vinaigrette.

Once our leisurely lunch was finished, we walked to the more modern shopping district. As if on cue, all the stores open promptly after lunch and the streets fill with shoppers. We enjoyed window shopping and entering specialty shops to browse.

One night, we had my favourite moitie/moitie fondue made with Vacheron and Gruyere cheeses. I could drown in this typically Swiss dish. Brooke and Bree made two pots of fondue together and Luc and I stirred with our wooden spoons until melted enough to whisk them to the awaiting holders on the centre of the table. Sharing a fondue is such a great way to entertain. If a woman drops her bread in the fondue pot, she has to allow all the men at the table to kiss her. If a man drops his bread, he must buy the host a bottle of wine! Normally, white wine or hot tea is served with fondue and never water or cold beverages, for the cheese will turn into a knot in your stomach!

On my last night, Brooke served another of my favourite dishes -- raclette. This wonderful cheese is served melted, as well and is scraped over steamed potatoes and eaten with "cornichons" and pickled onions. One can add cayenne pepper, harissa (the best is made by my son-in-law, Yann), curry powder or whatever spice turns you on. I happen to be addicted to spicey foods, so add the harrissa or cayenne pepper. This is an other example of a Swiss meal served in restaurants and in many homes. It is another great way to socialise while eating. Swiss white wine is the perfect accompaniment to this dish.

Speaking of which, most people have not had the opportunity to savour Swiss wines. The reason? Swiss wines are largely unavailable outside of Switzerland. The 29 million gallons of wine produced each year are drunk by the inhabitants. Only 2 percent of Swiss wine is exported and mostly to surrounding European countries.

The best wines in my opinion are made in what is known as the Swiss Riviera in the Lavaux terraces on the northern shores of Lac Lemain or Lake Geneva. Vineyards grow on steep slopes that drop straight down to the lake. You have to see it to believe it!

Sunday brunch at Bree's was a delicious omlette made with organic eggs and whole wheat toast.

Returning to America is always difficult for me because I miss my kids so much, but also because people do not seem to take the time to savour their meals as much as they do there. I wish I could wave my magic wand and people here would suddenly realise how important it is to take the time to cook, sit down together and take the time to eat and converse.

Maybe one day..........

Kevin's roadside farm stand, Maryland.

2010-01-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

Farms Along The Way.....to Connecticut!

2010-01-19T14:16:00.000-08:00

On our drive up north over Thanksgiving, Jane and I stopped about 10 times on our little road trip! I am not kidding! First we bought incredible Eastern Shore oysters shucked and snug as a bug packed deep in jars. As I write this, I am craving those oysters like nothing else, so need to drive over there very soon to buy some more! If I get "unlazy", I will venture to my car to read the shop where we bought them. Tomorrow!

At another stop, we bought Virginia peanuts to share with my family, because we have the best peanuts in the world. Once you taste real nuts, you will not want to buy that famous name brand again. Ours are larger and so crunchy and filled with flavour!

Along the way, we stopped at numerous roadside farm stands to buy fresh crates of collard greens, kale, watercress, squash and Haymen (sp.)sweet potatoes. We left Norfolk with a relatively empty car and slowly but surely, we started looking like the Clampett's on their drive out west! One farm stand in Maryland that we particularly enjoyed was on the side of the road (photos attached) and owned by Kevin, the farmer. I have never seen watercress like we bought from him. It was larger and fresher than anything available anywhere! It had such a peppery bite to it and the aroma in the car made us want to stop to make a salad with shaved Parmessano cheese and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice! Kevin was so proud of his stand and we could not get enough of his fresh veggies. We promised to return on our drive home and I was literally heartbroken when we got stuck on the NJ Turnpike for hours so could not reach him by sunset.

Our drive up was such an adventure and it was so much fun taking our good ole time to drive down country lanes and not really have a time line to arrive at my sister and brother-in-law's home. However, once we did arrive, they looked at our packed car and wondered whether we were planning a move to their beautiful home! That night, we had our first taste of Eastern Shore oysters with a yummy home made cocktail sauce.

Cocktail Sauce
3 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish
3 tablespoons organic tomato ketchup
juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Don't bother buying cocktail sauce - make your own! And, don't buy the horseradish cream, as it will not taste like the above. Making your own condiments and sauces is so easy to do and the taste will speak for itself! Don't waste your money on preservative-filled jars bought in the store.

Anyway....as I was saying, the first night, we dug into the oysters. We ate them raw before dinner with cocktail sauce. Yum is not the word.

The next night, my other sister, Jennifer, and brother-in-law, Chas arrived from New Brunswick, Canada. They had stopped on the drive down to buy a new cider press. Chas has beautiful apple orchards and makes the best cider, bar none, I have ever tasted in my life. He is a purist! He and Jennifer allow hundreds of locals to drive onto their gorgeous farm in the fall to collect apples for free. His apples are crisp and great for apple sauce, apple crisp, apple butter and I could go on and on, but won't. I get side tracked. So, once they arrived, we decided to fry some of the oysters in Maris's baby fry master, or something like that.

I don't believe in fried foods, but this was a once-in-a-blue-moon treat for us all and I didn't fry the oysters into oblivion. We were 9 people at this point, including Carson, Laurel and Hayden and there were still enough oysters to go around. They pack those jars up like nobody's business!

I think I am fortunate to have a family of sisters who all cook magically, even if I do say so myself. We absolutely love good food and it is a delight to cook together and apart for all of us. My nieces and nephews also cook beautifully, as well as my two daughters, Brooke and Bree.

I get so sad when I see mums and dads in the grocery store filling their carts with solid junk! They shop on the inside aisles of the grocery store and think by feeding their kids "boxes", that they will thrive, grow and develop into wonderful adults. Instead, they develop behavioural problems and become obese. I know I repeat myself often on this subject, but it absolutely kills me. I just want adults to change their ways and dance around the outside aisles or all the way to the farms!

Well, the trip to Greenwich is always a blast and a wonderful gourmet feeding frenzy. On our way home this time, we stopped in Soho to have a wonderful brunch in Soho. The food was outstanding and I don't say that often. It was fresh, well-seasoned and they used organic produce and eggs. What a delight! The ambiance was equally as pleasing and it was a fun deter from living in Virginia. The place was packed with trendy Sunday eaters. Had we known that we would be stuck for 4 hours due to a double barrel garbage truck that caught on fire, I could have stayed there all day - eating and drinking! Luckily, we did buy bagels, which we ate along the way. Man! There is nothing quite like a N.Y. bagel! Now, I am craving one of those.

Family time is such a delight, and to share it in the kitchen and dining room is what makes it special. When we are together, we are constantly in the kitchen. Maris happens to have a beautiful one but gets fed up with us all not relaxing in other equally beautiful rooms with roaring fires and great views. People always gravitate to the room in the house where it should all happen, and I don't mean to microwave frozen or prepackaged foods, either.

There is no microwave in this house and never has been. I actually don't know how to use one and never wish to learn. Microwaving food changes the molecular structure of food and is dangerous. Keep away! Beware! What happened to double boilers????

Well, it is almost dinner time in this house and our little road trip was on my mind as it is that time of year when one eats lots of leafy greens, brussel sprouts, cabbage, squash of every variety and all of the exotic winter veggies! If you learn to eat in season, you actually look forward to each season so you can savour what it has to offer wherever you live. I went to the lovely Fresh Market last night to buy pancetta and other delights not available near me and was saddened to see all sorts of berries, that are totally out of season and probably taste awful - not to mention the carbon footprint used to get them here!

At this time of year, I happen to be addicted to butternut, spaghetti and every squash and have been since I was a kid. The way I love it is simple - steam the flesh and puree it with lots of organic unsalted butter, sea salt and black pepper. Or, cut the butternut squash in half and bake in the oven. Five minutes before cooked, drizzle pure maple syrup and butter in the shell and go ga-ga as the odour of caramalization hits your nose. Curried butternut squash or pumpkin soup is also a favourite in this family!

Tonight's dinner will be unusual for me as I rarely eat pasta. But, it is winter and why not splurge on calories? Crisply-cooked pancetta; toasted pine nuts and panko bread crumbs; steamed organic escarole and good-quality spaghetti; sauteed jalapeno pepper and organic heavy cream with lots of cracked black pepper. Mix all together and served with a green leafy salad with lemon vinaigrette. Okay, I have to go cook now.

As always, choose your food wisely. Cook with love for yourself and for your loved ones - your body is your temple.

Bon appetit!

My dog, Spirit, enjoying the beach....and an old time story of the way food was in my village.

2010-01-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

First of all, a very Happy New Year to anyone reading this. I sincerely hope this new year brings abundance in every aspect of your life!

One of the highlights for me at the end of 2009 was a speaking engagement at the Edgar Cayce / A.R.E. in Virginia Beach for their New Year's Conference. I spoke about the importance of buying locally-grown, in-season and organic foods not only to support local farmers but also to enable your body to acclimate to its environment. There are so many logical reasons to buy locally but so many people have forgotten why it is important. This is the first time I have spoken publically and was actually paid for it. As well as speaking, I did a small cooking demo and showed bits of the film, "Fresh". There were approximately 50 people there, who were very sweet and very interested to learn about food in this modern era.

Growing up in the Maritime Provinces of Canada, we did not have the luxury of eating strawberries in February, or quite frankly, anything else out of season. When I was a young girl, we had a very small grocery store in our village named "Sobey's" plus an old-fashioned meat/cheese and penny candy store named "Diggles" which was run by a lovely old English man named Mr. Diggle and his sister. Mr. Diggle had a handlebar moustache and silvery white hair. He was tall with a rather portly tummy and always wore a perfeclty starched white apron. Diggle's was similar to an old store in a Hollywood movie. We loved going there to buy penny candies such as hard-to-find English sponge toffee or licorice. Mr. Diggle had the best aged cheddar around. Of course, these stores were within walking distance, so we did not drive unless it was for a large amount of food. Actually, as kids, we walked everywhere and people do to this day!

Fresh milk was delivered to our house from a local dairy farm and there were no antibiotics or hormones injected into the cows because they were free-range and not cramped together in "factory farms" as is the norm today. The reason cows and animals are so heavily injected with pharmaceuticals is that they would become ill as they are up to their knees in their own feces instead of being allowed to roam freely. My Uncle Joe Steele had a very large farm of 1,000 acres in Hammond River with 100 milking cows. I even learned how to milk a cow the old-fashioned way as a kid!

"Caldwell's" sold grass-fed, free-range hormone-free chicken, meats and eggs. The meat was cut in front of you by Mr. Caldwell or you could order a Sunday roast for pickup. There was a rapport between the grocer and the customers and the former knew your likes and would telephone your home if there was something he knew you loved.

Fish was from the Kennebecasis River or the nearby Bay of Fundy. In winter, many friends went smelt fishing on the frozen river and what a treat that was. Shadroe was common in our household for breakfast or dinner. I often crave both of these. Salmon is abundant in New Brunswick and the Miramichee River is famous for this. Many U.S. Presidents have made their way to the famous lodges on this river to hunt salmon. Wild game was another wonderful treat that was hunted seasonally. And of course, I canont forget the tons of fresh lobster, scallops, oysters, perriwinkles and mussels I consumed, which was all fished locally.

And, I was lucky to grow up near the city of Saint John where there is the S.J. City Market which is the oldest city market in North America! It is still operating out of the same building, built in 1876. It has a unique roof structure that resembles an inverted ship's keel. Made of wooden trusses, the structure was reportedly built by unemployed ship carpenters of the day. Also, the floor slopes with the natural grade of the land. The architecture is in the Second Empire style.

Some of the businesses in the market have been operating continuously there for more than 100 years. The market was designated a National Historic Site in 1986. I still love going there on visits home to buy my beloved "dulce", which is a local sea vegetable and actually wonderful for everyone, especially if you are low in iodine.

Growing up, we always had an abundance of fresh vegetables on our dinner plates. Squash, carrots, potatoes (one of New Brunswick's largest crops), asparagus, broccoli, May peas, green beans, artichoke, summer sweet corn, and my very favourite fiddleheads. For those of you who do not know this wonderful vegetable, they are harvested in spring and are from the fern family. They are ferns before they open and are great steamed with freshly-squeezed lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper! Yummy! My nanny always had a small vegetable garden, as did most people I grew up with. Fresh berries were a must-have item in gardens.

Living in Europe for most of my adult life afforded me the same luxury as growing up in rural Canada - i.e. fresh food eaten in season and bought at wonderful farm stands and markets! Ditto for my 4 years in Saudi Arabia where people put great emphasis on the food they eat.

Returning to America has been a "trip" so to speak in terms of finding fresh fruits and vegetables. Alas, there is a huge trend to return to the old way of buying food from local farmers and farm markets. Basically, that is all we eat in this household. We travel to a wonderful local farm in Suffolk called "Full Quiver" where we buy grass-fed, hormone-free, free-range chickens, eggs that have orange yolks and meat that does not even ressemble that sold in grocery stores. The colour is beet red while those from factory farms does not even resemble real meat in the slightest.

We eat lots of local collard greens, watercress, kale and leafy greens at this time of year and cook them every which way but loose. They can even be made into pies for a special occasion, like the ones made in Italy for Easter. We buy our milk from a fairly local dairy where the cows are treated humanely and the milk tastes like milk should. Next year, we hope to own a share in a local cow and receive unpasturized milk from Full Quiver Farms.

It is not difficult to eat how our grandparents did - which means nothing out of a package and seasonal foods. It just takes a bit of training and readjusting. But, I guarantee you that wherever you live, there are wonderful farmers just waiting for you to show up at their stands to buy the bounties of food they have toiled so diligently for you. Once you actually adapt to eating "real" food, you will never return to microwaved packaged food. Why would you?

If I have said it once, I have said it a million times -- support your local farmers and eat in-season food! If you don't support them, then they will disappear and you might go hungry one day. Or, rip up the grass in your lawn and plant a sustainable organic garden for your family (a "victory garden"). Teach your children where food comes from. Make a weekly drive to your local farms and markets to buy your produce. Get the whole family involved with cooking/baking and make this a true familly experience. Turn off the TV and return to the warmth of the most wonderful room in the whole house -- the kitchen! Have fun laughing, talking and dancing in the kitchen and be joyous when you eat your home cooked meal!

Bon appetit!

Middle Eastern Red Lentil Soup

2009-12-09T16:53:00.001-08:00

Okay, the key to making great soups is not to throw everything in the pot, but rather to saute garlic, onions, leeks, celery, Savoy cabbage and carrots in olive oil until translucent. Allow the flavours to come out! Once you have done this, you can add purified water and voila you have a great vegan stock.

Middle Eastern Red Lentil Soup
Serves: 8 - 10

3 onions, roughly chopped
2 shallots, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, peeled
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 leeks, whites only roughly chopped
2 cups chopped Savoy cabbage
2 carrots, roughly chopped
8 cups water
5 cups red lentils
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground corriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

In a large enamel or stainless steel pot, pour olive oil and turn heat to medium. Add onions, shallots, garlic, celery, leeks and cabbage. Stir and allow to cook over medium heat for approximately 10 - 15 minutes or until translucent. Add water and lentils. Stir. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove lid. Stir and cook for a further 15 minutes. Season with cumin, corriander, turmeric, sea salt and pepper. At this point, you can use a hand-held mixer to puree a portion of the soup. Adjust seasoning before serving and remember, there is enough salt in vegetables without having to add too much.

Healthy tip: Lentils are a good source of minerals for nearly every organ in the body. Neutralize aicds produced in muscles.

Even if you are not a vegan or vegetarian, the richness of this soup easily replaces meat. A hearty rustic whole wheat bread would be a wonderful accompaniment to this outstanding soup, just to sop up any left in your bowl. Sprinking some great sprouts on top is another suggestion to give added crunch!

I made this soup today to eat for dinner and must say, it is outstanding in flavour.

Blue Hubbard Squash Soup

2009-12-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

Squash is in season in southern Virginia and absolutely one of my favourite vegetables in the whole world. Like Bubba in "Forest Gump", this is one of those veggies, I could eat any way and be happy. Yesterday, wanting to make delicious soup using veggies I had at home, this is what I made. Some people may balk at the idea of peeling/cutting a whole squash, but it is rather relaxing and makes one focus while doing so. Blue hubbard squash is an heirloom variety and rather odd looking. It has a bluish tint, bumpy exterior and brilliant orange flesh, which is superb for making soups, bread, pies or mashed with dabs of butter, sea salt and pepper!

Blue Hubbard Squash Soup

1/8 cup unsalted organinc butter or 4 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium white onions, roughly diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups blue hubbard squash flesh cut into large chunks
2 medium sweet potatoes cut into large chunks
1 litre organic chicken stock or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup heavy cream (optional)

First, peel or remove skin from squash. Cut into large squares, removing seeds (but do keep the seeds to bake in the oven!). Wash and cut sweet potato into large chunks (skin on).

Wash and dry squash seeds. Place on baking sheet and cook at 300F/150C heat for appoximately 20-25 minutes until crunchy. Remove from oven and add sea salt, if desired. Cool and reserve for soup.

In the meantime, melt butter over medium high heat in large enamel or stainless steel pot. Add onions and garlic and sweat for 3 minutes. Add squash, sweet potato, stock, cinnamon and ginger. Stir. Place lid on pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until squash is tender (about 25 minutes). Adjust seasoning to taste with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Puree soup with hand-held mixer. Add cream and mix well.

Serve with roasted squash seeds for added benefits.

This soup is great served as lunch or dinner, accompanied with a completely raw salad of greens and assorted seasonal vegetables with a house dressing of your choice.

Healthy Tips:

Squash is highly alkaline and contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, beta carotene and vitamin C. Squash seeds expels roundworms and tapeworms.
Sweet potatoes contain the same minerals and vitamins as squash and help dissolve excess mucus; clear sinuses and sore throats.
Garlic is antibacterial and helps lower cholesterol.

It is noon time and I am going to eat the Cayce way and have a completely raw salad of mixed greens, grated cabbage and carrots, diced tomato and chopped celery accompanied by a cup of my blue hubbard squash soup!

One thing about making a large batch of soup that is wonderful - you can freeze leftovers to pull out of the freezer for days you are too busy to cook! That is what I will do today.

My first radio interview on CBS Psychiconair

2009-12-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

http://www.psychiconair.com/episode_download.php?contentType=36&contentId=4205545

Spirit running at the beach.

2009-12-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

Italian Nights Dinner Recipe

2009-12-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

Well, that was supposed to go along with my dog, Spirit's photo running on the beach, but I will try again!

Here is the recipe for the dinner I cooked this evening:

Roast Organic Chicken
1 small organic/free-range roasting chicken
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 375F. Thoroughly wash and pat dry chicken. Rub olive oil all over chicken. Place lemon wedges and fresh rosemary in the cavity of the chicken. Rub sea salt and cracked black pepper over chicken. Place chicken in roasting pan and bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat and bake until internal temperature is 165F. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Carve.

Italian Escarole and Cannelini Beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small head of escarole, washed and roughly chopped
1 8 oz. can cannelini beans, liquid reserved
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Put olive oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sweat for one minute. Add escarole and cook for several minutes until just wilted. Add cannelini beans and stir. Add lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Mixed Salad
2 cups chopped mixed lettuce
1/2 avocado, sliced
1 tomato, cut into wedges

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
cracked black pepper
Pour ingredients into a non-reactive bowl and whisk until emulsified. Pour over composed salad and toss just before eating.

The more I know about food and its source, the more I want to eat the Cayce way!

2009-12-03T15:53:00.000-08:00

The more I research about food and where it originates from, the more I am determined to only eat locally-grown, in-season foods bought directly from farms around here. Ditto for dairy products. I traveled to the Virginia Beach Farm Market yesterday to buy dairy products from a creamery there. I asked many questions about how the cows are raised, if the chickens are allowed outside, etc. Indeed only farms that treat animals with respect and are allowed to roam freely and not treated with hormones, etc. are the ones they deal with.

I saw videos of the farm and was pleased to find out that yes, you can actually visit the farm. That means they are being treated humanely and are not afraid of "being caught" on mistreatment. So many factory farms are treated as though top secret dealings are going on there! So, when you buy your food, ask lots of questions!!!! More often than not, if you are dealing with good vendours, they will be more than thrilled and delighted to tell you how proud they are of the origins of the food they sell!!!!!

The more I read about Edgar Cayce's philosophy on food, the more I realise that he was "right on" in his readings! If we fail to support our local farms and farm markets, we will starve because don't think the price of gasoline is not going to go up to exhorbant rates, so shipped in food will not be an option for the majority of society. Also, if possible, as Cayce suggested, start growing your own food to feed yourselves and those in need! I feel so fortunate to have a great back yard to have my own veggie garden.

And, speaking of which.......my Italian flat-leaf parsley is growing like mad right now! Hooray! I love cooking with it!

Tonight's dinner will be yummy! Oven roasted organic and free-range chicken (it is small, as real chickens should be!) basted with olive oil, sea salt, fresh rosemary from the garden and stuffed with lemons; Italian escarole and cannelini beans made with fresh garlic/lemon juice and olive oil with steamed organic carrots and a nice field of greens salad with lemon vinaigrette! Okay, so now I am really hungry after writing all of this down and the odours coming from the kitchen are making me ravenous!

It is so easy to cook healthy dinners! We just returned from our hair dresser's Curtis and April
- Amici Style at the beach! They are both totally into great food and I gave them a copy of my cookbook, as they will also be selling my book there! They are thrilled because they are trying to get back into eating healthy food and no packages! They will try each recipe in the book! I took them a container of the black bean humus found in my book and they all loved it! I was giving them a pep talk on how easy it is to cook, but to remember to buy from the source and only buy "real" food - i.e. vegetables, fish or whatever poultry, etc. they want and lots of fruit. They cannot wait to get back into a healthy regime, so that made my day to talk with them!

So, enjoy your meals and sit down together as a family or with friends - relax while you converse and chew your food!!!!!

Bon ap!

2009-09-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

While relaxing in the Outer Banks, N.C. yesterday, I had the time to thoroughly read the newspaper for once! I came across an article which was highly disturbing regarding prepackaged cookie dough and e-coli. A Las Vegas woman is mute, her kidney and liver have shut down as well as many other life threatening symptoms, after eating several spoonfuls of Nestle's cookie dough. She is one of 80 people in 30 states to be sickened by the very deadly bacteria, E.coli 0157.H7.

I have never bought cookie dough, as I make my own with all organic ingredients, but this is just another example of how the food industry is unable to protect consumers. It is also another reason why people should be extremely careful when they buy food, especially processed foods. They should be avoided at all costs.

Food borne illnesses affect millions of Americans each year. It is enough to make one want to grown their own vegetables and fruits, and at the very least ensure you know where your food is coming from. Spend the extra cents and dollars to buy only the freshest, locally-grown and if possible, organic foods. You just might be saving your life!

I have become wary to eating out anymore, and when I do, am extremely careful of where I eat and what I eat. It is just not worth the risk of becoming ill. Of course, eating at home is my favourite option because I know the food I buy is fresh and I am extremely cautious in how I wash vegetables, fruits and meats. Also, the flavour I can achieve with fresh garden herbs is far superior than what I am normally served while dining out, with a couple of exceptions!

I did eat a local bistro last week, Croc's 19th Street Bistro. I know the owner and I asked where the chicken comes from. I did receive a very lovely Middle Eastern wrap with lots of fresh lettuce and free-range chicken and I could taste the goodness of it. However, with more frequency, I choose not to go out because I cannot trust what I am eating will not make me become ill. I think diners should take the time to ask where their food comes from when dining out! If more people adopted this prinipal, trust me restaurant owners will start adapting new standards!

Just be careful about what you eat and take the time to chew your food over and over. Cayce advised that this is a great way to alkaline your body! And, when your body is alkaline and not acid, your body will not become ill.

Local Farm Markets

2009-09-02T05:42:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, I had my first book signing at the Old Beach Farm Market in Virginia Beach, VA. What a lovely market it is! Only local food vendors and no nick knacks.

The people beside us have a seafood business - LG’s Happy Clam, which is run by Laura Gray Dodson, a middle schooler at Broadwater Academy on the Eastern Shore. Her charming mum, Keith is Laura Gray’s driver and helps her daughter sell clams at the market. Her father Chip Dodson and her older brother Zach dig clams from their beds in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Laura, Keith and Chip were out bright and early selling clams, tuna, crab, mahi and North Carolina shrimp. It was so encouraging to see a family doing something together and to watch the interaction between Laura and her customers.

So many young people have no idea where their food comes from, but this young lady looked the perfect example of vitality and great health - very slim and alert! I was also impressed when they bought my book and Laura was leafing through it and seemed very interested in the various recipes and the health information inside. When I brought out samples of black bean and feta cheese dips, she was totally into them and did not say something along the lines of I don't like that.....impressive! She actually eats like a human being and no junk food in their lives. I cooked the clams we bought for dinner and I must say they were OUTSTANDING! The flavor was absolutely delightful and not one clam failed to open! There is nothing quite like eating a clam harvested that same day!

There were a lot of people walking through the market, arriving on their bikes and carrying their own bags to fill with the market's goodies! Organic herbs, organic meat, fish, organic veggies and not, freshly baked breads and muffins; home made lemonade and ice tea. I did not get to visit all of the stands as I was manning my post to talk with people about my book, but I loved being a part of this wonderful endeavor that Laura Wood Habr and her husband, Kal, owner of Croc's 19th Street Bistro have undertaken. It is totally eco-friendly and was just recently rated 6 in America for a market of its size!!!

My book sold very well, considering I am an unknown author. I was very pleased with the interest shown. So many folks had no idea that Edgar Cayce gave many readings on diet and nutrition. People are drawn to the cover of the book, which I truly love as well.

I do wish every person would support their local farms and markets and go out in force to buy locally-grown produce and products they offer. Not only is it healthier but it is a tremendous way to save money. A recent study was undertaken in Virginia and states that if every household spent just $10. a week on local foods, $384.2 million dollars could be generated annually in southeast Virginia and $1.65 billion statewide.

It is a beautiful day in Virginia and time for me to take a drive to the farms and buy tonight's vegetables to go with the shrimp that will come out of the freezer later today bought from the Dodson family!

A Bit About Bobbie

2009-08-28T23:48:00.000-07:00

I have had the opportunity to live in 6 countries on 3 continents, now I reside in America. I left the U.S. when I was 9 years old to move to Canada. While, I grew up between both countries, my influence was much stronger from my Canadian side of my family. When I was 21, I married and moved to Geneva, Switzerland where I resided until moving to Virginia Beach, VA. with my two daughters in 1987. Other places I have had the honor to live are Birmingham, England; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Chamonix, France. I speak French fluently and tend to mix my English and French quite often which results in people asking me where I am from or what planet!?

My mum and grandmother taught me the importance of eating healthy foods from a very young age, which I thank them to this day. We were well-traveled as my grandfather was in shipping, so, my palate was rather diverse from a very young age. I am blessed that every member of my family is a great cook and we all hold the same principles when it comes to food. We are not junk food eaters, nor do we eat hot dogs, but rather whatever is the freshest and in season. Organic is the norm in my family. My two daughters and families live in and outside of Geneva, and they primarily only eat organic food, as well, which is much easier to find there than where I live.

As explained in my book, I am a person who is dedicated to buying and eating the freshest, locally-grown and in-season foods possible. Certain food groups should only be eaten organic due to the enormous amounts of pesticides one would ingest by eating conventionally (which my book highlights). Eating organically is not only beneficial to one's health but certainly saves the planet and our waters by avoiding a saturation of chemicals. If you can find them locally, then all the better.

Travel has been a huge part of my life. Southeast Asia, Northern Africa, Europe and Hawaii are my favorite food destinations. Probably the countries that have had the most impact on the way I cook are Morocco, Tunisia, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, Lebanon, France and my most beloved Italy. I travel often to Switzerland to visit my daughters, Brooke and Bree and my two adorable grand daughters, Anais and Sienna. On my last trip just weeks ago, I drove to the Lake District of Northern Italy to Lago di Garda (the garden lake) with my best friend, Jane and my granddaughter Anais.

We stayed at the most beautiful location in Pratello, Italy where this location is a part of the Agricultural Tourism group of family-owned estates throughout Italy serving only locally-grown foods and wines, which are normally grown on the property. The Pratello family makes their own olive oil and wines, and they export these products world-wide.

There is something about Italy that seems to call to me and this is actually where I hope to move in the next several years, if possible. I love the people and their joyous natures - how they live, eat, dress and talk. Life is simple, yet elegant and healthy. People are not "busy" for the sake of being "busy", as I so often find in America. Family is very important and meals are the center of their universe. So, this is truly the country I feel the most at home in.

I do love the ocean, though and I am an avid swimmer and scuba diver. So, Virginia Beach is wonderful for me. Swimming out to the dolphins is a huge part of my life here, much to the chagrin of my family and friends, who worry about me. Also, we have wonderfully fresh fish and produce grown locally here. This is a superb region for farming. Two weeks ago, Jane and I drove to Knott's Island, N.C. to pick 24 pounds of white peaches at Martin's Farm. So, peaches have been on our menu a lot lately, as well as freshly picked blueberries from Pungo, VA. I created a peach and honey cornbread for my book, which is really more like a pudding. Also, peach salsa (which can easily replace the mango and black bean salsa in my book) is a wonderful accompaniment to grilled fish or chicken.

We have a vegetable garden with peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, vine spinach and every herb imaginable this year. Next year, we will change it a bit and drop the broccoli for cucumbers. This fall, we will plant kale and collard greens, which grow beautifully in this area. While growing our own garden is a delight, we also frequent the many farms peppered in this area, and especially any who grow organic. Not all farmers can be certified organic as such strict guidelines are imposed, but there are many who follow the organic principles.

One of the places one will most likely find me is in the kitchen cooking. My first cookbook was just published with recipes I have created or recreated since I was a young woman. The book is filled with my story (some of it!) and has been the most wonderful experience for me. I would love to work more with children in this country, as I feel saddened by what they are being fed. They do not seem to know where their food comes from and so many families do not sit down together to eat meals anymore. Rather, they eat out of boxes, cans and frozen containers which are normally heated in a microwave (I have never owned one in my life) and often alone. One of my crusades is to help people go back to the way they were in years gone by and to enjoy the ride. Enjoy life by enjoying each other with great conversations over dinner, brunch, lunch and/or breakfast.

Also, I bet most parents don’t realize that by having your kids help you in the kitchen, you are actually aiding their math and science skills when they measure and see how foods come together! Also, their culinary palettes and horizons are broadened by becoming accustomed to the foods they help create.