Friday, September 30, 2011

Back to the Cook book

Back to writing the cook book next week. Time to finish this project and then on to the next one. With a little help in organizing I plan to finish it by years' end. Will nayone read it? Not sure but at least I will have the satisfaction of completing something I started 35 years ago!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Back to Work

Back to work on the cookbook. Never let it slip from my mind - just took on extra classes and time became an issue. Of course we can always make time for the things that matter - prioritise and it will get done.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

What a Lovelee Dae by Blaze

Sometimes you can't get a song out of your head. Lovelee Dae by Blaze keeps playing over and over in my head - what a lovelee dae and the sun is shining - it's a Lovelee Dae. Even if the  sun doesn't shine today if you focus on one good thing the day will become a Lovelee Dae. As a Cancer survivor everytime I get a good report from my Doctors I rejoice with a sense of happiness - it's truly a Lovelee Dae when you get a good bill of health! The most important thing in your life is your health. Don't forget it!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Monday, September 26, 2011

Just let it go

Sometimes things happen that are beynd our control. They can bring us down, make us anxious or fill us with fear. It is at these moments that we must simply let things go and move forward remembering to embrace the moments of joys that slip in and out of our lives. How do you simply let it go? Stop; take a deep breath and as you release your breath release the tension in your body,quiet your mind and smile.
Remember life is as life does. So consciously pay attention to what you think, say and do.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Friday, September 23, 2011

Happiness Yoga Style

Next week our yoga lessons are going to be about happiness -we all seek happiness but it is an internal experience separate from the outside world. We often look for it outside but it must be cultivated from within - that is why yoga can help you to uncover your own personal blueprint for happiness - how? Rememeber first that we all seek a sense of purpose and meaning - finiding this is the gateway to happiness. The path of yoga has less to do with what you do with your body-mind and more to do with discovering your own potential - the practice of yoga teaches us how to get quiet and listen... follow along...
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Opportunity Knocks

Suddenly the door has opened on several opportunities for me to make more money. Life does become what life does. I have worked hard but realized that things come in their own time. You can try and push to make something happen but it will only happen when the time is right. Stay open and work hard and opportunities will appear. But you must be open to see them and  prespared to accept them.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Happy Hump Day

Need a boost to get through the week? Think middle of the road, balance, more than half way to the weekend. Studies show that your perspective has everything to do with your ability to find something good in everything you think, say and do.
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Love

Consciously cultivating love creates self discovery.
 Give Aero*boga 1 a try http://www.doctorlynn.com

Monday, September 19, 2011

Switching Gears

I must take  break from posting and writing my cookbook as I am now starting to teach a new cycle class on Wednesday. Suddenly my time is filled with classes and work but that will not stop me from finishing th book. I'm keeping the last 100 pages firmly planted in my mind(I've already done 110). The secret to keeping to task is making the time to get the job done but at the same time being able to switch gears to get something else done while always getting back to the  task at hand. Wednesday night is my cooking night and now I am teaching at 6PM so I won't be cooking for another 4 weeks. I'll continue to write but might not post - however I will post about the process...keep an eye on the prize!
doctorlynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com
Check out Aero*boga

Friday, September 16, 2011

A recipe for Health, sex, happiness and love


Moroccan Stew

A tagine is a North African stew and also the name of the pot which the stew is made. To make this dish you will need a tagine. You can buy one on line or at any good quality cooking store. Once you start using it, you will use it over and over again. Make sure you prepare it according to the directions – oil and slow cook. It is so easy to use and easy to clean.

To balance the sweetness of a fruit tagine start with a simple carrot salad

Shredded carrot salad

Whisk together about a tablespoon of Dijon mustard and about a  2 tablespoon of olive oil.

 In a  mixing bowl

2 cups of shredded carrots

1 cup of shredded cabbage

Toss in a handful of  dark currants or dark raisins

Toss in a handful of chopped parsley

Add dressing and toss – serve as starter salad or as a side dish.



This is my husband’s favorite tagine. It’s made with lamb, fruit and spices.

Lamb tagine with prunes, apricots and honey

1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of blanched almonds

1 large red onion finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 medium size carrot cut into bite size pieces

1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger peeled and chopped

A pinch of saffron threads

2 cinnamon sticks

11/2 teaspoons of coriander seed crushed

1 lb of lamb, form the shoulder, leg or shank, trimmed a dn cubed( I prefer the shank)

15 pitted prunes soaked for one hour and drained

 10 dried apricots soaked for one hour and drained

6 strips of un-waxed orange peel

2 tablespoons of dark honey

A little seas salt and ground black pepper

A handful of fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped

Heat the oil in a tangine (can use a heavy based casserole dish),stir in the almonds and cook until tender. Add onion and garlic and sauté until they begin to color. Stir in saffron, ginger, cinnamon sticks and coriander seeds. Toss in the lamb and carrot making sure they get coated with all the spices. Sauté of about 2 minutes

Pour in enough water to just cover the meat and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the tagine with the top and simmer for about 1 hour until the meat is tender. Add the prunes, apricots and orange peel, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the honey, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Make sure there is enough liquid in the pot so that the sauce is syrupy and slightly caramelized but not dry.

Sprinkle in some cilantro leaves and leave the rest to sprinkle over the top of the dish. Serve immediately with a side of couscous or with crusty bread.

Serve with a good red French wine such as Bordeaux. Morocco has a big French influence us a French wine goes well with Moroccan food.

For dessert you might want to make it a light sorbet. Lemon and a French macaroon for sweetness. My favorite macaroons – outside Lauderee’ in Paris where I first had them back in 2001 is Paulette’s. You can go to the website and order them in a variety of flavors.paulettesmacarons.com - They are close to the originals born at Lauderee’.

جيد جدا الغذائي

Thursday, September 15, 2011

A recipe for love – an Arabian night

Is there a genie in those spice jars sitting on your shelf? Could they possess the spice of love? It has long been believed that spices such as saffron and cinnamon are spices of love. Both spices play prominent roles in middle eastern cooking, folk lore and myths.

When I was in Morocco I bought saffron, cinnamon and a spice mix called, Ras el hanout or top of the shop. The smell and the flavor was not at all like anything you find on the grocery store shelf. As I wondered through the open spice market I was amazed at the meager cost and the brilliant colors and smells. Next to the spice cart was a cart of dates, plums, apricots and nuts. Everything was neatly stacked and wonderfully displayed for the shoppers to purchase and turn into the evening meal.

In the Middle East the Arabs use fruits and spices to create sweet and interesting stews. My favorite is the Tagines from Morocco. Saffron and cinnamon play top note to the flavor and the scent. Tender meat and interesting flavors make tagines a work of love.

Saffron, a very expensive spice is thought to bring love and lust into your life. Cinnamon as well is known for its ability to both excite and entice. Top of the shop is a combination of spices that is used to top off a dish giving it a distinct flavor. Top of the shop spice mix is made different by each vendor in Morocco. It is a blend of salt pepper, turmeric, cumin, ginger, paprika, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and white pepper. You’ll find all these spices added to any Moroccan dish.

The stews are made in a tagine (a Moroccan stewing pan). The stews cook for several hours constantly being stirred with love. The word tagine although referred to as the pot, in which the stew is cooked, means a succulent stew. The word succulent means juicy and full of interest. Sounds like love to me.

Spices add flavor and interest to our foods. Spicing up your relationship can enhance love and renew interest. Often times we take for granted the flavors of life. Love is something we seek, find and then abandon in the shuffle of time. Like spices love carefully blended into our life enhances all that we think, say and do. Love adds flavor.

The Arabian Nights are a collection of fables, romances, historic accounts and fairy tales collected from various ethnic backgrounds; mostly Indian and Persian. Probably they were first oral stories that late were written into a Syrian manuscript that is now housed in Paris.

Fairy tales, romance and fables intrigue us because they spice up the ordinary into something hot, warm, tingling and aromatic. Adding interesting spices to your cuisine by trying different ethnic foods will ignite the senses and just might aromatically spark your love life.

Doctor Lynn

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

A Recipe for happiness - a prune and an apricot walked into…

When most of us think of apricots and prunes we think of laxatives and high fiber. Now it’s true that both have high fiber but as to the laxative attribute it’s debatable. Seems there is no conclusive evidence to support either one being a laxative. However they both are nutritious and can lift our mood making us happier and therefore perhaps a little more relaxed and well you know…things happen when you’re relaxed!

Prunes are dried plums and apricots are apricots. Prunes are high in fiber and vitamin A. They are also a good source of potassium and an antioxidant. Apricots are also a good source of fiber and high in vitamin A. Both fruits can be eaten fresh or dried however when you dry fruit you remove the water and increase the sugar content. Prunes are an excellent antioxidant rating high on the ORAC scale which measures the antioxidant in foods. Antioxidants help the body to fend off free radicals which cause the body to age. Stress, smoking, pollution, airplanes, poor diet and a general overall unhealthy lifestyle attribute to the body-minds production of free radicals. Even if we are living a healthy lifestyle we cannot help but be bombarded by free radicals. None of us can escape pollution and stress; even if we could control everything else.

Apricots are also a good source for antioxidants. Although not as high on the OTAC scale as prunes, apricots are a good source for the antioxidant vitamin A; which has been shown to have a positive effect on eyesight. Apricots are also a good source of tryptophan and potassium. Both of which attribute to an improved state of mind.

The Apricot originated in China and now the majority of apricots consumed in our country come from California. And guess what? The process of drying plums into prunes took hold in California which happens to be the leading producer of prunes worldwide.

Apricots arrive as one of the first signs of summer and plums likewise make their first appearance in late spring and early summer. Is there anyone who doesn’t smile at the thought of fresh fruit ripening on a tree?

Prunes and apricots work hard to keep us young. They provide us with energy, nutrients and essential vitamins and minerals. They’re sweet and versatile. You’ll find them in recipes, brandies, jams, pies and more. Does hard working, energetic, essential, vital and sweet make you smile?

Say hello to the - let’s get happy- prune and apricot!

Doctor Lynn

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

A recipe for Sex – Carrots – More than meets the eye

Orange is the color associated with the sacral chakra center which in yoga is the center of sexuality. Carrots are orange so that must make them sexy, right? Well it’s not just the color of carrots that make them an erotic vegetable. There’s more to the carrot than meets the eye.

Carrots have long been promoted as good for your eyesight. That’s because carrots provide vitamin A and a deficiency in vitamin A has been associated with night blindness. When I was young my parents would tell me to eat my carrots because they were good for my eyes. When I looked at them inquisitively, my father would ask me if I ever saw a bunny rabbit wearing glasses. I would smile and eat my carrots.

Eating carrots for eyesight is an old wives tale, however eating carrots for sexual health is something else. Carrots are an edible root vegetables packed with nutrients. It is sweet and easily digestible both raw and cooked. It is rich in beta carotene which is what gives it the orange color. Further carrots provide a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B (Riboflavin, Niacin, Thiamin, vitamin B6 and folate), vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) and vitamin K. They are also a rich source of minerals such as manganese and potassium. Carrots also provide iron, copper, zinc, calcium, selenium, proteins, carbohydrates and biotin. Each 100-gram of carrot contains 0.6 gram of protein, 7.6 gram of carbohydrates, 30 milligram of calcium, 0.3 gram of fat and 0.6 milligram of iron.

The Greeks and Romans believed carrots to be an aphrodisiac. So much so that the Roman emperor Caligula fed nothing but carrots to his senate so he could watch them romp like wild beast. A study out of Glasgow found that males who ate more carotenoids lived longer, were healthier and were more attractive to females.

Vitamin A is needed for the production of hormones in both men and women. In men the proper amounts of vitamin A are responsible for sperm production and virility and in females vitamin A is responsible for responsiveness and the ability to carry a fetus.

Vitamin A is responsible for our gonads (sex organs – testes and ovaries) to convert cholesterol into the sex hormones to be released into the blood stream and give us desire.  Without adequate vitamin A the ovaries in women and the prostate in men stop producing mucus and sex hormones.

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin meaning it is eaten, transported and stored in fat. You must be careful when cutting fat out of your diet not to cut out the fat soluble vitamins. However one way to make sure you get plenty of vitamin A and keep the fat and calories down is to eat carrots. Cooking and processing kills the vitamin A in most foods. Carrots however are a good source both raw and steamed.  A little side of steamed carrots just might steam things up in the bedroom. So you see there’s more to carrots than meets the eye!
Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com

Monday, September 12, 2011

A recipe for Health – Don’t overlook the lamb

In America Lamb is not one of our major food choices. Once a year at Easter time my mother would make a roast lamb with mint jelly. I can’t say that I liked it. But then I went to Morocco and had lamb tangine. The meat was soft and moist. In the Middle East and Northern Africa the meat of choice is lamb. Likewise Greece and especially the island of Crete eat lamb as a major source of meat.

Currently lamb is the most abundant livestock in the world. Sheep were originally domesticated in Asia and the Middle East; used both for food and for textiles. Since ancient times lamb has been regarded as a religious symbol. It is commonly used as a symbol of sacrifice most notably in the Jewish religion. Christians refer to Jesus as the “lamb of God” with lamb often times being served as Easter dinner.

Lamb is a staple in countries throughout the world including New Zealand, Greece, the Middle East, Australia and Turkey. I have eaten lamb in every one of these countries and I can tell you that fresh lamb raised in the grassy hills is both pure and delicious.

Lamb is high in saturated fat but it is also a great source of protein. The human body depends upon protein as a building block. We get all our essential amino acids from meat proteins.

Lamb is also a very good source of zinc. Zinc affects many of our human functions, especially our immune system. A cofactor in many enzymatic reactions, zinc is critical in immune functioning, wound healing and normal cell division. Zinc also helps stabilize blood sugar levels, the body’s metabolic rate and is necessary for optimal smell and taste functioning.

Zinc is especially important for men. Not only is it good for prostate health and sperm count but it also plays a role in keeping bone density strong in men. A study of 396 men found a correlation between that low levels of  dietary zinc, low level of minerals in the blood and low bone density. A 4 ounce serving of lamb provides about 38.3% of the daily requirement for zinc.

Lamb is also a good source of Vitamin B12 which is responsible for the production of red blood cells, preventing anemia, nerve cell development and the proper metabolizing of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Lamb like all red meat should be limited to 1-3 servings of no more than 4 ounces each per week. In other countries meat is not eaten every day. Vegetable proteins, whole grains and fruits and vegetables make up the bulk of the diet with meat as a side dish. If you eat lamb, eat small amounts, no more than 1-2 times per week; so you derive the greatest benefits without sacrificing your health. 

 Doctor Lynn

Back from Maine

Back from my vacation in Maine. I must admit - not a post, an email or a computer for over a week! Only the ocean, the quiet and the fresh air. But alas it is back to work and back to posting more on the book. But first a peak of Maine- out my front door!

Doctor Lynn
http://www.doctorlynn.com