Props for local vegan, wheat-free foodie!

One of my inspirations for delicious (and often indulgent!) healthy vegan and wheat-free and unrefined, naturally sweetened food is Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs (her three passions). This month Ricki is having a contest where the grand prize is chocolate and baked goods home-made by her. Check it out on her blog. While you're there, see some of her amazing recipes, and her brand new cookbook!

Pictured above are her ginger coconut cookies -- recipe on her website!

Website for finding yoga poses

I've recently come across a very useful website! It's the Yoga Journal magazine website, which has a handy section to find yoga postures according to what you are looking for: anatomical focus (ie. hips), therapeutic application (ie. back pain), and contraindications (cautions, ie. headache). Once you do a search, it'll list relevant postures, and you can click on them for a photo, information, and instructions. There is also a master list of all the postures, named in Sanskrit as well as English.

If you're wondering what postures are helpful for your dosha, you can check out my earlier posts listing which ones are specifically good for Vatas, Pittas, and Kaphas.

Great Blog! ~ Mahanandi, Cooking with Consciousness

The title says it all, and I'm moved by the passion and dedication of Mahanandi, Indira's fabulous blog. It's incredibly thorough, knowledgeable and from the heart, with a list of categories a mile long, including topics such as Dals, Grains, Indian Sweets 101 (including Mitai!!), and even Zen. Her great photos show authentic ingredients, delicious finished dishes, and cooking materials like cookie presses, sifters, strainers, all from her kitchen. Go! Check it out!

Peak Oil blog of Hope

Is it possible to have too many blogs? Well, who cares, I started a 4th blog about a matter very much at the forefront of my thoughts lately: our civilization's relentless unsustainability leading to a Peak Oil crisis starting right about... now.

If you haven't heard of Peak Oil, it's the phenomenon of beginning a steady decline in the amount of crude oil being extracted from the earth now, which will lead to crises of energy, economy, peace and general chaos. You know, on top of global warming. Have you seen An Inconvenient Truth yet?

Despite tales of doom, which may or may not be accurate, there are communities in the world that are making fantastic examples of themselves with becoming self-sufficient and promoting equality, cooperation and sustainability, and we need to see this!! In my new blog, Our Pueblo, I'll be cataloguing these inspirations. Perhaps it will spur positive actions of our own, or at the very least promote a collective consciousness of hope.

More links!

It's high time I include more great links to other sites and people's blogs in my Links sidebars! Check out some of the excellent Ayurveda links (Sailu's got a great new blog template which looks beautiful!) as well as the prolific art of my peers...

My new art blog

Hello all!

I've started another blog called the Fran Pages where I'll be regularly posting my drawings, sketches and commissioned illustrations. If you like looking at pictures, visit my site often, and also Michael's art blog!

Another Ayurveda blog...

If I actually made every single appetizing recipe I found on websites and in all the cookbooks I own, I wouldn't repeat a dish for a good 10 years!

Here is a blog I found that is all about Ayurveda and food, two of my favouritest subjects! It's called Sailu's Food and contains a wealth of information, Indian recipes, and home remedies. The recipes don't have dosha-specific guides, and include non-veg dishes and milky sugary treats, but there are lots of photos and some really delicious-looking and healthy recipes that I'll be sure to try.

Recipe website!

I'd like to direct you to a great Ayurvedic recipe site that is full of healthy, tasty Indian and international recipes. The Maharishi Ayurveda website is the source of my links to the Vata, Pitta and Kapha food guidelines and Ayurvedic lifestyle tips. Lo and behold they also have a whole section on recipes!

The recipes are all vegetarian, but they are not categorized according to which ones are Vata-, Pitta- or Kapha-friendly.* My suggestion is that you get familiar with your dosha food list (see below) so that when you check out recipes you can know how to adjust them to suit your dosha (for example, if you are a Kapha or are trying to lose weight, you know that recipes containing 3 teaspoons of oil or ghee should be reduced to 1 teaspoon; if you are a Pitta and a recipe calls for ginger and chilis, you know to omit those or replace with coriander and fennel; if you are a Vata and the recipe calls for raw cabbage and cauliflower, you should steam or cook them).

Check it out and be inspired as you look through them!

* For guidelines on your mind/body type, go to my post on How to eat in an Ayurvedic way and see the links under "Eat according to your dosha".

My li'l dumplings

I've started another blog... Dumplings of the World, Unite! There I share with you my plans for compiling international "dumpling" recipes (I employ a broad definition of the food) and call out for contributions -- my newest development, a possible iTunes cooking video of making dumplings!