Plant based lifestyle, education and cooking classes

 I have recently launched my Plant based lifestyle, education and cooking classes!

The first two classes were free just to give an intro to what I do and what is't like to work with me.

We had a great turn out for both classes, they filled to capacity!

I would like to talk a little about what I do and why.

I do not consume animals or animal products for two reasons:

I believe it is wrong.

There is a great deal of scientific evidence the supports plant based living is good for your health and good for the planet.

I don't try to "convert" anyone in to being a "Vegan" a "Vegetarian" or any other labels.

What I do is educate and support anyone who wants to live this way.

My beliefs are one thing, but science is another matter. Scientific studies that are not funded by the meat, dairy, egg and alcohol industries are to say the least, eye opening.

So, I no longer support those industries to the best of my ability!

Want to come along for the ride? Give me a shout 😃 nannyopgaard@gmail.com

 It's winter on the mountain. We have all been through a lot. And, it looks like we're in for more before things settle down.

Or maybe they won't. Maybe things won't settle down. Maybe we will be facing new challenges monthly, weekly, some of us daily.

I don't mean to sound defeated, not at all. In fact, for me, the sooner I accepted that this could be my reality, it gave me energy to make change, to do things I've avoided.

I think anxiety can be used as a catalyst, rather than a disabler.

Changing long term habits can be difficult, but not impossible. If you think about your habits as a road traveled and each time you traveled down that road, you created an indentation in the ground, just a little at first. But over the years it got deeper and deeper. Then one day you decided you didn't want to go down that road anymore, and now the road is a six or eight foot deep trench. You can try to climb out. Some people can. But most need to create a new path. The only way to do that is to not go down the old path in the first place. Sounds simple. But that old path is so familiar, so easy, you keep choosing it.

Let me ask you this. Is there much sunlight on the old path anymore? Can you see the beautiful countryside? The flowers, trees, birds? Or are they blocked by the walls of your creation?

Be brave my friend. You must be the champion that Joseph Campbell talks of in mythology. It can be done, you can do it.

Listen to your heart. Go in to training. Like an athlete or fine musician or dancer. Re-train the subconscious. It will respond.

Peace, Love and Gratitude.

Random Musings From the Mountain

We are still gripped by the strong hand of winter. 
Many cold, dreary days & nights. 
We've lost a few loved ones over the last few months. 
Otto and Yumyum continue to have health issues but are still with us and are not in any pain.
My Yoga classes are small and get cancelled a lot because of the weather. Clients too, who wants to drive on treacherous roads if you don't have too?
As I write this, mercury is in retrograde and has demonstrated his power by bombarding me with missing checks and miscommunications between friends and colleagues. So, I work harder at something I already work hard at!
(Hmmm, this all sounds a little depressing, but I am not! I am actually starting to "feel" spring!)

Spending so much time alone up here on the mountain, I get to thinking about things. 
This particular thought/question, keeps coming back up:
"What would you do, if your one true love, the one who completes you, in a way that can not be described, but is understood by everyone who has experienced it. That knowing that this is THE one and only for you. That one other that can make you smile when they are not around, just because of the overwhelming love you have for them. What would you do if that person were to come back as the opposite gender that you are naturally attracted to?"
That's what I have been thinking about lately.

August Blues

I don't know why I get a little sad at this time of year, but I always do. It's kind of silly because I think August, September & October are my favorite months. Except for May, when all the birds are nesting. Oh, and December, when it really snows for the first time! But summer has the dirtiest months. The windows are open, so dust & pollen get all over everything. You're always dragging in grass & dirt on your boots from the garden. The kids are running in and out, with God knows what on their feet. And the wet bathing suits dripping all over the place! The dogs shed a little more and there is an endless stream of company, making incredible amounts of laundry. Which must be hung on the line, because I can. Then there's the canning and pickling. Pots of boiling water, jars everywhere, the kitchen never seems to get clean, or stay clean.

                                                      But you can't beat those sunsets on the deck, hanging out with the kids and the dogs and now the grandchildren.

 I guess I just don't want it to end. 

Cold May nights, Piggy helps out!

So much is happening I don't know where to begin! So I'll start with today. I had a cancellation this morning so I have some time to fiddle around with the blog.
We are getting some mighty cold weather for May over the next fews days and I was concerned about the more delicate veggies. Turns out, so was Piggy.
Well, he insisted on helping protect them. And then, he insisted on having his picture taken at the first greenhouse. So, here he is, farmer Piggy. You'll be seeing more of him in the coming months. He may even get his own Facebook page. What do you think? Isn't he cute?

He is a very proud Pig.

My Little Dumpling

Look who came to our house for my birthday!
She is such a little dumpling, I could just eat her up.
They surprised me, my husband, my kids, some of my family and even Junior's future father-in-law!
It was a very nice evening. I like low key.
I have been working hard on the "Stilla" project. Should be up and running by spring.
I CAN'T WAIT!
Stay tuned .....

Hot and Sweet Green Tomato Chutney

It seems like all I do these days, in between teaching and massaging, is put up food.
Yesterday I blanched and froze about 3lbs. of green beans from a neighbors garden. 
Today it was green tomato chutney.
I got this recipe from a fellow blogger named Andie. The blog title is "Books, Cooks, Gadgets and Gardening"  I did make a few minor changes and this is the recipe I used. I love the bite in this one!

4lbs. green tomatoes
3 large firm fruit. I used apples.
3 large yellow onions
3 jalepeno peppers with seeds
1 cup golden raisins
2 cups brown sugar
3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh ginger
2 Tbs. pickling salt
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
4 cups apple cider vinegar

Core and peel fruit.
Chop all fresh ingredients into small dice.
Place vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger, spices and raisins into a large non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil.
Add all remaining ingredients and stir well.
After liquid returns to boil, continue to cook for 30 minutes.
Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 2 1/2 - 3 hours, stirring occasionally. If mixture gets too thick add a little boiling water ( I didn't have to do this ).
2/3 of the way through the cooking time, remove a small amount to a dish, taste and adjust flavors as you like.
Ladle into sterilized jar and water bath process for 15 minutes.
I love harvest time!

Next Summer's Project!

By next summer we hope to have two or three of these platforms up in the woods. You'll be able to come, pitch your tent and hang out on the mountain!
We will have toilet facilities and an outdoor hot water shower. 
Cooking will probably be communal. But I'm not sure about that yet.
Anyway, check back in with us now and then to see how it's coming and if your interested, to get pricing.
I want to sleep out there!

Made Me Some Carrot Cake Jam Today :)

Do you love carrot cake? Me too.
When my garden exploded with more carrots than I can eat I decided to try something different. Carrot cake jam.
This recipe is all over the internet, and now, here it is again!
1 1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
1 1/2 chopped, cored, peeled pears
1 can crushed pineapple with juice
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 Tbs powdered pectin
6 cups granulated sugar

Prepare your jelly jars for canning. This recipe makes 6-8 jars.
Combine carrots, pears, pineapple and juice, lemon juice and spices.
Bring to a boil over high heat, while stirring.
Reduce heat, cover, boil gently for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, whisk in pectin until dissolved.
Bring back to boil, add sugar all at once, return to full boil and cook, stirring constantly for one minute.
Ladle into hot jars and water process for ten minutes.

Note: If you are new to canning, please seek out proper instructions on on of the government sites that tells you all about it :o)

I Do Other Things Besides Cook!

I go through phases, don't you?
I am happiest when I am creative. Sometimes it's food, sometimes it's decorating and sometimes it's art.
I am not that great at photography, I always cut off a head or some feet. But I try, because it's fun.
Here's a photo that I took recently that I kinda like. And a pastel I did a few years ago that I like too.

I hope you enjoy looking at them. If you don't, please don't tell me. I am very sensitive :o)

Eggplant "Steak"

For Denise, here's the recipe for eggplant "steak" and garlic mashed cauliflower.
One medium eggplant peeled and sliced into 1/4'' slices.
Combine  about 2 tablespoons tomatoe juice, 2 tbls, tamari or steak sauce, one clove minced garlic, 1/4 tsp oregano.
Poke shallow holes in eggplant, and pour the marinade over the slices.
Core and break up one head of cauliflower. Cook in salted water to cover with 2 or 3 cloves of mashed garlic until tender. Mash with potato masher adding a little milk or light cream and some butter :o)
Grill egplant on a medium temp grill, brushing with any leftover marinade.
10-15 minutes on each side. Depending on how well done you like your "steak".
Make yourself a little green salad and enjoy!

Let The Canning Begin!

It's that time of year again. My gosh this summer just flew by! 
The garden is exploding with veggies that we can't eat fast enough fresh, so, into the water bath canner they go!
Canning is easier than you think and there's info all over the net on the how to's.
The best thing to do is get some good recipes from friends & family and can away.
I find having canning parties makes it more fun.
It makes the prep, wait, and clean up go sooo much faster.
Tomatoes are the easiest for me. If I have time, I make my sauce and then water process it all finished. My own homemade sauce, ready to go. If I don't have time, I just can the plain tomatoes.
Happy canning!
Crunchy Kosher Dill Pickles:
3c. water
3c. white vinegar
2tbsp. pickling salt
3qts. firm cucumbers 3-4 inches long
3 tbsp. dill seed ( or 9 heads fresh dill)
1 tbsp. pickling spice
1 clove garlic per jar
12 peppercorns
In large kettle combine water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, pack cucumbers into hot sterilized jars. Add 1tbsp. dill seed or fresh dill, 1tsp. pickling spice, 1 clove garlic,  and 4 peppercorns into each jar. Cover with boiling vinegar mix, leave 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rims. Adjust caps.
Process in boiling water bath 20 minutes.
Let cool .....

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Squash, pumpkin, even day lilly flowers. All can be eaten and are sooo good stuffed!
First you very gently clean the flowers an remove the stamen, pat dry.
The filling amount can vary depending on size & number of blossoms.
For five to six blossoms, 2 cups ricotta cheese, chopped fresh basil and or flat leaf parsley. Sorry, I eye ball this. A little salt, to taste. Mix that up and set aside.
Prepare the egg, flour station. Two large eggs beaten in a vessel. Flour, enough for the blossoms, lightly seasoned with salt & pepper.
Heat enough oil in pan for frying. Choose an oil that you like. I actually use olive oil. I know they say not to fry in it but, I don't bring up the oil too hot, especially with flowers, hello, delicate !
To stuff the flowers, have a pastry bag or a plastic bag ready. Plastic bag: snip off one corner.
Turn the sides of the bag down a bit and fill with mixture, squeeze it down until it just starts to come out.
Gently coax the blossom tops to open a bit and fill, being careful not to overfill.
Dip in egg, then in flour, fry until light golden brown.
I know, a lot of work, but they are good and only once a year!
Enjoy!

Elena Has Arrived!

She's here! Beautiful Elena Anne Fattibene arrived on August the 1st at 7:02PM. 
Weighing in at 6lbs. 1oz. don't wrap her I'll eat her here :o)
Mom & Dad did a great job and everyone is home now.
You will most likely soon get sick of me drooling over her and posting every picture I can. Too bad! 

Asparagus Pizza

      So, you know there has to be a back story to asparagus pizza, right? Well, I hadn't thought about dinner ahead of time and it was Monday night, so I wasn't feeling very festive. Everything we had was frozen, and I was in the mood for vegetarian anyway. My tummy being what it has lately, I knew I couldn't handle rice and beans. So I started looking around in the fridge and there was the pizza dough that Andy had brought home a few days before. It was still good! Now for some mozzarella. There was none. Crap, now what? Think, think, think. OK, there was a little goat gouda left, a smidge of cream cheese, and some shaved parmesan. Great, now for some pizza worthy veggies! Let's see, I had carrots, kale, red cabbage potatoes and onions. Bleh. What's in the freezer? Rhubarb, cauliflower, edemame, peas, and asparagus! Bingo, asparagus wins. I don't know about you all, but I need a little acidity with all that cheese, so I found me a box of crushed tomatoes. Yes, I said box. I prefer things in glass or those boxes that the Italian tomatoes come in. I'm a little worried about all the stuff about the toxins from cans leaching into my tomatoes. Anyway, I made a quick little marninara with the tomatoes, some olive oil, garlic & herbs (basil, oregano) cooked it for about two minutes then put the pizza together. First, I got the dough all round and put it onto parchment paper while heating the oven (with the pizza pan in it) to 500. Then I smushed the smidge of cream cheese over the dough. Then I poured my instant sauce over that. Next came the goat gouda which I had sliced as thinly as possible. By this time the asparagus had defrosted enough to chop in to bite sized pieces and I spread them around. I topped it with the shaved parm and into the oven she went! 25 minutes or so later, Andy and I were devouring this deliciousness! You should come join us one of these days :o)

The Mountain Has A Name!

   So, here's how it happened. We had been trying to figure out what to call the place since before we moved here. I figured the mountain would "tell" us what we should call it.
Well, it didn't. I tried things in German, in Norwegian, in English, nothing seemed to fit. One of the things that Andrew and I have always said to each other was how quiet, how peaceful it is up here. But I was stuck on what it was we were doing up here. Teaching Yoga and Meditation, Massage, Cooking/Canning, Organic Gardening, Painting, Blah blah blah.

   So anyway, last Saturday night, (5/19/12) we were sitting on the front porch in our rocking chairs, listening to the birds singing, the cows down valley mooing, the occasional whinny from one of the horses on the nearby farm and enjoying the warm breezes, when , for the eight millionth time, we looked at each other and said: " God I love it here, it's so peaceful". And, "we have to come up with a good name for our Mountain!" That's when Andrew sat up a little straighter and said "you know, my grandfather in northern Norway had a cabin that he called "Stille" I got pretty excited because it sounded the same as the German word "stille" which means "silent, calm, peaceful" So we looked it up in both dictionarys and not only did it have the same meaning, it had the same spelling!
   From now on we will refer to the mountain as "Stille".

Gluten Free Bread Machine Bread

3 Large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/3 cups water (room temp)
1 cup lentil flour
1 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup GF oat flour
1/4 cup GF oats
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup corn starch
2 tsp xanthan gum
3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup non fat dry milk powder
2-1/4 active dry yeast


Combine wet ingredients plus 1 Tbsp brown sugar; pour into bread machine.
Sprinkle dry yeast over wet ingredients.
Measure dry ingredients and mix well to blend. Add to bread machine.
Set to normal/white cycle and start machine.
After mixing action has begun, help unmixed ingredients into the dough with a rubber spatula, keeping to the top and sides to prevent interference with the paddle.
Do not skip this part!
This is a dense bread that slices easily and is best sliced very thin. 

Bee Hives Are Coming

Don't get too excited, we don't have Bees yet! But it is part of the plan. We think Bees are so important to the ecology and we get to have honey.

A Slice Of Life On The Mountain

  No matter what angle you look at it from, life on the mountain is good. You can get a massage out on the deck when the weather is good, indoors when it's not. We believe in taking good care of ourselves. 

The Vision is Becoming a Reality!

It has been a long time from the first little tiny vision of how we wanted to live our lives on the mountain. We cleared the land, built the house, started the apartment and put in the organic gardens. I healed from my surgery, took back my Yoga practice and even started teaching again! It's almost time to share more of our dream with the world. Eventually, Andrew will build me my studio and the mountain yoga studio and retreat center will be complete (sort of ) :o) There will always be more to do, more to learn, more to experience! In the meantime, we're livin' the dream!