Berries are a girl’s best friend! - 1 August 2014.

In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful.

Jumuah Mubarak to all and may we reap of the benefits and barakah of this day and this month and this year and this lifetime. Alhamdulilah this blog is heating up. This blog is on fiya - not in a hellfire kinda way but in a lekker way. I hope the reason is that it’s informative about many things, something for everyone. From our progress with organic gardening to wholesome eating and treading gently on this earth and bit of this and that.

On 5^th of June the blog had 1000 pageviews, in 58 days the curiosity has increased to 1888 pageviews and this from all over the world, nogal - Ukraine, UAE, Kenya, Russia, Netherlands, Poland, Germany, US, Britain, Korea (ooh I am namedropping). You’ll notice that sometimes my pics really suck and sometimes they’re not too shabby (know that my son Zaheer is advising me how to crop and tweak them, shukran).

Anyway, I must say the Ramadhan has been rejuvenating Alhamdulilah, I am sure everyone lost a bit of weight and developed some better eating habits and other good habits. The weather is beautiful today, the sky is clear of clouds with a slight mist; school is on again and so on and so forth. I am really in the zone with writing, planting and konfyting but more than that managing my time well, even for a break and to watch something with my family now and then. We have a dog now who has just made himself comfortable on the couch outside and looks at us with those sad droopy eyes, I hope he is not lost. I am not sure whether to feel sorry for him or whether to shoo him away but we'll see. I think the boys have already fallen in love with him.

 

Artichokes pic from store.underwoodgardens.com

So what are we chatting about today? The Practical Encyclopedia of Wholefoods by  Nicola Graimes (check it out on Youtube www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXg3z8jB_E8) – I can’t rave enough about it. I got some artichoke seeds which are coming up and I wondered about its health benefits and how to cook it. So globe artichokes fall in the category of shoot vegetables and should have tightly locked, stiff leaves with stalk attached when you buy or pick them.  I love how it’s cooked, pity can’t show you the pics.  You have to trim its leaves with a scissor and cut off the stalk so it sits flat. Next you have to boil it in lightly salted water until soft (35 -45 min) and spoon out its core, the hairy choke. Pull off leaf for leaf, dip in garlic butter and pull it through your teeth so the soft flesh tantalises your taste buds. The heart is then dipped in the butter and eaten. Sound good? Yeah!The benefits of it is amazing as it is a great source of vitamins A, C, fibre, iron, calcium and potassium. As natural medicinal advantage it is used to treat high blood pressure.

 

cucurbits pic from UMassAmherst.

I have always thought that squashes, pumpkins and butternuts are good fibre but nothing much in terms of beneficial health. Was I ever wrong? Cucurbits include squashes and pumpkins and zucchini and marrows and also calabashes such as dhodi and snake calabash and African calabashes as well as cucumbers. They are high in potassium content which means that they are wonderful also to regulate blood pressure. They are good laxatives and a diuretic and are believed to reduce the risk of certain cancers. They are low in calories so you can eat wholesome quantities, no wonder, it’s so good for babies especially met maer gesiggies, as the hawkers shout for you buy them.

Berries are our best friends in summer – we have planted strawberries and black berries and blue berries and gooseberries. It would be so cool to get a cranberry, cherry tree and raspberry canes and I wonder whether I could possibly get a currant stalk or two. All of the berries are high in vitamin C and other vitamins. Added to that strawberries have great skin cleansing properties; raspberries are good for menstrual cramps and cleansing the body from toxins; blueberries improve night vision protect against glaucoma; cranberries reduces bacteria in the urinary tract and kidneys; blackberries for cleansing blood and an excellent anti carcinogen; gooseberries has beta carotene and currants, white, red as well as black high in anti-oxidants and calcium, iron and magnesium and used to calm down tummy upsets. I am so growing this berry orchard.  My daughter has fruit allergies and has absolutely no reaction to berries from our garden, Yay!!! Berry spritzes for summer!

That all folks.

 

Plant food and eat berries, cucurbits and artichokes for better health!

Yasmine