Omkari Wholistic Living         

Just like a family reunion

Mark your calendars: second Wednesday of each month is Omkari’s potluck night!

We had such a wonderful time tonight. The food was great, conversation stimulating and engaging, and the company of our macrobiotic friends – superb. One of our guests said it best: “This feels like a family reunion!”

Julie made Garlicky Garbanzo Beans, and here is her recipe:

Garbanzo beans are often used in late summer to help strengthen the spleen, pancreas, and stomach.  A pungent herb, antibacterial garlic, was used traditionally to help thin the blood and enhance digestion.  This dish makes a great complement to any meal.

1 cup garbanzo beans, soaked overnight

1 inch square kombu

1 1/2 T. ume vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large scallion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, roasted and chopped

Drain soaking water from beans.  Add beans to pressure cooker and cover beans with fresh water.  Bring to boil and skim off foam.  Add kombu and cover pressure cooker.  Bring to pressure, reduce flame, and pressure cook beans for 35 minutes.  Remove cover and drain liquid.  Season beans with ume vinegar, oil, scallions, and garlic.  Marinate beans overnight for best flavor.

Enjoy the beans, and see you next time!

posted by Hana & Julie

Aug. 2 2008
Laugh your way to better health

OWL held its first event, Macrobiotic Rejuvenation Retreat on Saturday, August 2. The Retreat had a twofold purpose: 1) to educate our participants on ways to strengthen their health; and 2) to experience a relaxing day immersed in a macrobiotic community.

Our hands-on cooking class was appropriate for late summer, the season which supports spleen, pancreas, and stomach. Short grain brown rice and sweet brown rice emphasized the sweet taste of late summer. Aduki beans were cooked with round butternut squash which supports the round organs in the middle of the body. Mineral rich hiziki was sautéed with carrots and onions and marinated with a sweet tart black sesame orange dressing. Dinosaur kale was blanched quickly to support the upward rising energy of the liver and heart. Gomashio and sauerkraut rounded off the meal to help alkalinize the blood.

Our morning lecture discussed dangers in cosmetics and personal care products and offered healthy alternatives such as acupressure and body scrub which were demonstrated in the afternoon.

We shared an abundance of joy and contagious laughter throughout the day. Laughter really is the best medicine! At the end of the day we felt exhilarated and inspired by beauty, love, and gratitude.

Retreat participant, Kourosh Makasebi, smiles like a boy caught with his hand in a cookie jar

posted by Hana & Julie

Aug. 1, 2008
Creating daily artwork: a couscous cake from the heart!

When I first came across a recipe for the couscous cake, I was charmed by the fact that no baking is required. Current macrobiotic recommendations for healthy living are to limit baked goods to winter cooking. People with special conditions such as cancer should avoid all baked goods. As an added bonus, couscous is prepared in minutes.

But once I set out to make it, I had no idea how to position the berries, how many to use, or how in the world is this creation supposed to look like! There is, however, a great potential for creativity in such freedom, so I’ve developed my own designs.

To create a cake for our Rejuvenation Retreat, I carved a little ditch along the side of the dish and placed blueberries like a string of pearls to form a tight circle.

One whole strawberry is positioned at the very center of the cake and several cross-sections are hiding between mint leaves.

You can leave the cake with this simple design, or for a special occasion, you can cover it with berries of your choice and a topping. Either way, it’s bound to lift everyone’s spirits!

Strawberries and blueberries were seasonal and local from the farmer’s market. For people with wheat sensitivities, millet may be substituted for couscous.

posted by Hana