Blame it on Fidel

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm writing about another French movie...

Blame it on Fidel is a little more lively than some of the cinema Francais I've seen lately, mainly because the protaganist is a nine-year-old girl, Anna. Anna is dealing with the loss of her old, comfortable middle class life when her parents decide to take on new roles and jobs to support causes they believe in- Allende in Chile, and the women's lib movement in 1970 Paris.

The beauty of the movie is that nowhere along the way does the movie advertise a certain point of view. In fact, it explores the perspectives of Communism, Feminism, Catholicism, Greek mythology, Asian mythology, and various other philosophies. This might frustrate and confuse the average American movie viewer, but I always prefer a question mark to a period (or an exclamation mark) in these cases.

The movie, then, becomes about how we piece together our own philosophies, how we manage to meld things that sometimes clash, and how we deal with finding out the diasppointing truth about idealism. In this movie, as in life, there are no absolutes, and the right answers are only right if they're right for you.

It is, quite simply, beautifully and impressively done, and I love that all of this difficult material is dealt with through the eyes of a little girl. Because in the end, I think we all deal with these issues with the same naive, grudging, curious, and opinionated gusto as our heroine, Anna.

A nice thought-provoking look inside ourselves and our own worldviews. And it's on Netflix instant watch right now. Yay French movies!

Threads for Thought

Who wouldn't love to wear soft, comfy organic clothing all the time? I know I would!

But where do you find practical, cute, stylish, AND affordable organic clothing?

Why, here at Threads for Thought! You can order online or shop your local health food store or Whole Foods. The clothes are super comfy, and at $12 a pop, I have 3 long sleeved shirts and 1 $8 short-sleeved shirt that I love to wear all the time- going out, at work, lounging around, practicing yoga, even sleeping :) I love how soft they feel, and knowing that they're the purest clothes I own.

T4T is a lovely company with a wonderful, much-needed product.

New Favorite Yoga Video!

I recently found a GREAT new yoga video on Netflix Instant Watch: Crunch Candlelight Yoga. At first glance it looks a bit cheap and cheesy, but when I sat down and gave it a chance, it was the best yoga video I've seen yet.

The routine is very gentle, with an encouraging and informative instructor. The stretches and poses are relaxing, yet still deep and challenging, with the focus on the breath, as it should be.

I'll be doing this video a few times a week, and I'll be sure to buy it so I'll have it when it goes off of Instant Watch.

It's also available for download to rent or own on Amazon here. Check it out!

Esperanza Spalding | Little Fly

The almighty Esperanza Spalding- the woman who dared to be so much more than mediocre to "upset" Justin Bieber's anticipated Grammy win...

A self-taught and university trained naturally talented and experimetal musician, Spalding is the freshest new artist Grammy winnner since Norah Jones- but even deeper, more artistic, and more mind-expanding.

Thank God not all of music is made of the flat, shallow sure-fire hit kind of empty crap that dominates the industry.

Giada's Lemon Thyme Bars

Lemon Thyme Bars on the Food Network

Amazing! This dish boasts so many virtues: lots of butter, thyme in a dessert, and it's super-easy!

We had them for breakfast today. I do have to emphasize Giada's directions to let them cool and let the glaze set. It makes a big difference.

Lavender Brownies

Lavender is one of my favorite herbs. The smell is so relaxing, and the blossoms are such a delightful light purple color, even when dried.

But lavender is also a great culinary item. It does taste slightly flowery, but also has a bit of a minty, menthol flavor as well, which is much less striking than its scent.


One of my favorite combos is lavender and dark chocolate, so the other night I thought, why not brownies?

And they were delicious! I just added about 1 tsp dried lavender flowers, chopped, to my store-bought dark chocolate brownie mix, and voila! A fresh, unique, exotic flavor. IN CHOCOLATE!

*note: use only lavender flowers meant for cooking, not for potpourri, as this is usually scented with extra fragrance. Check out your local health food store to see if they stock bulk herbs.

Love, Love, Love!

Found a new favorite Etsy shop!

Summer Hours

One of the very best places I like to go when I need to find a comforting, uplifting sense of inspiration is tucked away inside a good warm movie.

That's right, a movie. More on It's Complicated's lavender honey ice cream, Amelie's lovely slip, and The Kids Are All Right's locally grown salads later.

Right now I want to talk about Summer Hours, a lovely, quiet French movie that focuses on family, on how art is treated in today's world, and questions the care the future generations will (or will not) take of the rich culture of the past.




For me, the movie asked other important questions, every day questions like: where does art belong? Where do flowers belong? The answer: surrounding us, as part of us, as an intrinsic part of our lives, homes, and even legacies.




And the definition of what art is precious? The art that speaks to us, no matter how lauded and invaluable it isn't. In the movie, important pieces of art are given to a museum, while a family salvages its true treasures: a beat-up teapot, or a vase you always reach for to put your flowers in.



And what flowers do you put in the vase? Wildflowers you collect from the woods, of course. Wild, gnarly, woody flowers. In every room.




Beautiful, muted colors and beautiful, muted stories amidst the backdrop of the French countryside- who could ask for more?

It's on instant watch right now!

Bath Bombs

Try one of these little lovelies...

Oo La La... a little milky foam, organic lightly scented goodness!

Check out Hugo Naturals

So many scents to choose from:

•Eucalyptus Rosemary & Mint
•Grapefruit Orange
•Guaiacwood & Bergamot
•Lavender Chamomomile
•Lavender Vanilla
•Rose Sandalwood *my personal fav!
•Sea Fennel Passionflower

Simple Dinner

Sometimes I don't come home smiling, laughing, and loving life. Sometimes I come home dragging my feet, yawning, and complaining. And as much as I love cooking, it's those very times when I just want a simple meal to create for the night.

Tonight was one of "those" nights, so I made one of my favorite easy fixes: Baked salmon, penne pesto, and roasted aspragus. There are lots of health benefits here- Omega 3s! Fiber! Vitamins and minerals! Sanity!

Here's how:

Salmon

1/2 lb. salmon filet
1 tsp dried thyme (or 2 tsp fresh)
1/4 tsp sea salt
dash black pepper
olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degress. Place a large square of aluminum foil in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle about a Tbsp olive oil in the center of the foil. Place the salmon on top of the oil drizzle.

2. Drizzle another Tbsp or so olive oil on top of the salmon filet, and then sprinkle the salt and pepper over top. Sprinkle the thyme on top of that.

3. Fold over the sides of the aluminum foil until you've created a pocket around the salmon. Cook the salmon in the oven for about 20-25 mins.

4. Uncover the salmon, serve, and smile!

Penne Pesto

Whole Wheat Penne
Pesto in a jar (I know it's cheating, but Trader Joe's Basil Pesto is quick, easy,
and better than any homemade pesto I've found)
Grape tomatoes, halved

1. Boil a big pot of water with some sea salt in it. Use a lot of water so the pasta
has plenty of room to cook.
2. Cook the pasta in the boiling water. Note: Whole wheat usually takes a few minutes
longer than regular- but it's higher in fiber and complex carbs!
3. Drain the pasta. Add the pesto and the grape tomato halves and toss.
4. Sprinkle anything over top you'd like: fresh basil, pine nuts, bacon pieces, or
grated parmesan- but just pick one, you don't want to overwhelm the already
flavorful pesto

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus
olive oil
sea salt
pepper

The asparagus can go in the same 425 degree oven with the salmon (how easy does it
get?!)

1. Cut off about 1/2 inch of the bottom of the asparagus spears.

2. Drizzle a Tbsp or so olive oil all over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spread the asparagus out evenly over the dish.

3. Drizzle another Tbsp or so olive oil over the asparagus spears and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Cook in the oven for 15-20 mins, or until it reaches your desired doneness (some people like it crispier, some like it more cooked)

And that's it! I love this dinner with a light Pinot Grigio and a good TV show (but you didn't hear that from me!)

Tulips!

I never thought much about tulips before. I used to be one of those boring roses type of girls... but then my sweetie got me some beautiful powder-pink tulips for last Valentine's Day, and my heart melted a little. Soon after, we watched The Botany of Desire, a beautiful and inspiring look at our inter-connectedness to nature, in which the tulip plays a starring role (check it out!). Yep, in the last year or so, I've really developed quite any affinity.


Tulips come in so many colors and varieties, and they are inexpensive to boot. So, buy one of these sweet flowers for someone special just because, or to brighten your kitchen table. You won't be disappointed!