It is traditional for the pounding to be done by the grandparents. The grandfather doing the pounding and the grandmother turning the hollowed out log that is used to make the mochi. In most cases, however, you will probably be buying your mochi from the refrigerated section of a health food store.

The sweet brown rice used to make the mochi is high in protein. Mochi is known to be a strengthening food that increases your stamina. It is recommended for people dealing with health problems such as: blood sugar imbalances, weak intestines, anemia, and lactating women. Mochi is great to keep your bowel movements regular and can help with constipation.

The mochi you buy in the store is not made by a grandparent hand pounding it for you. They have to produce large volumes of the food, so they have come up with machinery to imitate the traditional way of making the mochi. It comes in a square wrapped in plastic. Mochi is not always easily available, I suggest you make it for yourself from scratch.

It works great thickening a soup. Once the mochi is cooked it becomes sticky. It will thicken soups, make casseroles creamy, and when melted you can make a (mock) cheese sauce. A popular way that people eat Mochi is to cut it into small square, heat in a sauté pan and it puffs up. It is crispy on the outside and sticky on the inside.

Millet is known for feeding and nurturing your spleen, pancreas, and stomach, it is considered an anti-stress grain. Millet has the highest amino acid protein profile and highest iron content. It is a gluten-free grain and contains B vitamins, also rich in phosphorus. Millet is the easiest whole grain to digest and is alkalizing to the body.

March - Black Beans

Black Beans are an excellent source of protein. High in zinc, iron, potassium, calcium, several B vitamins, black beans are great for your heart, kidneys, adrenal glands, liver, brain, and can help stabilize your blood sugar. They are also high in antioxidants which protects your cells from damage from free radicals.

Beans have been studied to show their anti-cancer properties. They contain the photochemical dioseginin which has been shown to stop cancer cells from multiplying. Plus isoflavones that can prevent certain cancers and heart disease.

Corn is the signature whole grain of summer. It has a naturally sweet taste that creates a delicious soup. Corn feeds and nurtures the heart, brain, and circulatory system. Containing Vitamin A, which is an antioxidant that is great for your eyes and also is anti-inflammatory.

Many people want to make Miso Soup but are not sure how to make a tasty version or how to change the ingredients to create a lighter miso soup for spring. Below I share my Spring Time Miso Soup recipe from my 'Healthy and Delicious Cooking Spring Season' cookbook.

Miso is fermented soy beans. The darker the miso the longer it has been fermented and has a richer, saltier taste. Look for unpasteurized miso that has to be refrigerated.

Having been eaten for over 2,500 years, miso is a live food, containing lactobacillus, a healthful microorganism. It contains all 8 essential amino acids, which make it a complete protein. Miso contains 11 grams of protein per tablespoon. It help break down and discharge cholesterol, neutralizes the effects of environmental pollution, alkalizes your blood, and can prevent radiation sickness.

May - Basil

Basil (Ocimum basilicum), my favorite spice, I am always raving about the aroma and the taste. Plus the medicinal properties are very impressive. It can be used to help treat mild depression, headaches, aids in digestion, and it helps inflammatory, anti bacterial, anti microbial which can help fight off viruses and infections. Also high in vitamin C, iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, potassium and folate.

One of my favorite things about basil is that it is a natural mosquito repellant. Containing many aromatic compounds called volatiles, is why the mosquitos stay away. Use some basil essential oil and dap a very little (it has a strong smell) on the top of your head, and on your arms, they will stay away from you and you smell delicious!

When using fresh basil instead of dried, you need more of the fresh to get the flavor you are looking for in a recipe. If a recipe calls for 1 tsp. dried basil, you would want to use 1 T. fresh chopped basil.

Basil is a member of the large mint family and has a long and interesting history. It is thought to have origins in India over 5,000 years ago. There are some indications that it may be older with ancient records mentioning it in the Hunan region of China around 807 A.D. In ancient Egypt it was likely used as an embalming and preserving herbs because it has been found in tombs and mummies. That may be why in Greece it is a symbol of mourning where it was known as 'Basilikon phuton', meaning magnificent, royal or kingly. Basil also has been used in healing in the ancient tradition of Ayurveda medicine. In Jewish folklore it is said to add strength while fasting. And in Portugal, basil is used as part of gifts given to sweethearts and lovers on certain religious holidays.

June - Whole Grains

Whole grain salads are a great way to increase your energy for all the fun activities of summer. They are a great combination of cooked whole grains and cooling raw vegetables. The combo of cooked and raw foods gives your digestive track the prebiotics and probiotics it needs for healthy digestion.

Whole grains give you energy by digesting very slowly in your digestive track. The slow digestion releases glucose very slowly into your blood stream, which gives you a slow steady supply of energy. It also balances your blood sugar levels to keep your energy steady. If you want to have a lot of energy, you should eat a lot of whole grains. They should be the biggest portion on your plate when you sit down for your meal. These whole grains include; brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, amaranth, kasha, millet, oats, spelt, corn, rye, kamut, and teff. The quicker cooking whole grains are used more frequently during the summer such as quinoa, amaranth, and corn.

Blueberries, my favorite fruit, are packed full of health benefits. They have been shown to be excellent for your heart and brain, good for maintaining healthy blood pressure, great for your eyes, skin and bones, and even help reduce risk of cancer. They contain vitamin C, K, B6, K, Calcium, Iron, magnesium, phosphorous, folate, manganese, and cooper.

Quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wa') was the mother grain of the Incas. They considered it sacred and held ceremonies honoring quinoa. In South America, in the high altitudes of the Andes mountains, quinoa has been grown, harvested, and eaten since at least 3,000 B.C. Because of its hardiness, being able to survive at such high altitudes, quinoa is considered a strengthening food.

Although botanically quinoa is a fruit, we classify it as a whole grain. In fact, quinoa is the signature whole grain for summer time. As one of the easiest whole grains to digest, it gives us a tremendous amount of energy to be able to be very active in the summertime.

Quinoa is high in calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin E, magnesium, and manganese, and is a complete protein. Quinoa is high in quercetin and kaempferol, two flavonoids that have anti-inflammatory, anti- viral, anti-cancer and anti-depressant properties.

Quinoa cooks up quickly and has a nutty flavor, making it ideal for creating cold salads, perfect for a summer meal.

 

The emotions associated with late summer earth energy phase are compassion, thoughtfulness, empathy, and being self assured. When we eat these naturally sweet foods from mother earth, the middle organs function properly and we are compassionate, can empathize with other people and we are thoughtful. When out of balance, we get so stressed out that we can only think of ourselves, we have self pity, being stressed has a way of focusing all our attention on ourselves instead of having thoughtfulness for others. If you look around to how our food supply is inundated with sugar, we can see how this imbalance can be created. To nurture these middle organs to help you deal with stress the mildly sweet vegetables is what the body needs. But we tend to go for the over sweet, chemically made white sugar which just wrecks havoc on these organs making them weaker, creating being in a state of constant stress. This constant stress can create the self pity and inability to have empathy for others.

To make sure that you stay in balance with late summer earth energy phase eat the whole grain millet and the vegetables that have a naturally sweet taste.

The first American recipes published using pumpkin were for a side dish similar to mashed sweet potatoes. Recipes resembling pumpkin pie started to appear around 1670's but were very different from what we now serve for our holiday dessert. The old recipes had a pie filling with alternating layers of pumpkin and apple with spiced rosemary, sweet marjoram, and thyme. I think most people now would be very surprised to taste this version of a pumpkin pie and it usually did not have a crust because crust just were not popular. By the 1800's women were challenging themselves to create unique and innovative new ways to serve pumpkin and that is when the more traditional pumpkin pie was created that we now are use to eating.

Pumpkin contains a sufficient amount of beta carotene which the body converts to vitamin A, known for improving eye sight and can even help you see better in low light conditions. And just like so many of the foods I use in my cooking, pumpkin is very high in vitamin C to help boost your immune system. Also a great source of potassium, fiber, iron, folate, and vitamin E, an antioxidant. Plus if you want the food to help with your lungs, pumpkin is one of the best with health promoting compound to benefit the lungs, carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.

Squashes are full of fiber, high in antioxidants, and minerals. Squashes boost your immune system, improve digestion, strengthen bones, can help lower high cholesterol, eliminate inflammation, help reduce high blood pressure, regulate metabolism, and optimize blood sugar levels.

Butternut squash is probably the most familiar and most popular. It is the one with the long neck and ball at the bottom, orange in color and the skin is soft. It has a wonderful sweetness and soft texture.

Delicata squash, my favorite, is the sweetest of the winter squashes. It is smaller, oblong, yellow with green strips and a very soft skin and creamy texture.

Acorn squash is not as sweet but still has a mellow sweetness and wonderful taste. Acorn squash has a green skin and bright yellow inside. The skin can be eaten, but is not as soft as the butternut or delicata. The three squashes roasted together give you three distinct tastes and textures with a lot of color.

When creating my Peach Black Raspberry Crisp from Simply Health Scrumptious Desserts, it calls for cookie crumbs, which are easy to make. You simply put cookies in a food processor and puree until you have crumbs. I use my home made cookies to do this, but healthy sugar free, organic cookies that you purchase can also be used to make cookie crumbs. Harder cookies make the best cookie crumbs as opposed to soft cookies.

This version of the recipe uses peaches and black raspberries, a great flavor combination, however you can use your favorite fruit in this recipe. Black raspberries may be challenging to find, even frozen. They are grown in the wild and the supply will depend on the harvest for that year. You can substitute blackberries for black raspberries. The difference is, blackberries are larger and black raspberries are a little more sweet. Both contain vitamin C, A and B complex, anti inflammatory properties, high in fiber and great for your heart and brain. Peaches are full of fiber, vitamin C, A and B complex, great for your skin, zinc, aid in digestion, and can help boost immunity.