Health, Life, and Balance
The Brooklyn Free School is offering donation-based Vinyasa yoga classes three times a week. 50% of all donations benefit the school. Here are the details:
When: Mon & Thurs. 6:45-8pm, Sun. 11-12:15pm
Where: 372 Clinton Ave (btwn. Green & Lafayette) 2nd Floor
Contact: freeschoolyoga AT gmail DOT com
Namaste.
Photo: takingrootfilm.com
Wangarí Muta Maathaí was a community-based environmentalist and freedom fighter. She showed the world how one woman’s actions could impact global change. The New York City Dept. of Parks and Recreation is hosting a free screening of “Taking Root: The Vision of Wangarí Maathaí” at Marcus Garvey Park.
Details:
When: Thursday, December 29, 2011 7:00-10:00pm
Where: Pelham Fritz Recreation Center, Marcus Garvey Park, 18 Mt. Morris Park West, Manhattan
Did I mention this was a free screening? 
To learn more about Wangarí’s life and the film, click here. For more details on the screening, click here.
Check out this piece I wrote for Mamiverse. Mamiverse is a newly launched site for Latina moms and daughters. In this article, I talk about my love affair with Greens and wonder why they are so freakin’ ABSENT from the typical Latina/o diet. The buck stops here! When future historians look back at this time, they will know me as a Latina who changed the Latina/o culinary landscape and made it greener. Join me!
You can read the article by clicking here.
On Sunday July 24 I served as a Just Food Community Chef at the Summer Streets Festival in the Bronx. I made my ‘”It’s Too Hot To Cook! Summer Squash Salad, quite fitting for a 91 degree afternoon! There were lots of great children present who sampled raw zucchini, learned how to say ‘carrot’ in Spanish and that veggies are good to help you poop. This was met by a great big ‘Ewww!’ followed by giggles. Click ‘more’ for the recipe. Continue reading ‘Just Food Community Chef Demo’
Latina.com interviewed me about the possibilities of a Latino/a food plate!
Read below.
http://latina.com/lifestyle/health/plato-replaces-food-pyramid
After the L.A. Riots in 1992, 14 acres (FOURTEEN!) of land were set aside for use as a community garden. The South Central Farmers brought this land back to lush, vegetative life. One day the garden receives an (illegal) eviction notice and so begins the story of “The Garden”. “The Garden” documents the rise and struggles of the farmers political organizing, navigation of the corrupt Los Angeles legal system, making their voices heard and overcoming obstacles you wouldn’t imagine were possible. The farmers managed to uncover a lot of political shadiness and that itself is an amazing feat. I strongly recommend this film for anyone who has ever had to fight long and hard for something you love and believe in. Thanks to my girl Lizz for putting me on to this beautiful film.
The plate has replaced the pyramid as the new visual guideline for healthy eating. This is a historic moment in food and nutrition and already it has created lovers and haters alike. I love the emphasis on fruits and veggies! If there’s one change you can make to improve your diet, try adding more of these foods in your life. With the harvest season beginning to share its bounty, why not take a walk to your local farmer’s market and see what new dish (or old favorite) you can make this week? Here’s mine: I bought a pint of fresh, pesticide-free strawberries, washed and froze them (after gobbling down a few) to blend into a smoothie.
The Bushwick Farmer’s Market is back this year! Stop by on Wednesdays for your organic fruits, veggies, dairy products and baked goods. There’s also a market happening on Saturday’s at Maria Hernandez Park from 9am-5pm. There are Latino/a family farms and lots of treats to eat, so be sure to get out there soon.
Join the No Farms, No Food rally in Albany on Wednesday March 30th and let legislators know that you support farmers and farmland in New York! If you register by March 23rd, you can get on a free round-trip bus ride from Union Square. Click here for more info. Hope to see you there!
CUNY School of Law is hosting this very cool and very FREE Food Justice Panel tomorrow evening. I’ve seen Anna Lappé speak before and am interested in seeing her as moderator. Come learn about who controls our food supply and how we can take it back!