Spring Cleanse!

Recently I listened to a nutritional lecture. The speaker emphasized how matching a cleansing fast with the seasons is a great way to start trying detoxes. It makes sense... every time the season changes I get this renewed sense of productivity and excitement and that can go hand in hand with a detox.

The body builds up years of toxins, especially when you consider how we live in a fast pace lifestyle, mowing down whatever is in front of us in a stressful situation at work, at home, when we are bored, etc. Most informative sites I visit recommend cleansing quarterly, so again this spring cleanse is a great way to dive in and start.

The wonderul hot yoga studio in Encinitas, Yoga Tropics, will be hosting a FREE event tomorrow night to help you figure out any detox confusion. Here is a few words from them!

"This spring, forget about the house! Renew your energy, vitality, and optimal health by cleaning out your insides instead! Come and hang out with everyone at Yoga Tropics and listen to Barnet Meltzer, M.D. divulge the importance and ease of cleansing with the change of season. As the weather warms, we all want to be outside soaking up the sunshine, being productive, and feeling grand! And with Dr. Meltzer's help, we can avoid feeling anything less!"

So I hope to see you there! Click here for more information.

Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Yoga Tropics
Street: 830 S Coast Hwy 101
City/Town: Encinitas, CA

Kumquat Tea Bread

I love the smell of fresh baking bread in the morning. This bread is no exception, and actually brings back some nostalgic childhood memories of picking kumquats. If you love those little citrus fruits as much as I do, try this recipe out.

1 9 oz jar La Vigne Kumquat Conserve
1 cup of broken walnuts or pecans pieces
½ cup bakers small candied ginger piece
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium egg
2 TBSP oil
1 medium orange, juiced
Water as needed

Chop La Vigne Kumquat Conserve coarsely, and hold aside with nuts and ginger.
Put orange juice in measuring cup, add oil and egg & water until liquid ingredients are 1 cup. Sift dry ingredients.
Beat egg and blend with liquid ingredients. Add to the dry ingredients.
Do not over mix.
Pour in greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 to 60 minutes and test with cake tester.

Kumquat Ginger Ice Cream

Spring is approaching fast, and we've got one of the sweetest treats for you to try! Kumquat Ginger Ice Cream!

Equipment: Ice cream machine.

Ingredients:

1-1 /2 cups (12 ounces) whole milk

1-1 /2 cups (12 ounces) heavy whipping cream

1 /2 cup (3-1/2 ounces) sugar

4 large egg yolks

1 cup Kumquat Ginger Syrup, cold

1 jar (10 ounces) La Vigne Kumquat Conserve

Directions:

Place the milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat to just below the boiling point. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly add about 1 cup of the hot cream to the yolks. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (about 170 F. on an instant read thermometer). Immediately pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Set the bowl into an ice bath and stir the custard until it is cold. Stir in the Kumquat Ginger Syrup.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.

Meanwhile, place the conserve in a strainer, rinse and pat the fruit dry. Remove any seeds and discard. Slice each kumquat into 4 or 5 pieces, and give the entire pile a rough chop.

When the ice cream has finished freezing, transfer it to a storage container and then stir in the chopped conserve. Cover and place in the freezer until needed.

(Makes 1 – 1 /2 quarts)