I had a jam-packed weekend! How was yours? Wish these weekends were longer BUT I do have some VERRRY exciting news on the horizon that will free up some of my “me” time. Wheeeeee! More on that later.

Also since I’ve received a few emails requesting the recipe for the raw Pistachio Cardamom Burfi, I will be posting that soon as well as another giveaway! But first, a weekend recap is in order.

Giving Blood for the First Time

"Give Blood"

I don’t know what took me so long, but this is the first time I have ever given blood. There was a blood drive in town, so I thought ‘why not?’ Besides helping someone out, I’ve read that giving blood is healthy (especially for men to reduce high levels of iron) plus you get a free mini physical including blood pressure check, heart rate, temperature and iron levels. I learned that my body temp is quite low, so I need to look into that but all else was good.

The needle was just a pinch and the blood draw took 7 minutes. As long as I don’t SEE any blood or needles, I’m good to go. I brought my own food to eat afterwards – coconut water and walnuts because I knew they would be offering sugary snacks. Why is that? I just don’t understand why they can’t offer fresh whole fruit, nuts or dried fruit instead? Anyway, I got a $15 gift card for BP gas station too! I had no idea they gave out tokens of appreciation. Sweet! In a few weeks, I will get my donor card in the mail with my blood type and cholesterol level. It felt really good to donate blood, both physically and spiritually.

2010 Biodynamic Cherry Tomato Challenge

"Cute Cherry Tomatoes"

Spirtual Gardening mailed free heirloom tomato seeds to 250 growers this past week! Their goal is to get as many people as they can to start learning how to garden. These seeds are from a plant that has been grown with biodynamic principles, in the best soil, and with the most love for over 20 years. Awwww…

I joined the challenge and got my cherry tomato seeds in the mail on Friday and planted them right away. I’ll keep you posted on my “babies.” What a great idea. The seeds are all gone, but there’s drawing for some free raw unpasteurized honey if you sign up midnight Sunday March 28th. Go for it!

Stainless Steel Lunch Bots

"LunchBot Rainbow"

I have a growing aversion to eating out of plastic containers, but when toting my lunch for the day, it’s been the most practical solution. My glass containers are just too heavy, not to mention the lids are plastic. Soooo I was very happy when I found a set of Lunch Bots! They’re stainless steel containers that come in different sizes and some with two compartments.

The big one is great for my salads. They are food-tight, but not water-tight. The lids seal on ok, but I wish they were a little bit more secure. I put a rubberband around them just to make sure they stay put. Yeah it’s not ideal, but I think it’s a better alternative to plastic which can leach toxins and never feel completely clean unlike stainless steel. The Lunch Bots lids are different colors too and they fit nicely in my jungle tote. They’re a bit expensive, but I think it’s worth it. So far I love ‘em.

Giving Blood, Planting Seeds & LunchBots

by lilla on March 28, 2010

http://www.extremehomeworkout.com/ Jessica

The reason why blood banks give sugary stuffs after you have donated blood is to stabilize you. Because you could get dizzy and all. They can't give fruits or nuts because that's more expensive haha! That's good for you to donate. Your blood will be replaced by cleaner ones.
http://www.HealthySimpleLiving.com/ Kali Lilla

Hi Jessica!
Yes, I've read that too – your body will build new cleaner blood – yay! I
plan on giving 3-4xs/year.
There's plenty of fructose in fruit (especially dried fruit) so that the
brownies and cookies they serve aren't necessary, BUT I think you hit it
right on the head – fresh fruit is more expensive! Oh well, I'll just keep
bringing my own.
http://jessicasbento.wordpress.com/ Jessica J

Those lunch bots are pretty cute. DO you think they would work well for salad?
http://www.HealthySimpleLiving.com/ Kali Lilla

I've been using them for 2 weeks and I love them! Because they're stainless
steel, they stay REALLY cool in my lunchbag all day with my icepack. They
clean up easily and they are compact and light. I use the big one for my
salad and it works well (only wish it were a tiny bit bigger.) My dressings
are a bit thick so I have no spillage and the lid seals “ok” not airtight,
so I put a rubberband around it JUST in case and place it upright in my
lunch bag. But if you use a more liquidy dressing and the lunchbot gets
tossed around in a bag, there may be some leakage (I doubt it though.)

Is there a store near you that might carry them so you can see them
beforehand? I saw them first in a nearby shop, but it was cheaper to order
the whole set online plus I used a $10 Pay Later coupon, so it was really
worth it! I recommend them as long as you realize you will not get an
airtight seal with stainless steel. If you need airtight, then I think
plastic is the only way to go. Good luck!