I have a thing for beans...

and the colour orange lately - lucky me, found a three-bean salad recipe in the Alive magazine with three types of beans and mandarin oranges:
In large bowl, mix 1 can navy beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can chickpeas (drained & rinsed), 4 plum tomatoes (I will use my garden cherry tomatoes), 1 can mandarins (drained), 2 celery stalks (sliced thinly), 1/2 red onion (chopped fine), and 1 cup curly parsley (chopped). For dressing, whisk together 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. agave syrup, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste. Add and mix dressing to beans, may drizzle with lime juice. Chill in fridge 2 hours - It would be nice to add to healthy lunches the following day!

Disrupting our food supply

As I was taking these photo's I could not help wondering where all the bees were this year. Went online to do some research and found a recent Toronto Life article; the author states that Indian researchers released a new study that links cellphone radiation to the drastic drop in bee populations throughout Europe and North America. The radiation interrupts bees' navigational systems.

Think about this - about one third of the food we eat, such as apples, nuts, and squash, depend on these important pollinators!

Yummy Summer Berries

After going for an afternoon walk with my son and pup today, we came across two types of berries which both belong to the Rosaceae family. Chokeberries (Aronia) are often mistakenly called chokecherries. Earlier this year, the chokeberry bush showed off its gorgeous tiny white flowers. I've read that chokeberries can be used to make jam, syrup, and wine. We harvested some blackberries and used them in a yoghurt and smoothie treat ... yum!