Green Kitchen Travels is just one in a kickass stack of books at The Rose waiting for you to pick up and flip as you sip. Best enjoyed with something green and tasty like a Bee True To You.
Looking for some weekend reads? Pre-summer brain food? For today’s busy bee, taking a personal time out for a little written-word R&R can mean anything from catching up on food blogs to high-thought books about organics’ regulations…and that range was WAY proven at the Friday morn weekly Team TJS meeting, where as we helped each other plan and prioritize our contribution to the company for the week ahead, we snuck in a little talk time about what we’re reading.
We’re all pretty like-minded…but man, hello diverse! Here are the four titles we realized we’re groovin’ on that we thought we’d mention to you lovelies. Beecause sharing is caring.
Happy weekend, Bees!
WHO…Jamie, co-founder and CEO
SHE’S READING… Fruitless Fall: Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis (Rowan Jacobsen)
IT’S ABOUT…the incredibly sad/scary/insert your favorite gutting adjective about what caused honeybees to go AWOL in spring 2007. Citing the plight by its many names (colony collapse disorder; mad bee disease; bee auto-immune deficiency) and using facts and plain-speak like a good investigative food journo should, (plus a lotta bee love), Jacobsen explains how neurotoxin-laced pesticides and even antibiotics used by conventional farmers on flower crops across the country are sickening the bees we need to help pollinate our every three bites of food. If you ever needed a reason for eating organic, Jacobsen does you a solid with his 288 pages.
WHY READ? Change needs to happen when it comes to how we view organic farming, says Jamie. Hard not to feel doomsdayish about the plight of innocent bees. But there’s so much hope if writers like Jacobsen help influence future generations of mindful eaters. His most important audience? The farmers and regulators at national levels who have the ability to keep this from beecoming a decades-long catastrophee.
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WHO…Mallory, creative director
SHE’S READING…Green Kitchen Travels: Healthy vegetarian food inspired by our adventures by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl.
IT’S ABOUT…So there’s this couple. And they’re new parents. And they have a crazy-popular blog where they write crazy-popular posts of food that’s beautiful to eat and look at (Vindahl is a photog and the book and blog sure show it). This second book of theirs features 90 recipes they’ve enjoyed during travels around the world. Vegetarian and/or vegan and almost entirely gluten-free, the dishes stand strong alone; but coupled with the artistry and total passion this duo puts into sharing their love of healthful, mindfully good food, well it’s worth grabbing a green TJS juice and hunkering down for some un-guilty pleasure reading.
WHY READ? Um, did you not just read the above? If for no other reason, read it why Mal is: she loves the story and the recipes.
BONUS BOOM! If you get your juice at The Rose on St Rose Parkway there’s a copy on the communal reading shelf. So go ahead. Sip and flip.
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WHO…Marcella, co-founder and COO
SHE’S READING…Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel.
IT’S ABOUT…Get yer mind outta the gutter. Yes, “erotic” is in the title but this book is so deep. So. Perel’s a psychotherapist and her long-heralded book is clear and direct in presenting insights about coupledom and sexuality, and how to balance the two. Gays, straights, marrieds, singletons…this book is about conflict resolution and finding peaceful balance in a relationship, and its lessons, if learned early, can help alter your lifelong lens on love and the intimacy sought (and hopefully found) between two people.
WHY READ? Honestly, we hear about this relationship shit on the fly but often don’t develop an understanding about it until we’re in trouble: desire requires distance but intimacy needs proximity, or what’s it takes to keep a spark in a relationship. Whether you have an A+ relationship or you’re looking for one, there’s no bad time to pick up this puppy, and a refresher will always make you better. Ask Marce. She’s so wise.
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WHO…Jen, content director
SHE’S READING…Kundalini Yoga, The Flow of Eternal Power by Khakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa
IT’S ABOUT…With the heading, “A Simple Guide to the Yoga of Awareness,” this book is like Kundalini For Dummies. Khalsa was taught by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D., the daddy of kundalini and the gem responsible for bringing it to the West, and it’s written with the same humor and lightness Bhajan’s teachings are known for. A flavor of yoga that weaves song, chant and meditation with movement to increase the body’s kundalini energy, it’s an easy-to-follow guide covering how we can yoga ourselves toward ultimate health and wellness.
WHY READ? Kundalini is an acquired taste, but don’t be fooled: it can be way more aerobic of body and mind than it seems at first blush. And for anyone who’s dabbled, this book lends deeper meaning to what’s done in a class. Essential for anyone who’s hooked on kundalini as a tool for navigating the day while connecting to something higher…both in the Universe and in ourselves.