Bless This Food

 

Bless This Food

Some hae meat and canna eat,

And some wad eat that want it;

But we hae meat and we can eat,

And sae the Lord be thankit. – Robert Burns (1759-1796) “The Selkirk Grace”

Are we thankful at Thanksgiving only? “Bless This Food: Ancient & Contemporary Graces from Around the World” is Adrian Butash’s blessing for us all. Time travel to days and situations where these graces were said over a rare chunk or meat or a small bowl of gruel, or perhaps a sumptuous feast of fruit and fish.

Dozens of prayers, even in sign language, help readers feel the deepest gratitude in a book that could take a year to digest. It could be the “meat” of your table, or the best hostess gift for someone who has offered you hospitality.

Your Best Life

Can you fit Your Best Life in your purse? Initials Inc. has a Stylebook of amazing, colorful options so you can personalize any sort of travel or handbag. The little YBL case can hold your makeup or sunglasses in a snazzy snap cover that will make you smile whenever you pull it out. Some funds from sales go to NOW, No One Without, which helps children who want forever families. Make it your own and name all your family members, too.

Zap your immune system

I didn’t exactly single out the black pepper or cumin, and I’m not even sure what vasaka and parpataka taste like. But all those herbs and more that tumbled out of an Herbal Zap packet help with immunity, digestive and respiratory issues. Who doesn’t want that? The info suggests you may want to take this when you travel. We all want to be healthy to eat all that turkey.

Chocolate tea

Pu-erh is pronounced Poo-air. Insert chuckle here. It’s an ancient healing tea from 500-year-old organic, wild tea treas in the mountains of Yunnan, China said to give forth “chi,” or life energy. Sound yummy? It smells like chocolate and Numi adds organic cocoa nibs, nutmeg, orange peel and cinnamon. What do you get? Chi tastes pretty relaxing. It’s subtle and very rewarding to reach for over a high-calorie gulp.

ddoiron@panews.com