Tag: grow

what it is, why eat it and how to grow it on the balcony – Italian Cuisine

Added to salads, soups and main courses, it gives taste and many useful substances to stay healthy. Here are the benefits it has and useful tips to grow it at home

There purslane oleraceaAlso known as porcelain or fat grass, it is an edible plant used in cooking since ancient times because of its beneficial substances for health. Purslane is in fact a concentrate of vitamins, minerals and healthy lipids that promote the proper functioning of the body. Its leaves and twigs can be used both raw to enhance the bitter taste of salads based, for example, on rocket and onions, and cooked to enrich soups, minestrone, velvety or main courses such as omelettes with precious nutrients. Let's see with the help of the nutritionist Valentina Schirò, a specialist in food science, why eat it and how to grow it on the balcony of your home.

It fights cholesterol and diabetes

Purslane helps keep blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride levels in check. «It is one of the richest plant sources of heart-friendly lipids. It provides polyunsaturated essential fatty acids such as Omega 3, among which alpha-linoleic acid stands out, which helps to keep bad cholesterol (LDL) at bay and protect blood vessels from plaque formation, improving pressure and circulation ", says the nutritionist Schirò. "It also ensures good amounts of vitamin C, essential for the health of the walls of blood vessels, and potassium, a mineral that eliminates the excess sodium responsible for high blood pressure and water retention. Finally, thanks to the good fiber content, it slows down the assimilation of fats and sugars, preventing the onset of high blood sugar and diabetes ".

Counteracts osteoporosis

Purslane is rich in minerals that are good for bone health. «It has a good content of calcium and phosphorus. To increase its protective action against the joints, it is ideal to combine it in salads with fish, which thanks to vitamin D, favors its assimilation and other leafy vegetables such as lettuce and radicchio, rich in vitamin K , useful for the health of the cartilages .

Prevents premature aging

Purslane also provides many antioxidants that counteract the action of free radicals and help tissues and cells defend themselves from oxidative stress, responsible for aging. "In addition to being a good source of vitamin C, cIt contains vitamin A and vitamin E, two anti-aging substances which, as shown by several studies, protect skin cells, nourishing it deeply ". To increase its anti-aging effect, the ideal is to season purslane with extra virgin olive oil or eat it with a walnut dressing. "The healthy fats they are rich in facilitate the absorption of both these vitamins," explains the expert.

Purslane oleracea, also known as porcelain or fat grass.

How to grow purslane

Growing purslane is simple. You can do it easily even on the balcony or terrace of the house. Get a pot of 30 centimeters in diameter, pour some hydrated soil and transplant the seeds of purslane oleracea (edible). The plant should be exposed to sunlight and sheltered especially in the cold months because frost and particularly low temperatures tend to dry it out. To make it grow well it should then be watered often and with little water.

Adopt a vineyard and make it grow well (so your wine will be good) – Italian Cuisine

An original initiative to help the environment and give enthusiasts the opportunity to create their own wine: 'Adopt a Cru', launched by the famous Grosjean winery, allows you to discover the heroic viticulture, typical of the Aosta Valley.

It is the time of sharing and, more than ever, of the search for nature. Among the most original and deserving ideas is certainly that of the Grosjeans, one of the great families of Valle d'Aosta winemaking: 16 hectares cultivated between Quart and Saint Christophe; about 140 thousand the bottles produced annually; 50 years of passion from a family whose origins date back to 1700. The initiative is called Adopt a Cru and allows you to experience firsthand the experience of cultivating, growing and producing excellent wines, from the grapes to the bottle. For a year, all wine and grape lovers heroic – which are the characteristic of the Aosta Valley – could be the protagonists of the everyday life of a historic winery, the first to choose organic in the region and always appreciated by the public and critics. In the latest edition of the Gambero Rosso wine guide, Grosjean won three Due Bicchieri with the red Fumin Vigna Rovettaz 2016, the Montmary Extra Brut Rosè Metodo Classico and the white Petit Arvine Vigna Rovettaz 2018.

Curiosity revealed

"We had been planning for some time to seal this adoption pact," they explain Hervé and Simon Grosjean, third generation of the family and creators of the project. "Many of our customers were curious to learn about the mysterious cellar operations behind a bottle: with this initiative they will finally have the opportunity to witness the birth and maturation of the wine, to arrive at the final glass". The adoption can also be made as a gift, so much so that a visit to the cellar and the vineyard adopted is offered at any time of the year, accompanied by a tasting of various types of wines.

Various stages

The adoption process is divided into several stages that correspond to the production and processing phases. The first step consists in choosing the cru between the Rovettaz and Tzeriat vineyards, which have the characteristic of being among the best terroirs in the center of the valley and give life to some of the best known indigenous vines of the region. This is followed by the certificate of adoption and the immediate receipt of an old vintage bottle out of the market. From here on it will be possible to follow the production in the vineyard and in the cellar, participating with the Grosjean family in the most important moments of the wine season: pruning (from January to March), tying (in March and April), the September harvest. and all other cellar operations. Respect for the environment is the basis of the initiative. «Our idea is to make known how wines are born in our mountains, underline the Grosjeans. "But also to safeguard the landscape, creating a new form of green, conscious and eco-sustainable tourism". Well said.

involving them helps them grow better – Italian Cuisine

Cleaning and tidying the house together with the children promotes their autonomy, helps them develop a greater sense of responsibility and improves their learning. Find out here what benefits it has

Managing children at home and at the same time taking care of household chores sometimes becomes a business. Yet cleaning, tidying and taking care of household activities all together can be a great way to stay away from boredom and tantrums and at the same time keep them engaged in an engaging and constructive activity. "Imitation is the prerogative of their growth and development. In general, children love to do housework since they are very young as they try to imitate the actions of their parents ", he comments Rosanna Schiralli, psychotherapist psychologist, creator together with his colleague Ulisse Mariani of the method of emotional education. "During household chores, children see an action performed by a significant figure from an emotional point of view. They record it in an operational scheme. They reproduce it according to their neurological and motor skills and, finally, fix it in an increasingly evolved mental pattern ", continues the expert, who explains here what benefits household chores have to do together and how to involve them more at home .

Promotes growth e self-esteem

"Setting and clearing, putting clothes in the closet, tidying up the bedroom, cleaning are activities that favor the development of motor coordination and balance, as well as the ability to organize an orderly and coherent sequence of actions and small gestures", explains the psychologist Rosanna Schiralli. «All this favors an increase in the capacity and quality of movement. Furthermore, gestures organized and repeated over time improve logical thinking . But the benefits are also others. Doing household chores with children helps them develop greater self-esteem. "When you are given a task to be done, you show that you trust them," says the expert. Taking part in housework also develops their sense of responsibility and collaboration. «Children can perceive that they are part of the life of a small group, the family. Over time they also learn to follow the instructions that are given. As they become more and more skilled, they feel gratified and at the same time encouraged to improve, "says psychologist Rosanna Schiralli.

Improve learning

Through collaboration in household chores, children can experience cooperation and sharing. "Both promote learning," explains psychologist Rosanna Schiralli. "The first is a fundamental experience to feel active and involved in the relationship and not dependent or opposed. Sharing, on the other hand, is a real emotional nourishment that gives satisfaction and gratification .

What to do to involve children in household chores

«First of all we must not block them. We must also avoid scolding them or preventing them from exploring. In addition, it is important to teach them some strategy to tidy up or clean better in order to convey the feeling that their help is well-liked and appreciated. Then, they should be gratified and encouraged with phrases such as “Ma che bravo! You dusted really well "," Luckily you're there to help me, otherwise I wouldn't be able to do it at all ". They will thus be much more available to hone their "home" skills ", continues the expert.

What to avoid

«While doing household chores, it is important not to allow children to do everything or to insist on something they like, but it is not the right time to do it. It is not educational, "warns the expert. «Even in these activities, in fact, one must be able to say no in order to set borders and not be tyrannized. Hospitality and availability yes, but it is always necessary to give rules to follow .

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