Next month I'd like to have a whole newsletter about feng shui successes, so please forward yours to: Feng Shui Palace Success Stories (It's at the bottom of the page.)

Success Story # 1: When my mother passed away last year, I felt a great disconnection from my "family of birth." My sister and I have not been very close for years, as we live on opposite coasts. I wanted to renew my relationship with my sister, but I was unsure how to do this. The required reading for the Inspired Feng Shui Practitioner Course helped me to recognize that I needed to enhance my Family area of my home. Since I had no pictures, or other memorabilia displayed anywhere in my home to remind me of my sister, I found a snapshot of my sister and three of her four grown children that I had taken several years ago. I framed it and placed it in my guest bedroom, the Family area. Since then, my sister and I have renewed our relationship and have been calling each other more frequently during the past few months. The change is remarkable!

Success Story #2: I picked up your book at the library because our finances have been hibernating for about a year now. I thought it was worth a try. One of our dearest friends practices feng shui, and her house is functioning beautifully on all levels. I quicky read about the prosperity gua and low and behold, found all of my holiday decorations still sitting in boxes waiting to be put away. I quickly organized them and put them away. In that corner, I slipped nine bells on a red ribbon, along with a piece of purple scrapbook paper into the corner. In our career corner, where our office is I tied nine red ribbons on our fax line along with another set of bells and placed a piece of purple paper under the fax and it quickly paid off. I explained to my doubtful hubby what I had done, and although he discounted my efforts, I overheard him telling his brother about what I had done, and when his brother asked if it worked, he finally submitted into the possibility that it may have played a part in the recent activity. I have been ranting and raving to my Mom and girl friends, whom have each gone out and purchased their own books so that they too can experience the feng shui way. I found your book an easy to read, delight. I also went out and bought the book so that I can refer to it at my leisure instead of racking up late fees at the library. Thanks for making it so easy to follow!

We've got two resource-packed green living books on special this month to help introduce and inform you about living green what to look for in your home and what to do about it. Here's the link Feng Shui Palace Product Specials

As long as we're talking about the color green, let's talk about green food - more specifically "Cooking" Greens.

I was researching the topic and came upon this article that said it all so nicely, I thought I'd just give it to you straight up! This article is from Environmental Nutrition, Feb, 1999 by Anastasia Schepers:

So-called cooking or pot greens are finally gaining the recognition they deserve. Long thought of as bastions of old-fashioned Southern cooking--boiled to nutritional death and laden with greasy fat and salt--greens like collards, along with new-wave greens like broccoli rabe, have been plucked from obscurity and elevated to chic status, even appearing on restaurant menus these days.

Why the newfound interest? Cooking greens are among the most flavorful of vegetables and can pack up to a dozen key nutrients per serving, notably beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate, fiber, calcium and other minerals. Moreover, many are cruciferous vegetables, thought to help prevent cancer.

If you're eager to move beyond spinach, here's EN's primer on greens:

Beet greens: Long-stemmed leaves often discarded when more popular beet roots are prepared, though far more nutritious; best when young and tender.

Broccoli rabe: Also called raab or rapini; thin broccoli-like stalks with clusters of small buds; strong, bitter taste that mellows on cooking.

Collards: Cousin of kale, with large, smooth, deep green leaves on long, heavy, inedible stalks; mild flavor.

Dandelion greens: Pale green leaves with saw-toothed edges; faintly bitter taste; market varieties more delicate in taste and texture than wild variety; particularly rich in beta-carotene.

Kale: Like collards with curly edges, but stronger flavor, coarser texture.

Mustard greens: Like kale, but packs the stronger bite of mustard seeds.

Swiss chard: Substitutes well for spinach; wider and flatter than beet greens; separate the fleshy stalks and ribs from the leaves and cook them separately, like asparagus.

Turnip greens: Older leaves are one of the sharpest tasting greens, but young, tender leaves taste slightly sweet.

Preparation and Cooking:

Wash greens thoroughly. Separate the leaves and spray to rinse off dirt. Or submerge leaves in a large bowl of cool water, swishing them around to loosen sand and grit. Greens cook down considerably. One pound of raw greens yields only about 1/2 cup cooked. If desired, steam or microwave greens to reduce their bulk, then continue with flavor-enhancing cooking like sauteing or braising.

Season with any of the following: olive oil and garlic, olive oil and lemon, or ginger and soy sauce. Choose from one of the following cooking methods:

Braising: Slow cooking in liquid can tenderize sturdy greens like kale or collards. Saute briefly in olive oil, then add enough liquid to partially submerge greens. Cook until greens are soft and the liquid is reduced to consistency of sauce.

Microwaving: YOU PROBABLY KNOW BY NOW WHAT I THINK ABOUT USING THE MICROWAVE! So, I'm overriding her on this one and am saying - just don't do it. :)

Sauteing: In a large skillet, cook greens in a small amount of hot olive oil, turning occasionally. If adding chopped garlic, onions or leeks, be careful to avoid burning them, or add last.

Simmering: Gently boil sturdy greens like collards or kale in seasoned water or broth until tender, about 10 to 30 minutes. Save the nutrient-rich liquid to use in soups and stews.

Steaming: Ideal for retention of nutrients. Steam tender greens or young leaves, whole or coarsely chopped, in the water that clings to them after washing.

Vast Riches of Nutrients in Cooking Greens

(Values given are for 1 cup of chopped, boiled, and drained greens, listed alphabetically.)

Cooking Greens