Yes, rumours are true and the oh so soon! moment has arrived and the next evolution of this blog is now live and exists beyond the boundaries of my body, my mind and my heart.... I invite you to come on by, explore, connect, take a few deep breaths, notice what is noticing, dive within and find your self with a gentle smile upon your face...
rawllygood.com is a space and an exploration of different tools for alignment with our soul, our greatest potential and our most vibrant authentic expression of ourselves.
Oh! Oh! I will be sending out a weekly newsletter to come your way on graceful Thursdays, so sign up! Subscribe and enjoy your weekly dose of rawllygoodness. The first one went out today! had you sign up, did you get it? if not, you can visit the site and stay connected, next week is coming, and so will rawllygoodness...
This blog will still be here for you, but you can find a whole lot more of rawllygoodness over at rawllygood.com, and from now on, that will be my and this Blog's new home. If you still want to stay connected I encourage you to Subscribe to the newsletter!!!
So come on by, rawllygood.com awaits…. Spark the {r}evolution within!
Here is just a peak...
In Kindship & Community, Naty Howard (explore, connect, take a few deep breaths, notice what is noticing, dive within)
Greetings from the North.... Have you heard the news yet? the good news, that is. rawllygood is opening it's doors to teach all things true & raw. It's a dream come true, it's the beginning of a new journey within this brave new world, and it is a time of transition, and further integration. So I invite you to come out, be inspired, open up to new perspectives, build your health up wherever you are, find new resolutions, and join me as we gather to support, sustain and regenerate ourselves. Get your calendars up, and book yourself some time for regeneration! I will be teaching two classes coming up:
In this 2
hour workshop and demonstration you will learn about the power of Living Raw Foods to empower your health, you will learn why Raw Foods have become so
popular, I will demystify raw foods and share with you the principles for a
successful raw Raw Food adventure, while tasting delicious health sustaining
foods. You don't have to be 100% raw to
enjoy the benefits that adding raw foods to your current diet can provide. Come out and learn the tips, tricks, tools,
the science and the art of Raw Foods.
Food Tasting Included. Empower
yourself ALIVE! Recommended purchase with this workshop: Empower your health through Raw Foods E-book. (Please email me if you are interested in this E-book).
In this 2 hour workshop and demonstration you will learn how to integrate nutrient
dense foods into the sweetness that we all crave, learn to make gluten free,
dairy free, raw desserts that boost your energy and support your body. You will
get a chance to taste delicious Raw Food Desserts that everyone will love, and
more important that oh so LOVE you back!. It’s the perfect inspiration for the
Holiday Times! Food Tasting included. Recommended purchase with this workshop:
Sweet Love of Mine, Raw desserts that Love you back. E-book. (Please email me if you are interested in this E-book).
To register please visithttp://vylb.ca/yoga-schedule-vitality-uxbridge/workshops/ There is more rawllygoodness coming soon, so stay tuned. Yes, I am going to keep you at the edge of your seat for now... in a lovingly kind of way.... Remember, LIVE WHAT YOU LOVE, cause it's all good, rawllygood! Quote of the Day "You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself."- Galileo Galilei
Step by step, as we move with integrity to following our dreams, our visions become tools that guide our journey towards the self, and towards a deeper more intimate connection with the Earth and with the Elements that make us who we are and that gave into the manifestation of the world as it exists.
I have been raw now for 5 years, and along the process, something quite magical is happening, step by step, I am getting the opportunity to work towards my dreams and my intuitive visions are guiding the way into the creation of a more solid, beautiful, nourishing & healing ground to stand on.
As I began to align more with the energy and consciousness that comes with eating a raw and clean diet and the pursuit of alignment of body, mind and soul through yoga, I wanted to learn and become more self sustainable, I wanted to eat local, organic, grown with the awareness of love and the life-force in our foods, I wanted to ground my body with the energy of the Earth and surrender to my heart felt responsibility to be a part of the solution to the problems of Earth's sustainability we face today.
I started reading all about permaculture, forest gardening, but most importantly I started listening to my heart and to the guidance that comes from it as I sit in meditation. I had the vision of the Mandala Garden about 3 years ago, but at the time we had just moved into our new space, and I knew the time wasn't right. I knew I had to get to know the land, before I could help it reveal itself. I knew I had to observe and witness its charm & its character and allow the dream to unveil.
All sorts of serendipities found their way to me, and great people, teachers, organic farmers are all a part of my new found community that has become so much of my foundation and that has allowed me to follow my intuition on this new path. Last fall 2013, I started laying down the cardboards for the base of the garden, I started building the soil, making the beds and feeling my way through my Mandala Garden. I chose to include the 5 Elements that stem from the Ayurveda tradition and the 4 directions that are a part of the Native tradition as essential core principles of the Garden. I started to sit in meditation with the focused intention to create a place of healing, a place of nourishment, a place of self sustainability, a place of teaching, a place of meditation, a place of realignment, a place of integration, a very special Sanctuary! This spring I had a serendipitous chance meeting with Phil Collins from Foggy River Farms with whom I collaborated for the final stages of the design and who gave me the final push I needed to make it all happen!
Traditionally the word Mandala comes from the Hindu and Buddhist Traditions and it means "circle", or a geometric figure representing the Universe, even though it may have squares and other geometric shapes in its design, it is a concentric structure. It offers balance of visual elements, symbolizing unity and harmony. The goal of the Mandala is to serve as a guide on our spiritual journey for completeness and self-unity as it symbolizes cosmic and psychic order. It is also a tool that serves to quiet the mind in meditation and tune into the wisdom and knowledge that is within ourselves.
Adapting the design principles of the Mandala to create a Mandala Garden, brings all the elements of energy flow, unity, harmony, symbolism, purpose and guidance for the spiritual journey and personal transformation into the garden and it embeds the physical three dimentional space with a healing, supportive, meditative, nourishing vibration as its core.
The inner core of this Mandala Garden is the Herb Spiral (temporary home of the garlic this year) and it is also a circular representation of the Element of Ether, the Original vibration that set all manifestation into being. Surrounding the Herb Spiral are 4 square raised beds that symbolize the 4 other Elements- Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Aligned with true North are 4 rectangular raised beds in each of the 4 directions, North, East, South, West. There are also 4 rectangular raised beds towards the outer layer of the garden, that keep the Elemental raised beds energy within the garden. All the raised beds are home to Annual vegetables such as kale, green onions, leeks, broccoli, broccoflower, tomatoes, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts. Surrounding this inner core of the garden are 4 circular beds that keep the energy of the garden within. There are only 4 - 3 foot wide- entrances to the garden. On the outer layers of the garden we have made key holes and arches where the perennial plants are- blueberries, strawberries, currants, goji berries, blackberries, rhubarb, raspberries and where the fruit trees will soon find their home.
As I find myself in August already, we have been eating from the bounty of our garden and continue to build beds and prepare the soil for the next phase of planting fruit trees, and more perennials that will continue to sustain us and with whom we look forward to being in relationship with. It has been a beautiful journey to witness my kids getting involved in the garden, digging, planting, putting mulch, and running to get the first couple of blueberries, or the biggest cucumber or that foot and a half overgrown zucchini that makes great zucchini noodles!
Selfishly I have made the garden for them. I think their generation and the generations to come are going to HAVE to know how to grow their own food in order to sustain their health. It is in the spirit of HOPE that going back to the land and to growing Real Foods without the use of animal byproducts, pesticides, herbicides, hormones and the long list of chemicals that is making our bodies, our community and our society sick, we can start rebuilding our selves and our societies and transcend beyond the limitations and crisis we find ourselves in and continue to evolve towards health, towards inner and world peace. I believe that for there to be peace there has to be health, for there to be health there has to be a greater awareness of what makes our multidimensional being healthy, and out of acting with integrity upon that personal exploration, peace will arise. Taking it one step further, if we can not make peace with ourselves, if we cannot create peace from within, how can we achieve peace in the world?
So I leave you to ponder.. with images from the creation of the Mandala Gardens at the Realign Ranch.
Upcoming Events Sunday September 21st, 2014: Rawllygood Potluck Fall Equinox @ The Realign Ranch. 4-7pm.
It's time to gather and share the bounty of the season!
For this very special gathering we will be doing a ceremony in the Mandala Garden, we will be planting our Tree of Life in the middle of the Herb Spiral, which is at the core of the Garden. We will be doing a short ceremony that I am calling Planting the Soul Dream. Please take 10 minutes out of your busy lives and come prepare for it. Find a quiet space and time, sit in meditation and connect deeply with your inner self. What is it that your soul dreams of manifesting? what is it that your soul's desire? What is your purpose and how do you see it coming forth at this time? write it all down. Bring your Soul Dream with you, as we will be planting them underneath the Tree of Life, to nourish, heal and continue to transform the tree and the Mandala Garden. As I mentioned before the Tree and the Soul Dreams will be planted at the core and energetic centre of the Garden.
If you can not make it to the potluck, but do wish to have your Soul Dream planted, well, send (email) it my way and onto the earth it will go. If you wish to keep your Soul Dream private, than mail it my way as well, but make sure to do so sooner than later. Our mailing address is : The Realign Ranch, 8641 Concession 2, Mt Albert, ON, L0G1M0. Make sure you write Soul Dream on the envelope so that your privacy is respected!
Saturday October 18th & Sunday October 19th- H.O.P.E. Permaculture Tour!
Welcome to the first Homesteading Organically to Produce Eco-systems Permaculture Tour!
“Learn and be inspired by how we’re doing it!”
Times: 9:00 to 5:00 each day
Location: York & Durham Regions (Lake Simcoe Watershed)
Registration Fee: Early Bird Special of $125.00 if you register by September 12th
After September 12th $150.00
2014 Tour Sites:
John’s Garden, Uxbridge
Foggy River Farm South, Uxbridge
Foggy River Farm North, Uxbridge
Tycoed Restorative Farm, Uxbridge
Mandala Gardens at The Realign Ranch, Mt Albert/Uxbridge
Cavallieiro Farm, Schomberg
We HOPE this tour will inspire you to consider how you are living now and what changes you could potentially make to help create a better ecosystem for the Earth and all living creatures. We will demonstrate and give you experiences of the way this community of homesteaders are using permaculture principles to make changes. At the conclusion of the weekend, you will have discovered unique ways of applying permaculture principles in your immediate environment, from backyard to an operating farm! Little changes, big changes…all make a difference in your own life and the life of your community.
A shuttle bus will be available for the tour with pick-up at the Uxbridge Train Station (GO Terminus at Railway St. & Spruce St.). If you wish to stay in the area, camping will be available at Foggy River Farm North and there are also Bed and Breakfast places available. Lunch on both days will be available for purchase or you can bring your own.
Please join us!!!
Quote of the Day
"Teach me to trust my heart,
My mind, my intuition, my inner knowing,
The senses of my body,
The blessings of my spirit,
So that I may entertain sacred space,
And Love beyond my fear
And thus walk in balance
With the passing of each glorious sun.
- Lakota Prayer
As a mother of 3, I sing my song and dance my dance, in hopes that my journey may inspire and have an effect on my children and the choices they will make in their lives. But truth is we just don't know. We, or should I say, I don't know what really trickles down. I know some things do. I know it in how I see them making their choices, and the questions they ask me, particularly with foods, health, honouring your truth, and walking lightly on this planet yet leaving an imprint of your soul along the way. But with the world moving ever so fast, with the constant pull between community and friends, and home lifestyles, or just simple being 10, 8, and 4 and almost 40. There is a difference in how we see the world. There is a difference in how we engage with the world. Yet there can also be a lot of similarities, a lot of support and companionship along the road less travelled.
A few days ago I received the best gift ever!, I was joyfully asked for a favourite green juice! my specialty of course!
I must admit, I felt such honour, warmth in my heart and joy when my middle son Theo, after finishing his homework, asked me: mom! can you make me my favourite juice? to what I replied, which one? my favourite GREEN juice, of course! well well…. yaaaaaaa
Of course I can! and then more voices echoed in the back .. me toooo!….. me toooo!
I am often making them, often offering them…. sometimes my fresh juices are greeted with joy, sometimes with ahhh!, sometimes with not now.. sometimes with no way!… so it was such a gift to receive the asking of what I think is one of the most important tools for health and longevity in today's world….. green juice!
Sometimes the road less travelled is a lonely road, an awkward road, a different road.. but as the world becomes one, as we open our doors of perception, and the doors to our hearts, we see there are many walking beside us, quietly gathered, moving towards an awakening in consciousness.
Our generation is opening the door to higher levels of health and awareness of spirit.. frankly we got tired of feeling sick and reached out for other possibilities where life is radiant, where life bursts our hearts open into the magnitude and alchemy of this universe. It is our job, more so our duty, to raise our kids with the empowered awareness that health is our innate state of being, that what we put in equals the state of our health - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, that we are here to grow, to nourish, to be of service, to be in alignment with our own dharma, and our own purpose. It is our duty to kindle the light within and allow them to shine bright.
So as I give back gift to such honours… and because today is Valentines Day, along with a mighty green homemade juice… we are feeling the love of raw cacao in our hearts…. there are many good, and great ways to celebrate love, raw cacao chocolate is one of my favourites.
Raw Cacao comes from the Theobroma Cacao tree…. (something my Theo can't get over!)… It is referred to as 'food of the Gods'. It is magic and alchemy. It is a powerful way to get goodness into us. It is healing medicine and can be used as a tool to get herbs, medicinal mushrooms, roots, & super foods into the best tasting way one can only offer the Gods that live within us! So lets roll the drum and scroll down the benefits of this mighty nut:
It is high in antioxidants, helping us deal with free-radicals and stress.
It is high in magnesium, which supports the heart, increases brainpower, relaxes menstrual cramping and muscles, increases flexibility, helps build strong bones, and increases alkalinity. note- our bodies need magnesium in order to absorb calcium.
Contains high levels of Iron, Chromium, Manganese, Zinc, copper, Vitamin C
Raw Cacao contains essential Omega 6- Fatty Acids. (note- in cooked & processed Cacao these become rancid)
And on and on…
So here is a easy basic recipe for Raw Cacao Theobroma Magic, I am giving you a basic recipe, where your inspiration can take into great goodness heights….
1 cup of Raw Cacao Butter, cut into small chunks.
1 cup of Raw Cacao powder
1 tsp of Maca powder
2-4 TBPS of raw honey, maple syrup, or Xylotol
pinch of salt (what? - yes, salt makes sweet food taste sweeter.)
In a pot, on LOW heat, melt the Cacao Butter. Once melted, take off the stove. Add raw cacao powder, macs, sweetener of choice, salt. Mix it up.
Have your chocolate moulds ready, pour chocolate into moulds, freeze for 30 min. and enjoy!
This chocolate is best kept in the freezer until serving, it literally melts in your mouth with goodness!
You can add any superfood to this recipe, substitute maca for spiruina, chlorella, etc. Add bee pollen, add goji berries… your imagination is the limit.
Enjoy & Happy Valentines…
May you lead your life always in joy & love.
The days seem to roll on and goodness, gracious we are in June already!
I hope you have been well... I have been a busy bee... and thus my lack of communication.. but it's all all right .. I am still here...
Last Sunday night, I had the privilege of hosting the first ever Rawllygood Potluck at our place. With family and friends we gathered and lead the way to one of many Potlucks to be had. So ITS OFFICIAL! The Rawllygood Potluck is here to stay... on the first Sunday of the month between 5 -7pm. So gather yourselves and come on by for a Rawllygood time full of inspiration, community and great people who strive to build a wholesome community. No worries, you don't have to be Raw Vegan to come on by.. just have an open heart and a willing to try new things, that is all. Actually, I was the only Raw vegan at this pot!, but I am full of luck in that as friends and family we respect each other's choices recognizing that we have a common desire to reconnect with the power of clean real fresh food and the power that as our community grows so does our awareness of our current environment and our awareness to be of support to one another.
Our next Rawllygood Potluck will be on Sunday July 7th, 5 - 7pm. The potluck will be at our place (8641 concession 2, Mt. Albert/ Uxbridge, ON-- beware of GPS they will take you to the moon before they find our place!) but we have an opportunity to gather earlier at my friend's Anne and her husband Mike Lanigan Organic Farm for their Annual Farm tour. It's bound to be a great day, can't get any fresher than that! From the farm to the table!
The Organic Farmhouse Garden Tour starts at 2.30pm and it is a Rain or Shine event. Dress for the weather. No pets please. They do a great tour of their organic farm, it is an eye opener!. Their address is 30 Scugog Line 12, Uxbridge, On.
So if you are interested in coming out, you can meet us there or meet us here for 5pm. If you are interested in coming only to the Potluck, let me know, and I will let you know where we are. Either way please RSVP so that we have an idea of the numbers we are expecting.
Details of the Rawllygood Potluck:
Please bring a Raw Beegan dish of your own creation (I am ok with using raw honey as a sweetener, more on that follows, but keeping it Vegan otherwise) . Enough for the confirmed number of people to sample. Organic, dairy/egg free, plant based, meat free, not heated over 41C or 105F, along with a list of ingredients or recipe!! I will try my best to post some of the AWESOME recipes on the Blog.
What better time to connect with the energy of Love than when its -10C outside and the mother Snow Fall, right?
It's time to open our hearts and warm them up!
It's time to connect with Love, it's time to share the goods and as importantly it's time to receive them back tenfold! I believe if we follow through with our intentions, if we hold them present in our mind through our day, if we commit to ourselves to pursue them, to pursue inner peace, love, happiness whatever it is you wish to pursue... if we continue to show up... IT happens. IT comes to us. IT fills our lives and our hearts until there only is room for IT.
So to celebrate whatever IT means to you in this cold February month I want to share a few things in hope of offering warmth and love to your hearts.... ready? of course you are...
so here we go..
Something borrowed,
something blue,
something old,
something new,
something rawllygood!
SOMETHING BORROWED: INSPIRATION
I would have to say one of the best things I borrow is inspiration. People, Things, Doings that keep me going, that bring a smile to my face, and the feeling of peace to my heart. Its quite easy to go through our days in autopilot mode. I have been there plenty of days.. but what happens when we take the time to do things differently?. When we start the day by reading something that inspires us, when we start the day with a warm embrace, when we go the extra mile for a stranger nearby, the day just simply seems to be a better day...
RECIPE WITH SOMETHING BORROWED: Homemade KOMBUCHA (Fermented Tea Drink)
Kombucha is a brew of fermented tea that is jam packed with probiotics, it alkalizes the body, it is high in antioxidants, and it is believed to aid in digestions, improve metabolism, and detoxify the liver. I love it when the list of goodness is long...
There are many ways of making Kombucha, but to start it one must have a Scoby starter, you can either borrow one or buy one.. I personally believe in the power of passing on the goodness, and the goodness of a Kombucha Scoby came to me from my friend Kim. A Scoby is the spore that ferments the tea, and during the process of fermentation it gets bigger filling up the top of your glass jar (if you do it that way). The process of fermentation can last anywhere between 10- 14 days depending on your conditions (how cold/hot/dark/light your environment is). The Scoby spore itself is not to be consumed, but rather kept in about an inch of the fermented tea and to be used in your next batch of Kombucha. If you are brewing more Kombucha for your next batch, you can always cut a Scoby and divide it for your next batches (as always, one must thank it first for the love it is brewing for our bodies! then cut, and pass it on to your next batch or to your dear friend who can't believe you have gonne wild and have 19 jars of Kombucha brewing at the same time!). Yeap, got a bit too excited there... I am in my experimental brewing phase! ha.
Anyway back to the real thing... the shorter your brewing time, the sweeter the Kombucha will be. The longer your leave it to Brew the more Sour it will get... It's a beautiful thing! It's really up to you.
Once the Kombucha has brewed, transfer the fermented brew onto a clean glass jar and store in the fridge. Leave the Scoby spore in the previous glass jar with at least 1 inch of brew (a cup of brew would be wonderful! -if you are making a large batch that you can offer a cup to your Scoby). Scobys DONT like the fridge:)
What is that I heard? How much Kombucha to drink? Start slow. Everyone is different. Some people can do 4 oz of Kombucha, for some 1oz is enough until their bodies get used to its superpowers! Now that being said Homemade Kombucha is quite different than store bought Kombucha... try it out!
Now here is how to make Kombucha :
For a 1 liter (4 cup) brew you will need:
*Sterile glass jars (wide mouth works best) or glass containers to fit the amount of tea volume you will be brewing. Write your love & gratitude dedication to your Kombucha prior to filling the jars up... kind of easier to do.
*A piece of cloth or folded paper towel to cover the mouth of the jar or top of you container (no cheesecloth, the thread is too loose and fruit flies might come to see what is happening in your town!)
*1 large elastic band to secure the cheesecloth or folded paper towel
*4 cups of spring water (good quality water, no tap water please
*1/2 cup organic (if possible) cane sugar or RAW organic honey
*2 bags or 2 TSPN of tea (Oolong, Green, White, Black, Ginger, and so on)
(any herbal tea can be used for flavour, my suggestion is that you keep the tea clean and free of additives. READ your tea labels, you might be surprised to see a few too many non recognizable- not so- friendly "friends" in there. )
* a borrowed (now adopted) Scoby spore and starter liquid (the inch, hopefully few inches your scoby is happily swimming in)
* heaps and bounds of Love & Gratitude, and I will show you why!
Bring the water to boil.
Remove from heat.
Let it cool down and add the sugar, and mix it up until dissolved. If you are using RAW honey it is best to let the water cool down to lukewarm temperature before adding the RAW honey.
Add the tea bags or loose tea (you will have to strain or use a reusable tea bag for the loose tea). Let it steep for at least 10 minutes (depends how strong you like your brews, so have fun and experiment with it).
Remove tea bags or filter out leaves.
Let it cool down to room temperature.
Pour into your glass container or jar (S!)
Add the Scoby spore and started liquid.
Cover with the cloth of folded paper towel. Secure with elastic band.
Leave to ferment at room temperature, covered and out of the light for 10 -14 days. Now sometimes your Kombucha can be ready in as little as 7 days! So keep checking it and tasting it until you get an idea of your Kombucha's synergestic environmental cosmic dance! Remember it's alive and brewing..
Now I had said before that I was gonna show you why I am so into the heaps and bounds of Love & Gratitude... a few months ago I wrote about HADO WATER and the power of prayer and intention to change molecular structures. So I decided to experiment a bit.. ok ok A LOT! with my Kombucha. I decided I was gonna brew Kombucha and give it to my friends as a Holiday gift.. as a way of passing on the goodness.... So I made labels that had an image of the photograph of a water molecule that was exposed with the prayer & intention of LOVE & GRATITUDE as well as goodness wishes. I then placed the Kombucha near some quartz stones... now I had a lot of jars going.. and there were a few that I didn't put the label on.... and guess what!!!! YEA! The LOVE & GRATITUDE Kombuchas placed by the Quartz stones had the most beautiful Scobies!!! White and even all around, thick and lovely!
The ones that were not totally beside the stones where nice but not shinning beauties if you know what I mean, the ones without the label where sad looking, deformed, miserable beings!
There you go.... AMAZING!
See it for your selves:
Love & Gratitude Shining Beauty Kombucha placed by a clear quartz stone.
Sad looking, deformed Kombucha (sorry I threw out the mouldy ones faster than I could think 'Hey lets write about it!', but you can just imagine it.)
Have fun with it! If you live around my area, I will be happy to share scobies with you! For those on far away lands.. check with your health stores or health practitioners, you might be happily surprised!
Now stay tunned for something BLUE! it will soon be coming to you....
__ Quote of the Day
"Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love." - Mother Teresa
_
I know you are sold as healthy but are far from it
I know you ain't raw allthough you try
I know you mess around with my blood sugar and perhaps yours
I know you are used and misused world widely across the RAW world
I know it's just time to move on...
Man oh man, why does it have to be used EVERYWHERE!!!!! ahhh!
Agave is one of the best Advertising triumphs ever pulled on us, the public. You may not be as reactive to it as I am, but in the long run, it will catch up with you. So buyer beware.
Here is an article by Jonny Bowden, PHD, C.N.S that fully explains what Agave is and its dangers...
Oh my sweet innocent Blue Agave, sure you are sweet, but not so innocent after all.
So what are the options out there, if you choose to be RAW but don't want to use Agave.
First, well there is RAW Honey (preferable organic & wild). Raw Honey is jammed packed with live enzymes. It is a top superfood and is a great source for concentrated nutrition. It is rich in minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, enzymes and is one of the highest vibration foods!! It has antibacterial properties and some wild honey's have been shown to be anti fungal, anti viral properties as well. Check around your area, you might be surprised to find a lovely organic & wild Bee keeper near you.
Second, there are Dates (Medjool Dates are a great option. Note- most pitted dates (and ready to use in baking dates) are heated to be pitted, so they are not technically Raw, nor would they give you the goodness and nourishment they can give.)
Third, there are Raw Sugar Cane Crystals. They are sun dried sugar cane crystals and do not undergo the same degree of processing that refined sugar does. They retain most of the nutrients found in raw organic sugar cane. Note- I have not used them very much, so I am not to recommend them as much as Raw Honey and Dates, but I think they are worth experimenting with.
So go on, get the sweet thing going.. have fun in the kitchen, share the sweets with those you love!
And to get you inspired and ready for February.. (yes, its coming, all too soon to a life near you!) here is a lovely recipe that just doesn't last at my house...
Chocolate Superpower Sweet Lovers Halvah
1 cup raw sesame seeds, hulled
1 TBSP raw cacao powder
1 TBSP Spirulina, Chlorella, or Sea Vegetable Blend (I use Schinoussa Sea Vegetables)
dash of cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/4 cup raw, organic & wild honey
2 TBSP raw tahini
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract or powder (I like to use powder and stay away from the glycerine and alcohol content of the extract)
Extra raw cacao powder or raw sesame seeds for dipping.
Put the sesame seeds in a food processor and blend until you have made a medium - coarse meal. Transfer the seed meal to a large bowl. Add the powder ingredients (raw cacao powder, Sea Vegs., Vanilla, cinnamon, salt) and whisk together. Then add the remaining ingredients and knead teh 'dough' using your hands. Break off bits of dough and from into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Dip balls into extra sesame seeds. Store the Chocolate Superpower Halvah in the fridge in a tightly sealed container to allow ingredients and tastes to blend.
Getting creative with sweet loves: you can literally add ANYTHING to this recipe and make a great tasting dessert with it! ANYTHING in my world are things like Hemps Seeds, Goji Berries, Inca Berries, Bee Pollen, Coconut flakes, and so on... 1TBSP at a time.
__
Quote of the Day
"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dewof little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed." - Kahlil Gibran
So, now that I have given you my open heart... let's juice it up!
One of the most important things we can do for ourselves is to RE MINERALIZE as we heal... and simply just to RE MINERALIZE every day through juicing and eating foods that contain high amount of minerals..
Most of us today are mineral deficient. Even when we eat organic foods, they don't always have the minerals that we need for vibrant health. So where do we find these precious friends, you say?
Juicing is a must.. juicing concentrates the amounts of the minerals present in foods and because it is a liquid, they are easily absorbed by our systems without much loss. Most minerals are lost in the process of cooking our food, so adding fresh raw foods daily to our diet, will also increase the RE MINERALIZATION process. And last but not least, eating fresh sprouts, both with green leafs and with the tails (just at the beginning of the process).
And when you combine them all... well think of giving your body some much needed SUPER POWERS!
Fresh pressed raw vegetable green juices that include sprouts... is like having a green blood transfusion first thing in the morning that will have your cells tickle and dance for the rest of the day!
A very easy green juice that I like to start my days with is what I call the
GREEN MORNING SPARKLE
1 whole cucumber, washed and cut
6 celery ribs
1 or 2 green apples
handful of sunflower sprouts
1 inch piece of ginger
Juice it all up by alternating the ingredients so that your juicer runs smoothly..
Juice it up and consciously and slowly drink it up!
If you don't have access to sprouts, keep things simple and juice the rest of the veggies.. it's still all superpower goodness!
__ "Many people put more time into the maintenance of their cars than into their own body! Buy yourself organic vegetables and eat them. Invest in yourself. ... You can ask yourself , “What have I consumed today that will build high integrity blood , bone, brain and body tissue? What have I done today that will add another day to my life?” Annie Padden and David Jubb
