Yum Yum

2013 has arrived and I have been reflecting on this brand new canvas, offering 365 days of opportunities to explore our creativity and embrace our passions & desires; every breath, every hour, every day is enriched with possibilities that will  help us grow in Love, Humility and Truth along with Healthy Choices in the kitchen!. How exciting is this, I would love to make each & everyday special in every way, throughout this brand new year..... so here's to 2013!

Try this versatile recipe that can be used for a burger or a filling for a wrap.

1/4 Head  Cauliflower or 3 large Parsnips
1 cup walnuts or nuts of choice
Juice & zest of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Place  Cauliflower or Parsnips in a food processor & blend until resembling rice. Add walnuts, lemon & salt & blend until crumbly
Add
1 cup soaked raisins
1 finely diced carrot
A handful of finely minced parsley & chives.
1 grated apple,  Season to taste.


 If I want the mixture for a Burger, I then add a little Chia gel ( Chia seeds mixed in a little water & left to form a thick gel) or simply Chia seeds by themselves.This helps hold the burger together. Some recommendations for burger recipes add some ground flax seed meal, this also works equally well. Form into burgers, top with sprouts & serve as desired; the dressings below also go nicely with them.......no need to dehydrate these unless you would like them warm !
As a Wrap
This mixture is also gorgeous wrapped in lightly blanched cabbage leaves, or lettuce/collard leaves.(If it is a bit dry as a filling, I sometimes add some nut milk) I like to serve it with a salad & Cashew Aoli Dressing with Sweet Chili Sauce or even some Mango Chutney with a Vegan Sour Cream on top!
I enjoy experimenting & being adventurous with the Dressing; blended cashews with water, leeks, lemon juice & a little olive oil makes a tasty dressing & is very simple, but it is worth your while to try new ideas & be creative in your kitchen.

Breakfast

HELLO EVERYONE,
Time to share some recent personal insights into the wonderful aspect of food selection.
I have recently noticed that what I eat when I commence my day, tends to set the tone for food choices throughout the rest of the day. I have been observing in myself what happens when I am perhaps in a rush in the morning, and have cereal or even toast for breakfast;
I justify it sometimes by feeling I need a change from a green smoothie or healthy juice, or I don't feel like making the effort to make something different for myself when others are eating toast, eggs & coffee. My feelings are....anything for some carbs to dull my senses right now, not to have to explain the healthy choice I am making & simply to be like everyone else!
SETTING THE TONE....
 I have recognized that toast & cereal definitely sets the tone then for my day, with often a sandwich for lunch followed by pasta, rice or potatoes with dinner ! Humm!
Needless to say, a day of skipping over my emotions as well!
There is a lot in this for me......  I suggest no co-incidence that health & well being are low on my self love list that day, in fact sadly "love & appreciation of my body" has been very low on my priority list for many years!
NOW FOR THE GOOD NEWS....
The same applies when I start my day with a veggie or green juice, perhaps a smoothie or even a fruit salad. By lunch time I am far more likely to automatically put together a nice fresh mixed salad with perhaps a few soaked almonds, or even dive into some hummus & crudites; dinner comes around & I find myself feeling like a veggie soup or lightly steamed veggies, perhaps even followed by a small slice of Raw Desert. What a revelation to consciously truly "feel" the difference in my body after a day of eating this way !
Every cell is singing " thank you!"
I have been reflecting on my emotional state and the association between this & the food choice I make in that moment. Healthy choices walk hand in hand with being humble & feeling my emotions, this I now know as truth for me.  Generally when I am in resistance or fear, I head for the carbs to stuff down those uncomfortable feelings, or I eat for the sake of eating rather than actually being hungry!
ANOTHER INTERESTING INSIGHT...
I have found it worth experimenting to see if I eat when the clock says I should because lunch is normally between 12md & 1pm, or do I only eat when the body says it is hungry. I have discovered I usually eat as a result of life's patterning & using food to dull my senses is a great way to avoid anger, grief or whatever emotion I don't want to feel in that moment. Many times I am not hungry at all or I am thirsty rather than actually hungry!
More recently I am drawn to eat only twice a day, about 10am & 3-4pm, it doesn't always work out this way but my body appreciates it more when I do this.
EMOTIONAL PULLS...
To give you an example.....how often do you reach for the chocolate or in my case, cheese(!) because you feel you need a treat or are longing for some food associated with nurturing or child-like familiarity; as a child my Mum always served desert  to complete Dinner, she said it wasn't a proper meal without desert! So what does this tell me now about my beliefs?
 Perhaps you reach for the coffee pot first thing in the morning to wake yourself up or later in the day to gain some instant energy! All these addictions become so entrenched.  Even gaining an understanding of this does not always break the habit; I still often breeze through the day in numb ignorance choosing to totally ignore  the consequences and the choices I am making, both physically & at soul level! But  I am also discovering IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS!!
 Our behavior does catch up with us, so please consider not leaving it as late as I have to discover all this.
TAKING ACTION IS THE REAL RECIPE for to-day's post,
Your body will thank you for the gift.
 

Plant your Garden

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS: Peace of heart, loving God  Peace of mind, knowing I invest in my soul first  Peace of soul, understanding the importance of Love, Truth & Humility in order to grow           PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:  Squash gossip  Squash indifference and apathy  Squash expectations of others and unloving behaviour  Squash selfishness PLANT FOUR ROWS LETTUCE:  Lettuce be passionate in growing our soul and seek earnestly to receive Divine love from our Father   Lettuce desire to always feel our emotions   Lettuce be willing to live in truth and honor truth at all times   Lettuce really love one another and have a true desire to really know ourselves   No garden is without Turnips:  Turnip to learn new things   Turnip for service   Turnip to help one another    Conclude our garden plantings by adding Thyme:       Thyme for God       Thyme for each other      Thyme to engage our passions and desires   WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.   THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU  SOW.

  

A Raw Mexican Feast

Our Mexican Class last week-end was the final Raw Food Class for the year; we had quite a feast with Enchiladas with Colorado Chili Sauce, topped with Avocado Creme Fraiche ; Mexican Seasoned Cabbage which surprisingly, was a real hit; a beautiful fresh green salad with honey mustard dressing, spiced walnut and cherry brownies with banana ice-cream and all washed down with Pina Coladas!

 What Fun!   

A selection of  foods from our Mexican lunch is represented on the counter, thanks to Teresa for her photograph

Recipe for Mexican Seasoned Cabbage:
Shred 1/4 head of cabbage
Add & gently toss
1/4 cup peas
2 tabs sundried tomato powder
1 thinly sliced shallot
1 tab preferred oil
1/2 tea salt
1/4 tea chili powder or flakes
1/4 tea ground cumin, onion powder and minced garlic
1/2 diced tomato
One could add corn, spiced sunflower seeds or even curry instead of the tomato powder for a change in flavour. This dish can then be warmed for an hour in the dehydrator, or eaten cold.

Some "angels" from our Raw Food Class also assisted me in preparing and serving Dinner a couple of nights after the Class for the Landcare Group, an environmental local community group who organize specialist events. Thank you to everyone who helped with the food and especially to Eloisa who made a beautiful mushroom pie and salad.
We had a great attendance of interested people and many were appreciative of the delicious 3 course meal we served;  it was a very informative evening looking at a collection of live specimens and learning about many of the creatures that live on our property including various varieties of frogs & geckos, bats, possums, sugar gliders, snakes, lizards and owls just to name a few; seeing some of them with a spot light afterwards added to the interest. I even took the opportunity to stroke my first snake which had to be an emotional breakthrough for me!!

Raw Lasagnes

Playing in the Raw  Food Class a month or two ago, I decided to share the techniques I had learnt in making a Raw Lasagne. It was a fun class & thanks to Teresa in capturing the finished product on camera below.

 I have since been reflecting on Lasagne and the many different layers that make up the delicious combination of ultimate flavours; if any layer is not complementing the others, then the end result is no longer flavorsome to the palete.

Food For Thought:

 I can see that this analogy is like the many layers that form part of our soul ! When any  layer of our many aspects of personality, actions, passion or desire is emotionally out of harmony with God's Laws ( like unresolved anger, fear, grief or unloving behaviour as the example)  it has a profound effect on our soul & our ability to directly connect to God. The layers of our soul need to ultimately reflect that harmony in all aspects, just as the layers of the Raw Lasagne must reflect that harmony to achieve the ultimate flavour!

 Fun, eh?

  

Raw Lasagne I made in one of the Raw Food Classes.

Raw Lasagne for worms and other living organisms

Hay layer of raw lasagne for worms

The 'layers' of raw lasagne for worms - manure, mouldy hay,
cardboard, newspaper, wood chips, food scraps
(not too much citrus or acidic foods in concentrated
'farms' worms don't like it much) grass clippings -
delicious for worms, insects and other organisms.
 The layers need to be kept moist & a comfortable temperature.

Adding the finishing touches to the raw
lasagne for worms.
Leave to marinate and worms to eat as
desired. Add more layers as needed.

Once again, if the mix is too dry or too wet it becomes unpalatable  for the worms to live & multiply happily. The layers need to be made with a love for the worms & the desire to make their home as comfortable as possible. We are once again looking towards achieving that harmonious environment for them that is a natural part of God's Kingdom.
Thank You Eloisa for supplying these photos of one of our Environment days..... Lasagne for Worms!!  

Shazzie's Toothpaste

This month's recipe is certainly a little different, but I thought some of you may like to try it. It is not a food recipe although it is safe enough to eat, but a recipe we can use on our precious teeth. It is easy to make & will last a long time.
The Recipe originated from Shazzie who has a Raw Food Store in the UK and who also authored Naked Chocolate with David Wolfe. Thank You, Shazzie.
It will make your teeth white over time & keep them smooth; it can be flavoured with whatever organic essential oil you choose to use.

2 teas coconut oil
2 teas sodium bicarbonate
6 drops peppermint essential oil
(Optional) Add 2 teas Xylitol which is a sweetener

Opportunity to Cater another Community Event

Hello Everyone,
I have been asked to cater Dinner for another Community Landcare Event to be held at Kyabra on the 15th November. This gives me a wonderful opportunity to create a mouth watering meal for "Not Sure How Many" to indulge in, as part of a gathering here at Kyabra to measure, record & access night life & creature activity on the property after dark. With so many Environmental Projects already underway on the property, this will give us a benchmark of night time Australian wildlife recordings for this property to use in the years ahead.Everyone is welcome to attend.
I am still oohing & ahhing over what limitless possibilities I have in my repertoire as a delicious menu for such an event........with snow falling outside to-day & it's October, surely we will be thinking Summer by then !.....but who truly knows, what fun though in the unknown?
I am looking forward to catching up with some of you on Sunday for a Mediterranean Bonanza in our monthly Raw Food Class, the proposed menu will surprise & delight with lots of tastings.
Anyone wishing to assist me in the Catering of the Landcare Event can contact me at susan@kyabra.com