When I am Amongst The Trees by Mary Oliver

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It's simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”

*image by Brandy Duvall

Crepuscule by E. E. Cummings

I will wade out
                     till my thighs are
steeped in burn-
ing flowers
I will take the sun in my mouth
and leap into the ripe air
                                              Alive

with closed eyes
to dash against darkness
                                       in the
sleeping curves of my
body
Shall enter fingers of smooth
mastery with chasteness
of sea-girls
                                              Will I
complete the mystery
of my flesh
I will rise
             After a thousand years
lipping
flowers
           And set my teeth in the
silver of the moon

Wowwww...and shhh don't tell them it's vegan! This sauce tastes like a vision -- you're floating down the Nile, leisurely noshing on a plate of raw cashews and fresh picked medjool dates. A Viking boards your vessel carrying, from a far off land, a flask of home tapped maple syrup mixed with vanilla grog. All the ingredients mix together in your mouth and... you get the picture?

You can use this recipe as a substitute for pretty much any caramel sauce in your future, and you're going to want to have this one on hand for as a healthy spread for the littles, sweet toothed and PMSing folks in your life.

All the ingredients individually are fairly shelf stable, and the sauce will be more liquid at room temp. To make it last longer refrigerate it after you make it, and use within the month (that part won't be hard). You can re-thaw a portion out on the counter if you are looking for that melty drip...

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon grade A maple syrup
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon purified water
2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
3 fresh pitted and chopped medjool dates
2 tablespoons vanilla
pinch of salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to your blender or food processor, blend until smooth. ENJOY!

For a thicker sauce don't add the extra tablespoon of water and/or maple syrup. You can also toss in one more pitted and chopped date. If you would like to use the recipe more like a frosting or spread, add an additional 1/4 cup of cashew butter at the start.

Before I clean the blender, I like to add to the leftover drippings in the mixer barrel some tea or coffee and a little mylk to make a most delcious and healthy caramel late. Other fun ways to use your caramel spread: over a fresh tart apple to make candied apples,  spread onto a paleo German chocolate cake recipe, or make a no-bake deconstructed caramel apple pie (see below) + short video on instagram.

#raw #vegan #paleo #nectar #noms
#IngredientsForJoyAndWellness
#BodyMindGifts

Whether it is Winter or just cold in your hemisphere, this breakfast is a delicious way to warm up your day. Check out our Instagram recipe post here, and the recipe below.

WINTER SPICED BAKED OATS
Preheat oven to 350

Heat a baking dish with a dab of coconut oil. Add a diced apple with some cinnamon and 1 tsp maple syrup and bake separately for 20ish minutes.

In a separate greased baking dish add 1/2 cup gluten free oats (lightly blended) Stir in 1/4 baking powder, 1 tsp powdered ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp all spice, 1/4 tsp fresh grated nutmeg. Stir in 1 tsp of Vanilla, 1/2 cup Mylk of choice. Bake for 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove from oven and top with apples + homemade sugar free candied pecans.

A half cup of dry oats contain these RDI values:
Manganese: 191%
Phosphorus: 41%
Magnesium: 34%
Copper: 24%
Iron: 20%
Zinc: 20%
Folate: 11%
Vitamin B1: 39%
Vitamin B5: 10%
+ small amounts of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 & vitamin B3.

A serving of this #superfood has 51 grams of carbs, 13 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat and 8 grams of fiber, but only 303 calories.

ENJOY!

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness

And if you want more OAT goodness, check out our No Bake Power Balls too :>

Well, it’s been about a year since I made a blog post, and wow, what a year it has been!
 
One of my common food themes this past year was a deep craving for onions. It started out with caramelizing a cast iron skillet full of onions almost weekly during the first few months of the pandemic, and sprinkling them on everything I cooked throughout the week. Then as Spring started to return here in California in late January/early February I started to make Purple Pickles (recipe coming soon) with red cabbage, red onions, and radishes.
 
Last week I found a recipe for onion marmalade, full of cane sugar, and I immediately wanted to explore making a healthy and delicious version of this recipe. You have probably experienced Onion Marmalade in dishes like your favorite pizza or veg burgers, and not even known it. You can find my version of this fan-favorite food below.
 
In addition to the upheaval we all experienced during the Covid pandemic, at the beginning of 2020 I found out I had been exposed to mold, and was in the process of “digesting” natural treatments to detox my body from what had been mysteriously effecting my health the past few years.
 
Beyond their potential immune boosting powers, it turns out that onions can be a major helper in balancing your body after mold exposure.

Like garlic, onions have a detoxifying effect on the body and are highly anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-parasitic. Another great thing about onions, they help to flush excess fluids from the body. It is common for mold and yeast victims to experience water retention. Onions also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that have been linked to a reduced risk of cancer, lower blood sugar levels, and improved bone health. Onions are nutrient-dense, meaning they are low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals.

From the USDA - one cup of onions contain:
64 calories
15 grams of carbohydrate
0.16 grams of fat
2.7 grams of fibre
1.76 grams of protein
6.78 grams of sugar
12% of the daily requirement of vitamin C, vitamin B-6 and manganese
small amounts of calcium, iron, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and the antioxidants quercetin and sulfur

Onions are one of the main dietary sources of prebiotic fibers that feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut. This leads to the formation of short-chain fatty acids that have been found to improve colon health, reduce inflammation, and cut your risk of colon cancer. A diet rich in prebiotics helps improve the absorption of important minerals like calcium, which may improve bone health.

For some sensitive people, onions can cause unpleasant digestive symptoms. For instance, those with IBS are often prescribed to eliminate them from their diet. So, like all medicine, onions are not the right food prescription for everyone, and it is up to you to consult your health professionals to decide what is best for your overall health.

ONION MARMALADE INGREDIENTS
2 cups thinly sliced organic red onion
1 cup thinly sliced organic shallots
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon pink salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh rosemary (keep whole)
½ cup granulated date sugar
3 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
 
INSTRUCTIONS
Add olive oil to a large skillet and warm on medium heat. Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, otherwise any large pan will do. Stir in onions and keep the pan covered until the onions begin to change color. When they do, add in salt, pepper, bay leaf, and rosemary sprigs and cook on medium low heat. After 20 minutes add in the date sugar, wine and vinegar and simmer until most of the liquids have evaporated and the onions are nice and soft – about 30 minutes, stirring frequently so that the mixture does not burn. When finished remove your pan from the heat, and pull out the bulky herbs. After cooling you can store your Onion Marmalade in the fridge to use for up to two weeks without canning.
 
Onion Marmalade goes great on salads, veg tacos, lentil burgers, and as a base layer on a cauliflower crust pizza.

ENJOY!

#BodyMindGifts #IngredientsForJoyAndWellness