2 ripe bananas
1 3/4 cups of quick oats
1/2 cup of rye flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/6 cup of agave nectar
1 tsp of pure vanilla essence
1/3 cup grain sweetened chocolate chips
1/2 cup almond/ rice/ soy/ cow's milk
Preheat oven to 375.
Mash bananas.
Mix in with oats. Then add flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Mix in the rest of the ingredients except for the milk and then stir the milk in last.
Separate batter into four muffin baking cups and bake for 20 minutes.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Finding Certainty in Times of Challenge
With the US presidential elections next week, powerful change is upon us.
Over the past months, many of us spent a lot of our energy and focus following the presidential campaign, as well as the stock market. Mixed emotions of hope and fear have popped our dreams of freedom and abundance.
Weaving the dreams of our future into external circumstances causes us to direct the spotlight off of ourselves, and can leave us in a darkness of dependency.
Although we thankfully live in a democracy in which our voices can be heard, it is important to check in and notice if our involvement is leaving us with a feeling of empowerment or of discouragement. Are you focusing your energy on what you don’t want to see, or on the vision that you do want to create? Be sure you are tending the right garden. Whichever you attend to will be the one that grows.
“The external” is not the primary circumstance that determines your personal health or happiness. You are. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Stress can block the flow of positive change. Doubt can only block the manifestation of what you want in your life.
But how do we create peace at such difficult times, with the political and financial situation being as it is? Are you haunted by a future that may never happen?
Living in fear is never going to produce inner peace. These fears are excuses for us to not take control.
If you are feeling your finances are shaken, this is a message for you to reevaluate your expenses. What habits do you finance that don’t bring you any closer to your higher self? Are your daily spendings at the vending machine or at a take-out counter more important than expanding your awareness and education? Be sure not to give up the things that connect you with your inner peace. Your yoga class, dance class, gym membership, a massage, or the donations you make that open your heart to the gift of giving. These are the investments that will give you the greatest return in the long run. When we give to ourselves and to others from a place of love, we open ourselves to the possibility of trust rather than fear.
Your quality of life is not determined by your future savings as much as it is by your current enjoyment of life. When we allow worry to weigh on our shoulders and lower our head down to the ground, we are likely to miss the subtle opportunities that come our way. Look up! When you see something that helps your spirit thrive and makes you feel good, act upon it or buy it. It will increase your energy vibration and open your channels to inspiration. The higher your “vibe”, the brighter you shine, the more you will attract the abundance you desire.
When we are respectful to money and respectful to ourselves, we invest wisely. We all have an idea of what we are doing and not doing to support our higher self. Seek the support you need to create the change you want to see in yourself and your environment.
Over the past months, many of us spent a lot of our energy and focus following the presidential campaign, as well as the stock market. Mixed emotions of hope and fear have popped our dreams of freedom and abundance.
Weaving the dreams of our future into external circumstances causes us to direct the spotlight off of ourselves, and can leave us in a darkness of dependency.
Although we thankfully live in a democracy in which our voices can be heard, it is important to check in and notice if our involvement is leaving us with a feeling of empowerment or of discouragement. Are you focusing your energy on what you don’t want to see, or on the vision that you do want to create? Be sure you are tending the right garden. Whichever you attend to will be the one that grows.
“The external” is not the primary circumstance that determines your personal health or happiness. You are. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Stress can block the flow of positive change. Doubt can only block the manifestation of what you want in your life.
But how do we create peace at such difficult times, with the political and financial situation being as it is? Are you haunted by a future that may never happen?
Living in fear is never going to produce inner peace. These fears are excuses for us to not take control.
If you are feeling your finances are shaken, this is a message for you to reevaluate your expenses. What habits do you finance that don’t bring you any closer to your higher self? Are your daily spendings at the vending machine or at a take-out counter more important than expanding your awareness and education? Be sure not to give up the things that connect you with your inner peace. Your yoga class, dance class, gym membership, a massage, or the donations you make that open your heart to the gift of giving. These are the investments that will give you the greatest return in the long run. When we give to ourselves and to others from a place of love, we open ourselves to the possibility of trust rather than fear.
Your quality of life is not determined by your future savings as much as it is by your current enjoyment of life. When we allow worry to weigh on our shoulders and lower our head down to the ground, we are likely to miss the subtle opportunities that come our way. Look up! When you see something that helps your spirit thrive and makes you feel good, act upon it or buy it. It will increase your energy vibration and open your channels to inspiration. The higher your “vibe”, the brighter you shine, the more you will attract the abundance you desire.
When we are respectful to money and respectful to ourselves, we invest wisely. We all have an idea of what we are doing and not doing to support our higher self. Seek the support you need to create the change you want to see in yourself and your environment.
Winter Squash
Winter squash originated in the Andes of South America over 3000 years before Columbus. The word squash comes from the Narragansett Indian word askootasquash for "eaten raw." Indians baked winter squash in hot ashes and sweetened them with maple syrup or honey. Squash seeds were toasted or ground for pastes and hard shells used for containers.
Some winter squash is available year round but the season runs from August through March with the peak period from October to December.
Winter squash is a naturally sweet vegetable and can be seasoned in a similar way to sweet potatoes. To emphasize the sweetness; flavor with maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove and ginger. Try cooked garlic for a nutty mellowness or Chinese five-spice powder for an exotic note.
The exception is spaghetti squash. After baking a spaghetti squash (in a similar way to how the squash is baked in the recipe bellow), the flesh can be scooped with a fork like strands of spaghetti. Top it with a pasta sauce like tomato or pesto.
Toasted Winter Squash Seeds: Before cooking a squash, the seeds are removed. Rather than discarding them, rinse the seeds well in a colander and dry. Spread them on an oiled sheet pan and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, raising the temperature to 400 degrees during the last 5 minutes to brown lightly. Salt if desired and store in an airtight container.
Some winter squash is available year round but the season runs from August through March with the peak period from October to December.
Winter squash is a naturally sweet vegetable and can be seasoned in a similar way to sweet potatoes. To emphasize the sweetness; flavor with maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove and ginger. Try cooked garlic for a nutty mellowness or Chinese five-spice powder for an exotic note.
The exception is spaghetti squash. After baking a spaghetti squash (in a similar way to how the squash is baked in the recipe bellow), the flesh can be scooped with a fork like strands of spaghetti. Top it with a pasta sauce like tomato or pesto.
Toasted Winter Squash Seeds: Before cooking a squash, the seeds are removed. Rather than discarding them, rinse the seeds well in a colander and dry. Spread them on an oiled sheet pan and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, raising the temperature to 400 degrees during the last 5 minutes to brown lightly. Salt if desired and store in an airtight container.
Stuffed Winter Squash
2 large acorn or small butternut squash
Salt and pepper to taste
1 6-ounce package wild rice
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, any combination of domestic and wild, sliced
1 cup chopped onions
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup toasted nuts, any combination of pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh herbs such as thyme, chives or marjoram, chopped
1 egg
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half, lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and put it in a roasting pan, cut side down, with 1/2-inch of water. Bake about 40 minutes or until just tender. Remove, season with salt and pepper and lower oven to 350 degrees.
2) Meanwhile, rinse wild rice and cook in stock or water about 45 minutes or until tender. Drain and put in a mixing bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms onions and celery. Cook until mushrooms wilt and onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add to wild rice along with nuts, parsley, herbs, salt and pepper. Add eggs and mix well.
3) Put stuffing into squash cavities, mounding slightly. Cover with foil and bake in a lightly greased baking dish 25 minutes or until heated through.
Serves 4.
Recipe courtesy of Sam Gugino of Sam Cooks.
Salt and pepper to taste
1 6-ounce package wild rice
4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces mushrooms, any combination of domestic and wild, sliced
1 cup chopped onions
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup toasted nuts, any combination of pine nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh herbs such as thyme, chives or marjoram, chopped
1 egg
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half, lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and put it in a roasting pan, cut side down, with 1/2-inch of water. Bake about 40 minutes or until just tender. Remove, season with salt and pepper and lower oven to 350 degrees.
2) Meanwhile, rinse wild rice and cook in stock or water about 45 minutes or until tender. Drain and put in a mixing bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms onions and celery. Cook until mushrooms wilt and onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add to wild rice along with nuts, parsley, herbs, salt and pepper. Add eggs and mix well.
3) Put stuffing into squash cavities, mounding slightly. Cover with foil and bake in a lightly greased baking dish 25 minutes or until heated through.
Serves 4.
Recipe courtesy of Sam Gugino of Sam Cooks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
