Monday 24 June 2013

21 Foods for Detoxing...

Essential plant foods that will detox your body, improving your health and vitality.

Go Natural! Recipes for Green Cleaning!

All Purpose Cleaner, Dusting Spray, Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Granite Cleaner, Glass Cleaner, Tub Cleanser, and Grout Cleanser Recipes!

Southern Style (vegan) Banana Pudding! Yum!

1/4 Cup Corn Starch
1/4 Cup Coconut Palm Sugar
1 tsp. natural sweetner eg. Stevia, Agave, or Honey
3 Cups of Organic Soy or Nut Milk
1 Ripe Banana mashed and 2 more sliced for topping
2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract or contents of half a vanilla pod
10 Vanilla Cookies, or small biscuits of your choice.

Mix cornstarch, natural sweetner, and sugar in a saucepan. Stir in Soy or Nut Milk and begin to heat on medium low. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and just starts to boil. Add in the mashed banana and cook, stirring another minute. Remove the pan from the heart and stir in the Vanilla Extract.

Pour the mixture over additional sliced bananas and cookies in small bowls or 1 large bowl.
Refrigerate, then serve.


Thank you to www.canned-time.com for this recipe.

Tasty Flax Sesame Seed Bread (vegan) recipe

5 Ingredient Flax Sesame Bread #vegan Note: Sub 1/2 flour with Kamut. Add 1tbsp sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp fennel seed, 1tbsp dried orange peel, 1tbsp pumpkin seeds + extas for topping. (DON'T use nonstick pan)




Ingredients:

3 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp whole flax seeds
3 tbsp sesame seeds
2 cups of club soda

Combine all the dry ingredients and combine well. Make sure the baking-powder mixes with everything else well. Now pour 2 cups of cub soda. Measure carefully, trying not to let it froth up. It’ll froth up the moment you add it to the flour mixture. Combine everything well.

Fold the dough into a greased loaf pan. sprinkle some more flax seeds and sesame seeds on top. Bake at 200 degree C for 45-50 minutes till the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Wait for the loaf to cool down a bit before you cut into it.
Thank you to www.lovefoodeat.com for this tasty recipe.

Finding the balance between thinking and acting...

Most of the problems in life are because of two reasons: we act without thinking or we keep thinking without acting.

Monday 17 June 2013

Pistachio Icecream (vegan) recipe

4 - 6 servings
Ingredients

2 cups Pistachio Milk, unsweetened
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for 8 to 12 hours (2/3 cup after soaking), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup light agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup raw pistachios, soaked for 8 to 12 hours (1/3 cup after soaking), drained, rinsed, and finely chopped

Equipment

measuring cups and spoons
cutting board
paring knife
blender
rubber spatula
jar
ice-cream maker

Pour 1/2 cup of the Pistachio Milk and all of the cashews in a blender and process until very smooth. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups Pistachio Milk and all of the agave syrup, almond extract, and salt and process until blended. Transfer to a jar and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Put the mixture in an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Crumble the finely chopped pistachios into the ice-cream maker 30 seconds before you turn the machine off.

Pistachio Ice Cream tastes if best eaten immediately, but it will keep for 5 days stored in a sealed container in the freezer. Thaw for a few minutes before serving.

Ahead of Time

Soak the pistachios and the cashews for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse. The soaked nuts can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Pista Kulfi (Indian Pistachio Ice Cream): Replace the almond extract with 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom.
- See more at: http://learnrawfood.com/recipes/

Cucumber Watermelon Salad Recipe

Cucumber Watermelon Salad | Ingredients 4 cups cubed seedless watermelon 1 medium cucumber, halved and sliced 1/8 cup minced fresh mint 1/8 cup olive oil 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper

How to be a good friend...

Being a good friend doesn't mean you always have all the right words to say. Sometimes it means you just know when to be a good listener. Katrina Mayer

If you desire flow...

How to allow flow into your life...

Women's stress levels on the rise due to increasing

work loads. De-stress, de-clutter, and delegate to reduce your stress levels.

Spotlight on Essential Oils

Great infographic on the history of essential oils and how to use them!

Sunday 9 June 2013

Tone Your Arms in 7 Days

Simple steps to toned arms in seven days. Great infographic!

Black Bean and Brown Rice Burgers (recipe)

Healthy, delicious and budget-conscious meal.
(Makes 8 burgers)
1/2 cup brown rice
2 cups soaked and pre-cooked black beans
1 onion, diced
1/2 zucchini (or potato)diced

Place the rice in a pan with 1 cup water and bring to the boil
Bring it down to a simmer and place the lid on the pan
Cook until the water is all gone but before the rice burns to the bottom!
Drain the rice and set aside
Fry the onion and zucchini in a little oil until the onion is brown
Add in the black beans and cook for 5-7 minutes
Remove from the heat and place 2/3 of the mixture in a blender and blend for a few seconds – no more
Place this back into the pan with the other mixture, add in the rice, and mix thoroughly
Allow the mixture to sit and cool for 10 minutes
Divide into 8 portions and shape into patties
Heat a little oil in a pan, and when hot, place 2 burgers into it
Fry for about 4-5 minutes on both sides, then remove from the pan
Repeat with all the other burgers until they’re all cooked
Store any leftovers in the fridge until they’re needed – eat them within a week though!

These burgers are absolutely fantastic served on top of spinach leaves with tomato, and with lime juice and hot sauce drizzled on top!

Thank you to The Everyday Vegetarian - http://theeverydayveggie.com for this recipe.

How to Make Delicious Nut Milk

Nuts and seeds are nutritionally dense foods that make for delicious beverages as well! Did you know that almonds are rich in Vitamin E and B, as well as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, and folate? They are also high in omega-6 as well and are an excellent source of protein. Make sure you’re maintaining a health omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in your diet, however, as omega-6 over-consumption can have a deleterious effect on your health!

In this post you’ll learn how to make a great nut milk with help from Raw Family Signature Dishes by Victoria Boutenko. Nut milks are surprisingly simple to make and are a great beverage to unwind with after a stressful day. The following recipe is by Victoria Boutenko.

Equipment needed: blender, nut milk bag, large bowl, small bowl for soaking nuts, and a pitcher.

Ingredients: 1 cup of almonds, 3 cups of water, 3 tbsp raw agave nectar, and 1/8 tsp. sea salt (optional)

Directions:

Pour the nuts into the small bowl and cover with water. Set the bowl aside for the night, or for about 6 hours. We recommend that you always soak nuts or seeds overnight in water. Dry nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors that are not good for the body. Soaking destroys the inhibitors and makes nuts more digestible.
After the nuts are soaked, pour the leftover water out and place the nuts in the blender. Add 3 cups of fresh water, cover the blender securely, and blend well.
Over a large bowl, pour the mixture into the nut-milk bag and tie the bag tight.
As you squeeze the milk through the bag, make sure you use both hands so that the pressure from your hands is spread evenly, which will prevent the bag from splitting at the seam.
Gently squeeze the nut-milk bag, alternating pressure between your right and left hands. Keep squeezing until the bag is completely drained, and only the pulp is left inside.
Carefully open the bag over the small bowl and pour out the pulp.

Fun fact: 1 cup of almonds contains 40% of the US RDA of protein whereas a cup of low-fat cow’s milk contains just 16%.

You can drink the nut milk as is or place it back into the blender with agave nectar and salt for stronger flavor. Be adventurous with your nut milks! Victoria recommends experimenting with the following nuts and seeds: almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and pistachios.

Enjoy!

Featured images by t-dubisme and www.healthaliciousness.com on Flickr courtesy of Creative Commons licensing.

Thank you to http://nabcommunities.com for this post.



Inspirational yoga-related quote...

"Blessed are those who are flexible for they won't get bent out of shape." - Maize Hutton

Wednesday 5 June 2013

Coconut, Chocolate, Almond Dream Bars

Dream Bars with Chocolate, Coconut, Almond

Ingredients-
1/3 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar,1 cup flour
Almond-Coconut-Chocolate topping (below)

Mix butter and sugar thoroughly. Stir in flour. Press into 13x9x2inch pan.
Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Spread with topping and bake 25 minutes more, until golden brown. Allow to cool a while before cutting into bars.
Almond-Coconut-Chocolate Topping
2 eggs beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup unsalted almonds.(I used whole roasted almonds, they can be chopped, slivered, etc)
1 cup chocolate chips
Mix eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix with flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in coconut, nuts and chocolate chips.
Pour onto crust, bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees as instructed above.

Variations can be made by leaving out the chocolate, or coconut or nuts in whatever combination you like. These have a great toffee flavor from the brown sugar!

Thank you to http://sunsetcoasting.blogspot.com.au for the above recipe.





Raspberry Coconut Magic Bars

Ingredients

1 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 stick {1/2 cup} butter, melted
2 Tbls sugar
3 cups sweetened, flaked, coconut
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup seedless raspberry preserves {or the flavor of your choice}
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup white baking chips
1 tsp shortening

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar in a small bowl.
Press into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.
Sprinkle the coconut over the crust and drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until coconut is lightly browned.
Let cool completely.
Spread the preserves over the cooled coconut crust and sprinkle with pecans.
Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and stir until nice and smooth. Drizzle over pecans.
Melt the white chips in the microwave and add shortening. Stir until nice and smooth. Drizzle over the top.
Let chocolate firm up in the fridge or on the counter and cut into bars.
Makes 36 bars.

Thank you to http://www.momontimeout.com for the above recipe.

Raw Recipes - Sesame Banana Dream Smoothie

Delicious and extremely healthy...


If you want to feel rich...

...count your blessings today, as abundance and feeling blessed has nothing to do with a huge bank balance.

"The Essence of Alan Watts" spiritual and philosophy series.

The Essence of Alan Watts series covers a range of crucial spiritual topics including God, Cosmic Drama and Time. An invaluable resource and inspiration for those seeking a greater understanding of themselves and their connection to the Universal Consciousness. Although Alan Watts passed over in the late 70's his amazing insights still hold true.

"The Happiness Quotient"

by Dr Rekha Shetty, Ph D. An informative book on understanding and nurturing your happiness.