Taking It In

Hey everyone! Sorry for pulling my disappearing act on you guys without a heads up, but as we all know sometimes life just sweeps you up off your feet and you just have to go for the ride. So I’m taking this moment to say hello!

Hello!

Awhile ago I was going through a “roasted beets and grilled goat cheese sandwich” phase. That’s pretty specific isn’t it? Goat cheese and beets are typically paired together so why not sandwich the wonderful duo in between two slices of bread?

I’ve also been enjoying red lentil curries.

Can you spy the curry leaf? Mix in some basmati rice and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal.

Enjoyed the last of this jar of tahini.

I don’t think I’ll find a jar of this discounted at $1.99 anytime soon. But that’s okay because…

Welcome to Buttermilk Pancake Mountain!

Home of the world’s fluffiest pancakes.

Enjoy it the old fashion way, stacked high with maple syrup and butter.

Mmm yes… maple syrup.

Baking powder is the trick to getting them so fluffy.

Half and half

I love options!

I had medjool dates on hand and there were two recipes I had in mind. Averie’s No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Carrot Cake Bites and Almond, Date, and Coconut Energy Balls. Before I even looked at the ingredients I bookmarked Averie’s recipe, and they were incredibly delicious! Probably one of my favorite high-raw recipes I’ve made so far. The energy balls were sweet and salty with a nutty undertone that I absolutely loved. I’ve been using that recipe, but making small changes like using cashews/pecans instead of almonds. Making small treats like this are really convenient for any kind of lifestyle, especially if you’re busy, and they’re just my taste.

Recently, I completed something ambitious and that my heart really wanted to do. A lot of people helped make it possible so I wanted to give thanks in one of my favorite ways–food!

Rolled in shredded coconut the coconut-date balls also make great little gifts.

Or thank someone special with Gratitude Granola.

Wonderful clusters

Gratitude Granola (adapted from Jeaneatte Orda’s Everyday Granola recipe)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup rolled oats

1 3/4 cup corn flakes, crushed

1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup flax seed
3 tbl ground flax seed
1 cup dried shredded coconut
1 cup combination of walnuts, almonds, and cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbl cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp of sea salt
1/4 cup almond or coconut oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl stir the in the oil, applesauce, brown sugar, honey, and vanilla together. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, stirring well.

2. Lay the mixture out on a baking sheet, and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes, occasionally stirring it. Once it’s done let it cool and store in a container.

 

The honorable duty of taste-tester before you gift it to someone.

Seal of approval

The ambitious project involved driving out to the mountains…

To this retreat center…

Setting up at 5 in the morning with enthusiastic friends…

Running around to solve technical difficulties.

And finally it worked!

Whenever spring comes around I always think of Chip even more. Chip was my boyfriend during my last year of high school, but he was taken from this world in a very violent way. Since we never actually broke up so it felt really weird at first. He was a very special person and I don’t think I’ll ever meet anyone like him, but that’s okay. He ended up inspiring kindness and innocence in many who never got the chance to meet him, so I guess when he was once told that he’d be a great teacher… it was in a way that no one could ever imagine. The inspiration for this came from the idea of writing him a letter, but as a video instead. I believe in a higher power (although I’m not sure what it is) and that there is an afterlife, so the sky is a very meaningful thing to me. We were on top of a hill in the mountains and it felt like you were on top of the world. There was a white “screen”/sheet that I made so it was like the ceiling of an open tent. As the sun rose the projected video faded and the letter was sent. Chip helped me believe in some kind of heaven, and the goodness that’s deep, deep in our souls.

I think he got my message.

When was the last time you felt most alive?