mantras for the kitchen

artwork by Cassandra Barney

"I am a firm believer that the kitchen is the heart of the home. Food brings people together, creates memories, heals, and comforts. I believe that happy meals should happen at home and not in a box. My goal is to cook with whole grains, natural sweeteners, and lots of fresh fruit and veggies as much as possible to feed my family."--Gluten-Free Desi

In one of our nutrition classes Cali encouraged us to each write our own personal mantras.



Here is what I wrote that night:

I am healthy in body, mind and spirit now.

I radiate enthusiasm, peace, joy and LOVE--especially to my family.

I make the best choices for my family to nourish them.

My family is content, full, calm and free.

I am a healer. . . .

in my home, my community and in my relationships.

My body is a temple and receives daily inspiration to bring myself and others joy.

granola

I love the papercut artwork of Nikki Mcclure.

I admit I bought this cookbook for the cover (and the description and reviews looked promising).
I thought if I don't love it at least it would look beautiful in my kitchen.

But I have loved it. Really, the introduction and premise of the book is so thoughtful--it is a must read. I love how Lair has included sections for babies, school lunches, and family meals. I am still trying out recipes. . .

and

I was happy to see a familiar cookbook posted on Soulemama's blog. I can't wait to try this granola recipe (from the first edition of the book).

greensmoothie boy vs. hulk potatoes

Last week, after the Midway class, I came home and started cooking.

I made Robyn Openshaw's Spinach potatoes.

I decided that my kids might object to floating bits of green in their mashed potatoes--so I threw the spinach in my blender and mixed it in with the potatoes to make ALL the potatoes a brilliant shade of green.

I served them on red plates and presented them as "Christmas potatoes."

I wasn't really fooling anyone.

Davis was upset that I had told him I was making mashed potatoes and then served. . .green stuff.

You know that moment as a mom at the dinner table when you have planned and cooked and everyone seems to be crying at the table.

I looked at Tim--I was ready to fold.--panic and frustration in my eyes.

and then in my mind I saw a mental picture of a tiny photograph I had seen of a boyhood Tim--dressed as the HULK. A painted green, ripping through pajamas, sprayed hair boy.

I renamed the potatoes "Hulk potatoes."

Tim's eyes lit up and he cleared off a section of the table and began to arm wrestle the kids.
Only those who ate the hulk potatoes had a chance of winning.
Skyler ate potatoes to gather strength as he held Tim's hand--ready to win.

Thanks greensmoothie boy for helping your boys eat their spinach.

notes from midway

illustration by Nikki Mcclure

A few notes and thoughts from the class by Greensmoothiegirl, Raw Melissa, and Gluten-free Desi.

1) Meditate on love for your body. Your body is phenomenal. Appreciate your body.

Repeat this mantra: "I love my body. My body serves me well."

The things we abuse are the things that we do not value. We nurture, nourish and love the things that we do value.


2) Change just one thing a week.


3) Six Tips for Making Traditional Recipes More Healthy

1. Flour: Grind soft white wheat finely.

2. Sugar: Use Sucacant or coconut sugar (available in the bins at Good Earth).

3. Salt: Use RealSalt, certified Himalayan Crystal Salt or Celtic salt (I posted a link on a previous post about these salts).

4. Oil: Use unprocessed, cold pressed Coconut or Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

5. Baking Powder: Aluminum free.

6. Eggs: Organic. Robyn Openshaw said if there was just ONE thing that you were going to buy organic let it be eggs. Conventional eggs have exactly the wrong proportion of omegas.


4) I loved a few thoughts by Raw Melissa:

You need happiness and joy to be healthy. If you don't have happiness and joy in your life, "Stand up and get it."

She also said to mix "love" in every food you prepare (and she prefers to use her hands to mix in that love).

It was fun to drive up with Donna, Kristi, Lisa and Ellen. Ellen brought her greensmoothie with her and had written "Love and Charity" on the jar. I had labeled my dry good containers but I love the idea of those beautiful words on my glasses as well.

I loved the recipes and tasting the food. The salad and dressing (recipe in the 12 Steps book) were fantastic. Seriously, Raw Melissa's spring rolls with Thai Peanut sauce were amazing. I can't wait to work with rice paper. I came home and made the salad and the Spinach, Garlic Mashed potatoes.

Yum.

I love my body. My body serves me well. My hands serve my family. I love to see them grow.

forks over knives

Looks interesting. . .watch the trailer here.

presentation

(Cacao suckers from Halloween)


I probably love to set the table more than I love to eat the meal on the table.

I collect dinnerware the way some women collect shoes.

It is probably the same reason that I find it hard to make a recipe without seeing a photo.

I love finding vintage plates at thrift stores.

. . .but here are a few "new" products that I also like.

Aladdin cups with straws (available at Costco). When I spied them I knew these would be perfect for smoothies. My kids love straws for drinking smoothies. Since buying these I have sent Tim to work with a smoothie for later.

Snapware Lunch Kits (also available at Costco). These are like fun Bento box containers (which saves so many plastic bags). The lunch bags are cute. Costco also carries a Snapware container set--which is nice to store all sorts of herbs, powders, grains and seeds in.


speaking of visual appeal:

I love Unconventional Kitchen's look. She has recipes with pictures. Have fun browsing!

herbal tea

"The Do's in the Word of Wisdom."

“And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man— UAdd a Note

“Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.” (D&C 89:10–11.)

I love this little teapot. The bottom separates into a teacup. When my kids have started to feel a bit sick I have given them certain herbal teas. I add a little honey and fresh lemon. The kids all like it and will drink it.

I am learning more and more about individual foods and herbs--so that when my family has a certain issue I can try and work on that. For example I know my family needs a lot of Omegas--so I add flax seed, flax oil, Udo's oil, or chia seeds to our smoothies. I am also introducing walnuts (which are an excellent source of omegas). If someone starts to feel a bit sick I work on building their immunity.

I don't want to give any specific advice--I am certainly not qualified. But I think it has been well worth my time to consult wellness counselors, attend classes and read and read and read.

and then try.

strawberry sorbet

recipe from Cali Cutler

1-2 cups frozen strawberries (organic)
Orange (peeled, whole)
Banana
Honey (to taste)
Lucuma (superfood)

Blend in food processor until nice and smooth (about three minutes).


I made this today just using strawberries, vanilla and agave. I wish I would have thought to add this (I went to a class the owner taught at Real Foods in Orem).

tips for kids

It is the dreaded 4:00 hour. Your children are clutching their stomachs in agony and dinner is still on its way.

I learned this from Rachel at a nutrition class: Put out the veggies the kids to snack on before dinner.

Let's be honest. Veggies can't compete on the same plate with the main course. But if it is the only thing offered when hungry--suddenly they look very yummy. I love to snack on them as well and when Tim comes home he has something to crunch on right away.

This week, every time I was serving a salad with the meal, I would serve it first.

Same principle.

I like the idea of my kids getting all those good raw greens in their tummies before they start on anything else.

Simple. Doesn't change the menu. Just the timing.

herb class

image via progressivepioneer

A few weeks ago I attended at herb class taught by Amy Jones.

It looked like this.

and it was AWESOME.

I saw that image (and read the post from progressivepioneer) and could not stop thinking about it. Tim was a champ when I woke up on a Friday morning and told him I thought I NEEDED to go to the class that was starting in South Jordan in about an hour.

Maybe it is reading Wise Child in eighth grade.

Or Daughter of the Forest two years ago.

Two wonderful stories of women who used herbs to heal.

but it somehow feels like coming home to me.

I love it.

I can't wait to take every single one of Amy Jones' classes.

Wednesday

Breakfast: Green Smoothies (I used the "Spectrum" frozen fruit blend from Costco--melons, strawberries, blueberries, peaches. I had developed an "allergy" to pit fruits (peaches, cherries, mangoes, etc.). In the last few weeks peaches no longer bother me. Hooray for food as medicine!). Oatmeal.

Lunch: Quesadillas (with cook your own tortillas and refried beans). With some avocado slices thrown in the cheese is hardly missed!

After School Snack: I tried two of Raw Melissa's cookie recipes. The kids loved both of them. Hooray! Really easy and tasty.

I am going to a class that GreenSmoothieGirl, RawMelissa and Gluten-Free Desi are teaching next week in Midway. After watching a cinnamon ice cream demo video I added this ice cream maker to my Christmas list.


Dinner: Leftovers--Butternut Soup and Christmas Rice. I'll probably also throw together a salad. I have a lot of cucumbers and tomatoes I need to use up.

Green Drink: Ormus Greens I actually crave this now. Hilarious. I think I am "listening" to my body much more.

Tuesday

Breakfast: Green Smoothies (threw in flax oil, flax seed, marine phytoplankton) and Eggs (local, free-range, organic) and Ezekiel (Sprouted Whole Grain and Seed)Toast. Side note: I grew up on brown eggs from my grandpa's farm. Brown eggs, wild meat, fresh veggies and fruits picked at their peak. I didn't realize how lucky I was. Now I am trying to recreate those same things--and add in even more wonderful foods.

Lunch: Sliced cucumbers, snow peas and baby carrots. Annie's Organic Mac'n'Cheese (the blue box) made with rice milk and organic butter. Davis has been having a difficult time with all the changes (moving, kindergarten and diet changes). I have been trying to find a few healthier versions of his favorite foods to add occassionaly. I didn't want to undo all the good from the healthy food with all the stress he was feeling about the changes.

School Lunches/Snacks: Organic naturally sweetened yogurt with fresh raspberries. Quiona cookies. Sliced cucumbers. Apple. Water.

Dinner: A variation of the Autumn salad with apples and a new recipe for homemade dressing (which I didn't love--I like the Autumn salad dressing recipe better). Rachel's butternut soup (I would use chicken stock next time instead of water. I love Costco's organic chicken stock--in the boxes). Totillas (the cook your own kind at Costco--doesn't have trans fat or yucky additives).

Other Stuff: Omega Swirls (get those good Omegas for my kids in a tasty way).

Monday

Breakfast:Green Smoothies
(Rice milk, banana, spinach, agave, and strawberries. I also threw in Udo's oil, flax seed, bee pollen, spirulina)

Oatmeal (Made on the stove with rolled oats. Sweetened with agave syrup and rice milk).

I made myself some herbal tea because I felt like I was a tiny bit sick (I am sure after a week of wonderful Thanksgiving/Holiday foods).

Snacks:Organic vanilla yogurt. Fresh guacamole (avocados--a little RealSalt, tomatoes, garlic salt and pepper). Organic chips from Costco (I love to read just a handful of ingredients on the back of the package--Organic stone ground corn, organic sunflower oil, sea salt).

Lunch: This yummy salad

After school snack: Green smoothie and quinoa flour cookies (I wasn't crazy about the recipe).

Dinner: Christmas Rice, baked sweet potatoes (sweetened with a bit of organic butter and Rice syrup), a variation of the Autumn salad (I added some garbonzo beans and red pears).


Tonic: I used Cali's recipe to make a drink that is a nice substitution for a rich hot chocolate (water, cacao, astragalus root, honey, and spirulina).

Goals

Here are a few of my personal goals for my family's nutrition:

1) Continue to drink green smoothies daily (using a variety of fruits, veggies, and superfoods).

2) Find ways to add more nuts and seeds (particularly sprouted) in our diet.

3) Strive to make each meal 50% RAW.

4) Drink 8 glasses of water daily.

5) Eat meat sparingly.

6) Make more home cooked meals (included lunches to send with Tim).

7) Add essential sources of nutrient based foods for our particular needs as a family.

8) Exercise (on my rebounder:) for 15 minutes every day).


and

1) avoid high fructose corn syrup and refined sugars and flours (sodas would be included in this)

2) eliminate dairy

3) avoid commercial yeasts

4) avoid frequent trips to fast food establishments




Skills I want to learn

1) How to make homemade yogurt/keifr.

2) How to make a fantastic healthy yeast-free bread.

3) Learn more about herbs.

4) Have at least 30 main dish recipes that are healthy and that my family LOVE.

5) Learn how to use essential oils.

6) Learn how to dehydrate.

7) Learn how to "juice."

six months

It has been six months since we have been to the doctor.

SIX MONTHS.

That is a record for our family.

In years past my kids and I have traded colds and the flu fall through winter and into spring.

I have to thank our insurance that offers such poor coverage for the motivation to find a way to avoid the doctors office. We changed insurances last year and our insurance only covers two office visits per year per person. After that there was no coverage. Each child's doctor's visit (usually for a cold that could not be kicked that lead to an ear infection) would run about $200. That was simply too much for us to continue to pay. Davis was "loosely" diagnosed with asthma and I was given a persription that I was to give to him daily. I filled it. $100 a month. For an undetermined amount of time. I never gave him a single pill and determined that there must be another way.

This post by GreenSmoothieGirl changed our lives. I read it. I took her quiz. I FAILED. Some of you may know how I hate to see anything less than an A. I thought that I actually ate really healthy and I was shocked. I took the quiz again to day and scored an A.

Shortly after reading that blog post I attended a GreenSmoothieGirl event in May (you can see me in the audience--taking careful notes) and commited to drinking a quart of green smoothies a day for a month.

It's been six months.

I started collecting vintage green glasses in honor of our green smoothies.

This was the beginning of some major changes for our family. Many of you know I helped organize and attended an 8-week nutrition course, taught by Cali Cutler--which was fantastic.

These are just some benefits we have seen:

Bronwyn's excema is gone (I attribute this mostly to the absence of dairy).

Bronwyn had issues with excess yeast--which seems to have lessened significantly.

Davis "asthma" is gone.

Tim has lost 35 pounds (he has also been working out every day).

I have felt my moods during the day have leveled. I also have discovered that there were several foods that were making me sick that I didn't realize (dairy in particular).

I have decreased cravings for sugar and now crave green smoothies and green drinks.

My kids (and I) no longer seem to have an intolerance to nuts.

If I do feel that anyone in our family is starting to feel sick I feel like I now have "tools" to try and combat it from the very onset before it becomes a major illness.

I am often asked about the expense of some of the items (like a Blendtec blender) or the individual prices of organic foods or health foods. Six months with no doctors visits--that has certainly paid for all of the above. And really there is nothing as priceless as the vibrancy of good health.

Stevia Rebaudiana

I have been so excited to learn more about Stevia since I learned that we can grow it here in Utah. As I was thinking about where I should plant it in my garden. I started wondering if there were different species of it that I needed to be aware of, like ones that were not edible, or if there were different varieties or flavors—like the different flavors of thyme or basil you can get. I was also wondering about what kinds of things the plant needed like: sunlight, water, fertilizer, acid or alkaline soil etc.

Here is a good website that I found, conveniently called Stevia.com : )

It says that, "Stevia Rebaudiana is an herb in the Chrysanthemum family which grows wild as a small shrub in parts of Paraguay and Brazil. The glycosides in its leaves...[make] it unique among the nearly 300 species of Stevia plants."

Okay, nearly 300 species. Good to know that!

Here is a site that gives some basics about how to grow Stevia and harvest it.

This link explains about different ways we can use Stevia.

Like any other herb there are possible side effects. Here are some sites that address both pros, cons and safety.

• Cooking with Stevia.com
• WebMD—Stevia
• Righthealth.com
  

Tasty Lentil Tacos

These Lentil Tacos have become a family favorite. We actually don't use the cheese or sour cream. I also will sometimes throw in a green pepper. I hope you enjoy.


Tasty Lentil Tacos


Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cups chicken or vegetable broth ( I always just use water)

12 taco shells
1-1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
guacamole
sprouts
salsa
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

Directions:
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream. Yield: 6 servings.

TIME: Prep: 10 min. Cook: 35 min.

"made with love"

from rachel

i saw these at rachel's house and said that i sure hoped she was going to be posting them on her blog so i could download them and print off sheets and sheets.

aren't they lovely?

bronwyn loves notes in her lunch.

i realized i had never put one in davis' "snack" for kindergarten yet.

he told me he didn't want one.

so, i bought a pack of silly bands.

i think he'll appreciate one of those slipped in his "snack."

he is sad that he is the only one in his class with "healthy" snacks.

so i am trying to liven things up.

and learn how to make some "healthy" snacks that don't look healthy.

check out these lovely videos. great, great info. i watched them with bronwyn and davis. they both starting craving green smoothies and asked me to make them. bronwyn then said, "i'm going to do that with my kids." meaning make them green smoothies--and well, i wanted to cry. because sometimes overhauling your diet can be a little maddening and overwhelming.

i can't wait to try out some of the recipes--good stuff.

and some day i may be a bento queen (i think eating in the cafeteria in japan surrounded by bento boxes brings back fond memories. although i don't remember seeing any recreations of the three little pigs. high schoolers were probably too old for that--but probably not too old for this (which we plan on seeing for our anniversary next week--no twilight movie this year)).

davis did let me send him to school with a sandwich in the shape of a ghost.

bronwyn loved her bunny sandwich.

who knew cookie cutters made things so much fun?

"hot pink smoothie"

We tried the "Hot Pink Smoothie" for Bronwyn's book group. I have to admit I was surprised when several of the girls asked for seconds (actually everyone did but my own girl:)). You can watch Robyn Openshaw make it here. (I purchased coconut water at the health food store).

rachel's "warming recipes"

photo real simple.

I can't wait to try Rachel's "Warming Recipes."

vanilla almond milk

Vanilla Almond Milk.

Soak your almonds overnight.

Drain.

Put about a cup of almonds to four or five cups of water.

Blend in high power blender.

Strain if desired (I don't).

Throw in about a teaspoon of vanilla and a handful of dates.

Blend.

Chill.

Pour over granola.

granola

Granola from Robyn's 12 Steps to Whole Foods.

Sprinkling on goat yogurt:), with strawberries and blueberries.

Autumn Salad

FRESH PEAR SALAD



Spring greens (I used the EarthBound Organic baby green mix from Costco)
Dried Cranberries
Fresh pear slices
Candied Pecans (works great with other nuts, too). If you desire you can soak your pecans:). I spread them on a cookie sheet and drizzled some agave syrup over them. I kept them in the oven for just a few minutes until they were a bit candied. Cool and then chop.

Assemble the salad using the quantities you desire. It looks pretty with ingredients layered on top of salad and the pears nicely arranged. Dress with raspberry or cranberry vinaigrette. (I added some turkey on top--Good Earth has a few meats available that are hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and from free range birds. In fact Good Earth is now taking Thanksgiving orders for local turkeys that meet the above qualifications).

CRANBERRY VINAIGRETTE: (Combine and blend in blender)

1/2 tsp. salt (sea salt, Realsalt or Himalayan are excellent choices)
Dash of pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. agave
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (I used fresh)
1/4 cup pomegranate arils (I bought these at Costco in the veggie/fruit section) I am sure you could throw in some fresh cranberries or raspberries.

Pomegranates are a great way to use a seasonal fruit right now (here is a local list for Utah). Doesn't this recipe look divine?--and I don't even like mushrooms:). Remember these may be new concepts to think about--they surely are for me. This is the first time I've ever had pomegranate--but I saw them ripe on the tree at Brigham Young's house in St. Geroge and knew it was time to try.

clean

If I could boil down my new philosophy for eating it would be this

clean

I remember reading this article in Martha Stewart Living and sending the link to my friends. It takes all the information about buying organic, seasonal and local and makes a very worthwhile read.

Here are some great tips for shopping from blogger Stephmodo here: "Eating Healthy (and Responsibly) On a Budget."

forgiveness flour

thanks ML for sending the poem and the link to your dad's devotional.

thanks Pres. Sowell for your devotional (and for putting up with all our shenanigans in provo and italy:).

and thanks rachel for designing this beauty and sharing it--download here.

i can't wait to print it out and frame it in my new kitchen.

i think that this is what i will be giving out to neighbors for christmas--with a muslin sack full of freshly ground wheat.

tied with twine, of course.

shh, it's a secret.

greensmoothiegirl group buy live!

I am so excited for this group buy!

These prices are awesome.

For example 3 1 gallon buckets of coconut oil for $135. At a local health food store you will pay $10 for 16 ounces.

or raw honey 6 five pound buckets for $80!

and she has RAW almonds and RAW sunflower seeds.

What a great time to stock up and fill your food storage with beautiful foods. I am excited to hear how Ellen and Raylene store their nuts and grains for food storage.

charity: water

illustration by james steinberg



"Everyone has the power for greatness--not for fame but greatness, because greatness is determined by service." Dr. Martin Luther King


This weeks' class focused on spring water. We all tasted the spring water that Cali had harvested from the spring that day. Fresh. Pure.

. . .and Cali shared this video.

about charity: water.

and we were reminded that we have so much to be grateful for because many do not have pure water.

"Almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean drinking water. Unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all disease and kill more people than all forms of violence, including war." (from charity: water website)

I had heard about charity: water last year when a popular photographer, Tara Whitney, had raised over $9,000 to build wells.


How do we make a difference?

By being His hands.


With this talk by President Uchtdorf in mind, I actually broke off the hands of my small statue of Christ as a visual reminder that: "As we emulate His perfect example, our hands can become His hands; our eyes, His eyes; our heart, His heart. . .

As we extend our hands and hearts toward others in Christlike love, something wonderful happens to us. Our own spirits become healed, more refined, and stronger. We become happier, more peaceful, and more receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. . .

. . .every day, as we contemplate with reverence and awe how our Savior embraces us, comforts us, and heals us, let us commit to become His hands, that others through us may feel His loving embrace."

Throughout the classes Cali talks about "love" being a key ingredient in anything that we prepare for our families. That blessings over our food are powerful. That the words we say to others and ourselves leave an imprint--negative or positive. Cali showed a picture of the words that she writes on her food containers. Words like, "gratitude, love, abundance." Do we feel differently as we reach for a container or almonds and see gratitude written on it? When we drink from a water bottle that reads, abundance? Truly we have an abundance. I stayed up until 2:00 in the morning watching and reading about charity: water. I cried more times than I can count that night as I watched mothers gather water from dirty ponds for their children as I saw the children suffer from lack of nourishment.

I know that I have access to clean and safe foods to nourish my children with and the desire grows each week as I learn more about the best foods. Mother Teresa said, "Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do but how much love we put into what we do." I have some containers to label this week. Containers full of beautiful whole foods to prepare with love for my family.

promised links

I wrote down a list of links I promised to share after last weeks' class.

Here they are:

The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom (one of my favorite books of all-time).

Excalibur Dehydrator (recommended by Ellen and GreenSmoothieGirl)

Sprout Lady (buy organic sprouts in bulk--recommended by Ellen--I hope this is the right link)

Bountiful Baskets (ask Rachel A. in the group about this--she has been a member of this co-cop this summer)

Jacob's Cove: Utah County's Local Community Supported Agriculture

Azure Standard (a co-op that Shelia's daughter recommends)

Himalayan Crystal Salts

create

I took a break from packing up our house last month and went out to gather my roses one last time. The roses I had planted. The roses I knew by name, color and smell. I walked barefoot on my grass and gathered them all in a pink basket, from my great-aunt Dora. I saw the herbs that were spilling over my pots. I was nostalgic, but not sad. Months ago when we had talked about moving and the thought of leaving all the work we had put into the yard left me shaky. But that day as I cut my roses I was happy that I had lived there, that I had a had a chance to create something that no one else would have created. That I would leave a beautiful nook in the world.

"Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter." --President Uchtdorf

I have been thinking about this word CREATE.

As I am creating a new home.

New spaces.

New pantry.

New habits.

New thoughts.

New recipes.

Sometimes I can feel intimidated by the change--I have Halloween chocolate molds all ready to create treats from cacao and coconut oil and yet I'm a little nervous to actually do it with out Cali by my side.

Perhaps this little space can be a support as we create. A shared recipe. An inspiring thought. A health success story. A resource. . .

as we nurture and create and "render the earth so pleasant that when you look upon your labors you may do so with pleasure, and that angels may delight to come and visit your beautiful locations." (Brigham Young)

Because. . .

"Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty. . .

The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you."

from one of my all time favorite talks by President Uchtdorf. I think I will always remember sitting in the chapel watching the broadcast smiling and taking notes and beaming that an apostle was speaking about "creating."

just in case you haven't seen the beautiful video.

bring sunshine

(because I know Cali loves Peter Pan)

"I believe that the women of the Church, regardless of age or family status, understand and apply best the words of James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan: 'Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.' . . .

You wonderful sisters render compassionate service to others for reasons that supersede desires for personal benefits. In this you emulate the Savior, who, though a king, did not seek position, nor was He concerned about whether others noticed Him. He did not bother to compete with others. His thoughts were always tuned to help others. He taught, healed, conversed, and listened to others. He knew that greatness had little to do with outward signs of prosperity or position. He taught and lived by this doctrine: 'He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.'

In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers." --President Uchtdorf

school lunches

photo, food and styling by rachel coleman

check out lunches--by rachel coleman.

Why RAW? Add, Add, Add.

"And remember, it's not about going 100% raw, it's about adding adding adding until the other stuff is naturally pushed out. You are at choice and always will be, for this is about ease, simplicity, and fun- not scarcity, fear, and worry. It's about teaching your kids as much as you can at home and letting them choose themselves the food they'll eat- as they always will. The more you can have a home environment of excitement and love for whole foods, the more they will take that knowledge with them in the back of their minds wherever they go. It's all perfect!"--Cali Cutler

Forgiveness Flour

A beautiful devotional that MariLouise's dad gave at BYU a few years ago. It is so beautiful and real (and it tells the story of Corrie ten Boom that I shared in class--but it tells it much, much better).

Here is the link to the talk in full and the beautiful poem, "Forgiveness Flour."

http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=2393

"I would like to close with a poem composed by Marguerite Stewart. It is entitled "Forgiveness Flour." The poem, written in the first person, features an unnamed wife who answers her door to find a young woman in shame and seeking flour, which symbolizes forgiveness, to make bread. The poem reads"

When I went to the door, at the whisper of knocking,
I saw Simeon Gantner's daughter, Kathleen, standing
There, in her shawl and her shame, sent to ask
"Forgiveness Flour" for her bread. "Forgiveness Flour,"
We call it in our corner. If one has erred, one
Is sent to ask for flour of his neighbors. If they loan it
To him, that means he can stay, but if they refuse, he had
Best take himself off. I looked at Kathleen . . .
What a jewel of a daughter, though not much like her
Father, more's the pity. "I'll give you flour," I
Said, and went to measure it. Measuring was the rub.
If I gave too much, neighbors would think I made sin
Easy, but if I gave too little, they would label me
"Close." While I stood measuring, Joel, my husband
Came in from the mill, a great bag of flour on his
Shoulder, and seeing her there, shrinking in the
Doorway, he tossed the bag at her feet. "Here, take
All of it." And so she had flour for many loaves,
While I stood measuring.

[Marguerite Stewart, "Forgiveness Flour," Religious Studies Center Newsletter 7, no. 3

Sprouting and Forgiveness

Last night we learned about packaging and labels and how things may be presented as "whole" or "good sources" when in fact they are counterfeit versions of wholeness. White breads dyed brown to appear as whole wheat. I know I felt somewhat duped and wondered how I could know what to buy at the store now. Ellen suggested holding the Ezekiel (sprouted whole grain bread) along with the WonderBread. It didn't matter what the packaging read when you could feeling the weight difference in your hand. It doesn't matter what "claims" are on the package if you look at the ingredients list (where the truth is required). It made me think of all the counterfeits that we are presented with--spin-offs or parts of truth. Brooke reminded me of John 14:6 last night, "Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the way, the truth and the life.'" We can all know truth by "holding the loaves" in our hands and by the "feel" (or witness of the Spirit) know which one is "whole."

We also learned how to sprout (and make salads and breads with the sprouts). We used tasted sprouted quinoa, sunflower, alfalfa and wheat sprouts. It was so simple to take a grain and soak it and see the stages as it grows to a sprout and then a shoot and how to use those in our foods to increase the nutrients in our meals.

Cali talked about Alchemy as the "rearranging structure of matter from a dense from to a higher frequency." She shared the most potent alchemical solution is forgiveness. Through forgiveness we are able to heal.

I have been thinking about it all night.

A change.

A grain (a seed) is soaked and then it begins to change as new life is seen as a tiny green sprout pushes through the seed. I shared that my favorite part of gardening is seeing that new shoot push through the soil. My favorite part of spring is seeing the first crocus leaves push through the ground. The tiny sprout continues to grow and has the potential to grow into its own plant. Sound like the epic passage from Alma 32?

The phrase kept coming to me last night as I was driving home, "A change of heart."


I promised I would share Cali's beautiful poem:

"Unlocked with the Key of Charity"

To forgive
Is to set a prisoner free.

To forgive
Is to release the prisoner's strangling chains.

To forgive
Is to discover the prisoner all along,
Was you.


We hold the key.

And how do we forgive--especially those things that would seem impossible to. I mentioned a powerful example of forgiveness from Corrie ten Boom (author of The Hiding Place).

It also made me think of this powerful video--I have watched it numerous times and cry every single time.

Elder Bednar in a devotional given at BYU talked about the redeeming and enabling power of the Atonement--I know it is through this enabling power that we are able to forgive and forget and heal. As we are commanded to be perfect or "whole" it is through the Atonement that that is possible. We have talked these past weeks about "let food be thy medicine." Spiritually, let Christ be our medicine as He is the ultimate source of healing. I know I have felt this in my life.

"As you and I come to understand and employ the enabling power of the Atonement in our personal lives, we will pray and seek for strength to change our circumstances rather than praying for our circumstances to be changed. We will become agents who "act" rather than objects that are "acted upon" (2 Nephi 2:14).

Consider the example in Mosiah 24 as Alma and his people are being persecuted by Amulon. As recorded in verse 14, the voice of the Lord came to these good people in their affliction and indicated: "And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs."

Now if I had been one of Alma's people and received that particular assurance, my response likely would have been, "I thank thee, and please hurry!" But notice in verse 15 the process the Lord used to lighten the burden: "And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord" (emphasis added).

Brothers and sisters, what was changed in this episode? It was not the burden that changed; the challenges and difficulties of persecution were not immediately removed from the people. But Alma and his followers were strengthened, and their increased capacity and strength made the burdens they bore lighter. These good people were empowered through the Atonement to act as agents and impact their circumstances--"in the strength of the Lord." Alma and his people were then directed to safety in the land of Zarahemla. . .

The enabling power of the Atonement of Christ strengthens us to do things we could never do on our own. Sometimes I wonder if in our latter-day world of ease--in our world of microwave ovens and cell phones and air-conditioned cars and comfortable homes--I wonder if we ever learn to acknowledge our daily dependence upon the enabling power of the Atonement. . .

There is no physical pain, no anguish of soul, no suffering of spirit, no infirmity or weakness that you or I ever experience during our mortal journey that the Savior did not experience first. You and I in a moment of weakness may cry out, "No one understands. No one knows." No human being, perhaps, knows. But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He felt and bore our burdens before we ever did. And because He paid the ultimate price and bore that burden, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy in so many phases of our life. He can reach out, touch, and succor--literally run to us--and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do through relying only upon our own power."

Read Elder Bednar's story in full to learn about an amazing pioneer story of blessing the food. Cali mentioned last night about the power of blessing the food--well, these pioneers had quite the meal that needed blessing.

This reminded me of another video that I have really watched more times than I can count and each time I learn/feel something different each time I watch it. For those of you who aren't familiar with Stephanie Nielson of the "nieniedialogues" she is an inspiring woman whose spirit I think you will feel as you learn about her story of suffering severe burns on 80% of her body in a plane crash. I think Stephanie is not only an example of beauty but an example of strength, gratitude and "turning her thoughts into gold."

I am grateful for the strength received through prayer as I replace lesser thoughts with whole thoughts -- and I am grateful for the strength that my body is experiencing through replacing lesser foods with whole foods.

What is Beauty? Entrees and Eating for Beauty

Hello "Beauty-fulls" (as Cali would say),

Another wonderful class last night. Cali demonstrated how to make pasta with zucchini! Yum. Tim asked when I got home last night, "Are we ever going to eat 'hot' foods again?" I was so thrilled to tell him, 'Yes! We just learned how to make RAW tomato soup tonight. I think Cali also mentioned hot chocolate in the last class (if you did Cali would you mind sending the recipe--that is a favorite of ours as the fall season starts).

We also talked about "Eating for Beauty" and Cali sent some more in depth links we should all check out.

. . .and what is beauty? A confident woman. A woman who knows who she is. A woman who knows her mission in life. A woman who serves others. A woman who carefully tends her stewardship--including her body.

At the end we discussing the "Have Do Be" paradigm. For example, "I must have money to buy a new house to be happy." Or fill in your own blanks. Cali challenged us to turn that on its head. First BE. BE HAPPY and the other things will be attracted in to your life. Heather shared a beautiful thought about using your intentions to label yourself. Instead of saying, "I am trying to become an artist." Declare, "I am an artist."

So, I declare to you:). . I love creating in the kitchen and preparing healthy foods to nourish my family.

Kristina shared a talk by Patricia Holland (Elder Holland's wife) last week. I have read it a few times and I went back and re-read it last week. It is beautiful. Here is an excerpt:

"I have pondered long and hard about the feeding of our inner self amidst too many troublesome things. It is no coincidence that we speak of feeding the spirit, just as we would speak of feeding the body. We need constant nourishment for both. The root word hale (as in “hale and hearty”) is the common root to words like whole, health, heal, and holy. President Benson recently said, “There is no question that the health of the body affects the spirit, or the Lord would never have revealed the Word of Wisdom. God has never given any temporal commandments—and that which affects our stature affects our soul.” We need so much for body, mind, and spirit to unite in one healthy, stable soul.

Surely God is well balanced, so perhaps we are just that much closer to Him when we are. In any case, I like the link between hale, whole, health, heal, and holy. Our unity of soul within diversity of circumstance—our “stilling of the center”—is worth any effort.

Often we fail to consider the glorious possibility within our own souls. We need to remember that divine promise, “The Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21.) Perhaps we forget that the kingdom of God is within us because too much attention is given to this outer shell, this human body of ours, and the frail, too-flimsy world in which it moves.

Permit me to share with you an analogy that I created from something I read years ago. It helped me then—and helps me still—in my examination of inner strength and spiritual growth.

The analogy is of a soul—a human soul, with all of its splendor—being placed in a beautifully carved but very tightly locked box. Reigning in majesty and illuminating our soul in this innermost box is our Lord and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the living Son of the living God. This box is then placed—and locked—inside another, larger one, and so on until five beautifully carved but very securely locked boxes await the woman who is skillful and wise enough to open them. In order for her to have free communication with the Lord, she must find the key to and unlock the contents of these boxes. Success will then reveal to her the beauty and divinity of her own soul and her gifts and her grace as a daughter of God."

Read the talk in its entirety to find the "keys" to the box.

Cali mentioned last night that this was a special group of women:). I know it is.

Thank you all for coming and being a part of this!

RAW desserts

So, last week was fantastic.

Really--raspberry cheesecake, chocolate hearts and chocolate peanut butter goodies--that were good for me?

They were so lovely and rich and I couldn't even finish my one piece of cheesecake.

Luckily Cali left the all the leftover chocolate pieces at my house. . .:).

After the demonstration and tasting Cali talked to us about. . .

refined sugars AND

the dangers of artificial sweeteners.

and then we learned about all sorts of wonderful natural sweeteners to replace the refined and artificial sweeteners. . .

like raw (local) honey, agave nectar, (organic) cane sugar, stevia, and yacon.

and then. . .

we learned about cacao.

Who knew REAL chocolate was so good for you?

We also had a wonderful inspirational thought/exercise about our "weaknesses" . . .and the strengths or things we learn from those blemishes or weaknesses.

Kids Class

I just wanted to share a few thoughts after our kids class.

I remember that feeling of standing in the grocery store after reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and looking at my cart and feeling overwhelmed, discouraged, and well, somewhat panicked.

Then I remember the feeling after attending a GreenSoothieGirl lecture with two friends and we all drove over to a nearby grocery store together and excitedly starting loading up our carts with spinach, kale (which I had never heard of!), strawberries, agave nectar, and mangoes. I felt like I had a plan. I wanted to add green smoothies to our diet and I had seen how to do it and I knew what I needed to buy and what to do--and I didn't feel alone. I wasn't overwhelmed, I was excited. I wasn't worried about changing everything in our family's diet--I was just excited about the idea that my kids could get 8-16 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

We saw so many improvements from that one simple habit that I later wanted to do more. But I just did that one new habit all summer. In Robyn's twelve step program she suggests adding a new habit a month. This summer with three busy kids home all day one new habit for three months was all I could manage. It wasn't until this last month that I started to make some more serious dietary changes, because I felt very specifically impressed to. Just as we talked about last night, every body is different. I felt like I was led to eliminating dairy and sugar from our family's diet. I did this because of very specific health problems that my family was facing. Every body may not be the same or need that step or need it right away. Seeing Bronwyn's eczema improve in a few weeks (after seven years of battling it) and seeing Skyler settle down to sleep two hours earlier--I know that I was inspired to make those specific changes for my family. I have also been praying specifically to know how to keep my family well during the cold/flu season. I am hoping that these changes now, before we get hit, will help shore up our family's immune systems.

I looked around last night and because I am lucky enough to know you all personally I know how amazing and talented and in tune each one of you is. I know that you want to make positive changes for your family and will be led, as I was, to what specific things your family needs at the right times. I love this quote by Sister Beck: “The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important ability that can be acquired in this life." I have been praying and studying the Word of Wisdom for a year and half now and feel that I have been given a piece here and a piece here. Slowly and surely. I shared last night that the seed of an idea to eliminate dairy from our diet was planted a year and a half ago. In that year and a half I was able to learn about other options and foods that I could use as a substitute so that I would be ready (a month) ago to make those changes. Perhaps if I would have had Cali as a resource then I would have been on a "fast track" plan:). But I didn't know a "real" somebody who was making changes those specific changes. That is why I am so excited to have a group of friends learning together. Last night it was fun to hear that Holli had tried the Raw Tomato soup, or see Rachel's school lunch pictures, or hear about Lynett's creative new use of raw foods. It was fun this week to have Heather forward me raw eggplant recipes (because I told her I had an abundance of eggplant) or flip through "Clean" recipe magazines and cookbooks at Sara D's house. . . and to plan and hope with Sarah J that our kids won't be sick this whole winter and try some essential oils that Kristina was introduced to. . . and to learn that Donna was an engineer for Blendtec--our new favorite kitchen tool. . . and to talk with Brooke about what realistic lasting changes we can implement with our family that will be long term.

The following thoughts are from Robyn Openshaw's book 12 Steps to Whole Foods (which I love and am excited to hear they are going to start carrying at Good Earth and she is giving a free lecture/demo there the first week in October):

"The thing I hear most often teaching nutrition classes or counseling people is 'I'm overwhelmed--where do I start? Tell me what to eat!'

You can't eat an elephant in one sitting. . .and because I want you to have a successful experience, I suggested you don't try to do everything at once. The premise of this book is that you can tackle one new nutrition habit a month towards replacing refined food with whole-food, plant-based meals that are at least 60% raw. Find your favorite recipes within that chapter and habit and get in the zone of mastering that one simple thing. If one chapter a month is too many, slow down and take it at your own pace. If you do just the first month of this program and keep that habit for life, you're far, far ahead of 98% of Americans!

. . .

The ideas is not to tackle the project of 'getting healthy' all at once in January [or September:)]. Too many people have tried and failed, fallen off the wagon, gotten discouraged and quit. My goal. . . is to help you take baby steps. But although they're slowly paced steps, they're actually very significant steps that will add years to your life--and life to your years.

. . .My experience is that every minute you spend in the kitchen preparing whole-plant foods (60%-80% raw) will yield two minutes of energy.

. . .Your expenditures of time and commitment learning about nutrition and preparing foods should be considered at investment in your family's future--not a chore."


I keep thinking about the two thoughts that Cali shared at the end:

Control means we are failing to inspire.

The root word of worry is 'strangle'.

Those thoughts may have just rocked my world:).

. . .and inspired me to be thoughtful about ways to inspire my family.

Breakfasts, Smoothies & Critics

Thursday night's class was awesome. We held Cali hostage way past our 9:00 stop time and forced her to keep blending and juicing and teaching. Thank you Cali!

Cali brought some delicious things to taste and demonstrated juicing, and making smoothies (green and chocolate). She related some fantastic information about minerals, proteins, dairy, meats, transitions to whole foods,energy, fertility and natural aphrodisiacs (an extra incentive for husbands to watch the kids:)). Watching SuperSize Me and Food Inc. would be a great follow-up to Thursday night (you can rent it on Netflix or watch the documentary in parts on Youtube).

Next week I am really looking forward to the topic "Snacks and Kids."

Our preparation for this meeting is to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. I watched it in May and have been thinking about it every since. It is eye-opening, inspiring and well I think I fell a little bit in love with Jamie Oliver and his English accent. Here is a link to the first episode. There are six--and I loved every one. Davis climbed on my lap when I was watching the first episode on the computer. He and I watched several together (warning there is a bit of language in some of the episodes) he was inspired too. He and I cooked in the kitchen together using "Jamie's recipes." I still call him "Jamie" when he makes up his own recipe (for example cutting up different types of fruit with a butter knife and mixing them together). I think it was great for him to see the effects of bad foods, the inspiration to eat good foods and a male role model in the kitchen (besides Tim, of course:)).

Bronwyn ate the granola that Cali made for breakfast the next morning. As I was curling her hair she said, "I can't wait to see what you learn next week!" I told her next week would be especially great because it was about kids and things that I could send with her in her lunch.

She then said she didn't want to bring any of it to lunch.

When I asked why, she wouldn't tell me.

I assured her I wouldn't be sad or upset.

She said that yesterday a boy made fun of her for her "raspberries and bananas."

He called it a bad word.

She wouldn't say it for me, but spelled it out.

" s.i.c.k."

He had said, "That looks s.i.ck."

Seriously? Raspberries and bananas? Are we so far off that a second grader gets made fun of at lunch for eating. . .FRUIT?

I talked to her a bit about a message that Cali shared last night about critics: The quote is by Emerson--"Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them."

I think peer pressure is a great topic to discuss at this age. But really I thought I would be talking to her as it related to drugs or lying--not about eating fruit:). Tim and I talked about it and he shared that she was crying last night when she told him about it. We are trying to make some simple, tasty changes in our diet. I have already seen the benefits in myself and in my kids. . .and I guess I hope next week Cali will be able to teach me how to make some snacks for my kids that look a little less like. . .um, fruit:).

mothers who know are nurturers

This year I chose a phrase to guide my year.

"Daily Nourish."

Not only have I been trying to nourish my spirit daily I have also felt impressed to study diet and nutrition for the last year and a half--especially the Word of Wisdom--and learn how to nourish my body daily.

I have been slowly making changes.

I have been searching, and am beginning to see

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers."

I felt compelled to study nutrition because it seemed in some way that every person in my family was suffering from something. For example, my boys and I seemed to be trading colds and the flu literally all winter long. Bronwyn suffers from allergies, eczema, and high amounts of yeast. Davis suffered from numerous ear infections as a baby (is now allergic to penicillin), and was being diagnosed with possible asthma. Skyler has been almost impossible to put to bed the past six months (he has a very difficult time settling down) and I felt like I might die if I couldn't get him to sleep. I had a panic attack in December and went to the doctor to receive an inhaler. I was also suffering effects from a massive amount of stress and knew that my body was suffering. When the doctor prescribed asthma medication for Davis (that he would take every day for an undetermined amount of time) I felt compelled to search for "different ways of truer answers." Part of the answers have been guiding me toward a different path of nutrition for my family.

I feel that a few small changes in my nutrition have had a deep impact on my life (such as eating meat sparingly, adding green smoothies to our diet, drinking 8 glasses of water a day, avoiding high fructose corn syrup and caffeine, buying organic and local, and now transitioning to replacing sugars, yeast, and dairy in our diet) . There are several things that I have been concerned about with my family's health and I have felt impressed to "let food be my medicine."

I feel that it was a "tender mercy" to be introduced to Cali Ann Cutler last week through a neighbor. Cali Ann is a nutrition educator. I loved attending her class and talked to her about setting up a series of classes. I feel that I have read a lot of information about things that I want to change and now I find myself looking in the pantry, or shopping at the grocery store or out and about hungry and think, "Now what?" I know what I don't want my family eating any more but I don't know exactly what to feed them. . .and they would still like dessert so what can I do?

Well, I tasted Cali Ann's chocolate and know that it was divine and I am excited to learn more.

Class Outline
1. Let food be thy medicine (why raw)

2. Breakfasts/ smoothies

3. Snacks/ Kids

4. Desserts/Chocolate

5. Raw Entrees (lunch/ dinners)

6. Breads/Sprouting

7. Wild herbs/ wild water/ herbal medicine 101
8. Open class to be decided by class interests