the earthfood experiment

Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale

2012-08-30T09:14:00.002-05:00

Miss M and I recently moved into a quaint (fancy word for tiny and un-exciting) apartment in downtown Lincoln, NE for a short term stay before we head off to Godknowswhere (a word a just made up for 'we oftentimes fly by the seat of our pants and don't know what the hell is coming next'.)

It is our intention to depart Lincoln within 9-12 months and see the world a bit, then settle (I use this term loosely) somewhere near the ocean, preferably with little to no winter.

It's an extremely exciting time for me, as I'm in the midst of transitioning into the career of my dreams. I don't actually like to refer to this thing as a career, because it's not really. It is indeed quickly becoming my livelihood, but that's not the reason I do it. I can feel this thing buzzing through every cell of my body. I can't NOT do it. I would do it for FREE, and in fact have for a long time. If you're curious what this thing is, go here...

But in the meantime, we are here. In this apartment. We immediately painted the dining area from fire engine red, to banana yellow. Here is Miss M exhibiting her extraordinary painting techniques.

I'll be sure to share pictures of the finished diggs... when it's completed, which might be two minutes before we leave. Just saying.

And now to the entire point of this post... the first thing we cooked in our new place. We were without gas for the first 4 days we were here. Which was super great because my oven and stove are run on gas, as is the hot water heater. So, it was cold showers and cold food for us!...
Until the fourth day, when it dawned on me that I am the owner of an electric skillet. DOH!

So, this is what we cooked in our electric skillet.

Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale with Potatoes

This is a recipe I adapted from Isa Chandra's 'Appetite for Reduction' which you can find in my little Amazon store (I think... I should really get with the program) Anyhoo... I love this book. It's what I cook from mainly these days.

The original recipe does not call for potatoes. I added them to make for a heartier meal, as opposed to just a side dish... which I believe, is what it's intended to be.
It's so simple and yummy and healthy. You can't really go wrong.

Here's what you'll need:
2 large russet potatoes, thinly sliced
EVOO
Fresh Garlic (about 4-6 cloves)
8 oz mushrooms
a couple bunches of Kale
Veggie broth

~ Heat a couple teaspoons of oil in a skillet (electric.. or NOT)
Add sliced potatoes along with S&P to taste. Cook until softened slightly. Remove from skillet.

~ Heat a couple more teaspoons oil and add mushrooms along with a little more S&P. Saute til softened (about 7 minutes)

~Add chopped kale in batches. It will look like a buttload of kale (that's a technical cooking term, if you didn't know) but it'll cook WAY down. Cook until wilted about 10 minutes, adding splashes of veggie broth if sticking.

~ Throw in the cooked potatoes, and saute' for another 5ish minutes.

In my world, this is served with lots o'hot sauce. Cholula, to be specific.

Enjoy!

And know this....
There is no one on the face of this planet that can do what you can do, in precisely the way that you can do it. You are here for a reason. we need you... the world needs you to embrace your gifts and share them. YOUCANDOIT!!!

If you're new around here, check out this post to see some of my favorite recipes. EVER.

Awesomeness

2012-07-31T11:14:00.001-05:00

Check out my new 'ABOUT' page. Isn't it awesomeness?

Here's the thing I love most about life...
It's forever changing.
This means you can be anything at any point in time.
Just because you were something yesterday, doesn't mean you have to be that today.
You can choose. in this moment. to be something completely different than you've ever been before.
The possibilities are infinite.

This is my journey... your journey... our journey.
Welcome to the experiment.

A tale of learning to love myself.

The road to peace with my body and with food and with loving myself, has been a long and arduous journey. Looking back i realize that's only because I created it that way... and so it turns out is the truth with most of the going ons of our lives.

The thing is, you see, we can only do the best with what we have, right where we're at, until we become aware of a different way. A way that is much more ease filled.

Ease has become my modus operandi. Now, that doesn't mean that I don't ever do anything that scares the pants off of me, or something WAY outside my boundaries of comfort... it just means that I don't make a big dramatic production out of everything like I used to do in my younger years.

I have learned to lean into the unknown. I have learned to trust in the flow of life. I have learned that if I ask questions around anything that brings up funky emotions within me or scares the bajeebus out of me...

answers, solutions, and relief will be provided. Period. That's just the way it works.

I've learned how to actually clear out of existence entirely, the judgments and points of view I had unknowingly bought, and consequently was functioning from. This is still something I'm doing on a daily basis, but it's already changing everything.

It's changed my body. My self image. The direction of my life. My relationship with food. The opportunities that come to me. My interactions with loved ones. My ability to assist and inspire others. My views on finances and business.

And, more and more changes every single day. I am constantly expanding, growing, evolving.

What this really involves is removing everything that is not truly me. All the lies I have bought as true. All the judgments I possess that are pure limitation.

In the midst of my self discovery journey, I vowed that when I figured this life thing out, I was going to assist as many people as possible find their way back home to themselves. This is my primary focus, the origination of my drive, and sole purpose of sharing my journey with you. I know how scary and confusing being lost feels.

What's so beautiful about this, is that each time I'm involved in assisting someone see the light they truly be in this world, I recognize a little more of my own light. As you begin seeing yourself clearly, the same will happen for you.

This is how we become the change, that changes the world.

Did you know that you already possess everything you could ever require? Did you know that you are totally unique unto yourself? No one on the face of the planet has your exact set of skills. talents, capabilities, amazing quirks, and personality traits? There is no one other than you that can do what you can do, exactly the way that you can do it.

Would you be willing to finally see, once and for all the greatness that you truly be so that we can change the world together?

You are here for a reason.

Wishing you peace & love & the life of your dreams,
Chandra Nicole

Here's a little article I wrote on my intention for this space that is The Earthfood Experiment.

It's loving titled, "Screw everyone else's truth. What's yours?"

In addition to The Earthfood Experiment you can also find me hanging out with:

the Rebels for Consciousness &

the Empower Network

I also provide Personal Transformation Coaching, which you can learn more about here.

Veg-Heads

2012-07-30T12:51:00.005-05:00

Today I give you my all time favorite Veg-head... Isa Chandra. Not only is my name IN her name, but she has the best veggie recipes known to man. (I realize that's a little sensational... but that's the way I roll)

And what's even cooler is that she lives in Nebraska (that's my state) in my neighboring city!

I recently bought her cookbook Appetite for Reduction.... and haven't really prepared recipes from any other source since. Her foods are super simple, uncomplicated, have short ingredient lists (HUGE fan of that) and way healthy.

I also spend a significant amount of time on The Post Punk Kitchen , which is her website. Not only can you can find tons of kick ass recipes there, but Isa is a super entertaining writer as well.

I'm almost (but not quite... because I don't like lawyers and paperwork) going to guarantee that you'll find a handful (if not more) of staple recipes to work into your weekly rotations.

Now I just have to decide which of her cookbooks to buy next....

How to make running up hills easier.

2012-07-29T10:00:00.002-05:00

Do our realities have to match that which we've decided to be true? Are we handicapping ourselves by believing what we see?

What if everything that's occurring in our lives is simply a residual of what we believed in the past?
What if we could change EVERYTHING the instant we decide to believe something different?

I'm going to share with you a story about exercise and running....
but really it's a story about life.

Recently I've been feeling a lot of resistance to exercise. My body was wanting to move (turns out, that's what they're made to do. Who knew?) but I just could not make it go.

Since I have declared my primary task as a Transformation Coach to be processing MYSELF out of every limitation that exists in my world, anytime resistance or judgment pops up I know there's some funky point of view that I'm operating from there. The glorious thing about recognizing a limitation is that you can then choose to clear it out of existence and no longer have to function from it. If you're curious about the specifics of this process, email me at chandra13nicole@hotmail.com

Soooooo..... when I became aware of the resistance I had towards exercise, I knew there was something there for me. I began asking a lot of questions around what this was exactly for me, and this is the awareness I received:

For many MANY years, I used exercise as a punishment. I had so many judgments about my body and was using exercise to "control" it into being what I thought it to be. Maybe you can relate?

My current reality is that I am in the midst of creating a new relationship with my body. I actually listen to it, and do what it asks of me... and guess what, it's amazing!

What if our bodies knew what it requires, more than the latest diet guru or nutrition advisor?

Oh my goodness... how much freedom would that provide in your world?

Tuns out my resistance to exercise was occurring because of the disconnect between lovingly listening to my body and using exercise to punish it. I was like, "NOOOOOO.... I will not punish you! You are amazing!" Aren't I silly?

So, I took some time to delete this point of view from which I was functioning (it took about 20 minutes) and now I feel absolutely NO resistance to exercise. In fact, I'm loving it.

Isn't this incredible news?

What if any place in your life you feel resistance, it's because you are functioning from some twisty point of view and are possibly trying to make a lie true. Look at my situation with exercise for example: is it true that exercise is punishment for a body? No. Actually bodies love exercise. See, I was trying to make a lie true in my world.

I decided to take this experiment a little further one day on my run. It occurred to me as I was approaching a hill, I possess the point of view that hills are hard to run up. Well, that's just a fact Chandra! You might be thinking, to which I am replying, "But is it reeeaaaally?"

As I started up this hill I began struggling and my breathing became heavy. I then made the choice to pull up and clearing out of existence every point of view about hills that I have ever made true and real. About half way up that hill, my breathing evened out and I felt as if I was floating.

The next day on my run, I noticed that the same point of view had crept back in as I approached the hill. This time I did some more clearing work, and closed my eyes as I ran up the hill (I ended up running through a few bushes, but that's beside the point)... and you know what happened?

Once I couldn't perceive the hill with my eyes, I couldn't even tell that I was running up a hill.
Crazy talk. Right?

Turns out, atoms are 99.99999999% empty space.... or something like that... I'm no physicist, but you can look it up. This empty space is filled with packets of light. You and everything around you are made of atoms. So, looks like you're mostly space and light (and water)... tell me how that's not totally changeable?

It has also been scientifically proven that when an atom is observed it changes into either a particle OR a wave, variable according to the person observing it. Solid or not solid. Solid or not solid.

What if our consciousness, is interacting with all other consciousness at all times and creating our realities based on how we're looking at them.

What if we, our bodies, and the world around us are FAR more malleable than we've ever been aware of?

What if you could make everything in your life work to your advantage with this knowledge?
What if by believing what you see, you create more of the same?

We possess this amazing capability to imagine... you remember... that thing you used to do as a child (I assure you, even if you haven't used your imagination in years, it's still there!)... would you be willing to imagine something different for your life and your living? Would you be willing to manipulate yourself out of your current reality if it's not working for you, and create entirely different possibilities in your world?

You deserve to have everything you've ever desired... a healthy body, an amazingly loving relationship, to get paid to be you, to have the opportunity to experience everything you've ever wished to experience. There is no reason to shelve your hopes and dreams.

They are not only possible, but they are your birthright.

Check out this little article I wrote for The Empower Network called 'What if your poop doesn't have to be in a group?'... it's less about poop, and more about getting started on your incredible life :D

PS... If you're ready to make your life actually work for you, but aren't sure how to go about it... I would LOVE to facilitate you. I am running (Haha... running!) a really great special for the month of August on my coaching services. For more information, contact me at chandra13nicole@hotmail.com

Chocolate Mayo Cake. Say what?!

2012-07-28T23:13:00.001-05:00

Holy shit, I actually feel like writing about food. Can you believe it?

I really can't remember the last time I did that...

So, in celebration let's eat cake!
Lots and lots of chocolate cake.

Go make this delectable weird sounding, but definitely not weird tasting vegan cake made with mayo. Non-dairy of course.
Actually do whatever the hell you want!.. and meet me back here post haste.

I made this today for my friend (it was secretly, mostly for me)... and it is pretty darn Ah-mazing.
You can find the recipe here on the Earth Balance website.

Happy return to food blogging day for me!!

PS What do ya say we find lots more things to celebrate in life?
What shall we celebrate next?

Screw Everyone Else's Truth. What's yours?

2012-07-11T12:05:00.001-05:00

You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way..It does not exist.

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Ever since the creation of The Earthfood Experiment I've known that we're each installed with our very own truth.

I have, since starting this blog, began living a full-fledged Earthfood Lifestyle. Vegan foods through and through. I made this choice because it's my truth. It's the desire my body has been whispering to me for a very long time.... which I was pretty successful at ignoring for a very long time.

I find foods from the earth to be nourishing to my body, and I find that a nourished and healthy body helps facilitate a healthy soul... which I believe to be the true source of a high quality life.

It wasn't until I listened and honored my truth, that my life REALLY began to shift.

What if all of the aspects of our lives are not independent from one another. What if they're all interconnected? What would happen to your life if you began listening to what your body was telling you, instead of all the contradicting diet and health hype that's around every corner? Is it just me, or is all that shit confusing as hell anyways?

So, what's your truth? What foods make you feel energized and nourished?
This will be different for every single person on the planet. Just because my body does not enjoy animal foods, doesn't mean it's the only way.

It is my desire to explore this idea more on The Earthfood Experiment. Let's get to the bottom of what YOUR best life is, and how YOU can be the healthiest version of you.

In the past I've done a lot of sharing of the cooking that I was doing. My life since then has shifted significantly, so there will be much less of that.

Here are some things that I WILL be chattering about here:

~ Kick ass website recommendations and all the cool web places I like to hang out at.

~ Recipes that I have found and tried... or want to try (focusing on Earthfoods, because let's face it... we could probably all use a little help making lentils and brussels sprouts exciting)

~ A self love extravaganza!

~ Dreaming. Lots and lots of dreaming.

~ Whatever else YOU want to talk about. This is all about your truth anyways, right? So, please comment below (or email me at earthfoodexperiment@hotmail.com) with your ideas, desires, or things you struggle with that you'd like to work through. What if we could all be here for each other, supporting and encouraging one another, regardless of lifestyle choices, acknowledging and applauding each other for having the courage to choose our truth, despite what the world around us might be saying.

I'm changing and shifting... wanna come along?

2012-06-19T17:40:00.000-05:00

Have you ever felt all stickified in life, not knowing what exactly to do or where to turn to next... trying to wrap your brain around whatever it is and "figure it all out"?

That's what I've been doing for the last 7 years of my life. Oh who am I fooling? That's what I've been doing ALL of my life.

Turns out, that wasn't working out so well for me. No matter how many 'self help' books I devoured, seminars I attended, meditations I attempted, written and verbal exercises I completed...even at my surest moments I still felt lost. Incomplete. Desiring more of... something?? There just seemed to be so many answers that I was missing. Which left me on a perpetual search.

Until the day I understood that the very answers I was seeking, were the cause of my woe.

What if every answer is a conclusion. Every conclusion a judgement. Every judgement a separation.

What if I'm not separate. From anything. From my neighbor, from the chair I sit on, from my enemy, from the breeze, from my lover, from the trees and the ocean. What if we are all made from the same stuff and are interconnected. ALWAYS. Whether we choose to recognize it or not. What if separation is the grandest illusion on this planet?

If we were all one, would it mean that each time I searched for an answer, drew a conclusion, or formed a judgment I was actually separating myself from oneness and in doing so, separating myself from... myself?? Holy moly. No wonder I've felt incomplete all this time. No wonder I was desiring more of... something. I was desiring more of me, which would allow me more of everything.

So, getting myself out of judgement and asking a WHOLE lot of questions, as opposed to searching for answers, is what I've been doing for 3 months since my last post. My life looks entirely different, and i can't wait to share it with you.

I had thought about retiring The Earthfood Experiment because my views on just about everything have shifted and changed... but I guess change is the only thing you can really be certain of in this lifetime. I wouldn't want it any other way, so I figure I'll just bring you and The Earthfood Experiment along with me on this journey, changing and shifting all the way. If that's okay with you.

Love Lessons

2012-04-15T23:05:00.017-05:00

Four Thursdays after the loss of my love, I shed my last tear.

It occurred in the middle of an energy medicine class I was taking. I volunteered to come up front for work on the releasing of heavy energies. My facilitator put her hand to my forehead asking me to close my eyes and bring my heartache to the front of my mind, where I would then just BE with it.

I had my eyes closed for approximately a nano second, before the tears began rolling down my cheeks...
yes, right there in front of everyone, I cried for the very last time.

Everywhere by Bran Van 3000 on Grooveshark

This is the night I learned a couple of very important things about love:

I fully realized how powerful the love of a complete stranger can be.
I could FEEL the loving energy of every single person in that room washing over me, as I sat vulnerable, exposing my soul.

Upon the adjournment of class, I was gifted with a hug from a girl I had met only two hours earlier... she overflowed into me, completely filling me up.
I wanted to remain in her arms forever.

These people transmuted my pain into pure, brilliant, shiny love in a way I'm not sure would have ever been possible through my own efforts alone.

I know now, that I will never pass up an opportunity to pour forth love onto anyone who enters my world. This will be my expression of gratitude for every soul who has ever allowed me to lean on them, and my gift to humanity.

I also gained the knowledge that

true love can never really be lost at all.

After this night, I slipped into a state of loving I've never known before. It is increasingly calm, and steady, and bright. There's absolutely no need or urgency attached to it. And within this space of timeless needlessness, it no longer matters whether the object of my affection comes or goes, because I know I will continue to love him regardless...

I also know that this is the only way I care to love,

from this day forward.

Time is Funny

2012-04-11T08:07:00.032-05:00

It occurred to me just this morning upon waking that I have long passed the 3 month completion mark for the 'Season of Vegan' experiment I committed to on January 1. I guess it has become so much a part of my life that I just forgot it was ever an experiment. Time has a funny way of doing that you know.

And if you haven't noticed, I have done absolutely zero cooking in the last month, with the exception of a batch of pancakes I whipped up yesterday for Miss M... which I made in my sweatpants and high heels. High heels make everything better. This is my new mantra, which is actually an old mantra resurrected. If you don't believe me... try it.

"Why the absence?" I'm sure you're wondering, possibly along with "What the hell have you been eating then?"

To answer the latter; protein shakes, peanuts, and a whole lot of take out veggie sushi.

The answer to the first question, a little more complicated and involving massive life changes.

Now you must understand, change is certainly nothing new in my world. If I think back over the last 12 years of my life (which begins the start of my 20's) It's a little hard to not notice that fairly consistently, my world gets turned upside down biennially, beginning with the C-section birth of the lovely Miss M when I was not quite yet 21.

At 23, I bought a house in the country on a half acre of land (this was a lovely turn of events)

When I was 25, I married a man. However, I never really considered the fact that I might have to spend the remainder of my life with him, it just seemed like the next logical thing to do after buying a house. Smart, right?

Consequently at 27, we divorced and sold the house. Back to the city for me! This is also the age I discovered what makes my heart sing, although it would take me 6 more years to know what to do with it.

When I was 29 years old I broke my femur in half and was installed with a significant amount of titanium alloy.

At age 31, I was life flighted from the Niobrara River with a broken back. And then I laid on my back... for 3 months.

In order to stay true to biennial form, mix into all of that 6 moves to new homes.

And we've landed squarely in year 33. My current age and clearly the time for another life flip.
I'm exhausted already, but here it goes...

Almost one month ago, the only man I have ever truly considered spending the remainder of my days on this planet with, told me he didn't wish to share his life with me anymore. I'm sure you noticed me speaking of him on this blog. He was my Sweets. I was heart broken. And since The Earthfood Experiment and the Season of Vegan was something I started largely with him, it has been a challenge for me to re-immerse myself in it... as of yet.

I have since made some very exciting life decisions, but still spend my days flip flopping between the glowing brilliance of my new life to come, and the heartache of my lost love. I'm sure with each sunrise and sunset, I'll spend more and more time basking, and less time hurting. Time has a funny way of doing that you know.

In the meantime, I've been spending every spare second available to me dismantling the constructs of my reality. I have realized that the things I state as fact, are merely walls resurrected and supported by my belief systems (which, funny enough, are usually based on complete and utter untruths).

These systems that I've installed run my life without me even realizing it. Truthfully, I'm tired of acting and reacting on auto pilot. I desire a fully conscious and present life. So lately, whenever I find myself drawing a conclusion about something by stating a fact, I then dig down below it, identify the system which supports it, and swiftly demolish it.

More truth... it's not always so swift. Sometimes I will find it begins rebuilding itself and i'll have to run back down and kick it over again. But the gift here is that once you know something, you can't 'un-know' it, so it's only a matter of time before it changes.

I'm sure you might love a couple examples of my deconstructed belief systems, right? No problemo.

Here's two facts I have stated as true:

#1 I can do it myself. I don't need anyone.
#2 I don't want children. (more children, that is)

Whooey.... I love exposing myself. Vulnerable rocks!

Numero Uno:
Turns out I have felt alone for most of my life. My father left me when I was young, and although my mother loved me dearly she was not able to be there for me in the manner which I required. So in order to protect myself from being hurt and annihilated, my default was to conclude that I did not need anyone at all... all the while being madly in love with love.

Since the love of our parents, whether we want to admit it or not, is of supreme importance to us and we wish to prove to ourselves that they truly did/do love us, we oftentimes replicate our relationships with them. Because, if the people we care for do what our parents did, they MUST love us too. Right?

So what I have done, is to push away, push away, and push away some more. Which always results in the people I love withdrawing and/or leaving... which proves to me that they love me?? I'm silly. Smashing THAT one to bits.

Numero Dos:
As I stated above I had my baby very young. I was alone (go figure) and broke. Although she is the sparkle in my everyday, it has been nothing less than a struggle the entire time. So, I created this belief system that children equals hardship and sacrificing oneself... when secretly I've always desired to be able to share the experience of co- creating a beautiful little being with a man I adore. Who's to say I would have to create it as I did before? I can create my life however I choose! Who says it isn't possible for me to have the man of my dreams, a gorgeous and brilliant child, all of myself, AND save the world at the same time? The whole belief that I can pick only a couple items from the menu of life is just idiocracy. DESTROYED.

The reason I share these things with you is because I know from experience how powerful it is to have a beacon in the fog. And if I can be a beacon for even one of you, then this is all worth it.

I will be completely honest in stating that seeing yourself clearly for the first time is not the most comfortable of experiences, but I promise that after the hard work is done it is SO freaking liberating. And after awhile, you'll forget that you ever once operated based on those false systems. Time has a funny way of doing that you know.

I have so much more to say, but I'll save it for another day so as not to inundate you.

I realize that you're probably here because you're interested in food and healthy living and what-not, but if it's okay with you I'd like to use this space for now to talk mainly about life stuff that I hope can empower both myself and you alike. Is that cool with you?

I really am so glad you're here. I will see you again very soon.

PS Here are some additional truths that I've realized lately

~ Oftentimes when I judge someone, I hold the same belief of myself.
~ Anytime I am trying to prove anything to anyone, I secretly believe the opposite of what I'm attempting to prove is true.

Something to think about

Walls of Conclusion

2012-03-31T12:49:00.007-05:00

I do my best to cozy down into a 'normal' life situation. Ya know, with love and cookies, and consistent bedtimes. Date nights and planning. Steady jobs with paychecks and insurance and stuff. Walking paths that have been well treaded. That's what we do here you know.

The walls of conclusion start small, building so slowly I hardly notice until one day I look up and I can't see over the top anymore. This freaks me out a little. But on paper it all looks so perfect, so I continue on.

Steady as she goes.

Cutting off every ounce of awareness to my internal knowing. Sinking ever further into unidentified despair until finally I forcefully shake free, forever changing the shaken. And find myself right back where I started once again. All heart achey and worn. Seriously wondering if I possess the strength to do this. Feigning resistance to the lure provided by safety of the familiar, the payment for which is always backwards traveling.

This mission before me just won't seem to go away. Who signed me up for this evolutionary path anyways? Was it me? Why do I destroy everything in my life for the sake of it? Maybe that which I destroy is not actually real. Just appearing, oh so convincingly solid.

No matter how many times I turn it away, it returns in the night to knock on my door. I don't want to hear what it has to say but, out of the shear lateness of hour and weariness of my soul, I listen this time.

"Come with me Chandra", it says. "I know it's dark out and you're scared, but trust me. When the light of day dawns you will see clearly and understand. The sun will shine more brilliantly than you have ever known. And for your courage, you will be rewarded with great joys and treasures and loves."

The resignation to manipulate my trapezoid self into the square shape of normal is fading fast. It has been a long and exhausting road. I fall into the arms of this midnight caller and cry. Unidentifiable as either tears of sorrow or joy or relief. Makes no difference really. The gift I am given in this moment is an unequivocal understanding that this is my only option. And that everything will be different. But incredible.

Are You Ready?

2012-03-30T09:26:00.000-05:00

~ What if I actually knew in every moment what was best for me?

~ What if I’ve been discrediting this quiet knowing, secretly brushing it under the rug, because sometimes it’s urging me to do things that appear uncomfortable or scary?

~ What if I just trusted this knowing, throwing all planning to the stars? Would my life unfold more magnificently than I could have ever calculated?

~ What if I leaned into discomfort and fear, instead of shying away from it? What are the possibilities?

~ What if I started today, following moment by moment my inner knowing?

~ What if every heartache and disappointment was a gift and invitation to rise up and be more of me?

~ What if it’s time for me to finally receive the life the life that I’ve always dreamed of?

~ What if right now, it’s time for me to once and for all, realize how beautiful & valuable I truly am?

~ What if by not realizing this, I would be doing a great disservice to the world?

~ What if the kingdom is my birthright?

~ What if each and every one of these questions applies to you too?

Are you tired of waiting for your life to happen?

Join me. If you dare.

Anything is possible.

The Un-Creation of Plans.

2012-03-17T01:52:00.010-05:00

Plan, plan, plan.... this is what we spend our lives doing. But the truth of the matter is that the only thing we can count on is the present. The world could be flip flop wonky tomorrow, and all the days, hours, minutes spent planning are precious moments wasted.

This is something we all know in theory, but never is it so glaringly obvious as when we find ourselves in the situation, yet again, of our higher selves having different plans for us than the ones we had been so painstakingly creating. Don't be too hard on yourself though. We do the best we can with our limited knowledged, earth dwelling selves.

We just have to somehow understand, that there might actually be something greater which requires tending to, than anything we could scheme up with our little hair brains.

So this is the consciously unbeknownst-to-me destination, I've recently arrived at.
A great majority of what I had spent the last year of my life planning, suddenly ceased to exist a little over 24 hours ago.

I now sit here finding myself romantic relationship-less. Not a new scenario in the least, but unsettling none-the-less, as I am and always have been, someone who pours themselves completely into their love life. In the past I have found the loss of this outlet for my love, to be excruciatingly painful. A pain that I would have previously eased with food, booze, or more men.

But this time is different.
I've come so far. I've grown incredibly. Much too much progress has been made to go backwards now.

Once you've had a glimpse of your purpose on this planet, and have experienced the utterly indescribable sense of knowing and bliss that accompanies it... there's no way you can make yourself forget for too long.

So this time, instead of the bedfellows I've historically turned to in times of pain.... I'm going to sit on this couch and feel every last feeling that surfaces.

No matter how ugly they may be or how much they may hurt, I will wait for them to arrive. I will accept them and give them the attention they've been crying out for. I will then shine the light of my soul onto every ounce of pain, anger, fear, or judgement I've ever harbored, transmuting each and every one of them into love.

I will do this until the day comes that I, myself, am pure love and light. Only then will I be equipped for my life's work. Only then, dare I be bold enough to attempt to change the world.

What is that going to look like exactly? Good fucking question.

Guess I'll just trust that once the inner work is done, the answer will be presented to me. One thing I know for sure, is that I refuse to spend even one precious moment worrying about it.

A Ray of Sunshine for my Heart and Yours

2012-03-13T15:50:00.002-05:00

I ran across a story today here on Gratitude log, and couldn't help but share.

It comes to me on a day in my life when I'm feeling discouraged. Feeling as if my dream is impossible. A day when I'm wondering how I'm ever going to be able to help the world around me, or have the life that I so desperately desire.

Reading this story blasted a ray of sunshine into my shadowy heart, illuminating clarity and perspective. How is it that we can know so well of something, but let it slip away in an instant. Remember, forget. Remember, forget.

 Luckily all it oftentimes takes to remember, are a band of wise words to wrap themselves around me. Like a hug from a dear friend...

"The awesome wife and I like to walk. One day we came across a section of the sidewalk that was broken. What broke the cement you ask? Grass! Growing right out of center of the sidewalk! How does a skinny little blade of grass break through the physics of solid cement? I think we learned this in the 10th grade but I must have ditched school that day. Awesome wife, being the awesome nurse that she is, confidently proclaimed that grass must have sunlight to survive.

Therefore, somewhere hidden deep in the quantum cellular DNA of grass, there are a billion little grass cells that don’t know they can’t break through cement. All they know is they must have sunlight or die. In fact, if you ask the grass it would say, “what cement?”

With great commitment, intention, determination, passion and bust-ass work, a little puny blade of grass develops a samurai attitude and breaks through all the rules, realities and proven scientific physics of cement, and ultimately reaches its impossible dream, the Golden Sun! So if a puny little blade of grass can break through impossible barriers, what big cement barrier is in the way of your impossible dream—that your commitment, intention, passion and bust-ass work, can’t possibly break through?"

Oatmeal Apricot Pancakes

2012-03-12T09:31:00.000-05:00

Before I started this Earthfood Experiment, pancakes were a lovely treat that I made for Miss M and Sweets on the weekend, in which I never partook. These cakes o'the pan were just never my favorite made the traditional way with white flour and eggs and all reminiscent of fluffy white bread.

Call me a weirdo, but I prefer my breads to be of the whole grain persuasion. I've been a loyal fan for years now. To me, they have so much more flavor than the white stuff... all nutty and chewy and delicious. Yum.

So, for the last couple months I've been experimenting with making pancakes from whole grains and fruits on the weekends... which I actually eat!

These Oatmeal Apricot Pancakes are, hands down, my favorite so far.

I bought a new cookbook last week called Vegan Planet, in which found a recipe for flax-berry pancakes. I switched out the white flour for whole wheat and oats, reduced the milk, switched the berries to dried apricots, and added in some ginger and a little maple syrup to sweeten.

Beware, you may possibly become addicted to these. But it's okay... they're good for you!!

INGREDIENTS:

10 dried apricots

2 T ground flax seed

3/4 C. whole wheat flour

3/4 C coarsely ground oats

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ginger

2 T. maple syrup

1 1/4 C soy milk

~ Chop dried apricots and put into microwavable bowl with 1/2 Cup water. Microwave for 3 minutes.

~ Drain off apricot water into a small bowl (should be about 1/4 C) and stir flax. Set aside.

~ In medium bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients.

~ Mix into the dry ingredients the soy milk, maple, & gelled flax mixture.

~ Stir in chopped apricots.

~ ladle 1/4 C portions onto a hot buttered skillet and cook on both sides until browned.

~ serve with Earth Balance Coconut Spread and a splash of maple syrup.

It Starts with Me.

2012-03-08T15:15:00.002-06:00

Some words that I'm thinking about today....

“To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.”

Confucius

Oftentimes I feel torn as to where to put my attention when it comes to the injustices of the world. At any given moment in time, there is a multitude to pick from. Take for example the Kony 2012 campaign that has gone viral over the last day or so.. If you haven't yet caught wind of this, I have embedded the video below. After I watched, I felt overwhelming compassion and an intense longing to help the victims of this tragedy. That being said, there is some injustice that occurs everyday which begs for my attention. How do I choose where to look? How do I decide in which direction to project my attention and efforts? There is so much work to do, it is overwhelming to look at the big picture and try to figure out where to start.

But, the truth of the matter is that I know where to start. I can feel it in the depths of my soul. And at first glance, it appears selfish.... It begins within me. I can donate money, or hang signs, or rally, or protest, or write letters to senators, or whatever. This may help to clear up one situation or one misdeed or injustice... which will be promptly replaced with another of similar magnitude. Or worse. This leaves us in a state of perpetual protesting or fighting what is.

The only way to make lasting change is to change the state of the human condition. To raise the level of consciousness on this planet. To wake up, stay awake, and help nudge our neighbors into alertness. This starts with me. It starts with you.

We must pay attention to our modus operandi, our perpetual states of being.

Are we consistently thinking, acting, being from a place of understanding and conditional love for ourselves and those around us? Or do we move through our day judging those we come into contact with?

Are we carefully choosing the thoughts we allow into our heads, letting only those of kindness and peace enter? Or are we letting our thoughts control us?

Are we interacting with people as if they are extensions of ourselves (they are)? Or are we maintaining an illusion of separateness?

These are the questions we must be asking ourselves everyday. This is the work we must do to create lasting change. It's not always easy. It takes consistent effort. Sometimes we will forget, and remember. Forget and remember. But don't be discouraged by this, because each time we remember, we remember for just a little bit longer.

And when finally, remembering becomes our constant state of being. When our hearts are finally set right... this is when our personal lives are cultivated, our families are put in order, followed by the nation, and then the world.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

Sun-Dried Tomato Falafels

2012-03-06T10:02:00.004-06:00

Falafel, Falafel

FA lafel

faLA fel

Falafel, FALAFEL

I really enjoy how this word feels in my mouth.

Falafel.

I also really enjoy how they taste in my mouth. Have you ever made them?

This was a virgin Falafeling for me. Both eating and making.

They're really easy to make. If you've ever made hummus before, you can totally do this.

Even if you haven't... I have faith in you.

I believe they will become a staple around my diggs.

I like stuff that I can make ahead of time and throw in my freezer to pull out for a quick meal when I'm feeling ultra lazy.

Do you love hummus as much as I do? Because if so, these little falafels are basically little hummus patties.

It's a little hard to see what's going on in the picture above, what with the explosion of vegetables and everything. Please allow me to explain...

If you can locate a pita pocket, within it see if you can spot an orangish little
circle-y thing.

That's a falafel.

Which we shoved inside a toasted pita with greens, tomatoes, onions, and a little Earth Balance dairy free mayo. We ate these little bad boys with some curry oven fries that you can find here, at the Post Punk Kitchen.

You will need:

SUN-DRIED TOMATOES. CHICKPEAS. GARLIC. CURRY. CAYENNE. WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR. ONION. CELERY. PARSLEY.

~ Into your food processor, throw 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, 2/3 C water, 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed), heaping T garlic, 3 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp curry, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Process until combined.

~ Empty into a bowl. Stir in 2/3 C flour, 1/4 C each of finely diced red onion, celery, and parsley.

~ Form your dough into hand sized patties. I made mine kind of flattish since I intended on pita pocketing them, but I think a traditional falafel is a little more egg shaped... I really don't actually know. We do what we want around here. Traditions be damned.

~ I browned my falfels in a little bit of olive oil in a cast iron skillet, but next time I will probably bake them... I'm thinking 350 for 20 minutes?? I'll let you know how long they take next time I make them. If you should happen to make them before me and bake them, let me know what you did. That's be kick ass.

What are you going to do with this beautiful spring day? I'm feeling the urge to do some cleaning, air out the house, and go for a nice long run. It's going to be in the 70's where I'm at! Man, I love Spring.

Hello March. Welcome Spring.

2012-03-02T11:00:00.000-06:00

I've recently noticed little green blades of grass peeking through the brown mess on the ground. Hallelujah. I am sooooooo ready for spring. Don't get me wrong, I'm not disregarding the thankfulness I feel for the mild winter we've been experiencing, but I'm ready for some color! And warmth.

Why do I always have to be so cold?

Green grass, trees with LEAVES, flowers, sunshine, warm rain showers, strapless dresses and cute sandals, (or if you're Sweets... shorts and sweet sneakers) longer days, the smell of freshness (no, not your shoes Sweets) and renewal.

I took this picture at the zoo last spring. Ahhh.... so pretty.

Yellow flowers on the bike trail.

Bike rides with Miss M.

Pool time!! Okay... now i'm getting a little ahead of myself... It is only March. (Isn't Miss M adorable?)

See! What's not to love?

As you may know, Sweets, Miss M, and I embarked on a new food adventure 2 months ago. Damn that went fast.

We committed ourselves to a season of eating only foods that come from the earth.

Sustainable, nourishing, fresh, kind, healthy foods.

I can tell you after my experience thus far, I can feel in the very fiber of my being that I am becoming all these things (Sustainable, nourishing, fresh, kind, healthy)

I guess you really are what you eat.

(I will be excited to give you a report of our experiences next month.)

If you've been hanging out at The Earthfood Experiment you've seen that I've been doing a lot of cooking over the last 2 months. Anytime you change your lifestyle around, it takes a concerted effort to do things differently. I've spent a lot of time "veganizing" some old favorite recipes as well as put a lot of focus into coming up with warm, belly filling, comfort foods in the hopes that we wouldn't even miss the things that we've cut out of our diets. Besides, these are the kind of things we crave in the winter anyways, right?

Here are some of my favorites so far:

Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Guinness Chili

Grilled Roasted Veggie Sandwiches with HUmmus and Avocado

The Mother of all Alfredos

Mango Sticky Rice

10 Minute Peanut Butter Noodles

Seeing as how we're entering the warmer months, and we'll all be getting busier with the desire to spend less time in the kitchen and more time outdoors, this month I'm going to focus on foods with ease. I want delicious, healthy foods accessible to me through the spring and summer months that I don't have to slave away over in my kitchen.

There will be too many pools, bike trails, parks, and outdoor adventures calling to me for that. I live in the Midwest.... the warm months are a very precious commodity around here. Gotsta get out and enjoy it!

So, let's think crockpot foods, salads, picnic fare, one-pot-dishes, and 10-15 minute meals. We'll call them 13 minute meals. It's my lucky number. Hell yeah.

Speaking of outdoor activities, Sweets and I are going on a 6 mile trail run through Wilderness Park here in Lincoln in 2 weeks, and then in June will be participating in the Warrior Dash, which is approximately a 3.5 mile run with obstacles and mud and stuff. Sweet.

What sort of outdoor activities do you have planned for your Spring and Summer?

Please feel free to give me a holler if there's something specifically that you'd like me to experiment with, or if you have any good ideas for recipes for Spring/Summer foods. I'd love to share you and your ideas with The Earthfood Community. Email me at earthfoodexperiment@hotmail.com.

Lastly, it is important to me that you know EVERYONE is welcome here.

Just because I'm sharing only vegan recipes doesn't mean that you have to be a vegan to hang.

I created the Earthfood Experiment so that we could play around with foods we know deep down in our souls are good for us. How you choose to apply to your life the knowledge we gain here, is entirely up to you. Health and lifestyle is a deeply personal and individual thing for each of us.

This is a space in which you can expect to be accepted and loved no matter what that looks like for you.

I'm so glad you're here.

Go here to learn more about what this Earthfood Experiment thingy is all about.

If you'd like to know some random facts about Moi... check this out.

If you haven't already, be sure to sign up for Earthfood Updates via email, over on your right.

Additionally, you should totally come hang with me in Twitter-land and on Facebook. That's where all my 'Quote Whoring' occurs. (see random facts about Moi)

i KNOW you don't want to miss that.

PS Be sure not to miss the last 2 segments of our series '6 Ways to Love Your Body'. This was a project from February, but I ran out of time!! They will be coming soon. Promise. If you are just now arriving to this Earthfood party, you can see what I'm talking bout here.

Crockpot Black Bean Soup with Sun-Dried Tomato Polenta Cakes

2012-02-28T10:52:00.004-06:00

I made the most incredible and easy curry the other night that I can't wait to share with you. I realize this has nothing to do with black bean soup, but I just HAD to tell you about it.

Unfortunately, the picture I took was somewhat horrific. I really need to work on improving my photography skills. At any rate, it's going to have to wait. I'm making another batch today just to have on hand... so it won't be long before I get the opportunity to share.

In the meantime, here is a basic but delicious black bean soup that I made this weekend for Miss M and I's date night, which we spent watching many episodes of the Cake Boss and stuffing our faces with Mango Sticky rice (it seems we can't get enough of this stuff.)

We ate our black bean soup with sun-dried tomato polenta cakes. If you've never had polenta, you're in for a treat (although Sweets might disagree, I love it) . It's so filling and satisfying, and goes exceptionally well with this soup if you ask me.

We have some rainy-chilly-ness going on where I live today. Perfect weather for a warm-you-up-dish like this.

For those of you polenta newbies, let me explain what goes down with cooking it:
Right after making polenta, it is a creamy consistency (which I find to be delicious for a savory breakfast), but after refrigerated becomes firm. I made polenta for breakfast while getting my soup crockpot ready from this recipe I found at Cadry's kitchen, then refrigerated the leftovers, sliced, and fried to serve with dinner that night.

Here's what you'll need for your polenta:

STONE GROUND POLENTA. VEGGIE BROTH. NON-DAIRY MILK. NUTRITIONAL YEAST. SUN-DRIED TOMATOES. GREEN ONION.

~ Bring 2 Cups Veggie broth to boil. Add in 1/2 Cup Polenta. Bring to boil and whisk for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

~ When all the liquid is absorbed, stir in 1 T Nutritional Yeast Flakes, 1/4 C non-Dairy milk, 2 T Chopped sun-dried tomatoes, one chopped green onion, and salt and pepper to taste.

~ Eat some for breakfast if you like. Yum. Then spread the remaining (don't eat it all!) in a squarish dish (for easy slicing later) and refrigerate.

On to the soup.

You will need:

BLACK BEANS. ONION. BELL PEPPER. CELERY. GARLIC. JALAPENO. CARROTS. PARSLEY. OREGANO. CUMIN. CORIANDER. THYME. FIRE ROASTED TOMATOES. CRUSHED TOMATOES. CILANTRO.

~ I used dried beans for this because they're super cheap, and I think they have a better bite to them. However, this takes a little advanced prep time. Dried beans need to be soaked over night, or if you fail to plan ahead like i do, you can quick soak which will go like this:

Put 1 1/2 Cups dried black beans into a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Bring to boil. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour.

~ Drain your soaked beans, return to pot and add 6 cups fresh water. Boil for one hour.

~ Pour beans and their liquid into crockpot along with 1 diced onion, 1 diced red bell pepper, 1 stalk diced celery, 1 diced jalapeno, 2 diced carrots, 2 T dried parsley, 2 T oregan, heaping T of cumin, 2 tsp coriander, 2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 c veggie broth, and 1 cup fire roasted tomatoes.

~ Cook on low for 6 hours. If you like your soup kind of creamy, you can use an immersion blender to blend up some of the beans at this point.

~ Before serving, stir into crockpot 3/4 Cup crushed tomatoes and a couple Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro. This will give the soup a loverly fresh flavor. Then salt to taste. Turn up to high while preparing your polenta cakes.

~ Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron skillet and add sliced cold polenta. Fry until golden brown and heated through. Now you got yourself some polenta cakes!

Enjoy!

I think I'm going to use my soup leftovers to make black bean nachos...

February - The month of L♥♥♥ VE

2012-02-28T10:40:00.000-06:00

You are here, and I think that kicks ass.

If you're new to The Earthfood Experiment, this is what's happening...

We cook and eat foods from the earth, we laugh, we dream, we inspire each other,

and occasionally we cuss.

Life's too short to be so damn serious.

What could be better than that?

Nothing, I submit.

Since this month is Febuary, the month of LOOOOVE I figured we'd spend the entire month talking about all things having to do with Love.

Picture Source

Here's what's goin' down:

♥ Experimenting with all things creamy, Earthfood Style. Think Alfredo Sauce, Creamy Soup, Ice Cream, Mac & Cheese, Risotto. Seriously, who doesn't love that? If you don't, you crazy. Is it possible? We'll find out.

♥ Week long series on 'How to Love Green Stuff & Our Bodies'. Because green stuff is good for our bodies, right? (This series is mainly for me, but hopefully it'll help you too)

♥ The entire week of V-day will be dedicated to healthified sweets, mainly of the chocolate persuasion. Can I get an witness?

♥ Since, V-day is typically spent showering affection on those we adore, we're gonna go a different direction. Because we don't like to be typical, and affection should be given to those we love on a daily basis anyways... why do we need a holiday for that?

So, instead we'll spend the week thinking about what we can do to shower the world outside of our homes with love.

If any of you are doing this already, whether it be through charity work, an organization you started, or simply through your day to day actions, and would like to share with us, please email me at earthfoodexperiment@hotmail.com.... That would probably make my heart float right out of my chest.

♥ Last, but most certainly not least, we will be loving what we love. That's right. We will spend the entire last week of February talking about what makes us passionate and the importance of giving those things space in our lives. I believe with all of my heart that those things that light us up and inspire us are the divinity within us and our contributions to the world.

If you know what this is for you and would like to inspire us with your story we would love that as well! Email me!

HOLY CRAP. That's a lot to fit into one short month.

♥ Don't forget to leave your email address over on the right. I wouldn't want you to miss any of the good stuff!

Additionally, you can find The Earthfood Experiment on Facebook (woot!) and Twitter (double woot!)

If you'd like to know some random facts about Moi... go here.

See ya around!

Beauty in All Things

2012-02-23T14:16:00.000-06:00

Don't you love how every once in awhile, out of the seeming blue, you are gifted with a person that makes your world a whole lot brighter?

This is the case with the lady below. We met kinda through Sweets via Twitter, but a friendship blossomed mostly out of our common interests in blogging, veggie eating, and the love of following dreams.

It brings me great joy to share with you today, my friend Lindsay. She is beautiful inside and out.

hello earthfood experiment readers! my name is lindsay and i come from a little corner of the blogging world i call scenic glory. what originally was intended to be used as an online portfolio of window display creations and graphic design projects, quickly turned in to something so much more than i could have ever imagined.

every day i am inspired by the people of the blogging community...i have never been more motivated to dream big and live life to the fullest. i see and appreciate day to day happenings without question and find happiness in even the smallest of things...like the color red, small buttons, wooden hangers, old postage stamps, etc.

i am the kind of girl who see's the beauty in all things...believe me i have the pictures to prove it. when i'm feeling a little down i find my favorite dress in my closet, pop on some red lipstick and remind myself that life is too short to stop living - every day should be a fun day (hence the dress and lipstick!!)

i hope one day you find the time to step into my world for a minute or two...i would love to see your corner as well. let's inspire, create, and live with each other! xo, lindsay

How to make Broth from Trash

2012-02-23T10:47:00.002-06:00

It seems like these days I cook everything with vegetable broth.

I like vegetable broth. Love it in fact.

Paying for it.... not so much love there.

Seriously, have you ever bought the stuff? It costs around $3.50 for 32 oz... more for organic. I probably use around 64 ounces a week. I'm all about flavor. If I'm going to exist solely on foods from the Earth, they better taste friggin' incredible.

Broth is an added layer of yum in anything you might otherwise use just water. I use it to boost flavor in polenta, rice, quinoa, soups, and stews. I use it for wilting greens in and it's great for sauteing when you don't want to use quite so much oil, which I'm not concerned with. I love oil.

Being the mathematical genius that I am, I did some extremely involved computations and discovered that I'm spending about 28 bucks a month for salty vegetable flavored water.

Here's what I COULD buy with my $28 instead:

Two complete outfits from my favorite thrift shop.
Four bottles of wine. Yes, I like cheap wine... although I can't bring myself to drink the 2 buck Chuck from TJ's
One kick ass date night meal for 2 at Pepe's, my new favorite vegetarian Mexican place

(Are you beginning to get a feel for my priorities?)

A couple months ago, Miss M and I got a hankering to make our own vegetable broth.

<---- That's her chopping veggies, bless her little heart.

We went to the grocery store and bought carrots, celery, fennel, onion, and some fresh herbs.

This plan was super grand in theory.

We cut all them lil' veggers up and boiled away. What we were left with was not a whole lot of broth and a bunch of soggy veggies. I didn't add it up, but the ticket price on this project was much greater than just buying the damn broth.

Well poop.

I did end up pureeing the soggy veggies, freezing the goo in ice cube trays and using them as a stock base, but it still was not as cost efficient or simple as I was hoping for. I resorted back to boxed broth....

Until, last week when I had veggie revelation.

Make Broth from Trash!

I'm a genius.

Every time I cook I end up with a pile of ends, ribs, seeds, and peels which promptly land in the trash can. Although not particularly edible because of texture issues and what-not, these veggie bits are loaded with flavor. So I started a random vegetable-bit bag in the freezer to collect all of the inedible goodness in. It took me about a week to fill.

This morning was the moment of truth...

will trash make good broth?

Holy Moses does it!

Let's play find the frozen vegetable: Ucky dark green leek, ginger bark, onion end, jalapeno rib, tomato core, mushroom stem, cauliflower leaves and core, zucchini-squash-eggplant ends, bell pepper stem...

Simple. Tasty. Cheap.

This might just be my new food motto.

Along with my new life motto:

Truth, Love, and Crunchiness.

I'm easily distracted.

So, I threw all the veggies in a pot. Didn't even bother to defrost. Covered with water, threw in a couple bay leaves, brought to a boil, then reduced heat, covered and simmered for an hour.

I then scooped out all the chunks and strained into a pitcher which will work brilliantly for easy pouring.

Isn't it lovely? -------->

This here pitcher of broth is pretty dark in color because I added a half a cup of Tamari (aged soy sauce) You could just as easily use sea salt .

It's also pretty spicy from the jalapeno ribs. Great for me because I'm a spice whore. If you should happen to be less promiscuous with the hotness, I would suggest leaving them out.

So, there ya have it...

How to make broth from trash.

The Art of Being Malleable & a Recipe for Cashew Kale Smoothies

2012-02-22T09:50:00.001-06:00

How lucky am I to find so many wickedly inspiring chickies to share their kick ass perspectives this week?

Pretty damn lucky.

I love, love, LOVE this lady. Her name is Cadry and she's a fellow Midwesterner like myself. Doesn't she have the best name?

Recently in my web meanderings I fell upon her blog, Cadry's Kitchen. I immediately admired her engaging style of writing, and also her and her hubby's unique and creative use of video.

Hope your'e as moved by her words and as entertained by her film as much as I.

Experiencing life fully and following creative whims and passions...

this is what life's all about friends.

There are times in a person’s life when transformation is natural. We’re heading off to college, we’re embarking on a new job, we’re moving to a new city, we’re getting married or having babies… At these points, it feels appropriate to reassess and redefine, both as a matter of practicalities and as a matter of hitting a new life phase and readjusting to what comes next.

But there’s no reason that we have to pack up boxes and bags and fill up the tank with gas to make a change. After all, we’re constantly evolving or we’re stagnant. That’s why one of the things I’m most passionate about is trying something new. It can be as simple as picking up a fruit at the grocery store that I’ve never tried before or as big as checking off an item on the bucket list. The years pass by in a flash, and if we never tend to those far-off goals it’s easy for the pile of “could have beens” to grow ever higher.

In the spirit of trying something new, this year I decided to do something I’d dreamed of doing for a long time and take a pottery class. I’ve admired the work of ceramic artists for years. My favorite thing about ceramics is how tactile the experience is for both the artist and the admirer. Unlike sculptures or paintings, which we’re supposed to view from a distance, when we use a cup or a bowl we hold them in our hands and press them to our lips. We can feel where the artist smoothed the clay or pressed on a handle. In seeing the small imperfections, we’re reminded that it was made by a human not a machine, and we can imagine them sitting in their studio, listening to music, and creating an object of beauty that we get to enjoy with our afternoon tea.

It’s easy to look at ceramic pieces by other artists and enjoy the little imperfections. After all, that’s what makes a piece unique. That’s what gives it personality. When we think about it, the things we love about anything aren’t the things that make it perfect. We love our friends for the way they snort when they laugh, or that they tell that one joke again and again. We love their faces, not because they are perfect, but because those are the faces that give us strength when times are hard. We love their smiles, not because of excellent orthodontic work, but because they laugh with us over old stories. We love their bodies, not because of 6-pack abs or chiseled muscles, but because they are the ones that meet us at the airport gate and hug us when we return from a trip. So even though it can be easy to love the imperfections of others, we aren’t always so generous with ourselves. Trying out on a new art medium is a chance to work that muscle and to find beauty in imperfection and in our own growth spurt.

When I go to the studio, I bring in Adele as my muse, and I pound the clay against a table to trap out any air bubbles. I flatten the clay and run it through a slab roller. The process is reminiscent of those imprinting penny presses at touristy shops. Instead of a picture of Mickey Mouse or Six Flags on my clay, I have a flattened piece that can become a salad bowl, napkin rings, or a vase. With the aid of a few tools, a cup of water and slick clay, I bind together pieces as if I were a carpenter. I let the clay tell me where it wants to go.

As I give the clay definition and form, I am reminded that I am malleable too. With every person that we meet and every action that we take, in some small way we are changed. When we learn something new, we discover something about ourselves. As children, we’re not afraid to try something out – a class or a sport or an art. There’s no reason that new experiences should stop at a certain age. We just have to open ourselves to inspiration and show up.

A big thank you to Chandra Nicole for asking me to write a guest post for her delightful blog! For other clay-related activities, check out my video on how to make a Cashew Kale Smoothie with my clay dinosaur buddy, Gulp.

Thank YOU so much for your words, Cadry. I adore you even more now.

Hang with this lovely lady at Cadry's Kitchen, Facebook, and Twitter ... I'm gonna go make a smoothie for breakfast now. Yum. Thanks Love!!

Never. Give. Up.

2012-02-21T09:58:00.004-06:00

If you haven't noticed, the web is a giant, vast, and sometimes inundating place...

but every once in awhile you run across someone or something that just sticks with ya.

I stumbled across Victoria one day in my web wanderings, and man is she sticky.

You can't help but fall wildly in love with her zest for life and willingness to run down, seize and embrace her bliss.

I just adore this girl and thought she'd be a perfect addition to our 'Loving what you Love' series.

Proceed at your own risk.

Victoria's perspective might just blow your mind hole.

Possible side effects may include, but are not limited to:

Joy, Inspiration, Reevaluation, Heart Floating, and Creativity.

hello there loves. you can call me victoria. i am a coffee addict, animal lover, and inspiration junkie. i spend my days daydreaming and creating numerous projects for myself... and i must admit, it is getting hard to trick time into giving me enough minutes in my day to complete all my projects.

by day i am a visual sales associate for anthropologie, but by night i sew, paint, and design for my very own venture, PISTOL daisie and Painted Blooms. i can not remember a time when i wasn't doing something artsy or dreaming of eventually doing something i felt extremely passionate about.

to me, life is a blank canvas and we choose what will fill it with... and when my painting is complete, i can guarantee that it will be completely filled with every color under the sun. my canvas will be composed of every texture, hard and soft, rough and smooth, ugly and pretty... because my friends, that is a life worth living in my mind. a life of experimenting with different hobbies or hair colors. a life of trying new foods and going to watch rock bands that you later realize you really can't stand... but the point being, you tried it.

creating new challenges for myself is something that inspires me the most. yes i am inspired by my surroundings and people i come across online and offline, but there is something so pure about finding something you want to try and doing it... epic failure or not... you did it.

the point of my "meaning of life" rant above is that i try not to let myself give up no matter how many times i fail or how many times i change my mind. yes, right now i run two small of business of my own, but there is a strong chance that could change in years to come... i do it now because it something i love.

as a person you are always changing and learning. so it necessary to allow your loves to change with you. if you don't feel passionate about what you are doing, try to discover what you are passionate about. take a drawing class. go take photos. hell, join a fantasy baseball team if you're in to that sort of thing, but don't ever give up on discovering something new that can thrill you. don't give up on finding something you truly love with your whole self.

just remember to...

xo, pistol daisie (victoria)

For more inspiration you can find Victoria at Pistol Daisie

Dust and Wanderlust & a Recipe for Johnny Cakes

2012-02-20T10:49:00.001-06:00

The month of love continues with one of my very favorite things to talk about.... what lights people up and gets them excited. I also refer to this as your bliss. Or, loving what you love.

Bliss:

Perfect happiness. Great joy.

Synonyms: pleasure, delight, ecstasy, elation, rapture, euphoria.

I truly, truly, TRULY believe that this is what life's all about. We were given these loves for a reason. There is no one else on the face of the planet that has the exact same combination of skills, talents, and interests as you do.

What this means, is that when we take the time to recognize and find space for our bliss, several things happen:

#1 We become insanely happy. What makes you happier than doing the things you love to do?
#2 We become peace... even if only for that moment. Peace is addictive, and contagious... and intriguing.
#3 We inspire others to do what they love to do. (See #1)

So, get to it. Dig up and uncover your bliss, then submerge yourself in it fully. It's one of the most loving and healing things you could possibly do for the world.

And here's a little secret... by doing this, you fill a void on this planet that only you (with your unique skill set) have the capabilities of filling. Now you're helping the world doubly. Holla!

Coming up in the near future, I will be sharing with you some people who are fully submersed into loving what they love.

Starting today with my girlfriend Michelle and her great love of travel.... a passion that we both share. I could listen to her tell stories of her travels and life experiences all day long. (Did I mention she's an incredible story teller as well?)

Get ready to be inspired, and get out your shovel. You've got some digging to do.

The Lovely Michelle

As kids, my family drove all over exploring and learning. When I think about how I grew up, it’s no wonder now that my greatest joy in life revolves around travelling. We’ve shared a ton of memories and laughs that nothing could replace or compare to. And now I love taking my kids to see new places and uncover the secrets and unique traits that those destinations hold. Together, the kids and I have seen 21 states and I’ve been to 33. And we will eventually see them all and experience all of the one of a kind moments they have to show us.

I have a deep love for my Country and all of the magical places that it is home to. I’ve been brought to tears by snow capped mountains, especially the first time I saw them in Washington. And since then, I’ve visited the Tetons and camped in the Rockies. My stomach flips each time I cross over the Mississippi heading West.

Michelle with her kiddos at The Rockies

I have stopped the car hundreds of times to capture a stunning sunset or a vast, wide open space. It never quite captures the beauty, but it serves as a bookmark in my memory of stunning moments in my life. These pictures serve as ongoing reminders of how blessed I am, and reminders that I’ve made the right choice by following my bliss.

Nebraska Sunset

I like to think that the greatest form of love that I can show to my children is to pass along traits that have served me well in my life. I show them unconditional love and support, of course. All of the typical parental “duties”. But I have also given them two gifts, two traits of mine that have gotten me through highs and lows, thick and thin: My wonderment and my wanderlust.

Wonderment is defined as “to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel”. Wanderlust means “a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about.” Both words are woven into the fabric that makes me who I am and they are parts that I could never function without. They feed my soul every day.

My travels have reinvented me, redirected me when I needed it most, and reminded me time and time again to come back to what is simple and true. I came across the quote by Tolkien that said “Not all who wander are lost”. I don’t know if I’ve heard truer words. In fact, those who travel have been found. Our passion for life has directed us to where we need to be, on the dusty back roads and Americas highways. Through mountain ranges and along ocean drives. We have road dust in our blood, after all.

Be sure to stop by Dust & Wanderlust... Michelle's little corner of cyber-land.

Because I spend weeks of my year in a travel trailer, Im constantly looking for simple yet diverse recipes that are easy to make in a skillet over a fire or on the camper stove (or home for that matter). Johnny cakes go way back. There was a rumor that they started in Rhode Island, but it’s also a very old Native American recipe. They’re simple, easy to prepare and can be topped with anything from butter to syrup to fruit preserves. Not matter where they originated they’ve been part of American home food for a long time. Hopefully, you’ll make them a part of yours.

Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

1 cup stone ground cornmeal (white or yellow)
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
milk
butter (or bacon drippings or oil or fat)

Directions:

~ Whisk together cornmeal, salt and sugar (if used).

~ Bring water to a boil and pour over the meal mixture, whisking to prevent lumps.

~ Let the batter rest 10 minutes.

~ Butter a large skillet or griddle and bring it to about 375 degrees, just to a sizzle (don’t burn the butter). ~ Add enough milk (1/2 to a cup) to the batter to make it the consistency of mashed potatoes, and drop by spoonfuls to make cakes about 2 or 3 inches wide and several inches apart (they will spread). Let the cakes gently sizzle on the grill for about 6 minutes or as long as 11 minutes until you bring them to a deep golden brown on the bottom and slightly firm on the top, before turning them over.
~ Add some more butter to the griddle, and/or place a thin pat of butter on each cake, before turning them over and cooking for another 6 minutes (or longer) until they are a deep golden brown color.

~Serve with butter and honey, or maple syrup.

Oh My Word! I need these in my belly... and I can totally veganize them! ;).... Thanks Michelle!

Besides her blog, Dust & Wanderlust, you can also find Michelle on:

Pinterest (I want to live in her pin boards... she has incredible pictures)

Facebook & Twitter

PS Michelle has a really cool perspective and a unique legacy. To read more about her take on life and learn how her great grandmom had a movie made about her, go here.

Grilled Roasted Veggie Sandwiches with Hummus & Avocado

2012-02-17T10:59:00.002-06:00

I would have to say that really, the only slightly difficult thing about switching to an entirely Earthfood based lifestyle, is probably giving up the restaurant comfort foods that I have always turned to. That being said, in the 7 weeks since I started this Season of Vegan thing, I've found many replacements that are suitable, if not better than my original loves.

This lil' sammy qualifies for submission to the

'even-better-than-the-original'

category.

We have this little sandwich shop here in town called Bison Witches and I have always loved the veggie sandwich I got there. It was warm and melty and gooey, loaded with fresh vegetables and cream cheese and provolone.

Seeing as how I'm not eating dairy anymore, I was wondering if it would be possible to get the same great flavors of this sandwich I love so much without the cheese. I decided that adding a zippy, lemony, garlic hummus to this sandwich, then grilling (ya know, grilled cheese style) would give it that creamy buttery taste I was looking for. It did. And Holy Crap was it good.

Here's what I put in this here lil' Samich:

Slice, drizzle with olive oil, S&P and roast at 350 for 30 minutes:
Portobella Mushroom
Zucchini
Yellow Squash
Red Pepper

For Hummus whirl around in food processor:
1 can chickpeas
2 T Tahini
3 T Lemon Juice
4 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
drizzle of olive oil

~~ Add more lemon juice and/or olive oil until desired consistency

Build yo' Samich:
On a piece of Rye Bread layer up your hummus and roasted veggies, along with some freshly sliced onions, tomato, and avocado. Top with more rye bread (duh). Your sandwich should be HUGE.

Butter both sides generously with Earth Balance Butter and grill until golden brown, smooshing down with a spatula while grilling.

You could use a Panini grill too, if you had one. I'm old school and not that fancy... however, if someone would like to buy my a panini grill I certainly wouldn't protest. I'll take a VitaMix too, while you're at it.

My blogger friend Cadry got a VitaMix for Valentine's Day. I'm super jealous ;)

What kind of kitchen gadgets do you wish you had?