Meso Hot MISO Soup

I want to share an idea from Pema Chodron’s book, Taking the leap.  She spoke about the lifespan of one particular emotion is one and a half (yes 1.5) minutes. After that, we have to revive the emotion and get it going again.  We feed emotions with our internal chatter usually about how we are ‘not to blame’ for our misery. For some, it’s a lot easier to blame someone else than ourselves. Just some food for thought today my friends! If you’re looking for a quick soup, give this recipe a try.

Miso Soup:

4 cups of clean water

1 cup chopped mushrooms (favorite is shitake)

1 cup kale (favorite is dino kale)

1/2 cup any seaweed (favorite is hijiki)

3-5 T miso (favorite South River Miso Co. any flavor)

2-3 cloves of garlic minced

3 T sesame oil/ toasted chili sesame oil

1 chopped green onions

optional smoked chili peppers

Heat up the garlic, kale and mushrooms with a little oil. Then add the water. Soak the seaweed in a little water to soften, drain, and set aside.  Once the water is semi-hot, take a large spoonful out and place in a small bowl to mix with the miso. Remove pot from the heat and stir in miso. Add the green onions and oil.

Namaste

Garlic, Honey, and Lemon

Garlic, Honey, and Lemon……

Yes, You probably have all of these ingredients on hand, and yes you probably use them quite often, but  have you ever tried combining solely these three powerhouses in one bite?

Garlic: Garlic is one the oldest medicines known to humans and has been found in the ancient Egyptian tombs dating before 5,000 B.C.  Studies conducted at the Public Health Department in New Delhi, India indicate that 98% of people who live to 100 years of age or more consume at least one clove of garlic a day. Garlic has many benefits like lowering blood pressure, blood cleansing, arthritis relief, and decongestant.  Plus garlic packs powerful properties including antibiotic, antiviral, germicidal, antiseptic, and antifungal. The key ingredient in garlic is an organic sulfur compound named allicin. This compound quickly changes into other chemicals and loses its effectiveness when garlic is processed making it difficult to obtain the full medicinal value. Cooking garlic destroys the allicin rendering it negligible for healing. The best way to benefit from garlic’s miracle healing properties is to ingest it in its raw form as quickly as possible.

Honey: Honey has also been found in ancient tombs and temples around the world and is still highly prized for its healing properties. Antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, antibiotic, and a natural preservative, honey does not spoil. Many studies have shown that honey is very effective in healing allergy symptoms. It many uses include external as well as internal applications, and it tastes delicious.

Lemon:  Lemon, an alkaline food, helps to activate and increase the efficiency of the liver. Rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorous, and magnesium, lemons are another miracle food which has been useful in treating colds, flu, scurvy, sore throat, and liver problems.
Known as the ‘holy trinity’ of nature for healing aliments, almost everyone and their grandmother has their own way of incorporating them.  So I present you with another recipe to add to your collection of building the immune support, fighting infection, and general cleansing. This recipe is great as an appetizer or anytime of the day.

Wash and peel a thin outer layer of the lemon. (I say peel because mass majority of citrus fruit is coated with food grade or animal wax  and that’s not too appetizing is it? ) Slice the lemon thinly to get circles. Then remove any seeds. Mince the garlic and marinate from 10 minutes to months in raw local thick honey (The type that has pollen in it and is usually a yellowish color, not a dark see through color).  Place a dollop of the garlic honey marinate over the sliced lemon. Eat fresh.

*I used regular lemon and a Meyer lemon in the photo. Experiment with ratios to find what you like best. Be sure to rinse the mouth well or brush/ floss afterwards to clear out the acid from lemon on the teeth.

Stay funky fresh my friends!

Namaste

 

Kelp Noodle Salad

Last Saturday I went to a raw vegan potluck at Arnold's Way in Landsdale PA. Arnold is a good friend of mine who I love to see as much as possible because he is living his passion and has such a powerful mission he committed his life to. As soon as we see each other we hug for 20 seconds and he picks me up, as we laugh. Arnold tells everyone a 20 second hug CAN heal. (Check out all of his YouTube Videos)

Hugs are amazingly comforting from a loving person. Always thought it had something to do with connecting hearts together and meeting from a place of feeling and sensing as apposed to seeing, Quite frankly I feel we overuse the sense of sight and under use the sense of feeling.

The raw vegan lifestyle had profound effects on my well being and also incorporate it into my daily life. Experimented strictly for a few years and learned so much about my inner strength. When I started raw I took on the hobby of running, started with 3 miles then shortly thereafter got up to 16. That alone proved the benefits of the lifestyle.

At the potluck I was asked to give out the recipe so here it goes:

Kelp Noodle Salad:

1 bag of kelp noodles rinsed and dried

1/2 head of cabbage

2 carrots

1 small  dakion radish

2 green onions

1/4 cup of raw almonds

coconut amions, or low sodium soy sauce

Place kelp noodles in a bowl. Chop up the veggies to preferred size and marinate in soy sauce with kelp noodles.

Dressing:    

3/4 cup of raw sprouted almonds (soaked overnight, then rinsed, drained for 8 hours)
1/2 cup of clean water

 3 T sesame oil

 2 T miso

1 T lemon juice

1 T coconut vinegar

1 T honey or maple syrup

chili flakes, chili powder, and a few drops of ginger therapeutic grade essential oil  

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender (Vitamix). Drizzle dressing and hand mix into salad. 

This salad is great even after days in the refrigerator. Lots of room for variations so please find what you like and give it a try. Get creative, you can place over green salad, wrap it in collards, raw nori or lettuce. 

Stay Funky Fresh my Friends!! :) 

This is an awesome experiment video that shows the power of intention and emotions. My friends keep it high vibe especially in the kitchen. 

 Dr. Masaru Emoto's work opened up doors to a new reality of perceiving and how "we" can profoundly transform ourselves and the world. Intention, loving thoughts, and gratitude have the power to heal and restructure anything. It's simple and doesn't cost a thing, why not try?

Move over Popeye and make room for new craze of KALE!

Eating a wide variety of vegetables is completely beneficial but choosing kale on a regular basis may provide significant health benefits including cancer protection and lower cholesterol. It belongs to the Brassica family that includes cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, collards, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K — and sulphur-containing phytonutrients.

Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds.

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Raw Kale Salad:

1-3 Bunches of any kale variety

2 Avocados

3T Lemon Juice

3 T sesame/ olive oil

3 T Hemp Seeds

Sea salt to taste

Optional minced garlic or herbs to taste

Directions:

1. De steam, wash and dry the kale;

break up the kale in smaller pieces and place in large mixing bowl

2.  Cut the avocados in half, remove pit and put in the bowl with kale

3. Massage the kale until  avocado is evenly distributed

4. Pour the lemon juice, oil, and hemp seeds into salad and season with salt

5. Ground down through your feet, close your eyes and place your hands over the kale salad. Fell your breath rise up to your heart center and send your loving energy into the food.

This kale salad is a tasty staple and takes about 5 minutes to make. It will keep in the fridge for a few days. I like to keep it for a side salad to lunch or dinner, or if I’m really craving kale eat a super size bowl for a meal.

Yes I said “super size”.  Eating healthy foods that are whole and unprocessed are hard to overeat on. If you tune into the body you will receive signals when it’s enough.

 Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built. 

Rumi

Namaste

Rama Bolo Rama Bolo

Rama Bolo Rama Bolo Bolo Bolo Ram


Lord Ram and Sita live in perfect harmony with Dharma, or true human nature.
Their relationship ignites the fire of Truth in oneself.
Lord Hanuman is the pure selfless servant of God. Bestowing the grace of Ram
and Sita, removing all human suffering at its root--Hanuman is the friend of all.

What’s your favorite local restaurant? My favorite is Sprig and Vine. (Shout out!! <3)  If I got $1 for every person I told about that place I would most certainly be a millionaire, and most likely soaking up the sun in Peru or some fantasy land.

Speaking of fantasy…. We were told as kids to think BIG, we can do anything we put our mind to. So, when we “grow up” we are conflicted with ways of living, with the main focus on making money to bring happiness. It sure doesn’t take long to get caught in the hamster wheel of searching for the, “one day I will be happy and able to enjoy all my hard work”.

You can ask the question, what does bring me happiness that I can’t buy with money? What ignites my fire within and makes me jump up and down for joy just from the thought of it?  When I fill my life up with joy, and only settle for what brings fulfillment, that my friend is the fantasy I imagined life to be like, “when I grow up”. Imagination is such an amazing tool. I believe it is the archive of all possibilities in existence. So, the next time you catch yourself fantasizing of something that brings joy, allow it to be. Don’t question or deny the fact that it is possible.

Sprig and Vine’s Tofu Salad Wrap sure sounds good right about now. (I love to recreate my own version of dishes that I get from restaurants.) This following recipe was inspired ….. by Thanks Sprig and Vine!!! (I will see you soon )

Tofu Salad

1 Block of firm/extra firm sprouted tofu

1 yellow/ red pepper

1 cucumber

1 small shallot and green onion

2 stalks of celery

3-5 T of vegeanise or mayonnaise

1 T yellow mustard powder/ or any mustard

1 T dill fresh or dried

1 t turmeric powder 

3 T capers

1 t horseradish paste

1. Cut the tofu into even cute little squares; and cut the veggies into small uniform pieces then set in a mixing bowl.
2. In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise, mustard, herbs, capers, and horseradish. Once evenly mixed with a wooden spoon, gently mix into chopped salad ingredients.
3. As always, Place your hands over the food and send your heart energy and good intentions.

This salad will keep in the fridge for up to a week. I like to use it for wraps, sandwiches, quesadillas, green salad topper, or wrapped in greens. Possibilities are endless. Use your imagination, and above all ENJOY! 

Chocolate!!! Who's craving a creamy dose of hot chocolate? So, Im somewhat famous for my healthy hot chocolate and I love to share with all lovers of chocolateness! (That should be a word)

As you will soon come to realize, I have a passion of creativity in the kitchen. One of my missions is to inspire people to make conscious food and lifestyle choices while connecting with the shakti flow. Shakti is the scared empowerment, primordial cosmic energy, and divine feminine creative power. You see, while recipes and cookbooks are amazing to open up possibilities, we all know exactly what we need at the precise time. Each and every one of you are unique and only you can satisfy your needs on every level. If you become aware of the courage inside to take drivers seat of your vehicle, and fully conscious that is, you soon realize your food is the best ever. (more info to come about this topic… ♥)

So what kind of milk is in your refrigerator? I make mine fresh when needed. It takes literally a minute and one of my favorite aspects of making it on the spot is that I can choose from many nuts or seeds depending on my mood in that moment. My favorites are hemp seeds, almond, cashew, brazil nut, mac nuts, and pumpkin seeds.

Nut/Seed Milk:

1/2 C of your favorite nut or seed (raw cashew in this case)
2 C fresh clean water
1-2 T honey
1/2 t vanilla bean powder or extract

1. If possible, soak nuts or seeds. (benefits include increased enzyme activity, greater absorption of the food's nutrients by the body and increased digestibility) Place the nuts or seeds in a vitamin or high speed blender with all of the ingredients. Blend for 30-60 seconds. Cashew milk does not have to be strained in you have a high speed blender. If you see the milk is not a creamy white consistency, use a nut milk strainer by wrapping it around a jar or bowl and pouring the liquid in allowing the strainer to catch pieces. Simple. Thats a one minute milk recipe that has lots of room for variations. Also, a million times tastier than store bought. :)

So I mentioned hot chocolate, are you waiting for the finale?

Kim's famous hot chocolate:

So instead of using hot water, lets make use of it and carry some medical benefits to this delicious treat. My favorite at the time is chaga mushroom. Yes, sound bizarre? Ok maybe you never heard of it, so keep an open mind please.

Rather than soft like a mushroom, chaga is hard, almost as hard as wood. It is unique, nothing like common mushrooms. In fact, chaga is the most nutritionally dense of all tree growths. Known by the Siberians as the “Gift from God” and the “Mushroom of Immortality,” this vibrant growth has been used by humans to support health for thousands of years. The Japanese call it “The Diamond of the Forest,” while the Chinese deem it “King of Plants.” For the Chinese that is saying a lot, since they have an immense history with countless plants. (from chagaknowledge.com)
So YES, back to the hot chocolate….

Its simple, make a tea with chaga mushroom, starting with 1T per quart. (maybe add a cinnamon stick too) Allow to boil for 20-30 min, then cool down for a bit. Strain the chaga mushroom tea into blender with some nut milk, cocoa powder and, maple syrup. Blend for 30-60 seconds. It will be creamy, warm and frothy.

Please experiment and try different teas a base instead of just water or milk. Its really amazing how good you feel from treating yourself with a chocolate fix. This is also pretty amazing for those craving where you would just love to devour a whole chocolate bar, or two. (Don't act like you haven't been there before!!!)

My friends, I leave you with some inspiration…. jump off your seat and get busy. Oh and I love to dance while making this. Enjoy!

If you have any questions or need help, just post bellow. :)

Namaste! ♥
Kimberly