Bucky Raw-nola Recipe

 This was our son's first foray into creating a densely-nutritious, sweet and crunchy delicious raw (dehydrated) granola.  

Soak the following individually in water to cover:

• 2 C. Buckwheat groats
• 1 C. Sunflower Seeds
• 1 C. Thompsons Raisins
• 1/2 C. Pumpkin Seeds

Soak overnight, drain, and rinse and soak for another 8 hours, except for the raisins.  Drain and rinse the raisins and dehydrate for 8 hours at 105 degrees F.  Add the buckwheat and the seeds to the raisins and dehydrate for about 8-12 hours at 105 degrees.

Add the following:

• 1/2 C. Dehulled Hempseed
• 1/2 C. organic unsweetened shredded Coconut
• 1 tsp. organic Cinnamon

The sprouting and the dehydrating both add to the natural sweetness of the granola so no extra sweeteners need to be used


To your living health!

Cosmic Chocolate Chip Bliss Balls

(Back in the day Hippie-I wrote:)

We’re going for an after-church picnic at Tofino Beach (west coast of Vancouver Island– bring your surf board Baby) and I’ve got the Bliss Balls dehydrating away even as I type this… I have made them before and they are a huge hit… they pack a lot of power and are the perfect on-the-go snack for hikers, picnickers, etc. The recipe is from Sunflower Lord’s ebook Comfortably Raw: Chocolate. 

Also worth noting is that this blissful little confection can be made entirely gluten-free... just make sure that your oats, in particular, are gluten-free.

Enjoy!

Ingredients for BLISS BALLS:

For the Chocolate Chunks:
1/4 Cup plus 1 T. Raw Cacoa Powder
1/4 Cup plus 1 T. Carob Powder
1/4 Cup plus 3 T. Agave (or Raw Honey)
1 T. Coconut Oil

Dry Ingredients:

1 Cup shredded Coconut ground into powder in coffee grinder or high speed blender
1 Cup Oatmeal ground into powder in coffee grinder or high speeder blender
1 Cup Oatmeal, left whole
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/4 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/4 Cup shredded Coconut
2 T. Flax Seeds (I use 2 T. Chia Gel– chia seed in water for a couple of hours and added into blender carafe with wet ingredients to follow)
1/2 Cup Raisins
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Agave plus 2 T. (I use Babe’s Raw Wildflower Honey)
2 T. Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
1/2 Cup Water
2 T. Almond Butter

DIRECTIONS:

• Start by making chocolate chunks, as they will require a few hours in the freezer to freeze solidly enough not to melt into the other ingredients. Stir chocolate chunk ingredients together until thoroughly mixed
• Spread chocolate about 1/2 inch thick on a Teflex dehydrator sheet or parchment paper. Freeze for a few hours until chocolate is thoroughly hardened, then remove Teflex sheet and cut with a knife.
• In a mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients together.
• In a blender, blend all wet ingredients together.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly
• Add chocolate chunks last and gently mix
• Roll into balls and place on a Teflex dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 105 degrees F. for 3 to 5 hours

Makes about 30 balls

Delectable!

The Thistle I Eat

 

My hunch was that thistles are probably full of nutrients-- chlorophyl for sure-- and that they would be a nutritious, albeit somewhat bitter, addition to a smoothie.  I didn't think that they would be easy eating in a salad or a sandwich (similar to stinging nettles in that respect).

And then I ran across this very interesting video by Victoria Boutenko's son Sergei, who was traveling the world and presenting workshops on wild edibles.  I'm pretty impressed with what he has to say.  

He mentioned some fruits that he would choose to blend with the thistle.  He also stated that peeling the stem back exposes a tasty stalk that can be chopped and used in salads like celery or cucumber (has the potential to taste like either of these).  

Since I also have a fair representation of thistle in my backyard I believe that I will do a little exploring.  If I come up with any really amazing recipes, I will post them here.

Some notes on the healing and values of the Silybum Marianum or Milk Thistle:
Milk Thistle is the thistle I believe my friend is referring to since it is the thistle that grows rather prolifically in my yard, and we live in the same community. Milk thistle has been used in herbal medicine in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East likely right back to Biblical times.

In the video with Sergei, he explains that the prickly thistle was probably hybridized to create today's various lettuces (and maybe artichokes).  An herbalist writing in 1694 says of the thistle: "

'It is a Friend to the Liver and Blood: the prickles cut off, they were formerly used to be boiled in the Spring and eaten with other herbs; but as the World decays, so doth the Use of good old things and others more delicate and less virtuous brought in.' ~A Modern Herbal/Thistles

At the blog site of the Alternative Medicine College of Canada, the herbalist re-states that the Milk Thistle is a detox agent that is excellent for all kinds of digestive upsets and nausea: food poisoning, excess alcohol consumption, hepatitis, cirrhosis, chemotherapy, and even jaundice.  Milk thistle is also useful for protecting against the damage of environmental pollutants (it is high in antioxidants).  And, I like this one for me: Milk thistle may also play a role in controlling the rise and fall of our blood sugars.

Sheryl-Anne, writing from the Alternative Medicine College blog, gives this recipe for a liver tonic and digestive aid:

• 1/3 tsp. dried chicory root powder
• 1/3 tsp. dried dandelion root powder
• 1/3 tsp. dried Milk Thistle seeds powder

Add to boiling water in a cup, stir, steep and drink.

  

 To your living health!

Plant-Based Cheesecake Snack Cookies

 

Plant-based cheesecake cookie snack

After making a nice tofu Mayo with no oil, no refined sugar, or salt, I began to think of the possibilty of making a similar spread with a cheesecake flavor.  

And while I was at it, why not put together an SOS (no salt, oil or refined sugar) plant-based cookie to slather the cheesecake spread on.

Ingredients

Cheesecake Spread

500g /16 oz. firm tofu

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons Simply Organic lemon flavoring

2 -3 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Snack Cookies

2 cups quick oatmeal

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup medjool dates, pitted and chopped   

Method

Cheesecake Spread (9-12 tablespoons)

1.  Drain and press extra water from tofu.  Cut in cubes and put in bowl of food processor (or blender carafe) with other ingredients.  

2. Pulse until smooth and creamy.  

3. Store for up to 3 days in fridge in container with a lid.

Snack Cookies (9 - 12 cookies)

1. Preheat oven ro 350°F/177°C.  Line a cookie pan with parchment paper

2. Combine all ingredients in a food  processor and pulse until sticky cookie dough forms .  (No food processor? Mince dates and nuts  and combine with oats, apple sauce, maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, lemon flavoring and vanilla well in large bowl to form sticky cookie dough.)

3. Use cookie scoop to form round mounds on parchment.  Pat down into circles. They will not expand when baking. 

4. Bake for about +/-15 minutes.

5. Cool on rack.

6. Stack on a tablespoon of cheesecake spread and berries for a tasty, guilt-free snack.

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Looking for guidance on lifestyle to prevent cognitive decline?  Get a hold of this book by a couple of neurologists-- full of science explained so it is understandable and delicious,brain-healthy recipes:

Want to do some fun fitness *exercises* to go along with the yummy snack cookie?

Check out this post!   (especially for people who have a hard time  committing to standard workouts)