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COLD PASTA SALAD

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1 box, 12oz organic gluten free fusilli cooked according to box instructions.  Drain and put in a bowl adding 1 1/2 tbs. Olive oil so the noodles don’t stick    (Jovial. Thrive Market, Amazon)

1/2 cup organic chopped celery

1/2 cup organic chopped onion

1 minced organic Garlic

1/2 cup organic chopped carrot

1/2 cup organic small cubed zucchini 

1/2 cup chopped green olives 

1/4 cup Raw pumpkin seeds (Go Raw organic sprouts pumpkin seeds. Thrive Market, Costco, Amazon 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 tsp black pepper 

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup Kite Hill Sour Cream

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise  (Follow Your Heart grapeseed oil vegenaise Whole Foods or  Thrive Market Mayonnaise)

In a large bowl combine cooked noodles, all the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 

*Optional: When plated you can grate VioLife Just Like Parmesan -Style cheese alternative on the pasta salad. (Whole Foods)

GRANOLA

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Preheat oven to 325°

3 cups organic gluten free sprouted rolled oats (Farmers We Know. Thrive Market or Amazon)

5 tablespoons melted Nutiva vegan butter (Thrive Market, Vitacost)

3/4 cup organic maple syrup (Thrive Market Brand) 

1/2 cup each:

*Raw organic almonds (all nuts Terrasoul. Terrasol.com, or Amazon)

*Raw organic pecans

*Raw organic walnuts 

*Raw organic pumpkin seeds (GoRaw.@GoRaw.com, iHerb or Amazon)

1 cup Organic Garbanzo beans, drained and dried (Jacks Quality. Thrive Market or Amazon)

1/2 tablespoon Simply Organic vanilla

1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic almond flavor

1 tsp Simply Organic cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

 In a large bowl combine the oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and pecans, garbanzo beans and almonds. 

Melt the butter. Add the maple syrup, vanilla, almond flavor and cinnamon and mix well. 

Pour the butter mixture evenly over the granola mix. Stir up all the ingredients making sure it is well coated. 

Use a large cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour the granola on the parchment paper and spread it out evenly. 

Bake 325 degrees for 25-40 minutes or until it’s got the crunch you like. 

Half way through cooking stir it up a bit. Let it cool completely then store it in an air tight container. It will get crunchier as it cools completely. I let it sit out on the cookie sheet over night covered with another piece of parchment paper making sure it drys out completely. 

COCONUT CREAM PIE 

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*MAKE THE PIE CRUST FIRST. Recipe below. 

FILLING

3 cups organic coconut cream (Let’s Do Organic. Thrive Market)

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons of organic tapioca granules

(Let’s Do Organic. Thrive Market)

6 tablespoons organic powdered agave (Health Garden. health garden.com, iherb or Amazon)

3/4 cup organic shredded coconut (Anthony’s. Anthony’s.com or Amazon)

1/2 tablespoon Simply Organic vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Simple Organic coconut  flavor  

  

In a saucepan bring the coconut cream to a boil. Lower to a simmer and stir in the tapioca granules and salt. Stir while cooking for about 15-20 minutes until the tapioca is completely transparent. 

The longer it cooks the thicker it will be. Remove from heat and stir in the agave powder, vanilla and coconut flavor. 

Preheat oven to 350°

PIE CRUST 

3 cups organic gluten free flour (Namaste. Namaste foods.com or Amazon)

1 cup melted organic vegan butter flavored coconut oil (Nutiva. Thrive Market or Amazon)

7 tablespoons organic cold almond milk (Elmhurst. Thrive Market)

2 tablespoons organic agua faba (liquid from the garbanzo beans)

1 tablespoon organic maple syrup or agave 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Put the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir it up. 

In  a measuring cup measure the vegan butter. Add the milk, maple syrup, and agua faba. Beat with a whisk. 

Add to the liquid to the flour and mix. Don’t  over mix that will make the dough tough. Roll out in between 2 pieces of parchment paper. 

Transfer the dough to a pie pan. Put pie chain in the bottom of the pie pan so it doesn’t bubble up while cooking.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes. If it’s getting too brown cover with parchment paper. 

COCONUT CREAM TOPPING

2 – 5.4oz Native Forest organic coconut cream (Amazon)

Store your coconut cream in the refrigerator so it’s alway ready to whip up.

4 tablespoons organic agave powder 

1 teaspoon Simply Organic vanilla

With your rotary beaters whip up all the ingredients. 

Spread evenly on your refrigerated pie. 

Grate chocolate on top. 

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP 

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1 # organic frozen broccoli (Whole Foods, Thrive Market has Cascadian Farms) 

4 tablespoons vegan butter (Nutiva. Thrive Market, iherb, co-op market, Amazon)

2 tablespoons finely chopped organic shallot

1 tablespoon finely minced organic garlic

1/2 cup finely chopped organic celery

1/2 teaspoon Simply Organic Thyme (simplyorganic.com, iherb, Thrive Market, Amazon)

1 teaspoon sea salt

24 oz organic vegetable broth (Bonafide. Thrive Market or Amazon)

3 tablespoons organic nutritional yeast (Simply Organic. simplyorganic.com, iherb, Thrive Market, Amazon)

1/2 cup organic almond milk (Elmhurst. Thrive Market) 

Organic raw pumpkin seeds to top (Go Raw. GoRaw.com or Amazon)

Simply Organic dried chives (simplyorganic.com, iherb, Thrive Market, Amazon)

Is sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the shallot, garlic and celery. Saute until soft. 

Add the broccoli, thyme, sea salt, broth, nutritional yeast.

Heat it all up making sure the broccoli is cooked through. 

Add it all to a blender along with the almond milk. Blend until smooth. 

In your serving bowl add the pumpkin seeds and chives. 

ROASTED ORGANIC PLUM TOMATOES

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I used about 25 plum tomatoes. They were on the smaller size. 

Cut them in circles.

The tomatoes filled a large bar pan. 

Organic spray Olive oil (Thrive Market Brand from Thrive Market)

One handful, fresh organic basil

One handful, fresh organic oregano

3/4 cup organic olive oil (Thrive Market Brand from Thrive Market) 

1/8 cup organic vegan butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bulb organic garlic cloves 

Preheat oven on roast at 400°

* On a parchment line bar pan place all of the tomatoes cut side up.

*In a small food processor add the basil, oregano, olive oil, vegan butter, salt, and the bulb of garlic. Blend until smooth.

*With a pastry brush, brush on the olive oil mixture,  generously.

Roast in the oven about 10-20 minutes depending on size.

PUMPKIN MUFFINS

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INGREDIENTS

Preheat oven to 350° 

1 cup organic Pumpkin, canned

1/2 cup organic apple sauce

4 tablespoons organic aqua faba (liquid from organic garbanzo beans)

 1 1/2 cups organic rolled oats, gluten free

OR 1 1/2 cups organic Quinoa Flakes

1/2 cup organic fine almond flour (Terrasoul. Terrasoul.com, Amazon)

4 tbsp organic yacon syrup (Alovitox. Amazon)

2 tablespoons raw honey 

1/2 tsp Baking powder

 1 tsp Baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon organic stevia (SweetLeaf. Thrive Market, Vitacost)

1/2 cup organic dark chocolate chips (Just Date. Enjoyjustdates.com, Whole Foods, Amazon)

1/2 cup organic chopped pecans (Terrasoul. Terrasoul.com or Amazon)

1 teaspoons Simply Organic cinnamon 

1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic clove

1/4 teaspoons Simply Organic ginger

 1/2 tsp Sea salt

1 tsp Simply Organic Vanilla extract

1/4 cup organic olive oil (Thrive Market)

Get a muffin tin and line it with paper cups. 

*In a mixing bowl add the 4 tablespoons aqua faba and whip until frothy.

*In the same mixing bowl put together the wet ingredients.  Pumpkin, applesauce, yacon syrup, honey, olive oil, stevia and vanilla. Mix all of the wet ingredients with an immersion blender. 

*Add all the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Add quinoa flakes, almond flour, cinnamon, clove, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt and mix together well.

Put the batter into the muffin papers. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Top the muffin with almond yogurt and Eden’s dried cranberries.

VEGAN GLUTEN FREE BREAD (inspired by Megan Lavin’s recipe)

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Preheat oven 350

3 cups organic gluten free flour blend (namaste. Amazon)

1 tablespoon organic pyllum husk flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (Caputo. Amazon)

1 teaspoon coconut sugar (or any other powdered sweetener)

1/4 cup organic maple syrup

6 tablespoons aqua faba (liquid from garbanzo beans)

1/4 cup vegan butter, melted 

First thing is to do is to proof the yeast. In a measuring cup, measure 1 1/2 cups of warm water (110°). Add the 2 1/4 teaspoons powdered yeast and the 1 teaspoon coconut sugar. Allow to sit for 10 – 15 minutes.  

Now put all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. 

In a separate bowl add the aqua faba, melted vegan butter and maple syrup and the proofed yeast mixture. 

With the paddle attachment on your mixer blend the dry ingredients on low until well combined. 

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. On medium mix the dough for about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides. 

In a bread pan, line it with parchment paper. Spray organic olive oil on the parchment paper. Spread the bread dough out evenly in the bread pan. Press it down evenly in the pan. Spray a piece of Saran Wrap and place sprayed side down on top of the bread pan. 

Allow to raise in a warm place until it reaches the top of the bread pan. 

Approximately 40-45 minutes to raise. 

When it is done raising bake in the middle part of the oven 40-45 minutes. 

If looking too brown cover the top with parchment paper. 

KNOWING THE ESSENTIAL OILS  NOTE 

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All essential oils have what is called “a note”. The notes are called a top note, a middle note and a base note. When blending essential oils, to get the best synergistic aroma, the blend will contain at least one essential oil from the top note, middle note and base note. Top notes evaporate more quickly and base notes more slowly. The top note aroma is noticed first before the middle and the base note scent. The base note will linger on allowing for a longer lasting blend. This can be a fun thing to play around with. First decide on what your blend is being used for, that will determine what essential oils you will want to pick. So, for sleep you may go with Bergamot, Lavender, Vetiver. Of course you can pick as many essential oils as you please.  Rule of thumb is your blend will contain 30% top note essential oils, 50% middle note essential oils and 20% base note essential oils. Three to five essential oils in an average blend is nice.  

*Here’s an allergy blend for the diffuser: 6 drops Lavender, 10 drops Basil, 4 drops Eucalyptus.

TOP NOTE OILS:

Basil, Bergamot, Blue Cypress, Clary Sage, Eucalyptus, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Grapefruit, Lemongrass, Lime, Melissa Neroli, Orange, Peppermint, Tea Tree

MIDDLE NOTE OILS:

Bergamot, Black Pepper, Blue Cypress, Blue Tancy, Cinnamon, Clary Sage, Chamomile, Citronella, Clove, Cypress, Eucalyptus Geranium, Ginger, Balsam, Hyssop, Jasmine, Juniper, Lavender, Manuka, Melissa, Myrrh, Neroli, Peppermint, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Ylang Ylang

BASE NOTE OILS: 

Angelica, Balsam, Copaiba, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Frankincense, Ginger, Helicrysum, Myrrh, Patchouli, Rose, Ginger, Sandalwood, Spikenard, Vanilla, Valerian, Vetiver, Ylang Ylang

BRAIN AND NOSE WORKING TOGETHER

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The nose is one of the first places an essential oil enters the body to do its work. 

It is important to understand our olfactory system and how it connects absorbing the scent of essential oils so that they can be utilized within body.  

The olfactory pathway and our sense of smell connect mind and memory. The Olfactory system is where aromatherapy begins. We inhale a scent and our nerve cells in the olfactory bulb transport the molecules to the limbic system. The important part of the limbic system for this research is the Hippocampus. The Hippocampus plays a vital role in learning, forming short-term memory, and retaining long term memories. The Hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage in Alzheimer’s. 

“Because the Hippocampus is closely related with learning and memory the compounds found in essential oils can be potential drugs in Alzheimer therapies.”

(PubMed Essential Oils and Pure Volatile Compounds as Potential Drugs in Alzheimer’s Disease)

The odor molecules travel to the Hypothalamus where the chemistry of essential oils call on the pituitary to release endorphins and enkephalins. They act as natural pain killers or create a feel good sensation. The chemistry of essential oils with their therapeutic effects creates a release of endorphins and enkephalins in the body. Within these hormones is serotonin, a happy chemical or feel good hormone making one feel relaxed and calm. A second hormone epinephrine keeps you alert and stimulated. The therapeutic and restorative properties of essential oils may help regulate and control anxiety, stress, anger, or pain within the body when inhaled and passed through the olfactory system. 

In addition to our limbic system, our brains are divided into left and right hemispheres. The right brain is our soul, ego, creativity and our true being. When Lavender oil is inhaled and it influences the feeling of calm, relaxation or safety, it is the signal that the emotional right brain is doing its job. The left side of the brain is the cognitive side. This part of your brain recalls the scent that you just inhaled.  It associates Lavender with those particular emotions, memories and past experiences on how that smell will effect the body and the mind. The beauty of our left/right brain is it works together to influence and integrate our mind and body. 

An exercise to do everyday to balance the hemispheres of the brain is super brain yoga. A quick and easy exercise that takes only 5 minutes. There is a demonstration of Super Brain Yoga on YouTube. Pick an essential oil that is calling to you for that particular day. Put a couple drops of essential oil  in the palm of your hand. With a finger from your other hand release the essential oils natural energy by circling your finger clockwise three times. Bring it to your nose and inhale. Now you are ready to proceed with doing Super Brain Yoga. It’s amazing how you will find a balance in how you think and feel. 

NINGXIA RED

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Ningxia is made of wolf berry purée which is made from whole gogi berries.
Goji berries are high in antioxidants which can help detoxify the liver and kidneys. There are large amounts of vitamin C which can boost collagen production. Collagen is a protein responsible for healthy joints and skin elasticity. Collagen may improve skin health and gut health, may relieve joint pain, may prevent bone loss and boost muscle mass. It may also improve hair and nails, may help maintain the brain, promote heart health or even help with weight support.
“The goji berry also contains Lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid nutraceutical that enhances protection against cancer, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, neurodegenerative disease and inflammatory disease.” (Very Well Health)
“Lycopene has shown to boost levels or pro collagen in the skin significantly, which scientists feel has the potential to reverse skin damage caused by aging.” (WebMd)
Ninxgia is high fiber and protein and contains vitamins A and C. These vitamins help boost the immune system. Ninxgia contains essential amino acids and minerals that also support the immune system and strengthen bones and muscles.
Ninxgia red is a powerful antioxidant which may reduce inflammation. It helps regulate blood sugar and can provide a natural energy boost.

NINGXIA SMOOTHIE
1/2 cup Almond Milk
1/2 cup Ninxgia Red
1/2 cup frozen berries
1/2 banana
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Kite Hill Greek Yogurt
Blend it up in a blender.

I use the Ningxia Red to take my anti-inflammatory/calm the emotions blend.
In a shot of Ningxia I add 1 drop of each of these Young Living Essential oils.
German Chamomile – fights inflammation, calming, allergies, cleanse the blood.
Lavender – analgesic, anti inflammatory, antihistamine, antidepressant.
Basil – anti inflammatory, antioxidant, energizing.
Bergamot – analgesic, anti inflammatory, grief support, uplifting.
Copaiba – powerful anti inflammatory, analgesic, anxiety.
I slam it down and chase it with whatever. Usually some more Ningxia.