Making Time for Quiet

 Graphic from LittleBirdieBlessings

My family knows, firsthand, how much I enjoy reading to others! This is one of the reasons that my husband has said, for many years, that I should have been a school teacher! :-) My friend, Teeshalavone, is probably the one who would let me read to her all day long if I so desired. :-) I especially find great JOY in reading Scripture verses (or any related/supporting content) aloud to anyone who will listen. :-)

So, to have had the opportunity to do that to "open ears" last night (and last week) WHILE sharing some calming yoga tools at an Advent 'slowing down/calming' event at Grace Episcopal Church was a blissful, blissful blessing to me!! :-) I got a little teary when I read to a room of many adults, some supporting text to Matthew 14:23 found in "Streams in the Desert."

"...Strength is found not in busyness and noise but in quietness... Our Lord loved the people who flocked to him, but there are numerous accounts in the Scriptures of His going away from them for a brief period of time..."

"The one thing that we need today more than anything else is to spend time alone with our Lord, sitting at His feet in the sacred privacy of His blessed presence. Oh, how we need to reclaim the lost art of meditation! Oh, how we need 'the secret place' (Ps. 91:1 KJV) as part of our lifestyle! Oh, how we need the power that comes from waiting upon God!"

Bottling Strawberry/Aloe Juice

Today, I picked some Aloe while outside mowing the lawn and then made a lovely Strawberry/Aloe Juice!!! It wasn't sweet but still refreshing! Of course I could have added honey but preferred the red juice in its most natural state!

The plump, juicy strawberries I used were local and farm fresh from The Veggie Bin.

In "The Juiceman's Power of Juicing," Jay Kordich says: "Strawberries are high in potassium and iron, which is good for strengthening the blood. The sodium content makes them a valuable tonic for nerves and for keeping glands healthy, which explains why they are considered 'youth' food."

Strawberries are also know for their wonderful vitamin C content and "natural sugars that cleanse the system," Kordich explains.

What a perfect food for spring cleansing!

Why not sip on some Strawberry Juice?

Strawberry/Aloe Hugs,

Penny

Bottling Colorful Creations

I'm basking in the color of the contents of this week's The Veggie Bin items! Ahhh, color bliss! Like the last box, the strawberries are divine! I'm off to add them to some Swiss Chard, Mixed Greens, Cilantro, Water, Coconut Oil, and Honey in the blender...for the result of a healthy smoothie breakfast in about 24 seconds (the time my blender takes to whip it all up).

Colorful Hugs,

Penny

Bottling Tomato Soup-Smoothie

Yesterday, I experimented with making this Tomato Soup-Smoothie for a friend. It turned out well, so I'm planning to make it for my husband and I today. Plus, it's a quick way to use up some tomatoes I have here.

In blender, I put:

~ 3 Tomatoes from The Veggie Bin
~ a handful of Thyme from The Veggie Bin
~ Seasonings: To taste, Himalayan Sea Salt , Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Cayenne Pepper (tiny shake), an assorted Spicy Seasoning Blend I had on hand (just a little shake)
~ Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
~ 4 Dates (or, to taste)

I blended on the smoothie setting until the mixture was nice-n-smooth. The consistency, while fairly thick, was still easy enough to just drink.

About the soup-smoothie, my friend replied:

"Oh that Savory Smoothie was the BOMB!! I slurped it all down and sprinkled in a few kale chips."

What a nice way to get more tomatoes into our systems!

Tomato Hugs, :-)

Penny

"Slice of Blueberry Heaven"

I made this delicious raw-vegan blueberry pie today. My friend, Chloe, named it. "Shall we call it a 'slice of blueberry heaven'?" she asked me when she saw a picture of it on my Facebook page. So, Chloe, a "slice of blueberry heaven" it is! :-)

Chloe wanted to know what ingredients, in addition to the obvious blueberries, were used to create this 'cake-ish' pie. Let's see if I can get it all straight in my mind, because I was just winging it. :-)
For the crust, in the food processor, I fully processed (until it basically couldn't spin any longer):
~ Soaked raw almonds, approx. 2 cups
~ Medjool Dates, pitted, 6
~ Honey, approx. 1 tablespoon or to taste
~ Cinnamon, a good shake...a few times :-)
~ Nutmeg, a good shake...a few times :-)
~ Sea Salt, a pinch or two
~ Garden of Life's Coconut Oil, approx. 1 - 2 tablespoons

This basically made enough to create a crust for both the bottom and top of the pie. I made two "balls" with the crust (it was like Play-doh), and then I pressed the first one down on the plate to spread the crust.

For the sauce, in blender, I put:

~ blueberries, approx. 1 cup

~ more of the above mixture made in the food processor. But, the second time using the food processor, I used 5 Medjool dates (pitted) and a little less of the other ingredients, as well.

~ water, approx. 1 cup or so to get it to all mix in the blender.

After blending, I ended up with a thick-texture for the sauce, however, it was easy to pour over the whole blueberries I had spread on top of the bottom crust.

Next, I spread the other Play-doh-like crust on another plate (for size). Thankfully, I was able to lift it up off the plate with a spatula and then place it on top of the blueberries and sauce.

I poured more of the sauce on the top crust, smeared it around like icing, spread more blueberries on top, and then put in the the refrigerator to set. Actually, I first put it in the freezer for about 30 mins and then moved it to the fridge.

So, what did I do with the leftover sauce?

Made a smoothie but added ice to make it more smoothie-like!

So, as you can see, I've been to blueberry heaven today! :-)

Blueberry Hugs,

Penny

Bottling this Mountain Smoothie

Mountain Smoothie! :-) My teen asks for a smoothie, well, he gets a smoothie. LOL. No, he didn't drink ALL of this. We split it between the family...

Ingredients include: Spinach (a few handfuls), Strawberry (approx. 7), Blueberry (a few handfuls), Banana (2 -3), Water (approx. 2 cups), Honey (to taste).

Smiles,

Penny

A Cruciferous Veggie/Ginger Juice

Who would think all of these ingredients are in this juice: Carrot, Cauliflower, Bok Choy, Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts (1/2 of a whole stalk with sprouts), Parsley, and Ginger? You could end up with a little spicy after-taste, but popping a Barhi Date in the mouth so nicely counteracts that!

Cheers,

Penny