Coconut peanut dressing

Enjoy this on top of lightly steamed Kale and some grains!

Coconut peanut dressing:
1 garlic clove
2 inch piece of ginger
1 large bunch of fresh cilantro
1 TBSP Olive oil
3/4 cup peanut butter (natural, no sugar)
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 TBSP vinegar
1/2 can of coconut milk (not the light kind)
Blend 1st 3 ingredients in blender until chopped, add the rest and blend until smoothe. keep refrigerated, or I make some, and then freeze the rest in ice cube trays so they are easy to defrost in small quantities.

A life without becomes

Without

distress, lack, time, expectation, attachment

life becomes

calm, abundant, spacious, connected, free.

~Brenda Adams

Herbs That Restore Adrenal Function

Feeling tired, depressed, sick all the time? Read this!

Herbs That Restore Adrenal Function

The adrenal glands are two tiny organs that sit on top of the kidneys and produce hormones and neurotransmitters. The cortex, or outer layer of the glands, produces cortisone, cortisol, aldosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone; the medulla, or inner section, produces adrenaline and noradrenalin. These hormones regulate the body's stress response and many other functions. When the adrenals are overstressed, you may experience fatigue, appetite loss, depression and a compromised immune system. Herbs can help reduce stress and restore optimum adrenal health.

Astragalus
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus), also known as milk vetch, is an important herb in Western and traditional Chinese medicine, where it is used as a tonic for the immune system. James Balch, M.D. and Phyllis Balch note that immune deficiency is a symptom of "adrenal burnout," and they recommend astragalus to improve adrenal function and reduce stress. Do not take astragalus if you have a fever.

Milk Thistle
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an herb indicated for treating liver problems or for toning the liver. Balch and Balch recommend it because a properly functioning liver will reduce the body's toxin load and relieve stress on the adrenals.

Valerian
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a popular herb to treat sleep disorders that relate to stress. Valerian may calm the nerves, promote sleep and enhance adrenal health.

Borage
Borage (Borago officinalis) is an aromatic herb used in cooking and herbal medicine. Borage essential oil has mild anti-depressant actions and is used as a general tonic and to treat stress. Balch and Balch state that borage tones and balances the adrenals. Borage contains alkaloids that may damage the liver if taken in excessive amounts over a prolonged period.

Siberian Ginseng
Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus), also known as eleuthero, is considered to be an adaptogen, that is, an herb that regulates hormone production and helps the body cope with stress. It is used to treat disorders that result from adrenal exhaustion, including poor memory, low endurance and immune deficiency. In the book "Medical Herbalism: the Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine," herbalist David Hoffmann recommends Siberian ginseng, citing the herb's eleutherosides, chemicals that bind to hormonal receptors, as the core ingredients in the plant that impact the adrenal medulla.

Licorice
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) contains glycyrrhizic and glycyrrhetic acids, which have a chemical structure similar to the natural hormonal steroids produced by the adrenal glands. Glycyrrhizic and glycyrrhetic acid bind to the cortisol and aldosterone receptors and mimic the effects of those hormones. Licorice has been effective in treating Addison's disease, a disorder of the adrenal glands. A study published in the 2007 issue of the Annals of Clinical Biochemistry found that the glycyrrhizic and glycyrrhetinic acids in licorice enhanced the adrenal production of hormones and prevented kidney failure in a patient with Addison's disease. Licorice can raise blood pressure and should not be taken if you have hypertension.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/91634-herbs-restore-adrenal-function/#ixzz162RqjzTE

Going Easy

Going Easy

Go easy. You may have to push forward, but you don't have to push so hard. Go in gentleness, go in peace.

Do not be in so much of a hurry. At no day, no hour, no time are you required to do more than you can do in peace. Frantic behaviors and urgency are not the foundation for our new way of life.

Do not be in too much of a hurry to begin. Begin, but do not force the beginning if it is not time. Beginnings will arrive soon enough.

Enjoy and relish middles, the heart of the matter.

Do not be in too much of a hurry to finish. You may be almost done, but enjoy the final moments. Give yourself fully to those moments so that you may give and get all there is.

Let the pace flow naturally. Move forward. Start. Keep moving forward. Do it gently, though. Do it in peace. Cherish each moment.

Today, God, help me focus on a peaceful pace rather than a harried one. I will keep moving forward gently, not frantically. Help me let go of my need to be anxious, upset, and harried. Help me replace it with a need to be at peace and in harmony.

You are reading from the book:

The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie

What I dream for women and young girls

Here is what I submitted to Minnesota Women's Press to be included in the December edition. It answers the question: "What do I dream of changing for women and girls?"

I dream of changing for women the way they view and love themselves. I desire to be an encourager, a healer, and a guide for them to live out their true, authentic selves and to really know the meaning to honor, respect, cherish, and love themselves. For women to honor authenticity, expression of their gifts, creativity, and knowing and embodying their power to heal and change the course of history. For women to know the powerful role models they are to young girls. I want women and young girls to be free to be....themselves. The beautiful, amazing, and powerful creatures they are. I dream of changing the way women view themselves and then in turn change the way that young girls view themselves. Beauty revealed in truth, realness, self-expression, and love. It is my mission to help set them free....to be.

Awaken to the ordinary beauty

Awaken to the ordinary beauty...

Our lives are filled with demands, responsibilities, expectations, places to go, people to see, things to do. We may get so caught up in the next task that we miss the golden moment happening right now. No matter where we are or what we are doing, if we stop to breathe slowly and notice our surroundings, we will find something to appreciate. We may see a glint of light reflecting off a pane of glass, the look in a friend's eyes, or a small thoughtful thing that our partner does.

Spiritual development is nourished by our senses. The sights, sounds, tastes, touch, and scents in our immediate surroundings are the doorway to awe and mystery. When we awaken to the ordinary beauty in our everyday lives, warm and loving parts of ourselves grow and extend out to those we love.

Quiet yourself for a moment, slowly breathe in and out, and focus on something you appreciate.

An excerpt from: The More We Find in Each Other by Merle Fossum and Mavis Fossum.

Yeast Free Ketchup Ingredients

Yeast Free Ketchup Ingredients
2 – 6 oz cans tomato paste
1/2 cup water
3 packets sweet leaf stevia
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 /2 cup lemon juice
pinch cinnamon (optional)
pinch ground cloves (optional)
pinch cumin (optional)

Yeast Free Ketchup Directions
Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. You can adjust spices according to your taste.

My new favorite inspirational writing

The Awakening
by Sonny Carroll



There comes a time in your life when you finally get it... When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out - ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world from a new perspective. This is your awakening.

You realize that it is time to stop hoping and waiting for something, or someone, to change or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that there aren’t always fairytale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you. Then a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

So you begin making your way through the “reality of today” rather than holding out for the “promise of tomorrow.” You realize that much of who you are, and the way you navigate through life is, in great part, a result of all the social conditioning you’ve received over the course of a lifetime. And you begin to sift through all the nonsense you were taught about:

* how you should look and how much you should weigh
* what you should wear and where you should shop
* where you should live or what type of car your should drive
* who you should sleep with and how you should behave
* who you should marry and why you should stay
* the importance of having children or what you owe your family

Slowly you begin to open up to new worlds and different points of view. And you begin reassessing and redefining who you are and what you really believe in. And you begin to discard the doctrines you have outgrown, or should never have practiced to begin with.

You accept the fact that you are not perfect and that not everyone will love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are... and that’s OK... they are entitled to their own views and opinions. And, you come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a “perfect 10” Or a perfect human being for that matter. So you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head or agonizing over how you compare. And you take a long look at yourself in the mirror and you make a promise to give yourself the same unconditional love and support you give so freely to others. Then a sense of confidence is born of self-approval.

And, you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” hungry for your next fix, a new dress, another pair of shoes or looks of approval and admiration from family, friends or even strangers who pass by. Then you discover that “it is truly in giving that we receive and that the joy and abundance you seek grows out of the giving. And you recognize the importance of “creating” & “contributing” rather than “obtaining” & “accumulating.”

And you give thanks for the simple things you’ve been blessed with; things that millions of people upon the face of the earth can only dream about a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed and the freedom to pursue your own dreams.

And then you begin to love and to care for yourself. You stop engaging in self-destructive behaviors including participating in dysfunctional relationships. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and exercising. And because you’ve learned that fatigue drains the spirit and creates doubt and fear, you give yourself permission to rest. And just as food is fuel for the body, laughter is fuel for the spirit and so you make it a point to create time for play.

Then you learn about love and relationships, how to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving and when to walk away. And you allow only the hands of a lover who truly loves and respects you to glorify you with his touch. You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say, intentionally or unintentionally and that not everyone will always come through and interestingly enough, it’s not always about you. So, you stop lashing out and pointing fingers or looking to place blame for the things that were done to you or weren’t done for you. And you learn to keep your Ego in check and to acknowledge and redirect the destructive emotions it spawns; anger, jealousy and resentment.

You learn how to say I was wrong and to forgive people for their own human frailties. You learn to build bridges instead of walls and about the healing power of love as it is expressed through a kind word, a warm smile or a friendly gesture. And, at the same time, you eliminate any relationships that are hurtful or fail to uplift and edify you. You stop working so hard at smoothing things over and setting your needs aside. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK and that it is your right to want or expect certain things. And you learn the importance of communicating your needs with confidence and grace. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and that eventually martyrs are burned at the stake. Then you learn to distinguish between guilt, and responsibility and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn that you don’t know all the answers, it’s not your job to save the world and that sometimes you just need to Let Go.

Moreover, you learn to look at people as they really are and not as you would want them to be, and you are careful not to project your neediness or insecurities onto a relationship. You learn that you will not be, more beautiful, more intelligent, more lovable or important because of the man on your arm or the child that bears your name. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love and relationships and that that not everyone can always love you the way you would want them to. So you stop appraising your worth by the measure of love you are given. And suddenly you realize that it’s wrong to demand that someone live their life or sacrifice their dreams just to serve your needs, ease your insecurities, or meet “your” standards and expectations. You learn that the only love worth giving and receiving is the love that is given freely without conditions or limitations. And you learn what it means to love. So you stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that “alone” does not mean “lonely” and you begin to discover the joy of spending time “with yourself” and “on yourself.” Then you discover the greatest and most fulfilling love you will ever know. Self Love. And so, it comes to pass that through understanding your heart heals; and now all new things are possible.

Moving along, you begin to avoid Toxic people and conversations. And you stop wasting time and energy rehashing your situation with family and friends. You learn that talk doesn’t change things and that unrequited wishes can only serve to keep you trapped in the past. So, you stop lamenting over what could or should have been and you make a decision to leave the past behind. Then you begin to invest your time and energy to affect positive change. You take a personal inventory of all your strengths and weaknesses and the areas you need to improve in order to move ahead. You set your goals and map out a plan of action to see things through.

You learn that life isn’t always fair and you don’t always get what you think you deserve and you stop personalizing every loss or disappointment. You learn to accept that sometimes bad things happen to good people and that these things are not an act of God... but merely a random act of fate.

And you stop looking for guarantees because you’ve learned that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected and that whatever happens, you’ll learn to deal with it. And you learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time FEAR itself. So you learn to step right into and through your fears because to give into fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. You learn that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophesy and you learn to go after what you want and not to squander your life living under a cloud of indecision or feelings of impending doom.

Then, YOU LEARN ABOUT MONEY... the personal power and independence it brings and the options it creates. And you recognize the necessity to create your own personal wealth. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself by yourself and you make yourself a promise to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart’s desire. Then a sense of power is born of self-reliance. And you live with honor and integrity because you know that these principles are not the outdated ideals of a by-gone era but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build your life. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting and to stay open to every wonderful opportunity and exciting possibility. Then you hang a wind chime outside your window to remind yourself what beauty there is in Simplicity.

Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side you take a stand, you FAKE a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

A word about the Power of Prayer: In some of my darkest, most painful and frightening hours, I have prayed not for the answers to my prayers or for material things but for my “God” to help me find the strength, confidence and courage to persevere; to face each day and to do what I must do.

Remember this: “You are an expression of the almighty. The spirit of God resides within you and moves through you. Open your heart, speak to that spirit and it will heal and empower you.” My “God” has never failed me.

© Sonny Carroll, 1999. All Rights Reserved.

Posted with permission of the author, Sonny Carroll. For permission to post, contact sonny@waketolife.com and visit her website, Wake To Life

Raw Brownies w/ Icing

This is the BEST brownie recipe ever!!

Ingredients:
2 full cups of walnuts
2 tsp. of raw blue agave nectar
2 cups of dates!
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup of cocoa powder

Put all ingredients into a food processor and grind them until they resemble potting soil, then pat them into an 8 X 8 inch pan.

Frosting:
2 avocados- (yes avocado!)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup raw blue agave nectar
dash of cinnamon
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
dash of salt

Use a food processor or blender to mix up the frosting ingredients, and spread it on the brownies. Let it chill in the refrigerator for an hour, cut, and serve. You'll find it hard to believe that avocado forms the base of this frosting! The texture is wonderful, but remember that the shelf life is shorter. They don't usually last long enough for this to be a problem, though! This recipe will make about 8-10 nice-sized brownies.

Serve with an ice cold glass of raw milk, a hot mug of your favorite tea, or a scoop of raw ice cream.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies-yeast-free and gluten-free

Wheat Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup rice flour (brown or white)
3/4 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg or equivalent egg-replacer
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use coconut oil)
1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats (the “1 minute” variety)
1/4 cup (sweetened) shredded coconut (you don't have to use if you don't want to!)
3/4 cup chocolate chips (I get dairy-free)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, salt, spices and sugars.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg/egg-replacer, vegetable oil, water and vanilla extract. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until no streaks of flour(s) remain. Stir in oats, coconut and chocolate chips (can reduce chocolate chips to 1/2 cup if you like your cookies a bit less chocolaty, or simply substitute raisins).
Drop 1-inch balls of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until light gold at the edges.

Cool completely on a wire rack
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits

Light and Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits-they are yeast-free and sugar free too!

(Yield: 16 large biscuits)

1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
2 c. corn starch*
1/2 c. soy flour or sorghum flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 stick of butter* (chilled in the freezer)
1 1/4 c. soy milk*
1 1/4 c. water
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar*
1 egg, beaten (or the equivalent amount of your favorite egg replacement)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl thoroughly combine the flours, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum.

3. Grate the butter into the flour using the small holed side of a box grater. Mix the butter into the flour so that there are no large balls of grated butter.

4. Add the soy milk, water, vinegar and beaten egg to the flour and stir until the dry and liquid ingredients are combined.

5. Using a large spoon, drop the dough onto a greased pan to make 16 biscuits. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Another decade on my beautiful life journey

Inspired by my friend Kerry, I am reflecting on the last 10 years of my life 2000-2010!! After looking back, I have realized that I have been on quite the journey of learning who I was meant to be, exploring new paths, trying new things, discovering new things about myself, life, God, relationships, and living in confidence and grace.

2000
Class of 2000! I graduated high school at the ripe age of 17. All I thought I wanted to be was a personal trainer and help people live healthy lives. I started out at Loras College in Dubuque, IA majoring in Exercise Science and ran Cross-Country. After a semester of running being life life and a small college seeming too much like high school, I packed up my bags and moved back home.

2001
Continued a pursuit of school and decided to attend the University of Northern Iowa. I spent a summer at a Bible camp for Inner-city kids outside of Peoria, IL. It was the most rewarding and most challenging summer of my life! I loved working with at-risk youth..who are amazing kids who just need love. That spurred me on to get a degree in Youth and Human Services. Lived in the dorms with my friend Melynda from High School.

2002
Continued at UNI. Spent the summer doing an internship with the Navigators, a Christian college ministry, at Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado as a Day camp counselor. Oh how I loved living in the mountains!! Lived with Kathy, Jenna and Kara in a house right by campus.

2003
Moved into a house off campus with Emily, Emily, and Amy. Had a blast! Spent the year working part-time at SureCare Services as a Care Assistant for the elderly. I loved working with them!

2004
Wow, this was one hard year! Graduated from college with honors, which was awesome! The not so fun part was going through a lot of health issues that year..learned even more about nutrition, antibiotics, and more about what the body needs to thrive! Went through a super hard transition from college (knowing what I was doing) to not knowing what to do next! The world was at my fingertips and I didn't know which way to go. I stayed in Cedar Falls for another few months and then moved home for a few months.

2005
Moved to Des Moines, IA--spent time working at a fitness center and substitute teaching. Then I got a job at Wesley Acres Retirement Community as an Activities Assistant. I learned how to teach fitness classes for seniors. It was so fun! I lived in Waukee with Bethany. I met many amazing people through Immersion at Lutheran Church of Hope. They became my community and best friends.

2006
I moved into my own studio apartment in downtown Des Moines. I became 1/2 time Assistant Activities Coordinator and 1/2 time Wellness Coordinator. I really enjoyed my job working with the residents. It was like having 300 grandparents! My dad became really sick, really quickly, and ended up losing a fight with lung cancer on June 30, 2006. Definitely one of the hardest and most surreal days of my life. By the strength God gave me I was able to speak at his funeral and share the importance of forgiveness. God had done an amazing miracle in our relationship a couple years before he died. Thus began a grieving process. I joined the Central Iowa Tobacco-free Partnership and signed up to co-chair. I wanted to do what I could to help people prevent going through what my dad did. I also signed up for graduate school, an online Health Promotion Management program. I cried a lot that year. I had an amazing support of friends love on me and be there for me.

2007
I moved in with Nicole and Jen into 620 19th St. Des Moines into the best house ever! We had a blast living together! I took a new opportunity with the American Lung Association as a Project Coordinator for the Central Iowa Tobacco-free Partnership. I got to work with some amazing people and be out in the community doing education on tobacco prevention and policy. I grew leaps and bounds. The most ironic thing happened at the end of the year. Most of the ALA employees came down with Histoplasmosis! (Histo-plas-what?!!) That's exactly what I thought to! Basically I was sick with flu like symptoms for like a month--it was pretty much horrible! Not the best way to end a year! I also almost moved to Oregon...almost!

2008
This year was huge and lots of changes, I mean LOTS of changes! I had the amazing opportunity to travel to lots of cool places--Seattle, West Palm Beach, and Phoenix. I worked with an amazing group of women to plan a conference for young adult women, called Bella. The event didn't end up happening, but it would be great to do something like that again. I had thought it was time to settle down in West Des Moines so when Carrie and Perry's townhome came up for sale, I jumped on it! Little did I know that I would live in it less than 6 months! I also had a once in a lifetime opportunity to spend 6 weeks doing a leadership program called Young Leaders at Wilderness North in Northern MN. We learned about lots of different areas of knowledge--history, education, religion, business, etc. We lived in cabins, we worked on work projects, we had class sessions, read books, took trips to Duluth, took a trip to the boundary waters and to the Apostle Islands...it is also where I met Jeremy Erdman my now hubby! It was a time of getting to know each other as friends..but we had a deep soul connection that I still to this day do not understand, nor do I want to. We had a lot in common but yet are SO different. I really wrestled with God on it b/c I knew that Jeremy really liked me but I was so scared of getting hurt and losing my independence as a single gal. But he pretty much won me over and I spent a lot of time listening and really believed it was meant to be. After we left Wilderness North we both pretty much knew that this was the real deal and that we wanted to be together. I went back to Iowa to prepare for moving to MN...quit my job, looked for one's up in the cities, and asked God to provide in miraculous ways--and he did! I got a new job as a Wellness Coordinator, rented my townhome, found a place to live with friends of Jeremy's for free, and things just fell into place. We dated a couple months, were engaged a couple months, and had a on December 13, 2008. It was actually really amazing how everything came together in a short period of time and with the help of my amazing mother and the coordinator in me. A few months later, my best friend Nicole showed me the note that her and Jen had written and put under the sink in our house that said "By February 2009, Kari will be married!"...well, maybe if we really do believe in our hearts desires and wait for the perfect time, they really will happen!

2009
Wow,what a year of continued transition--ups and downs, grieving my old life, embracing my new life, growing, making mistakes, forgiving, loving, being a wife, thinking about who I want to be. The year started out with lots of trip to Iowa to see my Grandma who went to be with the Lord on February 4, 2009. That was really hard as she was really involved in my life, an amazing example, and her and my grandpa had been married for 70 years!

Jeremy and I had an eventful year! Moved into a place in Taylors Falls MN we called "The Loft". I joined the choir and we joined as youth group leaders. I went and visited Nicole out in Utah for a week! I began a new job with the MN Institute of Public Health! We bought our first place! We paid off our consumer debt. We invested in a remodeling job in our new house. We took a scuba diving class. We went to a bed and breakfast. We started working at Makers Healthy Market very part-time. We took a trip out West! I got to travel to Louisville, KY, Anaheim, CA, and Bozeman, MT, places I hadn't been to!

I learned how to knit, make jewelry, and cook and bake. I started selling Entertaining At Home products. I was on a huge learning curve with my job. I cried a lot. I healed a lot. I am learning how to love a man, how to forgive a man, and how to believe in and trust a man..not an easy task, but with God's help and healing touch I am learning.

I don't claim to have it all together. I don't say that I haven't made mistakes. But I do say that I am growing, learning, discovering, healing, becoming more of the woman I really was created to be.