best friends and birthdays

My best friend is having an eventful 2012. So eventful I don't yet know if she'll have the energy to celebrate her birthday in any of the typical ways. Healing takes a lot of energy even on one's birthday!

But still it is a glorious day. She was born on this day and I am so grateful for that. If she hadn't been incarnated this time around I know I would have spent this entire life feeling like I was missing something. [and that would have sucked!]

So here I am raising my glass of switchel in her direction and writing out my version of this gut healing drink for the hot weather that is due to return.

EB's Switchel

12 oz water
1 tsp apple vinegar
1 tsp honey [or 8 drops of stevia]
1 tsp ginger root [dried and ground]

Combine together and adjust to taste depending if you want more sour, more sweet or more warmth.
Serve over ice and enjoy!

-hopefully while sitting in the yard on another perfect birthday with perfect birthday weather.  

As usual.  xo and big love to all the other virgos with birthdays out there. You know who you are!

when blazing new trails

chocolate chip cookies are helpful mandatory!

So to support my friends who are currently on a grain free journey here is one of my 'go to' grain free recipes. It is based on about a million recipes you can find on the internet. This one has my own tweaks since I enthusiastically use both butter and eggs.

Chocolate Chip Cookies [about 20 cookies but your size may vary]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheet with parchement paper

Combine in a bowl--

1.5 cups almond flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t sea salt


Break up dark chocolate [80% or higher cocoa solids] bar to make a 1/2 cup of chunks, set aside.

In another bowl combine--

1 egg
1/4 c butter [you can use coconut oil]
1T vanilla extract
2T coconut nectar [you could use honey or maple syrup]

mix the dry with the wet ingredients
stir in 1/2 c chocolate chunks.

drop balls of dough onto baking sheet, bake for about 8 minutes depending on size.
do not let them get too brown, cool on rack.


Enjoy!

Lughnasadh 2012

This post will go up late but that's fine. Lughnasadh was brilliant in every way. In memory it inspires  many happy smiles.

There is so much depth to this date for me. It's the date my most recent border collie was born. She was so dear.
This is the date a dear one lost her father unexpectedly a couple of years ago. [[ hugs and sighs ]]

This is the year that Lughnasadh showed her sweetest face to me. I played all day. 
I had meet ups with four dear ones and a short time with a fifth. So many different types of love, acceptance, joy, sangha. 

I went off my grain free and low starch eating and indulged in pizza at dinner, fries at lunch and enjoyed a spponful of maple syrup on a buckwheat pancake in the morning! Holiday foods. I tasted a crumb of chocolate cake and made my "ick sugar" face to laughter. 

To quote one friend "Life is magnificent".

I was the celebration all day long. Deep gratitude and welcome to August. I'm glad you are here. xo