Carrot & Orange Cake Recipe

Cake, anyone? Carrot and orange cake sounds delicious in itself - but when we realized there was another great recipe out there that would take on our juicing pulp leftovers. If you have juiced, still juice - you know those carrot pulp scraps can build....and what do we do with them?
Although carrot pulp can be somewhat dry (that was the point of juicing - to remove the juice of the little carrot...so you may want to add a touch of liquid to the recipe if you go the route of the pulp.

There used to be guilt over tossing them out - no more! The cake is here......

For the cake

• 3 cups carrots, finely grated
• 2 cups pecans, ground in a food processor
• 1/4 cup raisins, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice*
• Date paste**
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut

* Mixed spice is a blend of cinnamon, coriander seed, caraway, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. You can use pumpkin pie spice.

** Make the date paste by grinding 1 cup soft dates and 1/2 cup orange juice in a food processor until smooth.

1. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Shape into individual cakes or press into one large cake, ready to be cut at the end.
3. Place on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 115 degrees F for 8 – 12 hours. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can simply place the cake into the fridge to set.

For the frosting

• 1 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons coconut nectar or honey
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
2. Place in fridge to achieve a thicker consistency and spread on cake when you’re ready to serve.
3. Garnish cake with nutmeg.

Recipe from: http://www.therawchef.com

DIY Bubble Bath Recipe for Kids (and YOU).

When I was a kid, there was nothing better than playing all day long with a group of friends (or cousins at the lake - yay!) - and then having a nice cool bubble bath drawn so you could clean up and settle in for bed.

I used to love the feel of scrubbing off the sand and grit (you could see it!) and snuggling casually under a white bed sheet instead of a quilt. It was summer! It was a feeling I know I will never forget.

Now that I have a daughter of my own, I try to share memory making things like this with her. She loves a good bubble bath too so we're on the right track!

Recently, we found a bubble bath recipe that we wanted to try out - and I thought I'd share.

Bubble Bath for Kids

2 tablespoons dried rose petals
2 tablespoons dried lavender heads
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 1/4 cup natural baby shampoo
12 drops lavender essential oil

*Place rose petals and lavender in a bowl - add the water.
*Steep for 10 - 20 minutes (covered)
*Strain water - squeezing all liquid out of the petals
*Add shampoo and essential oil
*Pour into bottle - shake well and store in a cool dry place.

Now that I am an adult, I still really enjoy the relaxation time of a bubble bath. It is a ritualistic process - and it always calls for bubbles!

Relax and enjoy!

Banana Cinnamon Granola Bars & A Song Just for You

I am a hug fan of all things speedy. When it comes to snacks, I enjoy the pre-made things I don't have to commit prep time for that day. When my family feels nibbly, having something like these granola bars on hand is perfect timing!

Go bananas!

 

Ingredients
1 ripe banana
2 cups of raw oat flakes
1 cup of almond butter (or similar)
1/4 cup honey or substitute for fresh pitted dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 Add everything to a food processor and mix together.

Lightly spritz a pan to prevent sticking and add the mixture.

Freeze overnight to harden.

Cut into granola bar sized pieces, wrap individually for lunches or snacks.

Everybody....and I mean EVERYBODY loves bananas. It is nature's perfect food. Don't believe me? Well, I had to toss in some fun stuff for the day too - so click PLAY, sit back and get ready to laugh.

******************************************************************************************

 

The lyrics can be confusing. Here they are:

Ba-ba-ba, ba-ba-na-na Banana-a-a Potato-na-a-a Banana-a-a To ca li no po ta to ni ga ni ba ba lo ni ba no ji ga ba-ba, ba-ba-na-na Yo plano hu, la pa no no tu, ma banana like a nupi talamu Banana ba-ba, ba-ba-na-na Potato-o-o To ca li no po ta to ni ga ni ba ba lo ni ba no ji ga ba-ba, ba-ba-na-naaaaaaa! Aika!

Rock your day....ba-na-na-na!!!

 

No Worries - I Will Never Grow Up!

I still don't feel like an adult. There I said it....

I really, really consider this a good thing in life.

Now, rest assured this doesn't mean I'm not responsible, punctual and professional - I definitely am - but I still try to see the world through the eyes of someone experiencing things for the first time.

I get excited about a thunderstorm every single time and giggle and snuggle up under the blankets - why? 'Cuz thunder sounds creepy and lightning looks incredible! Nature provides a visual spectacular and I'm going to enjoy it - it's a freebie!

It's open season on tickle fights at our house - and with luck my hands aren't in the kitchen sink doing dishes when they attack....I like to be prepared.

I secretly still believe fart noises are hilarious - but only if you make them on your arm like a professional. Avoid the sensory overload of gross - go straight for the funny.

When I was a kid, my 'Nan and Pa' would clear the dining room of all furniture, and the whole lot of us would dance to their favorite songs. It is a memory I will cherish forever - because the sound of people laughing and having fun filled the room and even carried out to the street where the neighbors could hear us. It is infectious and fills us with joy and wonderous memories.

The best is a full, honest laugh that one can't control.....I love em!

Life's short, people.....

We have ridiculous names for things that I swear were invented just to make you laugh. Passing gas is 'tooting', 'sketching has been nicknamed 'doodling,' and our candies are called Smarties, Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Nerds.

We also have the Canadian Toonie. If you haven't given any of these names serious thought and caught yourself laughing, you may not be human after all.

The world needs more silly! I love going to garage sales to try on the strange hats and funky glasses they sell - or grab the camera one afternoon and go hunting for the perfect place to take photos. It is spending time together doing creative and fun things that might just make us feel youthful (because we are).

Once I had a child of my own (when I was 33 years old), I had the perfect excuse to act silly in public without (many) strange looks - super bonus! She is just as silly as her dad and I (wonder why) - so the three of us make a great trifecta.

When we go anywhere - to a museum, park or on some outdoor adventure around our home, we are always finding the silly in the situation. Laughing is what we all love to do and if we ever need a great way to de-stress, we only have to spend time together and mix up some fun.


If you see us at a grocery store and we can hear the music over the PA - you might catch us dancing in the aisle. We've considered a routine. The shopping cart is really a pirate ship so you best get out of the way or Captain Our Daughter might take your stuff!

We've hit costume shops and spend time being goofy and letting out our inner whoever for a good giggle. Halloween is always a riot and I get to go out on the candy circuit again - it's the experience!

We also surround ourselves with friends who share the same love of laughing and living. If you want to feel young - hang out with a terrific bunch of people who are supportive, encouraging.....and silly!

Growing old is mandatory - our bodies are going to break down over time and the rest is....well....up to someone else, I guess....we don't know how much time we have - and sitting around wondering gets us nowhere. I wasn't handed a booklet when I showed up in the maternity ward so I don't have all of the answers. I just know I feel my best when I am laughing and feeling good.

I lived a portion of my life being very serious. Laughter wasn't a real part of it - and if I did laugh, it was probably a phony one. I wasn't a happy camper and it showed in my actions and words. Silly had long left the building.....

One day years later, silly returned! Thanks to what we'll call 'divorce' I found the real me again and returned to my life-loving silly self! It's amazing how we can completely lose ourselves living a busy mismatched life.

Silly is back and it reigns supreme! If I wrote down all of the wacky thoughts I had in a day, people would stop showing up here........or readership would skyrocket.


Life is funny - and no matter how it goes, we should always look for the silly because without it, we seem to miss the complete balance.

Let loose - be silly sometimes! Remember to use common sense - silly is probably frowned upon at the presidential debates, any cross country border stops, memorial services or.......let's just say there are times and places. Balance.
Hubby and I take our responsibility as parents very seriously - and as teachers (and learners) of the next generations we believe that balancing real life responsibility with surreal life magic, fun and a case of the sillies is a terrific thing.

We've put our irresponsible, pre-adult random of acts of stupid behind us and will use them as lessons.....so far so good. Life happens and we'll do the best we can with what we have where we are - and we'll laugh too!

Laughing is a natural stress reducer - and remember;  if you can't laugh at yourself.......you shouldn't be laughing at anyone else either.

What makes you laugh?

Never Regret a Vinaigrette

We're always looking for a terrific salad dressing - and my taste buds are often grateful I try the new ones that I do. My favorite has always been the garlic ceasar dressing recipe mom shared with me years ago but I really love the variety and choices - the flavor results of each different dressing.

I stopped buying store bught dressings when I learned that it is really nothing more than squeezing fat onto your salad.....and what is the point of that? I explored the 'light' and 'fat free' dressings - but they are often worse. Check out the sodium and sugar content of any store bought dressings, even the 'good for you' ones - and you'll rush to make your own.

Your body will thank you!

Simple and Delicious!

These dressing recipes are delicious! be sure to test them out for yourself - you won't be disappointed.


SIMPLE VINAIGRETTE

uice of 1 large lemon or 3 tbsp white wine vinegar. ( you could also use plain vinegar in it’s place but white wine vinegar is better tasting)
½ cup olive oil, extra virgin is recommended for its health benefits.
½ tsp mustard, for the tang.
½ tsp mixed herbs
Salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk herbs, mustard and lemon juice.

Drizzle in the oil while stirring. Or simply put all the ingredients into a bottle and shake well.

HONEY VINAIGRETTE

¼ th cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 small piece grated ginger
A  dash of orange juice
1 tbsp honey

If you feel adventurous, add a tsp of toasted curry powder to this mixture. As with all the other salad dressings, mix all the ingredients together in a bottle. Finely minced shallots will add to the taste of this dressing too.

These great recipes are from Glad To Be a Woman. Rock your day!

Two Years Tobacco Free Today!

We hear the expression, "If I can do it, anyone can do it" all the time. I say it to this day and just like I would have done somewhere back in time, folks just refuse to believe you.

I was the type of gal who did what she wanted to. No regrets. I also decided (back when I was 19 years old) that cigarettes were the coolest thing I could get my hands on. I used excuses ('everyone is doing it') and things of that nature to allow myself to keep ingesting this poison. Looking back - woah.

The day I started smoking was the day my Grandfather passed away. I blame no one for my starting, it's not like I hadn't wanted to anyway. Once I decided to smoke, knowing how stubborn a person I was then, no one could have convinced me to stop - I'm sure they tried.

I smoked for many reasons - all of which were ridiculous....but they were my own reasons. None justified what I was doing to myself and 20 years would go by before I figured it out. I call this 20 year stretch my 'brain on pause' years.

I had tried many, many, many times to quit. I always snuck around, bummed off of friends who felt bad for me and then I would lie to others about it because I figured no one could detect the smell so how would they know?!

When our daughter was born, I did quit temporarily. It wasn't long until I was back on the smokin' saddle and feeling crappy all over again.

More years went by. No quit. I saw the new cigarette laws come in and learned to ignore the warning labels on them. Those disgusting photographs on smoke packs were just there for shock value. I justified it - and I thought I loved it. I think I loved having something to do - something that was always accessible and only mine.

At work all of my breaks went to this time consuming habit. I reasoned I would never get a break if I didn't smoke during mine. There was always a good excuse.

The day I actually quit - it was the strangest thing. I had tried so many times in the past - mostly for others. I had made every excuse I could possibly make to snag a smoke whenever I wanted to. Control myself? Will power? I didn't want to be responsible for this bad choice - yet here I was.

Hubby and I made a choice on February 14th - the day of love - to quit hurting our lungs, our lives and each other with this habit.. The next day, we woke up and never touched another cigarette again. I never even thought about it much. No cravings - no freaking out. Nothing. I had done it!

To me, it was the oddest 'quit' I had ever had up until that point. Attempting to explain it to anyone feels restricted - I can't seem to nail down the words I need to describe the feeling. Elated. Confused. Determined. Done. Those words definitely describe it.

Now, many people say that I quit 'cold turkey' and in a sense that's true.....but they didn't see the millions of justifications, excuses, bargaining moments and times that I had quit only to start again. I explained this to a friend once and she said, 'All of those moments led you to the right one - they were the tools you needed to succeed.'

I agree, but want to add this; I always had the tools....but now.....those tools I used changed. We all 'find the way' in life at varying stages of our own, but when I quit that amazing February day, I didn't realize I had finally decided to use the ultimate tool for success.

Myself. My thoughts. My choice. I was finally using my stubbornness to my advantage!

I changed the way I thought of cigarettes. I believe this had been happening in my subconscious for a long time - everything begins as a thought.

Decide what you want and accomplish it for yourself. You may be in awe at first...keep moving forward....by then you'll realize....you can do anything. 

Anthony Anderson - The Raw Model

The Raw Model is about personal liberation from sickness, all types of dogma, self-imposed inhibitions, and the corporate factory-food chain. It is about living in accordance with Nature's laws and being active in the literal GROWING of the Paradise that our forefathers let slip away.

When I was writing my book, I contacted 'The Raw Model' to include his information so others could learn from his wisdom. He is not only incredibly well put together - he is fit, fun and loving life on a level many of us only 'wish' we could.

With a little effort and dedication to self, we can too!

This is Anthony Anderson, The Raw Model. He also has his own YouTube Channel where he demonstrates recipes, and a healthful way of living.

I have created some of the recipes, listened to the wellness chats and videos he posts and learn so much each time I visit! Anthony has taken wellness to an amazing level! 

On his web page, he writes; I created a self-sustainable home and organic garden/food forest in Minnesota where I am growing over 500 kinds of fruits and vegetables, including many species suited to warmer climates in my dome greenhouse. 

I've also focused on growing many wild varieties as well. I hope that others will take this model and apply it to their suburban homes to become more self-reliant, and not only enjoy the benefits of eating a more local and cleaner diet, but also reaping the spiritual benefits of reconnecting with nature and the cycles and seasons of life. I have also created a desert food forest in Phoenix, Arizona and have helped with the design of many others.

I am now starting an organization called "Grow Paradise". It will spread the joys of the garden lifestyle, promote permaculture and food forests, as well as encourage us to eat greener and support organic growers and retailers.

When the cities and suburbs become lush food forests, wage slavery is ended, and we have the right to explore consciousness in any way we feel without hurting others, I will be satisfied. ~Anthony Anderson

Kudos to you, Anthony!