Recipe | CC's TexMex Black Bean Burgers

Omigawd. These burgers are DELISH and super easy to make! Your entire family including finicky kids will love you if you make these for dinner!

CC's TexMex Black Bean Burgers

Makes 8

Organic Ingredients
1/4 of a large, finely chopped red onion sautéed

1/2 c. finely shredded carrots
1/2 of a large, finely chopped red onion
1 can of black or kidney beans
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 c. flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. Water
Olive Oil

Sautee the 1/4 of large onion in a pan with 1 TB olive oil. When done, combine it with all other ingredients in bowl. 1/2 c. of water gets added at the end. Stir well. The mixture should look like this:

Fill the pan with olive oil and heat on high for a few minutes until the oil gets hot. Use a large mixing spoon and spoon the mixture into the pan. Flatten it out with your spoon. It should be the approximate size of a hamburger patty. Fry for three minutes before you flip them so the other side can brown.

Top with Guacamole and serve.

Organic Guacamole Ingredients for Top
1/4 of a large red onion
1 tomato
1 serrano pepper
2 medium sized avocados
1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Slice open the avocados. Use a spoon to scoop it into the bottom of a bowl. Smash with a fork. Chop the tomato, serrano and finely chop the onion and place both ingredients on top of the avocado in the bowl. Cut a lime in half and squeeze both halves over the ingredients in the bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix.

Enjoy!

Organic Lifestyle | This is a LIFESTYLE, Not A Stupid Diet That Doesn't Work!

I still have much to learn and more to grow, but here's what I've learned in the last year and this has been my consistent diet for almost a year (except I only stopped using the microwave a couple of months ago now).

I eat Organic produce, plus my own researched "Clean Conventional Produce List":

• avocados
• ginger
• turmeric
• sweet potatoes
• serrano peppers
• onions

I buy a lot of produce when I go to the store. I buy avocados (organic if my little store has them), onion, kale, spinach, carrots, apples, potatoes, and tomatoes (again if I can find them). If I cannot find organic or it's not on my "Clean Conventional Produce List" then I don't buy it. Period. I don't trust that clean thirteen list. Some of them still get a lot of pesticide sprayed on them. And, as you know, you can't wash that off. Let me say that again. Nothing will get that pesticide off. It's already poisoned your food. 

"Organic food keeps you fuller longer because your body absorbs more nutrients than conventional produce. Conventional produce has pesticides. Those pesticides invalidate the nutrients. Your body needs nutrients to survive. You need to learn to feed it what it needs." -CC Liedecke, Non-GMO Activist

Because plastic sucks I use canning jars to store food. I cook with cast iron and wooden or metal utensils.

Plastic is toxic. It's made of oil. Why would you want it touching your food? It creates hormone and metabolical imbalances. I believe this attributes to the obesity problem in the United States and I'm trying to eliminate my remaining fat from my "I'll eat fast food and anything the FDA tells me is Good Diet". Anything that comes in a plastic container from the store goes into a glass jar. My refrigerator is full of glass jars holding this or that. I don't throw away my glass jars from the food that I buy. I wash and reuse them unless it's not a size that works well in my kitchen. 

"Healthy Lifestyle Number #1 Rule: Listen to your body and know it's rules." 

I am a Vegan/Vegetarian Pescaterian and here are my Food Rules...

*Please note the available links. It give you further reasons to eat well.

I know. I'm a little weird in what I've found works for my body, but that's what we all have to do. As long as you're eating organic and listening to what works for your body then that's really all you need to do to have a healthier lifestyle!

     Meat has a lot of acidity in it and I do not recommend eating it three times a day. 

My meats are feta cheese, eggs, salmon, occasional tuna and chicken broth in my extremely occasional mexican rice. If you must eat meat, think about reducing that to once a day. Remember that dairy counts as a meat. The more meat you eat the worse it is for your body unless the rest of your diet is extremely alkaline.

     I remember that, "This is a lifestyle, not a stupid diet that doesn't work!"

I eat bread, potatoes and pasta. I'm not on Weight Watchers. I don't count carbs. My body has never felt bad after eating carbs and so I continue to eat them.

     I grow and eat sprouts with every meal.

I put sprouts in my breakfast tacos (I'm a hispanic Texas woman. I can make a mean breakfast taco!), sandwiches, greek cous cous tacos, even my vegan beans. Sprouts are healthy, nutritious and they cost next to nothing. You sprout them in a large glass pickle jar inside your apartment. You can make an entire raw garlic, sprout and vegannaise sandwich and be totally satisfied! I highly recommend it with a healthy glass of vanilla hemp milk! YUM.

     I juice vegetables and a little fruit together for breakfast. 

My juice consists of what I can find in my area that's organic, but usually includes kale, spinach, swiss chard, carrots, cucumbers, ginger, apples, cilantro, and beets (not necessarily altogether, but these ingredients are necessary for a variety of recipes). You must drink your juice within 15 minutes unless you are using a slow juicer (that stays good in the fridge for three days! I totally wish I had one!).

     I only drink hemp milk. 

I buy the Pacific original, vanilla and chocolate from HEB in Texas. I don't feel like my kitchen is complete without all three. The original is used in my kid's Annie's Mac N Cheese and any baking that I need to do. The vanilla is a yummy coffee creamer and so is the chocolate. My youngest LOVES the chocolate. Sometimes I mix it up with the original or the vanilla. It comes on the grocery shelf, so I like to have some on hand in my pantry. I never have to worry about refrigerating it until after I've opened it.

      I use coconut oil instead of butter. 

Butter is kinda gross. At least that's what I've concluded after a year of not eating it. Coconut oil took a few times of eating on toast before I accepted it's taste, but now I put it in everything. I fry everything in it. Potatoes do especially well and only a couple of teaspoons is needed for a big pan.

     I put onion and garlic in everything. 

There's not a dish that I make that doesn't have those two ingredients. They keep my immune system on guard on a consistent basis and keep the yeast at bay.

     If I feel bad after eating something, then I don't eat it again. PERIOD. 

I know that goes without saying to some people, but others continue to eat food that upsets their stomach simply because it tastes good. Taste is fleeting. Your health is not. Refer back to a healthy lifestyle's number #1 rule!

     I only eat 70% or more cacao dark chocolate.

I keep it in the dairy section in the refrigerator. It tastes the best cold. I love it for when I'm feeling hormonal or depressed. Always puts a smile on my face. I don't really miss other sweets.I don't eat much fruit. I put apples in my juice, but other than that I don't really eat fruit. I just don't crave it. I think because I lean toward the diabetic side that my body just doesn't like it. I listen to my body.

     I drink Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) twice a day. 

I pour a tablespoon in the bottom of a jelly sized canning jar and pour room temperature water to the top. I find that the ACV helps boost my immune system and it aids with any digestion problems that may arise. I can remember eating a huge bottle of tums every week until I found this trick. Now if I'm having a little indigestion I just drink some ACV. If I get a rare cold then I bump this up to three times a day.

     I take very few over the counter and pharmaceutical medications.

I have a brain disorder that does require a small dose of medication. With that disorder comes migraines, but I've found that those are few and far between if I take an Alieve when I feel one coming on. I try to limit all chemical consumption.

     I don't eat unless I'm hungry.

I know that probably goes without saying, too, but it's necessary to say. I only eat when I'm hungry. Some people are hungry all the time. If that's the case then eat smaller meals. Eventually your body will become accustomed to eating only when hungry and you will feel fuller longer. Organic food does that!

I choose not to own a microwave because they take away the nutritional value in food. 

Studies prove the microwaves change the molecules (atoms) in your food as it cooks. The human body consumes that food it is unable to metabolize that food because the body doesn't recognize that it is food. The nutritional value of the food is null and void if you place it in a microwave. Studies show that it causes immune deficiencies, lessens intelligence, creates gastro intestinal diseases, and male and female hormones are disrupted from repeated use.

I exercise my body and my brain.

Why not enjoy the exercise? Spend half an hour to an hour having vigorous sex, work up a sweat and there's no need to hit the gym. Variation in all physical activity is recommended by any good physical fitness trainer. Keeping your heart rate up for a good half and hour or so a day does your mind and body good. A little spiritual awakening like that lifts your spirit. I work in a swim here and there, too, along with a bit of yoga to keep me limber. 

I started meditating a couple of years ago. I had a difficult time letting go and I would get so mad at myself because instead of allowing my mind to be clear it would fill up with thoughts that I wanted to go away. I tried so hard to control my thoughts that it made me think meditation wasn't for me, but it so is! I just had to learn to let go and find meditations that encouraged me to be in the moment. Now I listen to guided meditations. My new favorite is Overtone Chants. Those Buddhist monks really know a thing or two about meditating. Not only can I meditate now and it gives me joy in the moment, but I've really noticed a difference in my stress levels. It's a miracle worker!

I live in the moment.

Stress is horrible and it makes people sick. I used to stress every day, all day long about everything. Now I stress about nothing. I just have learned to live in the moment. I know when I first heard that term I didn't understand what it meant, but I do now. To live in the moment is to feel everything, notice everything like this moment might be your last. You'd want to taste the air, wouldn't you? Notice how your lover blushes. Notice how blue the sky is. Notice every little thing like you're going to have to report it later to some very important person. I don't worry about the next moment. I just care about this one. This is the one that matters. I am still an ongoing project, so I falter sometimes, but I just get back up and remember the moment is what matters. You can't change the future or the past. You can only alter this moment.

I grow what I can in terra cotta pots, not plastic ones.

I'm currently growing herbs, strawberries, carrots, swiss chard and cilantro. I used to grow more food, but it's difficult in an apartment. When I was able I had kale all the time. My produce bill was a lot cheaper!

If I do not eat at home, I eat out responsibly (most of the time) and I NEVER eat fast food.

I stick to my diet as much as possible. There are some things that I can't live without that I won't buy in my home. I'm horrible about eating corn chips. I know (!), but I'm in Texas and I love guacamole. If it's chips and salsa I'll eat a few chips and then I just don't eat them. I make nachos at home a lot with non-gmo corn tortillas. My girls love them and I cook them in Sunflower Oil. I know I'm a bad, bad girl for eating those GMO chips at the restaurant, but that leads me to my last Clean Diet Rule.

I cheat on my diet once a month.

Sometimes I'll eat meat or I'll eat cheese. I try to make it organic. Sometimes I'll eat a venison or bison burger. I prefer to cheat on my Vegan/Vegetarian Pescaterian diet at home so I can control how organic the meal is. Last month I had chicken. I don't believe I'll be having chicken again. It was kind of gross. I've noticed that since I've been doing so much research and since I don't keep eating something that is not good for my body that I am so much healthier and I'm throwing out all previous notions of food!

It may not be a diet, but I'm still losing weight!

Many choose a healthy lifestyle just to look svelte. I know that attracted me initially. I try to remember that it's better to lose weight slowly and naturally. When I first started a healthy lifestyle I didn't see any weight come off right away, but the more I learned about my body the more I learned that it doesn't need to come off tomorrow and return. I need it to come off naturally and it will stay away as long as I remember the Number #1 Rule!

I just just dropped another dress size. I'm down to a size 10. That's amazing for a girl who was once a size 22. I just bought a modest bikini. I'm looking forward to slimming down to a healthy size six. The goal is not to be thin, but healthy. 

The absolute bottom line to a healthy lifestyle?

DO YOUR RESEARCH!

Organic Lifestyle | Healthy Juicing Tips

I get a lot of questions about juicing. I started juicing on August 1, 2013 and I've lost 25 lbs. Not only does my body have amazing energy it's also made my mind so clear. There's nothing healthier or sexier than a body that feels good!!

Now onto questions I've been getting...

1. Why juice?

Juicing is an amazing way to get nutrients into your body that you wouldn't ordinarily get. Some of us don't like eating that many veggies, so this is a way to get them into your body in a quick and efficient way.

2. What's the difference between juicing and blending?

Blending just grinding up the fiber and keeps it in the juice which is great if you want to feel full longer. Blending is good if that's all you've got, but juicing is way better for your body. Juicing extracts nutrients and water from vegetables making it easier to ingest. This is better for your digestive system, particularly if you have a sensitive digestive tract. If you want to feel full longer, then I suggest adding chia seeds to your juice after you've used your juicer. You don't want those chia seeds to burn up your juicer.

Warning: If you are juicing you extracting the essential nutrients from a fruit or vegetable and for that reason I recommend only using one fruit in your juice. If you juiced a lot of fruits then that would be a sugar overload for ill patients.

3. What kind of juicer should I buy?

That's the best question to ask. I recommend the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer and Breville juicers. Both are excellent juicers. If you buy a cheap juicer it's apt to die on you in just a few juicings. You need a powerful motor because you'll be juicing like crazy once you see how good your body feels.

4. What do I juice?

I like to juice everything from kale, dandelion greens, collard greens, swiss chard (in any variety), cilantro, carrots, cucumbers (absolutely essential), celery, beets and their greens, parsley, and ONE large apple. Of course, you don't juice all this at once, but I buy all of this for one week of juicing.

Here's a sample recipe:

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale

4 handfuls of baby spinach

5 carrots

1 large cucumber

1 large apple

ginger

Makes 4 c. of juice.

5. What should I buy for one week of juicing?

Here's an example of my shopping list:
7 cucumbers
7 large apples
1 lb. bag of carrots
1 stalk of celery
1 bunch of beets
1 bunch of cilantro
4 bunches of kale
1 bunch of swiss chard
1 lb. baby spinach
hand size of ginger

6. How do I prepare my veggies?

First, clean your veggies. Fill your sink with water. Add 1/3 c. Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. Add in your veggies and leave to soak for 10-15 min. Empty the water and then rinse them.

Next, slice the ends of your cucumbers and then down the middle lengthwise. Cut your apple in fours and cut out the seeds. Seeds aren't good for you or your juicer.

7. How do I juice?

Start with the kale or the greens. Gently push it into the juicer, one stalk at a time. If the green is too big, then cut it and put it in. I usually do celery next since the water in that vegetable pushes out the rest of the bits of kale. Then I do the carrots, the apple, and the ginger and then I do the cucumber last. The cucumber will clean out your juicer of all the nutrients that are still lingering in there.

8. Do you have any juicing tips?

I have three very important ones to remember. ONE: JUICE IN THE MORNING BEFORE YOU EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING ELSE. The nutrients get absorbed into your body faster and that's the very best thing you can do for your body. You've already taken the step to learn that juicing is essential for your health, but it's even better if you follow this particular tip.

TWO: ONLY MAKE WHAT YOU THINK YOU'LL DRINK. YOU SHOULDN'T SAVE YOUR JUICE. The nutrients from juicing are on a time frame. You can't put it into your refrigerator and expect it to have the same benefits as it does Right after you juice. Here's more about the topic.

THREE: ONLY BUY ORGANIC. Most people know about genetically modified organisms. There's absolutely no nutrition in them, but some people forget to remind you that conventional produce is almost as bad for you because it contains harmful pesticides that can't be washed off even with the method described in this post. I'm assuming that you're thinking about juicing because it's healthy, but if you're going to juice conventional vegetables then you might as well not juice at all.

9. Do you recommend juicing for weight loss?

Yes and no. Yes, juicing will help you lose weight, but if you're doing it to lose weight then that's not the only reason to do it. My number one reason for juicing was that it made me feel healthier. A smaller waistline will do that, too, but your focus should be on increasing your vitality. Weight loss will come with that goal, too.

10. How many times a week should I juice?

I juice every single morning, but sometimes I even juice twice a day if I feel like my body needs it. There are some that suggest juicing as a detox program at first and that's a good idea if you can do it. Honestly, at first, your body will be full from juicing 4 cups at a time. If you decide to juice for three days then you'll need a lot of vegetables. You'll probably juice three times a day and I suggest eating raw vegetables only to aid in your detox. I haven't done a three day fast yet, but it's next on my list.

Happy juicing, folks. I hope you'll give it a chance. Give it one week and if you don't feel better then at least you've tried it!!!

Eat to Live. Don't live to eat.

Recipe | CC's ACV

ACV is AMAZING! I've never felt as good in my own body as I have since I've been taking it on a regular basis. ACV boosts your immune system like no other thing on earth. The ACV and the ginger in it will also help with inflammation and the turmeric in CC's ACV will help to detoxify your liver.

Some people say you should drink it with a straw so prevent the enamel on your teeth from being ruined, but I say that you can do that as long as it's a GLASS  or STAINLESS STEEL straw. There's no point in making this if you're going to poison your body with a plastic straw because this drink is all about HEALTH.

CC's ACV

There are a lot of recipes out there. This is my own. I modify it every week as to what my body needs. For example this week I added 20 drops of GSE and some homemade Vitamin C.

Ingredients
1.5 inch nob of Organic Ginger Root*
(3) 1 inch nobs of Organic Turmeric Root*
1 gal. of Purified Water
1 c. Organic 100% Apple Juice
1 c. Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Organic Cinnamon powder
3-4 TB. Raw Local Honey

Instructions
Juice* the ginger and turmeric. Boil some water. In the glass bowl (with the juiced turmeric and ginger) add your honey and cinnamon and then pour on the boiling water. This will help the honey dissolve properly. Then those ingredients along with the rest of the ingredients in a gallon container and mix.

*If you don't have a juicer, then you can simply chop up the roots and add them to boiling water and let them steep, but juicing is better as it gives your body direct nutrients faster. Also, if you can't find organic turmeric root at your natural health food store, then consider using 2 tsp. of organic turmeric powder instead.

I drink one to two cups a day to help my immune system. It is also helpful with indigestion and tummy trouble. I make it every single week. It's a useful home remedy that one should always have on hand!

Organic Lifestyle | Frozen Produce = Toxicity You Can Avoid & What 'Organic' Means in Packaged Foods

My in-laws have decided to eat healthier, and, boy, am I excited! I had a million things to share with them! I started sharing some things about GMOs and my mother-in-law responded with what her idea of healthy food was...uh-oh...Houston, we have a problem!

"We're going to eat more frozen vegetables," my mother-in-law said.

My first thought was how great it was that she was opening up her mind to the possibility that a lot of foods were harmful, but, like myself when I remember when I started going the healthy route so I don't think that she has quite as much information as she needs to make an informed decision. I decided to research exactly why her comment had given me such pause.

Are frozen fruits and vegetables healthy?

Frozen produce is usually cheaper than buying it fresh at the grocery store. You can find varieties of produce that are out of season this way. Vegetables and fruits are generally frozen right after they're picked, so the produce is supposed to be good for you. Frozen foods have a longer shelf life than fresh.

The FDA says frozen produce is good for you.

According to the US FDA, "Frozen produce has the same benefits and nutrients as fresh." When I found the above statement I knew that I had to dig further. It's hard to trust the FDA since they have approved GMOs for the last twenty years.

Frozen produce is frozen at it's prime, but many non-organic companies, such as Green Giant, include additives like trans fat and non-organic vegetable oil. What about additives? How can we guarantee that all additives are organic?

My next thought was that frozen produce shouldn't be too bad as long as you buy organic..., but then I thought about all the warnings about buying organic items and that made me research the differences between 100% organic and ones that are only so-so organic.

What does 'Organic' mean in packaged foods?

According to the FDA, organic can be 100-75% organic.

Section 205.301 establishes the organic content requirements for different labeling provisions specified under this program. The type of labeling and market information that can be used and its placement on different panels of consumer packages and in market information is based on the percentage of organic ingredients in the product. The percentage must reflect the actual weight or fluid volume (excluding water and salt) of the organic ingredients in the product. Four categories of organic content are established: 100 percent organic; 95 percent or more organic; 70 to 95 percent organic; and less than 70 percent organic. (Organic Labeling Preamble)

If it's 100% organic, then all the contents of the packaged food are organic including the additives and the processing. If 95%, then it contains organic ingredients. In 90-75% organic, then everything else that is not organic could be ANYTHING else. 70% organic can contain GMOs, sewage, and pesticides. Those are the ones you have to watch out for!

Then I started thinking about what else do I need to be aware of to make an informed decision on frozen produce? If the bag says 100% organic, then is there anything else to think about? 

All frozen items come in plastic. 

They have to or the box would deteriorate. However, that plastic that wraps up that organic produce is not necessarily toxic free.

Under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the law that regulates industrial chemicals in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has required safety testing on only 200 of these chemicals, and of those, only five have been banned from manufacturing (including asbestos and dioxin).

BPA is only one toxic, synthetic plastic that can be found in canned food linings, beverage can linings, and other plastics. This toxic plastic interferes with human hormones including the endocrine system. BPA and other plasticizers leach into food when it comes into contact with oils or fatty food, when heated, or if the plastic is old.

Commercial frozen produce comes from the freezer section in the supermarket

A study by Environmental Investigation Agency – an international campaigning organization – claims that greenhouse gases used in large freezers and fridges by supermarkets are as harmful to the environment as plastic bags. 

In the 1990′s HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) were introduced to replace ozone depleting CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and HCFCs hydrochlorofluorocarbons). However this switch to refrigerants that do not damage the ozone layer brought in a generation of chemicals with a greenhouse effect thousands of times stronger than CO2 (Guardian). 

The Guardian states that chemicals released by fridges account for 30 percent of supermarkets’ direct emissions, yet only 0.5 percent of stores have been fitted with greener equipment, according to the EIA’s report, called Chilling Facts.

If these items are causing environmental problems, then I cannot be assured that they will not do the same to the human body. According to the EPA, greenhouse gases are mainly carbon dioxide gases that are pollutants from fossil fuels.

My personal recommendation: DO NOT CONSUME COMMERCIALLY FROZEN FOOD!

After much thoughtful consideration, I cannot recommend eating anything that will be harmful to the human body and that includes commercially frozen food.  If I want to save my fresh produce, then I will personally freeze it myself in glass containers using this method by Eating Well. I also will remember that frozen food cannot be kept too long or it will lose it's nutritional value. When reheating frozen vegetables it is recommended to steam them when you cook so that you will retain all the nutritional value.


Until next time, remember to eat organic, local or make/grow your own!

Recipe | Homemade GMO Free Bread

The smell of this bread is AMAZEballs!!! Every single time I bake it my entire family goes crazy including my kitten, Charlie. ❤
The smell is so intoxicating we can't wait until it cools for a slice!

Homemade GMO Free Bread

Makes 2 Loaves

Ingredients

As always...buy local, organic, or grow your own!

7 c. Unbleached organic whole wheat bread flour (see below for other kinds of flour)

4 tsp Fine sea salt

2 c. Almond milk, warmed

2/3 c. Purified water, warmed

4 TB Butter, melted

3 TB Raw honey

2.5 tsp ActiveDry yeast

1 TB Olive oil

1 c. Boiling Water

Instructions

Place the racks in the bottom portion of your oven. Place a small cake pan on the bottom rack. Heat oven to 200 degrees.

Warm milk, purified water and melt butter. Pour into a small mixing bowl over honey and whisk. Sprinkle yeast on the top. Place a towel over bowl and set aside for five minutes.

Mix the flour and salt with a whisk.

Turn the oven off after it's been on for ten minutes.

Sprinkle .5 c. Flour on a big, flat surface.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together with a spatula. Once they're together dump the dough onto the floured surface. Knead the dough by flattening it, folding it, and repeating until the dough does not feel sticky. Tuck the sides and then the ends under.

Pour oil into a large mixing bowl. Place dough into the oil. Turn over and lightly coat oil onto all the dough. Set the dough with tucked ends in the bottom of the bowl. Place into the oven and let the dough rise until it doubles, 40-50 min.

Take the dough out. Separate down the middle with a chef's knife. Fold the dough into thirds, flip upside down, and tuck the ends. Place into the loaf pans. Place the loaf pans into the oven for 30 minutes to rise.

Five minutes before the thirty minutes has ended, boil some water. When the water is boiling, turn on your oven to 350. Pour water to the top of the cake pan that you placed in the bottom rack of your oven (don't skip this part! It keeps your bread moist while baking!). 

Bake for 30 minutes. Let your bread cool completely for a couple of hours (if your family lets you!) before you cut it with a serrated knife. I like to use an electric knife to slice thinner, straighter slices.

NOTE: I recommend King Arthur's Organic Unbleached Bread Flour. This bread contains gluten. If you'd like a gluten free version, you could try using King Arthur's Glutenfree Bread Flour!

Enjoy!

Recipe | Homemade Organic Almond Milk

Unsweetened Almond Milk 

for Recipes and Cereal

Ingredients

As always...buy local, organic, or grow your own!

4 c. Purified water

1 c. Raw almonds

1 tsp. Raw honey

1 tsp. Vanilla

Instructions

Soak almonds for 48 hours in the refrigerator.

Put all ingredients in a blender and chop nuts, then blend until frothy. Strain through a cheesecloth to prevent gritty milk!!

Store in the refrigerator in glass mason jars. Makes 3 cups.

Sweet Almond Milk

for Drinking

Ingredients

2 tsp. Raw honey

.5 tsp. Vanilla

Instructions

Add to the Unsweetened Almond Milk ingredients and follow the same instructions.

Enjoy!

Organic Lifestyle | How To Save Ur Seeds!

Did you know that Bill Gates is storing GMO seed so future generations can enjoy GMOs? How can you stop such an atrocity and fight back? Save your seeds! Plant some NOW. Save your seeds every single time. A great way to get free seeds is to save the seeds from the organic produce that you are purchasing now. You can save your seeds for next year. It's super easy!

Instructions

Cut up your lemons. Notice seeds on your cutting block? Save them by putting them on a paper napkin in the shade for a week. They'll be dried out. 

Don't peel them off the paper, just save it and plant it!

Activist Notes | Why I March Against Monsanto and YOU Should, Too

I March Against Monsanto. 

I would like to share with you why I have taken such an adamant stance. 

I am passionately against Monsanto, and other biotech companies, and I am marching for good reasons: (1) I want to protect the environment and (2) I want my children and their children to be alive for a very long time.

Monsanto is one extremely dangerous corporation. 

They have taken over our FDA. Yes, I know I may sound like a right wing conspirator, but I'm just a concerned mother who wanted to know what her children were eating. Although I have three plus years of college under my belt, I never graduated from college. I do not consider myself smarter than a scientist. I just do the research. Period.

How GMOs affect humans and the environment.

Genetically Modified Organisms by nature must contain a bacterial virus in order to transform a normal gene. This type of modification, whether it's to insert a pesticide or another gene to make the food hardier, is unnatural and it has unnatural consequences to both the human body and our environment. If we allow GMO seeds of disease to be produced then they will contaminate every natural living organism and there will be no more food for our future generations. Cross pollination is a powerful tool and makes it possible for GMO traits to be passed onto natural organisms. Whether that trait is pollinated or eaten is no matter. Either way, GMOs will genetically modify a plant, an animal and, yes, even humans.

These Bt toxins are making the organs in our bodies process them in an unnatural fashion. I've been diagnosed with diabetes, kidney problems and liver disease and I attribute it to the food that I have been eating. It wasn't until six months ago that I heard the term "GMOs" and I was quick to discount the term because I was afraid that it was too scientific for me to understand. When I became ill last year I started paying more attention and I started researching. The more I researched the more concerned I became. Not only for myself, but also for my children. I have only been ingesting these chemicals for the last twenty years, but my children have been ingesting them for their entire lives.

I urge you all to go home and watch A Silent Forest on YouTube. The film talks about how GMO trees have been created. These unnatural trees soak up more water than usual from the ground, creating a dry soil shattered with cracks. Because the pesticide does not work adequately enough they rain more pesticides on them and kill everything on the earth around them but the herbicide resistant trees. They have genetically modified them to be less hardy and, therefore, they rot on the ground and release carbon monoxide into our biosphere. Not the least of this is the water that the chemicals contaminate. They found these chemicals in the water supply in Denmark and banned all GMOs because of it. If it can contaminate the water supply, what will it do to the water in our oceans? We are all in this together, human and environment. If we let Monsanto and the government win this fight against GMOs, then we destroy our children's futures.

When I march I will be marching for your future, my children's futures, your children's futures and the futures of all people who are too scared or too downtrodden or not knowledgeable enough to speak up for themselves. 

I fight for my right to live. I fight for the people's rights to a chemical free future. I fight for the land that has given us life. I ask you to announce to the world that we are united, regardless of our political stances, regardless of our religious views. I believe that, in solidarity, our voices are STRONG!

Recipe | Cannabis Coconut Oil and Salve

The Economist: "If (Marijuana) were unknown, it's discovery would no doubt be hailed as a medical breakthrough. Scientists would praise it's potential for treating everything from pain to cancer and marvel at it's rich pharmacopoeia; many of whose chemicals mimic vital molecules in the human body."

Why I decided to make Coconut Cannabis Salve

My doctor informed me that I had a brain disorder that caused focal dystonia in my arm. I had incredible pain in my arm. My hand cramped so badly every minute of every day. I couldn't straighten out my hand; it looked like a claw. I had been on Vicodin for a while, but that didn't even seem to work any more.  My doctor prescribed an antidepressant. I didn't want to take another medication. I was tired of medications that didn't seem to work as well as they proclaimed.

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I had heard that cannabis oil could cure cancer if taken internally and skin cancer if applied externally. I wondered what it could do for my arm...

I did some research and found out that cannabis oil has incredible healing properties. It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and body relaxing properties. It can heal burns, stretch marks, acne, and sore throats. It is good for migraines, back aches, arthritis, and even skin allergies. 

There are many who would not care to smoke it, but I figured that this was an experiment that I would not mind finding out the outcome of. I wanted my arm healed! I applied the salve to my arm for two weeks. My arm felt so much better.  The cramping was gone! 

Then the following week I stopped using it. My pain returned within three days. I knew that I hadn't used it for long enough to cure it. I started using it again. Like a miracle it worked! The pain was reduced, the cramping eased, and I could type again! Perhaps my brain disorder is something that will never be cured, but it can be controlled with this holistic recipe.

Happy Holi(stic) Hunting! :)

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Coconut Cannabis Oil

to be eaten or used in the following salve recipe

Ingredients

7 oz. Organic Coconut Oi

1/4 ounce bag of smokeable Marijuana, frozen overnight

.5 c. Water

Coffee Bean Grinder

Instructions

Grind up the marijuana in your coffee bean grinder. Use a small spatula to make sure you get every single bit of it and it's dust out. Any leftover dust can be scooped out with your finger and eaten. It won't get you high, but it is good for you.

Boil the water and put the ground marijuana into your pot. Turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir continuously during that time. Next add the coconut oil. Simmer until it has melted all the way through.

Once melted, pour the oil into a wide mouthed canning jar. Carefully scrape the sides of the pot with a rubber spatula to get every little bit into your jar. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning you will find the coconut oil has floated to the top and left some water at the bottom of the jar. Discard the water.

To use you can break the hardened coconut cannabis oil into pieces or remelt to add to a salve or to eat. Refrigerate and use within one month.

Coconut Cannabis Oil Salve*

for your skin

Ingredients

Coconut Cannabis Oil (see above recipe)

30 drops of Valerian, liquid

15 drops of Kava Kava, liquid

 .5 c. Olive or Almond Oil

Rosemary Essential Oil (anti-inflammatory)

Double boiler or a glass bowl and a pot that fit snugly together

Instructions

Melt coconut cannabis oil in the microwave for 30 seconds. Boil water in the bottom section of your double boiler. Pour the coconut cannabis oil into the double boiler. Add the olive oil and the essential oil. Stir frequently. Warm for 15 minutes. Set the bowl aside to cool a little. Pour into a wide mouthed canning jar and put it into the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Take out and whisk it. Put it in for another 10 minutes, then take out and whisk again. Refrigerate and use within one month.

NOTE: Use a different essential oil if you have high blood pressure, epilepsy or are pregnant.

*If you're interested, please check out how to make Analgesic Balm with Coconut Cannabis Oil.