Dear Shafters

I miss you more than words can explain. This has been a very cold Winter without you.

My Mandala Creations

Another week...a bit smarter.

Well after a very long week of being very very sick with a case of severe dehydration. I am finally feeling better! I had all the signs a week before I almost fell over in a classroom in front of 6th graders, but had no idea what was wrong with me and I have no idea how I drove myself home that day...but I did.

After laying in bed for almost a week..I am 98% recovered and enjoyed a relaxing weekend with my family...this was very much needed! We relaxed all day Saturday... Sunday we got up and went to our garden plot in the countryside and the farmers market to buy mostly root veggies since not much else is in season right now.

I made loads of roasted veggies with my farmers market score. I also discovered that our garlic is growing very well at our garden space. The onions...well...not so well..lets see...hmmmm...

Something I did before all this sickness was start my own vanilla extract..the first picture is when I made it and the second picture is a week later. I will let this vanilla marinate for 4-6 months.

We had some snow this past week..that was cozy and nice:)

I also ordered a new Green Superfood for smoothies and I like it! I am pretty picky when it comes to this sort of thing, but this one is yum.

And into the mountains we went today...it was SO relaxing! My husband took my daughter to the sled hill while I relaxed in the lodge with some tea. I also bought a nice little purse for our upcoming trip to Europe. It was a pretty perfect weekend, which really needed to happen for me.

Edible Flower Morning Salad

My salad has
Organic mixed greens
Free range eggs
Avocado
Edible flowers
Buckwheat sprouts
Lemon

Easy Soup Base

Easy Easy....save all your veggie scraps! Throw them in a bag in the freezer and when you are ready, put them in a pot of water and simmer for a good hour...drain your base into a new pot and compost the old veggies...

This weeks pics

Goodbye Mandala Love Website

I let go of my Mandala Love website today and it felt great! let the new begin!

My point of view

I like shiny,crystal glitter fun... a lot..

Who Let The Cats In

Dave J rocking it as always! love it!
Who Let The Cats In

Mini Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
3 free range eggs
1/2 cup of veggie oil
1/2 cup of applesauce
1 1/2 cups of sugar *I used a light brown sugar not white*( I do not like super sweet muffins, if you do add more)
1 tablespoon of vanilla
2 cups of shredded zucchini
1 cup of walnuts
1 cup of chocolate chips

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in one bowl.
Mix eggs, oil, applesauce, sugar and vanilla in another bowl...
Slowly add flour mix to egg mixture...then add zucchini, walnuts and chocolate chips...
Bake at 170C or 350F for about 13 minutes, if your using a mini muffin pan, a bit longer if your using a bigger pan....
Enjoy!!

Dalishious

I love love love Dal! it is so nourishing and perfect during the cold seasons...and for me even the warm seasons.

* I used my slow cooker for this recipe, it worked out perfectly. Do take note that with soaking the Dal the night before and using the slow cooker it does take about 2 days until this meal is done...so lets say you want this on Wednesday..soak your dal on Monday night...put everything in the slow cooker on Tuesday morning and it will be soft and ready by breakfast or lunch on Wednesday....seems like alot of work? not at all..its just a waiting game..you really don't have to do much..but practice patience for a super yummy meal*


1 cup of Chana Dal *soak in water the night before cooking*

1 yellow onion
1 tbsp chopped ginger
3 cloves of garlic
4 small little green hot peppers I got from a thai store, please use any hot peppers you want
splash of olive oil

6 cups of water
1 tsp salt *you can always add more if you like*
1/4tsp tumeric
1/4tsp cumin
1/4tsp corriander
1/4tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 handfuls of chopped spinich *goes in last*

*First soak your Chana Dal overnight*

NEXT DAY

*Onion, ginger, garlic and hot peppers a splash of oil in a pan and brown..not too brown just lightly and until fragrant...*

*After Dal is soaked over night put it in the slow cooker with the 6 cups of water and the onion,ginger,hot peppers and garlic...add all spices and lemon juice..put the cover on the slow cooker and turn on high for the day...at night turn down to low*

*Goodmorning...put everything in a blender..be careful if the soup is really hot..you want to wait till it cools a bit before blending to avoid getting burnt and avoid having Dal on your ceiling....after blended put it all back in the slow cooker with the chopped spinich..back on high for 30 minutes then to low...and its done! ready to eat!!!!

You will not be disappointed..it is sooooo yum!!
happy eating!

Gazpacho Bliss

I used a large bowl full of garden fresh baby tomatoes, diced.
1/4 diced red onion
1 small green pepper
1 small red pepper
1 large cucumber
2 cloves of raw garlic
2 cups of tomato juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
few sprigs of parsley
salt and pepper to taste

I pureed about 1/4 of everything and added tomato juice to the mix if needed before serving a bowl.
Fresh and simple for a hot summer day.

Goddess Salad

1 package of firm tofu
1 head of any kind of lettuce you like, I prefer green leaf
1 cup of cooked brown rice
1 small cooked pumpkin (kabocha)or(acorn squash)
1/2 cup of hijiki seaweed
1 red pepper
10 baby tomatoes sliced in half
3 cucumbers


Take a small amount of olive oil and lightly fry tofu crumbled.
Cut pumpkin, remove seeds and cut into small chunks and boil in water till soft. You can remove the skin on the pumpkin or boil it down till soft.

When tofu and pumpkin are both cooled, mix in a large bowl with lettuce, brown rice, hijiki seaweed, red pepper, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Dressing
1 cup of olive oil
2 chopped garlic cloves
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
1/2 cup of white wine vinegar
combine in a dressing bottle and shake.

Enjoy this fresh salad!

Homemade Granola

4 cups of Organic Oats
1/2 cup of wheat germ
1/4 cup of brown sugar
dash of salt
2 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
1/2 cup of walnuts
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of dried cranberries
1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup of coconut oil or olive oil ( I like coconut)
1/2 cup of water

In a large mixing bowl mix all dry ingredients together. Oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, cinnamon, coconut, salt and walnuts. *Do Not add raisins and cranberries*

Make a well in the center of the mixed dry ingredients pour all liquid ingredients (water, oil, honey) and mix all ingredients together well.
Spread granola on a cookie sheet or flat pan, put into preheated oven (175 C or 325 F) bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Be sure to watch and stir every 10 minutes the granola can burn easily.
When lightly browned take out of oven put into a bowl and mix in the raisins and cranberries and cool. After granola is cooled it should be crispy if not you may want to bake a bit longer.

To store put into a jar with a tight lid. You can enjoy as a snack at anytime of the day. It is very delicious in milk or soy milk or mixed in yogurt.

Paper from 20 Years Ago..Found

In response to my earlier post.. posted today I found a great way to keep my mind off things and move on...clean!

So I organized all our wires that were thrown all about in our little work area. I organized my underwear drawer (as if you wanted to know). And I organized all my bookshelves, leaving me feel lighter and organized. I am some what obsessed with organization a bit too much at times...like I never really get anything done except the organizing part. *working on that*

As I organized my books I found things..garbage..and papers..papers that I wrote about 20 years ago..this one is a translation of The Chien Hexagram, which I will be honest I do not know much about this, but I know its origin is China. I did this charcoal drawing in Art School many moons ago and added this Chien Hexagram into the drawing, but I truly had NO idea that these lines in this form actually had meaning until a few years later when an old friend had pointed this out to me. I was amazed, so I found the meaning at the library in a book, and wrote it on this paper. I no longer have the piece of artwork, but I will always remember the work.

Uneasy

For the last two weekends in a row I have had a very hard time sleeping..and functioning in a relaxed way during the entire weekend. On the weekends I have more time to read things...things about the radiation issues in Japan..things about the problems this country faces still almost a year after the giant quake.

At times I wonder why do I read all this news?? Is it better for me to ignore it? would I be more at ease? Or why can't I just read it and let it go? I mean what can I do about it all? Freak out..no I have already done enough of that in the last year. Pick up and move away? Well moving someplace else in Japan would be okay with me..but there is a lot involved in that process and it is certainly not going to happen tomorrow...not for us.

Do I have an answer for my uneasy feelings? no I do not and if I did there would be no need to blog about it. So I will go on with my day, feeling thankful for what I do have in my life..drink some tea..perhaps do some Yin yoga and maybe even read or draw. If anyone has any suggestions on how to easy up...bring it.