drink me

Don't be afraid. This is a most awesome breakfast... a fresh mango and three big handfuls of organic spinach all blended up. I've been having these most days with some interesting results. I am eating a "raw until dinner" diet for about two weeks now. I believe last night I finally hit the detox zone. Without too much detail I will tell you it was pretty bad, and what's coming out is very dark and evil looking, but when it was over (about 40 minutes or so) I felt better than ever... I can feel myself getting cleaner, clearer, and more energetic every day.


I've read every book I can get my hands on about going raw, and I'm still tracking down a few more. The best advice so far: make sure you ADORE what you are eating (I adore unadulterated vegetables, and the awesome raw marinara I made last night; not so much the blended nut "cheeses"), and be sure to have some activities prepped for all the incredible creative energy this diet seems to release. No kidding!


In a flurry of cleaning out closets, drawers, and far recesses of the house, I have discovered a treasure trove of crafting materials. A big bowl of beads sits ready on the table for creative bursts of enthusiasm (mine or the kid's). I'm also back into summer knitting - dishcloths, bien sur.

It seems that when you start cleaning yourself out, it starts a chain reaction and you want to clean EVERYTHING out. I believe I have sufficiently reduced my belongings by about one-third. It is light and liberating! Now which drawer wants to be next!?...


Thank you Goddess for your summer bounty, the beauty of your gifts, and the opportunity for a fresh start. I am blessed.

home

I'm settling into a nice rhythm at home now. Back into my exercise routine means more energy for the rest of the day. I'm really working hard on clearing my space. I'm attacking drawers, closets and piles.


Like this one for instance. Here sits a year's worth of artwork from Montessori school. Piles of paintings and drawings, all too precious to throw out without a second look. I taped my favorites to the wall and recycled the rest. A small pile sits next to my printer, waiting to be scanned. Then on to the next pile!


Between purging I am binging in the kitchen. It feels so great to be eating this living food lately. Here's the hummus I couldn't wait to make... the beans taste just as good as cooked, a little fresher tasting I think... tahini, garlic, Bragg's, then I whirled it all up and ate it with raw zucchini and carrot "chips".


These are the raw version of lemon bars (my favorite dessert). Almonds, dates, coconut and lemon juice/zest patted into the pan. Yum!

What are you eating these days?

summer solstice

Happy Solstice! I have returned from retreat in the High Sierras. The mountains there were fresh and cool, and covered with many many wildflowers. I spotted some from my childhood by the stream, we called them "shooting stars".


We stayed together in an old ski lodge, twelve women all gathered to heal together and in so doing heal the earth. This was the view from the top (hope this cools off some of you experiencing extreme heat right now!) Saturday a thunderstorm rolled through, dropping huge random drops of warm rain on us as we hiked.


The lodge was cozy, but could become cave-like to me; most of the women (curiously) didn't like to go outside. So I had some faery healings out in the meadow, and followed the sound of water to a creek farther along the path.



I saw a big duck take off from this pond. I had a Soul Retrieval, and brought back a piece of myself at fifteen. Evidently I have been acting too "down to earth" for this person. So she's back, and wanting to sew more. I had a deep healing on Saturday night which involved my Deepest Sorrow. And so today I feel a little slow and tender, continuing my practice through eating and meditating and reading and resting.


I found a patch of snow, and I reveled in the stages of Water. I left the fairies some of my hair.

What did you do for Summer Solstice?

what to eat

One thing that you may or may not know about me is that I am obsessed with food. I like to get an idea and try it out for awhile. Right now it's all about eating raw. I figure, what better time? I'm hanging out, it's too hot to cook, and there's some amazing food out there. The colors and textures really stand out better when it's raw.


So I keep buying more vegetables and fruits, and because they are all there and need to be eaten (before they spoil) I am eating them like crazy. I am also drinking crazy amounts of water, which feels nice. There is a lot of chopping involved with this diet.


Now here's my third attempt at sprouting. The first time was with my class. Then I made salad mix last weekend and ate it ALL. These are garbanzo beans for hummus. I can't WAIT to make this.


This almond butter was an experiment. I mistakenly added oil to the nuts. I should have just stuck with water. It still tasted OK, but I will chuck this and try again. Too bad since almonds seem to have gone up in price a lot!


My lunch was delish. That's falafel in there and yes, it's not raw. But it was a small amount and added the right texture. That and some tomatoes and cauliflower coleslaw wrapped up in romaine. Yum!!!

I had lots of water today, and some Love You Life tea. Soon I leave for the Sierra's to celebrate Summer Solstice with womyn!! I can't wait!!

living

Here is the cemetery in Salinas. This is where my Dad is, along with my paternal grandparents and John Steinbeck.


My Dad was an elementary school principal for over thirty years. He died of leukemia and we miss him terribly. I made a little bouquet for him from flowers gathered at my guild meeting.

My birth dad is dead too. He crashed his car in 1979. They scattered his ashes out a plane over the Monterey Bay.


My Mom has had a hard time without Roaul. I know that she is more lonely than she lets on to be. Li'l P. had fun in her backyard last weekend. My Dad always fought with my Mom about the backyard; he never thought it was important to have flowers. Now she grows lots.


My Dad's mother, Gertrude, said to him: "Give me my flowers when I am living."

I can see her point.

let it begin

Here is where I will be eating my meals now that it's summer... I'll be consuming perfectly composed arrangements of raw and living foods.

Here is where I will bathe. This morning I gave myself a Salty Sea pedicure, complete with new nail color (red bien sur). It is warm enough now for a frosty bath.


We will all indulge in some exotic spa treatments including one that magically transforms you into a beautiful mermaid!


The time has come for leisure, reflection, and extreme self-care. Gentle recreation, meandering along, and generally relaxing are the activities of choice.

And of course yoga.



I am obsessed with eating as many live, fresh, organic plants I can. This year the garden is limited, but I am so lucky to live in this gorgeous, fertile state where abundance is the norm and organic is just expected. Next year we will have raised beds brimming with goodness.

Summer comes! Let it begin!

roots

We have been luxuriating in the extravagance of our own home. Once you almost lose something, you find a certain fondness towards it right away...almost like falling in love again. I've been doing yoga and reading raw food blogs.

Meanwhile school is winding down. We took a last minute field trip to Hidden Valley farm in Los Altos. I remembered that I had visited (and blogged) a trip there maybe a year or so ago with my friend L and her little pumpkin.


Nd and I went on a date the night before the fire started. We attended a county workshop on land management and composting. We learned the difference between paddock and pasture. Above is a lovely example of the latter.


Lots of inspiration here. Can you imagine a bathtub literally full of healing herbs? Maybe one of comfrey or chamomile that you could actually lie down on. This makes me want to scavenge a little. Spirit whispers: Less stuff.


My class adored this plant tunnel at the entrance to the garden. We visited animals here, but nothing as remarkable as what I have at my house. It was great to pick and taste things, touch plants and feel the good green energy all around. I believe we should work more on this at my school.


I am drinking Julia's Power tea (Love Your Life) this morning and enjoying my little deck garden...it's nothing like this one, but it is a start. Maybe it's a good time to take some more pictures. I like the idea of visualizing a garden within my heart. If there was something growing there, I believe it would look like this. Lush herbal loveliness.

After that it's off to the beach and visiting my best friend. Have a nice Saturday!

PS As you can see, I'm too lazy to link things. But Google is our friend.

up a tree

Jack Black Magic has a new way to get on the deck. He rapidly scales this nearby redwood and leaps in a death-defying arc to the ledge.


And speaking of up a tree, our cherries were wonderful this year. My favorite memory will be the cute firemen plucking and eating to their hearts' content... "Look, cap'n, dinner!" joked one. Since the birds discovered them that's about it for this year.


Oh to be so steady in the face of adversity. To leap and climb with agility beyond human measure. To land always on one's feet.

And to look so handsome while doing so.

cravings

Interestingly, the recent crisis with the fire sparked my interest in eating carbs. In search of comfort, I began eating things I never eat, like lots of sourdough toast, some of it even with peanut butter!

Holly here will eat almost anything, of course.

Another funny thing that happened after we evacuated was that I began fantasizing about what I would cook when they finally let us go home. Number one on the list: granola.


I use the second recipe from Joy of Cooking. It's basically three parts oats to one part wheat germ, dry milk solids, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and almonds. Coconut is good here too, so are sesame seeds and dried fruit (but don't add this last until after you toast it). Mix that up with honey and a little canola oil.


Toast in a slow oven until you can smell it. Break into chunks and store airtight. So easy! So perfect!


Best enjoyed with Greek yogurt and sliced organic strawberries. Um, yum.

Craving satisfied. Eat slow.