20 Min Dinner

Twenty Minute PsuedoThai

2pkg standard tofu with calcium
1/4-1/3 c tamari (salt intake concerns? so reduce) and 2tbsp olive oil to marinate Tofu in.

5 small cucumbers,
3 big leaves of chard,
1-2 cloves of garlic minced,
1/4 c. thinly sliced lemon.
1/2 c tahini, at least.

First slice the tofu into wedges, rectangles. Then put into the salad bowl & add Tamari and olive oil.
Fry* tofu in olive or coconut oil, or butter; it's your choice. If you do this well, paying careful attention, the tofu can seem a lot like chikin.
Put salad greens into the bowl once tofu is cleared, so the dregs of Tamari will flavor the salad: cucumbers diced, chard chawed into shreds, minced garlic, lemon slices wafer thin with the juice, dump on a bunch of tahini -- a whole bunch.
The flavour expression of this piece is simply dependent on whether you've used coconut or olive. It can be very sweet if you would like maple syrup on the tofu? Then the question is: has your roommate made guacamole within the same time-frame? If the answer is yes, that's a good roomie. We also ended up with noodles.

*you're going to need to put the flame on the lower side, so that the suckers don't burn before the heat reaches the whole way through. They'll ideally be turned, for the benefit of both sides. Squeeze on a lil lemon.

🌱🌲🌱🌳🌱🌲🌲🌸💮💐💮🌼🌷💐🌷🌱🌳🌱🌳🌲🌱

While There Is Life

Chapter 1

Gura was sitting silently beside Gräs, waiting, listening, in the green depths of the forest floor.

Purple flower blooms sprung from a nearby vine violently tickled Gräs on the left shoulder and she sneezed.

“Ah!” yelped Gura. her squeaky voice emanating from the direction of her ephemeral body's shadow. “Good morning, Parvi.”

The flower nodded.

“Listen,” cooed Gura. “Listen until you forget your small body.”

“It's not very small,” said Gräs.

“That's not the point. Just listen to the sounds of the morning, here, at this moment, in this forest.”

Gräs closed her eyes.

“Every tree... blah blah something profound about trees. Now think of the tubers.”

“Ohhhh, they're delicious,” Gräs cooed as if on cue. “I love how they're so chewy and~”

“Shh!.....Now, what happens when you take a tuber shoot that's been growing on a neglected corner of an uneaten blue potato in the heart of the house, cut it from the larger tuber and plant it in the moist soil? What does it do?”

“It grows.”

“Into what?”

“More potatoes. Usually.”

“Excellent, my pupil,” Gura said drily.

A vibrant turquoise Calliopteryx cut through the dewy morning air with little snippy wing-beats.

“Apologies if I disturbed your meditation session,” began the 42-millimeter long sentient being known to all of his neighbors as Piki, honourable Lt. Conscience of the Naead Jyl. The bug's presence was weighty and dignified, belied by his tiny size.

“No need to apologize, Piki,” Gura smiled. “Blessings to you this day.”

“Thank you, ma,” Piki smiled a tiny crystal-glint of a smile and flew between the fat, periwinkle leaves of a Water Nettle.

Gräs kept still, a serene vessel housing a calm soul in the sweet morning air, and felt the air move softly in and out of her lungs.

“Just like your favorite plant~”

“It's not my favorite.”

“Oh,” puzzled Gura. “But you're always going on about how tasty it is.”

“Ohhh, it is tasty.”

“Anyway,” said Gura, with utmost patience. “I am trying to create a metaphor. Just like your beloved tubers, is your Brain. You are born, and your Brain is one thing, it sees only itself, and all things as part of itself. The sequestering of a neglected potato may seem like a tragedy to the tuber, but it is only by experiencing the solitude of its own being and the passage of time that it can germinate new life. Your Brain, similarly, must learn the lesson of solitude. It is to become light, become source, and bring something new into the world through the giving of itself. Then we are become light.”

“But Gura.”

“Yes, my child.”

“Sometimes it's hard.”

“I know, sweetheart. Remember, the rewards are infinite, and shared by all.”

And Gras calmed her mind, and violet light poured and took form, like larkspur bells or wisteria budding on a vine, in the deep green forest of her Heart.

Breathe.

A Really Good Salad

Sometimes, when times are tough, and you're feeling down for whatever reason, and you've run out of pumpkin spice anything to feed your inner hipster, all you can do is just make a really good salad, with items you have ideally bought at a supermarket, wit money which you, ideally, have:


1 sm head of Roma (Israeli word)/ Romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cup of thick Spinach leaves, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 sm yellow onion, minced
1-2 inches of goat cheese (I used Tomme, 28% fatty)
large hearty scoop of Thina, ideally home-made with lemon, water, salt and garlic added to the thick brew you get in those little tubs..
1/4-1/2 cup organic Sauerkraut, if you like it.
6-9 olives, dismembered by fingernails, and with 1/8 c brine added. (I really like Suri flavour by Neot Smadar)
swirl around the bowl once with Flaxseed oil
beat the shit out of some Walnuts with a spoon (in a bag pls) and put those in there.
dash on some Himalayan salt, and a fine dusting of curry powder.

Love,
debs

Mushroom Curry Rice

Due to the fact that I have not yet bought a gas can for my stove top, I have recently been faced with the prospect of cooking things only IN the oven....  in answer to the question of "what is for dinner, and involves something other than salad or potato chips?", BEHOLD my glorious masterpiece of flavor.  Who could have imagined how easy it was to cook rice in the oven?!.....  

I love portobello mushrooms, and they are ever so delicious with root-vegetable accompaniment like potatoes and jerusalem artichokes (which bear no resemblance to regular artichokes, but actually taste similar when cooked).  A handful of added golden raisins is excitingly weird (in a tasty way).  Powdered madras curry and cloves make this a winter dish that will warm you up from inside out.  A very satisfying rice dish, which I serve smothered in Tehina and Amba sauce, naturally.

Mushroom Curry Rice

טעים החרה הזה.

3 med white potatoes, peeled and chopped roughly
2-3 med pieces jlem artichoke, peeled and chopped roughly
2 med portobello mushrooms, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup golden raisins

place all above ingredients into a large baking dish with a lid.

season with:
1 tsp ground cloves
2 tbsp madras curry
1 tsp himalayan salt
2 tbsp Flaxseed oil
1 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos

I added 1 1/2 cups of rice and 3 3/4 cups of water.  I find that the 1:2.5 ratio of rice to water works best.  But perhaps you have experimented for yourself and come to other conclusions based on experience...

Cook at 165 celsius / 325 fahrenheit
For approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes.
I like slow~cooking things:}
enjoy!

best friends fo~eva

Crispy Celery Salad

This salad works great as a Tehina transportation element.

This combination of chopped veggies and mild dressing makes for a very serene salad.  Avocado and flaxseed oil give it body, with enough salt to enhance the subtle flavors of the light greens.  I like to mix the salad by hand after I add the Avocado, to distribute it properly.  As you may have noticed if you read my blog, I tend to put at least 2 cloves of raw garlic into every salad.  I'm a garlic fanatic, feel free to adjust to your taste.

Crispy Celery Salad

(serves 3~4)

4 celery stalks w/o leaves, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
1 inch of white cabbage head, chopped
1/3 head fennel, chopped
1 c. Radish sprouts, cut with kitchen shears
2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 med Avocado, cubed
2 tbsp flaxseed oil
1 tsp himalayan salt
juice of 1/2 lemon

mix and enjoy!

Green Garlic Pesto Salad

Unique and delicious, I ate this green, garlic-y salad for breakfast this morning, because I'm fighting a cold...  If you're not accustomed to raw garlic, use half a clove, minced, instead of 2.  Adding a small handful of sunny golden raisins (which contain vitamin C) to this salad will improve absorption of the iron in the kale. Vitamineral Green is a powdered greens supplement, one of the wonderfully potent products of HealthForce.  I love their supplements, but you can use any powdered greens or leave out that ingredient. Chlorophyll adds magnesium and dyes the salad a keen green color with thrilling results for the vegetable-deprived...  mmm.... garlic-y gooodness.

Green Garlic Pesto Salad, topped with golden raisins

Green Garlic Pesto Salad

(serves 1 ~ multiply as needed)

4 white mushrooms, diced
3 large leaves kale, chopped, sprinkle with some himalayan salt
2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp pesto
1 tsp braggs
1 tsp Vitamineral green (or other powdered greens)
1/2 tsp Chlorophyll

Mix in dressing toppings and sprinkle with 1/4 c. golden raisins.

Yeah, that's right, I'm a shill for the man... Dr. Sheridan

Mushroom Salad

A salad in three parts:

Salad:

combine the following fresh vegetables in a large bowl:
1 cucumber, chopped
2 cups lettucey leaves (romaine or spinach are preferable), chopped
2 cups sunflower sprouts, chopped
1 inch slice from a purple cabbage head, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
5~6 kalamata olives, cut small
Sprinkle with Himalayan salt and lemon juice

Dressing:

For dressing, I used Tehina. From a package. Which i bought at the supermarket here in Israel. So that was a shortcut. :}

Mushrooms:

Take some large mushrooms, which you hopefully bought at a grocery (as opposed to finding them in the woods of Siberia, because this will then become a whole other sort of salad experience), wash and place stem up in a pan suitable for baking.

Pour on some flaxseed oil, Braggs liquid aminos and Himalayan salt, (specific measurements are not given because it depends on the size of the mushroom), which will drip into the mushrooms corregated insides and keep it moist as it cooks for about 45 minutes at 325°.  Slice and add to the salad.

Mix salad, dressing and mushrooms and enjoy!

Creamy Mediterranean Quinoa

I've been making Quinoa for awhile, and have finally hit on what I declare to be a tasty Mediterranean version of my beloved grain.  I made enough to share. :)

Quinoa:

Chop:
1 medium-large Sweet Potato or Yam
1 small purple Onion
1 inch fresh Ginger
1 clove fresh Garlic
3 cups mixed red & white Quinoa
1/4 c. Date syrup (Silan), no sugar added
Himalayan salt
Turmeric
Cinnamon
Olive Oil

Heat large pot on med-high heat, add 1/2 c Olive oil.  Sautee Sweet Potato till tender, add purple Onion, Ginger and Garlic and sautee for several minutes.  Add Quinoa (and more Olive oil if it's dry), and brown it a bit, while adding several hearty dashes of Turmeric, Cinnamon, Salt and Date syrup.  Add appx. 4 1/2 to 5 cups of Water and stir.  Add more Olive oil if it seems necessary to you. x)  Heat to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the Quinoa has absorbed all the water.


Tehina:

Use 1 500mg jar of Organic Tehina

Add & Mix:
2 cloves garlic, minced
500ml water
1/2-1 cup fresh Lemon Juice
Himalayan salt
sprinkle Parsley for awesome presentation.


Salad:

Chop finely & Mix:
20 mini-Cucumbers or 3 large Cukes
3 cups of Baby Tomatoes in various colours, if available.
1 cup of fresh Parsley
1 whole skinny Chive
1 white Onion
1 clove Garlic
1/2-1 cup fresh Lemon juice
Himalayan salt

Afternoon Chill

Afternoon Chill-out Juice :D

4 med. cucumbers, peeled
1 med. apple in sections
8 large leaves of green lettuce, or 1 small head of green lettuce
1 inch of fresh ginger
2 sprigs of mint

Juice all ingredients. This juice must be drunk in the afternoon!! Jk, but that's the best time in my opinion. The greens & cuke & mint are nice and mellow, the ginger adds just a bit of zing, and the apple just a bit of sweetness. Perfect!

Flowers

This is hardly a recipe for salad.  I have sorely neglected this blog, and plan to remedy that in the near future. ;)  Instead, I just wanted to share a few ideas with you that may help you in your own journey to health.

I have had my share of struggles with depression.  It's definitely related to the Type 1 Diabetes, because it did intensify at age 15 while I was on a trip with my family and we all started to realize that there was something wrong with the way my body was functioning.  Why I got diabetes?  No clue.  Science is still working that one out.  In the mean time, I am still pursuing health and healing to the best of my abilities.  And something I have noticed is that 1.5 years ago, when I chose to start eating much healthier, it had a beneficial effect on my body, but the most profound effects were felt in my mind.  In other words: I've started to realize that treating depression with food is just as important as treating the other aspects of illness.  It seems like depression is actually a pretty physical thing.

Sugar seems to be an enemy to my mental health.  When I eat it, it does contribute to moodiness. Czech out this fun stuff:

"a study of 3,456 middle-aged civil servants, published in British Journal of Psychiatry found that those who had a diet which contained a lot of processed foods had a 58% increased risk for depression, whereas those whose diet could be described as containing more whole foods had a 26% reduced risk for depression."  http://www.foodforthebrain.org/content.asp?id_Content=1635

Interesting.  Tons of informations on that site.

Now, here are some more ideas that have helped me sidestep a few spirals of depression:

Going for a walk to touch and admire the leaves of green growing things has often cheered me and reminded me of the beauty inherent in life.  Green growing things grow up and out because they must, and the energy they embody is a comfort to me in my more scrambly times.

Yoga has been very beneficial to my life and well-being.  I feel so much better after a few rounds of sun salutations in the morning versus starting the day without stretching.  It's so lovely to get the blood moving in the morning, and feel the blissful after effects for hours.

Meditation.  I love the concept of the out-breath meditation, which I read about in one of Pema Chodron's books.  It's a very simple meditation - your mind may be wandering and engaging in verbosity during your in-breaths, but on the out-breath, try to send all of your attention to the simple act of breathing out.  Be in the moment as the air rushes out of your mouth.  This is a deceptively simple meditation technique that I have enjoyed for years.  It really does have a way of putting me back in the present moment, bringing more presence to my present.  Coming back to a state of centered mindfulness is very important for my mental health.

Bellydancing!  Is one of the greatest things ever in helping a woman to come into a very positive and loving relationship to her body.  You can't bellydance and swing your hips and NOT love your body.  I dare you to be depressed whilst bellydancing.  All that movement does marvelous things for the blood flow & functioning of your organs in the abdomen.

Accept your self, for the love of god.  No one else can do this except you.  And if you are not actively accepting your chubby, awkward, un-cooler aspects, you will not be attracting healthy relationships.  If it isn't present within you, how's it going to be present in the outer world?  I am learning delightful new lessons all about self acceptance lately.  Let's just say, that if you take a moment to declare to the universe that you are ready to embrace the challenge of self-acceptance, THINGS WILL HAPPEN.  And maybe sometimes it gets uglier before it gets prettier, but that's the point.  "Always a valley before a hill" sez that one fortune cookie that one time.  It was so true, and still is.  When you feel like you're in a pit, have patience with yourself, because it is not all shitty all of the time, and things are about to get way more awesome...

Love you!
Debs

YellowGreen Un-pasta

Sautee 1 chopped squash in 1 generous tsp coconut oil.

Add 1 inch minced Ginger, 1 clove minced Garlic & Salt.

This is my favorite way to make squash - ginger/garlic/coconut. The flavors go so well together.

...meanwhile:

In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups fresh sprouts (I had Fenugreek sprouts) with:

1 avocado, sliced
6 green olives, halved
1 tsp Tahini
1 tsp Apple cider vinegar
Dash Garlic powder
Dash Blue Green Algae
2 capsules Chlorella
2 - 4 tbsp Olive brine
Salt



Mix sprout pasta till the avocado is uniformly mushy, and top with squash. This tastes like a warm bowl of pasta, without the refined carbs, and is half raw. I like adding olive brine, the saltiness elevates this to healthy comfort food. Tasty and easy to make!

The Great Caper Salad

Bamboo shoots, 1/2 can
Small bunch parsley, chopped
1/2 tomato
5 green olives, halved
1 tsp capers
Dash of horseradish mustard
Olive oil
Salt
Garlic powder
Dill




Salty raw midnight snack! Yum!

Triad Juice aka Purple Dragon

I love color theory. Leave it to the studio art / art history major to invent new juicing recipes based upon the color wheel... heh heh. I love my juicer; it was the wisest purchase I've made all year, probably. Thank G-d for vegetables... and fruit...

Dinosaur parts

This juice was very simple, just 1 beet, about 8 carrots, 6 leaves of dinosaur kale and a whole lemon, with peel.

There's a heart in mah juice! Juicing is pretty... :)

This juice tasted wonderful. To be honest, I'd drink literal Dagobah swamp water if I knew it would make me healthier, because I'm hardcore that way. But this juice really did taste delightful; I drank this on a day when I was struggling with the purple dragon of Money-love, financial insecurity. I made this juice intuitively, then did a little shaky dance to shake all the material clinginess out of me. Truly, I think it worked. Dance is a great unifier, when you're feeling fractured by ridiculous desires.

When I drank this, I could feel the loving dinosaur cells working their way into my system, re-arranging furniture to a more suitable feng shui, dusting the crystals on chandeliers, taking big chunks out of the old toxin burgers floating around in my fat cells... heh heh. Is that gross? I'm just bein' silly. Detoxing is a bitch.

I've started doing things like skin-brushing and oil pulling in the morning to help with the process. And the occasional water-in-the-bum. These things have really helped with the detoxing process, to make it more bearable and less like the Cold Sweats of Death.

Why am I still detoxing? Because I keep falling off the horse, and having to get back on the raw train. It's been difficult, but I'm still committed to being responsible for my own health. I think I'm back on for good now. Whenever I eat things like "bread" I feel like crap, haha. I'm tired of feeling like crap, it's as simple as that...

Other things that help with detoxing? Breathing consciously, stretching, jogging/sweating, and dancing! And definitely, absolutely, essentially: Journalling. I've written about 15 pages in the last few days... It doesn't just help with the process, in some ways it is the process.

Love you, person reading this!

Dinner Party

Long time, no blog. I've been plugging away in my vegetarianism, with the exception of the occasional Salmon Ceviche, and continuing to try to eat raw. My living environment hasn't been entirely stable lately, which makes it much harder to prepare food for myself, but I have not given up, even if I often have to make do with a meal of cooked vegetarian food. My HbA1c is down to 10, from 11.5. I know - YUCK. Either way, it's still too high. But I'm moving in the right direction. I had a talk with my doctor about all of this last week. She pointed out some changes to make in my insulin regimen, but did not disapprove of my eating this way. I asked her if she had any other patients or knew of any other Type 1 Diabetics who were eating raw, and she said no...

Creativity is Queen; Wisdom reigns supreme...

I got rambunctiously creative yesterday and made a feast for some friends... I thought I'd share the intuitive recipe process on here. By the way, there is a lot of butter used in these recipes. I'm not sure yet what to substitute for butter in baking, and I'm not baking much anymore anyway. But this was a special occasion, so there you go; disclaimer duly stated.

Portabello Adamah

"Adamah" means "earth" in Hebrew. The earthy taste of the portabellos is beefed up by a Kalamata olive tapenade (which I bought at Costs-As-Much-As-Your-Soul Foods), and sesame seeds add to the natural nuttiness of the 'shrooms.

earthy goodness

Wash a gaggle of portabello caps, and break into smaller segments. Put them on an oiled baking sheet, and sprinkle with sea salt. Add a pat of butter to each one. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds. Crush baby green blend lettuce in your hands, and place a little ball on each piece of portabello. Then top with a teaspoon full of olive tapenade. Stick it in the oven at 425 for about 18 minutes. However long it takes for the mushrooms to release their juices and get tender.

Avocado-Carrot Salad

I invented this a couple of months ago, when I had some leftover carrots and an avocado. It's ridiculously simple and tastes heavenly.

symbiosis of the mostest flavor

Slice a crap-basket-ful of Avocadoes and place in a dish. Thinly slice two chunky, decent-sized carrots, and throw into a sautee pan with some butter. After the carrots begin to get a bit brown around the edges, squeeze on some honey and add a dash of cumin. Add more or less to taste, but believe me the cumin and honey do wonderful things to the carrots. Avoid over-cooking the carrots by stopping whenever they get tender, and then spoon them over the avocado.



Baked Acorn Squash with Peach Pecan Butter

When I was younger I hated squash - WHAT WAS I THINKING?!? I just didn't know how to prepare it..

this ain't yo momma's squash

Cut open the Acorn Squash and scoop out the seeds. Place facedown in a baking dish with 1/2 inch of water. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 375. Take them out of the oven and turn them face up in the dish. Sprinkle with salt, add a little butter, and a spoonful of Fredericksburg Farms Peach Pecan Butter (beyond words good! I hope you can find something equally marvelous if you don't live in Texas). Bake at 425 for 15 - 25 more minutes. Just till the edges get a bit crinkly and the filling bubbles.


I also made Start Fresh Salad, this time with yellow cherry tomatoes and no avocado. Tasty as ever. And a perniciously delicious dessert involving waffles, strawberries, vanilla bean ice cream and King's Cupboard bitter chocolate sauce, which is something I do NOT eat on a regular basis. As I said, special night, special foods. It was something to write home about. so... Hi Mom! :D

squashy squashy squashy I love squash

"Change" is an understatement

I didn't know whether to post this in We Were Like Dreamers, which is more or less the narrative of my inner journey, or Hippie Lettuce, which is about external health - this thing that is happening to me is happening from inside to out and outside to in, so I'm going with BOTH.

There is no more time for dishonesty, facade or ignorance. My life is in freaking shambles, and I am the earthquak-er. Shiva is up and smoking; a new song is blasting the walls of Jericho to the ground.

Physically, the change is speeding along. Since I started eating raw, my body has completely begun re-forming itself. I've lost about 14 pounds (which is too much too fast, and I've been piling on the nuts, oils, healthy fats as much as possible, and it has slowed down). My skin cleared up right away. Acne is no longer a concern for Adult Deborah (thank G-D). Although any ideas for natural face scrubs and whatnot would be most welcome. My mind is so much more clear now. I feel more free, because when I eat, I am no longer incapacitated by the sluggish digestion of refined, processed foods. I ENJOY food more now. Taste and eating have become much more pleasurable and sensual as my palate adjusts to this new, natural menu. My creativity has been somewhat EXPLODING as I have been struck with inspiration time and time again to create a new dish (usually using the blender to make dips, sauces, desserts). It is something I am very grateful for; a path I know I need to stay on. It's Life for me.

Oh yes, and my hair is blue. I've always wanted to be a mermaid.

Now to the inner world...

When I started writing my morning pages as part of the Artist's Way work, I had no idea what was going to happen... I had no idea I was going to find my true voice - that which I had stuffed down for so long, fearing the unknown. I have feared the dark since childhood, but to be honest, it was sometimes a more intense fear as an adult. Things I was hiding from myself... What does it take to know your own Heart? To know G-d from within? What are you afraid of losing in order to find it? To tell the truth, I did lose myself in order to find myself... It's a cliff many are hesitant to leap from; "the people remained at a distance, and Moses approached the thick darkness where G-d was." (Exodus 20:21)

What came out in my journal (three pages first thing each morning is the goal), was my voice. My own voice. Not the voice constructed for me by society, or my parents, or religion, or friends, but the true, deep, inner cry of my heart. I learned a lot about separating those other voices from my own voice. Finding my own perspective, instead of putting on someone else's. In the book "Courage", Osho says, "[the mind] is nothing natural, it is cultivated. It has been put together on top of you. Deep down you are still free, you can get out of it. One can never get out of nature, but one can get out of the artificial any moment one decides to."

I found my way out of the artificial.

I called myself "Daydreamer," because for most of my life, I've existed in a state of idealism and fantasy. I've spoken in lofty terms about mystical, abstract meanings of things, and I've not brought these things to the red, red roots of HOW DO YOU LIVE THEN? It's a good question, and one that I am going to address for the rest of my life.

Everything has changed, because I've been brought to a place of understanding that it is through Experience that I gain real, practical Wisdom - not only through book learnin's. Lofty, abstract concepts can be attained when one denies the physical, the ego, and appeals to the Library in the Sky, lovingly created by our Father in heaven... But there is another way that has been neglected for too long: the Tantric path. Wisdom gained through experience. Embracing the physical without clinging to it, which is, I think, exactly how Jesus lived.

We've neglected our Mother. In a lot of ways, religion has shut us up in white boxes in the West (can't speak for the East; don't know), and distorted our perspective of G-d to mean the Guy in the Sky, who can only be accessed through particular sacraments, creeds, rituals, the right crowd.

NO.

I reject this proposition, and I offer another. G-d is everywhere. I don't meet G-d in a building, I meet "G-d" (I write it "G-d" not necessarily from the Jewish perspective that doesn't spell out the name out of respect, but rather from a recognition of the futility of using words to describe this) in the eyes and experiences of people I talk to, and in the pure, awesome wonder of the natural world.

Embracing G-d as Mother means giving your full attention, your full presence to everything you do. Learning to live with the ego, instead of trying to destroy it. Eating, drinking, breathing, making love, conversation - whenever we take something in, we should do it gratefully, with awareness that our Source Loves us with a perfect Love. If we first turn our attention to the inner, then the outer world becomes a Joy instead of an addiction. What's coming from within? Perfect Love. Only perfect Love can change you from your roots to your tips; judgement and fear of punishment can only treat the symptoms of a crooked heart. The better way is Love, and Love is ALWAYS speaking if you will listen. How do you listen?

I have tooooooooo much to explain in one blog post, but let's sum up:

1. Please buy a journal and start using it.

2. Go for a walk in the woods.

3. Stop judging people.

I Love you, world. We're going to get through this. There's a better way coming, and we both know what it is... We're either going to destroy ourselves with violence or we're going to find a better way to relate to ourselves and each other. And I can say, with absolute confidence from experience that HONESTY IS EVERYTHING.

I Love Salad

Remember that thing I said about not wanting to eat salad every day? Yeah, I officially take that back. :)

Start Fresh Salad

Baby Spinach leaves
Baby Greens leaves (there's a tub I get at HEB called "Baby Sweet Leaf Spring Mix")
Grape Tomatoes
Hemp Seeds
Goat Cheese

Lemon Juice
Braggs Liquid Aminos
Olive Oil
Dill Weed



It's so simple, it really is - but it's otherworldy delicious.

I've removed Balsamic Vinegar from my food encyclopedia and replaced it with Braggs, which is not only healthier, but MUCH MUCH tastier.

Salad heaven

I do love salads. Sometimes I get sick of them if I eat them too often (salad as a meal every day might be a stretch for me at the moment), but I really do enjoy them for the most part.

Today I made a salad that rocked my socks, and I don't even wear socks. That's how good it was...

I'm going to call it Garlic Goat salad, because it's pretty basic except for the garlic powder and goat cheese (not sure where to find "raw" goat cheese, or even what that means, but for now the kosher stuff is good...). Also, this is just an ingredients list because, if you want to make it, I'm sure you know how much lettuce to put in a bowl.

Garlic Goat Salad

Baby Sweet Leaf Spring Mix lettuce (sold in one of those plastic tubs), chopped
Pinto beans
Cherry tomatoes
Avocado, cubed
Alfalfa sprouts
Chives, sliced
Goat Cheese

Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Hemp seeds
Coarse and/or fine sea salt
Dill weed
Garlic Powder



Sooooooo good. :)

I'm also drinking this alkalinized water that some friends hooked me up with. I'll let you know if I start gaining superpowers and being able to move things with my mind..

Super Green

On a scale of saintly to loathsome, I would say I'm somewhere around a moderately bad type 1 Diabetic. I eat whatever I want, whenever I want (pizza at 2 am? sure!...), but because I do know how to carb count, and have a genuine attraction to healthy, natural foods, my HbA1C (that's the Hemoglobin A1C test that diabetics take to determine their average blood sugar level for the past 2-3 months) is usually around 8. Not usually below 8, though. (It needs to be below 6 to avoid diabetic complications.) Going to the Endocrinologist is a pathetic affair for me, that leaves me feeling viciously depressed and helpless to actually control my blood sugars. This is because I am lazy. And I don't put the effort into controlling my disease that I should.

But it could also be because of my poor diet, which includes plenty of simple carbohydrates, refined sugars and hydrogenated oils. I eat a lot of vegetables at home, but when I am out and about I eat CRAP. In 4 years since my insulin pump broke and insurance stopped covering it's supplies, I have gained 25 lbs and continued to have undesirable HbA1Cs. All of this - the diabetes, the weight, the fact that I am ALWAYS hungry as a rule - has given me a rather unhealthy relationship with food.

I very often don't eat breakfast, but when I do, it's small. Lunch is my most controlled and healthy meal of the day, because I actually eat something, and it's usually something like vegetable soup with some wild-caught canned salmon. Or a veggie burger, avocado and sprouts on a spelt wrap. Really healthy stuff, and I love eating that way. The problem, no my NEMESIS, is Dinner. By dinner time I am STARVING, and I proceed to eat a) whatever is in the house, or b) some ungodly-large-portioned dish from a restaurant menu. Cue 15 - 20 units Humalog insulin.. and I'm either low 2 hours later, or my blood sugar is 298 all night. Generally no happy medium.

Ive been reading about vegan diets, raw foods and juicing on line and at the bookstore... One idea that particularly appeals to me is that removing refined sugar and flour from your diet seems to result in less of a voracious appetite. In other words, eating those refined carbs makes you want to eat more of the same. I'd like off this vicious cycle now, please.

I wonder if this can work for me? Well, education, education... read, read, read... I plan to keep researching these things and slowly make changes in the way I eat.

So I'm starting this blog because I think it will be helpful to share this process with others, and maybe even find other type 1 Diabetics out there who are using vegan/raw/juicing to help control their Diabetes.

I'm calling it "Hippie Lettuce" cause that's one of my husbands nicknames for me. And yesterday when I told him about all the raw food ideas I was considering, he, of course, used it again - it's one of his favorites. Yep, I know it's a colloquialism for Mary Jane, ha. I'm not a partaker and that's not really where I'm going with this blog... but it seems appropriate since most of the green products I've been looking at are similarly titled: "Amazing Grass" "SuperGreen" etc... :D

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Anyway, to business! My first step is going to be to EAT SOME FREAKING BREAKFAST. Ok? Today I started off my day with a disgusting green smoothie, because I really don't know how to make these. Any recipe ideas would be appreciated. And I'm also looking online. But today, here is what I crammed into my unsuspecting blender:

1 cup of baby spinach
1 cup of fresh strawberries (ooh, this is going to be good, I thought)
8 oz. water mixed with Garden of Life Raw Protein packet (it smelled like matzo meal. uh...)
2 tbsp flax seeds

then I hit "liquefy"

I opened the top and tasted my concoction... GROSS!! I got out some apple juice and poured in about 8 oz. Then I decided, what the heck it's disgusting already and added 1 packet Amazing Grass green superfood, and just for kicks, threw in a packet of stevia sweetener.

Finally, I got the bright idea to add some frozen pineapple chunks (one thing I've learned is that a cold green smoothie is much better than a tepid green smoothie), one last "liquefy" and I poured it into a cup. I totally said a "borey pri ha'adama" blessing over my hideous drink, hoping G-d would make it taste better, and then drank that sucker down!

It actually tasted fine, the stevia and apple juice took the edge off the matzo protein and green food sludge. It just looked like... Dagobah bog water:

My blood sugar was 74 this morning. I counted the smoothie(s) (I drank almost 3 of these cups) as 63 carbs, but took 5 units of Humalog because I know how these hippie drinks tend to NOT spike my blood sugar.

Here's to Real Food, healthy eating habits and G-d-please-help-me-get-my-blood-sugar-under-control! Seriously, though, I know it's up to me. My health is my responsibility. And if I can find a balance of controlling my health issues and eating in a way that benefits the planet and my body more than the typical carbo-loading of our modern society, that's something to be grateful for.

Here's the collateral damage of smoothie tiems:

Damn you, Nutter Butters! Looking smugly on the fruits of my labour; your days in my house are numbered...

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update:

Three hours after Dagobah smoothie, my blood sugar was 186. When I eat cereal, my blood sugar is invariably over 200 three hours later, even with the right dose. This is a step in the right direction... yee haw.