Monthly Archives: November 2016

Cooking With Honey

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As many cooks have found, honey does more than sweeten and nourish – it adds its subtle depth, body, and mellow flavor to any dish in which it is used. Bakers have long relied upon honey as a necessary ingredient in all their tastiest products, not only for the flavor and color it adds, but because honey assures a moist and tender texture in all breads, cakes, and other baked goods.

Honey can be used in any recipe that calls for an all-purpose sweetener. Here are a few suggestions for the best possible results in cooking with honey.

  • When substituting honey for sugar in your favorite recipes, use equal amounts of honey for sugar, up to one cup. Then, reduce the total amount of other liquids by 1/4 cup for every cup of honey used.
  • When baking with honey, lower the oven temperature about 25 to 30 degrees F, to prevent over-browning.
  • When measuring honey, first coat the measuring utensil with a small amount of oil, otherwise, the honey will tend to stick to the measuring cup or spoon.
  • Store honey at room temperature rather than in the refrigerator. Keep it tightly covered and in a dry place.
  • Use 1/4 teaspoon of soda for each cup of honey in baking. This will neutralize honey’s natural acidity.
  • If honey granulates, place its container in hot water until the honey is once again liquid.
  • Foods, and especially baked goods, sweetened with honey will tend to taste their best if served the day after they are baked.
  • Honey, because it is hygroscopic, tends to keep foods moist and tender. Therefore, if you are baking goodies for kids away at school, overseas servicemen, or friends out of town, bake with honey to insure freshness.

From: The Honey Cookbook

Varieties of Honey

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The real beauty of honey, especially in comparison with other sweeteners, is its many types and their differences. The personality of any honey depends entirely upon which flowers or crops are in the foraging area of the bee colony. About 100 plants are known to provide over 90% of the nectar for honey, although there are thousands of plants that produce nectar. In America, honeybees depend mostly upon fields of clover, alfalfa, cotton, soybeans, and citrus trees, as well as asters, dandelions, goldenrod and sage.

Honey Varieties:

Clover Honey: probably the most popular honey, commands a premium price because of its white to light amber color and mild aromatic flavor.

Alfalfa Honey: is also light in color, with a pleasingly mild aroma and flavor. Because it granulates slowly, it makes excellent chunk, comb, and section honey. It is very often blended with the darker, stronger honeys.

Citrus Honey: also known as Orange Blossom Honey, is very light in color with a distinct flavor, if it is pure. Most citrus honey is a combination of the nectar from oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit, as these so often grow in the same area.

Cotton Honey: compares with any honey of the finest quality, and is light amber in color, with a mild flavor.

Soybean Honey: is also light and mild. Its popularity is increasing with the rise in popularity of soybeans as a cash crop.

Buckwheat Honey: is becoming more and more rare in the US, although there are people who would go to any expense to get this honey, because of its distinctive, strong flavor and lovely dark color.

Aster Honey: varies from the light and mild variety of honey, to honey that is dark and distinctive.

Basswood or Linden Honey: which is water white with a very distinct flavor is also becoming rare in the US because basswood forests are declining.

Goldenrod Honey: is very thick and heavy, with a deep golden color. It also granulates quickly, so is very often sold to bakeries.

Dandelion Honey: varies from bright yellow to amber in color, although its flavor and aroma are very strong. It is usually sold to bakeries, as it granulates very quickly.

Sage Honey: also known as California Honey, is premium honey because it is beautifully white with a marvelous flavor, and will not granulate.

Gallberry Honey: is very light with a pleasant taste.

Maple Honey: The maple tree produces a pale amber honey known for its fine granulation – a plus for retailers of “creamed honey.”

Tupelo Honey: a light amber honey from the sour gum tree is preferred by some honey wholesalers because it does not granulate.

Eucalyptus Honey: a very heavy, amber-toned honey.

Tamarisk Honey: is a dark brown with a minty aroma.

Other plants that produce honey with a mild flavor and pleasing aroma include the lima bean, the cranberry and the palmetto. Apple, plum, and cherry trees all produce a light-colored honey with a superb flavor and aroma. Blackberry nectar produces a light honey similar to clover honey.

Source: The Honey Cookbook

 

 

 

Crown Chakra Healing Smoothie

5dba33ba063073a4ac07e34eb3d3755cThe crown is our gateway to spirit. It maintains our faith in a higher power. This is where we connect with our higher selves and the divine. Powerful messages can enter our crown chakra during meditation, they serve as clear, intuitive messages for our life’s purpose and overall growth and spiritual evolution.

Here’s the Recipe:

  • 1/4 cup frozen purple grapes
  • 2-3 medjool dates
  • 1-2 frozen bananas, chopped
  • 1 cup vanilla coconut milk
  • Handful of ice

Makes one serving. Pulse all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Source: Sivanaspirit

Third Eye Chakra Healing Smoothie

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This chakra involves our ability to use our intuition to make clear decisions about our future. This is the mind’s eye and is connected with spirit and truth. It is responsible for our dreams and sleep/wake cycles. When we connect with our intuition we can comprehend the present and create a path for actualizing our purpose. This is where we can receive clear guidance. The third eye is the seat of the pineal gland.

Here’s the recipe:

  • 1/2 cup frozen blackberries
  • 1/2 cup frozen black cherries, pitted
  • 1 cup purple kale
  • 1/4 cup grape juice
  • 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk
  • Handful of ice

Pulse all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Source: Sivanaspirit

Throat Chakra Healing Smoothie

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The Throat Chakra relates to speaking our truth, communication, and self-expression. If you feel you have a hard time saying no to others, standing up for yourself, and speaking your truth or expressing your emotions you may have a blocked throat chakra. Blue foods will help with self-expression. In addition to eating certain blue foods, to balance this chakra simply speak up and say what your heart is urging you to say! You’ll find that any throat issue will miraculously start to go away as you align yourself with your truths.

Here’s the recipe:

  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 cup frozen blackberries
  • 1/4 cup prune juice
  • 3/4 cup cold water/almond milk/coconut water
  • Handful of ice

Makes one serving. Pulse all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Source: Sivanaspirit

Heart Chakra Healing Smoothie

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This is the chakra that bridges the gap between basic survival and spirit. This chakra is green and vibrates at a comparatively medium speed. The heart bridges this gap and is concerned with love and human connection. Are you suffering from a broken heart or grieving the loss of a loved one? You might want to add some greens to your diet. Its very important to be aware of the heart chakra as its guidance is critical to living your life’s purpose.

Here’s the recipe:

  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cup kale
  • 1 quarter of a fresh lime, squeezed
  • 1/2 of an avocado, chopped
  • 2 fresh kiwis, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon spirulina
  • 3/4 cup cold water/almond milk/coconut water
  • Handful of ice

Makes one serving. Pulse all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Source: Sivanaspirit

Solar Plexus Healing Smoothie

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The solar plexus is our yellow chakra, it is the third slowest frequency of light, and houses our ego and our self-esteem. This is where we store our power, strength, warrior energy, and overall sense of self. This chakra is called Manipura, which means lustrous gem; it shines brightly like the yellow sun. If you feel like people walk all over you or you find yourself having constant power struggles then you might have a shrunken solar plexus. On the other hand, if you are narcissistic or tend towards bullying or ostracizing people, then your solar plexus might be enlarged.  Yellow foods help balance this chakra.

Here’s the recipe:

  • 1/2 cup frozen pineapple
  • 2 frozen bananas, chopped
  • 1 quarter of a fresh lemon, squeezed
  • 2 tsp golden honey, if desired
  • 3/4 cup cold water/almond milk/coconut water
  • Handful of ice

Makes one serving. Pulse all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Source: Sivanaspirit

Sacral Chakra Healing Smoothie

5a56eb318d4ac1cb65b654d2826080dfThe Sacral Chakra is right around your sacrum or under your belly button. Orange corresponds with this chakra and it is the second slowest frequency of visible light. The sacral chakra relates to eliminating toxins from the body—after all it is in the area of the spleen, bladder, and kidneys.  This chakra relates to our creative force, sexuality, and emotions. It relates to addictions of all kinds, whether they are addictions to drugs, co-dependent relationships, or sex within an unloving relationship.

Here’s the recipe:

  • 1/2 cup chopped frozen mangoes
  • 1/2 cup chopped frozen papaya
  • 1/4 cup carrot juice
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup cold water/almond milk/coconut water
  • Handful of ice

Makes one serving. Pulse all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Source: Sivanaspirit

 

Root Chakra Healing Smoothie

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The root chakra is located at the base of the spine and is a red spinning wheel of light. Red is the lowest frequency of the visible light spectrum and thus foods that are red help balance this chakra (also any root vegetables or herbs). This chakra relates to our survival, basic instincts, and needs. If someone has a small root chakra, they might have trouble meeting their basic needs, and if someone has an enlarged root chakra they might be greedy. It’s interesting to note that many of these root chakra related foods are recommended by doctors to heal the prostate, as this organ is correlated with this energy center.

Here’s the recipe:

  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
  • 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
  • 1/8 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate juice or cherry juice
  • 3/4 cup cold water/almond milk/coconut water
  • Handful of ice

Makes one serving. Pulse all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Source: Sivanaspirit

Smoothies To Open Your Chakras

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These spiritual smoothies are simple to make and taste great! As you enjoy them, the energies from the different ingredients will help awaken your intuitive gifts. If you are unsure about your Chakras, this Self Analysis Questionaire found at Chakra Central.

These smoothies are mostly fruit based, as fresh fruit has such a high vibration. You can certainly include more vegetable components; just be aware that doing so will change both the taste and color. We adore green smoothies and would happily encourage you to add kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, chard, and other leafy greens to any of these recipes.

Trust your personal intuition with these psychic smoothies, and feel free to adjust quantities or ingredients to better suit you. It doesn’t matter if you remove an ingredient or add a new one; the important thing is to ensure you’re enjoying these highly nourishing and uplifting drinks!

Simply put all the ingredients into your blender at once and blend. If your blender has variable speeds, begin with a slow setting for a few seconds, then increase to high. Allow everything to blend for around one minute to give you a smooth-textured drink. If you’re finding that the result is not as smooth as you’d like, you may want to look into purchasing a more powerful machine.

CROWN

  • 10 saffron threads (soak in ¼ cup boiling water for 10 minutes)
  • ¼ cup raw macadamia nuts
  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds (hulled)
  • 1 banana
  • 1 pear (core removed)
  • 3 cups organic apple juice

THIRD EYE

  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 tbsp. acai powder (soak in ¼ cup filtered, non-fluoridated water for 10 minutes)
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 3 cups coconut water

EAR

  • Seeds from 1 pomegranate
  • ½ cup grapes
  • 2 cups organic apple juice

THROAT

  • 1 cup cooled thyme tea
  • 2 cups Cashew Milk
  • ¼ cup blueberries

HEART

  • 2 cups kale (stems removed)
  • 1 tsp. spirulina
  • 1 cup sliced cucumber
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 4 cups organic apple juice

SOLAR PLEXUS

  • ½ lemon with skin
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • ½ cup mango
  • 3 cups coconut water

SACRAL

  • 1 orange
  • 1-inch piece of turmeric
  • ½ cup cantaloupe
  • ½ cup papaya
  • 1 carrot
  • 2 cups water

ROOT

  • 1 cup strawberries
  • ½ cup raspberries
  • ¼ cup fresh beets (skin removed)
  • ½ cup watermelon
  • 4 cups coconut water

HAND

  • 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 2 sprigs fresh mint
  • ½ cup mango
  • 1 cup kale
  • 3 cups coconut water

Nourishing Additions to Your Smoothies

To give your smoothies an extra layer of nutrition and decadence, a couple of teaspoons of organic nut butter adds a delicious richness. Where possible, use raw nut butters, but the occasional roasted nut butter is a tasty treat.

Learn more about foods and beverages that will boost your natural intuitive abilities in Nutrition for Intuition by Doreen Virtue and Robert Reeves.

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"Diet has the distinction of being the only major determinant of health that is completely under your control. You have the final say over what does and what does not go into your mouth and stomach. You cannot always control the other determinants of health, such as the quality of the air you breathe, the noise you are subjected to, or the emotional climate of your suroundings, but you can control what you eat. It is a shame to squander such a good opportunity to influence your health." ~Andrew Weil, MD
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