The other day I was reading a magazine and much of what caught my eye involved a bit of "the world is in trouble and thus coming to an end" language. As I read I could feel the fear "the end" [and all it may or may not entail] crawling through my body. At least for me, negative emotions seem to creep up as physical first and with every tightening muscle I wondered, "Is all this true?"
Then I looked outside to see my world covered in twinkling ice and pure white. A fire softly burned and my hands were drawn to the warmth of the tea resting in my hands. My body relaxed and faith reminded me although things are bad, maybe getting worse, fear isn't the answer. Concern, yes. But fear leads to rash statements and thoughtless action. Fear may motivate in the short term but can't sustain momentum.
Concern, compassion, love, grace, humility, gratefulness, hope, faith, discipline, passion, adventure - these can bring great shift and immense change. They have the ability to create sustainable motion and allow us to have a bit of fun along the way.
So yes, fracking will probably pollute a good chunk of ground water. And yes, it's a really bad idea. But sit and enjoy a clear glass of pure water on a hot summer day [or a dry winter day!], soaking up it's hydration and satisfaction and you'll quickly realize you want everyone to have the same experience. All of a sudden clean water for all becomes important to you.
And yes, vital pollinating bees are dying due to wide-spread pesticide use on many nursery flowers and crops. Yet, watch a tree bloom in spring, have a picnic beneath it's canopy under the hum of its busy workers, and you'll quickly develop a deep respect for our fuzzy little friends. You may even find yourself creating a pesticide-free sanctuary for them and teaching others how to do the same.
It's true genetically modified crops [and their creators] are attempting to take over the world using less-than respectable practices but walk through a garden full of heirloom vegetables or through a farmer's market bursting with variety and the beauty may just take your breath away. It might even suck you in and beg you to taste the undeniable depth only an heirloom can give. Soon you may find yourself growing these gems yourself, maybe even talking about them from time to time, slowly winning people over through your joy and passion.
Fear is powerful, true. Fear gets its message across fast and with not much effort. It's easy and cheap and dangerous.
Joy is more difficult. Joy asks us to walk away from fear and step into a life full of almost unbearable beauty. But joy is deep and wide and more powerful than fear. Joy is eternal.
So as we are bombarded with headlines and worries and news that brings us to our knees in tears, may we remember fear doesn't need to be our response. Look to what is, right now in this moment. Find something beautiful and cling to it. Let the joy and hope penetrate and from that place move forward. The world may not seem as bad after all.
[THE RECIPE: PULP CRACKERS]
7 c. vegetable and / or fruit pulp from
juicing [pictured here are beets and carrots but
green juice pulp is equally as good]
1/2 c. flaxseeds, ground
1 c. water
1 1/2 - 2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 T. nutritional yeast
1/4 c. alfalfa leaf, dried and ground*
2 T. herbs of choice [I love sage and rosemary with root vegetables]
1/3 c. coconut oil, melted
1/2 c. small seeds of choice [sesame, flax, chia, hemp or combination]
*The alfalfa leaf is optional but I add it to give the crackers an added nutritional boost. Alfalfa is an immune booster, anti-inflammatory, detoxifier, blood purifier, is great for woman's health, and can aid almost any ailment. It's health properties are endless and I highly recommend getting it into your diet. As always, if you have any special health conditions always do your own research before consuming any herb.
Place ground flaxseeds and water in a small glass bowl, stir, and let stand for about 10 minutes to form a thick gel.
Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a large glass bowl. When the flax has gel-ed, mix it in with the rest of the ingredients. You may need to kneed using your hands to form a firm, dough-like ball.
Separate into four sections and set aside.
Dehydrator Method: Place each dough section on a parchment paper lined dehydrator tray. Roll out to about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with sea salt and sesame seeds if desired and gently press into dough. Score for easy breaking [optional]. Dehydrate on low [around 105 degrees] 16 - 24 hours or until the crackers are very crisp. Break into pieces and store in a Ziploc bag or tightly sealed container. I like to save the silica packages from my nori sushi roll packages to keep the crackers crisp.
Oven Method: Spread the mixture onto parchment paper, rolling out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with sea salt and sesame seeds if desired and gently press into dough. Score for easy breaking [optional]. Bake at 250 degrees for about an hour and then gently flip. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, turn oven off, and let stand in oven until it is cool. Remove from oven, break into pieces and store in a Ziploc bag or tightly sealed container. I like to save the silica packages from my nori sushi roll packages to keep the crackers crisp.
[THE RECIPE: ADZUKI-MUNG HUMMUS]
5 c. mix of adzuki and mung beans: soaked, cooked, and drained
1/4 c. tahini
juice of one lemon
3 - 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 - 2 tsp. sea salt [adjust to taste]
1 tsp. cumin, ground
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
large handful of fresh parsley
large handful of fresh cilantro
few tablespoons of extra virgin olive or unrefined sesame oil
Place all, except oil, in a blender. Blend to very smooth, adding oil as needed. Refrigerate to chill [or place outside if your outside in frozen!] and serve with veggies and crackers.
Enjoy!
