Click HERE for 3 delicious, local and seasonal Thanksgiving recipes such as Orange Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Butternut Squash, Sautéed Kale with Leek and Apples plus Tomato Raisin Chutney to switch up that ordinary cranberry sauce + a personal reflection on this transformative time of year!
If the only prayer you say your entire life is Thank You, it will be enough. ~Meister Eckhart
Happy Thanksgiving!
Be well,
Be Grateful,
Just Be.
Each morning, as soon as I get up, I go stand outside in the grass barefoot. I connect with nature around me, and find a place where I can stand in the light of the sun. Even when it is not sunny out, I use my mind eye to visualize the light. I start each day off with the Divine Light Invocation.
I enjoy this practice because it is absolutely incredible to connect with nature first thing each morning. It is also an amazing reminder, that I am not merely this physical body or these thoughts, I am light, a channel of consciousness and that I can use this light to heal myself and others in the world.
I have found this to be a powerful tool for change and spiritual transformation. I use it as one of my daily prayers. It only takes a few minutes and it is a simple way to invoke Spirit into my day.
I was 24 years old when I first experienced living in Community. In the summer of 2011, I spent a few weeks at the Yasodhara Ashram in Kootenay Lake, BC, as a part of the Young Adult Karma Yoga Program. Karma yoga, or selfless service, is the yoga of action; taking what you learn on your mat and applying out into the world through service…think Mother Theresa, Gandhi or Martin Luther King..they were karma yogis.
Each day, before completing a new task, we would perform the Divine Light Invocation. The Divine Light invocation was a fundamental practice of the Ashram. It is a beautiful reminder that we are channels or spirit; we are not the doer of the task (as much as we would like to think that). We consecrate the efforts of the task, to the greater good…and see everything as an offering. When we offer it up, we are not attached to the outcome of the project, we simply do our best, with awareness. We go beyond our personal likes, dislikes, preferences or ego and we offer up the fruit of our action.
Performing the Divine Light Invocation..
You can print the invocation below and read it the first few times until you understand the idea behind it.
—
Stand erect, feet shoulder-width apart. Relax your breathing, your head, face, and neck. Keep the eyes closed and focus them on the space between the eyebrows.
Picture above you a vast ocean of pure white, colourless Light . . . stretching in all directions, into eternity. Imagine some of that Light pouring down around you, bathing you completely in Light.
Exhale and slowly inhale, lifting your arms above your head as you smoothly and gradually tense the whole body.
Holding your breath, affirm to yourself with all the concentration possible:
I am created by Divine LightI am sustained by Divine Light
I am protected by Divine Light
I am surrounded by Divine Light
I am ever growing into Divine Light.
Exhale, gradually relax, and lower your arms slowly.
Now use your imagination to see yourself standing in a shower of brilliant white Light.
See the Light pouring down upon you, and see a stream of that Light flowing into the body through the top of the head, filling your entire being with Light . . . as if you were a transparent vessel, being filled with liquid Light.
Maintaining this image, now with the arms at your sides, exhale, inhale and tense your body. Hold the breath and the tension, and again affirm,
I am created by Divine LightI am sustained by Divine Light
I am protected by Divine Light
I am surrounded by Divine Light
I am ever growing into Divine Light
Slowly exhale and relax.
Concentrate on the feeling of the Light. Feel the warm glow of Divine Light suffuse your entire body, outside as well as inside.
Acknowledge silently to yourself:
“Every cell of this my physical body is filled with Divine Light;Every level of my consciousness is illumined with Divine Light.
The Divine Light penetrates every single cell of my being,
Every level of consciousness.
I have become a channel of pure Light.
I am One with the Light.”
The Divine Light Invocation is an exercise of will, as well as an act of surrender. Be receptive to the Light, and accept that you are now a channel of Divine Light.
Express your gratitude with deep feeling and having a desire to share this gift with someone whom you wish to help, turn your palms forward.
Continuing to see yourself filling and overflowing with Light, mentally open wide the doors of your spiritual heart centre and let the Light stream forth from your heart centre, forming a clockwise spiral before you which reaches up to rejoin the source of Light above.
Into the spiral of Light, place any projects and concerns that you may have. Envision them as you would like to see them, not as you fear they are. See the Light encircle them, enveloping them completely . . . and see the spiral moving high into the sky, taking the images with them. See them merge into the source of Light and become One with the Light, received by Light.
See someone that you would like to help standing before you – or the image of a woman, a man, and a child you don’t know, representing all those in need of Light at this moment – in the spiral of Light. This can be yourself, if you feel in need of Light. See them healthy, happy, whole, and strong.
See the Light stream forth towards the feet of this person. The Light encircles them and spirals upward in a clockwise direction, enveloping the body completely, and filling them with radiant pure white Light. See them filled with Light, wrapped in Light, receiving everything they need from the Light.
See the spiral moving high up into the sky, taking this image along with it. See this person merge into the source of the Light and become One with the Light, blessed by the Light.
Now relax. Bring your hands together at your heart centre in a gesture of deep gratitude for the gift of the Light, and the ability to share it.
Namaste.
—
Swami Radha says that “Through constant and sincere practice of the Divine Light Invocation, you can come to a greater understanding of your own Divine nature and realize more fully the reality of the Higher Consciousness with in you.”
In 2013, I had the opportunity to design and publish Shanti Retreat’s first cookbook. I selected all the recipes, wrote the forward, came up with the design and assisted in all steps of production until it came to realization.
Shanti at Home is a collection of the retreat’s favourite recipes from the past and present. The recipes are vegetarian and focus on cooking at home with whole foods which are local and seasonal. The photography is absolutely incredible, as is the page design, thanks to Anne and Alex who volunteered their time and skills.
I love how light and fluffy this biscuit is, even though it is made with spelt. The recipe contains high quality coconut oil, is dairy free and sweetened with maple syrup. You can also prepare this with buckwheat flour but they do tend to fall apart more easily than when prepared with spelt. Spelt is an ancient grain which is easier to digest compared to wheat, and also contains a higher amount of protein.
photo by http://www.lesbonheurs.fr
photo by http://www.lesbonheurs.fr
Preheat oven to 450 °F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the herbs and whisk again. Cut in the oil using a pastry cutter until a coarse meal is formed. In a small bowl, add the apple cider vinegar to the almond milk. Add maple syrup and then combine with dry ingredients.
The mixture will resemble a muffin batter; add more almond milk if necessary.
For the next step, we use a large trigger ice cream scoop and scoop the batter onto the parchment paper. Place in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes.
Makes 10-12 biscuits
Please visit Shanti Retreat’s homepage to order your copy of Shanti at Home.
If you’d like to practice patience and shell the snap peas, this dip is worth trying.
This dip is very light yet creamy and delicious with veggies or crackers. You can also experiment with adding 1⁄2 a cup of almonds, hemp seeds, or pistachios for an even creamier dip which will keep you fuller longer!
photo by pamelasalzman.com
Ingredients
3 cups fresh green peas, shelled
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1⁄2 cup water
1⁄2 fresh herbs, mint or parsley is my favourite 1⁄4 tsp of sea salt
1⁄3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup nuts or seeds (optional)
Fresh ginger root, grated (optional)
Instructions
If using nuts or seeds, place in food processor and pulse into small pieces. Add peas, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, salt, and 1⁄4 cup of water. Process all ingredients and continuously add remaining water and oil until desired consistency is reached. Season to taste, adding more herbs, salt or ginger root, if desired.
The first time I tried banana oat milk, was during a silent retreat in Mexico. It was so creamy and delicious, and I knew it would be easy to re create.
I am a fan of making homemade nut or seed milks, my favourite is probably hemp milk as it is so easy and requires no soaking. Most store bought dairy free milks contain a lot of additives and preservatives to keep it shelf stable.
Soaking is optional with this recipe. You can try it both ways and see if you can tell a difference.
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats, soaked overnight
3 cups of water
2 tbsp maple syrup, or 2 Medjool dates
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 – 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 bananas
Instructions
Place water and oats in a high speed blender, and blend until smooth. You may also need to add more water, if necessary. Using a fine sieve, strain the oat milk and set the pulp aside. You can use this in your baking, by adding it to cookie or muffin recipes!
Return milk to blender and add cinnamon, salt, maple syrup (or dates) and vanilla. Blend.
Add bananas and blend one last time until smooth.
Enjoy!
Store in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Garlic What ???
Down Memory Lane…
I still remember the first time I saw these beautiful wispy spirals that began to grow out from my garlic plants, planted the previous fall. I immediately did some research to learn more and was amazed (and excited!) about what I could do with them in the kitchen. I will also never forget the moment I harvested it and ate it raw…weooo…hello garlic!
“Garlic scapes are the “flower stalks” of hardneck garlic plants, although they do not produce flowers. These stalks start to appear a month or so after the first leaves. They are usually cut off of the plant, since leaving them on only diverts the plant’s strength away from forming a plump bulb.” (source: gardening.about.com)”
Three years ago, I found a recipe that I loved and stuck to it. I was making garlic scape pesto as often as I could. I also preserved some in the freezer by using a food processor for making pestos later on in the summer or fall. Scapes are typically available in the early parts of the season.
Although I do love the pungency of garlic cloves, it is a nice change to enjoy a more mild, almost sweet, flavor. This can be ideal for anyone looking for a more subtle flavor or who doesn’t enjoy (or cannot digest) raw garlic.
This year, I had so many scapes that it was time to get creative! My favorite recipes is still a scape and walnut and with veggies, crackers or a nice homemade bread. But I am also enjoying grilling the scapes on the BBQ, adding them to a bottle of extra virgin olive oil for a homemade infused garlic oil, as well as cooking with them; adding to hummus, soups or stir frys, instead of garlic cloves.
If you really love garlic, or feel your immune system getting low, you may even just bite directly into the scape!
For your Health….scapes can
Recipe
Easy as 1,2, 3!
Once you learn the proportions for pesto, no need to use a recipe. The nuts, herbs and greens are always interchangeable. Walnuts, almonds and pistachios make a really creamy and rich pesto. For something lighter, try sunflower or pumpkin seeds. For the greens play with kale, spinach or arugula and try herbs like parsley, basil or cilantro.
Arugula, Walnut & Garlic Scape Pesto
2 c garlic scapes, cut into bits & the flower head discarded
1 – 2 cups arugula (spinach, kale, chard OR fresh herb of choice)
1/2 c walnuts, or nuts/seeds of choice
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese (optional, try adding nutritional yeast for a dairy free option)
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon (or more)
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t cayenne (optional)
Combine the garlic scapes, arugula, walnuts, cheese in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times. Let the machine run and slowly pour in half the amount of oil along with the lemon juice, salt and cayenne. Slowly add the remaining oil until you’ve reached a good consistency. Store in a lidded jar in the fridge for a week or freeze in small jars.
Enjoy!
The only thing I can take credit for is eating this. I love this recipe exactly the way it is in The Power of Food by Adam Hart. This a fantastic cookbook for anyone looking to add nutrient dense, high prana, foods to their diet. There are chapters dedicated to hemp seeds, chia,cashews, garlic, ginger, avocados… I think you get the point!!!
I like to refer to this “dessert” as a power snack which justifies me eating it for breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner..which happens!
The ingredients are superior to most granola bar or protein bar recipes, and with the hemp seeds and almond butter, this packs a punch! This recipe is not only rich in protein, but also in omega 3 thanks to the walnuts and calcium from the sesame seeds and tahini. Lastly, it’s raw and has all the enzymes for optimal digestion and assimilation!
This is a must try!
Ingredients
1/2 cup walnuts, ground
1/4 cup sesame seeds, ground
1/4 cup hemp seeds
3 Tbsp tahini
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbs[, almond butter
1/2 tsp Himalayan crystal salt
Extra hemp seeds for sprinkling on top
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the topping. Line an 8 inch square baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle some hempseed overtop and place the halvah in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Cut into small squares and serve. Store your halvah in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Want chocolate halvah??? Add 2 Tbsp of Cacao!
This is one of my favourite, can’t go without salad dressings. It is so creamy and might just be the best caesar salad dressing I have ever had. The best part is it’s homemade, which means it doesn’t include any of those preservatives or low quality oils and refined sugars found in most store bought dressings.
Next time you are going to a party, offer to make the caesar salad. No one will disagree, since it is usually loved by all. They will have no idea that it’s vegan or made with cashews.
Cashews not only give it the thick and creamy texture, but offer you a boost of the amino acid L-trypophan which acts as a natural anti depressant!
photo from feedmephoebe.com
Creamy Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
1.5 T capers, with liquid
2 cloves garlic (or try garlic scapes for a more mild flavour!)
2 T lemon juice
2 t dijon
1 T apple cider vinegar, preferable Bragg’s raw unfiltered
1 T light miso paste (made from soy beans, can be found at health food store or asian market)
1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews, soaked for 2-3 hours
1/2 t salt
3/4 t pepper
1/4 cup water
1/2 oil
Directions
Soak cashew for up to 3 hours. Place all ingredients, except oil, in a blender and blend until smooth. Slowly begin adding oil. Add more water if required (sometimes the dressing is too thick for the blender.) Add more or less garlic based on your preferences.
Right now I am loving this dressing with fresh, soft, kale leaves, but it is just as great with mixed greens or classical romaine.
Feel free to add croutons or parmesan. I have also been making tempeh “bacon bits” which are amazing and satisfy just as much as bacon. The latter is also an option if you can get good quality.
photo from sondibruner.com
Ingredients
2 cups fresh basil
⅔ cups almonds (toasted or natural)
½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
¼ cup water
⅓ cup nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese (optional)
a handful of spinach (optional)
Instructions
In a food processor, pulse the whole almonds and garlic cloves until all are ground well. Add basil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil and pulse together until well incorporated, but don’t over mix. Add optional Parmesan and or spinach. Taste for seasoning. Add additional olive oil if needed.
This morning I woke up and decided to go for a walk and take in the beautiful sunshine as well as get some exercise. I’m spending a few days in Toronto, in the annex, and thought id go do some exploring. It was not an area I spent so much time in back when I lived in the city for University.
My intention was to walk to Queen’s Park to be in a green space.
Well instead of taking the linear route of Bloor street, I was guided from within. I just listened to my intuition to see which street was calling me. I had no fear of getting lost so I allowed myself to wander and be curious.
Now here I was, enjoying the beauty of the U of T campus, amidst everything in bloom. The green trees and flowers all coming to life proved that spring is in full swing down south.
I was no longer thinking of the park and became fascinated with the cobbstletone pathways, breath taking architecture, secret passage ways, silent courtyards (where I felt such history and powerful meditative energy), and of course the majestic castles. I was in wonderment every step I took, excited to see what came next. I left the hustle and bustle of city life and went back in time.
… I eventually arrived at Queens Park.
Now for the teaching that I received so clearly during this morning jaunt. It’s great to have goals in life (in this case: mission queens park), but let’s not get so focused on those goals that we miss everything that happens in between or don’t allow ourselves to wander from our original plan. When I decided not to take the most direct and quickest path, (and the one I knew best) I allowed space for intuition, adventure and curiosity. My body didn’t feel inspired to walk down those busy streets and guided me through a more natural, quiet path where I was struck by beauty (which is a really great way to get present to what is). If I were so focused on my goal, I would have never enjoyed everything that I experienced around me on the university campus.
And to be honest once I got to queens park, I didn’t feel as close to nature as I thought (or as I did just before).
Again another lesson… Sometimes we get so focused on our goal and have such an expectation for the outcome that we get brutally disappointed if it’s not what we imagined (on top of missing everything happening in life during those days/months/years of single tunnel vision).
And yet again, another lesson came to me. I was feeling so inspired from my walk, the teachings and really wanting to be creative and write about it. But no! I’m on a power walk, for exercise, I can’t sit on a park bench and write! Oh yes I can, and I did. Many of us think we’re not artistic or creative, but at the same time, do we ever take time or create space to do that? Morning, for me is such a time of creativity, especially when sitting in a park and listening to the birds, watching people cycling by, feeling the sun on my face. So I sat, and let the words come to me.
OK! So no joke I was about to write a final concluding sentence when this happens…and I’m not lying. So sitting on a park bench, writing in my notes on IPhone and a monk, dressed in a grey robe, walks up to me. He passes me a lovely card, places a beautiful red beaded bracelet on my wrist, shakes my hand and gives me a blessing. He then shows me a picture of a temple or monastery in Kathmandu and passes me a book where I can write my name and the value of my donation. Luckily I grabbed some change with the intention of buying a juice on the way home. He spoke no English, only smiled and brought his hands in prayer pose to his heart center, and that was enough. He shook my hand once more and was on his way.
Now, if I didn’t take time to pause and write, I would have never received this beautiful gift of his presence (or bracelet made with consciousness, love and kindness). The card said “work smoothly, lifetime peace” which was a beautiful reminder for me again, to be present. There is no need to work so hard, such long hours every day so that one day we can enjoy retirement and be happy and “stress free”. Instead, I choose to work smoothly and reap the benefits of a lifetime of peace:)
Life is so brilliantly arranged! I got so much more out of this “power walk” then I could have imagined. It became more of an emPOWERment walk. (Love it!) It was another great reminder that we are so much more than our physical body. Yes, it’s important to take care of our temple, but let’s also nourish mind (by taking time to feel the stillness and beauty that surrounds us) and spirit (taking time to feel connected to ourself, those around us and Source!)
Today’s practice: go out for a walk, let the universe guide you, and see what happens!
Welcome to Holistic Lacey | Nourishing body, mind, heart & spirit 