Tag Archives: holistic

Jumbo Vegan Pecan Pumpkin Muffins

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IMG_0502To be honest, I actually found a variation of this recipe on the Taste of Home website. At a first glance, I thought this is not the recipe for me with its bleached white flour, white sugar, canola oil, buttermilk, etc…reminding me of some of my grandmother’s recipes (which is beautiful and nostalgic, but not how I want to nourish my body temple.)

And in that moment, I remembered how much I love taking any recipe and transforming it into a healthier version by substituting the types of flours, oils, sugars and for this muffin, even using flax “eggs” for a vegan version. I feel so grateful to have this knowledge and am looking forward to sharing this recipe with you!

Here are 2 tips for you: #1 – you can use spelt flour the same way you’d using any other kind of flour in a recipe without any need to change the measurements. #2- You can use less oil in a baking recipe by substituting half the oil for apple sauce (and it even makes the recipes more moist!)

This muffin is really tasty! …and it is jumbo! If you’re not much of a breakfast person, this may feel a bit heavy for you first thing in the morning so enjoy it mid morning with a tea, or in the afternoon.

 

Makes 16 delicious, moist, abundant muffins (with the most perfect crunchy topping!)

Ingredients

4 Flax Eggs (4 Tbsp of organic ground flax mixed with 8 Tbsp warm water)

5 cups Organic Light Spelt Flour

1 Cup Organic Raw Sugar

1 Tbsp of Pumpkin Pie Spice (or mix mostly cinnamon with ground ginger and a pinch of all spice and nutmeg.)

1.5 tsp Baking Powder

1.5 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 Cup Local Maple Syrup

2 cups Organic Canned Pumpkin Puree

1/4 cup Organic Almond Milk, or any non-dairy substitute that you have on hand

1/4 cup Organic Coconut Oil, melted

1/4 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 cup Chopped Pecans

Topping

1/2 cup Organic Coconut Sugar

2/3 cup Pecans

1/4 cup Organic Rolled Oats

2 Tbsp Organic Virgin Coconut oil, cold or room temperature

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine ground flax and warm water, stir and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, raw sugar, spices, baking powder and soda and salt.
  3. In another bowl, combine maple syrup, pumpkin, almond milk, coconut oil, apple sauce, vanilla. Mix in flax eggs.
  4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring until almost mixed and then fold in the pecans.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  6. In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the topping and pulse for 5 seconds. Otherwise, finely chop the pecans and mix in a bowl with remaining ingredients.
  7. Prepare muffins tins by greasing with additional coconut oil.
  8. Scoops muffin batter into the tins (I use the silicone ones!), filling half way, and top each one evenly with the crunchy-sweet oat topping. Warning… these do get a little messy 🙂 
  9. Bake for 30 minutes.
  10. Let cool on a drying rack for 5 minutes before removing from muffin cups.

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One Day SELF RENEWAL Retreat with Lacey Budge

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Saturday October 28th, 2017

8:30 am – 9 pm

Anishnabe Spiriutal Center, Espanola

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The focus of this autumn retreat is one of renewal and relaxation. This one day getaway is an invitation to look inward, to recharge and to fill up your own cup. From this place of deep rejuvenation, you will feel more revitalised and present for yourself, your family, your purpose, your job and everyone who graces your path.

Throughout the day, you will be gently guided into restoration, softening and letting go, through the practice of hatha yoga {for all levels}, meditation, nature walks, and personal time in silence {mauna} for Self care and Self reflection.

The retreat also includes an inspiring afternoon workshop which will offer pointings to inner Truth. Remember how to sit in the company of your own splendour, and how to “tap in” to the stillness, joy, love and infinite energy that already dwells within. The intention of this workshop is to remind you that you are much more than your body, thoughts, emotions, reactions, roles and story. “Do not feel lonely. The entire Universe lives inside of you.” ~Rumi 

Your body, mind and spirit will be nourished and enlivened with a whole foods, organic (when possible) vegan brunch and dinner, infused water, herbal teas, as well as an afternoon superfood bliss ball snack!

Our day together will close with an evening practice of yoga nidra- the yoga of deep relaxation. Through this practice and the relaxing energy of the entire day, you will leave feeling in harmony and balance.

May we all rest in our natural state of Sat.Chit.Ananda {Truth. Consciousness.Bliss Absolute}

Namaste,
Lacey
Self Renewal Retreat Flow 

8:30 am – 9:00 am Arrival and Tea Time

9:00 – 11:00 am Morning Practice: Awakening Hatha Yoga and Meditation

11:00 am Nourishing Brunch

12:00- 2:00 pm Inspiring Workshop + Silent Walking Meditation
2:00 – 4:00  pm Personal Self Care Practice {… in sacred silence}
…time in nature, relaxation, journalling, creative expression, reading, resting, etc
3:00 pm Chocolate Bliss Ball Snack!…Andrea’s famous peanut butter chocolate balls! 
4:00 – 6:00 pm Gentle Hatha Yoga & Meditation
6:15 pm Nourishing Dinner
7:45 pm Yoga Nidra- the yoga of deep sleep and relaxation
8:45 pm departure

 

Rates

$150 per person

To confirm your space and register, please:

Send an interac e transfer to lacey.budge@gmail.com in the full retreat amount see options below), an email with the password, as well as fill out the form below.

 

Cancellation Policy 

The retreat payment is non-refundable. However, in the case of a cancellation, your spot can be filled by another retreat participant by your consent.

Time to Set that Life Intention

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It’s our personal human nature to set goals and intentions, to want to be somebody, to get somewhere in this life we have been given.

Recently, I learned that the word intention (a word I use quite often) comes from the latin root, intendere. Tender/tensum means “to stretch toward” something, and it got me thinking, “why do we always want to be stretching toward something ?

When it comes to goal/intention setting in various areas of our life, we like to “move toward” a somewhat immediate result, perhaps in the time frame of a few months to a year. We talk about that advancement or raise at work; or a health goal like training for a 5km race, losing weight, meditating daily or quitting smoking.

As for the inside job, maybe we are trying to be more patient with loved ones, to speak more confidently during a business meeting, or to become a better listener with our partner.

Long term goals are definitely not alien to us either—think 5 or 10 year plans for buying a house, starting a family, paying off school debt, etc. Whether we reach the goal or not, we typically have a type of reward or finish line in mind.

When we set a goal that we want to meet, we put our full focus, will power and determination into it—at least in the beginning  We may even become over obsessive or addicted to our goal and witness it as it becomes all we think or talk about (but not necessarily in the most mindful way).

Society has definitely conditioned us to be goal oriented “human doings,” but what about a non goal goal, like an intention for life?

I don’t mean accomplishing x,y,z by the time we are 90 years old, but rather taking time to contemplate how it is we want to “be” in our life, vs what we “do.”

For example, a personal “life” intention of mine is to live with grace and to serve the greatest Good; to live a holistic and harmonious life with this body, mind, spirit, nature and all Beings. I want to live for the joy of Being, not because that is a goal, but it’s who I am, it’s my natural state.

As I started to keep more focus on the Highest, most Supreme, Grand intentions, my life started to have more purpose. Of course there a mini intentions set within this, yet the main focus does not lie there.

By taking some time to journal and sit in stillness, we can allow ideas for this “life intention” to arise. From here, we can start to ask ourselves questions like “does my lifestyle support my highest goal?”, “Do the people I surround myself with align with my dharma (a term used in Buddhism to mean life purpose)?”, “Am I acting in every moment from this place of intention with every word I speak and action I take?”

Living a more purposeful life does have not to mean traveling the world, become famous or driving our dream car… but it definitely can also mean that!

The doing, the collecting of things and successful accomplishments will simply unfold with time (that is this life!). Me, there person, will be acting out my life plan, as mySelf bears witness.

What’s going to keep us grounded in truth, focussed on love and thriving with grace is the embodiment (walking our talk!) of this life intention in each and every moment.

It’s when we recognise our Highest Self and live from a place of pure naturalness and spontaneity, as the yogis call Sahaja, that we will feel fully free.

Holistic Lacey’s Pantry

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Holistic Lacey’s Pantry

When transitioning to a plant based diet, focus on adding as many organic, seasonal, local and fresh fruits and vegetable to your diet. I recommend adding salads or raw food to every meal (according to constitution), as well enjoying snacks such as fruit, veggies, superfoods & green smoothies. Some of my favourite nutrient powerhouses include sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, avocados, almonds, brazil nuts, berries, lemons, broccoli.

Whole grains/ flours

Quinoa

Millet

Brown Rice

Spelt flour

Light bucwkwheat

Sprouted grain bread/ rye bread

Soba noodles

Rolled oats

Barley

Nuts & seeds

Flax seeds

Chia seeds

Hemp seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Sunflower seeds

Walnuts

Pecans

Almonds (almond butter)

Brazil nuts

Sesame seeds (+tahini)

Beans, legumes, & more veggie protein

Chickpeas

Black beans

Kidney beans

Edamame

Mung beans (sprouting)

Red lentils

Green lentils

Organic Tofu

Organic Tempeh

Organic Free-Range Eggs

 Sweeteners

Maple syrup

Honey (raw/local)

Molasses

 Dried fruits

Medjool dates

Organic un-sulphured apricots

Cranberries

Raisins
Oils & vinegars

Olive oil

Coconut oil

MCT oil

Sesame oil

Grapeseed oil

Apple cider vinegar

Balsamic vinegar

 Spices & fresh herbs

All spices &herbs especially cinnamon, sea salt,  turmeric, fresh ginger root, garlic, parsley, cilantro

 Condiments & more

Grainy mustard

Dijon Mustard

Tamari (gluten free)

Kalamata olives

 Superfoods

Goji berries

Sea veggies

Cacao (raw)

Maca

Ashwagandha

Bee Pollen

Chaga/ Reishi Mushroom tea

 Shortcuts

unsweetened Apple sauce

Vegetable broth

Almond milk (Earth’s own)

Hummus

Salsa
Sea veggies

Kombu

Nori

Dulse

Spirulina

Chlorella

Dairy (refrigerate)

Organic Butter

Organic plain yogurt

Organic Kefir

Goat cheese

Sheep feta

 Other:

Fermented food (refrigerate) Kombucha

Saurkraut

Kimchi

Loose Leaf Tea

 Supplements:

Probiotics

Plant based enzymes by Organika

Aloe Verga Juice by Lily of the Dessert

Greens Powder 

Women’s One Day Wellness Retreat with Lacey Budge: A day of self care, chakra yoga & teachings on women’s health and well-being  

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Saturday January 7th, 2017

9 am – 9pm

Anishnabe Spiritual Centre  1091 Anderson Lake Road| Espanola, Ontario| P5E 1T1

Retreat Overview 

Dedicate this day to YOU! … To your well-being…to softening into inner peace…to awakening your passion… to connecting with your True Essence, nature and like minded women… and to your birthright, as a women, to take time for you, without any need of an explanation! I dedicate this day to you… I honour you and appreciate you. You are worthy. My wish for all women is that we aspire to connect with our Highest Self and the wisdom that lies within.

Throughout the one day retreat, you will experience a variety of self care practices rooted in the ancient traditions of yoga, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, qi-gong and taoism. After the retreat, you will feel inspired and have the outer knowledge to create your own daily routine to bring more stillness, balance and self love into your life. Together we will practice chakra and Hatha yoga, meditation, self- inquiry, traditional energy movement practices for women, journaling, massage, self-care rituals, group sharing, time in nature, and simply being in each other’s presence.

Your body, mind and soul with be nourished with seasonal vegetarian cuisine including warming winter soups, stews, root veggies and clean comfort food. The menu will be gluten free and dairy free and I will be working closely with the chef, Andrea Noon, to create our menu. Herbal tea will be available throughout the day. An afternoon nutrition workshop will shed light on the topic of superfoods, herbs and diets for women.

Schedule

9 am Arrival, Check In & Women’s Superfood Tonic. A special tea blend prepared with herbs specific for women’s health blended with cacao, maca, cinnamon, vanilla and coconut oil.

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9:45 – 12:15 pm Opening Circle and Morning Gathering includes group sharing, chakra yoga, meditation, and self reflection journaling

12:30 – 1:30 pm Nourishing Lunch

2 -4 pm Afternoon Free Time for relaxing, walking outdoors, reading, napping, access bars session with Amanda from ACT wellness, snow shoeing, journalling, colouring, etc. During the afternoon break, I invite you to dive deeper within and connect with your Self through the practice of mauna, sacred silence.

 

4pm Superfood Snack 

4: 15 – 6:15 pm Afternoon Gathering includes conscious energy movement practice for women, and a variety of ancient self care practices rooted in yoga, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, qi-gong, taoism and the path of the Goddess. Experience the practice of Abyangha – a relaxing hot oil massage…it will change your life! The afternoon gathering will also include a talk on optimal nutrition for women where we will discuss the use of different herbs, superfoods and diets.

6:30 pm Nourishing Dinner 

7:30 pm Evening Gathering and Closing circle includes yoga for relaxation, yoga nidra, heart meditation and group sharing.

9 pm Home Sweet Home 

Rates:

$150 for first seven participants to register – – – SOLD OUT – – –

$165 until December 30th, 2016

$175 from January 1st, 2017

Want to extend your retreat experience?  Contact the spiritual centre to reserve a room for Friday and/or Saturday night. $45/night

To register:

To register, please fill out the form below to ensure availability. To reserve your space, please send full payment by e-transfer to lacey.budge@gmail.com. In the case of a cancellation, you may offer your space to another woman, however refunds are unavailable.

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream {dairy-free}

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Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

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Serves 2

4 tbsp or 1/4 cup fresh coconut milk or other milk substitute

1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

1 cup baby spinach or curly kale

3 to 5 drops of food grade peppermint oil or mint extract

4 bananas, frozen

3 tablespoons raw cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips.

handful Fresh mint leaves, optional

Instructions

Add coconut milk and spinach to blender and blend until as smooth as possible. Add maple syrup, bananas, peppermint oil and leaves. Start on low and slowly turn blender up to high, using the damper stick of the vitamix. Use the damper to mix well in all four corners, for about 1 minute. Add cacao nibs or chocolate chips and pulse 3 times. Enjoy immediately or allow to set for one hour in the freezer.

Inspiration and photo by @anna_bananas__

Fruit & Millet Muffins {spelt flour, coconut oil, maple syrup}

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These are my absolute favourite muffin recipe. They are moist, yet crunchy thanks to the millet. It really is an easy way to include millet into our diet… it’s not just for the birds! Millet is a traditional gluten free grain that is high in minerals, especially magnesium, copper and manganese. It is also the most alkalising grain, unlike most grains which have an acidic effect on the body.

I prepare the muffins with my go-to flour, spelt. Spelt is one of the oldest cultivated crops in human history! It is not gluten free, however it contains less gluten, making it easier to digest. Spelt is also higher in protein, compared to conventional wheat, and filled with B vitamins and minerals. I love how you can take any recipe, and replace the flour with the same amount of spelt, without needing to add any binding agents, and it turns out perfect every time!

You can make this recipe with any fruit. My favourites are raspberry, apple, blueberry, peach and my new addition, strawberry. Thank you to Jae Steele’s cookbook, Ripe from Around Here, for this amazing recipe.

Fruit & Millet Muffins

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2 cups Spelt Flour

2/3 cup Millet

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Sea Salt
1 cup Non-Dairy Milk, such as almond or coconut

½ cup Apple Sauce, preferably homemade or unsweetened

½ cup maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 ½ cups fruit, fresh or frozen (but not thawed) – strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, apple, peach

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tray with liners or a light coating of oil and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, millet, baking powder and soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, applesauce, sweetener, oil and vanilla. Mix together just until all the flour has been absorbed. Gently fold in the berries. Pour evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are domed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins- keeps in an airtight container for 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week.

Delicious whole grain bread (it’s steamed!) {gluten-free}

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It is so important for me to know exactly what’s in my food. I have began to make as much as I can from scratch… including bread. Although I love my grandmas homemade bread recipe,  I could see this being more of a staple in my kitchen. If you like to make home made bread, I suggest giving this one a try. It is made with gluten free whole grains , brown rice and rolled oats. It is not grain free, but if you like, check out my paleo bread recipe. I had never even heard about steaming bread before this recipe, but I must admit it was delicious and so moist. I’m sure you could play around with flavors adding either fresh herbs for a more savory taste, or seeds and dried fruit for a sweeter breakfast bread.  I definitely recommend a bamboo basket steamer for this recipe!

 

Steamed Gluten Free Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1.5 cups cooked squash (or sweet potato)
1.5 cups brown rice flour (best to make your own by grinding brown rice in a vitamix)
1 cup oat flour (purchased, or again, make your own from rolled oats)
1/4 cup ground flax
3 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
2.5 t salt
2.5 t active yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 T honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil or olive oil for coating bread
Cube squash and boil until tender.
Meanwhile, grind brown rice and oats to make a flour.
Combine flours, flax, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In a measuring cup, combine warm water, sugar and yeast and let is sit for 5 minutes or until it gets foamy.
Once squash is cooked, drain and pulse with honey in a food processor. Add yeast and water.
Add squash mixture to flour mixture and mix into a ball (best to use your hands here!) Oil hands to shape the bread into a big round ball.
Use a bamboo basket steamer for the next step and place over a pot of boiling water.
Place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the steamer and add bread dough.
*Preheat oven to 375*
Steam for 30 minutes. Remove bread from steamer, add more oil to the exterior and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until the exterior gets firm.
Best enjoyed as fresh bread with a delicious soup!

Recipe from the Detox: Creamy Sunflower Seed Dip

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I absolutely love this dip for so many reasons. It’s so easy since all you have to do is throw all the ingredients into a food processor. The dip is so creamy and makes you feel as though you are indulging in your favorite ranch and cream cheese dip..minus the dairy.

This dip is raw so it contains all the enzymes needed for digestion. It’s an easy way to include more raw food into the diet and to switch up the hummus dip typically served with veggies.

I love to eat this dip with flaxseed Foccacia, a recipe and new favorite I learned about from Healthful Pursuit’s “The Keto Beginning.”

Why was this dip included in the detox?

Raw sunflower seeds are a rich source of Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps the body fight off oxidative stress and free radicals. They also contain tryptophan, an enzyme that produces serotonin and relieves tension and promotes relaxation.

It contains fresh lemon juice which is very important when it comes to detoxing and alkalizing the body, and so are fresh herbs (especially parsley!)

Garlic is an important anti-bacterial which helps to strengthen the immune system, fight off infection as well as delivers important minerals like selenium and manganese…among many other health benefits.

Creamy Sunflower Seed Dip

Makes 2 cups

1 1/2 C raw sunflower seeds (soaked for at least 3 hours)

1/2 lemon, juiced

3/4 C water

1 tbsp fresh dill

1/3 C fresh basil mint

1/3 C fresh parsley

1 green onion (for garnish)

1 garlic clove

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/4 C cold pressed olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS : Put all ingredients except the olive oil in a vitamix or high powered blender.

Once the blender is running drizzle the olive oil through the opening in the lid and process until smooth. You may need to stop the blender to scrape down some of the sunflower seeds from the sides. Do that and then just run the blender for another few seconds. Refrigerate the dip for 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Post your comments below once you try it!

Raw Superfood Demo at Shanti Retreat

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This weekend, I offered a raw  superfood demo at Shanti Retreat as well as a conscious cooking workshop. My intention was to educate and inspire people to include more whole foods in the diet and to increase the amount of raw, enzyme rich foods and supplements.

Here are some highlights and recipes from the demo!

Raw Soaked Muesli with goji berries

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Directions:

Combine any amounts of the following ingredients (according to preferences and what’s in your pantry!) and soak overnight with double the amount of liquid, either almond, coconut or soy milk. In the morning, add fresh berries and sliced bananas and more milk if needed.

Rolled Oats

Chia Seeds

Pumpkin or sunflower seeds

Almonds

Dried Fruit (goji berries, dates, cranberries, raisins, figs, apricots)

cinnamon

vanilla

sea salt

maple syrup

almond, coconut or soy milk

My favorite superfoods and their benefits

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Raw Cacao (powder, nibs, beans): high in magnesium, minerals, iron and antioxidants

Sea Veggies (spirulina, chlorella, kelp, algea, E3live): increases energy, complete protein, reduces stress, alkalizing, anti-aging, full of vitamins and minerals, detoxifies, improves mental clarity.

Maca: increases vitality and energy, balances endocrine system and hormones, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants

Carob: source of calcium, fiber and vitamin D

Leafy Greens: fibre, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals

Parsley: alkalizing high in vitamin K and C

Hemp Seeds: complete protein, omega fatty acids, minerals

Coconut Water: nature’s gatorade, replenishes electrolytes

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