Rainy Days. I clutch my baby to my chest as we stare out the open door, smelling the downpour, staring at the falling water, hearing the roaring thunder. We are both in awe, one moment he is crying, the next he is entranced. I am grateful for this water, the plants soak it up, the river flows more freely. But I wish to send some blessed rain to the people who need it most, to parched soils, and mouths, all over this crazy world. May rain come and bring you all sound sleeps and excuses to loll in a warm place, contemplate.
Yesterday our friends gave us a tour of their huge, epic garden. I couldn’t believe the rows of radishes, compared to my little teensy garden space. Then they brought us over to a little nook where wild asparagus was growing. Asparagus is a regal and mighty plant which grows furiously amidst a mash of strong willed weeds. If I had a vegetable puppet show, asparagus would play the intellectual, savvy friend that everybody needs to have.
There was a time when I was a raw vegan, yup, shocker. I’ve always been a bit of an extremist, but that phase didn’t last long. I even took a course to become a certified raw nutritionist. Certainly I gleaned some valuable information, especially when it comes to super foods and herbs. Maybe raw foodism is a bit extreme but there’s no denying it works for some types of people in certain climates. It would be a different story living in Hawaii or Indonesia, but even then, traditional peoples would’ve still eaten some flesh, perhaps raw fish, or wild board. Attaining all the necessary components for a healthy body on a raw food diet is mighty tricky, though it’s easier when you know what your doing. Often people pick up on the fad, think they are doing something great for their health, and in the end become really ill. The same could go for any extreme lifestyle choice. If there isn’t balance, everything topples. There are also circumstances where profound healing of many illnesses, cancers, diabetes and heart disease, just to name a few, can occur when adhering to an organic raw food diet. Dr. Gabriel Cousens at the Tree of Life Centre and Hippocrates Health Institute, offer retreats to cleanse the body of illness with programs designed and guided by professionals. Definitely helpful as things get tricky when you’re the only one in the sailboat. My journey eating raw didn’t last too long, but it was a nice cleansing time where everything is simplified.
In a final farewell to sweetness, last night both J and I indulged in *ahem* 4 pieces each of the delectable cinnamon toast crunch raw pie. Can’t say it was worth it, although every bite was so good, neither of us slept well and baby Mav was up all night. Too much energy for us all so late at night, oops. Needless to say we couldn’t ditch our coffee habit this morning. Although we both passed on the added cream and sugar regime. I did whip up a whole30 friendly version- a can of coconut milk and 2 eggs blended on high for 30 seconds. A good substitute for dairy indeed, though it is a bit odd to have raw egg in your morning coffee ( I didn’t tell J, he’d flip). I trust our eggs, they come straight from our 25 or so backyard chickens, I probably wouldn’t trust commercially raised hens. What a blessing to know where things come from these days.
Ah Mushrooms, natures great gift, a brain underground, connected for miles mimicking our own neuro-pathways. If you’ve never seen the TED talk by Paul Stamets about 6 ways mushrooms can change the world, do so now, it’s absolutely brilliant.
Tis the season for morel mushrooms around these parts, though I have yet to find any. Elusive little gems they are, but my eyes are always scanning whenever we go for our walks. Morels would work well for this Forest Risotto as well. My lovely friend Aya gifted me with the dried chanterelles I used. She harvested them from her top secret patch nearby. We’ve only just met but she knows the way straight to my heart. I love wild mushrooms so much I even have one tattooed on my back…yep can’t get mush more hardcore than that. (more…)
Hey I'm Chantelle, my alter ego would be a mermaid if I wasn't such a terrible swimmer. I love writing authentically and cooking in my pyjamas. My favourite pastimes include eating avocados, travelling the world and hanging out with a toddler.
