A Splash of Harmony

Inspiration to Be the change you wish to see in the world.

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A ‘how to’ guide to making frozen flower ice bowls with seasonal British blooms | The Natural Wedding Company

Beautiful, simple, smile-inducing :)

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Superfood Smoothie (for 2-3 ppl or one hearty breakfast)

This smoothie somehow came out with hints of berry, even though there were no berries in there. I made this combo on a whim and was thrilled with how amazing it tasted. So yummy!

Beets as a superfood, nurition facts: http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-beetroot-juice.htm

Kale, collards, and cilantro: http://www.theholykale.com/thk-juicing-guide/

In a blender, blend:

1 banana

1 small orange

2 cups of ice

1 cup of water

Juice of a small lemon

1 small red beet (quartered to make life easier for the blender)

Greens from said beet

5 large kale leaves

3 large collard greens

10 or more sprigs of cilantro/carrot greens/parsley

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Nutty Raw Chocolate Mousse Pie

Deadly good but vibrantly good for you, I whipped up this pie on Friday for International Pie Day (Okay, I admit to fudge-ing the definition of a pie for this one, but it was paired with a baked, non-vegan, Filipino style buko pie for the rest of the fam). Without further ado...

In a food processor, grind together:

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup almonds

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dates

Press into a cheesecake tin, 9" pie pan, or any pastry shape or size you like...

For the mousse, blend in a blender until smooth:

2 large avocados

1 cup soaked raw cashews (or more if you're going for more milk-chocolate than dark-chocolate)

2/3 cup molasses, or to taste

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1tsp vanilla

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

Pour into mold and let set in the fridge (or outside if you're anywhere cold ;). I crumbled some pecans on top because I was feeling gluttonous. 

For the kahlua fudge topping (okay, the topping isn't raw, but it isn't required either) reduce 3/4 cups of kahlua in a small saucepan on low heat for 10-15 mins until as much of the alcohol is cooked out as you like. Add 2 tsp cocoa powder and 1 tbsp coconut oil. Once the coconut oil and cocoa powder are married to the kahlua reduction, remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Drizzle on top of your now-set mousse and refrigerate for an hour before serving cold. Enjoy!!!

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This page outlines a variety of complex earthbag dome projects with links to individual pages about each one.

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U.S. scientists say that emerging photovoltaic technologies will enable the production of solar shingles made from abundantly available elements rather than rare-earth metals, an innovation that would make solar energy cheaper and more sustainable.http://bit.ly/Px7bv7

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Films For Action: Watch the Best Social Change Documentaries Ever Made

Films For Action is a community-powered alternative news center and learning library for people who want to change the world. Watch hundreds of the best social change documentaries online, read the best from independent media, get inspired to Take Action, and become a member to contribute content yourself. Join us!

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“Golden milk” for cold, flus, depression, and more (in a recipe that actually tastes good…)

Blog post at Fresh Bites Daily : Turmeric is fast becoming a popular remedy for just about everything that ails you. It is particularly powerful as a wintertime cold and flu[..]

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Party Food!   Bell Pepper Medley Dip with Sesame Flax Crackers

I love entertaining people because then I have an audience to eat all the food I'd like to churn out! 

THE DIP:

In a blender, combine: 

2 cups raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours or overnight and drained

1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced

1/2 c cucumber, diced (optional)

1 tbsp mustard powder

2 tsp ground turmeric (or 1 cm peeled fresh turmeric)

1 tsp ground ginger (or 1/2 cm peeled fresh ginger)

1 tsp curry powder

1 tbsp sea salt

1 tsp ground black pepper (or whole peppercorns)

Blend until smooth. In a bowl, add 1/2 cup finely diced red bell peppers. Fold into dip. Serve cold.

The Crackers

In a bowl, soak 1 cup whole flax seeds in 2 cups water for 20 minutes. The flax seeds should be a congealed, thick texture. Add 1 cup raw, hulled sesame seeds and 2 tsp sea salt. Spread over 2-3 sheets of parchment paper, about 2 millimeters thick throughout. Sprinkle with plenty of sea salt. Bake on cookie pans in a convection oven at 175 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 hours, or place in a dehydrator at 50 degrees Celsius for 2-3 hours or until little to no moisture is left. Set out to cool and break into whatever size you like! 

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For personal reasons, this video touched me deeply when I saw it. Hope what she says finds the best in you also.

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EAT FOOD

That is, eat whole, live, as-it-was-born-to-be food. Just ask Elise

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Game Day Raw Cacao Footballs

In a large bowl, mix throroughly:

- 1 cup raw almonds, chopped

- 1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut (optional)

- 1/2 cup 5-min, steel-cut oats

- 1/2 cup oat flour (rolled oats ground into a flour by a food processor or blender)

- 1/2 cup cocoa powder or raw cacao

- Approx. 3 tbsp melted coconut oil (can use grapeseed or other oil)

- 1/2 cup dates soaked in 1/2 cup water and pureed in a food processor or blender

- pinch of salt

Set mix aside and let it set for 20 mins to let the flavors marry and moisture levels balance. Meanwhile, in a small ramekin, mix 1 tbsp cinnamon powder and 2 tbsp coco sugar (or white sugar). After mix has set, shape into inch-long footballs (TIP: if too dry, add a little water or oil - if too moist, add some more oat flour or another binder like coconut flour, tapioca flour, or flax seed meal). The white football thread is unsweetened coconut pinched and pressed into the football. Then I rolled the football into cinnamon sugar and voila! Chocolatey, sweet, delicious, raw fooballs. Go Seahawks! (I'm biased, the 'rents are from Seattle). Enjoy!

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Why Are You Still Using Soap?

Regardless of how much Vitamin D you're getting, sunsets are always awesome... I know, Mom, told you it was the right thing to do... My mom told me too. But as Annamarie and I have learned more about skin (due to the creation of her skin care line), we've been shocked at some of the&

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Breakfast!

Grapefruit, Cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeno with a dash of Pink Himalayan Salt.

Not typical winter fare elsewhere, but a brilliant beginning to a warm Southern California morning.

Timing my meals

A note on food timing and a confession... I'm an out-of-work chef and a raw foods expert who is very conscious of his body's reactions to external influence. I've found that most people's bodies really can't handle the forceful jump-start of any early morning calories. 

My typical day is often very active and physically demanding. I usually wake up around sunrise with a full glass of water and a tooth brushing (I never use toothpaste). An hour or two later, I'll add lemon juice and sea salt to my water bottle and take another good swig. 

Breakfast usually happens around 10 or 11 (5-6 hours after I wake up). It's usually mostly fruit like the Grapefruit concoction above. If I need any extra food during the day, it's a fruit or a carrot or something munchy. 

Dinner is around 5 or 6, usually before sunset. Salad, rolls, or something really creative like a carrot/squash noodle curry close out the day. If I'm up at night with friends or family, tea or a small raw dessert make a good closing to the day. Bed is no later than 9, and I try not to eat or drink anything besides water for several hours before bed. 

Confession

I'm not an extremist and I don't need rules or regulations to keep me on a tight diet or schedule. I always go with the flow. I only noticed that I feel best when I'm on this timing. Yesterday, for instance, I ate breakfast earlier and spicier than usual, and I tossed down some pecans and raisins late in the evening for dessert. 

Guilt and dogmatism will make you more unhealthy than occasional unhealthy foods/practices. Take it easy and eat lots of raw foods! 

Love and light,

:-David

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Hors D'oeuvres to appease the spirit of 2014!

Ingredients:

Carrot noodles (2 carrots, greens chopped and included)

Cucumber noodles (1 small)

Chives

Raisins

Sunflower Seeds

Tossed in a dressing of:

Sweet Balsamic Vinegar

Lemon Juice

Sea Salt

And... 1 long sliver of avocado.

All rolled into the outer petal-leaf of red cabbage.

In the background are homemade sesame-flax chips, made of equal parts sesame seeds, flax seeds, and water soaked for 20 minutes and then dehydrated or baked at low temperature until chippy! Salt/season to taste.

Happy New Year everyone. I have a good feeling about 2014!

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The sun setting on the last day of 2013 in the Antelope Valley.

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Banana-Blueberry Ice Cream

My kid sister and I opened up our parents' freezer, turned to each other and buzzed with the excitement of possibility and shared consciousness. Frozen cavendish bananas and blueberries in containers right next to each other. Match made in deserty-dessert-heaven (the house is in the Mojave Desert). 

We pulled out mom's beautiful, fire-engine red Vitamix, tossed them in with some lemon juice and voila! Is it as yummy as it looks? Paired with a fantasy movie, it was the perfect holiday afternoon in the Antelope Valley.