New Roots

The beginning of spring....cleaning house inside and out. Purging has always been a very cathartic thing for me and although it starts with our house and our bodies in my family it ultimately cyclically always cleans out the cobwebs in my head creating space for new thoughts and ideas. I tick all year long checking in on facebook for my local yogini's daily words to think on, wishing I had the ability to pull forth all of these wise thoughts on my own but settling for checking in each day to find those of great philosophers to help with our human condition and working out what seems to happen winter after winter spring after spring summer after summer. Sometimes I wonder if we are not all just ants in an ant hill, bees working a hive and collecting pollen, we are all the same, no one special just cogs in a machine some. Not to say that each cog isn't unique just to say our own self importance may need to be adjusted slightly in this new culture where everyone can be a superstar and our culture creates the desire to do so. So here I am, not better, brighter, or closer to something than any of you, but instead, one of many. 

There it is. 

To help with these amazingly deep thoughts I've started drinking Dandy Blend. A fantastic way to clear out the system and fool yourself into believing you're actually drinking coffee. Astounding as it may seem my epicurean coffee taste buds seem not to disagree. Run, by some now, you won't regret it!

I make mine with hot water and steamed soy or almond milk and a little nutmeg on top, at least 3 times a day.

Next on the list, my new roots my new favorite blog has given me more to do with purifying grains and psyllium husks than I can imagine. Try the bread, I make it once a week, no flour, use it all week long as a substitute and one I thoroughly enjoy more than bread. That said, my chef husband has countered with a fabulous new homemade semolina seeded bread in our restaurant, truly not fair, just when I was happy to go flour less.

life changing bread

The Life-Changing Loaf of BreadMakes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
½ cup / 90g flax seeds
½ cup / 65g hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups / 145g rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt (add ½ tsp. if using coarse salt)
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (for sugar-free diets, use a pinch of stevia)
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil or ghee
1 ½ cups / 350ml water

Directions:
1. In a flexible, silicon loaf pan combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together in a measuring cup. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick (if the dough is too thick to stir, add one or two teaspoons of water until the dough is manageable). Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. To ensure the dough is ready, it should retain its shape even when you pull the sides of the loaf pan away from it it.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
3. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).
4. Store bread in a tightly sealed container for up to five days. Freezes well too – slice before freezing for quick and easy toast!