Depression has raised its ugly head again.

For all of you who get bitten by depression, I understand, for it has bitten me often. This is a piece I wrote a while back, may it help you through what you are going through right now, or understand what someone else is going through.

I was doing so well, keeping it at bay, but it has been tugging at my strings for a few weeks now and I cannot fight it any more, depression is back.

12360103_10153131464371415_4429943199622490046_nI try to stay positive, doing the work I do interviewing people who are making such a wonderful difference in the world and their living in meaningful purpose keeps me upbeat, but not even that helps right now.

I just feel the despair of the world, the hate the fear the cripple ignorance and unwillingness to be a part of the solution rather than its problem.

I try to live in simple joy, to love life and all its blessings, to seek out the possibilities that we can do and make opportunities in doing them. But, everything feels like an uphill climb a road block a waste of time.                                                                                            Art by Natasha

I know that my soul and heart believe in humanity and believe in love and believe we can do better, but then I see the news the embracement of hate the ignorance of fear and I wonder why I do it. Why do I speak of love life light joy, hope, and possibilities if the world is so hell bent on hating destroying killing and the loving of living in fear?

Because if I don’t I may as well give up now, I may as well curl up and die, I may as well give in and be a speck of dust for that is all I would be if I stopped trying stopped caring stopped loving the possibility of life.

So what do I do? Do I walk away from 4 years of radio interviews of those who embrace the wonders of life?  Do I retreat and fade away? Do I just go back into mindlessness and be nothing stand for nothing care for nothing?

This is my time to reflect, to rethink, to try and renew my passion for the planet for the people in it for the wonders that could be for the joy for living if we only try. I will over the Christmas period I will take a good hard look at my life and see where it is meant to go. I am the only one person who believes that we can if united heal our world and each other in it. Am I wrong? Should I go on? Is it time to call it quits?

Depression does hurt, and no a pill does not help, when it gets hold of you it distorts your world and everything in it. All I can do is hope that I can overcome again and rise above it, all I can do is go in and find a place where love resides and my soul can thrive once more.

Illusion is the way people chose to see me, I am strong and fight for the right for others to life in freedom dignity empowerment love and peace, but I battle with finding it within me.

downloadThis too will pass, I hope, my dog is at my feet, for she knows I need her love. I will put on a brave face for my kids and be that cheers and the Christmas feast. But in my heart and soul I know my spirit is hurt and it will take global love and the healing of the planet to make it free once more.

I do not write this for pity but to bring awareness of the negative energy out in the world and how it affects people like me like you. Please stop hating hurting killing not caring, for if we want this planet to grow in love in joy in purpose and in truth, we must step up and be its solution, be all its needs, and come together will love and build that divine bridge to peace.

I wish you all a very wonderful FESTIVE SEASON and may you come together in joy love kindness and raise our GOOD VIBRATIONS so we can heal our world.

Sara TROY

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How to Beat Rejection

Nobody likes to be rejected.  Whether in relationships, business or in a creative enterprise.  It can damage your self-esteem, affect your future work or relationships and even how others judge you.

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Writers have a special relationship with rejection.  When I first began as a writer (before email) and sent a manuscript off to publishers you could usually tell when it was the beginning of the month by the thud of a rejected manuscript dropping through the letterbox.  I remember one time I had a manuscript rejected by return of post!  As a writer, more than most creatives, you have to develop a very thick skin pretty early on.

When I was teacher, (I used to run a Master’s program in Creative Writing), students would fear rejection and I would tell them that it’s a badge of honour.  Firstly it means you have actually completed a novel, not everyone who starts a book finishes it. Secondly you found the courage to send it out for appraisal.  OK they didn’t like it and you probably didn’t get back a letter explaining why, but was it sent to the right person to start with?  What can you learn from the experience?

It’s pretty much the same with relationships.  The reason many relationships fail is because one doesn’t apply the same logic to ‘love’ as your manuscript.

Is this the right person for me?  What do they like?  What have we got in common?
What have they published (or dated) before, how did that work out?  Are they open to discussion?  Do they go out there looking for new talent or wait for it to come to them?  Is there a writers’ conference you could go to meet agents and editors in person and pitch to?  Does that even work?  What if they don’t like the look of you? Or hate your pitch?  What then?

Matching is a science.  Match.com is successful because they use an algorithm to ‘match’ your needs and desires to another person and if they coincide enough on the scale, then the chances are you’ll like each other and form a bonding.  Well, you have to do that with your creative work too and the specific people you might pitch to.

rejection-picture-quotesYou have spend months, sometimes years working on your book, with luck you will have also shown it to first readers and taken onboard their feedback and made changes.  Believe me, if you think you can write a book that doesn’t need changes you really aren’t ready to show it anyone yet.  A novel needs a collaborator, that reader to make it real.  We aren’t just talking about errors of punctuation or spelling.  We are talking about whether a character is convincing, or a given situation works.  I can cite many instances when a readers input has made my work better, from the angle of a gunshot wound, to how a girl might react to a specific situation or even what they are wearing or might eat.  This is important, because if your reader cares enough to worry about a detail, he or she has already accepted the character is real.

It’s tougher to sell a novel now.  You will see agents on-line who will say just send me five pages.  I know this is true because my former editor would reject a book from reading just one page and if it didn’t grab her she was only too happy to reject as there would be several hundred a month to get through, every month and with the best will in the world, your work has to be very special indeed if it can cut through an agents or editor’s wall of indifference.  Who could blame them?

So it is incredibly important to read the guidelines.  It is just as hard to get an agent as a publisher and the Writer’s Handbook will tell you that few, very few, have a door open and even there they will reject 95% of them because they don’t match their tastes or requirements.  Still writing Vampire books?  Didn’t you know that is so over?

To avoid rejection you will have to do a great deal of research.

You have to find the agent who likes your genre (check their website and they will gladly tell you what they dislike, what they want from you and follow the submission guides to the letter. Don’t waste their time).

Or find the publisher that needs a fresh take on an old subject or more rarely, something unique.  It’s one of the anomalies of publishing that everyone wants something new but no one wants something completely different, as they don’t know how to pitch it to their sales people.

Even more important than what you have written now, is your presence on social media.  Got one million followers on Facebook or Instagram, they will probably come to you.  If you are an old curmudgeon like me who loathes Facebook and doesn’t follow anyone anywhere – publishers and agents will pass you over, even if you have written something terrific.  It’s a changed world.  If you aren’t shaping the world around you, they aren’t going to do it for you.  Marketing budgets have been slashed.
The truth is, it is easier to reject than accept.  It’s not them, it’s you.

So now you know. Treat your great novel with respect.  If you get advice, act on it. Revise, rethink, re-title, sometimes editors can just hate a title. Work at your opening lines, check there really is a plot and that characters are ‘real’ and have clearly visible different identities. If you love a particular novel by someone – ask yourself why does that work so well? What was so special about it that it got across the minefield of the selection process? I used to say to my students you are here to read as well as write. Was Gone Girl a success because of who she knew, or simply because it was a terrific tightly plotted pacy thriller? (It’s the latter if you must know).

Applying dating techniques to find acceptance.  (Er, I’m not talking Tinder here, as multiple submissions are still frowned upon).

Every writer has been rejected, some many times.  Each scar is a badge of honour.  If you are lucky enough to get a useful comment, heed it, it might prevent the next editor from dismissing your work.

Remember this, rejection is just a stop on the eventual path to success.  Or as my ex says – another door stop on the way to oblivion …. she’s such a joker.

© Sam North December 2015
author of Diamonds – The Rush of ’72 and Another Place to Die: Entime Chronicles
Sam also joint edits hackwriters.com

To the Angels who have left us this year

For all those Angels who have gone home this year this one is for you and all those you left behind.

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We will never forget you, but to have know you, cared for you and had the pleasure of loving you we are blessed. Forever in our hearts souls and minds, you will be missed.

It seems we ahve been losing so many stars lately way too many of the greats. I not sure why they have been called home all together or why they all mostly died from cancer related deaths, but our (my) generation are going fast and we will miss them.

Let us keep in our heart and souls all those who lifts us up, made us smile, gave us truth that made our world better a solute of gratitude. To anyone you ahve lost this year, remember them well for that is how they continue on, through you because of you.

They have gone home to the divine energy of the cosmos, we were gifted their presence and for that we will always have a smile.

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www.daniandlizzy.com 

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To my Mama Jo who left me February 13th 2015 at the age of 95, thank you Mama you will always be with me.

You leave behind lives you have guided, spirits you have uplifted, and hearts you have filled.

Now it is time for you to be at peace in a place of divine love and loving harmony.

YOUR FOREVER LOVING DAUGHTER SARA

 

Coming Home to my Divine Purpose.

I have recently been going through a soul cleans with Lidia Antunes-Frederico, she has cleaned out past imprints that were stopping me from receiving and growing. It has been such a wonderful experience I HAD TO SHARE IT.

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She took me to my childhood to see my inner child, find a happy childhood experience she says, well I found some, but they were always of me alone, but not lonely. I realize that my existence has always been to fly, I come from the sky the universe and my soul spirit and heart are there. As a child I played with dead people, their energy and thought nothing of it, I flew up into the universe with complete ease, I saw things and counselled people from a very young age and I always knew because of my knowing ness. I was soul free and with divine love never alone.

But; I grew up in a world of hate, judgement, fear and lack of soul knowledge. My job has always to be an awakener of souls of other awakeners, from the beginning of my time that has been my role. To show the souls how to connect, to show them their possibilities, to show them the path for which they are meant to walk on, it has been my many life time roles.

But, the world became dark thunderous loud and disconnected. The flight or fight mode became all too prevalent and people lost their belief in a wonderful life and soul connection. One of the things I have not enjoyed is feeling the soul pain of others, feeling their hopelessness, and with time and many life times I too began to feel that way and because of it lost my way. I became disconnected to my soul, my heart became painful to feel, my spirit broken and my mind filled with confusion, fear hate loss and loneliness. I was lost.

In 1994 a wonderful women freed me of 172 past lifetimes, of a pattern that was blocking me from embracing my purpose my spirit. It was a wonderful experience to be reborn, to discover me, not my past patterning. I felt my heart grow once again filled with love, my soul had a voice once again and connected me to my divine home, my spirit could fly again and my mind just let go, let go, let go. I was me, the me I was meant to be, the me who was free.

Then it was decided that I needed to be grounded, to connect with this earth and feel its pain, oh so painful so heavy too loud, it hurt me it bought me back down and I fought to be free again. It has been 9 years now, I have learnt what I needed to know from being grounded, but it is my time to fly again, but I had forgotten how. I was a phoenix always being able to go and get me knowledge and bring it back, but I could not fly anymore.

This where Lidia comes in, through her working with me, she removed some elements that were still deep in me and stopping me from receiving. Since she has done that it has opened an appreciation for my work and being for which I am not accustomed too. I am suddenly heard and seen and acknowledge, normally that is me advocating for everyone else for that is what ‘Self Discovery Radio” does. I am receiving beautiful notes from people I have interviewed, being put in the books in acknowledgment, they are posting my stations link and logo for others to find on their sites, and becoming supported in my work bringing you people like Lidia to your attention, and I have to say, it is so nice to be seen and heard.

In one of my meditations of Lidia’s it took me home, I have been for so long now be begging to go home to the universe to once again connect my soul to source, but I had lost my wings and how to fly. In her mediation she took me back but more to where I belong now and in what role. Oh I am so in love with my purpose, my very purpose in being, I see my role and now because of been set free again I am now understanding even more my divinity.

downloadI saw a tree a golden crystal tree willowing its branches down to earth, each branch with my love and divine energy on feeding the souls who will now be the awakeners, giving them my love and strength to fuel the world with love and vision. I am in a crystal realm filled with colourful fractal crystal diamonds creating a home in which to base myself on, I am home in the universe connecting to the awakeners and I am free of the thunder of earth, this is my place, this is my purpose, this is my divine role, to serve those who guide others to freeing their souls and connecting with the divine source of home.

As I dance in freedom with the colours of the Northern Lights and the Angels of life, I feel the universal love, I feel the divine energy, I feel my presence I know my existence. I now can freely give myself to me work, supporting the awakeners the liberators, the guiders of spirit heart and soul and know that the universe will provide for my needs for I am doing what I was put on earth to do, be the awakener of awakeners and the work they do.

I know I need to dance again, I need music back in my life, I need to fly in my sky and dance amongst the energy beams and paly with the Angels and feel my knowingness again. I need to trust my freedom and the people who come into my life, as a friend, an awakener, or as an advocate, we need to support each other, for we all have a divine role and in that we find our peace, our joy, and our reason for being.

Thank you Lidia for setting me free, thank you everyone for believing in me and for acknowledging my purpose in supporting you and the divine work you do, we are in this together and united we rise and energies this world into all its beauty and glory.

Sara Troy

Owener-Opperator-Host of Self Discovery Radio

selfdiscoverywisdom.com

For Lidias shows with me please do tune in and set your soul free

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Yummy Vegan recopies for the Festive Season

Who says you can’t have great food as a Vegan, take a look at these recopies and give them a try, so delicious and so healthy and so good to share.

For a full PDF of yummy recopies download here Click here to download your free copy now

To tempt you take a look at these yummys.

Curried Soup With Yellow Split-Peas And Sweet Potatoes

            Recipe from Time For Change: Whole Foods For Whole Health!
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This recipe is creamy and a little chunky at the same time. The sweet potato adds a rich sweetness that is tempered by the savoury flavours of curry. It is satisfying as a starter or you can add a green salad and a slice of whole grain bread for a hearty balanced meal.

Time: 45 minutes (plus soaking time)

Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups dried yellow split-peas

4 cups Mirepoix Vegetable Stock (page 199), or filtered water

1 teaspoon crushed and minced fresh garlic

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon curry powder

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon date sugar* (optional)

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Preparation:

Times overlap as part of the preparation occurs while beans are cooking. The cooking time assumes the beans have been soaked overnight or at least 5 hours

  1. Wash split peas. Remove stones, bad pieces and debris. Cover with 3 inches of water and soak overnight. Drain and discard

Method: 2 hours

  1. Transfer split peas to a large saucepan. Add 4 cups stock or water, cover, and bring to a boil (10 to 12 minutes). Boil on high, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are soft (2 hours).
  1. While the beans are cooking, peel and cut the sweet potatoes into small chunks. In a separate small saucepan with a lid, add the sweet potato, ginger, garlic, and 1/2 inch water. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  1. Transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender. Blend until smooth adding cinnamon, black pepper, curry powder, and a little water if needed. If you want a creamier soup blend the split peas as well. If you choose to do this the cooking time will be reduced by more than half. Be sure to blend until the mixture is perfectly creamy. You may want to blend the split peas first in two batches, then blend the sweet potato before combining. For a soup with more texture do not purée the split peas.
  1. Combine puréed potatoes and split peas. Add date sugar. Simmer on low another 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning’s to taste, add salt, if using, and more vegetable stock or water to thin if necessary. Simmer 5 minutes more. Serve hot.

*The addition of date sugar is optional. The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes is often enough. Buying them organic and in season nearly always ensures a good sweet potato. Date sugar is a whole food; it is nothing more than dried ground up dates. You can purchase it in most large grocery stores, most health food stores or order it on line. Feel free to add a little if it isn’t sweet enough to suit you. Alternatively, you can blend in a couple of whole dates (making sure to remove the seeds.) or a little organic cane sugar.

Nutritional Data: 1 Cup

Calories: 217, .56g Fat, 12.24g Protein, 43.44g Carbohydrates, Cholesterol: 0, Saturated Fat: .04g, Total Fiber: 13.73g

Steamed And Roasted Stuffed Acorn Squash

                 Recipe from Time For Change: Whole Foods For Whole Health!

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Stuffed acorn squash is fantastic any time but it is especially welcome during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when turkey takes centre stage in many American homes. This dish is cooked mainly on top of the stove and for only the last 15 minutes in the oven. It not only cooks more quickly than baking or roasting alone, but I believe you end up with a more flavourful result. This recipe can be doubled or tripled according to the size of your family.

Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 2 halves, stuffed

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a side dish

Ingredients:

2 oranges, juiced with pulp

3 tablespoons maple syrup, divided

1 cup water

1 large organic acorn squash

1 large red delicious apple*, seeded and chopped into 1/4-inch cubes, (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup raisins, preferably golden organic

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Method: 35 to 50 minutes

Preheat oven to 375ºF

Prep time: 10 minutes

Stovetop: 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of your squash

Oven time: 10 to 15 minutes

  1. Cut acorn squash in half, from stem to pointed tip. With a spoon, scrape out all the seeds and seed pulp until there is a clean hollow where the seeds were.
  1. In a large covered skillet or saucepan, mix the water, orange juice, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Stir to combine.
  1. Arrange squash in pan, cut side down. Arrange the raisins in the pan around the squash. Cover and bring to a boil. Allow to boil on high until tender. (If the water boils away too quickly add a little more, 1/4 cup at a time.) This will take 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of your squash. When it is tender and can easily be pierced with a fork or bamboo skewer, remove the lid and allow most of the liquid to boil away. Do not allow the thick liquid or the raisins on the bottom of the pan to burn.
  1. While the squash is steaming, chop apples and toss with cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Set aside. Once the squash is tender, transfer to a casserole dish or other baking dish with sides. Turn the squash cut side up. Scoop remaining liquid and the raisins out of the pan and add to the apple mixture. Fill the cavities in the acorn squash with this mixture.
  2. Roast, uncovered, in a preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. The apples should develop a caramel glaze and should still be firm. Do not allow to burn. Serve hot.

*Though Red Delicious isn’t typically a baking apple, I like it in this recipe because it is sweeter than most apples and one of the most nutritious. Also because you are only wilting the apple rather than fully cooking it, it will continue to hold its shape and still have a little bit of a crunch.

Nutritional Data: 1/2 Squash

Calories: 444, 9.95g Fat, 5.53g Protein, 89.89g Carbohydrates, Cholesterol: 0, Saturated Fat: 1.18g, Total Fiber: 8g

Dutch Stamppot

      Recipe from Time For Change: Whole Foods For Whole Health!

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My friend Dave returned from Europe raving about a dish he had tried in the Netherlands called Dutch Stamppot, which literally means “stamped pot.” I played around with the ingredients he described to me and this is my interpretation of this national dish. It is so delicious I could eat it every day! You can serve it as a side dish or as the main course. I often whip up a batch of this to eat by itself when I am craving some comfort food that is filling and nutritious.

This may seem like you are juggling a lot of steps at one time, and you are. This is really more easily managed than it may seem. Take it one step at a time, everything you need is right there within reach.

Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 6 cups

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups finely diced sweet yellow or white onion (about 6 ounces)

2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

2 (10 ounce) diced Yukon Gold potatoes (3 3/4 cups)

2 (5 ounce) carrots (1 1/2 cups)

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

2 to 3 tablespoons Tofu Sour Cream or Cashew Cream Cheese (recipes available in Time For Change) You may substitute EarthBalance Spread or commercial vegan sour cream.

1 bunch kale, cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces

Preparation: 10 minutes

  1. Prepare vegetables. Peel onion and carrots, cut into 1/8-inch dice. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch dice. Peel and mince garlic and cut kale into 1- to 2-inch pieces.

Method: 15 to 17 minutes

  1. Add the potatoes and carrots to a medium saucepan with an inch of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until vegetables can easily be pierced with a fork.
  1. While the potatoes and carrots are simmering, transfer onions to a large saucepan or flat-bottomed skillet* with a lid. Cover onions and sauté until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir another minute. If the sides of the pan begin to brown, reduce temperature and add a small amount of water (a tablespoon at a time) to release the caramelization.
  1. When the potatoes and carrots are fork tender, drain and transfer to pan with onions. Add Tofu Sour Cream or Cashew Cream Cheese, salt and pepper. With a potato masher,** mash all ingredients together until mashed but not too creamy. You still want to have a slightly chunky consistency. Transfer back into the saucepan you used to cook the potato mixture.
  1. Wash out your flat-bottomed skillet and return to burner. Rinse kale and shake it out a little over the sink. There should be droplets of water still on it. This is all the water you’ll need to wilt the kale without losing its flavour and nutrition into excess water. Transfer to skillet, cover and cook on medium-high until kale is wilted and has darkened in colour (about 3 minutes). Using a pair of tongs or a large spoon, periodically turn the kale so it wilts evenly and the bottom doesn’t burn. Fold mashed potato mixture into kale with a large wooden Serve hot.

This is very good with sliced fresh ripe organic tomatoes as a side.

*A flat-bottomed skillet will make mashing the potatoes easier.

**It is difficult to mash potatoes with the skins still attached, aka “smashed potatoes,” if you are using a potato masher that has a grid type surface. It is better to use a potato masher that resembles a snake or a a series of “S” curves, making it less likely to become clogged. This also allows you to make your potatoes as creamy or as chunky as you like as opposed to the grid-style masher, which tends to create a creamier texture.

Nutritional Data: 1 Cup

Calories: 118, 0.5g Fat, 3.82g Protein, 26.71g Carbohydrates, Cholesterol: 0, Saturated Fat: .08g, Total Fiber: 5.08g

Quinoa with Carrots, Corn & Peas

      Recipe from Time For Change: Whole Foods For Whole Health!
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This dish is healthy, colourful, and fragrant; pleasing to both the eye and the palate. It has layers of complex flavours finished with the citrus tang of fresh lemon juice.

The long ingredient list for this recipe may seem overwhelming. As you transition to a plant-based lifestyle youll find yourself using these spices over and over again, reducing the cost of each individual dish. Measure them into a small bowl at the beginning of the cooking process to avoid the frantic search for a particular spice when it is called for. Organization is key in preparing this dish. No need to panic; this recipe is not difficult. Take it one step at a time and in only 25 minutes youll have a wonderfully flavourful addition to your holiday meal.

Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 7 cups

Ingredients:

Spice Blend:

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground chili pepper (You can substitute cayenne.)

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Main Ingredients:

3 cups cooked Quinoa (see package instructions)

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

1 small yellow onion, julienned

1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

3 cups carrot slices cut 1/8-inch on the diagonal (about 4 medium carrots)

1/2 cup organic corn, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup baby green peas

1/2 cup golden raisins plus water to cover

Juice of 1/2 lemon (Use the whole lemon if you like a less sweet and more bright flavor.)

Method: 25 minutes, including preparation

Most of your preparation is done while the quinoa is cooking, so the entire process takes only 25 minutes.

Preparation:

  1. Prepare quinoa and vegetables and raisins. Cover carrots with water to prevent discoloration.
  1. Measure all your spices into a small bowl. Stir to combine.
  1. Juice lemon and set aside.

Method:

  1. In a dry skillet, sauté onions until nearly translucent (about 8 minutes). Add garlic and ginger and sauté another minute. Add 1/4 cup water (Use the water from soaking the raisins.) and carrots. Cover and cook until the color of the carrots has deepened. The carrots should still be a little crunchy. Add the corn, peas, and raisins. Add spice mixture, a tablespoon at a time, stirring to incorporate.
  2. Fold in quinoa making sure the spices are incorporated in it. Turn off heat and allow to sit for a couple minutes. While the quinoa is resting, prepare almonds by roasting in a dry pan over medium heat turning constantly with a spatula. Don’t worry if they don’t brown evenly. It is better to have a few undercooked than have any of them burned.
  1. Fluff quinoa with a fork. Toss with lemon juice and fresh mint. Sprinkle with almonds. Serve hot.

Nutritional Data: 1 Cup

Calories: 245, 5.68g Fat, 8.16g Protein, 43.2g Carbohydrates, Cholesterol: 0, Saturated Fat: .61g, Total Fiber: 7.01g

Fruit-Sweetened Spicy Cranberry Chutney 

Recipe by Danielle Bussone

cran This dish is sweet and sour and spicy all at the same time. Prepared with whole ingredients and sweetened entirely with fruit you can eat as much as you want of this guilt-free, healthy condiment.  Red delicious apples are best with this dish because they are the most sweet, and actually one of the most healthy apples on the market. They will melt into the sauce, which is fine since it is not important that the apple maintain its shape. The ginger and cayenne give this sauce its signature peppery tang. Enjoy it as a side dish, a condiment or even as a sandwich spread.

Time: 45 minutes

Yield: about 4 cups

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh or frozen whole cranberries

3 large red delicious apples, diced

1 large red delicious apple, puréed

8 large medjool dates, puréed

1 large orange, juiced (with pulp)

2 tablespoons orange zest

? cup raisins

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground Jaimacan allspice

? teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

Preparation:

Purée one apple with the dates and orange juice, adding a little water if needed.

Combine all of the ingredients into a saucepan and simmer 25 minutes at medium temperature uncovered.

Serve hot or cold.

Can be used as a condiment, side dish or sandwich spread.

Nutritional Data: 1 Cup

Calories: 174, .18g Fat, 1.28g Protein, 46.67g Carbohydrates, Cholesterol: 0, Saturated Fat: .05g, Total Fiber: 6.94g

Ginger Poached Pears With Brandy

     Recipe from Time For Change: Whole Foods For Whole Health!
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This dish is very easy and quick to prepare, yet is as delicious as it is elegant. Ginger gives it just the right amount of bite to offset the sweetness of the honey. It is always a hit at any dinner, special or simple. Having a few extra pears on hand can save the day when you have unexpected dinner guests.

Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 pear halves

Ingredients:

2 ripe Bartlett pears

1/3 cup raw honey (You can substitute 2 tablespoons organic granulated sugar or brown sugar if you prefer.*)

2 tablespoons freshly minced ginger

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup filtered water

2-3 tablespoons raspberry-balsamic vinegar, brandy, coffee or chocolate liqueur, or whatever you prefer (optional)

Preparation: 5 minutes

  1. Wash pears and cut in half lengthwise from stem to the rough fibrous cavity at its bottom.
  1. With a melon baller, cut out seeds to form a smooth, round cavity where the seeds were.Method: 10 minutes
  2. Place pears, cut side down, in a 12-inch flat-bottomed skillet with a lid. Add ginger, brown sugar or honey, and water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil until water becomes syrupy and pears can be easily pierced with a fork. If the mixture threatens to become too dry before the pears are fully cooked, add a little more water.
  1. Transfer pears, cut side up, to a serving dish or individual dessert plates. Drizzle with the ginger and pan syrup mixture.
  1. Fill pear cavity with flavoured vinegar, brandy or liqueur of choice. Serve.

*Date sugar doesn’t work well in this recipe. It is preferable to sugar in many instances, since it is a whole food, but it doesn’t dissolve well and will give this type of dish a grainy texture.

Nutritional Data: 1/2 Pear

Calories: 156, 0.1g Fat, 0.7g Protein, 41.47g Carbohydrates, Cholesterol: 0, Saturated Fat: .02g, Total Fiber: 4.52g

Please check out Danielle’s shows and hear more recopies and Vegan Delights and buy her book on Vegan foods.

Coming November 10th yummy-festive-vegan-delights

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