God

"Physicians have discovered that the apparent solidity of matter is an illusion created by our senses. This includes the physical body, which we perceive and think of as form, but 99.99% of which is actually empty space. This is how vast the space is between the atoms compared to their size, and there is so much space again within each atom. The physical body is no more than a misperception of who you are. In many ways, it is a microcosmic version of outer space. To give you an idea of how vast the space is between celestial bodies, consider this:Light traveling at a constant speed of 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) per second takes just over one second to travel between the earth and the moon; light from the sun takes about eight minutes to reach the earth. Light from our nearest neighbor in space, a star called Proxima Centauri, which is the sun that is closest to our own sun, travels for 4-5 years before it reaches the earth. This is how vast the space is that surrounds us. And then there is the intergalactic space, whose vastness defies all comprehension. Light from the galaxy closest to our own, the Andromeda Galaxy, takes 2.4 million years to reach us. Isn't it amazing that your body is just as spacious as the universe?

So your physical body, which is form, reveals itself as essentially formless when you go deeper into it. It becomes a doorway into inner space. Although inner space has no form, it is intensely alive. That "empty space" is life in its fullness, the unmanifested Source out of which all manifestation flows. The traditional word for that Source is God.

pic of Jo with blue eyes from http://www.johnwehr.com/

Food for Thought: Friday Documentary Screenings

Shapards Pie & Gravy being plated for October's event:

Once a month Rawlicious is holding Documentary 'Food for Thought' Fridays hosted by Lara Marjerrison-Patel of Naked Lunch. We have had 2 already. The September event featured the film "The Future of Food" and in October we had a screening of "King Corn" and we featured a menu of Comfort Food which included:

Garlic Bread/Brushetta with Creamy Miso Soup
Waldorf Salad
Shepherd's Pie with Gravy and
Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream
(& the vanilla ice cream was absolutely incredible, it was made with fresh vanilla beans & tasted like marshmallows, even better!!) (& the pecan pie was incredible also.) (and the shepards pie.. etc.. Mmm.. it was so good.

The event takes place in our Zen Den around the communal table & features great food, an important film and discussion.The cost is $40per person and seating is limited so tickets must be bought in advance.

To reserve a place contact Lara: lara@naked-lunch.ca or 416-536-6845 or drop into Rawlicious @ 3092 Dundas St. W.


Plates of Brushetta, above and Pecan Pies, below

Our next 'Food for Thought Friday' event will be on Friday, November 14th from 7 to 10 pm and will feature the film Food Matters.

Food Matters Official Trailer


King Corn


The Future of Food - Introduction

Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso

I'm back. & in bed - astral doctors orders!
Intense and absolutely beautiful weekend. There was a sweatlodge waiting for us when we arrived in the Laurentians Saturday night.. and Sunday, well, Sunday is another story. - Incredible and awesome. (if it could posibly be described that way - sorry to be a mystery, but thats the way it is.

but for now.. while I sleep & for your listening pleasure:

Gilberto Gil - Esperando na Janela



Gilberto Gil left the Brazilian Ministry of Culture to return to his music. (more here) He was responsible for making the Daime part of the national cultural heritage of Brazil.

This is the song my daughter Kaiya was named after (Bob Marley's Kaya)..

Gilberto Gil - Kaya N' Gan Daya

Caetano Veloso - Jorge de Capadócia

Why KIds ..Why We Need Nature

Why Kids Need Nature

October 24, 2008

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."
Nelson Henderson

In the popular Exchange guidebook, Caring Spaces, Learning Places: Children's Environments that Work, Jim Greenman, observes, "Both at home and in child care, children are losing time, space, and the variety of experience outdoors that has been integral to the development of humankind. They are losing habitat... They are losing necessary experience and gaining weight." Greenman goes on to cite eight reasons children need to experience nature, including...

Nature is bountiful. There are shapes and sizes, colors and textures, smells and tastes; an enormous variety of substances. In a world of catalogs and consumable objects, designed spaces and programmed areas, sometimes it helps to remember that the natural world is full of multi-dimensional, unassailing educational experiences for children. Nature is hard, soft, fragile, heavy, light, smooth, and rough. Armed with our senses, we explore the world and call the adventure science, or if you prefer, cognitive development, classification, sensory development, or perceptual-motor learning.

Nature nourishes and heals. Human beings evolved outdoors. Our bodies need sunlight and fresh air. Our minds need the experience and challenges that nature presents. Our souls need the day-to-day appreciation for the miracle of the world and all its complexity. Without a deep sense of awe at the vastness and majesty of the nature world that humbles us, and a simultaneous ennobling sense that we are intrinsically a part of that world, we are diminished.

..ok, I am off on my white spiritual journey taking place in Mtl. Sorry I can't tell you more about this one. One day! xox, bb on Mon or Tues. Have a wonderful (hopefully nature-filled) weekend! Ciaooo..

Oxygen Spas

I am just getting in from an incredible intense total-package Oxygen therapy session at Lifesource O2 Oxygen Spa Bar at Bloor and Jane, Toronto's only oxygen bar. I had everything done!! ..and it was great!'': I inhaled concentrated oxygen through a nasal cannula, twice, at least 20 minutes before and after the other treatments. I had an oxygenated foot bath, a foot rub, a shiatsu treatment, then the best- the oxygen bath, you get immersed into this machine that you sit in with only your head out and it alternatively steams and oxygenizes you.. it was so great!! ..and then you can open the towels a bit around your neck to steam your face for an amazing feeling facial.

I am feeling so detoxified. ..actually feeling a deep shiver, and my nose is slightly dripping, and very slightly headachy sometimes.. but I have been having an intense green juice/E3Live day too. & I feel like sleeping..
But, I am going to Montreal tomorrow and want to make sure I post before going. Its an intense spiritual weekend that I am even a little nervous/excited about. Especially right after that last what I feel was an emotional/spiritual detox that I just went through.. and now here I am heading right back into it. Just how far can the soul progress in one lifetime.. how quickly can we peel the layers of the onion.. I am here to find out (& report back to you! )

Ahhh... It's a beautiful life!

Scientists now also agree that oxygen plays a powerful and primary role in our overall health and well-being. A growing number of researchers agree that the best way to improve health may be related to the optimum oxygenation of every cell.

All metabolic processes in the body are regulated by oxygen. Our brains process billions of bits of information each second. Our metabolic processes work to rid our bodies of waste and toxins. ..and 80% of all our metabolic energy production is created by oxygen! Our abilities to think, feel and act require oxygen-related energy production. Oxygen also plays a vital role in proper metabolic functions, blood circulation, the assimilation of nutrients, digestion and the elimination of cellular and metabolic wastes. Sufficient oxygen helps the body in its ability to rebuild itself and maintain a strong and healthy immune system.

The good news is that raw fruits and vegetables are high in oxygen with as much as 50% of the weight of these foods made up of oxygen. The percentage of oxygen in fats is less than 15% while the percentage of oxygen in protein is between 20% and 40%, depending on the protein's amino acid profile. Dense food compounds, such as fats and proteins, are not only low in oxygen content, but also require extra oxygen from the body to convert them into energy which further depletes the body's oxygen reserves. Other oxygen-robbing foods include processed sugar, white flour, alcohol and caffeinated drinks. The body has to divert needed oxygen from primary metabolic functions, such as heartbeat, blood flow, brain function and immune response, just to oxidize and metabolize these foods.

The more our cells are saturated with stabilized oxygen the lower is the wear and tear that occurs in the body. Hence, oxygen is one of the most important anti-aging substances.

Any excessive stress, including a heavy workload, traumatic or intense events in your life, prolonged depression and anxiety, can rob the body of huge amounts of its much-needed oxygen. Emotional stress produces adrenaline and adrenaline-related hormones, requiring the body to draw on its oxygen reserves for their production and eventual oxidation. Infection also depletes the body's oxygen, which is used to combat bacteria.

Individuals with chronically acidic systems also use up oxygen reserves. This can lead to a cycle of toxin accumulation and oxygen depletion. One way in which the body combats excess acidity is by trying to neutralize it with oxygen. To do so, it must continually divert oxygen away from its primary metabolic functions and direct it toward the acidic cells and tissues.

When body oxygen falls to extremely low levels for prolonged periods of time, the body can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and other infectious agents. When the oxygen content of the body is within a normal level, infectious microorganisms have a more difficult time breeding and multiplying.

Cancer attacks every organ in our body, except the heart because of its abnormal supply of oxygen.
"Cancer has only one prime cause. It is the replacement of normal oxygen respiration of the body's cells by an anaerobic (i.e., oxygen-deficient) cell respiration."
~Dr. Otto Warburg - Two-time Nobel Laureate & Winner of the Nobel Prize for Cancer Research

Studies have revealed that 200 years ago the oxygen levels in the atmosphere was about 36-38%. At Present the earth’s atmosphere is at a 19% concentration level of oxygen. In some areas that are heavily industrialized, which have high levels of pollution, the oxygen level is often as low as 9%.

The level of oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere has been seriously depleted due to various factors, such as: the industrial revolution; the carbon-based fuels we use; and the depletion of large tracts of oxygen generating forest areas. According to scientific studies, it has been shown that the concentration level of oxygen in the atmosphere is being depleted by 0.8% about every fifteen years or thereabouts.

Get Oxygenated - Eat Raw, Exercise lots and visit your local Oxygen Bar for an incredible detox/oxygenation/rejeuvenation session.

Pics by Zena Holloway

Journalling: Steam Rooms, Herbal Teas and the Rawkathon

Oh, I am so into the steam room lately at my gym, I can't even tell you!
My Swedish friend came with me yesterday, now the Swedes know all about steam rooms.. its a communal thing in Sweden, and she just got back from there.. the whole village goes and steams and gossips together.. the women will all go together first,, and later the men will go. They jump in the cold ocean after too! & we were simulating that going from steam room to icy shower.. well, Icy after she turns down my water as cold as it will go! We kept doing this, about 3 times each.. we were in there almost 2 hours! Steaming is one of my favorite things, I love it, always makes me feel great! .. I think I get into fantasy mode, like I am at a tropical beach..

and I actually love the hot/cold thing. I used to do that when I first went raw and was doing some major detoxing.. even doing the Master Cleanse before I went raw I was into doing that.. one time I almost fainted.. I ca really push myself though, tend to be a bit of an extremist.
I was doing the cold as far as it would go today also.. and if your into this awesome torture stuff (lol) remember to lift your arms and let the cold water get under your arms, there are lymph glands there.. good stimulation.

Mi-San was telling me about how in Finland they bring a bucket of water in with them and a switch, a branch with leaves and whack themselves all over and get someone else to do the back where its harder to get to, to realy get the blood circulation going. (we're going to sneak some branches in next time! lol)

Oh & after my Rawlicious day and steaming I went down to Herbies Herbs and got more herbs. I am drinking a superfood tea blend again. I have this great collection of herbs happening now.. and I just mix and brew a blend every once in awhile.. I have to remember to do this more often. I put gojis and cacao nibs in there also for great flavour.

I am listening to Sherie right now.. we are talking about hosting her coming up soon at To Sprouts to give classes here. & Victoras Kulvinskas soon, excited to hear him. I loved Karen Knowler last night! ..Loving the Rawkathon! I missed David though, and would have really liked to see him. k, getting back to the show.. just a quick hi tonight. xox, Love!

I bring you now to my village, yes?‏

(Thanks Paul for the trip back to the homeland ..much fun!!! ~Hugs~)

Deliciously Intensive Tastes and Scents

Whoa.. I am burning frankincense, and I bought this cute little clay bowl last night, cause I wanted the charcoal in it to burn my frankincense tears.. and it came with this amber-patchouli powder (which I forgot to take out) and then I lit it & there was a big poof of smoke and I carried the pot upstairs, so the bedroom would smell great.. but its just smoking away ..and its great but I might be starting to get high, or feeling like I should be getting high. lol

Let's talk about food. I enjoyed my diner so much. It was simple really.. a salad with mixed greens and sunflower sprouts, lots of them cause I have a bag that I want to finish.. and silverleaf olives and pine nuts and this big incredibly beautiful, succulent, delicious tomato.. and then I decided that I would chop a whole clove of garlic in the dressing, cause I'm all alone & I love garlic (but hey, anyone close to me has got to accept the garlic once in awhile, comes with the package, just the way it is) oh & I mixed a spoonful of basil pesto in.. Mmm.. Oh it was soo good.

Then after I was on the phone chatting away and don't you just love when you get into automatic pilot and all of a sudden there was this bowl of granola sitting in front of me ..broken up straight from the dehydrator with almond milk and maple syrup drizzled on top. Oh, it was so good. I actually had to sneak in bites during the conversation (which, of course, ended within a minute or two because she got another call .. and I was really putting out there to the universe how I had to sit and enjoy this bowl of granola. lol Thats the way it works.)
& the granola is amazing!!! I was really into it last night when I was making it. I also bought a microplane grater from a commercial kitchen store last night mainly for the orange zest, Nice. It had chopped up dehydrated pineapple I had made a couple nights ago, and banana and apple, cranberries, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, date paste, almonds, pecans, walnuts.. all the best stuff and the kitchen smells so great today.

Oh & I took pics of some pizzas we made at Rawlicious..

We make them, dress them up and keep them and serve them warm straight from the dehydrater.. Both of these have a cashew cheeze - one has a Tomato Marinara sauce and the other Basil Pesto.


The Marinara pizza has tomato slices, mushrooms, olives, red peppers and pine nut parmeasn toppings.
The Pesto piza, which was Angus's idea (I think) and a real hit has mango, cilantro and red onion toppings.
They are so delicious!

Pomegranates and Chocolatherapy

I just finished off another pomegranate and loving them so much I feel like going and opening another. I ate 2 yesterday and have been eating them every day for awhile. Love them!
Eat the whole seeds.. I remember when I first watched someone eat a pomegranate, they spit out the center hard part of the seed. Forget that, the whole thing is so great for you and you get used to crunching them up.
When you open a pomegranate, cut off the top part, where the stem is, the top 1/2" and then you will see the whitish skin part separating the sections, there are 6-7 of these sections. Score each section from middle out and down the side of the pomegranate. Pull them apart and then just pull off the seeds into a bowl. Mmm.. then scoop little handfuls of the seeds and eat them.. so beautiful and delicious!

Yes, I need another. Zoey is asleep at my feet, he is so happy! I am listening to Mike Adams on the Rawkathon, flipping over every once in awhile to see him. ..and organizing files, going to start typing out and organizing recipes for another recipe book, even though I haven't finshed the 1st. I just need a good design idea. Waiting for that flash of inspiration or design person to come, should be any minute now..

Don't you love when you see life flow. I have only noticed this since going raw.. I just got clear and start really noticing things.. It';s great when you start paying attention - flows of events and things which come into your awareness.. certain things are related, and sometimes it all makes sense and sometimes not as much..
Like last night, I went to Jims to have dinner with the family. I didn't get this flow at all, bt it was amusing - he buys me Hearts of Palm (for the big salad I always make there), then I watch the movie Irena Palm (don't ask), Marianne Faithful is in it, then the Stone's song comes on the radio right after, As Tears Go By, Mick wrote it for her .. so what's this all about I wonder.. maybe I should be sitting under palm trees!
& then I open my mail & James sends a link to the resort hes at this week, The Gamboa Rainforest Resort, which he tried to talk me into going with him. Yikes, am I crazy, being all responsible and working hard, etc, wow.. I didn't realize it was this nice - and they have Chocolatherapy there (I don't even know what that is, but I'm sure I need it!)

Well I am not there but I am still in the flow, receiving fun messages and clues from the Universe and having fun watching everything go by no matter where I am. & I am sure he will take me there another time, when it is the perfect time, and of course it will be.

For now I am going to go open another pomegranate, get a bid salad, then maybe have hot chocolate & Truffles (from Fred's Food not Candy) and then get back to work!! ; )


ps. I was just downstairs opening another pomegranate, haven't even clicked publish post and Mom calls - she just bought a pomegranate and asks how to open it.. oh yeah, we're flowing..

The Hang Drum!

I have not been at a computer long enough to post for a few days.. and I have been having so many things that I want to post about.. But later, right now I want to tell you about a drum performance I saw tonight. Maria called me after work and we went out tonight to bunch of performances at the Movement Centre - it was great - flamenco dancing, a clown, breakdancing, singing, acting .. but I loved and was so inspired by a guy, Gurpreet Sunhgh Chana, who plays percussion instruments - a Box Cajon, which originated in Peru but has become an important part of world music of various cultural influences, a Tabla, popular Indian perussion - a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres, which has an incredibly beautiful sound..

and my favorite of all - the Hang Drum (pronounced Hun, actually the u is almost a soft o sound) I LOVED and was amazed by this!!! I would LOve to have one!!!
(ok, I was going to ask for one for my birthday .. But.. now I am researching ( at 2 am) for one.. to find out how much they cost and where to get them.. it seems they are only made one place in Switzerland by 2 guys, they are very expensive about 1500$ and there is a waiting list to get one. (..they are sooo cool!!)

PANArt Hangbau AG
Engehaldenstr. 131
3012 Bern/Switzerland
Phone international: +41 31 301 33 32
- from US/CDN: 01141 31 301 33 32
E-Mail: info@hang.ch

The Hang was developed in 2000 in by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer (PANArt Hangbau AG) and introduced at the Frankfurt Music Fair in 2001. They have a little workshop in Berne where every Hang in existence has been created.

The two deep drawn steel hemispheres of the Hang are hardened by a process known as gas-nitriding. The side considered the 'bottom' has an opening (Gu) in the center which is the bass note.. When it is played in a dampened way it can change in pitch similar to a talking drum. On the 'top' are seven notes arranged in a 'Tone Circle' in zig-zag fashion from low to high. All are tuned harmonically around a low note (Ding) at the center of the Tone Circle.

It uses some of the same physical principles as a steel drum (I love steel drums! ..and this is like a hand steel drum, even better!!) That being said there has been much metallurgical and acoustic research by the makers which have led to significant changes in structure, design, and process. It was the result of many years of research on the steelpan as well as the study of a diverse collection of instruments from around the world; such as gongs, gamelan, ghatam, drums, bells, etc. Udu-like sounds can be produced with theHelmholtz resonance that can occur within the clamped shallow shells. It also has the capacity to ring like a singing bowl.

Gurpreet Chana - Clips from Drum Festival


The ArtOfFusion, hand jam in Norway..

Relaxing Ambient Hang

It happened! I got a cold!

Mercury retrograde was officially over yesterday, but I (& this computer) are still feeling it today. I can't get into my mail and am having difficulty here.. but, yes, pics up and it seems to be slowly working (on & off)

Maybe the Universe knows that I really should be in bed sleeping!
ok, it finally hit me. I got a cold! no fair!!! ..Kaiya laughed at me "Ha, Ha you thought you were too healthy and wouldn't get it!! ..I knew I'd give it to you" teenagers! ..she's on her 2nd in a row and I think she was trying to give it to me. ..but I thought I could live through anything. Thats true. so the bad news is I got a cold.. the good news is it lasted about 1 1/2 days. : ) Although I have to admit it felt a little hardcore while it was here with me. I woke up in the morning with a sore throat, afternoon stuffed up.. evening dripping nose.. last night I even felt feverish and slept with lots of blankets piled on me, on & of.. got lots of sleep and I feel really good now.

Just got in from dinner with Jim & Kaiya.. he said I didn't look like I had a cold. I don't feel like it either. So, well, I got a cold even though I am raw.. but I did get rid of it quickly.

I do have to admit though that I did work at getting rid of it. Every couple hours I was doing something .. started off in the morning with oil of oregano drops, 3-5 drops under the tongue.. then water, wait 15 min and did it again.. I did that about 4 times before I got to work. Got in there and chopped up garlic. Ate a whole clove, chased it with water and then a spoon of honey. Got a couple people doing it at work with me.. its a remedy for the strong and brave (& those who can handle having garlic breath - it's worth it!) I love having company eating garlic - then I know at least someone will talk to me! lol I took Host Defense, ate healthy, of course! green smoothies, green juice.. and lots of water!
If you do get a cold drink lots & lots & lots of water - helps wash it away.

I feel almost back to normal (not quite superbeingish, but getting there) & one thing I noticed is that even though I felt kind of weak and sick yesterday, I was happy being sick.. watching it & feeling it in my body and passing.. and it was all good. I looked forward to coming and watching a movie (with spanish subtitles, although I was a little out of it and was only getting through part of the reading.. the lines were going by too fast.. I was on slow speed) but it was fun to just be part of it. So I know something good has clicked inside me.. I am happy just being, even if its being sick.. it really is all good.

& I know I am feeling better, I started off my dinner tonight with wheatgrass.. thats a good sign. I'm not sure if its from having worked at Toronto Sprouts and having drank so much of it (last year), sometimes 6-8 ozs a day!! but I have a harder time with it now than I used to , maybe I have just gotten out of the routine. But I know how good it is for you , have heard literally miracle stories about the stuff, so I usually do an ounce or two whenever I get a chance.
& then I had 1/2 a glass of wine, not much.. but I am soo sleepy.. and these crazy early mornings (which I love) but I am out of here so early & its so dark and the streetlights are on & it feels like the middle of the night.. then watching the sun rise by the time I get to work... it takes me almost an hour and half from here (L India) to Rawlicious in the west end.

So I am off to my wonderful fun-filled dreamland which I love so much. See you on the other side! *hugs, xo*

Thanks for Great Friends! ..Cute Pics of Us!

Chia seeds and Beautiful walks

Today was the most beautiful day ever! It was so sunny and warm.. Marie & I went out on an early morning 10 k walk through High Park down to the beach, wayyy out west in the boardwalk to a nature park area built out into the lake, speed walking and back, then shoes off, feet in the sand.. ahhh... mmmana! so Nice! Jacket off, tank top, so sunny and beautiful. Nature heaven, in my beautiful backyard!
(Mom just posted about my backyard also this week here ; )

I had been talking about taking off the 5 or so lbs I had put on last winter - it's not really that big a deal, but even that amount, not being at your ideal weight can make you feel not at your optimal best. I love the feel of a flat stomach, feeling your abs ..and lately I have been on it & feel like I am almost there, feeling the abs again.. and feeling the leg muscles, arms - it's a good, clear, optimal power feeling.

A lot of it is in the mind. Visualization. Seeing your body at it's optimal shape. Feeling like you already have that body. I went to the gym lots last week (such a good feeling), when you work out feel the muscles you are working on, really feel them and the workout will be more effective on those muscles. I got into eating more green! ..have been really conscious of my food choices. Eating the most nutritious foods.. consciously choose everything that you put in. High quality power fuel. & probably my biggest downfall, I stopped my late night eating habits, ..and my main new trick is not just to stop eating at night, but I am eating something with lots of chia seeds around 6 pm, that would totally fill me up so I really only wanted to drink water later. (which is really important if you get onto chia) These little seeds expand and absorb 10 x their weight in water. So you eat them and they expand and you feel really full. & they are so incredibly nutritious.. they have the best ratio of Omega 3, 6 & 9's .They are reported to be even better than flax for their oils and nutritional value - a real Superfood.

Chia seeds used to be a staple in the Aztec diet. The messengers and runners would carry a pouch of them with them and eat when they were doing long distance running. ..and eat them periodically to give them energy. There are stories of other warriors who went to battle and had a ration of chia seeds only which sustained them for long periods of time.
Now apparently what happened is that when the Spanish came over and took over in the 1500's, they made growing chia seeds against the law.. (I heard this was also the case with quinoa) they got everyone to plant their corn and wheat and banned chia, which hey thought was not important. ..and I heard that a few people kept the strains of chia alive and grew them up in the mountains, hidden.. and preserved them ..and it is only recently that they are being discovered as the superfood that they are.

& I have been hearing chia as the ultimate diet food. So I am going to experiment and look up and try out some chia recipes and am going to make them a big part of my diet for the next while.
After our walk Marie and I went to Sprouts and I picked up bottles of E3Live I had ordered from her, lots of sunflower sprouts ( my favorite!!) and even wheatgrass (Oh, I am so on it! - I set up my juicer at James, where I am going to be spending lots of time hanging out with Zoey, while he's in Panama) I even brought my dehydrater over. I'm rearranging his kitchen ; ) Hope that goes over ok! lol ..so, yeah Chia!!!

oh, 1 last thing - I got a newsletter from Matt Monarch's Raw Food World and it had a chia tapioca recipe in it. I deleted the newsletter but I just tried a version (it was very close to this) and it is delicious!!!

Chia Tapioca

1 1/2 c Almond Milk (blend 1/2 c almonds with 1 1/2 c water and then strain)
1/2 c Chia seeds
1/4 c Agave
dash of Cinnamon

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. He suggested to put in the fridge and eat in the morning..but I ate half of it right away, really incredibly delicious and filling. Matt said he added and stirred in some raisins and more cinnamon in the morning. I may try that..if it lasts that long. My new delicious breakfast-dessert. Thank you Matt!!!

pic of mural of Aztecs harvesting of Chia Seeds ~ Courtesy of Missouri State

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I am Thankful to be petting dogs and looking at pics of animals that are alive and celebrating their aliveness this Thanksgiving.

I am Thankful for the awareness that we do not need to eat animals to be healthy.. and the knowledge that it in no way helps the state of the planet or ourselves to kill and eat them.

I want to give thanks for all the animals on the planet.

Last night I watched a cat die.. it was really sad. He ran across the street and under the car ahead of us and I wont give details ..but I want to give thanks for cute kittens and cats to love.. and puppies and dogs, and those big licks I got on my face this afternoon and wagging tails.

I want to thank all the people who take care of pets and animals - they make our planet happy.

I want to thank my Mom for not buying the meat when she was asked, of Fluff and Star, mine & Barbs 2 cow friends who lived next door to our summer house ..we used to visit them often and sit on the fence petting them and feeding them apples and things. ..before they were killed for meat.
Mom's been a vegetarian for about 30 years.. she has always been a great inspiration. Thanks you Mom! (& thank you Barb for being my best lifelong friend)

Thank you Mom for caring so much about family ..and bringing everyone food and pumpkin pies today, even if they weren't raw. ; ) ((I know you would have been happy to make raw ones!!)) ..and taking care of people who couldn't get out.

Thank you Jim for being my loving partner for so long and still taking care of me and bringing me to the big Thanksgiving family dinner at Steve's! & for the lettuce and spinach to get me through tomorrow when the stores are all closed as I haven't had a chance to go shopping. ; )

Oh, last night was the big Raw potluck at Toronto Sprouts, 720 Bathurst.. and I raced home from Rawlicious to make a huge bowl of Olive Coconut Curry Pasta to take last night, & barely made it on time. More thanks to all the people who put so much into all the beautiful love-infused raw gourmet creations - which I don't have pics of cause Kaiya had my camera. But thats ok, I am so thankful for Kaiya, and Nicholas and Dylan and a camera..
and that I didn't drown in Panama.. and still get to experience all of the wonder and beauty and miracles that take place every second of every day. : )

Thank you universe for all of the miracles and wonder and beauty and the hot chocolate chia drink which is starting to get cold and yet still just as delicious and the inspiring book sitting beside me just waiting .. and thank you for all of the love radiating from everything around us always when we are clear enough to feel it.

Thank you for you and for being here on this journey with me! xo, Thank you!

The Power of Nothing and Huge Shopping Trips! Really, It's Nothing! )

It's late & I have been going like crazy.. what else? ..but this getting up at 6 am! wow. I love working early but if only I could get to bed early. Kaiya & I have been having some real bonding sessions.. tonight we took off last minute for a major fast paced shopping trip (Yonge St- Eatons Center) wow, we bought a lot really quickly! & we are so into working out.. but she keeps me up late ; ) ..she read me a story the other night before bed.. and now I am going to tell you one - This is an excerpt, an interesting thought (she has many) from Byron Katie's book - A Thousand Names for Joy.

"Mind is so powerful that it could take the imagined fist and beat it against a wall and actually believe that you are the person whose fist it is. Because mind in its ignorance is so quick to hold its imagined world together, it has created time and space and everything in it. Mind's ability to create is a beautiful thing, unless, as the terrorist that it often is, it has created a word that's frightening or unkind. If it has, I would suggest questioning the nightmare. It doesn't matter where mind begins to question itself. "'It's a tree' - is that true?" Or " 'I am' - is that true?" The world that mind has created can just as easily be de-created. It goes back to where it came from anyway. Your attachment to it is the only suffering.
Mind can't comprehend "nothing," the absolute, that from which everything flows, the original non-world. To name it "nothing" makes it untrue. It's not "nothing," because it's prior to words. "Nothing" is not only frightening to the world of mirrored thought - it's in comprehensible. Mind becomes frightened when it considers being what it was born from, since that can never be controlled or known. Without identification as a body, mind is left to die, and death never comes for it. What never lived can never die.
Eventually, mind discovers that it's free, that it's indefinitely out of control and infinitely joyful. Eventually, it falls in love with the unknown. In that it can rest. And since it no longer believes what it thinks, it remains always peaceful, wherever it is or isn't."