At the start of spring, I decided to spring clean my refrigerator. My refrigerator overflowed with winter vegetables, which I decided to jazz them up with some spring-time energy. Light, refreshing and airy, kale is one of the "miracle vegetables" that provides numerous health benefits. 

Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, and it is recommended that we eat at least 3/4 cup of these daily. One cup of uncooked kale provides 2 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and 7 grams of carbohydrates. Plus, raw kale has some cholesterol-lowering abilities (not as much as cooked kale) but raw vegetables in general benefit heart and colon health. 

Kale is a vegetable that gets an A+ in anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant nutrients. The most important quality is that we ingest raw vegetables to avoid "oxidative stress."

Chronic inflammation on our system, caused by stress, poor nutrition or disease, can wreck havoc on our bodies, leading to oxidative stress. Anti-inflammatory nutrients combat oxidative stress. 

Plants are amazing because they receive and transmute the light and breathe out oxygen. Humans, plants and nature are interconnected in ways that we don't even think about. I hope this bit of knowledge about kale sheds light on the deeper significance for raw salads. Enjoy!

Crunchy Kale-Swisschard Salad Topped with a Lemon Vinaigrette 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
2 rainbow chard leaves, washed and finely chopped
4 cups kale, chopped
1 large carrot, grated
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup almonds (used silvered)
1/3 cup raisins
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1/4 cup grape seed oil
1/4 cup + 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp maple syrup
2.5 tbsp lemon juice
2 pinches of salt (one for dressing,  the other for the salad)

Directions:
Begin by mixing the dressing ingredients into a small bowl. Set aside once done. 

Wash and prep the vegetables. Place some grape seed oil on your hands and massage the kale and chard leaves in a separate bowl. Mix in the remaining salad ingredients and then mix in the dressing. Add the pinch of salt and serve! 

I find this tastes best once the salad sits for a bit to soften the leaves. 

The daffodils are in bloom and the color of yellow is found throughout the season. From the sun's rays to the distinct color of yellow, my soul has evolved from winter hibernation into the realms of rebirth. If you've followed me, you know I believe in the power of nature.

Living in Germany ignited my sense of appreciation for history, heritage and continual soul evolvement. I got even more in touch with nature than I have ever imagined. I always enjoyed the beauty of nature, but when you absorb the lessons and the powerful energy, you become your own shield madden, a wise and victorious spirit who can conquer the dark from within.  

And in this time of gaining light, the inner-rebirth sheds it's old skin, and there is only room for more light. We are all cracked. And those cracks help the light come in. I have been spending time in nature, solo, which is where I do most of my deep thinking. Right now I am in-tune with the forest. 

Normally, I am a fun-in-the-sun beach gal, but Mother Earth is calling me to the forest. And while I spend my time in forest-like and garden-rich areas in Seattle, my attention has been brought to the daffodils. 

Their stems so strong, amidst their fragile frame, I noticed how much the stems look like green onions.
From an artistic perspective, the two are so similar in how the top of the stem is a dark green, and nearer to the root the stem lightens toward white. 
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Anytime I think of green onions, I reminisce on my backpacking days throughout Asia. One of my most memorable, and spiritual, journeys included trekking throughout the fields and mountains in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

We slept in poor villages where they cooked us pad thai and wrapped served it inside of a banana leaf. 

Along with the daffodils, I have come to appreciate these gigantic leaves in Seattle. I do not know the name of this bush, but the leaves, so big, they look as if they can become a shelter for a lost bunny who doesn't want to get wet from all of the rain. 

I am not sure where the forest will lead me, but regardless of the outcome, nature is the wisest teacher. Ironically, a song I once loved came into my life. Carbon Based Lifeforms, "Photosynthesis," which it's one line lyrics state, "What about the forests?" The creators are Swedish - could anyone be more rooted to the forest than the Scandinavians? 

And photosynthesis is what we need more of now than ever. Breathe in the light. Breathe out the dark. Shed that skin and do not be afraid. When you trust in the universe - no matter what lessons come your way - you evolve not only into a wiser person, but know that the universe will have your back - no matter what. Nothing in life is easy. Once you understand this, you can embrace life's challenges. There is always an outcome, or a rainbow waiting on the other side of the bridge. 

For this recipe, you can cook this with or without tofu. I baked my tofu with a corn starch coating to make it crispy. However, it is not required. Tofu is excellent for the extra-protein, and the meal tastes excellent either way. I prefer it plant-based though. 

Cold Vegetable Sesame Soba Noodle Salad
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:
1 8.15-oz. package of soba noodles (or more)
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup kale, finely chopped
1 yellow pepper, finely sliced
Optional: 1 block of pressed tofu, baked

Sesame Dressing Ingredients:
2 green onion stems, chopped
3 small garlic cloves, diced
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
1/4 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp cane sugar
Pinch of salt, paprika and ground ginger 

Directions: 
Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions. Meanwhile, begin the sesame dressing. Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and let it sit while you prep the vegetables. Place a bit of oil on your hands and gently massage the kale between your fingers. When complete, mix the veggies in a separate large bowl. 

Once the noodles are done, rinse in cold water. Once cooled, mix the noodles and dressing with the vegetables. Serve cool.

If you want the tofu, press the tofu as directed in this link. Next, mix cornstarch and a bit of water together until you make a paste. Cut the tofu in cubes and rub the cornstarch on top. Bake at 350-degrees for 10 minutes. Flip the tofu and bake for another 10 minutes or until crispy. Alternatively, you can use this recipe. 

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In my previous blog, Vegan Sugar Cookie Bunnies Topped with Homemade Frosting and Vegan Lemon Cake Topped with Coconut Cream Frosting I discuss how colors affect people. Color therapy is something that nature blossoms naturally. The beautiful array of pink and yellow naturally inspire the energy of spring, Easter and rebirth. 

The colors of spring, Easter and artificially-colored peeps inspired this recipe. As a child I loved peeps. I don't eat them but I adore their symbology. The small marshmallow bunny and chicks are so cute. 

Sadly, they contain artificial coloring and ingredients that do not fuel the human spirit. I am in the midst of playing around with naturally-dyed frosting. 

Color has meaning. Spring represents pastel colors, which symbolizes feminine, delicate and springtime energy. It's no secret that humans have naturally connected light colors to these representations because nature blossoms various hues of pink and yellow. 

Everything in life is energy. Flowers have patterns that exude a certain type of beauty and energy. Ancient cultures and deities are linked to specific trees, flowers or animals. 

Camellias represent admiration, perfection, good luck and gift to man. The yellow forsythia is one of the first flowers that bloom in spring. This flower symbolizes anticipation, which roots to the yearning we have with the sun and the summer season. By this time of year we are eager for longer days and warmer weather to warm our souls.  And there is no other color that can represent the sun like yellow. 
​

The more in-tune I get with nature, the more I am inclined to consume all-natural sweet treats. ​Lemons represent purification and although sweet, let's purify our souls through this time of rebirth. Small and tiny like peeps, I hope you enjoy the light and airy color and flavor of this recipe. 

And for Easter, I bring you this sweet, guilt-free treat. Be sure to check out my thoughts about Easter with this week's Sunspiration. 

And with my love for quotes, I end this blog with a quote inspired by the camellias. 

Vegan & Gluten Free Mini Lemon Cupcakes Topped with Strawberry Coconut Cream
​Prep time: 7 minutes
​CookTime: 14 minutes
Makes
10-11 mini cup cakes

Ingredients:
1 flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water)
1/2 cup gluten free flour (or regular pastry flour)
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp vanilla
3.5 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp lemon zest (up to 1 tbsp for a stronger lemon flavor)
1/4 cup nondairy milk (unsweetened almond milk)
2.5 tbsp agave nectar
1 recipe for strawberry coconut whip

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place dry ingredients into a bowl and mix. Place wet ingredients +lemon zest  into a separate bowl and mix. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Spray a mini muffin pan and pour the batter evenly into the pan. Bake the muffins for approximately 14 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out dry from the center of the muffin. 

While baking, prepare the coconut whip. Frost the cupcakes once cool. 

What's your favorite spring recipe? You can save all MBSF recipes to your Yummly inbox! 

​Let's Connect!

The magnolias are in bloom and what a beautiful site it is from the trees to the grass. Yards covered in "petal droppings," the cherry blossoms, camellias and magnolias trail a pink carpet alongside the driveways and sidewalks. 

Spring flowers are the representation of my soul. Constantly, evolving, changing and rebirthing, we humans must be flexible to change within ourselves. 

And this season that change results in me having a deeper appreciation for Easter. 

In my recent post, Vegan Lemon Cake Topped with Coconut Cream Frosting, I wrote about the pagan background of Easter and where the name comes from, Eostre, the Germanic / Teutonic / Saxon  Goddess. In every picture of her, she has a rabbit and colored eggs. The rabbits were sacred to Eostre and were her messengers.  

Now there is debate on whether this is the truth or just a modern idealization of her. Many pagans denounce the Christian meaning of this holiday, but either way, the rabbit is sacred in many ancient cultures. 

The ancient Celts believed hares burrowed underground to carry messages from the living to the deceased. The celtic warrior queen, Boudicca, released a hare before battle as a good omen.

In Southeastern Native American tribes, like the Cherokees, believed the rabbit Jistu stole fire and brought this sacred knowledge to the people.   

Many people do not realize that French Christian monks were the first culture to domesticate rabbits in the 6th Century (500-1000 BC). 

Eostre's beauty is captivating and represents the divine feminine. It's natural and normal, when connected to nature, to place a flower behind the ear or want to wear frilly dresses and frolic through an ancient forest. 

The closest I can get to this in modern day living is via cooking. 

After many walks in the Queen Anne neighborhood, I noticed the magnolia flowers look like bunny ears. In fact, the outer layer of the flower looks like the back of a bunny's ear. Pretty in pink, this not only inspired my culinary creativity for spring, but also for Easter. 

The best part of this recipe is that the colored frosting is all natural. I used fresh beet and carrot juice to dye the frosting. I tried something like a NAKED fruit juice and it did not work out. I then juiced a carrot and beet (bottled is okay as long as its 100%), which worked perfectly. 

I purchased two sizes of an egg cookie cutter. You can bake this together so that the bunny has feet, or omit to use as smaller eggs. You can use toppings or gel to decorate a bunny's face. 

​Happy Easter!

Vegan Sugar Cookie Bunnies Topped with Homemade Frosting
Total Time: 30-40 minutes

Equipment: 
1 small + 1 large egg cookie cutter

Ingredients:
Your favorite sugar cooke recipe like this one
1 stick of earth balance butter, at room temperature
2 cups powder sugar
Beet juice
Carrot Juice

Directions:
Follow the directions of the sugar cookie recipe. You'll need to roll out the dough and then use the cookie cutter to cut out the egg. From here, it's best to freeze the cut outs so the cookies do not spread. 

While baking, make the frosting. With a  mixer or egg beater, cream the butter and gradually add 1/4 cup at a time of powder sugar together. Remove a portion of the frosting into two separate bowls. 

Gradually, add the juice one teaspoon at a time until your desired color. Frost the cookies once they are completely cool. 

Add decorations to the front or use some of the white frosting to indicate a bunnies tail. 

Check out my 5-ingredient Cashew Cherry Energy Bites - also inspired by the magnolias. 

Hello Friends, 

Happy spring and Happy Easter week. Nature inspired me to dedicate my culinary creations to the energies of spring, flowers and the roots of Easter. 

Over the last year, I have spent much time in nature. I sit. I think. I become a part of the earth. This time spent has changed my life and my outlook on life. 

Most of the time we want to see the sunny side of nature, the beauty, the flowers, everything so pretty. We forget that nature has a dark side. A dark side that also makes us confront our inner demons. The more you expose that part of your inner world, the more you grow and change. 

My body is so linked to nature that my soul yearned for a rebirth. And why much of it has rebirthed, specifically the last few years because of living in Germany. 

Rediscovering your roots and heritage changes the way you see the world. And when this happens, you want to preserve or celebrate your ancestral lineage. I feel the same way with antique dish ware. I picked up some antique plates and bowls at an estate sale recently, which inspired my gravy boat to be my new flower vase. 

Summer used to be my favorite season, but now it is spring. It's the season of rebirth. Everything is so beautiful and my energy within is ignited. 

Whenever I think of Easter, I think of pink and yellow. Maybe it's because of peeps, but when in nature, pink and yellow flowers are the dominate colors at this time of year. It's quit amazing the artistry of nature. 

The color yellow signifies joy, happiness and energy. It represents sunshine and the warming effect inspires our mental and physical energy. 

Pink is a sweet, romantic color. It signifies feminine energy and is playful, cute and nice. It also represents inner peace, harmony, affection and friendship. 

Knowing this, it is clear to see why pink and yellow are the dominate colors in spring. Everything is so cute from the birth of the flowers to spring chickens and ducks running around the town. 

Easter is known for its Christian connection, but prior to the spread of Christianity, most cultures celebrated Easter through pagan rituals. The Goddess of Easter, "Ostara," roots to Germanic tribes and represents the beginning of spring. The Goddess is accompanied by a baby chicken and bunny to symbolize fertility and colored eggs to represent the color of the sun. 

Today, her name lives on as Easter and surprisingly, "oestragen," which sounds alot like the female hormone, estrogen.

Other cultures have goddesses that represent spring like the Norse Goddess Freya, and Greek Goddess Aphrodite. Every culture was rooted to the earth in some ways.

Our pagan Anglo-Saxon ancestors celebrated the Vernal Equinox by placing painted eggs at grave sites. They also created hot cross buns to celebrate the solar crosses, four seasons and Goddess Brigid. Later the 12th Century Christian monks in England created the 'hot cross bun' which 15th Century Queen Elizabeth I found these buns to be so sacred that she forbid them to be eaten any other day than Good Friday. 

The Saxons gave us the name Easter via Eostre from Goddess Oestre, The Goddess of Easter. 

I feel we are losing this sacred knowledge. Spirituality is on the brink of something that I can't quit put my tongue on yet. Because of re-learning history, it changed the way I think about things. 

I am more thankful for these holidays now than ever before. I believe that nature is our guide and the more we learn and celebrate nature, the more we are connected to the rhythm of life. 

Nature is in bloom and so should our souls. The crows are building their nests. The eagles soar high above my apartment. And the tulips are budding. 

This week I am celebrating Easter via the energies of nature. I present to you this dairy-free lemon cake with coconut cream frosting. It's light. It's airy. It's sweet. It's the sweet part of life that we should enjoy without diving into a comatose state. Enjoy & Happy Easter to those who celebrate it. 

Vegan Lemon Cake Topped with Coconut Cream Frosting
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 27-30 minutes
Equipment: 6 inch round spring foam pan

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
________________
1 lemon zested
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 lemon juiced + 1 tbsp
1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup almond milk 
_________________
1 can of coconut milk refrigerated overnight
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp powder sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Place the first four dry ingredients into a bowl and mix. Place the second batch of ingredients (wet) into a separate bowl. Place the wet into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. 

Grease the pan and pour in the batter. Cook for 27 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean from poking the center of the cake.

While baking, prepare the frosting. Gently open the can and scoop out the solidified cream. Place it into a bowl and mix with the other ingredients, gradually adding the powder sugar. I used an egg beater but you can also use a whisk. 

Let the cake cool completely before frosting. Enjoy!

What's your favorite Easter dessert or treat? Come back this week to find more "all-natural" desserts inspired by nature. Click the Yummly button to save all MBSF recipes to your recipe box!

In my previous The Art of Simple Living Blog, I share thoughts on how societal changes contribute to life’s complexities. Simple living is not a new concept, but rooted to historical and religious figures like St. Paul, Jesus, Gandhi and Mother Theresa. Simple living is even expressed through the writings of Thoreau.

“Our life is fritted away by detail. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify,” said Henry David Thoreau.

Another Thoreau favorite is, “I make myself rich by making my wants few.”
 
The teachings of traditional yoga preach the notion of simple living. My yoga guru in India spoke about how our minds are much more clear when we are free of clutter, internally and externally. Not only does this speak about the clutter in our homes, but also our inside clutter. When we abuse our systems with food, alcohol and substances, one’s vessel is not well maintained. It is difficult to think and focus clearly when our minds and body are clogged. 

I don’t really know in what direction humanity is heading, but I believe we are hitting a peak. If a person can hit rock bottom, and ascend from their situation, the opposite is exactly true. 

Even a mountain has its peak. And on the opposite side of the peak is a trail that leads down the mountain. Humanity has hit a peak in terms of wealth, population, sophistication and boredom. 
 
We no longer enjoy the simple pleasures in life, but strive to be entertained 24-7. How many of us “watch” a movie on our laptops while playing on our phones? 

Humans are distracted and cannot focus on one thing. It seems impossible, but remember anything is possible.  When things turn south, individually or collectively, how many of us are emotionally, mentally and spiritually stable enough to push through hard times?

Simple living means that you have a clear understanding of who you are and your life’s purpose.  Those who know this, live life holistically rather than trying to be someone they’re not. 
 
Simple living is intentional. An intention means “on-purpose.” Whether it’s through a yoga class, developing your career or trying to eat more mindfully, intentions are commitments. Most who live simply, are more aware of how they use the world’s resources. 
 
Simple living paints a broader picture on how you want to spend your time and live your life. Most people realize there is more to life than work and material goods. Your happiness doesn’t thrive on what you own, but with what you do in your life. The fundamentals of yoga teach us that. 
 
Simple living is creational. Since we are aware of how we live our lives, most people care more about the wellbeing of our future generations and the care to our land and environment. 
 
Simple living is abundant and appreciates the small things in life. This is where God’s work comes to life. Instead of being impressed by a brand new white BMW, we “see” life through a wiser lens. We appreciate how a bee pollinates flowers or the sounds of beautiful music. You see that life and the planet is abundant rather than seeing life through the “poverty” lens of mindless materialism. 
 
Simple living is harmonious. Like the connection to the mind, body and soul, simple living connects our minds, bodies and environment. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about eliminating as much stress as possible because life is already stressful. When we live simply, we eat simply and we transform to “being” simple. 
 
Simple living distinguishes the differences between wants and needs. We need a home, but we want a mansion. Detaching from certain life expectations, like materialism to bring us happiness, can give us the freedom and the real life that many of us are searching for.