Eco Printing Workshop

Learning the art of eco printing is better when it’s hands on. I learned at the Fiber Arts festival in Espanola from Chandra Rice. We printed on watercolor paper, cotton and silk. The results from the rust from the iron and tannins are magical. It is interesting experimenting with different leaves and flowers because the results are always different it is not a consistent printing method. Every time is like Christmas morning! The weather and time of year or the front or back to the leaves contribute to the variance in colors. Leaves yield more tannins as they age. Harvesting leaves gives you a chance to connect with nature and starting with a clear mind helps with creativity and intuition.  Vinegar, tin foil, twine and white cotton is the only cost for me, plus I use old sheet’s so it’s an inexpensive hobby. I would like to share this art with others! I will be hosting a 4 hour workshop August 21 and 22 at 1294 Panache Rd at Manidoo Bineshii Dreams indigenous food sovereignty and art’s space in Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. I will show you how to print on cotton and see the magic happen. We will also experiment with local flowers and see the outcome.

Contact me at livelycravings@gmail.com spots are limited and I will supply everything. Feel free to bring your own rubber gloves, apron and leaves from your own yard.

Hope to see you there!

Healing Carrot Turmeric Gummies

Delicious with so many health benefits to these gummies and I love how easy they are to eat and make. Turmeric has powerful medicinal properties, it enhances athletic performance and reliefs soreness after exercise with it’s anti-inflammatory effects. Also boosts immune function with it’s antioxidants. Gelatin also has many health benefits like it improves digestion, joint and bone pain, increases brain function and helps reduce the signs of aging. I love experimenting with gummies because you can use any fruit or vegetable. My rule is 1 tbsp of gelatin per 1/4 cup liquid or puree. I wish I knew this recipe when my kids where babies. 

Healing Carrot Turmeric Gummies

1 large carrot or 2 medium or 3 small one’s peeled and chopped

1 apple cored

1 orange peeled

1 lemon squeezed

1/2 inch of fresh turmeric

1/2 inch of fresh ginger

1 or 2 tbsp of honey or maple syrup

8 tbsp Gelatin

In blender puree carrots, apple, orange, lemon juice, turmeric and ginger. Should measure to 2 cups. Heat in a pot for a minute and add honey and gelatin stirring inbetween Tbsp’s. Boil for 3 minutes and pour into silicone moulds. Place in freezer or fridge for 30 minutes and pop out of moulds and store in the fridge for a week.

Make these gummies your own with your favorite ingredients and it’s like having snackable smoothie to go. Silicone muffin moulds from Ikea are a very handy tool. I use them for making peanut butter cups and many other recipes.
Rachelle Rocha is my friend and also my pharmacist. She inspires me to keep cooking and sharing my recipes. We share the dream to help others eat healthier and believe food is medicine. You can meet her too at her store or social media @seasonspharmacyandculinary  https://seasonspharmacy.com

Hope you health and happiness!!!

Stoke the fire of creativity

It’s the soul that makes the artist, that burning desire to create. We must listen to the soul and it’s natural creative impulses but so often as children were told it’s not very good and we are temporarily lost. It disrupts are free flow and creates negative complexes. Others who aren’t fulfilled in there creative life sometime kill the creative life of others. Sometimes we have blocked creativity because we don’t realize that creativity comes in cycles waning and waxing. In the past we were waning and have created negative complexes and we need to clear them and heal them. Cycles of creativity is a natural way for new growth.
Creativity is learning and food for our spirit, it’s not about success or failure. It’s the process itself not the product. I have made a lot of ugly or bad things and awesome things. It’s the learning of what to do and not to do. We have different levels of urges of creativity and sometimes we have to withstand the flood of ideas and information. We need discipline to take the opportunities when we our rising and have the discipline when we are falling. Sometimes your vision in your mind of what to create doesn’t turn out the way you thought but you should still be filled with a sense of happiness. Being productive can open up a door or window of a whole new way of looking at things. Follow the process and worry less of the end result.         

Have experiences, take a risk in what you believe in!

Follow the powerful wild natural flow to excrete creativity on a regular basis, otherwise it turns into toxic poison in you. Doesn’t matter what it is you do but you must do it! Ex. Christmas decorating, blogging, cooking, designing, taking pictures, mod Podge, snowboarding and playing with dog. Backed up creativity hurts and pollutes you and causes you to become rigid and tired. You will look lifeless and it depletes passion.Take the time to be quite, finding solitude with oneness and listen to your creative spirit.                                                    Stoke the fire of creativity!

Active imagination bridges a line of communication between consciousness and the unconscious. Turning unconscious contents through some form of self-expression. Something goes on between creator and creation that contributes to a transformation of consciousness.              

I got my inspiration for this post from a book called The Creative fire by Clarissa Pinklola Este.

I have included pictures of some recent projects. I am proud of all of them because I listened to my soul! 

My daughter Lillian really likes painting so we made salt dough ornament to paint and we had fun with the whole project. In case you want to make too, here is the recipe.

Salt dough
3 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
1 1/2 cups of warm water
Mix together and kneed a few times, chill if you want or start with half the dough. Roll out dough cut with cookie cutters or mould into whatever and bake at 275° for one hour.

Thank you for reading to the bottom ❤️ I hope you are fulfilled with your creative life!

I will be at https://seasonspharmacy.com/Season’s Pharmacy and Culinary tomorrow making Butternut squash soup. http://livelycravings.com/2015/10/07/butternut-squash-soup/ Raising money for the bluedoor kitchen. Call for reservations. Also my sauna mats are for sale there, check them out!

Beaver Lake Spiritual Center is a great place to help you get in touch with yourself.

My table runners and nature banners are for sale at the https://www.thenaturenook.ca/

Peach Gummies

Gummies are the perfect summer treat and since I’m doing peach everything gummies came to mind and I just happens to have fresh picked blueberries, blackberries and raspberries in the fridge. Since I’m not working I have time to go berry picking with my kids. Around Valentine’s Day we made lots of strawberry hearts and shared them at school. This year will be different due to Covid. Frozen fruit just thaw a few minutes and use. My son Judd wants to try lime bubbly with lime juice. Worth a try! Have fun finding your favorite flavor!!!

Peach Gummies

1 cup pureed peaches

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp maple syrup, honey or other sweetener

4 Tbsp Gelatin or Agar

Optional – pressed ginger juice and cardamom

In blender puree peaches, lemon juice and maple syrup. Should measure to over 1 cup. Heat in a pot for a minute and add gelatin. Boil for 3 minutes and pour into moulds. Push berries down for no air bubbles, if using. Place in freezer for 30 minutes and pop out of moulds and store in the fridge for a week.

I buy my gelatin at Season’s Pharmacy and now is a great time to go because of all the local produce!!
A blend of green tea with fruit is a beautiful pairing. Agar is a vegan substitute. Using garlic press, peel and cut ginger into small pieces and press out juice.


Health to all!!!

Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Maple season was good this year! Maple syrup is my favorite sugar substitute! These cookies have just the right sweetness and a burst of flavor with dates and pecans. I tried different spices like cinnamon and cardamom. Ahh I love cardamom! When I crave it I mix it with a bowl of warm blueberries for a snack.

These cookies are egg free and I use amazing local flour from Seasons Pharmacy. 

I gained five pounds tweeking this recipe so it’s time for me to get more active and eat more salad. I like to create a recipe with an easy to remember strategy and less dishes to wash. 


Maple Oatmeal Cookies

1/4 cup Butter

1/4 cup Coconut oil

Less a 1/4 cup Coconut Sugar

Less a  1/4 cup Maple Syrup

1 tsp Vanilla

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

Spices optional

Spoonful of Shredded Coconut

3/4 cup of Organic Flour (see note)

3/4 cup Quick Oats

1/2 cup Dates chopped small

1/2 cup Pecans chopped


Blend together butter, coconut oil, maple syrup and coconut sugar. Blend in vanilla, salt and baking soda and coconut (if using). Add the remaining ingredients and blend until combined. Preheat oven to 360°. Parchment paper has been sold out lately due to Covid, so I have been getting a lot of use of the reusable cooking mats. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and press down to flatten. Bake for around 10 minutes, until edges start to brown. Leave on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and move to cooling rack. Cool completely so that they don’t fall apart.

Makes 16 cookies if you don’t eat the dough. Double recipe for a crowd.

Continue reading

Sweet Dip

When I roast my sweet potatoes for my Sweet Veg Crackers, I roast extra so I can make this easy sweet dip. All you gotta do is look in the fridge or cupboard and see how you can spice it up. I love it with fresh garlic and loading it up with herb’s and spices.

Sweet potatoes roasted and mashed or pureed

Garlic fresh or dried

Fresh herbs ( my favorite is parsley )

Spices

Maple Water Gellow with Fruit

Gelatin is good for joints, gut, hair, nails, skin, sleep and brain function! I have mild osteoarthritis in my knees and I snowboard a lot so I need to keep my knees in good shape.
Maple water Gellow goes with any fruit you want. I used diced pears and blueberries. The nice thing about Gellow is that you can experiment with so many juice flavours and fruit! Have fun following your cravings!
Maple water Gellow with fruit
1 Tbsp Gelatin
1/4 cup Maple Syrup or less
1 3/4 cups Maple Water
1 cup of fruit
Shredded Coconut optional
Coconut Whip cream optional
In a pot bring half the maple water and syrup to a boil. Pour hot maple water in the 8×6 pan and sprinkle gelatin over and whisk 2 minutes. Pour in the rest of maple water. Add your choice of fruit and bang on counter to release bubbles. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve in bowl’s and add shredded coconut or coconut whip cream. Enjoy!

Grocery store gelatin has less health benefits, I get mine from the health food store.

Vegan substation for gelatin is Agar
For some fun pour on parchment lined baking sheet and use cookie cutters to shape.
Silicone molds is a good option too.Fruit Gellow kabobs the sky’s the limit!
Expired gelatin can be used as a hair treatment.

I hope you get outside this winter and have some fun!

Raw Beets with Hummus

I forgot that not all people know this amazing snack. My sister showed me this a long time ago and I showed my friends and we all love it. I buy my beets and carrots from Seasons Pharmacy and they come locally from Three Forks Farm.  They provide the best organically raised foods that are healthy, nutritious and safe. http://www.threeforksfarms.com

My friends Rachelle and Laurie opened Seasons Pharmacy on Lorne St in Sudbury. It’s so cool because it’s a pharmacy that sells locally farmed produce, world flavours and a variety of kitchen supplies. The best part is the kitchen where delicious soup and sourdough bread are made daily. Their belief is that food choices impact our health so much and they are there to inspire and support your health goals. That makes me so happy! Thanks Rachelle and Laurie for helping make this world a better place! http://www.seasonspharmacy.com

My recipe today is not really a recipe it’s an idea. Making hummus is super simple but even more simple is just buy some. A healthy option to bring along to a party or enjoy anytime.

I use a mandalin to slice thin but a knife works good too.

Just scrub

Have a wonderful holiday and indulge with healthy food!

Peace and Love✌️♥️

No Worries Energy Food

It’s been an awesome winter for me! Happy living each day to the fullest. I have been snowboarding with my family at Boogie Mountain in Espanola. Having a season’s pass is great because we can go anytime for a short time.

One year ago my sister in law Lisa opened a gym The Lively Athletic Center. I bought a year membership even though I’m not a typical gym goer, I really got my money’s worth with the wonderful classes. Everyday something to choose. My favourite is yoga and Pilate’s. It makes me feel like a stronger and aligned person, which makes life a lot easier. I’m always training to keep up with my kids snowboarding.
Lisa asked me if I had a recipe I could share with the gym for their one year anniversary. I said “No worries Lisa I got an idea”. Make a ball, bar, oval you can shape this food in any shape you want.
This recipe is so versatile and easy that literally you will have no worries. I shared with a friend on the weekend and she said it would be even better with cranberries. Go for it make it your own!!!
No worries energy food
3/4 cup water or coffee
10 pitted dates
2 oz Chocolate whatever kind you have kicking around.
Salt
2 cups roasted nuts or seeds ( mix it up or my favourite almonds)
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup quick oatmeal ( roasted optional)
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips optional
1/4 cup what gives you happiness
Roast nuts and seeds if not already roasted at 350 for 5-10 min. Roast oatmeal for flavour if you like. Heat dates and water in a large pot, mush the dates until the mixture comes to a paste. Melt in chocolate and salt. Pulse nuts in blender or chop on cutting board. Pour almost all into the pot, judge the texture. Still wet pour the rest in and add more oatmeal until you get the right consistency. Spoon, press or shape onto a hard surface and put in the freezer until firm and package in to go containers and store in fridge or freezer.

Exercise and enjoy life.

Check out www.livelyathleticcentre.ca