Sundaze Cooking Adventures

So it was Sunday yesterday and it was time to cook and uncook .

The menu ended up with all sorts of wonderful vegetables steamed, some nut burgers (taken from “The Thrive Diet” book – Brenden Brazier) and a few other additions.  Nutritious Red Quinoa, some cilantro/sunflower seed /guacamole, & cilantro pesto.

I will start making some dressings for my clients next week.  Maybe it will help the salad not seem so boring.  My first dressing is an Orange Pepita Dressing also taken from the “Thrive Diet” Book.  More on that later this week.

MENTAL NOTE: One of my clients had a really good idea in regards to Ball Jars for the food and a cloth bag for the salad.  I will look into it.  Great Feedback on that note.  I don’t know why I hadn’t ever thought of it.  The fabric salad bag and they can have it all at once.  No more little baggies.

So the first nut meat “burgers” I made were:

Walnut Hemp Burger Balls

These were pretty interesting.  For these I used coconut oil.  Each “burger” recipe allowed me to use one of the options there is to use.  There was even a recipe that used both coconut oil and flax/hemp or olive oil.  That was the Almond Flax which is pictured below.

Almond Flax Burger Balls

The dark color comes from the Basalmic Vinegar used in the mix.  These seemed pretty sticky and held their shape much better than the walnut hemp recipe.  I am wondering if that is because of the oil content in walnuts, only to add more oil with the coconut oil.  I will try it another way next time.

The last of the nut meat balls were:

Pecan Sunflower Nut Burger Balls

These were all pretty interesting to make. The almond/flax and the Pecan/Sunflower seemed to hold together the best.  I used Hemp oil in the Pecan/Sunflower and the almond flax.  They were actually quite fragrant.

I steamed beets, cauliflower, red bell and yellow bell peppers, spinach, yellow squash, carrots and broccoli.  The beets were so beautiful I just had to take a picture of them.  I placed the beets over the cauliflower when I was steaming them and the cauliflower turned a wonderful bright fushia!

Beautiful Beets

I will update some more pictures for you tomorrow.  I will have cilantro pesto for dinner this evening.  I also have zucchini with garlic, rice vinegar and cilantro marinating.  I think I will make some more falaffel, but I have sunflowers soaking and I will try the “Raw Re-Fried Bean” version of a recipe. May be I will take that for lunch tomorrow.  We had salad, red quinoa, avocado and Goddess Dressing for lunch today.  Nice and Healthy.  I feel good.

We brought lunch to the shop today.  My mind is in such a different place when we are eating raw.  I also know that the energy level is different during preparation.  I felt so positive in working with the raw food yesterday.  I made some wonderful red quinoa as well.  I think the red tasted better than the usual kind you would see in the store.

I will also try my hand at some Raw Truffles this week.

Learning & Experiencing The Essence of MAYA

Maya

māyā [Source: from the Monier Williams Sanskrit Dictionary]
. art, wisdom, extraordinary or supernatural power (only in the earlier language)
. illusion, unreality, deception, fraud, trick, sorcery, witchcraft magic
. an unreal or illusory image, phantom, apparition
. duplicity (with Buddhists one of the 24 minor evil passions).
. one of the 4 Pāśas or snares which entangle the soul
. one of the 9 Śaktis or energies of Vishṇu

Meditation is Imperative to Success

Whenever anything becomes difficult in life I must remember that is is all an illusion.  The only truth is love.  And the only love in this world id GOD.  There is the duality in each and every space of this life I lead, the sky, even in space there is duality.  The sun and the moon.  All of the changing seasons on earth.  Life and Death.  It is everywhere.  The balance of my Yoga practice and the balance of my business is the most challenging thing in my life.

As gold smelted by fire gives up its dross and gets back its real state , so the mind by means of a systematic devotion to Me winnows off it desire for work and attains to Me.

I found this recently and it really helped.  Focus on God and I cannot go wrong.  Stay dedicated to my practice and I cannot go wrong.  I have found that the interest and fundamental foundations of Yoga are essential to the success of your life and soul.  In the here and now.  In the spiritual realm as well.

I read a book called the Heart and Soul of Yoga.  The book was a real guide to add the foundations of Yoga into your life.  The best thing I can tell is that I carry the spiritualism in Yoga and the thought patterns adn then they are gone.  Usually when my practice is suffering.

He should sit firm, holding his body, neck and head erect and still, and gaze steadily at the tip of his nose without looking around.

One should purify the passage of Prana (breath) by means of inhalation, retention, and exhalation practice slowly in the inverse order, with the senses under control.

Raising the syllable OM to the heart by means of Pranayama (breath-control), one should add to it the vowel. The OM is like the continuous peal of a bell, and extending in a thin line like a thread in a lotus stalk.

Thus One should practice the Pranayama coupled with OM, ten times, thrice daily; Then within a month one will control Prana.

If the yogi, being deluded, makes mistake in life, he should burn away his/her sins and impurities by prayer and meditation. This yoga of prayer and meditation is the only way of atonement.

Serene and fearless, steadfast in Brahmachari vow (practising continence), and ever thinking on Me , he should sit in yoga, regarding Me as the supreme goal.

For him, who is temperate in food and recreation, temperate in his exertion at work, temperate in sleep and waking, yoga puts an end to all sorrows.

This yoga should be practised with perseverance, undisturbed by depression of heart.

A yogi, striving diligently, is purified of all sins, and becoming perfect through many births, reaches the supreme Goal.

Supreme Bliss comes to the yogi whose mind is completely tranquil and whose passions are quieted, who is free from strain and who has identified himself with Brahman.

Among all the yogis, he who, full of faith, with his inner-self merged in Me , worship is most devout to Me .

All next week I will be eating from a Raw food diet and I will see how that changes my energy level.  I will be making a list of things I will need to do and then I will update at the end of the week to see if there was a change in my energy levels, etc.

Live Burger Patties:

Almond Flax Patties

Pecan Patties

Walnut Hemp Patties

Big Salads

Orange Pepita Dressing

Lemon Tahini Dressing

Balsalmic Vinegar and Oil

Kale Cashew Ricotta Mushroom Roll Ups

Quinoa with Red Peppers and Chickpeas

UPDATE STARTING MONDAY!!!

Find the Balance

Where is the balance.  I missed Yoga again.  I so want to have a company that does Yoga in the AM and Yoga in the PM.  Everyone must do it.  I need to finish my hours, I need to finish the shop and I want to start the restaurant.

Want Want Want.  I sound greedy.  I am not trying to be.  I trylu believe that this area needs what I have.  Vegan Vegetarian Meals.  Let your Food be your medicine and Let your medicine be your food!!!

New Opportunity? -or- Stay Where I Am??

There is an opportunity and it is up to the universe to decide what I should do.  To have a restaurant to not have a restaurant??  The opportunity has arisen to lease a restaurant.  I have been speaking of this for a long time and I know that I could make it work.  However….$12,000 is the nut to crack!!!

It comes with all of the equipment and is ready to go.  The format is there, the clients, the menus, etc.  It is all there.  What will the universe tell me?  Yes or No.  More on this in the future.

I called a few people that I know of who could possibly loan me the money.  I’ve also got the opportunity to use my vehicle as an option.  I wonder if a bank would do it?  I’ve got a car that is far more that $12,000 and I own it.

Hmmm…..

Beloved My Beloved How much I love thee!!!

I think if I make it to Yoga I could possible muster up the energy to figure out a plan.  I have done it before.  Sell the kiosk for the restaurant?  What shall I do?

What would Sri Yukteswar tell me???  What would Yogananda tell me>  What would his Majesty do?

Wow 9 Months!!!

I cannot believe it has been sooo long since I last wrote.  For a moment I had forgotton what my password was and what blog I was using!! HORRIBLE!

Wow! A lot has changed since I last wrote here!  What are the changes???  Well, I have lots and lots of new clients now.  I also have been designing menus using various detox foods.

I have been meditating and flowing within a wonderful realm of people!!  I discovered the most beautiful woman in the world.  Her name is Ananda Moyi MA!!

More on blessed mother in a moment…

Blissful Mother

I have read several books about Yoga Food Therapy, been to multiple Kundilini yoga classes, and Hatha Yoga Classes.

Heal the Chakras with Mantras!!

I have attended Chakra classes given by a wonderful woman named Leslie Porter!  Always so informative.  I also have a once a month Yoga class with her.  I usually use this time to work on some poses that I would like to strengthen.  Locust Pose NO DOUBT is by far the most challenging.  My yoga teacher says that it is all in my mind.  The amount of strengh uses.  I am sure that he is right.

This is locust pose - Any Questions???

The balance of being peaceful in a dark room doing poses and the sunlit chaos of my life is the hardest thing to accomplish.  I try daily and realistically that is all I can really do.

I am still cooking twice a week and still delivering Wednesdays and Sundays.  However, I have a business card now.  A little more professional!?

I have also added RAW food to my “uncooking” repetoire!

More on that in a minute.  Although I would like to say this.  Cashew Ricotta is the BOMB!!!