Simple Pleasures

 When I woke up to sunshine this morning I felt like singing! I felt a renewed sense of energy that had been slowly slipping away these past several weeks of rain & chilly weather. I am someone who thrives on sunshine Summer is when I am at my best. I saw my first lightening bug of the season last night and a butterfly just landed near my feet. I'm smiling as I breath in the intoxicating scent of honeysuckles. Everything comes alive in the warmth of Spring and so do I.    :)
 The season of plentiful fruits & veggies lends itself well to a simple diet that suits me so well.. I gather so many recipes, mostly raw foods, from the many wonderful sites on the internet. The internet is such an amazing tool for learning, virtually anything I want is at my fingertips! Isn't it amazing?  The funny thing is, I have hundreds of recipes saved here in my little Netbook, but rarely do I take the time to make many of them. Yet when I do make the effort, I am always so pleased with the results.
Here's a wonderful  Lime Ginger Wrap that is super delicious and easy to prepare! 
It's such a light, refreshing dish for a summer night. I fell in love with it.  :)

 Lime Ginger Wraps                                                
1 cup raw cashews
1 peeled lime
1 inch  piece fresh ginger
1 tsp coconut aminos  
2 tbsp coconut oil

4 large Swiss Chard leaves
shredded carrots 
sliced cucumber 
sprouts
any fresh herbs on hand  (I used parsley and chives)


Blend first 5 ingredients in highspeed blender ~ I used my Vitamix
blend until smooth 


Fold Swiss Chard leaves in half and trim off the stem lengthwise
leaving 2 half leaves
spread some of the lime ginger mix onto each leave
layer with carrots, cukes, sprouts & herbs
roll up & Enjoy!!


* this recipe comes from the Raw Food Institute ~  http://therawfoodinstitute.com/


Recently I decided to add some sprouted seeds to my favorite chia seed cereal. I was looking for both the added nutrition and a little extra texture. First I soaked some sunflower seeds & pumpkin seeds in a bowl of water for about 6 hours.You can see the little tails sprouting out of them at this point and know they're ready to eat. Nuts and seeds contain enzyme inhibitors. By soaking them you release the enzyme inhibitors and increase the life and vitality within the seeds. I rinsed them well several times.
I snacked on some ~ they make a great snack  and added the rest to a bowl of blueberry chia seed cereal.
                                                                          Delicious!!

Sprouted Blueberry Chia Cereal
2 Tbsp Chia seeds
1 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
mix well on and off for 5 minutes until it becomes gel like consistency 
add fresh blueberries
sprouted seeds
Enjoy!!


 This cereal travels well too! Here I added sliced almonds rather than the sprouted seeds. Chia is one of my very favorite foods. It's so versatile ~ easy ~ filling ~ nutritious & delicious! What more could you ask for?

          I would love to hear from you if you've tried these or any of the recipes I've posted on my blog!


Healthy Happiness :)