A Blissful Birth
I have a very good friend who just recently (within the last couple of weeks) delivered a BEAUTIFUL baby girl. I was honored that I could attend and participate in something so reverent and sacred, as her birth. I wanted to share some of her experiences from my perspective. I pray that it can help others the way it has inspired and changed me.
I feel blessed to aid in empowering woman on their path to creating the pregnancy, labor and birth experiences they desire. I may be a bit of an "idealist" but I truly believe that when a woman strives to tend to her physical, emotional and spiritual needs during pregnancy, she then is taking responsibility for the outcome of what takes place during her birth. There is a beautiful website that speaks of this form of healing that can take place in order to help the mother achieve her aspirations. You can find it at www.birthintobeing.com. I could write all of my beliefs on the subject matter but Elena Vladimirova does such a wonderful job of explaining it so beautifully that I figure why recreate the wheel. You will probably get more of my personal beliefs on the subject the more I post on my blog so hopefully whoever reads this will keep checking back.
Kara came to me as a friend who had a strong desire to create the birth she had longed to have for several years. This was her 5th pregnancy and her 6th child. She's had diversity in all of her births from a c-section with twins to other complications during or after delivery. We discussed what she really wanted for her birth and how to go about making those intentions a reality. She was open, wanting and willing to take full responsibility for her pregnancy and birth by taking action and being VERY proactive, in regards to her overall health and well being.
First, we discussed dietary changes that could and should take place to help her feel better both physically and emotionally. Of course, when helping others, I strive to motivate in such a way that they have a desire to incorporate as MUCH raw fruits, greens, nuts and seeds as possible, accompanied by "cutting out" of the diet what they know to be unbeneficial, or even slightly detrimental,l to her and her growing baby. Kara IMMEDIATELY took action and started educating herself on what and how to go about create physical health. I watched her use discipline and make AMAZING changes. In turn, I felt this made HUGE changes at her birth. Making these changes empowers a woman to know that she can move forward with confidence while hoping that she will see the outcome she desires at the birth to come.
Kara and I discussed working on emotional and spiritual changes that she knew needed to take place in order for her to truly see and visualize the birth she wanted. She had past fears and phobias that kept repeating themselves in her thoughts and mind that were no longer serving her and her present needs. She was open and willing to release those and let go of them. By asking for help through meditation and consistent prayer using God and the Savior, she was able to feel a difference in her everyday life. I mentioned to her that keeping what I call an "emotional journal" might help her to let go of and release these old pent up feelings. In that journal, she was to write all the negative and positive feelings that she had. As she is writing, she is "letting go" of all the negative and unwanted feelings by putting them on paper and saying goodbye to them. Then, by writing down all the postitive feelings, she is giving more power and love them and letting herself fully feel the joy. There are many other ceremonies and healing modalities that I offer to others to really help them look at themselves honestly and with love, in order to "move through and let go of" really old baggage that no longer needs to be carried and is just weighing them down. Again, just like the physical, Kara did take responsibility of her desires and did her work with the hopes of seeing the results when the time came.
Along with all the other changes she was making, Kara felt inspired to invite friends and loved ones over for a Native American Blessingway. We felt that if she made an intention to give to the universe by making kits to give to orphans in Ruwanda, then she could (along with her friends and loved ones) create intentions for her birth where the universe and God would give back to her. Read more about Native American blessingways. I felt blessed to be at such a sacred ceremony where loved wrote intentions for Kara's birth on beautiful postcards and pictures and then verbally shared them for all to hear. This energy from others would then help her at the upcoming birth event. She put together a gorgeous collage of pictures she could look at while birthing, with the hopes that the love and energy from others would help and assist her while bringing her child into the world.
From what I saw, she received more than just desired results, we all saw miracles. She called me early in the morning on the day of her delivery, telling me she was having consistent contractions but that she was still in very little pain. She then called again several hours later to inform me that they were now stronger an
d even though they weren't as painful as she knew they could and might be, she wanted me to come and be present for her. I arrived within an hour of her call to see, in awe, Kara relaxing on her bed while her husband was loving her through each contraction. From what I saw of her, I questioned if she was even in active labor yet. She looked so calm and serene and at peace with what was taking place. I arrived at approximately 4:00 pm.
We discussed my checking her dilation but she was afraid she wouldn't have advanced to the extent she wanted to. I could tell that even though she didn't look it, she was doing some really great work and I felt she would be farther along than she thought she was. This ended up being the case. Kara's previous deliveries were quite long with the shortest being 16 hours in length. After each child, she has had significant blood loss with the last being so severe that there were complications that had to be immediately attended to. I felt that because Kara had fully taken care of and responsibility for this pregnancy and birth, that this experience would be different in more ways than one, which it absolutely was.
Kara ended up delivering her own baby at 6:22 pm, only 2 and a half hours after I arrived. She had a very peaceful waterbirth with her husband sitting behind her and supporting her in many more ways than just physically. She listened to the needs of her body and made the needed movement changes for comfort and delivery. Then when the time came, Kara caught and brought to the breast, her own baby with loved ones and her other children surrounding her. We figured that total labor time was about 5 hours. A BIG difference from the previous 16 hours of labor. We recognized her past history bleeding patterns and took into account any excess bleeding that could take place. She almost immediately put the baby to the breast to initiate uterian contractions. We moved her to the bed and watched her closely. She again, took responsibility of what was taking place she ingested the needed herbs and fluids that might help her body halt any excess bleeding. The assistance of prayer was ever constant throughout her whole birth process. Her bleeding never became severe enough that there was any concern. I watched, almost in disbelief knowing her previous experiences, at how controlled and stable her body was during this process. In the end, she felt amazingly strong and she glowed radiantly from the love that surrounded her.
This is
only one of several instances where I have seen a woman "do her work" to create the outcome she desires. I wish this process could be witnessed by every mother who is pregnant or desiring to become so. I thank Kara for letting me share her story with others with the hopes that any woman reading this will feel her heart leap with joy in knowing that she to can truly have and create what she wants in ALL aspects of her life. That with honesty, openness, a soft heart, responsibility and LOTS of prayer, we can use and trust our inner knowing to aspire to make the changes for ourselves, with the hopes of seeing those changes also take place within the next and future generations. My prayer and belief is that this can and does happen everyday. I hope that every woman can and will feel empowered to make the needed changes to make the world a better place for everyone and everything living in it by just recognizing her own creative power with the universe. The hand that rocks the cradle TRULY DOES rule the world!!
The Te of Piglet
I have been casually reading the book "The Te of Piglet" by Benjamin Hoff. I am ABSOLUTELY loving it. It is a read I recommend to others. There is a section in the book, specifically pages 13 through 23 where he is teaching what he believes Taoism to be. It is very interesting to me since I do know very little about exactly what it is. Just as the book states, there are similar teachings in other circle's where spirituality and understanding are of high importance. He states, "On the North American continent, they are passed on in some of what remains of native teachings-those of the "Indians." In Europe they have largely died out, but traces of their influence can still be seen in such comparatively recent phenomena as stone circles and the marking of "ley lines" (called "dragon veins" by the Chinese)-channels along which earth energy is concentrated. In Tibet, until the Communist invasion, ancient ways were preserved in Tibetan Buddhism, many of the secrets and practices of which predate Buddhism by thousands of years. In Japan, they have been passed on through Taoism. And, despite violent opposition from China's Communist government, they continue to be passed on today."
One last quote from the book is where he quotes Chuang-tse speaking of the Age of Perfect Virtue. "In the Age of Perfect Virtue, men lived among the animals and birds as members of one large family. There were no distinctions between "superior" and "inferior" to separate one man or species from another. All retained their natural Virtue and lived in a state of pure simplicity...
Remembering and Applying Faith
I have decided that life is a BLAST!! Really! Chris and I have both had the opportunity, as of late, to put faith into practice in our lives. It had been quite exciting and scary, at times. I am learning how to apply living in the present while understanding that the past and future are merely false realities that we have set up for ourselves to let ourselves feel all kinds of false feelings. Man, we really like to suffer, don't we?
Fun Potluck!!
So...last night the kids and I went over to Sarah's house for a really FUN raw food potluck. The kids, of course, had a blast playing with the other kids. I find it all interesting because Golden, a couple of days ago, came to Chris and I and told us he couldn't and didn't want to eat an all raw diet anymore. I was grateful for the chance to understand my own feelings about him making this decision and I was grateful that he felt he could come to discuss with us needing to make this change. The funny thing is because of the way our house is set up with having mostly raw food in the house, he still eats mostly raw everyday. Of course, he doesn't realize it. But Millie and Pratt also decided they wanted to incorporate more cooked foods too. Dean chose to stay raw and even watched the other kids make veggie burgers for themselves a couple of nights ago while he sat there and ate his salad and really LOVED it! How cool is that! I am in AWE!
I have found though, on this raw path, that the kids still chose to eat very simply most of the time. While at the potluck, there were all kinds of really delicious foods made and my kids didn't really want any of them. They wanted a banana or apple or something simple. Dean did finally eat some of Sarah's raw cheese in her fridge but that was the extent of what they would eat there. I find it quite cute that they are learning to listen to their own bodies. This isn't a conscience choice for them, it is just them recognizing when they feel good after eating something and when they don't. I believe we can all relearn to understand our own inner wisdom just as a child does, in all aspects of life, not just foods we eat. I believe the world is helping to change it's vibration so we can all easily and smoothly change ours so we can chose to live in a space of peace. 
The food aspect of the potlucks really isn't the fun part for me. I remember a couple of years ago when I decided that I really didn't have any desire to go to raw potlucks anymore. Especially as my diet changed to a much more simpler, easier way of eating raw. But...I must say that I am very glad I have chosen to go to the potlucks, as of late. I am VERY impressed with the people I get to meet and truly feel honored to be in their presence and learn and glean from them. We had some really exciting conversations last night about life and change and truly striving to becoming better people. These are conversations that I truly love to be part of. Thanks everyone who came to the potluck and thanks to Sarah for hosting it at her house. Maybe tomorrow I will post some of my insights into some of the things we discussed. Happy day to all!!
Changing to a blog but hopefully still inspiring!!
So I finally decided to go ahead and make this my blogging part of my website. I have thought about it for a long time but I really felt I was a really lame blogger. So....maybe I will try it out and see how it goes for awhile. I hope I can express myself so others can understand and make this somewhat interesting for myself and everyone else who might be interested in reading about my really WEIRD life.
Sunflower Seed Sour Cream
I find with guacamole and salsa and the cheezy sauce i don't miss sour cream but for those who like it this it a good and easy recipe!
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup water
4+ Tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove pressed or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.
Fresh Salsa
6 cups chopped tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped (favorite kind)
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 clove garlic minced and/or
1 jalapeno seeded and chopped fine
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro cut into small pieces
Juice of half a lime
Zest of half a lime
1 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
Any other veggies or spices you like (sometimes we put corn, cayenne, Mexican seasoning etc. in it)
Mix all ingredients together and enjoy on what ever you like salsa on.
~Tammie Nelson
Raw Refried Bean Dip
2 cups garbanzo bean sprouts rinsed and drained
3/4 cup hot water
½ cup sunflower seeds (soaked)
2/3 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons tamari
1 Tablespoon onion powder
2 Tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 Tablespoon "Hickory Smoke Bakon Yeast"
sea salt to taste
Place all ingredients into Vita-Mix. Puree until very smooth, adding more water if needed. Tastes great on burritos or as a dip for flax chips!
~Irene Hauver
Raw Enchilada Sauce
2 garlic cloves
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (in olive oil)
1 avocado
2 teaspoons Liquid Aminos
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon raw carob powder
1/4 cup of warm water
salt to taste
Blend it all up in the blender till smooth.
~Judy Cozza
Garden Wraps
½ cup sunflower seed, soaked 2 hours in lemon water, strain, rinse, and strain
1 ½ cup water
1 medium zucchini, peeled and chopped
1/8 tsp. Vit. C powder or a little lemon juice
1/4 cup minced fresh herbs OR 2 tsp. dry herbs (i.e. basil, dill, parsley, oregano)
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon Cumin
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon lecithin
½ teaspoon Garlic powder
1 small avocado, peeled and pitted
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup flax seeds soaked in 1 ½ cup water a pureed to gel
1 cup sprouted garbanzo beans
4 oz. Fresh garden greens (i.e. spinach, kale, collards, etc.)
Place seeds, water and zucchini into Vita-Mix, puree smooth. Add to puree the Vit. C, fresh or dried herbs, onion powder, olive oil, nutritional yeast, cumin, salt, lecithin, garlic powder, and avocado. Puree till smooth. Add to puree the celery, flax gel, garbanzo bean sprouts, and fresh garden greens. Puree till smooth. You want a very smooth batter. If the batter gets too thick, add a little water. Use the plunger to push ingredients down into the blades.
Using 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter in four founds onto four teflex sheets. Tap the dehydrator try gently on counter to flatten out batter until it is 6 ½ inches in diameter. Dry at 110 degrees for 6 hours or 95 degrees for 12 hours. Wraps are ready to flip when they are dry, not crisp, on top, yet still moist underneath. They should readily peel off of teflex. If they stick, dry a little longer. Flip wraps onto screen, peel of teflex sheet and dry 2-4 more hours until they are no longer tacky and hand can smoothly go over surface. Do not dry hard if you want a flexible wrap.
IMPORTANT, after wraps are done drying, let them cool to room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Then, stack them in an airtight container. Keep in fridge. After 12 hours the moisture will distribute and the hard edges will soften. The wrap should be soft and flexible enough to fill and then fold in half or roll like a tortilla and not crack or break.
These are good filled with guacamole, diced tomatoes, nut sour cream, salsa, onions, lettuce, raw enchilada sauce for enchiladas or raw refried bean dip for burritos. Or maybe even a mock tuna salad or something if not in the mood for Mexican.
Makes 16 wraps.
~Irene Hauver
Corn Tortilla Raw Chips
2 1/2 cups golden flax seeds (soaked for 12 hrs)
Just Like Cheesecake
For the crust:
2 cups raw macadamia nuts ( I substituted pecans)
½ cup dates, pitted ( I substituted maple syrup that night because I was out… but could also do agave nectar)
¼ cup dried unsweetened coconut
For the Cheese:
3 cups cashews (chopped and soaked for at least 1 hour)
¾ cup lemon juice
¾ cup honey
¾ cup coconut oil (this is virgin coconut butter from the first cold pressing. Can be found at healthfood stores)
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon sea salt (optional)
For sauces:
Raspberry:
1 bag frozen raspberries
½ cup dates ( I used agave syrup, or could use honey)
Chocolate sauce:
½ cup coconut oil in soft stage (leave out in a warm room)
¼- ½ cup agave nectar (to taste)
½ cup raw chocolate powder (can be found at healthfood store in raw foods section as cocoa powder)
Directions:
To make the crust, process the nuts and the dates in the food processor. Sprinkle dried coconut onto the bottom of an 8-9 inch springform pan. Press crust onto the coconut. This will prevent it from sticking.
Pour the mixture onto the crust. Remove air bubbles by tapping the pan on a table. Place in the freezer until firm. Remove the whole cake from the pan while frozen and place on a serving platter. Defrost in the refrigerator.
To make the raspberry sauce, process raspberries and dates (or agave) in a processor until well blended. (do not use a blender or the seeds become like sand.) Strain sauce through a mesh to get a smooth consistency.
To make the chocolate sauce, blend the softened oil, agave nectar and chocolate powder until smooth and runny. Adjust tastes.
After the cheesecake has set up in the freezer (it doesn’t need to be frozen, just firmed up a little) remove the springform pan rim, and serve with the chocolate and raspberry sauces drizzled on top.
Quick Yummy Stuffed Peppers
1 lb. Carrots, ground fine in food processor
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon poultry seasoning or fresh herbs of choice (sage, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, basil, etc.)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon honey or 4 dates
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
black pepper or paprika for garnish
Place all ingredients into a large bowl and stir well to combine. Stuff your favorite color of bell pepper, or mushroom, or avocado. Enjoy. If you want them warm you could put them in the dehydrator for a while but we have never done this. We like to use the leftover filling on a sandwich or on a salad. Yummy!!!
Cheezy Sauce:
1 ½ cup raw cashews
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ cup water
sea salt to taste
Just blend the ingredients in a blender. I usually double this recipe we love it so much. Great as a dip for crackers, chips, or veggies. Or a Sandwich spread.
Thai Coleslaw
1 cup peeled & shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrots
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
1 bunch mint, chopped
1 bunch chives, chopped
1/2 cup raw, unsalted peanuts
Combine all ingredients and toss to mix thoroughly.
2 tbs. lemon juice
2 tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu
2 tbs. agave nectar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled
1 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
In a high speed blender, combine all dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad. Mix well and serve.
~From RAWvolution by Matt Amsden
Tropical LIme Pie
Crust:2 cups dried coconut flakes (unsweetened)