Why Soak Nuts & Seeds?

Why Soak Nuts & Seeds? White nuts and seeds, like pinenuts, cashews, white sesame seeds, do not need to be soak. For all other nuts and seeds, when a recipe calls for nuts and/or seeds to be soaked, it is not optional unless specified in the recipe. Soaking nuts and seeds changes their texture and taste, washes away enzyme inhibitors and natural pesticides, and starts the sprouting process. Sprouting causes the proteins to break down into amino acids, fats into fatty acids and starches into simple carbohydrates. In simpler words, soaking makes digesting nuts and seeds easier.
How & How Long To soak Nuts & Seeds: In a jar, put the amount of nuts and/or seeds you need and fill with filtered water. Let nuts soak at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, depending on the size of the nut, and seeds for 6 to 12 hours. Discard the soaking water and rinse the nuts and/or seeds well. Store soaked nuts and seeds in fresh water in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Change the water daily.

The best flax cracker recipe ever!

I've been playing around with making raw flax crackers lately and this is one of the best crackers I have ever had. Try them, you may like them too! The carrots can be grated by hand or with a food processor.

Carrot Black Sesame Crackers

In a high speed blender or food processor, put the following:
2 cups water
1 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup golden flax seeds, unsoaked (for food processor, grind first in coffee grinder)
1 teaspoon pink crystal salt or other high quality whole salt
1/3 cup fresh mixed chopped herbs of choice

Pour above mixture into a mixing bowl and add the following and stir:
5 cups grated small carrot
1/4 cup black sesame seeds, soaked 6 hours

Spread the cracker batter onto teflex sheets, about 1/8-inch thick. Put into dehydrator and dehydrate at 145 degrees for 1 hour. Turn dehydrator down to 115 degrees and dehydrate until done, between 6 and 10 hours. Dehydrator time depends on how wet your mixture is and how crisp you like your crackers. If you like your crackers with a lot of moisture and a tender texture, store them in zip lock bags in the refrigerator for up to a month. If you like a crisp cracker, this means you have dehydrated them until most of the water is out and they can be safely stores in a covered glass container in a cool part of your kitchen for 1 to 2 months.

Grapes into Grape Juice... Yum!

Bruce Damer and Galen Brandt are my neighbors and they are living off their land more and more each year. Today I visited them and we picked loads of grapes that I will turn into phyto-nutrient rich juice tonight before I retire for the evening.

I will make the juice with my 25 year old Champion Juicer. It's easy to do. Just wash the grapes. Take them off their stem and send them through the juicer. It goes very fast! Bruce and Galen will probably freeze some for enjoying later this fall.

Thanks Bruce and Galen!
Damer.com

TriYoga Interviews Me!

Kaliji & Jia introduce Celebrate Life! to the TriYoga community

I'm really excited and honored! The Kali Ray TriYoga newsletter, In the Flow, just did an interview with me.

I have been studying with Kaliji for over 20 years. I have traveled to India with her three times; as well as to Russia, Ukraine and many parts of the US.

Kaliji inspired my diet style and has encouraged me with my cooking.

You can read the interview here.

Before Julie & Julia there was Jia & Julia!

I met Ms. Childs at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP.com) national conference in San Francisco in June of 1994. Julia had just stepped off stage where she enjoyed poking fun at vegetarians!

Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds

Makes 3 cups

Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds are raw pumpkin seeds that are soaked, then seasoned and dehydrated. They have a crisp-chewy texture and will add lots of flavor and nutrition to your diet. Pumpkin seeds are a great food to include at your meals, and Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds are a tasty way to enjoy these nutritional powerhouses. Eat them as a snack or sprinkle some over salads, soups and main dishes. Some health benefits associated with pumpkin seeds are bone health, an anti-inflammatory, lower cholesterol levels, helps with prostate, bladder and kidney concerns as well as depression and learning disabilities.

Inspire & Be Inspired: While rinsing your pumpkin seeds, hum a tune or sing a song. Run your fingers through the soaked seeds. Feel their silky texture, notice their green color and remember where the humble pumpkin seed comes from... the very same place as you, our Earth and kissed by our Sun! As you hum or sing, feel the blessing of these little seeds and all those who helped to bring them to your "Kitchen Temple".

Tips to the Cook: Start soaking the pumpkin seeds 6 hours ahead of time (see ingredient list below). This recipe is designed to fill 1 dehydrator tray (any model of Excalibur). Double the recipe for 2 trays, triple for 3... etc. An equal amount of sunflower seeds can be substituted for the pumpkin seeds or use half pumpkin and half sunflower seeds.

Equipment Needed: 1 teflex sheet or parchment paper and dehydrator.

3 cups pumpkin seeds, soaked 6 hours, rinsed
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoons Himalayan pink crystal salt or other natural salt

Stir all ingredients together: In a large bowl, put all the ingredients and stir to mix well.

Spread seeds on Teflex sheets then dehydrate: On a Teflex sheet placed on a dehydrator tray, put the seasoned pumpkin seeds and spread them out evenly all the way to the edges. Put filled tray into the dehydrator and dehydrate at 145ºF for 1 1/2 hours. Turn down dehydrator to 115ºF and dehydrate until the seeds are very dry, about 4 more hours.

How to Store: Store in a covered glass jar in a cool part of your kitchen or pantry. Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds will store easily for 1 month and longer if the seeds you used were fresh.

Goji Berries... the happy berry!

Goji Berries, known in Asia as the “Happy Berry,” is perhaps the most nutritionally rich fruit on Earth. Gojies are small red berries that resemble raisins in size and texture, but wow, what a power house.

Gojies have been hailed as increasing longevity and they are the number one ingredient in Chinese medicine. It is easy to understand why this is so when you take a look at their nutritional profile. Gojies are a supreme source of vitamins Bl, B2, B6 and E. This makes them famous as a tasty antioxidant. The Goji Berry has 19 amino acids (about the same as bee pollen) and 21 trace minerals, linoleic acid and other beneficial food co-factors. It has the same polysaccharide that has been found to stimulate the secretion of human growth hormone in the pituitary gland, a powerful innate anti-aging hormone. Goji Berries are a true super food, condensed nutrition in a bite size, chewable fruit.

And did you know that you can grow goji berries in most climates. I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains just south of San Francisco and about 3 weeks ago I planted some of my goji berries just to see what would happen… and bravo, they grew (see picture to right)!

Here is a recipe from my most recent book, Celebrate Life! that features goji berries in a most delightful way.

Goji Sesame “Mylk”

4 cups water
¾ cups white sesame seeds
¼ cup raw macadamia nuts or pine nuts
¼ cup goji berries
¼ cup agave nectar (optional)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pinch pink crystal salt or Real Salt

Blend until smooth: Put all the ingredients in a high speed blender (or blend in 2 batches in a home blended) and blend until smooth.

Strain if you like. Straining will give a more velvety texture which affects taste as well.

Serving Ideas: Serve over granola and fresh cut fruits in season. Stir a little into tea in place of dairy milk. Add some cacao powder (raw chocolate) for a delicious chocolate beverage or enjoy as is any time of the day. Goji Sesame “Mylk” can be used as a base for a nutritious smoothie by blending it with fruits(s), a raw protein powder and/or green powders for extra nutrition.

How to Store: Store in a covered half gallon glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Shake or stir before serving.