Whole Foods Lifestyle

In the last few weeks I've had great opportunities talking to people about health and nutrition. Even more tons of people have been telling me they love the blog and are avid followers! It makes me so happy :) Really, I am so thankful to all of our readers. Did everyone take note? Bianca is back in action! Look forward to many more design posts.

I realized through talking with people that there is a need for teaching the full spectrum of whole foods eating. It's such a dramatic change from the SAD (Standard American Diet) that it can seem overwhelming; but with the proper knowledge, you become empowered to take control of your diet. And it's powerful when you do so! The implications of a healthy diet are huge; your body will love you and in the long run you'll reduce your risks of disease significantly!

I have noticed that there is a gap that exists between knowing what is healthy and then actually implementing this knowledge into how you eat everyday. My hope is to one day start up a business to eliminate this gap where I would assist people in grocery shopping and visiting farmer's market so that they are walked through the transition from the SAD diet to a whole foods lifestyle of eating. I actually had the opportunity to do just that today with Michelle! And it was so enjoyable, we had a great time together :)

So for now, I'm using this blog to help people in anyway I can. This post is a sort of run through of the basics of the diet and, by request from Michelle, a list of substitutions to assist in transitioning. Hope this helps!

Whole Foods Lifestyle
The whole foods lifestyle that I go by is based on Genesis 1:29, where God gives His people the command of what to eat, and in its most simple form is basically any and all of the plants He created. Vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and grains and a large variety of all of them! This diet is so NOT limited! If you are currently healthy I recommend eating about half of your diet or more raw.
Vegetables and fruits are cell-building and provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids (protein), carbohydrates, fat, water and if consumed raw enzymes! No other food can make this claim!

Vegetables: Eat unlimited amounts of raw vegetables (meaning do not heat them). Cooked vegetables are great and certain starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, all varieties of winter squash, beets, eggplant, etc are preferred cooked. Salads are going to become your best friend.

Fruits: 3-4 pieces of fresh fruit a day, fruit is cleansing and great for flushing toxins. Dried fruit is great as well, no added sugars of course. Fruit jam made without sugar is fine also. Frozen fruit defrosted and added to oatmeal, cereal or spread on toast is great (Bianca loves this)!

Grains: Brown Rice, Quinoa, Millet, Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Oats, Oat groats, Couscous, Pastas made from whole grains like brown rice or corn/quinoa, Rice Cakes, Popcorn, Puffed Rice Cereal, Puffed Kamut Cereal

Breads: Sprouted Wheat or any other Sprouted Grain Bread

Tortillas: Corn Tortillas, Sprouted Wheat Tortillas, Brown Rice Tortillas

Nuts and Seeds: almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds, the list goes on forever! Preferably always raw-not roasted or toasted. Almond and sunflower seed butter are great alternatives to peanut butter.

Legumes/Beans: lentils, split peas, black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans - any and all are great sources of protein! If you have trouble digesting beans try Eden Organics brand. They are cooked with kombu seaweed which helps increase digestibility.

Dairy is not part of the whole foods lifestyle, sorry :( No cheese, yogurt, milk, ice cream, etc. Here are the substitutions you can make during your transition. Also nice for once in awhile treats :)

Milk Substitutes: Almond Milk, Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Oat Milk, Hemp Milk

Cheese Substitutes: Daiya Cheese, Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese

Mayonaise: Veganaise, here's the recipe for two flavored ones

Ice cream: Soy Ice Cream, Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Soy products have caused a lot of controversy over the years. The whole foods diet in it's most simple form would only include edamame, soy beans or soy nuts because that is the unprocessed form of soy. Soy products should not be consumed regularly, simply exchanging all of your meat for soy is not the healthiest way to go.

Soy Products: Tofu, Sprouted Tofu, Tempeh, Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), Soy Milk, Soy Ice Cream, Veggie Burgers, etc.

Sugar is also not a part of the whole foods diet. But God made plenty of other delicious things for those of us with a sweet tooth so don't fret!

Sweeteners: Honey, agave, stevia, dates, molasses, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, cacao powder, carob powder, vanilla bean, raw chocolate, coconut shreds

Seasonings: Be careful with table salt; instead buy Sea Salt, use any and all herbs

Salad Dressings: The best are home-made dressings, here are some recipes: Sweet Italian and Dijon Vinaigrette. Oil and Vinegar is a great option as well, Red Wine, Rice, or Balsamic. Flaxseed oil, Grapeseed oil, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil are healthy oil choices.

See this list is HUGE! I mean, really, your choices for meals are unlimited! Keep bulk foods like grains, legumes, seeds and nuts always stocked up. Shop at the farmer's for your produce weekly and you're all set! Now with this information you should easily be able to navigate through the blog and make all the recipes! ENJOY!

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Happy eating,
Dani

p.s. any questions? Please ask!

Raw Sweet Corn Salad

Hello, hello, hello. Sorry my posts have been short and without devotions. I really hate posting anything that doesn't have any encouragement towards to the Lord but this season is a little busier on my end. Bianca and I both of finishing up our last quarter and meeting a lot of families that need lots of babysitting. So please, forgive us both.
This recipe is sweet and simple. Taken again from Recipes for Life from God's Garden with adjustments on my part. Another great salad that's easy to pack for school. Make it now before corn goes out of season again!

Raw Sweet Corn Salad
1 ear of corn, freshly cut off the cobb
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 pieces of celery, finely sliced
half a tomato, chopped
half an avocado, choose a ripe one
a bit of a red onion, diced
3 T parsley, freshly chopped
drizzle of flaxseed oil
Combine all vegetables in a bowl. Throw in parsley and drizzle with oil, remember you can use whatever you like, I just always use flaxseed. When you mix it all together, if you were able to sue a ripe avocado mash it in as you stir so it will coat all the vegetables and make a dressing.
Additions: add freshly squeezed lime or lemon, a couple teaspoons red wine vinegar.

This salad was so sweet because the corn was so fresh from the farmer's market! Getting more on Thursday!!

Blessings,
Dani

Almost Crab

With school starting I've been running around and haven't had nearly as much time as my summer :( Which means less posts, so sorry! Thought I'd post today's packed lunch for school. A hearty salad of parsnips, carrots and celery taken from Recipes for Life from God's Garden, my favorite cookbook. This salad is great for the days you need to stay on campus for lunch, or eat at work because it goes nicely in a tupperware and doesn't require an additional dressing to bring along.

Almost Crab
1 large parsnip
1 carrot
1 green onion
1 large piece of celery
half and avocado
1 clove of garlic
drizzle of flaxseed oil
1/4 t dry mustard
1/8 t cayenne pepper
Peel and chop parsnip and carrot, process in a cuisinart with the clove of garlic until well chopped. Pour into a bowl, adding chopped celery and green onion. Mix well with a very ripe avocado, seasonings and drizzle with your choice of oil, I like flaxseed for it's exceptional health benefits!


Parsnips are really good, you may not have ever had before there not too commonly used. Before this recipe I hadn't either. There a root vegetable and look like a carrot only bigger and white. They're in season right now so look for them at the farmers!

Blessings,
Dani

p.s. Sorry there's no picture, I ran out the door this morning and forgot!

Decorating Your Dorm Room

One of our avid readers (Sarah) asked Dani and I to make a post about decorating your dorm room. Of course, we were very excited and have been thinking of some good ideas. College is such an awesome time to meet new people, to be whoever you want to be, and to get to know the Lord intimately. And also, it is a fun time to decorate your OWN place for the first time! Since we are young and adventurous, I say go for it with bright colors. If you can paint (which most dorms don't allow you to do) try a fun color. If you can't paint, you can always do some cool things on the walls with fabric. The picture below shows a canvas covered in fabric (I love the desk too) and you could also make it into a picture/inspiration board :-)

Storage:

Good storage options are a must for an organized dorm room, especially if you are sharing with one or two other girls. Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, or any thrift stores are great places to find cute baskets or boxes to store things in.

Desks:

Your desk will most likely be a place that you spend a lot of time (at least I do). You can do so much to make your desk cute as well as organized and conducive to studying. Below are some pictures for inspiration. Click on the photos for a larger view :-)

Accessories:

This is where you can have a lot of fun. If you are into matching, contact your roommate ahead of time to coordinate colors for bedding and accessories. Pillows, chairs, lamps, drawer knobs, mirrors, jewelry hangers, rugs, pictures, posters, and shelves are all great for personalizing your space.

Here are some really cute jewelry hangers. I also love this lamp which a DIY from the amazing Design Sponge blog. Danielle also covers one of her lamps with fabric which you can see here.

Mirrors and lamps can add a great punch to your room. Lamps are always fun DIY projects if you find an old lamp at a thrift store that you want to update. Same with mirrors, they are super easy to paint or spray paint.

If you have space, I love this DIY project using knobs and pieces of wood to hang your coats and bags on. I have never made them myself, but I always pictured them looking really cute in a dorm.

Plants:

I love bringing the outdoors in with houseplants. They are affordable, and make you dorm room air nice and clean. Go to your local garden store and ask for a list of plants that require very little attention. Succulents, which come in so many varieties are super easy and you can combine a bunch in one pot.

Pictures:

Everyone in college loves to put tons of pictures up. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming so I would like to suggest some ways to display them tastefully. Frames and bulletin boards are always a good option, but my personal favorite is to get some string or ribbon and some small clothes pins at your local craft store to display photos, letters, magazine clippings, notes, or whatever else! Here is a link to one of my past posts about creating one of these for yourself.

I hope that this post gave new college students and our other readers inspiration to spruce up your rooms. Thank you to Design Sponge and Decor8 for all of these awesome pictures.

Love,

Bianca

Nonna's Minestrone

Hello everyone! This is a continuation of the vegetable broth that I posted a couple of weeks ago. Growing up, my grandmother (who is from Italy) would make the most amazing minestrone. When I asked her how she made it, she told me "Just throw in whatever you have with some spices"...I wish it were that simple. I wanted to try and make a minestrone that tasted like her's since it brings back so many fond memories from my childhood. You can really use any vegetables in this kind of soup, but I think that the leek, zucchini and stewed tomatoes are the most important.

Ingredients:

3 Tbs olive oil

2 leeks, prepared and chopped (see broth post for directions)

1 onion, chopped

6 cups vegetable broth

1 large can of Italian stewed tomatoes

2 zucchini, sliced

3 carrots, sliced

3 stalks of celery, chopped

2 cups spinach, cleaned and chopped

3/4 cups white beans (any kind: cooked or canned)

3/4 cups barley, rinsed and uncooked

Bunch of fresh, chopped parsley (don't leave this out), 2 bay leaves, basil, thyme, sprig of rosemary, a few cloves, salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Sauté the leeks and onion in a saucepan until they turn golden-brown.

2. Combine all ingredients in a large pot, except for the barley and beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.

3. Cover and simmer until most vegetables start falling apart without your needing to crush them - about 3 hours. Add the beans and barley in the last hour.

4. Remove cloves and bay leaves (if you can find them) and the rosemary sprig. Crush the vegetables in the soup with a potato masher.

5. Serve hot with a nice hunk of fresh bread.

My first attempt came out a little too thick. My grandmother's was much thinner. But, I must say, the flavors and the smell reminded me a those days that I would sit at my Nonna's kitchen table as a little girl with a big bowl of her minestrone sitting in front of me. So I definitely think that it was a success...let me know what you think :-)

Love,

Bianca

Candle-Making

Bianca always knows the best gifts. For my birthday she took me to a candle making store and we made whole made candles! It was so great! This is a new place in Scotts Valley that I had no idea was even there so total surprise to me.

To start you choose your candle size and shape, there are all different ones. We both chose the medium square candle. Then you choose your scent and base color. I chose Rose and Cream, Bianca chose Fresh Linen and also Cream. Then you go to the counter and she gives you your mold. From here you sit down and pick wax shapes you like. Bianca chose a blue dragonfly and I chose a little pink flower bud with green leaves :). You have to stick your shape onto one of the sides so you see it clearly when the candle is out of the mold. Somehow I messed up on this part and mine ended up coming upside down. But it looks fine. Next you have to fill your mold with all kinds of wax squares. There are tons of colors of the wax squares to choose from and you break them all up and just layer them into your mold. When you're finished, the owner pours your base wax color with your choice of scent into your mold, it comes out sort of mosaic with the wax squares showing through. I did pink ones, Bianca blue and green. So typical of us both :)

Such a fun thing to do and I love the new candle! It's on my dresser in my room here at school. The best part, the smell is fantastic and super fresh since it's so new. Need a good birthday idea: find a candle making shop or visit this place in Scotts Valley!

Blessings,
Dani

Wine Party!

My 21st birthday party was a Foreign Country Wine party where all of my guests brought a bottle of wine from a different country. It was so much fun, we prepared a lot of ordourves and appetizers. My mom made a delicious lentil salad, I was so thankful for her and my dad who helped out so much :)

My favorite wine was a 2008 Cebernet Sauvignon from Colchagua Valley, Chile. Delicious, though I am not a wine connoisseur yet :) And I loved the bottle. James brought that one he knew I would like it, it's so earthy and natural! Thanks James!

We had some great hummus', artichoke dips and baba ganoush with pita bread, veggie sticks and rice-adzuki bean chips! Baba ganoush is my favorite and with these excellent multi-grain pita it was wonderful! My mom's dish was also a favorite. Here is the recipe for, it's really really good!

Sprouted Green Lentil Provencal Salad
1 C truRoots Sprouted Lentils
1 C truRoots Sprouted Mung Beans
2 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 a finely diced red onion
1/2 C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 T flaxseed oil
4 T red wine vinegar
1 T chopped fresh sage
1 t sea salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
Cook truRoots Sprouted Lentils accoring to package directions. Drain well. Combine the warm lentils, bell pepper, red onion, parsley, oil, vinegar, sage, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Toss well. Cool to room temperature before serving.

The truRoots products are really cool because there sprouted and then dried. So when you cook them you just boil them for 4 minutes, let them sit for 10 minutes covered, then drain. So there not "raw" but there still highly digestible and enzymatic from the sprouting process. Of course, you could always use regualr lentils and mung beans.
God has been blessing my week at home like crazy. It's so funny, my birthday literally went on from Saturday until last night! But now it's over and I am officially 21 :) Thanks everyone!

Love you,
Dani

p.s. Still more birthday stuff to come!

Fruit Cake

Sunday at church Ryan became officially ordained as a Pastor at IVC, very special :) Jacob the founding pastor was visiting, Becky made a wonderful dinner, and the whole family just spent the night together. Everyone came in and began singing Happy Birthday to me and Becky totally surprised me with a fruit cake! Not your usual fruit cake but a cake made of just fruit! Isn't that the coolest thing. She layered huge a slab of watermelon, then cantaloupe, then green apple, then watermelon again and topped it with nectarine! Oh, it was the coolest cake ever! She just knew how much I would love it too :) Thank you Becky!

Jesus is incredible, His love is incredible. Sitting in worship at church looking around seeing everyone in communication with the same God. How crazy is that?! We can all bow our heads in silence at once and He hears all of us and gives us His undivided attention. We have the GREATEST GOD!

"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness." Psalm 145:3-7

David had it right :)

In Him,
Dani

Banana Pudding

Annalisa and I drove home to Santa Cruz yesterday for my birthday party. Yesterday, was officially my 21st so I hosted a Wine Party where everyone brought a bottle of wine from a different country. We certainly had plenty of wine! I had the most fabulous night though, I feel so blessed and am so thankful for great friends both in Santa Barbara and here in Santa Cruz. But more details on my party later I still have so much to share with you before that.

Back to Saturday night at Holly's. We all made this wonderful dessert of banana pudding with carob sauce, goji berries and coconut shreds. See the idea came to me to make Banana Whip, which is basically like banana ice cream and then do all these toppings like sundae's. However, the bananas didn't freeze completely and therefore it came out more like pudding but everyone really liked it!

To make banana pudding:
Step 1) Peel bananas and put them in the freezer in a sealed bag. Freeze for about 6 hours.
Step 2) Set up a Champion Juicer with the blank screen.
Step 3) Push bananas through juicer one at a time serving into small bowls. 1 large banana should be about one serving.

Toppings:
Carob Sauce
Goji Berries, soaked in a little water for a couple hours then drained
Coconut Shreds

To make carob sauce:
Step 1) Throw a good handful of dates into a Vita Mix, removing the pits beforehand.
Step 2) Add 2 large spoonfuls of carob powder.
Step 3) Pour a little bit of water in and begin to blend on lowest variable. Add more water as needed to make a fudge like consistency.

Everyone can assemble their own bowl of banana pudding adding toppings as they like. I prefer the goji berries soaked because then their fuller that way and not as much like raisins but you can always just add them in dried.

Enjoy,
<3 Dani

Spiritland Bistro

Lindsay and I had a fabulous night out celebrating my birthday over dinner at Spiritland Bistro. I have never been there before but have always really wanted to go. We enjoyed the quiet, sensual atmosphere and discussed the beauty of who Jesus is. Lindsay prayed, "Thank you Lord for allowing us to indulge tonight and be in your presence" and I just loved it. It's so true that when were walking in the Spirit there is so much freedom and we did, we just spent the night at this fine restaurant and we ordered what we wanted, enjoying every thing so much.

We started with a pot of tea, Organic and Fair Trade loose leaf teas, how could we pass that up? Honey Bush Chai was our top choice even though they all sounded great. It was not too strong but had a nice spicy flavor. Lindsay tried one of their Elixir's too which she loved. It was some sort of Re-Livening Elixir with an added supplement of Echinacea-Goldenseal, pretty cool.

Then we ordered the Grilled Avocado Salad in hopes of something amazing considering neither of us had ever had grilled avocado. The salad was wonderful with a delicious, light vinaigrette but we swear the avocado was not grilled. If anything it was slightly warmed. Still great though :)

Lindsay ordered the Thai Coconut Curry dish with baked tofu and julienned vegetables and I ordered the special of Japanese Eggplant stuffed with cannelini beans served over red quinoa. It was all served over a port wine reduction sauce, absolutely delicious! The flavors were excellent! The dessert menu looked fabulous but we saved ourselves for dessert later. Lindsay and I headed over to Holly's and met up with Krissy and Annalisa for some girl time. We had some dessert (look out for the next post!) and stayed up way too late laughing and laughing at nothing but ourselves. Thank you Jesus for family :)

Be sure to go to Spiritland Bistro for a healthy minded nice meal. This restaurant serves raw, vegan dishes but also fish and chicken. It's great for everyone, definitely a fine restaurant so be prepared for dishes to be a little pricey. For the rare occasion, it's worth it.

In His love,
Dani

Roasted Veggie Pizza

While on vacation this summer, my family and I went to this amazing pizza place in Temecula called Pizza Fusion. It's fabulous, a lot organic and they have gluten-free crust. My whole family really enjoyed it! So when Lindsay and I made dinner plans last weekend I wanted to imitate this pizza! And it turned out just like it!
Pizza Recipe:
1 whole wheat pizza dough, Trader Joe's
1 C marinara or pizza sauce
handful baby bella mushroms, sliced
1 zuchinni, sliced and quartered
1 small jar of artichoke hearts
half a red onion, chopped
1 8 oz. package Mozza Style, Daiya Cheese brand
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray oven pan with baking spray and flatten out dough on the pan. Make into a large square. Spread the sauce on the crust, then layer the cheese and all the veggies. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, watch it and when the cheese is melted it's ready to go! Cut into square slices and enjoy!

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." Acts 2:42

Dinner with family, Christian family is so biblical! I have totally realized how valuable dinner time becomes when you take the time to sit down and just relax. It's such a time to talk and catch up. I've been realizing lately, with living here at the Cohen's and spending much of my time at the Jesus Burger's house or the Lomelino's that I spend MOST OF MY TIME talking about God! And this season of my life has been the best season yet, I mean really He's meant to be placed at the center of our lives and loved by us more than anything else so naturally we should talk about Him more than anything else!

Break bread with your friends whenever you can, if you live in a ministry house take all the opportunities before you, plan family dinners, breakfasts, lunches, whatever you can. That's something I would do differently if I could and I know the other girls are going to do more of that at the house this year. I know everyone is busy, busy, busy but God has called us to be in family! Everyone has to eat right? So you might as well do it together! And prayer, well if you read my blog you know how I feel about prayer. But if I might add, pray together!!

Blessings in His name,
<3 Dani

Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley

This was the first time I had ever made barley. It was interesting but I think I will try it again. I did enjoy the flavors a lot. There seems to be some controversy over barley as a whole food, because it's process and hulled. I would buy whole barley if you can but it's really hard to find, it could also be called sprouted barley. It takes longer to cook, but it's whole :)

Recipe
1/2 C hulled barley
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
half a small eggplant, sliced thinly
half a zucchini, sliced thinly
quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced
5 or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 large garlic clove, minced
handful of chopped parsley and mint
one green onion thinly sliced
freshly squeezed lemon juice
Cook the barley in 1 1/2 C water with the cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-40 minutes until all the water absorbed. Add the eggplant, zucchini, onion, and a bit of water. Mix well, place lid on and let the veggies cook. Make sure that there is enough water that it doesn't start sticking to the pan. 10 or so minutes should be enough. Remove from the heat and mix in the tomatoes, parsley, and mint. Stir for a while until the tomatoes are a bit wilty. Serve in a large, flat bowl with green onions on top and freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Becky said something the other night to me that I had never known. The word "worship" is from the English word "worth-ship" meaning to ascribe worth, value and importance to a person or thing. So as we worship God we are giving Him worth and value. Wes and I spent a long time last night discussing this idea as well and how there are so many attributes of God. His character is so vast, His names so many: Lamb of God, the Great Shepherd, Father God, High Priest, King of Kings, I mean really it goes on forever. Sitting there with Wes, I'm like we could worship God non-stop He is so worthy! And really this is how we should live, in constant worship always giving Him value. The focus should always remain Him, who He is more so than what He has done for us. Those things deserve praise and rejoicing but He in all His glory is our center piece.

In Him,
<3 Dani

Breakfast Pudding and Prayer

God has been increasing my faith and growing my heart for prayer in a way I can not even fully express in words. In his undying love for us He can not help but give us what we ask of Him. Ask Him for the details, He cares so much. Pray the details!

I think so often we only address this issue of what's too big to ask Him, but what about this issue with us thinking things are too small? Because that's so obviously what keeps us from including Him in all the little things. But He is dying to be able to be a Daddy to you, to spoil you rotten. Today I literally felt like I was His most spoiled child and that's okay, He wants us to feel this love from Him. And in the end, He gets all the glory, He gets all the praise! Guys, above all let Him spoil you with Himself, with His presence, that's His heart's desire for you.

"Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then. being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" Matthew 7:9-11

This is for reals guys, He wants to give you the desires of your heart!

I have been so encouraged by this book, though I have yet to read it, but Rita was sharing with me about how much she loved it and wanted to read it with me. Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest, I'm sure you've heard of it, if not look into it! Anyways, the Cohen's have a bookshelf with a ton of old books, you know like the ones with hard covers that look dusty even when there not. These are my favorites ones :) I noticed they have a copy of this book and I was so excited. I was showing it to Bianca and wondering where could I find an old copy like this, because I didn't just want the book, I wanted an old vintage copy from the 30's, talk about details right? So Wes, takes the book, writes me a little encouraging letter inside, sticks this Rejoice cross on it and gives it to me as an early Birthday present! I could not have been more blessed!! It was so amazing. God cares guys, about the smallest things.

So there I was the next morning REJOICING in the day of the Lord. And eating my usual breakfast only this one was a mix of chia seeds and flaxseeds, I had to use what I had. But I discovered they're really good together! Try it!

Recipe:
1 T chia seeds
1 T ground flax seeds
1 apple
1 nectarine, nice and ripe
Place chia seeds in a little bowl and add a little bit of water, let sit and the seeds will soak up the water like in the Chia Pudding. Chop up apple and nectarine and throw in Cuisinart, add 1 T ground flax. Once the chia seeds have soaked to a pudding like consistency add to the cuisinart and blend it all up.

Enjoy!
<3 Dani

P.S. I think I get this gift giving stuff because my Daddy did spoil me rotten :) Love you and am so thankful for you Dad.

Sun-Tea

I have the most amazing friends. And really they're more than friends, because they are my sisters in Christ.

"For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." Matthew 12:50

When you fully enter into a relationship with God you become part of the family, the whole body of believers across the world! People sacrifice for you, they enter into life with you, they walk with you through trials and rejoicings, they remain your friends regardless of what you do, they forgive and love unconditionally. Think you want this? You do, trust me! Give your life to Jesus, enter in, he's waiting for you. We are too :)

Bianca drove down here for a couple of days, hence the lack of posts all week. We had the most amazing time ever. We had a lunch together when she arrived on Wednesday and she prayed so simply, "Lord, increase our time together." And WOW did he answer that one! That first day we did so many things, most specially we had dinner with James, his mom, Maureen and his sister, Emily. We love them all so dearly and were blessed by that surprise get together.

Bianca got even more of what she had asked for by being able to really connect with people while she was here and share quality time, what we believe Jesus is all about. The person, their life, what is going on in their heart. Look at His ministry, He's always healing the person, dealing with the depths of one's heart. And though he would have loved to be besties with everyone of us, which he is now :) He had to choose only 12 because we have to be able to have the time and emotional resources to devote to each other. If he couldn't do it, why do we think we can? He modeled this life for us: deep, honest, vulnerable relationships, this is where a lot of the fruit of our life comes from.

After Bianca and I nearly died from our 16 mile run, yes 16 miles, but no we enjoyed it and God was definitely with us, ask B about that, Lindsay came over and we enjoyed a timeless afternoon of sun tea and Jesus talk. I think three or so hours went by before we realized we had places to be and people to see. But that is so how it is meant to be.

God and His people are amazing. Need love? Healing? Someone to just listen to you? Find His people, it shouldn't be too hard, especially if you ask Him to lead you to them.

Now, for the sun tea. Even with little sun this summer we have really gotten into this whole sun tea thing. It's so easy and tea is an excellent drink choice for your health. Herbal teas can have therapeutic benefits, for example Ginger is great for digestion and so is peppermint while chamomile and lavender help relieve stress and promote relaxation. Green tea is high in antioxidants, those little buggers that help fight off damage from free radicals which could possibly lead to cancer. You can make sun tea with any tea you like. My absolute favorite: Good Earth Original Sweet and Spicy! 3 tea bags to 2 quarts water is perfect. The brand pictured is from Whole Foods, Davidons's White Raspberry and is also excellent.

To make Sun-Tea:
1) Fill a large pitcher with filtered water, doesn't really matter if it's warm or cold, neutral temperature is the best though.
2) Choose you tea, now I would recommend 3 tea bags to 2 quarts if the tea is generally strong, like black tea or even green. Herbal teas may need 4. This is where you need to experiment a bit, my advice always go stronger because you can water down.
3) Place in the sun for a whole day.
4) Pour over ice and enjoy. You can sweeten with stevia or agave if necessary. We added some Chocolate Mint leaves to ours in the picture above.
5) Keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Hope you had a great week too.
<3 Dani