There is a sacred connection between Mother Nature and her daughters;
when we lose touch with Nature we lose touch with our own nature.
We are the fierce feminine, regal and beautiful, earthy, sensual, free.
Every woman is an expression of the divine, a force of Nature, an earth empress.
The earth is our mother and her energies can transform us whenever our well runs dry;
let us soak up beauty, health and pleasure like a thirsty sponge.
Food is a sacred gateway to how we nourish our body-temple
that affects how we feel, look, experience our experiences; our very essence.
Which in turn affects our relationships, our community, our legacy…
So much is riding on us.
These sacred connections inspire me endlessly and I live to explore them
and share with my sisters along the way;
sometimes in a whisper, a painting, a recipe, a song,
to touch and inspire you.
I’m not a big fan of Halloween…it feels rather like a soul-less celebration to me, and the glorification of junkfood is SHOCKING. But kids love it and rather than be a party-pooper, I took my family on beautiful lantern walks with ‘lanterns’ we made from baby food jars and wire, decorated with colored tissue paper glued to the outside like a stained glass window, and a little tea lite inside.
We gather with other unschooling families for a bon fire and wagon rides.
This year we are going to a party so I decided to make these pretty treats to bring.
Perhaps its the jewel tones on the trees or the crispness in the air…there is something about Autumn that inspires being in the Hearth of the home, the kitchen, to feel warm and cozy.
Making seasonal treats is a fun way to spend time with the kids making memories, too. Candy Apples are an exciting emblem of childhood, but if they also conjure up images of dentist visits for you, try making your own wholesome and natural Candy Apples.
This is the season for apple picking, and Mac’s or Spartan apples are wonderful to use for candy apples because they are tart and go nicely with the naturally sweet toppings.
Candy apples that are good for you by Shakaya Leone
Apples- as many as you wish to make
Toppings– organic dried fruit (sliced up thinly pieces of papaya, cranberries, currants, goji berries, shredded coconut, etc), nuts- raw and organic loosely chopped almonds, pecans, cashews, peanuts, etc., seeds- pumpkin, hemp, sunflower, organic, edible flowers- rose, lavender, etc., raw chocolate nibs. The white frosting is made from equal parts Coconut Butter and raw Honey.
Be creative and see what ingredients and combos you come up with.
The first step after picking or buying your apples is to have the sticks prepared.
Of course you can buy them, but its more fun to find twigs on a hike and with a clean knife but them into the desired lengths. Use thinner twigs for the Banana Ghosts than for the Candy Apples. Create a nice tip on one end for spearing the fruit. Dip the twig tips into 3% diluted Hydrogen Peroxide and dry and set aside.
Separately, chop the seeds and nuts and goji berries lightly in a food processor, and set aside in separate dishes.
Have ready all the different ingredients for each candy apple that you are creating: Goji Berry-Pumpkin Seed with Pomegranate seeds; Dried Papaya Mosaic; Lavender Pearl; Cranberry-Coconut.
METHOD:
Place the clean and dry apples on a clean tray, insert the sticks half way and then spread a thick, raw honey or frosting onto the apples. Place the tray into the freezer for a few minutes so the honey stays firm while you assemble the ingredients and clean the sticks or your surface where you will be decorating the apples.
Remove one apple at a time and either sprinkle or roll the apple into the topping of your choice. Take pictures of your creations if you feel inspired to.
Keep all the decorated apples on a tray in the fridge until ready to serve.
CHOCOLATE DIPPED GHOSTS
Cut the bananas in half and carefully make the ends jagged to look like a ripped sheet. Insert the stick half way. Dip into chocolate sauce and roll in coconut and place onto a tray to rest in the fridge until it is time to serve.
CHOCOLATE SAUCE
¼ C Agave nectar
¼ C raw cacao powder from the Health Food Store
dash of cinnamon
Mix and dip the bananas into and sprinkle the tops with unsweetened, organic shredded coconut.
when you’re a mother, you lose part of yourself
when you’re someone’s partner, you lose part of yourself
when you give all you have, you are drained
one day you wake up
all…gone
you want yourself back
now you are wiser
you will take care of yourself
honour and cherish yourself
and when you do
you realise that
when you’re a mother, you gain part of yourself
when you’re someone’s partner, you gain part of yourself
when you give all you have, you are fulfilled
being…here…is a privilege
you are awake
you are reclaiming yourself
women are the caregivers
we nurture everyone and everything in our life
except ourself
nobody teaches us to take exquisite care of ourself
Yesterday a young boy passed me in the woods and turned around struck by the fact that I had no shoes on. ‘Hey, you’re not wearing shoes! How come?’
‘You’re right- it’s a good question; I used to get sick alot until I read a book a few years back that said this could help improve my immune system, so I have been doing it ever since.’ He said ‘Oh. Cool!’ quite satisfied with that. Cool.
Today I met a man walking his dog who exclaimed ‘Brave soul! Aren’t your feet cold?’ Afterall, it was the first snowfall of the year. I felt I was walking on a cloud…He was so cute I just had to engage with him. He was SO interested. ‘Well, at 82, I have never heard of this, but I’d like to try it for myself.’ I gave him the names of a few good books and cautioned him to only do it on his own property where he could ensure it was safe, for a few minutes at a time, and not in snow or icy conditions lest he slipped. I had to know HIS longevity secrets! He said he prays everyday. Bless his heart.
Just as some terrains are easier to negotiate than others, there are some people who may have patterns of fear and hostility towards things they don’t understand who aren’t as gracious…
Looks and stares are to be expected. But if I were ever to encounter someone less than polite, I would deal with them by offering the only answer they’d accept given the indoctrinated health paradigm most people are entrenched in. I would simply shrug, ‘My doctor recommended it for my condition.’ Unfortuantely, most people would never think to argue with that.
When exploring various ways to empower ourselves which may not fit all tidy into anyone else’s paradigm of how we ‘should’ be, it sometimes feesl we are being torn in 2 different directions- either connect with our wildwoman wisdom and dare to be different, or fit in. Remember, ‘To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you into something else is the greatest accomplishment.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Goddesses don’t give a fig about other people’s boxes. We’re attuned to what juices and heals and nourishes us;
and being colorful,
chillin’,
delighting in our sacred sensuality,
daydreaming,
enjoying friends who drop by for a visit,
dancing with Mama Nature,
thrilling oursleves,
freeing oursleves,
uplifting our Spirit
and a thousand other worthy pursuits of our precious time and energy.
Goddesses create their own path
in beauty
bliss
love
more love
innocence
wild trust and abandon
and all things goddessy.
Of course, it definatley helps to have the love and support from like minded fellow travellers. C’mon, you know you wanna…
women give so much
to Mother Earth we may turn for renewal
her forests, mountains, oceans and meadows is our sanctuary
her gifts of fresh air, sunshine, pure water, and soil sustain us
she even adorns herself with jewels of crystals, flowers, clouds and seashells for our enjoyment
and, when we get out of tune with ourself, her remedies are wild and living foods, herbs, essential oils, clay
she is regal, powerful, sensual and glorious
*
and so are we, when we follow in her footsteps
Spend time in Nature to connect with your inner wild woman, your intuitive goddess self who recognises her own beauty and worth and rejects anything from her energetic field that isn’t empowering, honouring and deeply nourishing.
