Meditation for Connecting to the Earth to Ground, Nurture, and Release
Gluten-Free Sage Sourdough Discard Cornbread
This season, my garden has produced an abundant amount of organic culinary sage. After harvesting, I made many fresh sage wraps for smudging, and still had enough left to dry for the kitchen. This allowed me to use what was left in my cooking. I have also been researching ways to use my sourdough discard. There is something that feels off to me each time I throw half of my precious starter away. This is a great way to combine the bounty of sage from the garden, and the sourdough discard. Using what resources are provided to create a delicious and nurturing bread.
Working with what the garden provides is a great way to connect with the land and with our ancestors who cooked and ate this way before grocery stores were more common. In the past, we ate with the seasons and used the herbs the garden provided for cooking and medicine. Sage is one of these medicinal herbs and is packed with many healing and medicinal purposes. It is loaded with antioxidants, has antimicrobial properties, boosts cognition, and aids in digestion. Its benefits acting as an antimicrobial are most intriguing, as sage is traditionally burned to clear the air in smudging, this showing that its medicinal properties mirror this internal purpose too. Cleansing us inward as well as outward.
Corn, just like sage is another food that has been made into bread and other edible sources for many generations. It is naturally gluten-free so it is great for those following a gluten-free diet. The flour I used in this recipe is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Blend, and the starter I used is gluten-free and you can purchase it here.
This cornbread can be served warm with grass-fed butter or ghee and tastes great in the morning with fresh scrambled eggs or just eaten alone as a snack.
Ingedients:
2 eggs, or flax eggs for vegan
1/2c milk of choice, I used oat. If using dairy, buttermilk would work great with this recipe!
1/4c honey
2tbsp or 1 stick grass-fed butter, vegan butter, or ghee
2tbsp coconut oil
1/3-1/2c sourdough discard
1tsp organic vanilla extract
1/2c organic cornmeal, I used blue corn
1 1/2c Gluten-free flour blend
1tsp organic dried rubbed sage
2tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1/2tsp mineral salt
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 10″ cast iron skillet or line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
2. Melt down butter and coconut oil to liquid and set aside.
3. Combine eggs, honey, vanilla, milk, sourdough discard, and vanilla extract.
4. Add the butter and coconut to the liquids above.
5. In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and mineral salt.
6. Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix well
7. Pour into a well-greased 10″ cast iron skillet or an 8×8-inch square baking pan lined in parchment.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes
Enjoy!
Cardamom, Lemon, and Lavender Biscochitos
It’s finally summer here in the Pacific Northwest, and my garden’s lavender has started to blossom. Summer is also the season of lemons, and lemons pair well with my favorite spice, Cardamom. That is how this Biscochito cookie recipe began.
Biscochitos are crisp butter cookies normally made with cinnamon and anise and are well known in New Mexico. They are traditionally cut into stars, moons, and other shapes, but in creating this recipe to be gluten-free, I kept them as simple circles. Feel free to create shapes on your own if you feel the need, or replace the gluten-free flour blend with all-purpose flour and coconut oil for butter. This is a versatile cookie with options to fit everyone’s taste.
Adding herbs fresh from the garden is a great way to connect with plant medicine and eat the food you have grown. Subtly connecting to the land through food.
Ingredients:
1 1/2c gluten-free flour blend or regular white flour
2/3c coconut sugar
1/2c coconut oil or butter
1 egg or flax egg
1/2 tbsp organic culinary lavender
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tbsp lemon, zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C
2. Combine flour, sugar, cardamom, lavender, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil or butter, egg, lemon zest, and juice.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry, and form a large ball
5. Place the ball of dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes for ingredients and flavors to set.
6. From the large ball of dough, form 12 smaller balls and press them onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet forming thin flat cookies.
7. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
After baking, allow cookies to cool before eating.
Makes 12 small cookies.
Enjoy!
Matcha and Black Sesame Cookies
These Matcha and Black Sesame Seed Cookies are a great way to nourish your body with nutrient-dense ingredients.
This recipe uses matcha powder known for its many nourishing benefits like boosting your immunity and memory. It also includes black sesame seeds which are a great source of antioxidants and healthy fatty acids. Along with these two powerhouses of foods, these cookies include almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, and egg. A whole food-sourced cookie that packs a nutrient-dense punch.
Ingredients:
1c almond Flour
1/4c coconut flour
2 + 1/2 tsp organic matcha powder
1tsp baking powder
1-2 tbsp organic black sesame seeds
1tsp organic vanilla extract
1/4 cup organic maple or date syrup
1/4c melted organic refined or unrefined coconut oil
1 egg or egg substitute
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F/190C
Combine coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla.
Combine almond flour, coconut flour, matcha powder, and baking powder.
Add wet ingredients to dry, mixing well.
Pour sesame seeds onto a plate.
Roll the dough into small balls and press the ball into the black sesame seeds with gentle pressure forming a cookie approximately 1 and 1/2 inch wide.
Place cookies on parchment and place them into the oven for 12-14 minutes.
Makes 10-12 cookies.
Enjoy!
Sunflower Seed Butter
This is an easy way to make your own seed butter at home. With only two ingredients, it is fast, healthy, and packed full of nutrients. It is also budget friendly as this will cost you around $4 to make compared to the hefty price that some nut and seed butter brands can have. You can also add different flavors to your seed butter by simply adding a teaspoon of spices like cardamom, cinnamon, sea salt, or honey if you want a sweeter taste. The options are endless.
Sunflower seed butter is an excellent replacement for nut butter for those who cannot tolerate nuts in their diet. Sunflower seeds are also an excellent source of vitamin E, selenium, flavonoids, and many other plant compounds that help reduce inflammation in our bodies.
This recipe is also great for those who practice Seed Cycling, due to their ability to boost progesterone production.
Ingredients:
2c organic Raw Sunflower Seeds. I used the Trader Joe’s brand.
1tsp coconut, olive, or avocado oil
1/2tsp or more Sea Salt
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F.
While the oven is warming, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place two cups of raw sunflower seeds onto the parchment and lightly toss in the oil of your choice and sea salt.
Once the seeds are evenly coated, place them in the oven for 3-4 minute durations. Shaking the pan or mixing the seeds with a spatula each to avoid burning.
Once the seeds are toasted, allow them to cool on the countertop.
Once seeds are cool, add to a food processor for 5-10 minutes on high. This is when you can add any additional flavorings.
Scrape down the sides as needed. You will know the butter is done when it reaches a creamy, spreadable texture.
You can store the finished butter in a mason jar in your fridge for 2-3 weeks for optimal freshness.
Enjoy!
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This fifteen-minute guided meditation is an excellent resource for those new to meditation or those looking for a brief way to connect the mind and body.
Annie Rosenberg 