Quick Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Here's a tasty recipe for y'all, and ya don't even need to be "gluten-free" to enjoy. Trust me, what came outta my oven was delish. Top her off with a glass of almond milk, coconut milk ice cream &/or some fresh raspberries or blueberries. I ate this alongside some fresh ginger root tea, (which I started brewing before I made this yummy dessert)....and dang! So good! Plus my digestion was on par too!
(see Ginger Root Tea recipe below)

Measurements are rough since I let the Powers-that-Be take over and I forget to document exactly.
I feel it's one of those recipes that forgives and then gives some more, in terms of flavor and texture.
It's easy, simple and you can make this in a pinch with an array of ingredients. I've been running low in the cupboards and fridge so this was drawn from my imagination, limited ingredients and resourcefulness. There's plenty of room to expand, vary and experiment. Try fresh peaches, plums or pears instead of apples. See what comes about!
Check it out...

Quick & Easy Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

2 medium-sized Apples  (granny smith, fuji, honey crisp, pink lady)
3-6 dashes of Cinnamon Powder
2 Tbsp. Coconut Oil (stick with coconut here...it offers the perfect sweetness like other oils cannot; plus coconut oil is anti-viral & full of perfect fat )
1-3 Tbsp. Raw Honey, Agave Nectar, or Organic Raw Cane Sugar
1/2 - 1 1/2 c. Rolled Oats (more the thicker & crunchier; less more of the apple-ness goin' on)
1/3c. chopped walnuts, pecans, toasted almonds, GF cereal or hemp hearts *optional but really good
dash sea salt
dash nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Swirl 1 Tbsp. of the Coconut Oil over the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish. Wash, core & slice Apples 1/4" thick. (you may want to peel; I like them so I keep 'em on). Combine Apples, Cinnamon Powder, Nutmeg, Sweetener & Sea Salt with remaining Coconut Oil in a mixing bowl & toss until coated. Transfer to Oiled baking dish & evenly spread Rolled Oats & Nuts over the top. Cover with foil & bake 15 min. Remove foil & bake another 20 min. Serve warm with desired toppings or accouterment, ideally Fresh Ginger Root Tea. 

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Fresh Ginger Root Tea

The key to an effective herbal tea is 1) the amount & quality of raw materials & 2) how you prepare it.
This particular herbal preparation is called a "decoction". That basically means you are simmering a course, fibrous, thick or dense herbal material for quite some time. This process is what draws out the medicinal constituents we seek from herbs. Light fluffy herbs such as Peppermint or Lavender, only need to infuse or steep in water. Tough fibrous plant parts such as Ginger or Dandelion Root require simmering. A-Ha!.....you have become an educated herbalist!

2 thumb-sized pieces of Fresh Ginger Root (preferably Organic)
6 c. Filtered or Distilled Water (distilled water holds minerals & nutrients better because it's "empty")
a few Tbsps. Raw Honey

If not Organic, peel....if Organic, skip. Thinly slice the ginger root. Combine ginger & water in a cooking pot on the stove with matching lid. Cover & bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer. You are now making an herbal decoction! This is way different than steeping a tea bag in a cup of water for 3 min. You're actually making medicine! 

Set the timer for 1 hour. (15-20 min is minimum if you're short on time, or up to 2 hrs if you're home & free). Then turn off heat & strain the ginger tea away from the spent herbal material. Yes, you'l have reduced the amount of liquid. That's the point! We've concentrated Ginger's healing qualities....

Compost the ginger if you can. Return ginger tea to the pot & add a couple Tbsps of Raw Honey. Stir until melted, turning heat on low if needed. You've got yourself a fairly spicy tea, perhaps. If it's too much just dilute with some filtered hot water. Enjoy with the Apple Crisp!

Store leftovers in a jar in the fridge for no more than 3 days. After that time the herb has most likely lost it's medicinal quality. In the meantime, you can reheat the tea on the stovetop, always avoiding the microwave. 

Ginger Root is fantastic & does so much more than I can say here. But please know Ginger helps with efficient digestion (especially processing dairy), relieves cramps & bloating, supports metabolism & detoxification, engages the immune system, fights bacterias & unwanted foreign invaders, plus works on the whole body! Ginger is a staple in the kitchen.

XOXOXOX

PERSONAL RELFECTIONS IN REGARDS TO ART

"Talent is just an opinion. But creativity is a necessity."
- Chippewa Injin Byrd: my main squeeze, artist, creative genius

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I love this so much. Personally, I could care less how well you can reproduce an image or recreate someone else's muse.
What strikes my fancy is the realness of someone's style, their unique voice & the pure love & desire to create!
This definitely applies to, but travels well beyond the generalized assumption of ART as in reference to painting, drawing, shaping & forming. It trickles throughout our entire lives. SO WHAT if others do the same kinda thing that you do or also have some great ideas to share? Can we really put a patent or copyright or ownership law on the appreciation & expression of inspiration?
Are you the only one ever to have admired the beauty of a flower or pattern, the surge of emotion witnessing a tragedy or triumph, or felt the potency of the light cast upon a magnificent mountain? NO...but you are the only one who saw it, felt it & experienced it from your unique perspective. SO it's just a question of, "How do you share your expression? What does it mean TO YOU?"
This authentic expression of ART is what brings us together as human beings. We relate, we appreciate, we share in the beauty & wonder of the Universe.

HOW DO YOU SHARE YOUR CREATIVITY? HOW ARE YOU EXPRESSING THE ARTISTIC ELEMENTS OF YOUR LIFE? WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM?
Original ideas are frankly quite few & far between, as we are always recycling, remembering, rediscovering, rethinking, reshaping, & revealing. Plus, ideas are inherently the property of NO ONE. Ideas are the creative light drawn from an All-Seeing/All-Knowing/All-Encompassing Force which ANYONE can access. It's simply tapping into it, feeling it, creating it & sharing that force. So, we find less attachment to ideas themselves & more inspired action toward sharing an authentic interpretation of how that force resonates within the interconnected matrix of life.
Be the authentic creator of your life & shine in the light of genuine expression. WORD!

I'm presenting at the Sedona Yoga Fest!! ...this weekend!

I am honored & excited to share two unique offerings at the Sedona Yoga Fest this year!

 Check out the amazing presenter schedule & purchase your weekend or day pass here!
http://sedonayogafestival.com/

Friday @ 7pm - YogaSTARology & ChakraSTARology
Jordan MacBeth & I come together to share a basic understanding of the Zodiac wheel & yoga postures to support the health of each Sun sign. We will focus on a connection of Zodiac & Chakras, utilizing sound healing from the gong to awaken those energetic spaces. We'll bring balance to all of the Zodiac signs through an all-levels asana practice followed by a gong meditation. 

Saturday @ 8pm - Restorative Gong Yoga - Vibrational Healing for the Chakras

Together we'll experience a journey through the Chakras, the wheels of life force energy which run along our spine. A discussion will cover the general concepts of the 7 major Chakras & how the gong's healing vibrational potency alters our cellular makeup, helps remove blockages & awaken the healing capacity within. We'll connect 7 restorative &/or yin postures with each of the 7 Chakras with gong immersion, & chant for happy health! 

a recipe for a righteous recovery

::: a recipe for a righteous recovery from :::

...being in the car for long periods of time, especially if you were the driver,

...hangin' around the sleeze, sneeze & weeze,

...over-indulging in carbohydrates, ya know, the white kind,

...balancing a very patchwork schedule,

...exposure to dramatic weather, altitude & sleeping shifts,

...& probably a hangover.

Minus the hangover - sort of, the above situations are some of the recent events in my life. The in-laws are in town, for 2 whole weeks! I know what you're thinking, but I do deeply care for them & we get along quite well ;)

Quality family time is the realness we sometimes need for a recalibration regarding the structure & content of our lives. Family, this mystical connection to often times people we dearly love yet seemingly never understand, offers us an intimate space for much reflection & awareness, growth & development.

We've had some interesting moments, fun times dining out, canyon & painted desert exploring, fire talks, Wheel of Fortune episodes, & my heart is indeed grateful! 

But my guts are churning & I gotta keep things a'moving: life events, lessons learned, emotional changes, physical challenges, donuts & beer.

So naturally I'm feeling the urge to create a remedy for this lethargy.

"A-HA, AGNI!"HEAT // Digestive Fire // Purposeful Wisdom // LIGHT 

Metabolism // TAPAS // Disciple & Will // TRANSFORMATION

 A dose of witchy wisdom trickled into my 3rd eye so I got to formulating, taking notes, & brewing up a quick "whatever I have in my fridge" kinda concoction, resulting in this recipe for a tasty, tangy, slightly spicy, sweet & sour feel good "herbal-vinegar-zazz-a-ma-tazz" 

& yup... I just made that up.  

* For the most part I folk everything up in my kitchen (ha!), using my intuition to guide my foundations of methodology. So keep in mind these measurements are rough. Plus, only YOU have the power to craft up your own best batch of detoxifying & intuitive juices! *

::: INGREDIENTS :::

2 thumb-sized pieces of Organic, Fresh Ginger Root

(peel & chop into smaller pieces)

1 tsp. Organic Dried Ginger Root Powder

2 1/2 c. Distilled or Filtered Water

Juice of 1/2 lemon (preferably local)

1/4 c. Local, Raw Organic Desert Honey

3 - 4 Tbsp. Raw Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

a few shakes of cinnamon powder

a few drops of your favorite hot sauce (mine's Cholula)
[or a pinch of cayenne]

add a flower essence if you like, such as Dandelion 

::: DIRECTIONS :::

Combine Fresh & Dry Ginger together with the Water in a pot with a matching lid. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, let decoct 20 min. Remove from heat & strain the herb away from the liquid. Return the Ginger tea to the clean pot. While still hot, add & stir in the rest of the ingredients. Voila!

Sip on an 8 oz. cup like a cider while still very warm, or you can dilute with water & drink throughout the day. Or, perhaps, pour out a shot & take it back with an olive chaser from Queen Creek Olive Mill. If you're really gettin' the sicky icky & feeling bold, add a couple drops of Therapeutic/Food-Grade Oregano or Thyme Oil & repeat every hour or so! 

(always do your own research with essential oils first though)

Enjoy this recovery drink a few times a day, for a few days, before & after meals, when you need a pick-me-up, or when digestion is sluggish. Store leftovers in fridge & later reheat to drinking temperature on the stove. You may want to double or triple the batch so you're more likely to drink this brew regularly. 

Notice how you feel, what flavors arise? What sensations arise from your tastebuds? In herbalism we call this an Organoleptic Assessment, becoming aware of the subtleties. Vinegars & sours are uncommon elements in most diets of this day & age. Be open to try something new, something inexpensive too, & ride the waves of the healing warmth all the way down to the belly. 

Know that this is more than an interesting flavor rollercoaster, but also  stimulating digestion, balancing pH levels, supporting healthy metabolism, aiding the breakdown of dairy, fats, & carbohydrates, & boosting your Immune System. This anti-inflammatory, circulating & stimulating zazz-a-ma-tazz brew may become part of your regular routine before &/or after meals, as a morning metabolic boost, to prevent sickness, after a long day of stress, or potentially serve as a seasonal cleanse of sorts.

Additionally, I took some Righteous Recovery leftovers & used it as a base for a vinaigrette-style wasbabi dressing to compliment my Wild Woman Coleslaw. YUM. I'll try post on that soon.

Experiment, add your own flavor, follow, comment & share!
Hope you enjoy...
the wise owl
XO

we need not pretend

We need not show up to our yoga mat out of Ego-identity, pretending we're someone we're not. We need not pretend life is okay, even if it's not. To whom are we pretending?
 .....We need not pretend at all!

If we show up to our mats to practice acknowledging the real moments of the here & now, we feel our own humanity, the compassion for our neighbor, our loved ones & especially ourselves. I often listen in on the conversations of some yoga teachers around, sometimes speaking in a language of vague happiness, sometimes elite righteousness...."just breathe in light & love." I get it, but....
What? Most folks don't breathe in light & love, they breathe in AIR.

Even in our purest states of peace & even good intention, we must acknowledge the world in which we live & the humans who inhabit Her. We find freedom not by escaping the world, but embracing Her & all of Her potential.

I can sense the NEED for yoga in the people I kno, love & meet along my journey, not out of a desire to change their lives, but because I feel their ache, their pain, their yearning. I feel it as powerful as my own. Yoga is a path to discovering the Self, not just for those who have already mastered the pop up into handstand, then into an arm balance & then later meditate for 4 hours. That's dandy but it isn't the majority. Yoga, to me, is creating a space for the realness to occur, for teaching the language of love & light through human experience.
Love & light are within ALL, yet many who show up to the mat do not yet know this language or see it within themselves. Many are turned away by this language, by this supposed righteousness.
So how do we create union, or yoga, within the scope of this darkness & suffering? What happens when we stop pretending?

We show up to the mat regardless of our hopelessness, defeated & powerless spirit; despite every attempt to make excuses & dismiss the practice or our need for growth. We show up as ourselves, in our imperfections, our pains, our aches, our frustrations, our sadness, our weakness. We show up to shed the pretending-skin of the Ego-identity. We show up to discover that we ARE hope, victory & power! We need not pretend we know the poses perfectly or that we are in the best shape of our lives.

We show up to PRACTICE (key word here) opening ourselves to the light & love within, allowing grace & ease to flow through us....especially, ESPECIALLY during difficult times.
Beautiful wisdom can be drawn from the experiences of strife, struggle, doubt & pain. We need not pretend we don't feel.

Our mats provide the "chase lounge" for therapeutic exploration of our deepest fears. Join me on the mat just as you are.....for a ::::
unique blend of sound, mudra, movement & pranayama /
Vinyasa-Flow @8:30am at Spirit of Yoga at Swiha / Tuesday.

with truest love,
the wise owl
XOXO

the polluted waters of sexual force

http://yoganonymous.com/tits-and-ass-in-a-mala-yoga-in-the-media/

Read this article. What are YOUR thoughts? (comment please!)

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 yoga is often exploited by the potency of sexuality. I agree, there is a sense of desperation to many of the ads & images in mass stream culture which appear to sell a vague connection to yoga.
We are living in a world where yoga is not so much a sacred practice, as it is a gym membership.
Yoga is a business.

But I thought Yoga was a path of creating connection to with the Divinity of the Self?

Sexuality & nudity are creative natural elements. Yet this theme of sexual exploitation is rooted deeper into the collective scope of our modern society, in all aspects. Unresolved emotional tensions, suppression of the feminine spirit & nature, sexual inhibitions leading to sexual promiscuity.
Aren't these images an expression of misdirected energy?
Let us open our mind's eye & see through this illusion.

Our confused sexuality is infiltrating the business of yoga because it's an all-around important realm of needed healing for the Earth & ourselves. Here we find the inevitable rise of Kundalini, Shakti, Creative Life Force Energy.....
Consider the Earth as primarily composed of water, which is mostly polluted at this point. Water is also our connection to fluidity, sex, emotions, the womb of creation. Also, the Akashic Records, an archived consciousness of human experience - past, present, future. Are our sexual emotions thus also polluted?  I hear people say, "I hate the taste of water." I say, "What?"  I'm confused...

:::::Interesting macro-microcosm-moment!

We are burning the bloody handbook & complaining about why we haven't figured out our shit out yet!
It's time to bridge the gap between the ego with the heart!

Mr. Walker vs Mr. Wheeler

Watch this hilarious, yet eerily real, classic cartoon video and then continue to read...

So Goofy's portrayal of a Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde type act is a bit of an exaggeration of the average Phoenician driver, yet it's not far off. Louis C.K. also has an awesome rant (actually shared live on stage in Phoenix ironically or more likely purposefully) regarding the absurdity of how we behave behind the wheel. In a vehicle we don't hesitate to flip someone off, make obscene gestures or yell, "FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!" or some other heated profanity. But if you were faced person-to-person on a street without the automobile between you and them, would you really have that big of balls or that much rage? I'm gonna guess not. Because when we're driving in cars, we don't relate to the human operating it. We instead say, "That Hummer cut me off! What a waste of gasoline. I hope it burns in hell!" Whoa. Okay so the Hummer is a huge waste of precious resources & seems like a most terrible idea for casual city driving, or any kind of driving really. But there's still a human being inside operating it. It's not the Hummer's problem, it's the driver's! So what happens to the human when they get behind the wheel? POWER, AGRESSION & CONTROL!

I do believe people are inherently good, or at least have the capacity to do good. I believe all humans possess the desire to live well, love & be happy. The documentary, I AM (same director who did Ace Venture: Pet Detective...So it's worth a watch, obviously), touched upon the concept that humans//animals are hard-wired to cooperate with one another, more-so than to be so self-centered & argumentative. So why do we act so egotistical once behind the wheel? Blame it on my ADD they say...& the pills or distractions which numb it.  I understand consciousness moves in cycles and yes we are currently, slowly but surely, turning a very strange reality channel to a more uplifting version. People are sick of being sick & want more from a life of attachment to what isn't actually bettering them or the whole. We've been living in some  dark times. But remember, in comparison to the magnificent size of the Universe, we're on a tiny little planet...existing in a split second, of a moment in time, which gives way to the birth of another moment of time, & in another realm star is born....it's all about perspective. So why not choose to enjoy the moment, appreciate the journey & keep the positivity a flowin'?

My Ole man & I just returned back from a trip to Iowa to revisit our roots. & since I've felt a surge of hope and inspiration for a newfound sense of community & creativity, of real humans coming together to be genuinely helpful & sincere. One of many profound components of my visit back home was participating in & witnessing the high-quality of driving, & the common courtesy, decency & kindness of strangers.

I'm talking specifically about the FOCUS of our DRIVING // a Meditation in Motion. Everyone was conscientious & calm. Obviously Iowa is much less populated than Arizona, so the streets are less crowded, but folks also don't hit the gas to hopefully make it through a yellow light to only end up running a red. Drivers wave & smile & generally work together. It made my heart sing!

In contrast, let's take a look at the lack of such focus. Speeding, swerving because of texting, not signaling, cutting people off, running red lights,  updating Facebook....seems like all the stuff driving is NOT about.

To extend beyond just driving, we're real convinced we've got it all figured out. It's the "ME ME ME SHOW!" Yes we know how to google the answer to a question, but what value does knowing that answer always bring to your life? Quite frankly I feel it's time we got back to a focus around being more mindful of what we're filling our time with. Are we making, building, cooking, creating, playing, listening & breathing for ourselves? Let's cultivate a focus of being more quiet, patient & still. At the airport yesterday, almost every person, even the children, were on a phone or computer. Do we know how to be with ourselves & pay attention to the present moment? We don't always NEED a computer to tell us what to do, think, how to behave or our social media to serve as a personal diary or public platform to announce every damn thought, idea or event of our lives.

Sadly, we humans have let ourselves grow to be pretty dumb. Dependent on constant distraction, we may own things & do stuff & care about how we look to the rest of the world, but what do we really truly know about ourselves? Have we tapped our inherent capacity to create mindfully? We know about things but have little knowledge as to why or how. We've turned our internal compass into a pacifier of pop culture, legal poisons & social media.

These are real elements of modern life & I realize right now I'm using a computer to share my thoughts with you. It's not so much an all-or-nothing game here, because despite these potential distractions, we've collectively created this reality & we've all got work to do. We all could learn more forgiveness, compassion & acceptance. We all have a dharma code to fulfill & a purposely driven path to follow. We're all sorting through our individual crises & navigating the balance of life. Yet when life gets tough & we get confused, hurt or angry, sometimes the most wonderful practice is silence. Silence is golden & leads us to our peacefulness. When faced with the opportunity to incarnate as Mr. Wheeler, you may instead choose to stop, breathe & remember the bigger picture. Is your driving helping out Mr. Walker? 

I've written on driving in the past because it's such a powerful privilege in our lives, one that we often taken for granted. As much as driving can be super fun (I love going fast!) it's one of my biggest lessons & pet peeves. If you've known me long enough you know I was once a pretty crazy, reckless driver. What can I say? I'm really quite talented at driving with my knees!

Yet I've calmed my wild ways & fiery rage over the years & feel much better behind the wheel. Instead of flipping people off I now smile & wave at them! I try to breathe. Instead of rushing when I'm late or worrying when being followed by a cop late at night, I chant. It's really helped a lot. But every now & again...I am bewildered by the insanity of what happens on the road!

The confusion & overall idiocracy witnessed on the 101 during rush hour is beyond me. I feel for those who do it daily. There's almost always an accident...or 3.

I'm confused as to why people do what they do. As I pass the single gentleman, with a spaced out expression, going 50mph in the carpool lane, I cannot help but ask....why? Additionally, we do not need to come to a sudden panicked halt at the exit ramp because cars are merging. By gosh, might we figure out how to use the right hand lane & turn signal to effectively weave on & off more smoothly? Lord have mercy the blinker is there for one reason only.

We're SO blessed to avoid sub-zero temperatures & icy roads, yet I see lots of really scared people gripping the wheel squinting at something, scared out of their minds! Is it a UFO? Maybe I should squint too! There could just very well be something out there....

I'm not remotely upset as I write this, nor am I going around nit-picking every single movement on the road, because clearly we ALL could be more present with ourselves when behind the wheel. But dang folks, driving is important! Think about it: we spend a lot of money, energy & resources on our vehicles, gas, roadways, environmental stress, maintenance & upkeep, etc. We pretty much require this style of transportation living in Phoenix & many use it daily. Our lives & our peace is at stake. Our actions affect us & those around us.

Take time to pause & reflect. Allow yourself to stay calm when behind the wheel. Give someone a friendly wave or nod. Share the love, even if it's between two panes of glass & a white-dotted line....

Godspeed,
THE WISE OWL
XOXOXO