Green Tara Celtic Dreams

I've loved pancakes all my life. Who doesn't? We had pancakes often, even for dinner. When the weekly paycheck began to run dry Ma got down the box of Bisquick and not one person whined about it. Sometimes my sister would make a pancake man for me, with a smiling face and eyes. In fact, when I was a child pancakes were the first thing I taught myself to cook.  I'm gluten free by necessity now and have had so many pancake failures. I've tried vegan scratch GF recipes using coconut flour, almond flour or oats ground in the Vitamix, and they were okay, but usually gritty, unfluffy and "tough." Subbing gluten free flour blends for regular flour in a standard recipe never provides the correct ratio of ingredients for a good outcome, and I haven't cared for other GF pre-mixed pancake brands. My last failure attempting to bake a pumpkin bread subbing GF flour taught me that when searching for a recipe, you must find a dedicated gluten free recipe. I'm not a

Black-Eyed Pea Stuffed Acorn Squash The smoky black-eyed peas are a separate scratch recipe, but they incorporate bacon.  My suggestions for getting the smoked flavor without meat are to use smoked paprika, or maybe a chopped up chipotle in adobo sauce?  There's always the alternative of dressing up a can of BEPs. :D Here are the BEPs: Here's an alternative vegetarian acorn squash recipe that makes a larger amount: Moroccan Chickpea Stuffed Acorn Squash Happy Thanksgiving!!

Slow Cooker Moroccan Butternut Squash Stew This is my own spin on a WW vegan classic.  I make it spicier than the original version with the addition of garam masala and a little extra red pepper.  A bowl of this warming vegan stew is extra satisfying when paired with quinoa or mashed sweet potatoes.  I often save the time of prepping the butternut by buying a package of pre-cut squash. I must confess to having a little Instant Pot guilt here.  I don't  use my old four quart Rival Crock-Pot anymore, which makes me feel sad sometimes.  Our Rival used to be the fourth member of the family!  But everything just comes out tasting better when it's made using the Instant Pot slow cooker function, and the added benefit is not needing a separate piece of cookware to saute the onions and garlic. Sometimes I like to add a little torn kale to bump up nutrients and color, but not too much.  I like the orange vibrancy of the carrots and butternut to shine. Ingredients: avocado oil 1/2 small

Living with scoliosis is a puzzle.  Often a person doesn't know they have it until some crisis brings attention to it.  For some it is mild, for others it is debilitating.  For me, It's a moody situation - some days I'm doing very well, others not so much.  I do my best by listening to my body and regularly engaging in weight training, stretching and Pilates.  Yin yoga and restorative yoga are my cornerstones in managing the pain and giving me a much needed mental and physical rest from it.   Having to deal with doctors is the worst part.  I don't want to see x-rays or MRI reports, and hate having attention called to the skeleton in my closet.  Doctors have, for the most part, been useless.  They give me mixed responses, none of them helpful unless it's a physical therapy referral.   So I joined a Facebook scoliosis awareness group to learn more, and most of what I've learned is horrifying.  The fusion isn't a once in a lifetime event; most patients have to

Introduction Like many of us with a meditation practice I have heard about affirmations and how they can be lifechanging.  I was introduced to the concept about 10 years ago by an acupuncturist who was treating my arthritis.  She is a holistic doctor who taught me that treating the mind and spirit is just as is important as treating the physical body, if not more.  She suggested I read up on Louise Hay , a popular motivational writer and the New Age guru of positive affirmations.   I signed her book, Heal Your Body , out of the library.  It did not float me, to be honest, but it opened a new line of thinking. As time went by the concept of setting affirmations would crop up here and there, but never really gelled until I discovered yogini Kassandra Reinhardt via her YouTube channel, Yoga with Kassandra .  Kassandra offers a lot of yin practices on her channel and is fond of incorporating positive affirmations.  With this gentle introduction, while I'm in a calm and receptive positi

I assembled this mini grid to commemorate my Irish ancestors and spirit guides on St. Patrick's Day. I came across the Celtic skull cross on Crystalgemstones' Instagram feed and had to have it.  It is ruby in kyanite, a stone with high vibrational energy for me, and it's just plain cool.   I only have two skulls in my collection - a small labradorite cabochon and this piece.  Skulls are highly popular with crystal healers and gridders; I have seen elaborate designs comprised of many expensive skulls carved from quartz, tiger's eye, jasper and much more.  Upon asking why skulls are so revered I was told that they are prized for being conductors of knowledge.  At this point in my studies the full form skulls with their gnarly teeth and empty eye sockets creep me out too much.  Coupled with their costliness, skull worship isn't in my foreseeable plans.   I rounded it out with a small petrified wood piece at the top of the cross.  At the base is my mother's Canamara