Sunday, February 26, 2012

Raw, Vegan, Gluten and Guilt Free Cinna-Cookies

I was looking for some GF recipes for pretty much anything new. I found a similar recipe and altered it to my preferences. I am sick of the same old GF food where half of it leaves me craving the real thing. I have tasted the real thing since I was only diagnosed as gluten intolerant last year.  Now that 90% of the grocery store items are off limits, I am left to drool on the sidelines. This recipe may be the best thing I have tasted in months!

These cookies are absolutely delicious. I wouldn't even have to say it if you could smell them!

10-12 depitted dates
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw almonds
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 diced apple, optional (Mac, Macoun, or any sweet but not too bitter)

Blend all ingredients (except the apple!) in a food processor or Vita-mix until completely mixed. You may want ear plugs, it is quite loud. Certainly not for making during nap time for any little ones! You will know you are done mixing when it looks a bit like brown and tan sand, or small pebbles. I stopped blending when I knew the ingredients would stick together nicely in a small ball.
Get ready to get a bit dirty, clean bare hands works best to blend the apple into the mix. Then take a ping pong ball sized amount, roll into a ball then flatten. Repeat until all the mix is used. You will get about 12-15 cookies.
Place in food dehydrator for about an hour on 145F, then you can turn down to 110F for up to 7 hours. I preferred to only do the first hour, then refrigerate. Warning: You will be tempted to hide them on your family and have them all for yourself. They are very filling, so make sure you share. :)

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Disrespect in a Time Aimed at Rewarding for Respect

 The apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree! Wow, that statement never meant much to me before. But we truly do influence our children with every move we make. Taekwondo, is a Martial Art, but is also about Respect. We bring our children there to learn skills of the body, but also of the mind. Tae Kwon Do translates to mean  "The right way of using all parts of the body to stop fights and help to build a better and more peaceful world."
Every month before testing night at my DD2's Dojang, there is a night of Board Breaking. This is the busiest day at the Taekwondo Center every month. This week was especially busy and very important that my daughter attend Board Breaking because she was going for her Yellow Belt test two days later. More than 40 kids showed up and were accompanied by parents, brothers, sisters and many screaming toddlers.
The parents were what shocked me the most. I really wish I could recreate the whole scene for you here and set the undertone with a smell. You would be holding your nose, and trying not to gag on rotten eggs and dirty diapers.
All the students of the Dojang went in to class to line up and do their warm up exercises, and were reminded that the child who showed the most respect would be rewarded with a medal at the end. Her Grand Master had dangled the carrot. And DD2 was a hungry rabbit. She new it was a Gold Medal, and had tried every month to earn it, learning from the clues of the other previous winners. The children then were called to sit behind their boards, and watch as the other students went through their lesson. As each child watches, he/she is to be quiet, sit with crossed legs, and watch patiently. This being the busiest class of the month, the parents are often invited to remove their shoes and sit quietly inside the room.  My husband, father, myself and DD1 sat in the stadium chairs and watched. One other father sat up in back, and all the rest of the parents were walking around the waiting room and sitting in the classroom, wiggling this way and that. This particular class, some parents were moving around taking pictures and aiming their flashes in every direction.
So, with that said, I watched as each adults counterpart child acted in a similar way. Children were wiggly and talking and moving around. Where was DD2? Sitting criss-cross apple sauce, arms between her knees, staring intently on her Grand Master, or staring straight ahead. Like an Angelic Statue. There were a few other well behaved kids, don't get me wrong. But she was amazing. I know how wound up my DD2 can get, so even I was super impressed. She set a goal and she went for it. And succeeded. The competition may not have been stiff, but there were a lot of them and one of her.
When we got out to the parking lot, one parent smashed my drivers side door with her car door and smashed my mirror backwards. No apology. I even got out of the passengers side, walked around, checked for damage, and not a single acknowledgement. My fathers car was blocked in by 4 or more other cars. I was livid, because there is another lot to park in when this lot runs out of room. Not one car was in that lot. I am thankful my laryngitis was fully in effect, or I might have become one of the disrespectful parents.