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Vegan, Gluten Free Oatmeal, Walnut, Chocolate Chip Cookies

The chocolate oozed from the cookie sheet, as I quickly picked it up and inhaled the flavors through my nose and mouth. I was in awe that this gluten-based recipe was turned into a gluten-free version. It worked!! It (my substitutions) worked. This cookie recipe is so versatile. You can take the base, and then add all kinds of ingredients for a delicious cookie that can be super soft and chewy,…

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Memories Before 40

It’s been almost seven years, yet, it feels so real still. I miss you, can I say that? I never knew what 40 would feel like, but this part of turning 40 today feels a bit like grief.

Thank you, Dad. For all that you did to give me life. I am so grateful to you and mom. And I am so proud to be your daughter. The experiences, the fight for life, the ups, the downs, the silence, the laughter,…

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Earthing Therapy, Elaine's Day

Earthing Therapy, Elaine’s Day

I first learned about earthing therapy when I started studying about toxic stress, the response of the body that sustains cortisol levels in the body at toxic levels, due to stress over a prolonged period of time.

Earthing therapyis connecting the human body to the earth. The connection to the body and earth is measurable, and helps to calm the body’s systems, as well as provide a healing to the…

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I have been drinking more coffee lately. In fact, or to be specific, I have been drinking more coffee that I got from El Salvador during my trip there to be in community with ecclesial base communities.

One of the divine interactions was their home grown coffee. I took the idea of a cousin, and added ground cardamon and ground clove to the coffee grounds to make a sensational cup of flavored coffee.

In one of my morning debuts of brewing this cup the old fashioned way (hot water, coffee strainer, and cup), I got the idea of making coffee ice cream. Something that my mom absolutely loved when I was growing up. So, when the afternoon came, I started my process…

  Ingredients

14 oz can coconut cream

1/4 cup Sugar

1/8 cup Rice flour or Oatmeal flour (helps to smooth out the ice cream)

1 serving of dry coffee grounds

  Directions: You will brew the coffee into the coconut cream to limit how much water gets introduced into the batter.

Separate the coconut cream from the liquid inside of the can. The liquid will go into a pan on the stove to warm/boil.

With a coffee strainer or tea strainer (if the holes are small enough), sit the strainer with coffee inside of the pan (not totally necessary but I wanted to get as much of the coffee flavor out).

Filter the coffee as you would make a cup of coffee into a separate container. Let it cool down a bit. Put into a blender. Add the rest of the coconut cream.  Blend slightly. Add rest of ingredients. Let it sit for about 30 minutes so that the flour will absorb some of the water. Blend. Freeze into ice cream containers.

  That’s it!! 🙂 Enjoy your frozen cup of coffee.

  Vegan, Gluten Free Coffee Ice Cream I have been drinking more coffee lately. In fact, or to be specific, I have been drinking more coffee that I got from El Salvador during my trip there to be in community with ecclesial base communities.

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Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe

Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe

Ingredients

1 teaspoon allspice

2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ginger

2 teaspoons ground clove

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  Directions: Mix it all together and store in an airtight container or use right away. Makes about 1/3 cup of pumpkin spice mix.

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I love the idea of frying fish, but since I don’t eat a lot of fried foods, I hardly ever took the time to learn. Now that my mom is with me, she remembers growing up with eating fried fish on Fridays. So I have taken a particular interest in learning how to fry fish.

“You can fry fish from frozen.” My cousin tells me. I light up, and she proceeds to tell me. “Just make sure it is dry, add your cornmeal, and there you have it.”

Well, tonight is that night where I try. Here is the recipe that I used, and let me tell you, it was really delicious.

  Fried Flounder Fillet

Ingredients:

2 Fish Fillet

1/3 cup Corn meal,

1 tablespoon ground oatmeal

1 teaspoon ground garbanzo flour

Paprika

Salt and pepper

Thyme

Oregano

Onion powder

Garlic powder

Allspice (optional)

Coconut Oil

  Directions: Unthaw fish, pat dry.

Heat oil in frying pan.

Mix corn meal (1/3 cup), oatmeal and garbanzo flour, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, allspice (optional), salt and pepper.

Salt and pepper fish on both sides. Dust the fish in the powder mixture on both sides, press down so that the powder gets in the flesh of the fish, but don’t overdo it because it will come off in the pan if it is too thick and heavy to stick to the fish during frying.

Fry.

Enjoy!!

  Fried Fish from Frozen I love the idea of frying fish, but since I don't eat a lot of fried foods, I hardly ever took the time to learn.

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Seeing The Dark

The darkness can seem so scary. But God…sent His son to dispel the fear that the night holds, and break through the thickness of the unknown–and instead, brought clarity, security, and direction from His light of love.

So the next time I meet the darkness, whether metaphorically or for real, my spirit is prepared to speak the victorious truth: I ain’t afraid of you!!

#Hallelujah

*Poem taken from…

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To My Black and Brown Sisters

To My Black and Brown Sisters

To my younger sisters: Change is confusing if you find yourself at a crossroad and think you are ill equipped to choose. If you find a guiding principle, then choices are easy, because that guiding principle almost makes the choice for you. For example, if you go right it is a bar and if you go left it is a swimming pool, and if you don’t drink, then the guiding principle tells you to go towards…

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Elaine's Cake, Day#55

Elaine’s Cake, Day#55

I remember last week I finally was able to bring Bill and Elaine their cake that I had promised. It was a vegan, gluten free carrot cake. A carrot cake made without butter, milk, eggs, or any of the usual culprits within cakes. Instead, I made it out of oatmeal, coconut oil, raisins, and black walnuts.

As soon as I entered the door, I walked over to Elaine, as close as I could get with the cake,…

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Quotes From the COVID-19 Food-Pick up

Quotes From the COVID-19 Food-Pick up

“Hi Joy! Here are some pictures of pasta sauce that I made with garlic, basil and tomatoes all from the donations.”  – Participant of Food Pick-up

I am very grateful that I have been able to partner with so many entities to bring fresh fruits and vegetables to people who need them, Grace Presbyterian Church being a main partner. Here are what some of the folks have been able to say so far! We…

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Vegan, Gluten Free Ginger Stir Fry, Day #54

Vegan, Gluten Free Ginger Stir Fry, Day #54

Elaine saud, “its OK.” And I knew this stir fry was not a winner. Oh shucks, maybe next time.

The noodles were hard for her to eat with, so if I do it again, rice will be the choice starch.

Evenstill, this is one of my favorite stir frys, mainly because of the caramelization of the honey with the vinegar and onions, but in this recipe, I used sugar and ginger powder instead of fresh ginger.

Ingre…

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Mourning, Day # 54

Mourning, Day # 54

Today I thought about old grief, and how that impacted my current perspective. Grief from childhood siblings, not being listened to, ignored, dismissed, and those type of recordings. I spent the day just allowing some of those buried feelings to surface, and to try to fully feel them.

The hope?

The hope is that I can let them go, and then move toward my full self without having those dead…

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Sweet Relish Recipe, Day #52

I love relish. I love it on hotdogs and best of all, in salads. For example, tuna salad, egg salad, and chicken salad, all of that has my taste buds watering when I add sweet relish. I found a way to make it, so enjoy it with me!

Ingredients

6 to 8 small cucumbers

1 Red pepper

1 Green pepper

1 Onions

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup sugar

3 – 4 stalks of celery

1 tablespoon celery seed

Directions:…

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Thursday, First Day School Free, Day 51

Well, now that everything was turned in, I celebrated. And it turns out that when I want to relax, the first thing I tend to gravatate towards these days is food. So I worked in my garden all day.

It was amazing. There was a light rain, and I was able to pick up cardboard from a nearby source for free. I use the cardboard to lay down on the grass, then I cover it with mulch, and because it was…

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I’m Done! Day #50 Yes, the last meeting, the last survey, the last of everything was turned in today. Thank you, Master of Divinity education, I am officially done. #ThankGod

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Preparing to Finish, Day #49

Preparing to Finish, Day #49

The last paper I needed to submit was done. I hit “send” and sighed. “Was it really over?” I was asking myself. It seemed surreal. I had spent the whole semester waiting for this day and it was here, and not it felt like I didn’t know how to celebrate, but I should. I took out the tortilla chips and started munching. I took out the apple butter and had a spoonful. I started making some sweet…

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Occupational Therapy, Day #48

Occupational Therapy, Day #48

I am so happy that an occupational therapist is coming to the house. I was able to talk with him, and he just lifted the spirits of the household. We got goals planned and a way to move forward that was both helpful, and encouraging. Cleaning was just one task that was on the list. Cleaning, was the worst part of how to re engage back into life after trauma.

I wish I really could remember what…