Paper Altars. a how to, recipe for tipsy cherries and giveaway.

I had a beautiful evening. Watching these women create and dream and leave with pieces of themselves captured on paper reminded why these gatherings are vital for our souls. The making, the circling, the giggles, the moment when someone discovers their ability to create something beautiful; it is change and joy and magic. And I got to see some of my Magic Making Circle members in person and they are stunning.

 

I knew the event would be called Paper Altars as I looked around and saw how much of my altars included secret messages, textures, fortunes, cards, vision pages. I just had no idea exactly what we would do. Enter Bernadette (pictured next to me above) and her creative ways. Bernadette made these paper altars that held three sections for us to work in.

 

Our prompts were around our past self, she was (but only about 6 months back) and our I am and our becoming, the self who is guiding us and shaping us. I asked everyone to bring a picture of themselves that they loved, that felt a bit like the spirit guide of self. The creation of the altars felt like prayer mixed with girls night. Bliss really.

 

Here is how you can create your own paper altar ::

 

 

Photo #1- We used an 11” x 14” sheet of poster board.

Photo #2-Fold the poster board in half 11” to 11” side.

Photo #3- Rub the folded edge to create a crease.

Photo #4- Using a ruler, draw  2 lines: 2.5 “ from each side edge, 3.25” long from folded edge.

Photo #5- Using scissors or a ruler with an X-Acto knife, cut along these two lines. Be sure to cut through both layers of poster board.

Photo #6- Open poster board and pull center cut piece towards you, reversing the existing crease on itself.

Photo #7- Keeping center piece on the inside, refold poster board on its original crease.

Photo #8- Rub on new fold to create new center crease.

Using words, images and textures we played with color story and where we were being guided. There were flowers and glitter and messages from past self to present. The altars are gorgeous.

There were also tipsy cherries. I found a jar of maraschino cherries with no food dye in them and drained the liquid from the jar. I replaced it with bourbon and let them sit for about 12 hours. Then I took the cherries and placed them on parchment paper. I drizzled melted dark chocolate over each one and then placed in refrigerator until we gathered. It made the perfect one bite treat as we circled at the end of the night with story, laughs and maybe a couple of tears.

Bernadette and I have a special surprise for 2 people. Your own paper altar form and a bag stuffed with fun fabric and texture and paper to start to create your own paper altar. I will include the prompts to play with also.

To enter the giveaway here is what you can do ::

Leave a comment on the blog, down below. Tell us three words or phrases of who you are becoming. Let your self that is in the future be a guide, spend time with her, listen and dream together.

I will choose the winners on Sunday, April 6th. xo

Sugar Candy Giveaway

“We have not journeyed all this way across the centuries, across the oceans, across the mountains, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy.”

~ Sir Winston Churchill

What if for one night you could play as though you were sugar candy? At ease, in the flow, giggling, hugging, lounging, creating and finding some of your own magic as you traveled through different worlds…

20 women gathered together at The Loft and traveled through worlds making their own magic and now one of you will receive a box in your home to journey through and play as though you were sugar candy.

What you'll win :: Sugar Candy Adventure at Home

A jar of brown sugar foot scrub created by Persephone Brown just for you to give yourself some divine comfort.

 

A mini altar with sparkles, intentions and a prayer written to you from Mara Glatzel which you can hold in the palm of your hand and feel guided and grounded and open.

 

Inside of the altar tin you will find a reiki charged crystal that Sarah Rubin filled with energy and safety and blessing.

 

A crown, handmade with vintage materials from Chelsae Biggs who also will be including a secret mantra hidden inside the crown just for you. (See picture down below for beautiful women wearing their crowns.)

 

Some sugar candy for color and inspiration.

 

And I have tucked in a mini vision book (if you win and have no idea what a vision book is, email me, I'll hook you up), a few pre-cut words and images to start your journey towards dreaming and asking yourself this question...

To enter the giveaway leave a comment at the bottom of this post playing with this question::

Close your eyes. Ask all of your senses, including intuition, to be present in that stillness. Enlist your senses as you ask yourself where you feel called to journey towards as you are pulled into your own fierce magic.

A haircut after a year of ponytails. A plane ticket. Tea with a soulsister. Tears with a lover to find deeper laughter. Opening your body even through fear. Giving away the clothes that don't fit. Setting the coffee pot in the morning as an act of love to your future self. Writing that poem that aches to be set free. Blowing bubbles as you stand on the shore. Taking the class that you talk yourself out of because of this and that. Finding a babysitter. Hanging up the vision board on the kitchen wall. The tattoo. Putting on the dress. Saying yes to the challenge. That nap.

(I know what you are thinking. Why didn't I just ask you to share it on FB and Twitter and blah blah! Because I want you to journey, I want you all to feel your sugar candy magic and claim that one thing.)

 

Sugar Scrub

2 cup sugar of choice (white, brown, raw)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 Tbl vanilla

2 Tbl of lemon zest

 

Blend all ingredients in a bowl using your hands.

Transfer to a pretty little jar.

 

Eggplant Fritters

Dice one large eggplant and lay onto a baking sheet. Cover it generously with olive oil. Add half of an onion, diced and a sprinkle of sea salt. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until soft. Allow to cool.

Give the eggplant a quick chop, this will be about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of eggplant.

Add eggplant to a mixing bowl with one beaten egg.

Add in 2 tablespoons of capers.

One cup of Romano cheese, grated, goes into the mix.

One cup of finely chopped kale leaves (about two kale leaves) and gently mix it together adding in 2 cloves of garlic, chopped and 1 1/2 cups of almond meal (or flour).

Place generous tablespoon sized balls onto a greased piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Press down slightly on each ball. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool. Serve warm or room temperature. These are great topped with a yummy dressing and over salad. Often I make a dip for these with some Veganaisse, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper and italian dried spices. So good.

 

Rosemary Cassis Bubbly

In a long stem glass layer in 3 blackberries, a splash of cassis and a stem of rosemary. Pour your favorite bubbles over and sip while laughing, playing, visioning, bathing, putting on sexy lipstick or cooking dinner with Bublé.

 

To enter the giveaway leave a comment at the bottom of this post playing with this question::

Close your eyes. Ask all of your senses, including intuition, to be present in that stillness. Enlist your senses as you ask yourself where you feel called to journey towards as you are pulled into your own fierce magic.

Winner chosen next week, 2/11/14  Congrats to Veronica who said, "I have quit teaching 2nd grade. I made a list of all I am and all that I am not. I was scared for a moment. It was like a reset button. In all the pain, transparency, acceptance……there was freedom. I am learning to dream again.

This fierce magic……right now……is calling me to Begin Anew!!!! SHINE!!!!! And photograph with dedication to create!!!!!!"

 

(Photo credits Chelsae Biggs, Sarah Rubin, Persephone Brown, Mara Glatzel and Gina Parker)

The Loft Autumn Series ~ Chocolate Night

Persephone Brown hosts Chocolate Night!!!

I am thrilled to welcome Persephone back to The Loft after her sold out (and then a few more squeezed in) Spring Feast where she brought us gorgeous food and wine and the understanding of each food's preparation. One of the women reported to having more fun than she thought possible at a cooking night!

The idea for chocolate night was cooked up I'm pretty sure as the Spring Feast dishes were being washed! I love food. I love Persephone. And I love bringing women together at The Loft, to feel kindred, to laugh, to rest while being nurtured.

Date: Friday, November 22nd, 6:30pm-10:30pm

Cost: $85 (includes a spot in The Holiday Joy Up, oh yes!)

 

"Happiness. Simple as a glass of chocolate or tortuous as the heart. Bitter. Sweet. Alive.”

― Joanne Harris

Celebration of life, settled on our tongue. Chocolate.

At the Loft we laugh. We celebrate. We dine, and wine, and sigh at the beauty and the goodness of it all. This chocolate night will be a heightened experience brought alive from the flavors, scents, and fluidity of this food from the Gods. The menu will vary from rich and raw to savory and simple. Wine is paired to take you further into the evening’s experience. Leave with a little something to take home with you, and an arsenal of new recipes which will bring love into your kitchen, the way only chocolate can.

 A perfect recipe starts with flavor, then color. A perfect dish grabs hold of all of your senses, you smile at the sight of its beauty, the textures dance on your tongue. A perfect meal nourishes you beyond healthy nail beds and belly, with story, and laughter, and soft colorful cloth napkins. A perfect meal is messy, and simple, and lovingly prepared. The first bite you dance, the last bite you sigh, and every moment in between, all that exists is love.

~Persephone

 

 

Our amazing menu:

Marinated Brussel Sprout Salad

White Chocolate Baba Gannouj

Cocoa ~ Mushroom Caponata

Cacao and Red Wine Braised Beef

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Lover’s Mousse

Wine, & plenty of surprises.

All dishes prepared will be gluten and dairy free.  Please let us know of any dietary restrictions you may have, and we will do our best to accommodate you.

 

 

 

 

Persephone Brown is a Certified Health Coach, with certification from the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. A graduate of the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and Columbia Teachers College of New York City. Spending a number of years cooking for herself (as a vegan, vegetarian, and now carnivore) and as the baker for the Juice and Java Cafe she learned the art of making healthy beautiful food that tastes good and warms your core.

Persephone uses her education and experience with food, to support women to clear the static and get real clear on what works for them. She has guided hundreds of whole food cleanses, teaching people to take that first step for their health and their life. Clarity is a beautiful thing when you're deciding where it is you want to go. A healthy digestive system and healthy mind help you get there.

 

 

The Making Space Cleanse ~ Summer Solstice Celebration

• 10 days of Making Space at your own pace!
• June 10th
• All leading up to a Summer Solstice Celebration that you have just for yourself or invite others to!!!!
• Together with a group to inspire and support.
• New videos and recipes!
• Join with a friend option.

$79.00 $39.00 Summer Solstice Price!!!  

$49.00 Join with a friend price!!!  

 

How do we get from where we are to where we want to be? We make space for the joy in our now and watch the magic unfold.

I am staring at my piles of clutter, my unswept floors, the toys that fill baskets and are never played with and the Spring garden is begging me to weed it. And I feel panic. Like true, true panic. Where is the time, how did I get here again, where does all this stuff come from? The front door still isn't painted, well, is half painted and none of my boy's clothes fit them. Panic.

I remind myself that this is my life. This is my process. I will always be challenged by space and stuff and piles of clutter. And when I start to feel so disconnected to my home I need to slow down and go back into the process of making space. It is slow. It is guided. It works.

My vision of summer is not piles of stuff stopping me from packing picnics or having spontaneous celebrations with homemade watermelon drinks. I want space, sand on the floor, piles of shells and the sounds of laughter. I want to prepare my home for the change of season because I kid you not, the snow shovels are still sitting in my hallway!

I want to have a Summer Solstice Celebration. So I must make space.

I want to invite you along into ritual, trust and magic. I want you to prepare your home and your heart and your mind for an amazing Summer Solstice Celebration.

This is only the beginning of inviting the magic in and dancing inside of rituals that feed our spirits and trusting that we are not only enough, but if enough could spill into overflowing, that is what we are.

Our homes, hearts and minds are all a part of the journey. Focusing on those, we can then step into the loving task of changing our life through the food we choose to eat, the way we honor our homes and ourselves. This is as close to balance as you can discover. Balance is not a goal it is an action, it is what we are always swaying in and out of. Making space is seeking out ritual, knowing that you will fall out of alignment as part of life's dance and developing the skills to ease back when you do.

For 10 days, making space in our homes, hearts and minds

• One letter each day with a making space prompt, from visioning and clearing space to flipping negative thought patterns
• Small, simple gestures that you can take on at your own pace
• Look at why you hold onto things or have trouble letting go of stuff, thoughts, habits
• 10 days of learning how to listen to yourself, through reflection and meditation
• 10 days of setting aside soft space each day for dreaming, watching and simply being in your space
• 10 days to understand the power you have to control your desires by taking on simple rituals and making more space in your life
• A online FB group of women going through the 10 days with you

Making space in our bodies using thoughts and foods that bring energy, vitality and joy

• Never once will you be worried about breaking a rule
• One recipe a day, straight from my kitchen, very few ingredients, gluten-free
• Nothing is "off limits" (really)
• 10 days of starting each day with softness and ease for your body
• 10 days of learning that you are enough and deserve to be treated like a goddess
• 10 days of watching your body release the habits that are making you exhausted, frustrated and full of anxiety
• One letter a day for 10 days with a prompt to make more space in your body and fill your cells with love and healing

Who is this for?

• Anyone who is ready to make peace with their home and body and understand themselves on a deeper level
  
• Women who are feeling overwhelmed by the clutter in their homes and wanting to make more space and create living spaces that are inviting, cozy and beautiful
• Holistic business owners looking to connect to a deeper understanding of themselves, developing a deeper rhythm of self care
• Mamas needing a support system and guidance in creating more rituals in the home and looking to feel like beautiful women again
• Women who are ready to make more space and allow their spirits to soar

Before you sign up, please read:

• This is not a food cleanse.
• This is about creating space in your life, opening up, expanding.
• This is about you. Your process. You.
  

 

Ready to make some space like these amazing women?

"You can't ask for a more uplifting, motivating and spiritual cleanse! It was better and more inspiring than I ever imagined. You'll wake looking forward to a motivational email. It is all done in baby steps and achievable changes." ~ Sarah Rich

***

"I would recommend this enlightening, soul enriching experience, to all who believe there is more to this life that so easily becomes a rut. slightly resistant, I allowed and trusted in Hannah, one of life's angels (whom I had never met) and on this journey I evolved in so many positive ways." ~ Toba Dadd

***

"A favourite quote of mine is from The Buddha – Do not believe just because wise men say so. Do not believe just because it has always been that way. Do not believe just because others may believe so. Examine and experience yourself.

I experienced for myself the changes which occurred within me and my thoughts to myself and my home after the Making Space Cleanse and Hannah’s soft and beautiful wisdom. You will learn how making your bed with linen you love can become a sacred ritual. How de-cluttering your home and releasing those old toys and books can release you from old emotional patterns and ways of being. I learned that by de-cluttering my daughters old toys I had created a space that allowed me to prepare with ease and grace her moving away from home to University.

Yes, the simple act of releasing clutter from our homes can be that powerful. Through this connection, you will find new connections to your home and yourself. Do not believe, just because wise women say so, examine and experience yourself – welcome to the journey.

Love and Blessings to you" ~Debbi Jackson

A beautiful daily letter holding inside of it...

• My love letter to you and your gorgeous life
• A Soulwork prompt
• A video with me talking to you
• Recipes that are simple and delicious
• A chance to connect with me and other women going through the days on FB
• 10 days to go at your own pace, to discover a you that might surprise you, to make space that is sacred, joyous and yours

When does the 10 days start?

• June 10th, a Monday. I love starting things on Mondays!
• We will go through the days and they will lead us into the most beautiful of Summer Solstice Celebrations!
• One letter a day, for 10 days!
• Sign up with a friend for added support.

Questions::

I have done this cleanse before, is it the same? Mostly, the prompts will be much the same. Videos will be new, new recipes will be added and of course a whole new group of women going through the days together.

Do we need to buy anything? Nope. You can choose the level that you dig in. Mostly we are looking at clearing space not adding more. Sometimes in that clearing you may want to invest in an item that brings you more ease but that is all up to you. The goal is to make space inside of what you already have and learn to create sacred space inside of the home.

What if I am gone some of those 10 days? Often people are traveling. You can save the days letter for another time and add it to your soulwork for later.

How does the group work? The group is on Facebook. It is a private group just for this Making Space Community. Once you register a link is sent out to you with information of how to request into the group and a few other details.

Making Space is a way to change your life through simplicity, ritual and a little magic thrown in:

$79 $39

Summer Solstice Celebration Price!

$49 to join with a friend

"I loved Hannah's Making Space Cleanse. In this beautifully-crafted program, Hannah nudges you to make simple, gentle changes that give you room to breathe and feel more present in your daily life. This space-clearing doesn't feel like a chore and won't overwhelm you with more for your to-do lists. By adding simple, nurturing rituals to your routine, Hannah helps you to see the clutter that's occupying your physical space, dragging your energy down, and preventing you from inviting beauty and joy into your life.

I cleared a lot of clutter during the cleanse, and somehow this felt light and easy to accomplish. The more I moved away, the more energy I felt. I also discovered that I'd been storing some personal baggage in a place that felt stuck for me... a wedding album from an unhappy marriage stashed away in my office. I created a sacred space and stored the album there... I'm honoring the journey I've been on, with all its twists and turns, but now I've created the space to move on and allow new and wonderful opportunities into my career and personal life. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next." ~ Eithne Egan trueessencecoaching.net

2013 The Making Space Cleanse ©

The Loft Workshop Series:: Tastes of Spring

 

When: Thursday, June 6th  7-10 pm

What: A cooking class led by Persephone Brown

Where: The Loft,  workshop and retreat space for women in Rhode Island, Hope Artiste Village

Cost: $75 (We are currently filled, if you are interested in a space, please email hello@hannahmarcotti.com to be put on the wait list. xo)

 

Please join me in The Loft as I host one of my dearest friends and the most amazing whole foods chef I know, Persephone Brown. We will be sipping wine, learning her techniques and tricks, sitting at the table enjoying the gorgeous food and everyone will be taking home something special they create themselves.

 

One of my dreams has been to have a space that can bring communitiy together over food, using our hands, visioning and tribe building. I am so excited that Persephone is my first guest at The Loft. Will you join me for a night that will make us want to gather and circle more because we leave lifted and filled and glowing?

 

 

From Persephone:: A perfect recipe starts with flavor, then color.  A perfect dish grabs hold of all of your senses, you smile at the sight of its beauty, the textures dance on your tongue.  A perfect meal nourishes you beyond healthy nail beds and belly, with story, and laughter, and soft colorful cloth napkins.  A perfect meal is messy, and simple, and lovingly prepared.  The first bite you dance, the last bite you sigh, and every moment in between all that exists is love.

Cooking for my family, I create dishes that are simple, lovingly prepared, beautiful, and delicious.  Whole body nourishment is our platform to living the gorgeous life.  In this unique kitchen experience you will learn to make some of my favorite dishes while we clink glasses, share stories, and feast.

On June 6th, as we slowly start to feel summer's approach, we will be exploring some of the beautiful foods that Spring offers us for just a short time more. You will learn how to make and then gather around the table to enjoy 6 dishes that will dance with your tastebuds and excite you to go home to your kitchen and prepare for a gathering around your table.

I can't wait to meet you and join you at the table.

 Tastes of Spring Menu

red pepper~walnut crudite

avocado stuffed portobella with tomato and arame

roasted spring vegetables with lemon & greek yogurt

citrus marinated scallops

raw banana pie

chocolate almond truffles

*All dishes are gluten & grain free.  If this feels like it is right for you but you have an allergy or food restriction, please ask, accommodations may be made.

I am a firm believer in you are what you eat.  I am a healthy living coach and chef who teaches and inspires women to feed themselves beautiful meals that nourish through their simplicity, color, and flavor.  Food can distort and distract from our experiences or ground and connect us to them.  To find out more about cooking classes, guided cleanses, or to read about my life and experiments in the kitchen, visit www.PersephoneBrown.com

September Space

Patrick, my husband, and I have the same birthday.

When he told me that 19 years ago I thought he was kidding. His flirtations started with me just a few days after I turned 19. Here was this big guy who had a big crush on me and I thought, "Oh, cute pick up line!" Well, he really does. And we really do, September 20th. We would go on to have Chloe on September 15th and then Lucas on September 9th. Huge birthday month for us. (Eli gets June all to himself!)

What I most wanted for my birthday was space. I've been making a whole lot of space in my life for my own heart, home and mind and I want to share it with you.

In September, in honor of space, start the 10 day cleanse any time you are ready, get a big discount AND give away a spot in the cleanse for FREE! What? Totally, karma, birthday month, give something away and feel the joy that is returned to you.

This is the cleanse that has very little to do with food (but you get two new recipes a day) and is not about restriction. It is about expanding space. It is magical. I know because I have lived it. This cleanse grew from the work I was doing in my own life, clearing the clutter from my home which opened up the space inside my heart and mind to truly access my essence.

Click here for more information...

These are the 10 days that allow you to be still and take action in beautiful harmony. It is the cleanse that women write to me after and say, "Yeah, I thought I was just clearing out clutter and being present, I had no idea I was actually reconnecting to myself each time I let more go."

Magic. 10 days. Will you?

Food Love Notes

I don't say enough how blessed I am to be able to stay home with my kids and do work I love from my couch, my bed, my table, my mini-van, my attic, my backyard or my favorite coffee shop. Yes, it can be tough stuff on the days when I feel a bit unappreciated or the kids are screaming, but I am so grateful to have a partner who loves the work I do and believes in me, sometimes more than I am able to.

The other day I said something about February not being a month of much income but having so much to do. He said, "Awesome, then you can spend more time creating." That my friends is love.

Patrick does not have a job that he finds terribly fulfilling, and I know that one thing at the end of a long day that he loves is the moment he comes up our front stairs and smells dinner. The meals are my food love notes.

Food can be presented in and with love. Not when we are stuffing ourselves or our kids as a way to fill up, but when we take our time and plan and prepare and infuse the food we make with our love. Fresh ingredients. Spices like notes from a song. Fragrances we want to dance in. Love notes.

I was in a crazy cook everything in the house mood the other day and I roasted a butternut squash. I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I made a pie. This is a food love note. Use what you have in the house, that is how I put it together, a little of this, a dash of that.

Butternut Squash Pie, with dark chocolate...oh my!

Pie Crust:

1 cup almond meal
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 Tb olive oil
1 Tb honey
2 Tb dark chocolate chips

Combine meal, salt, baking soda, oil and honey together. Oil a 9 ½ inch pie plate. Press the crust in the bottom, but not up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 and let cool. When cool sprinkle the dark chocolate evenly on the crust.

Filling:

3 cups of pureed roasted squash, I actually just mashed mine until it was somewhat smooth (this was about 2 small butternut squash)
2 eggs
½ cup coconut milk
¼ cup maple syrup
2 Tb coconut palm sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 Tb vanilla
pinch sea salt

With an electric mixer combine ingredients well. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 350 for about an hour or a bit longer. Mine went for 70 minutes. The pie will set as it cools. This is best to put in the fridge once cooled before cutting.

Enjoy your love note!

Looking for Beautiful

I am the kind of person who sees beauty in a pair of yoga pants, a wooden Mala and a book just delivered on my doorstep via the mail.

I see beauty in a feather tucked in a little vase.

Jars filled with nuts, seeds and dried fruit become artwork in my kitchen.

A pile of white stones is beauty for my spirit as I am reminded of walks on the beach and children laughing.

Beauty is my children with baskets of colorful crayons and markers transforming white papers into art gallery shows.

My beautiful is quiet, clean, calm and simple. It has texture and colors that mix together in just the right way for my eye.

A meal that is full of colors and flavors and that I want to eat again tomorrow is so beautiful.

Beauty is deciding that our world deserves that level of joy and trusting that we will find the path to it.

My beautiful is starting to show up now that I am looking for it, feeling it and living it.

What a blessing to be able to find beautiful, hold onto and nurture it.

This is one of my favorite things ever. For years I have made quesadillas and will put anything in them to get kids to eat! I used to put lentils and seaweed in Eli's when he was little. When I tell him he laughs and laughs! But these, if you like shrimp (please invest in wild and not farmed) are beyond amazing.

Wild Shrimp and Cilantro Quesadillas

1 package precooked, frozen, wild shrimp, thawed and chopped into bite size pieces
grated raw cheddar (this is my go to cheese, a nice raw high quality)
chopped fresh cilantro
corn tortillas
avocado
salsa
lemon

In a well oiled pan, place corn tortilla down and layer on shrimp and cheese and cilantro. You can put the avocado in or have it on top. Squeeze a little lemon on top and place the top corn tortilla on. Flip over after cheese starts to melt and tortilla starts to brown.

Top with avocado and salsa. Enjoy as you eat slowly and in bliss! And savor the beauty.

Well that was fun!

Flour-less Dark Chocolate Brownies: wpri.com

Thank you to everyone at the Rhode Show for such a fun morning. One of the greatest things is feeding others with foods that nourish and are made with love!

The cleanse starts tomorrow and the women we have in this group are incredible. We have a private FB group where I'll be offering coaching support and encouraging everyone to share their experiences and stories. It is a beautiful thing when women come together to support each other and grow together.

There is still time to join us! Wanna make some space?

Food Intuition - Eat Gorgeous

During the 10 day cleanse I ask you to start to discover your food intuition. That part of you that knows how to feed your body in true gorgeous creature fashion. My cleanse includes some meat and I ask that you look for local farmer's or the best local source you can find.

My food intuition goes against my deep longings. I tried to live as a vegetarian goddess for a long time. I ate greens and beans and every so often I would eat a piece of salmon. When I ate the salmon my body came alive. I pulsed with energy and lightness.

One day I got sick. My emotional life was being tested and physically I was falling apart. I worked at a gym, exercised every day but my body was giving out on me.

I went to see a Naturopath. After many visits and exploring  candida diets, they asked me to try eating meat, lamb preferably. I may have gone into a mini-shock moment and I kindly said, no.

Eventually when I could not continue on with my body the way it was, I ate some chicken. And then a little bit more. Years later I would explore lamb which is a gentle and clean meat source. I would meet people who ate and lived in a way that our bodies asked us to, and I could start to believe that I was a goddess, just a grass-fed, local sourced and lots of greens goddess.

Grains are hard on my body. To truly be living inside of my food intuition I must eat mostly organic meats and lots and lots of vegetables. I do well with nuts and beans and have found a little bit of palm sugar is a nice sweet source for me in moderation. I have friends who thrive on rice and beans, whole grain breads slathered with butter. That kind of food makes me sick, it makes others glow.

That is why on my cleanse you get to choose meat (with some exceptions) or try going without meat and challenging yourself to try a new way. We won't know what is best for our bodies until we try, experiment.

Can you block out the voices of what others are doing and take on 10 days dedicated to discovering what makes you shine and find the foods that create an energy system within your cells?

Our food intuition is locked inside of us. To free it we need to stop looking around and wanting to be like her, and her and well, yes, her.

You gotta be you gorgeous. I'll help you get to her.

Join us on this 10 day exploration into your food intuition, your cleansing of body, spirit and space. I am going to challenge you during these 10 days to discover yourself in a new way. If you've worked with me, you know it is about the food as a gateway into exploring  our thoughts and accessing joy and change (yes, I said it) in ways that bring us to a level of connection with self that we long for. That is what I do.

Time to shine gorgeous, this is one that works for me. You may want to try this with tempeh if you know that meat isn't your goddess gorgeous vehicle.

Dill Raisin Chicken Salad

2 cups chopped chicken (look for free-range, or investigate a local farmer’s market)
¼ cup Grapeseed Oil Veganaise
juice from ½ lemon (1 1/2 Tb)
2 Tb raisins
1 Tb dill
sea salt/pepper to taste

Mix all together and chill for about 20 minutes. Eat over a salad or in a collard wrap, place sliced cucumbers and chicken salad inside. Enjoy!

Hey Gorgeous, Ratatouille isn't just a RAT!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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The flavors of summer are starting to burst and as your gardens and Farmer's Markets start to overflow with squash you can get your seasonal glow on. The taste of a fresh picked squash or tomato will make you shy away from eating foods out of season and talk you into doing some harvest preserving (think jams, sauces, pickles)!

We can get our glow on with ratatouille, the meal, not the rat. Ratatouille is a pot full of summer freshness and can be served with pasta, rice, chicken, fish, eggs or mussels. To get your ratatouille started heat some olive oil and add onion, garlic, squash, tomato, eggplant, basil and if you want to be truly authentic some herbes de provence. Squash and eggplant soak up the oil so keep adding the olive oil until the vegetables are nice and covered. Do a quick high heat saute, try not to turn the entire pot to mush, but if you do, it is still gorgeous eating!

Nothing gets your taste buds bursting with freshness like this beautiful blend of harvest offerings. If you are feeling like connecting to the seasonal goodness without taking too much time in a hot kitchen, go get your glow on with ratatouille. Think backyard with your favorite people, sipping a fragrant wine and enjoying a bowl of ratatouille topped with mussels or over rice pasta, oh honey! Set a beautiful table, pick some fresh flowers and just enjoy the glowing that comes from being a part of the summer season.

That's the gorgeous life.

What now? A part two post with recipe

Part 1 is over here...

What is the next step after determining it is about the weight? A plan of action. I'm really good at those, my coaching superpower is that I help people feel amazing. That means this can happen before the weight has dropped, it can happen despite of the weight, it can happen because of the weight!

Yes, I said it. Because of the weight!

After we have closed our eyes to feel our body more light and free it is time to find a way to get there. We all have an intuitive knowledge about what our action plan should be. For instance, I have candida. When it flares up I start to gain weight, those little creatures in my gut want more and more and more. My intuition says to me, "Dude, stop eating bananas, and you know you are going to have to lose the smoothies and Larabars for a while right?" My intuition calls me dude, it's cute. I am listening, fruit feeds candida, which is a yeast overgrowth. Many of us live with this and have no idea.

Can you tap into your tuition just a little bit and notice what the first action step needs to be for you? It might be that you are gobbling calories at night and you should just be going to bed. So why don't you? Go to bed when the munchies hit. My kids try to eat 5 minutes before bed. They do it because they are trying to stay awake, or distract themselves. It is not due to hunger, and even if it is, I promise it will go to sleep when you do. Often we stay awake just to continue to feel bad about ourselves. But if you really have to stay up and accomplish something have a proper meal for lunch or dinner and include the foods that make you feel satisfied. Have your dark chocolate at 4pm and put it away! Don't nibble it at 8pm, you'll just be keeping yourself up and continuing your cycle of de-struc-tion!

Here are a few questions to move you deeper towards your intuition and your feel-amazing-now power.

1. Listen to your intuition, what one thing are you doing right now that is sabotaging your joy and allowing you to continue to feel bad about yourself?
2. What food do you know fuels you and yet you make other choices?
3. Think about one outfit that when you put it on is your power clothes. It might be a dress, or that awesome pair of jeans and heals. When will you find that outfit and wear it?
4. There is something you are doing that you need to stop. Replace it with something joyful. Ice cream every night replaced with a good book and some tea or staring out the window replaced with moving your body in ways that feel so good.

Here is a way to make a bowl of pasta a bit more satisfying to your body and soul.

Pasta Salad with Kale, Capers and Chick-peas

16 ounce package of gluten free pasta

1/2 jar pasta sauce - use your favorite

3 cups kale, chopped

3 Tb capers

1 can chick-peas drained

Cook the pasta just under the time suggested on package, you want this to have bite, gluten free stuff can get mushy fast, so test it. Run the pasta under cold water to rinse. Return to pot, adding sauce, kale, capers and chick-peas. Give it a gentle stir and just allow the pot to heat it up a small amount. Enjoy with some Romano cheese or as is.

Day 10

Today is the final day of the cleanse for my May group. I have been so touched and inspired by them. I'll share some of their words with you and to celebrate I have some very special recipes from Raw Dogs, a catering company here in Providence that is doing its part in making this world a healthier place for all of us. Jessica has met some of my cleansers at the Farmer's Market here in Providence and they were so happy to sample her raw food while walking past all of the scone and cookie samples that were around.

I am so excited by the words that are coming in today, shared by women who can't believe what can happen in just 10 days!

I am sleeping less at night and feeling much more energetic. The especially good news that I wanted to share with you is that my husband said last night, "I'm so glad I am doing this with you.  My perpetual congestion has totally cleared up."  Mark has been struggling with this for years and it has really impacted his ability to train for the marathons he loves to run.  He figured out on this cleanse that it is the dairy that is causing this.  Even though he is an M.D., he never thought our diet could be the culprit since we eat mostly organic and almost entirely unprocessed.  Needless to say, he is ecstatic!

I have lost my bloat and I feel so much lighter...yay!  I don't own a scale but I definitely think I have slimmed down a bit.  This cleanse has opened my eyes and will absolutely change my diet in the future!  I'm also, very surprised that I haven't been craving the foods that we eliminated.  Day 5 is a turn around day since I am finally feeling better.

Now down 11 lbs. all I can say is WOW, I'm shocked at how, well this worked!!! Everyone @ work wants to know how I did this and they are starting to ask questions & implement some of these healthy ways!! I'm making beans, Gluten-free oatmeal w/apples+raisins w/blue agave, the kids LOVE IT!! So much more to learn, so much more to experience, so many more accomplishments to discover!! NEW, recipes to try!! Learning lots about myself & this feeling of success, But I deserve it!!

It feels great to be thinking and acting so deliberately about food. Something I've neglected a bit lately.

The biggest take-away this time around: think about what I am about to eat or drink before I put it in my mouth. Make a conscious decision to eat it or not. If I do, notice how it tastes. Do I like it? Is it as good as I expected? Am I actually enjoying it? Most important, be mindful, as the Buddhists say.

This has been a phenomenal experience. I finally am feeling energized and happy about it!!

Thank you to my amazing cleansers! Thank you to Jen for creating a tea just for this group, and it is so lovely to sip during this weather even if you aren't fully cleansing. Thank you to Sundance for giving my local cleansers a discount on their services and for joining us in the cleanse. Thank you Jessica for sharing these raw and mouth watering recipes with us.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients:

·         5 cups seedless watermelon

·         2 large red tomatoes

·         ½ avocado

·         ¼ jalapeno

·         juice from ½ a lime

·         handful of fresh cilantro

·         ¼ English cucumber diced

·         1 red or yellow pepper diced

·         Salt & Pepper to taste

Blend watermelon, tomato, avocado, jalapeno, lime & cilantro together to make broth.  Stir in cucumbers, peppers & salt and pepper and enjoy!

You can add garlic, shallot, more jalapeno, cayenne pepper, chives or anything else you can imagine to make this soup to your liking.

Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

Wrapers & Filling:

·         2 Carrots chopped into sticks

·         1 small jicama chopped into sticks

·         1 mango- sliced into strips

·         ½ English cucumber chopped into sticks

·         3 large collard leaved cut in half with center vein removed

·         salt

·         sesame oil

Sauce:

·         1/4 cup Almond butter

·         1/4 cup Tahini

·         1 Tbs raw agave nectar

·         1.5 Tbs Siracha

·         ½ inch cube of fresh ginger

·         juice of ½ lime

·         water from thai coconut as needed

Rub collards with sesame oil and salt to break down collard and give it a dark green color. Roll collard leaves with filling. Blend all sauce ingredients together adding coconut water as needed. Serve rolls with dipping sauce on the side.

Rolls can be tied together with a scallion, chive or green onion to hold longer- this also makes for a nice presentation. Bean sprouts, apples, peppers etc, can be added into filling.

Hey Gorgeous, Some Like it Raw!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Enzymes, life force and the power of healing the body are found in food just as it is harvested. You may have heard of the raw food movement going on, people ditching their stoves and pots and pans for dehydrators, blenders and spiral slicers. The transition into lasagna made from zucchini slices and cashew cheese might sound like a wild ride you never want to be part of, but I'm going to show you how to embrace the raw without intimidation.

You can't separate gorgeous from life force so let's look at why we must like it raw. Our body has it's own enzymes that help us digest food, heal our body and stay oh-so-young looking. They are our gorgeous. When we eat food that is cooked it no longer contains its own enzymes, which means that our body must contribute its own. It is like a withdrawal from the bank, you can keep spending but if you don't put more in, you are going to go into debt. Our enzyme debt is dis-ease, old skin, gaining weight, feeling tired and just plain old blah.

The best time to make a deposit is during the spring and summer when sprouts are popping up and gardens are filling up with raw bounty. You feel hot and sweaty, you don't want to turn on your oven. Time for the raw. Let's start simple and then you can move into the lasagna.

• smoothies, some frozen fruit, greens and water
• salads layered with sprouts and chopped or grated veggies
• salad dressings with olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs
• marinated green beans, broccoli with some olive oil, salt and vinegar
• my favorite, raw strawberry cheesecake (it's a recipe from my cleanse, but I'll share it)

Ready to add some raw into your life? Time to feel the gorgeous and maybe even break up with your microwave, because you are just too hot for that appliance.

Raw Strawberry Cheesecake

The May 10 day power cleanse starts tomorrow and this is one of our recipes. The focus for the spring/summer cleanse is on raw foods and for so many of us taking dairy out of the diet is hard work. So I played around with this cheesecake for the last year and finally have found my favorite version, little jars of cheesecake that can be frozen, shared or enjoyed at a party. The topping is so good, so don't skip that, you could use any nut for that.

Wish my cleansers luck, we've got a big group and I'll keep you posted on how they are doing. We'll be cleansing mind and body during the 10 days for a truly life changing experience. You know I love those!

Raw Strawberry Cheesecake - A Hey Gorgeous recipe that my cleansers will be enjoying!

Filling

3 cups cashews, soaked for 4 hours
½ cup agave
Juice from 1 lemon - about 3 Tb
½ cup coconut oil
1 10 ounce bag frozen organic strawberries - let the bag defrost slightly so that the liquid helps to blend mixture
¼ cup water (more may be needed)

Blend or process until very smooth and creamy, may take a while, pour into small mason jars for individual servings, or into a glass container with lid.

Topping

½ cup shaved almonds
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 Tb agave

Mix together and refrigerate. When ready to serve, break into small chunks and put about 1 Tb on each serving of cheesecake. Eat within 3 days or store in the freezer, you can defrost before eating.

This recipe makes a lot! I suggest eating in about 1/4 cup servings and freezing so you have a quick treat to pull out. This is a great way to see that dairy is not the only thing that tastes oh so good.

Hey Gorgeous, Harder is Better!

Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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The harder the better, and calcium and exercise for your bones can help you get there! Wipe off that milk mustache, baby and let's talk foods and moves that deliver calcium without any damage.

Arugula in a collard wrap with sauted chickpeas...can you see an amazing meal there? Drizzle it with dressing made with some fresh lemon juice for extra Vit C, because the C helps the other C (alcium) absorb. Green smoothie combined with a little kettle bell swinging and you have a calcium rich, bone building recipe for success.

We want alkalinity, not acidity for our cells to swim in. Alkalinity: think dates instead of sugar when you need a little sweet, broccoli as an appetizer instead of the usual greasy fare. Trade a cup of coffee for a green juice and you are well on your way to bone building happiness.

This alkalizing, energizing formula isn't just strengthening your bones, but it's keeping dis-ease away from your body and building a pathway for thoughts that transform you into the joyful butterflies dancing on your head kind of life.

Hard to argue with that, isn't it?

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I'm going to teach you how to prepare those nice big collard leaves to use as a filling wrapper. So easy! So tasty!

1. Trim out the stem from the bottom to about 1/4 of the way up the leaf. Just cut it out. You now have a collard with a little V shape cut out of it.
2. Wash the leaf and leave it wet. Put a tiny bit of olive oil on your hands (sea salt too if you want to add a bit more flavor) and rub the leaf. It will turn nice and dark green and become soft.
3. Dry the leaf off on a dish towel (or paper towel) and your collard wrapper is ready. I prepare a few at a time and store them in the fridge for using later.
4. Before placing filling on, close the V-section of the leaf by simply pulling one edge onto the other, closing the gap. Put your filling inside and wrap it like you would a burrito.

Curry Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

I love a meal that jumps into the pot with a little zip-a-dee-doo-dah. Keeping some broth in the freezer and jars of lentils and beans in the cupboard is my secret weapon for those nights when I really don't want to cook. In this soup, mung dahl (tiny yellow lentils) softened in the lemon/clementine broth leaving a smooth fragrant bowl of winter love. The smell was enough to make Chloe run to the table, and that doesn't happen easily.

Hope it inspires you to find your own zip-a-dee-doo-dah!

Winter Citrus Curry Lentil Soup

1 onion, diced 2 carrots, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 2 garlic cloves 1 TB curry powder 1 cup mung dahl 8 cups broth 1/2 cup (or more if you like) almond milk juice of 1 lemon juice of 2 clementines salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a soup pot heat some olive oil and add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes until vegetables soften. Stir in the curry powder and cook gently for about a minute until the fragrance from the curry becomes powerful. Add the mung dahl, broth, milk, and cover, simmering for about an hour. Before serving, squeeze in citrus and taste for salt and pepper and add parsley. We enjoyed this with a quick coleslaw that added a little raw to our meal.

Dark Chocolate Flourless Brownies

Really, it's just yum. Before the cleanse starts I am going to yum it up with a gooey brownie and a cup of tea. I talked about how my world of food opened up when I figured out what foods were hurting my body. I don't hide in the car shoving a chocolate bar down my throat, I celebrate the beauty of delicious foods and make my own sweets. This one is dreamy with it's soft center and melt in your mouth bites. Bowl of soup, brownie, tea...I'm good. The inspiration for this was those awesome flour-less cakes that have about 3 sticks of butter in them. I don’t use butter substitutes often, but every now and then it works to make a special treat. I think you could use coconut oil instead, but I haven’t yet tried it.

Dark Chocolate Flourless Brownies

7 ounces of dark chocolate chips ½ cup earth balance http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/

Melt the chocolate in double broiler and melt in the earth balance

2 eggs 1 cup palm sugar ⅓ cup maple syrup ¾ cup almond meal

In blender or with a hand mixer blend eggs until they start to look a lighter color. Add in the sugar and maple syrup and blend, then the almond meal and blend.

¼ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp baking soda

Mix in the salt and soda.

Slowly temper the egg mixture by adding a small scoop of the chocolate in. Mix. Add a small amount more, mix. Continue until well combined.

1 TB vanilla

Gently stir in vanilla.

¼ cup dark chocolate chips ¼ chopped walnuts (optional but yummy)

Gently stir in chips and nuts if using.

Generously oil with earth balance or other oil a 8X8 baking dish. Pour the mixture in and cook at 350 for about 30 minutes. Don’t overcook, these are yummy if you let them be  a bit gooey!

Cool, they are great refrigerated.

Eggplant Fritters and Layered Salad

Having made these fritters a couple of times, they have become a favorite breakfast food of mine. Full of protein and easy to heat up and lay over a salad, this is a lovely start to the day. I have started to keep a nice round glass container full of a layered salad in the fridge. I take some help from the store with baby spinach, shredded cabbage and pea shoots. All the work involved was taking the things out of their packages and putting them in the bowl. When it's time for a little nourishment, I just grab a handful or two out of the container and onto the plate.

Sitting here in a snowstorm I'm thinking that brownies are in my future today, I will share the recipe with you this week. For now we have fritters to top all of your layered salads.

Here is your step by step starting with the roasted eggplant. The recipe makes about 22 fritters.

Dice one large eggplant and lay onto a baking sheet. Cover it generously with olive oil. Add half of an onion, diced and a sprinkle of sea salt. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until soft. Allow to cool.

Give the eggplant a quick chop, this will be about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of eggplant.

Add eggplant to a mixing bowl with one beaten egg.

Add in 2 tablespoons of capers.

One cup of Romano cheese, grated, goes into the mix.

One cup of finely chopped kale leaves (about two kale leaves) and

gently mix it together adding in 2 cloves of garlic, chopped and 1 1/2 cups of almond meal (or flour).

Place generous tablespoon sized balls onto a greased piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Press down slightly on each ball. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Allow to cool. Serve warm or room temperature. These are great topped with a yummy dressing and over salad.

Emotionally Eating Cucumbers

Yes, I have stood in the kitchen and eaten an entire cucumber, not hungry at all. I was out of corn chips; those are even more fun to emotionally eat. Sure the cucumber was not going to harm my body in its purest sense of being a healthy and cleansing food. Yet, when food is going into our body it is taking on our emotions, our feelings.

If we eat while a baby is crying or people are fighting, our digestion and our cells feel that distress. That cucumber eaten while I am hungry and happy is going to please my body and allow it to fully utilize all the good stuff in it. It feels so good to actually eat when we are hungry, because we are satisfying our body. A healthy satisfaction!

There are times when I get so upset with the kids, and then at myself for my lack of patience and inability to redirect the chaos that I go marching right to the rice crackers. They crunch and when I'm mad at myself I like to crunch. I could stand there and eat a whole package if I didn't have to share with my kids! As I eat them I am stuffing down the feelings that have come up. Crunching the cucumber or the crackers, the point is it's not about the food. What am I feeling?

Where am I overwhelmed and how can I find another way? Sometimes the simplest way is just to stop. To let go. To sit down and breathe. To stop talking and stop the little voice in your head from talking. By just listening and being still.

I am trying to do this more often to substitute for the moments when yelling or rice crackers are the first options. It is amazing to be in the middle of fighting kids and just stop. And listen. And disconnect. And allow them to work it out. Remove the extra voice, the frustration. Instead of the crackers, to just sit and let it be.

Today I ate my lunch with chopsticks. A great trick to slow down and really notice your food. The kids love it too. And the plate is one of three thirifted plates I found for $.99. (More on this later, but we are committing as a family to spending much less and consuming less which means some great thrifting is taking place for the Holidays.)

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Healing Chickpeas and Marinated Green Beans

We've been a bit under the weather around here lately and I'm trying to add in lots of garlic and cinnamon (super healers)! This gentle meal does just that. I made the green beans the night before so they are nice and saturated with the marinade. The chickpeas are great hot out of the pan.

Healing Chickpeas

1 can organic chickpeas, rinsed and dried on towel 2 Tb olive oil or coconut oil 1/4 tsp each of dried basil, parsley, garlic powder, cinnamon and salt squeeze of lemon or dash of umeboshi vinegar

Heat oil and spices for a minute or two. Add chickpeas and saute until slightly crispy, about 10 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon or dash of umeboshi and serve.

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Marinated Green Beans

2 handfuls or green beans, stem removed, and broken into 1-2 inch pieces 1Tb olive oil 1 Tb apple cider vinegar 1 garlic clove, finely chopped sea salt

Mix the oil, vinegar, garlic and salt together and dress the green beans. Store in fridge overnight and enjoy.