Huckleberry Bliss!

Last weekend we went camping on the South Fork River, it was beautiful! Morgan, Alex and I were able to go huckleberry picking!

Huckleberries are relatives of the blueberry and the cranberry they are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, manganese, iron and a good source of vitamin A.  They are a good source of vitamin B and helps speed up metabolism and potassium keeps skin, nerves and muscles happy and healthy by regulating water balances and eliminating wastes.

Huckleberries are medicinal for the blood and liver, they help manage serious illnesses such as heart disease, eczema, lowering cholesterol, muscular degeneration and diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels, they also have bacteria fighting capabilities that are particularly useful in countering urinary-tract infections. 

Wow. 

There have been many clinical studies done to show that the huckleberry promotes eye health, especially against diabetic retinopathy and cataracts. However, back during World War I, the pilots in the Royal Air Force in Great Britain swore that eating huckleberry jam or drinking huckleberry cordials prior to flying night missions over Germany significantly improved their visual acuity in the darkness.

These sweet berries are a cooling food and perfect for summer! 

Huckleberry Cheesecake:

Crust:

1 1/2 cup pecans or almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut, dried

7 dates (soaked)

Process crust ingredients in a food processor and press into bottom of a springform pan. If it feels too wet, place in dehydrator while you are preparing your filling to remove excess moisture.

If you were blessed with an abundance of huckleberries, place some fresh ones on the crust so you may have bursts of fresh huckleberries in your pie!

Filling:

3 cups cashews (soaked)

1 1/4 cup almond milk

1-1 1/2 cup huckleberries

1 cup huckleberry honey

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 Tablespoons vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup coconut oil (melted at low temperature in dehydrator)

2 Tablespoons lecithin

Blend first seven ingredients in vitamix or blender until smooth. Add coconut oil and lecithin last. Pour mixture on top of pie crust. If you desire, you may choose to reserve two cups of the huckleberry mixture and add two tablespoons of chocolate and two tablespoons on vanilla, mix in blender and pour on top of huckleberry mixture in pan. Swirl it and twirl it to make it beautiful! Place in freezer for two hours or overnight before serving or in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight so that it may set. Serve and enjoy!

Tip: If your mixture is too thick add some date soak water. If your mixture is too thin add some coconut oil or more cashews.

I hope you are enjoying  your summer and spending as much time as you can outdoors with your families!

All of life is a journey; which paths we take, what we look back on, and what we look forward to is up to us. We determine our destination, what kind of road we will take to get there, and how happy we are when we get there. ~From A Little Book of Happiness

Love,

Michelle

Please check out my personal site at: www.MichelleBerryShaffer.com

Wasabi Soy Almonds

Wasabi soy Almonds are a wonderful snack! Everyone in my family absolutely loves them!

Wasabi is Japanese horseradish and is actually the gnarled root of a plant that is a member of the cabbage family.

Wasabi is great for digestion because it contains enzymes that digest proteins. Besides the fact that it wasabi cleanses the palate, it is also used as an antidote for fish poisoning and maybe why it is an important part of Japanese cuisine.

Wasabi is a heating food and is kapha balancing.

Wasabi Soy Almonds

4 cups almonds (soaked overnight)

1 cup Bragg's Liquid Amino's or Nama Shoyu

1/4 cup powdered wasabi

Soak almonds overnight. The next morning mix Bragg's and powdered wasabi. Let sit for 10 minutes. Add wasabi soy mixture to almonds and let soak for 1 hour. Drain off excess liquid and place almonds on a dehydrator tray. Dehydrate for 24-28 hours at 115 degrees. Make sure you save some for yourself because if your family knows they are around, they are gone immediately.

What's your favorite snack?

When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. ~Patanjali

I hope you are enjoying this wet spring! I am looking forward to a long, hot summer with lots of rafting! In the mean time, have some wasabi soy almonds to warm up!

xoxo

Michelle

Please check out my personal site at: www.MichelleBerryShaffer.com

Mint-Chip Cheesecake

For my sisters 27th birthday I made her a mint-chocolate (non-dairy) cheesecake.

Kate and her boyfriend, Eric had to jump on a train to Portland around 9pm. We had a wonderful dinner with family, great conversations, and the girls made Kate some artwork. Soon, the evening slipped away and Kate and Eric had to slip away without getting a piece of her birthday cheesecake. We had some in her honor and sang Happy Birthday and lit a candle for her and then had every intention of saving her a piece, but apparently everyone thought it was the BEST CHEESECAKE EVER! And not one piece lasted for the birthday girl to taste. Moral of this story is, NEVER, leave without grabbing a piece of cake! :)

Mint Chip Cheesecake


Almond Crust:
2 cups almonds
10-14 pitted dates
1/4 cup cacao nibs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Process all ingredients in a food processor until flaky but yet, can hold together when you press it between your fingers. Press crust into the bottom of a springform pan.


Mint Filling:
It would be okay to substitute honey for agave in this recipe it makes it for a little thicker pie and you do not need to use as much lecithin.
Put all ingredients except for the lecithin and the melted coconut oil into the VitaMix (or other powerful blender) and blend until smooth and creamy. Add the melted coconut oil and the lecithin and blend thoroughly.  Pour all but 2 cups of filling on top of the almond crust.


Chocolate-Mint Filling
2 cups reserved mint filling
4 tablespoons cacao powder
2 tablespoons vanilla
Plop chocolate-mint mixture into pan and swirl around to create a marbled effect.


Place pie in freezer for 1-2 hours to set up before serving.  Sprinkle cacao nibs around outer edges and enjoy chocolate mint bliss!
My daughter Alex claims this is the BEST PIE EVER! 

Mint is so wonderful, not only can you use it for culinary adventures, it is also wonderful for your medicine cabinet as well!

Mint is fabulous to use in a tea, as well as desserts with chocolate, tebbouleh, and garnishes.

There are over 500 varieties of known mint varieties! Wow!

Peppermint is cooling and stimulating, it helps relieve spasms, increases perspiration, and tones the digestive system, especially the colon. It is not recommended to use peppermint on infants.

While spearmint is slightly warming, it is excellent to use on young children and is an excellent remedy for feverish childhood illnesses as well as hiccups, indigestion, and flatulence

Both peppermint and spearmint are tridoshic and are especially calming for pitta.

Hop you are enjoying this beautiful spring!

Namaste,

Michelle

PS. Don't forget to check out the website: www.goingtothesunfood.com

Adapted from Sweet Gratitude, and

Mint info from The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia

Please check out my personal site at: www.MichelleBerryShaffer.com

Chipotle Kale Chips

Kale is one of the mightiest members of the brassica family of cruciferous veggies, a kin to cabbage, broccoli, and bok choy. All of the siblings are rich in sulfur-containing phytonutrients, which promote health and fight diseases. Standing out as a powerful anticancer food, kale like all cruciferous veggies, triggers out livers to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer-causing chemicals in the body. Kale is one of the best sources of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, as well as the precious B-complex posse, including B1, B3, and B6. Chock-full of minerals such as calcium, iron, manganese, and copper, this superstar even contains the essential fatty acid omega-3.  Kale reduces pitta and kapha.
Woot Woot!

 

Kale Chips

2 bunches kale, de-stemmed

1 tablespoon himalayan salt

1/2 recipe black pepper cheese

1-2 teaspoons chipotle (to taste) (this may imbalance pitta constitution types)

you may want to try other herbs or spices

Cashew Cheese:

2 cups cashews (soaked for two hours)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh pressed is the best)

3 cloves of garlic or 1 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or white pepper if you prefer)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1/4 cup blessed water

De-stem kale and tear into chip sized pieces (keep in mind that kale shrinks a lot). Massage salt and positive thoughts into kale so that it starts to release moisture, this also makes the kale easier to digest. Then let the kale relax while you make your cashew cheese.

For the cashew cheese, place all ingredients in a Vita-Mix or high speed blender and process until you have a smooth, creamy texture. Add more blessed water as needed.

Add cashew cheese to wilted kale and massage! Now, your chips are ready to go into the dehydrator! Dehydrate at 105 degrees overnight. This creates a scrumptious, buttery kale chip!

Experiment with different spices, try a BBQ rub instead of chipotle. Have fun!

Warning: Kale chips are highly addictive, you may want to double or triple your batch!

Nest Tuesday is the first Whitefish Farmers Market of the season!

Berry Bliss will be there serving up some delicious living pizzas, as well as, raw desserts and snacks!

Kale chips, onion breads and chocolate macaroons will be for sale!

We have finally launched our website!

Check it out:

www.goingtothesunfood.com

In art and dream, may you proceed with abandon. In life, may you proceed with balance and stealth. ~Patti Smith

See you at the market!

Love and Bliss,

Michelle Berry

Coconut = Bliss

Coconuts are one of the greatest gifts on the planet! They can save your life! In Sanskrit, the coconut palm is known as kalpa vriksha, meaning "tree which gives all this is necessary for living," since nearly all parts of the tree can be used in some way or another. The coconut itself has many uses, including milk, meat, sugar and oil as well as functioning as its own dish and cup. The husk was also burned for fuel, and can be used to make brushes, mats, fishnets, and rope. A very potent fermented toddy or drink is also make from the coconut palm's sap. Coconut oil, a saturated fat made from dried coconut meat, is used  for commercial frying and in candies, as well as in cosmetic products and soap.  How versatile!

Mango Creme Pie:

CRUST:

2 cups almonds, soaked overnight, then dehydrated for 18-24 hours at 105 degrees

2 cups dried coconut, shredded

1/4 cup dates, pitted

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

FILLING:

1 1/2 cups fresh mango, chopped

1 cup dried mango, soaked 1 hour

1 cup fresh young thai coconut flesh (reserve water for recipe below)

1 Tablespoon psyllium powder or Lecithin powder

1 cup strawberries, sliced or 1 banana sliced

Mint for garnish

CRUST:

Place almonds in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process into a fine meal. Gradually add the coconut, dates, and coconut oil and process until well blended. Press into a 9-inch glass pie plate.

FILLING:

Combine fresh mango, dried mango, and coconut pulp in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth and creamy. Add psyllium powder or lecithin and mix well. 

Place sliced strawberries in the bottom of the pie crust and pour mango filling on top. If you have some strawberries left over, use as a garnish with the mint! Mango creme goodness!

Coconut water health benefits

Young tender coconut water has the following benefits and medicinal values:

• Low in Carbohydrates
• Low in Fat 99% Fat Free
• Low in natural occurring sugar
• Keeps the body cool and at the proper temperature.
• Promotes weight loss.
• Re-hydrates your body, as it is an all natural isotonic beverage. It carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, so that it naturally replenishes your body's fluids after exercising.
• Effective in the treatment of kidney and urethral stones.
• Natural drink for feeding infants because its more nutritional than whole milk! Less fat and NO cholesterol. It contains lauric acid, which is present in human mothers milk. It also aids from the suffering from intestinal disturbances.
• Excellent oral re-hydration medium, an all natural isotonic for all ages. 
• Presence of saline and albumen makes it an excellent drink in cholera cases.
• Aids in the quick absorption of drugs and makes their peak concentration into the blood stream easier because of its electrolytic effect.
• Found as a blood plasma substitute because it is sterile, does not produce heat, and does not destroy red blood cells and is readily accepted by the body. Used during WWII for blood transfusions, because it is identical to human blood plasma. In fact, adding coconut water to your green drink or smoothie is like getting an instant blood transfusion because plasma makes up 55% of your blood and hemoglobin makes up 45%, which is essentially transformed plant blood (chlorophyll). Yay!
• Detoxes and fights viruses. 
• Boosts immune system.
• Balances Ph and reduces risk of cancer
• Kills intestinal worms. Helps Eliminate pinworms. Helps kill the parasite Giardia Lamblia.
• Aid the body in fighting viruses that cause the flu, herpes, and AIDS
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
• Helps control diabetes
• Promotes bowel movements
• Promotes healthy thyroid function.
• Used to treat kidney and urethral stones.
• Boosts poor circulation.
• Improves digestion
• Provides quick energy
• Relieves stress on pancreas and enzyme systems of the body
• Helps in gallbladder disease
• Helps eliminate Candida yeast infections
• Inhibits the growth of mycoplasma
• Helps eradicate eczema
• Helps keep skin soft and smooth

As you can see, Coconut water has amazing health benefits. It should be an integral part of any healthy diet. Coconut water is a natural energy drink. No need for drinks like Gatorade or Powerade. Replace them with the healthy alternative that is coconut water. I could probably go on and on, but I think you get the picture.

The coconut is botanically classified as a drupe and not a nut. It is the largest seed known.

Pictured left is a Sweet Kale Smoothie:

1 banana

1 large handful of kale

Water from 1 Thai coconut

1 teaspoon maca

1 teaspoon bee pollen

Using a blender, process until smooth. Serve!

Simply, Wow!

Love and Bliss,

Michelle

Please check out my personal site at: www.MichelleBerryShaffer.com

Wellness Fair, May 4, 2010

Come one, come all to be motivated by Dr. Brian Clement, author, international lecturer and director of the renowned Hippocrates Health Institute, will explore the institute’s fifty years of helping people to heal themselves. He will also discuss dealing with disease, cancer, serious illness and the possibility of miracles. An extensive question and answer period will be offered so that participants will leave with viable, personal roadmaps back to completely healthy lives.

Berry Bliss will be there with some scrumptious munchies and a delectable dessert for the potluck!

Wow! 

There will be fabulous information and wonderful food!

Please come and join the fun!

TUESDAY, MAY 4^TH 

KALISPELL, MONTANA

THE WELLNESS EDUCATION CENTER PRESENTS:

“Change Your Lifestyle, Save Your life”

National Guard Armory

2989 Hwy. 93 * Kalispell, MT

Admission $5 (advance) $7 (at door)

4:00-6:00 pm Wellness Fair (local resources)

5:00-6:00 pm Book signing by Dr. Clement

6:00-7:00 pm Raw Food Potluck Supper

7:00-9:00 pm Dr. Brian Clement -Lecture + Questions & Answers 

“HOW TO PREVENT AGING AND HEAL DISEASE"

In this lecture, Dr. Clement will address the half century of work on disease and longevity conducted at the renowned Hippocrates Institute. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, MS, ALS, Parkinsons, fibromyalgia and more can be altered, prevented, and at times conquered with phyto-chemicals, antioxidants and other nutrients consumed on a diet of organic vegan living food. Dr. Clement will explain the basic science and extraordinary mechanisms that bring about a heightened and balanced immunity. Hundreds of thousands worldwide share enthusiasm in their greatly improved health by utilizing unprocessed green foods. One of the exceptional benefits acquired from this powerful cuisine is longevity.

Hope to see you there!

Blissfully,

Michelle

Perfect Chocolate Mousse

The avocado is a versatile food that is used in a variety of raw dishes-- like gazpacho and other cold soups, fruit salads, dips, desserts, and even ice cream! Avocados are a healthful substitute for sour cream or cream cheese in dressings, dips and spreads. But today we are going to explore chocolate mousse!

Many varieties of this native American plant are grown, but there are basically two different skin types: a smooth, green-skinned variety that remains green when ripe--this is known as the Fuerte and it is available in the fall and winter; and Hass, a dark, rough-skinned variety that blackens as it ripens is available in the summer.

Select avocados that are fairly heavy for their size and free of irregularities. When the fruit yields to gentle finger pressure, it is ripe. Store at room temperature until ripened, then refrigerate.

The Perfect Chocolate Mousse

½ cup dates, pitted, soft

3-4 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon coconut butter, (optional)

1 ½ tablespoons non-alcohol vanilla extract

2 ½ cups avocado, mashed (about 3 medium)

¾ cup raw carob powder

4-6 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions:

Soak the dates in 1/2 cup fresh water for 5-10 minutes to soften. Drain soak water and set aside. In a food processor, blend dates, maple syrup, coconut butter (if desired), and vanilla until smooth. Spoon in avocado and blend until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of date soak water if necessary to aid in blending. Spoon in carob and cocoa powder and blend until smooth.
Spoon mousse into parfait or wineglasses. Keeps fresh for several days.
You may also choose to freeze for a decadent ice cream! Yumm!

Eighty-eight percent of an avocado's calories come from fat--primarily monosaturated fat--which makes avocados an excellent food for people wishing for the nourishment and the building of blood and yin. Because they are an excellent source of fat for people who have difficulty assimilating other fatty foods they are also a good source of protein, potassium, and vitamin E. They also reduce vata.

And there you have it!

Have a wonderfully chocolaty spring!

xoxox,

Michelle

Please check out my personal site at: www.MichelleBerryShaffer.com