I love me some bread. I have the bread gene -- Fern, my grandmother, baked the best molasses honey wheat bread (kissed with real deal butter). My grandpa, Theodore, even helped with each loaf by milling the grain they received as a gift every year from my grandpa Jim, a farmer, and a man whom I consider to have been one of last of the "good guys."
And although I wax nostalgic for Ferns glutinous loaves -- I never developed the passion for baking traditional yeast-based bread (just eating them).
And maybe I didn't acquire her mad bread skills -- but what I did inherit from Fern is my creativity -- my style has just always been a little more unconventional.
I also inherited an innate desire to show affection with nourishing food -- And this week, I'm making raw bread for those I admire and love as a way to say, "gratitude."
So with intentions set to send out a little gratitude, I've taken on a half dozen new bread recipes. (omg I'm so excited -- am I a dork or what?) The first recipe on my list: raw banana bread.
I made the first piece like a double decker cake for my yoga teachers bday: gratitude for the practice.
RECIPE
Ingredients:
bread
2 cups raw almonds
2 cup raw walnuts (keep half whole)
1 cup oat oats
1/2 cup dried coconut
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 medjool dates
2 dried bananas
heart frosting (optional)
1/2 cup cashews
2 tablespoons coconut butter
2 tablespoons agave or chosen sweetener
Directions:
Chop almonds, 1 cup walnuts, oats, cinnamon and nutmeg
Add the dates and bananas until a dough forms
Scape into mixing bowl and add remaining walnuts
Mold dough into a pan -- any size
Freeze until serving
It's fun to pack them as individual treats -- I sealed with my fun tape from the Paper Source:)
Gratitude for the maintenance man in my building who fixed my heat (on his day off) on Christmas Eve:)
Gratitude for my parents who I always say come as a package deal with me.
Gratitude for my girlfriends who have seen me at my best and my worst and love me unconditionally.
Gratitude is a fierce tool that can change your life. What and who are you grateful for today? Even if it's the smallest thing, like food to eat or a warm bed to sleep in -- gratitude can change your perspective and mood. It's even been correlated to physical and psychosocial benefits, not just psychological.
Tips for creating gratitude:
Keep a journal at your bed -- or on your phone -- and use it just for writing 3 "things" or people every night or am that you are grateful for.
make food for others that you feel grateful for -- with the intent of nourishing their minds and bodies.
Have a gratitude buddy and share once a week with each other over tea -- or tell your partner every night one thing you are grateful for about them -- make it a habit and see what happens!
Gratitude is like planting a seed -- and really, it's a lot like good nutrition. Maybe you don't see the growth right away, but over time it's inevitable. And the combination of gratitude for the body and mindful eating work in a similar way; they won't deliver results immediately, but they will result in sustainable long-term health over time. And if I've learned anything on this planet in my time here it's the value over building life with sustainability instead of instant gratification -- I mean that's what Netflix is for:).
xxoo - christine
PS ... check out My Beautiful Brain on Netflix for a little perspective and gratitude for the small things in life we might take for grated.