Tis the season for colder nights, extra hot tea in the morning, and wearing a scarf just for good measure before venturing out into the elements. It’s almost Winter and if the weather doesn’t give you that impression, your garden will. Now is the time for plants to start winding down, grounding into the earth a bit more, and for buds to go to sleep rather than bloom. As a gardener, I mourn my roses, calendula and lavender this time of year. I’m so fortunate to be able to go out and pick flowers most of the year - for baths, salads and tea making, but when it ceases in the winter it can be a bit rough to take. One thing that gets me through this horticultural lull, is by bringing the nature that is left this time of year indoors for some at-home apothecarian projects. Our skin is our largest organ, absorbing so much throughout the day and night - and this time of year is important to nourish it as much as possible. Crafting your own organic, botanically infused bath and beauty products can be easy and a great way to ward off the dehydration caused by the cold and rough skin this chilly season can induce.
Here is one recipe that motivated me to start my organic bath/beauty line, Garden Apothecary (www.gardenapothecary.etsy.com). Projects like this inspire me to create healing treatments for my customers, using organic, whole botanicals. Try this one for yourself:

Honey Mask -
Ingredients: -Raw, local honey (you can find at a farmer’s market or local natural food store).
-Petals (this time of year try using any left over geranium, pansy or marigold petals) 1. Take about 3 tbsp of honey and about 2 flower heads of petals, and emulsify together in your hands. The mixture will be tacky at first, quickly becoming soft and creamy with the heat of your finger tips. 2. Apply to your freshly washed face and neck. 3. Let sit for about 30 minutes. The honey mask will never dry, but will warm up from your body heat, allowing your skin to absorb the nutrients from the petals and honey.
4. With warm water, wash the mask off your face and neck, and pat dry with a soft towel. You face will feel incredibly clean and fresh!

*To really indulge your skin, apply the honey/petal mask above, then shower your face, neck and hair with Garden Apothecary’s organic rose water refresher - this can be found at any Cafe Gratitude store or online (www.gardenapothecary.etsy.com).
This post is brought to you by Jenn of Dirty Girl Gardening.

If you're like me, you love cheese. Between watching cheesy romantic comedies and eating cheese, I like to write cheesy blog posts. I love cheese on everything! With the below recipe, you can have your cheese and eat it too! Lots of it! I Am Present is full of versatility and life, and cheesiness, of course. Enjoy!

FARMER-STYLE CHEESE
Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups

1 1/2 cups soaked cashews (soak for 8 hours and rinse before using)
1 tablespoon miso
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon coconut oil
3/4 cup fresh water

Place the soaked and rinsed cashews in a blender along with miso, salt, oil, and half the water. Start to blend on low, turning up the speed slowly. Add more water as necessary to keep mixture pulling down to the bottom of the blender. When a smooth consistency has been achieved, taste your creation. This cheese can be used as is or hung in a double layer of moistened cheesecloth to ripen and drain., making a slightly firmer and tangier cheese.

Note: You can change the flavor or color of this cheese very easily by adding one or more of the following: cumin powder, turmeric powder, parsley, cilantro, bell or black pepper. Be inventive and let your creative juices flow! (Just remember if you're going to be using cilantro, parsley, or bell pepper, chop them first and add them from the beginning so they have a chance to be well incorporated.)

This Superfood Asian salad is pack with yummy flavor and nutritional benefits! This recipe is brought to you by Alice Liu, General Manager of our Berkeley Cafe.  Thanks, Alice!

• 4 or 5 Persian Cucumbers (small ones) 
• 1/2 tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I recommend Bariani Organic & Raw* OR Sancha Inchi Oil*
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt, I recommend Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt* 
• 2 tablespoons of Sea Palm, soaked and chopped*
• 1 tablespoon of Chia Seeds
• a Dash of ground white peppercorn, optional

This spicy soup is as delicious as it is satisfying!  Try it as an entree with some raw bread, or a salad.

Makes 3 cups, serves 3-4
2 cups carrot juice
1 large avocado (save a bit for the garnish)
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ jalapeño pepper
½ teaspoon chopped garlic
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 mint leaves
15 large basil leaves
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
Place all ingredients in your blender. Purée until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Pour into three or four bowls, and garnish with a mint leaf or a thin slice of avocado.
Note: to gently warm this soup, simply blend a little longer. The friction alone will create heat.

Recipe by Chaya-Ryvka Diehl

www.theLivingVision.com

Chaya@theLivingVision.com

Calling all raw chocolate lovers, hear yee, hear yee; If you would love to be able to take 6 simple ingredients, turn them into the most delicious chocolate treat ever, and do it in less than 10 minutes this recipe is perfect for you!

I suggest printing this recipe out and pinning it up to your fridge because I am sure you will be making it on a regular basis. Make it with your children, and enjoy it as a healthy dessert alternative! If you want a chocolate free version use carob powder, or lucuma powder (for a blonde version) instead of the chocolate (you may want to reduce the sugar a bit because carob and lucuma are both already slightly sweet).

I made this recipe for Living Light's “5 in 5 Hot Raw Chef Recipe Contest”. It is easy to make, has only 5 main ingredients along with 5 flavor enhancers and is a truly delightful meal or appetizer depending on how hungry you may be. I hope you enjoy this light and refreshing recipe! Click here to see the video submission which will walk you through the process of making the recipe!

The 5 main ingredients in this roll include: Avocado, Papaya, Jicama, Thai Young Coconut, & Nastertium Flowers. The 5 flavor enhancers include: Lime Juice, Sea Salt, Mint Leaves, Chili Flakes & Coconut Sugar Paste. The flavors and textures are well balanced, fresh, and truly alive. I hope you all love this light and filing meal as much as I do. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think or what you may turn this recipe into. I love all your creativity! Here’s the recipe:

I love raw pie! Strawberry pie is one of the first treats I made when I first became interested in Raw foods. When I first encountered a recipe on the internet I thought it was too good to be true. Now I make it all the time and have perfected this simple recipe. Its best served with raw vegan vanilla bean ice cream, especially to children or adults with a desire for a special treat that takes little time to prepare. I hope you relish this recipe as much as I do! 

Crust

• 2 cups almonds (soaked & dried or raw, chopped down in the food processor)
• 4-6 medjool dates (process first to make into a paste)
• 1/2 tbsp cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• generous pinch of salt

Filling