Healthy Diet and Lifestyle
Posts tagged Christmas
Best Wishes for a Blessed Christmas
Dec 22nd
So now that we have revisited the true meaning of Christmas in the previous post, I want to send you best wishes for a Blessed Christmas and a Healthy New Year! To make sure you enjoy a great Christmas feast here are two really healthy recipes you can try and then share with those you love too!
Broccoli Crunch Salad: In your food processor shred the following
- 1 small cauliflower
- the stems from a bunch of broccoli (put aside the floret tops)
Put this into your large bowl, then add the following:
- ½ cup organic raisins
- ½ cup sunflower seeds (that have been soaked then drained)
- the floret tops of broccoli in small pieces
- fresh corn cut from 2 cobs
- 1 cup celery (thinly chopped)
- 1 cup red pepper (thinly chopped)
Mix all the ingredients well, toss well with the dressing below.
Dressing: Put the following into your blender and blend until creamy
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cloves
Put in the fridge until ready to serve. This keeps well if made the night before. Just before serving add 1 avocado diced. This also looks good when you serve it on a bed of Spinach!
Raw Pumpkin Pie: Before I started this Hallelujah lifestyle, I loved pumpkin pie, now I love this great raw pie instead and have pleased many friends with it!
Filling: This is best done in a Champion or Green Star Juicer using the blank screen
Soak the following for 30 minutes
- ¾ cup organic dates
- ½ cup organic raisins
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Peel and cut 3 medium yams (or sweet potatoes or pumpkin) into chunks.
Drain dates, raisins and seeds reserving the water. Put the pieces of yams and dates, raisins and seeds alternately through the juicer. You will need a large bowl to catch them (this will give you 3-4 cups).
Transfer this pulp mixture to the food processor and add the following spices:
- 1 tsp of each: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger
Process well. It will take a few minutes and you might need to add some of the water from the soaked dates/raisins. Be careful not to make it too wet (you can add 2 tbsp of freshly ground flax seed as a thickener if needed).
Continue blending until smooth and creamy. Pour filling in the crust, sprinkle with coconut and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This can be served as a raw pudding in a fancy dessert bowl without the crust.
Almond Crust
Prepare crust before and keep in the fridge or freezer. Soak nuts overnight then drain before grinding.
In food processor grind:
- 1 cup almonds
- ½ cup dates
Process until mixed well, then pat it into the pie plate to make a 1/4″ thick crust.
The True Meaning of Christmas
Dec 22nd
This week I would like to stop and reflect on the true meaning of CHRISTMAS, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.
Matthew 1:18-25
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her
to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Luke 2:1-20
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place whileQuirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Matthew 2:1-12
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?, for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.