Blueberry Muffins

August 29, 2025

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Dry Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
(I used 1 cup Red Mill “1 to 1 Baking Flour” plus 1 & 1/2 cups Maine Grain Wheat Organic Pastry Flour)

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

 

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs

zest of 1 lemon

3/4 cup avocado oil (or oil of your choice)

1 cup greek yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk of your choice

1 Tbsp maple syrup

Other ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
optional sugar for muffin tops

 

Directions:

preheat oven to 375 F

mix together wet and dry ingredients

fold in blueberries

put in muffin tin (I use a large ceramic one – makes 6 very large muffins)

Optional: Sprinkle tops with sugar

place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes plus. Check with a chopstick to make sure the middle is dry.
Mine take about 40 minutes (they are large).

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Breathe in calm, Breathe out smile

November 01, 2024

This is one of my all time go to easy access and profound mantra meditations. I have used for many years!
Recorded on my paddle board October 31, 2024, York Maine.

Breathing in I calm my body. Breathing out I smile.
Living in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment.
Thich Nhat Hanh

Best Gluten Free Waffles by Susan

May 27, 2024

Separate 2 eggs
lightly whisk egg yolks (for wet ingredients)
beat egg white until stiff white peaks form (set aside until time to fold them in)

Wet ingredients                                                              

1 & ½ cups almond milk (or your choice of milk)         
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar   
let rest a couple of minutes, then add:
¼ cup avocado oil
2 Tbsp. maple syrup                
1 tsp. vanilla extract               
2 egg yolks                   

Dry Ingredients
1 cup gluten free flour                        
½ cup oat flour                                                  
¼ cup almond flour                                     
¼ cup brown rice flour                               
1 tsp. cinnamon                                    
1 Tbsp. baking powder                        
½ tsp. salt 
1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1 Tbsp. brown sugar or coconut brown sugar                                  

Mix wet and dry ingredients
Fold in egg whites

Cook in waffle iron (Belgian Style).

Top with fruit of your choice in season, maple syrup &
optional dollop of yogurt

Contentment

March 01, 2024

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It’s not always easy to be with what is, especially when we’d like things to be different. Living in a world of conflict and chaos is hard. We get busy, distracted, frustrated, angry, sad, maybe even hopeless. Instead, we might try being present with what is right here, now, within ourselves and our own lives. Contentment is a state that we can cultivate with open hearted mindfulness, acceptance (seeing things for what they are), and gratitude. When we begin to see the essence of who we are and the things that matter in our life (like relationships, pets, nature and beauty) and have gratitude, we elicit a sense of peace and ease in the present moment apart from any external events. By living with contentment we can experience inner peace and harmony in all aspects of our lives. Is contentment just a form of spiritual bypassing? I don’t think so.

Contentment really does help us live in a difficult world. In fact, I believe that a true core of inner contentment, where we are at peace with ourselves, allows us to act in the world with discernment, wise judgement, and clarity of thought. We can then respond to life from a balanced center of being and with kindness of heart. Just imagine if everyone lived in this space. We can have inner peace and contenment as our ground of being and still desire and work for change. Perhaps this is the only way that we can create change.

The sanskrit word for contentment is santosha. Santosha just so happens to be the name of the retreat center we are going to for our new “Inner Peace Retreat” in June. Taking time for yourself may feel like self- indulgence when we live in a world of conflict. However, I believe it’s one of the wisest and most responsible acts that we can do. “Inner peace creates world peace”! You are invited to join us this June.

Orange Molasses Ginger Cookies
(gluten free) OMG

January 16, 2024

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Shanti is patient &  hopeful

I first made these cookies years ago for a retreat, and this revised version for our Self- Care for the Holidays cooking class, using freshly ground ginger brought back from my 2023 trip to India. (Don’t worry, you don’t have to go to India. You can use any ginger powder.) These are not crispy cookies like ginger snaps. I like crispy but my husband likes soft, so it’s a compromise. These have a slightly soft interior with a nice ginger taste, and an orange essence that pops in your first bite.  I made them instead of a cake for my ocean dipper friend Amy’s 50th birthday. It’s easier to eat a cookie on the beach in 20- degree weather!

Ingredients:
Wet
3/4 cup soft or melted coconut oil (or butter/vegan butter)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar (or coconut/ date sugar)
2 eggs (or flax eggs)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 – 2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
zest of 1 orange
Dry
2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (or flour of your choice)
1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ginger powder
1 tsp. cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Plus, a bit of extra sugar set aside in a bowl to roll the cookies in or sprinkle on top before cooking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Mix all wet ingredients with electric mixer.
Mix all dry ingredients in a second bowl with a wooden spoon.

Then add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix with electric mixer.

Place bowl into refrigerator for 15 minutes or up to one hour.
Take out of the refrigerator and roll cookie batter into small balls (about an inch and a half in diameter).
Dip and roll cookie ball into a small bowl of sugar (or you can press cookie on pan with a fork and sprinkle the tops with sugar before cooking).

Bake on a cookie sheet for about 8 -10 minutes.
Take out and cool on a wire rack.  Enjoy!