Flower Power Friday

“For to the bee a flower is a fountain of life,
And to the flower a bee is a messenger of love.”
~ Kahlil Gibran

Desiderata

Life is full of brilliant synchronicities, don't you think? I hadn’t read Max Ehrmann’s poem, ‘Desiderata’ in a long, long time, and then it popped up twice in a matter of weeks when Cygnus Books featured it on their blog and a few verses were read out at my uncle’s funeral. Just thought I’d post the full version here as Ehrmann’s message is all too pertinent – especially in these times of uncertainty and turmoil around the world it’s reassuring to know that “the universe is unfolding as it should”.


Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love,
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

~ Max Ehrmann, 1927

Flower Power Friday

Considering how badly I neglect my roses (forgetting to prune them at the right time of year, feed them and so on!), they’ve bloomed beautifully this summer…

"If seeds in the black earth can turn into such beautiful roses, what might not the heart of man become in its long journey toward the stars?"
~ G.K. Chesterton




"How cunningly nature hides every wrinkle of her inconceivable antiquity under roses and violets and morning dew!"
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson




"Mystery glows in the rose bed and the secret is hidden in the rose."
~ Farid ud-din Attar (12th-century Persian alchemist)

Mulberry Musings

I absolutely adore sun-dried white mulberries to the point that I’d happily sell my soul for a huge bag of them! They’re expensive little honey-flavoured berries, but packed full of nutrients and so delicious they’re worth every darn penny. I treated myself to a packet recently and concocted the cookies below on a wet afternoon last week when I really should have been doing something more useful… like work!

Here’s my recipe for Magical Mulberry Cookies, which taste like a gloriously sweet, chewy trail bar:

¼ cup cashews
½ cup pecans
1 cup dried white mulberries
¼ cup desiccated coconut
3 tbsp goji berries
2 dessertspoons raw agave nectar
Tiny pinch Celtic sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt

Process the cashews and pecans into small pieces in the food processor. Then add remaining ingredients and process until the mixture begins sticking together. Press into a silicone mould and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up.



The Chocolate Orange Mulberry Cookies were the result of a little further experimentation. They’re insanely good, in a chocolate orange kinda way!

1 cup dried white mulberries
2 generously heaped dessertspoons raw almond butter
¼ cup cacao nibs
1 dessertspoon raw cacao powder
1 tsp orange extract (or a few drops orange essential oil)
Tiny pinch Celtic sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt

Process the cacao nibs and mulberries into small pieces in the food processor. Then add remaining ingredients and process until the mixture begins sticking together. Press into a silicone mould and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours to firm up.

Summer Blessings

I swear I’ve eaten my weight in strawberries over the past month – huge, juicy berries thrown into smoothies, macaroons, cheezecake, and on their own by the bowl! My dad has an amazing vegetable patch and every single plant is cherished and lovingly tended. He brings me a box or two of his produce each week and I just had to photograph this one as it’s a work of art in itself!




I love this time of year, wandering around barefoot and soaking up the sun as much as one can during a Northern Ireland summer! These gorgeous fluffy clouds, captured a couple of weekends ago while out walking, reminded me of my favourite summer-themed quotes:

“I walk without flinching through the burning cathedral of the summer. My bank of wild grass is majestic and full of music. It is a fire that solitude presses against my lips.”
~ Violette Leduc, Mad in Pursuit

“Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.”
~ Sam Keen

“Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit. A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world.”
~ Ada Louise Huxtable

and the perfect way to while away a summer afternoon…

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.”
~ John Lubbock

Simple Pleasures

Time for a few more raw dessert pics! Both of these sweet treats are from Ani Phyo’s fantastic book: ‘Ani’s Raw Food Desserts’. I know I recommend it a lot, but I’ve yet to discover a duff recipe and unlike some of the raw food books in my collection, pretty much all the ingredients are easily obtainable.

If you like the flavour of carob then you’ll love these easy to make Carob Walnut Cookies (click here for the recipe). They’re delicious with a little dollop of walnut butter on top.



And these little beauties (Sesame Snap Cookies) are my new favourites! Funnily enough, I’ve never been a huge fan of dried apricots on their own, but add pistachios and sesame seeds to the mix and I’m seeing them in a rather different light...



Dive in!



Most of the moulds I use when making raw desserts and chocolates are from a great selection at SiliconeMoulds.com. I’ve been really impressed with all their moulds I’ve tried so far - they’re excellent quality and release very easily. Take a look at Sarah-Jane’s foodie blog as well, for some gorgeous culinary eye candy and recipes.

We’re All Mad Here!

~ Welcome to our Mad Tea Party! ~

Follow the winding path through the mystical woods…



to an enchanted garden where a magical tea party awaits.



Pull up a chair amidst the majestic foxgloves and rambling roses.







Join us for tea and a huge slice of the Queen of Hearts’ Strawberry Tart…



and if you’re still feeling peckish there are plenty more goodies!



Nutty Date Cookies



Chocolate Halva



and Pecan Pie Cookies.



Thanks for stopping by our Mad Tea Party 2010! I doubt we’ll need to eat again for the rest of the weekend after all the delectable raw desserts we’ve gorged on this afternoon lol! Please leave a comment so I can visit your blog too.



Finally, a huge thank you to the wonderful Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist for organising today’s event – the entire list of mad-partyers is available there.

Take Me Away

I rarely listen to music while creating jewellery as I love just chillin’ to the sound of the wind in the trees and the birdsong! On those all too rare occasions when I dig out my paint brushes it’s a different story, as the right blend of music has the power to transport far away to a magical realm…

International Fairy Day (June 24th)

This Thursday is International Fairy Day – an annual celebration for everyone who believes in the magic of fairytales and lovers of all things fae! The Fairy Day website has some lovely ideas for bringing a little faerie enchantment into your life including a great article exploring fairy fashions, tips on fairy-style décor, and using found objects to create an altar to honour the fae.

Fairy power is said to be at its height during the Summer Solstice (June 21st) and I couldn’t resist posting this wonderful video of ‘The Fairy’s Song’ by Maite Itoiz and John Kelly. According to John, the fairy’s solstice song is a magical spell that awakens the ancient forests. The ethereal location for the video is Zugarramurdi forest in Navarra (Northern Spain), once a meeting place for sorceresses during the Middle Ages.




Join in the fairy magic on June 24th!

Chocolate Almond Fudge Cupcakes

The Chocolate Almond Fudge Cupcakes below are based on another wonderful recipe from ‘Ani’s Raw Food Desserts’ (Almond-Goji Cacao Chip Cookies p117). These cookies are delicious just as they are, but I couldn't resist converting them to a cupcake with a chocolate frosting and a sprinkling of raw cacao nibs on top for a little extra crunch.

I tweaked the proportions of Ani’s original recipe to give it a softer, fudge-like consistency and only made enough for 2 cupcakes, which I totally regretted later on as they tasted amazing!




Cupcake mix:
3 heaped dessertspoons almond butter
2-3 dessertspoons raw agave nectar
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt
½ cup almond meal
Handful of goji berries
1 dessertspoon raw cacao nibs
(Stir together in a mixing bowl).

Chocolate frosting (enough for 2 cupcakes):
¼ cup almond meal
1 tsp raw cacao powder
1 dessertspoon raw agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp water
(Stir together in a mixing bowl).