My Dance

There is a pivotal moment when something within your body wakes up and comes alive to Love.

Tonight I danced for the first time in my life.  At least for the first time since I was a child.  You see, I didn’t know that before tonight I wasn’t really dancing.  Sure, I was moving.  I wanted to dance.  I saw what dancing was all around me.  I felt a hint, a simple glimmer of what dancing could be through other people.  I knew it lived inside me somewhere.  I tried.  

Even in my purest moments of dancing before tonight, even in moments of great fun and love, my sweetheart spinning me fast around, the two of us running towards each other like silly bafoons jumping and displaying our own scene of “fake figure skating” at a wedding--the only sweet fools crazy in love on the dance floor--without a care in our minds of what another human being thought of us-- even then, I was not fully connected to the root of my body, to the root of  My Dance.  

Three years ago, very nervous I walked into my first belly dancing class.  I signed up for the Dance I knew was in me.  I learned some moves.  I practiced a little.  It was nice.  I could finally move my hips like a woman.  I could never do that comortably before.  I had tried but there was disconnect. I worried about how I looked.  I never realized it was about how it felt. I wanted to be the beautiful worman I knew was inside me. And then through Belly Dance I found it,  but at that point only on a physical level.  

At every doorway of opportunity to dance, I have always wanted to.  I was born a dancer, but not in the way some people are.  I was born to dance My Dance.  

When I was three years old, clad in giant crooked mouse ears and a little grey leotard with a tail and tiny ballet shoes, I ran out onto the recital stage with the other girls in my ballet class.  I remember the quiet classes that lead up to our recital.  I remember the hum of teacher’s voice: “Point, flex, point, flex,”  On the barr--plie,plie.   But what I remember more is the rounded shape of the windows on the brick building across the street outside the window, and the way the clouds moved in shapes across the sky; second floor, downtown Oak Street in Augusta, Maine.  I remember the cars driving by as I dreamed out the window.  I never retained a single step of our little mouse dance for the recital.  I didn’t frankly even know I was in a recital.  I liked My Dance though.  I loved being a Dancer.  As the other girls found their positions on stage, I ran back and forth behind them, looking for an open place to stand.  I scrambled into the last one.  I didn’t really have a clue what we were doing, and I still remember looking around at the other girls, and following their plies and pointing my toes.  Then I broke out into my own little ballet. I see the other girls are doing another plie, and I join them out of time. Frankly, its rediculously adorable:  I mean, just imagine a little line of tiny mouse ballerinas dancing out of time-- you could hear the audience respond in joy and laughter to the utter cuteness of it.  Somewhere during the song, our dance was over, and the little mice have all left the stage.  All except one, who, in her own little world, as usual, didn’t realize everyone else has left the stage.  One tiny grey mouse in tights and oversized ears looks up to realize she is alone on the stage.  One little grey mouse panics and dashes to the wings.  That was me and thus began the journey of My Dance.  

Its 1989 and my older cousin dresses me up in a side ponytail and ties my oversize t-shirt in a knot on my hip.  She spends all day teaching me the steps to her favorite synth-beat song.  Family members are requested to line the couch to watch the performance.  I emerge in bright pink lipstick and the music starts.  Cousin Mandy whispers in my ear to remind me of the moves.  Instead I completely disregard them and do a bunch of summersaults and run around back and forth with much zeal and enthusiasm.  Repeatedly she starts the song over, But I feel so free and I can’t resist the pull of My Dance.  

I don’t know where that line is somewhere in childhood when we lose sight of Our Dance.  The fear creeps in and robs us of the innocence we are born covered in.  I think perhaps it is a part of the Great Dance of Life.  The question is, will we ever find it again?  I think we have all found it, in precious moments, at the very least in little glimpses that leave impressions on our hearts we won’t soon forget.  And then throughout our days we reach through our fear- hardened bodies for the glimpses, we look around inside, and most oftenly outside ourselves in search of The Dance we know we have.  The Dance we know we are.  

When I was in high school I fell in love with a boy I knew I could never have.  He was my first real aching, awful, longing, beautiful, deep, echoing love.  I wrote him a letter.  I told him I couldn’t hold it in any longer, the Love was too big.  He thanked me for my courage and told me I was sweet.  I spent hours staring at sunsets, laying under my tree, sleeping outside and writing beautiful words from a space so deep in me that words came bursting through my darkness like seeds breaking through the dirt and baring themselves into the sunlight.  I blossomed on my own.  One day he told me I was beautiful, but I knew that was all I could have.   It was a sweet torture, a love I could feel but could not touch,  and from this aching space I found a new depth of feeling and love within me that awakened my numbness and opened me up.  

One night that summer I sat on my bed in my tiny back porch bedroom, windows all around.  It was past midnight and a warm rain pelted hard outside. It pounded the windows as a borrowed track of piano music played on my little stereo. Time passed slowly.  I remember  I could almost hear my heart beating in my chest, suspended somehow between the rise and fall of the music.  In that long moment,  I could feel the Mystery of my Heart through the music surrounded by the sound of the mid-night summer rain.  And then I felt him.  My some-day Forever Love was out there, somewhere.  I realized in that moment that whereever he was,  however many years it would be until I would find him, that I already loved him immeasurably.   I sent out my love into the night.  I knew he would feel me too.  Implusively I ran outside into the rain and spun around, soaked and passionate,  arms open to the sky.  I laughed and tears of joy melted into the rain on my face.  I fell in love with Life--with what it is to be crazy in love; to feel so much,  to offer my love because my love is worth offering.  I remembered my Wholeness in that moment.  I remembered My Dance.  Six months later I found him.  

Twelve years later I have chosen to open more deeply to My Dance.  Listening to the call of my heart I begin to learn the steps and the movements of Belly Dance in hopes of finding it.   Belly Dance has enchanted me in the ways that it reaches into my Spirit and draws me out playfully and mysteriously; in the ways that it opens the feminine body through slow and sensual movements that awaken the hips and open the chest-- more importantly the heart-- enlivening the creative centers of the body.  My dance teacher is a friend, a sweet wise soul who brings a unique gift of magic as she delves into the “Mysteries of the Universe” within her and plays with sweet energies, bringing Her Dance to the world and inspiring others to find theirs.   At her workshop we write down a personal goal for Our Dance.  I write that I want to “find and feel the connection between my body and my soul and allow for its authentic expression.”  My friend plays a slow song that grows in intensity. She plays it three times.  Each time, instructed to “free dance” using our emotions to express, I open up a little more.  I care a little less about who is looking.    By the time the song plays for the third time, I am kicking and spinning with beautiful arm and hand movements.  I taste My Dance.  But there is still fear.  It is ok to be afraid.  I am content anyway.   

Tonight I hold my love’s sweet head on my chest as we watch a movie together that carries us through a range of emotions.  When I feel a lot, I find it deepens my capacity to express and create, as an opening of my heart and a grouding of my center.   I can feel this movement as the movie ends and  the credits role.  A fast-paced song plays and I feel the inner impulse to dance.  I ask my love to dance with me.  He says no, he doesn’t want to dance,  but says he will watch me dance.  I stand up and stretch, for a moment thinking about what moves I might incorporate to mesmerize him...  And then I completely drop the concept of thought, and I allow my body to connect with the vibrations of the music.  And this time, for the first time I stay in the connection.  This time, I loose the need to think about the movements, I loose the desire to try to be beautiful and the need for acceptance and I feel total love for my own expression.  I feel every step, and every turn, and every movement is already created before it emerges.  I allow it to Be, without the judgements of my mind entering in.  I feel the joy of being silly and playful.  I dance the whole song, in my own perfect motion, breathing heavily and feeling the rush of my soul’s voice pulsing through my arms and down through my feet.  As the last note falls, I move in perfect time to the floor, heart wide open, energy fully grounded, knowing that I have just met My Dance, and shared My Dance authentically, for the first time.  

Life will call Your Dance to the surface of your imagination.  There is no way to avoid it and there is no one form through which Your Dance expresses.  Each person hears the echo now and again.  Will you know Your Dance when it calls for you again?  Will you answer the call?  

Great Blessings Surround You and Hold You,

Abigail Grace

Both Sides of the Moon: Musings on Mangoes, Comfort, Nakedness, and Finding Our Way Home

I remember the day I learned that mangoes are a sensual fruit.  I was a teenager, and my best girlfriend and I sat on either side of a pulldown cupholder arm rest on a big, overstuffed black leather couch.  We laughed beneath a skylight of blue as the juice dripped down our arms.  It was then that I knew.  Mangoes are not for the faint of heart.  They are as wild and passionate as the one who drinks their nectar in.  They are sweet pleasure in their ripe juiciness.  Yes, I have heard that you should eat mangoes naked, and I do believe this is true.  I still haven't done it, but I'm certain I will.  There is a Wildness to Life that yearns to be touched.  Not a one of us hasn't felt that yearning at some moment of life.   Tell me you haven't wanted to taste what Life has to offer and I will not believe you.

I have found that curling up knees-to-chin on a couch of mismatched blankets is a wonderful comfort.  I like to hear the dogs barking outside sometimes.  It reminds me that I am cozy here in this home, so lucky to have my place to curl up and feel safe.  I am not alone.  I love to see the clothes on the line, and as they move I can almost feel the subtle breeze on my face as if I was for a moment a feather-light white shirt, translucent with sunlight-glow shining through.  They remind me of the simple joys of life at home.  The orange glow of a lamp, the sound of a tea kettle singing, the shower is going, there are books on the shelf.  Little cups stacked up.  A sweater hangs out of an open dresser drawer.  We all need comfort.  We all yearn for home.

The air is warm.  I squint as I look out upon the lake, sun-ripples dancing, waving toward me like shards of gold.  A gentle breeze.  I stretch and breathe.  I remove my dusty socks and feel the sharp rocks under my sore feet.  I walk towards the water, hesitantly, but wide-aware.  Inside I am free.  Inside I run like a child into the water.  Several moments pass as I stare out across the blue.  I come to the edge, where the water laps the shore calling me out gently into the freedom.  The afternoon sun is like that happiness that wraps around you like the evening of a summer child. Crickets chirp through a memory of barbecue smoke.  Time stretched long like afternoon shadows.  Sunlight made real.

A silt-cloud of mud fills the clear water as I swirl my socks around to wash them.  I squeeze them out and hang them on a shoreline tree.  Beyond ankle-deep now I can feel each cold and slippery rock underfoot.

 I am deep in the wilderness, prepared with all my heroine heart to get into that water and swim naked.  Gosh darn it, I am determined. I have come so far and waited so long for this divine moment. I invite my Love to join me, thinking I will find some sort of Courage or Liberation or Deeper Love if he swims with me, but I find myself alone and left my clothes on a low bush nearby.

Apprehensive, and sure that someone in the wilderness could most certainly see me from across the lake--how dare she be beautiful and naked in the forest, afterall--I stand for a moment and take in my wild liberty, realizing that frankly, it doesn't even matter if there is.  I slip away into the water, the coolness like sacred silk cloths over my skin. I am reverent of the deep silence below. I feel my body spin like a dervish, spiraling and still all at once.  I savor that perfect still smoothness on the surface of the water--a feeling suspended in time- as I break through and emerge into the light. Cool drops of freshness drip down my face and make high vibrations on the water as they fall from my hair swept wet behind my ears.  I am clean and clear.  I am Wholeness and Brilliant Wild Beauty for no one but my Self.

I wash my clothes with much care and hang them in the trees, then dash shyly to grab my wonderful woolen underlayers.  I savor their sun-warmed softness.  I retreat to that place of cherished comfort once again.  I lay and watch the sway of the pines, hear the low music of the frogs and the rhythmic water lapping the shore, my eyes focused gently on patches of sun as they move on the mesh of my open-air tent.  I find home.

There is a Calling to Wildness and the Open-Hearted Freedom-Bliss of Life.  There is a longing and an echo that can be heard as we become quiet.  Much like the mid-night song of a wailing loon on a secret lake, it haunts us and draws us deeper within the dark and mysterious brilliant night sky-scape of our inner reaches.

There is a retreat once again to the Softness of Spirit within, holding us eternally in a warm and nurturing embrace.  We curl up into it like a tiny child, our hearts cradled like a precious treasure.

It is a mango of sensuous passion, a quilted couch of quiet peace, a wilderness shoreline of adventure, a warm home under the trees.

Wild and Precious, Gentle and Fierce are we.  Quiet and Thundering, Trembling and Brave are we.  We are as Sacred and ever-changing as the Day and Night and Seasons all around us.  We are the Seasons.  We are the Starlit Night.

The sun rises, inviting the petals of a flower to Open.  The rain pushes petals to the Earth.  The mandala is woven.  It circles around. Life is both sides of the moon.

We Welcome Wild and the Comfortable, both...

~Abigail Grace Stohs

Love Glows. (And Other Ponderings on the Nature of Life, Friendship and Inner Exploration

Life is so rich and colorful.

I sit here and feel waves of gratitude for Being wash over me.

Here I am, in this cafe, a favorite of mine downtown--the golden yellow walls  that almost exude a warmth you can feel on your skin.  These walls stand as a backdrop to the faces of the people all around me.  I see their smiles, their embraces, colorful hats, tapping their feet to strange music that fliters through the gold of my corner booth.  What I hear is different, gentle melodies breathe in and through my headphones, providing a soundtrack to what I know is a remarkable moment.

 But the people--they are so beautiful in all their shapes and forms.  I feel as though I am looking at them as a part of my story--a part of life--a part of a grand work of art in ever-changing progress.   I see them connecting.  I feel their connection.  I know this so well.

At once I see movement and flow, like a dance.

The couple just in front of me, in the depth of their conversation form a perfect frame through which I see a business man with a warm smile and the kind of wrinkles that mark a life well lived. The younger man at the bar--tall and thin, black 1950's era glasses and intently styled hair, pointy shoes and tight jeans, lost deep in a novel;  ever-mysterious lover of classical music.  I've seen him here before.  A little girl of five or six, passes by quickly, leaving behind an impression with her sparkling dark eyes and pearl headband.  The barista behind the counter moves quicky from one end to the other adding a rhythm to the music.

I know we walk such different paths, but here--it is almost as though I can feel all the private moments and precious people blend into one another like music--like paint colors falling over a canvas, leaving behind sprays of light.

I do believe that every moment has the potential to be so remarkable, and yet, in this moment somehow I have captured it. I feel I am a part of the music, the dance, the artistry. Everything has a glow to it. Even the little things around me catch my eye; five knives glinter, stuck to a magnet on the wall: two big ones, and three little ones. They are all angled perfectly to the right, as if someone placed them like that on purpose.  Bottles of wine age under little spotlights.  Clean glasses upside down.  Jars of tea line the shelves.

But why do I see with such eyes in this moment?

Perhaps it is because this morning I got very quiet.

I awoke as I often do, with words of hope for the day in my heart.

I bathed.  I oiled my face. The smell of lavender.  I liked the way my skin looked in the sunlight that filtered through the dirty window. I thought about  the nature of beauty and the desire for touch.  I wondered what role beauty plays in Truth.  I started to question myself on everything I've felt lately;  on Who I Am, and whether it is authentic, and whether what I thought was authentic really is...

I began to humble myself and step back.  I literally envisioned myself outside my body, observing my human self in expression.  What is real?  What is true?  Who am I?  Who do I want to be?

And then my sweet husband invited me to join him at this cafe.  And the dance of clarity began.

As I watch these people, I know them.  I can't explain it, they are just familiar to me. And I Love them. There is nothing they must do for me to feel this Love. And over me washes the incredible immeasurable Love that I have for the people that have become a part of my life story.

What I know is that I Love people.  It has never been something I hesitated about.  I can remember as a young teen seeing movies and hearing conversations where people would struggle having fallen in love with someone and then, they would wonder if it was too soon to tell them-- as if there were some defined moment when Love is okay.

 Many times I have fallen in love with people shortly after meeting them. And soon they know. How could I hold it inside?  My Love overcomes me.  I feel it intensely.  However I admit that many times, I feel so much love in new friendship that I tend to share it in little bits and pieces, as not to frighten my friend away, while simultaneously celebrating and adoring them all at once by myself.  I suppose this is some level of the same fear people experience when they fall in love.  Fear of losing something so brilliant.  I have that fear too.  But Love is all too worth the risk, and in truth, I think what we are feeling, and what we are afraid of is really what we are made of, and what we come from. It just scares us that we could be that brilliant, and then share it with someone else.

After this remarkable summer, travelling on my feet over 1700 miles through mountain forests, through sunlit pastures, thumbing on the side of highways, and sleeping under the stars, my capacity for Love has only deepened.  Life out there taught me many things, about the goodness of people, and truth, and myself.  I met countless souls along the way, each with their own gift to give.  A few which I hope to remain friends with always.  A few which have left their imprints on my heart. I feel incredible Gratitude to them for sharing with me a journey only we can understand.

It is the people of this world that make it home.  I can recall one afternoon months into my journey, tears streaming down my face as I longed to be with my family again.  It was then that I realized that people are all that really matter in this life. I had almost nothing, and it was people that I missed.  We need each other.

Today I am grateful to see the walls around me emanate light in this sweet cafe.  And I am grateful to know that the walls are just reflecting the light and warmth of the faces and hearts that make up this glorious Music, making my world my home.  I am grateful for the receivers of my Love, for the people who are Home to me.  The friends new and old that have opened my heart just by Being in it.  And be warned dear ones; I will Love you with a level of Love necessary in a time where it is most important that I be Who I Am: Glowing Love.

Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Cookies

This week at the end of a whole day of holiday baking with my mama in her kitchen, I decided to play around and combine a few gourmet flavors I thought just might work well together and I created what I think is a real gem of a holiday cookie. I've already been told to "please freeze or hide these cookies before I eat all of them." These warm, soft pumpkin-spiced oatmeal cookies are laced with dried cranberries and orange zest and are the perfect fireside (or maybe even breakfast) treat. Enjoy!


Dry Ingredients 

2 cups flour
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

1 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup canned pumpkin, or cooked pureed pumpkin
1 tablespoon vanilla

Fold-Ins 

1/2-3/4 cup dried cranberries (depending on how much you like them)
2/3 cup chopped walnuts

3 Tablespoons orange zest (or the zest of 2 med-large oranges)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350. You will need 2-4 greased baking sheets. 

• Zest your oranges, chop your walnuts

• Mix together Dry Ingredients: flour, oats, baking soda, salt and spices.

• In a second bowl, mix together Wet Ingredients: sugar, oil, molasses, pumpkin and vanilla until very well combined. 

• Mix Dry Ingredients into Wet.

• Fold in the dried cranberries, walnuts and orange zest.

• Drop spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. They may spread a bit, so leave a little space.  

• Bake for 14-16 minutes at 350. 

• Remove from oven and cool on a rack. 

Our Beautiful Thanksgiving Feast (and my fall mantle too!)

Hi Friends,

I hope you had a lovely thanksgiving. I did.

It has taken me a while to begin getting into the Christmas spirit, because it has been so warm out and hasn't snowed at all, (I've really enjoyed it, though its a little strange) but this Sunday I went to the early service (my favorite) at Unity and Ahriana really inspired me with what she had to share about Advent and all of the anticipation and gentle preparing for the coming of the new that can be so lovingly celebrated this time of year. I got very excited and went right away to buy some candles (one big brilliant gold one for the center, and 4 sage green tapers) and a grapevine wreath to make my own Advent wreath for Pres and I to light each night during this season so that we could be a part of the sacredness of this time. That afternoon I went on a sunny hike with Audrey and along the way I found some fallen evergreen branches to decorate our Advent wreath with. Its so beautiful, that immediately after setting it up, I could feel the Christmas Spirit begin to stir within me!!

I always love this time of year so much. I love that it is an end to the year that has passed. I love all of the warmth we create with our traditions. I love the sparkle of lights, and the drawing near of loved ones. I love the winter solstice, the darkest day of the year, where we can begin to celebrate the return of the light. It is such a powerful time for transformation, and I love the opportunity it presents each year to look back over the last 12 months, and to take note of what dreams and goals we've brought to life. We can celebrate our victories, and cherish the memories we've created. And then comes the new year!! What a joy to spend some sacred time visioning what we dream of for the next year and starting all over again fresh! I love that we get this chance every year. Ever since I started paying attention to the deeper meaning of all this, and really using this as powerful time for creating, I've experienced more joy and accomplished more dreams than ever before. Thanks mom, for gifting me with The Sacred Journey Journal, 5 or 6 years ago. (This is a powerful tool, a journal/day timer that is really helpful with annual dreaming and goal setting) I've used one each year ever since, and even though I'll only use part of it this year (I'll be walking the other part) I still can't imagine a new year's with out it.

That said, I am getting in the Christmas spirit, and I thought I should share some pics of our lovely Thanksgiving feast with you before the season has passed. And of course, you have to see a few pictures of my fall mantle before I take it down! :)


Thanksgiving Feast

This is our warm Thanksgiving table at my mom and Scott's house...





Spicy Silk Nog...




Stuffing, one of Preston's favorites...




My favorite Thanksgiving dish, sweet potatoes, my great grammy's style cooked in butter (earth balance) and maple syrup....




This year my mom tried something new instead of green bean casserole, and it was yummmm! Asparagus with Annie's Yum Sauce and of course crispy onions on top...




Squashes with stuffing...




My other Thanksgiving favorite (thanks, mom!) Squash Rolls





For our entree this year, little pot pies....




For dessert I made 2 things:




Grammy's apple pie (with a whole wheat crust)

And....Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake, which was simply amazing.









My Fall Mantle

Here is my fall mantle for this year. It was simple and came together little by little, but it warmed me up to light all of the candles almost every day and watch it glow in honor of autumn...



















Audrey found me four large acorns which were the beginning of this little display. Preston brought the little pumpkin gourds home for me one night so I added them. Then when we were visiting Kansas City for Mom and John's Hallow-tini party I found so many beautiful acorns and some other large tree seeds at the Overland Park Arboretum and brought them home and it was complete...



















Preston bought me these precious little fall critters candles early this season...















This is the wreath I made for our front door...










I hope you had a wonderful fall as I did. Are you getting into the Christmas spirit? What are you doing to prepare--body, mind, and spirit for the season? Leave a comment!

Love,
Abbey

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake for Thanksgiving

Its the day before Thanksgiving, and no doubt, people all over the country are preparing for a day of sharing food, love, and gratitude.

Today I made an absolutely beautiful vegan cheesecake, and it came out so wonderful that I feel I just have to share it with you! (I've made this before, and I believe you wouldn't know the difference!)

Some genius once decided to make a really gross vegan "cheesecake" with mostly tofu as the base and it was so appalling that many people would try it once, gag, and assume that there is no good vegan alternative for cheesecake. Well back off, weird tofu cheesecake guy, and make way for a cheesecake that I bet you could serve and no one would even know it was vegan!

Now, let it be known that the word vegan does not always translate into "healthy." There is a bit of a myth there sometimes... I would call this cheesecake decadent for sure. Its a bit involved, and a little expensive to make (though I would guess not more than a dairy cheesecake.) But I love to go the extra mile and make it for special occasions. I can tell you that it has no cholesterol or animal fat though, and that does translate to "a little bit healthier."

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

1/4 cup veg shortening (I use Earth Balance Vegetable Shortening Sticks)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
1 Tablespoon applesauce
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves


For the Filling: (This will fill up your food processor bowl really full!)

Four 8oz. containers Tofutti Cream Cheese (get it at a natural food store)
1 box (12 oz) Mori-Nu Tofu (the Firm Silken variety, can be found usually in the asian foods dept of natural food stores)
1 cup granulated sweetener
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice


For the Topping:

1/2 box Mori-Nu Firm Silken Tofu
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sweetener
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9 in springform pan in oil

For the Crust:
Cream shortening and sugar. Add molasses, vinegar, applesauce, to shortening and sugar mixture and beat until combined. Mix together dry ingredients, including spices, and add to shortening and sugar mixture and stir until combined. Press to bottom of prepared pan. Prick with a fork all over and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F, and set crust aside.

For the Filling:
Combine cream cheese and tofu in food processor and process until smooth scraping sides several times. Add granulated sweetener and blend until creamy. Add remaining ingredients, blend, and pour into prepared crust. Place on top rack. Place a shallow pan filled with water on bottom rack and bake for 50 minutes.

For the Topping:
While cheesecake is baking, place tofu in food processor and process, and scape sides and process several times until smooth. Add other ingredients, and process to blend. After 50 minutes, pull cheesecake out of oven and carefully spread on topping. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave cheesecake there for another hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight before serving. (this really does make a difference in consistency!!)

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving from Love's Garden Arts!

Love,
Abbey

My Favorite Raw Hummus!

Hi Friends!

This is my version of a raw hummus. It is a cashew-based hummus that is wonderful for dipping crackers, chips, and veggies in as a snack. For lunch or dinner, it mimics cheese and works great in between slices of tomato with fresh basil leaves like a caprese salad! Also try on raw crusts or flatbreads as a spread for little mediterrenean pizzas with spinach, kalamata olives, tomatoes, etc!

I like it better than a raw chickpea hummus, because I am not a huge fan of the taste of sprouted legumes in hummus (I prefer them in a sprout salad) and I think it mimics the texture/taste of hummus much better, while remaining raw so you don't have to sacrifice on enzymatic quality and therefore energy!

Cashews make a great base for wonderful raw vegan cheeses, cream sauces, and cashew whipped cream, easily replacing the need for dairy in one's diet. Yay cashews!

My version of Raw Cashew Hummus:

Throw all of this in a food processor or Vitamix:

2 cups organic raw cashews, soaked a couple hours to overnight (soaking nuts removes their naturally occurring enzyme inhibitors, making them easier to digest, thus giving you more energy)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed organic lemon juice (usually about one lemon)

1 small clove garlic

2 big spoons of raw sesame tahini (I use Artisana brand or make my own by putting sesame seeds in a food processor with a little oil or water)

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup or a little more or less water as needed to reach desired consistency (add this as you need it after blending other ingredients)

A little cayenne pepper if you like it!

Blend it up and add water a little at a time until it is the fluffy, smooth consistency of hummus. I always have to scrape down the sides of the food processor as I go.


I make this almost weekly to have in the fridge as a great raw snack, and quick, easy lunch/dinner idea.

Enjoy!

Love, Ab

Strawberry Omega 3 Power Smoothie (Raw, Vegan, Organic)

This morning I whipped up this quick, raw breakfast smoothie for an energy-rich treat loaded with Omega 3s and high in healthy, plant-based protein.

I have a smoothie for breakfast almost everyday, and it is a great way to ease your digestive system into the day.

Ingredients: (Makes 1-1 1/2 servings)

~You can modify this however you like, and change quantities, add or omit ingredients to get the consistency and flavor you like. You could also add spinach to get some green power without changing the flavor too much. ~

1 1/2-2 Frozen Organic Bananas (we just buy a ton, let them ripen a few days, then put them in a ziplock in the freezer for smoothies all week!)

1/2-1 cup Frozen Organic Strawberries

1 1/2-2 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk (homemade for true raw or storebought for possibly raw)

1 very soft Organic Medjool Date, pitted (If you use a super soft one, it will blend in better and there won't be lumps which grosses me out, personally)

3 Tablespoons Raw Hulled Hemp Seed, ground (You can buy them refridgerated for freshness from Natural Grocers and grind them in a coffee or spice grinder right before use so they retain highest quality) These add 9 grams protein, and 2000mg Omega 3s!

2 Tablespoons Organic Flax Seed, ground (same with these, refridgerate them and grind right before use) These add another 5 grams protein and magnesium, zinc, and of course, Omega 3s!

Blend, and enjoy! (using a straw or a spoon makes it yummier I swear!)
Add more Almond milk to thin, more frozen fruit to thicken.

I ususally have a smoothie for breakfast then a snack in late morning, and if my body wants more food right off the bat, I will eat either a piece of fresh fruit or some raw granola with almond milk. This week I am going to try out making my own Berry Nut Breakfast Bars in the dehydrator! I'll report back on those. Happy Morning, and feel free to share your own smoothie creations with me!

Love,
Abbey

Our Organic Garden Beds

Ok, first, this doesn't have a whole lot to do with this post about our gardens, except that I happened to upload these two pics of a fabulous raw "hummus pizza" dinner we shared out in our "tree house." Preston and his culinary genius created this raw flat bread made of squash, flax, and herbs, and we dehydrated it (low temps as to preserve the enzymes needed for digestion) in our new Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator. We then topped it with a raw cashew hummus (I like the taste of raw hummus with a cashew base rather than soaked chickpeas--recipe to come soon!) and garden greens, tomatoes, avacadoes, and cilantro from the garden you are about to see!!! And a summer favorite: San Pellegrino with lemon and of course, cherries!! So refreshing!!

Now, on to the garden.

Preston and I have two raised beds in our little backyard, and this year, they are yeilding a lot of food, especially greens, and I wanted to share it with you!

The Birth of our Raised Beds

Last year Preston built them and we spent an afternoon literally lugging dirt in 5 gallon buckets from bins in the trunk of our little Corolla (no truck, no wheelbarrow lol) into the garden beds. The dirt was...eh...not the best. It didn't drain very well, and we didn't have any finished compost having just moved in that year, but we added lots of soil amendments and worked on it for a while, and when it drained ok, we crossed our fingers and planted our garden. Well, it was already June by that time, and we travelled three times that month and I'm sure it dried out at the pivitol times when it was sprouting, but amazingly, it yeilded some really good greens among other things, once again reminding us that nature is a miracle, and a lot of the time, it is this simple: You plant it, and it grows. There certainly are a lot of things to learn about gardening, and I've read so many books, but I still feel like I'm just beginning. I'm finding the best method is trial and error, as well as intuition, and working along with nature in a beautiful co-creation.

Gratefully, this year, our garden has done wonderfully well. In the fall, we left the roots in the soil and chopped up everything else on top, and we sprinkled what unfinished compost we had on the beds along with some dead leaves. We left it to decompose, and a lot of it did, and I'm happy to report that there were worms and other creepy crawlers in the soil when we prepared the garden bed this spring.

This spring, much earlier than last year we began to prepare our garden beds by removing the leftover leaves that had not yet decomposed, and we put them in our compost buckets.


We then added a soil amendment that had kelp meal and compost from cotton burrs, and some Yum Yum mix, and very gently incorporated it (as not to disturb the mircoorganisms too much.)

Then we planted, and waited...

And one day...

Tiny baby curly and dino kale sprouts!

Sunflower sprouts began to grow in our compost buckets! It was cute. We had thrown out some sprouted sunflower seeds that had gone bad and still, they wanted to be flowers! :)

Baby cilantro sprouts reaching to the sun...

Baby greens mix almost ready for harvest! (and we did, and it was fab.)

Baby spinach :)

Baby rainbow and swiss chard...

I re-mulched by the fence in the front yard, and put up this cute little sign...

Beautiful purple Irises grew by the fences in the front in spring...

Buddha brings peace to the garden. :) See the baby lilac tree beside him? That's Lucia, a cutting from the yard of my great great great grandparents home where I spent my childhood in Maine. My great-grandmother likely planted the lilacs. According to my mom, we have a lot in common as far as our relationship with nature goes and I am so grateful to have this living piece of that sweet property in Maine from a time that will always have a piece of my heart. Right now, it is planted in a pot, which we planted in the ground to protect the roots over the winter. The lilac tree has to over-winter or it will never bloom, so we have moved it around in a bucket and someday when we have a more permanent location we will plant it into the ground. She is doing really well, though and has at least quadrupled in size since she was given to us by the sweet present owner of the house.

Here's the greens garden in the beginning...

And I have no idea why this is horizontal, or how to change it for that matter, so here is a view of the farthest garden bed now, full of basil (in the front) tomatoes: heirloom and cluster (gross word), Strawberries, cilantro, and other herbs just now starting to sprout.

This is our Kale now, almost full grown. We grew it for both juicing, and kale chips mmmmm.

Here is our Rainbow Chard now, which we grew for juicing, and Chard wraps.



And here is a tomato peeking out of the greens...

Here is our cilantro, about to go to seed....ahhh we need to make a lot of salsa!

Some Romaine Lettuce on its way, along with new growth from where we cut the baby greens...




And in the front yard, the little purple bell flowers have returned and are in full bloom... :)



And that is an update (finally) of our little gardens. Do you have a garden? What has your experience with gardening been like? What is growing in yours?

Love,
Abbey

Coconut-Banana Raisin Oat Bran Muffins (Vegan and Wheat-free)

I've been eating a great deal of raw-food lately and I'll have to tell you how its changed my life later, but today i felt like baking. I'm rarely eating wheat or gluten anymore because I just feel so much better not eating it, so I wanted something flour-free. I had some ingredients left over from bringing muffins to breakfast with friends last weekend and couldn't resist making an even more delightful version of an already yummy classic.

And they are Vegan and wheat-free,too.

Did you know that a Vegan diet is completely free of bad cholesterol? Many people never knew that, and although being vegan won't be everyone's chosen path, it sure can benefit everyone to eat vegan now and again. Bad cholesterol simply doesn't exist in plant-based foods. And the great thing is, most recipes can be easily converted to their vegan counterpart.

So if you feel like having a muffin that is free of cholesterol, quick to make, and simply delicious (especially warm out of the oven with a little Earth Balance or coconut butter spread on it) here's a recipe for you!

Oh and I used organic ingredients, many that can be found in the bulk section of your local natural foods store.



Coconut-Banana Raisin Bran Muffins (Makes 12)

Dry Ingredients (combine well in a large bowl)

~2 cups oat bran
~2 teaspoons baking powder (I use the aluminum free kind you can get anywhere)
~1 teaspoon sea salt
~3/4 cup organic raisins
~2 teaspoons organic cinnamon
1/2 cup organic unsweetened coconut flakes (eww don't use the sweet kind from the store, it usually has propylene glycol in it, which is kind of like anti-freeze. Gross.

Wet Ingredients (whisk together in a small bowl)

~3/4 cup almond milk (I like this better than soy, but you could use any dairy alternative milk)
~2 Tablespoons oil (such as canola)
~A tiny bit under 1/2 cup liquid sweetener such as raw agave nectar (the kind that's not boiled down) or pure maple syrup. I consider these sweeteners to be a little easier for my body to process and less addictive than cane sugar. I used agave when I made this recipe.
~1 banana, mashed up smooth :)
~Egg Replacer for 2 eggs. Now, with the banana in here, I don't know if this is necessary, as the banana should act as a binder, but I haven't tried it without yet and I have Ener-G Egg Replacer on hand so I used it, and the muffins came out fabulous. If you want to use it, you can grab a box at your natural foods store. The measurements are on the back and its just a powder that you whip up with some warm water. Easy egg-replacer for many baked recipes.

Combine wet with dry ingredients, and it should be firmer than cake batter (it shouldn't just drip off of a spoon, but shouldn't be as firm as cookie dough either) And if its too liquidy, just add a bit more coconut until desired consistency is reached. You can add more oat bran, but this can leave your muffins too dry if you over-do it.

oil muffin tin, fill cups to 3/4 way full.

Oven at 420 degrees F. My oven is extra hot, and the original recipe says 425, but you'll have to adjust according to your oven.

Bake for 15-17 delicious-smelling minutes, the sides will be golden.

Remove from oven. (duh. Unless of course you enjoy a good oven-blackened muffin.

let cool for a few, then remove muffins from tin and let cool on a rack for a few more, then spread with Earth Balance (available at your local natural foods store) and enjoy!!!!

Also enjoy not feeling as bloated or mucusy due to no processed flour, and enjoy not adding to your heart attack risk, and a multitude of other problems I won't get into right now.

Ok. Go make some muffins.

Oh and if you read this post, do drop me a comment if ya don't mind. I'm trying to figure out if anyone reads my blog. Lol.

Love,
Abbey

P.S. I haven't actually forgotten about my Spring Cleaning Challenge just to let you all know, and I've completed several tasks on my list since my last post (like painting the desk I'm sitting at now!), but summer has a dreamy good hold on me and I've been enjoying the sun more and haven't made time to blog as often. Let me know if you've kept up with your goals!! :)

Green Cleaning Product Reviews, and This Weeks Spring Cleaning Commitment

Hi All!

It is an amazing late-spring day and the lilacs are in full bloom outside my window. Whenever a gentle breeze blows through our yard, I am filled with a breath of fresh lilac. :) It is wonderful. The hummingbirds are back, and very abundant in our neighborhood. I just made a batch of nectar, and it is cooling on the stove. I can hardly wait to fill my feeder and invite them closer...

Hummingbird Love

If you would like to feed hummingbirds, be sure to make your own nectar, as the commercial nectars (pretty much any that are artificially colored red are bad news for the hummingbirds). I bought a small, inexpensive starter feeder last year at Wild Birds Unlimited on Union near Filmore/Circle from a dear soul named Katie who works there and is extremely knowledgable and sweet. I was concerned about feeding the hummingbirds sugar, but she assured me that other than the natural nectar that hummingbirds get from flowers, home-made nectar is the next best thing because the hummingbirds burn lots of energy and need all the nectar they can get. Most of their diet consists of insects, but they consume nectar so they will have the energy to fly around to catch the insects! Katie has become a friend (We also ran into her at Whole Foods), and she seems to be able to answer any question you could have about birds and feeding them. If you want to get a good feeder, and experience good old fashioned customer service, go see her-- she's awesome, and loves birds just about as much as me!!! (If you can imagine such a thing)

To Make Hummingbird Nectar:

One part table sugar to Four parts water

I tried to be really nice and earth friendly and gourmet for the hummingbirds and feed them organic cane sugar, but don't try this, because they really just want that cheap white crap. Lol.

So, I usually put 4 cups water in a pot, and bring it to a boil (this disinfects too) and then take off the heat and stir in 1 cup sugar until dissolved. Then I leave it to cool for a while. When it is cool, fill your feeder, (mine is small, so I pour the rest into an airtight container, date it, then refriderate it.

Be sure to dump, rinse and refill your feeder every 2-3 days or more in hot weather. And the leftover nectar will probably last about a week-2 weeks.

Ok. So let's get down to business.

Lots of people are finally going "green" with their cleaning, and that is a wonderful thing. It is an act of consciousness and caring for the earth, and for the health of ourselves and our families. I'm not really fond of the term "green" because I think, unfortunately a lot of people associate it with a trend, and may cringe when they hear it. I tend to question the production of all those plastic-based "green" grocery bags that are supposed to replace the use of plastic bags and what their production process might be doing to the environment--and there are countless other things that are being produced in the name of the "green" movement that are questionable, however, I am very grateful that there is the intent to make changes and the intent to care for the environment, along with the consciousness and awareness that is being spread by such things. Perhaps many people never thought of the effect of all those billions of plastic bags, and now, because they saw a rack of reusable ones, are at the very least becoming aware of the importance of caring for the earth. Who knows.

But I imagine that there are a lot of people who would like to clean there homes in a healthier and kinder way, but don't know where to start, where to buy the products, whether they will work or not, or may think that cleaning green has to cost them more, and so they haven't made the change.

Well, I wouldn't call my self an expert by any means, but I have been cleaning my home using a wide variety of green cleaning products for about 6 years now and I also clean several homes part-time using green products, so I've gained some knowledge in this area and would love to share with you my opinions on some products and methods.

Earth and Family-Friendly Cleaning

I recall the days before I knew about green cleaning, when I'd have my head down in a toilet bowl full of bleach, or I would reach to squeeze the ammonia out of a mop. Yuck. I'd be coughing, all the while wondering why I had to use chemicals to clean, simply not knowing of another way.

The beauty of being right smack in the middle of a movement like this, is that good 'ol consumerism kicks in and suddenly there are a plethera of products on the market readily available. Its done wonders for my vegan diet. It is no longer difficult as it may have been 30 years ago for vegans to find good food and alternatives--thus making the vegan diet and all of the benefits of it more appealing and more widely accessible. I'm grateful for that. And, there are not only many types of cleaning products available these days, but--you have many brands to choose from also. So I am going to pick a handful of the products I've tried and give you a little review on them. (there are so many I won't be covering them all in one blog post)

However, before I do that, I think everyone should know a little secret:

You really don't need all those fancy cleaners to clean your home thouroughly and in an earth-friendly way. This busts a major myth that green cleaners are expensive and therefore not accessible. In the old'n days people cleaned green without the green movement. Until they got afraid...VERY AFRAID of the BIG BAD... ok I'll get into that in a minute. The nice thing is you have a choice. You can clean your home thouroughly on any budget and in small-town Podonk or whatever that place is called, and you also have the option of many often nice smelling, convenient cleaners that are widely available in most places. (and really not that much more expensive, if at all than the familar chemicals.)

Ok yes, I'm going off on another tangent, but here is my thing about everything "natural, organic or earth-friendly" being so "expensive." I get questioned a lot about this one, and I'm glad people are asking. So many people want to make a change in their life, for their health, for the planet, for animals, for so many reasons, and they tell me they want to change but it is so expensive.

Here's my take on it:

Voting With Our Dollars

Yes, sometimes, and often, but not always, these things are a little more expensive. Usually it is somewhere from 10 cents to 3 dollars more depending on what it is.

For me, it is very important to choose my lifestyle in accordance with what I care about deeply . My choices regarding buying my food organic whenever possible, for example, is deeply rooted in my heart and soul, and comes from my deep love for birds, nature, and living in harmony with it however I can. It is one thing I feel I can do to express love and gratitude for all the gifts I have received in nature.

Same goes for other choices I make such as what I eat, and clean with. And no, of course I do not and can not always align with that perfectly. That would be obsessive and out of balance for me. And I want to remain integrated in the world I live in and yet focused above all, on Love whenever I can. But I have learned that those producing products want to please the consumer. They want to sell something that we will buy. If we buy it, they will keep on selling more of it. So I have learned that I am voting with my dollars. I think of a few cents to a few dollars more for a product that was made with more consciouness and love to be my personal monetary donation to the things I care most about. And the more people that buy things in accordance to what they care about, the more of those things will be available, and the prices become more and more comparable and reasonable.

That said, you really don't need to buy a whole bunch of fancy things to clean your home. I've gone the simple route many times when choosing to spend less, or just as a way of making life more simple. Here are some ideas:

Plain and Simple Home Cleaning

Vinegar. Plain and simple. You can dilute vinegar in water in a spray bottle and you have an instant all-purpose cleaner. It is great for adding to water to clean wood and other floors, and vinegar and lemon juice can be used on mildew in bathrooms. You can spray it in your sinks to disinfect as well. Vinegar and water make a great non-streaking glass cleaner too! Whoda known we didn't need all those other cleaners!

Baking Soda. You can use it in place of other powder cleansers. I have when I've run out of my favorite: Bon Ami

Bon Ami. Even though this is an actual pre-prepared cleaning product, it is very inexpensive (I get mine at Whole Foods for like $1.29. I use this instead of other powder cleansers that are full of chlorine bleach, dyes, and perfumes that smell like crap. I use Bon Ami on my kitchen and bathroom sinks, tub, and anywhere that needs a little extra scrubbing. I also pour a little in the toilet in place of unnecessary specific toilet bowl cleaners. More about Bon Ami later.

Boiling water. Another way to disinfect, and rinse out the drains.

Reusing washcloths and washable dusters/dustcloths. You will save a lot over time if you just keep the same cloths and dusters and wash them rather than using a lot of paper towels or buying expensive disposable dusters and wipes.

Mop, bucket, broom, vaccum if applicable.

You can clean really well with just those items, if needed. I've done it, and I've also gone the other way too.

I LOVE Aromatherapy. This is a recent discovery. I didn't used to understand what it was. I saw all these books and a trend talking about it, and as woo woo as I am, I still wondered why we needed whole books on the subject. It seemed so simple. Stuff smells good, you smell it, then you feel good. I didn't understand how it could really be a therapy. Yeah, you smell the good smelling stuff, then you feel good for a little while. Therapy? Meanwhile, I was constantly using aromatherapy as a "therapy" without realizing that the reason why it is so great is because it is such an enjoyable thing to smell stuff. I understand if you still don't understand aromatherapy, because I'm not sure if I understand it, but all I know is that I HAVE DISCOVERED BALM.

Ok new story.

I'll get back to the reason I brought up aromatherapy in the middle of my green product review later.

Balm

I got some lavender and chamomile balm stuff for Christmas and started putting it on my face and lips and cuticles and feet and loved the smell. It made me feel calm just to take a moment to put it on and breathe in deeply. (Maybe having nothing to do with the balm, but it did make my skin nice) Then I found Badger Balm. Little tins with cute little Badgers doing different things, and a whole line of balms for different purposes, and I fell in love with using balm. I've known several people who religiously put on chapstick or carmex or something before bed at night. Now I understand. I definitely put balm on every night on my wrists and feet and temples and under my nose, and mainly so I can take that moment to breathe in the wonderful essential oils and feel the peace of caring for myself in that way. Now I have the Badger Sleep Balm, and the Badger Yoga and Meditation Balm, and I love the ritual of balm. And I want to have all the balms for all the different reasons you could need balm. It is comforting. So eventually I realized that the reason I love balm so much is mainly because I am experiencing: Aromatherapy. Ha. Sooner or later we gain understanding for the things we don't understand.

Back to the review. Now that I know I love aromatherapy (whah??), I use a lot of essential oils when I clean my house, not only so it will smell nice after I clean, but because it makes a mini spa-like experience for me while I am cleaning. No joke. It is so nice to mop a floor with orange or lemon essential oil and vinegar and water and enjoy the freshness, or to put a few drops of lavender in the dishwasher while it is rinsing so the steam scents your kitchen. It also makes the vinegar more pleasant to work with.

So you can add a few drops to your bucket. Just choose an oil such as lavender, tea tree, lemon, orange, or eucalyptus, and breathe in deeply! That's not something you would want to do with chemical cleaners. And, you should know that pure essential oils are antimicrobial too. You can buy essential oils at your local natural foods stores or online, but make sure they are 100% pure and natural, and do not contain synthetic fragrances. Lemon is usually the least expensive. I buy a big bottle of lavender and use it for baths, hair treatments, cleaning, to put on canker sores or other ailments, and it makes a great deoderant too when dilluted! Follow all instructions and precautions on the side of the bottle because they are strong!

If you want to buy convenient earth-friendly cleaners, chances are you are hoping they will do the job, and do it well. I have found that using a combination of the above mentioned basic cleaners along with some good premade products works best for me. Here are some that I've tried, and what I have to say about them.

Bon Ami. Its a dye, fragrance-free, chlorine free, scratch free powder cleanser. It works great. For me its a step up from baking soda, (although that will work) because it just seems to rinse easier. Its cheap, and makes my sinks shine. You really can clean your toilet bowl with just a little Bon Ami and some elbow grease. (add essential oils too for you!)

Mrs. Meyers Clean Day All -Purpose Cleaner. This smells really nice and works well. Doesn't burn my nose and comes in lots of wonderful, off-beat, fun scents like basil, lavender, and lemon verbena. I kind of think of it as one of the high-end natural cleaners, but it does come in large bulk-ish containers so you can refill your bottles. And its really cute. This does sometimes matter. :)

Method (two products I want to review) Method cleaners are available really widely now. I've seen them at Target and Safeway, and also at natural foods stores.

Method Wood for Good Wood Surface Cleaner. First things first. I've noticed something about Method cleaners. They all smell really good. They come in once again lots of off-beat smells that are just plain pleasant to clean with. I look forward to cleaning my coffee table with this. Its one of the most fun parts of cleaning. I think this mainly has to do with the smell. This is a good wood surface cleaner. It cleans grime off like an all-purpose cleaner would, while protecting the wood (its not as liquidy so it won't soak in) It will leave a bit of a film on a really glossy wood surface if you use too much, however I don't find this to be an issue. You just don't need very much, and then if you be sure to polish it all off, no film is left behind. One thing I like is that it is not greasy. It won't leave an oily residue behind. And amazingly, I found its cheaper than most commercial wood cleaners.

Method Glass +Surface natural glass cleaner. This smells like mint! I love it! Smells SO much better than the well-known window cleaner. Doesn't make me choke. It actually smells like that Binaca stuff that people used a lot in the 90s to freshen their breath. And it works beautifully! I know that not all glass cleaners are equal, and many do leave streaks but this one absolutely does not. And I'm picky about streaks. It says on it that it has "Ammonia-free plant based Powergreen Technology" Fancy. It works, and all the method cleaners look nice too. Never thought I would have cared, but its acutally fun to tote around cute cleaners in my tote. Visual pleasantry adds to the beauty of life. Even in cleaners apparently.

Seventh Generation Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner. First of all, I love this brand. I have never been disappointed in anything I've bought from them. They joined with Clean Well, who make plant-based antibacterial hand sanitizer and created a product that is pleasing both to germaphobes and earth loving-germaphobes alike. Lol. I was really excited to see this product hit the market, because when I have in the past talked with people about cleaning green, they would ask me how I disinfect things, and I would always answer with boiling water or vinegar. And although I think those things do the trick just fine, not everyone is convinced. Well now I tell them if those things don't convince them, there is this product, which on the bottle states "Kills 99.9 percent of Germs Botanically". It smells wonderful-like fresh herbs. The active ingredient that kills the germs is thymol which comes from the Thyme plant. I love using it, and consider it a treat when I have it on hand. I am a part-time germaphobe. I'm not freaked out by toilet germs, and so I'm ok with just scrubbing the toilet as normal, but I love to use this stuff if I can on the toilet. I like the thought of a germ-free toilet, but I'm not paranoid about it. So I guess the toilet doesn't own me, but if I have a choice, I like to use this stuff to disinfect it. Mostly I'm a germaphobe when someone is sick. Then I will disinfect everything and wash my hands a lot. I'm not gonna lie. Its just my opinion, but I think a lot of fear has been created around the topic of germs in the name of profits. I'm not gonna go into all the controversial details here, but I think there was a time when people were less afraid of the BIG BAD GERMS. Did you know that as we have been killing a lot of these germs as we have become an antibacterial society, that the little guys have often just been mutating to become even nastier? As far as I'm concerned what you resist persists. So I will certainly disinfect something, but not obsessively. Balance, people! :) So anyways to finish my review, This Seventh Generation Disinfectant Spray stuff works great, but it will make you cough if you breathe it in right after spraying it. It is really strong. Leathal plants. Sick 'em on your germs. No pun intended. So this is the perfect cleaner for you if disinfecting is really important to you and you like it to say that 99.9% thing.

Safeway's Bright Green All Purpose Dilutable Cleaner. This works great. All you need is a tiny tiny amount diluted with water in a big spray bottle to clean everything you can imagine. Great for shower walls, a little in your bucket for mopping, countertops, etc. Its a good all-purpose cleaner. Its a little intense smelling if you ask me. I wonder a little about Bright Green's fragrances, although they say "essential oil" in the ingredients. I don't like their lavender. Does not smell like essential oil to me. But this cleaner does the job and smells alright.

You can buy most of these products at your local natural foods store. Target and Safeway also carry some brands like Method, Seventh Generation, and of course Safeway has the line of Bright Green products. I recommend getting a duster or dust cloth that can be washed with your laundry and used again and again. I have a Casabella duster that I love for my home and a few micro fiber dust cloths that I use in my clients homes. Even better, you can find re-usable and washable cleaning items on Etsy that are handmade. And a good 'ol stack of washcloths or old towels cut into pieces make great re-usable cleaning cloths. Old t-shirts are good for glass surfaces.

Last but not least, a wonderful way to freshen your home when you are cleaning is to swing open those windows. Fresh oxygen makes your home more enjoyable to live in, and is great for you while you are inside cleaning!

I hope this is helpful to someone who is curious. Bless you, and Happy, Healthy, Cleaning!!

My Spring Cleaning Commitment for the Week:

Last week I committed to cleaning out my bathroom cabinets, and I did! It is so much more functional now.

This week, I commit to 2 things: organizing and cleaning out my "pantry" cabinet, and organizing my little "drawer" (its actually one of 3 storage bins we have under the coffee table) and we each have one of our own and then we share one. Its how we keep the clutter under control. Mine is super full and needs to be gone through. This week!

What is your commitment for this week? Do you know of any green cleaning products you love and that work really well for you? Leave a comment!

As always, Happy Week, and much Love!

Abbey