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

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

My Spring Mantle and Spring Cleaning Commitment for the Week

Good Morning Friends!

Its time for me to leave my weekly commitment for the Spring Cleaning Challenge! (I hope you will too!) But first, let me share with you some spring-y photographs from my neck of the woods...




A little daffodil pushes its way through the earth...




Tiny leaves emerge on my lilac tree...




Our cactus and succulent (and orchid) collection glowing green in the morning light...


And presenting... MY SPRING MANTLE!!





Actually, I took this picture about a week ago when it was still in progress and it has already changed a little, but here are some photos...I wanted to be sure to share them before spring gets
away! It looks so lovely in the evening all lit up!




An apothacary jar with a tiny nest inside...for Easter, I filled this jar with pastel shabby-chic Easter eggs that I painted and antiqued. It was precious! Do ignore the strange people in the picture frame. I don't know them. They came with the frame, which I plan to fill with wedding photos...






These are my white ceramic bunny rabbits. I searched the town and etsy high and low to find bunnies that were just plain white. (This proved to be harder than expected) Then I found them on the bottom shelf in the corner of a store. I was so excited! They are the perfect symbol of spring, and they are so cute I can hardly stand it :) I'm sure I will cherish them for years to come.

I painted a double-decker bird house for the mantle. In this pic I had not yet distressed and antiqued it, but you can get the idea.





Spring-green and lavender candles light up the mantle...

My sweet ceramic birds from Ventura, CA :)

My real birds nests collection, one I found and one Audrey found for me, along with other bird fancies, including the art print in the back (I am looking for the right frame for this), called "Nesting Material" made by an Etsy artist Anna Ruby King in Athens, Greece. If you love it, you can get one too here:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62799572/nesting-material-limited-edition-hand?ref=sr_list_1&ga_search_query=nesting+material+print+&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

Some of my favorite things :)

And now...

My personal Spring Cleaning Commitment for the week:

This week I will clean out and organize my "junk drawer" Right now its hard to open and close because things are always getting caught. Its a mess. I hearby commit to making it functional this week!

What is your commitment for this week?! (Leave a comment!)

Love,

Abbey

Spring Cleaning Commitment Challenge--Join Me!!

As spring draws near, I begin to feel it within me. Its almost as if little sprouts of life are beginning to move within my soul. It is a kind of awakening that happens within us if we pay close attention. It is a stirring. For me, it is a breath of fresh air both literally and symbolically, inviting me to emerge from a wintery hibernation, and step into the sunshine of my own inspiration and new beginnings...


Perhaps this is why I cherish nests with eggs so much. (If you've been to Love's Garden or my house lately, you've seen evidence of it everywhere :)) I love them and all they symbolize. So much potentiality cradled and nurtured within.

I love summer. I love that warm and perfect day when I can pull out my sun dresses from the depths of my closet and finally wear one, bare-footed in the yard. I love the comfort of the warm days, the excitement of harvesting greens from the garden for dinner, the joy of coming home after a day's work to set up the sprinkler and watch the setting sun sparkle through the drops of water. I love the hummingbirds zipping through the yard, and the freedom and feeling as though you could stay up into the warm night and do anything.


Spring is the awakening that leads to the promise of summer. The promise of inspiration, energy, motivation, and new creation.


I love that when springtime begins to stir within me, I feel so much HOPE. It is a new beginning with new possibility of what I might be. Of what I might create. Of what I can become.


I feel such a new beginning deserves sacred space for its unfoldment.


And I believe this is why people feel the urge for "spring cleaning" this time of year. A chance once again to clear out the old, to make room for the fresh, the new. A chance to swing open the windows of our homes, and hearts.

We must remember that our physical experience of life is often an expression of our inner world. Our yearnings to clear out the old in our physical world, is often a great opportunity to clear out what no longer serves us in our inner world to make room for our new visions, dreams and creations. As we clean and organize our space we set new intention for our life. We honor and make room for new beauty.


And so now, Spring has arrived here in the canyon. Everywhere I look I can see little green buds, and sunlight shining on bright, tiny, chartreuse leaves. Flowers are popping up around our neighborhood. Amazing pink and white blossoms cover trees and if you pay attention you see that they are covered in hundreds of bees hard at work, buzzing away. I love to see the bees so busy at work, living out their purpose so well in harmony with everything else.

Now that Spring is really here, I am ready to begin my work, and my "Spring Cleaning Journey". Yes, its easy to feel that inner urge to go through the closets, to wash the windows and baseboards, and to venture into the depths of the junk drawer, but to actually make time for those things? That is another story. It is a story of commitment and ultimately, of Self-Love. Let me elaborate...

What I've found in my life, is that cleaning and caring for my home environment goes right along with Self -Care, and Self-Love.


When I speak of Self-Love, I am referring to a healthy, unconditional Love for yourself, practicing self- forgiveness and acceptance and honoring and respecting yourself on all levels of Being. When we choose to love ourselves fully, or at least choose to live with an intention to Love ourselves fully, we will be more able to give of ourselves and to serve others, we will be happier and live more on purpose as the greatest and most fulfilled version of ourselves.


When I speak of Self Love I am speaking of Self -care on all levels of Being such as :


Caring for yourself Physically (making loving choices for yourself through what foods you choose to eat, and exercising regularly in a way that is enjoyable and challenging yourself to gently push beyond your own "boundaries", learning to manage our time wisely so that we make time for physical activity, plenty of rest, and our purpose work and soul's yearnings, and caring for our physical environment so that it is a place that nurtures our soul and houses the happenings of our lives in a way that truly supports us, not burdens us)

And caring for yourself Mentally (taking charge of your thoughts about yourself and your world, ensuring that they are positive and uplifting as much as possible, and perhaps simple, quiet times of meditation and reflection to put a busy mind at ease, and perhaps using positve affirmations to change those negative thought patterns that have been holding us back for so long.)

And caring for yourself Emotionally (being sure to listen to your own inner voice, and allow your feelings to be expressed rather than repressed, and giving yourself time and space to process all of life's experiences and emotions; breathing and paying attention to your inner world, and most importantly Allowing Love. Receiving Love.)

And of course, caring for yourself Spiritually--caring for your spirit--your own inner essence-- whatever that may mean for you (perhaps through meditation, writing, dreaming, praying, breathing, dancing, singing, making art, laughing, walking in nature, bathing, finding community and support, and very importantly-- discovering your purpose and devoting regular time and energy to what makes you most passionate and ignites feelings of true joy, etc.)

I have found what I choose to call "Home-Care" instead of "chores" or "housework" seems to be a very important part of Self-Care. And as with all things that fall under the umbrella of Self-Care, it is a choice. And for me, choosing to make time for Home Care and Spring Cleaning is an act of Self-Love. It is a bold statement I am making to myself that "I care enough for you to commit to what is important to you, and to commit to caring for the environment you spend your time in. I care enough about you, that I am listening to your inner nudges to care for your space, because I know that the clean space I am creating makes room for new blessings to flow into your life" Something like that :) It is a commitment. And a choice. And I believe that making this choice cultivates feelings of being loved. And when we feel loved, we are so much more stable, and able to do what is ours to do in this world.

So here's my plan:

I am going to make the intention to commit to my own special Home-Care projects and I want to invite you to join me by making your own personal Home-Care and Self-Care commitments for the season of Spring. Your commitments can be anything you want them to be--from odd cleaning and organizing jobs around your house, garage, yard, etc, to home improvement projects such as painting a wall that amazing color that will brighten your life, or hanging pictures or curtains. Your commitments could also include home-care and self-care commitments such as time devoted daily to cleaning up clutter, always doing dishes after a meal, or a daily walk or time for meditation and prayer.


Think of all we are preparing for--so much hope and promise for a fresh, bright, and inspired summer season.


Here's how it will work:

Each week I will post a personal Spring Cleaning goal for that week, and I invite you to create your own personal goal and please do share your goal by commenting, if you wish. At the end of the week I will post about my accomplishments and you can share about yours as well. My hope is that by making our commitments public, and sharing this journey, we will be more motivated to make sure to stick with them, and really get this "Spring Cleaning" done by summer!

I've also been inspired to share with you during this blog series as much information as I can about conscious cleaning, or cleaning in a way that shows care for the environment, our health, and is easier on our wallets!

Some other things I hope to include throughout the rest of this season:


~Reviews on Green Cleaning Products

~Recipes and ideas for making your own conscious cleaning products

~Random recipes for healthy yummy goodnesses just because.

~My Spring Mantle, because I LOVE my mantle just click on "mantle" in the list of tags to the right to see previous mantle love. :)

~Love's Garden Shop updates. I've got a lot of pretties in store for you, its just a matter of when they will be revealed...




So I hope you will join me in this journey. Please leave a comment! We can inspire each other to care more.


Let's allow this journey to begin to prepare us for the warmer months and create a space that is truly worthy of us and all our magnificent potential!

Happy Spring Cleaning Journey!

Love, Abbey

Winter Magic: My Christmas Mantle

If you've been reading, you know by now that decorating my mantle with the coming of each season is something I absolutely LOVE to do, and I daydreamed and really looked forward to bringing life to the mantle for Christmas.

I think one reason decorating the mantle is so special to me, is that this is Preston and my very first house together. We've lived both in our parents houses and in an apartment, but this year, we share the sweetest little cottage. And decorating our very first house for Christmas??? Even more joy. So putting mantle and Christmas together in the same sentence, you have one very very happy me.

Another reason I love decorating the mantle, is that to me, it is like a special altar in our home (and the only place our cat Spoofer cannot get to) and I love having a special altar to the seasons. It is a warm, wonderful ritual to decorate it. This precious earth is so special to me, and it is one way in which I can honor the cycles of the earth, and honor each season and the way it touches my own human cycles, and honor the changes that take place in and all around me with each new season.

I put a lot of love into this mantle design and really dreamed it up over a couple months time, looking high and low in shops and online for the perfect elements to compliment it. So sharing it with you has been a much anticipated thing. Of course I only wish you could see it in person, and see how it sparkles in the low light of the evening, because its even better than the pictures can express. But here they are, my very special Christmas Mantle...

Ta-dahhhh! Ok...now let me show you some close-ups...

A sweet sparkly winter bird (yes, I definitely have a bird obsession)

A little snowflake candle...

Little trimmed trees on each end...

Silver branch garland that I bought to decorate for my holiday trunk show, but ended up getting some more when I realized it was the missing element in my Christmas mantle...

The beginning of a winter vignette I've started to the side of the fireplace...I've already changed it a little since this photo...

A precious tiny decoration my sister Annie got for me when she was living in France...

Spoofer wishing she could knock everything down... ok...maybe she's just daydreaming, waiting for spring to arrive so she can eat grass in the yard...

The star atop our little tree...

And put it all together.....

Christmas Magic!

I wish for you a holiday season filled with warmth, love, and all the things that make you happy! Thank you for reading my blog and allowing me to share with you the joys of my life.

Love,

Abbey

Various Spring Vignettes

My decorating is very nature-inspired, and I especially love this time of year...



I have been picking up a boquet of Ranunculus flowers from Whole Foods each time I go shopping, and they bring moments of joy and pure presence to me each time I see them. They are one of my very favorite flowers and I love to arrange them in all my little vases...



On the coffee table, a beautiful slate my husband rescued from being taken to the landfill, with a little nest (nests are my favorite symbol right now), and a sweet cast-iron feather I bought at a wonderful shop in downtown Ventura, California called B on Main that I always insist on visiting every time I go to see my sister Annie and her husband.



Little built-in shelves to the side of our fireplace provide the perfect space for creating little worlds of interest. Here, a wild turkey feather I found several years ago while walking the trails at Unity Village in Missouri, a beautiful gold-leafed frame my dad hand-leafed and gave me one Christmas that just seems to be art enough by itself, and two lovely stone candle holders given to us by our brother-in-law Kevin.



Precious treasures: One of my favorite little books in the world, Keep Life Simple Therapy, an Elf-help Book, and a little ceramic deer my dad gave me.

A beautiful photograph taken by my husband Preston that he framed and gave to me for Christmas this year. It adds so much brightness to my day whenever I see it. Visit his Etsy shop to order this photograph, or choose from many other beautiful and unique fine art photographs: http://www.stohsphotography.etsy.com/

I always get so much joy from filling my fruit bowl full of fresh fruits right after grocery shopping. When I shop for fruit, I look for the colorful and interesting ones and arrange them in the bowl as if it were an art piece in itself. :)

Sweet little hand-thrown miniature vases I bought this summer while we were visiting Zion National Park in Utah. Tucked inside one of the pots is an absolutely precious and beautiful hand-painted matchbox by MaryHanks on Etsy, that I fell in love with, and my sister and her husband got me for Christmas last year. I love and cherish sweet little things that could be ordinary, but are made extraordinary. It always brings me joy to use my little matchbox.

For the Domestic Goddess...

As a part of my soon-to-arrive Spring collection, here's a little something I've been cookin' up for the Domestic Goddess in you. :)



I found this adorable designer tea pot fabric at one of my local fabric shops and I knew immediately what it had to be made up into...


Lots of Love and care went into each one!



Just wait til you see the final product! They might just be the perfect addition to your
kitchen-wears ;) or even just the perfect accessory to cute-ify your style! :) The chunky little tea pots are so sweet, and the colors are awesome!





All sewn up just for you!

These little babies are limited and will be available soon! Stay tuned to find out more!

Love,
Abbey