another sunny day

So dry….going to have to water again. Although mercury is reading pretty low, it is alluring enough to want to be outside all day working in the yard or the school gardens with sun on your back and the earth in your hands. I do love the satisfaction of clipping things with sharp clippers. Trees that need pruning, roses that have succumbed finally to cold weather while fooling only myself that it is ok, clipping the dead frozen ugly detritus left hanging over tender new growth that you are not supposed to cut to protect said new growth but sometimes it just happens as I look incredulously on at my gloved hands in motion as my compost bin fills, again.
Our full moon has been pretty amazing this month leading me to believe that it has to be a good time to throw some more seeds in the ground and separate bulbs for late spring and summer blooms. Carrots, chard, kale, onions, broccoli raab, broccolini, cabbage, mustard greens, snow peas, sweet peas, lettuce, arugula, watermelon radishes, parsley along with other herbs and plants are thriving in the College Park and Diablo Day organic gardens. As I gaze hungrily upon the astounding hues of greens, blues, reds and gold contrasting with reddish brown compost and mulch in my gardens, it gives eye candy a newer, sexier meaning if you are into the dirt, food porn, garden thing. Toss in a heartbreakingly blue sky and you have a perfectly visceral kind of day where you feel your nerve endings singing joyfully….except for the fact that we have had a lot of them good days due to no rain which is not good. I was reading about uncontrollable floods and crazy rains in Texas this week. Isn’t that something that this past spring we were inundated with rain and snow and Texas was experiencing their worst drought in decades and now they are under the rain cloud and we just keep on partying under blue skies?
Usually when it is this chilly there is rain or some low, hazy clouds drearying up the place so all I want to do is be inside curled up with my cats reading and making soup. Because it is so cold I am still manically making soup…..everyday…I have the cleanest reefer this side of Hawaii where it is so warm they don’t want to make a lot of soup all the time there by cleaning out all the veggies from the reef. So far my favorites are extremely simple and so tasty I am left craving more. Once I get on a thing I stay there for awhile too. Anyone else do that? I am loving vegetables of the green and leafy varieties and am really just sort of simmering them with chicken or veg stock and cubed sweet potatoes. Everything chopped up, thrown in pot, covered with stock, simmer until softish, season with Braggs Amino Acids, done. Bizarre yet wonderful if you are of the hot/cold ilk is the soup poured over chopped fresh Napa cabbage, arugula and lettuce mix. Squeeze lemon juice over and drizzle with amazing olive oil. California hippy girl pho. Take it a step further and fry or poach an egg or two very soft and drop on top of all. When the yolk opens into the concoction it creates the magic sauce that yolks are well known for creating a slurper who does not give a shit if found with egg on her face.
Made some pretty incredible protein bars for a health fair this weekend. My son tasted them and very dead pan serious said “these cannot be good for you”. They are! Vegan and gluten free with brown rice syrup for the sweetener. Even my dad like them. Saying a lot. You can cut whatever size you want. They are really great for taking with you when you know you are not going to be able to eat at the right time before the growling, low blood sugar thing hits. Also better than any junk food for a snack. Just like those kale chips!! Peace and white light universally my friends.

2 cups sunflower butter or peanut butter or half and half, available at your health food store or Trader Joes
1 c. organic brown rice syrup (whole foods)
4 scoops Arbonne Vanilla all-vegan protein powder ( I used ½ vanilla and half chocolate protein powder and you can use any kind I just use Arbonne cause I like it and peddle it to knowing friends)
2 scoops Arbonne fiber booster (also can use any fiber powder you like)
4 cups organic brown rice crispy cereal
¾ cup good earth tea or any tea you like but I love the cinnamon taste here. Most importantly is to get that liquid in there. It could also be almond milk or whatever your imagination dreams up

Directions:
Mix cereal, protein & fiber.
Heat syrup, tea & nut butter until liquefied.
Pour over cereal mixture.
Turn out evenly into a 9X13 dish. Press it down evenly. I used a little baking roller to get it distributed evenly and flat.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before cutting into squares. You can cut whatever size you like. I did one to two bite sized pieces. Keep airtight and refrigerated. Will last really well for a week or so then they tend to get a little dry but are still very tasty.