Soul Garden Space has started a Backyard Revolution by throwing fists of Home Grown food in the air in efforts to resist GMO corporations. They educate the community about urban gardening and they encourage others to join this revolution by growing their own food.
Grow Your Own Sweet Potatoes
Is your sweet potatoe growing pterodactyl-like leaves? Well don't be alarmed.This is a good thing. You can grow your very own sweet potatoes by twisting off one of those growths, which are called slips, and burying that into the earth. If you don't have alot of room for a garden. Perhaps you have room for a trash bin? Drill holes in it to drain water, fill it half way with soil, fertilizer and sand. Potatoes don't like to be soggy, so the sand helps the soil/water balance. Then plant away, and as your plant grows, bury it with more soil leaving just a leaf peaking through. This promotes growth. Plants are instinctual, they move from darkness into the light.
I know, you may be thinking it's too good to be true. I absolutely loved Nutella, but I had to let it go when I found out all the negative effects of sugar. One day, I had a craving and I decided to create a healthy alternative, so into the Soul Garden Space Kitchen Lab I went, and magic!
The best part about this this recipe, besides how delicious it tastes, is that it's full of hazelnuts which are rich in dietary fiber and folate. They also contain the essential fatty acid linoleic acid which helps lower LDL or bad cholesterol and increase HDL or good cholesterol. They are also a rich source of vitamin E, vitamin B-6, and minerals like magnesium, zinc, potassium, and iron.
You're gonna love this! We couldn't put our spoons down.
Healthy Nutella
2 cups Raw Hazelnuts
1 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Raw Cacao Powder
1/4 cup Maple Syrup or Xylitol
For extra sweetness I use 4-6 drop of Liquid Stevia (Hazelnut Flavor optional)
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Hazelnut Milk (or Almond, Hemp etc.)
Roast hazelnuts at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or so until the peel on the nuts loosens. Then you can grab a cloth and rub the hazelnuts in a bowl until you get as many of the peels off as possible. Blend until it becomes a creamy nut butter. Here's where a Vita-mix or a food processor comes in handy. Then add all the other ingredients and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
We're cutting down on sugar at Soul Garden Space, so I wanted to make this yummy concoction without the extra sugars and few added a few touches to create The Goddess Cocktail. Rosemary is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. The chia seed is an amazing source of omega 3's, fiber, protein and antioxidants . Blueberries and lemons are antioxidants as well.
The Goddess Cocktail:
Makes 1 Drink
2 oz of Just Blueberry Juice
6 oz of Soda Water
1/2 a lemon, juiced
1/8 teaspoon of chia seeds
3-4 drops of Stevia (optional to taste)
1 oz of Vodka (optional)
Muddle a sprig of rosemary in a mason jar. Add, blueberry juice and chia seeds. Stir, and then let chill for 3 days for ideal chia seed texture and to allow the rosemary to infuse it's oils into the juice. You may serve sooner, but it's worth the wait. When your ready to serve, add , soda water, lemon juice, and ice ahhhh....
So Aaron, co-founder of Soul Garden Space, and I are on a 7 Day Raw Food Cleanse. It has been a journey, and I'm so happy we've been doing this together. Not only is it fun to share creative ideas for recipes, but we also get to be a mutual support for one another. We also get to hold each other to account. If you do a cleanse, I definitely recommend partnering up with someone. Here's one of my favorite meals we've had on this cleanse. It's not only flavorful, but it's also nutritious and hearty.
Zucchini Pesto Pasta:
Makes 2 Servings
Pasta:
2-3 Zucchinis
Pesto Sauce:
1 C Basil
1/2 C Pine Nuts
4 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Lemon (juiced)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos
Pinch of Sea Salt
1 Tomato
Pasta:
You can buy special gadgets to make fancy spiral noodles, or I just use a peeler or the slice side of a grater.
Pesto:
In a blender of vita-mix combine basil, pine nuts, garlic, lemon juice, Olive Oil, Bragg Liquid Aminos & Sea Salt. Blend well. Pulse in tomatoes to a chunky consistency.