sesame walnut

We found these delicious walnuts at a restaurant in San Francisco and had to bring some home with us. They make a perfect addition to a wholesome breakfast. They are a little sweet and a little savory. Poyfect!

Ingredients:

1 C cooked oatmeal
2 T chopped sesame walnuts
1 t earth balance or coconut oil

Directions: Chop one tablespoon of nuts and mix in oatmeal. Garnish the remaining nuts on top! Enjoy!

Om,

Renata

mOMent: Each day presents choices. Make the choices you will remember as moving toward your goals and personal growth. Every day, make a little progress toward your goals…the journey is just as important is the destiny.

Ren-oaty Granoly Cookies

I decided to re-create a cookie I once had in Sonoma from a cute little coffee shop.  It was this fantastic oat-based cookie with honey and nuts and seeds.  It was filling and tasty, but not vegan.  So I thought I would try it at home with my modifications.  I’m very, very pleased with how they came out.  Please try this at home.

Servings: 24

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C old fashioned oats
1/2 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C brown rice syrup
1 t vanilla
1 T sesame seeds
1 T pumpkin seeds
1 T sunflower seeds
1 T shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 T ground chia (or flax) plus 3 T water
1/4 C cranberries

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together, add brown rice syrup and vanilla until mixed well.

Add oats and salt.  Fold in pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, cranberries and coconut. Mix well.

Finally add the “chia egg” by mixing 1 T ground chia (or flax) with 3 T water.  Add to the mixture and stir completely.

Spoon mixture into well greased or non-stick mini-cupcake tins.

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely or they may tear apart easily.

Ahhhh…delicious…

Om,
Renata

mOMent: Sometimes creating something out of a dream can be a simple as asking your intuition.  “Hello, intuition?  Yes…nice to meet you, what is the next step in this process?”  You might be surprised by the answer!

Servings: 24

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C old fashioned oats
1/2 C butter
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C brown rice syrup
1 t vanilla
1 T sesame seeds
1 T pumpkin seeds
1 T sunflower seeds
1 T shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 T ground chia (or flax) plus 3 T water
1/4 C cranberries

Directions:

Preaheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together, add brown rice syrup and

vanilla until mixed well.

Add oats and salt.  Fold in pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds,

cranberries and coconut. Mix well

Finally add the “chia egg” by mixing 1 T ground chia (or flax) with 3 T

water.  Add to the mixture and stir completely.

Spoon mixture into well greased or non-stick mini-cupcake tins.  Bake for

25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool

completely or they may tear apart easily.

Ahhhh…delicous…

Rate the recipe here

Om,
Renata

mOMent: Sometimes creating something out of a dream can be a simple as

asking your intuition.  “Hello, intuition?  Yes…nice to meet you, what

is the next step in this process?”  You might be surprised by the answer!

pineapple sesame

This om of the day was asian inspired…and turned out pretty good.  I probably will toast the sesame seeds a little longer next time to bring the flavor of the sesame into the oatmeal just a touch more.  But, overall, pretty tasty!

1 C cooked old fashioned oatmeal

1 T sesame seeds

1 T agave

1 t sesame oil

1/4 C pineapple

Add sesame seeds, agave, sesame oil and pineapple to a saucepan over medium heat.  Saute until the sesame seeds become fragrant and begin to change to a golden brown color.  Turn down heat and let simmer over low heat for 5 or so minutes, until the consistency is syrup-y.  Mix with oatmeal and enjoy this sweet & savory asian inspired om of the day.

Om,

Renata

mOMent: Pulling inspiration from new and unexpected and seemingly ordinary sources can be a great way to experience the day.  Take a moment and look around today.  Find something that seems ordinary and plain, then find something inspirational from it.  Dig in, and discover what is so special… How can you apply this to your life?

sesame honey

This recipe is dedicated to all those who love halva…We love it at my house and anything that reminds us of it is A.O.K.  Easy, simple and yummy…

Ingredients:

1 C cooked old-fashioned oats
1 T sesame salt
2 T honey (or brown rice syrup)
sesame seeds to sprinkle on top

Directions:

Add honey and sesame salt to a bowl, add hot oatmeal.  Mix well, until honey is dispersed well.  Garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Om,
Renata

mOMent: Open sesame refers to the pod of the sesame bursting open when the seed reaches maturity.  What a beautiful metaphor.  How many times in our lives can we say we’ve actually burst open, full of love, light, maturity and wisdom?  If the answer is not as many as we hope…let’s change that by allowing our innate wisdom to shine through.

halva ‘nother bowl!

Halva has it’s own sweet and savory charm.  That’s why in this recipe I mention the use of a little more sweetener, it kicks it up a notch, making it more of a breakfast-y flavor.  But, as usual, make it the way that you’ll love it!

halva

Ingredients:

1 C cooked old-fashioned oats
2 T (or more) halva
1/3 t vanilla
sprinkle of cinnamon
a touch of agave or brown rice syrup

Directions:

Put halva, cinnamon, vanilla and sweetener in a bowl.  Mix hot oatmeal in with halva until it is melted and completely dissolved in the oatmeal.

Om,
Renata

mOMent: When we let fear rule our lives we lose the truth of who we really are…limitless, beautiful and amazing beings.  Today, really take a moment to connect with your surroundings and remember who you really are…Are you more likely to do something empowering when in this state?  Do you feel as if you can do something that created fear in you previously?

halva!

halva

This halva recipe came from this site.  You can adapt it in whatever way your diet allows you.  If you prefer to use brown rice syrup, honey, or even simple syrup, you may.  The end result will still be irresistible.  For the nuts, I used pistachio (mostly because my hubby loves them).  I also sprinkled additional sesame seeds on top to adorn it.

Bottom line: Have fun, or better yet…Halva fun!

Ingredients
2 C (24 oz.; 700g) honey (or brown rice syrup, simple syrup or agave)
flavorings—vanilla, coffee, chocolate,… (I used vanilla)
1½ cups (12 oz.; 340g) tahini — beaten to mix in any excess oil
optional 1½ cups nuts —(I used pistachios)

Heat the honey, stirring to prevent local overheating. If using a sugar thermometer, simmer until the thermometer reaches 240 °F (115 °C) — otherwise, test for a “soft ball ” syrup. Once you have reached the soft-ball temperature, let the honey-syrup cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, warm the tahini to about 50 °C; 120 °F. Fold the warmed tahini into the hot honey-syrup.

Before adding the tahini, you can add nuts (pistachio, almond, hazelnut) to the syrup. It’s worth the effort to remove the skins and gently toast the nuts in a moderate oven (180 °C; 350 °F), and add the hot nuts to the hot syrup. Add as many as you want—this mixture will take up to 2 cups (8 oz.; 250g) of nuts if you like your halva that way; most shop-bought halva has far less.

Once all is combined, turn the mixture out onto a board or marble slab; pull and fold repeatedly until the mixture begins to set. This promotes the formation of sugar crystals (as in fudge making ), which give your halva the flaky character it should have. This is hard with the domestic quantity given here, as the halva cools quickly. A traditional confectioner would make a 50lb (20Kg) batch, which cools far more slowly, and can be pulled and folded many times to give the halva a fibrous texture.

Put the warm mixture into an oiled cake tin (either with a press-out base, or lined with baking paper), ramekins, or a plastic container. Once cool, seal to keep out any moisture and leave in the fridge for 36 hours (this allows the sugar crystals, which give halva its distinctive texture, time to grow). Cut while cold, with a sharp knife (if the halva is softer than the nuts it’s difficult to make a clean cut, so this is easier when the halva is cold).

tahini oat cookies

tahini oat cookies

These cookies came from a recipe I found here.  I have to say I was not all that thrilled with them.  The idea sounded great, but the end result was a little dry and more of a biscuit/shortbread texture then I had imagined.  Next time I will likely add something to moisten these cookies up.  Otherwise, the flavor was delicious.

Ingredients:

1 C rolled oats
1 C whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 t sea salt
1 t baking powder
1/4 C tahini
1/4 C sesame oil
1 t vanilla extract
2 t cornstarch
1/2 C maple syrup
2 T sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grind oats in a blender until coarsely ground (some whole flakes should remain intact). Do not wash out blender.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, salt and baking powder.

Place tahini, sesame oil, vanilla, cornstarch and maple syrup in blender and process until smooth. Stir this mixture into oat mixture.

Drop T of batter on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are golden brown on bottom and puffed.

Om,
Renata

mOMent: Cultural difference make this world a rich and diverse place to be.  Take a look around during your day and notice which cultural differences you respond positively to, and which you respond negatively to.  What steps can you take to appreciate all cultures with respect and admiration?

open sesame (with a coconut twist)

Ingredients:

1 C cooked old-fashioned oats
2 t toasted sesame seeds
1/4 c shredded toasted coconut (see below)
1/4 t coconut flavoring
1 t brown sugar
1 T butter
2 t cream
salt to taste

Directions:

Sesame seeds:  In a small pan toast sesame seeds with a pinch of salt until fragrant and slightly brown.

Coconut:  In a small sauce pan melt butter and mix in coconut, brown sugar and coconut flavoring over low heat.  Heat until fragrant and slightly browned.

Combine oatmeal, coconut and 1 t sesame seeds in a bowl with cream.  Sprinkle remaining sesame seeds on top.

Om,
Renata

mOMent: What words are “magic words” in your life?  What words can be used to soothe, soften or satisfy you? Write a few of these words down and tuck them away to be found later, like a surprise.  When you see them again, notice what happens.

berry zinful

For this recipe I used a wonderful product from Navarro Vineyards.  I used the Olallieberry Zinfandel Preserves to sweeten the deal for today’s OM, and I would certainly do it again!

Navarro Olallieberry Zinfandel Preserves

Ingredients:
1 C cooked old-fashioned oatmeal
2 T Navarro Olallieberry Zinfandel Preserves(divided)
1.5 T butter
1 T cream
Salt to taste
Sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

Mix well 1T of preserves, butter, cream and oatmeal in a bowl. Spoon remaining 1T of preserves on top and sprinkle sesame seeds.  Add salt as desired.

Om,

Renata

mOMent: Why whine when you can wine and dine?