Vacation & eating raw food

I was off in Boston for the last month and haven't been able to post.  I found it really hard to stay 100% raw during that time. I was freezing and wanting something warm to eat and drink. So I broke down and ate baked potatoes regularly.  I'm home now and working on getting back to at least 95% raw again.  I got papayas growing in the yard and been enjoying them. 

Today I bought apples with the intention of making Bakalava. It's Bruce Horowitz's recipe which I have yet to do right. I don't know about you, but when recipes are written from the biggest ingredient to the smallest, and the order for processing the recipe is different, I always make errors.  Therefore, I think I'll rewrite the recipe to suit either my brain's interpretation (I like things listed in exact order of action) or rewrite it in the way in which I ended up making it.

This is how I made the recipe and it was still delicious:

In processor mix:
2 C pecans
1 C raisins
1 cut orange, rind included
1/2 C honey
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt (I use kosher salt)

Process and set aside.

5-6 firm apples (My favorite are Fuji's)
1/2 C lemon juice

Core and half apples. With spiral slicer (Use wide blade), slice apples into thin wedges. (I don't have a spiral slicer, so I used a knife to do that which worked just fine.) Mix with lemon juice.

Layering:
Place a layer of apples in a 8"X13" Pyrex followed by a layer of pecan and raisin mix. Repeat so you have 3 layers of apples and topping. Top with cinnamon.

That's not exactly what  Horowitz's recipe says. He says to mix the nuts and honey separately. In that way you have 3 different layers times 3.  I like the way mine turned out. You can make any changes to suit your taste buds.  It's a great lunch.  Yummy!

Write a gratitude list and count your blessings.

Internet problems & Patience

Over the past month, I have had internet problems. The internet connection was moving so slowly I couldn't load or download anything without it going off. However, lots have happened. I'm studying a fasting book with a group of women at the church. I am currently doing morning fasts with prayers intent on patience.

Patience is not only one of the seven virtues, it is also one of the six perfections. In my Pema Chodron lessons, we were told to practice "being patient with slight irritations and annoyances..." In this way, we prepare ourselves to remain calm with bigger problems arise. By becoming familiar with arising feelings of impatience and annoyance, we can move into patience more readily and "deescalate" any negativity while it is relatively easy to do so.

The Dalai Lama says "there are four qualities of patience and tolerance:"

• If someone pushes you around, you should be tolerant, patient.
• If someone shows anger to you, you should not respond with anger.
• If someone hits you, you should not strike back.
• If someone embarrasses and insults you, you should not answer back.

What I have found to help me be patient with such aggressions, is to have empathy for the other person. I do this with tonglen and NVC. Do I do this every time? No. But I try. For me, this is a process, not perfection.

Even the Dalai Lama says patience is a transformation of attitude. It's an inside job.

“We cannot learn real patience and tolerance from a guru or a friend. They can be practiced only when we come in contact with someone who creates unpleasant experiences. According to Shantideva, enemies are really good for us as we can learn a lot from them and build our inner strength."”--Dalai Lama