Ever soaked or sprouted your grains, nuts, or seeds? Here's a great morning cereal that is bursting with life energy, enzymes, protein, and complex carbs. The process of soaking releases enzyme inhibitors in the nuts, while allowing the seeds and grains to begin the germination process, reawakening it's vital life energy force. Soaking also makes your seeds/nuts/grains more easily digestible. At least once a week allow this cereal to replace your oatmeal, quinoa, boxed cereal flakes, or whatever it is you're already eating. You'll probably love it and it's vital energy so much that you will have it more than that, but it takes 30 days to break/make a habit...so we'll start slow.

It will take a small amount of prep work...ah ah ah, now don't go bypassing the rest of this entry just cuz i said 'it'll take prep work' - it's easy. Plus the recipe provides you with days worth of nourishment, so you don't have to do much later. You can start now, will only take you a couple minutes...and then finish tomorrow. The prep work is what makes it so healthy, alive, and brimming with life energy.

More recipes like this at: www.meredithgnau.blogspot.com

To me, the best part about fall is the persimmon. How i've long awaited it's sweet return! Appropriately called 'fruit of the gods' by ancient Greeks, these little fruits are rich in antioxidants like catechins and gallocatechins (which you always hear about when reading about health benefits of green tea) and betulinic acid (an anti-tumor compound). They also have a good amount of the antioxidants lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which is a carotenoid known to help prevent age related macular degeneration, as well as the minerals potassium and manganese. The American variety of this fruit is only edible once it's ripe...which means holding out until fall each year, and then basking in the goodness of these fabulous little orange delights for as long as you can. The shorter squat ones (shaped more like a tomato) are called Fuyu. They tend to have less of an astringent quality so can be eaten while still firm. It will have the crunch and texture of an apple. You can also wait for softer fuyus which will be juicy like a nectarine. Persimmons are great eaten alone, or can be added to salads, entrees, desserts, and breads. If you've never had a persimmon, i would encourage you to scout some out at your local farmers market, and make sure to pick the fuyus which you can bite right into. I've had some not so hot experiences with the hachiya's (a larger acorn shaped persimmon) which are so astringent when under ripe that your mouth drys up and shrivels around the fruit. Hachiyas can only be eaten when very soft and ripe. You'll want to remove the outer tannic skin, remove the seeds, and scoop the fruit out of the flesh.

For more recipes and entries like this, visit my blog: "A Grateful Life" at www.meredithgnau.blogspot.com

I created this recipe the other day because I have been craving pumpkin pie flavor non stop and I figured why not incorporate the seasonal flavor into my post-workout protein shake. It tastes so yummy by the way!

This is a delicious warming smoothie for the colder months.