natural zen

Be grateful for the freedom to see other dreams. Bless your loneliness as much as you drank of your former companionships. All that you are experiencing now, will become moods of future joys. So bless it all. Do not think your way superior to another’s. Do not venture to judge, but see things with fresh and open eyes. Do not condemn, but praise when you can, and when you can’t, be silent.

Time now is a gift for you. A gift of freedom to think and remember and understand the ever perplexing past and to recreate yourself anew in order to transform time.

Live while you are alive. Learn the ways of silence and wisdom. Learn to act, learn a new speech. Learn to be what you are in the seed of your spirit. Learn to free yourself from all the things that have moulded you and which limit your secret and undiscovered road.

Remember that all things which happen to you are raw materials. Endlessly fertile. Endlessly yielding of thoughts that could change your life and go on doing so forever.

Never forget to pray and be thankful for all things good or bad on the rich road; for everything is changeable so long as you live while you are alive.

Fear not, but be full of light and love. Fear not, but be alert and receptive. Fear not, but act decisively when you should. Fear not, but know when to stop. Fear not, for you are loved by me. Fear not, for death is not the real terror, but life magically is.

Be joyful in your silence, be strong in your patience. Do not try to wrestle with the universe, but be sometimes like water or air, sometimes like fire, and constant like the earth.

Live slowly, think slowly, for time is a mystery. Never forget that love requires always that you be the greatest person you are capable of being, self-regenerating and strong and gentle—your own hero and star.

Love demands the best in us. To always and in time oversome the worst and lowest in our souls. Love the world wisely.

It is love alone that is the greatest weapon and the deepest and hardest secret.

So fear not, my friend. The darkness is gentler than you think. Be grateful for the manifold, dreams of creation, and the many ways of the unnumbered peoples.

Be grateful for life as you live it. And may a wonderful light always guide you on the unfolding road.

This little kitchen experiment will beat a veggie burger any day. Larger patties are harder to keep intact when flipping, so I opted for sliders over burgers. Use these as the ‘meat’ or the ‘bun’!

Ingredients
. 1/2 cup quinoa (about 2 cups when cooked, makes 10-12 patties)
. about 3 organic mini bella mushrooms
. about 1/8 sweet white onion
. sea salt and cracked pepper to taste
. 1 tsp cayenne pepper (more/less depending on how spicy you prefer)
. olive oil
. 2 small organic brown eggs (alternatively, cornstarch)
. organic tomatoes and herb salad mix to top

1. Cook quinoa in a pot of boiling water, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, wash and finely chop whole mushrooms and onion. Heat olive oil in a frying pan until a drop of water sizzles. Add mushrooms and onions, sautee until lightly browned.
3. Drain quinoa and put in mixing bowl. Add sauteed mushrooms and onions and crack the eggs in (or add the cornstarch + a little water). Add the salt, pepper, and cayenne last and mix well. Mixture should be mushy but not runny or crumbly.
4. In same frying pan, drop tablespoonfuls of the mixture and press with back of spoon to create patties. Use enough olive oil to make sure they don’t stick. Let brown on one side and gently flip, then cook til solid and warmed through.
5. Let cool, then sandwich with thin slices of tomato and a few leaves of herb salad.

If you’re bringing these to a BBQ, cook them up beforehand and warm them on the grill on top of a piece of foil, add your favorite condiments and sandwich in mini ciabatta buns.