Vegan Tomato-Broccoli Alfredo with Cashew Sauce

Tomato-Broccoli Alfredo with Cashew Sauce

(So quick and yummy I wanted to share!)

1 cup raw cashews (soaked in 2 cups boiling water)

1/4 cup water

2-3 cups fresh tomatoes  (approx.)

1 tsp. Sriracha Hot sauce (or to taste)

3 whole stalks broccoli cut into bite-sized pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 tsp. salt (or to taste)

5-6 ounces whole grain medium pasta shells

1. Boil 2 cups water.  Pour cashews into the pan and cover for 35-60 minutes*.  Drain.

2. Start the water boiling for the pasta.  Add the pasta and boil according to package directions.  Drain.

3. Blend the cashews on high with 1/4 cup water, adding the fresh tomatoes (cut or whole, depending on size and the type of blender you have) until the sauce is smooth and creamy.  Add more tomatoes as needed to get the desired consistency. Add the hot sauce and salt. Blend until smooth.

3. Steam the broccoli for 3-4 minutes. 

4. Combine the tomatoes, broccoli, and pasta, stirring gently.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves approximately 4

Enjoy!!!

(*To make it even faster you can soak the cashews overnight or all day rather than quick-soak.)

Relieve Stress with Rockin!

Trauma keeping you awake?  This may help you sleep like a baby!

Someone I worked with saw me the other day and wanted to tell me how much this method has helped her sleep.  She has a history of significant childhood abuses.  She got a rocking chair recently and started rocking 20 minutes before she went to bed.  She said it makes her so relaxed---more relaxed than she ever remembers being.  She gets in bed and wishes she could stay awake and enjoy the relaxed state she is in, but she is so relaxed that she goes into a deep restful sleep.  She said she is sleeping better than she can remember sleeping--pretty much ever.  She's sleeping like a baby!

This motion helps the brain stem.  I'm going to paste a clip from an article I wrote about this method some time ago.  Sweet dreams!

Good news: current research is finding success with trauma sufferers.  They have found that there are various movements that can help the brain handle the release and healing of traumatic incidents (even multiple traumas; see resources by Bruce Perry at childtrauma.org.) Some of these movements are: swinging, rocking, jumping on a mini-tramp, Tai Chi, therapeutic dancing S.K.Y breathing, etc. Hoffman (deceased trauma therapist) had her trauma clients rock in a rocking chair 20 minutes a day as they are going through therapy with her. Ms. Hoffman was also able to use EFT (and other modalities) in helping these sufferers heal in ways they never thought possible.  Rocking is an important part of their healing, as it has markedly increased the response rate. 

Building Self-Esteem (part 1)

This information is from McKay and Fanning's landmark book, Self-Esteem, 3rd Ed, an excellent book! (Combined with BSFF cuing, this approach can be extremely powerful!)

There are basically two self-worth categories: "situational" and "characterological."  Sometimes a person just has a situational problem or issue going on.  Many people will need to work with both categories, but here's a great start:)

There are 4 Situational Problems that Negatively Impact Self-Esteem 

1. The "Shoulda's" ("I coulda shoulda woulda!"--Beating self up relentlessly.)

2. Perfectionism (Not allowing mistakes and imperfections as a normal, growing part of life. You can even endorse yourself for having the courage to do something even if you make a mistake.)

3. Vulnerability to criticism (Work on not taking criticism personally--have a growth mindset and work on self-validation, acceptance, and considering where the criticism is coming from (is it a valid source?)) 

4. Non-assertiveness: It's ok that you have legitimate needs! Inventory your wants and needs. Work on putting your needs and your valid wants into words. Then work on saying those words and standing up for your validity as a person.  (It is also helps people when they focus on being grateful for what they do have:-).

Situational Self-Worth Work Bottom Line:

 Refute the critic, stop the thoughts (then change the thoughts), identify strengths (list & endorse), and accept yourself (trust in validity). Cue if you know how (see below.)

If you know BSFF then you can cue for failsafes and misbeliefs with each step.  Adding in scriptural truth can be SO powerful with cuing!  Read some positive scriptures into your phone and cue with them. Remember, use a juxtaposition, cuing on the negative thoughts, then thinking (or saying) the positive replacements and cuing on those. Toggle it back and forth, back and forth, until you start going right to the positive belief. Remember to end with the closing sequence (to seal the deal:-) at least morning and night.  I think you'll be amazed at the outcome.  More on this later!

New Information in Forgiveness Work

Forgiveness Work on a Deeper Level:

What is the "Memory Field?"

I've come upon something I understand to be the "Memory Field." It is where the Family Constellation Field and the individual's own DNA field intersect.  I see it as a point in the middle of 2 Celtic Weave lines, but it's certainly multi-dimensional.  It can be a failsafe area to clear in your forgiveness work. When you clear this field you're releasing a TON of information (aka "energy")!

This memory field is about the question of complete forgiveness--the "forgive and forget" kind. Clearing work like BSFF can be so deep that on some level we fear we will forget not only what happened to us, but the learning we received from that experience.  So we may be afraid to completely "forgive and forget." If we cue for it as a failsafe when we feel our forgiveness work is incomplete, this can be very powerful.

Through an answer to prayer, I realized that we can put the memories into a different sphere, or energy field, so that we can access the memory if needed and retain all of the learning we gained from it, but "forgive and forget" it completely.  With complete forgiveness, we change in a positive way and we don't need to remember it--just like God says if we repent He will "Remember our sins no more."

 See Jeremiah 31:33-34 "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."