The Great Life Cookbook

                Baked Stuffed Apples  8 baking apples, remove core, do not peel pinch of sea salt 1/2 cup tahini ½ cup rice syrup ¼ cup of maple syrup 1 teaspoon of vanilla 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup roasted walnuts, chopped 1 cup apple juice   1)  Preheat the oven to 375° 2) In a small bowl, mix together the tahini,  cinnamon, cranberries, rice syrup,  maple syrup, vanilla, sea salt and walnuts. 3)  Scoop out  middle of apple and core. 4) Stuff each apple with the tahini mixture. 5)

                  Key Lime Parfait Prep Notes: Each step involves cooling and gelling, so allow for plenty of time. You will need 3 medium sized bowls. This recipe makes 22 to 24 parfait glasses, small bowls or cups, of at least 6 ounces each. It is possible to substitute agar powder for the flakes, at ¼ the volume. If using the powder, whisk longer and thoroughly to avoid clumping. When assembling an ingredient list, notice that the following are used more than once in this recipe: soymilk, agar-agar, brown rice syrup, maple syrup

By Priscilla Timberlake , co-author of The Great Life Cookbook: Whole Food, Vegan, Gluten-Free Meals for Large Gatherings.  What constitutes a great life? Having named our self-published book THE GREAT LIFE COOKBOOK makes this question a particularly engaging inquiry for me. Let us explore this together. MAY I BE HAPPY. MAY I BE PEACEFUL. MAY I BE HEALTHY. MAY I BE FREE. These blessings, offered to oneself and then to others, are one expression of a Buddhist loving-kindness meditation practiced for thousands of years. I believe these simple good wishes illuminate the essential components of a great life. The first

My Basic 4 Food Groups:    By Lewis Freedman, RD.  Co-Author with Priscilla Timberlake of The Great Life Cookbook: Whole Food, Vegan, Gluten-Free Meals for Large Gatherings. My simple plan for dinner is;  Start with a Grain, add a Bean, a Veggie that’s Orange and one that is Green.  I have followed this simple system for years.  To make an easy, yet complete, balanced and nurturing meal, I think of these 4 food groups. I generally start with looking in the refrigerator.  What grains and/or beans do I have already cooked.  If I have a cooked grain, I know I can

(Roasted Sesame Seed Salt)             Prep Notes: Gomashio is nice to have around. Guests sprinkle it on everything. 1 cup unhulled sesame seeds 2 teaspoons sea salt 1. Wash seeds. Rinse in fine mesh colander/strainer. 2. Roast on medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pan, stirring constantly for 10 to 15 minutes. 3. When the seeds turn a darker brown, are fragrant, and can be crushed between your fingers, pour them into a suribachi (ceramic bowl with ridges). See photo on page 223. 4. Roast salt quickly in same pan, add to seeds and grind in