April 22, Earth Day, probably one of my favorite celebrations.

“The earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites one family. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. The earth is sacred and men and animals are but one part of it. Treat the earth with respect so that it lasts for centuries to come and is a place of wonder and beauty for our children.” ― Extract from Chief Seattle.

The earth blesses us with so much more than just beautiful land. It nourishes us from the sun to the moon to the earth below our feet that produces food for us to eat. We get our vitamins, our challenges, and our blessings from it. To be able to experience the world the way we do is beyond magnificent. How amazing it is to travel, to eat, to breath on this beautiful planet.

Unfortunately, there has been a disconnect with the human race and nature, not for all, but for a lot. We have started to take advantage of our power and the earth has started to see the effects from that greed. We can all play a part in the movement that has already started to do our best to support the change to help our planet. A big one is sustainable living which can be hard to do fully, especially in certain areas but what other small things can we still do to make an impact and be inspired by this way of living? A close friend of mine had a conversation about this and she had an amazing suggestion for this blog post. Create a recipe where the ingredients have to come from our local farmers markets. Limiting waste, over water use, and a support for the locals. What an amazing idea. This recipe is all products I got from my local farmers markets in Ventura, CA. It is very light, very grounding, and affordable as well as helpful to the planet herself. It is completely plant based, vegan, gluten free. It may seem like a lot of steps but every step takes about five minutes except for a soak and the baking of the butternut squash. I hope you enjoy and if you are interested in living a more sustainable, environmental lifestyle there are 100 of small ways you can. Podcasts, local outdoor stores, and online have plenty of ways to help you find out how you can help. Blessings to you and Pachamama for she is us and we are her. Happy Earth day everyone (every day is earth day).

Butternut Squash Collard Wrap with Dill Cashew Cream (serves 2-4)

1 Butternut Squash (roasted, will only need half)

4 medium-small Collard Greens

Half of one Carrot (medium)

Half of one Leek

1 inch of grated Ginger

¼ lemon

½ Jalapeno

4 small leafs of Dinosaur Kale

Small handful of micro green sprouts (whatever kind you like)

1 Golden Beet

1 cup Cashews (soaked for at least one hour)

¼ cup fresh Dill

1 cup Filtered water

½ lemon with peel

Salt to taste

-First thing first cut your butternut squash into a half and scrape out seeds and the strings, put on a tray and cook at 415 until golden brown., Usually 45- 60 mins

-Soak cashews in a bowl or jar with filtered water for same time squash is baking and cooling.

– Chop leaks and sauté in either ghee or coconut oil for about 5 minutes until golden like they are in the picture. Once done set aside

– Peel carrots with a peeler then start to use the peeler to shred the carrots like pictured, set aside

– Peel the beet and then cut in half. Take the half and cut the domed parts off so you can cut into tiny rectangular slivers. Place in bowl with carrots

– De-core the jalapeno then chop to finely pieces and set aside

– De-stem kale, chop set aside

-Take grated ginger and sauté it with the carrots and beets for about 5-7 minutes until they are soft. Add a pinch of salt and set aside

-Once squash is cooled, peal as well as you can and then cut into cubes. Start to sauté the jalapenos in coconut oil or ghee and then after about two minutes or so add the squash with a splash of water. Cover with a lid and cook on medium-low for three minutes. Use a smasher and start to smash it together, add a pinch or two of salt and squeeze lemon into it, cook for another three or four minutes. Set aside

-Drain Cashews and place in blender with water, dill, and entire lemon. Add some salt and blend until completely smooth. If desired, add the rest of the jalapeno in there

–Now time for the collard greens. Fill a pot with enough water that the collard green can lay in. Carefully and slowly deveining the big vine on the back of the green. There are videos online if need help! Bring water to boil and place one green at a time in there for about 30 seconds, use tongs to move it around gently and to take it out. Place on a cutting board and repeat with the rest.

• Start to fill the leafs with the ingredients in the order you wish, try not to over stuff them. I would go with the big vine line.

• Now smash it down more and start to roll like a burrito. Nice and slow. Once on its belly, split in half with a knife. Serve how you wish with sauce on the side. Enjoy!
  Since its earth day, here are some photos from some of my favorite photographers sharing their eye on this world.

  

  

  

  

  

  About the Cook:

  Chelsea Shapouri, currently in Ventura, California, is an entrepreneur with the love for holistic health, yoga/meditation, herbal medicine, travel, and the outdoors. Her aim is to help people achieve their true authenticity, move away from stress and into balance using her knowledge with Holistic Living. Chelsea currently is teaching “Yoga Medicine” at local studios and indoor rock climbing gyms, creating a cook book, taking photos with her favorite companions, hosting workshops locally, and enjoying the ocean and trails on her days off. To learn more about her mission and offers you can go to her website; Thegrainsoflife.com or email her at; thegrainsoflife@yahoo.com. Join the team to spread this awareness of happiness as well as taking care of our earth and people.