Watermelon Symmetry

I had to engage the flash on my camera to get this phenomenon to show up clearly but I assure you this IS a watermelon! The green rind got flashed so bright it whited out. 

Isn't the symmetry of the growth swirls intriguing?!  I already scooped out a bit of the center(yum!!) before I thought about grabbing my camera to show you this gorgeous bit of Nature. 

Hubby said, "Well, you know that watermelons are basically big ovaries, right?" ... gag. That took some of the fun right out of the moment. But here's the picture. Enjoy. 

What beautiful sights have caught your eye lately?

Dream: London, fog and rockets?

This afternoon around 2:30 I dreamt(Insomnia girl here, remember? I sleep at odd times) of something horrific happening in London. I’ve tried desperately to distance myself from news of the Olympics and anything in London but obviously Pleroma had different plans. Politics have been hell there and I really feel like the whole scenario is ripe for disaster. Hence, my distance from the news. I can only stand to read so much negativity before I have to turn away.

So here’s the dream: 

I was in a relatively tall building, an apartment, in London. I was in bed. I woke up and looked out my window at some noise and saw the most beautiful sight: small airplanes flying around with ‘streamers’ of huge pieces of artwork made in cut metal flying behind them. It was supposed to be a tribute to the Olympics. If this visualization sounds strange then think of those little planes you see flying along the coast at beaches with streamers which say, “Come down to Barney’s Pub! 5 wings for $3!” Those kinds of streamers. Only these were made out of metal, a shining silvery white metal and they looked almost like painting templates, they were hollow in the middle. 

These pieces of metal were in the shape of stylized rockets with streamers and confetti behind them. Beautiful. There must have been two dozen planes out flying these streamers.

I was so excited to see them up close that I got up out of bed and suddenly found myself on a plane ready to jump out. I had a camera. The plan was to sky dive and catch images of these flying commemorative pieces of art and sell the pictures to newspapers and magazines. 

I jumped. A few seconds after I did I realized that on the same level as these planes was a fog of gas. I choked, my eyes fluttered and my heart and lungs seized. I was falling still, through this cloud of gas, and I dropped my camera. 

I woke up out of the dream just before I hit the Thames. 

My physical body felt just like it did in the dream; my heart was pounding erratically and I couldn’t breathe. Horrifying. I knew I had to write it down. So here it is. 

I don’t know if something will happen in London but my body feels terrified and my heart says that there is potential for danger on a massive scale. 

The biggest question I have after thinking about this dream is why would the planes be releasing gas of this nature? And why the ruse of the decorative streamer/art?

"Truth Made Names" and "Rulers" in Gospel of Philip

Tying directly in with the theme of 'Names' in the Gospel of Philip, there is another small section within the book which speaks of how words' meanings are twisted when in different people's hands.

Truth Made Names

Truth made names in the world,
and without them we can't think.
Truth is one and is many,
teaching one thing through the many.

I interpret this to mean the many sects of literalism being used as a gateway or a stepping stone toward gnosis. 'Teaching one thing'(morality/goodness/the divine) through the many(many sects). 'Truth' of course meaning the good god/pleroma/the All.

The literalist traditions are easier for people to comprehend and when they are outgrown then the names in the literalists texts can be seen through for their alternate meanings. Like literalists using 'God' to signify the one to be prayed to while gnostics use the same world to mean the All/pleroma/the fullness/the totality of salvation and all that ever was/the divine spark which we all share. See the difference in meaning? Same word but completely different significance to different people. The same concept pertains to 'Christ.' Literalists use the word and name as a noun relating to a specific person while gnostics use the word to signify a tone or feeling of affection toward one another, speaking of one another as bright, Christ-like sparks. 'Christ' in the hands of a gnostic takes on another layer of meaning because Christ was not just a person to most of us, he was a gateway or a metaphor to what we all need to tell ourselves about what is true, and this is that dogma enslaves and then kills while freedom saves.

Layers of meaning, that is what gnosis is about. When we're ready then the layers will be revealed and we will grow in maturity.

This next section in Philip I find particularly succulent to meditate on. It's pretty clear in its meaning.

Rulers

The rulers wanted to fool us,
since they saw we were connected with the good.
they took the names of the good
and gave them to the not so good
so with names they could trick
and rope us to the not good.
As though doing us a favor,
they took names from the not good
and placed them on the good.
They knew what they were doing.
They wanted to grab those of us who were free
and make us eternal slaves. 

Again, twisting words to mean one thing or another when interpretation of the hearer is what matters. The archons are the rulers being spoken of; the ruling Ideas of power and intrigue in this world. They're like plague bearers whispering in people's ears, instigating war and other forms of disharmony which would divide us into factions of In or Out, 'other', and varelse or ramen. The truth is that we are all One in pleroma. We are all good and all need to see it but get so caught up in splitting hairs that it seems like we want to argue more than live in peace.  

Blog News

I decided a few months ago that I can't let my blog be only about spiritual matters. You might have noticed that with a few of my oddball recipes I threw out here and you were probably scratching your head thinking, 'What the hell? I came here to learn about gnosticism and...'

Well, here's the thing. I love food way too much. I also love learning about the natural world around us and sharing that new knowledge with others. I have so much knowledge and experience to give, too. I want to share recipes for healing ingredient combinations for hair/skincare as well as food recipes. As gnostics, sometimes we can be ambivalent about food and exactly how hedonistic we should be about it but the facts remain: our body needs it and our senses crave it. If we shut off our taste buds then we might as well shoot ourselves in the head because life isn't very fun when you eat cardboard. 

Also, healthy ingredients(NON-Big Pharma and GMO!!!) for both food and hair/skincare is being ferociously debated right now in every political forum on Earth.

Big Pharma: "We can patent this herb! I know we can!"

United Nations: "No, but if you prove that it's dangerous....."

US Surgeon General: "....or tweak the genetic structure of the plant then you can patent it! Not that it'd be so wonderful for humans to use because they'd end up with genetic defects of their own or even cancer after a generation or two but we don't really give a crap. Go ahead splice genes, inject whatever chemicals you need to, and make sure that our next big political fundraiser is lucrative."

Look up the history of 'turmeric' and you'll understand just why biochemists are slaving away in their labs trying to basically recreate all the chemical properties of turmeric. The FDA won't allow them to patent real turmeric and so they're trying to create their own laboratory created cocktail they can sell on the open market. The above argument? That's precisely the argument which took place concerning turmeric.

If I only wanted to talk about gnosticism this blog'd get boring fast in my mind. Pointing you toward the Ecclesia Gnostica would sound alright in the end, right before I close up shop here for good. But I can't do that. They feel very dogmatic now in my mind. Swaying and leaning toward ritual for ritual's sake. A peek at their sacrament and services list turned me off. E.G. was where I started learning about the real workings of gnosticism but I outgrew it years ago. I just don't roll that way. I like my religious freedom without the walls and Mass visits. Not that I have an E.G. church anywhere near my home but if I did I doubt I'd go.

I want to bring more mundane issues to the blog, not just religious and political opinion and information. So get ready for the weird, the bizarre, and the just plain helpful. You may not use the information or recipes I write about but it'll certainly get you thinking about what kind of options you have that you didn't realize you had before.

 

Donut and Soda Bottle-- a mental challenge!

For more than a year I've been seeing a bizarre image appear within my mind in times of intense stress and insomnia. This image has refined and smoothed out over time and thankfully my understanding has grown with precisely what it means. 

I would like to hand this challenging riddle from the All over to you, dear Readers. In exactly two months' time I will post a bit more information about it. Meanwhile, let the information tidbits simmer and stew in your mind and see what you come up with. Post in the comments area; I look forward to hearing from you!

The initial image is this: a donut-like object and a carbonated soda bottle, like the 'old' Coca-Cola bottles.  

Hint #1: Figure out where each item goes and what astronomical phenomenon it can be equated to and then you'll be galloping in the right directions. Once you figure out what the phenomena is it still takes some mental leg work to get to the finish line.  The image is just the beginning.

Hint #2: It has not a gosh darn thing to do with food. These were just the two items shown to me which were the shape equivalents I could understand.

Alright, there you have it. There's the challenge. Don't forget to comment and we'll see where this ride takes us.

Cops vs. The Pot Shops

Are police officers suffering from 'roid rage or something lately? What kind of sweetener are they sprinkling in their coffee and what brand of donuts are they chomping on?! Check out this video of a raid on a marijuana dispensary in Long Beach, CA. 

They were "caught on video showing officers smashing surveillance cameras and stepping on a suspect, moves that prompted accusations against the officers of excessive force." Then there is that pesky little matter which was brought to the fore-- of certain city officials promising to be their 'protection' from the law. Despicable.

The comment section of this article is a riot.

Bi Polar Wookie w/a PhD  says it best:

"Lemonade is a plant extract. Outlaw it!!!! People start hallucinating about when they were kids when they drink it. It also is a gateway drug to Mountain Dew. Caffeine is also a plant extract!! Outlaw it!!"

Unfortunately, with Codex Alimentarius being passed that sentiment isn't such a crazy sounding piece of 'conspiracy theory' any longer. Europe is really suffering from it. Did you know that colloidal silver is ILLEGAL in Europe now?!! Our suffering from outlawing nutrients and natural healing plants has just begun. And now the Attorney General is stating that people who have osteoporosis or osteoarthritis shouldn't have to take higher Vitamin D supplements than the regular daily guidelines. And this is when the person's vitamin D level is what is completely tanked and what CAUSES osteoporosis in the first place! Codex is now being rolled out in full force. Better stockpile heirloom herbal seeds while you can. Even 15-20 minutes of sunlight a day can't help people enough with vitamin D levels if the foods we eat are so nutritionally deficient.

Wonder why you're fat and still hungry all the time? Research the ingredients in what you eat. The answer is all there. We're literally addicted to aspartame and high fructose corn syrup.(Try going four days without your sodas and other products which contain these ingredients and feel the full force of drug withdrawal. It's a humbling experience. I did it and I thought I was going to die.)  And these are the same products which have such a low level of nutrients but we keep eating them and drinking them because they're cheap and keep us feeling somewhat full.

There's a rosemary plant in my window, fyi. I expect squad cars tonight. No, the SWAT team! I also have whole graham flour, flax seeds(milled and whole), quinoa seeds, turmeric, ginger root, tea tree oil, shea butter, rice bran oil, lavender extract, rosemary extract, neem herb and extract, and all sorts of other healing herbs and seeds.What, are they going to arrest me for being healthy? Oh wait, I forgot about the 2 pound buckets I have of dried calendula and chamomile flowers. Yeah, that'll get me jail time for sure.

I just don't understand why the government demonizes marijuana. I guess it gives them something to do(justifies their job) so they can pat themselves on the back. Pill addictions are far worse than people smoking a little weed to relax or help relieve their physical pain. Weed doesn't kill.

"Names" in the Gospel of Philip

The Gospel of Philip states

"The names of earthly things are illusory.

We stray from the real to the unreal.

If you hear the word "god" you miss the real

and hear the unreal.

Father, son, holy spirit, life, light, resurrection, church.

These words are not real. They are unreal

but refer to the real, and are heard in the world.

They fool us. If those names were in the eternal realm,

they would never be heard on earth.

They were not assigned to us here.

Their end dwells in the eternal realm."

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

This is the reason why gnostics end up sounding like raving lunatics the majority of the time when confronting literalists. We can only use human approximate words which already exists to explain what we see and feel. Meanwhile, literalists have these terms which have been used for centuries upon centuries and have so much baggage attached to them all we can see is the baggage and not the root of the word itself as it was intended. 

Science-fiction author Orson Scott Card appeals to me for this vary reason. The term 'philotic web' works very well to describe what the interconnected auias of the bodhisattva look like covering the earth while communicating and meditating on the state of affairs in the world. How could a science fiction author(Mormon at that!) come up with this idea of philotes and their interconnectedness? In the dreamscape which we all share, ideas are exchanged. Words and terms are bandied about and ahah! A descriptive is decided upon to be the be one to be used at the moment. And so every day we get closer and closer to knowing ourselves and one another. As we learn and get closer to the All we evolve and our understanding helps us to mature.

Let us enjoy this dreamscape for what it is-- it's dialogue with one another while we learn what it is we are striving for. 

Elizabeth Gilbert: A new way to think about creativity

For artists, creators, imaginative humans everywhere- here's the help you need:

13:35 had me rolling laughing. I empathize. Being woken up in the wee hours of the morning with a truly craptastic joke or some other such nonsense from that divine creative spark is enough to make you giggle, punch your pillow, and then cry when you look at the clock.

14:10 "Strange, external thing that was not quite Tom."  I sense a theme here, don't you? Pleroma.

Steve at truebluehealer.com has a wonderful invitation at the end of the vid. Stick around for it.

Hey, Soul Sister!

The All, Spirit, Pleroma, whatever name you wish to give to that wonderful grand-daddy up there and inside there who loves us and wants to scream it out into our brain... I think he/she was giving some cranium love to the singer for Train. Check out this cute little song. 

Every time I listen to this song(you better believe it gets some major play time in my iPod!) or watch the vid I want to dance. Go on. Indulge and shake that booty! When we're shaking ours he's laughing right along with us.

Heeey heeeey heeeeey

Your lipstick stains on the front lobe of my left side brains
I knew I wouldn't forget you
And so I went and let you blow my mind
Your sweet moonbeam
The smell of you in every single dream I dream
I knew when we collided you're the one I have decided
Who's one of my kind

Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo
The way you move ain't fair you know
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight

Heeey heeeey heeeey

Just in time, I'm so glad you have a one track mind like me
You gave my life direction
A game show love connection, we can't deny
I'm so obsessed
My heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest
I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna
And I'm always gonna wanna blow your mind

Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo
The way you move ain't fair you know
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight

The way you can cut a rug
Watching you is the only drug I need
So gangster, I'm so thug
You're the only one I'm dreaming of
You see I can be myself now finally
In fact there's nothing I can't be
I want the world to see you being with me

Hey soul sister, ain't that mister mister on the radio, stereo
The way you move ain't fair you know
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight
Hey soul sister, I don't wanna miss a single thing you do tonight
Heeey heeeey heeeeey (tonight)
Heeey heeeey heeeeey (tonight)

Monsanto's Going Down!

I never thought I'd be relieved a farmer's crops were dying but this is good news indeed! 

Nature May Soon Overcome Monsanto as ‘Super Rootworms’ Destroy Crops

Anthony Gucciardi
Activist Post,

Thursday, June 28, 2012

What will be the end of Monsanto? Could it be lawsuits, new legislation, or perhaps even a tiny insect that is less than 0.10 mm in length.

A new report reveals that rootworms may ultimately be what ends Monsanto’s crops, despite the biotech giant’s rampant success within the United States legislative system. 

Amazingly, western corn rootworms have virtually no problem gobbling up Monsanto’s modified maize crop, as they have developed a serious resistance to the very crops designed to kill them. So much so that these little critters are outpacing Monsanto’s top scientists.

To make matters worse for the company, the resistant rootworms are maturing earlier than expected this year. And with the enhanced growth has come enhanced birth rates, with the bug’s larvae hatching the earliest in decades. 

Monsanto, of course, is absolutely defenseless against the resistant rootworms which have adapted to their biopesticide known as Bt. At least 8 populations of insects have developed resistance, with 2 populations resistant to Bt sprays and at least 6 species resistant to Bt crops as a whole. The answer? Use even more intelligence-crushing pesticides.

Rootworms, Nature Overcome Monsanto’s GMO Crops

It is for this reason that the EPA has warned in the past that Monsanto’s crops will soon be ravaged by the insects. In their report on the subject, the EPA states:

"Monsanto’s program for monitoring suspected cases of resistance is ‘inadequate’."

The statements have been reinforced by another group of concerned scientists. A body of 22 academic corn experts voiced serious concerns over GMO crop failures back in March, warning that a collapse of the GMO corn industry may soon follow — a particularly mighty prediction when considering that 94 percent of the US supply is currently of the genetically modified variety. It is also important to consider that much of the corn is not used for food, but for biodiesel purposes.

Will nature adapt to Monsanto’s genetically modified creations and lead to their downfall in the end? 

Time and time again researchers and agricultural professionals have been calling upon Monsanto and the United States government to return to traditional and sustainable farming practices — even citing the fact that Monsanto’s GMOs produce even less yield. 

Instead, the modified crops have overtaken much of the food supply. Now, in the face of collapse, the only answer provided by Monsanto is to drench crops in even more pesticides and modify their genetic coding to an even greater degree.

_______________

Awww.. poor Bill Gates and the rest of that pack of rats in Monsanto. 

And here's even more good news!  America's Farmers Fight Monsanto's Scorched Earth Legal Campaign Of Threats And Intimidation

 Monsanto is getting the crap kicked out of them in court. Farmers are not giving up the tradition of growing heirloom seeds because they're the best and most reliable. But when planted within 15 miles of a GMO crop these farmers are finding their own crops are being contaminated during pollination, thus genetically modifying their own crops. Monsanto sues the FARMERS for 'patent infringement' when their non-GMO crops suddenly become GMO. How asshat backwards is that? Monsanto doesn't control pollination- the winds and insects do. 

So when the farmers sue for their crops being damaged what does Monsanto do? File a countersuit for patent infringement, and that's only if their 'seed police' don't get to the farmer first to sue them initially. 

I give it five years. Monsanto will have killed every major crop here in the USA and yes, it's going to kill our wallets for a while until the new Dustbowl settles, but at least we'll be back to farming more naturally. Then maybe Roundup will be outlawed, too! 

Neem oil has been used for hundreds and hundreds of years in Asia for pesticide. It works and it does not harm the plants, humans, or the environment. We need to get back to truly organic farming. 

Crunchy or Smooth?

This is a continuation of my post on Pure Foods earlier this month. Remember how I said I was going to make peanut butter? Let's see how that turned out. 

Now I don't know about you but that does not look like any peanut butter I have ever seen before. It's not crunchy, really. But it sure as hell isn't smooth! I added quite a bit of vegetable oil to it and it still won't turn creamy. 

It looks more like a course cous cous. 

Oh well. I guess I'll just use it as is. It's really quite yummy in oatmeal with a swirl of honey added. I can taste the peanut flavor better with this product moreso than I ever could with creamy store-bought peanut butter. 

Ok, so I'll call it 'peanut meal' rather than peanut 'butter.' 

Funny Advertizement for CIA

On Activist Post I read an article titled "Three former NSA officers expose in court mass illegal surveillance program" and in this article was the most wackadoodle reason to laugh I've had all week. Take a look at the screenshot below. Now I can't promise that the same ad will pop up for you but it sure would be hilarious if it did.

Keyword scanning technology work, obviously. It sure did for the CIA and their ad campaign!

Satanic Vatican

I tripped across another blogger's page a few days ago discussing the "Austrian Bishop supports call to disobedience" and was inspired to comment on the article. Below I am recounting the comments and have separated out my responses to make it easier on the eyes.

Brantigny writes: "Disobedience comes from pride."

I answered: "Disobedience can come from pride. But it can also come from a realization and awakening through gnosis, that things are stagnant. The world is changing and Christianity has changed with it through time. The All is constant but our human hearts need to soften up from all the self-imposed dogma and see the light that's trying to shine through from Him to us."

 

He responded: "I have looked at your profile and it confirmed that which I read. You have gnostic point of view. We will shall have to part with ideas there.

Christ founded his Church on the Rock of Saint Peter, gave the apsotles the facility to forgive sin (or not) and began the line of succession for the head of His Church. This is the beginning of the Church. Straying (disobediance)from the Church's teaching puts one outside HIS Church. The Church remains constant, God never changes his mind, therefore what he has revealed remains the same. Disobediance to the faith therefore is disobediance to God.

This Bishop is the most basic essence has placed himself out side the Church, and by extention an anti-Christ.

This is what s meant by Ex Eclesia, nulli salus. Outside the Church there is no salvation.

The Bishop has sworn a vow, that is, not to the Pope but to GOD that he will be obediant. If I were going to break a promise it would not be to God. Lastly, The Church is not a democracy nor is it a cafeteria where one can pick a disciple or an obediance, or a doctine not to follow and those you choose to follow.

Jhesu+Marie,

Brantigny

I wrote back: 

 

Keeping that 'obedience' in mind, watch this documentary on just what a beautiful past the Catholic church has professed and the satanic idolatry which lies at it's very heart:


(Over four hours long)

Yes, we'll disagree about dogma vs. freedom, Brantigny. I'll keep my freedom to enjoy God's direct lessons on love and morality. I don't need someone who is just as human as I am to dictate to me what is right or wrong. I prefer to go directly The Man Himself and bypass any misunderstandings in interpretation along the way.

I find something so perplexingly beautiful about gnosis in that no matter what century, no matter what language one uses, and no matter what level of understanding one has before searching directly for gnosis we all find that He teaches the same thing: Love. Cohesion. Marriage of the heart and soul with Him. To enjoy beauty in not just the earth but to search for the beauty in others because we recognize that divine connection in them. We celebrate it because we recognize that we are all One in spirit.

What is cohesive and loving is not bad. What professes to teach a human being to grow into an adult relationship with Him and not keep us children forever shouldn't be so scary that one should feel they have to run toward strict dogma because it is so much simpler to understand and practice. But that is the way most literalists feel. It's so much easier to believe than it is to reach out and hold the actual truth with both hands. It's so much less terrifying to go the easy road and sit, kneel, stand, sit, kneel, stand, etc.

The Beloved I love isn't archaic and dry and bent on forcing me into a mold. He lifts me up and teaches me to smile; showing me things I've never considered before. He shows me my errors and shows me in what ways he is proud of me. It's never hateful or judgmental, it is always gentle and understanding.

Please don't judge gnosis to be something to be brushed off. You're going to find that with the Nag Hammadi codices being published now for quite a few years, you're going to hear a lot more about us. The Vatican is tearing itself apart inside and for good reason: the truth will out. They can't keep up appearances any longer because the public is more discerning and knowledgeable.

I wish you all the best,

Angel

I fully expected that he'd ignore my comment and delete it. But no, shockingly, he did post it and then responded with:

"Listen Angel, fisrt and as sincerly as I possibly can say with out hate in may heart, I never agree to disagree. I write the truth. Obediance to the Church is disobediance to evil. Satan has furnished this idea that the Church founded by Christ Himself is inherently evil because it is not a democracy, of people can not choose this or that and pick and choose which dogmas to believe or to reject. Unfortunatly this is a rejection of Christ in its fullest form.

I think I wrote before this is post hoc ergo propter hoc pilosophy, meaning that because Catholic do this or that it must therefor be evil.

I think you will find the Vatican is in better shape than you think. It has lasted since Constantine, that is a long road to go.

One last thing I want to bring up since the 31st of October is the anniversary of the Reformation. It is also Samhain the pagan feast ot the dead. So my point is don't read into any statues and ritual as being from satan in the church, take it for what it is said to be.

Pax Domine,

Brantigny

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~

I had to read his message quite a few times before the full scope of what he'd said sank into my brain. Did he not watch and read what I just did? The Luciferian motif within the Catholic Church is so blatant they're smacking people in the face with it while calling people forward to run on up and get their sacramental wine. I've already sworn off aspartame and high fructose corn syrup, I just don't think Jesus Juice is the way to go anymore. My communion with the divine is just that- divine! It is one-on-one, beautiful, fulfilling, and there's no need to get fruit involved in it or priests who can't keep their wandering hands to themselves.

The Reformation 'coincidence' in the calendar just makes me shake my head. So the Pope has an upside-down cross carved into his throne, carries a Satanic figure on his staff, wears a pagan symbol/shaped hat which is encrusted with jewels while the majority of his flock are just about starving to death. Phft. You couldn't get me to bend down on my dimpled knees to that man if my ass was on fire and he held the last cup of water on Earth.

Going Back To Pure Foods

I originally wrote this 6/26 and am just now posting it. Life, man. It calls. And obviously too fast and furiously for me to click on that Publish button. So I deprived you all for a solid week of a really good recipe. My apologies.

This past week has been odd. A niggling in the back of my head keeps saying, "look up this" and "research THAT".... "*impatient foot tap* ....NOW!" ... and it ain't about rediscovered gnostic codices or lost and now rediscovered mega-cities, although I have been reading about those, too, gosh darn it. I am writing three blog posts at once here. Keep getting side-tracked. Damn YouTube. I hate those "you might like" video offerings when you're done watching the one you were. I end up chasing my tail for three hours. 

Anyway! Going back to pure foods- that is what the topic has been from my Divine Nag. That's what I'm calling him now. With much love. Because he is lovely. And most definitely silly, waking me up this morning at 4:30am saying, "Ya know, flax seeds might actually give that bland thing some taste..." After today's lunch, I have to concur that milled flax seeds made it awesome. He does have some good culinary ideas. So now I'd like to share a recipe with you to tuck away for some rainy day experimentation. Or even for dinner tonight! This is a very flexible recipe. I've included pictures.

The thing which got my brain churning to create this recipe today was to get away from all the sugar in my diet. The high fructose corn syrup, plain sugar, aspartame, and white flour in my diet has been making me feel pretty crappy. In my teens when I danced and was so athletic I ate insanely healthy and didn't have the physical problems I have now.

I've noticed that the more soda I drink the more anxious(and obnoxious) I feel, the more white flour items I consume the more of them I want, and overall- I make really bad choices! I have almost no fresh vegetables in my diet or whole grains. Yeah, it's fine and dandy to buy whole wheat bread by the loaf, but what about all the other ingredients in there? What if you want to make it more nutritious and make it more versatile?(Sorry, but I'm cheap. I don't want to pay $3+ for a loaf of super-yuppie bread) I haven't found a product out there like that. These pancakes seem to be it, at least they are for me. Try them and tell me what you think.

Because the pancakes are so neutral tasting you can dress them up with fruit and even make a fruit glaze to drizzle on top, or slap a few eggs on top of them and call it a meal. So it can be sweet or savory. Again, there's NO SUGAR in these! IHOP these are not. But they do taste kinda nutty, because of the flax.

What is this, you ask? This was my lunch just a few short minutes ago. The second picture is the finished plate before I noshed on it. Here we have two medium sized graham-and-flax pancakes with one piece each of sliced smoked turkey and topped with shredded five-cheese blend. I moved a slice of turkey so you could see the pancake underneath.   

I popped  my pancakes in the microwave for a minute to melt the cheese and warm it all up and voila! An... open faced... pancake/sandwich thingie with a side of sliced apple. I don't know what to call this thing. Help me out.

I tried eating it with a knife and fork but that didn't work out very well because the meat kept sliding off. So I rolled them up and ate them like a pita. YUM! I was like the richest whole wheat turkey cheese sandwich ever made! My tastebuds were smiling. My fingers were a little buttery, but my tastebuds were dancing happy.

Here's the recipe for the pancakes; other great topper ideas are below. It's the basic pancake recipe from Joy of Cooking Cookbook(yes, I actually have the original hardback which is three inches thick) but tweaked with healthier ingredients and measurements.

Graham and Flax Pancakes, makes about 12-15 medium sized pancakes.

2 cups graham flour(the healthy flour!)

1.5 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups of milk(your choice of fat content)

2 tablespoons of butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 heaping tablespoon of milled flax seeds

Mix dry with dry and wet with wet in two separate bowels. Combine the two, gently folding in the wet ingredients taking care not to over mix. Don't whip out all the lumps. Finished batter consistency will be like a runny porridge. Cook pancakes like normal, on medium heat and flip once golden brown on one side.

Other topping ideas for meals: 

shredded meat

bacon and cheese

peanut butter

raisins/craisins

plain sliced fruit

curried okra in tomato sauce

humus

cottage cheese

pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc

guacamole and sliced tomatoes

scrambled sausage, onion, and garlic

agave or honey

Sheesh, the sky is the limit for these things. If you make large pancakes, because they're so thin, you can roll them up and stuff them with virtually anything. You can also use them in place of cornbread to mop up drippy sauces that are part of the main course, like a gumbo or bean or meat stew. 

When I made this today I fully expected the pancake to be dry and stiff, like a brick. I haven't had much luck using graham flour before now with muffins. But these pancakes were very flexible. The secret is the flax seed PLUS the melted butter. See, you can use milled flax seeds to substitute a large portion of the butter or oil in a recipe; it's a very oily seed. Loaded with Omega 3 fatty acids. 

The original Joy of Cooking recipe called for 3 tablespoons of butter. I decreased that down to 2 tablespoons and replaced it with one tablespoon of a healthier fat- flax seeds.

Once the seed is milled/shredded the shell is cracked and you have these superfine little spindle shaped threads and chips. Inside the seed is where the good stuff lies and that's what you want to use in your baking. Some of the fatty acids are destroyed during cooking but the oil itself is much healthier to use. Just don't go trying to use actual flax seed oil in your cooking unless it calls for it. The oil in the bottle is insanely good, yes, but I don't know the conversion. And besides, it's highly unstable. The dried seeds are easier to keep fresh. If you can't find milled flax seeds(they're in the flour section) then you can purchase the whole flax seeds and just pop them in your blender/food processor for a minute or three. Never tried it. But I've heard it's pretty easy.

I made about 15 of these pancakes today and shoved 13 of them in a gallon sized freezer baggie, squeezed the air out, pressed it shut, and the tossed them in the freezer. The butter they're cooked with in the pan will make really easy to separate when I need to grab a few. Or just wack the bag on the counter(or floor) to separate and there ya go- instant pancakes.

Now I am off to stuff my blender full of peanuts to make peanut butter....  Hydrogenated vegetable oils are next on my hit list.

The Gospel of Judas- documentary

This nearly one and a half hour long documentary answers some of the most basic questions concerning the discovery of the codex. Only 15% of it is missing; not bad after 1,800 years and withstanding so much abuse after being 'found' once again!

I do have to say, though, in response to the makers of the documentary: it's not really all that difficult to see why Irenaeus left out this Gospel. I don't know why they've stated it's a mystery. I think it's rather blatant. The four main gospels chosen to be 'canon' demonize Judas while the other Gnostic gospels he reject do the exact opposite- they show what Judas did to be what paved the way for Literalists to have a way in the door to Christianity from Judaism. Those Christians who study even just the four canon gospels will eventually come to the same conclusion if they look beyond the story and look into the metaphors and past the head-spinning lies. It's still difficult to get past all the obsequious bloodshed, though. Personally, this was the first thing which tipped me off that something was wrong and I was only ten years old when I spotted it.

Once a person tires of beating their head against the same four walls of Mark, Mathew, Luke, and John(and trying to keep their lies straight!) and then begin reading things outside the 'box' of Literalist texts they will understand just how narrow minded they've been trained into being. When four gospels contradict one another so many times and in so many ways you have to wonder- what in the world are we doing still swearing by that book? Irenaeus did us no favors in being so deceitfully selective.

Why put shackles on our hearts? Why do we have to be so literal? Why can't we let our aiúa wander in prayer to soak up the love and teaching the Good God has to give? It's not for sale. There is no bargaining necessary and no need to enslave yourself to some sort of dogma.

Here's one of the most heated exchanges found in the Gospel of Judas(PDF)

Jesus said to them, “Why are you troubled? Truly I say to you, all the priests who stand before that altar invoke my name. Again I say to you, my name has been written on this […] of the generations of the stars through the human generations. [And they] have planted trees without fruit, in my name, in a shameful manner.” Jesus said to them, “Those you have seen receiving the offerings at the altar—that is who you are. That is the god you serve, and you are those twelve men you have seen. The cattle you have seen brought for sacrifice are the many people you lead astray [40] before that altar. […] will stand and make use of my name in this way, and generations of the pious will remain loyal to him. After hi another man will stand there from [the fornicators], and another [will] stand there from the slayers of children, and another from those who sleep with men, and those who abstain, and the rest of the people of pollution and lawlessness and error, and those who say, ‘We are like angels’; they are the stars that bring everything to its conclusion. For to the human generations it has been said, ‘Look, God has received your sacrifice from the hands of a priest’—that is, a minister of error. But it is the Lord, the Lord of the universe, who commands, ‘On the last day they will be put to shame.’” [41]