hOMe-made pickles 😍 I remember as a kid eating so many pickles! I just loved them. I heard that my uncle would actually feed me pickles by the jar and I couldn't get enough. What a funny kiddo I must have been 😊 Then, I went through a period of maybe even years without having them and now that I've started making them at home...well, I'm hooked. It's really easy! 
Never worry about buying store-bought pickles again! All natural, preservative-free, human-safe pickles you can make right in your own kitchen. And pickling is good for your health. Just can't beat it! 

​Pickles were first produce approximately 4,000 years ago using cucumbers native to India. Since then, pickles have been used around the world for their nutritional value and healing potential. Traditionally, pickling was done as a natural way of preserving food. The idea of pickling is to create an environment that is inhospitable to the microbes that typically cause food to break down. Vitamins A, D, E + K are not lost in the pickling process, so in a way it's better than cooking where you can lose some nutrients. The cucumbers are high in water content and you can infuse with any herbs you would like. I used Thyme this time.

THYME is a wonderful herb, which has many medicinal values:

• Using Thyme rather than salt in your food can lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
  
• Natural Cough remedy
  
• boosts immune system due to being a good source of Vitamin C, Copper, fiber, iron and manganese
  
• has fungicidal properties
  
• repels mosquitos
  
• Boosts mood due to active substance, carvacrol, which affects neuron activity and increases mood
  

While you would not want to have pickled foods as the majority of your diet, it's ok to have some pickles foods - So, once again, everything in moderation. Why is that? Because some pickled foods are made with high salts or preservatives, which are not good for our health as we know. The beautiful thing about learning how to make them at home is your ability to have control over what is in your food. Choose organic ingredients and put love into it while you make it. 
To make you will need: 
8-12 mini to small cucumbers
12.7 fl oz (375 mL) Raw Coconut Vinegar
Handful of black peppercorns
2-3 cloves garlic
A few sprigs of Thyme
1 Tbsp ground Himalayan Sea Salt
To make:
Cut baby cucumbers in quarters and place in 32 oz mason jar. This recipe makes two jars of pickles. Place pickles, sliced garlic, whole peppercorns and Thyme and then pour approx 6oz (1/2 the 385 mL bottle) into each jar. Fill to top with filtered water. If you prefer it less vinegar-like, decrease your ratio of vinegar to 1/4 of the jar and 3/4 water instead of half and half. Easy-peasy! Cover with lid and place in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Enjoy! Be well. Namaste.

By Rose Bryant
​Raw Vegan Flax + Sun Dried Tomato Pizza. Health facts first, then recipe below:
Flax is a high-fiber superfood filled with Omega-3's, zinc, B6, Iron, potassium, copper, selenium + magnesium. Flax is very high in both soluble and insoluble fiber which supports healthy digestion and colon health. Because flax has a mucilaginous effect when put in liquid (gel-forming + expanding), it helps with nutrient absorption because it keeps food from emptying out of the stomach too quickly into the small intestine. This also contributes to the sensation of feeling fuller, longer - thus, it has been said to help with weight loss. Due to the healthy fats in flax, it really helps with maintaining healthy skin and hair by decreasing dryness + flakiness. Other skin conditions it may help with include rosaceae, acne and eczema. Studies have shown that flax naturally reduces cholesterol levels due to the high fiber content. Soluble fiber also traps bile, which is made from cholesterol in the gallbladder. The bike is then excreted through the digestive system, forcing the body to make more, using up excess cholesterol in the blood, lowering cholesterol overall. Flax seeds are high in anti-oxidants (lignans), which are fiber-related polyphenols that provide us with anti-oxidant benefits for anti-aging, hormone balance and cellular health. Polyphenols also help support the growth of probiotics in the gut, potentially belong eliminate candida and yeast in the body. Lignans are also known for their anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Cancer Research discovered that consuming flax seeds may decrease the risk of breast cancer. Another study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that the lignans in flax seeds may also reduce the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancers. Last, but not least, the lignans in flax seeds have been shown to have benefits for menopausal women. It can be used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy because lignans have estrogenic properties, which may also decrease the risk of osteoporosis.

TO MAKE YOU WILL NEED: 
1 Cup organic flax seeds
1 cup water
1 Tbsp Tahini
1 Tbsp dried lavender
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp honey

​Combine all ingredients in bowl and soak for one hour in a bowl on counter at room temperature. Then spread out in semi-thin layer on dehydrator trays lined with non-stick, BPA-free tray liners or unbleached parchment paper. Dehydrate for 8-10 hours on temperature no higher than 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow to cool  and break apart into crackers of desired size. 
Top with any toppings you would like. Pictured above, is Raw Vegan Flax + Sun Dried Tomato Pizza. Dressing is home-made, topped with spinach, mango and sun-dried tomatoes. 

SUN DRIED TOMATOES: cut into thin pieces, sprinkle with Himalayan Pink Salt and place on dehydrator trays with liner and dehydrate for 8-10 hours on heat no higher than 113 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Enjoy + Namaste