Savory Seasoned Flaxseed Crackers

This summer has been very strange, we didn't have a week of 112 degree temperature, which is quite normal in phoenix and it has been raining. Of course that just means its rained more than twice this summer and the downpours have been pretty significant. A few weeks ago we received more rain in one day than the area had received all year. I am loving it! Rain means cooler temperatures and a break from the desert dry air. The drawback, Phoenix is not equipped to handle rain. The slightest amount of moisture throws this city into a panic. Drivers have no idea how to navigate raindrops and the streets flood almost immediately. Today it came down in buckets and of course I had a near empty cupboard. Rather than venture out into the storm that knocked over all of my outdoor potted plants, I decided to make something out of the mixed-match ingredients I had on hand. I had been craving potato chips but I am not a fan of frying anything. While scouring the cupboards for hope, I came across a huge bag of flax seed I inherited when my cousin gave up her last dieting fad. I knew what I was making: crackers. I could avoid a frying fiasco and still get the savory crunch I was after. Below is a very simple recipe for flax seed crackers I used for a rainy day. 

These crackers just so happen to be grain free and vegan. 

Savory Seasoned Flaxseed Crackers

Here's What You Gotta Have:

• 1 cup ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup roasted and lightly salted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt ( optional) ( I used pink himalayan pink salt here)

Here's What You Gotta Do:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 
2. In a food processor combine all of the dry ingredients and pulse until the sunflower seeds are coarsely ground. about 30-45 seconds.
3. Turn out dry ingredients into a large bowl and add water. Stir the mixture until a loose grain dough is form. 
4. Spoon the mixture onto the lined baking sheet and spread the cracker dough evenly in the pan. 
5. Using a butter knife. score the crackers in the size and shape you'd like your crackers to be.
6. Put the baking sheet in the oven and let the crackers bake for 30 minutes. then turn your oven off and let the crackers remain in the oven for another 30 minutes to dry out a bit more. 
7. Pull the crackers out of the oven and let cool to room temperature before breaking along the score lines.
8. Enjoy with your favorite cracker toppings or alone. 

May be stored in a dry airtight container.

Ground Flax seed. Flax seed is a good source of fiber and Omega 3 fatty acid

Dry Ingredients

Ingredients after a spin in the food processor. 

Dough after the water is added

Using a rubber spatula to smooth the dough into the pan. 

Crackers taking shape

Topped with vegan cream cheese and green onions

Awesome Alternate Add-ins

• For a cheesy take add 1 tsp of nutritional yeast
• Substitute the sunflower seeds for pistachio nuts
• Add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper for a spicy version of these crackers. 

Life is Delicious...Go Taste It!

DIY Yoga Mat Cleaning Spray

I am the sweaty lady at the gym. Whether I'm strength training or tying my shoes, I can usually be found covered in a fine mist of newly made sweat. So it was no surprise that my yoga mat smelled of gym socks after a few sessions of Bikram Yoga. In the past, I’ve just washed my mat in the bathtub with Dr. Bronner's Peppermint Castile Soap. My mat would be squeaky clean but it would take about three days to air-dry. In search of a more efficient way to clean my yoga mat, I took to the interwebs. I came across some "natural" commercially produced brands. They had ingredients I couldn't pronounce and a price tag I couldn't justify. I found tons of homemade recipes, but a number of them featured vinegar as an ingredient. After my experience using vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner, I knew I could not and would not deal with the smell of vinegar while in Half Tortoise pose. This recipe is a pared down version of several homemade recipes and uses Witch Hazel instead of vinegar. 

Here's What You Gotta Have:

- Water
- Witch Hazel
- Tea Tree Oil
- Peppermint Essential Oil
- Spray Bottle

Here's What You Gotta Do:

1. Fill the spray bottle up 3/4ths the way with water.
2. Fill the remaining amount with Witch Hazel.
3. Add 1 drop of Tea Tree oil per ounce of liquid (So if your spray bottle is 8oz, you would add 8 drops of Tea Tree oil.)
4. Add 1 drop of Peppermint oil per ounce of liquid.
5. Twist the spray lid into place and vigorously and shake the bottle for a minute.
6. Spray a generous amount of the Cleansing spray onto the mat and wipe down with cleansing cloth or paper towel. Turn the mat over to other side and repeat.
7. Hang the mat and let air-dry.

Tea Tree Oil has natural antiseptic and antifungal properties.

Witch Hazel is an astringent that is commonly used to treat skin ailments, but can also be put to use as a cleaning agent; like isopropyl alcohol and hydrogen peroxide, the chemical cuts through grease and helps break up dirt and oils from skin and sweat.

Life is Delicious...Go Taste It!