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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

Palo-Santo-Candles

Pumpkin Buckwheat Muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • Coconut oil spray
  • 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup arrowroot starch
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 16 oz. canned organic pumpkin
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons coconut sugar [or other unrefined sugar]

Directions

Prep: 

Stir together chia seeds and water and let stand for 15 minutes to gel.

Grease muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make: 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, starch, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Once chia has gelled, whisk into wet ingredients to combine.

Add wet to dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Add batter to muffin cups 3/4 full and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched.

Remove from oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Remove muffins from tin and let cool on wire rack.

Freeze leftovers.

Recipe courtesy of LivingPlate.com.

 

Often confused with cereal grains such as wheat and barley, buckwheat is actually a fruit seed.  Known as a pseudo-grain, buckwheat is naturally gluten-free and is rich in minerals, phytonutrients and fiber. 

recipes
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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