One of my favorite aspects of The Wellspring School program students is the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of community service activities. Through Amma students providing bodywork to a hardworking group of teachers, or nutrition students educating various groups on the benefits of healthy, whole foods based eating, it is exciting to see people become interested in something they might not have had access to previously. Whether it’s through touch, mindful movement, diet or an exciting new recipe, we love seeing our students actively bridging the gap between the community in educating folks on leading healthier lifestyles in a way that is enjoyable.
As part of both Amma Therapy and Wholistic Nutrition students must participate in a minimum of 18 hours of community service. Recently in Boise, a group of Wholistic Nutrition Program students and I participated in a meeting of the new organization, Idaho Cancer Wellness Community, whose charter is to create a place where “people living with cancer can get the comprehensive social, emotional and educational support they need.” The Wellspring School was invited to prepare food for the event, being cognizant of a wide variety of food sensitivities and ensuring fresh, healthy and tasty snacks for the group.
Our menu included roasted root veggies, teff/quinoa & corn polenta topped with roasted red pepper and poblano chili pestos, fresh figs with walnut cream sauce and (DF,SF, GF) brownies and hazelnut cookie drops. While at the event we were pleased to be able to provide recipes and information about the snacks and nutrition in general. It’s always amazing and satisfying when people discover that food can be healthy and tasty at the same time!
Below some pictures from the evening as well as a recipe for nut cream. The cream sauce is a great recipe to have on hand for the holidays. Substitute for whipped cream on pies, as a thickener for soups and topping for hot cereals or stewed fruits. It’s dairy free and super yummy!
Nut Cream
3 cups walnuts soaked overnight or cashews soaked for 1-2 hours (Whatever nut you like…softer nuts take less soaking time. Make sure to rinse when done and toss out the soaking water.)
½ Tsp. vanilla extract (for sweet cream use)
1 TBS maple syrup (for sweet cream use)
1/4 tsp sea salt (Optional)
3Tbs. coconut oil (Optional, lends to a thicker texture, like a hard cream.)
Water – quantity depends on desired thickness
Preparation:
1. Put everything in a blender on low speed.
2. Gradually add water until the mixture is smooth and the desired consistency. It may take a few minutes so be patient!
3. Remove to a bowl and allow to chill thoroughly (about 30 minutes)
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