Strawberry Love ♥ Love ♥ Love ♥

When I think of strawberries, usually summertime is the first thing that pops in my head. Growing up, my family had a large strawberry patch which soon after spread and yielded many wild strawberries throughout the backyard. (Thanks to help from our wild animal friends)

Strawberries are a magickal fruit, very much connected to the fairy realm. Fairies love strawberries! They represent passion, love, luck, rewards, temptation and gifts. Strawberries are ruled by the planet Venus and resonate with the element of water. They have an aphrodisiac- like quality to them and have been used for eons to invoke love and in love potions. So what better time to eat them than during this love month and on Valentine’s Day! One can see why strawberries and chocolate are a perfect and popular pair during this time.

In addition to their magickal properties they also have some wonderful healing properties. Strawberries act as a natural blood purifier, liver tonic, diuretic and also have wound healing properties. They also aid eliminating uric acid in the body, making them helpful for anyone with arthritis, gout or rheumatism. They are rich in antioxidants and flavonoids, which strengthen the immune system.

Below is a delightful recipe to get your strawberry mojo on! May you have a mystical Valentine’s Day, engulfed in oceans of cosmic love wherever you are!

And remember in the summer, grow a strawberry plant in your garden or in a pot to attract the fairies and watch the magick unfold!

Tip: Strawberries are among one of the most pesticide laden fruits. So whenever possible, choose organic if they are available. The bigger ones are not always the most flavorful, being they are usually hybridized.

This delightful recipe is by Elaina Love. I made some minor changes, such as adding coconut to the crust for a little more umph. ;) For the entire recipe, it’s about 2 lbs. of strawberries. It is not necessary to soak the nuts, however it makes them more digestible and eliminates some of the fat. I would not recommend using all pecans, because they can get very oily once you process them. Psyllium husk powder can be found at many grocery stores now and health food stores. (For those of you in the area & U.S., Trader Joe’s has it)

Fresh Strawberry Pie
serves 8

Crust:
1 ½ cups almonds, walnuts, pecans or a combination, soaked for 4-6 hrs, then air dried -or- put in food dehydrator until well dried, crisp

3/4 cup soft pitted dates (soaked in purified water for about 20 min)

½ tsp. sea salt

2 Tablespoons dried, unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Puree the nuts in a food processor until they are like flour. Add the remainder of ingredients and puree until the mixture sticks together or forms a ball. Press into a pie plate.

Filling:
- 2/3 cup firmly packed, pitted dates (soaked for ~20 min.)

- 1 1/3 cup berries (any kind of berry works great)

- 4-6 cups berries (slice if using strawberries)

- 2 Tbsp. psyllium husk powder

- 2 tsp. lemon juice

Slice the strawberries (4-6 cups) and put in a large bowl. Add lemon juice and toss until well coated. Add 1 Tablespoon of the psyllium and toss again until well coated.

Blend the dates and 1 1/3 cup berries in a blender or food processor until well mixed. Add 1 Tbsp. of the psyllium and mix again. If necessary add a bit of water (spoonful or so) to thin it out.
Take the blended mixture and add it to the 4-6 cups berry mixture. Stir all together gently until the berries are evenly coated. Fill the pie shell and refrigerate. Garnish with fresh edible flowers, if desired. ♥

For more recipes by Elaina Love, see her website: http://www.purejoylivingfoods.com/index.php