Today starts my 28th year on earth. Yes, it is my 27th birthday- that seems so old when I say [type] it out loud. But the truth is, I believe I am young. I am. And I hope I always believe that.
Today is also 'earth day'. A day to be aware of our place of inhabitance. To be aware of our Creator's mark on every tree, plant and blade of grass. For me, today is a reminder of life and how we are called as bearers of God's image to care and sustain all that He has given us.
Today I celebrate life.
My mantra this year is to "Be Brave".To be brave to wake up each day and thank God for all His gifts.
To be brave and not let discouragement and pain get me down.
To be brave and pursue emotional, spiritual, and physical healing and health with reckless abandon.
To be brave and not let bitterness, grief, and struggle win.
To not give up. To keep going. To try again tomorrow. To strive for better.
You have to be brave when you are a sensitive soul like me. Sensitive inside and out.
Being brave means that I have to make the choice to think positive when the negative is seeping in.
To be brave I have to dust my hands of and try again when I feel like giving up.
Being brave means you have to dream big and being willing to have faith to follow those dreams.
Being brave for me relates yes to my life as a whole, but also it is a good application to the gluten-free life too. Especially for beginners. Gluten-free friends- you have to be brave. You have to stay the course, don't give up. Don't let the people [or your own voices] around you get you down. Surround yourself with hope and good ideas for success.
Especially ideas revolving around gluten-free cake that involves three layers and pink frosting! YUM!
Triple Berry Triple Layer Cake1 1/4 cup of freshly ground buckwheat flour1 1/4 cup of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Blend1 cup of tapioca flour2 TB of ground chia seed meal1 TB. of baking powder1 ts. of baking soda1 ts. of sea salt1 ts. of ground cinnamon2/3 cup of coconut palm sugar or sucanat2/3 cup of warmed coconut oil1 TB of lemon zest2 ts. of pure vanilla*buttermilk mixture*
3/4 cup of non-dairy milk (I use So Delicious coconut milk)
1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
*date mixture*
1 cup of dates
1 cup of boiling water
1 1/2 cups of mixed fresh or frozen blueberries, raspberries and blackberries
Grind the buckwheat flour out of buckwheat groats and then mix the rest of the dry ingredients with flour and whisk together well. Then add the wet starting with the milk mixture (put milk and lemon juice in separate bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes). Then add the date mixture (boiling water and dates soaked for 10 minutes and then blended in blender or magic bullet). Then add the warmed coconut oil and the rest of the wet stuff. Grease three 9 inch pans with coconut oil and then put about a heaping 1 cup of the batter in each pan. Spread thin over the whole pan and then press about 1/2 cup of the mixed berries over each cake and press into the batter with a rubber spatula. Then put the 3 cake pans in a preheated 350 degree oven (on the same shelf if possible because they will bake the same). Bake for 30 minutes and then pull from the oven and let cool for 1-2 hours before layering with the raspberry cream frosting.
Raspberry Cream Frosting Recipe1/2 cup of room temperature organic coconut oil1/3 cup of organic spectrum palm oil shortening1/3 cup raw local honey (or agave or maple syrup could sub)1-2 ts. of raspberry juice and puree
Whisk all together in a small bowl with a rubber spatula. Whisk till smooth and then top the cooled cakes. Start with the first layer by placing one of the cakes on a cake plate, spread 1/3 cup of the frosting over the top of the cake. Place the second cake on top. I chose to place the barry side of the cake on the top each layer so I basically just stacked all of the cakes on top of each other. Then repeat with the second cake and place the third cake on top. I saved the prettiest cake for the top. You can either decorate the top with a little of the frosting or you can leave open without frosting because the berries are pretty as well. I used a Wilton star point size 32 to make these little stars on top of the cake. I wanted to use raw local honey in this recipe, but you can easily use agave or maple syrup too. They all have a distinct flavor, so just be aware of how that will affect the frosting. If you are a strict vegan- stay away from honey. I personally have been in love with raw honey lately and loved it on top of this berry and lemon cake as just perfect!
I made a berry cake this year because it is one that I have been dreaming about for months. I have dabbled in experimenting, but I came back to this simple recipe with lots of sweet lovin' from the berries and the cute pink raspberry frosting. I love this cake! It's perfect and adorable in every way. 
Super moist and sweet from the dates. And the honey based frosting is the perfect touch! The cake is gluten and dairy free, but because of the honey it is not purely vegan. I am not a strict vegan and enjoy local raw honey when I can, especially in spring to combat local seasonal allergies. For me, this cake celebrates life's sweetness. And, I don't need to tell you that it is actually very healthy too :) Almost like eating pancakes or a bowl of fruity porridge. But I didn't say that. You would never know :)
And a slice of cake to celebrate a great year and another year to come. I love cake and this this ones just for me. 
I hope you find ways to celebrate your own life and continue to be brave with your life. Step outside your box, and dream big. Don't loose heart, friend. Much love and light to you today
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