Today’s date is 8-9-10. That has a nice ring to it. It kind of makes me feel like a little schoolgirl again. In this blog, I will offer the recipe for the garbanzo beans I cooked for the happy Mt. Ashland picnic dinner. (See my last two blog posts for the other recipes from that dinner.)

I really enjoyed cooking the food for that evening adventure. I was so excited to be getting out of town (for a few hours), that I cooked the food with a lot of love and inspiration.

One of my favorite spiritual practices is chanting (singing) while cooking delicious vegan meals. Lately I am really enjoying my new CD, “Light of the Sun,” by Mukti. As I cooked the garbanzo beans and chopped the vegetables, I sang along with Prajna Brianna Vieira. I especially love the song “Jai Jai Ma” in which she sings to Ammachi: “I don’t care about heaven, I don’t want to go that far – Only want to be just where you are – I don’t care about freedom, I just want to sing your name – Oh let me live just for your name…”

So, for the garbanzo beans, soak 2 cups overnight. Discard soaking water and add fresh water, so it covers the beans by about 1 inch. Bring to boil, then simmer covered for 1½ hours. Then add the following:

1½ teaspoons sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
optional: 1 or more cloves of minced garlic

Stir, and simmer covered for 30 minutes more.

Let me know how you like these beans. And, as always, please buy organic food whenever possible, to honor your body and to honor this precious Mother Earth.

May all beings everywhere have the food they need each day.

May all beings know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of sunset on Mt. Ashland by Teja Shankara.