Lotus and Luna Blog

Who doesn’t enjoy fudge? A fun way to build your holiday spirit this time of year is to take a little time to bake something delicious. This recipe for peppermint fudge is simple, festive, and tasty.

64 servings

Per Serving: 89 calories; 2.9 g fat; 14.1 g carbohydrates; 1.1 g protein

Prep 20min/ Ready 2hrs 20min

Ingredients

2 (10oz) packages of vanilla baking chips

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

½ teaspoon peppermint extract

1 ½ cups of crushed candy canes

1 dash of red/green food coloring

Directions

1. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and grease the foil.
2. Combine the vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and candy canes.
3. Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares.

Tip

Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.

By Cameron Godbehere

8 Little Gestures to Make Someone’s Day

by Cameron Godbehere

Happy Halloween, witches!

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 small red chili or serrano pepper (stem & seeds removed, thinly sliced)
• 1 large red bell pepper (thinly sliced lengthwise)
• 4 Tbsp red Thai curry paste
• 4 cups or 1 lb peeled and cubed pumpkin or butternut squash
• 3 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk--the thicker the better
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp lime
• ⅔ cup roasted cashews
• ¼ cup fresh basil for garnish
• Jasmine rice, brown rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice

Instructions:

1. Add coconut oil, onion, ginger, garlic, and chili to large pot. Saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add bell pepper and curry paste and stir. Cook for two minutes, then add the pumpkin/butternut squash and stir. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add coconut milk, maple syrup, turmeric, sea salt, soy sauce, and stir. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
4. Once simmering, slightly reduce heat to low and cover.
5. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Once the pumpkin is tender, add lime juice and cashews and cover, simmer for 3-4 additional minutes over low heat.
7. Serve over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
8. Garnish with basil and enjoy!

Lately, you’ve probably been seeing more and more of the long, tasseled strands of beads known as “malas”. They’re recognizable by their single strand of small, round beads, with one large bead and a single tassel at the center. A mala can be worn as a necklace or can be wrapped around the wrist as a bracelet. Though these beautiful accessories have gained popularity for being easy to pair with a variety of outfits due to their classic simplicity, malas are for much more than just personal adornment. These necklaces have significant meaning in the world of meditation and can serve a specific purpose within one’s practice.  

Many malas, such as our very own at Lotus and Luna, are made with gemstones that are valued for their symbolic meaning and inherent healing properties. For example, jade, which is used in our Asana mala, is considered to help one gain guidance and strength when making difficult life decisions. Yet, no matter the gemstone, the beads are always round and usually measure 7 to 10 mm in order to glide easily between one’s fingers (Gaia). You will understand the significance of this once you learn how to properly use your mala. 

The spiritual symbolism of the mala is deeply rooted in Hindu tradition. Each strand has 108 beads due to that number being considered sacred within Hinduism. It is held sacred because 1 represents God or the universe, 0 represents emptiness or humility, and 9 represents infinity or timelessness (Yoga Journal). In addition to the 108 beads, each mala has a large “guru bead” at its center, which is at the core of the strand’s usage in meditation.

Now, on to the specifics of how to use your mala:

1 – Select a mantra or affirmation that you would like to focus on.

2 – Sit comfortably, with your legs crossed and your spine straight.

2 – With your eyes closed, begin to observe your breath.

3 – As you start to breathe deeply, focus on the mantra or affirmation that you have selected.

4 – Now, hold your mala in your right hand, draping it gently over the middle or ring finger.

5 – Place your thumb on the guru bead and begin to recite your mantra or affirmation.

6 – Progress through the mala, moving away from the guru bead, by pushing the smaller beads with your thumb and repeating your mantra or affirmation at each bead. You may stop at 7, 21, 27, or 108. If you reach the guru bead and would like to continue, begin again by moving away from the guru bead in the opposite direction (Gaia).  

At first glance, Janelle Sisting could easily be pegged as just another Southern California girl, living an active, carefree and sunshine-filled life in San Diego. It would be pretty hard to imagine her trekking through the South American jungle, running through a foreign airport with three full sized suitcase tripling her body weight, or negotiating fabric prices in a Thai market, but this is who Janelle is. She is Lotus and Luna's founder and fearless leader. 

What started as a tiny seed of an idea, germinated by the smiles and kindness of the people of Thailand, is now Janelle's blooming dream come true - Lotus and Luna. Since we started, we have evolved from supporting twelve deserving artisans in a small village outside Chiang Mai Thailand, to over one hundred and fifty artisans in four villages. 

We hope you enjoy getting to know her and our story a little better through this new series of Travel diary entries on our blog!

Dear Travel Diary,

As I sit here, booking a flight to Thailand, I try to count how many plane tickets to Thailand I've booked in my life and I can't count them. I am suddenly overcome by flashback memories, of hundreds of adventures- broken down trains, Colombian soap operas, stories no one would ever think were possible- countless challenges, dead ends, accomplishments, and failures over the past decade. Then it abruptly stops, and all I can see is the very beginning, like an old photograph in my mind.  

The initial event that inspired me to create Lotus and Luna happened in 2010. After graduating from UCSD, I took several months to travel the world - primarily through Asia. Every stop along the way had its own discoveries, challenges, amazing food, and lifelong memories to take away, but Thailand stole my heart. I met people from around the world, danced in the rain under the full moon (actually I was dancing around in a parka because I had fallen off my motorbike and I had to keep my cast out of the rain), sipped coconuts on the sand and fell off motorbikes fearlessly while cruising the beautiful thai islands. After a little bit too much time in the sun, I decided to head up to the lesser known northern mountain city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. 

Chiang Mai was different than the beautiful beaches I had just come from. It was a community full of ancient culture, incredible temples, and thai families generations old. Tucked inland at the base of mystical mountain range and full of stunning temples, the true lifestyle and day to day of the thai people was much more recognizable here than the tourist ridden islands. 

I cruised night markets in Chiang Mai that went on for miles, where I saw beautiful handcrafted items, each booth more appealing than the last. But when I looked a little closer, beneath the surface of Thai smiles, I observed children asleep on the asphalt under tables as their mothers sold items they made by hand, and an elderly woman struggling to stand but smiling as she sold food from a stove strapped to her bike. There was poverty and struggle along every step of the way, but not the slightest inkling of dispair or resentment. 

I didn't realize it until much later, but that first trip to Chiang Mai was the beginning of Lotus and Luna. For months after returning home, I dreamt of working in Thailand. I wanted to help the communities, and children there to empower them to make a better life. The problem was, I didn’t really think it was possible. I had no previous business experience, and the whole idea seemed really difficult- how would I communicate if I didn’t speak Thai? What about shipping and customs? There was always something that stood in the way, and kept me on my same path.   

In 2012 I saved up money and was able to travel again, returning to parts of Asia and traveling throughout South America. After that, I went back to my old job and back to the life I had created before traveling.

The problem was that I was different. I had changed, and my old lifestyle no longer satisfied me. I was frustrated, uninspired, and I didn’t have a plan. I wanted to keep traveling and help others, but I couldn’t find a job that would allow me to do this.

A few weeks after my return, I got an email announcing that Photobucket (Remember them??) was sponsoring a contest called “Life is an Adventure”. Having spent the previous year traveling and having experiences like checking into a hospital in India, acting in a soap opera in Colombia and getting mugged around the world, I knew that my life fit that description.

I told a friend who had travelled with me about the contest and asked for her help. “How can you ever hope to win,” she replied, “Do you know how many other people will enter?

Thousands. Good Luck.”

I started my entry, and enjoyed every moment reliving and recounting the stories of my adventures. I put my heart and soul into my story. I told my friends and family that I was going to win the contest, and really believed in my heart that I would. I got an email a few weeks after submitting my entry that explained I received 2nd place! First prize was $25,000, second prize was $500. 

Well, $500/second place was perfect for me- I didn’t get handed the money I really wanted, but I got the boost of confidence that would carry me for the rest of my life. All of a sudden, the dream I had to build a business in Thailand wasn’t scary, it wasn’t a “dream”, it was a real possibility. I realized that if I put 100% of my heart and soul into anything, the sky was the limit. I believed I could do it, and that’s exactly what I did.

"The difference between dreaming, and doing, is action." 

I booked a ticket back to Thailand and was able to meet some amazing women in a village up north through a local Thai orphanage I was supporting at the time. I started working with a handful of these women living in one small village, and wow has it grown from here.  

Today we work with over one hundred and fifty artisans in four villages. Each village has their own specialty and makes just one time of product, and as the company grows we are able to employ more of their family members and neighbors, giving them the flexibility to work from home while caring for their families, and earning a fair living wage. It has been fulfilling beyond words to work with these amazing people and see the positive impact the company has made in their communities. I feel very blessed to be part of it.

Jewelry Village, Thailand, 2017

I like to think of it like this. In 2010, I had a dream. I didn’t do anything about it, but I had a dream. In 2012, I had the same dream. I thought about it a lot and wished it would happen,  but didn’t do anything to make that dream happen. Fast forwarding to the end of 2012- there wasn’t that much else going on in my life, and my prospects were bleak.  So I took a chance and finally followed my dream, and here is Lotus and Luna! 

Join in and follow along my new series of Travel diary entries here on our blog! I hope you find some inspiration and entertainment from them.

“ A year from now you will wish you had started today.’ Karen Lamb

Until next time,

Janelle Sisting

Founder - Lotus and Luna  

Photo Credit: Energy Muse

If you’re plugged into the world of yoga, meditation, or alternative medicine; you’ve likely heard about the healing powers of energy stones and crystals. It is believed by many that holding energy stones during meditation or wearing them throughout the day promotes physical, mental, and spiritual well being. 

Crystals and stones were used by ancient cultures all over the world for thousands of years and recognized for their abilities to interact with and heal our bodies’ energy channels, also commonly referred to as chakras. While some people swear by certain stones’ abilities to balance and heal, many are still confused by how they actually work. If you fall into the second category, not to worry! We’re about to give you the low down on the healing powers of energy stones.

Scientifically, crystals are thought to be the most orderly and stable structure in nature because they have very low amounts of entropy, or disorder. Their steady structure allows them to respond to the energy around them in a unique way, which is why crystals are used in many types of technology.

Quartz, in particular, is one of the most commonly used crystals in modern technology because it has the ability to convert energy. Today, quartz crystal can be found in all types of technology from your cell phone to your watch.

Now, we’re not scientists, but if crystals respond to electrical energy in this way, that must say something about their ability to respond to our bodies’ energy as well, right? When you think about it, our entire body system is just energy that shows up in different densities and patterns. So when you come into contact with a crystal or energy stone, its vibration interacts with the vibration of the cells in your body to produce an effect that is unique to the combination of your energy with that particular stone’s energy.

Once you know a little bit about the individual properties of energy stones, which you can find more about here, let your intuition guide you in choosing the right healing stones to fit your personal journey. Crystal experts say that the crystal chooses you-- so let yourself be drawn to a stone and that will likely be just what you need!

If you’re feeling inspired to dive into the world of crystals and energy healing, Shop By Stone at our online store. There’s a stone out there for you no matter what your needs may be!

Thanks for reading! Use code ENERGYSTONE for 20% off your next order.