Last week, it was crazy hot. Like, so hot, I considered experimenting if the whole frying-an-egg thing would work on my car.  (Just kidding, I’d rather die than put something like a raw egg on my car… you know that.)

But – it still got me thinking, is it unseasonably warm? Am I just old? Or, have I thrown out the concept of time for the last 12-15 months because the world’s structure and order was flipped upside down and I don’t remember what I was even doing last year? Probably all of the above.

If there’s one thing that really makes me think about summer, it’s strawberries. I… just love them. Sometimes when I was younger, on the last day of school, my mom would pick my sister and I up and take us to this local yard where you could pick strawberries, and that was when I knew it was summertime. Things were way more simple back then – I didn’t have to work, do much, or even really think. I was just kinda floating around like a somewhat-anxious-yet-carefree kid, picking strawberries.

Yesterday, I also was floating around shopping, wanting to be out-and-about, but not remembering what I typically do on a summer Sunday morning when not sequestered inside. Naturally, I went and bought some crystals, because why not? So after I picked out my assortment, I found one last one – I didn’t know what it was, but I knew I needed it.

I bought myself a little polished piece of strawberry quartz.

It’s not quite as soft pink as a rose quartz – and it definitely “felt” different in my hand. It most closely resembled a strawberry JellyBelly bean to me, with its little dark speckles, suspended inside like little strawberry seeds. After thinking about strawberries all weekend, I took this as a little nudge that the Universe needed me to have it.

One thing I like about quartz crystals is their universal solutions to common problems. Whatever Earth energy a precious gemstone can pull is unique in its own right – but I knew this one was special as soon as I held it. You may be familiar with clear quartz – known as a common “cleansing” stone, it serves as an empty (clear) vessel to absorb whatever negativity that may be lingering and allow you to replace it with more wholesome or loving thoughts.

Something like strawberry quartz is a bit more specific to me. It has the pink hue to it but isn’t quite as soft as a rose quartz – the stone most widely known for love, and the heart chakra. Strawberry quartz, with its complex color and formation, is a very rare type of quartz. Its “seeds” are flecks of hematite, so this one has a lot going on inside.

Strawberry quartz goes beyond any kind of basic attribute about love, or happiness. This one is known as a “finder” – it’ll point you to what you’re looking for if you need a little nudge. If you are looking for things like love, or happiness, or wisdom, this one ties into healing your thought process in pursuit of all of that, offering a better sense of clarity. As expected – this one is tied to the third eye chakra, but I really believe it also ties to the root chakra – getting to know yourself through your thoughts and your identity (which plays a huge part in trying to find love and happiness).

Having said that – I felt inspired to continue with my strawberry kick, so here is a delicious little recipe for a bright strawberry crumble, just in time for strawberry season. Go grab your baskets, pick some berries, and go eat!

Summer Strawberry Crumble (paleo, with a vegan option!)

Prep time: 10 min

Cook time: 20-25 min

Ingredients

For the filling

• 4-5 cups strawberries, roughly chopped with both smaller and larger pieces (strawberries have a lot of water – you don’t want them to totally breakdown into a puree while baking!)

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder 

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (just a dash for flavor depth!)

• 1/3 cup coconut sugar

For the Crumble

• 1/3 cup almond flour

• 1/4 cup ground flax seed

• ½ cup steel cut oats (instant is preferred)

• 1/2 cup of cold butter (real or vegan is fine), cubed

• pinch of Salt

• 1/3 cup coconut sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix your filling ingredients together, carefully folding the strawberries together so they don’t become crushed.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together your crumble topping ingredients, pressing the cubes of butter into the oats, flour and flaxseed. 
4. In a greased 8×8 baking dish (or smaller for a thicker), add your strawberries, spreading to an even layer.
5. Next, sprinkle your topping evenly over the strawberries, ensuring it coats the whole strawberry mixture and the butter chunks are distributed evenly.
6. Bake until bubbling and topping is golden brown. Remove from heat to let stand and cool for 5 minutes prior to serving.

Enjoy!

-S