Getting Raw

Something Light and Refreshing

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Grapefruit, Tangelo, Fennel, Red Onion and Arugula Salad in a Honey Citrus and Poppyseed Vinaigrette

I'm still working my way through all the citrus from our little Citrus Hurricane wind storm that I last posted about and enjoying the grapefruit granita from that post still.

Last year I stumbled upon the great combo of citrus and fennel and decided to revisit that idea. I also added in some arugula and onions. It's different from a traditional green based salad and I purposely go light on the arugula because of it's spicier flavor. I don't want it to overwhelm the delicate flavors of the fennel and citrus. The addition of fennel takes away the tartness of the grapefruit while the red onion adds the little pungent flavor.

The whole salad is a nice balance blend of spicy, tart, sweet and pungent and is quite good!

But please add as much as you like to your tastes.

These were our pink grapefruits, cut this way just to show the color

Grapefruit and Fennel Salad

2 pink grapefruits, segmented

2 tangelos, segmented

1/4 red onion

1 smal fennel bulb

handful of arugula

1 Tbsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp olive oil (EVOO)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Black pepper to taste

Segment your citrus over a bowl to collect the juices
Then squeeze out whatever juice is left in the fruit to get all the juice you can.
(see below for how to segment)
Then set citrus aside

Slice the red onion and fennel on the mandoline or with a knife
Place in a big bowl
Toss in your arugula (I purposely didn't use much arugula)
Carefully add in your citrus segments

Honey Citrus Dressing

Take juices from citrus and place in a covered jar

Add in the honey, lemon zest, EVOO, sea salt and black pepper

Close jar and shake

Add poppy seeds right before serving and shake again.

Gently toss salad with about half of dressing or to taste.
Plate and serve right away.
Will make 2 main salad servings or 4 side salads

Grapefruit and Fennel Salad Close Up

Note: You could easily also add some chopped avocado to this.
The flavors would marry well.

Easy Video Tutorial on How to Segment Citrus

Tool Tips:

The Mandoline is perfect for this recipe for getting everything nice and thinly sliced!
If you want to see where I spoke more about this gadget and others that make life in the kitchen a little easier, check out my post about Cool Tools.

Another great kitchen gadget that I am really enjoying is the Microplaner, which makes zesting and grating super easy!

No more scrape knuckles with this one!

Even fresh nutmeg is easy to grate!

I hope you give the salad a try and if you do please let me know what you think!

A Citrus Hurricane

2012-01-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

Grapefruit Granita- Raw

If you don't follow professional golf and weren't watching the televised tournament last weekend, then you probably missed the little hurricane wind episode we had here in the California desert. The golf tournament formerly known as the Bob Hope Classic, now called the Humana Challenge was in full swing when hurricane force winds over 90 mph swept into town and blew over stands, leader boards, etc on the course and trees everywhere. It was so dangerous, they halted the play and called it a day. President Bill Clinton was here so you might have maybe heard something but probably not. With our mostly sunny climate, we get very little sympathy from the national news around here during the winters.

Apple throwing tree from Wizard of Oz

It was wild how the wind storm came out of nowhere and attacked us for the better part of the afternooon. But during the winds our citrus trees were pelting out fruit to anyone that might get too close, kind of like the scene in the Wizard of Oz with the apple trees throwing apples at Dorothy and her crew except these trees had no visible arms. The fruit just came a flying!

The next morning it was completely still, the course was miraculously cleaned up and the golf tournament continued and looked like nothing happened but the rest of us where left with the aftermath of massive debris everywhere.

Eucalyptus trees were the biggest casualties, as they are just too bulky for the high winds around here.
This is our neighbor's unit as one of the golf course trees came colliding with their unit across the cart path and fence.

Trees out of the ground, roots and all. See how "foggy" the sky is? Thats' sand!

The best little surprise out of the whole ordeal were scenes just like this one...

Citrus Fruit Everywhere!

Grapefruit both regular and pink, Tangelos, Meyer Lemons, Regular Lemons

It was all so exciting to get so much fruit but then we realized we only have so much time to eat it all! I'm a little acid sensitive so I can't do too much at once but Rich just loves "eating off the trees" as he calls it. This year they hacked up our beautiful Minneola Tangerine tree, the one I wrote about as giving off the juicy "Tangelo Bombs" last year. There are hardly any branches left to bear fruit. (That really irks me as it was totally unnecessary and we look forward all year to these delicious fruit!) Hopefully next year!

So in honor of all the fruit we have at our... table, I'm going to be exploring some citrus options for the next few posts, hope you don't mind. It's just that time of year.

First Up....

Grapefruit Granita- Raw

This is so simple and yet so refreshing.

2 cups fresh grapefruit juice, strained

1/4 cup filtered water

1/4 cup agave syrup

1/4 cup lemon juice, strained

Blend together agave and water in a blender until well combined

(room temperature water makes this easier)

Then add in the grapefruit and lemon juices and blend again.

Pour into a non-reactive pan, I used a 8x8 baking pan.

And freeze.

Check every hour and scrape back the frozen top with a fork or back of spoon.

3 times should be enough.

It should take about 6 hrs but can be left for 3 days if you like.

Serve in a chilled glass with sprig of mint for garnish

and eat right away!

Alternatively, you can let freeze solid and when ready

break into chunks and pulse in food processor to get ice crystal shavings.

Add Some Booze!

For those non raw peeps reading this,

you can add in a little vodka too- about 2 tbsp

(this will keep it from freezing solid, among other things.)

Another option to dress this up is place in a chilled glass and

pour your favorite champagne over for

a specialty drink style bubbly slushie.

That's it for now!

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and are ready for a great week ahead!

And The Fun Continues...

2012-01-28T15:46:00.000-08:00

Raw Vanilla Cashew Creme Parfaits

I have to tell you, I feel like I've discovered something brand new! I've been making cashew creme for a while now and while I thought it was a good substitute for regular creme, I wasn't too excited about it to tell the truth.

Then I stumbled on a blog, TheRawtarian.com and saw her raving about this "fruit dip." I had to try it! I wrote down the recipe and made it while I was playing with the raw Nutella (last post.)

It seemed all too familiar but...

I was surprised! and R, who was always a little mediocre about the creme, really liked it too!

So I was all excited to share a new recipe with you, only to find as I compared it to the previous one I've posted about here, that it's pretty much the same with just a subtle difference- vanilla! and a little less sweetener.

It's like a whole different thing and I'm amazed!

Just a little tweak and it made all the difference!

So in the interest of being complete here is the new version and I'm calling it:

Vanilla Cashew Creme

aka "Fruit Dip"

1 1/2 cups Cashews, soaked 1- 2 hours

1/2 cup Water

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil, in liquid form

2 Tbsp Agave or Honey

1 Vanilla Bean or 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

splash of lemon (optional)

Blend until creamy

Chill in Fridge

This really is amazing with fruit!

Vanilla Cashew Creme Paired with RAWtella, Bananas and Raspberries

For the Crepes, I tried a couple different ways to go. I came across a video of Ani Phyo making crepes and she uses flax seeds with either apples or bananas. Some reviewers said that the apple was a little less sweet so since I was pairing mine with raw Nutella and fruit, I thought that might be better.

I found the recipe and was a little bummed that it was vague about how thin to spread it or really what the desired doneness would look or be like. She also said it should make 4 crepes and I spread it really really thin and only got 3 crepes. Plus I let it dry almost twice the time she suggested and it still wasn't completely dry. But my thinking was, if it's completely dry, won't it be more of a chip? How will I fold it without it breaking? So I had to guess when to remove it from the dehydrator and let it go as long as it was dry-ish and still pliable. It wasn't tacky to the touch. She said her recipe with the flax would be less leathery but it still was. Maybe I did something wrong? Not sure but...

Apple Crepes with Bananas and RAWtella and Chocolate drizzle

It looked good! It tasted good! Very mild in flavor and a little hard to cut through but I get that it won't really be like a crepe and I'm okay with that.

Ani's Apple Crepes

1 cored and diced apple

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

2 Tbsp Agave

1/2 cup water or as needed.

Blend apples, flax,agave and water until smooth.

spread evenly on a lined dehydrator tray.

Dehydrate 4-6 hrs at 104 degrees F or until completely dry.

You can flip off the liner and dry a couple more hours.

After I tried that, I had to know what the banana crepe from The Rawtarian would be like so I whipped up a batch of that as well. So simple!

Banana Crepes with Vanilla Cashew Creme and Berries with Strawberry Drizzle

Banana Crepes

4 bananas

1/4 cup of water

Blend up in the blender

Pour onto a lined Dehydrator tray
Tilt tray to spread mix around

Dry overnight

Peel from Teflex and flip
Dry about another hour
But still pliable

and I got me (4) 8"crepes!

Banana Crepe or Fruit Leather

This was very banana-y, very sweet and delicious! It's more like a fruit leather and that's is not bad at all. It is a little stickier and harder to cut than the flax version though.

(You need a very sharp knife to cut through and your crepes get kind of smooshed so expect that.)

I would almost recommend making large full dehydrator tray square crepes, cut into quarters and then cutting into bite sized strips before rolling creme and/or fruit inside. Or maybe even a burrito style roll up would be good! Just a thought. But very tasty!

Strawberry Sauce

1 cup Strawberries

1/4 cup Agave

Blend until well mixed.

Add more agave to taste

Chocolate Sauce

1/2 cup cacao powder

3/4 cup agave (or maple syrup)

4 tsp melted olive oil

Blend in a small blender.

Will keep fro a week or so.

I hope you enjoy these simple delicious basics!

Fun with Raw Nutella

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

Raw Nutella (RAWtella) with Apple Crepes, Strawberries, Chocolate Sauce and Cashew Creme

Have you noticed lately that Nutella (the hazelnut and chocolate spread) seems to be all the rage here in the states? There are all sorts of recipes using it. The first and last time I had it, I think I was sixteen and it was brought to me with my breakfast bread basket while in London. The idea excited me- chocolate for breakfast! But I have to say I was disappointed and never tried it again.
(what can I say? I was sixteen.)

So after seeing this sudden trend, I thought I'd give it a try again but with a raw twist this time. I looked up Nutella and the main ingredients are sugar, then milk, then hazelnuts with very little chocolate. When it was originally invented in Italy back in the 40's it was created to extend the shortage of chocolate created during war time with blending it with the over abundant local hazelnuts. It was half hazelnuts and half chocolate.

This sounded better to me than a sugar and milk based recipe.

So I got down to business and I can tell you I have a whole new love!

Without further adieu I give you....

Raw Nutella (RAWtella) with Strawberries

RAWtella

1 cup hazelnuts, soaked about 1 hr, strained

1/3 cup cacao (or cocoa in a pinch)

1/3 cup agave syrup

2 Tbsp coconut oil, in liquid form

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup almond milk (or water)

Grind up the hazelnuts in your food processor until finely ground

Add all but the almond milk and continue pulsing until mixed.

It will probably ball up.

Start adding almond milk and pulse until you reach the consistency you desire.

Keep in a cover container in the fridge.

Can't tell you how long it will last because ours was gone in a flash!

What to do with RAWtella?

Here is the fun part!

Use it for dipping any kind of fruit.

What doesn't go well with chocolate?

Raw Nutella with Bananas

Mix it with fruit in a parfait

RAWtella, Cashew Creme, Bananas and Raspberries

( Ps: I discovered a new version of Cashew Creme that will knock your socks off! Next post- promise!)

Because Nutella is famous for pairing with crepes....

Raw Crepes and Bananas with Raw Nutella (RAWtella)

And we had to make several crepes...

Raw Apple Crepes with Raspberries and Raw Nutella (RAWtella)

and there were still more crepes...

Raw Apple Crepes with Strawberries, Chocolate Sauce, Cashew Creme
and of course RAWtella!

(PPS : Crepes will be in the next post too along with the To Die For Cashew Creme!!)

Valentine's Day is coming you know!

It's hard to pick a favorite way to eat RAWtella.

It was ALL SO GOOD!

We had it for breakfast, snacks, lunch even dinner one night!

and why not, it is just nuts and fruit really.

I was feeling a little chocolate saturated but then I caught myself thinking today...

I do have more hazelnuts....maybe I'll whip up another batch!

Hmmm....Can you ever have too much chocolate?

I don't think so!

;-)

Breakfast of Champions- To Go!

2012-01-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

I've been speaking to a friend of mine that wants to eat better but needs an easy routine for grab and go food with his busy work schedule. Plus he's been told to up his Omega 3s to help with eye fatigue. Crunch time is leaving for work in the morning having something ready to go and also having food that will keep him from running out for lunch or snacks when his energy starts to wane during the work day.

Energy, great for Omega 3's, quick and can be prepared a head of time. R loves his chia cereal so much that this was easy! It's the packaging that makes this even better.

Here's what I'm thinking....

A week's worth of glass pint canning jars, a little prep time on Sunday and we got grab-and-go all taken care of!

In each canning jar place one of the following mixtures:

Apple Pie:

2.5 Tbsp Chia Seeds, whole
2 Tbsp dehydrated Apples, diced
2 Tbsp Raisins
2 Tbsp Walnuts, chopped
Sprinkle of Cinnamon
1/2-1 packet Stevia

Southern Pecan Pie

2.5 Tbsp Chia Seeds, whole
2 Tbsp Pecans, chopped
2 Tbsp Cranberries
2 Tbsp shredded Coconut
1/2 -1 packet of Stevia

Southern Pecan Pie Style Chia Pudding

Banana Bread

2.5 Tbsp Chia Seeds, whole
2 Tbsp Walnuts, chopped
2 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds, chopped,
2 Tbsp dehydrated Banana chips
Sprinkle of Nutmeg
1/2-1 packet of Stevia

Chocolate Pudding

2.5 Tbsp Chia Seeds, whole
1 Tbsp (heaping) Cacao Powder, or Carob or if you have to Coco
1 packet Stevia
pinch of Salt (optional)
dash of Cinnamon

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Almond Milk To Go

The combos are endless so get creative!

All you do when ready is add 6 -8 oz of Almond milk to the jar,
screw the cover on, turn upside down and shake until well mixed.
Then let sit however long you want.

It transports easily like this until you're ready to eat and then just shake it up again. Pour it into a bowl or eat right out of the jar- your choice!

How long you let it sit is a personal choice. Some say at least 10 minutes for it to thicken, some like to let it sit over night or at least an hour or so. The beauty of it is that you can add milk to make it for breakfast the night before, or add the milk before you leave in the morning to make it for a lunch or afternoon snack at work. Or take some milk to work and mix it all up about 10 mins before you want to eat it. It doesn't matter. It won't go bad and it's all good!

Chia Cereal in the Jar Minus Toppings

Here are some options you can try as well:

Chop a banana or apple to put on top when ready to eat.
Peaches are good too... as are berries, oh heck you get the idea- add some fresh fruit!
Instead of the Stevia powder mixed dry in the jar, you can use the Stevia drops, like the Sweet Vanilla Creme when ready to eat. You'll want to keep a bottle at the office too!
If you're at home skip the Stevia powder and add a Tbsp each of Vanilla extract and Agave or Maple Syrup when ready to eat instead or the stevia drops!!!

And since I mentioned the Stevia Liquid drops, do you know they also come in flavors like Lemon Drop, English Toffee, Chocolate Raspberry, Peppermint etc. etc. Oh MY!

Ps: if you are fortunate to have Trader Joe's around, they have a great selection of dried fruits and nuts- not sure about the Stevia and no Chia- yet. C'mon Trader Joe's!

And another thing: the jars of the pre mix will keep as long as you keep a tight lid on it. So line them up on the kitchen counter, keep them in the pantry ready to go, or keep them at your desk in the office. You've got an instant meal or snack, all ready whenever you are.

Chia mix in snack bag

As an option you can put the mixtures in little snack bags too. Just pour them in a jar when you are ready to mix with milk.

Just don't forget your spoon and the milk.
*You can even add apple juice instead of the milk or some even like just water mixed in.

Have never heard of Chia other than the pets? The check out this article.
You really want to know about chia!

So tell us.... What combos are you eating with chia these days?

Cool Tools Plus a Tasty Asian Cucumber Salad

2012-01-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

Whether you are eating a raw lifestyle or just trying to eat more fruits and veggies there are some kitchen gadgets that make food prep a lot simpler. Below are some of my favorite discoveries and to show what you can do with them I will be demonstrating their use with a simple yet delicious
Raw Asian Cucumber Salad or better known in Japanese as Sunomono Salad.

A Saladacco Spiralizer

A Spiralizer

This is a Saladacco Spiralizer and it has revolutionized how we think of pasta. No longer do we need wheat and gluten when zucchini, squash and cucumbers can easily take their place, thanks to spiralizers.

This is a handy little tool for making spiralized noodles, and thin slices. You set the blade with a slicing style, either noodles or slices, cut a vegetable (the straighter the vegetable the better) to fit inside the top chamber, in this case a cucumber, center it on the tiny spike, put the top on with the gripper holding the vegetable in place and turn the handle. It's very easy.

The sliced vegetable ends up in the catch basin in the bottom.

For sliced, the vegetable will come out in a ribbon of attached rounds. For noodles no cutting is required. They will be as long as the cut vegetable with the longest being about 3 1/2 inches.

A zucchini spiralized into thin noodles

Saladacco cucumbers left- Mandoline- right

The Mandoline

Another great tool for thin uniform slices and even to julienne is the Mandoline. I originally purchased a stainless steel model that was more expensive but I was surprised to find the vegetables did not move easily over the blade and subsequently the slices came out uneven, ripped and pretty much ruined. This one works so much better, with less effort and was cheaper too and with the catch basin it keeps things a lot cleaner as well.

One word of warning here: as with all mandolines or blades, you have to be very careful and always use the guard to protect your fingers. I have heard many a story of people slicing their fingers, and always without the guard. Don't get cocky!

This unit has various blades that you select for different cutting styles as well as a turn dial on the side that raises and lowers the platform to adjust the thickness of the slices. You simply place the food item flat on the surface and with the guard on top, run the item over the blade.

A peeled cucumber ready for slicing

The Saladacco sliced cucumbers (top) vs Mandoline sliced (bottom)

For a comparison, I sliced half the cucumber with each, using the thinnest setting on the Mandoline. The Saladacco slices paper thin with the Mandoline slicing at almost twice that thickness.
For the Sunomono Salad the Saladacco size is perfect!

Julienne Peeler

This is a handy little number when you just need to do some quick julienne slices and don't want to get out the mandoline. It's a peeler with little teeth. There is no variation so it's just one size. It's sort of the reverse of a Mandoline in that you drag the blade across the fruit or vegetable.

Julienne Peeler

Julienned Carrots

and now for the salad....

Sunomono Salad (Japanese Cucumber Salad)

This is my favorite thing to order at our local Japanese restaurant.

I have them hold the crab that is customary in it and I could eat like 3-4 servings. I don't but I could! But now I can make it at home!

It's light and refreshing, slightly sweet yet tangy.

Asian Dressing Ingredients

1 Large English cucumber- peeled and thinly sliced (English due to fewer seeds and thinner skin.)

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp agave

1/2 tsp nama shoyu

2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

a few shreds of carrot

Peel and slice cucumbers. Sprinkle slices with salt, toss and let sit 10 minutes. Gently squeeze out water.

Mix all ingredients except sesame seeds well and then toss with the cucumber. Place in individual bowls, adding a few pieces of carrot to each and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

For a more authentic salad add some soaked Wakame (seaweed) strips to the salad. I was out of it at the time of this post or I would have included it. It's a great way to get your sea vegetables in but the salad tastes great without it too.

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I hope you try some of these gadgets out or at least give the salad a try.

A spiralizer

Jewel Box Salad

2012-01-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

Jewel Box Salad

While doing the round up of the Best of 2011's recipes, which are our favorites, I realized I have some how omitted sharing my favorite salad with you all! So of course today, I had to fix that and I really enjoyed doing that for you. (I know, the sacrifices I make for this blog.) ;-)

I call this a Jewel Box Salad because each little ingredients is like a gem of different flavors, each tasty on it's own but pulled all together is just delicious!

This could also be a Fall Salad, and one local restaurant calls this their Summer Salad but the beauty of it really is that all the ingredients are available year round. Right now the red grapes are in season and are especially yummy .

Bragg's Healthy Vinaigrette

I use a light vinaigrette to toss it all together and not overpower the flavors.

Our standby is Bragg's Healthy Vinaigrette, which for convenience I always keep on hand. You can get this from most health food stores or even online sources.

What I especially like about it is that
it's a vinaigrette that doesn't bite back,
if you know what I mean.
Tangy enough but not so much that it chokes you.
Ever had that happen? Not fun!

While apple cider vinegar, at least' Bragg's is still raw, the dressing bottled and all is probably not.

So I have also included their recipe so you can make it yourself too.

But first...

The Jewel Box Salad

Toss the following into a big bowl and add dressing,

Toss Again.

Eat!

or if you have to share, plate in and then eat!

Tender Greens

like Butter Lettuce and Radicchio

or Baby Romaine

Apples, diced

(figure half and apple per person)

Grapes

halved, if big

Raisins or Dried Cranberries

Walnuts

Ingredient amounts are completely up to you but don't be stingy.

You don't want to have to hunt for the gems.

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Bragg's Vinaigrette

from the back of the Bragg's ACV bottle

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar ( ACV)

(make sure it is organic and has the "mother"- other ACV may taste different)

1/3 cup Oil

1 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos

(soy sauce or tamari may work)

1-2 tsp Honey

1-2 cloves minced garlic

1 pinch all purpose seasoning,

like Bragg's Sprinkles, Spike

or Salt and Pepper to taste

Shake!

makes about 4 servings

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How about you?

Any favorite Jewel Box Salad combos you feel like sharing?

Shredded Carrot Apple Salad

2012-01-08T19:06:00.001-08:00

Shredded Carrot Apple Salad

Wonder what to do with left over carrots besides juice them?

How about a nice simple salad?

Great for a light snack or side dish!

Plus I think you'll find kids will like this one too!

It's one of those that gets better overnight.

No fancy tools needed. Just a knife, a peeler and a shredder.

Shredded Carrot Apple Salad

5 carrots, peeled & shredded

2 apples, peeled & shredded.

(Sweeter apples better than tart- I think nut why not try the other too?)

juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons honey or to taste

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Mix together lemon and honey until honey is dissolved.

Put all together in bowl and tosswell.

Let sit covered in fridge overnight (least that's what I did) and

Enjoy!

I'm wishing I made more already. ;-)

Note: easiest to peel apples first and shred whole around core .

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Top 10 Getting Raw Desserts

2012-01-04T20:37:00.000-08:00

They say if you want people to give raw food a try, start with the desserts.

So true because the desserts are so delicious!

Recapping some of our all time favorite desserts from the last year and change of this blog.

Hope you enjoy!

No. 1

Raspberry Cheesecake

(Pictured above)

This was a special recipe for me as this cake was a gift for a friend's birthday. Not only was it the first time I had ever made a raw cheesecake but I even had the nerve to test it out at a birthday party with folks that had no interest in raw food and guess what?
They really liked it!

No. 2

Ambrosia Salad

This is still one of my favorite desserts even though it is simply a medley of fruit with honey.

It's just gorgeous!

No. 3

Minced Fruit Pie

Rich isn't really a dessert guy but he said this was his hands down favorite.

Gotta go with that!

No. 4

Winter Citrus Sherbet

This is a really simply base recipe for sherbet- you can substitute any fresh juice

and treat yourself !

No. 5

Caramel Apples

Caramel and Apples- not just for October.

This caramel dip has been a staple for me gettingraw.

I make up the dip and have it on hand for a snack with apples all the time.

Come to think of it.....

No. 6

Chocolate Mousse

Pictured here, I have this swimming in a pool of Raspberry Coulis.
Another great staple recipe for when the need for chocolate arrives.
This is so good!
No one will ever know what the key ingredient is.

No. 7

Brownie Bites

All dressed up as presents.

Another must when gettingraw!

Make these and freeze them for fun or emergencies!

No. 8

Raw Bananas Foster Cheesecake

All I can say is:

This was pretty tasty!

No. 9

Upside Down Berry Jumble

Another Basic Recipe that can adapt to any kind of fruit you have on hand.

So much you can do with the key ingredients here.

Always impressive and always delicious!

No. 10

Key Lime Pie

I LOVE key lime pie and this was one of my all time favorites raw or not.

I was so surprised!

and don't even get me started on how much better these ingredients are for you....

So there you have it!

Our Top 10 Raw Dessert Recipes (so far.)

Many are basics that make GettingRAW a little easier,

especially if you have a sweet tooth.

More to come ;-)

GettingRAW's 2011 Top 15 Favorites

2012-01-03T20:31:00.000-08:00

Since January is always a good time for reflection, I decided it would be a good time to go back and take a look at some of our favorites from the past years. Yes I said years with an "s" because I have some favorites that were posted at the end of 2010 that I can't bear to leave out.

They say that people eat on average the same 10-15 things on a regular basis. So find your 15 and you are set! These are items that are on our regular rotation.

Fruits and Desserts are going to come up separately because they really can't compete fairly.

They are in no particular order because that would be way too hard!

So without further adieu...

No. 1

Mangolicious- Green Smoothie!

Oops, did I say I would put fruits separately? I will... with this exception.

I could drink this everyday and often do. It's usually my morning start. I love the flavor combo here!

No. 2

Thai Crunch Salad

This salad is a Double Whammy because you can also forgo the shredded cabbage and make lettuce wraps from these ingredients. For this picture I added edamame as well. So good!

No. 3

Sweet Corn and Celery Soup

I LOVE corn! and when it's raw it stays a veggie and does not become a starch. Great news!

No. 4

O.S.T.A.- Onion Bread, Sprouts, Tomato & Avocado

Huge favorite around here! Lunch, snack, paired with a bowl of soup, whatever! Always good!

No. 5

Classic Andalusian Gazpacho

So fresh and delicious, a summer time fave!

No. 6

Jicama Salad

Tasty crunchy mix of veggies in a light creamy dressing. Kinda like potato salad but much better!

No. 7

Tacos!

This is so tasty you will never remember why you ate meat or tortillas in your tacos.

No. 8

Chia Cereal

This is Rich's favorite breakfast. Eats it everyday. It's like a pudding but packed with energy.

I make it the night before and in the morning he grates either apple or pear on top

or in season- adds sliced peaches!

No. 9

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

A Fall and Winter treat, even without the spider web.

No. 10

Simple Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

This is always a winner and even with it's simplicity it blows people away with how good it is!

No. 11

Cocao-Nana-Tini

Don't let the size of this glass fool you. I can drink a 16 oz drink of this at once and it really keeps me going. The combo of cacao and bananas make this a great meal for energy that tastes soooo good!
I haven't tried it yet but I think this would make an AWESOME ice cream!!

No. 12

Thai Carrot Soup

This may be my all time favorite soup- evva!

No. 13

Fiesta Chopped Salad With Lime and Honey Dressing

This is so good and while I did sneak some black beans in here, you can easily omit to stay higher raw. This is great for a gathering but whether you serve 20 or 2 it won't last long!

No. 14

Red Pepper Bisque Soup

Always a favorite and so much flavor. Hard to believe I never used to like bell peppers!

No. 15

Fresh Muesli with Pecan Maple Cream

Another breakfast favorite for those colder mornings when you feel like something heartier.

Surprise. Surprise!

I just realized I left a few favorites out.

Well good thing we are starting a new year, huh?

I'm excited to get back at it and share some more great food with you all!

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope it's your Best Year Ever!

XXOO

Jodi

Minced Fruit Pie

2011-12-27T03:54:00.000-08:00

Raw Minced Pie with Cashew Cream

Traditional Christmas Pie, Minced Pie, Mincedmeat Pie, Mutton Pie, Spiced Fruit Pie, whatever you call it, this holiday delicacy has its origins dating back to the 13th century and has stayed around for good reason. It was said that the crusaders brought back the culinary concept of mixing spices, meat and fruit together from their ventures to the Holy Land in the middle east. It's become a British holiday staple ever since and even has a following here in the states.

Today even though they are still called mincemeat pies, most are no longer made with meat. To be honest, the name "mincedmeat pie" was always a deterrent I could never get past so I never really wanted to try it. But for Rich the holidays just aren't complete without minced pie. With his birthday following Christmas I have always made an attempt to get him one of these pies for his "birthday cake" that he could eat all by himself and he's enjoyed this tradition. Yet it's getting harder and harder to find.

This year I looked into what exactly goes into minced pie and discovered that a mix of dried fruit and spices in a pastry crust sounds like a perfect recipe for a raw version. I combined a few ideas and with Rich taste testing as I went, we have come up with a fantastic little pie filling!

It really tastes like a richly spiced apple pie!

If you have never had minced pie or even if you have, you owe it to yourself to try this new recipe. It really is tasty and is a perfect pie for fall and winter, not just the holidays.

Russell James' recipe for individual minced pies are all over the web this year and while I usually love all his recipes, and was anxious to try this one because of rave reviews, trying to make this into a single pie did not work out well for me. The crust tasted like uncooked flour probably because of the use of oat flour even though I dehydrated it until well dry. Plus luckily I checked to see if I would be able to get it out of the pie pan when serving before I adding the filling. I couldn't. I had to just wash it all down the drain and even with water it was hard to remove. I really hate that!

But since I was on a mission to make this birthday treat, I continued with another experiment and I'm glad that I did.

This one does not need a dehydrator so it's more simple and it's quite tasty. The filling is also a little different as I wanted to incorporate a rich mix of fruit flavors. I hope you enjoy!

Raw Minced Fruit Pie

Minced Fruit Pie

For Crust:

2 cups of almond meal (almonds ground to flour)
1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes
1/3 cup raisins (I used golden raisins)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut oil- liquid

Grind the almonds into a fine meal in the food processor or you can sometimes find almond meal in the stores. Add in the coconut, cinnamon and salt and pulse a few times. Add in the raisins and pulse until it is slightly sticky. Add in the oil and pulse until it is mixed through- but be careful to not over mix! It should just stick together between your fingers at the right consistency.

Press into tart or pie pans. You may want to use cling wrap or parchment first if it does not have a lift up bottom to make it easier to remove. I used a tart pan with a removable bottom and that worked out nicely when chilled until set. When ready for filling remove crust from tart pan if using or leave in pie pan.

Raw Pie/ Tart Crust after setting up in tart pan

Note: If you plan to make the cashew cream topping, now would be a good time to soak the nuts!

For Filling:

1/2 cup clementine juice (orange would work fine too)
1/2 cup date paste (soft medjool dates mixed with enough water to form a paste)

1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped (can use dried currants)

1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup golden raisins

2 small apples diced

1 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie spice

pinch of sea salt

1 tsp clementine zest minced (or orange)

1/4 cup agave nectar

Mix all but the apples and raisins in a food processor until well combined. Add in the raisins and apples and pulse a few times until coarsely ground. Taste for sweetness.

You can let the filling marinate in a closed container in the fridge if you like. It gets better with time. Once ready, spoon into crust and chill, while you make the topping. Or use this as a topping for raw ice cream or with the cashew cream alone- no crust required.

Cashew Cream Topping:

1 1/2 cup cashews, soaked at least 20 minutes.
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup agave
3 Tbsp coconut oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients in high speed blender until creamy. Chill before serving.

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Since it was his birthday- he had his second piece with cool whip but honestly I think the cashew cream is better!

The verdict? He says it's better than any store bought pie - even though it's raw!

I know this will be a new tradition in our house now!

I hope you enjoy!

Raspberry Bars

2011-12-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

Raw Raspberry Bars

Greetings everyone and I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season!

We had a lovely Christmas and I have to admit it included quite a bit of cooked food. I have actually started helping my elderly neighbors with some things and one of those has been meals. Although one of them eats quite a bit of raw food as in fruit and salads, which probably explains why she is so sprite at 83! the other is a big meat and potatoes guy who really misses being able to cook. She doesn't cook and his health is challenged. So it's been interesting.

We actually joined them for a Christmas Eve dinner that I prepared and while they both loved it, and it was one of Rich's all time favorite foods, we realized we can no longer eat this way and feel good. I stayed pretty much to my vegetable dishes, which surprisingly they also really loved but the whole process was a reminder of what all cooking entails. Its' a lot of work, ingredients and clean up. I have really come to appreciate raw food clean up because it's a snap! Not to mention the way cooked food makes us both feel- heavy, congested, sleepy, etc...

Plus I don't feel right preparing meat anymore. It's not appetizing to me and frankly I feel very uncomfortable working with it. Just being honest here because it surprised me more than I expected. My kitchen no longer feels clean to me from having meat in it, even though it was of course cleaned up.

Rich said to me as we left their home Christmas Eve, "Can get back to raw? I need it."

You don't know what a surprise this is to hear. He was the last person I expected would like raw food. We both agree that simper is better, instead of the complicated raw dishes.

With that said, after all the baking I did the last couple of weeks, I was really craving a raw treat. Since Rich loves raspberry I made up these simple raw raspberry bars. No cooking, easy clean up and they seem to get better everyday. Plus I love the color!

The color of raw fresh foods is so beautiful! When I see a colorful plate of pure fresh food, there is no question in my mind that this is how we are supposed to eat. It is so tantalizing!!

So enough rambling. On to the...

Raw Raspberry Bars

For crust and topping:

2 cups shredded coconut

1/2 cup cashews

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup agave

Process coconut, cashews and salt in a food processor until fine and crummy, then add in the agave until well mixed.

Press the 2/3 mixture into a pan that has been lined with cling wrap. Make it thick enough that it will hold up as a cookie base when done. I used a 8 X 9 glass dish. You can also press into tart or small muffin tins, line first though with cling wrap.

Refrigerate while making the jam.

Raspberry Jam

1 10 oz package of frozen raspberries thawed and drained or 1 carton fresh berries

3 TBSP date paste (medjool dates mixed with enough water to form a paste)

1/4 cup agave syrup or sweeten to taste.

Blend in small blender , a Magic Bullet is perfect but a regular blender will work as well, until nicely chopped and mixed. Taste for sweetness and add more agave if necessary.

Once the bottom crust is set, pour the jam over and spread. Best to let this set up in the fridge before adding top layer. I didn't wait and pressed out little balls and layered over the top to keep it floating on top of the jam (because it wasn't set yet) but you could just sprinkle the crumb topping over as well.

Best to let the whole thing sit a couple of hours in the fridge covered to set up. Then cut and use plastic wrap to help you get it out of the pan in one piece.

I think they tasted better the next day and the next....

Should keep for 5 days covered in the fridge, if they last that long.

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Hope you try the recipe and enjoy!

Housekeeping! aka Detox

2011-11-28T10:18:00.001-08:00

With Thanksgiving week over, I have to admit that I am much worse for wear.

I did decide to take part in Thanksgiving dinner and while I did not consume much, I did eat cooked carbs. That lead to more cooked food later in the week, again not too much but I am totally shocked by the way my body has responded. I have all sorts of very uncomfortable symptoms, ranging from systemic congestion to a full on and very painful gallbladder attack. It has made me aware of just how sensitive I am and there is no denying the level of toxicity or congestion that I have throughout my systems.

No doubt about it. It's time for a detox!

If you read my last post I said somewhere that I was not going to be doing a Grape Cure Diet anytime soon. Well I am here to say that I'm going to eat those words along with some grapes.

I mentioned that I have been following Dr. Robert Morse and his videos on YouTube. Dr. Morse mentions putting people on the grape detox so I researched and came across the original Grape Cure written by Johanna Brandt. I purchased a book called The Detox Mono Diet: The Miracle Grape Cure and Other Cleansing Diets which not only covers the details of the diet and Brandt's own experience and explanation, but goes on to explain why these mono diets work at all and how to best prepare for them.

Why a Cleanse?

It makes a great deal of sense to me. I always understood that during a cleanse, by eating very simply as in a juice fast, a water fast or even mono meals- meals made up of one item only, you are allowing the body to rest from digestion so that that energy can be used by the body to clean house instead. What I didn't fully understand was exactly how that happened and what happens.

According to this book, the key is autolysis- the process of the body literally digesting itself. When calories are sufficiently reduced and the process of digestion is simplified, the body starts to look within itself for the nutrients that it needs to function. This happens on the cellular level and in the body's own genius way, it starts with the least necessary items first. The first to go is cellular debris, toxins, congestion, and fat cells. I visualize it as clearing up the hallways and then digging through the storage closets. If given the time and energy long enough, the body will even digest diseased tissue including cysts and tumors, the deep storage items. But just as importantly, it can not go on too long or the vital organs will eventually be affected.

The body really is remarkably designed to heal itself.

The All Important Prep

Since this is a major house cleaning, it's very important to have all the exits cleared and free of barriers before this process begins. Just as you would't start sweeping up a storm inside a filthy house with all the windows and doors closed, you need to open up all the channels of elimination prior to the cleanse. You don't want all this junk just being moved from room to room. You want it out! I don't think we hear about the importance of the prep often enough.

The excretory organs include the intestines, the liver, the kidneys, the lungs and the skin. The best way to prepare for a cleanse or fast is to flush these organs so as to make sure the exit channels are open and ready to move the toxins out of the body. This is done with herbs, enemas, or colonics, and lots of water for the kidneys and even heat and dry brushing for the skin. The clearer the channels the more comfortable the cleanse will be.

The Healing Crisis

As the cleanse begins and all the toxins start circulating, most likely there will be some discomfort. This is often referred to as a "healing crisis." Many people are not prepared for this and think they are getting worse, often turning back. But just as you wouldn't start sweeping dirt under a rug or shoving things back in the closet when trying to clean out a house, you need to just keep going and push through to the cleaner side.

Another key to jump starting a good cleanse is a water fast for a couple of days. This is a way to let the body know it's time to get ready for autolysis as it's moving though the last bit of food and digestion left in the system.

Why Grapes?

The reason that I am doing a grape fast as opposed to just continuing a water fast, is that a mono diet is a little easier to sustain. Grapes are not only easy to eat and require little prep if any, they have many properties which make it a good food for the long haul. It also is not as drastic in its results as a water fast. You have to be in fairly good condition to do a water fast for any length of time or the "healing crisis" can be extreme. It's the difference between having 50 people cleaning your house all at once versus 10.

So that's what I've learned this week on cleanses. Today is day one of my water fast and prep.

I have to say that oddly enough writing this post has got me in the mood for some serious house cleaning as well. We'll just have to see how that goes.

Mystery Melons

2011-11-24T14:09:00.001-08:00

Mixed Melon Bowl

We are fortunate to have a local certified Farmer's Market that provides fresh produce and food every Sunday, fall through spring. We live in the desert so unlike other places that get this privilege through the summer, it's just too hot for them to come our way.

One of the best things about this market is the samples. They always have samples to test the fruit and I am always surprised to discover new tasty treats.

Last week I discovered these little beauties and although they had them marked as "melon and papaya," I was not able to get the actual names. I figured I could look them up online but after much searching, I was disappointed. I can't identify them. Maybe someone reading this knows their names? I'll also try to ask again at the market this weekend. The sellers were asian so perhaps they are a type of asian melons?

Whatever they are called they are delicious!!!

This melon is about the size of a soft ball.

It's very sweet. Sort of like a sweeter version of a honeydew.

This one they called a papaya.

It tastes like a melon with almost a slight flavor of a cucumber. Very mild.

We are also fortunate to have little watermelons around this fall so I thought the three of them would make a nice melody of flavors.

And I was right.

These three little melons made a really lovely Thanksgiving breakfast.

I hope this encourages you to break out of the usual and open up to the idea of trying something new. Even if you don't have a local farmer's market, I have learned that if you ask your produce person about something new and different, most will be happy to slice one open and let you sample it.

There's a whole big produce world out there. Go explore!

This Thanksgiving I am especially thankful for the bounty that nature provides us

and for readers like you.

Getting Fruity

2011-11-20T14:00:00.001-08:00

Pineapple, Kiwi, Banana "cup"

Getting Fruity Smoothie

It's been almost a full week now of me eating primarily fruit. To be honest it has been easier than I thought. I do drink them for the most part in smoothies and that is quite filling. I have tried making some more savory smoothies with more of the non sweet fruit like cucumbers and tomatoes but for now my body and taste buds seem to be craving the fruit more. With time I think I will be more ready for the other.

I have been researching the work of Dr. Robert Morse ND and watching his detox videos on Youtube (highly recommend!) and he is a big proponent of the fruit diet especially to heal. I feel like I've been learning so much! Don't get me wrong, I think if I could chew I would still be having a big salad for dinner as I do miss that but for right now I am enjoying my smoothies.

Right now pineapples are on special at our market and I am taking full advantage. Yes- they are picked green in Hawaii I imagine and that's not the best way to eat pineapple but truth be told, they are delicious and since I can't get to Hawaii right now, I'm enjoying them here.

The above Pineapple cup just seemed like a pretty idea. I made it for Rich for breakfast this week and blended the same ingredients for me. Then of course he wanted mine. So I blended his as well. Go figure.

My other favorite smoothie with the pineapple is mango, pineapple, banana and greens. Yum! Matter of fact I think I'll go make one now!

Okay... so another great food I am finding to be delicious is Grapes!
Grapes are so nutritive and sustaining not to mention cleansing. And oh! They are so easy to eat!

look at the size of these organic grapes!

Dr. Morse is such a fan of grapes that he puts his cancer patients on grape fasts. Up to 42 days at a time and experiences tumors actually disappearing. Amazing!

There is actually an old publication all about the curative powers of grapes called The Grape Diet written in 192 by Johann Brandt.
I am assuming that's where Dr. Morse got his idea. It has been a natural healing method used in Europe for almost 100 years.

I'm not ready for a grape fast anytime soon but I do plan to continue to enjoy them and I look at them now with a whole new appreciation.

hammock time

This is my idea of how to rest and relax while getting some much needed fresh air.

A hammock, a good book on my Kindle, water, some fruit, the sound of the water fountain and of course my pooch by my side.

Her latest thing is that she wants to climb into the hammock with me but I prefer Lili to stay on the ground. It's too easy to bounce yourself onto the ground as it is.

Her snoring though can really put me to sleep!

Funny tidbit:
While we were out there (and after I put the camera away) a road runner skulked right behind her under the tree. Fortunately Lili never saw it. I think I would have been bounced to the ground for sure!

Lili snoring up a storm

Lili Von Shtupp in her pukas

That's it for today my friends. I hope this post reminds you that simple fruit can be a meal and is arguably our perfect fit as far as nutrition goes. I will also be sharing some of low fat soup combinations I am working on but this week was just about enjoying the simplicity of fruit!

Toodles!

Spoons Over Forks

2011-11-14T21:06:00.001-08:00

The Reason For My No-Chew Challenge

TMD/ TMJ Treatment

A couple months back I started a dental treatment program for severe TMJ or more accurately called TMD, which requires that I wear a dental device (a splint) 24 hrs a day. The point of the two devices, one for day and another for night is to keep my teeth from touching fully, so that the space between the skull and the jaw can heal, forming scar tissue that will replace my ruptured disc. The ultimate goal is to reposition my jaw completely and let it return to full function and range of motion. I did not know that my jaw was actually locked. I just knew I could not really open my mouth very wide and that there was a lot of popping and clicking when I tried to.

The TMJ- CFIDS/FMS Connection

I suffer from CFIDS/FMS, the full syndrome and not just the "muscle pain" that the word Fibromyalgia means. My chiropractor said there is a major connection between TMD (TMJ) and the nerve-causing pain that radiates down through the body and keeps my spine and pelvis out of alignment. They believe that the chronic fatigue is also caused by the misplacement of my jaw, which keeps my airway constricted, not allowing for full oxygen to reach the brain and never allowing me full deep restorative sleep. I had not even noticed that I had stopped dreaming (REM sleep) altogether. The constant body pain also keeps me moving and waking through the night. I have been tested for sleep apnea and was cleared but there are many with apnea that would be helped by this night splint as well. The C-Pap is just a bandaid approach when it could be a misaligned jaw. (I'd choose sleeping with the night splint over a C-pap any day.) And just to clarify, most of the night guards that people wear for teeth grinding is not the same thing. Your jaw is still active as you can still grind those, you are just grinding plastic instead.

My chiropractor assured me he works with a dentist that has had much success with treating TMD and reversing fibromyalgia. Patients even come to see him for treatment from other states. After the results from my initial testing, being desperate for relief, I was up for anything and agreed to the 9-12 months treatment.

So part of the challenge of this program is the "no-chew"diet. I really can't chew with the device in place and of all times, while eating is the most important time to have it in. They tell me even one hour without the splint in place is equal to a whole day of treatment lost. I thought it would be a snap seeing how I really like green smoothies but it turned out to be more of a challenge mentally. I started experiencing hypoglycemic episodes and out of fear gravitated towards cooked soft foods, which has just brought up other health issues.

Blood Sugar Imbalances and Dietary Fat Connection

In an attempt to try to understand my hypoglycemic episodes, I was researching blood sugar imbalances and came across Dr. Doug Graham's explanation about how he believes fat is the cause of blood sugar swings, not sugar. He even goes on to explain what he believes is the cause for the Chronic Fatigue epidemic, not to mention Diabetes. I'll give you a clue- dietary fat and it all makes good sense, especially as I think about people that have had amazing health improvements from juicing. I never did well with juicing but probably because I never fully did it while not eating fat as well.

So after a soul to soul with myself, I decided to give this low fat raw angle a try and to take it even one more step and recommit to the liquid based diet idea. It will not only help with my dental treatment but also if I stay with low fat options, will go along way towards restoring my health.

So that is my new direction: Low Fat Raw Vegan but in a liquids only format.

What this means for the blog:

My eating will be a lot more simple, which has always been my goal. I will be focusing more on the beauty of fruits and veggies in close to their natural state. Recipes or more accurately combos will be very simple and most likely liquid in form although Rich is still able to chew and I will share what I make for him as well. I hope you stay tuned. There are actually not a lot of blogs out there that focus predominantly on low fat vegan and even fewer on the liquid side of this. I'm also going to keep a daily journal for accountability and reflection.

As for the TMD treatment,

I have to say within 2 weeks my jaw started responding with my range of motion improving 100-150%!! I also started dreaming within days. So that's all good and exciting. The sleep has still been sporadic with a whole couple of weeks keeping me up all night and asleep most of the day but I think that will work itself out. Keep your fingers crossed.

11-11-11 Your Portal Awaits

2011-11-11T02:25:00.001-08:00

Knock Knock! It’s Your Cosmic Wake Up Call

Have you heard all the buzz? November 11, 2011 is considered an auspicious date. A rare occurance and a really cool looking date on paper, 11-11-11. If you are getting married, like one of my very best friends, it’s like the Super Bowl of wedding dates- everyone wants in on it and the competition is fierce!

For some it holds a lot more significance than just a cool date on paper and here is where I think it gets interesting. (I’m going to just highlight what I think are the intriguing parts because there is tons out there on this and well, it is my blog after all ; ^)

According to numerologist, astrologist and my reiki master extraordinaire, Anne Reith in her blog

“The number one signifies new beginnings, fresh starts, laying foundations for new projects.... double numbers (11, 22, etc) are known as “master numbers. They represent a higher octave expression of the single-digit number. The master number 11 represents the emergence of enlightenment. Therefore, the date 11/11/11 is believed to represent a spiritual initiation or gateway.”

So if you think of a single one (1) as a new beginning or a new cycle, a double one (11) is like a door way and 11-11-11 is like three doorways- extra powerful!

Doreen Virtue author of the book, Angel Numbers has this to say, “ in Angel Numbers 111111 is highly significant of a gateway energy opening where everything is possible."

Hear that? Everything is possible!!

Now we, here in the northern hemisphere, also have a full moon on this 11-11-11 as well and a combination that only rolls around once every hundred years.

Again according to Anne, “We are being urged to align our feelings with our actions, and vice versa... On this special day, you are encouraged to focus on your ideal vision of your life, our relationships, and the world. ... This is a time when we can more clearly see where we are and where we are choosing to go....Use the extraordinary energy of the Full Moon and 11/11/11 to take a giant leap forward on your path.”

According to Claire Louise Hay (no relation to Louise Hay) the combination of the date and full moon makes for an even more powerful day of releasing the past and starting anew.

“This day is about thoughts manifesting...This means we have opportunity to release everything inside of us that stands in our way of creating what we want in life.”

We can look at this as a time to step through that new doorway, leaving all our baggage behind. Release the past, forgive others as well as ourselves and leave all those blockages that have stood in the way of us living the lives that we want and know in our hearts that we fully deserve.

Whether you believe in numerology, astrology, science, or none of the above and think it’s all just hogwash and the numbers are pure numerical sequence, I think you’re right!

I believe that it’s the belief and power that we give these beliefs that holds true significance for each and every one of us, everyday.

So whatever you believe, maybe just for today, set aside a little time (just in case) to sit quietly and think or meditate about where you are in your life, what vision you have for your most perfect life, what you need to release and leave behind and what you would like to bring into your life from this point forward.

And if you are so inclined maybe even take it a step further and go ahead and make the decision to have a brand new start. Wipe the slate clean. Decide that from here on out that not only is everything possible, everything you want can be yours and more. What could it hurt?

Visualize shedding all that has held you back and go ahead and step through that new doorway.

Decide to wake up on the 12^th with a whole new outlook and a brand new feeling of empowerment. Because if the 11^th is the gateway that releases you from the past, then the 12^th is really the first day of your new amazing life.

Good news too because my friends that are getting married had to settle for the 12^th as their wedding day (I told you competition was fierce) but what has turned out to be a very auspicious day after all!

So happy 11-11-11 everyone and here’s to making it an incredible start to your new life!!

This blog post is dedicated to Mike and Alexis.

May you have the most wonderous, joyful and loving life together.

I love you both!

xxoo

Red Pepper Bisque Soup and Spicy Cheez- itzs!

2011-11-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

More favorite recipes!

I realize I am saying that quite a bit. I honestly didn't know I had so many favorites!
But these two are hands down winners- for sure!

This soup was one of my first raw soup go- to recipes and a huge hit in my house! It was shared by my friend, Wendy Campbell from www.myrawendeavors.com. It is so flavor full and delicious and super easy! I might have changed it a smidgen since the original but we love it!!

And need I remind you the best thing about raw soups? They take only minutes, no cooking and the clean up is as easy as blending a little soap in your blender. No pots and pans- no muss no fuss!

Fast and easy!

And the Cheez-itzs? Well, Super Good! I don't make them all that often because they disappear so quickly. Sometimes within hours!! They are more like a special treat. They are a dehydrator food recipe and are a nut based and not a flax based cracker but so worth sharing!

Red Pepper Bisque Soup

Raw Red Pepper Bisque Soup

This recipe is especially easy because you don't even need your knife or cutting board! Just a few measuring spoons and cups and your hands and a blender of course and clean up is a snap!

Almond Butter, Nutritional Yeast, Sun-dried Tomatoes, EVOO, Red Pepper, Garlic, and Salt

Ingredients:

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soak in water until softened and reserve the soak water

1 large bell pepper, cored and seeded

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 almond butter

1 TBSp nutritional Yeast

1/2 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender.

It comes out quite thick. Add soak water to desired consistancy. I usually use one cup of soak water and at least another cup of hot water to bring the temperature up when I'm ready to eat. It makes about one quart.

Tip: Before adding more water, I usually pour off about half the "thick mix" into a jar for later and then add the hot water for what I am about to eat. I store the "thick mix" as a concentrate in the fridge and then before eating add in hot water, put the top back on and shake to mix. This works out really well with raw soups to have leftovers without diluting it too much.

Although Wendy says she also makes this without the oil and nut butter, I have yet to try this but it sounds good!

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Raw Spicy Cheez-itzs!!

The Raw Cracker Barrel

Another easy dehydrator cracker that is a no fail hit. Even my 80 year old neighbor who basically eats all her meals from packages, loves these. Hmmm... probably doesn't sound like the best taste tester but I think you get the picture of their universal appeal.

This recipe has been around the web and too many to name have been involved with its' metamorphosis to be sure who to really credit. So if this is your final recipe, I humbly thank you for sharing.

Almonds, Sun Flower Seeds, Brazil Nuts, Ground Flax Red Pepper, Tomato, Spices

Ingredients:

1 cup sunflower seeds (soaked and dehydrated if you have planned ahead)

1 cup brazil nuts

1 cup almonds

1 big tomato

1 red pepper, cored

1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp salt or to taste

Process all until well mixed and a coarse texture. Spread onto a Teflex sheet as thin as you like.

cheez-itzs spread onto tray about 1/4 inch

Set in dehydrator at 115 degrees. After a few hours, score with a butter knife and leave until dry on the top, then flip onto a screened dehydrator sheet and leave until crispy- usually all day.

Raw Spicy Cheez-itzs Crackers

Now watch how fast they disappear!

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Ba-Bye BLT

2011-11-07T18:10:00.000-08:00

There's a New Kid on the Sandwich Board!

Say Hello to O.S.T.A.

(Onion Bread, Sprouts, Tomato, Avocado)

Yep that's right, O.S.T.A. as in Asta la Vista Baby! Bye- bye B.L.T.

There is a new go-to favorite in town!

No unhealthy bacon or questionable bread ingredients and with the avocado, no mayo required. With the onions, the bread has lots of flavor and in this case since we are using Heirloom tomatoes, the tomatoes do too!

I hear you saying, sure it's colorful and healthy but how does it taste?

Well, as an example, if I have the ingredients in the house, R, the former high protein (aka meat) eater will actually make this for himself and eat it on a daily basis and even sometimes for a snack!

I know! Total Shocker!

So while you can make this tasty temptation with a bread (preferably sprouted bread) from the market, this post is all about the bread, The Onion Bread!

It is a dehydrator bread and while I know many people do not have dehydrators, for those that do this is a beginner recipe or better yet, an easy staple! This is Getting Raw remember? Not Gone Raw.

New to Dehydrators?

When I was new to raw, I ran out and got every new gadget to start my new "way of life," including one of these. It was an investment but by the time I got around to getting a dehydrator I had already been through the hassle of replacing several of my cheaper appliances to upgrade. I didn't want to do that here. So I bit the bullet and bought the 9 tray Excalibur. (the why's of this are another post entirely.)

So I was even more upset when the dehydrator recipes I tried turned into expensive garbage. Oh yeah! That went over well!

Dehydrators are tricky!!

It is not like baking, which I can do. I had no idea what things were supposed to look like, wet or dry, how long to leave it, how crispy or crunchy- no frame of reference at all. Plus I think I was overwhelmed by recipes that included dehydrator food that you had to start days before. Who can do that? Not Simple Raw recipes for sure. So I kind of gave up, a little, okay a lot!! Every time I look at that machine I feel badly. The expense!! Ugh!

So now with fall here and wanting a little heartier food, I decided to dust off the machine and get back at it. Before I gave up, I did have some successes and even favorites that came out well repeatedly. So that is what I'm sharing with you here today- a tried and true recipe that aside from drying time is easy and quick to make and can become a staple for sandwiches.

Onion Bread

Finished Onion Bread

This bread is really tasty and can be made both as a cracker, a little thinner and crispier, or as a bread as shown here. Also you can make it with larger onion slices that stay visible. The choice is yours.

Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds, Onions, Olive Oi, Nama Shoyu

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs sweet onions, peeled and quartered

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup flax seeds

1/2 cup olive oil

3 oz Nama Shoyu or Tamari

Grind seeds in a dry ingredient type blender or grinder, a little at a time until you get 1 cup of ground seeds each. You want it coarsely ground, not flour but nut butter either.

Coarsely Ground Seeds

Place the seeds in a large bowl. Process onions as desired in food processor. Mine works best with half at a time. You want the onion pieces small, although mine border on mush.

Processed Onions

Mix with the seeds and the other ingredients until well combined. The flax will absorb the liquid.

Mixed Batter

Smooth onto non-stick Teflex sheets. An off-handed spatula works best for this. Spread about 1/4 inch thick. Mine covered about 1 and 3/4 sheets and next time I may make even thicker.

Onion Bread on Teflex Sheet

Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 3 hrs or until slightly tacky to touch. Remove trays from dehydrator and score into bread slices with a butter knife and return to dehydrator.

Here's the part that I can't tell you. Each area will have different drying times by weather, temperature, altitude, individual onions, etc. All things make a difference.

What you are looking for with first drying time is to be able to peel the Teflex from the bread without it sticking too much.

Once you get to this point, go ahead and place a new screen tray upside down on the bread and flip over. Remove the other tray and peel off the Teflex, placing the bread directly on the screen sheet. This will make drying time much faster now.

(Sorry no picture as I did this outside in the dark.)

Watch it for another 3-4 hrs. At this point you can carefully fold the slices until they break apart and if still not dry enough, replace them on the sheet and back in the dehydrator. You don't want the bread wet but how crisp you want it is up to you. I stopped when the bread would still bend a little on it's own and when it passed the taste test.

This is what leads to the "vanishing syndrome" with dehydrators. It encourages nibbling out of the machine. If you have others in the house, don't be surprised if there is not much left by the time it's done.

Finished Bread- notice the slight bend still at overhang

Once finished, store in the fridge for moister bread or an air tight canister for crackers.

Notes:

I turn the dehydrator off at night and resume when I wake up, so I can keep and eye on the doneness during the day.

If it gets too dry you can always spritz with water to rehydrate, just not too much.

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Another look at O.S.T.A.

THE Raw Sandwich

Sliced Avocado, an Heirloom Tomato (this is actually almost yellow-orange) and Micro Greens

Hope you give it a try!

What kind of sandwiches do you make now??

More Treats

2011-10-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Brownie Bites

Brownie bites, brownies, fudge, truffles, monkey balls- (oh yeah- more on that below) whatever you call them, these little beauties are a staple for going raw. It's usually one of the first things you learn to make for pure chocolate survival. You can make them into brownie squares or even a cake if you like but I like to roll them into balls, dust with a coating of something and then I pop them into the freezer, with the hopes that they will last longer. They really don't make it very long around here though, despite my attempts.

Don't be too concerned about the amount of nuts you see as when portioned into these bites you are getting very little at once. Unlike regular brownie bites, one of the great things about these is that they are so rich and filling you can't really eat too many at one time. One is usually all I can do.

Another great thing is that they take literally no time to make and of course are just full of great ingredients.

Eat them as treats, or little protein snacks to boost your brain power (You don't think walnuts look like brains by coincidence do you?) They make good treats to take with you for energy as well. It's all good.

The ones I roll in coconut R. has renamed "Monkey Balls" and they are his favorite and no, he is not a child. Even though he swears he is not a "sweets person,' he makes these disappear pretty fast. That "one" I mentioned before is usually all I get out of the batch.

So in the spirit of Halloween I am going with "Monkey Balls" and have added a little raspberry coulis for drama.

Monkey Balls

Brownie Bites Recipe

3 cups walnuts (un-soaked)
2/3 cup raw cacao, unsweetened cocoa
20 dates (you may want to soak in some water to soften for a few minutes)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp seas salt

Coating Options:

Coconut, unsweetened and shredded
Almonds, chopped
Hemp seeds
More cacao or cocoa or even carob

Blend the nuts briefly in a food processor. You want it coarsely chopped (Be careful to not over blend as walnuts become oily and can quickly become walnut butter.)
Add in the dates and pulse until will combined. Add the the rest of the items and blend until it starts to ball. Press between your fingers and if it holds, you are good. You may need a drop or two of water to get the right consistency- crumbly but sticky like dough.

5 Ingredient Brownies

When it all sticks pretty well then you can start to roll into bite-sized balls. I do the rolling all at once then put out dishes with toppings and roll them in those.

Assembly

OR Don't roll in anything at all. Your choice.

They will keep for a few days in the fridge or a couple of weeks in the freezer. So they say.

Tip: I reuse the container the dates came in to freeze the balls in. That way they don't get crushed.

Printer friendly recipe

Raspberry Coulis

1 cup of raspberries, fresh or thawed
agave or soaked dates to taste

I just blend this up in a small blender or Magic Bullet and add in the dates or agave to sweeten to taste. You can strain out the seeds if you wish.

Besides the look of blood for Halloween, raspberries and chocolate are a favorite!

Halloween Treats!

2011-10-29T17:37:00.000-07:00

Apple Butternut Squash Soup and Caramel Almond Apples

It's a few days before Halloween here in the states and I don't know about you all but I find myself thinking of treats. Back in my early trick or treating days, the worst thing that could happen was someone giving you an apple. Anyone else remember those people? or am I just dating myself here?

It was just around that time that my dad, who was an ER doctor said he would be taking our candy to the hospital to have it x-rayed before we could eat any- talk about scary! and NO apples! Fine with us- the no-apple part but then apple-giving fell out of favor about that time anyway.

Until recently I have been luke warm about apples. I know they are really good for us, "An apple a day..." and all that but mehh... just not that interested. Was I traumatized by Halloween? and look what happened to Snow White! All I know is that apples were never very exciting and one of my last picks out of the fruit line up.

Honey Crisp Apples

That is until I came across the Honey Crisp apple.
This little gem is new in town, literally it's only been around for about 5 years and came from the University of Michigan. It's sweet and tart and when you bite into it a piece snaps off in your mouth, hence the name "crisp."

If you haven't tried this yet, it may just get you excited about apples again- like me. They are a little more money that the other apples you see in the store and I think this is why more people haven't been hooked in yet but once you try them, you'll see that it's worth grabbing them while you can. They are only around for a limited time in the fall.

So with my Honey Crisps in the house I made a couple of recipes that I think everyone will like.

Caramel and Almond Apples

These are wonderful and you don't have to worry about all the chemicals and processed sugar in the store bought caramels or caramel apples.

Wholesome Treat Ingredients

Caramel Recipe:

1 cup dates (soaked in water to soften)

14- 1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

dash sea salt

Starting with the 1/4 cup almond milk, blend all until smooth in a food processor or blender, stopping ever so often to scrape down the sides. Add more milk if needed but you don't want it to be runny. Mixture should be smooth.

You can enjoy this as is as a dip or proceed to dress the apples on a stick.

Other ingredients:

Almonds or other choice of nut, coarsely chopped

Apple

popsicle sticks

Plunge a popsicle stick into the apple of your choice at the stem area. Frost the apple with the caramel paste. Place the nuts in a shallow bowl and press the apple into the nuts until it sticks in the paste.

That's it! So easy!

Printer Friendly Recipe link

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is delicious!

It's made from fresh ingredients, in your blender- so simple and if you like go ahead and heat it gently on the stove. Remember to heat only until it's too hot to your finger, this means it also won't burn your tongue but more importantly it keeps all the nutrition in the food and keeps it raw.

Apple Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients

Recipe:

4 cups Butternut Squash (2/3 of one medium sized), peeled seeded and chopped.

1 young Thai coconut- meat and water (need a refresher on how to open these?)

1 apple peeled and cored, coarsely chopped

1 cup diced carrots, I used baby carrots as that's what I had
4 dates, pitted and stemmed.

juice of 4 oranges

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 shallot, peeled

1 cup cashews, soaked in water

1 Tbsp curry powder

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt

Pumpkin seeds for garnish

Go ahead and put the cashews in enough water to cover while you get all else prepped. When ready to use, just drain off water.

Peel and chop the squash making sure to remove the peel down to the orange- past the yellow or if you want even faster prep take advantage of the butternut squash you can buy in cubes (Trader Joe's for one does this.) I put the squash in a giant bowl and covered with water while I prepped the rest. Some say it removes the starchiness from the squash.

Put coconut water in first and then other ingredients, with the squash being last. You may need to hold off putting in all the squash until it blends down a little bit. Blend until desired consistency.

Note: If you don't have a high speed blender, you may need to do this in small batches to get it well blended.

Also if you are not a big curry fan ( like me) , don't worry as this flavor is really subtle. If still not sure add a little in at a time and taste.

For spider web topping:

I used half the cashews separately to make the spider web topping. If you don't want to do this go ahead and add all of them into the blender with the other ingredients.

In a small blender (magic bullet) I added the cashews and 1 Tbsp of water at a time and kept blending until I got a thick creamy consistancy. You want it thin enough to draw but not too runny. Then I put it in a ziplock bag, removed the air and clipped a small section of the corner to draw a spiral on the soup top. Finish by dragging a toothpick through the spiral from middle out.

Before eating just blend it all in.

Printer Friendly Recipe link

Hope you give these a try and let me know how it goes.

Happy Halloween!

Message In err... On The Bottle

2011-09-28T01:46:00.000-07:00

Or moreover....

Message In the Water

Heard about the work of Japanese Scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto and his mind blowing studies into the messages of water? No? Well Check it out!
Plus how to etch your own bottles.

One thing I really love about Cafe Gratitude is the water, or maybe more accurately, the water bottles. From my first visit I wanted ones just like them.

Why? You ask.

They have etched on the bottles words such as Love, Gratitude, Abundance, Familia.

Okay, so what? you say. What’s the big deal about words on a bottle?

It’s not just words on the bottle but what happens to the water when there are words on the bottle.

Hang on now! Stay with me!

If you have read or better yet seen the photos from the work by Dr. Masaru Emoto from his book, Messages From Water, you will never look at water the same way again. It will completely mesmerize you. You will never think about music, saying grace or more importantly words and their intentions the same way again either.

What Dr. Emoto discovered is that music, words, beautiful pictures, prayers and intentions affect the molecules of water and that water has memory. When you realize that we as humans are made up of over 70% water, not to mention the percentage of all living things on our planet, including our planet, the ramifications of this are truly mind blowing.

His research in a nutshell:

Dr. Emoto did a study where he took water from a polluted lake and froze samples for a few hours and then studied them under a dark field microscope. He then studied the results again after a blessing had been done to the water. What he found was a markable difference in crystiline structure.

Polluted Lake Water Before Prayer After Prayer

He then examined distilled water, again frozen, before and then again after it was exposed to music, different types of music. (By the way, the tap water never produced any crystaline structures, only pure water from remote lakes and rivers and distilled...hmmm....)

Again, amazing results.

He then went on to label bottles of distilled water with words for 24 hrs and then examine the same water again. This is what truly boggles the mind.

"You Make Me Sick" "Love and Appreciation"

If words can do this to water, what do our words and intentions everyday do to us and our world around us? Think about it!

For more photos of Dr. Emoto's Crystals check this out:

Love this:

If words and thoughts can do this to water, what are your words and thoughts doing to you?

If given the choice, wouldn’t you want to drink water that looked like this?

Love and Thanks

Me too!

So I set out to make my own water bottles.

Read on for.........

How To Etch Your Own Glass Water Bottle

Supplies

Bottles!

You are going to need glass bottles.

I got these from Ikea and Cost Plus/ World Market

Make sure they are clean and free from detergent or any residue that would keep tape from sticking.

I had used a sticker remover on one bottle and had to work to get that residue removed completely.

(These are dry on the inside.)

You will also need:

Thick masking tape with full strength hold. (I don't recommend blue painters tape.)

Glass etching cream

A little paint brush

A small swivel Exacto knife

Pencil
Pen is optional
Small scissors

Gloves, glasses or whatever etching cream recommends

Decide what words you would like on your bottle.

Either sketch up what you want it to look like or use a computer font to print out the size and look you want.
Or even just to get ideas.

Keep in mind the thinner the lettering the harder it is to cut out.

Get ready for transfer

Cut a piece of masking tape and place on a surface you can cut on.

If you are worried about the tape sticking to that surface, cut a double thickness of tape so you can still remove the top layer.

One the reverse side of your word, transfer some pencil carbon to act as carbon paper.

Position the word over your tape and secure.

You want to make sure you have enough of a margin to keep etch cream for getting outside the stencil.

Then with your pencil, trace around the letters

Press hard to get a good transfer

You should have a very visible transfer.

If you would like to make it clearer, trace again with the pen.

Now with the exacto knife,
cut out the lettering, carefully.
Trim with small scissors if needed.

I found it easier to cut out bigger letters and do a reverse stencil by framing in a border on the bottle.

Taping/ Etching

Place your words/stencil where you like.

Make sure the tape is very secure.
I used the bottom of the foam brush to rub over the tape to secure to bottle.

Follow instructions on etching cream.

Mine said to be very careful about not touching or breathing in the cream so I used gloves. Also be near water.

Apply cream heavily over area and wait 5 mins and rinse well and remove tape.

Wa-lah!
Printer Friendly Instructions

Have you seen Dr. Emoto's photos before?
What do YOU think about it?

My Reiki Experience

2011-09-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Another Kind of Life Force Energy

What is Reiki?
(pronounced Ray- Key)

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy." from Reiki.org

First of all, I must thank all those responders to my last post, Me Getting Raw. Besides receiving lovely comments, personal emails came flowing in with email addresses, and phone numbers, offering personal support and kindness- really blew me away. Thank you! Your out pouring of compassion and tenderness really means so much! Such a generous bunch of readers I have!

If you did read my last blog post, you will be surprised by what was revealed to me yesterday and detailed in this post. I know I was! So read on.

When I first became ill, one word would pop up every now and then, Reiki. People kept suggesting maybe I should look into Reiki. I had not a clue what it was and would half heartedly look into it often ending up at a dead end then just plain forget. Either the people that I found had moved from the area or the places I came across no longer had someone offering it. So like I said, I would just forget about it.

I was a little wary of Reiki, as it seemed a little new agey and I had never known anyone who had received it. Then I came to learn that Dr. Oz's wife, Lisa is a Reiki Master. I have to say this gave it some real credibility with me. I had even seen him speak of it's merits for promoting healing on his show. So I looked into it again and saw that it's use in medical settings was really catching on.

A Reiki Treatment
( although usually you are fully dressed!)

I learned that Reiki is about opening up your energy channels, your chi or ki and your body's meridian points. Eastern medicine is based on the belief that an unseen life force energy runs through the body and these meridian points and that it is what keeps us alive. If your energy flow is weak, you are more apt to experience illness or dis- ease. The stronger it is the happier and healthier your life. Having had first hand experience with the benefit of opening up this flow through acupuncture and coming to see CFIDS and Fibromyalgia as an energy crisis, I had a new interest in Reiki.

When I was learning about Raw food, the turning point for me was the understanding of uncooked fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds still retaining their life force energy and if consumed this way, transferring that force into our bodies. Thanks to Natalia Rose's book- Raw Food, Life Force Energy for this awakening.

This just made so much sense to me. So this idea of Reiki really clicked.

A while back, someone popped onto my radar screen- don't ask me how and low and behold she taught Reiki. They say that when the student is ready, the teacher appears. Her name is Anne Reith, a trained psychologist and she is in Orange County, CA some 2 hrs away from me. I read many reviews around the net and came to learn that this is the teacher you want for Reiki training so when her Reiki 1 Attunement class popped onto her schedule, without warning I signed up.

Yesterday I excitedly and nervously hopped into the car and headed off to The Sanctuary for my class.

As the class began and we were going around the room introducing ourselves, one women burst into tears explaining that she did not know what was happening but she felt very sick and strange and emotionally unbalanced and didn't know whether she should leave the room.

(Remember my last post?!)

Anne, immediately explained that this was normal and asked if anyone else had experienced this recently. We were all surprised to see most hands go up. (There were 15 people in my class!) The woman was instantly pulled aside and kindly given a Reiki treatment by another Reiki Master in the class and was calm within minutes. Anne explained that in preparation for a Reiki Attunnement it is not unusual for an "energy clearing" to happen before hand and even afterwards. The degree of intensity of this "cleanse" is in direct proportion to how much clearing you need.

Sort of like the "healing crisis" that goes on when cleansing with raw food or a juice fast.

Don't ask me how this happens, before hand. I don't really understand the science of this but I know for sure I experienced it. This news was both a relief to me and a mystery. A relief because that whole melt down of mine this week was very unusual and scary. At least I was not the only one and there is a pseudo explanation for it.

What is a Reiki Attunement?

Reiki is a simple technique using the hands (either on or off the body) as a conduit for life force or God source energy that can be taught to and used by anyone. The first step is to learn about it and its use and to receive the ability, which is passed on by a Reiki Master through a Level One Attunement. This one time transfer allows the student to tap into this "life force energy" and to be able to benefit from and share the healing energy with others.

Sounds great doesn't it? But c'mon. Really?

What I learned today is that you don't need to believe in Reiki to experience it.

Why did I go for an Attunement over just a treatment?

My understanding is that once you open up this channel with an Attunement, it is like a widening of your meridian pathways and the more your easily chi flows. Also the more you give this energy to others, the more flows through you. Reiki is said to go to where it is needed and if you as the giver are in need, you benefit as well. So it is more like a treatment that you can give to yourself at any time and the more you share with others, the more you receive in return. I like that idea.

What does an Attunement feel like?

I can only explain my experience. We did a meditation before hand to calm the mind (and nerves I suppose.) Then two Reiki Masters came around the room and did our Attunements one by one as we sat in chairs with our eyes closed and waited our turn. I knew when she was behind me and started mine, as I felt the top of my head start to tingle and then a wave of heat flow down through my body with a strong Woosh! Like someone pouring hot water down the inside core of my body. A second wave this time of emotion over took me and it was all I could do not to bawl out loud. I instead simpered as tears ran down my cheeks and tried to keep myself under control. It was not a frightening feeling but instead an overwhelming senses of joy and love.

(I know- weird huh?) Anne later called it "a release."

As the second master came around and did mine again, I felt my head again tingle and then my arms get extremely heavy, like I was holding heavy heavy lead balls in my hands that pinned them to the tops of my legs. When others later expressed the same feeling, Anne explained that this was the flow of energy backed up and not yet released through the hands. She said later if you feel this, open it up and practice letting the energy flow.

Interesting to Learn

In a Reiki 1 Attunement, you receive only 20 % of this energy opening, the second 80% comes in Reiki 2. It has something to do with raising your vibration slowly. Given the cleanse I went through before hand and the experience of the Reiki 1 Attunement, I can only imagine that this is a good thing not to receive it all at once.

Afterwards we practiced turning on and off this energy and took turns giving each other a Reiki treatment. To my surprise, the person I treated said she could feel heat emanating from my hands. Even though I was rushed and had no clue what I was doing I definitely felt heat coming from her body under my hands, more in some areas, less in others.

What Can I say? I was amazed!

As skeptical as I was about this whole thing, I have to say that now that I have experienced it, I am a believer.

A word about my teacher Anne Reith. She is a kind, patient and thorough teacher. She takes this passing of knowledge very seriously and makes sure you come away with all your questions answered, even the ones you don't even know yet. She's very conscientious and generous with her time. Others in the class, who had experienced other teachers as well, also confirmed this. I feel so blessed to have stumbled across her and can't wait to learn more from her.

Can't wait for Reiki II!

I have to add this:

If you saw my recent post on Facebook about my new fascination with Labyrinths and wanting to make one, seeing this symbol associated with Reiki yesterday was kind of wild!

All in all this was a really trippy day!

In a Really Good Way!

For more information on Reiki check out:

The International Center for Reiki Training

Follow Up:

When I woke up today (after sleeping an unbelievable sound sleep too I might add) out of curiosity I did the symbol to turn on the Reiki. Immediately I felt heat coming from my hands. Not having read yet how to apply it to myself, I called over Lili, my dog and placed my hands on either side of her head.

Her eyes got really BIG and she slowly pulled back while watching me and then she came back forward and placed her head back between my hands and after a few minutes laid down. I continued keeping my hands around her until she went to sleep. I had to laugh as I remembered how Anne warned us that animals can easily become Reiki addicts!

I have a feeling that she won't be the only one.

Have you experienced Reiki? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Full Disclosure- Me Getting Raw

2011-09-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Warning: This is a little different from my normal blogs about raw food.

This is me getting raw instead.

When I originally picked the title Getting Raw for my blog, it was really planned to be about me- getting raw, as in stripping away the old lifestyle habits and getting real and authentic with what it takes to recover from poor health. At the center of this transformation was what it takes to make a lasting transition to a real and raw food lifestyle but it also was supposed to be about all the revelations, lessons and changes that go along with it.

But then I chickened out.

I have been sharing in a private setting, on Raw Food Rehab for a couple of years now and encouraged by others there, decided to expand the scope and make a more complete journal type of blog. It takes a lot of courage to be transparent on the internet and I backed off. I haven't felt that I have set out to do what I really wanted. I've been holding back.

I have been hiding a serious health issue and haven't been ready to share about it. There is not much hopeful information on the internet about what I have. With recent developments and a new treatment program, I decided that maybe others might benefit from reading my full story as it unfolds, even better if I can make the recovery I am hoping for.

But don't worry if you have been here for the recipes.
I will keep sharing those too.

So here I am... Getting Real and Getting Raw:

Here I lie, sick to my stomach. It’s been a whole day of this now and it has taken over my thoughts. I feel terrible! My stomach is gurgling. I feel faint, clammy and nauseous. My stomach starts to wretch again and I try to throw up, desperate for relief but nothing. Instead I just slump to the floor into tears. No relief. The room and my head are both spinning and all I want to do is cry for some uncontrollable reason. It seems crying is all I can do at this moment to relieve the stress.

What have I done to get here? I know.

It has been a week since I started with this TMJ (actually called TMD) treatment. This is an attempt to relieve some of the debilitating symptoms of CFIDS/FMS, which my doctor and new dentist believe is linked to my advanced case of TMJ. They feel my life will dramatically change with this correction and since for five years I have been without other viable options, I have decided to give it a shot.

I wear two orthotic splints in my mouth both night and day. It is annoying and uncomfortable and besides making me drool at night and talk funny during the day, it is also wearing on my nerves. Despite the purpose of one of them in aiding my sleep, I have not been sleeping at night at all, sometimes awake for 24 hrs at a time. I know part of my emotional instability right now is from sleep deprivation. I can see why this is a great form of torture. Sleep deprivation and the food situation.

Ahhh yes- the food situation:

I was told to not chew- anything. A “no chew” diet. I thought I could handle this. Just drink smoothies, some juices and maybe have some soup. I can do that. I have wanted to do that for quite a while now. A raw food diet has been the only other way I have heard of people successfully recovering from CFIDS/FMS.

But it’s much easier said than done.

I started out okay having my smoothies, making a raw soup here and there and then I just got hungry- like really hungry! I hadn’t planned enough before hand and with limited calorie consumption ended up in desperation trying to chew instead.

But guess what? I can’t!

Not even relatively soft foods. Even if I remove this device (which I’m not supposed to do) it’s like my teeth don’t work properly anymore. The jaw is already on the move. So I reverted back to the softest of soft foods- soft SAD (Standard American Diet) foods, thinking they would satisfy this hunger.

I’ve eaten things like mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, ice cream, frozen yogurt and even pancakes. UGH! All I have done is upset my system and make myself miserable. All these processed carbs- no wonder my blood sugar is swinging from the chandeliers, leaving me with the shakes in a heap in the corner. My insulin must be on a roller coaster! Not to mention this strange feeling of being drugged. There is no question in my mind right now that processed carbs are a drug.

Bottom line- Yes- I have done this to myself. It has only been a week and this TMD treatment could last a year. It’s time to come up with a better plan of eating and coping with life in general.

Without a doubt, if I choose to do this right, this next year could be a life changer.

I have much to think about but from where I sit right now, it is clear that tomorrow is the start of a serious cleanse. Back to juices, smoothies and soups, an All liquid diet.

I CAN do this!

Thriving instead of Surviving, an idea whose time has come.

Thai Carrot Soup

2011-09-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Delicious Raw Thai Carrot Soup

You can eat it cold, warm or even if you make it hot, you will enjoy the simplicity and taste of this lovely soup! It's carroty, and creamy with a little kick and very filling.

It's Time

I don't know about you all, but I can tell summer is coming to a close. We are still in the triple digits here in the California desert and will be for a while still so it's not like it's getting cooler yet but the day before Labor Day just felt a little different. It was still hot and sunny but change was in the air. In the days following we had some rare showers and even a thunder storm. Although we didn't cool down much and it didn't last long, it was kind of fun to get wet and have a bit of relief from the ever present sunshine. I know you are thinking well, duh! A storm was coming, of course it felt different. But now the storm is gone and that feeling is still in the air and sky.

This signal of seasons makes me a little sad for the wonderful summer fruit and produce that will be left behind but at the same time, it brings new options and I can't wait to be able to actually spend more time outdoors. I know for many of you that sounds the opposite of your summer experience but we are just coming into our "season" here. People from all over will be heading our way to soak up our warm sunshine- warm as opposed to hot! and sunny skies. The desert becomes a playground again and I hope to be able to get out and play too this season.

Our local Organic Farmer's Market is just about to re-open- Woo-hoo! Can't wait! It closes from May until mid September and it always leaves a major void. So this is an exciting time! I love learning about where our food comes from, the people behind it and trying new things. This year I want to push my comfort zone even further and try as many new things as possible.

So in honor of the change in season, I thought one of my favorite soups was in order. When I was brand new to raw, and looking for what to try that was good, my friend Deborah Blank shared this recipe with me. It was instantly one of my favorites and still is today. I believe Penni Shelton, the director of RawFood Rehab.com is the originator of this version of the recipe.

Thai Carrot Soup

Raw Thai Carrot Soup

What I love about raw food preparation is lining up all the ingredients (can you tell?) and looking at all the fresh and colorful ingredients and knowing that I am not going to do anything to them to destroy their nutrients. I know exactly what is going into my food and that I will get the full benefit of health and wonderful fresh taste in a meal. Being easy, only a knife and blender required and no cooking time or major clean up is all just a bonus!

Thai Carrot Soup Ingredients

3 carrots, topped and tailed

1 orange bell pepper

2 cups spring water

meat from one young/thai coconut

3/4 cup almond milk

1 Tbsp Nama Shoyu or Tamari

1 Tbsp agave

1 Tbsp curry powder

1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1/2 jalepeno pepper

2 tsp sea salt

chives for garnish

Chop all vegetables except for the chives, into smallish pieces,

Blend with other ingredients until smooth.

Tip: the water is where you can control the temperature of your soup.

Add room temperature water for room temp soup

If you want it warm or even hot, heat your water before adding to the blender.

What to do with the coconut water? Drink it! Or make a smoothie with it as a base- so good!

Printer Friendly Recipe

Now if you are new to Young Coconuts, Don't Be Intimidated!

When I was new to raw, I skipped over any recipes that included these coconuts and when I finally tried to open one I was surprised how easy it was. For more info and a really good video on how to open them check out my post Cuckoo for Coconuts.

The hard part is finding where to buy them, usually your health food stores or asian markets but they are popping up more places. I was surprised to find them in my regular Vons grocery store. Just shake to make sure you can't hear the water. Most of these retailers don't know when they turn bad to pull them from the shelf.

Now, I would love to be able to share a substitute for young coconuts for those of you that don't have access to them but since this recipe already has almond milk in it, I am not sure what would work in it's place. Meat from mature brown coconuts does not work, I'm afraid.
If YOU have any ideas on a substitution, please share in the comments below.

Cilantro Head

What are you looking forward to with the change of season?

Watermelon and Lime- Ice Pops and Aqua Fresca

2011-08-18T16:39:00.000-07:00

It's not often that flowers inspire something to eat but when I picked up these flowers and starting shaping this arrangement I realized how much I love the colors of watermelon and lime together. They are both cheery as well as refreshing and cool. The more I thought about it, the more my mouth watered.

Since there doesn't seem to be an end in sight yet to the hot weather, I've decided to keep focusing on recipes that will help cool us off. Watermelon and lime are two perfect examples of fruit that do that well.

So here is a recipe that makes a wonderful ice pop as well as a refreshing and tasty drink over ice.

Watermelon and Lime Ice Pops

Watermelon and Lime Ice Pops

Forget the store bought who knows what is in them type popsicles and look no further than your produce department to make your own ice pops.

Recipe

* About 4 cups of fresh watermelon
(I left the seeds in)

* Juice of one lime

* A big squeeze of Agave Nectar
(maybe 1- 2 Tbsp) depending on the sweetness of the melon you have

* 1/4 cup water (optional)

* Pinch of sea salt

Blend all in a blender and pour into mold

Using the molds pictured, I filled almost to the top, leaving about 1/4 inch at the top for expansion. This keeps the liquid from sticking to the top.

I placed the top in place and let the pops freeze for about 2 hours.

Then I placed the sticks into the mold. This keeps the sticks from either floating up or sinking all the way to the bottom.

I chose to use the kind of molds with sticks, as opposed to the ones with the plastic sticks so that I could remove from mold when done, store and reuse the molds.

After frozen solid, let thaw a few minutes and pull from molds.

Now if you don't want to freeze this into pops, you can just pour it over ice and enjoy it as

Watermelon and Lime Aqua Fresca

Enjoy!

Mountain Getaway and Fresh Peach Ice Pops!

2011-08-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Our Cabin in the Woods

We were actually just on vacation! We decided to escape the heat of the California desert and head up into the mountains. So here we were in Big Bear Lake, California where we had made a little log cabin in the woods, our home away from home. Up here at an elevation of around 7,000 feet the weather is cooler, the pine air is refreshing and the nights are just plain lovely.

Heirloom Tomatoes

Our first stop upon arrival was to hit up the local Tuesday Farmer's Market. We made it about an hour before closing time and managed to scurry around and buy some wonderful produce from the local farmers. This particular market is interesting in that they make all the farmers submit photos of their actual farms for their website. "No fakers here" being their motto. All farmers are from within a one hundred mile radius and most from the high desert region.

We met a woman who had a tomato stand- just tomatoes and a few different peppers. She had so many kinds and an absolutely gorgeous selection of heirlooms. She gave us a sample of one of her red tomatoes and it literally melted in my mouth- amazing!

We picked out some wonderful varieties and I knew even before we got in the car that we should have bought a lot more tomatoes! We also picked up fresh peaches, grapes, seeded watermelon, apricots, fresh lettuces, lemons, limes, and berries. There was also a french gentleman selling his wife's fresh bread. We actually bought some wheat rolls for Rich to make tomato sandwiches- his favorite snack. The only ingredients with these were wheat, salt and yeast- hmmm. Very light and airy.

I Love Farmer's Markets!!

I love to talk to the farmers, hear their stories and learn about the food. So very interesting!

Mon Chapeau Neuf

I kept seeing these fabulous hats wandering around me and I had to track down where they were coming from. A lovely gal had a booth with hats that she had made by hand. They are a little oversized, rumpled and indestructible and with the big flowers and lace bands they really spoke to the romantic in me. She had several different fun colors making it hard to decide. I went with the more neutral shade and donned it immediately. So glad I did! I love it!

So vibrant and colorful- Doesn't it make your mouth water?

Our next stop, since our cabin was not ready was to hit up a local restaurant called BLT's, sporting an outside deck for dogs and their owners. Lili was very happy sitting under the table watching the other dogs under their tables. They even had a portion of the menu for dogs that included things like chicken and kibbles, hot dog and kibbles, burger and kibbles, you get the picture.

For people they had the most amazing fresh Signature Salad, one of the few places around that included more than just lettuce, meat and cheese in their salads and believe me I read a lot of menus before we headed up.

This salad had five varieties of fresh lettuce and another five varieties of fresh fruit plus a sprinkling of walnuts and a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette- Delicious!

So after getting settled into the cabin which was adorable by the way, I decided to make something cool and refreshing to go along with the cool and refreshing theme of our trip. I put those little fresh peaches from the market to good use.

Fresh Peach Ice Pops

Nothing like fresh ripe peaches!

Last year we went the whole season with never having a ripe peach! We bought lots of them but they were always hard and unflavorful, and never ripened. This year we have been fortunate that Trader Joe's has been selling crates of local fresh peaches. A peach should smell ripe at the time you buy them. They should have that lovely peach aroma at the stem. If you buy at farmer's markets they will usually let you sample one. Our local market closes for the summer due to the heat but this farmer up here in Big Bear let us just eat one to test and they were delicious!

Ice Pop Ingredients- Peaches, Honey and a little water and some pop molds

Peach Ice Pops

Blend up some ripe peaches

Add in a touch of water to get things moving in the blender

Sweeten to taste with a mild honey or agave

(My honey turned out to be not so mild and overtook the flavor of the peaches.

I ended up making them again with a light agave and it was much better!!)

Pour into molds

Freeze

Enjoy!

I promised to keep it real with this blog and tell you even the not so good results and tips and tricks that I learn along the way. This little experiment was a good example of this. Not sure if my raw honey turned on me but it took on a strange flavor with my recipes this week. I ended up remaking these with agave and they were wonderful!

I will need to hunt down a local raw honey vendor, since out farmer's market is gone for the summer. Local honey is always best as it is kind of like gradually vaccinating the body against local allergens, a process called immunotherapy- like allergy shots. Stay tuned for more on this adventure.

Another not so great item for these ice pops was the molds. I do not recommend the ones pictured here at all! They were some cheapies I got at Target or Walmart, I can't remember which but I was so frustrated with them either not coming out of the mold or just the sticks coming out, or them coming half way out leaving the other half to be washed down the drain that I ended up "donating" them to the cabin when we left. I have ordered some new molds and will let you know how those work out with a new recipe that I am dying to try out when they arrive.

Meanwhile....

Here are some pictures from around town:

I just adore hollyhocks

and they were everywhere.

So pretty!

Daisies always make me smile!

I also love American flags.

We got a kick out of these chairs out in front of a pub.

Next Post: We head out hiking, picnicking and exploring around Big Bear Lake but only after setting out the sun tea!

Jicama Salad or Mock "Potato Salad"

2011-07-31T05:27:00.001-07:00

Raw Jicama Salad or Mock "Potato Salad"

Hello All! I have so much I've wanted to share with you but our main computer has been in the shop. I have loads of photos all set to share with what I have been up to but they are trapped in the computer. I kept thinking any day now it would return but no such luck yet. Ugh!

Meanwhile I have been getting really good feedback on a recipe post I made awhile back over at Raw Food Rehab in their recipe section, so I thought I would share that here with you. It's super easy and very tasty.

Many people call this "Potato Salad" because it's similar in texture I guess. It's creamy and a little crunchy. If you are like me and are not a potato salad fan, I hope you try it anyway. I was never a potato salad fan because I don't care for mayonaise so much, but I do love this! That actually is a theme running for me in raw. I am finding I like much more than ever, probably because the flavor and tastes are so fresh.

In general I am not a fan in calling things similar to regular S.A.D. (standard american diet) food versions because they generally do not taste anywhere near the original and if you are hoping so you will be disappointed but they do serve as some wonderful replacements in the diet. I challenge anyone to take this to a party with people that don't eat raw and see if it doesn't disappear the fastest out of all the dishes served- just don't call it potato salad.

Hmmm....Don't call me...Tater Salad.
Love Ron White ;-)

I had already labeled it on my post and since I am just copying it over, Potato Salad it is. (sorry about the typos and lack of photos)

I hope you try this because it is delicious!

And if you do try it, tell me if you would call it mock potato salad, would you? I would love to know if you think it's similar.

Hope to be back up and running on my main computer soon. I've got lots of fun things planned and some news about an experiment I have going.

'Til then, take care!

Classic Andalusian Gazpacho

2011-07-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

Classic Andalusian Gazpacho aka Raw Chilled Vegetable Soup
Psst: I just want you all to know that I did not enhance the color of this photo in any way- It's that vibrant!

It's Tomato Time!

Nothing beats a fresh raw organic ripe tomato in season. Well maybe there are other things but for me who never really liked raw tomatoes this was a new discovery. Tomatoes were things I would pick out of my sandwich or kick around out of the way in my salad. Who could blame me for not liking tomatoes when my only real exposure to them was in restaurants where you are hardly served a ripe tomato or from grocery stores where it is picked green or so modified where ever it comes from that it hardly has any taste at all.

No. there is a reason to wait for tomato season and then buy locally grown, or better yet from the farmer and indulge in the real deal- Flavor!!

Take it an extra step and pick up some heirloom tomatoes, which means the seeds are at least over 50 years old and have been handed down the generations or have not been hybridized. There are over 600 varieties of heirlooms!

How many varieties of tomatoes does your grocer carry?

But I'm getting off track....

Back to Gazpacho!

A great way to enjoy the summer harvest vegetables is in Gazpacho, which is a very cooling and refreshing soup made of raw fresh vegetables that is chilled. Gazpacho originates in the southern region of Andalusia and is a summer staple in Spain, Portugal and other Latin regions.

Traditionally gazpacho was made with raw fresh vegetables, mostly tomatoes, stale bread, garlic and olive oil. It is said that it became popular with field hands as a way to both eat and cool off without cooking and to use up stale bread. Over the years it has morphed into all sorts of cold vegetable combinations but I am going back to the source- the original if you like, but minus the stale bread.

What's kind of fun about Gazpacho is that you can make the basic soup and then pass around the garnish for people to add in any of their favorite flavors, including more oil or vinegar/sherry or more onions. You can have it smooth like a drink or chunky like a salsa. It's all personal.

Classic Gazpacho

Classic Fresh Ingredients

GAZPACHO RECIPE:

2 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered

1/2 cucumber peeled

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and quartered

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed to a paste

2 Tbsp sherry vinegar or wine vinegar, or to taste

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste
1 tsp agave or more to taste, depending on your tomatoes

1 tsp sea salt to taste
Fresh black pepper to taste
Pinch of Cayenne pepper (optional)

GARNISH
(Optional)
1/2 cucumber peeled and finely diced
1/2 red onion or 4 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
Olive oil
Vinegar
(Or any combination of the above)

Quarter the bell pepper and blend to a paste in a food processor.
Add the rest of the ingredients minus the olive oil and blend until creamy or chunky if you prefer.
Drizzle in the oil while processing.
Place in a glass bowl or jar and cover.
Chill for an hour or up to a day before serving.

To Serve:
Spoon into bowls and pass round the optional garnish or serve in a glass.

Takes about 10 mins to make this before chilling. This batch made up a quart and a half of soup,
Enough for 4-6 people

Enjoy!

Raw Tomato Gazpacho

Raw Tacos and Peach Mango Salsa

2011-07-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

Raw taco shown here with both corn and tomato salsa in butter leaf lettuce cup

When I first got into trying raw food, I was kind of excited by the idea of raw tacos and taco salads. After all, most tacos have lots of raw ingredients, so it was really about finding a good substitution for the meat. I tried several recipes that were less than exciting and eventually gave up on the idea. Then I came across this blog post by my friend, Debra Garner on her blog, Vegan Family Style, who was preparing to serve this to her family for her birthday meal. I was thinking it must be good if the family likes it so I gave it a shot and it has been my go-to taco meat recipe ever since.

The flavor of taco meat is really about the seasoning and this one has it down. Besides having it at home, I have since served it to others at a potluck with great reviews. People have asked me to share the recipe and Debra was kind enough to let me share it here.

Raw Taco Meat

Debra's Raw Taco Meat

1 cup walnuts, unsoaked

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1-2 Tbsp Organic Taco Seasoning

3 sun dried tomatoes (soaked until soft)

pinch sea salt

Raw Taco Meat Ingredients

To Prepare:

The trick to keeping it crumbly is to dry the tomatoes after soaking.

Toss everything in the food processor and pulse/blend until just crumbly.

Don't over process or the walnuts will release oils and become more of a pate consistency
(which actually could be good too!)

Raw taco meat, tomato salsa and corn salsa, with lettuce cups

Serve in lettuce leaf (both butter lettuce and romaine work well) for taco shell or over a bed of lettuce for a salad. Add your favorite salsa and other ingredients, like onions or avocado, corn etc. (Debra has a great raw ranch dressing on the same post above.)

This week I took advantage of ripe peaches and mangos and tried out a new idea....

Peach and Mango Salsa- So good!

Peach Mango Salsa

2 mangos, peeled
2 fresh peaches peeled
1 sweet onion
1 medium tomato
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped,
juice of one lime
1/3 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)
pinch sea salt and pepper

Fresh ripe ingredients, including heirloom tomato

Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until mixed.
If you prefer chunky salsa, just chop all the above and mix in a bowl.
Chill before serving
Enjoy!!

( Note: Mine came out a little more blended then I wanted. Next time I will pulse/ chop the onion separately so as not to blend down everything so much.)

This made a little over a quart of salsa for me but amount will vary depending upon size of produce. We are finding many ways to enjoy it though!

Key Lime Pie!!

2011-07-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

Key Lime Pie in a Cup!

Man oh Man are you going to LOVE this!!!

If you like key lime pie as much as I do, you are in for a real treat!

No more need for condensed milk and eggs and unlike most recipes out there that use lime, I am using real key limes!! (although you can substitute regular limes.)

For creaminess and richness it uses avocados!!

Thats's right avocados and trust me (the one who doesn't like avocados) it doesn't taste like avocados.

Bonus!

This is easy! The longest part is squeezing the key limes and chilling aka waiting. You can make it even simpler by skipping the crust and topping.

About Key Limes:

Key limes are much smaller than Persian limes-

more like ping pong ball size.

Once mainly produced in the Florida Keys, from whence they get their name, today most commercial crops come from Mexico.

Some lucky ducks have trees in their yard or nearby.

A Tip:

Just like regular limes, and a lot of other fruits,

if they are green they are not ripe!

They will be very acidic and sour. I think this is why many people shy away from these limes.

But if you let them ripen to yellow you will get that sweet tart flavor without the extra acidity.

Raw Key Lime Pie Recipe:

For the Crust:

walnuts, medjool dates, sea salt, coconut

1 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut

1 cup walnuts

1/4 tsp sea salt

6 dates, pitted or more to hold crumble together

Process all in food processor until it can be pinched together and hold.

(This is a great go-to recipe for some many things!)

6 of the 8 cups

Push the mixture evenly into the bottom of

8 6 oz cups or ramekins.

You can also use a pie pan.

I like to make individual servings so that I can freeze some for later. It keeps us from feeling like we need to finish off the whole pie in a couple of days before it goes bad.

I use the pyrex cups with the lids.

This is a rich desert so a little goes a long way.

For the Filling:

ripe key limes and avocados

1 1/2 cups mashed avocado (3 small)

The secret ingredient to the creaminess!

3/4 cup fresh squeezed key lime juice

(took me about 46 or most of two bags)

You can substitute regular limes here

3/4 -1cup light agave syrup (taste as you go)

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup virgin coconut oil- melted

2 Tbsp lecithin powder

(This is optional but makes it creamier- I blended granules into powder in a magic bullet but spice or coffee grinder would work.)

coconut oil, blue agave, lecithin, sea salt

Save a lime or two for garnish!

Blend lime juice and 3/4 cup agave together in a blender and taste for tartness. Add more if needed. Add in avocado and blend.

Add the remaining ingredients and process until well blended.

Taste again for tartness and add more agave if needed but remember it's supposed to be tart.

Divide mixture between cups and chill for at least a couple of hours. These should keep about 3 days in the fridge/

Ta DA! Key Lime pie ready to eat!

THIS IS DELICIOUS AS IS! or

You can add a....

Raw Vanilla Cream Topping

1 cup cashews (soak in water for 8 - 12 hours)

I put them in water the night before then rinsed and kept covered in the fridge until ready to make.

1/4 cup maple syrup (can use agave but the maple has a really nice flavor.)

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp water

2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all in blender until nice and creamy. Let chill for about and hour before using.

This will keep covered in the fridge for about 5 days.

You will have some cream left over but that's what peaches are for! ;-)

These recipes are inspired by Jennifer Cornbleet and her book:

I can't recommend this enough!

Simple Fresh Corn and Tomato Salad

2011-06-29T16:10:00.000-07:00

Raw Corn And Tomato Salad

This is hands down one of my favorite summer time salads!
It's so easy and sure you can add other things into it but there is something about this simple mix of flavors that makes it absolutely delicious!

Got a picnic or BBQ coming up this 4th of July Weekend? Bring this and I guarantee everyone will love it and the best part is that no cooking is required.

baby tomatoes, corn, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper
Special Note: This picture is not of the full recipe.

Corn and Tomato Salad Recipe

4 ears fresh corn husked and removed from the cob or one bag of frozen organic corn, thawed
1 pint baby tomatoes, cut in half
3 Tbsp fresh chopped basil leaves
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 tsp seas salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Mix tomato halves with corn kernels in a bowl. Add the basil and remaining ingredients, mix gently until well combined and let sit to marinate for a few minutes at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Don't let the idea of raw corn stop you here.
Raw corn, especially fresh off the cob is not only safe to eat, it's delicious!

And as a bonus for those of you avoiding corn because it's as a starch, when it's raw, corn digests as a vegetable.

So forget everything you learned during your low carb days- fresh corn is back, it's a vegetable and you can enjoy it guilt free again!

For those of you still hesitant or wanting something a little simpler than shucking corn cobs, frozen corn can be used- organic please! While technically frozen corn has been blanched it is still okay for your raw food diet and I've heard it told that many raw food chefs and educators use it when fresh corn is not available.

Still nothing beats fresh local organic corn right off the cob so go find your local farmer's market!

I hope you try this and please let me know what you think if you do.

Happy celebrating everyone!

Kickin' It Up A Notch

2011-05-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Fiesta Chopped Salad with Lime & Honey Dressing

Since I have been reading Eat to Live

by Dr. Joel Fuhrman,

I have learned the importance for a volume of mixed vegetables, (2 lbs a day he says to be the goal) getting in a variety of colors, and the many health benefits of beans. So I was thinking of ways to incorporate a greater mix of colorful veggies and beans and came up with this spicy little number.

I just loved chopped salads and the way you get a mix of flavors in every bite. I even branched out and added some veggies that alone are not my favs but are so worth the vitamins and minerals and guess what? Mixed in they are subtle enough to just add to the overall flavor without being noticeable.

I mixed this all up last night and Mr. "I don't like salads much" devoured 2/3 of the huge bowl! Since Dr. Fuhrman says vegetables and beans can be eaten in unlimited quantities, it's all good.

The Tossed Fiesta Chopped Salad

The Recipe:

The Salad Ingredients:

black beans, corn salsa, jicama, romaine, red pepper, radish, tomatoes, carrots, green onions, avocado

1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

1 can 15.5 oz organic low salt black beans, rinsed and well drained

1 1/2 cup chopped jicama (I actually had picked up some jicama sticks from the the store and chopped)

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

4 radishes, grated

3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 carrots, grated

1/4 cup green onions, diced

1/2 avocado, diced

2 cups raw or blanched corn or corn salsa (secret ingredient -see below)

Put Greens in bottom of large bowl. Layer remaining ingredients except avocado in decorative piles around top if you like.

When ready to serve, toss with dressing and plate with avocado added to the top.

Fiesta Salad Plated With Avocado

Lime & Honey Dressing

EVOO, honey, cilantro, lime, jalapeño, garlic

2 tbsp honey

3 limes, juiced

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced

1 tsp chopped and seeded jalapeño pepper or more to taste

Mix together

A word about the corn salsa:

Trader Joes' Corn and Chili Tomato Less Salsa

I found this on my last trip to Trader Joe's and thought it worth a try. It's not raw but it is really delicious! I barely could keep R from eating it all up while I prepared the salad. I can see just adding black beans or even mango and beans to it and eating it as a salad by itself.

Fiesta Salad With Added Brown Rice

If you are wanting a little more hearty of a meal, or want to stretch your leftovers, you could add some brown rice to it as well. Although, this salad is really filling on it's own.

Olé

Live Now- Lessons From My Sister

2011-05-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

"Lots of people live as if they were going to live forever, believing that a certain time in their lives they will finally be ready to give themselves the permission to live the life they've always wanted to live...Lots of people die without having lived."

I read this quote today in a book by Geneen Roth. It made me think of my sister, Lauren. I remember her saying once that this was the time in her life when she thought she could finally start doing some of the things she had always wanted to do. After a life of being a stay at home wife and mother with one child with disabilities and another one very healthy and rambunctious, the kids were finally raised and moving on. She had started working and making her own money and was a recognized star at her international company. She was finally starting to blossom into her own self with plans for the future. She was a great devoted mom and loved that part of her life but nevertheless this was so exciting to see.

This was her time. But cancer had other plans. She was 47 when the cancer was found and it was stage 4. It changed everything.

Five years ago, I went to visit her back in Connecticut. It was the end of her five year fight. I was there for a couple of weeks and in that time she taught me so much. She was so focused on life. The beauty of life, the privilege of every moment. It really opened my eyes.

Lauren's Lessons:

1. Don't give time to negative things or thoughts.
She would not dwell on negative things and instead would try to find the brighter side or lesson to look at in it. When a conversation became unpleasant or about unpleasantness, she politely ended it or removed herself. She did not watch things that made her sad or were negative either.

2. Focus on things that make you laugh each day.
She sought out movies, shows or books that made her laugh. She started ever morning with the Ellen show and laughed and loved the dancing! One day we actually sat and watch the comedy film, Saving Grace three times because she wanted everyone that came by to see it and laugh with her. I will always remember her laugh because of that film.

3. Spend time each day out enjoying the beauty and wonder of nature.
As a painter she had a special appreciation for her surroundings. Spring had sprung while I was there and everyday we would get in the car and go for a drive. If she was up for it, we would walk and sit in nature and just watch and listen. Soaking it all in. I took my camera and snapped photos that would later be in a book she could keep with her when she could no longer go out. Some are in the slideshow above.

4. Search out beautiful things and appreciate them.
Whether it was walking down a quaint street or visiting an art gallery or antiques shop. We went to appreciate beautiful things.

5. Forgive everyone, including yourself.
Guilt and grievances are too much of a burden to carry. Whatever people had done to harm or hurt her, were forgiven. The past was put in the past. Each day was a new one.

6. Surround yourself with people who appreciate you.
No time for drama or people that wear you out. Their lives are out of your control and power. They needed to be let go. Enjoy every moment that you have with your friends and family and make it pleasant.

7. Spend time connecting with your spirit and/ or God.
Find time to read that which lifts your spirit. Seek others that can share spiritual insight and guidance.

8. Eat what you enjoy and savor every bite.
Life is too short for diets but also too short to feel ill from unworthy food. Make the splurges worth it. If it is not absolutely delicious and made with love, stop eating.

9. Be yourself and be kind to yourself.
This includes adequate rest. If others don't approve or understand of you or your boundaries, then that's their problem. You need to do what is right for you.

10. Find ways to bring joy to others.
I don't know exactly how she did this one but she did. I think it was by using all the other steps above. She also knew how to listen, really listen so that you felt heard. This was part of wanting to have real connections with people.

I found in interesting that the one word that everyone used to describe her was- Grace. She may not have fulfilled her plans for the future but I think God had other plans for her. She brought these lessons to so many before she left.

So What About You?

Some people put off for the future what they truly want for their lives. Thinking that when they have more money, or more time or are thin, they can start living as they want. That's one of the worst: "When I am thin I will..." and then they spend their whole lives trying to get thin.

Ask Yourself These Questions :
and list at least 5 answers.

1. If I knew I was going to die next year, I would.....

2. If I knew I was going to die next month, I would.....

3. If I knew I was going to die tomorrow, I would....

Really spend some time on these and look at the answers. What are you waiting for? Make a point to take something from each list and make it a priority now.

Give yourself permission to Start Living- Now!

This thought process and exercise was inspired by Geneen Roth in her book, Why Weight.