Avocado, Meet Zuchinni...

Supreme a Grapefruit!

2011-10-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

Once I saw how easy it was to supreme a grapefruit, I've never looked back! It works on oranges of all types, lemons and limes, too! A really useful kitchen skill, minimum work, easy technique. Here is how it goes...

Using a SHARP knife, cut both ends off the grapefruit, make sure to get to the "meat". Then holding it sort of on edge, start at the top and cut down around to the bottom. This takes a tiny bit of practice, but isn't difficult.
Continue on around...

...until you have a nekkid grapefruit! If there is still the white rind left on in a few places, it's ok but you can go back and slice that off. Sharp knives are a MUST in the kitchen!!

Pro chefs then slice each segment out, and it's not hard - just loses some of the nice juice. So I separate each segment one at a time, and peel the membrane off - it is pretty easy.

Takes a little longer to peel the membrane than to slice, but the end result is the same...a lovely sparkling bowl of delicious refreshing grapefruit!

Protein Boost

2011-08-07T04:25:00.000-07:00

Greens have a surprising amount of available protein - in the form of amino acids, which are protein building blocks. There are times when I want a protein boost and turn to a quality supplement, such as hemp. Sometimes I just use hemp seeds, sprinkled on soup or salads. Since I have a green smoothie daily, hemp powder is usually my go-to for that extra protein.

I really like Manitoba Harvest hemp powders. The processing is done without heat, preserving all the nutrients of powerhouse hemp. Texture is a tiny bit grainy but not really noticable in amidst the greens and fruits.

I order the hemp seeds and powder directly from the source in Canada, although I have found a few "local" (over 50 miles away) healthfood stores or herb stores that do carry Manitoba Harvest products. The small shipping cost more than offsets the price of gas, which is another reason to mail-order!

Explore several types of hemp products (seeds, oil, powders) at http://manitobaharvest.com/. They have really good sales and promotions from time to time. A quality company, great service!

Green Cleaning - with a hint of Yellow

2011-08-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

"Green" is all the rage now. Building green, driving green, etc.

I like to EAT green! I use a lot of fresh lemon juice, so there are those nice yellow rinds left over. One can eat only so much grated lemon zest.

Here's the perfect "GREEN" solution: clean the garbage disposal using the lemon rinds!
I cut up the rinds into 1-2" pieces, keep them in a little bowl on the sink. A couple times a day, several go down "George the Gobbler" to keep his gullet clean and smelling like - well, lemons!

Cleaning Green was never so easy. Or so Yellow.

Bless my Bones!

2011-07-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

"Becoming Raw" is a wonderful reference book, a text for learning a lot of raw details about nutrition and food facts. The info is scientifically based, with references, footnotes, the whole shebang. A lot of reading and pondering, but well worth the time.

The handful of recipes are balanced, tasty, practical. It's an education just reading the menus and recipes!

Here's one of my latest forays into summery salads using greens fresh (ultimate gourmet!) from our garden:

The recipe is titled: Build-Your-Bones Salad . (I modified the assembly.)

Toss in large bowl: 2-3 c. EACH thinly sliced kale and/or collard greens, chopped napa cabbage, chopped broccoli florets, thinly sliced red cabbage

Put greens mix into one of those green veggie keeper bags to store in frig.

When ready to have a yummy lunch or dinner, put torn romaine into your salad bowl, add big handfuls of the crucifer mix. Top with chopped red peppers, and optionally, some chopped peeled cucumber and tomato. This makes huge salads, filling and oh-so-lovely and nutritious!

By keeping the crucifers and romaine separate, the base mix will last longer, and the lettuce won't get ugly! This makes a pile of greens, you can eat out of the bag all week - a blessing for those who are working and come home famished!

I chose, from the 8 dressing recipes, Liquid Gold dressing.

Blend well: 1/2 c. EACH flaxseed (or hempseed oil), fresh lemon juice, water; 1/3 c. nutritional yeast flakes; 1/4 c. tamari; 1-2 T gound flaxseed; 2 tsp. Dijon mustard; 4 tsp. maple syrup or other sweetener; 1 tsp. cumin.

Store in glass jar in frig for up to 2 weeks.

I also sprinkled on a couple tablespoons of Nama Shoyu Crunchies:

Soak 4-6 hours 2 c. sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or almonds, or a MIX of them. (NOTE: you don't HAVE to soak them, just improves amino acid balance and gives lovely texture.

Drain well. Put in bowl, sprinkle with 1 T. nama shoyu or tamari, stir to mix well. Spread evenly on mesh sheets on dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 105 degrees for about 12 hours, or until crisp. Stored airtight in frig or freezer, they'll keep for about 6 months.

Although why anyone would let 2 little cups of these yummies hang around that long is a mystery to me...

Minty Good Morning!

2011-07-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

Not the best photo, but I was in a hurry. In fact I started drinking my greenie before I remembered I wanted to take a snap of it...

I really like this one, have it often right now, because the mint is rampant in the herb pots and borders.

In the VitaMix: 1 banana (frozen or not), 1 c. fresh pineapple (frozen or not), about 2 c. spinach, and the star of the show: 2-4 nice mint leaves depending on your minty taste buds. Blitz smooth, and ENJOY!

Mango Banana Tango

2011-05-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

If you've any passion at all for a ripe MANGO, this is one to try. And so simple.

You don't even need an ice cream maker.

Pop 4 ripe (that means FRECKLED SKIN, folks, no greenies here) bananas into the freezer. I usually peel and cut them up first. Some folks freeze with skin on. Run them under some water to defrost the skin, they peel fairly easily then.

Likewise, with a couple of ripe mangos - peeled and cut into chunks, and into the freezer. You want about 2 cups of mango. Or fetch some from the frozen food department at your market.

Question of the day: how can you tell if a mango is ripe? IT WEEPS for you! Truly. Look at the stem end. If you don't see some shiny sticky nectar marks around the stem, sometimes even running down the side, it ain't ripe!

ANYWAY. Back to ice cream. Oh yes, we're making ice cream.

When the fruit is frozen, put it all in your food processor with the S-blade. Blitz until it turns into a frozen ice cream confection. You may have to push it down a few times.

Purty stuff, eh? I borrowed the photos, not to mention the recipe, from one of my fav blogs, http://rawon10.blogspot.com/ .

Those are marigold petals. Yep, you can eat marigolds. Some are tastier than others. Or just use them for garnish to prettify a dish. Won't poison you, and sooo easy!

OK. Thhhhhats all, folks. Go forth and gather you some RIPE bananas and mangos.

Sweetie Balls

2011-04-28T21:14:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the tastebuds just want a good hit of SWEET! These yummy little balls are not only raw, made with nuts and dried fruits, they rank about a 12 on the 10 scale of satisfying that clamoring tastebud. Easy to make, the ingredients are all things that reside in my raw pantry.

In a food processor, pulverize:

1/2 c. organic raisins

3/4 c. walnuts

1/2 c. dried pitted dates (Medjool are perfect for this recipe)

1/2 c. dried apricots, unsulphered (OR, use dried FIGS - my preference!)

2 T. fresh squeezed orange juice

zest from one orange (microplane is the tool to reach for...)

Process a few minutes,until the mixture clumps together. If your fruits are especially dry, you may start the processing, let it set for 30 minutes to soak, then continue to process until it gobs up.

Place about 2/3 c. dry unsweetened shredded coconut on a saucer. Roll the fruit/nut mixure into small balls (about a tsp.), roll in the coconut,

Store the balls in one layer in a sealable container.

Just one of these little sweeties is so very satisfying. Chewy, lovely flavor with a zing from the orange zest.

It's not hard to pass up the chocolate bars with this in hand...honest!

Egg-zactly what a cracker needs!

2011-04-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

Dear rawbie buddy Lily Hoodock taught an awesome "Raw 101" class in Hebo this week! I was so inspired by her wonderful recipes, demos and passion for eating healthy and raw. Thank you Lily for your sweet spirit and big heart! One of the recipes, which I shamelessly "pigged out" on, was an Eggless Egg salad that was first introduced to our group at a Raw-some Potluck last year. So from Lily and Karen, here's a WONDERFUL cracker spread! (or veg dip, or wrap filling, or just do what I do - eat it with a spoon!!)

EGGLESS EGG SALAD

In blender:

1/4-1/2 c. water as needed

2 cloves garlic

scant 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 1/2 c. raw cashews

1 tsp. dry mustard powder (or more, to taste)

1 tsp. turmeric powder

Blend, adjust seasonings as desired. In a bowl, put:

4 lime-sized buds of cauliflower which has been pulsed in food processor until rice sized

2 sticks celery, chopped fine

2 green onions, chopped fine

Mix with sauce. Refrigerate.

I had some fresh Sesame Flax crackers just begging for some schmear - and some tangy crunchy clover sprouts hanging out waiting for inspiration. Wah-lah! Lunch! WARNING: this stuff is addictive...

Baby Nettles

2011-03-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

Only one thing gets me more excited about spring than seed catalogs - NETTLES!!

Once the nettles start showing their rambunctious green shoots, I know it is truly spring. Early spring - but spring nevertheless.

The first harvest, Saturday morning, was celebrated in a cow pasture - well fertilized, unsprayed, and most importantly - uninhabited by cows. I brought home a 5 gallon bucket of three to five inch long baby nettles, and started some nettle tea brewing almost before taking off my boots! You'll be hearing a LOT more about nettles over the next few weeks, so let's just cut to the good stuff. EATING them!

While a load of leaves were drying in the dehydrator, I made a Wild Green Smoothie for lunch, with a side of nettle tea.

Into the VitaMix: a nicely spotted ripe banana, a peeled and quartered sweet juicy orange, about 1" of peeled and minced fresh ginger, 1 1/2 c. water, a big handful of baby spinach - and about a cup of nettle leaves. Whiz. Drink with abandon!

The last of the Saturday harvest is now brewing in a quart jar, which will sit overnight. In the morning, I'll strain out the nettles, and enjoy sipping the deep green infusion all day long.

Nettle are the supreme spring tonic. So full of minerals, vitamins and protein, it's no wonder they protect themselves with little stabbing stinging hairs! In tea, or raw in salad (yes, you can!) and smoothies, nettles pack a nutritional whollop that would be sinful to ignore.

Especially since they grow abundantly, are free, and farmers love to have you come pick them out of their fields!

Caesar never had it so good...

2011-03-19T22:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed, most often the simplest is the best?

This salad is the perfect example.

Tear up a head of fresh, crispy, juicy organic romaine. Put in a largish bowl. You'll be tossing it, soon.

In a food processor or blender, whiz:
2-5 fat cloves of garlic (if you really like garlic, go for the gusto!)
about 1/4 c. best quality olive oil
pinch sea salt, grind of pepper

Pour this deliciousness over the romaine, toss gently to cover the leaves.

Pig out! This stuff is irresistable!!

Raw-Some Potluck!

2011-02-22T16:40:00.000-08:00

Our first raw food potluck of 2011!

Hosted at ArtSpace Cafe in Bay City, as usual. Thanks, Craig and Trish, for your generous use of the beautiful old site with the incredible bay view - and for the sunset you always order up!

Clockwise from 12 o'clock: Caesar Salad - crispy juicy organic romaine with a killer garlic dressing; neon-bright raw red cabbage Kraut Nouvelle; Pad Thai with a lime wedge; fig bars (scrumptious!); zuchinni rounds with nut cheese appetizers; sweet potato hummus and veggies; Quinoa Tabouli.

This was a PERFECT dinner menu - light, fresh, healthy, inspirational. Mix with great company and good conversation - we almost stayed all night! The sort of evening that makes treasured memories. Thanks, rawbies!

Kale massage therapist

2011-02-05T21:23:00.000-08:00

As a massage therapist, I had clients ranging from horses and dogs to babies and elders. I had to pass some detailed tests, to procure a license. I had to buy some specialized equipment, like my massage table.

I never ever thought I'd be massaging vegetables. For a different table.

Today, it was Kale. Kissed by winter frosts, it is sweet and tender all by itself. I munched enough for a lunch while picking through several varieties in the nearby community garden. Not that I don't have several varieties in my own garden. It's just fun to graze a different garden now and then.

What I brought home turned into a lovely bowl of ....

MASSAGED KALE SALAD

Wash and chop several generous handfuls of Kale.

Pour about 2 T. of olive oil over the kale, sprinkle with a bit of sea salt, and start massaging (did you wash your hands first?). As you work with the kale, think green, loving thoughts. Make sure all the kale bits are well coated with the oil, and it is "wilted".

Now, throw in about 1/2 of an avocado. Continue to smush and massage, working the avo thoroughly into the kale. This is also known as Kale-Avocado therapy, very specialized.

Sprinkle on fresh lemon juice. The amount is up to you. I like a lot.

Throw in any veggies that hold up their hand (frond?). Grated carrots and chopped tomatoes volunteered for duty.

Do a taste test. It's perfectly lovely at this point, ready to grace your table.

But I decided to gild the lily, as I am wont to do from time to time. A quick search in the cupboard - aha! A sprinkle of kelp, a pinch of dulse, and a healthy dash of Braggs. Hmmm.

Ok, some nutritional yeast. Sorta cheesey.

Now THAT'S a KALE SALAD! Slice the rest of the avocado, and top the salad. Just because you can.

Having just taught two raw food classes titled "Health Guardians: Winter Veggies", I am totally tuned into Kale right now. I am thrilled to have such grand plants in my garden all winter. As spring approaches, the tender new leaves are going to be tasty additions to many meals.

If you haven't grown kale - this is your year to get in touch with your inner green-ness, and make room for some kale in your garden or flower beds. Delicious and nutritious!

30 DAYS RAW: PAD THAI

2011-01-25T15:07:00.000-08:00

A delightful recipe from "Raw on less than $10 a Day". A super raw site ( http://rawon10.blogspot.com/ ) , with a weekly menu and wonderful recipes to play with - try it, you'll like it!

If you don't have a spiralizer, just slice very thinly, or use peeler to make thin strips.

PAD THAI
In wide shallow bowl, combine:
2 med. zuchinni, spiralized
1 carrot, long thin slices with peeler
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, long thin slices
large handful fresh raw mung bean sprouts

SAUCE
Mix in small bowl:
1/4 c. raw almond butter
1/2 inch fresh ginger, minced
1 T. Braggs, or soy sauce of choice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. agave
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne (or to your personal heat index!)
dash sea salt, to your taste

Mix sauce and veggies lightly.
To serve, top with a bit of cilantro, and 2 T. coarse chopped raw cashews

The sauce is sweetly heated, nutty, delicious!

This makes a gi-normous serving for a really hungry guy, or several smaller servings for us daintier eaters. Whatever size your serving, you'll be back for seconds!

I would highly recommend this one as a dinner offering to non-rawbies, a tasty introduction to the delights of fresh raw eating - especially if they already enjoy Thai flavors!

30 DAYS RAW: Roquette Soup

2011-01-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

If you happen to be a gardener, you probably know that "Roquette" (pronounced "rocket"!) is another label for Arugula. A somewhat spicy, warm-flavored green, that gets hotter as it matures. The baby leaves are a delight in salad or soup.

ROQUETTE SOUP (2 SERVINGS)

1 c. water

2 c. arugula (roquette)

2/3 to 1 c. fresh basil

1 avocado

3 med. or large tomatoes, orange or yellow (less acidic)

Blend all ingredients except for tomatoes. Add the tomatoes last and blend just enough to leave tomato chunks.

Taste for flavor, add pinch of sea salt if needed, or blend in 2-3 stalks celery before tomatoes.

A velvety texture, warm flavor, filling and most of all, TASTY!

I'm so glad I plunked a basil plant into a pot and brought it indoors about 2 days before our first frost. It looks a little leggy, but it gets trimmed up regularly for recipes. Wonderful to have it FRESH as the rain and hail pelts down outside the dining room window!

Even the flowers get used, as garnish or in blended soups and smoothies. Magic herb: Basil!

30 Days Raw: Unlikely Pals

2011-01-07T22:14:00.001-08:00

OK, the apple and orange. Check. The ginger. Check. Carrot...well, OK. Beet? Hmmmmm. GARLIC??!! WHAAA....?

Come, my little chickadees, let me lead you to paradise. When you cast this lot into the magic of the VITAMIX, you have....

SPICY SUNRISE SKIES
1 orange, peeled, cut into chunks
1 apple, quartered
1 medium carrot
1 medium beet, unpeeled, trim off root and top (about 2 - 3", use the greens too, if you want - I did)
1-2" fresh ginger, peeled (more if you LOVE ginger like I do!)
1 clove medium to large clove garlic (if you love garlic, go for it!)
1 heaping tablespoon fresh ground flax seed
1 cup ice, or more as needed
Using the plunger to press the goodies into the blades, blend smooth. Add some agave if you really feel the need, but I found the concoction to be delightful as is.

Icey, spicy!

Food of the gods, folks, food of the gods. The garlic is an unexpected flavor note, but boy does it WORK!

30 DAYS RAW: Rocky Road Ice Cream

2011-01-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

A bit of sweet treat goes a long way with a raw lifestyle. This super easy recipe is courtesy of "Rapid Raw", my little go-to recipe book when I need something FAST and EASY!

ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAM

In VITAMIX blender:

2 frozen bananas, cut in pieces

1 tsp. raw cacao

1 tsp. raw carob

24 raw almonds

2-3 T. water

The water helps things get going. The VITAMIX plunger is necessary to push the mixture around until it starts to blend. Blend as smooth or chunky as you like.

Serve in a fun dessert glass. Presentation is part of the eating experience - make it special and enjoy every spoonful, S - L - O - W - L - Y.

Treating yourself well is soooo important. Remember, "important" begins with "I"!! I AM WORTH TAKING CARE OF MY HEALTH!

30 Days Raw: Creamy Cauliflower Soup

2011-01-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

Tweaking recipes to fit what you have on hand is an art. Something to practice regularly!
A dental excursion this morning called for liquidy fare today. I had to forego my beloved chewy midday salad, and improvised this soup from a Rapid Raw recipe (I do so love that little book!)

CREAMY CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Having a variety of veggies and seasonings on hand is crucial to a successful 30 days.

Ingredients for the soup:

2 c. cauliflower

2-3 celery stalks

1/3 c. raw macadamia nuts

3 T. olive oil

2 garlic cloves

2 T. tamari

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. curry powder

1 c. hot water

Blitz smooth in the VITAMIX, running long enough to warm thoroughly. Add more water for thinner soup. Adjust seasonings to taste.

A note on celery: it is one of the most heavily chemicalized veggies - ALWAYS GET ORGANICALLY GROWN CELERY.

30 Days Raw: Day 2 and the Kitchen Sink Salad

2011-01-02T15:24:00.001-08:00

This salad is soooo satisfying! I'm loving it for my midday meal!

I think I'm going to call it the KITCHEN SINK SALAD.

First I tear up about half a bowl of baby arugula. Then I chop up 4-5 leaves of kale into about 1/2 " pieces, and add to the bowl. A quick check in the frigerator - out comes chopped red and yellow sweet peppers, scallions, parsley, sesame seeds, soaked sunflower seeds, some diced cucumber, a bit of tomato. Into the bowl they go.

Here's the magic that pulls it all together: Mellow Miso Dressing.

1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 T. mellow white miso
1 T. grated fresh ginger
1 T. turmeric grated or 1/2 tsp. powder
2 cloves garlic, crushed
sea salt to taste
Smash and whisk together with a fork.

OK, here's my version: peel and chop the ginger and garlic. Use whatever miso you have on hand (I had Shiro - light, but not white). Throw all ingredients in the VITAMIX and blitz smooth.
You may have noticed, I'm all for simplicity and fast results ;-)

Anyway, it's a scrumptious dressing for anything with kale. The oil helps "wilt" the kale making it easier to chew.

Turmeric is a spice we need to find more ways to include in our diet. It's anti-inflammatory properties alone would be good reason. But here's a link to more info on turmeric, worth a browse:

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/20-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html

(Copy and paste the link into your address bar if it doesn't work from this site)

30 DAYS RAW

2011-01-01T22:25:00.001-08:00

What better way to start off a brand new year than to challenge yourself to 30 Days Raw?!

One of my rawbie buddies and I have dedicated this sparkling fresh month to really tuning in and tuning up our raw foods lifestyle. New recipes, old favs, local foods (doesn't get much more local than my veggie garden!), sharing our passion for healthiest eating and nourishing the spirit as well as the body.

Day one:
Breakfast is easy - green smoothie, of course (banana, apple, spinach, kale, parsley, celery).
Midday - a big 'ol mixed green salad (arugula, kale, sweet red/yellow bell peppers, scallions, tomatoes, sunflower and sesame seeds, with a tangy dressing of EVOO, lemon juice, miso, fresh ginger, garlic and turmeric - super!
Dinner - a new soup recipe - Borscht. I adapted this from "Dining in the Raw", one of my well-used volumes.

Get ready for a real dazzler - nothing like beets to put some bright pink in your bowl!

BORSCHT

This is the original recipe - I'll note what I changed.

1 lb. beets, peeled and chopped (I used 2 med. beets fresh from the garden)

1 c. fresh carrot juice (I didn't want to get the juicer out, so I just used two fresh carrots, about 5" long)

1 c. almonds (since I was cutting down the recipe, I used about 2/3 c.)

4 scallions, minced (I used 2, coarsely whacked)

1/4 c. fresh dill (no dill in the garden - I used 1 tsp. dried dill weed)

1 cucumber, peeled and diced (I used about a half)

dash cayenne

Braggs to taste

The original recipe said to make almond nut milk and strain it. I just dumped the almonds and all the rest (except cucs) in the VitaMix along with about 1 1/2 c. very warm water, and blended it all up smooth. It tasted grand!

I poured half of the batch of soup into my bowl, stirred in most of the diced cucumber, used a spoonful to garnish, along with a sprig of parsley just for fun.

This was a thicker soup than the original recipe - I do like thick soups in the winter, just seems more satisfying. I also liked it warmish, rather than the traditional chilled Borscht. I'll use the original version for a summer soup!

What a blessing, to trundle out to the back yard raised bed garden and pull some beets and carrots, nip some verdant crisp kale leaves and fluffy parsley. I'm so fortunate to live in a climate where winter veggies can hold in the ground for several months, even through frost and freezes. On the coast, we usually don't have very long bouts of freezing temps in the winter.

Kale loves it here! I grew three kinds this year. The big leaf with pinkish-purple vein/stem is called Peacock. The darker longish leaves are Lancinato (sometimes called dinosaur kale), a sweet variety that has been my fav for years. The curly-edged leaves are Winterbor, a sturdy plant that will hold up for several years. There are 4-year old plants at Don's Waterfall Nursery, still going strong in the organic beds tended by Don and Janet - good folks to know!

The kale starred in the lunch salad, well-chopped to make chewing and digestion easier. Saved a few leaves for tomorrow's green smoothie. I feel rich!

My tummy is happy, my body feels light, we're off to a tasty beginning of 30 DAYS RAW!

Potato Bug...

2010-12-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

OK. So it's a CARROT bug.

But he's after those potatoes.

It's so fun to go out to the raised beds and pull carrots in the middle of winter. Sweet, tender, crispy.

And sometimes kinda funky.

Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic Creme

2010-12-03T22:06:00.000-08:00

With Christmas hard on the heels of Thanksgiving, this colorful, velvety soup is a great candidate for holiday dining. I took it to the family Thanksgiving potluck, and plan on a repeat performance at Christmas. It is delish! Easy and cheap, seasonal and satisfying. The Garlic Creme can turn it from Really Good to GRREEEEAT with a five-second garnish trick.l

Ingredients: medium butternut squash, carrots, apples, fresh herbs, and some seasoning.

Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic Creme (4 servings)

In processor (not blender) fine chop:

4 c. peeled, cubed butternut squash (one smallish squash; peel with veg peeler, split in two, scoop seeds and cube squash meat)

3 med. carrots

Transfer to highspeed blender (VitaMix) for smoothest soup. Or continue in processor. Add:

2 med. chopped apples, cored, UNPEELED

1 T. miso (0pt)

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, mashed

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. curry powder

2 tsp. fresh rosemary (1 tsp. dry)

1 tsp. fresh thyme (1/2 tsp. dry)

1 tsp. fresh sage (1/2 tsp. dry OR use poultry seasoning)

Blend smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.

If you want warmed soup, pour into a quart jar with screw-on lid; submerge jar in very warm water until soup is warm to touch. Can also be gently warmed in pot over low heat, or in double boiler; just don't overheat.

Garlic Creme

Blend smooth:

1 c. soaked raw cashews (soak at least 30 min., drain)

2 med. cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 c. water

Transfer into squeeze bottle.

To serve:

Pour soup into wide bowls (warm bowls first if desired). Squeeze Garlic Creme from bottle in 2 or 3 concentric circles on surface of soup. Using a toothpick or chopstick, draw lines from center of circles through rings to edge of bowl, forming a "webbed" pattern.

Sprinkle with a few pumpkin seeds.

Enjoy!

Watermelon Salad

2010-10-03T13:31:00.000-07:00

I know, watermelon season is about over.

I've had an organic Hermiston melon lounging in the spare refridgerator for a couple of weeks, and finally decided it was time to use it. Savoring that last sweet taste of summer. So I brought it in to continue it's lounge, on the counter for a full day to warm up and release it's goodness. While we typically think of melons as served icy cold, that doesn't always do them justice. So here is a room-temp recipe as an experiment.

WATERMELON SALAD

Combine in a small bowl and allow to marinate for 10 minutes:

3/4 c. thinly sliced red onion

1 T. fresh lime juice

In large bowl, gently combine:

1 1/2 qts cubed watermelon

3/4 c. feta

2 T. olive oil

1/2 c. sliced black or kalamata olives

1 c. chopped fresh mint

Add the onion/lime, toss gently again. Let set for 10 - 15 minutes to allow flavors to marry. It may also be chilled if you prefer.

This is a surprising flavor combo. When my sister first read the recipe, her comment was, "GAG ME!" She was sure this was a loser.

Here's the deal. The saltiness of the olives and feta are the perfect foil to the sweet melon, and along with the mint, flavor notes are sparked that compels you going back for another bite and another bite - just one more - to evaluate and enjoy.

I personally found it delightful, a dish I will make again.

It's worth a search through the produce department for a lingering melon!

(The mound of hummus is a wonderful sprouted garbanzo recipe - I gave it a couple of grinds of mixed peppercorns just for fun. The cucs are from the garden, they are hanging in there, along with lettuce and kale!)

Oats 'n Groats

2010-09-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Nope, it's not breakfast - yet!

So what do you do with whole oats and buckwheat groats, raw almonds, some juicy gloriously ripe peaches and real live maple syrup?

First, you sprout the oats and buckwheat. Just put a cup of each in jars (or together in one jar if you aren't planning on using them for anything else but breakfast), cover with at least twice as much water, and let soak overnight. Now they are germinated, ALIVE! In the morning, drain and rinse really really well in a sieve, pour into a wide shallow bowl, set it back somewhere on the counter and let them sprout. Then you rinse and drain them again that evening, put back into the wide bowl and let them keep sprouting overnight. Rinse again in the morning, and they should be ready to eat. They can go for one more sprouting day (rinse and drain morning and evening) if you want a softer chew texture.

See those itty bitty sprouts on the buckwheat?

Now don't go buy some almond milk. You want to make it yourself. Of course you do! Since we don't all have maple trees in the back yard, you CAN go fetch that from the store. It's technically not "raw", having been cooked down to syrup, but it IS pure. Pure goodness!

Here are raw almonds, spouted on left, unsprouted on the right. Nuts don't show sprouts, by the way. So you can just called them "soaked", it's OK.

Put the almonds in a container, cover with twice as much water, let set overnight, and they are ready. They need to be rinsed, then they can be stored in the refrigerator, covered with water. But first make some almond milk. Dump about 1/3 c. of almonds in the blender, add about one and a half cups cold water, and blend until you have "milk". Some folks strain it in a nut milk bag, but I love it right out of the blender. A little bit grainy, but delish! Store the milk in a lidded jar in the fridge.

OK, now we're ready for breakfast! Scoop some of the sprouted grain into a bowl, peel those sunny peaches and cut them over the top. Drizzle with maple syrup, pour on the almond milk, and get ready to faint!

If you really want to gild the lily, sprinkle on a couple dashes of quality cinnamon. Whoa nelly.
THIS is what I call breakfast!

It's hard to stop with one bowl. But it is filling, and soooooo much better than cooked rolled oats. I just can't tell you. You have to experience it....

And be sure to do it SOON, because those glorious fresh peaches will be gone before you can say "fall is here"!

Mono meal

2010-08-30T22:44:00.000-07:00

One of the lovely things I've learned while on this raw journey, is that a meal that is perfect for me can be quite different from a "traditional" meal. In other words, I don't need a variety of foods to be satisfied and nourished.

A "mono meal" - one item. Rather monotonous? Not at all. Especially if the bowl is full of fruit. It could be just ONE type of fruit. Today I felt a craving for a mixed bowl of sweet and tart, juicy and crisp - but first I went blackberry picking!

After loading a bowl with jewels, I slipped a banana from it's skin and into the Vita-mix, added a heaping spoon of sin (that's raw cashew butter), a good dash of cinnamon, and blitzed it into a creamy topping. A nudge from somewhere in my head made me reach for the sesame seeds, and in they went. Next time I might grind them first, the creamy was a bit "seedy". But the extra helping of calcium seemed to be what I was needing. I "listen" to my body a lot when deciding what to eat...

After the picture was taken, I poured on about another 1/2 cup of that luscious cream!

I've had mono meals of just a couple of bananas for lunch. Or several cucumbers. A apple is usually in one of my bags, snack on the run.

Raw life doesn't get much easier - or tastier.

Great Balls o' Fire!

2010-08-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

OK, so the song title dates me...but I couldn't resist, 'cuz these balls are so full of ENERGY!

If you've ever indulged in LaraBars, you will appreciate this "recipe". I use the word lightly, because it's more a matter of ratio.

RECIPE: 1 part "wet", to 3 parts "dry".

It was fun to check out a couple of LaraBars and come up with similar flavors. The Lemon bar and the Apple Pie bar looked like a good place to start.

This was a project for the most recent Raw101 Uncooking class I've been teaching monthly over the summer. The topic for this class was "Sweeties". Dividing the students into three groups with three different bags of ingredients/recipes to choose from has been a fun way to do a sort of Raw Iron Chef! The group that got the red bag made Truffles, and these great energy balls.

Each ball recipe began with 1cup of dates pulsed to a paste. Then the 3 cups of dry ingredients are worked in by hand, to form a nutty glob. Bits are pinched off, rolled into balls, then rolled in sesame seeds if desired. Expect to have really sticky gooey hands, but you get to nibble off the bits and pieces that stick to your hands - yum!

In the small balls we used some Young Living Lemon Essential Oil for the lemon flavor along with some microplaned lemon peel. TASTY!! The nuts used were cashews, macadamias and almonds.

The larger balls used a different combination for the 3 c. of dry ingredients: pumpkin seeds, raw sunnies, Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia, almonds, walnuts, hemp seeds, sesame seeds,
diced dried apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a dash of vanilla.

These are great treats, handy for hikers (wrap individually to keep in pockets), great for mid-day pick-me-up, lunch on the go, or whatever excuse you can think of to enjoy a healthy, delish bit of crunch and sweetness!

"Don't play with your food..."

2010-07-31T00:04:00.001-07:00

Pizza with Pazazz!

2010-06-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

The more I eat "raw", the more I crave raw living foods - I'm finding I really do not miss some of my former favorites, like pizza. Here's one reason why:

Now does that not look like the "real thing"? That's because it IS the REAL THING! Real food, that is.

With a side of quacamole and some fruit with lime juice squeezed over it and sprinkled with a bit of chili powder, this was a dinner that satisfied in every way. High in flavor, texture, color...

a joy to savor!..

to the last bite!

And so easy!

I used a 4" Portobello mushroom cap, snapping off the stem and using a spoon to scrape out the dark gills. Then a little squeeze of lemon juice on the prepared underside, and spread some nut butter right over that. I had raw tahini on hand, so that's what I used. Then a few thin slices of ripe tomato, sprinkled with chopped onion, and diced marinated Portobello mushroom "steaks" I also had in the fridge. A few fresh basil leaves, tightly rolled length-wise then sliced thinly for a chiffonade, and finally a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.

Hallellujah, pizza is back on the menu!

The Secret of the Young Coconut

2010-05-30T12:42:00.001-07:00

"Once upon a time, there was a young Thai coconut...."

There are some very SECRET methods to getting from the box, above....

and the heart of the matter. The coconut heart, that is. At our last Raw Potluck, Lilly volunteered to show us one of those secret methods. It involved a very ancient Asian cleaver (at least 10 years old, at LEAST...), a grip that only WE were taught, and then the biggest secret of all...

HERE IT IS: The hand-behind-the-back. SHHHHHHHHH. It's a secret, remember. I'm only sharing with YOU because I KNOW you won't tell. ANYONE. Right?
And now, we come to the meat of the matter. First you pour the coconut water...
into a pitcher. Then get a nice rounded spoon, and start sliding it under the soft meat, between the meat and the hard inner shell. It will come out pretty easily.

Then. THEN. If you've had your coconut refrigerated, you get to sip the most refreshing, icy cold nectar, and indulge in nibbles of creamy, slightly chewy, moist COCONUT!

Thank you, Lilly!! (She also brought three cases of Young Thai coconuts to share, at only $2.50 each. A real deal!)

And don't tell a SOUL where you learned the Secret of the Young Thai Coconut...

Strawberry Macaroons!!

2010-05-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Browsing the web for raw recipes can get to be overwhelming - there is so much info out there now, and a plethora of recipes and concepts of raw. But there a few sites I can count on.

One is Raw-mazing, with Susan Powers. Her concepts are sane, her recipes delicious - ranging from simple to elegant - and I always come away from her site feeling good! What more could a raw foodie ask?

I choose her CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRY MACAROONS to share at our last Raw Potluck. They were a definate hit, not a crumb left. Easy to make, too!

STRAWBERRY MACAROONS

Dice: fresh strawberries to measure 1 c. - set aside.

Mix in bowl: 1 c. almond flour/meal
1/4 c. raw maple syrup
1/4 c. agave
1/4 c. coconut butter, softened
pinch sea salt
2 c. dried unsweetened coconut, fine shred

Stir in berries. Shape cookies with teaspoon onto fine mesh screen. Dehydrate at 140 degrees 30 minutes then at 116 degrees for 3 - 5 hours. I like chewy macaroons, so I just did about 3 hours. They firm up as they cool, too, so take that into account. While warm from drying, dip in chocolate. Place on waxed paper on try, chill until chocolate sets. Serve on platter sprinkled with more shredded coconut, keeps chocolate from sticking.

CHOCOLATE DIP

Whisk together: 1/2 c. raw cacao powder (or carob, or mixture of both; carob tames the
intense cacao)
1/2 c. agave
1/4 c. cacao butter, melted

Make the chocolate just before ready to dip cookies - if it is made ahead, it can stiffen. Warm gently, or add a bit more agave. (Do NOT add water, it sets up chocolate.)

This recipe made two platters the size as seen in the photo. I left some undipped for those who don't care for chocolate. Philistines.

These are worthy of any fancy dinner or afternoon ladies tea!

Easy meals = raw success

2010-05-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

One thing I've learned, is that if I have a number of prepared options in the fridge, I can not only have quick, satisfying meals, I am less likely to grab a food item that later I may wish I hadn't.

So I try to keep a couple of nut/seed pate' choices made up, always have greens such as romaine and lettuces washed and tucked in with damp paper towels in baggies, cut up colorful sweet red and yellow peppers, some cucumbers and small zuchinni in the veg crisper, sprouts either in the fridge or at some growing stage on the window sill, at least one salad such as a cabbage/carrot slaw made up, maybe a few special treats such as marinated mushrooms or walnut taco "meat" available, and handy grab-'n-go fruits such as bananas and apples in the fruit basket on the counter.

Along with Green Smoothies, I think one of my fav meals are the quick wraps I can make with whatever is available in the fridge. One big romaine leaf filled with some pate' and veggies can make a scrumptious, long lasting lunch. Including some healthy fats from the nuts and avocados (love those little 3" babies; they are ideal, with no left-overs to turn dark!) insures that this meal will be satisfying for many hours. The key is "small or moderate" amounts of the fats. Even good fats can cause problems if over-eaten. Another time the wrap might only be a light layer of sunflower seed pate', piled with sliced, diced and shredded veggies!

Another thing I find keeps me eager to continue on my raw journey, is making sure I have a colorful, garnished, nicely-presented meal, on a fun plate. The artist in my soul rejoices in the vibrant veggie world and in the opportunity to be creative. My plate becomes my palatte!

Just as important as having nourishing raw living foods on hand, is that I keep my mind focused. Not so much on the food, but on my health. If I am eating in such a way that my body is satisfied, taking in optimum nutrition so that I'm not overeating, my health is visibly affected.

So here's to HEALTHY eating. Achieving that goal with RAW and LIVING food is the bonus!

Raw Potluck II

2010-04-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

We were graced with another sunset evening on the bay for the April Raw-some Potluck held at Art Space in Bay City, Oregon. 27 folks were delighted to walk through the door and add their dish to the beautiful serving table.

Here's a recap - I have to warn you,though, that this visual feast may cause drooling...

Savory Veggie Curry and toppings, Hippocrates Raw Kraut salad, a variety of crackers/flatbreads with nut cheese spread...

tiny cups of rich Chocolate "moose" with cashew cream and berry garnish...

"I AM PERFECT Pecan Pie"...

Spring onion sunflower seed cheese stuffed Mushroom Caps Carnival...

Jicama Mash (with avocados and garlic - wipe that drool off your chin, please)...

Colorbox Kale and Cabbage salad...

Atarashi Maki Rolls with Ume Ponzu dipping sauce...

Jicama Mango with dusted with chipotle powder...

Sassy green salad... which was next to a tingly fresh Cabbage slaw dressed with lime/honey...

Berry salad...

Winter fruit salad...

crackers and flatbreads fresh from the dehydrator, with nut schmear-kase (cheese!)...

crowd-pleasing Falafel...

and a few sides I didnt' get photos of. A feast, indeed! Everyone brought their recipe, so we could spread the wealth.

The doorprize calander from Delicious Magazine - the winner will be bringing the surprise doorprize for the next potluck!

Visiting before and after the meal is a favorite actitity. Sharing ideas, experiences, storys, resources, other connections - we're a family, for sure! Getting everyone seated for the blessing is always a challenge, too much to talk about...

But once that line starts around the table, no time is wasted in picking and choosing palate-pleasers. The intentness and smiles tell the story...

One thing I did notice...the plates people are bringing are getting larger :)

It's so encouraging to see our youngsters come with their family. And they clean their plates right up!

Good conversation is the final spice to outstanding raw dishes. Don't you wish you were there?!

We asked Linda to bring her spiralizer to show us how she had made a colorful salad for the previous potluck. A really fun demonstration, everyone who wanted to take a turn got to see first hand how the gadget worked. World Cuisine, at Amazon for less than $30! Paderna was the brand name.

The Coast Raw-view Newsletter featured the potluck. Next Raw-some Potluck: May 22.

Come on over and join the feast and fun!

Even a GUY can do it...

2010-04-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

It's always fun to play with new toys. Linda brought her spiralizer to demonstrate at the April Raw-some Potluck.

Braden is noting the technique. C'mon, Clarence, don't let the little guy show you up!

Nothin' to it!

Even baby girls can do it! Go, Celeste, go!

The zuchinni quickly succumbed to being veggie spaghetti. But we were dubious that the chunky sweet potato would be as easy. Sliced like butter! Sweet tasty spirals, comin' right up!

"Yeah, but how does it DO it??"

Next time, there will be sauces on hand to dress up the veggie 'ghetti.

Makes nifty garnishes, too. More fun in the raw kitchen!

World Peace, one vegetable at a time

2010-04-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

A short time ago, I fell into a stew. I stewed about why I was slowly gaining weight, after a long struggle to discard the danged baggage. I stewed about the time I was NOT getting to research and read the plethora of raw food info wafting about the ethernet. I stewed about not getting out to walk as much as I needed to (5,000 steps USED to be an average, not a dream...sigh). I stewed about the chilly soil causing my little seeds to shiver and huddle. I stewed.

Then - I found STEW. Raw stew, no less. Really truely raw and rambunctious stew, stew that brought clarity, satisfied my longings, solved problems (I think even world peace is on the list of benefits), and SAVED TIME. Now how sweet is THAT!!

Savory Veggie Stew. SVS. Closely related to the previous Curry post. In fact, the precursor to the curry. I bow to Roger Haeske (get your very own copy of his ebook at http://savorystews.rogerhaeske.com/ ) Here's a fast version:

In blender: 3-4 large plum tomatoes, quartered

1-2 stalks celery, chunked

Blend on low, tamp down as needed (use a celery stalk if you don't have a Vitamix and tamper), increasing speed just to liquify.

Blend in: 2 scallions, quartered

fresh herbs of choice, i.e. parsley, basil, dill, etc.

tiny bit of fresh ginger or hot pepper if you like some zip

dulse or kelp - you need those micro nutrients, and you'll never taste the seaweed...

* about 2 tsp. agave or honey NOTE: sweet note is KEY INGREDIENT

big handful spinach (preferably adult, has more nutrients) or other leafy green (kale, etc.)

Blend well, at lowest speed that will do the job.

Pour into favorite happy bowl. (Makes about a quart, so invite someone special to share a luscious lunch or daring dinner!)

Then stir in toppings: chopped/diced tomatoes, cucumber, zuchinni, celery, sprouts, sweet peppers, avocado, okra, apple - whatever floats your boat.

Garnish with more colorful veggies, sprinkle of purple dulse, grated carrot, whatever makes it pretty. "Pretty" is pretty important when it comes to food presentation. The stew pictured above was topped with sweet crunchy sprouts of beans and seeds, and a handful of micro greens snipped from the windowsill garden. Below - well, I almost forgot to take a picture, I was enjoying it so...

My meals seem to be mostly green smoothies or savory stews or curries. I have regained clarity of mind. I have energy to walk more. And time to do it, since this whole process takes about 5 minutes, with some practice (I chop a couple day's worth of various toppings at a time, which is a wonderful time saver and speedy meal prep). I now have a few more minutes a day to research and gather. I'm sleeping better. My energy level is high. I think my vision might be improving? That would be the carrots...

I have looser clothes, and have shooed away some adipose.

Not too bad, armed with only a blender and some lowly vegetables.

I am now going to work on world peace...

Easter Curry

2010-04-09T23:00:00.000-07:00

The ham was tender, the baked potatoes fluffy and buttery, the desserts sublime. It really wasn't hard to pass all that up, though, because I had a new favorite to indulge my tastebuds:
Savory Veggie Curry.
In blender, in this order (juiciest on bottom):
3 roma tomatoes, halved (or quartered if using standard blender)
1 5-7" zuchinni cut in 1" chunks
Blend, starting on low, go up to about 4 on Vitamix. Don't totally liquify, just get it juicy and well chopped, tamping as needed. If you don't have a tamper, use a celery stalk or carrot.

Blend in: 1 large celery, coarse chopped - blend on low 3-4 seconds just to mix in.

Blend in: 1 T. agave
1/2 " jalapeno (opt)
1 T. curry powder, or to your taste
3 scallions, coarse chopped
4-5 more celery stalks, cut in 2" chunks, added in about 3 batches, tamping as needed.

Pour into 2 large soup bowls.

Stir in toppings: chopped/diced sweet peppers, scallions, celery, cilantro, cucumber, zuchinni, whatever floats your boat in the line of fresh veggies.
I also used finely chopped cauliflower, sprouts (pea, sunflower, and a bean/seed mix that is tender but crunchy, and grated carrot.

I added some slices of avocado, but only because I didn't have some fresh coconut to shred and top it all off in true curry style!

The mushroom caps were filled with Zoe's Spring Cheese, then dipped into a dish of chopped red sweet peppers.

A tasty and satisfying Easter Dinner. I've been enjoying this Curry for several weeks, I LOVE curry!

I have to confess: I did have a mini tart filled with my nieces' homemade lemon curd.

Hail, Hail, the gang's all here...

2010-04-08T23:32:00.000-07:00

So - did your tastebuds sit up? They should. This luscious lettuce is right out of my garden. On April 1. In Oregon. On the coast.
The secret? Raised bed and cloche cover.

It hailed last night. And several times today. But the lettuces were tucked in and happy. The peas in the uncovered beds were a little miffed at being beat on the head, but they'll get over it.

Nothing makes me happier than the first greens of the season from my garden!

Adopting a greenhouse

2010-04-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Criteria for adopting a greenhouse:

Owners/managers must be dedicated, knowledgable, never too busy to welcome you and answer questions. A good sign is if they eat what they produce.

Greenhouse facilities are sparkling clean, disease and bug free, and filled year-round with health-promoting green stuff.

The flowers, fruits, veggies and exotics display happiness to be residents of the greenhouse. Temporary, of course, because they soon find new homes...

The bonus is when the greenhouse is less than 20 minutes away!

I just adopted Don's Waterfall Farm complete with greenhouses. Complete with tortoise - check out http://snapshotsfromtheleeside.blogspot.com/

Doesn't this just make your heart go pitter-pat??!! Hey, it's SPRING!!

Besides the outdoor-garden-bound babies Don and Janet grow wheatgrass by the ton. Customers buy it by the flat to take home, or snip their green bag full and leave the dirt at the greenhouse.

But here's what really put the icing on the cake (oops - forget I said that...). SPROUTS - as in LIVING FOOD!!! These are sunflower and pea sprouts. If you've never had fresh sunnies or pea sprouts, make a date with a spouter and try them. Unbelievably good for you, besides being gorgeously green.

Don graciously explained how to grow these beauties, with demonstration and details, and later supplied me with flats and two #10 cans of primo sunflower and pea seed especially for sprouting. They are easy to grow, a true delight to add to the raw menu!

One of the plants at Waterfall that is grown by the thousands (honest), is tomatoes. Big, little, and teensy tiny. Here's a new addition to the greenhouse family. Ain't she CUTE??!!

This is a Meyer Lemon blossom. Can you smell it? I can. Oh my. I covet that little tree. I've been in love with Meyer's lemons for quite a long time. I NEED a sweet little tree. But first I need a bigger dining room with more windows....(you'll see why in the next post).

Fresh and green and dedicated to healthy plants and healthy people.

Yep. I'm adopting that greenhouse.

Colorbook Kale salad

2010-03-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

My neice Emden introduced this stunning salad to me last week. I've made it several times since. This is another "about" recipe - don't whine, you can do it.

KALE and CABBAGE

Coarsely chop or shred several fresh (preferably organic) curly Kale leaves, enough to make about 2 cups. Shred about a cup of juicy red cabbage (preferably organic). Combine in a bowl.

Mix: about 2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 T. olive oil (the good stuff, that you keep in your refrigerator - right?), a dash of sea salt and a pinch of pepper, about a teaspoon of agave,

Pour this over the kale and cabbage, then massage it well (yes, with your squeaky-clean hands), and set aside, at least one hour, or more is better. This gives the kale time to soften - it can be quite chewy, otherwise.

DRESSING

Blend smooth: "about" 1/2 c. raw tahini, 1 T. fresh lemon juice, teensy dash of cayenne, about a T. of agave or honey, about 1/2 c. water. Should be about the consistency of pancake batter (remember pancakes??). You can season this as you like, adjust all "measurements" to your taste.

Add some fresh herb(s) to the kale/cabbage, like a bit of thyme, or snipped chives, or dill. Drizzle each serving with the tahini dressing.

I find these amounts make "about" two nice servings for me. All by itself, it's a dandy lunch!

I can't describe how good this is. It's almost too pretty to eat! But I do, savoring every bite.

A Rawsome adventure!

2010-03-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

Returning with a RAWSOME celebration!! I've become an Oregonian again, returning to the small town where I was born and raised. As I've reintegrated into our coastal community, I was pleased and VERY excited to find some kindred souls.

This report covers the first monthly potluck of a group of raw foodies and raw-wannabies, in the Tillamook area. Our local Bay City "Art Space" Cafe hosted a gathering of 24, ranging from those who have been doing raw foods for some time to those who are interested in improving their health and wanted to see what this raw food stuff was all about!

Boy, did they get an eyeful! And a tummy full!

The Art Space is located right on Highway 101, with big windows facing the west overlooking Tillamook Bay. By 5:15 most of the gang was on hand, chatting and getting acquainted...it was amazing how many overlapping organizations and areas of interest were discovered. Some of us were previously associated or acquainted, others were total new faces. How fun!

The ambiance of the cafe is warm and inviting, surrounded by our beautiful natural world here along the bay. A great place to enjoy good company and awesomely rawsomely tasty foods!

As the sun began lowering itself toward the ocean across the way, golden light matched our spirits - we were SO HAPPY to be together! Many had waited a LONG time for this event to occur in Tillamook County. Portland has had a Raw Potluck group for some time, but it's two hours away, across some mountains that get rather nasty in the winter. Close to home is much, much better!

The menu was eclectic, including mid-Eastern Falafel with Tahini dressing, south of the border Tacos and Mexican Rice 'n Rye, Asian Thai Coleslaw, Kelp noodles (don't say "ewwwww" until you've tasted them - wow!), wonderful fresh crisp veggies with a variety of dips, spreads and dressings, lucious fruits with chocolate or vanilla Cashew Creme sauce, wild local greens in salad, crunchy succulent sprouts - you name it, we had it!

Part of the purpose of the occasion was to educate. Many books were shared, some equipment displayed that makes eating raw easier and fun, copies of recipes of the evening's dishes, and just a lot of gabbing about favorite foods and experiences. Doorprize was a pot of chives, donated by a local completely organic nursery - how cool is THAT?!

One of our terrific local resources in Rainy Day Books in Tillamook. Owner Karen brought part of her personal library as well as books from the store. She generously offered a 15% discount to all attending, for raw food book purchases from Rainy Day. Awesome!

I found it interesting that there were six "Y" chromosomes present - we tend to think of foodie gatherings being more of feminine interest, but the guys disproved that idea! And they were definately not shy about trying something new. High fives to the fellas! And don't they look happy? I saw several plates head back for 3rds and 4ths - no kidding!

The lovely and body-loving foods were crowned by desserts: Raw Cacao Chocolate Truffles, Banana Lemon Pie, and the hit of the night - Coconut Cream Pie! Lily's contribution, titled "I'm Devoted" from the Gratitude Cafe Cookbook, was gone so quickly I didn't even get a picture of it. Mostly because I was too busy EATING my share! Lily said she wanted to make something really decadent in honor of the occasion, and she outdid herself. I dreamed about that pie last night...

Art Space owner Trish and Craig reported that they had several phone calls from folks who couldn't make it last night, wanting to know when the next Raw Potluck was going to happen.

Next months, people - next month!

NOTE: if you might be interested in any of the recipes, email me at staufferbirds@yahoo.com.

Immune boost without the poke

2009-11-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

One of the sites that has "fed" me a lot of good info is Nathalie Lussier's Rawfoods Witch - down to earth, with humor, short and sweet, and always pertinant. Here's a recent post:

4 Foods to Boost Your Immune System

I know you've had this topic drummed into your head enough lately, but hey flu season is upon us so it bears repeating. Except my suggestion is not to knock that innocent grand mother out of the way in your haste to get vaccinated.
I would rather see you boosting your immune system naturally, with a more holistic approach. That means giving your body what it needs to do its job when it comes to fighting infections.

Here are 4 foods that help boost your immune system, and why:

1. Citrus: Fruits like oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes are high in vitamin C. They also contain antioxidants that support the immune system.

2. Broccoli: This green vegetable is so good for you in general, but is especially great at promoting immune system health. High in Calcium and Selenium.

3. Tomato: Lycopene in tomatoes helps the immune system. One note: you may have heard that tomatoes release more lycopene when they are cooked, but I believe it's all about absorbable lycopene. Breaking down the cell walls of a vegetable with olive oils or blending is also effective.

4. Spinach: Okay, so spinach gets a special mention but honestly increasing your intake of green leafy vegetables (no matter what kind!) is going to have a huge impact on your health and immunity. Spinach is high in Lutein.

Your Cue this week is to eat at least some of these 5 foods once per day. That should go a long way to improving your immunity. It will also take the edge off and get you to stop worrying so much the next time someone sneezes in your vicinity.

In the spirit of keeping the greenies coming, our broccoli is STILL putting out nice crisp shoots - and I have the best helper for harvesting! Max is always ready to help gramma, even on a really nippy day.

Now if I could just get him to EAT it...

Cauli Colorbox

2009-10-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

A tasty way to use up those last beautiful cauliflower from the Farmer's Market.
Courtesty of KellyMyra on GoneRaw.

This is a really easy and versatile curry. You can have it on it’s own, with crackers or so many other ways and all the spices are really warming so it’s great if you’re feeling the cold.

CAULIFLOWER CURRY

Ingredients:
2 Cups Chopped Cauliflower
1 Medium Carrot, Chopped
6 Soaked Sundried Tomatoes
1/2 Avocado
1/2 Onion, Chopped
1 cm Piece of Ginger
1 Tsp Tumeric
2 Tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Cup Dried unsweetened Coconut
1 Tbsp Flaxseed
1 Cup Rejuvelac or Water
Serving options: Cucumber, alfalfa sprouts or rice paper (not raw)
Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until it is finely chopped and well combined.
Serve in a bowl topped with alfalfa sprouts, on cucumber rounds. If you are not 100% raw try it wrapped in rice paper with alfalfa. It would also work well rolled in a large leafy green with other vegetables or on flax crackers. It’s up to you.
Would also do well as patties in the dehydrator.

I loved using the colored cauliflower - a happy, warming recipe to enjoy during our variable fall weather.

Weight loss or Health gain?

2009-10-25T16:35:00.000-07:00

My primary reason for moving towards a higher raw eating protocol has always been to improve my health and derail further medical issues. I was interested while browsing various "raw" sites to note that many people had discarded weight along the path to improved health. Most of the time I'm happy to maintain where I'm at, but my closet would appreciate having a few less pounds to deal with. So weight management via eating raw is definately in the background of my choices.

The following quote really rang my bell. The entire article is on the link, and a good read.

"I have noticed lately that there are a lot of websites popping up promising weight loss with the “new raw food diet.” Honestly, this saddens me. Raw food for me is not just about weight loss, it is about health gain. It is about learning how to make better choices about the food we eat. It is about how our choices nourish our bodies. If we make good choices, we can have better health, bad choices can lead us to chronic disease, low energy, weight gain and poor health.
I abhor the word diet. The minute you say, “I need to lose weight”, you diminish yourself. You say, I am not what I should be."

http://www.rawmazing.com/articles/raw-food-and-weight-loss/

Thank you Susan, this sort of article is one of the reasons Rawmazing is on my browse list.

Incidentally, ten pounds have dropped away while I've been enjoying eating whatever I want the past few months.

Onion Bread

2009-10-23T10:40:00.001-07:00

Staying away from yeast breads is important for my health. Mostly because I love them SOOOO much that I totally lose focus at the first bite of buttered yeasty chewy yum, and will easily go through half a loaf of fresh-out-of-the oven bread. And to make it even more difficult, I LOVE to BAKE BREAD!!

While browsing through various raw recipe sites, I kept seeing references to an Onion Bread that most contributors seemed to think was the bee's knee's, the best thing in the raw bread world. So I finally threw the ingredients in the processor, waited patiently for it do it's thing in the dehydrator, and took a bite.

Whoa nelly. This is GOOD STUFF!

Here's my version of a super lunch - tomato, avocado, and alfalfa sprouts in an onion bread sandwich spread with a bit of almondaise, some curried cauliflower, a spoonful raw kraut salad, some marinated/dehydrated mushrooms - and apple walnut cookies to snack on a bit later.

I did a few tweaks, after taking notes on various versions. Here's my

ONION BREAD

In processor, finely dice 1 large sweet onion - about 1 1/4c.

Put in a bowl with: 1 c. flax seed, ground (measure BEFORE grinding)

1 c. raw sunflower seeds, ground ( " ")

1/4 c. fermented soy sauce, ie Kikomans

1/4 c. water

1/8 c. -1/4 c. olive oil (too much oil makes it crumbly)

1/2 large sweet onion, THINLY sliced

Mix thoroughly. Spread on teflex sheets (it made two sheets for my round dehydrator) about 1/4" thin. Helps to wet your hands as you spread and pat it out. Dry about 8 hours at 115 degrees (overnight works). Flip off the teflex sheets onto dehydrator racks, dry additional 3-4 hours, or until it suits the texture you like.

These are pliable but mostly dry; they can be dried totally crisp, if desired.

I cut them into wedges with kitchen scissors while still warm.

The only problem I ran into with them - I kept eating samples while testing for dryness. REALLY good flavor, and while still warm - devine!

I like this bread way too much, so I packaged wedges wrapped in pairs, for sandwiches, and tucked them into a ziplock bag in the fridge. I understand they freeze well, too. I'll try that if I still have some left at the end of the week....

Sunny Patties

2009-10-19T06:55:00.000-07:00

I've been looking at "burger patty" recipes, planning on adding a little variety to the menu plus another "grab 'n go" food. This one, from "Dining in the Raw", was an inexpensive starter. Plus, I had everything on hand - that counts - a LOT!

SUNNY PATTIES
("Sunburgers" in the recipe book - I don't like the "burger" label when it isn't real meat - call me eccentric)

In food processor with"S" blade:
1 cup sunflower seeds (soak a couple hours and shake dry)
1/2 c. carrot chunks
1/2 c. celery chunks
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/4 c. fresh basil
1/4 c. fresh parsley
fermented soy sauce to taste

Process to very fine dice. Form patties, place gently on fine mesh screen on dehydrator trays. Don't squash onto mesh, they'll stick. I dried them for about 6 hours, at 118 degrees, to get the texture I like. They can be dried completely crisp, if desired. Store airtight in fridge.

Chewy, tasty, very satisfying!

I ate the first one warm from the dryer, with a dollop of fresh marinara.

These are going on the "make again" list!

Sweet 'n Zippy Lentil Soup

2009-10-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

Warmer soups are on the calender now - it's freezing at night, and barely in the 4os during the day. Getting a nice warm soup together quickly can be a life-saver after getting chilled to the bone.

Prepping the veggies and other ingredients properly can make a big difference in time and nutrition. The food processor becomes my good friend, by quickly turning chunks of hard veggies into fine dice - and they don't have to be done singly, just pitch them all in together and blitz! They will cook through with little heat, a priority for my preferred way of eating.

By using a low-heat method, the vegetables, even though in small pieces, don't turn to mush, as can be seen in the photo below. Low-heat just means bringing the pot barely to a boil, then turning off the heat. The remaining heat finishes the cooking process, the veggies maintain their shape and color. Beautiful!

A soup doesn't have to be cooked for hours, to warm you up, as this one proves. One of my favorite pre-raw soups has always been Sweet and Sour, and this is a good stand-in until I re-work my S & S recipe...

About noon the day before you want the soup, start by soaking a cup of brown lentils for about 8 hours. Then, drain and rinse, and let them set until the next afternoon, about 4 PM. They will have started to sprout, which is what we want. Sprouted grains and seeds need less heat to become soft, thereby preserving nutrients and enzymes, plus putting the phytates out of commission.

Using your processor, blitz to small dice:
1 large carrot
1 parsnip
1 onion
Put into a 2 quart pot. Add:
1 diced, seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
the sprouted lentils
Cover about 2" with water. Bring just barely to a boil, then immediately turn off heat and put the lid on the pot. Let set until the veggies and lentils are tender, about 5 minutes or so.

Stir in:
1/2 chopped red bell pepper
2 T. chopped cilantro
1 - 2 T. pure maple syrup (or agave or honey)
1- 2 T. tamari or fermented soy sauce (ie Kikomans)
Adjust the seasonings to your taste - more or less sweet, more or less salty, more or less heat from the jalapeno and chili powder.

Soups are very forgiving.

And delectably beautiful! See those litte pieces of green jalapeno, the red peppers, the orange carrots...this method of low-heat cooking allows the veggies to keep not only their nutrients, but their inviting colors, too.

I LOVE SOUPS!!!

Killer Garlic

2009-10-16T08:10:00.001-07:00

(NOTE: call me lazy, but I think this remedy is important enough to post it on all three of my blogsites today...)

At the first sign of a sneaking-up-on-me cold (sniffles, scratchy throat, sneezing, itchy or runny eyes...), I reach for my mug and the bulb of garlic that is usually in the countertop basket of fruits and veggies I use daily.
Garlic is one of the more popular home cures for colds. Many cultures have a home remedy for the cold using garlic, whether it’s chicken soup with lots of garlic, a drink made with raw crushed garlic, or it may just involve eating cloves raw garlic.

Here's a simple Garlic Tea, that does the job: crush anywhere from one to six fat cloves of garlic, put in the bottom of a mug. Set the timer for 10 minutes, the amount of time it seems auspicious for the "good stuff" to be activated. Then fill the mug with boiling water, add some honey and fresh lemon juice to taste, and sip away. When you get to the bottom, where the garlic resides, get a spoon and scoop those jewels of health up, and EAT THEM!! Yeah, you'll have some garlic breath for a bit, but no worse than with a garlic-laden spaghetti sauce. Brush your teeth and gargle, if it really bothers you.

I'm a believer - and I don't mind garlicky breath for a few days if it means not dealing with cold symptoms. Take your choice...

FYI: here's a fast and efficient way to peel and mash a clove of garlic in one fell swoop (or is that swell foop...): with the garlic on your cutting board, lay the flat side of your chef knife on the clove...

and give it a smack with your hand. It loosens the clove right out of the papery skin, and effectively crushes it too! Doncha just love kitchen tips...

And for your further edification:

"The cold-fighting compound in garlic is thought to be allicin, which has demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal properties. Allicin is what gives garlic its distinctive hot flavor. To maximize the amount of allicin, fresh garlic should be chopped or crushed and it should be raw.

In a study involving 146 people, participants received either a garlic supplement or a placebo for 12 weeks between November and February. People who took garlic reduced the risk of catching a cold by more than half. The study also found that garlic reduced the recovery time in people who caught a cold. More research is needed to corroborate these results.n is what gives garlic its distinctive hot flavor.

Garlic does have some possible side effects and safety concerns. Bad breath and body odor are perhaps the most common side effects, however, dizziness, sweating, headache, fever, chills and runny nose have also been reported. Large amounts may irritate the mouth or result in indigestion. Garlic supplements should avoided by people with bleeding disorders, two weeks before or after surgery, or by those taking "blood-thinning" medications such as warfarin (Coumadin) or supplements believed to affect blood clotting such as vitamin E, garlic or ginkgo. "

Personally, I've never had a reaction to garlic, other than some heat on the tongue from a big clove. But I don't eat the cloves all at once, I spread them out over a period of time, just grabbing one up in passing and munching it as I go about whatever I'm doing.

Go forth and find garlic. Better yet, get some planted in your garden - it's almost past time. You'll have garlic for next season!

Hippocrates Sauerkraut Nouveau

2009-10-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Remember the red cabbage that went into the pickling jar? Well, here it is, in a tasty salad! You could make this with green kraut, too, but the red is extra nutritious - and pretty! This will not taste as good, or be as good for you, if made with canned kraut; the whole point of doing the fermenting jar process is to keep the enzymes alive, to do their good work.

2 cups of raw sauerkraut
1 stalk celery, minced
1/2 red onion, minced
1/8 tsp. cayenne

Raw sauerkraut aids in the digestion of any meal. It is a good source of vitamin C and B-comples. It introduces friendly bacteria into the intestinal tract and helps satisfy cravings. Raw kraut is also an aid in the control of yeast overgrowth in your system (i.e. candida). A simple, historic vegetable dish that should be introduced to any household.

Raw kraut can be purchased in a few health food stores, but is very expensive.

So, learn to make your own - RAW SAUERKRAUT! There are lots of flavor variations, depending on what vegetables and herbs you might choose to include in the fermenting process.

Enjoy!

FALL-ing into flavor

2009-10-12T06:25:00.000-07:00

A quick spin through the garden gate on a quest for greens that the last few nights of hard frost hadn't damaged yielded some jewels. I grabbed some parsley, and almost stepped on the last of the carrots (Danvers Half-longs) in one of the Square-foot Garden squares. I keep a hand trowel stuck in the dirt in one corner of the raised bed, ready for just such a chore. A few deft plunges into the dirt around the carrots, and they were loosened enough to pull easily.
This time of year, the carrots are crisp and juicy, sweeter than ever. Often an attempt to pull them results in the tops popping right off the carrot, and then it's a dirty-fingernail job to retrieve the carrot. Thus the trowel technique.
Right next to the carrot square were the last of the Chiogga beets, sporting nice bushy tops that the frost hadn't damaged. So out they came, joining the carrots and parsley headed for the kitchen.
Some of the carrots were smallish - I dread any peeling attempts on these little characters - too many "peeled" knuckles over the years. Then I remembered this recipe, from Carol Alt's "The Raw 50" - problem solved.

I just scrubbed the little ones, gave them a rough chop, and they were ready to be transmogrified into:

ZIPPY CARROT DRESSING
Blend smooth in the Vita-Mix:
2 large carrots, rough chopped (or equivalent small ones)
1 or 2 celery stalks, rough chopped
2 T. raw apple cider vinegar
1 T. minced fresh gingerroot, or more to taste
2 tsp. freshly grated horseradish, or more to taste
water enough to make a dressing consistency
After a taste test, I also added:
1 T. agave
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. sunflower seed oil (avocado, or walnut, or olive oil would be good)

I ran this for several minutes to get the dressing really smooth, adding water a tablespoon at a time to get the consistency I wanted. Probably about 2/3 c. altogether - depends on the amount and juiciness of carrots.

Arrange baby spinach leaves on salad plate, top with slices of apple (I used Welties). Just for fun and because it was right there on the cutting board, I also added some very thin slices of Chiogga beet - so sweet! They added an extra earthy note and tender crunch to this colorful fall-garden salad. A sprinkle of protein laden hemp seeds, and lunch was fork ready!

Taste notes: crisp - sweet - colorful - crunchy- earthy - zippy; velvety dressing wrapping the toothsome raw veggies.

The garden may be on it's last hoorah, but it still feeds my body and soul.

Between A and Z...

2009-10-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

...are many veggies that are perfect just as they are. Maybe just a little more nekked.

Raw food doesn't get any better than a punk and his prize!

Five-minute soup...

2009-10-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

There is no "soup season" in my kitchen - I adore soups, crave them more than chocolate (yes, it's true!), and consume them year round with much appreciation for whomever first dropped a hot rock into a bark-cauldron of water and weeds.
A friend recently queried, with eating mostly raw now how was I going to enjoy hot soup this fall and winter? I had been asking myself the same question, and doing some recipe browsing. No worries, I figure between me and my trusty Vita-Mix we will manage just fine.
Today, when a hunger twinge niggled at the appropriate time, my first thought was, what do I have to make some soup?
There was a lonesome yam in the basket, I had some cashews already soaked and waiting in the frig for inspiration, and a few last fresh sage leaves were needing used. AHA! A fall soup I had made in my not-so-raw life popped into memory, and I proceeded to wing it from taste-bud memory.

A SAGE FALL SOUP
Into a Vita-Mix:
1/4 c. soaked raw cashews
1/2 c. warm water
Blitz almost smooth. Add:
about 1/2 - 3/4 c. grated raw yam or sweet potato or winter squash
sage - one 3"-fresh leaf, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 T. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. sea salt
cayenne - depending on your heat tolerance, anything from a dash up to a whole Thai red pepper!
1/2 tsp. onion powder or 2 T. fresh chopped onion
1 - 2 c. very warm water
Blend 2-3 minutes until very smooth and warmed. Serve with sprinkle of chopped hemp seed.

NOTE: this can probably be done in a regular blender, by soaking the grated squash/yam in the hot water for at least 10 minutes, to soften and make it easier to blend. Definately worth a try, if you don't yet have your Vita-Mix!

A velvety, creamy, luscious blend of lively taste and warmth.

A soup doesn't have to be steaming, to warm the cockles of your heart - or your taste buds!

Vitamin Smoothie

2009-10-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

This photo is courtesy of Bulk Herb Store. The product is called "Stress Less Herba Smoothie". Click the link, read the information - you'll be glad you did.

http://www.bulkherbstore.com/SLHS

I've been very impressed with this company. Take some time to explore all the information available in the sidebar links, a good education with quality and caring.

Using the herbs in a smoothie format, essentially concocting a custom vitamin supplement that will be easily absorbed and used by your body - what could be better!

Rhythm of Raw Food Prep

2009-10-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

The following anecdote points out the need to educate one's self in order to enjoy and benefit from eating a raw lifestyle.

"Three years earlier, I had been aimlessly wandering around the kitchen, wondering, What is there to eat? The fridge was packed with perfectly good food, the counters displayed bowls of beautiful, ripening fruits. Nuts and seeds filled many a cupboard.

But we didn't yet understand the rhythms of raw food preparation—soaking, sprouting, dehydrating (on occasion), or warming the food. We were still accustomed to, and comforted by, sauteing, baking, steaming, stir-frying, and the smells and sounds of cooking.

It took time to understand the nuances of preparing raw food cuisine.

Soon the chopping, blending, juicing, grating, and dehydrating began to replace the way we'd worked in the kitchen, and after several months these practices became joyful and natural.

Perhaps you are wondering, like we did, What is there to eat on this strange new diet? As we moved more into conscious eating, there were questions we asked ourselves: Did a meal leave us tired, or energized? Did it bring a sense of well being, and digest well? Was there rationalization during the preparation—or a clear knowing that whatever we were choosing to eat, in our heart of hearts, was the very best? Our intuition acted like light beams that cut through the fog of uncertainty.

So listen, act, and evolve with ease into greater levels of health and harmony. The beauty of the intuitive approach is that the unfoldment process never stops, nor will it ever need to, because the law of life compels us toward steady growth that is in perfect accord with our true potential!"

An excellent "getting started without confusion" is Alissa Cohen's 3 hour, instructional DVD, Living on Live Food, in which she makes twenty recipes—it may save months of uncertainty in the kitchen.

"It was through Alissa's DVD that we first learned about making anglehair pasta from zucchini with the handiest little gadget—a Saladacco—and how to make raw marinara sauce. Suddenly, we felt liberated to be able to have pasta again, without any of the problems of wheat!"

The photo illustrates part of the rhythm I have come to enjoy. The recipe, from Carol Alt's "The Raw 50", titled Thyme Bread, makes a great flexible cracker type of bread. Loaded with nut pate or hummus and topped with avocado and veggies, they make for quick meals.

THYME BREAD
1 c. dark flax seeds, ground finely (coffee or spice grinder). Soak in:
1 c. purified water for 1 hour; water should be absorbed. Combine in food processor with:
1 c. soaked walnuts (at least one hour)
1/4 c. fresh chopped thyme
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
Spread mixture thinly on teflex sheets on dryer trays, dehydrate at 115 degrees for about 6 hours, until the tops are dry to touch. Peel off teflex sheets and continue drying on trays for another 3 hours or so. Cut into desired shapes (mine are triangular, due to circular dryer!). Dry longer if you want crisper "bread". Keeps well in ziplock bags in frig.

The point being, planning ahead for the soaking/sprouting/drying routine.
It is indeed a comforting rhythm, working with living foods that bring such joy and life to my body and soul.

(numbers report: at clinic today, BP was 116/68, blood oxygen 99%. I think it's time to talk with the doc about reducing/eliminating the BP meds I've been on...)

A Dandelion day...

2009-09-29T08:44:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been owned by a feline, you may have noticed - they sleep about 16 hours a day, awaken and stretch, eat daintily, and then go about having cat-fun, enjoying their life very much "in the moment".

This is "Dandelion", the lighter-than-dandelion-fluff starving little stray kitty who appeared in my garden a few months ago. Now she is healthy, definately not a light-weight, and helps keep me balanced by demanding play time, and rest time in my lap.

Good health is all about appropriate rest and staying in the moment.

Today I'm taking a cat-day.

It's SOUP and CRACKERS!

2009-09-28T06:55:00.000-07:00

OK, OK, I GOT IT!!
This is the soup I've been longing for - a creamy, subtly zesty, almost smooth, TOMATO-EY SOUP!

Here's how it goes (just remember I'm an "about" cook - the measurements are "about" that much...):

In the blender (Vita-Mix, of course):

*about 6 cups of really ripe tomatoes (squeeze the seeds out)

*about 2 c. very warm water

*2 stalks celery, chunked

*about 1/4 c. parsley loosely measured

*1 carrot, chunked or grated (I had some grated left overs, time saver!)

*about 1/4 c. onion, chunked

*a heaping Tablespoon tahini

*1 tsp. lemon juice

*about 1 T. Braggs Liquid Aminos

*about 1 T. agave nectar

Blend smooth as you like. The Vita-Mix actually heats the soup, with it's tremendous revolution rate. Adjust the taste to suit, with lemon, Braggs, agave. More creamy? Add a bit more tahini.

Now for the crackers. Actually, these begin two days previous, soaking the sunflower seeds overnight. Then soak 5 sundried tomotoes (3 oz. pkg works) for several hours previous to mixing.

SUNNY TOMATO CRACKERS

In food processor:

*1 c. soaked sunflower seeds, drained and rinsed, shake dry in strainer

*5 sundried tomatoes, soaked and drained

*1 med. zuchinni, chopped

*handful fresh basil

Process until smooth with a little bit of texture. Spread on teflex dehydrator sheets, about 1/4" thick. If you leave it thicker, it's more like a flat bread. For crackers, thinner works.

Dry at 115 degrees, about 8-12 hours. Check for crispness. Flip off teflex onto dehydrator tray, dry several more hours, checking for how crisp you want. Then break into cracker-size pieces, store airtight.

I left the basil out of the soup, knowing the crackers would pick it up. The combination of creamy rich tomato soup and crisp basil-laden, intensely tomato crackers rolled over the tastebuds like nirvana. {BIG SIGH}

This was a perfect lunch for an-almost fall day. The wind is picking up, anticipating thunder and hail by evening. That's OK. I have two quarts of luscious tomato soup to get me through the night!

Next up: that squash is headed for the soup "pot"...

Tasty Tomato Soup

2009-09-27T09:04:00.001-07:00

It's the end of the season for the garden. Vines are withering, and the last of the harvest is in hand.

These Manyel tomatoes shine like spotlights amidst the shambles of the rest of the garden. I had planted them specifically to make a Golden Roasted Tomato soup, but now eating mostly raw, I wanted to use them without the oven roasting process. Roasting produces a deeply rich tomato-y flavor, which I have been tinkering to reproduce. So far, I'm still not there.

But this recipe is close, and very yummy all on it's own.

You can use red or yellow or orange or striped or purple...whatever color tomato caught your eye in the seed catalog for this season! Or, visit your local Farmer's Market, which should be overflowing with tomatoes right now.

TASTY TOMATO SOUP

In a high-speed blender (the Vita-Mix is my workhorse), blend smooth:

*8 fully ripe medium tomatoes - or equivalent (cored and halved; don't have to peel unless you want; squeeze out as many seeds as you can)

*4-8 pitted dates (depends on how sweet you like your tomato soup)

*1 tsp. lemon juice

*about 2 c. very warm water (whatever produces a thick, creamy soup)

Add:

*2 stalks celery, chopped

*1 carrot, chopped

*small handful fresh basil, rough chopped

Blend until incorporated or as fine as you want - completely smooth is OK, too!

*Season with a pinch of cayenne, and Bragg's Liquid Aminos to taste.

Serve with a sprinkle of chopped scallions and raw sunflower seeds.

I'm going to try adding some tahini next batch, see if I can get closer to that intense roasted flavor...it's fun to experiment, and it tastes good no matter what!

If you want to thicken a thin soup, try adding some ground golden flax seeds (slightly milder flavor and less intrusive color than the brown flax). Also adds the outstanding benefits of flax, so don't be shy about your thin soup!

If you play with your soup (in a nice way, of course), I would be happy to hear the results...

Chocolate oo-la-la!

2009-09-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

The cabin and farm are hosting the second round of Camp Purple (check it out at Wisconsin Snapshots http://staufferbirds.blogspot.com/ - four homeschooling families totaling 11 punks) for the next two days. The youngest munchkin celebrated her 2nd birthday among friends and family, complete with cupcakes and candles.

Not to be left out of the celebration, my thoughts went immediately to Raw LouLou's recipe for Chocolate Pie. I've just been waiting for a good excuse to make this rich treat - not something I'll be indulging in very frequently. Definately a celebration food.

One of the middle-size punks is a chocolate enthusiast, and helped with the taste-testing of both chocolate fillings. I halved the recipe and made four small pies. I cut one little pie into samples, which were quickly devoured by the gang, pronounced wonderful, complete with requests for recipes.

Without further ado, here is

LOULOU'S RAW CHOCOLATE PIE
PIE CRUST -
*2 cups of almonds
*2 cups of pitted dates
Blend these up together and press in a greased pie dish, or in individual rings/pans to create small portion pies. (note: I didn't grease the pans, turned out fine...the frozen pie came right out of the pan, to be placed on a saucer for slicing.)
CHOCOLATE FILLING
*2 cups of soaked cashews
*12 pitted dates
*1/2 cup filtered water
*2 T cacao powder
*2 T coconut oil
*1/8 tsp Chinese 5-spice (or cinnamon - but do try the 5-spice, it's unique)
Blend all of the above together in a high speed blender (VitaMix) until smooth and creamy in texture then pour on top of the crust.
Freeze to set, and take out of freezer 1 hour before serving. (I just froze them about 30 minutes then took them out to serve immediately.)

I garnished the pie (photo) with a sliced strawberry, tiny mint leaves, and a drizzle of cashew cream (Soak 1 c. raw cashews several hours. Drain, blend in VitaMix with 1/2 c. water. When smooth, blend in another 1 c. water, 1 tsp. agave - optional but really brings out the flavor. This is supposed to be "milk" but is nicely thick like cream - very delicious!)

Just for fun, I made one little pie with a chocolate mousse filling. You'll never guess the magic ingredient. The chocolate taste-tester watched me put the ingredients in the VitaMix and gave a little shrug. He never batted an eye, bless his heart. This mousse got raves from several of the moms...
(again, I halved the recipe)

Raw Vegan Chocolate Mousse
It makes a wonderful chocolate pie as well - just double the recipe. Makes about 2 cups.
* 2 small ripe avocados
*1/2 -3/4 c. agave nectar
*1/4 C raw cocao powder (or carob if you prefer)
*2 T coconut butter or oil
*1 T vanilla
*dash of sea salt
*dash of cinnamon (optional)
Preparation:Place everything in a VitaMix or high-powered blender or food processor and blend (on high) until very smooth. You may need your tamper to move the contents a little so the motor doesn't bog down on you. VitaMix blenders come with one.
Keep stored in an air-tight container in the fridge - that is, if it lasts long enough to make it to the fridge.
(note: I used one avocado, it amply filled one small pie crust. With just enough left in the blender for a couple of spoons of yum! to enjoy. I used the same Almond Date crust as the LouLou recipe...you could use any similar raw crust)

(Mousse recipe courtesy of Purely Delicious Magazine - www.PurelyDelicious.net Check out their Raw Recipes on my sidebar.)

Since the other pies were in the freezer setting up, I put this one in also. I figured since you can get frozen quacamole, this avocado mousse should freezer OK.

And it did. Yummo!

Good mornin', sunshine!

2009-09-23T06:54:00.000-07:00

Here's how I start my day: about 10 oz. warm water, juice from 1/2 a lovely ripe lemon, a pinch of cayenne, a small drizzle of natural maple syrup.

When I don't have lemons in the fruit basket, I substitute with 2 tablespoons of raw apple cider (Braggs).

Why, you ask, would I want to pucker up so early in the day?

Here are some reasons (beyond that I like it and it "cleans house" very effectively to start my day):

"Lemon:
*Helps to alkaline the body and disease is less able to develop in an alkaline environment
*On an empty stomach it helps flush the liver and gallbladder (releasing bile- the body’s natural laxative)
*Stimulates the body to produce digestive juices that gets the system ready for food digestion
*Can assist with weight reduction by cleansing the liver as a toxic liver can not efficiently metabolize fat.
*Excellent source of Vitamin C to keep the immune system strong, the adrenal glands functioning, and increases the absorption of iron into the body
*High in potassium and vitamin B1 too.
*The calcium in lemon supplies bones, teeth and the nervous system
with basic nourishment.
*Lemon also phosphorus and helps to digest proteins.

Cayenne
*Cayenne can rebuild the tissue in the stomach and increase the peristaltic action in the intestines- this means it helps you go.
*Aids in assimilation, meaning it helps us to absorb the nutrients from our food (or in this case the goodness from lemons)
*Helps the body to create hydrochloric acid, which is so necessary for good digestion and assimilation, especially of proteins.
*Said to be unequal for its ability to boost circulation and increase heart action
*Can increase peripheral circulation and stimulates organ secretion, helping to increase the rate of delivery and action of nutrients in the body.
*Can enhance cardiovascular performance while actually lowering blood pressure
*Cayenne is a counter-irritant; it brings blood to the surface and allows the toxins to be taken away.

Convinced yet? See… totally worth the wincing.

Lemon/Cayenne Wake-Up Call

1 quart/litre of warm water (I use regular water with just enough boiling water to make it warm)1/2 lemon juiced1/8 up to as much cayenne as you can handlepinch of stevia (optional- will help cut the spicyness without affecting blood sugar level)

Mix and chug that goodness back!"

Information compiled by Meghan Telpner (http://meghantelpnerblog.com/)

Where's the Protein??

2009-09-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

In our "protein is power" society, a vegetarian - and even more so a raw vegetarian - diet seems to push all sorts of panic buttons. "You'll die without protein, you can't get protein from vegetables, you HAVE to eat meat!" I appreciate the concern...

Well, while I do sympathize with the folks who have built their living from raising meat for public consumption, I think the pendulum is starting to swing back. Without going into a meat industry bash, I'll just say the evidence is out there for anyone who is seeking the facts.

I'm very comfortable, mentally and physically, with how my body is handling this raw food adventure. Some information to ponder:

Below is an overview of the (average) percentage of calories from protein:
Sprouts: 55%
Green leafy vegetables: 35-50%
Nuts & Seeds: 12-20%
Other vegetables: 10- 45%
Grains: 8-20%
Fruits: 1-10%

Some of my favorites to top salads or include in recipes are:
Spinach
Kale
Chard
Broccoli
Parsley
Cucumber
Sprouts
Celery
Hemp Seeds
Flax Seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Tomatoes
Almonds
Walnuts
Pinenuts
It's hard NOT to get enough protein during the day! Here's a simple recipe that packs a good amount of protein:

SUNNIE PATE' (there are a lot of versions of sunflower seed pate'!)
Put all ingredients into a food processor, process until well blended:
1 cup sunflower seeds (soak a few hours for optimum nutrient release)
3 large carrots
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
1/8 c. Bragg Liquid Aminos (proteins!)
1/4 c. raw sesame tahini
1/4 c. chopped green onions
2 slices red onion
3 T. chopped fresh parsley
1-2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (opt., but yummy!)

Spread on large dark green lettuce or chard leaf, top with sprouts, tomato and avocado slices, roll up or fold up, and enjoy!

"Where do raw and living foodists get their protein?
If you want to do some research, you will find many sites on the internet that will compute nutritional contents of your food. You will see that a lot of protein is available from seeds, nuts, grains, and greens. In fact, greens are an ideal form of protein."

(Green smoothies are one of the most elegant and efficient ways to get an abundance of greens into a diet! Some of our wild "weeds" are exceptionally protein dense - which I explore at EarthHeart http://cstauffer.blogspot.com/)

"One of the purposes of this diet is to help the body become clean from life long impurities. When this takes place, we see that we can assimilate much more nutrients from our foods. As you educate yourselves on the raw diet, you will find that as a society, we consume WAY too much protein and it is the main cause of the breakdown of the human physical body.

Through experiment and education, most raw foodist find they feel better and their bodies function much more efficiently when they are consuming less protein. "

(My body has been telling me for years, that it is not happy with meat and dairy products. Much rejoicing in those cells lately!)

"Again, as we believe in the body's ability to heal itself, we find we no longer break our food down into each individual nutrient. We recognize that when we eat foods as a whole, we will be receiving all the needed nutrients for the body, in exactly the right proportions."

As I continue to explore and refine my way of eating, I'm finding peace in body and spirit. I've been impressed by how forgiving this body is, how quickly it responds to the vibrant energy of living foods.

Raw Trilogy

2009-09-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

The following excerpt speaks to me on another level beyond the actual food. I have experience with vibrational alternative healing (I'm a Healing Touch Practitioner, as well as massage therapist). Knowing that all that exists was created in spirit before manifesting as what we see, also adds a level of relationship with the raw foods.
And as a reward for reading and pondering, enjoy the recipe for the pate' the Camp Purple punks enjoyed with a plate of veggies!

"A 100% raw food diet is the best as long as daily meditation and education is taking place and the body is freely and simply moving into this space. I have seen people who, as time passes, have a harder time staying 100% because they are lacking in those 2 desperately needed things.
(Note: it is NOT necessary to attain 100% raw to gain the benefits and blessings...something to allow your body and conscious to gently come to as a journey, if you aren't ready to jump in with both feet!)

By educating and meditating, we are able to understand our bodies better and utilize our inner spiritual power to bring about success in the changes we feel we need to achieve. Understanding the way the body works and striving to listen to ourselves and inner knowing, we will then feel successful as a 100% raw or living foodist.

In order to reach these goals, we must first understand that reaching this place goes much further than just food. Emotional and spiritual changes must also take place to stay on this path. Raising the vibration of one aspect of the body creates vibrational change within all aspects of the body.

When the body takes on the healing process as a WHOLE, becoming a 100% raw foodist is then the most natural and smooth transition possible. Learning to take the needed time and by being gentle with ourselves, these changes will seem easy and fulfilling. We will then feel at peace with all our choices regarding our inner health."

The bold notes are mine, to remind me where I personally need to focus.

SUNFLOWER PATE' (thanks, Raw Lou Lou!)
Process 'til chunky or smooth as desired:
1 c. sunflower seeds (soaked overnight or at least several hours)
1 T. Braggs Liquid Aminos (or worchestershire sauce)
5 sundried tomatoes (I like the sliced ones, bagged and ready to eat - look in the produce area)
garlic clove
1 tsp dulse (opt - I didn't have any, and it was still delish!)

Serve with crackers or sliced veggies, or spread on romaine leaves topped with sliced/chopped veggies as a roll-up - use your imagination.
Keeps 3-4 days in fridge, if it lasts that long...

Maw's legacy

2009-09-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

In my raw wanderings, I sometimes come across little jewels that have a big impact. The blog "Maw in the Raw" is one of those shiny jewels. Maw only posted for a short time, but left a treasure of good recipes for us.

She has grandpunks, so there are some cookies and treats - including a pumpkin pie that looks like it will be on our table this Thanksgiving! Then there are salads. Salads of different nationalities, and an unexpected veggie-pineapple combination. Which is on my lunch menu today.

Her photos are charming, lending a peek at a raw lifestyle we can aspire to and learn from. I searched but have found no other crumbs on her trail. I hope, wherever she is, that her life is still as lovely and loving as the glimpse she allowed us.

Visit her and try some of the stellar raw recipes: http://www.mawintheraw.blogspot.com/

Thanks, Maw!

Kraut and other funky veggies...

2009-09-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

" Cultured food was a healthy mainstay in the diets of our ancestors. Only a minimal portion of their foods were even cooked -- raw foods, full of live enzymes made up the majority of their diet. Our "modern" methods of pasteurization and adding chemicals to speed fermentation of products like yogurt and cheese have killed these once enzyme rich foods and converted them to substances (poisons, if you will) that disable our digestion and ultimately endanger our health.
Cultured foods help reestablish the natural balance of our digestive system.
Through the ancient art of fermentation, these foods are partially digested by friendly enzymes, fungi, and good bacteria -- making their nutrients readily available with little work for your body. In addition to enhanced flavor and nutrition, cultured foods also offer a multitude of medicinal rewards by:
*alleviating digestive disorders - the flora in living cultured foods form a "living shield" that covers the small intestine's inner lining and resists pathogenic organisms like E.coli, salmonella and an unhealthy overgrowth of yeast
*strengthening immunity with increased antibodies that fight off infectious disease
*effectively impacting the behavior of children with autism and ADD
*regulating weight and appetite by reducing cravings for sugar, soft drinks, bread and pasta.

(NOTE: this is the "short" list of benefits; testimonials abound regarding the health benefits of fermented, probiotic foods...and there are other foods bsides the fermented veggies, ie yogurt, that are loaded with probiotics - or you can take capsules)

When you eat raw cultured vegetables loaded with enzymes -- you give your body an opportunity to make enzymes to rejuvenate itself instead of wasting a large portion of your enzymes digesting food." (borrowed from Mercola.com - saves a lot of rewording!)

You can make cultured vegetables by shredding cabbage or a combination of cabbage and other vegetables and then packing them tightly into an airtight container -- leaving them to ferment at room temperature for several days or longer. During fermentation, the friendly bacteria are rapidly reproducing and converting sugars and starches to lactic acid.

Once the initial process is over, slow down the bacterial activity by putting the cultured veggies in the refrigerator. The cold greatly reduces the fermentation, but will not stop it completely. Even if the veggies sit in your refrigerator for months, they will not spoil; instead they become more appetizing over time -- much like a fine wine.

The beneficial bacteria naturally present in the vegetables promptly lower the pH, making a more acidic environment so the bacteria can reproduce. The vegetables become soft, tasty, and slightly "pickled". The enzymes in cultured vegetables will also help digest other foods eaten with them, aiding in the breakdown of both carbohydrates and proteins.

OK, having all that info under my hat, on to the fun part: making this wonder food!

Having three lusciously purple cabbage lounging in the garden, my first kraut project with the fermentation jar from Mike Snyder (http://store.therawdiet.com/pisaandkimch.html) was a given. The instructions are simple and with the help of my processor, the prep was fast. I used just one head, about 3 pounds.

Filling the jar with the salted, finely shredded cabbage was reminescent of my mom and dad pounding cabbage in the big crock to make the wonderful sauerkraut of my childhood memory. My project will produce a fraction of the big crock, but the main difference is, that my kraut will be eaten "fresh" (refridgerated), while the crocked kraut (careful, there, that's a dangerous turn of phrase...) was` canned to perserve it for any length of time. No longer a "raw food" and no live enzymes...

This rather peculiar looking jar is a fermentation design that keeps the good guys in and the bad guys out. I purchased it for a modest price ($15 for the half-gallon jar) from a former almost-neighbor in Portland, Oregon
http://store.therawdiet.com/pisaandkimch.html

Here it is all loaded, sealed, primed and sitting in a bowl to catch the juice that will be forced out from the fermentation process.

In about 5 days or so, I'll return to this project and report the results.

In the meantime, I'm going to try some mixed veggies in a quart jar, following this instruction:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i77hU3zR-fQ

Gardens are loaded by this time of the season, a great opportunity for experimentation!

Moroccan Perserved Lemons

2009-09-17T16:42:00.000-07:00

Moroccan Preserved Lemons to fight the flu...

Sounds exotic, yes? Go to http://nourishedkitchen.com/ and read the article on 3 Unconventional Ways to Fight Flu.

Then, go to http://nourishedkitchen.com/fermented-vegetable-master/

and enter to win a fermentation jar, and an e-book on fermented foods!

I love Nourished Kitchen, and encourage you to explore the site!

Pineapple Express

2009-09-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

The pineapples are prime and cheaper right now. They add wonderful tropical flavor and sweetness to green smoothies, mixing well with the other fruits in residence in my fridge and on the counter.

This probably isn't an AHA! tip for you, you may have been doing this all along. But I was so proud of coming up with it for my own kitchen I have to share. Usually I cut up a pineapple and keep the chunks in a container in the fridge. At times some of the fruit hasn't been used as quickly as it should and I've lost a portion. That's aggravating, given the prices we have to pay for good produce.

So last week, while in a hurry to get things cleaned up around the sink, I simply sliced off the top and bottom of the current pineapple, cut off a 1"-thick slice for my smoothie, then put the remaining chunk, unpeeled, on a saucer and covered it with a plastic veg bag and popped into the fridge. As the week progressed, I noticed the pineapple was staying fresher, no discoloration. Each time I whacked off a slice, it appeared as nice and tasted as nice as that first slice!

My tip of the day: don't peel that pineapple!

Until you are ready to use a slice; then the peel cuts off the slice easily and quickly. Wah-lah! No more pineapple wrestling!

Here's a YouTube clip to enjoy, of Anand Wells making a green smoothie using dragon fruit - which I'm going to have to look for now. Anand is an Aussie, and this was an Australian show, so have fun with the accent!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vg6Nt1UXIc

FYI, Anand started the Green Smoothie challenge, which is really a fun way to start your adventure with GS. Check it out:

http://greensmoothiechallenge.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1&Itemid=10

Apple Walnut cookies

2009-09-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

There is a plethora of raw info and recipes out there in the ether. I've explored around, and came to the conclusion that I could easily spend the better part of each day going from link to link.

So in the interest of having a life beyond the computer, I decided to pick one site that I liked, work my way through what interests me in the way of info and recipes, then move to another. Right now I'm into Raw LouLou. She has a down-to-earth approach, her recipes aren't over the top (some raw gourmet recipes are only for the rich and famous and folks with a chef or nothing else to do with their life...) and everything I've made so far has been easy, yummy and worth the time.

Give her a visit, you'll enjoy this gal in France! Well-organized site, easy to find recipes.

http://rawloulou.blogspot.com/

Here's LouLou's four-ingredient Apple Walnut cookies: (which came to her via Earthmother at In the Raw...see side bar)

Soak one cup of walnuts for several hours. In a blender (perferably a Vita-Mix) or processor, process 3-5 apples depending on size (cored and cut in chunks - she says apple pulp, which may mean she juiced apples and used the left-over pulp; I had to punt, and my method worked fine).

Add the rinsed and drained walnuts, and 1/8 c. raw honey. A good sprinkle of your favorite apple-buddy spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, apple pie blend, etc.

Process until small dice shows. Don't make total mush if you like some texture in your cookies.

Spoon (or if really dry make balls then squash them) onto dehyrator mesh screen. I used the screen for one batch, the teflex sheet for another. The teflex takes longer, and you need to take them off when almost done and finish on a rack anyway....

Dry at 115 degrees for about 8-10 hours - overnight was a good amount of time.

They should be crisp on the outside, chewy inside. Or however you like your cookies! With cold goat milk standing by...

These have got to be the easiest cookies I've ever made. Not only do they taste sensational, they are "healthy". Chewy yet some crunch from walnut pieces. A lovely blend of flavors to roll over the tastebuds.

The bonus: the cabin smelled like apple pie baking!

Viva le Dehydrator!

2009-09-05T14:34:00.001-07:00

One of my challenges in moving into the raw food realm has been bread. I'm addicted to bread, especially yeast breads.

Discovering how to make crackers and flatbreads by drying the "batter" in a food dehydrator has opened a whole new chapter in my raw foods notebook. Using sprouted grains, fresh vegies, herbs, healthy oils and seeds and nuts make these wonderful bread stand-ins infinately variable.
I'll still have my yeast bread days (sour dough is my next project), but these types of crackers and flatbreads are definately here to stay.

Here's a before and after look at a basic very simple cracker. A cup of sprouted wheat (an overnight soak and 8 hours of sprouting is all it takes) is blended throughly with 1/2 cup of water, 1/8 cup of olive oil and 1/2 tsp. sea salt. The Vita-Mix makes short work of this chore. The batter is poured onto one "fruit leather" sheet of the dehydrator, spread thinly (1/4") then dried (on the top tray of the stack of 5) at 115 degrees for about 8 or so hours - checking frequently towards the end. I like to flip the big cracker over while there are still some areas of moisture showing, then cut it into wedges with my kitchen scissors. I put the crackers directly on the rack for the last bit of drying needed.

You don't need a big fancy dehydrator to do this (although I would never turn one down if the dehydrator fairy dropped one by). The most important feature to have is the thermostat to adjust heat range. To maintain a "raw" status, 118 degrees is considered maximum.

This "professional" model of a commonly found dehydrator is totally cool. It came with two smaller-mesh screens for those itsy bitsy things you might dry (small berries that would fall through the regular rack holes?), and most importantly, two solid teflex sheets for the leathers and cracker thingys. Well under $70, it has been a great tool for my drying projects. And I can pick up more packages of trays if I need them; it will handle up to 12.

So here's the after. These are crispy, tasty, substantial enough to build layers of goodies on and eat out of hand, and totally raw. How wonderful is that?!

A smear of nut/veggie pate', a slice of tomato from the garden, and a couple friendly slices of avocado. One is a great snack. Two makes lunch!

Good report!

2009-09-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

I had some blood work done this week, during my yearly Well Woman check up. I didn't go in fasting, so when the blood sugar was 82 (down 14 points from 8 months ago), I was very happy. The nurse commented, "That's really good, for a non-fasting result. When did you eat last?"

Of course when I told her I had been drinking a Green Smoothie while driving to the appointment (about 40 minutes from home), I then had to explain what that was. She was very interested. Wanted the "recipe". Told the phlebotomist about it. SHE wanted the recipe! I told them both, to go online and look up "green smoothie", there was a ton of info out there.

What really impressed me about that particular test result was, the smoothie did not spike the blood sugar. Fruit, even good fruit, definately affects blood sugar, and usually quickly - ask anyone with diabetes how much fruit they eat... Anyway, that was a point of interest.

Here's the cherry on top: after about 10 years of fighting high blood pressure with a variety of meds, and never getting it below about 140s over 90s, it was 123/76!!! Can I just say how totally satisfying that was??!! I know it is the raw foods and green smoothies, doing their good stuff in rebuilding my health!

Oh yeah. The photo. That's one of my stand-by salads, I love love love this stuff. I try to always have a container of it in the fridge, and some small containers to grab-n-go if I need them on busy days. I like to sprinkle some pinenuts on it...um umm good!

Beets 'n Carrots

Use a food processor to grate a pound each of fresh beets and carrots. Put in a bowl, mix well with dressing (adjust amounts to suit your taste...):

1 T. Basalmic vinegar, 3 T. olive oil (or whatever kind of oil you like - walnut is delish with this), 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tsp. dijon mustard, salt and pepper to taste.

Good health tastes sooooo good!!

Raw punks

2009-09-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Getting a kid to eat raw isn't difficult. All you have to do is invite a crowd of punks, give them an apple-peeler-corer-slicer gadget and a sack of apple. Then step back. They'll figure it out.

This group of 10 homeschoolers from three families prove the point. 15 pounds of apples later, they were gleefully making alphabets with the peels (any that weren't being eaten like worms, that is), taking turns with the peeler, and teaching each other the nuts-and-bolts of just how that gizmo worked.

They also shared a blender full of Green Smoothie - mango, pineapple, ginger, chard - several came back for seconds. They're on their way to being raw foodies!

What a hoot to listen and watch from behind the camera. There's nothing like a gathering of homeschooled punks on a sunny day for seeing just how real learning happens.

And when I can help feed those active brains real food at the same time, that's a bit of heaven!

Camp fare...

2009-08-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

Sitting around the campfire doesn't necessarily mean hotdogs and s'mores. Although that's what the punks were eating, I seem to have pretty much lost any desire for such "campy" things - although I have to admit, they still SMELL yummy!

No, my tastebuds have turned over a new leaf. Here's an interesting quote from Healing with Living Foods: "Did you know your taste buds change every 250 hours? That’s ten days. Taste buds are clusters of 50 to 100 cells, with a taste pore at the apex of each bud. Nerve fibers connect your buds to your brain.
As old cells die and new ones are born, the pores adjust to the shape of the molecules you’re eating."

So literally, my taste buds have turned over a new leaf! I'm finding this very intriguing, because that little info bite seems to explain why I don't have cravings for sugar, cooked carbs and so on.

Camp Purple, a three-day outing for some friends and family here at the cabin, had all the usual accoutrements: games, songs, riding, educational activities - and food.

My kitchen being just steps from the campfire helped a bunch. I had a fridge stocked with fruits, veggies, sprouted grains and nuts, and of course my trusty blender. So my camp days started as usual with a green smoothie, and segued into salads and other noshs.

This salad, a "throw-together", had romaine and leafy lettuces, sprouted quinoa and mung beans, fresh from the garden tomatoes, all dressed up with a "throw-together" dressing. I'm good at throwing things. Here's the dressing - approximately:

Ginger Tahini dressing

Blend smooth: 1/2 c. tahini, 1 T. Braggs Liquid Aminos, 1-2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp. agave. Enough water to make desirable pouring consistency - a couple tablespoons maybe.

I didn't miss the hotdogs at all.

And the "fire therapy" - gazing into flames and glowing coals, letting the sounds, scents, and ambience of the camp flow around me, was dessert...

Green Smoothie Challenge...and more

2009-08-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

I'm participating in a 2-week Green Smoothie Challenge. When I get interested in something, I have a compulsion to learn all I can (within reason) about the subject - and green smoothies are my current passion!

Rather than re-create the wheel, here are some posts from other greenies, with info and encouragement. I find myself nodding in agreement as I read through...

"This last year I discovered the green drink, and now my day just isn't the same when I don't start it out with my GREEN DRINK. It all started when I read the book GREEN FOR LIFE (Victoria Boutenko).

My favorite recipe is 2-3 ripe bananas, 1 apple, 1 cup of juice; 2 cups of ice, and about 1 lb of spinach. Yes, I said ONE POUND of spinach. I mix this in a Vita Mix, and it is heavenly! It might look green, but it tastes like a fruit smoothie. °Ü°

1. Green drinks are very healthy. The best tasting ratio is about 60% - ripe organic fruit mixed with about 40% - organic green vegetables.

2. Green drinks are easy to digest. When blended well, all the valuable nutrients in these fruits and veggies become homogenized, or divided into such small particles that it becomes easy for the body to assimilate these nutrients; the green drink literally start to get absorbed in your mouth.

3. Green drink, as opposed to juices, are a complete food because they still have fiber.

4. Green drinks taste so yummy! With a ratio of fruits to veggies as 60/40 the fruit taste dominates the flavor, yet at the same time the green vegetables balance out the sweetness of the fruit.

5. By consuming two or three cups of green drink daily (I usually drink the whole 2 quarts in one day), you will consume enough of greens for the day to nourish your body, and they will be well assimilated. Many people do not consume enough of greens, even those on a raw food diet. The molecule of chlorophyll has only one atom that makes it different from a molecule of human blood. According to teachings of Dr. Ann Wigmore, to consume chlorophyll is like receiving a healthy blood transfusion.

6. Green smoothies are perfect food for children of all ages, including babies of six or more months old when introducing new food to them after mother’s milk. Of course you have to be careful and slowly increase the amount of green drink to avoid food allergies.

7. Regular consumption of Green drinks forms a good habit of eating greens. Many people say that after a couple of weeks of drinking green drink, they started to crave and enjoy eating more greens.

8. There are many ideas for your green creations. Some of my favorite greens to add to green drink: parsley, spinach, celery, kale and romaine. My favorite fruits for green drink are: pears, peaches, nectarines, bananas, mangoes and apples. Strawberries and raspberries taste superb in green smoothies, when combined with ripe bananas.

So go ahead now, give it a try! " °Ü° (The Baby Catcher - blog)

"Did you know that through one green smoothie you can consume 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables? Did you also know that eating green smoothies is one of the easiest way to digest the full nutrients of fruits and vegetables?

Green smoothies are a wonderful alternative, as opposed to juices, of absorbing the full potential by retaining the entire whole form of the fruit/vegetable, thus receiving all the fiber. They can assist in boosting energy, building your immune system, detoxing impurities, and loosing weight. Greens are rich in magnesium and alkaline minerals like calcium and are superb in their Omega-3 unsaturated fat content. Believe it or not, greens are one of the richest sources of protein.

Another one of my new year goals was to begin eating more greens in our diet. What better way than to include these in our morning smoothies? We serve kefir smoothies three times a week for breakfast, so my desire was to discreetly begin adding some nutritious greens to the mix. I have found it to be incredibly simple, delicious, and so much easier to eat than a large salad (especially for the kids). Not only can you really not taste the greens at all, but you are getting a huge boost in nutrition.

Greens are especially frugal and thus another good encouragement to begin consuming them.

We have stayed amazingly healthy over this past month since beginning the green smoothie pursuit, even when we have been exposed to some nasty illnesses around us. Could it be?" ( Passionate Homemaking -website)

"Dr. Wilstatter of the University of Pennsylvania, found that the elements making up the chlorophyll in plants are approximately the same elements from which red blood cells are constructed. There, he pronounced chlorophyll the ideal food medicine.

Chlorophyll cleanses, heals and builds the body cell. It banishes anemic conditions quickly, reduces blood pressure, and aids the heart action. It frees clogged arteries, smoothes out arthritic conditions, and improves peristalsis (the contractions that occur along the digestive track, moving the food along in the digestive process).
As a result of a diet rich in chlorophyll, health is improved and a happier mental outlook is experienced." Dr. Ann Wigmore, Recipes for Life

This site (http://greensmoothierevolution.com/blog/?cat=3 ) is wonderful to explore, with info, recipes, etc. It will keep you reading, and maybe even dusting off that blender!

Brunch smoothie

2009-08-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

A green smoothie is recommended as the “ blast of nutrition and energy that helps power you through the day.” I can attest to that - I'm loving my morning greenies, and often have enough to put in a second glass to save for an afternoon pick-me-up.

This delicious smoothie is low fat, low sodium, low cholesterol, heart healthy, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and raw! What more could you want...

It also makes enough to serve your brunch buddies.

The Brunch Smoothie Yield: 4 servings

In blender:
2 bananas
3 oranges, peeled, quartered
4 cups cold water

Blend smooth.

Add: 1 bunch romaine

Blend again, until smoothly green.

Serve immediately, in your fancy glasses. Garnish with an orange slice on the rim of each glass. Presentation is everything, you know...

Bottoms up!

2009-08-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

The fancy-top bottles (http://www.ezcap.net/) have made it to the brewing site - my kitchen. After a lesson from friend Laurie (see what she gets me into??) on how to put the wire and cap on correctly (and how to get it UN-capped so I can actually get the beverage OUT of the bottle - sheesh), I embarked on the bottling phase of this experiment.

The first to be honored with the new bottles was the batch of ginger-lemon-honey kombucha. Love those bits of ginger! After straining them out of the brew, I nibbled on them all afternoon - yum.

A few pieces of equipment - funnel, small sieve - and now for the big finale - into the bottle!

I was flabbergasted at the flavor of this, my very first bottled booch batch (say that three times fast). It was almost perfect, better than my beloved ginger ale because it's actually good for me. Weehaw!

See those bubbles? That's the buzz, baby!

Just kidding, it's just fizzy and yummy and gingery - honest.

Green Creme'

2009-08-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

An avocado made it's way into the green smoothie this morning...it was lonesome, sitting way over there in it's basket, getting overly ripe. I took pity on it, and impulsively chucked it into the whirling Vita-Mix that had already turned a frozen banana and a nicely ripe mango into a lusciously smooth base for this morning's kale smoothie.

Wow! That mixture went from smooth to decadently creamy in a heartbeat! It also thickened, so in went a little more water along with the kale, then a couple leaves of red lettuce just for fun.

What a filling, yummy breakfast treat! I may be buying those really soft avos now, just for a Green Creme' now and then!

Boochie koochie!

2009-08-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

OK,OK, it looks suspicious, but it's all legal - honest. That's BOOCH, not HOOCH on the label.

It's all Laurie's fault. Or at least her friend's fault. She had some SCOBY to share. What? Yeah, that was my thought, too. I had run across kombucha here and there, bottled in the health food sections I like to browse. But it was too pricey to spring for a taste test. Had heard good things about it, though. So, I was willing to experiment.

"Kombucha is an all natural health beverage made with a nutrient solution of tea and sugar to which a SCOBY is added. SCOBY is an acronym for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. It is then fermented for 7-14 days.
Kombucha is naturally carbonated and has a host of healing properties including probiotics, alkalinizing the blood, detoxifying the liver, increased metabolism, improved digestion, rebuilding connective tissue and many others." - Kombucha Kamp

The SCOBY is also called the "mushroom". That's the strange floating stack-of-pancakes-looking thing in the jar. Those are layers of SCOBY from various brew cycles. Following some nebulous instruction and lots of reading online, I filled a gallon jar about 3/4 with some brewed green tea. Added the mushroom along with it's attendant liquid as a starter. Put some cheese cloth over the top secured with a rubber band, set it in a warmish corner and tried not to look at it too often. It's weird stuff.

Now you can use the brew at whatever stage it suits your taste - literally. One suggestion was, after about a week, to stick a straw below the mushroom and take a sip to test-taste the 'booch. I just couldn't do it. It was scary. But it did smell good. I gave it a sniff every couple of days, to see how it was doing. Like I knew what it was supposed to be doing...

It didn't help that Laurie had described the mushroom as sort of smelling like old socks. I just couldn't get past that mental connection...

Finally, it's been two weeks. The kombucha will turn to vinegar if it goes too long. I like vinegar, but I wanted to do this right, give it a chance to do it's healthy thing for me. So this morning I bit the bullet, and got out some jars. The slippery, rubbery mushroom was stashed along with some of it's liquid in another jar, and refrigerated - which will keep it inactive until I decide if I can handle this stuff.

I poured a small glass - and set it aside. Got out some more ingredients. Washed the jars. Delay, delay. OK, gutless, get it over with. A tiny sip. Another sip. HEY! IT'S FIZZY! Just like the instructions said! Wow! And, it is tasty! A sort of sweet/tangy flavor, very refreshing and fun.

Then I poured the rest of the brew into quart jars, for further experimenting. One jar has some fresh ginger, a slice of lemon, and some honey - I'm hoping for ginger ale. The other jar has slices of fresh juicy peaches. The idea is, the shot of new sugar will get the yeasties going again, for more fizz.

Laurie has some fancy bale-top bottles for me, to put the finished product in. We're going to enjoy our kombucha just like the big kids, now!

(if you are curious, there's a ton of info online; here's a good site for further exploration: http://kombuchakamp.blogspot.com/ )

Mayo magic

2009-08-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

A quick snack I'm taking advantage of while there are small, tender summer squash to nosh on. The crispy babies are the platform for a new love - almond mayonnaise - or "Almondaise", for short. (I found this in Traci Seller's Transformational Kitchen recipes - worth exploring at

http://www.kalsschool.com/TracisBooks/tabid/80/Default.aspx

where you can order her wonderful e-books.)

Here's the very SIMPLE how-to:
1. Soak 1/2 c. whole raw almonds in water for 4 or more hours. Drain the water off, put the almonds in the blender.
2. Add 1/2 c. water and process until a smooth paste forms.
3. With the blender still running, drizzle in a thin stream of olive oil - 1 cup of light olive oil (or extra virgin if you really really love the stronger flavor). The mixture will be thick, with a bead of oil riding on top of the churning mixture.
4. While still running, pour in 2-3 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice, blend one more minute. You may have to stop and push mixture down, then reblend.

Store in lidded jar in the fridge. It keeps well, about a week - if it lasts that long! This wonder food can be used in all the usual mayo ways, fill in for dairy in casseroles, or eat with a spoon (I'm guilty)!

Sprinkled with a few strategic pine nuts, this is an outrageously tasty, nutritious, fresh and very simple snack. The small container travels in my little lunch bag with an icepack and a couple of sliced squash - no excuses for not eating raw while running errands, and a satisfying crunchy beach snack while others are eating chips and dip!

I'm all about keeping it simple.

Harmony

2009-08-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

A gardener has the opportunity to develop a very special relationship with the world of plants. If the gardener is observant, mindful, forgiving, curious, enthusiastic, adventurous, spiritual, and willing to experiment, the green ones will reward with health, peace of body and mind, and friendship.

As I look at the photo above, I see beets, kohlrabi, dill, marigolds, millet, and a few "weeds" doing their job of distracting some of the leaf marauders, and especially,I see a symbiotic relationship. That relationship includes me.

My garden tolerates my attempts at organizing, teases me by varying production and maturity dates, undermines weed control, and gives me something I can find nowhere else: a personal relationship with the food I eat.

Eating raw has further enhanced my considerable love of gardening. My enjoyment of an individual plant now includes a deeper knowledge of it's potential to improve my life at a cellular level. It's exciting, satisfying, and fulfilling.

I feel alive at a deeper level. I know my health is improving. When I harvest a beet, or carrot, or yes, even a zuchinni, I offer a word of thanks and appreciation to the spirit of that plant for it's place in my life. I feel like I'm more than a plant-tender; I have a caring partner.

It's a good feeling.

The other end....

2009-08-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

When I had a working juicer, I put my share of carrots into a glass. I don't recall using the green end, though. Probably because that particular juicer didn't do greens well.

Now I can use the other end of those carrots! There is a yummy salad sorta dish that I make with grated carrots and grated fresh beets - the green end usually made it out to the horses, or goats. Now, the greenies go into the VitaMix!

This morning's green smoothie: fresh pineapple, half an orange juiced, and a good handful of carrots tops. I was a little tenative with the first sip - afterall, there was no banana for sweet creaminess. But the pineapple carried the job - what a surprise, a fresh greeny sweetly pinappley flavor!

The Oatmeal Challenge

2009-08-16T15:30:00.000-07:00

I love browsing through the raw blogs and sites, so much info, so many wonderful recipes and ideas - and I can only eat so much in a given day! I'm just not hungry more than twice a day, it seems...

Anyway, found this fun post on oatmeal. It's always been one of my "comfort foods". The ideas shared in the comments take plain 'ol oatmeal to another level, with some tasty and thrifty suggestions. Worth a read:

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/08/the-oatmeal-challenge.html#more-1900

Smooth moves...

2009-08-16T06:07:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying the green smoothies soooo much! Fresh, fresh, fresh! So full of nutrients, they almost jump out of the glass! Energy, energy, energy!

AND SIMPLE - my first rule!

One of the tenets of green smoothies is to vary your ingredients, especially the greens, so that you don't have the same smoothie twice in a row. That is definately not hard to do - the combination prospects are literally endless. Use your favorite fruits, add some greens. Presto!

So to help me keep track, I'm adding a sidebar on what my smoothie of the day is, a week at a time. Some days there may even be two. There will be repeats of favorites, of course - right now they ALL are - but with a list in front of me (posted on the fridge), I will keep the juggling going.

Some TIPS: blend fruits and any liquids used first; then add greens. Keep some bananas frozen at all times, and other fruits as you can.

You don't need fancy equipment - a knife, cutting board, and basic blender will work just fine. I juice the old-fashioned way - by hand. Squeeze the stuffings out of those lemons and oranges :)

One more note: smoothies are FOOD, not beverages to be slugged down. You risk experiencing the 'green-apple quick-step' if you drink too much too fast. Give your system time to work with the smoothie - "CHEW" each mouthful a few times, to mix in saliva and begin digestion of this easy-to-assimulate super nutritious food.

So give a green smoothie a try - you'll be surprised how tasty, refreshing and filling they are.

And your body will rejoice!

Peachy Green Smoothie!

2009-08-15T13:20:00.001-07:00

Unless you are in with the "green groupies", you probably didn't know that TODAY is International Green Smoothie Day. Who knew?
Not only a "green smoothie", but international, no less!

As part of my raw adventure, I've been playing with green smoothies all week, even before I knew about this momentous occasion. In case you are wondering, a green smoothie is basically a fruit smoothie sans milk products, with a good helping of greens blended in. The basic ratio starts at about 60% fruit, 40% greens, until you get the hang of them, then you can go for the green.

The fruit masks the greeny taste quite well, making a luscious smoothie with a soothing green color. You may find yourself scouring the markets for overripe bananas, just to freeze for these amazing "meal in a glass" creations . Frozen fruit makes the smoothies thick, cold and creamy, without any clogging-your-system milk or yogurt.

I went to the Green Bay Farmer's Market early this morning, and scored a lot of fresh local fruit, and some gorgeous Michigan peaches. So my recipe of the day is: "Peachy Green Smoothie":

In your blender (love my VITAMIX!!), plop a cut up ripe peach (no need to peel if you are comfortable that it hasn't been sprayed - just give it a good wash), a frozen banana (chunked), and about 1/4 cup water. Blend well, then throw in a handful of baby spinach. Blend smooth. Pour into your favorite clear glass, garnish with a peach slice, put your feet up and ENJOY! Savor the icey smoothness, the sparkle of peach and creaminess of banana. You won't even notice the spinach, promise.

Other than the green hue...

Viva International Green Smoothie Day!

Raw reality

2009-08-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

I'm celebrating one week of eating mostly raw foods most of the time. Celebrating, because of the remarkable differences I'm noting. With help from the wonderfully fresh veggies and fruits from my garden, I have enjoyed a grand new adventure, one that is going to have lasting impact on my life.

Having colon cancer is a real wake-up call. Step by step, I've been working towards decifering what will be the most supportive way of eating for my particular body system.

Recently I went through almost two months of waking up nauseated. I think I've figured it out, as I reported in EarthHeart. Now, with the raw foods (including dandelions!), I haven't had a single incident of nausea. Things seem to be working as designed.

Insomnia has been a plague for many years. I've slept soundly every night, all week. Celebration, for sure!

My energy level has leveled, no more afternoon crashing for a nap. With lots of things to look forward to everyday, that's a blessing. Not that I still won't enjoy a nap now and then, but now I don't feel like I just can't make it through the day without a rest.

I feel lighter, in mood, in mind and thought, and hey! lighter in body - 5 pounds disappeared! Without even thinking about it. Eating in what is labeled "proper food combining" manner has definately had results.

At times I have felt - well, the only word I can think of is, euphoric. It seems like my whole body is telling me, YES, this is the way it's supposed to work! It's been surprising how quickly my physical system has responded, and how thoroughly I've made the mental shift of recognizing that the raw food is what I need to do. It sure didn't take long! I like this feeling!

So what's ahead? I have a fridge housing a rainbow of vegetables, sprouts growing rampant on the counter, luscious spreads and dressings and dips waiting to be loved...and a very very happy body.

Onward!

Timing

2009-08-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

When I began this jaunt into raw foods, it was all at once. However, I know there was some synchronicity involved. The garden is at peak production. The Farmer's Markets are bursting with color and flavor. A friend had to marry off a daughter and left me her garden to care for, for a couple of weeks. She has eggplant in her garden. I don't. But now I can indulge, anyway! So yes, the timing was good.

Timing in harvesting the garden is important, too - just try keeping up with the explosion of August vegetables! From one hour to the next, something is ready to eat - wonderful grazing!

I also think about the timing in my life journey. I have had several bouts of serious health issue the past two years. I also have limited means, for buying groceries and taking care of medical bills.

So taking care of myself by eating in a health-supporting manner is just part of provident living; saving money by avoiding health issues and subsequent expense, and making the most of the resouces I have at hand - a huge garden being the prime example. Not to mention the wildcrafting which is abundant here on the acreage. Food under foot, wherever I go!

As I have spent time this week delving into the raw foods, both theory, research, and recipes, I'm impressed by the awesome health benefits. This was definately the right thing to do for myself, and the right time.

I'm so grateful for those who have walked this path for the past 20 or more years, and for the newer, ambitious and savvy folk, who are generous with their knowledge and enthusiasm. They make these first baby steps so much easier. I like to step out in knowledge, and thanks to all of them I am comfortably ambling along.

Hot day = cold soup

2009-08-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Big thunder storm last night. Several downpours throughout the evening and night. Soaked ground. Overcast. Hot. Adds up to HUMIDITY. Wisconsin "stupidity", as my son-in-law calls it. Sheesh. It is 90 some degrees and about 99 percent humidity.

Ice cold watermelon, blueberries, a couple of strawberries, some almond milk. Whizzed in the Vita. Perfect breakfast.

It's so uncomfortably warm and sticky, that the thought of food, even vegetables and fruit, is just not appealing. Enter the COLD SOUP.

A scan of the fridge revealed all the makings. Just needed a quick trip to the garden for some dill. Caught some young zuchinni on the way back, before they grew into teenage zuchinni (I like them at toddler stage). Into the Vita-mix went: about 2 cups of baby spinach, a tender young zuchinni cut in chunks, a couple cloves of garlic, a dollop of tahini, a glug of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, a handful of dill, the last tablespoon of sunflower seeds, about 1/2 cup of water. It took a couple stops to push everything down to where the action was, but in about 90 seconds I had this velvety, soothingly green soup. A quick chill in the freezer, then into a bowl.
The garnish is a sprig of right-out-of-the-garden dill, AND some crumbles of my freshly made goat chevre with chives and dill.

NOTE: this chevre is made with only an initial warming of the milk to 86 degrees. The culture does the rest. I call that raw.

A cold soup on a hot day is a lifesaver.

I'm loving this raw stuff!!

Learning curve...

2009-08-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

As with most endeavors, one should become educated about what you are doing. Especially when it comes to your health and well-being. For the past few days, I've been traveling high-speed roads over the internet, visiting around in the raw world. Fun, informative, time-consuming...some good sites, some not-so-good.

My basic premise in life is, KEEP IT SIMPLE. Approaching raw eating with this in mind, I have criteria for what I ingest both mentally and physically.

One thing I've learned in the past 24 hours, is that I will probably be considered a "high raw" eater - if one must really have a label. In other words, I will eat mostly raw, most of the time. I love lightly steamed veggies like broc and cauliflower, and as long as I don't boil the good stuff out of a veg I see no reason to agonize over "giving up" foods that have proven good for me in the past. I listen to my body a lot. It knows.

That all being said, I have to recommend a site that I think has done an exemplary job of keeping it simple, educational and encouraging. The author, Gena, seems warm and approachable and has COMMON SENSE! How refreshing! I often maintain it has left the planet...

Anyway, here's a link to Gena and her awesome explanations and recipes. Be sure to explore the tabs at the top, and have an open mind as you read. You will be refreshed and maybe even inspired. I certainly am.

http://www.choosingraw.com/

Gena has done the footwork, and I never have believed in reinventing the wheel...

Freedom

2009-08-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

Besides just having fun indulging in one of my favorite hobbies - reading cookbooks and recipes and learning more about foods - I have noticed something that is a bit unusual in my many years of all sorts of "diet" experiences: I'm not thinking about how the food I'm eating is affecting me. Is it too high in fat, carbs, etc, or no sugar or trans fats, and so on. Because as long as it is RAW, or really close to it, there is no need to fuss over it. No counting calories, or amounts, or servings. What a concept.

I find that so refreshing and FREEING. It is an actual feeling of lightness - both of mind and of body. Hmmmm. I've been reading about how results of eating raw can be very quick - this is interesting. The more I learn, the more convinced I am that my angels led me to this.

Here's the fastest icecream recipe you'll ever make:
Put 3-4 frozen bananas, cut in chunks, into a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. The end.

Told ya so.

If the bananas were really ripe, you don't need any sort of sweetener for this. If I really wanted to gild the lily, I could drizzle it with honey or pure maple syrup. Might even add some flavors like maybe cocoa powder, or frozen berries. It's a whole new world out there in "raw-land"!

This was my treat last night, and there's still more in the freezer, in 1/2 cup containers.

Into the Vita-mix: 3 frozen bananas, about 1/2 c. frozen raspberries (fresh from the garden two hours previous - now THAT'S eating "zero miles!"), a dash of vanilla, about 1/3 cup finely chopped walnut/pecan mixture, 1 cup cold goatmilk. Whizzed into icey, creamy yumminess in about 30 seconds. Made 5 nice little cups of frozen treat.

If I had to choose again, I would make it with a nut or seed milk, rather than the dairy. The goatmilk is delicious but milk does cause me some problems, always has. One of the things I need to remove from my personal eating pattern is dairy. That means my lovely chevre will be a treat item, not an everyday snack. Dairy is in one of the circles, but really doesn't do well with fruits (this is a "food combining" principle). Which is why next time I will make my treat with almond milk.

Now that's something I have to wrap my mind around: food combining. I used to do the old popular concept of a certain amount of beans with a certain amount of appropriate grain or veg, etc. to make sure I was getting "adequate protein" (Adele Davis era - I know, that dates me). It was complicated and ultimately too much trouble.

Now, with the help of a simple four-circle graph (looks like Mickey Mouse - the ears, you know), it's very very EASY to figure out this concept of food combining. I'm not going to get too hung up on it at the moment, my aim for this week is just to start eating mostly raw (100% so far), and enjoy the journey.

But eventually, when I get out of kindergarten, I will graduate to the high school concept of food combining put forth by Traci Sellers in her "Traci's Transformational Health Principles", and meantime I can still enjoy "Traci's Transformational Kitchen Recipe Collection" which does it all FOR me!

A good place to explore:

http://www.bestfoodist.com/

Day 1 - what's in the fridge?

2009-08-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

To start the day, I cut up some watermelon and snacked on that as I puttered around getting my morning underway. Drank my usual glass of water and apple cider vinegar, and got the daily quart of nettle/dandelion/plaintain infusion going to drink throughout the day. Threw in some mullein at the last minute, that hadn't quite dried completely from the batch I took out of the dehydrators earlier this morning.

Again, it just felt like I was doing the "right thing", in pursuing this way of eating. It was what my body needed for now. For lunch, I chose one of several recipes I had tagged in Dining in the Raw, and after a quick jaunt through the garden I made Zuchinni Carrot soup. I'll be putting together some raspberry-banana frozen dessert after awhile, the berries and 'nanners are working on getting frozen so I can throw them in the Vita- mix.

Here's how the soup goes together: Blend 1/2 c. tahini (or in my case, lacking tahini at the moment, the last of my raw cashew butter), a cup of water, some Bragg's Liquid Aminos, some garlic and green onion. Grate a medium zuchinni, a carrot, add half to the blender. Blend smooth. Pour into a bowl, stir in the rest of the grated veggies, some chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, and more Bragg's to taste. After a taste test, I also stirred in 1/2 tsp. lemon juice. Chill, letting flavors blend.

This chilled soup is creamy but textured, fresh and crunchy and filling. I really enjoyed it, and will put it on my "make again" list.

Dinner. Hmmmm. Dinner. Well, I have some couscous in the pantry, and a ton more veggies waiting in the wings. We'll see what they decide to waltz across the stage.

Well, now! They didn't do too bad for a bunch of amateurs! They chose to present Garam Coucous.

Here we have couscous (bring water to boil, stir in couscous 1/1 ratio, take off heat, lid, and let set 5 minutes - wahlah!) in the pot, with some garam masala spice stirred in (one of my FAV spice blends); diced red pepper, grated carrot, sliced scallions, chopped cilantro, a couple of olives (escaped from their can), toasted ground cumin seed, with some Bragg's Liquid Aminos and Udo's Oil Blend to provide flavor, nutrition and moisture to marry the cast as a harmonious and delicious family.

Plated, it looks like they made a successful production! I could eat that. And with the spoon of veggie raita left from our Indian feast the other evening, it was perfect! The flavors are multi-layered, the textures varied for interest, and the warm couscous had a perfect counterpoint in the cold raita (cucs, onion, tomato, plain yogurt, ground toasted cumin seed).
There was plenty of coucous and veggies left to combine with the Bragg's and Udo oil and more ground cumin seed, for a lunch bowl I can look forward to tomorrow.

There's still dessert to come. The frozen banana-raspberry-goat milk icecream is divided into 1/2 cup dessert cups, safely stashed in the freezer for those moments of bliss we all need in our food.

My tummy is happy. My heart is happy. I would call this a good start.

In the beginning, there was a garden...

2009-08-05T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is my journal of diving into raw food for awhile. I'm purposely not putting time lines or guidelines or anything else on myself as I approach this way of eating. I've been interested in it for a long time, even have a "cookbook" on the shelf that's been browsed through but the pages have yet to be dripped or dropped on during a experimental foray.

Until this morning.

The herb harvesting and intense wildcrafting I've been doing seem to have influenced something deep inside. Yesterday, it smacked me between the eyes (where supposedly the brain resides) and said, "Yo, it's TIME to clean up your act!"

The other thing that happened, was a few days ago I came across a blogsite that really resonated with me, from a gal who eats 75% raw, has goats, makes soap and cheese, has a garden, and horses, and chickens, and homeschools her boys, and...you can see how I got hooked in. Also, she is in central Washington, so I felt very at home with her comments about her area.

I can't really describe the euphoria that struck as I said to myself, "Self, we are going to do this, it's the right thing to do, and we're doing it NOW!" I felt light, and free, and very very happy. It's a high that I recognized, as being true to ME, true to my soul and where I am in my life journey.

I know that at my age, critical digestive enzyme activity is greatly dimished. Raw foods, and very lightly cooked foods, can help that deficiency. With my wake-up call of colon cancer, I need to be more aware of eating in an intelligent, not sensory, manner. Not that this way of eating will be a hardship, I've done too much vegetarian eating in the past to fall into the "bland, blah" trap.

This will be a journey into some familar and also new realms of food. It will be exciting, challenging, and vastly satisfying. Body and soul.

SO.

Here I go again, with sincere desire to be healthier, to discard some pounds along with some bad habits and cravings, to eat closer to zero miles (everything produced at home as much as possible - thank you, garden!), and live more lightly on the land.

I've found a website that is comfortable to start with (http://www.purelydelicious.net/rawrecipes.htm ), I have my "Dining in the Raw" cookbook (very nice, too), and some blogs to browse from like-minded souls.

I have a good food processor, a Vita-mix blender that is capable of mixing everything from soup to concrete, some premium Henckel knives and my trusty cutting boards.

AND, I have a producing garden that is begging to be ingested!

We're ready to rock 'n roll!