Live Wife - a new wife's adventures in eating raw food!

SALAD MANIA!!!

2011-06-27T09:03:00.000-04:00

Hey all!

I am embarking on a "One new salad per week" extravaganza. I am doing this to keep switching it up and also cut down on grocery bills. The idea is that I only buy the ingredients for one variation of salad and eat that for about one week before switching to a new salad I've never tried before.

This is only lunch, mind you. Breakfast smoothies are still on the menu and often we have a healthy, whole, cooked meal at dinner with a regular side salad or veggie sticks or some other raw side.

Heres where YOU come in handy. Please send me your favorite ever salad recipes!

So far, mine is:

Arugula and Baby Italian Greens
Red Onions
Dried Cranberries
Almonds
Raspberry Vinegar Dressing

:)

What is yours?

Cucumber + Nectarine Green Smoothie

2011-06-08T10:03:00.000-04:00

OH MY GOSH I AM SO FULL!!!

I just ate a huge green smoothie and I might explode. But, I wanted to tell you how delicious it was and give you a recipe. This is sooo goooood. I love this smoothie. A lot. Seriously. I personally like to think I am a master smoothie maker now that I have the hang of it, and this smoothie is just proof of my genius.

Nectarines are in season and apparently so are cucumbers (they are only fifty cents each right now! WHAT WHHAATTT!). Thus, cucumber nectarine smoothie. Alas, here is the awaited recipe:

Ingredients (Makes 2 Pints = 2 Servings)
* 2 Nectarines
* 1 medium Cucumber
* A handful of Fresh Spinach
* 2 tablespoons of Flax Seeds
* 2 Bananas
* 1/2 c. Water

Directions
Blend. haha. For those of you who don't know, I blend flax seeds and veggies first, then fruit, then bananas. I have a regular blender. One day I'll have a VitaMix or something. I use it enough to justify the cost!

....exploding now. I am so full. UGHHHHH. I don't know why I feel so full! Maybe its the flax seeds. I don't know but I am going to go sit in my smoothie drunk state for a few minutes.

Ani's Confetti Salad

2011-06-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

This week for lunch I am having Ani Phyo's Confetti Salad (with a cucumber/orange dressing) from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.

It is delicious, but I HATE cherries, as I've come to discover, and cherries are on this salad. Dried ones. I am eating them today, but they will not be a part of my salads for the rest of the week. Obviously, that is simply a personal preference kinda thing. The dressing is delicious. I am really impressed with this dressing! IT IS SO GOOD...the flavors of the cucumber, the orange, ginger and garlic go together way better than I would have imagined on my own...and it looks yummy, too. I've made some dressings that were brown and icky, but this is a nice light green color--as it should be.

Ani Phyo wins again!

Missing Raw Foods

2011-06-04T08:27:00.000-04:00

I miss my blog and I miss eating mass quantities of raw foods.

Lately, I've been eating green smoothies almost every morning and raw salads for lunch. I have greatly reduced the amount of SAD foods I eat now that Ruthi has been born. That sounds awful. I should have been eating better while pregnant--for Ruthi and for me! I gained 45 lbs during pregnancy due to being primarily sedentary (especially after I stopped serving at a local restaurant at 7 months pregnant) and giving in to every single craving-- and I am ready to get back in shape.

Today, I am committing to this:

* 75-80% raw
* Exercise aerobically at 3-5 hours per week with at least two days of strength training (all major muscle groups)
* Yoga. Throughout the week when I can take the time to relax and have everything quiet.

And, as part of my desire to have holistic health and wellness:

* Bible time every day--I need to get back into the Word!
* Novel reading with the husband (right now we plan this once a week)
* Playing with my dog instead of just being annoyed with him...because he's awesome and I love him.
* Studying for my Literature in English GRE subject test so I can go to grad school!

Fitness and Nutrition A-Z Marathon!

2011-04-04T08:37:00.002-04:00

Hey All, I've missed you!

I am not, at this point, re-opening this blog (though I have been thinking about it!). However, the blog that is now what this blog was plus more, Blooming Mom Blog, is having an A-Z marathon this month. I got the idea from Candyland and some other authors who are doing it, but I started late. haha.

Anyway, go check it out and see what awesome stuff I am talking about: http://localmom.wordpress.com/

Love you guys! :)

Consolidating Blogs

2011-01-04T10:31:00.000-05:00

Hello, everyone.

As sad as this is, I must tell you that my blog is moving. I am changing the theme to a more rounded, green-mom/live food/gardening/farming blog on Wordpress. You can find it here. Make sure you stop by and add it to your blog reader things. I really want to keep blogging about raw food but Andrew and I have recently decided to keep it simple. Green smoothies, salads, fresh fruit and veggies with each meal, etc. I have to say that after the year of raw fooding, local politics, raising my new baby, growing organic veggies, etc. have taken more of a priority in my life. I want to share all of these things with you and in one place, so that is what I'm doing.

Please stop by and check out the blog. Its pretty new, so don't expect much...but it should round out over the next few weeks--especially once the little one arrives.

:)

This isn't exactly "goodbye" since I have another blog, but you know. Bye. Oh, I may update this blog here and there so keep subscribing to this one just in case!

Love you all!

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

2010-12-30T16:24:00.000-05:00

Today's morning smoothie was:

about a cup of strawberries

half a can of pineapple (4 small rings)

two bananas

about 3-4 handfulls of spinach

a cup of filtered water

And it was DELICOUS, just like all the smoothies I make these days.

and tonight, I believe I'm going to have some sort of blueberry/pear or blueberry/apple smoothie.

Enjoy!

Oh, and thanks to eating highly raw again, my midwife commented on how I "made it through the holidays" without gaining too much weight. Hoorah! I'm only 6 weeks away from my due date and 4 weeks away from being considered full term. The baby will be here in no time!

And, just because I want to share, here's what we're doing to her bedroom (with a brighter, more blue-toned base color):

My FIRST Green Juice

2010-12-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! How are you all?

Today while grabbing some groceries, I had my first green juice from the juice bar at our local co-op. I was really excited to try it. The mixture I picked was called "GREEN ENERGY" and was made up of cucumbers, spinach, celery, and parsley.

The lady who made it gave it to me in a little 12oz container and I drank it right up.

I was a little taken aback by how strong the celery juice tasted. I had no idea celery could have such a distinct flavor. I could barely taste anything else! But alas, the juice was yummy once I got past such a surprise. It was very, very refreshing. Next time, I'm going to try one with beets, carrots, and ginger.

... I want a juicer!

Check out this article for an awesome breakdown of the benefits of juicing your veggies. Fight various cancers! Increase oxygen flow in your body! Be filled with enzymes! Absorb the most nutrients! etc. etc. etc. The assumed benefits are endless. And the taste combinations endless, also.

...I want a juicer!

Now, you CAN juice also without a juicer, just as I can. Get a straining cloth or nut milk cloth (I found one today at my local hardware store), blend up some fruits/veggies and strain. Its that simple, apparently. I'm going to try it soon and I'll let you know how it goes! :)

Here's another picture of fresh, raw juice:

Looks so good.

Ok, that's all. I was just excited to have my first raw, green juice and thought I would share!

Be on the lookout for a post about some raw chocolate/almond fudge I just made, too!

....

(nut milk bag making raw juice)

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie--by Choosing Raw

2010-12-26T21:12:00.000-05:00

So while I was waiting for Andrew to get up on Christmas morning so we could open our presents, as you may remember, I was planning our morning smoothie and attempting to find ways to waste time. Well, as any good "foodie" (though I'm more of just an "eatie"...I just love eating) would do, I spent that time looking at other raw blogs and checking out some interesting holiday posts.

And then .. I found this :

Gena of Choosing Raw created this masterpiece. The Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie. Taken straight from the website, here is the recipe:

Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie (serves 1)

1 tbsp carob
1 frozen banana
1 cup frozen or regular raspberries
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp coconut butter

Blend all ingredients in a blender till smooth and even. Enjoy!

SO I MADE IT!!!!!!

I used frozen raspberries and a non-frozen banana. I doubled the recipe, of course, to share with Andrew. We also didn't have coconut butter so I just used coconut oil and it turned out delicious, but a bit more red in color than the picture Gena provided. By the way, the picture I'm about to show you has "Puppy Chow"/"Snowman Poop"/"Muddy Buddy" ingredients in the background. Totally not raw, vegan, vegetarian, etc..but who doesn't like that stuff?? Seriously.

It had a really nice chocolate taste but with the amazing flavor of the raspberries...and a hint of tropical sweetness in the background from the coconut. Ok, guys, 5 raws for this. RAW RAW RAW RAW RAW!!! :O YUM!

Andrew was really glad we had it, also, because it really was tasty! In fact, he found some more in the freezer today and pulled it out to finish it off.

...And the smoothie is full of manganese and Vitamin C from the raspberries plus a ton of antioxidants. YUM! It made for a great Christmas morning breakfast before stuffing ourselves full of non-raw, traditional Christmas food.

Anyway, Check out Choosing Raw and Gena's blog...definitely worth it!

YUM YUM YUM YUMMY YUMMY YUM!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T07:42:00.001-05:00

Its early... Santa has visited the house but not all the household members are awake...so no opening just yet! I had a morning banana and will sit here and stare at the gifts until Andrew comes downstairs.... or find something to read/listen to...but staring at presents sounds like the most appropriate Christmas morning thing to do.

We are having green smoothies for breakfast (pineapple/banana/kale) because last night I had a small, yet traditional Christmas dinner with a couple friends (ham, broccoli casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, brownies). I had indigestion and a tummy ache ALL NIGHT. I know.. I know.. who's fault is that, right?!

ANYWAY, I'm going to attempt to take it easy today.... At least I'm going to try!

OH, and yesterday I had my first fresh pomegranate. WHAT A YUMMY FRUIT! Get ready for some experiments with more pomegranates! :)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Matthew 1:23

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God With Us. (KJV)

Ohhhh Yeah! Finally got it...

2010-12-22T08:03:00.001-05:00

Well, folks, I gave in.** I bought canned pineapple and now am enjoying one of the most DEEELICIOUS smoothies ever. My favorite, pineapple and banana smoothie.

Today, though, I added a twist and used:

A few pieces of baby kale leaves (no stems)
a couple handfulls of Spinach
a handful of mixed baby greens
half a can of pineapple + half the can's juice
2-3 cups of frozen bananas
1 cup orange/mango juice

So, this isn't the freshest or the most raw green smoothie I could make, but it tastes amazing and definitely has a fresh, green boost to it! The greens were the freshest part of the smoothie, followed by frozen bananas (I froze these myself), canned pineapple, then the orange/mango juice. I love orange/mango juice so you better watch out-- if I ever get myself a juicer or strainer its on!

By the way, I thought it important to make mention that when I make these smoothies, I am making them for me AND Andrew, so if you want just a tiny smoothie, make half of what I make. Seriously, though, if you haven't ventured into the world of green smoothies, do it NOW. I was afraid to mix vegetables into my fruit smoothies but now I'm obsessed. I love it and I love experimenting! My first couple smoothies weren't the best, but I'm getting pretty good at knowing what is going to taste good with what. I think the key to a great smoothie is the frozen bananas, in most cases. It makes the smoothie frothy and very cold, which I love! Even in the winter!

Anyway, I just wanted to get online and tell the world how pleased I am with my smoothie this morning...so thank you for humoring me. And MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

** I don't think there is anything wrong with buying canned fruit or frozen fruit, I just prefer the taste of fresh! And, I think there are probably more nutrients and living enzymes in food that has just been harvested! :)

A December Morning Smoothie

2010-12-16T07:57:00.000-05:00

Good day!

So, I woke up ready for a green smoothie for the first time in AGES...well, since I got pregnant. I have been CRAVING it. I went downstairs at 6a.m. and started putting stuff in my blender. I really miss the pineapple/banana smoothie (my FAVORITE), but organic, fresh (and canned!) pineapple is out of this world expensive right now.

Instead, I used:

Spinach
Romaine
2 Clementines
2 cups Frozen Bananas
1 Banana
A few Frozen Strawberries
Water + OJ

I didn't put exact measurements of everything because, as with any green smoothie, its all about personal preference. I read a blog today that said always to use 60% fruits and 40% veggies, especially to start. I think I used about half of each in this smoothie.

I'm not a huge fan of using frozen fruit but I can't afford anything else right now! Since everything is out of season, or so it seems, I am stuck buying frozen stuff. Can someone tell me any in-season Indiana produce?? There are still some amazing apples coming in to the co-op, but otherwise I have a feeling that everything is going to be pretty skimpy from here on out until spring. I'll have to travel to the large co-op across town, where they have a wider selection of fruits/veggies and a bigger frozen section, to supplement what I can't get at the Farmer's Market.

Oh, and this smoothie is FULL of protein, iron, vitamins, minerals, and is FAT FREE, great for gallbladder disease, gallstones, or gallbladder sludge! It's also good for other digestive disorders such as pancreatitis.

The Spinach, among other things, is mildly anti-inflamatory while the clementines each provide about 60% of your daily intake of vitamin C and is a great source of Potassium. The entire smoothie is full of fiber so it can help with weight-loss, digestion. A smoothie like this fights cholesterol and lowers/stabilizes blood pressure. And don't forget, green smoothies are great for hydration since raw fruits and veggies contain a lot of water!

Beating the Winter Freeze

2010-12-15T08:14:00.001-05:00

Hello!

Long time no post, I know. And I've been saying that for the one or two times I've actually posted during this pregnancy.

Well, I'm cold. Its winter in Indiana and the past few days the windchill has been in the negatives (*F). It has been almost a year since our raw journey began, obviously with a break here and there. I remember last winter when I began attempting a raw diet that the most trying thing about raw food was being cold in the winter and trying to suck down a smoothie made with frozen bananas or eating soup that's been barely warmed in the food processor.

So, my plan is this: find raw foods that warm my body! I heard ginger does this, or cayenne, or some other spices. Do you all have any ideas for raw food that has a warming effect?

Oh, and on a side note, I was diagnosed with gallbladder problems (not sure if it is just sludge or actual stones) and put on a very strict, no-fat diet. Since then, we have been eating a lot more salads, raw fruits and veggies, and I've been considering adding smoothies back into our morning routine. I just really miss everything being in season, cheap, and locally produced! Pineapple is extremely expensive, strawberries are 6.99/pkg, etc. The co-op was even out of bananas yesterday. I bought frozen fruit, but it really doesn't hold a candle to fresh, local produce. Wah!

Anyway, let me know if you have ideas for me!

I'm baaaack!

2010-10-12T19:22:00.000-04:00

Yes, you guessed it!

The reason I have been MIA has been because I AM HAVING A BABY!!!! A sweet, little, tiny, adorable, kickboxing baby GIRL!

Isn't she precious!?

So, are you questioning why being pregnant has kept me from blogging? Well, let me tell you something. One of the first "symptoms" of pregnancy occurred on my way to work one day. As I was sipping my delectable, incredible, amazing pineapple/banana green smoothie, I began to feel a little nauseated. To put it lightly, it took a lot for me to keep that smoothie down that morning. As the week progressed, my nausea transformed into an all-out aversion to all raw vegetables. I couldn't even look at them without vomiting. Or almost vomiting. My first morning sickness that ended in the bathroom occurred because my husband took a bite of a slice of green pepper as he was preparing his beautiful lunch salad.

Weird, huh? I could eat fruit (and I did), but I also have craved hot fudge sundaes, pizza, and some other non-raw foods. I was so sick of raw veggies and foods that during the first trimester, I even stopped reading raw food blogs that I love. Well, folks, I am not COMPLETELY over these aversions now that I am well into my second trimester. HOWEVER, I am trying to eat more salads/fruits/nuts/etc. so that my baby gets plenty of good food and plenty of good nutrition.

So I have no food to update you about right now (as my husband is on a brownie run), but I am going to update you more and more as I begin to add raw foods back in to my diet.

See you soon!

Out of Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk

2010-08-23T10:35:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone. Long time no see!

Well, let me tell you what's been up. At least half of the information. Unfortunately, something has happened that has caused me to stop eating raw food temporarily! Yes, something. I can't tell you what until my husband has made one last phone call! Until then, you will have to wait!

Anyway, so I created a team and am walking in the Out of Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk, which is sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I lost a good friend to suicide in 2008 and am excited to take this opportunity to use my time and resources to help fight suicide and to raise awareness about it + give support to those affected by suicide and depression.

Check out my personal page and consider donating some prayer or finances to our team!

Thanks!

My Individual Page

Not-All Raw Tomato Wrap

2010-07-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Well hello there.

I wanted to share with you this yummy yummy lunch that Andrew and I enjoyed recently. The wrap on my wrap is not raw, but bought from a package of pre-made wraps at the store (and yeah, they were really REALLY tastey). Inside is some red pepper hummus that we bought, also, rather than making raw. I've made some raw hummuses before but honestly, I really prefer the taste of bought hummus!

I couldn't get a great picture of our plates, but you can see what we had.

HUGE wraps made with the bought tomato wrap, red-pepper hummus, red, green, orange peppers, cucumber, spinach, romaine garden lettuce, red onion.

On the side, we had carrot sticks and fresh fruit.

MMMMM I loooooooove this. Its making me hungry!

So, it might not be all raw, but it definitely has plenty of raw elements. Mostly raw. You do NOT have to be 100% raw to make healthy (and extremely tasty) choices. My favorite part about raw food is that the point is just to add more and more raw into your diet, rather than taking and taking food you love. I love tomato wraps and hummus, so I incorporated those two things into my raw diet and came up with a mostly-raw lunch that knocks my socks off.

And that keeps me happy.

*Happy Dance!*

And by the way, if you haven't guessed, ALL the food we purchase for our home is organic or naturally produced from local farmers (who don't use pesticides/herbicides but don't bother with organic labeling). That doesn't make us better than conventional eaters (just as eating raw does not make us superior to people who cook. In fact, I love this blog ), it is just something I feel strongly about (see yesterday's post hah).

Why is Organic Food so Expensive!?

2010-07-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

Yeah, why IS organic food so much more expensive than conventional?

Well, Adriana Velez tells us in this helpful post about farming and why the cost is so high in the supermarket.

So, with that being said, yes, eating organic can be expensive. Andrew and I have seen an increase in our food budget. Luckily, Andrew finds it just as important as I do to put more in the food budget and less in other, less important areas in order to feed ourselves the best foods...why? because our bodies are worth it and we have the means. Like I said, we sacrifice in some areas for this but we do it with 100% belief that supporting smaller, organic, clean, local farms is what we should be doing with our money.

Personally, my favorite organic foods are fruits. The taste, colors, and individual uniqueness of every God-given fruit is, well, invigorating! I love how organic fruit tastes compared to conventional. It really is my favorite thing ever. I love grapes, kiwis, eco-friendly organic pineapple, and Andrew and I have had a few cantaloupes this season that have been out of this world!

Finally, now that I've given you my opinions that probably mean little to you, check out this cool video I found about organic foods:

Blueberry Honey Granola

2010-07-12T08:00:00.002-04:00

Hello all you raw-fooders and non-raw-food people who are coming to my blog!

Today I am going to tell you about one of the most life-saving, easiest raw-food recipes I've ever made. Its just granola, but its made with all raw ingredients and dehydrated (thus keeping it raw and not destroying the essential enzymes and good stuffs in the nuts and seeds). By the way, this is probably my husband's all-time favorite thing in the world. He loves it. And it makes the house smell good while its dehydrating.

So, what does it look like?

This:

Blueberries drying with other stuff. :)

So, what I do first is put a layer (about 1/4 of an inch) of honey in my dehydrator. I add a couple drops of vanilla extract and, if I am feeling like it, maybe a squirt or two of agave. Then, I add a random amount of raw (soaked, dried) almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and then a ton of raw oats. You can add whatever nuts and seeds you'd like, but this has become my favorite mixture.

Process until the honey is all over everything, then spread out on dehydrator trays. I added some fresh blueberries on top because Andrew bought a HUGE bucket at the farmer's market. I dehydrate on 105 degrees until the granola nice and crispy. This time I added a little too much honey so it took about two days to dehydrate! My goodness! But it was SO good.

I would recommend this with almond milk for breakfast or as a quick treat to keep you full between your early green smoothie and your later lunch!

Enjoy!

Apple PIE! MM

2010-07-10T16:00:00.001-04:00

When was my last post???

I don't know, but it was a LONG time ago! Where did my life go? Well, I'll let you know that another day. I promise I'll tell you what's been going on, but just wait first.

Until then, let me tell you about this raw apple pie I made. I promised this post a LONG time ago, so now it is time for me to deliver!

So this is what it looked like.

As you can probably guess, I used my new Ani Phyo book, Raw Food Essentials, and put together this AMAZING apple pie. I was absolutely astounded by how apple pie-y it tasted and there was not ONE DROP of sugar or other non-raw ingredient. The only non-fruit in this was some cinnamon. WOW. It was SO GOOD.

I started by making a crust of almond meal (blended almonds in the blender) and mixed it in with a date paste that I made. Ani says to just pulse the dates in I think, but I like to put dates in the blender with a tad bit of water to make more of a soft crust.

This is the date paste and almond meal before I mixed it together.

One problem with this strategy was that I put alllll the date paste in before mixing and ended up with a little too much water and moisture in the crust. That's ok with me, though, because it still tasted good!

Here is what the crust eventually looked like once I molded it into my pie pan.

Next, I diced up some apples into tiny, peel-less chunks and created the apple-pie sauce (get this--with ORANGES, CINNAMON, and DATES). I won't give you all the details because its not my recipe, so if you are interested in making this pie, check out Ani Phyo's RAW FOOD ESSENTIALS! (And no, she doesn't pay me to say that, I just LOVE her books...as do most raw food eating people)

I mixed the sauce and apples together and put the mixture inside the crust. Added a little apple decorations and wha-la! A pie! I put it in the fridge and served it with some ice cream at a Bible study we went to the next day.

People seemed to like it--and I thought it tasted great! YAY!

YUMMY SURPRISE in the Mail!

2010-06-18T10:55:00.000-04:00

All right.

I admit. I've been MIA the past week. I know. It's SO SAD! Well, I will explain why probably sometime next week. Not yet--the news is too --private. I'm sure you understand.

Anyway, I wanted to tell you about some amazing little presents I recieved in the mail after winning a contest from The Daily Raw Cafe. A beautifully wrapped package and handwritten note from Blackbird Naturals.

Look at the cute wrapped package!

Guess what was inside!

...

Are you guessing?

???

A box of 10 raw vegan Cacao Fudge Truffles!!!

Oh my word. I was SO excited to receive these truffles! And believe me, they were incredible! While the package told me to keep them refrigerated, I went ahead and ate one straight away. So, they ARE better refrigerated, but who has that kind of self control? Certainly not me.

So anyway, we were so delighted with these. Andrew loved it. I loved it. The package was gone within days. Seriously. We meant to spread them out over time but ... I mean ... they're irresistible.

BIG thanks to the Daily Raw Cafe for the anniversary giveaway contest that won me these truffles as well as a huge thanks to Blackbird Naturals for the sweet gift.

mmmmmmm!!!

Products for you to BUY! :)

2010-06-17T17:26:00.001-04:00

Ok, so here's the scoop. I found these products and they look interesting. If you buy them, I will get a few dolla dolla bills y'all...but seriously, they look really good, or else I wouldn't put them up. If you do check them out, let me know and I will be really interested to find out what you think about them:

10 Kristen Suzannes Easy Raw Recipe EBooks - Vegan.

Click Here! I totally love reading Kristen's blog (and I know you do, too), so I'm sure her e-book is excellent!

RawReform-the Natural Way To Weight Loss.
Click Here!

Raw Food Diet Weight Loss Blueprint.

Click Here!

Getting Started With The Raw Foods Diet.

Click Here!

Eating For Energy - Raw Food Diet For Weight Loss.
Click Here!

Our lunches--almost every day.

2010-06-11T08:38:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Greetings!

Cheers!

Welcome!

Etc!

So, I know I promised to blog about my raw apple pie, but I am at work and forgot to upload the pics before I left this morning. As you can guess, I will blog about it instead on Wednesday of next week. So, I would like to share with you what Andrew and I have for lunch most days. Salads. Of course, there are days (like today) where I brought a vegan veggie sandwich on flax seed bread for lunch. But, in general, Andrew and I have tons of salads. You know why? That's right--tons of vitamins and minerals and lots of much-needed nutrients.

But, what KINDS of salads do we have, you ask?

The beautiful kind.

That's right.

This salad you see here looks smaller than it was. We have gigantic salads, generally speaking. This one had romaine, organic garden lettuce (various varieties), bok choy, onions, red cabbage, tomatoes, sesame seeds, broccoli, with a side of carrot sticks.

Then, I got bored and added raisins and sunflower seeds to it, too!

YUM!

And what, you ask, do we put on our salads?

Sometimes nothing.

And other times....

This is my Asian Sweet and Sour Sesame dressing with red pepper flakes.

I love love love love love this dressing. I can't get enough. YUM!

So anyway, that is the scoop for now. We love loading our plates with leafy greens and hopefully are getting the vitamins we need. Next month, we will be getting health insurance and, therefore, will be heading to a physician to make sure we are getting everything we need to stay healthy. YAY!

Have a wonderful, wonderful Friday!

Crunchy Salad with Almost Raw Peanut Sauce

2010-06-09T12:54:00.000-04:00

So, salads are, in my opinion, the easiest and quickest raw dinners to make....and Andrew and I eat about 9-12 different salads each week. We almost always eat a big salad with a side of fruit and/or veggies for lunch. That might sound really boring to some people, but what I've discovered is that salads can actually be fun and fresh each day due to the random assortments of veggies available and the amazing amount of combinations of salads/veggies/dressings you can make.

This is a salad Andrew and I had a few nights ago for dinner. It's based with fresh romaine and other salad greens from our organic garden -- and SPINACH! From there, I topped it with red onions, red peppers, red cabbage, sun dried tomatoes, and some sesame seeds. This salad was so so so tummy and was full of crunch, which I really love in a salad.

The salad dressing is probably the most fun part about salads because there is just no end to the tastes you can create (good AND bad).

This is my ALMOST raw peanut sauce. The reason it is almost raw is because I used whole peanuts (unshelled, of course) for the sauce which aren't technically considered raw. It is made with lemon juice, red pepper flakes, honey, ginger, garlic, and water. I used this recipe for the basic idea.

MMM!

MSG in Your Food!

2010-06-07T15:09:00.000-04:00

In this article from Natural News, writer Allison Bigger reports that MSG is indeed found in most processed foods, Chinese food, salty snacks, and other types of food.

I could be wrong, but I thought this was outlawed? Nope, I WAS wrong. It's NOT banned. The Mayo Clinic's registered dietician Katherine Zeratsky says that symptoms of MSG in our systems are:

• Headache

• Flushing

• Sweating

• Facial pressure or tightness

• Numbness, tingling or burning in face, neck and other areas

• Rapid, fluttering heartbeats (heart palpitations)

• Chest pain

• Nausea

• Weakness

Wow! It is no wonder people who eat highly processed foods (most of us in America) feel these types of physical effects after eating out at restaurants or eating canned vegetables and soups. Zeratsky claims that there is not much evidence that MSG is the direct cause of these symptoms (I would like to know who has funded those studies) but that researchers are now recognizing a short-term link between MSG and adverse affects. That wasn’t too much of a stretch for me.

Of course, this Natural News article seems particularly biased. The main references are Wikipedia and GoVeg.com. Hmm…

The Journal of Head and Face Pain printed an article titled “MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Induced Headache: Review and Case Studies.” The abstract of this journal article may surprise you: “Monosodium glutamate (MSG), an established headache trigger, has become far more prevalent in canned, packaged and prepared foods over the past decade. The presence of MSG in food may be difficult to detect since the terms ‘natural flavor,’ ‘flavoring,’ or ‘hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP),’ all may appear on food labels to refer to MSG, according to current FDA food labeling code. HVP typically contains 10–30% MSG.”

Maybe you aren’t surprised by that, but I certainly am. It makes me surer of my raw food (or at least whole, clean, vegan) diet than ever before. Now, don’t forget, I am coming from a strong Standard American Diet background—I still like to go out to eat and I still have serious cravings for less nutritional and whole foods, such as delivery pizza and Chinese food. But knowing what really is lurking within my forkfuls (“natural flavor” anyone?) helps me keep those cravings at bay!

There are studies, such as one conducted by Ronald Walker and John Lupien at the University of Surrey that seems to dismiss any negative side affects associated with MSG: “Conventional toxicity studies using dietary administration of MSG in several species did not reveal any specific toxic or carcinogenic effects nor were there any adverse outcomes in reproduction and teratology studies…The conclusions of a subsequent review by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) and the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) did not discount the existence of a sensitive subpopulation but otherwise concurred with the safety evaluation of JECFA and the SCF.”

So who am I to totally dismiss studies such as these? Well, all I know is that it is a chemical. Whether safe or not, I say, “No thank you, Mr. MSG!”

Can I go visit my organic garden now?

Corn and Red Pepper Chowder

2010-06-04T08:45:00.000-04:00

A week or so ago, I attempted my first ever raw soup. I used Ani Phyo's recipe for sweet corn chowder from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen, but wanted to add a little kick to it. I'm not sure if I made the original right or not, but I decided to add red pepper and extra seasonings (cayenne anyone??).

Now that I think about it, it would have looked nice to sprinkle it with cayenne!

Anyway, the soup was awesome. I wish I could tell you the amounts of whatever I used but I just kept throwing stuff in until I was happy with the final product. That's one of my favorite things about eating raw--being able to make and remake and change and undo and redo what you've done. It's great. Because everything is so fresh and not altered, you can just do whatever you want! So that's what I did and this is what I got. I called it "Corn and Red Pepper Chowder."

Have any of you made raw soups? What is your favorite soup??

(we had "ITS HOT" side salads with our soup)

My New Favorite Raw Blog!

2010-06-03T14:50:00.001-04:00

I am SO excited I found this blog and I am SO excited to share it with everyone I know!

Introducing...

drum roll please

The Happy Raw Kitchen!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this blog. I know I say that about a lot of stuff, but seriously.. this blog is the bomb. Angela, the owner of the blog, makes delicious recipes and has one of the most beautifully creative minds I've ever seen! She even has the most beautiful pantry I've ever seen! I mean, come on, when you can say THAT about someone, you better believe their blog is going to rock. Who even thinks about what someone's pantry looks like? That's right..someone who has seen an inspiring pantry, that's who!

And...she's funny. Who doesn't like a funny blog?

And...she takes incredible food pictures of her food! Check out this pic from her blog:

Yep...there's that pantry again. But look at how pretty it is! Ah! My heart swelled as I checked out her blog. I'm definitely going to be getting some pretty jars to keep my seeds, nuts, and grains in now. Oh yeah, you better believe it!

Anyway, go to her blog because she has an awesome contest going on right now. And no, that isn't why I posted this post. I really do actually love this blog.

I'll close this post with another picture from The Happy Raw Kitchen. Cheers!

and another? :D

5k-my new goal!

2010-06-03T12:30:00.000-04:00

Well, I received a magazine in the mail a week or so ago and just happened to be flipping through it when I found 3 training schedules. One for a 5k in 6 weeks, a 10k in 12 weeks, and a half marathon in 18 weeks! So, I e-mailed Andrew and went searching the internet for a local 5k that will take place 6 weeks from now. I found one! Awesome.

This is a picture from the first and only 5k I've done. I couldn't run the whole way.

We are going to try to train up and get ready for this awesome run. It benefits our local YMCA (Andrew used to work there and so did my sister-in-law and her husband!) and this shoe drive called Soles for Souls. We're super excited. My only goal for this first 5k is to be able to run the entire thing in less than 30 minutes. Cross your fingers!

I wasn't sure what types of food raw people need to eat so I looked up some articles and came across this one which looks really helpful.

It says to eat almonds for vitamin E, oranges for vitamin C, black beans, salad greens, bell peppers, bok choy, and onions for antioxidants, and berries. There were a lot of non-raw options like chicken and eggs, but what they said for raw foods it seems like I get plenty of them! Yay! That makes me feel good!

Another article says berries, bananas, and broccoli are excellent for runners!

Basically, it looks like Andrew and I eat good running foods all day long. I'm surprised I can't run farther than I currently can! Well, don't worry folks, we will be running 3.1 miles on July 10th here in our hometown. We are looking at other nearby cities to see if maybe we could enter a few 5ks! That would be fun.

I'll let you know about our progress! Today is our first day of training (and its going to be HOT and HUMID outside! eep!)

Enjoy your day!

Strawberry/Coconut/Carob Fudge Cake

2010-06-02T08:46:00.000-04:00

So, I made another cake!!! YUM!!!! IT was so so so so so good. 5 RAWS. A MILLIZONZILION RAWS!!! I love love love love love this cake. Ok, so, I used Ani Phyo's chocolate cake recipe and added a middle layer of strawberries and coconut.

The inside "cake" part is made with walnuts, carob powder, and about a cup of dates (I soaked them to make them stick together better). The dates give everything the soft, moist taste. It looks like this:

I mashed it together to make two circles for layers, then put the strawberry/coconut layer in with some icing. Oh, the icing is made out of avocados, a few more dates, agave syrup, and MORE CAROB! Mmm chocolatey.

The first time I made this cake, I did a horrible job at getting the "batter" to stick together. For some reason, the cake crumbled everywhere! That's why I added a tad bit of water to the mix this time. It worked like a dream. Like a DREAM I tell you!

Yeah, look at it. Its....incredibly tasty. Ani Phyo might be a genius -- this cake is so easy and it took me about 20 or 25 minutes to COMPLETELY make it. She has a few more books out and it looks like I might just HAVE to buy them!

By the way, Andrew and I cooked a couple times this week and can I just tell you the cleanup is AWFUL!? I thought cleaning out my food processor sucked when I made something with olive oil, but I totally forgot how annoying it is to clean pans! Anyway, we have GREAT pans from my in-laws, so its nice to use them here and there!

But seriously, this CAKE!!!! YUMMMM!!! It was the "treat" I picked for the week. Next week I'm looking at making a raw blueberry cream pie, which sounds DELICIOUS. I just can't stop thinking about it, even though its not chocolate. We'll see!

Foods High in Protein

2010-06-01T08:33:00.001-04:00

So, Protein. Pregnant women need it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a pregnant woman should get 10 extra grams of protein while they are pregnant. That's approximately 60 grams of protein! So, for all you raw soon-to-be mommies or those of you who are just interested in which raw foods have the most protein, here is a chart from The Fat Free Kitchen! You can rest assured that while this table is not a RAW table, and it talks about cooking the veggies, you can eat the foods raw and enjoy even more protein that hasn't been destroyed during cooking. Just don't overdo it, because excess protein can harm your body! Anyway, Enjoy!

Description	Weight (g)	Measure	Content per Measure (g)
Alfalfa seeds, sprouted, raw	33	1 cup	1.32
Artichokes, (globe or French), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	120	1 medium	4.18
Asparagus, canned, drained solids	72	4 spears	1.54
Asparagus, cooked, boiled, drained	60	4 spears	1.55
Asparagus, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	180	1 cup	5.31
Avocados, raw, California	28.35	1 oz	0.60
Avocados, raw, Florida	28.35	1 oz	0.45
Beans, baked, canned, plain or vegetarian	254	1 cup	12.17
Beans, baked, canned, with franks	259	1 cup	17.48
Beans, baked, canned, with pork and sweet sauce	253	1 cup	13.43
Beans, baked, canned, with pork and tomato sauce	253	1 cup	13.05
Beans, black, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt	172	1 cup	15.24
Beans, Cowpeas (Blackeyes), immature seeds, boiled, without salt	165	1 cup	5.23
Beans, Cowpeas (blackeyes), immature seeds, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	170	1 cup	14.43
Beans, Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds,	172	1 cup	13.30
Beans, great northern, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt	177	1 cup	14.74
Beans, Kidney beans, red, mature seeds, canned	256	1 cup	13.44
Beans, Kidney beans, red, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt	177	1 cup	15.35
Beans, Lima beans, large, mature seeds, canned	241	1 cup	11.88
Beans, Lima beans, large, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt	188	1 cup	14.66
Beans, Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, cooked, boiled, without salt	124	1 cup	2.52
Beans, Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted, raw	104	1 cup	3.16
Beans, Navy beans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt	182	1 cup	15.83
Beans, Pinto beans, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt	171	1 cup	14.04
Soybeans, mature cooked, boiled, without salt	180	1 cup	22.23
Soybeans, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	172	1 cup	28.62
Beans, Snap beans, green, canned, regular pack, drained solids	135	1 cup	1.55
Beans, Snap beans, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	125	1 cup	2.36
Beans, White beans, mature seeds, canned	262	1 cup	19.02
Beet greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	144	1 cup	3.70
Beets, canned, drained solids	170	1 cup	1.55
Broccoli, raw	88	1 cup	2.62
Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	156	1 cup	4.65
Beets, cooked, boiled, drained	170	1 cup	2.86
Beets, cooked, boiled, drained	50	1 beet	0.84
Cabbage, Chinese (pak-choi), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	170	1 cup	2.65
Cabbage, Chinese (pe-tsai), cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	119	1 cup	1.79
Cabbage, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	150	1 cup	1.53
Cabbage, raw	70	1 cup	1.01
Cabbage, red, raw	70	1 cup	0.97
Cabbage, Savoy, raw	70	1 cup	1.40
Carrots, baby, raw	10	1 medium	0.08
Carrots, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	156	1 cup	1.70
Carrots, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	146	1 cup	1.74
Carrots, raw	110	1 cup	1.13
Cauliflower, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	124	1 cup	2.28
Cauliflower, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	180	1 cup	2.90
Cauliflower, raw	100	1 cup	1.98
Celery, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	150	1 cup	1.25
Celery, raw	120	1 cup	0.90
Corn, sweet, white, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	77	1 ear	2.56
Corn, sweet, yellow, canned, cream style, regular pack	256	1 cup	4.45
Corn, sweet, yellow, canned, vacuum pack, regular pack	210	1 cup	5.06
Corn, sweet, yellow, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	77	1 ear	2.56
Corn, sweet, yellow, frozen, kernels cut off cob, boiled, drained, without salt	164	1 cup	4.51
Corn, sweet, yellow, frozen, kernels on cob, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	63	1 ear	1.96
Cucumber, peeled, raw	119	1 cup	0.68
Cucumber, with peel, raw	104	1 cup	0.72
Dandelion greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	105	1 cup	2.10
Endive, raw	50	1 cup	0.63
Garlic, raw	3	1 clove	0.19
Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt	198	1 cup	17.86
Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw	56	1 cup	0.91
Lettuce, iceberg (includes crisphead types), raw	55	1 cup	0.56
Lettuce, looseleaf, raw	56	1 cup	0.73
Mushrooms, canned, drained solids	156	1 cup	2.92
Mushrooms, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	156	1 cup	3.39
Mushrooms, raw	70	1 cup	2.03
Mushrooms, shiitake, cooked, without salt	145	1 cup	2.26
Mushrooms, shiitake, dried	3.6	1 mushroom	0.34
Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	140	1 cup	3.16
Okra, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	160	1 cup	2.99
Okra, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	184	1 cup	3.83
Olives, ripe, canned (small-extra large)	22	5 large	0.18
Onions, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	210	1 cup	2.86
Onions, dehydrated flakes	5	1 tbsp	0.45
Onions, raw	110	1 whole	1.28
Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw	100	1 cup	1.83
Parsley, raw	10	10 sprigs	0.30
Parsnips, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	156	1 cup	2.06
Peas, edible-podded, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	160	1 cup	5.23
Peas, edible-podded, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	160	1 cup	5.60
Peas, green, canned, regular pack, drained solids	170	1 cup	7.51
Peas, green, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	160	1 cup	8.24
Peas, split, mature seeds, cooked, boiled, without salt	196	1 cup	16.35
Peppers, hot chili, green, raw	45	1 pepper	0.90
Peppers, hot chili, red, raw	45	1 pepper	0.90
Peppers, sweet, green, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	136	1 cup	1.25
Peppers, sweet, green, raw	149	1 cup	1.33
Peppers, sweet, green, raw	119	1 pepper	1.06
Peppers, sweet, red, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	136	1 cup	1.25
Peppers, sweet, red, raw	119	1 pepper	1.06
Potato pancakes, home-prepared	76	1 pancake	4.68
Potato, baked, flesh and skin, without salt	202	1 potato	5.05
Potatoes, baked, flesh, without salt	156	1 potato	3.06
Potatoes, boiled, cooked in skin, flesh, without salt	136	1 potato	2.54
Potatoes, boiled, cooked without skin, flesh, without salt	135	1 potato	2.31
Potatoes, boiled, cooked without skin, flesh, without salt	156	1 cup	2.67
Potatoes, hashed brown, home-prepared	156	1 cup	3.78
Pumpkin, canned, without salt	245	1 cup	2.70
Pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	245	1 cup	1.76
Radishes, raw	4.5	1 radish	0.03
Spinach, canned, drained solids	214	1 cup	6.01
Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	180	1 cup	5.35
Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	190	1 cup	5.97
Spinach, raw	30	1 cup	0.86
Squash, summer, all varieties, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	180	1 cup	1.64
Squash, summer, all varieties, raw	113	1 cup	1.33
Squash, winter, all varieties, cooked, baked, without salt	205	1 cup	1.82
Squash, winter, butternut, frozen, cooked, boiled, without salt	240	1 cup	2.95
Sweet potato, canned, syrup pack, drained solids	196	1 cup	2.51
Sweet potato, canned, vacuum pack	255	1 cup	4.21
Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, without salt	146	1 potato	2.51
Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin, without salt	156	1 potato	2.57
Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, stewed	255	1 cup	2.42
Tomatoes, red, ripe, canned, whole, regular pack	240	1 cup	2.21
Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average	180	1 cup	1.53
Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average	17	1 cherry tomato	0.14
Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average	123	1 tomato	1.05
Tomatoes, sun-dried	2	1 piece	0.28
Tomatoes, sun-dried, packed in oil, drained	3	1 piece	0.15
Watermelon, raw	286	1 wedge	1.77

Mexico Bans Junk Food!

2010-05-31T08:28:00.009-04:00

In a recent news article, reporter Jo Tuckman reports that the Mexican government will soon be banning junk food and fried foods (like tacos) from public primary and secondary schools! School shops will not be allowed to sell junk food and cafeterias will not be allowed to cook junk food!

Apparently, over 25% of school-aged children are obese in Mexico, and Mexican president Felipe Calderon, in cahoots with the education minister, have decided that they will only feed their children healthier, low-fat foots to encourage better choices.

The article does mention, however, that food vendors selling candy and sodas are still legally allowed to congregate around school property to sell children the very foods they've been banned from.

My favorite line from the article is this: "The health minister Jose Angel Cordoba said consumption of fruits and vegetables in the last 15 years has fallen by 40% while consumption of sweetened drinks rose by 50%." Its incredible, isn't it?

So, that's my news tip for today! What do you all think about this!?

"ITS HOT" Salad (Edit-its not really that hot)

2010-05-28T08:24:00.000-04:00

So, I have three recipes, with pictures, ready to be blogged about so I had to choose between them. I decided, since it is just SO HOT here in southern Indiana, that it would be great to share something a little more.....cool. What's funny about that is that my non-raw friends often think that ALL raw food feels cold when you eat it. Not so, I say...not so! Some is warming!

But this...THIS is cooling. Well, the salad itself is. Actually, now that I think about it, the dressing has tons of ginger in it, so its probably more of a "warming" salad. Hah! Well, anyway, now that I have gone on and on about that AND discovered that my "hot" theme really doesn't play out--a cool salad with warming dressing, let me just TELL YOU about the salad.

This is my all-time favorite salad to date. Its got garden-fresh organic lettuce (romaine and some other varieties), baby spinach, red cabbage, black olives (MMMMMMMMMMM--they were left over from some black olive hummus I made from Ani Phyo's book), red onions, and cucumbers--topped with a Sweet and Spicy Sesame dressing. You'll notice on Wednesday's blog that we are these salads AGAIN with some raw soup. It was just that good.

Honestly...10 raws (this can't happen. There are only 5 raws on the scale. That's how much I LOVE this salad). MMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yum! I want one now! Look at more pictures of it:

YUMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!

Ok, I'll stop freaking out about how good this salad is...but only if you promise to one day try this baby.

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

ok, sorry.

...

yum!

Daily Raw Cafe Giveaway-Check it out!

2010-05-27T17:31:00.003-04:00

So, many of you may know this, but The Daily Raw Cafe is having their 3rd Anniversary Cyber Celebration giveaway! They are giving away a TON of awesome things! I am super excited about the chia seed giveaway, the raw truffles, and some awesome raw food books! GO ENTER THE DRAWING! :)

Thanks all!

Raw for 30, Fitness Update, New Blog

2010-05-27T08:34:00.002-04:00

So, last night Andrew and I watched "Raw for 30 Days," an independent film that documents 6 people with Diabetes as they go to Gabriel Cousens' Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center (Raw Food Camp, basically) in Arizona. It was AWESOME! We watched it during dinner (not a raw dinner, but a healthy vegan one) and were just SHOCKED at the amazing results, the emotions, and everything else. The movie rocks! Seriously, check it out at your local library or buy it. It was GREAT!

I cried a few times out of joy and sadness and shock and everything else!

Here's a trailor for the movie:

In other news...we are starting a new blog. It's called Training Titus, and we will be documenting (hopefully with a lot of videos) the training process of our little family doggy, the CATTLE DOG, named TITUS! Here is a link to the new blog. Check it out!

FITNESS UPDATE: I have lost 1 inch, 6lbs. Next month, June, is called "Just Live June" where I am going to work MUCH harder to attain my fitness goals. YAY! So excited to get going with this. WOOT!

Salsa Cruda

2010-05-26T08:00:00.003-04:00

One of my biggest joys in life is SALSA and CHIPS. I just can't get enough! I honestly sometimes sit and eat entire jars of salsa for lunch (not quite the full nutritional content I could get with some added leafy greens.......). I LOVE salsa. I LOVE LOVE it. So, I have been wanting to make a chunky, raw salsa. And I did!

It was SO GOOD! I give it 5 raws. Andrew gives it 3.5 or 4 raws. He says, "It was delicious but there was room for improvement. It was a good chunky salsa." What a turd. I promise, it was closer to a 5 ;)

Anyway, here's what I did:

Ingredients:

6 Roma tomatoes, chopped into tiny sweet little chunks

Onion

Cilantro

Cumin

Chili Powder

Lime Juice

After cutting the tomatoes into chunks, I washed and rinsed them. While they were being rinsed, I cut up everything else. I threw it all in the mixing bowl you see, and taste tested for amounts. The cumin and chili powder were equal parts, but everything else was a mix and match fest!

A really really tasty one! A 5 raw recipe!

By the way, I didn't use my food processor for this at all. I read online that salsa cruda gets too mushy in the food processor, so I chopped and hand mixed the ingredients. It was really good and I can definitely see why the mushy would be bad! The chunks were just so good.

MAKE THIS and enjoy! :)

Pre-Pregnancy and Folic Acid

2010-05-25T08:00:00.004-04:00

As many of you know, I am looking forward to one day becoming a MOMMY. Of course, (as far as I know) that won't be for a little bit. Not too long, but long enough to have time to PREPARE my body for a little growing baby.

I've been thinking A LOT lately about Folic Acid, as its one of the most important nutrients my baby/ies will need. Here is a copy and pasted definition of Folic Acid from MedlinePLUS:

Folic Acid Also called: Folacin, Folate, Pteroylglutamic acid, Vitamin B9

Folic acid is a B vitamin. It helps the body make healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who may get pregnant, it is really important. When a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain or spine. Foods with folic acid in them include leafy green vegetables, fruits, dried beans, peas and nuts. Enriched breads, cereals and other grain products also contain folic acid.

So, what do I, as an almost-soon-to-be-pregnant lady NEED to be eating in order to make sure that I am getting plenty of Folic Acid? There are a ton ton ton of veggies and fruits and leafy greens that include folic acid. Check out this nutrient chart that can help you plan better, more folic acidy meals!

For more information, check out WomensHealth.org's cite about folic acid.

Transforming my Blog!

2010-05-21T08:22:00.007-04:00

So, I'm changing this blog. That is what the picture represents. Transformation. Um, in the form of robots and cars...but on here, it will come in the form of a new schedule for my beloved blog!

I woke up one day and decided that I am not organized enough on here. No one knows what to expect! Well, I'm changing it! I am just simply changing it. Let me tell you the weekly plan:

Mondays: On Mondays, I am going to write about the food industry or raw news. This way, we can have a dialogue going about what the world/nation (U.S.) is doing in regards to food, sales, farming, pesticides, etc. Perhaps this will give people a better idea of what they put into their bodies.

Tuesdays: Raw pregnancy/momhood/women's health.

Wednesdays: Food/Recipes. Simple enough.

Thursday: Free day! Here I will talk about fitness, my own progress, the garden, etc. Just whatever I want.

Friday: Food/Recipes. Simple enough.

How does this sound!? I think I covered the basics of what I would LIKE to cover, and left enough room in case I want to write about something that just doesn't fit into these categories.

And so, with that announced, check back on Monday for some exciting/horrifying news about the food or raw food industries! :)

PS: You now have the ability to subscribe to my blog by e-mail, so that will be helpful for all you non-blogspot bloggers. :)

Lemon Coconut Bars!

2010-05-19T09:09:00.005-04:00

So, I made Ani Phyo's Lemon Coconut Bars with cocoa sauce from her book Ani's Raw Food Kitchen. I took them to our church Small Group last week and most of them were gone by the end of the study!!! They were SO GOOD, in my opinion, and deserve 5 RAWS! RAW RAW RAW RAW RAW! (Roma roma ma ga ga oo la la...want your lemon coconut barrrrs)...

While I can't tell you the recipe (go look it up in the book), I did alter some things and I will tell you about that. I doubled the recipe, added some water to the bar mixture which helped it stick together, soaked half of my almonds (the ones IN the bars, not the "flour"), and added about two tablespoons of agave to the carob sauce (and I also used cocoa instead of carob). Finally, I sprinkled some extra coconut on top to make it prettier.

The pictures are of the lemon/coconut bars in travel containers since I was making them for the Bible study. Enjoy!

10 Things About Me.

2010-05-18T08:34:00.003-04:00

Well, I've been seeing a lot of these "10 things about me" blog posts and decided I would try one out for myself. Here are 10 things you may or may not know about me.

1. I have and love the most beautiful family on Earth. God has shown me amazing grace by providing me with the love and support of Andrew and Titus, my in-laws, and my own mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, father, etc. and THEIR families. My nephew is the most adorable baby ever. My little brother and sister bring me a ton of joy. Titus teaches me patience and rewards me with cuddles. Andrew leads and supports me in a way that is incredibly sanctifying. They are all wonderful.

2. I'm reading a book titled, "Start your Family: Inspiration for Having Babies," to get a grasp on a Biblical perspective of babies. AND why young marrieds shouldn't be afraid of them. :)

3. I'm OBSESSED with food and nutrition. ..but I also love love love to eat things like cakes and loaded pizzas and Mexican food.

4. I crave green smoothies in the afternoons, when I used to crave coffee. Of course, I still have a little coffee in the mornings, but I have cut out a LOT of it.

5. I think Ani Difranco is a genius. . . and very very close to a Biblical understanding of the world. She speaks incredible amounts of Truths in her work--and her talent moves me. My favorite song lyrics/quotes are these:
* So they went and stuffed God down the barrel of a gun and after him they stuffed his only son. (Hello Birmingham)
* Whoever said life is suffering they must have had their fingers on the pulse of joy. Aint the power of transcendence the greatest one we can employ?

6. I yearn for the Vita-Mix, the blender of all blenders that I CANNOT afford. While I love love love my home blender that we got with wedding money, the Vita-Mix beckons to me at juice bars and blogs anywhere I go. :[ It haunts me.

7. I am currently writing free-lance articles for LiveStrong.com

8. I really enjoy my job and I love my boss!!! You can check out her blog here: Justine Dell

9. My biggest guilty pleasure is watching LOST--I love love love Sawyer and Charlie, but please do not tell me ANYTHING about the finale because I AM ONLY ON SEASON 3 RIGHT NOW! Trying to catch up!

10. I want to be a dietitian, but I can't do the required internship, so I can't be one.

Monday Update-30 day challenge

2010-05-17T10:48:00.005-04:00

HELLO!

So, I must admit, I don't really feel much like I've been on a raw/living food challenge. As of today, our raw intake has fallen to about 75%. I mean, I still think that's pretty good! Because:

1. I feel great
2. I stopped using face-wash to wash my face, and my acne hasn't been an issue
3. I crave green smoothies and healthy stuff pretty regularly
4. I don't feel deprived like I did jumping into 100% raw
5. I have felt freedom to experiment and EAT real food -- you know, like gorging myself on an entire batch of guacamole and not feeling bad about it--because I had a green smoothie for breakfast and a light salad or lettuce wraps for dinner.
6. I have officially lost 8lbs and counting (only 12 left to go!)
7. Andrew and I have almost completely stopped eating at restaurants that don't have local, organic produce and foods.
8. We are eating slower and eating smaller portions.
9. I have incredible power when I jog...power I'm not used to!
10. I don't nap nearly as often.
11. I'm not lethargic.
12. My brain works better.
13. I'm not retaining water like I used to.
14. I have more energy.

I could go on, but I will spare you. Basically, I am most excited about the weight and feeling awake and less lethargic. Its an INCREDIBLE feeling. Speaking of food, though, I am feeling pretty hungry!

At the end of May, I am going to take my measurements (I did it at the beginning of the month) and will let you know if those have budged at all. Surely they will have, since I have lost pounds. We'll see!

Sick Mommy + Raw Food

2010-05-17T10:27:00.006-04:00

This past week, my mother has been in the hospital due to some pretty severe health issues. In addition to Diabetes, she has fibromayalgia, chronic pancreatitis, and some other very debilitating problems. This week, she has been having some new symptoms (seizures and other things) that hopefully will alert the doctors to the cause of her more mysterious problems. Of course, she hasn't much strayed from the SAD (Standard American Diet) ever.

This weekend, Andrew and I visited her in the hospital for about 4 hours. While we were there, we got on the subject of food (her yummy-smelling yet very much NOT raw quesadilla came while we were there--flaky flour crust with cheese, chicken, and some peppers and tomatoes). We discussed the problems with the SAD, the neuro-toxins that are pesticides, what it is we put into our bodies and how that becomes a part of our bodies in our cells, bones, skin, etc. She didn't seem TOO interested in going raw--she loves SAD food MUCHO. Still, I told her about some lemon-coconut bars I made last week and the chocolate fudge cake I blogged about on my cocoa blog post. That got her attention! I think she would LOVE a raw diet, because she does love veggies, huge salads, and GOOD desserts!!! By the end of the conversation, I think she was considering adding more raw/healthy/clean food into her meals.

The best part of our conversation about food, though, was when Andrew told her that his ...erm, well, any bad side effects.. have only occurred when we deviate from raw food. She was pretty surprised to hear that.

I hope that my readers will pray for my mother's health as she battles whatever it is she battles! And, that she would begin to integrate more raw/living foods into her diet to help take back her health!

Introducing: The Garden of E-10

2010-05-13T14:26:00.006-04:00

So, many of you know Andrew and I have begun a garden at our local community garden plot. Well, you might also be interested to know that I am going to tell you about it.

So far, we have only planted one 2x2 plot in our 10x20 plot. This weekend, we plan to do more. BUT, as it stands, we currently have some really big and healthy lettuce, some growing red onions (MY FAVORITE) and garlic, some Chia for chia-seeds (YUM!), and some cucumbers that may not make it due to a horrifying infestation of cucumber beetles.

Anyway, Andrew and I are so excited about this garden. We hope that we will be able to feed ourselves with our garden while also digging our hands into the dirt, learning more and more about God and he resources he gave us to nourish and fuel our bodies!

This weekend, we are DEFINITELY transplanting our habanero peppers and our mixed bell peppers. I also have been begging Andrew to get some seeds so we can start sprouting some different veggies. Anyway, I will update you more later in the season as our garden grows (pun intended)!

Andrew UNCOOKS! (Basil Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms)

2010-05-11T09:50:00.009-04:00

The other day, Andrew decided he would like to try his hand at uncooking, so he made our raw, living foods dinner! Check out that picture! YUM!!!

Yeah, so he made an INCREDIBLE basil-pesto sauce and stuffed it in the mushroom caps. he also put it between some of those dried roma tomato slices you can see in the picture. Then he made us a beautiful side salad (with onions YUM!) and topped it with the chopped stems with olive oil and basil. This was probably THE BEST dinner we have had so far. It seems so simple but the taste was INCREDIBLE!!!!! I AM SO PROUD OF MY RAW/LIVING HUSBAND!!! Yay!

Check out these pics:

Doesn't that look beautiful? I'm so proud of him. We used walnuts in our pesto instead of the usual pine nuts because walnuts are WAY cheaper. It was still VERY good! Here is the recipe we used:

Ingredients

1/2 cup organic raw pine nuts

1/4 cup fresh basil

2 Tbsp organic unfiltered cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil

1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1-2 cloves of organic garlic

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup filtered water

Mix this in blender and stuff into mushroom caps! We dehydrated our mushrooms for 35 minutes so that they were warm and a little crispy.

God's Creation + Friday Update

2010-05-07T08:04:00.009-04:00

Hello Everybody!

For a Friday update, Andrew and I are doing well on our high-raw diet. We did have a couple slip-ups this week. Wednesday, Andrew had a lunch date with the pastor at the church we have been attending and brought home veggie fajita leftovers. Now, if you noticed in one of my last posts the "I'M GOING CRAZY WANTING MEXICAN FOOD!" you can probably guess what happened. I GORGED myself on fajitas. Andrew and I both felt disgusting afterwards. Then, today, I woke up this morning and realized we literally had nothing to eat for breakfast. Knowing I won't be able to get to the grocery til later, I ended up eating something VERY bad for me (I'll let you use your imagination--I'm too embarassed to share!). Even with these two bad choices, we have pretty much been eating everything else raw. It has been INCREDIBLE!

On a totally different note-One of my favorite things about raw food is that it challenges my faith in so many ways. That sounds weird to some of my friends, but it has had a profound effect on my understanding of God and his grace and mercy! First, there's so much discipline involved in staying raw--it is a challenge! Ok, obviously, a challenge we fail at from time to time. But it really is a challenge--and I am learning so much about discipline through making healthy choices and pushing myself.

My favorite thing, though, is how beautiful raw/living food is. It is SO simple. So perfect. So nourishing. It is a tangible act of mercy on God's part. Our body is created to need food. He gave us food that tastes good and is so...simple! We love to complicate things to make them "Faster" and "Easier" when in reality the fastest and easiest foods are pure foods. I told Andrew that its like looking at a red bell pepper. It's a beautiful shape and color. It has one of the sweetest tastes-it is so good. And it is so full of vitamins! God gave us food that not only keeps us alive but also looks and tastes amazing! And through that, through that mercy and grace and the pleasure of eating what he provides, I learn about Him and his love for us. I mean, is there really anything more beautiful?

And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food." (Genesis 1:29)

And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 2:9)

Pineapple Banana Smoothie

2010-05-05T08:47:00.006-04:00

Oh yes... Its another day in another week of our crazy, awesome, lovely, married lives. That's a good thing! Andrew and I have noticed a real difference in our bodies, our minds, our moods, etc. since starting the 100% challenge that turned into a high raw challenge. It really is amazing. I almost don't know why anyone would want to eat a SAD. I will say that I have been having some serious cravings for Mexican food so I have been making a TON of guacamole and eating a TON of salsa! I can't get enough!

Well--let me talk about the actual point of this post! Today, Andrew slept a little later while I got up and prepared our wonderful lunches (I made a pretty yummy honey/lemon salad dressing) and our breakfast. Andrew has told me once that he is not a huge fan of green smoothies and much prefers some eggs or pancakes or other yummy-tasting food that fills his belly with warmth. Well, for the next 3 weeks, Andrew will probably not get much of a chance to have that kind of breakfast because we are on a high-raw high-vegan diet.

As for this beautiful spring morning, though, I made these cute, green, speckled smoothies. Here is what I threw in:

A few handfuls of spinach

Apx. 1 cup of orange/mango juice

Apx. 2 cups of pineapple

1 banana

Apx. 1 cup of frozen banana (so cold I love it)

2 Romaine leaves

So, I blended the spinach and juice first until that was pretty much mush. Then, I added the pineapple and blended. Once that was smooth, I threw in all the banana-frozen and regular. Then, because I didn't think it was enough for the two of us, I put in the romaine lettuce.

This smoothie tasted SO GOOD! I think its the best one I've made yet. They just keep getting better!

A Transition to Veganism

2010-05-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

HAPPY PIGS! :)

As I sit here reflecting on our transition to raw food, it amazes me how EASY the transition to a (mostly) vegan diet has been. While Andrew will ALWAYS love his free-range farmer's market eggs in the morning, we have really shied away from any and all animal products with incredible ease. In just attempting to be healthier through raw foods, we have found NO NEED to use animal products.

Our substitutions include:

*Almond milk instead of cow/animal milk for baking, smoothies, drinking, cereal, etc.
*Honey/Agave/Maple Syrup and Dates for cakes and sweet treats
*Nut Pates and mixtures for meat replacements (Of course, there are also soy/non-meat replacements)
*Nut Cheeses instead of dairy cheese (There are also soy/non-dairy cheeses available)
*Beans instead of beef for taco-like meals
*Green Smoothies instead of Eggs (There are also vegan egg replacements available...I think its tofu or soy, two things Andrew and I avoid)

So, while I think eating healthy, free range meat, eggs, and/or dairy from farms you trust is important if you are not going to go vegan, I will say that the transition is EASY if you are in need of a healthier, more friendly and sustainable diet.

I can't tell you enough how easy it is. It is AMAZING how easy this has been. I mean, really, vegan recipes, even if you aren't raw, are very easy to find and incredibly tasty. If you're into more gourmet vegan recipes, check out THIS BLOG for some yummy-looking recipes! My mouth waters when I read this blog!

For some really great information about ethics/arguments for a vegan diet, click here! I really like this particular blog post re: veganism.

Asian Salad + Sweet and Spicy Sesame Dressing

2010-05-03T08:26:00.000-04:00

Well, we are on our 3rd day of the 100% 30 day raw challenge.

Wait, let me change that.

Ok, so....... we kinda decided that 100% raw just doesn't work for us. After being very hungry our entire first day, we decided to kick it down to 90 or so % raw, because for our household, 100% just isn't practical. Ok, so ... yeah, but it was a challenge, right? That's the idea? Well, we decided the challenge for us is better put to work if we challenge ourselves to eat MOSTLY raw, something that we can actually continue doing into the future. Now, I want to do a juice feast this summer sometime-I think that would be great...5-7 days or something, but 100% raw for 30 days just doesn't do it for us.

Well, don't fret--we are still eating TONS of raw stuff and I am having SO MUCH FUN making new and exciting recipes like this one:

Candice's Asian Salad with Sweet & Spicy Sesame Dressing!!!!!!!

WOW! This salad gets 5 raws. RAW RAW RAW RAW RAW! I am totally obsessed with the dressing I made for this. But first, let me tell you that this salad is full of romaine lettuce, spinach, carrots, snow pea sprouts, and sesame seeds.

For the dressing, I experimented with ingredients based off of a recipe I found on Raw Food Rehab . I seriously hope I can recreate it because it was incredible. The dressing had olive oil, nama shoyu, a TON of ginger and garlic, honey, sesame seeds..I think that's it. :/

Anyway, it is INCREDIBLE. The recipe has made enough dressing for 6 salads-three each for Andrew and I. And let me tell you, we are LOVIN it! Andrew wolfed it down, so that means it MUST be good!

Now, for those of you following my blog, today is Monday which means I have to update you on my progress with the 4 week FITNESS CHALLENGE! Today marks the beginning of WEEK 2 (since I started over). This week, I lost 3lbs!!! I ran 5 of 7 days, walked my dog a bit more than I have been, and did some weights. I didn't do quite as much as I had originally planned for the week, but I think I did a pretty darned good job! Hoorah! Also, Andrew and I started the 100% raw thing, which is more like the past 3 days were 80-90% raw! :)

Ok, well, its time to get ready for finals week. Yikes! Have a great May!

Get Ready: Get Set: GET RAW!

2010-04-30T08:59:00.000-04:00

All right,

So those of you who read my blog or talk to me might know that I am doing a 4 week fitness challenge that I made up myself. Well, that is still in progress and despite a few bad snacks and last night's dinner, I am doing EXTREMELY well. I have been pushing myself running and eating mostly raw.

Well, its time to take it up a notch. Tonight at midnight, the husband and I are throwing ourselves into a 30 day 100% raw challenge! We are joining The Uncooked Kitchen for this challenge. I am super excited. It is going to be so great having Andrew along for the ride, also, as sometimes its difficult for me to cook multiple meals for multiple diets! Plus, he will keep me in line when I have cravings or other things like that! We are almost out of food so tonight I am going to get a grocery list going and head out to the grocery to stock up.

Is anyone else joining this 30 day raw food challenge?! Let us know!

Wish us luck! I will let you know how it goes as it goes. :)

Best Green Smoothie EVAR

2010-04-29T09:28:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I really did just make the BEST green smoothie ever.

Here is the recipe:

1 cup filtered water
2 handfulls of spinach
1 pear
1 banana
3 strawberries

Mix and WHA-LA.

The taste is incredible and its not too grainy. The color is beautiful. MMM Green smoothies!

Raw Guacamole- YUM

2010-04-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

I promised a post on my recent adventure creating guacamole and here it is! I made this:

The first thing I did was cut into a very dark avocado. Let me just say that this avocado was probably the most beautiful vegetable I have EVER seen. It was the most incredible green color (can't you tell by the photo?) and the brown seed thing inside complimented it so well. It almost took my breath away. Is that cheesy or weird? I might be in love with the aesthetics of the avocado! Even the word rolls off my tongue. MM avocado, how I desire you! ...I think I am probably going to decorate my next kitchen based off the colors of the avocado... Ok... sorry. Back to the recipe.

So-After cutting it, I scooped out the stuff I wanted with a big spoon. Mashed it with a fork. Then, I cut up some onion and grape tomatoes (on second thought, would probably try a vine tomato or something similar--and a red onion rather than a sweet onion. I couldn't find organic red onions at the market this week so I had to get yellow. *sad face*). I mixed those all together with a dash of lime juice and some salt and pepper.

The guac tastes GREAT and is wonderful on raw wraps and salads and chips and anything else you can think of. With salsa, it makes great appetizer! I had this for lunch today. MMM!!!!

Me dipping into the guac with non-raw chips! Look at that color! MMM

Raw Coleslaw-with a twist

2010-04-28T08:56:00.000-04:00

Hello! I wanted to share with you my newest creation--raw coleslaw. Now, I've never been a huge coleslaw fan but this recipe is just destroying me with coleslaw cravings! It is such a great feeling to crave a totally raw dish rather than a cheeseburger! I've noticed raw food cravings more and more as I try to add more raw foods into my diet.

Anyway, I made this first experimentally and on the fly for some friends one night who came over for dinner. I had been so overwhelmed with coming up with a raw dessert that I completely neglected a side dish! So, I sent Andrew to the store and this is what I made:

Raw Coleslaw:

1 head cabbage

1 head bok choy

1 grated carrot

a small piece of grated ginger root

about 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil

about 2 or 3 tablespoons of nama shoyu

sprinkles of salt and pepper

For this, I like to put the cabbage in my processor until it is all cut up into small pieces. Then, I put that in a bowl. I put in the bok choy and allow that to be a bit larger. Grate a carrot and ginger on top, put in the toppings, and mix together.

Ta Da! There you have it. A raw coleslaw that is SO GOOD. I have seen a variation of this which added Asian Pear and Lemon juice, but this is what I did and I LOVE it. I made it for a pitch-in yesterday and am taking another batch to another dinner tomorrow. It really is just that good! :) :)

NUTRITIONAL ELEMENTS: What is also cool about raw coleslaw is that it is FULL of some really awesome vitamins and minerals. Bok Choy is full of glucosinolates, which can help prevent certain cancers. It is also full of carotenes, vitamin C, and CALCIUM (good recipe for pregnant women who need calcium in their vegan diets). The cabbage also has TONS phytochemicals (glucosinolates) (PHYTO=FIGHT-) for fighting cancer! Actually, cabbage family veggies have more than any other veggies out there! Also, cabbage is good for treating peptic ulcers!

Enjoy!

Bubbles Spice Smoothie

2010-04-27T08:00:00.010-04:00

So, why is this smoothie called the "Bubbles Spice" smoothie!? Well, I have a rabbit named BUBBLES, of course!

...ok, so why would someone name a smoothie after their pet rabbit!?

Well, its full of carrots (can you tell by the picture??). AND, it is adapted from the "Bunny Spice" drink in Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis's "Raw Food, Real World" cookbook!

Here's what I did:

Grated some ginger root into the bottom of my blender. Filled it with chunks from two carrots (not peeled, just washed with ends cut off), a cup of almond milk and blend. Once that is fairly smooth, I threw in one GIGANTIC organic banana and one half of a GIGANTIC organic banana (so probably two regular sized ones) and dumped in some cinnamon. Blend.

It tastes AWESOME! 4 raws!

My favorite part about this smoothie?? It's ORANGE. Which means (@Justine Dell) that it is the first GREEN SMOOTHIE I have made that is a beautiful color that has nothing to do with green. Hoorah! My quest for a non-green green smoothie is now complete!

Let's hope this smoothie fixes my eyes, though! The beta-carotene (healthy Vit A) in this smoothie is THROUGH THE ROOF! MM MM! Carrots have a great amount of Carotenes (no pun intended...or maybe intended), which promote better heart health and fight against cancer. Some studies show that eating Carrots and other orange squashes can reduce the risk of heart attack by up to 60%! They also, of course, help fight bad eyesight! WOW! (These findings, of course, from Healing Foods my Michael Murray). I can feel myself getting healthier with each sip I drink!

Bubbles and me lovin' each other...staring contest, anyone?

Fitness Challenge FAILURE

2010-04-26T08:45:00.001-04:00

So, this week started out GREAT in terms of my Fitness Challenge. I ran, I ate about 99% raw, I felt great, I felt inspired and awesome.

Pictures taken from Justine Dell's blog on FAILURE

And then...I failed. That's it. I just .. failed. I'm not REALLY sure how. Tuesday night I ate a giant bowl of ice cream at my Bible study, Wednesday I think we might have had pizza, etc. What happened!? We ran out of good produce, for one. I didn't plan THAT very well. Also, it was my husband's birthday. As such, this weekend, we had about 4 meals out from other people. That means my willpower fails and I get what tastes best rather than what is best for me!!! I did work out a couple times, but overall I failed at that, too!

What is up with all this failure!?

I think the answer is simply planning. I didn't plan.

Point number one: When I hear "restaurant" I get excited to eat something that tastes good (read: is full of fat and horrible chemicals) rather than planning or getting excited thinking about the salad or "light" portion of the menu. Instead of eating before we left, I was STARVING by the time we got to the restaurants, leaving me little willpower to resist the richest, biggest portioned, cooked food.

Point number two: When it rains, I do NOT want to run. When I am spending the day preparing for my husband's birthday by baking him the brownies he picked out, I do not want to run. When my dog is being HORRIBLE on the leash, I take him back inside rather than walking with him that extra mile. When I think "Oh, I will run later!" I am making excuses to not run NOW (and then it never happens).

Another reason I think I failed is simply LAZINESS...and a lack of discipline. It is way easier to NOT eat well or to NOT work out when I have easier options! No excuses!!! I also did not give my health to God this week. I left it up to myself and without God guiding me (not that God cares what size jeans I wear--but generally speaking), I cannot do ANYTHING.

You might be able to tell, but I am pretty bummed about my performance this week! That being said, it is time to also tell you that failure does not mean GIVING UP! Oh no. I am back on the horse today! I made some raw coleslaw and guacamole (blogs coming later this week!), stocked my fridge with some great looking veggies/fruits, picked up another raw cookbook from the library, and am ready to go. There is a break in the rain this afternoon so I am going to make myself a nice breakfast smoothie, do a little work, and then head out to the pavement for a run. I'm hoping to break a personal running mark today, but I need that first umph to do it (from the GREEN SMOOTHIE).

So, as of this morning, I am weighing in at 137, one pound MORE than last Monday! :( However, with all the crap I ate this week, I am surprised it isn't more than that!

I'll update again on Monday and perhaps throughout the week as per my meals/creations/recipes/thoughts. Have a wonderful Monday!!!

Fitness Challenge

2010-04-20T17:01:00.000-04:00

All right, so...now that Ladies' Week has come to a conclusion and I have just randomly developed a desire to feel confident in a bikini (so I can go swimming in the beautiful weather), I am embarking upon a daily fitness challenge. Now, this challenge is all my own, so no one really has challenged me nor am I actually competing against anyone. Still, the challenge is a challenge, as it is hard for me to actually get up the energy to do cardio. So, my daily plan is this:

*At LEAST 30 minutes of difficult cardio. This means running or biking (running, more like it).
*At LEAST 1 mile walk more than what I normally do. This should be easy since I have an energetic dog.
*Every other day, I will do the full-body toning workout with hand weights that is featured in this month's Self magazine.
* Upping my raw food intake to 90% raw.

So, I know I will probably build muscle doing this, but I want to make sure that I record my stats. On this Tuesday, April 20th, 2010, I weighed in at 136lbs. I will not weigh myself again until next Tuesday. Each Tuesday for the next four weeks I will update my progress. This means I must be held accountable! I'm leaving it up to YOU, my readers, to do that! I KNOW I have friends who read my blog, so HELP ME OUT HERE!

Ok, that is all for now. Wish me luck! I'm gonna need it!

My Husband is AWESOME-and bought me a dehydrator

2010-04-19T09:42:00.000-04:00

Hello Again!

This weekend, Andrew and I went to Bed Bath & Beyond to spend the last of our wedding store credit. Last time we went, I got a blender. This time, I got a dehydrator!!! Hooray!!! Andrew couldn't think of anything he wanted more than an iron (which we got) so he was fine with spending even MORE of our wedding money on raw food cooking tools! What a sweety. No beer kegerator for him--he is fine with dehydrators, blenders, food processors, hand mixers, upping the food budget, etc. so that I can do the raw thing. What a sweetie! I love my husband...for more reasons than him letting me buy stuff, but also because he lets me buy stuff! Hooray!

So, the first thing I did was get some flax seeds out and attempted some kind of raw cracker!

I know, it looks like a pizza or something, right? Well, these crackers actually have a pizza taste! I used one cup of flax seeds, about a cup of grape tomatoes, and half a red pepper. I threw in some basil and oregano. Oh, I also did a tiny dab of garlic. They taste awesome! Like pizza, I'm telling you! It took a tad bit longer than I would have liked because I used this clear plastic insert so that the crackers didn't smash through those holes--and the bottom didn't dry! So, I had to flip them over. onto the tray after about 5 hours.

my first dehydrator experience :*)

On another note, I purchased a biodegradable (you can plant them right in the ground for transplanting!!!) "greenhouse seed starter" from a local co-op here in town. I grabbed some organic habanero seeds and PLANTED. I am SO excited for the salsa and raw hot sauce I will make here in the near future! :) :) :)

Raw Women, Raw Strength

2010-04-16T13:25:00.001-04:00

So, here I am going to link you to some of my favorite women--Mostly raw women who are healthy, inspiring, awesome, and creative. Some of these women you may know, some you may not...but...what you SHOULD know is that each one of these blogs will inspire you, make you laugh, make you cry, and all that other woman-y stuff.

Candice Davis: Not only do we share a name, but Candice's blog is interesting and inspiring. I love how her blog incorporates her family into it! Candice is a raw, strong, awesome woman! Check out her blog!

Kristen Suzanne: Kirsten is a vegan, raw chef. Her blog is super awesome and full of really great information. Her strength shines!

TheFitnessFreak: I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this blog!!! This one linked is FitnessFreak's raw recipe blog. She also has one called The Fitness Freak that is really awesome, also. Check out her stuff--its really really great and inspiring. I just discovered this blog and am SO glad I did!

Justine Dell: Justine is not raw, but she is an awesome romance/modern fiction writer who is trying to get published. Her blog is really real, really fun, and just overall really awesome. I'll probably make her eat something raw soon, so she is allowed to be on this post! :)

Earth Mother of InTheRaw: This blog is full of all kinds of really great resources and fun. She also has Friday Food Porn, which is my favorite thing in the world--showcasing the absolute beauty of food!

April at RawFoodPassion: April has just recently gone raw and is documenting her awesome journey. I love April's blog--all her posts are fun and her strength at staying raw during her challenge is so helpful in keeping raw even when pizza coupons come in the mail!

Well, that is all for now. If I think of some other really awesome raw/women, I will update this as I go! Check these ladies out! :)

And HAPPY LADIES' WEEK!

Cocoa Reduces Inflammation associated with Heart Disease!

2010-04-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

MMM COCOA!!!

Who doesn't need an excuse to eat more (or any) chocolate?!

According to the American Heart Association, "Heart disease isn't just a man's disease. Heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are devastating to women, too. In fact, coronary heart disease, which causes heart attack, is the single leading cause of death for American women. Many women believe that cancer is more of a threat, but they're wrong. Nearly twice as many women in the United States die of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases as from all forms of cancer, including breast cancer."

As it turns out, the cocoa bean is a cute little bean that is full of flavonoids-- "Naturally occuring antioxidants found abundantly in certain fruits and vegetables, tea, and red wine. A new study suggests that flavonoids in chocolate may be good for the heart..." (www.health.harvard.edu).

The cocoa has been shown in research studies to lower levels of "adhesion molecules--proteins that cause white cells and other substances to stick to the walls of the arteries."

So what does this mean for you, my lovely lady readers? As it turns out, any chocolate that you eat should not be processed (or be as close to pure as possible). Processed chocolate adds all kinds of sugars and destructive chemicals/processes (is not raw!) while lowering the flavonoid count. According to this article on Harvard Women's Health Watch, "Pure chocolate is made of nonfat cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The higher the nonfat cocoa solid content, the higher the flavonoid content will be... White chocolate contains no nonfat cocoa solids."

So basically, on a raw diet, throw in some of that cocoa to your smoothies or make some kind of awesome raw dessert + cocoa. BUT, always remember that these nutritional benefits are only gained if you eat in moderation. Plus, if you are trying to lose weight through raw food, try to limit your chocolate intake!

Here's some more tidbits about cocoa: "Unlike saturated fats found in meat and dairy products, the saturated fats in chocolate do not elevate cholesterol levels. Cocoa butter contains small amounts of plant sterols...which may help inhibit the absorption of dietary cholesterol. Chocolate flavonoids prevent the excessive clumping together of blood platelets that can cause blood clots. Chocolate can provide significant amounts of arginine, an amino acid that is required in the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to dilate, which helps regulate blood flow, inflammation, and blood pressure."

Um, cool, right!? RIGHT.

So, what is YOUR favorite raw chocolate recipe??

EDIT: My friend Ashley Detig sent me this recipe -- not sure where she got it, but I am making it for a dinner date we have tonight! I am super excited about it!

Chocolate Fudge Cake (adapted from Ani Phyo's Desert book)

Fudge Cake:
3 cups dry walnuts
2/3 cup cacao powder or carob powder
1/4 t. sea salt
1c pitted Medjool dates

*Combine in walnuts, cacao powder, salt in food processor and pulse until coarsely mixed (avoid overprocessing), add dates and pulse until mixed well. Shape into two stackable cakes of desired shape.

Frosting: (best frosting I've ever had!)
1/3 semi-soft pitted Medjool dates
1/4 agave syrup
1/2 ripe avocado flesh (about one medium avocado)
1/3 c cacao powder

*Combine dates and agave syrup in food processor and process until smooth. Add avocado and process until smooth. Add cacao powder and process until smooth.

~To serve, frost top of one cake, and top with a fruit of choice (raspberries, cherries, strawberries) or coconut, or just more frosting! Stack toe second cake on top and frost the top and side. Devour!

African American Child-Women: Nutrition Theory Revised

2010-04-14T16:52:00.000-04:00

All right (hehe @ Justine Dell),

As advertised, I found a research study conducted by Medha Talpade that investigates early sexual maturation in African American females and connects it to nutrition.

The first thing I will say is that there are, as with any primary research, some drawbacks to this study. There are moments while I was reading the methods section of the research report that I thought, "Ya know, that seems a bit...fishy." As in, there could be a lot of skewed evidence here based on methodology. So, I will present the research findings but ask you to check it out yourself before you decide that what is presented here is absolute fact. Anyway, I would encourage you to do that in general. In fact, I would encourage you to be cautious to EVER label anything Absolute FACT (except God, who is, indeed, a fact). Still, the information provided at least raises questions and provides evidence that the SAD is pretty awful for human bodies.

So, what is this study all about? Talpade wanted to find out if nutrition in early life affected sexual maturation. Early sexual maturation is "associated with myriad psychological and behavioral problems" (2). "Increasing research evidence indicates that there are psychiatric risks for girls who enter sexual maturation at an early age" (3). Indeed, the NHANES III found that obesity was linked to psychological and emotional dysfunction. Preliminary findings suggested that today, AA girls eat significantly different than a generation ago and this newer study found that there are significant differences in nutrition between AA girls who mature early and those who do not.

The study found lower calcium and fiber consumption related to early sexual maturation.

So, basically, African American children (as well as any child/ren) need to make sure they are getting a great deal of calcium and fiber--especially if being raised raw. While most raw foodists will claim that the raw food lifestyle can provide plenty of essential vitamins and minerals/proteins, it is very important to make sure kids are getting the RIGHT amount they need of the right kinds. Perhaps consider blood tests and perhaps a supplement if you are afraid your kids are not getting the right amount of fiber and calcium!

Here also is more information regarding African American health and nutrition: http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/A-Ap/African-Americans-Diet-of.html

Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy

2010-04-13T16:51:00.001-04:00

Of course, only women can carry a baby and give birth to a baby. Therefore, pregnancy is an important topic for ladies' week! Even if you plan to never have a[nother] child, you probably know someone who is thinking about having/going to have/about to have a baby. In Ani Difranco's words, "To split yourself in two is just the most radical thing you can do" AND--if you choose to take that step, you must fight for your baby at all costs--even if it costs you that extra slice of pizza. Its the ultimate feminist movement, to have a baby, and it is the ultimate test of female strength! Kudos to all women who have taken this journey!!!

AND, as it turns out, "what you eat before and during your pregnancy," according to Miriam Erick, "could be one of the most important considerations for your health and happiness during those nine months" (xxxii). Erick says that normal pregnancy symptoms can drive a woman absolutely nuts while carrying her baby, such as "Fatigue, morning sickness, constipation, hemorhoids, varicose veins, tooth and gum problems, leg cramps, nosebleeds, skin problems, colds and infections, mild depression, and mood swings..." Even these are only "a few of the NUTRITIONALLY RELATED side effects of pregnancy that might be avoided or at least lessened by proper diet" (xxxii). I hear about these side effects ALL THE TIME from pregnant people. You will probably get one or two, I'm sure, but you can lessen them dramatically (or prevent them) by eating better and making sure you are getting enough vitamins/minerals that your body needs!

First, if you are in your childbearing years, you should consider stocking your body with a few beneficial vitamins: Iron and Folic Acid.

Of iron, you should consume 18mg of iron each day. You should make it even higher if you have heavy periods or use IUD. If you are iron deficient, get MORE IRON! You can get iron in wheat germ, spinach, beet greens, sunflower seeds, mangos, avocados, raisins, almonds, beans.

Of folic acid, get 400mcg daily! This can be the most important vitamin to prevent birth defects! You can get it in spinach, tomato juice, collards, asparagus, wheat germ, beans.

Now, WHILE YOU ARE PREGNANT, you must must must consider your eating habits. Erick's research tells us that despite popular belief, a growing baby gets most of its vitamins from WHAT YOU EAT AS YOU EAT IT! That means every bite you take is a choice for either helping your baby grow and develop, or just stuffing it full of twinky! EEP!

To get the minerals and vitamins you really need, you need to be eating at least eight servings of fresh fruits and vegetables (full of vitamin C such as citrus as well as leafy greens!)! You also need to make sure you are getting plenty of vitamin C.

Calcium Rich Foods:
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Collard Greens
Dandelion Greens
Figs
Mustard Greens
Orange juice
Rice Dream
Turnip Greens

Fantastic Veggies (* high in folic acid):
Asparagus*
Bean Sprouts
Green Beans
Beets
Broccoli*
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Chard*
Collards*
Dandelion Greens*
Eggplant
Kale*
Mustard Greens*
Okra
Pea pods
Green Peas*
Romaine*
Spinach*
Squash
Succotash
Sweet Potato
Tomato
Turnip Greens*
Zucchini

Fabulous Fruits:
Apple
Applesauce
Apricots
Banana
Berries
Cantaloupe
Casaba Melon
Cherries
Grapefruit
Grape
Kiwi
Honeydew Melon
Mandarin Oranges
Mango
Nectarine
Orange
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Plum
Prunes
Tangerine
Watermelon

Erick's Nutrition: 1, 2, 3 table:

1. 2/3 or 3/4 of your plate should be heaped with a variety of whole grains, veggies, and fruits.
2. Include at least one whole grain and two fruits and/or veggies at every meal and one fruit or veggie at each snack.
3. Before you eat, always ask, "Is this good for me and my baby?" If so, eat. If not, find an alternative!

Raw Superfoods (awesome buzzword) for Pregnancy (mostly taken from Erick's book) are:

Spinach: One cup of cooked spinach supplies only 41 calories, yet boosts your zinc intake. It also has calcium, magnesium, iron, and folic acid.

Strawberries: 2 cups of strawberries are only 100 calories and ensure optimal iron intake while providing lots of fiber and Vitamin C!

Wheat Germ: 1/2 cup of wheat germ supplies more than half of your daily magnesium needs, as well as a ton of vitamins (100% of your daily folic acid and 50% vitamin E), Iron, Zinc, and other minerals!

Broccoli: High in folic acid, vitamin C, beta carotene, iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B12, just about everything else!

Papaya: Supplies more than twice your day's need for vitamin C, more than your daily allotment of Vitamin A (as beta carotene), magnesium, calcium, potassium--and low in calories!

Water: DRINK A TON OF THIS!

So, what about being raw? Does this change how/when/what I eat? Yes, it does. But not much. If you are already high raw, you are pretty much there. Your baby will be getting all kinds of super healthy foods and nutrients and vitamins into its developing little system. BUT, you should try to get a ton of whole grains, calcium rich foods, and protein. Make sure you are eating enough raw veggies/nuts/seeds to make up for these vitamins. You are looking for foods high in Vitamin D, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12, and calcium.

I hope this helps/is interesting! I think its awesome. God really has provided us with all the tools we need for happy, healthy, well-developed babies/bodies! Its just what you make of it bite by bite.

Proverbs 31: 10-31

2010-04-12T08:15:00.000-04:00

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 [4] An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.

12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.

14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.

15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

17 She dresses herself [5] with strength
and makes her arms strong.

18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.

19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.

20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet. [6]

22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.

25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands
and let her works praise her in the gates.

Best Vitamins for Women

2010-04-12T08:00:00.001-04:00

So, women. What is it about women? Well, they are awesome. They are beautiful and soft, lovely, sweet, and precious, strong, hardcore, gentle, etc. etc. etc. And, they need VITAMINS! What vitamins, you ask? Well, according to Elizabeth Somer, these ones:

Vitamin A: This boosts immunity, maintains healthy tissue, aids in bone and tooth formation, and protects vision. Find it in dark green leafy veggies and dark orange ones.

Vitamin D: Strengthens bones and helps prevent osteoporosis. Might lower risk of colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. May curb PMS symptoms and protect vision. Find it in dark green leafy veggies. You might also get it in supplement form, just to be safe.

Vitamin E: Antioxidant. Counteracts DNA damage that ages cells. Prevents heart disease, cancer, memory loss, and cataracts. Boosts immunity. Look for it in wheat germ, most nuts, and spinach (OH a leafy green).

Vitamin K: Aids blood clotting, boosts bones, may curb heart disease risk. Look for it in leafy greens.

Folic Acid: Supprots normal cell growth, prevents anemia, and birth defects. May reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, preterm delivery, memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and cancer. Look for it in leafy greens, orange juice, wheat germ.

Vitamin B6: Helps produce hormones and brain chemicals. Strengthens immunity. Might lower risk of memory loss, heart disease, depression, and morning sickness during pregnancy. Look for it in avacados, potatoes, bananas, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

Vitamin B12: Helps prevent heart disease, memory loss, anemia, and depression. Maintains nerve and brain function. Look for it in a multivitamin or supplement.

Vitamin C: Antioxidant. Maintains tissue, promotes healing, boosts immunity. May reduce risk of cancer, sun damage, heart disease, cataracts, and tissue damage from secondhand smoke. Look for it in citrus fruit, brussel sprouts, peppers, and leafy greens.

Calcium: Reduces risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, possibly colon cancer. Aids in blood clotting, muscle contraction, and nerve transmission. Might reduce symptoms of PMS and help weight loss. Look for it in leafy greens, peas, beans. May also need a supplement.

Chromium: Regulates blood sugar and may help lower blood sugar levels in those who are insulin resistant. Get it in orange juice, whole grains, wheat germ.

Copper: Aids in nerve transmission, red blood cell formation, maintanence of strong bones and brain, hearth, immune function. Regulates blood sugar and protects against birth defects. Look for it in grains, nuts, seeds, and leafy greens.

Iron: Prevents fatigue, improves exercise performance, strengthens immunity, and maintains alertness and memory. Look for it in peas, apricots, leafy greens, raisins, whole grains.

Magnesium: Aids in muscle contraction, nerve transmission, blood pressure regulation, immune function, and bone formation. Might lower risk of heart disease and diabetes. Helps control hypertension, headaches, and preeclampsia during pregnancy. Look for it in avocados, bananas, wheat germ, whole grains, peas, leafy greens.

Omega-3 Fats: Lowers risk of heart disease, memory loss, bone loss, and osteoporosis. Reduces symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. May boost mood. Look for it in flaxseed and walnuts.

Selenium: Antioxidant. Lowers risk of heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. Look for it in whole grains, nuts.

Zinc: Speeds healing, boosts immunity, prevents pregnancy complications, helps maintain strong bones and normal taste and smell. Look for it in nuts, beans, peas, wheat germ, whole grains.

NOW, 2/3 of these vitamins are found in LEAFY GREENS! That means, make a big leafy green salad base. Add some whole grains, flax seeds, and some nuts and you're good to go for the day! All of these essential women's vitamins can be found in a salad!!! WOW! Isn't that intense?? MM MM!

LADIES' WEEK!

2010-04-11T11:35:00.000-04:00

Ok, everyone--ITS THAT TIME! LADY'S TIME! This whole week is going to be dedicated to women. Of course my posts will be tailored to raw women, but all the information included in my Ladies' Week posts is good information for ALL women.

Here's a preview of what the week looks like:

Monday: Best Vitamins for Women (And where to find them). This day's post is based off of an article by Elizabeth Somer, entitled "Best Vitamins for Women." I am original, huh?

Tuesday: Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy. You will be BLOWN AWAY by some of the information presented here (especially if you've never considered this topic before).

Wednesday: African American Child-Women: Nutrition Theory Revisited. This post is related to an article I found that revisits past research on Af-Am nutrition. The study discussed in this article was conducted by Medha Talpade and was ppublished in a journal called Adolescence. This should be an interesting post.

Thursday: Cocoa Reduces Inflammation Associated with Heart Disease. (MMM CHOCOLATE)! Who needs another excuse to eat tons of cocoa? I do, and I'm sure other women do, so come check out this post!

Friday: Raw Women, Raw Strength. This post is the one I'm looking forward to most! Do you know of a really strong raw woman? Send her info my way and perhaps she'll show up on this blog post!

Well, if you can't tell, I'm REALLY excited about LADIES' WEEK! YIPPEEEE! Come back every day to check it out! Until then...its green smoothie time!

Honey Coconut Smoothie

2010-04-11T08:00:00.001-04:00

I have a favor to ask of you--no, a demand: TRY THIS SMOOTHIE. Oh my gosh I am just blown away daily by the smoothies I make! Not trying to toot my own horn but let me tell you I AM A GENIOUS with a blender and an employed husband (who hates, by the way, finding left over smoothies lying around the house as I mix and mix and fail and fail at making yummy smoothies).

Here is the HONEY COCONUT SMOOTHIE:

2 TBS Raw Honey (warmed, liquified)

2 cups coconut water

about 2 tablespoons coconut meat

2 dates

1 apple

Some red leaf romaine

some baby greens

So, what I did, was first I put the coconut water in the blender with the coconut meat to make a light coconut milk. Then, I added the dates until they were smooth. Next, I blended in the apple. Then the greens. Then the honey. It was green, just like my others, so I didn't take a picture of it... but you could imagine what it would look like...

Photo taken from In the Raw

For those of who who have a hard time with coconuts. Let me tell you, today was my first time. I started by attempting to saw off the woody stuff around the outside. I thought I was getting somewhere until I hit the hard crust part. I thought, "WTF!" because I was already a little sweaty from all the cutting. And cutting. And cutting. Then, maybe 20 minutes later, my lovely husband, being that he spent MONTHS in INDONESIA (one of the largest suppliers of coconuts) said "Love," (isn't he sweet?) "Get a knife and stick it in the top. Then, use something heavy and hammer it in." Ok...........

So I grabbed a knife. And a pot.

"Love," (again, so sweet) "You're going to grab, out of everything in the kitchen, one of our nicest pots!?"

"...*blink blink*... well, you said something heavy."

"Yes, but..here, use this.."

He handed me our incredible cast iron tea pot, a very expensive and one-of-a-kind wedding gift. Well, I used it, despite my better judgement. Somewhere in the back of my mind was my lovely sister, saying, "Candice, this thing is so great it can't break." So, I guess it will double as a coconut opener?

At that, determined, I began hammering. And hammering. And hammering. And FINALLY, coconut water dripped out. More hammering. And hammering. I was sweaty-my face was red, I was pounding, trying to get that darned thing pried open because I had NOTHING else to eat for breakfast besides some oat flour... Eventually, I broke open a chunk (thanks to all the sawing I was doing earlier!).....I put the water in and was able to scoop out a tiny amount of the meat. The thing went in the fridge for a later time. I was NOT going to spend another minute on that dumb coconut. Well, as you may know by now, the smoothie turned out GREAT. MM MM MM MM MM!!!!

I will let you know what happens with the coconut.....its fate is in my hands....

My Raw Yum-Yum Taco Salad

2010-04-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

Hola, Amigos!

Oh man....Am I the only person who thinks "taco taco taco" when Spanish is being spoken?...."MM TACO..hola, sí, uh huh...right...TACO!"

mm...probably. Well, anyways...Mexican food is my all time favorite food EVAR. AND, I needed a quick, simple, easy, raw alternative. So, I came up with this:

Just looking at it is making my mouth water! Anyway, this here raw taco salad alternative is based with a lovely red leaf lettuce, chopped. On top, you'll find bell peppers (red, green, yellow), red onion, a medium salsa made out of tomatoes, cilantro, onion. You'll also find that I dropped a few black beans all around the salsa. Finally, I dressed mine with a TON of Local Folks Foods (based out of Sheridan, IN) hot sauce!

Now, I think this would be tastey with some extra cilantro or other assorted Mexican-y spices added to it, but I LOVE it just the way it is. I also have added some rice to this to fluff it up a bit and that was even incredible. YUM YUM YUM! I also think you could probably make this into a type of taco dip with some raw chips. If you got some raw tortillas, you could make soft tacos, too! Also, you could add some guacamole! OH THE POSSIBILITIES!!!

Look at that AWESOME Local Folks Foods habanero hot sauce! MMM

I think I am getting dehydrated drooling all over the place.

That's right folks..OH the possibilities.... *le sigh* ... ok, where's my breakfast!?

ALSO: DON'T FORGET--STARTING MONDAY IS RAW LADY'S WEEK!!! 5 POSTS WILL BE DEDICATED TO WOMEN AND THEIR HEALTH, NUTRITION, FOOD, ETC. Come back daily to check out some stuff about the ladiiieeessss!

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS!

2010-04-09T08:00:00.003-04:00

Andrew and I ate a ton of fruits and topped it off with almonds for an incredible light fruit, raw fruit breakfast!

If you can't see the fruit, inside this beautiful bowl are:

Apple chunks

Pears

Bananas

Almonds

The breakfast was great at getting us jumpstarted for the day. For lunch, Andrew's father prepared some great shish-kabobs and asparagus on the grill, served with a plate of raw veggies and bean salad. One of the best (though not very raw) lunches!

Anyway, raw breakfast has always been our biggest challenge, but a simple fruit bowl like this works really well. So does a green smoothie, but that's not what THIS post is about! Seriously, I know it can sound a little boring to think "fruit!?" when you could be sitting down to a giant pancake or omelette. HOWEVER, this is a great dish if you wanna go raw. Also, throw in some raw yogurt or something and have a blast!

I've also dehydrated mashed bananas mixed with coconut (cinnamon to taste) for a breakfast. Try it!

MUST SHARE: Green Smoothie

2010-04-08T12:50:00.000-04:00

So, I just made a green smoothie for lunch and it is so delicious I thought I had to share! Here's the mixture:

1 handful of whole grape tomatoes.
3 or so leaves of red leaf lettuce
1 cup Organic, fresh Mixed Berry fruit juice
1 very ripe banana.

First, I blended to tomatoes since I knew they hard a harder peel. Once those were liquified, I threw in the lettuce and some juice. Blend. As that was going, I threw in chunks of banana at the top. Let it run for a sec til it was nice and smooth and WHA-LA, GREEN SMOOTHIE OF ALL GREEN SMOOTHIES! The best part about this green smoothie is that I HATE tomatoes, most of the time. Usually, I really have to dress them up to enjoy them but I guess adding them to a smoothie is a great way to mask the flavor and still get all that lycopene they have! Also, I hear they are great for Andrew's prostate.

Try it!

Salads, salads, and MORE SALADS!

2010-04-08T08:30:00.000-04:00

Well, at least there's......

Aren't all of God's natural creations simply beautiful!?

THE (totally awesome) SIDE SALAD!!!!

So, what can I say? Is this salad a beauty or what! I made this salad with a bit of crispy romaine, baby greens, green pepper, red pepper, yellow peppers, cucumbers, and grape tomatoes. All organic, of course! I topped this basic side salad off with a nice raw red wine vinaigrette. It. Was. Awesome!

Clearly, Andrew and I love certain veggies--all of the ones in this salad, more or less. They are our staple veggies (except the grape tomatoes) and we buy them every week.. Yup, every week we stock up on our leafy greens (mostly lettuces right now, rather than kale, spinach, etc. However, there is a lady who was at our farmers market who sold all natural spinach that was extremely tastey). We always make sure to get two of each of our favorite bell peppers, though soon we will be growing some (God willing) in our organic garden plot! We get two cucumbers, and red onion. These I eat ALL THE TIME. AND, they make the great side salad you see above (if you add the grape tomatoes).

What's awesome, in my opinion, about the side salad is how AWESOME it tastes (5 raws by the way. An excellent side salad, for a side salad)!!! And, it fills us up, so we can make less of our main course and save money (red pepper/coconut soup anyone?! Coconuts are expensive!). Yeah, I'll say that again: we save money eating these things! And not only that, here is some nutritional information for the side salad pictured here:

This salad is FULL of the following:

Vitamin A

Folic Acid

Vitamin C

Vitamin B1 and B2

beta-carotene

Vitamin K

Thiamine

Silica (Cucumber)

Potassium

Magnesium

Molybdenum

Lycopene

Biotin

Fiber

WOW! I know, right!? Just make sure you are making your side salads with ORGANIC produce, so as not to cancel out the benefits of these vitamins! And what ARE the benefits of a side salad full of so many vitamins?? Well, these vitamins help with these things:

Vitamin A: Proper growth/development, eyesight

Folic Acid: Critical to cell division

Vitamin C: Makes collagen, the main protein of the body. Metabolizes fats. Vital for wound repair, healthy gums, and prevention of bruises. Critical to immune function. Antioxidant.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Energy production, carbohydrate metabolism, nerve cell function.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Energy production.

Beta-carotene + Lycopene: Antioxidant, converts to Vit A.

Vitamin K: Blood clotting, bone health,

Potassium: Electrolyte. Water balance, kidney and adrenal function, muscle and cell function, heart function.

Magnesium: Activates enzymes. Maintains cell charge in muscles and nerves. Energy production, protein formation, cell reproduction.

Biotin: Utilizes fats and amino acids.

Whoa! Lots of goodness! What would we do without all these vitamins! Next meal, add a beautiful side salad--and feel GREAT about the choice (because the rest of your body will)!

Please tell me, what is your favorite thing to use in your side salads?! Mine is by far red onion. I am a red onion fiend!

Btw: For the nutritional information, I use The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray and Joseph and Lara Pizzorno. It is a super guide for me! I use it ALL. THE. TIME.

The Case for Asparagus

2010-04-07T11:37:00.000-04:00

Asparagus officinalis

Liliacae!

Picture from Epicurian.com

Asparagus: Its perennial. Should be planted in early spring. Sunny, wind protected spot. Water heavily. Watch out for Asparagus rust and fusarium wilt. Asparagus helps with Arthritis and Rheumatism and helps as a diuretic. It is very low in calories: 24 per cup. Excellent source of potassium, vitamin K, folic acid, vitamins C and A, B6, riboflavin, thiamin. Also it is full of dietary fiber, niacin, phosphorus, protein, and iron! WOW!

Andrew and I have some great stalks of Asparagus in our fridge right now, and I am debating on how we are going to eat it. It was given to us by Andrew's father. Now, Andrew says you can't eat it raw, but I know I've seen it on salads and things before. Perhaps I can throw it in a nice green smoothie today? A salad? Well, here's a variation I found online by Chef Jonathan Waxman from EPICURIAN

Ingredients:
12 Medium-sized asparagus spears. Snap off the tough ends.
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup raw olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounce wedge parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Carefully shave the asparagus lengthwise into long, graceful strips. Place the strips in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Finally, using a vegetable peeler, shave the cheese over the top. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Variation:

Shave 1 large fennel bulb and 1 or 2 Belgian endives on the mandoline (or veggie peeler) and toss with the asparagus shavings. You may want to increase the olive oil and cheese to your taste.

How do YOU like your Asparagus!?

GREEN SMOOTHIES!

2010-04-06T14:14:00.000-04:00

Hey all!

I've done some awesome experiments into the green smoothie thing...with adding various veggies. Now, honestly, I'm so excited to share a few EASY raw, green smoothie recipes I've "cooked" up -- they are really really tasty green drinks! I have had these the past couple of days for breakfast and I have felt SO good in the morning and for the rest of the day! And, now that the sun is out, Titus (the dog) and I have been enjoying some running/jogging/walking in the sun. Today, my smoothie even gave me the energy to break a running record (this isn't a huge amount, so I'm not going to post that I ran 15 miles or something, because I didn't. Nonetheless, I broke a personal record!) Oh, summer, how I love thee!

Anyway, here are the recipes and while you're at it, Mr./Mrs./Miss Smoothie lover, go check out a previous banana/mango smoothie blog post!

This isn't the BEST quality picture, but this is the Green Berry Slimer Smoothie!

The Blonde, Chartreuse smoothie:

4 leafs romaine lettuce

A handful of baby greens

1 medium Banana

1/2 cup Mango Juice

1/2 cup Orange Juice

Pinch of Ginger

Blend romaine, baby greens, and juices together in the blender. Then, add the banana. Throw in the pinch of ginger and you're ready to go!

The GREEN BERRY slimer smoothie:

4 leafs romaine lettuce

A handful of salad mix

1 medium Banana

1 cup juice from various berries

Blend romaine, baby greens, and berry juice together in your blender. Throw in the banana and DRINK!

4.5 raws for both! SO good, and so full of vitamins and minerals. These smoothies are FULL of Vitamins A, B6, C, K, Manganese, calcium, fiber, iron, and, of course, potassium! This means good things for your health. Now, start your day off right and try one of these smoothies. What is your favorite green smoothie recipe?

Raw Banana Split at Quintessence in the East Village

2010-03-30T18:37:00.000-04:00

HELLO AND GOOD AFTERNOON!

If you're wondering, husband and I have fallen completely off the raw-wagon. Well, maybe not completely, but we definitely ate only one raw thing over our spring "vacation" (read: grad school visit) to New Jersey/New York City. And, while we are going to get right back on the raw horse (ew), today's blog is going to be about the one raw thing we ate on our "vacation" (read: grad school visit).

Can I just say:

RIGHT!?!??! (btw that's my arm digging in...couldn't stop for a photo)

HOLY CRAP!!!! Chia seed pudding, some kind of raw ice cream, strawberries, bananas, and the most delectable raw chocolate sauce.

I'm telling YOU!!! Husband and I almost fell out of our chairs. This aint your Dairy Queen's banana split, but my goodness buy this and eat it! EAT IT I SAY! So yummy. Just thinking about it makes me want to drive 13 hours to NYC to get another!!! Um, can I just say I have started searching Chia Seed pudding recipes!? Ok, so you get it, right? 5 GIGANTIC RAWS! RAW RAW RAW RAW RAW!

My favorite part of visiting Quintessence was when my husband said, "This is something you could make!" Awww, he believes in me!

My least favorite part of visiting Quintessence was the price. It is a NYC "gourmet" restaurant, so of course it was EXPENSIVE! Totally worth it, and a great splurge. I mean, the "comedy show" tickets we bought in Times Square for $15 were 100x less worth it than the $8 we spent on this banana split.

Well, just check this restaurant out next time you're in NYC. Apparently, there are 3 of them around Manhattan (I think), so go find it.

SO YUM YUM YUM YUMMYYYYYY.

All for now. PS: I ate some fruit for breakfast and some veggies at lunch. Dinner is BBQ chicken. I know. Not raw. We'll get back to it...I promise! I've never felt so good as with an 80% raw diet! :)

LUNCH TODAY! YUMMM!!!

2010-03-08T12:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I am finishing lunch today and thought I'd share what I had. It was SO GOOD.

This lunch consisted of a nice plate of romaine and other lettuces, topped with organic couscous, three kinds of bell peppers and some extra red onion. I topped this all off with a nice raw, cucumber-mango salsa, which is probably one of the best tasting, not-spicey salsas ever. I really love me some spicey salsa, so this was a bit of a change. The weather is just too nice out right now to have too much spice on my plate. I wanted something a little more refreshing. Here is the recipe for cucumber-mango salsa:

Ingredients:

* 1 Cucumber

* 1 Mango

* 2 TBSP fresh cilantro

* Half a red onion

To prepare: Throw this all in your food processor until desired consistency is reached! :) That's it! I also added a little water to mix. Not much, though, so be careful it doesn't get too runny!

It looked like this:

I kept mine pretty chunky! :)

Finally, I topped this awesome mostly raw lunch off with a raw berry smoothie. For this, I used about two cups frozen, mixed berries, half a cup of almond milk, a handful of romaine lettuce, and a little raw honey. Mixed it up in my blender and ta-da! A tastey, wonderful, after-lunch snack to keep me full and going until dinner! :) I do prefer fresh berries, though. This is the first time using frozen ones and you can definitely tell they've been frozen. Next time, I'll just get fresh berries!

Local Folks Foods!

2010-03-08T09:34:00.000-05:00

Andrew and I have been going to our incredible local winter farmer's market the past couple weeks. We have met some wonderful and pleasant people there! One of them is Fiedler Farms. We love these natural, grass-feeding farmers! However, I am not going to talk about that today. Today, I want to focus on a "company" called Local Folks Foods. From their website, "This family-run enterprise has a simple mission statement: To develop a diverse food line emphasizing local, fresh, natural ingredients, making a conscious effort to reduce the distance our food travels before consumption." And how! Andrew and I were blessed to meet some of the "folks" behind Local Folks and bought some various items from them. Might I add that one of the best things about Local Folks is that they are incredibly nice and bring their children to the farmer's market! Nothing says awesome like having a family sell a family product (as opposed to corporate machines selling "family" products) and actually seeing their faces! Their website is (and visit!): http://www.localfolksfoods.com/

The first thing I grabbed was a bottle of habanero hot sauce. I love me some spice and this item was delicious! I am trying to make it last, but I want to put it on everything! lol.

We also bought from them some hand-made butternut squash/bleu cheese raviolis. No, these are not raw, but we ate them with big salad, so I can talk about them here. Anyway, what's the use of going raw if you're not supporting local farmers?? Its a lifestyle, not a book of laws! Andrew says that these raviolis + the salad + some "garlic bread" we made on sprouted grain breads was one of the best meals he has ever had. So, 5 raws!!!!!! RAW RAW RAW RAW RAW (want your ravioliiiis)!!!! YUMMY!

Here are some pictures of the delicious (and incredibly easy to prepare) dinner:

Ani Phyo's Ginger Almond Nori Rolls

2010-03-05T10:08:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

The other night, Andrew and I made (I made, he ate) Ani Phyo's Ginger Almond Nori Rolls. They are BEAUTIFUL. As it turns out, I HATE nori. I know, right? Everyone in raw food land likes it, it seems. I hate how fishy it looks/tastes/is, though. Really, it's gross. I ended up pulling the insides out of my nori rolls and eating them like that.....THAT was tastey. SO, we gave them 3.5 raws because the insides are very, very yummy! However, if you don't like fish, the taste of fish, the idea of seaweed, just try it like a salad. The ginger almond pate will work as a type of ... pate dressing! :)

Here are some pictures, followed by Ani Phyo's video about how to make these:

I AM Smoooooothie

2010-03-05T09:56:00.000-05:00

Well,

As it turns out, I have discovered FINALLY that I love smoothies! Now, I have yet to actually throw some veggies in....but I will try that soon enough (i.e. tomorrow!). I created (as far as I know) an ah-mazing recipe for a banana/mango smoothie. It is not totally raw, but it is totally good. Here is the very simple, 4 RAWs (raw raw raw raw) recipe:

2 Bananas
1 Mango
Half a cup of soy milk
About 1 or 2 TSP raw Honey
3 drops of vanilla extract

This is not my picture! I found it on google images! :)

And you get: AMAZING SMOOTHIE LAND HAPPY TIME!!!!!! I'd start with the banana, mango, and soy and then add the honey and vanilla to your liking. It was a GREAT post-work out "meal," keeping me energized for a few hours before eating lunch. Right now, I am having a berry smoothie. Just a bunch of berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries) and some soymilk to help it mix. Oh, I put some honey in that, too, to help it.

I have decided that, as I am a married woman not taking an oral contraceptive, I am going to prepare my body for pregnancy even though we are not planning for it. We all have heard stories about people who have become pregnant "accidentally" and, well, I'd like to be healthy and happy if that occurs. SO, I am going to begin a pre-pregnancy regimen. First, I will be working out every single day. Now, that could just mean I go for an extra two mile walk every day, but I MUST walk. This workout will also include an every-other-day ab exercise. I mean, wow, a woman needs some strong ab muscles to go through labor!!! Also, I will be trying to look into the foods that will provide some great vitamins for a pregnant body. Now, like I said, I AM NOT PREGNANT, so don't freak out. I just want to be sure my body is ready if the day comes when I am. And, when we decide to start trying, I will be ready!

:)

Me?? ENERGY!? what is that??

2010-02-22T14:28:00.000-05:00

So, I just realized that I haven't napped since we started eating raw/organic foods.......

Just a thought. I hadn't really noticed until today. I absolutely feel great when I eat raw, but I just hadn't thought about how much LESS I have been sleeping since the raw diet kicked in. Also, I have noticed that when we went off the raw food diet, I was much more weighed down, tired, uncomfortable, etc. After eating, I felt immediately exhausted as my body had to start using all my energy for digestion!

So, yes, raw food is awesome if you're constantly battling exhaustion/fatigue, etc.

And one more thing-I have lost 7lbs (and counting). YAY!

Organic? But pesticides are soooo tasty! nom nom nom.

2010-02-20T09:28:00.000-05:00

So, we fell out of eating raw for the past few days…maybe even a week. Of course, I still sent hubby out the door with a nice raw salad or made sure my lunch wrap was mostly raw, with maybe a little hummus here and there (or on every wrap-that stuff is awesome). Unbeknownst to him, we're about to jump back on the raw wagon. But, I think it is important to know why we haven’t wavered from our convictions on eating organically grown produce. I’m also going to include some things we stay away from, organic or not.

First of all, I know the feeling that organic produce is just too expensive and too small for its worth. I know from experience…after eating conventional all our lives (for the most part), Andrew and I always think the same thing when we go to our local grocer and pick up a cucumber that’s half the size and twice the price of a conventionally grown cucumber. The fact of the matter, though, is that that beautiful, hunter green giant cucumber in the conventionally grown isle or market is a mutant cucumber. The cucumber has been mutated by pesticides, herbicides, hormones, genetic tampering, and nitrates. By the way, have you SEEN those GIANT strawberries?! They are like the size of half my fist. MUTANT. Anyway, the point is this: it isn’t natural. Its …pretty disgusting, actually. And, as I believe, enmeshing yourself in God’s creation, in its most natural state, is the most beautiful and most perfect way to live in this world. You can’t really say you’re eating God’s pure creation, or something God gave us to nourish our bodies and keep us strong to do His will, when it is genetically tampered with by humans...twice the size, dyed, mutated, etc. EW. As for the price, continue reading to my second point.

Second, pesticides are neurotoxins. Check out the book “Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine” by Dr. Cousens. Read the first few chapters and you’ll be shocked by a study conducted in South America, where children in neighboring areas were studied. One area used pesticides, the other didn’t. The pesticide-eating children had much lower levels of brain development, and performed much worse on simple tasks than the others. Of course, the areas were screened for economic levels and other variables like that. CHECK IT OUT. It’s freaky…That was a rough overview, but the book explains the study for a long, long time. I'll see if I can find the original study to check out.

Third, a quote from Lifefood recipe book: Living on Life, information from a study conducted at Rutgers University:

“Organically grown food generally has about twice the amount of vitamins and minerals than commercially grown food…. Not only that, but Organic oranges contain 30% more Vitamin C than nonorganic, even though they tend to be about half the size. Organic peaches and pears were found to have higher cancer fighting compounds. In fact, a recent review of 41 scientific studies from countries around the world found that organic crops contain on average 27% more Vitamin C, 29.3% more magnesium, 21% more iron, 13.6% more phosphorus, 26% more calcium, 11% more copper, 42% more manganese, 9% more potassium, and 15% lower nitrates."

The list goes on, but if you’re interested, you can check out the book or other books like it. A lot of live or raw books have information about organic farming and its health benefits (to consumers and to producers!). Need I say more, though? I mean, really, so the produce is smaller-you eat smaller portions but get much more nutrients and protein. Its really true. I eat a lot less when I eat raw, organic food than I ever have!

Fourth, its SO GOOD. The taste is WAY better in organic produce. Seriously, get one of those fat, giant strawberries and cut it up. Eat it with an organic strawberry, and I PROMISE you will taste a difference. A Copenhagen zoo was shocked when their chimpanzees chose organic bananas over conventionally grown bananas. I mean, its THAT much better, even the chimps can taste the difference.

Fifth, eating and buying organic is better for the earth, and its better for farmers. Organically grown produce creates a flourishing eco-system of bugs, natural pesticides, soil microbes, etc. Soil fertility increases dramatically. Farmers don’t have to inhale pesticides and other harmful chemicals, nor will they be tied down by the giant chains of corporate GMO seed producers.

Ok, so that’s just a basic overview of everything organic. Now, we also have been consciously staying away from processed foods. Everything we eat must be one ingredient (or, in the case of sprouted grain breads/wraps, only organic grains/seeds, etc.). No wheat. No white flour. Nothing enriched. No processed soy or tofu.

Always remind yourself when you’re checking out that the scanner is actually your ballot, and each conventional item that swipes by is a vote that counts you as a “YES!” to pesticides (ie neurotoxins in our foods), herbicides, destroyed health for you and our farmers, destruction of the natural, God-made foods, etc.

Creepy Food, Inc Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0&feature=related

The Legend of the Deadly Cabbage Boats

2010-02-15T10:08:00.000-05:00

Well, as it were, I almost killed my husband with some cabbage boats...

er...

What? Look at these beauties:

Well, there they are. They were very very very tasty. I give them 3.5 raws. RAW RAW RAW RA. I took cabbage leaves soaked in warm water for a couple of hours, topped them with finely chopped almonds, walnuts, and cashews, green, red, yellow peppers, carrots, and some seasonings. The sauce was a sweet/spicy avocado thai dressing and it was VERY good. These actually tasted great.

....but soon after eating them, Andrew began to feel, well, lets just say "ill." For the next two days, he was expelling all kinds of grossness from his insides, turned GREEN (i've never seen anything like it), and was bed-ridden. He had a fever, aches, chills, etc. etc. etc. EW! He was gross...

...And while I keep telling him it was just a random flu, he swears it was the cabbage. Now, guess what he doesn't want to eat? RAW. ANYTHING RAW. Ugh, what a turd. It was the FLU, not the FOOD! I didn't get it and I ate the exact same thing as him. I think Andrew has realized that it had nothing to do with the food, but the taste of the cabbage boats now are associated with intense vomiting.

Well, we are still eating raw. BUT, as per Andrew's faulty food-related belief system, we are going to start adding a bit more cooked stuff around dinner time. We had a frozen pizza last night. :) This morning, he had a banana and for lunch, I will make something raw.

haha. Coming next: Why I (and scientists) think eating organic is way more important to start with than eating raw.

EDIT: As it turns out, Andrew really is allergic to cabbage. I got a concerned e-mail from my mother-in-law, who let me in on a lot more than what Andrew has ever told me as far as his battles with cabbage go. Andrew has told me a few times a story of when he ate "too much cabbage" and "got a gas bubble in [his] stomach." According to his story, after going to the hospital, the doctors stretched out his legs and the bubble passed, leaving him fine and ready to go home. I guess time and the fact that he was little when it happened proved to erase the seriousness of the event from his mind. Or perhaps, he never knew. Anyways, I feel very bad for making fun of him, and we will no longer be eating cabbage...and will be going very light on the broccoli and cauliflower. Poor sickly husband. I seem to be striking out a lot with him and the raw diet! :(

How To Get Your Husband to LOVE Raw Food!

2010-02-08T10:10:00.000-05:00

So, as I thought about what to write after why my husband dislikes our diet, I found it to be the perfect "next step" to write about why he loves it thus far. Here's a picture:

Yes, these are the most amazing, beautiful, and incredible tasting Steak and Potatoes equivalent: Marinated Portabella Mushrooms and Mashed Cauliflower.

I found the recipe for this incredible delight here: http://www.rawmazing.com/recipes/marinated-mushrooms-and-cauliflower-mash/

Theirs looks a lot prettier than mine, but the taste was DELICIOUS. Honestly, this tasted so much like steak it was unbelievable! My husband absolutely LOVED these and gave it 5 RAWS!!!!! 5!!!!! (cue Lady Gaga: raw raw raw raw raw)...Our first 5 yet!!! And he gave me a backrub because he was so very pleased with dinner! I definitely recommend this recipe to anyone, even those who aren't raw. I DID serve them warm, though, which made it perfect! We enjoyed this lovely dinner with a side salad of romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots.

Another reason my husband loves to eat raw:

These little munchkins are banana coconut pancakes. 3 mashed bananas and some dried coconut mixed into little patties. I dehydrated them in my little toaster oven on "warm" with the door open about 3 inches. I did this for a couple hours and got some AMAZING treats! So so so good. They look gooey, but after dehydrating, they really aren't at all. I found the recipe somewhere on the internet (sorry!) when I was looking for breakfast ideas. Now, I personally think these are too sweet for breakfast, so we ate them as dessert with chocolate soy ice cream (not raw, but so yummy!). I could eat 100 of these in one sitting! Luckily, there were only 5 total (one is missing in this picture, isn't it??). Warm, they were incredible. Room temp they were incredible. Cold they were incredible. Definitely good for a sweet treat.

I give them 5 Raws, too! Raw Raw Raw Raw Raw!!!! :) :) :)

OK! Go out and get your husbands/spouses/sig. others involved in a raw diet with these two INCREDIBLE recipes!

How to get your Husband TO NOT eat raw!

2010-02-08T08:17:00.000-05:00

So....I set out on a journey to convert our kitchen to an incredible, healthy, raw, vegan safe-haven for us to bask in our new life together. We can enjoy our time together, love each other, and keep each other accountable for good health, especially when we have a diet that supports it. OK! Good, now he won't die until he's like 110 (and he'll be totally hot the whole time). But, as I've come to notice here and there, Andrew could really take the diet or leave it. If I cooked a huge lump of meat and piled it with all kinds of gross stuff, he'd eat it. He, uh, really values understanding our privileged position as we really can eat whatever we want whenever we want it right now...and will eat anything if he's hungry.

But here are some ways I've learned in our first week raw to get him to very much dislike eating raw. Heed my advice:

1. When your husband tells you he doesn't like zucchini, don't make him this:

Zucchini Linguini....with some gross sauce (uh, 2 raws)

2. When your husband tells you he doesn't like zucchini, don't make him this:

Raw Zucchini Hummus? (... 1 raw)

3. When your husband says you're are on a budget, don't run out and buy a dehydrator, a blender, a food processor, a water filter, a ton of healthy, organic groceries, etc., without consulting him.

4. When your husband says you're are on a budget, don't run out and buy all the supplies needed for a home garden without consulting him.

5. Don't hand your husband a glass of pepper/clementine "green" smoothie. He won't like it.

6. When your husband doesn't really like spicy foods, don't feed him something loaded with cayenne pepper.

I'm sure in the coming weeks I will have more to add here.....unfortunately! Until then.....

Busy Day ...but we got bread from God...

2010-02-03T18:58:00.000-05:00

Oh boy. We are SO busy. This raw diet is hard to figure out when you have class all day then work all night and have a husband at work all day and at various Church events all night. Ugh! So, what do you do when you are so busy?

Today, to consolidate prep time, we had breakfast (I had a breakfast smoothie, not sure what hubby had...I was still sleeping *hehe*). I'm pretty sure he had GrapeNuts or something. For lunch, husband took spelt bread and hummus with some veggies (the rest of our cucumber). I had some veggies. I had an apple for a snack. Husband had left over veggies and leftover breakfast smoothie for dinner. I am having some veggies on an Ezekiel 4:9 wrap.

This wrap is the bomb. I think. I haven't tasted it yet, but it smells like it. AND, I think it is awesome that it was made based on a Bible verse. What better way to learn a little bit about God than to take something directly from his word and eat it--while learning about the book it comes from. The verse talking about this bread is as follows (ESV):

And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and emmer, and put them into a single vessel and make your bread from them. During the number of days that you lie on your side, 390 days, you shall eat it.

Here's a link to Wikipedia, talking about the book of Ezekiel. Pretty interesting stuff. I'm going to read more about this later tonight! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Ezekiel

Well, I'm about to dig in. It smells good. I know its not raw, but luckily it is made out of live grains. The mixture to go inside this dinner wrap is:
A leaf of romaine lettuce, mushrooms, alfalfa sprouts, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, red peppers, cayenne powder, olive oil, basil, black pepper, chili powder. I mixed these all in the food processor and will spoon it onto my wrap and lettuce and enjoy! :)

I want your love...love love love (raw raw ah ah ah roma roma ma)

2010-02-02T10:14:00.000-05:00

Today is the day for leftovers and salads for lunch! And even better-a food rating system!

I chopped up a bunch of our leftover peppers, carrots, onion, cucumber and put it in a container filled with chopped romaine and watercress and dashed with celery seed, sesame seed, oregano, and parsley. For dressing I just squoze/squeezed/squizzed a little lemon on top. This will be a yummy lunch! I think I will take a handful of almonds with me, also, for a snack!

So, for the food rating system:

We would like to introduce a really awesome rating system for the new recipes I try. How many of you like Lady Gaga??? Well I certainly do (don't tell anyone). AND, Andrew and I have a funny inside-joke love-fest going on whenever we hear the "Rah rah ah ah ah, roma roma ma Ga ga OO la la, want your bad ROMANCE" come on. So, our rating system will be "raw"s. We will give each recipe a number of "raw"s out of 5. So, you can get 1 raw. Or 5 Raw's....raw raw raw raw raw. And please, when you read the 5 "raw"s, you must read them in the tune of "Bad Romance." The pepper's received 4.5 raws. Little monster peppers!

That's it for now! By the way, click here for some awesome health benefits of red peppers from www.wh.com: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=50

STUFFED RED BELL PEPPERS!

2010-02-01T19:18:00.000-05:00

Wow.

That's all I can say right now. What a dream these stuffed red peppers were. So so so good. They had a bit of a kick from the cayanne powder, but the taste was incredible. I felt like a gourmet chef with the taste of these things! Seriously, people, give them a try!!! The prep work took about 35 minutes, since I lost a bunch of our produce in the fridge and then planned out my arrangement strategy. Here are the pictures of this AMAZING meal!

Please refer to my previous post for the awesome recipe!

Day 1-and a pepper smoothie??

2010-02-01T09:10:00.000-05:00

Helloooo! Candice here.

It looks like today is THE DAY to start eating totally live, totally raw. I know I said in the last post that we were going to just do about 3-5 recipes a week, but we just kinda dove in during our shopping and are ready to go! I think we will still cook about 0-20%...I mean, we got some awesome cooking stuff for our wedding! :)

Our first raw disaster happened two days ago: Andrew and I attempted to make a veggie/fruit smoothie out of peppers and clementines. Yeah, I said it... Ok, I know...but we used red, yellow, orange peppers and cucumbers to make it taste fresh and clean and the clementines were thrown in to uh, well, make it taste less like peppers and cucumbers. I don't know why we thought randomly throwing stuff together (in a FOOD PROCESSOR that does NOT blend) was a good idea. Here is the picture evidence of our chunky, not smooth, pepper smoothie:

Now, we totally thought that we would be able to blend this and that it would taste great! Luckily, we still had a couple gift cards from the wedding so we left to the store. After embarrassing myself by asking the lady, "so, do any of these blenders, like, break down vegetable cells?" and confusing 2 different people in the store, we were able to leave with a nice looking machine. We blended the smoothie and it looked a little better, but still kinda ...uh... peppery... Next time, I need to stick to SOME KIND of recipe. Any recipe...eek!

Well, here's a picture of our live/raw veggies and some raw unleavened bread (not live, but we're not there yet in our adventure)

...pretty exciting! So much produce! Tonight, we will have stuffed red peppers. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:
* 2 red bell peppers
* 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes (we are using regular tomatoes as a cheaper substitute)
* 1 stick of celery
* 1/2 tsp cayanne powder, paprika, basil, oregano, and garlic
* 1/2 small onion (chopped)
* 2 tbs lemon juice
* 1 tbs olive oil
* A pinch of salt.

Process the ingredients in a food processor (S blade) and put mixture onto/into bell peppers. I might make some seasoned rice to go with this. mmmm!

Easy and yummy! Full review coming soon! :)

The First Post...

2010-01-29T17:43:00.000-05:00

Hello to you, the infinite internet space to whom I am speaking!

Well, where to begin? I am a new wife, married December 19th, 2009, to an amazing man named Andrew. We are having a blast thus far, with a few newly-wed hiccups that are to be expected. As of today, we are going to start implementing live/raw foods into our diet! I love the live/raw theme...both words are so beautiful. Live, to be so close to the Earth, natural, growing, like sticking your hands in dirt. The other word, Raw, is just so pure, edgy, scraped clean. We are hoping to stewerd our relationship in this way, living LIVE, living RAW and as close to the natural state God intended as possible. These are my words, not Andrew's. He might have a different take ("I just LOVE veggies!").

The hope is that we will be all-raw by next year and growing a thriving, but probably small, garden. Here, I will document my adventures, Julie/Julia style. I am going to begin with a book entitled "Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine" by Gabriel Cousens, M.D.. It seems great, with a ton of yummy looking recipes! I can't wait to look into this system more, and I will soon begin researching how to garden organically!

So, the plan is to start by attempting 3-5 recipes a week. Not quite the "Julie" in Julie/Julia, but I am simply not that brave! As I get better at planning grociery lists and other things, I will add recipes and lists and cool info as I go!

Please follow me! I am also going to try to find a forum to link to the blog, so people (primarily wives and moms) can discuss recipes, links, book reviews, and helpful information! Make sure to comment a lot, too.