SALAD MANIA!!!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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...

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

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!