Someone Else's Garden

One of the amazing things about visiting my Mama in Eastern Oregon is the fresh produce.  Sure, you can get it at the co-op in the town 48 miles away, but the fresh produce I'm talking about comes from the neighbors.  Every time I stop at someone's home or run into a neighbor, they fill my arms with yummy things from their garden.  And everyone has a garden.  Everyone.

The other day I came home with 7 pounds of fresh peaches, a zucchini the size of my arm and an enormous basket of onions, beets, carrots, chard, kale, basil, fennel and tomatoes. All of it is fresh and all of it is organic.  I'm so impressed with these sweet gardens.  The Dallas heat is searing all of my meager plantings into a burnt mound of decaying greens, but here climate, compost and steady hands are making magic.  The photos below were taken at a neighbor's home.  When I was leaving, I thanked her for the amazing gift and she said, "Come back when you need more."  Will do!

Raw Fudge Brownie with Mango Cashew Kreme

I got jiggy last night with my Vitamix blender and made a yummy raw dessert! Inspired by the Fudge Brownie recipe from Ani's 15-Day Fat Blast (page 161), I created the concoction below.  It's not a particularly pretty dessert, but boy is it good.

Raw Fudge Brownie

1 cup raw (unsoaked) walnuts 

1/4 cup Cacao Powder

pinch sea salt to taste

1/3 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup frozen blueberries (or other berry)

1/4 teaspoon maca powder to taste (optional)

I simply pulsed all of the above ingredients in my Vitamix, scraping down the sides as needed until it was all blended together. It makes a dense, moist ball of goodness. Then I split it into two bowls as is.

Ani Phyo is far more civilized than I am and here are her instructions: 

Combine walnuts, cacao powder, salt and maca in a food processor. Pulse into medium pieces. Use some of this mix to powder the bottom of a baking pan. Add dates and pulse to mix well (she doesn't include the frozen blueberries - that was my own bit of brilliance). Batter should stick together when squeezed into a ball. If it's too loose, add a few more sticky dates to help bind it together. If too sticky, add a few more crushed walnuts to firm it up.

Scoop brownie mix into the powdered baking pan and flatten it to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick pressing lightly. Cut into squares. To serve place brownie in a dish and top with berries (or cashew mango kreme like I did!).

Cashew Mango Kreme

1 mango peeled and pitted

1 small apple (I used gala) cored and peeled

1/2 cup cashews

6 pitted dates

1-2 heaping Tablespoon of raw honey

1/4 - 1/2 cup almond milk for desired consistency

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and serve over Fudge Brownie. 

This is also great served as a fruit dip.

Grocery List

This week has been somewhat of a bust in the food department. I'm just back from a month in Utah with a totally empty kitchen, a husband who is still away on business, a bunch of doctor appointments for Charlie, family visiting and its been an average of 102 degrees every day this week. Oye! My usual coping mechanisms are not in place and I've been caught off guard. Pizza happened, cheesecake happened, ice cream cone and gelato happened and wine - two bottles - happened.

Tomorrow is Sunday - the first of the month. Its a golden opportunity to prepare for the month ahead. I usually have a well stocked kitchen geared towards raw and vegetarian food prep. This month is different because I'll be buying almost everything I usually have on hand.  So here it is - the comprehensive Smaller Sarah grocery list. I've been working off of this list for the past 9 months for my food shopping.

VEGETABLES:

celery

carrots 

romaine

mixed greens

cabbage

cucumber 

zucchini 

tomato

kale

avocado

portobello mushrooms

asparagus

broccoli

sweet potatoes

sweet onions

sprouts

red / yellow bell peppers

garlic

ginger

FRUIT:

grapes

berries

bananas

apples

lemon

grapefruit

melons

cherries

mango

figs

RAW NUTS and DRIED FRUIT:

almonds

cashews

pecans

walnuts

Brazil nuts

pine nuts

macadamia 

raisins

dried cranberries

coconut flakes

raw coconut powder

DAIRY:

milk (for the boys)

Alta Dena raw goat cheese (so good!)
greek yogurt

OTHER:

almond milk

Celtic sea salt

100% pure maple syrum

raw agave nectar
raw honey

hummus
wine

I ALREADY HAVE:

olive oil

sesame oil

apple cider vinegar

Nama Shoyu soy sauce

cacao powder

dates

raw sunflower seeds

raw pumpkin seeds

hulled buckwheat

ground flax seed

organic whole grain bread

whole grain pasta

oats

basil from my garden

frozen salmon fillets
coffee
half & half (for coffee)

Raw Sweet Corn & Red Pepper Chowder

Last night I made a delicious Raw Sweet Corn and Red Pepper Chowder.  It was so yummy that I thought I'd share my recipe here. Just a tip if you're trying raw recipes: Presentation!  Make your healthy food enticing! I always feel so much better about eating healthy food when it looks gorgeous. Just imagine this chowder without the slices of green avocado, the dollop of red salsa and the corn kernels sprinkled about.  It would still taste great, but it would look like something from a Gerber jar. You're an adult and you deserve pretty food.  Here's a photo of the final product:

Raw Sweet Corn Chowder for dinner:

SOUP BASE:
3 ears corn cut from cob
3/4 cup Brazil Nuts
1 avocado
1/2 red bell pepper (seeded)
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup Olive Oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 - 2 cups water for desired consistency

SOUP TOPPING:
keep a little corn on the side to top soup
keep a few slices of avocado out for topping
dollop of raw salsa
fresh ground pepper

Blend all ingredients and pour into bowls.
Arrange toppings and serve immediately.

 

I also threw a nice salad together this afternoon and topped it with a Walden Farms salad dressing.  I hadn't tried this brand of dressing before mostly because my assumption is that if it has no calories, its going to taste like urine. To my surprise and delight, the Italian Walden Farms dressing is pretty good! Its not my favorite, but for 0 calories, 0 fat, 0 sugar and gluten free - its an awesome choice.  I got mine at a crunchy health food store. Here's a shot of the label and ingredient list in case you're curious:

Raw and Whole Food on a Limited Budget

This post is part of a reader Q&A.  I'm more than happy to answer your questions about my weight loss process (or anything).  My email button is on the sidebar.  Just please remember that I am not a doctor, dietitian or a nutritionist.  These answers are absolutely specific to me and my personal journey.


Question: How can I eat raw and whole foods on a limited budget?
This is a great question and I've had quite a few inquiries about this topic.  As many of you know, my son Charlie has medical bills out the wazu and my husband is the only employed member of our family so that I can stay home and take care of our boys.  We, like most American families, have to spend our dollars wisely. So here are some of my thoughts in no particular order:

1. It only appears that you are spending more on your food.  When I shifted my diet to include higher quality whole foods I paid more for the food, but I bought less.  It all came out in the wash. You can spend $2.50 on a bag of potato chips or your can spend $4.00 on a bag of organic Gala apples.  The upfront cost is more, yes.  I don't know about you, but I can put away a big bag of chips in one sitting.  It's a lot harder for me to eat five apples all at once.  So for a little more money, I get a better quality snack that lasts longer and makes me feel great.

2. Eating cheap junk food will cost you more money in the long run.  Heart attacks, diabetes, and worse are really expensive. And sometimes they cost you your life.  I'd rather fork over a little more money now and stay out of the hospital later.  The pay off of good nutrition is a life time of better quality years and more of them!

3. Plan your meals and pay less.  I wanted to save money on my grocery bill so I read a book called America's Cheapest Family: Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half.  The book is not geared towards organic whole foods, but you can apply most all of the concepts to whatever you're interested in buying.  This book has helped me serve nutritious, raw and healthy cooked meals and snacks to my family for about 400 - 425 dollars a month.  Not bad for a family of four.  If you want more details, you can read about it HERE and HERE.

4. Invest in good quality kitchen tools.  Yes, they are expensive and they are absolutely worth it.  I bought a cheap juicer at first and blew it out in six weeks.  Luckily I purchased it at Bed, Bath and Beyond and they have a fantastic return policy. I also had a very generous family member with a Costco card who bought me a Vitamix for my wedding anniversary. So if you have something on your wish list, share it with family!

5. Prepare only one serving per person.  I have cultivated a habit of preparing just enough food so that everyone has one healthy serving. This has saved our family lots of money.  It also has the added benefit of cutting back on portions, "seconds" and food waste. Americans waste far more food than we are aware of. The other benefit is that our family takes more time at the table to enjoy our meal and our conversation.  No one has ever gone to bed hungry.

6. Buy cheaper produce.  I know this sounds like a no-brainer.  Last February, I bought a beautiful mango for 4 dollars.  Once I got it home, I thought "I am an idiot".  So don't be silly and buy out of season tropical fruit.  Buy the inexpensive stuff.  Here is my list of go-to produce and raw snacks.  I always have these items on hand and have learned to make a bunch of different delicious meals using these basic ingredients.

Bananas (I can get them for about 44 cents a pound)
Apples (by the bag is cheaper than by the pound)
Carrots (whole, not in little weird baggies)
Romaine Lettuce
Celery (again, buy it whole and not pre-chopped)
Avocados (I get these at the Mexican food market "Fiesta" - 3 for a dollar)
Sweet potatoes
Almonds (raw and in the bulk section is cheapest)
Walnuts (raw and in the bulk section is cheapest)
Dates (not the fancy kind - just plain dates)
Raisins
Sprouted Grain Breads
Brown Rice and Quinoa

When I began eating this way, I explained to my husband that our grocery bill was going to go up a bit.  Without missing a beat he asked, "How much money would you pay to lose 75 pounds by next year?"  I shrugged my shoulders.  Then he said, "I bet you'd pay a lot more than you're going to spend on better groceries."  When ever I get down about the cost of pesticide-free lettuce or wince at the price of raw almond butter, I remember his words. If you are serious about getting healthy and losing weight, you'll need to make a little investment. Cut back on other expenses if you have to, but start to make your health and well-being a priority.

How did you create your weight loss plan?

This post is part of a reader Q&A.  I'm more than happy to answer your questions about my weight loss process (or anything).  My email button is on the sidebar.  Just please remember that I am not a doctor, dietitian or a nutritionist.  These answers are absolutely specific to me and my personal journey.


Question: How did you create your weight loss plan?  
The creation of my weight loss plan was an intuitive, experiment-and-see kind of thing. Initially, I did very little research or planning. I just jumped right in by starting a daily walking routine. I didn't want to start with a diet book or an episode of Oprah. I wanted to take real action and start moving - which is what Oprah and the weight loss book will probably tell you to do anyway. Everyone is always looking for an easy way to lose weight. But I knew that real and permanent weight loss would only come one way for me: diet and exercise. (You know, the hard way.)

STEP 1:
Move your body.  Walk. Go outside and put one foot in front of the other.  Your pace, footwear, and route do not matter.  Just get moving.  This will do two really important things for you:  1) It will feel good to move and boost your morale and 2) You will begin to burn calories.

STEP 2:
Stop eating the thing that is making you fat.  Once I established a consistent walking routine, I was free to start expanding my view. I had to do a little investigative work.  I wrote down what I ate for a few days just to see what I was really consuming during the day.  Often times I find that what we think we're eating differs greatly from what we're actually eating.  So write it down to get a true and honest beat on the kinds of foods you are consuming.  So the question is: What is making me fat?  Refined sugar and flour- plain and simple.  I am a sugar addict and always will be.  Most people are.

It was really important to me at the beginning of this process to be free from calorie counting and restrictive portions.  I knew I wasn't ready for that kind of regimen.  So instead of restricting the amount of food I ate, I simply cut out as much sugar as I possibly could.  It was pretty easy to cut the obvious sources of sugar.  Ice cream, candy, Pepsi, venti mocha frappucinos and baked goodies were all the first things to go.  The more insidious piece of the puzzle was all the refined sugar and white flour I was unknowingly consuming.

This is when I started doing some research.  It turns out that sugar (usually disguised as some form of genetically modified corn product) is hiding in almost every packaged convenience food in America.  And I can write with confidence that this kind of sugar is the source of my own weight problem and the cause of our modern American obesity epidemic.  So Step 2 (Stop Eating Sugar) was much more difficult to implement.  It meant a total overhaul of my diet.  Here are just a few things that I ate on a daily basis for decades that contain high fructose corn syrup:

Yoplait yogurt

Most Salad Dressings

Special K Cereal (in fact almost all Kellogg's products)

Most Peanut Butters

Muffins

Bagels

Ketchup

Sodas

Bottled Juices

Applesauce

Whole Wheat Breads

Thomas' English Muffins

Pasta Sauces

Power Bar

Miracle Whip

Ritz Crackers

Knudsen Cottage Cheese

Claussen's Pickles

Kraft Cream Cheeses

Some Campbell's Soups

So cutting the sugar was key.  And when I started doing this, the weight began to drop off at a very fast rate.  The first week that I cut sugar, I lost four pounds.  And when I begin to reintroduce sugar into my diet, the weight loss slows down or stops.  There is a direct correlation (for me and my body) between obesity and sugar consumption.

Question: How did you decide on raw food and juicing?
Once I cut sugar from my diet, the question became "Okay, what can I eat?"  And as I said before, I wasn't ready to restrict my portions or count calories or weigh my food.  All of that seemed a little to involved for someone just starting out.  Someone recommended that I take a look at The Raw Detox Diet by Natalia Rose.  Some of the book is pure crazy talk, but most of the principles are sound.  So I took some of the basics and started to apply them to my meals.  Basically, I could eat as much food as I wanted as long as it was a whole, unprocessed, raw food.  The book had lots of easy recipes that even a non-chef like me could prepare.  So I gave it a whirl.

I noticed a huge difference right away in my energy levels, skin tone and weight loss.  I felt good about what I was eating and I could eat as much of it as I wanted.  It turned out to be the perfect fit.  The thing to keep in mind when trying out a new diet or a new weight loss plan set forth by someone else is that it has to be sustainable for YOU.  If you read something and think, "Well, there is no way I can do that for any extended period of time," then walk away from it.  It has to work for you or you won't be able to stick with it.  And the truth is that no one book or video or lifestyle plan will be your be all end all.  Feel free to pick and choose what works for you. It was so important to me that food remain an enjoyable part of my day.  I love whole foods and salads, but I also love wine, dark chocolate and cooked fish.  So, I make it work for me while adhering to my no refined sugar (or very little refined sugar) policy.  And I'm not a tyrant - I still eat a sweet treat every once in a while.

The Raw Food Detox Diet also promotes juicing - especially green vegetable juice.  But it wasn't until I saw Fat Sick and Nearly Dead (a documentary) that I hopped on the juicing band wagon.  Eating the Standard American Diet for so long depleted most of my nutrient stores.  I needed to heal my tissues and reinvigorate my body at a cellular level.  Juicing was the answer for me.  It is a fantastic way to get a lot of phyto-nutrients and live enzymes into your body very quickly.

Now, 11 months later, I'm still at it.  I still juice most every morning and I eat a partially raw diet.  When I'm feeling low energy and need a pick me up, I just amp up the raw food intake and dial down the cooked stuff.  I am by no means a raw foodist nor do I aspire to be one.  However, these principles have really worked for me over the past year.

Still taking small steps...

Even at the end of my Smaller Sarah year, I'm still taking small manageable steps.  I've realized that there are no big sweeping decisions, no overwhelming seismic shifts that catapult you through the day to day process of losing weight and getting healthy.  No matter where you are on your journey, whether just starting out or on your 9th year of maintaining, you still need to take small steps.

One small step this week was to locate and purchase a set of circle resistance bands.  I use these every once in a while at boot camp and really like them.  Big impact, but small enough to stash in a purse.  Since I'm leaving for a few weeks, I wanted to have something to maintain my strength training.  I found this set of three at Target for $9.98.

Another small step is to eat raw meals whenever I can manage it.  If there is a raw meal available, that is what I eat.  And tonight, it was an Arugula and mixed green salad with tomatos and a raw dressing.  My sweet neighbor and walking partner, Jessica, dropped off an enormous bag of Arugula greens fresh from her garden.  Delicious!  I've included the raw dressing below for you.

Walker (4 years old) was my dinner date tonight! 

He thought the arugula was a bit spicy, but ate it all the same.

A Zesty "Go With Everything" Raw Salad Dressing

1 cup cold pressed olive oil

3-4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 heaping teaspoons of raw honey

juice from 1/2 lemon

optional: a bit of crushed garlic

Put all ingredients in a lidded jar and shake the shit out of it.

Pour on salad and store the rest in the fridge for up to a week.

My Tiny Veggie Garden

As you may remember, I planted a little veggie garden in my back yard this year.  I have never had one and am still learning the ropes, but it seems to be going well so far.  My hope is that I'll have some lovely home grown organic produce to eat this summer.  Plus its such fun to watch my four-year-old work with the plants and see them grow.  The garden has been a great tool in teaching him about how we create food.  His most recent observation?  "I will like my peas better because it took me a long time to grow them."

Raw Chocolate Cherry Malt

One of my favorite raw treats is this Chocolate Cherry Malt recipe from Ani Phyo's book, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.  It's starting to get WARM here in Dallas and this "malt" is the perfect thing to beat the heat!

Photo from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen

Raw Chocolate Cherry Malt by Any Phyo

2 cups of cherries (pitted)
3/4 cup of almonds
1/2 cup pitted dates
2 Tablespoons Carob or Cacao Powder
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
2 cups water

Put all ingredients in blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend until smooth.  It will keep in the fridge for up to three days.  I like to use a little less water and throw in a big handful of ice to make it colder and thicker.  When I served it to my four year old son he said, "This is the best ice cream shake ever!"  He's not kidding.  Here's a photo of my malt below:

Raw Food Day

Today, I'm back on track with all raw foods for the day.  I thought I'd post some inspiring photos of raw whole foods just as a reminder that eating green can be very satisfying.  Even after months of eating a mostly raw diet, I sometimes mentally regress and get bogged down by my "idea" of what it means to eat raw.  Its good to remember how beautiful, how tasty and how amazing this food really is for me!  And for you too!  Won't you join me?

Another Awesome 5K

Today, I ran my third 5K!  My family and I attended Run the Highlands - a one mile fun run, 5K and carnival benefiting local schools in our neighborhood.  This was my son's very first race and he was a trooper!  I was so proud of him for keeping up with all his long-legged counterparts.  His brother, Charlie, had the advantage of being on wheels. 

One of the things I love most about getting healthy and fit is sharing it with my kids.  When Walker grows up he won't remember the Pepsi chugging, doughnut downing, ball of lethargy that I used to be.  Instead he'll remember healthy happy meals at home, choosing his own produce from the market, running with me on race days, and playing in the child care co-op while I attend boot camp classes.  Today he told me, "You're the fastest runner I know, mommy."  Sweet little man.  Here he is below after receiving his medal for finishing the fun run!

I know that she will HATE me for including her photo here, but this beautiful woman below is the reason I started boot camp in the first place.  I met Ladonna for the first time at a mom's group in late October.  Our conversation went something like this:

Ladonna:  Oh god my arms.  I can't reach my margarita, I need a longer straw.
Me:  Why can't you reach it?
Ladonna:  Stupid boot camp.  My arms are sore from doing a million push ups.
Me:  Yikes.
Ladonna:  You should come with me.
Me:  To boot camp?
Ladonna:  Sure!
Me:  You make it sound so enticing.
Ladonna:  No, its really great.
Me:  I can't do it.  We only have one car.
Ladonna:  It's like a block from your house.  You could walk there.
Me:  Oh.  Well, I'm at home with the kids all day.  I don't have a sitter.
Ladonna:  There's a free child care co-op.  Bring them with you.
Me:  Oh. (Searching for another excuse...)
Ladonna:  Look - either you want to do it or you don't.  I'll email you the info.
Me:  I guess I don't have a reason not to go.
Ladonna:  Then come and you too can have crazy sore arms.

So thank you Ladonna for getting my ass in gear.  In return, I am in the process of inventing for you a very long bendy margarita straw for when your biceps give out after a difficult upper-body work out.

The other thing I did today was make more of these bad boys.  If you haven't read about them, click HERE.  They're super easy to make and super yummy to eat.  Walker calls them "sweet balls" and begs me for these dessert treats.  Just raw dates, raisins, nuts and a little dried coconut.  So good!

Raw Treats

Remember THIS post from last week?  Basically, I am tired of paying big money for raw Lara Bars - my favorite convenience food - and finally attempted to make them at home.  Today, I had a free 15 minute stretch to call my own and I produced these brilliant little raw fruit and nut balls.  How did I do it?  I took a handful of dates, raisins, nuts and some coconut powder and chopped them into submission.  Then I kneaded the mass of sticky nutty goo into a thick blob and rolled them into little balls.  The final touch?  Coat the balls in raw coconut powder.  They look like little truffles.  They were a huge hit with my Easter house guests and all of our children.  Here are some photos of the final product.  Delicious!

HERE are some recipes if you'd like to try this at home.

The balls above were made with:

Dates

Raisins

Cashews

Coconut Powder

Raw Dinner Party Menu and Recipes

I did it.  I hosted an all raw dinner party for non-raw eaters.  And guess what?  They didn't make icky faces, or leave or order pizza!  I'm so thrilled with how it turned out.  The guest list mostly consisted of women who are currently training at Positively Fit Lake Highlands.  We also had some spouses and some new joiners!  The best part about hosting a raw dinner party is that all of the work can be done before the party.  All I had to do was plan ahead and plate the food when we were ready to eat!  Here is a look at the table just before we sat down to eat the second course.

Portabello Mushroom Steak with Brazil Nut Broccoli Mash and Asian Slaw!

Here is the full dinner menu:

APPETIZERS

Sunny Red Pepper Pate served with Zucchini chips and Baby Carrots

FIRST COURSE

Savory Creamed Carrot Soup

 

SECOND COURSE

 Marinated Portabello Mushroom Steak

Brazil Nut Broccoli Mash

Asian Slaw with Raw Dressing

DESSERT

Cashew Cherry Cheesecake
(This dessert turned out to be FANTASTIC.  I'll definitely be making it again!)

And here are the recipes:

Sunny Red Pepper Pate - Jeremy Safron

2 cups raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup of almonds (soaked for 2 hours and drained)

1 large red bell pepper seeded and chopped

1 clove pressed garlic

2 Tablespoons fresh dill chopped (I used dried)

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped

1/2 red onion minced and rinsed

juice of one lemon

2 Tablespoons Bragg Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu Soy Sauce (I doubled the soy sauce)

Process or blend ( I used my Vitamix Blender) seeds, almonds, pepper, garlic and herbs.  Transfer to bowl and stir in the onion, lemon juice and Braggs or soy saice and serve with zucchini slices and baby carrots. 

Sunny Red Pepper Pate

Savory Creamed Carrot Soup - Kristen Suzanne

2 cups fresh carrot juice (I juiced a two pound bag of carrots)
1/2 c. water
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons Himalayan crystal salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 tteaspoon cayenne pepper
dash cinnamon
2 avocados pitted and peeled
Chopped vegetables - optional

Blend all ingredients except avocados at high speed.  Then add avocados and blend until smooth.  Pour into bowls and serve immediately or store in fridge for two days.  You also have the option of serving the soup base with chopped vegetables to make it "meatier". 

Marinated Portabello Mushroom Steak - Natalia Rose

3 Portobello Mushrooms sliced lengthwise

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3 Tablespoons cold pressed olive oil

3 Tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and allow them to marinate for 2 hours (or as long as two days).  I sealed mine in a freezer bag for 24 hours.)  Serve them side by side like steak and use the marinade as "steak sauce". 

Brazil-Broccoli Mash - Ani Phyo

2 cups of broccoli (chopped)

1 cup of Brazil Nuts (I used a combo of Brazil nuts and walnuts)

1 teaspoon sea salt

pinch of ground pepper to taste

1/2 clove of garlic (whole clove if you LOVE garlic)

a few dashes of Nama Shoyu soy sauce (optional)

Process (I used my Vitamix blender) garlic, pepper, salt and nuts.  Empty the nut mixture into a bowl.  Next, process or blend broccoli while adding Brazil nut mixture back in.  Serve like you would mashed potatoes.

 Asian Slaw - Natalia Rose

1/2 head red cabbage

1/2 head green/white cabbage

1/2 cup raisins

black or white sesame seeds for garnish

Thinly chop (I used a mandolin) cabbage.  Add raisins.  Toss with Liquid Gold Elixr dressing to taste (see below) and garnish with sesame seeds.

Raw Dressing for Asian Slaw: Liquid Gold Elixr - Natalia Rose

2 cups fresh lemon juice

3 whole garlic cloves

3 Tablespoons minced ginger

3 Tablespoons Nama Shoyu soy sauce

3 heaping Tablespoons of raw honey

1 1/2 cups cold pressed olive oil

Place all ingredients except oil in blender.  Begin blending and slowly add oil until its completely blended.  When made right, this dressing is a beautiful gold color.  Will last over a week in the fridge.

photo source

Cashew Cherry Cheesecake - Beth @ Sweet Freedom

 Crust:

• 1 cup raw pecans
• 8 soft Medjool dates
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked if they're actually raw, but don't bother otherwise)
• Juice of 1 lemons
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 10-15 fresh sweet cherries, pitted (or any other berry, I'm sure)

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, combine pecans, dates, salt and vanilla.

2. In a spring form pan, or a pie dish lined with parchment paper press crust mixture evenly.

3. Process the ingredients for the filling until it forms a very creamy paste. All traces of cashew crumbs should be gone. 

4. Scoop about half the filling into dish and spread evenly. 

5. Add cherries to remaining filling and process until smooth. Spread remaining filling in dish. Place in freezer until firm.
6. Remove from freezer 15-30 minutes before you want to eat it.

Thank you to everyone who attended!  

It was wonderful to have you over.

Valentine Treat

Instead of chocolatey, oooey-gooey Valentine candies, I'm going to snack on these today.  Aren't they adorable?  All you need is a heart shaped cookie cutter, some skewers, an orange and a watermelon.  Yummy, sweet and totally raw.  Have a very happy Valentine's Day!

Raw Dressings

photo source

I eat a lot of salads.  The more I eat them, the more I love them.  I define a salad as a anything with raw vegetables.  Sure you can add some nuts or some dried fruit for flavor and texture, but once you start adding diced chicken, hard boiled eggs, shredded cheese, bacon bits and croutons, your "salad" morphs into something else.  I make a salad almost every night.  Sometimes I'll use an organic dressing (the selection from Annie's is really great), but that can get expensive.  I also don't know exactly what's in bottled dressings.  They aren't raw and sometimes they hide things like high fructose corn syrup or worse.  So I make most of my dressings at home.  It allows me to keep my grocery bill down and also keep tabs on the ingredients I'm putting into my body.  Here are some favorites from my recipe card file.  They are all raw and all delicious!  Just ask my four-year-old.  He loves them.

I use the dressing below on everything.  My favorite is to make raw slaw by tossing it with red and green cabbage and raisins.  Toss it all together and let it sit for one hour before serving.  SO yummy!

The recipes above were taken from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen and The Raw Food Detox Diet.

Sort of Raw

I've had lots of questions lately about the raw food plan I set for myself last summer - Am I still eating raw?  How much of what I eat is raw?  Why in the world would you not cook your food?  Do you dehydrate your food? Etc.  So, yes, I'm still incorporating LOTS of raw food into my daily diet.  Am I all raw?  Well... no.  It's a lofty goal, and maybe someday I'll get there, but frankly, its not really sustainable for me and my family.  But I still eat a higher percentage of raw food than cooked food.  I like eating raw food because its easy on my digestive system, I can feel the immediate benefits of consuming live enzymes (which are lost when you cook food over a certain temperature) and raw foods provide lots of energy to my body and vibrancy to my life.  Also, I do not have a dehydrator and I don't eat dehydrated stuff very often.  I stick to the fresh stuff - greens, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds.

So what does it mean to be "sort of raw"?  I juice in the morning (raw) and I drink coffee with cream (not raw).  For breakfast I enjoy fresh fruit (raw) and sometimes whole grain toast (not raw).  For lunch I tend to eat big salads with raw homemade dressing (raw raw raw).  In the evenings I cook a meal for my family and add lots of raw elements.  For instance, two nights ago I made veggie tacos.  I filled small whole wheat tortillas (not raw) with sauteed onions, garlic and zuchinni not raw).  Then I added dark leafy greens, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, salsa fresca (all of which is raw).  They were delicious!

Some days I get on a kick and make it a game to see if I can eat all raw all day long.  Its fun and good for me!  And some days, like yesterday, I take my son to Krispy Kreme to share a doughnut and a milk.  He had a great day at school and deserved a treat.  So did I.  For me, all my food choices must be balanced and sustainable.  All raw all the time would be a train wreck at this point in my life.  But, I really enjoy striving towards a diet that includes more and more raw food. 

Breakfast this morning was a pint of Green Lemonade and a 1/2 cup of coffee with half and half.   Then when I returned home from boot camp (by the way, class today was awesome!) and a jog I had a huge bowl of fresh fruit.  It was so pretty, I had to share it with you...

So that's the news.

I'm sort of raw and sort of not. 

Raw Cherry Cashew Cheesecake

This is going on my "must try" recipe list:

from Freedom Sweet Freedom food blog

Raw Cherry Cashew Cheesecake
(serves 8)

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 cup raw pecans
• 8 soft Medjool dates
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked if they're actually raw, but don't bother otherwise)
• Juice of 1 lemons
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 10-15 fresh sweet cherries, pitted (or any other berry, I'm sure)

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, combine pecans, dates, salt and vanilla.

2. In a spring form pan, or a pie dish lined with parchment paper press crust mixture evenly.

3. Process the ingredients for the filling until it forms a very creamy paste. All traces of cashew crumbs should be gone. 

4. Scoop about half the filling into dish and spread evenly. 

5. Add cherries to remaining filling and process until smooth. Spread remaining filling in dish. Place in freezer until firm.
6. Remove from freezer 15-30 minutes before you want to eat it.

Back At It

This week is definitely off to a better start.  The red velvet birthday cake is no longer lurking in my fridge and I'm back to my mostly raw diet.  Dinner last night was a big green salad and the night before was a raw garlicky cauliflower mash topped with marinated Portobello mushrooms.  I'm juicing every morning followed by fresh fruit until lunch time when I mix up a green smoothie.  After my previous binge week, I feel much better.

I just got home from another great boot camp class.  While I'm in the middle of the class, I feel stretched to the limit - just sure that I'm on the last rep I can possibly do.  But somehow, I do it and when class is over, I feel like a million bucks.  Today I walked to and from class.  My sweet neighbor let me borrow her double jogging stroller for the boys.  I'm in the process of buying a double jogger because we're a one car family.  If you or someone you know has a double jogger for sale, please email me and let me know!

Write it Down - Raw Recipes

My new quest is to convert all my favorite raw recipes to index cards. Every time I need a raw recipe, I end up digging through big bulky books. It's time to get serious and embrace the fact that if I'm going to be preparing raw food, I need to have the recipes at my fingertips. Today, I made this lovely creation.  It is so delicious.  I like to spread it on zucchini that has been cut into chip shapes.

Here is a photo of my finished product.  You really must give it a try!

Raw Dining on my Anniversary

Yesterday was my wedding anniversary!  Yay for us!  Instead of going out, we put the kids to bed and had a late raw meal all fancy-like in the dining room with music and candles.  My husband, Jack, is a meat and potatoes kind of man, which makes his participation in my raw diet all the more incredible.  So, to show him that I respect his roots, I prepared a meat and potatoes kind of meal from one of my favorite raw cook books, Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.

Here is the recipe - Portobello Steak with Brazil-Broccoli Mash and Mushroom Gravy.  It was so yummy, and pretty darn easy to prepare now that I have a blender that can process food as well.

Steak
4 portabello mushrooms, stems removed
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c Nama Shoyo (raw soy sauce)
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

To make steaks, in a large bowl, coat mushrooms in oil, Nama Shoyu, and rosemary. Set aside for 2 hours or more to marinate and soften.

Brazil-Broccoli Mash
1/2 clove garlic
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 c Brazil nuts
2 c broccoli (or more), chopped

Process the garlic, pepper, and salt into tiny pieces. Add Brazil nuts and process into a powder. Empty this powder into a bowl and set aside. Next, process the broccoli while slowly adding the Brazil nut powder back in.

Mushroom Gravy
1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
3/4 c mushrooms, you can use any kind but I like Shitake best
1/3 c water
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt

Blend olive oil, mushrooms, water, vinegar, garlic, and salt until smooth. Pour gravy into a bowl.
To serve, slice each mushroom into 4 or 5 thick strips and serve on top of a scoop of Brazil-Broccoli Mash. Drizzle with Mushroom Gravy, garnish with a sprig of rosemary before serving.
Will keep for one day. Store portobello steaks separately to keep for two days. Mash and gravy will keep for several days in the fridge when stored separately. Makes 4 servings.