Bless me Father, for I have sinned...oh wait, flashback! Shake it off...


Every Friday night, my boyfriend and I host an open mic at a fish 'n' chips joint. Delicious but S.A.D. to the nth. Our big mistake last night was arriving hungry, after rushing around until the last minute to get there.


I was pretty pissed at ruining 3 days of 100% raw, but I was *starving* and I had a long night of music ahead of me. So I ate it. And to say it wasn't delicious would be a blatant lie. But ya know, this morning, I woke up feeling deep-fried, and almost back to square one.


Of course, I'm not, but well you know. I don't want to undo all my good work and scrap my regained health. I almost typed hellth.


I did some EFT about it, because I don't want to carry bad feelings, I want to move on. (EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique, and is a sort of needle-less acupuncture, where you tap the meridians instead. It works like a hot damn! I use it all over my life.)


So I moved on... determined to make an extra effort on Fridays to arrive fully-sated with raw food, therefore not tempted at all. It all comes down to preparation. That is so key, and I keep re-learning it. One of these days it's gonna stick. This might be the day.


Early this morning, I didn't waste any time figuring out dinner for this evening. I flipped through 'Living on Live Foods' (Alissa Cohen) and landed on a recipe called 'Better than Beef'. I've made it before, and it's wonderful. It's originally from Matt Samuelson, Chef and Instructor at Living Light Culinary Arts Institute.


To make it, I needed 4 cups of carrot pulp, and I didn't have enough carrots to do that, so off I went down the block to the organic grocery. I bought a 5 kg bag of carrots and dragged it back home. I thumbed through my 'Juicing for Life' (Cherie Calbom, Maureen Keane) book and found a recipe that treated inflammation, and used carrots, apple, and ginger. Simple stuff. I chose a recipe for inflammation because that's what bad food does to you, inside and out.


The original recipe calls for 5 carrots, 1/2 an apple, and 1/4" peeled ginger. That wouldn't be enough carrots for 4 cups of pulp, so I just juiced a whack of carrots (about 10-14... I lost count, I just went carrot-mad) and got the amount of pulp I needed, then tweaked the recipe ratios accordingly with a squinty eye and some guesswork. I used 2 apples and 2 'thumbs' of ginger. The juice came out just delicious!

Here it is:

Ok so now I had my pulp (and a bonus breakfast drink to boot!) So, on with making Better Than Beef, which is now done, and sitting in the fridge until dinner, all the flavors melding together. Closer to dinner time, I will take it out and put it in the dehydrator for a while so that it warms up a bit, (BUT YOU DON'T NEED A DEHYDRATOR FOR THIS! YAY!) and I will put it into sprouted grain tortillas along with pea shoots, and red peppers, and make a fabulous wrap. YUM! Take THAT, fish n' chips!!

Better Than Beef:

4 cups carrot pulp, left over from juicing

1 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked an hour, then pureed in the fp or blender

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil

1/3 - 1/2 red onion, finely minced with the S blade of your fp

3 tsps onion powder

2 tsps garlic powder

3 tsps chili powder (I use Mexican chili powder)

2 tsps cumin powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp celtic sea salt

1 Tbsp unpasteurized dark miso paste

Using your hands, mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl. Let sit for an hour or more for flavors to meld. Best served after warming in the dehydrator at 105 degrees.

Here it is as it sits in the fridge, before gettin' all pimped for dinner:

I will photograph the whole dinner, and I plan to make a Kale Salad to go with this. Mmm Mmm good.

Love forgiving myself and moving on with a vengeance!

Dinner Update:

Well, true to form, I had a fork in my mouth when I suddenly realized I forgot to take a photo of the 'Better than Beef' wraps I made! There's lots left over so I'll be sure to take one in the next day or so.

But I did get this photo of the DIVINE 'Kale Salad' I made. This is dead simple to make, nothing to soak, nothing to wait for. In fact, because it has avocado in it, it's best to eat it immediately. No problem, Baby. Between the two of us, we ate a head of kale tonight. Lovin' the kale lately.

Here's the recipe for this gorgeous and delicious salad, taken from Living on Live, originally by Chad Sarno. As it says in the book, even if you never liked kale, try this... it's simple to prepare and tastes so good!

1 head kale, (any variety is great) shredded

1 cup tomato, diced

1 cup avocado, chopped

2 1/2 Tbs olive oil

1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

1 tsp celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp cayenne

*******************

In a mixing bowl, toss all ingredients together, squeezing as you mix to 'wilt' the kale and creaming the avocado. Serve immediately.

Enjoy, Rawkers!

Bless me Father, for I have sinned...oh wait, flashback! Shake it off...


Every Friday night, my boyfriend and I host an open mic at a fish 'n' chips joint. Delicious but S.A.D. to the nth. Our big mistake last night was arriving hungry, after rushing around until the last minute to get there.


I was pretty pissed at ruining 3 days of 100% raw, but I was *starving* and I had a long night of music ahead of me. So I ate it. And to say it wasn't delicious would be a blatant lie. But ya know, this morning, I woke up feeling deep-fried, and almost back to square one.


Of course, I'm not, but well you know. I don't want to undo all my good work and scrap my regained health. I almost typed hellth.


I did some EFT about it, because I don't want to carry bad feelings, I want to move on. (EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique, and is a sort of needle-less acupuncture, where you tap the meridians instead. It works like a hot damn! I use it all over my life.)


So I moved on... determined to make an extra effort on Fridays to arrive fully-sated with raw food, therefore not tempted at all. It all comes down to preparation. That is so key, and I keep re-learning it. One of these days it's gonna stick. This might be the day.


Early this morning, I didn't waste any time figuring out dinner for this evening. I flipped through 'Living on Live Foods' (Alissa Cohen) and landed on a recipe called 'Better than Beef'. I've made it before, and it's wonderful. It's originally from Matt Samuelson, Chef and Instructor at Living Light Culinary Arts Institute.


To make it, I needed 4 cups of carrot pulp, and I didn't have enough carrots to do that, so off I went down the block to the organic grocery. I bought a 5 kg bag of carrots and dragged it back home. I thumbed through my 'Juicing for Life' (Cherie Calbom, Maureen Keane) book and found a recipe that treated inflammation, and used carrots, apple, and ginger. Simple stuff. I chose a recipe for inflammation because that's what bad food does to you, inside and out.


The original recipe calls for 5 carrots, 1/2 an apple, and 1/4" peeled ginger. That wouldn't be enough carrots for 4 cups of pulp, so I just juiced a whack of carrots (about 10-14... I lost count, I just went carrot-mad) and got the amount of pulp I needed, then tweaked the recipe ratios accordingly with a squinty eye and some guesswork. I used 2 apples and 2 'thumbs' of ginger. The juice came out just delicious!

Here it is:

Ok so now I had my pulp (and a bonus breakfast drink to boot!) So, on with making Better Than Beef, which is now done, and sitting in the fridge until dinner, all the flavors melding together. Closer to dinner time, I will take it out and put it in the dehydrator for a while so that it warms up a bit, (BUT YOU DON'T NEED A DEHYDRATOR FOR THIS! YAY!) and I will put it into sprouted grain tortillas along with pea shoots, and red peppers, and make a fabulous wrap. YUM! Take THAT, fish n' chips!!

Better Than Beef:

4 cups carrot pulp, left over from juicing

1 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked an hour, then pureed in the fp or blender

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil

1/3 - 1/2 red onion, finely minced with the S blade of your fp

3 tsps onion powder

2 tsps garlic powder

3 tsps chili powder (I use Mexican chili powder)

2 tsps cumin powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp celtic sea salt

1 Tbsp unpasteurized dark miso paste

Using your hands, mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl. Let sit for an hour or more for flavors to meld. Best served after warming in the dehydrator at 105 degrees.

Here it is as it sits in the fridge, before gettin' all pimped for dinner:

I will photograph the whole dinner, and I plan to make a Kale Salad to go with this. Mmm Mmm good.

Love forgiving myself and moving on with a vengeance!

Dinner Update:

Well, true to form, I had a fork in my mouth when I suddenly realized I forgot to take a photo of the 'Better than Beef' wraps I made! There's lots left over so I'll be sure to take one in the next day or so.

But I did get this photo of the DIVINE 'Kale Salad' I made. This is dead simple to make, nothing to soak, nothing to wait for. In fact, because it has avocado in it, it's best to eat it immediately. No problem, Baby. Between the two of us, we ate a head of kale tonight. Lovin' the kale lately.

Here's the recipe for this gorgeous and delicious salad, taken from Living on Live, originally by Chad Sarno. As it says in the book, even if you never liked kale, try this... it's simple to prepare and tastes so good!

1 head kale, (any variety is great) shredded

1 cup tomato, diced

1 cup avocado, chopped

2 1/2 Tbs olive oil

1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

1 tsp celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp cayenne

*******************

In a mixing bowl, toss all ingredients together, squeezing as you mix to 'wilt' the kale and creaming the avocado. Serve immediately.

Enjoy, Rawkers!

My Adventure in Kale Chips

Wowza I've got kale chips in the dehydrator, and I hear choirs!! They're not even half done and they're gonna be half GONE if I don't stop it. Somebody slap me!

Here they are on their way in, freshly coated: Aren't they purdy? Well they don't look anything like that now! :) They are darkened and all the coating has been absorbed. My son and boyfriend came in and said, "Ugh, that smells strong, what is it?" And I proudly pulled the door off the dehydrator and said, "Kale chips! They're not ready, but you wanna try one?" I'm all smiles and my son makes a face and tells me they smell like socks!

This doesn't offend me, it brings me joy... more for meeeeeeeee!

I've also got Carrot Pecan burgers in there for dinner, and I'm going to make raw lemon pudding for dessert. I love a good uncookin' day around here!

My pal Mermie passed on the kale chips recipe to me, here it is:

Ingredients:

2 head Kale, Washed and Torn

¾ cup Tahini

¼ cup *Nama Shoyu

½ cup Cider Vinegar

½ cup Water (didn't need it)

2 scallions

1 clove garlic

1 lemon (juice of)

¼ teaspoon Sea Salt

¼ cup Fresh Parsley

Preparation:

Place kale in a large mixing bowl. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth to get a thick consistency. Pour over kale and mix thoroughly with your hands to coat the kale. You want this mixture to be really glued onto the kale. Place kale onto a Teflex sheet, on top of a mesh dehydrator screen, and dehydrate for 6 hours @ 115 degrees. You’ll need to use two trays. Rotate kale occasionally to dry uniformly.

*note - dark miso is a good substitute for nama shoyu

Like I said, these aren't even out of the dehydrator and they're already addictive! Mermie calls them "Eat A Whole Head Of Kale Chips In One Sitting Recipe" :)

Here they are during: (I removed the teflex and flipped them onto mesh after a couple hours.) Um, notice the empty spaces. They shrink. Yeah, that's it...they shrink!

If there are any left, ahem, when they're done, I'll post a photo...;)

UPDATE: And here they are! They are crispy and fabu!!! The other full bowl is on my desk, and there are crumbs in my keyboard. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmake these!!

My Adventure in Kale Chips

Wowza I've got kale chips in the dehydrator, and I hear choirs!! They're not even half done and they're gonna be half GONE if I don't stop it. Somebody slap me!

Here they are on their way in, freshly coated: Aren't they purdy? Well they don't look anything like that now! :) They are darkened and all the coating has been absorbed. My son and boyfriend came in and said, "Ugh, that smells strong, what is it?" And I proudly pulled the door off the dehydrator and said, "Kale chips! They're not ready, but you wanna try one?" I'm all smiles and my son makes a face and tells me they smell like socks!

This doesn't offend me, it brings me joy... more for meeeeeeeee!

I've also got Carrot Pecan burgers in there for dinner, and I'm going to make raw lemon pudding for dessert. I love a good uncookin' day around here!

My pal Mermie passed on the kale chips recipe to me, here it is:

Ingredients:

2 head Kale, Washed and Torn

¾ cup Tahini

¼ cup *Nama Shoyu

½ cup Cider Vinegar

½ cup Water (didn't need it)

2 scallions

1 clove garlic

1 lemon (juice of)

¼ teaspoon Sea Salt

¼ cup Fresh Parsley

Preparation:

Place kale in a large mixing bowl. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth to get a thick consistency. Pour over kale and mix thoroughly with your hands to coat the kale. You want this mixture to be really glued onto the kale. Place kale onto a Teflex sheet, on top of a mesh dehydrator screen, and dehydrate for 6 hours @ 115 degrees. You’ll need to use two trays. Rotate kale occasionally to dry uniformly.

*note - dark miso is a good substitute for nama shoyu

Like I said, these aren't even out of the dehydrator and they're already addictive! Mermie calls them "Eat A Whole Head Of Kale Chips In One Sitting Recipe" :)

Here they are during: (I removed the teflex and flipped them onto mesh after a couple hours.) Um, notice the empty spaces. They shrink. Yeah, that's it...they shrink!

If there are any left, ahem, when they're done, I'll post a photo...;)

UPDATE: And here they are! They are crispy and fabu!!! The other full bowl is on my desk, and there are crumbs in my keyboard. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmake these!!

Rawk on!

my pineapple on a plate I hand-painted years ago

So it's somewhere between 4:30 and 5 in the morning and I'm up and at'em. I'm not at all bleary...just ready for my day! (wtf?)

Aside from my cup of acai tea, I ate all raw yesterday... lesseeee I had a little plate of pineapple, then later in the morning, my green smoothie... it was a goodie, too... it had dino kale, romaine, spinach, dandelion, apple, banana, and blueberries. The supplements were chia, spirulina, Udo's 369, aloe, and hemp seeds. Party's ON!!


A note about chia in a smoothie:
I take a good tablespoon of chia seeds and soak 'em until they go from hard little granules to an almost bubble tea/tapioca kind of gel. Not a texture I personally find appetizing, but thrown in a smoothie, you skip right past the texture and go straight to the fabulous benefits of chia.

Here's a photo I took to give you an idea of the consistency. I could have posed that spoon like that for a long time without the chia dripping off, put it that way. (I hope this doesn't put you off!) haha

Didn't even need yunch, as my little friend used to call lunch when she was 4...we're all 4 around here and it stuck. Anyway, the pineapple and smoothie packed so much punch that it sustained me late into the afternoon, after 3... then I grazed in the fridge... a couple spoons of some delicious unpasteurized sauerkraut (holy spell check, batman), and a slice of raw carrot bread. Dayum, that stuff is good.

For dinner I went to the raw Truffle Cafe and ate a fabulous beet burger with salad, and a couple raw chocolate balls for dessert. Oh man that was such a yummy meal!

So it looks like I'm going to take Alissa Cohen's 'Living On Live - Raw Food Chef Certification' level 1 on Sunday. Yeehaaa! I'm looking forward to it :) I was buying nama shoyu in a local shop and got chatting with the lady there about raw products and next thing ya know, I'm leaving with a little card in my hand with info on it. As it turns out, the store manager teaches the course, so I looked into it and figured it was good timing for me...in the sense of further raw education, as well as accountability! I'll tell ya how THAT goes!

Have a rawkin' day!

Rawk on!

my pineapple on a plate I hand-painted years ago

So it's somewhere between 4:30 and 5 in the morning and I'm up and at'em. I'm not at all bleary...just ready for my day! (wtf?)

Aside from my cup of acai tea, I ate all raw yesterday... lesseeee I had a little plate of pineapple, then later in the morning, my green smoothie... it was a goodie, too... it had dino kale, romaine, spinach, dandelion, apple, banana, and blueberries. The supplements were chia, spirulina, Udo's 369, aloe, and hemp seeds. Party's ON!!


A note about chia in a smoothie:
I take a good tablespoon of chia seeds and soak 'em until they go from hard little granules to an almost bubble tea/tapioca kind of gel. Not a texture I personally find appetizing, but thrown in a smoothie, you skip right past the texture and go straight to the fabulous benefits of chia.

Here's a photo I took to give you an idea of the consistency. I could have posed that spoon like that for a long time without the chia dripping off, put it that way. (I hope this doesn't put you off!) haha

Didn't even need yunch, as my little friend used to call lunch when she was 4...we're all 4 around here and it stuck. Anyway, the pineapple and smoothie packed so much punch that it sustained me late into the afternoon, after 3... then I grazed in the fridge... a couple spoons of some delicious unpasteurized sauerkraut (holy spell check, batman), and a slice of raw carrot bread. Dayum, that stuff is good.

For dinner I went to the raw Truffle Cafe and ate a fabulous beet burger with salad, and a couple raw chocolate balls for dessert. Oh man that was such a yummy meal!

So it looks like I'm going to take Alissa Cohen's 'Living On Live - Raw Food Chef Certification' level 1 on Sunday. Yeehaaa! I'm looking forward to it :) I was buying nama shoyu in a local shop and got chatting with the lady there about raw products and next thing ya know, I'm leaving with a little card in my hand with info on it. As it turns out, the store manager teaches the course, so I looked into it and figured it was good timing for me...in the sense of further raw education, as well as accountability! I'll tell ya how THAT goes!

Have a rawkin' day!

How Many Meals To Good (or Bad) Health?

This article was written by Mark Idzik, and is just what I needed to read, after eating a SAD (but delicious, dang it!) meal at my step-sons' home tonight! I went with the flow and ate what was served rather than risk being a 'bad guest'. It was their first time inviting us Geezers over, so I didn't want to be a pain... I know, I know... but tomorrow is a brand new day!!!

Without further ado...

****************************************************************************

How Many Meals To Good (or Bad) Health?


To most people, eating an occasional fast food meal or drinking a soda once in a while is acceptable. Even eating out regularly would be considered healthy to most.


But how many meals does it take to lead you to good as well as bad health?


How many meals would you have to eat before you would get on the road to better health or on the path to poor health?


Well, a review of dietary research published recently in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology now has the answer.


One.


Just one meal can either bring us closer to health, or further away from it.


This is groundbreaking since never before has there been research to backup the effects of just one meal. Your health is literally determined by your last meal. What did you last eat?


We’ve know for decades the effects of eating poorly over long periods of time, but this research explains why just one meal makes a difference.


You see, just as long term poor eating habits clog arteries and increase risk of heart attacks and strokes, there are short term effects as well.


Once you eat that one fast food meal, that one processed (anything in a wrapper or box) food item, drink that one soda, it sets off a chain reaction in your body. Tissue becomes inflamed (just as if it was infected), blood vessels constrict, free radicals that are know to cause cell damage, contributing to aging and chronic disease are generated. The body is now under stress and the response has an effect on blood pressure, raising it above normal. The spike and then drop in insulin levels not only leaves you feeling lethargic within hours, but also leaves you hungry as well.


All these happen within minutes and hours of eating anything other than primarily natural, whole foods.


And here’s where it gets interesting.


Most people trying to switch from ‘S.A.D’ (standard american diet) of processed foods will feel unsatisfied at first when trying to start eating more healthy meals. That’s in part because of the insulin effect that leaves you hungry in a short period after eating. Additionally, sugary and fatty foods promote excretion of the stress hormone cortisol, which shows to stimulate your appetite for more ‘calorie-dense’ foods. The spikes in blood sugar after these meals are also more likely to occur in people who aren’t active and don’t exercise or anyone that carries excess weight in their stomach area.


So it’s often a vicious circle for those wanting to modify their eating habits to healthier alternatives. The more fatty, sugary, fast, junk and processed food you eat (even once), the harder it becomes to stop. And the less active you are, the more the unhealthy food affects you.


What’s the best way to break this circle of addiction?


First, avoid fast, junk and processed foods completely. The less you eat them, the less the vicious circle will affect you.


Next, eat a diet compromised 70-80% of fresh, natural and organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seed and grains. A small portion of steamed vegetables is good as well.


Drink water and eliminate all other drinks with the exception of fresh squeezed juices and occasional herb teas.


Stay active, walk or bike instead of driving when you can. Take 15-30 minutes daily to exercise at home.


By following these tips you’ll see results within days if not sooner.


The good news is that just one healthy meal of fresh fruits or vegetables can bring you closer to better health. And knowing that, what will you plan to eat next?


To your best health!

How Many Meals To Good (or Bad) Health?

This article was written by Mark Idzik, and is just what I needed to read, after eating a SAD (but delicious, dang it!) meal at my step-sons' home tonight! I went with the flow and ate what was served rather than risk being a 'bad guest'. It was their first time inviting us Geezers over, so I didn't want to be a pain... I know, I know... but tomorrow is a brand new day!!!

Without further ado...

****************************************************************************

How Many Meals To Good (or Bad) Health?


To most people, eating an occasional fast food meal or drinking a soda once in a while is acceptable. Even eating out regularly would be considered healthy to most.


But how many meals does it take to lead you to good as well as bad health?


How many meals would you have to eat before you would get on the road to better health or on the path to poor health?


Well, a review of dietary research published recently in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology now has the answer.


One.


Just one meal can either bring us closer to health, or further away from it.


This is groundbreaking since never before has there been research to backup the effects of just one meal. Your health is literally determined by your last meal. What did you last eat?


We’ve know for decades the effects of eating poorly over long periods of time, but this research explains why just one meal makes a difference.


You see, just as long term poor eating habits clog arteries and increase risk of heart attacks and strokes, there are short term effects as well.


Once you eat that one fast food meal, that one processed (anything in a wrapper or box) food item, drink that one soda, it sets off a chain reaction in your body. Tissue becomes inflamed (just as if it was infected), blood vessels constrict, free radicals that are know to cause cell damage, contributing to aging and chronic disease are generated. The body is now under stress and the response has an effect on blood pressure, raising it above normal. The spike and then drop in insulin levels not only leaves you feeling lethargic within hours, but also leaves you hungry as well.


All these happen within minutes and hours of eating anything other than primarily natural, whole foods.


And here’s where it gets interesting.


Most people trying to switch from ‘S.A.D’ (standard american diet) of processed foods will feel unsatisfied at first when trying to start eating more healthy meals. That’s in part because of the insulin effect that leaves you hungry in a short period after eating. Additionally, sugary and fatty foods promote excretion of the stress hormone cortisol, which shows to stimulate your appetite for more ‘calorie-dense’ foods. The spikes in blood sugar after these meals are also more likely to occur in people who aren’t active and don’t exercise or anyone that carries excess weight in their stomach area.


So it’s often a vicious circle for those wanting to modify their eating habits to healthier alternatives. The more fatty, sugary, fast, junk and processed food you eat (even once), the harder it becomes to stop. And the less active you are, the more the unhealthy food affects you.


What’s the best way to break this circle of addiction?


First, avoid fast, junk and processed foods completely. The less you eat them, the less the vicious circle will affect you.


Next, eat a diet compromised 70-80% of fresh, natural and organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seed and grains. A small portion of steamed vegetables is good as well.


Drink water and eliminate all other drinks with the exception of fresh squeezed juices and occasional herb teas.


Stay active, walk or bike instead of driving when you can. Take 15-30 minutes daily to exercise at home.


By following these tips you’ll see results within days if not sooner.


The good news is that just one healthy meal of fresh fruits or vegetables can bring you closer to better health. And knowing that, what will you plan to eat next?


To your best health!

These jalapeno crackers were a big hit! We ate them with raw salsa...just divine!
It was all I could do to get this photo...4 dehydrator trays were gone so fast. I just suddenly went, "Oh shit!! I've gotta take a picture!!" haha. I'll make these again, but I will use more jalapeno, and will crisp them up longer. But MAN, they pretty much rawked!

And this is my corriander green cupboard. It was dirty-white yesterday. After the weekend, my tilesetter boyfriend is going to slap a bunch of tile on the counter part. I *think* that's what I want. ;)

Today is 'organize the kitchen' day here at my house. More to the point, get rid of the messy spice packets and pour everything into little bottles with shaker tops and labels. I know this sounds pretty basic, and I used to have it like that, but now it's somehow back to paprika spillage all the time.

I ate all raw yesterday, and bought some gorgeous tangelos at the organic market. They are sooo sour and perfect! My boyfriend hates them sour! More for me, yay! I love these because their big nipples make them easy to peel:

Enjoy your day, Rawkers!

These jalapeno crackers were a big hit! We ate them with raw salsa...just divine!
It was all I could do to get this photo...4 dehydrator trays were gone so fast. I just suddenly went, "Oh shit!! I've gotta take a picture!!" haha. I'll make these again, but I will use more jalapeno, and will crisp them up longer. But MAN, they pretty much rawked!

And this is my corriander green cupboard. It was dirty-white yesterday. After the weekend, my tilesetter boyfriend is going to slap a bunch of tile on the counter part. I *think* that's what I want. ;)

Today is 'organize the kitchen' day here at my house. More to the point, get rid of the messy spice packets and pour everything into little bottles with shaker tops and labels. I know this sounds pretty basic, and I used to have it like that, but now it's somehow back to paprika spillage all the time.

I ate all raw yesterday, and bought some gorgeous tangelos at the organic market. They are sooo sour and perfect! My boyfriend hates them sour! More for me, yay! I love these because their big nipples make them easy to peel:

Enjoy your day, Rawkers!

Energy to Burn...

Took my young man bowling the other day, and had a riot!! We pretty much had the place to ourselves, which was nothing short of awesome. Both of us have a tendency to act the fool, so it was right up our alley...oooh a pun.


We had gone to Deer Lake to rent a boat to row around in, but were stunned and amazed to see the ducks and geese walking ON the water.... yep, it was frozen. The rest of our city has thawed and spring is in the air, but not in this shady spot. It cracked us up big time!! So plan b was bowling and it turned out GREAT! My morning smoothie took me into late afternoon without hunger pangs, which was good.

At dinner I went to Eternal Abundance on Commercial Drive and ate in the back at the Truffle Cafe. Best salad in town, this place. The Truffle is a mostly raw cafe and the one thing cooked that I enjoy is the 'green soup', with broccoli, kale, and chard. It is sooooo tasty. That and a salad, and I'm good to go. (the yellow sticks that look like cheese are actually yellow beet...mmmmm)

And today, I got up and made Jalapeno Corn Tortilla crackers. They're hummin' away in the dehydrator as I type. I can hardly hear the hum over the opera I've got blaring. For a girl whose only opera exposure (until recently) was the Bugs Bunny cartoons, I've turned into an opera fan kinda overnight. It was brewing for years, but now that I've had a taste of a real opera, I am sofa king hooked!! So between the wild arias, my cat meowing along, the food processor, and now the dehydrator, it feels alive around here today!!


Here's a photo of the crackers in progress. Ya score them into crackers after ya flip 'em off the teflex sheet on 'hour 6'. SO......1 hour down, 13 to go... they should be ready by midnight...hahahaha am I the only one who thinks this is hilarious? :D



Oh yeah...not to mention, my living room is upside down because of a fit of feng shui and the subsequent declutter. Well, I'm in the clutter part of de-clutter, as usual. But today I'm not kidding, it's a bloody mess. Wanta seeee? Might make ya feel better about yourself!! ;)


I know, right? :) All that shit came out of this one cupboard, (well, except the plant). I'm going to paint mr.cupboard 'coriander green' today.


So now you have the 'before' shots of my crackers, my living room, and my cupboard... and I'll give you the 'afters' tomorrow or maybe even later today, depending on my ambition/burn-out!

Raw Powahhhhhhhhhh....

Energy to Burn...

Took my young man bowling the other day, and had a riot!! We pretty much had the place to ourselves, which was nothing short of awesome. Both of us have a tendency to act the fool, so it was right up our alley...oooh a pun.


We had gone to Deer Lake to rent a boat to row around in, but were stunned and amazed to see the ducks and geese walking ON the water.... yep, it was frozen. The rest of our city has thawed and spring is in the air, but not in this shady spot. It cracked us up big time!! So plan b was bowling and it turned out GREAT! My morning smoothie took me into late afternoon without hunger pangs, which was good.

At dinner I went to Eternal Abundance on Commercial Drive and ate in the back at the Truffle Cafe. Best salad in town, this place. The Truffle is a mostly raw cafe and the one thing cooked that I enjoy is the 'green soup', with broccoli, kale, and chard. It is sooooo tasty. That and a salad, and I'm good to go. (the yellow sticks that look like cheese are actually yellow beet...mmmmm)

And today, I got up and made Jalapeno Corn Tortilla crackers. They're hummin' away in the dehydrator as I type. I can hardly hear the hum over the opera I've got blaring. For a girl whose only opera exposure (until recently) was the Bugs Bunny cartoons, I've turned into an opera fan kinda overnight. It was brewing for years, but now that I've had a taste of a real opera, I am sofa king hooked!! So between the wild arias, my cat meowing along, the food processor, and now the dehydrator, it feels alive around here today!!


Here's a photo of the crackers in progress. Ya score them into crackers after ya flip 'em off the teflex sheet on 'hour 6'. SO......1 hour down, 13 to go... they should be ready by midnight...hahahaha am I the only one who thinks this is hilarious? :D



Oh yeah...not to mention, my living room is upside down because of a fit of feng shui and the subsequent declutter. Well, I'm in the clutter part of de-clutter, as usual. But today I'm not kidding, it's a bloody mess. Wanta seeee? Might make ya feel better about yourself!! ;)


I know, right? :) All that shit came out of this one cupboard, (well, except the plant). I'm going to paint mr.cupboard 'coriander green' today.


So now you have the 'before' shots of my crackers, my living room, and my cupboard... and I'll give you the 'afters' tomorrow or maybe even later today, depending on my ambition/burn-out!

Raw Powahhhhhhhhhh....

Opera & Raw Chocolate

I had the pleasure of taking myself to the opera via the movies on Saturday. What a treat!


There was a special showing of La Boheme at a downtown theatre on Valentines Day. It was a sub-titled stage performance from the Teatro Real, in Madrid, shown on high def film. There was even a 20 minute intermission.


I got there just after it began, and I stood in the dark waiting for my eyes to adjust so I didn't end up on someone's lap. I got so engrossed, it was a while before I remembered to sit down. I could just make out the aisle seat of the back row so I took it.


It wasn't until intermission and lights came up, that I saw that there was only a smattering of folks in the whole theatre; most of them over 60. This probably shouldn't have surprised me, seeing as I knew there had been no point in even trying to talk my boyfriend into joining me, and I went solo most happily. I just figured since it was Valentines Day, etc. But I counted, and there were only 21 of us!


I did buy popcorn at intermission and I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of it, guiltlessly I might add. I also brought along raw chocolate that I let melt in my mouth during most of the last act. I've been making the base of those raw brownies...walnuts, dates, and raw cacao, and that's all...just slicing it up into little cut tootsie rolls and popping them like, well, candy. Combined with the soul-stirring, soaring voices; notes that catch in my throat and make me weep...ahhh....it was so sweet.


The whole damn thing was so sweet.

Opera & Raw Chocolate

I had the pleasure of taking myself to the opera via the movies on Saturday. What a treat!


There was a special showing of La Boheme at a downtown theatre on Valentines Day. It was a sub-titled stage performance from the Teatro Real, in Madrid, shown on high def film. There was even a 20 minute intermission.


I got there just after it began, and I stood in the dark waiting for my eyes to adjust so I didn't end up on someone's lap. I got so engrossed, it was a while before I remembered to sit down. I could just make out the aisle seat of the back row so I took it.


It wasn't until intermission and lights came up, that I saw that there was only a smattering of folks in the whole theatre; most of them over 60. This probably shouldn't have surprised me, seeing as I knew there had been no point in even trying to talk my boyfriend into joining me, and I went solo most happily. I just figured since it was Valentines Day, etc. But I counted, and there were only 21 of us!


I did buy popcorn at intermission and I absolutely enjoyed the hell out of it, guiltlessly I might add. I also brought along raw chocolate that I let melt in my mouth during most of the last act. I've been making the base of those raw brownies...walnuts, dates, and raw cacao, and that's all...just slicing it up into little cut tootsie rolls and popping them like, well, candy. Combined with the soul-stirring, soaring voices; notes that catch in my throat and make me weep...ahhh....it was so sweet.


The whole damn thing was so sweet.

What a meal! Nutritious AND delicious...and filling as all get-out. I didn't need anything beyond this meal for the rest of the night. Oh wait, true to self, I did manage to have a raw vegan brownie after coming in from my evening. But that wasn't hunger, it was seeing my boyfriend grab one out of the freezer and me going, "Oh yeaaaaah...I forgot about theeeeeese....!"

So in the bowl on the left is raw chili from Gabriel Cousens' Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine. It's on the back pages here somewhere, but it can stand being repeated here, it is that good, and that easy.

Chili

serves 4

Before starting anything, soak sundried tomatoes in water about an hour.

Chop up:
2 carrots
2 celery
1 red pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup leek
Add about 1/8 cup olive oil and a touch of Celtic salt (original recipe calls for 1/4 c oil...I find it too much)
stir it up and put it in your dehydrator for an hour.

During that time, in the food processor add:
1/2 cup soaked sun dried tomatoes
4 tomatoes
2 avocados
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
A little more Celtic/Rock salt (optional...I don't)
2 tablespoon Chili powder (I use Mexican chili powder)
2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch o' cayenne (HOT!)

Mix this with the veggies above and put it back in the dehydrator for one more hour


Even without a dehydrator, this recipe is great. The veggies, which should be really small cubes, will just be crunchier if you skip this step. The flavors are just so yummy!!

Around the salad bowl, you'll see three slices of carrot bread. I can't even begin to tell you how delicious this was. Sweet n' hearty, it was likely the easiest bread recipe ever. The amount below makes one dehydrator tray, but the recipe is easy to double/triple, etc. I got this from Goneraw, and I tweaked it to my tastes. The original called for agave or other sweetener, and I find carrots and apples already sweet enough. Honestly, this was just perfect. I could have eaten the whole batch myself but my boyfriend wouldn't let me. I'll have to make this on a day he's not home :)

Carrot Bread

M

akes one dehydrator tray

Soak dates and pecans an hour or so ahead of time...the pecans can soak a lot longer but I sometimes don't bother. Don't tell the Raw Police.

Ingredients:

3 medium carrots

1/2 apple

3/4 c pecans, soaked

5 dates, pitted, soaked

1/4 c. flax seeds ground

dash salt

dash cinnamon

Preparation:
Blend carrots and apple in food processor, set aside

Blend dates and pecans in food processor, add to carrot apple mixture.

Add flax to mixture.

Add salt and cinnamon to taste.

Add a little water if needed

Spread on dehydrator sheet about 1/4-1/2" thick. Score into squares with a wet knife.

Dehydrate at 145 for 1 hour, then turn down to 110 and dehydrate 6 hours or until desired texture is achieved.

Yummity Yummity Yum!!!!

What a meal! Nutritious AND delicious...and filling as all get-out. I didn't need anything beyond this meal for the rest of the night. Oh wait, true to self, I did manage to have a raw vegan brownie after coming in from my evening. But that wasn't hunger, it was seeing my boyfriend grab one out of the freezer and me going, "Oh yeaaaaah...I forgot about theeeeeese....!"

So in the bowl on the left is raw chili from Gabriel Cousens' Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine. It's on the back pages here somewhere, but it can stand being repeated here, it is that good, and that easy.

Chili

serves 4

Before starting anything, soak sundried tomatoes in water about an hour.

Chop up:
2 carrots
2 celery
1 red pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup leek
Add about 1/8 cup olive oil and a touch of Celtic salt (original recipe calls for 1/4 c oil...I find it too much)
stir it up and put it in your dehydrator for an hour.

During that time, in the food processor add:
1/2 cup soaked sun dried tomatoes
4 tomatoes
2 avocados
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
A little more Celtic/Rock salt (optional...I don't)
2 tablespoon Chili powder (I use Mexican chili powder)
2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch o' cayenne (HOT!)

Mix this with the veggies above and put it back in the dehydrator for one more hour


Even without a dehydrator, this recipe is great. The veggies, which should be really small cubes, will just be crunchier if you skip this step. The flavors are just so yummy!!

Around the salad bowl, you'll see three slices of carrot bread. I can't even begin to tell you how delicious this was. Sweet n' hearty, it was likely the easiest bread recipe ever. The amount below makes one dehydrator tray, but the recipe is easy to double/triple, etc. I got this from Goneraw, and I tweaked it to my tastes. The original called for agave or other sweetener, and I find carrots and apples already sweet enough. Honestly, this was just perfect. I could have eaten the whole batch myself but my boyfriend wouldn't let me. I'll have to make this on a day he's not home :)

Carrot Bread

M

akes one dehydrator tray

Soak dates and pecans an hour or so ahead of time...the pecans can soak a lot longer but I sometimes don't bother. Don't tell the Raw Police.

Ingredients:

3 medium carrots

1/2 apple

3/4 c pecans, soaked

5 dates, pitted, soaked

1/4 c. flax seeds ground

dash salt

dash cinnamon

Preparation:
Blend carrots and apple in food processor, set aside

Blend dates and pecans in food processor, add to carrot apple mixture.

Add flax to mixture.

Add salt and cinnamon to taste.

Add a little water if needed

Spread on dehydrator sheet about 1/4-1/2" thick. Score into squares with a wet knife.

Dehydrate at 145 for 1 hour, then turn down to 110 and dehydrate 6 hours or until desired texture is achieved.

Yummity Yummity Yum!!!!

Hello, Beauties

I'm back!

I'm back from the great abyss. The Winter of Age 45 has not been without its bullshit! Aging mother, kids flying the nest, perimenopause, oh the insults.

During all this, I went down, down, down into depression. Fuelled greatly by S.A.D. foods and not giving a rat's.

Gained a lot of my weight back, and was such a deep shade of blue that I didn't. even. care.

The unbelievable guilt at falling in a hole when you know better with all your heart, is beyond.

However, and this is where it gets good... I have returned. Somehow smarter, definitely wiser, and somewhat more temperate.

I'm in week 3 of eating fresh, raw, live foods and I am feeling the layers come off in such a profound way. Did you know the demons retreat when you don't feed them garbage? How kind of them to bugger off. The part of me that thrives on LIFE is the part of me I'm feeding now.

It's so good to be in my SelfHome again, I can't even tell you.

How 'bout a big round of applause!!!

Hello, Beauties

I'm back!

I'm back from the great abyss. The Winter of Age 45 has not been without its bullshit! Aging mother, kids flying the nest, perimenopause, oh the insults.

During all this, I went down, down, down into depression. Fuelled greatly by S.A.D. foods and not giving a rat's.

Gained a lot of my weight back, and was such a deep shade of blue that I didn't. even. care.

The unbelievable guilt at falling in a hole when you know better with all your heart, is beyond.

However, and this is where it gets good... I have returned. Somehow smarter, definitely wiser, and somewhat more temperate.

I'm in week 3 of eating fresh, raw, live foods and I am feeling the layers come off in such a profound way. Did you know the demons retreat when you don't feed them garbage? How kind of them to bugger off. The part of me that thrives on LIFE is the part of me I'm feeding now.

It's so good to be in my SelfHome again, I can't even tell you.

How 'bout a big round of applause!!!