New Raw Restaurant

 

Oh Mama!  

There's a new Raw Restaurant in town!  

"Organic Lives"

1829 Quebec Street at 2nd Ave., Vancouver, BC, Canada

Open 7 days a week 9AM to 9PM.

Steve and I were toolin' around on the Harley the other day, and we happened by Organic Lives around lunch time.  We just went in to check it out, unable to stay for anything that day.  It's a restaurant, a full juice bar, and a store offering usual and unusual raw food items.  We met the owner, Preet, and told him we'd be back.  Steve added, "I have a feeling you're gonna cost me a lot of money, Man!"  ;)  There's so much in the way of "items" that we will want to fill our pantry with...raw nuts, olives, organic coconut meat, you name it.  And, we were really looking forward to a full meal there.

Well tonight was the night!  I ordered the pizza, and was pleased to see a large plate with 3 wedges and a big side salad.  A meal!  And bang for the buck!  All that for $10! Usually, raw pizza by the slice is $6 or so, and understandably, since the quality, organic ingredients run high, and nut based cheeses are expensive...not to mention the whole thing is labor-intensive to make. (I've 'tried this at home!')  Fortunately, it's also nutrient-dense, so one or two slices will do until you're full, unlike SAD pizza, where 1 leads to 4 or 5 slices.  (or am I being confessional?)  

Steve ordered the Thai Curry, which comes with a salad, on top of which he ordered another type of salad (forget what), then he ordered Strawberry Shortcake for dessert.

Both our meals were delicious!  And filling!! Not so filling that I wasn't also tempted by dessert... I asked what they had in 'chocolate'...and was directed to a Ganache dessert called 'Ridiculous!'  Here's what's left of it. Oh, and I re-named it "Insane!"  I've never had anything so deliciously, freakishly CHOCOLATE.  It was intense, and beyond fabulous.  I told Preet I'd be up all night trying to figure out what was in it.  (hint hint.)  He wasn't givin' it up!  :)   As we chatted further, it came to light that we knew someone in common. Chantale Roy, a woman we'd met in Nelson BC when we ate at her raw restaurant...here, I have a photo and a blog entry about it!  Well you coulda knocked me over with a feather when he said, "She's here now!  She's part of this venture with my wife and I.  I'll go get her..."

Sure enough, out comes this lovely woman, who is just as warm hearted as I remembered her.  Case in point, when I extended my hand to shake hers, she hugged me instead, saying, "Of course I remember you!"

We chatted a while and caught up a little bit.  It's so great to have her in town now!  I'll look forward to seeing her once in a while when we go back.  It was such a nice experience to eat there.

On the way out, I couldn't resist buying a little 50g bag of BBQ Parsnip Chips for 2.99.  DAYUM I enjoyed those!!  I only ate a few in the truck on the way home, you know, just to test them out.  But in the end, I went into a food fugue and ate them all.  

Bahahaha see what I put up with?  (Myself!) haha 

xo

Rawkin'

New Raw Restaurant

 

Oh Mama!  

There's a new Raw Restaurant in town!  

"Organic Lives"

1829 Quebec Street at 2nd Ave., Vancouver, BC, Canada

Open 7 days a week 9AM to 9PM.

Steve and I were toolin' around on the Harley the other day, and we happened by Organic Lives around lunch time.  We just went in to check it out, unable to stay for anything that day.  It's a restaurant, a full juice bar, and a store offering usual and unusual raw food items.  We met the owner, Preet, and told him we'd be back.  Steve added, "I have a feeling you're gonna cost me a lot of money, Man!"  ;)  There's so much in the way of "items" that we will want to fill our pantry with...raw nuts, olives, organic coconut meat, you name it.  And, we were really looking forward to a full meal there.

Well tonight was the night!  I ordered the pizza, and was pleased to see a large plate with 3 wedges and a big side salad.  A meal!  And bang for the buck!  All that for $10! Usually, raw pizza by the slice is $6 or so, and understandably, since the quality, organic ingredients run high, and nut based cheeses are expensive...not to mention the whole thing is labor-intensive to make. (I've 'tried this at home!')  Fortunately, it's also nutrient-dense, so one or two slices will do until you're full, unlike SAD pizza, where 1 leads to 4 or 5 slices.  (or am I being confessional?)  

Steve ordered the Thai Curry, which comes with a salad, on top of which he ordered another type of salad (forget what), then he ordered Strawberry Shortcake for dessert.

Both our meals were delicious!  And filling!! Not so filling that I wasn't also tempted by dessert... I asked what they had in 'chocolate'...and was directed to a Ganache dessert called 'Ridiculous!'  Here's what's left of it. Oh, and I re-named it "Insane!"  I've never had anything so deliciously, freakishly CHOCOLATE.  It was intense, and beyond fabulous.  I told Preet I'd be up all night trying to figure out what was in it.  (hint hint.)  He wasn't givin' it up!  :)   As we chatted further, it came to light that we knew someone in common. Chantale Roy, a woman we'd met in Nelson BC when we ate at her raw restaurant...here, I have a photo and a blog entry about it!  Well you coulda knocked me over with a feather when he said, "She's here now!  She's part of this venture with my wife and I.  I'll go get her..."

Sure enough, out comes this lovely woman, who is just as warm hearted as I remembered her.  Case in point, when I extended my hand to shake hers, she hugged me instead, saying, "Of course I remember you!"

We chatted a while and caught up a little bit.  It's so great to have her in town now!  I'll look forward to seeing her once in a while when we go back.  It was such a nice experience to eat there.

On the way out, I couldn't resist buying a little 50g bag of BBQ Parsnip Chips for 2.99.  DAYUM I enjoyed those!!  I only ate a few in the truck on the way home, you know, just to test them out.  But in the end, I went into a food fugue and ate them all.  

Bahahaha see what I put up with?  (Myself!) haha 

xo

Rawkin'

Sandwich Dinner and Chickpea Salad

 

Yum Yum!

Last night, I had one of those "I don't know what to make" nights, and in the end, decided to make sandwiches and salad.  I used sprouted grain Ezekiel, with eggless egg salad schmeared on both slices, and sliced avocados and thinly sliced (one might say 'shaved') tomato, along with spinach and dulse and pepper. Delish!

For the salad, I chopped some tomato, spinach, and avocado, and mixed in a little lemon, salt, cayenne, and dulse.  Also delish!  Next time, I will gut the tomato of its globby seeds, (such technical talk!) so that it's a drier salad, but it was way good!

I enjoyed a pot of immunity tea (ginger/lemon/cayenne/agave) while laying in bed watching a movie.  Steve went to see Avatar with the 4 boys and they were out all evening, and for some reason, my Internet was down (dontcha hate it when that happens?) and so it was easy to just laze about and go to sleep early.  Aaaahh!

Today, I had a smoothie, and later, some oranges, and I kept it light because I knew what was coming...SAD chocolate cake!  It was my youngest's 18th birthday today (can you say, YIKES?!) and we all had supper together.  

I made a sprouted chick pea salad to bring over, and ate a big bowl of that instead of eating what everyone else was eating:  take out Indian food.  

Those who had some of my salad raved about it! It's very tasty!

I purposely filled up on the salad and made that my main meal, and was able to then enjoy a couple little spoonfuls of the take-out.  Then I enjoyed the heck outta the birthday cake.  Just a small piece, and enough to say I had some.  So I didn't deprive myself, and I had a wonderful evening. 

See those little sprout tails?  I soaked those chicks over night, then rinsed/drained/repeated for another couple days, and WALLA!  Tails!

Here's the Sprouted Chick Pea Salad recipe (from 'Celebrating our Raw Nature' by Dorit, page 122)

1 pound chickpeas, sprouted

3 celery stocks, diced

1 very ripe tomato, chopped

2/3 cup minced green onions

3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 1/2 tsp chopped fresh mint (Rawkin' note:  I left that out and didn't miss it a bit)

2 Tbs olive oil, more or less, to taste

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp dulse flakes

celtic sea salt

cayenne

1 small head romaine lettuce (Rawkin' note:  I left that out and didn't miss it a bit)

3 Tbs raw pine nuts

Combine the chickpea sprouts, celery, tomato, green onions, parsley, lemon juice, mint, oil, garlic, and dulse in a medium bowl.  Season to taste with the salt and cayenne.  Serve on a bed of the romaine lettuce, and sprinkle with the pine nuts.  (Rawkin' note:  As I said, I left out the lettuce;  I just added the pine nuts to the salad.)

Enjoy!

xo
Rawkin'

Sandwich Dinner and Chickpea Salad

 

Yum Yum!

Last night, I had one of those "I don't know what to make" nights, and in the end, decided to make sandwiches and salad.  I used sprouted grain Ezekiel, with eggless egg salad schmeared on both slices, and sliced avocados and thinly sliced (one might say 'shaved') tomato, along with spinach and dulse and pepper. Delish!

For the salad, I chopped some tomato, spinach, and avocado, and mixed in a little lemon, salt, cayenne, and dulse.  Also delish!  Next time, I will gut the tomato of its globby seeds, (such technical talk!) so that it's a drier salad, but it was way good!

I enjoyed a pot of immunity tea (ginger/lemon/cayenne/agave) while laying in bed watching a movie.  Steve went to see Avatar with the 4 boys and they were out all evening, and for some reason, my Internet was down (dontcha hate it when that happens?) and so it was easy to just laze about and go to sleep early.  Aaaahh!

Today, I had a smoothie, and later, some oranges, and I kept it light because I knew what was coming...SAD chocolate cake!  It was my youngest's 18th birthday today (can you say, YIKES?!) and we all had supper together.  

I made a sprouted chick pea salad to bring over, and ate a big bowl of that instead of eating what everyone else was eating:  take out Indian food.  

Those who had some of my salad raved about it! It's very tasty!

I purposely filled up on the salad and made that my main meal, and was able to then enjoy a couple little spoonfuls of the take-out.  Then I enjoyed the heck outta the birthday cake.  Just a small piece, and enough to say I had some.  So I didn't deprive myself, and I had a wonderful evening. 

See those little sprout tails?  I soaked those chicks over night, then rinsed/drained/repeated for another couple days, and WALLA!  Tails!

Here's the Sprouted Chick Pea Salad recipe (from 'Celebrating our Raw Nature' by Dorit, page 122)

1 pound chickpeas, sprouted

3 celery stocks, diced

1 very ripe tomato, chopped

2/3 cup minced green onions

3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 1/2 tsp chopped fresh mint (Rawkin' note:  I left that out and didn't miss it a bit)

2 Tbs olive oil, more or less, to taste

3 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp dulse flakes

celtic sea salt

cayenne

1 small head romaine lettuce (Rawkin' note:  I left that out and didn't miss it a bit)

3 Tbs raw pine nuts

Combine the chickpea sprouts, celery, tomato, green onions, parsley, lemon juice, mint, oil, garlic, and dulse in a medium bowl.  Season to taste with the salt and cayenne.  Serve on a bed of the romaine lettuce, and sprinkle with the pine nuts.  (Rawkin' note:  As I said, I left out the lettuce;  I just added the pine nuts to the salad.)

Enjoy!

xo
Rawkin'

Kayi Korma - Southern Indian Curry

Kayi Korma - Southern Indian curry

Submitted by denzildragon to goneraw

Yield:  2 servings

Ingredients: 

Sauce:

• flesh of one young Thai coconut


•  handful of raw cashews


• 3/4 cup water or water from the coconut


•  1 level ts ground turmeric


•  ½ ts mustard powder


•  ½ ts ginger powder


•  1 ts garam masala


•  1-2 ts raw agave syrup (or to taste)

Veg:

• 1 small shallot, finely sliced


• 1 carrot, finely sliced (I used a vegetable peeler to slice it)


• 1 red pepper, finely sliced


• ½-1 chili pepper, finely chopped (or to taste)


• 5 or 6 button mushrooms, finely sliced


• ½ bag of baby spinach leaves

Preparation:

In a food processor or blender, blend the coconut meat, cashews, spices and agave syrup, adding the water a little at a time, until a smooth sauce forms.

Stir this into the vegetables, and leave to marinade for a while. If you want it warmed through, leave it in your dehydrator.

I made this last night for my boyfriend and I and we LOVED it!!!  Steve actually said, "This is the best damn raw thing you've ever made!"  

The only thing I did a lil' different was add a pinch of salt, because I think I added too much agave for my tastes.  But then it balanced out and was just fabulous.  We ate them in wraps.  I had two!  The second one, I wrapped in a large lettuce leaf and it was even better than with the tortilla, adding coolness and crunch to the dish.  A+

Bon Appetit!
xo
Rawkin'

Kayi Korma - Southern Indian Curry

Kayi Korma - Southern Indian curry

Submitted by denzildragon to goneraw

Yield:  2 servings

Ingredients: 

Sauce:

• flesh of one young Thai coconut
•  handful of raw cashews
• 3/4 cup water or water from the coconut
•  1 level ts ground turmeric
•  ½ ts mustard powder
•  ½ ts ginger powder
•  1 ts garam masala
•  1-2 ts raw agave syrup (or to taste)

Veg:

• 1 small shallot, finely sliced
• 1 carrot, finely sliced (I used a vegetable peeler to slice it)
• 1 red pepper, finely sliced
• ½-1 chili pepper, finely chopped (or to taste)
• 5 or 6 button mushrooms, finely sliced
• ½ bag of baby spinach leaves

Preparation:

In a food processor or blender, blend the coconut meat, cashews, spices and agave syrup, adding the water a little at a time, until a smooth sauce forms.

Stir this into the vegetables, and leave to marinade for a while. If you want it warmed through, leave it in your dehydrator.

I made this last night for my boyfriend and I and we LOVED it!!!  Steve actually said, "This is the best damn raw thing you've ever made!"  

The only thing I did a lil' different was add a pinch of salt, because I think I added too much agave for my tastes.  But then it balanced out and was just fabulous.  We ate them in wraps.  I had two!  The second one, I wrapped in a large lettuce leaf and it was even better than with the tortilla, adding coolness and crunch to the dish.  A+

Bon Appetit!
xo
Rawkin'

Kayi Korma - Southern Indian Curry

Kayi Korma - Southern Indian curry

Submitted by denzildragon to goneraw

Yield:  2 servings

Ingredients: 

Sauce:
flesh of one young Thai coconut
handful of raw cashews
3/4 cup water or water from the coconut
1 level ts ground turmeric
½ ts mustard powder
½ ts ginger powder
1 ts garam masala
1-2 ts raw agave syrup (or to taste)


Veg:
1 small shallot, finely sliced
1 carrot, finely sliced (I used a vegetable peeler to slice it)
1 red pepper, finely sliced
½-1 chili pepper, finely chopped (or to taste)
5 or 6 button mushrooms, finely sliced
½ bag of baby spinach leaves

Preparation: 

In a food processor or blender, blend the coconut meat, cashews, spices and agave syrup, adding the water a little at a time, until a smooth sauce forms.
Stir this into the vegetables, and leave to marinade for a while. If you want it warmed through, leave it in your dehydrator.

I made this last night for my boyfriend and I and we LOVED it!!!  Steve actually said, "This is the best damn raw thing you've ever made!"  

The only thing I did a lil' different was add a pinch of salt, because I think I added too much agave for my tastes.  But then it balanced out and was just fabulous.  We ate them in wraps.  I had two!  The second one, I wrapped in a large lettuce leaf and it was even better than with the tortilla, adding coolness and crunch to the dish.  A+

Kayi Korma - Southern Indian Curry

Kayi Korma - Southern Indian curry

Submitted by denzildragon to goneraw

Yield:  2 servings

Ingredients: 

Sauce:
flesh of one young Thai coconut
handful of raw cashews
3/4 cup water or water from the coconut
1 level ts ground turmeric
½ ts mustard powder
½ ts ginger powder
1 ts garam masala
1-2 ts raw agave syrup (or to taste)


Veg:
1 small shallot, finely sliced
1 carrot, finely sliced (I used a vegetable peeler to slice it)
1 red pepper, finely sliced
½-1 chili pepper, finely chopped (or to taste)
5 or 6 button mushrooms, finely sliced
½ bag of baby spinach leaves

Preparation: 

In a food processor or blender, blend the coconut meat, cashews, spices and agave syrup, adding the water a little at a time, until a smooth sauce forms.
Stir this into the vegetables, and leave to marinade for a while. If you want it warmed through, leave it in your dehydrator.

I made this last night for my boyfriend and I and we LOVED it!!!  Steve actually said, "This is the best damn raw thing you've ever made!"  

The only thing I did a lil' different was add a pinch of salt, because I think I added too much agave for my tastes.  But then it balanced out and was just fabulous.  We ate them in wraps.  I had two!  The second one, I wrapped in a large lettuce leaf and it was even better than with the tortilla, adding coolness and crunch to the dish.  A+

Half a Dozen Posts in One!

Happy Monday!

Wow, large weekend.  I bought a new uncook book, made a wonderful recipe, we went to see Steve Earle at the Orpheum, ran into folks, we booked some gigs, we recorded more videos, we saw friends at an open mic night, and made new ones... can't complain about a damn thing!  :)

This big blog post will catch you up on all of it!
To start off, I'll show you my new live cuisine recipe book: 

There was a recipe in there that caught my eye right away...Vegetable Stew...one, it didn't have any nuts, which is a raw wonder when it comes to raw cookbooks...and two, it just looked like a great variety of hearty vegetables.

It was such a tasty recipe, it did not disappoint!  Both of us just loved it and gobbled it down!  Sure is pretty, too, heh?  I substituted the sweet potatoes with beets and it was still awesome!

Here is the recipe: 

Vegetable Stew...yield:  3-4 servings

This meal will help you to maintain a raw diet during cold winters.

2-4 zucchinis, cut into bite-size pieces

1 sweet potato, chopped into small chunks or shredded

1 cup green peas, preferably sprouted (Rawkin' note:  I bought frozen organic peas)

1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces

6-8 button mushrooms, chopped

2 cups tomatoes, chopped

4 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tablespoons chopped onion

1-2 teaspoons raw olive oil or hemp oil

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Dash of cayenne

Put the zucchinis, sweet potato (or beet) peas, bell pepper, and mushrooms in a large mixing bowl.

Briefly pulse the tomatoes in a high-powered blender (or food processor). 

Add the cilantro, onion, oil, garlic, optional lemon juice, cumin, salt, and cayenne to the tomato puree, and pulse until combined but still chunky. 

Pour into the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. 

Let rest for 2-4 hours before serving (at room temp or in the refrigerator, depending on the climate)

NOTE:  If you prefer a more warming stew, add extra cayenne and dehydrate the stew at 105 - 108 degrees F for 1 - 2 hours.  Optional - Garnish with fresh cilantro and parsley  and serve.

This recipe will live out its life in the MY FAVORITE RECIPES section under 'Raw for the Rest of Us' because it's rare (in my world) to have a filling meal without needing a dehydrator.

This stew sated us all evening as we scurried downtown to the Steve Earle concert.  This was such a lovely sign of abundance in our lives, as a friend went to Vegas and couldn't use his tickets and gave them to us!

We accepted this generosity, and I tucked the ticketmaster envelope in my purse and didn't look at it until we pulled it out for the door person.  She said, Door 3.  Only then did we take a look at our seating...and we were floored to see that we were seated in the 2nd row!!  hahaha!  Score!!  :D  We had a clear view of him from 30 feet away.  We enjoyed the show so much.  He is a straight shootin' guy, and we've been fans for years and it was a pleasure to see him live (and up close!)  I took this photo with my iphone.

During intermission, we ran into the fellow who books the Vancouver City Limits showcases and got to chatting, and the next day he called us and we booked a gig for Feb. 12 at the Rowing Club in Stanley Park!  Yehaaa!

Then on Sunday, we recorded some more music videos of our songs...

Sunday night, we went and sang some songs at an open mic we like to go to, and met up with some friends and had a great time.  We ate salad before we left the house, but we were there a long time, and I got very hungry...and the pub food wafting by was not helping!  But we managed to avoid it and when I got home, I ate an orange and that was fine!  I think all the romance and fantasy that goes into food happens during hunger...but really, as soon as you sate your hunger, it doesn't care what actually made it ok.  You know what I mean?  And I always am wayyyyyy grateful that I opted for the better food.

Oh, and at the open mic, someone just about fell over when I told them my age (46) *bats eyelashes* and someone else complimented me on my...and I quote, lol... "amazing skin!"  (Thanks, RAW!!!!)

I got home and found an email for another gig in early March!  Yeah, Baby! 

Life is sweet and delicious!

Oh speaking of which, here is the 'whole family' enjoying wheatgrass...me with scary morning hair, Steve with his lucky horseshoe and empty wheatgrass shot, Ruby the cat wishing she had opposable thumbs, Gracie looking sweetly hopeful at the "harvest"...

and finally, Gracie in a wheatgrass frenzy!

xo

Rawkin'

PS things that make me happy and grateful:

The day I went ATVing for the first time.  JOY!!!!!!!!!  This was pre-raw, in 2001.  Happy, happy day!  I still get joyful when I look at this picture!  Steve says that's the happiest he's ever seen me, and wants to get me one!  I love that guy!!!

Another thing I ADORE that makes me happy...seeing beauty grow anywhere!

Half a Dozen Posts in One!

Happy Monday!

Wow, large weekend.  I bought a new uncook book, made a wonderful recipe, we went to see Steve Earle at the Orpheum, ran into folks, we booked some gigs, we recorded more videos, we saw friends at an open mic night, and made new ones... can't complain about a damn thing!  :)

This big blog post will catch you up on all of it!
To start off, I'll show you my new live cuisine recipe book: 

There was a recipe in there that caught my eye right away...Vegetable Stew...one, it didn't have any nuts, which is a raw wonder when it comes to raw cookbooks...and two, it just looked like a great variety of hearty vegetables.

It was such a tasty recipe, it did not disappoint!  Both of us just loved it and gobbled it down!  Sure is pretty, too, heh?  I substituted the sweet potatoes with beets and it was still awesome!

Here is the recipe: 

Vegetable Stew...yield:  3-4 servings

This meal will help you to maintain a raw diet during cold winters.

2-4 zucchinis, cut into bite-size pieces

1 sweet potato, chopped into small chunks or shredded

1 cup green peas, preferably sprouted (Rawkin' note:  I bought frozen organic peas)

1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces

6-8 button mushrooms, chopped

2 cups tomatoes, chopped

4 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 Tablespoons chopped onion

1-2 teaspoons raw olive oil or hemp oil

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

2 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt

Dash of cayenne

Put the zucchinis, sweet potato (or beet) peas, bell pepper, and mushrooms in a large mixing bowl.

Briefly pulse the tomatoes in a high-powered blender (or food processor). 

Add the cilantro, onion, oil, garlic, optional lemon juice, cumin, salt, and cayenne to the tomato puree, and pulse until combined but still chunky. 

Pour into the bowl with the vegetables and mix well. 

Let rest for 2-4 hours before serving (at room temp or in the refrigerator, depending on the climate)

NOTE:  If you prefer a more warming stew, add extra cayenne and dehydrate the stew at 105 - 108 degrees F for 1 - 2 hours.  Optional - Garnish with fresh cilantro and parsley  and serve.

This recipe will live out its life in the MY FAVORITE RECIPES section under 'Raw for the Rest of Us' because it's rare (in my world) to have a filling meal without needing a dehydrator.

This stew sated us all evening as we scurried downtown to the Steve Earle concert.  This was such a lovely sign of abundance in our lives, as a friend went to Vegas and couldn't use his tickets and gave them to us!

We accepted this generosity, and I tucked the ticketmaster envelope in my purse and didn't look at it until we pulled it out for the door person.  She said, Door 3.  Only then did we take a look at our seating...and we were floored to see that we were seated in the 2nd row!!  hahaha!  Score!!  :D  We had a clear view of him from 30 feet away.  We enjoyed the show so much.  He is a straight shootin' guy, and we've been fans for years and it was a pleasure to see him live (and up close!)  I took this photo with my iphone.

During intermission, we ran into the fellow who books the Vancouver City Limits showcases and got to chatting, and the next day he called us and we booked a gig for Feb. 12 at the Rowing Club in Stanley Park!  Yehaaa!

Then on Sunday, we recorded some more music videos of our songs...

Sunday night, we went and sang some songs at an open mic we like to go to, and met up with some friends and had a great time.  We ate salad before we left the house, but we were there a long time, and I got very hungry...and the pub food wafting by was not helping!  But we managed to avoid it and when I got home, I ate an orange and that was fine!  I think all the romance and fantasy that goes into food happens during hunger...but really, as soon as you sate your hunger, it doesn't care what actually made it ok.  You know what I mean?  And I always am wayyyyyy grateful that I opted for the better food.

Oh, and at the open mic, someone just about fell over when I told them my age (46) *bats eyelashes* and someone else complimented me on my...and I quote, lol... "amazing skin!"  (Thanks, RAW!!!!)

I got home and found an email for another gig in early March!  Yeah, Baby! 

Life is sweet and delicious!

Oh speaking of which, here is the 'whole family' enjoying wheatgrass...me with scary morning hair, Steve with his lucky horseshoe and empty wheatgrass shot, Ruby the cat wishing she had opposable thumbs, Gracie looking sweetly hopeful at the "harvest"...

and finally, Gracie in a wheatgrass frenzy!

xo

Rawkin'

PS things that make me happy and grateful:

The day I went ATVing for the first time.  JOY!!!!!!!!!  This was pre-raw, in 2001.  Happy, happy day!  I still get joyful when I look at this picture!  Steve says that's the happiest he's ever seen me, and wants to get me one!  I love that guy!!!

Another thing I ADORE that makes me happy...seeing beauty grow anywhere!

Dinner, EFT, Juice, Weight Loss...

Made savory nori snacks with salad for yesterday's dinner...yum.  I doubled the batch and went for it this time!  As an aside, my non-raw friend made these without a dehydrator and she and her family loved them.  So there ya go, apparently they are delicious just like that.

I nearly went out of my mind with sugar cravings last night.  I did some EFT and tapped it out, and was fine in a minute or two...but it got me thinking that I should start keeping my sugar intake in check.  You hear me mention those brownies about every couple days...there's a clue.

Lately I've been eating apples after dinner and I know that this is not a good thing.  Apples (along with most other fruit) only take about 20 minutes to digest, so if they get eaten after food that takes 20 hours to digest, they sit atop it, fermenting, causing gas and bloating and years of this behavior leads to very bad things. lol.  I'd have to look up exactly what, but I'm guessing it contributes to the usual suspects.

How's that for lazy??

In completely other news:

I am accepting clients for EFT sessions on Tuesdays between 3 and 8 pm in my new...drum roll please... office!  Yay! If you'd like a complimentary first session with me, please contact me via the email in my profile.

EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique, and can be described as emotional acupuncture...without those pesky needles!  Instead of needles, the meridians are gently tapped on with finger tips.  It's jaw-dropping how this gentle and non-invasive treatment garners results.  I've personally blasted through so much of my own stuff, from relationship issues, to core issues, even that hypochondria I have mentioned is fading into nothing as I tend to the different aspects of it.

EFT works by a client focusing on the issue they want resolved, and the practitioner tapping on the meridians while making statements and affirmations.  Sounds so simplistic, I realize.  I remember wondering how it could possibly be effective...until I permanently rid myself of too many issues to count!  Most of my core stuff was anxiety-based, and in the couple years I've been tapping on myself and seeing a practitioner, I've cleared so much energy around so many issues, that it's safe to say that it's changed my life...in all areas... relationships, performance, phobias, parenting, grief, guilt.  When one issue gets worked on, it affects a lot of other issues that have similar roots, so working on one thing often fixes another.

I've had remarkable results when working on others as well, and I get great joy from them experiencing freedom from things that have plagued them so long.  Honestly, some things can be lifted in moments.  People most often feel great relief in the first session, and in just a few sessions with an intuitive practitioner, life-long issues can be gone.  And I mean gone permanently.  I've worked with folks on their core issues of abandonment, their rattled nerves for upcoming concerts, their life-long physical ailments and sudden diagnoses, their fear of public speaking, and the list goes on.

When I saw my Mother this past September, I worked on the pain in her knee, finding the emotions that lurked underneath, that maintained that pain.  We had three sessions in three days, and she went from holding on to the backs of chairs for balance, and wincing with ever step, to wearing high-heels and dancing around to show us her recovery.  She was 78 years old at the time, and thanked me for giving her her life back.  I get tears just remembering it.  She continues to be fine today, and I taught her how to tap on herself so that if it did flare up, she had tools to combat it.  She says she didn't wait for it to flare up, and in fact has been tapping on herself daily since our visit.

Today is her birthday!  Happy 79th, Beautiful Mama!!!

So I'm off to the store to pick up some leaves for dinner. lol.  Salad is on the menu... and I dunno what else...maybe a juice or a smoothie.  I've cut back on nuts for a bit because I like how simple raw dishes make me feel, and I feel heavy on nuts, and just not optimal.  So while all those gourmet dishes I get into making are indeed scrumptious, I do believe I O.D. on them!  So wraps, salads, and and and...?  Help?

Oh, here's some kinda cool news... since being raw in mid December, I've now lost 10 pounds.  Kinda fun when it's a by-product and not an actual project!!
My jeans are saggy in that saddlebag area just below the bum, and I love it, because that's the first place it goes on, too.

I remember, about 3 or 4 years ago, picking up a book at Value Village and laughing at it, because it had a photo of a realllly old man, he looked a thousand, and the book was called Become Younger.  I showed it to Steve and we giggled that he wasn't much of an endorsement for youth.  But in fact, he was!  It was Norman Walker!  Silly me.  Well that book has been in all the rooms of my house, flipped through as I settle in for a bath, or on my desk in a pile of other books, etc.  I don't know how it took me this long to see this, but this alternating combination of raw juices really sounds fabulous, and I'm going to try it out. 

"...drink one or two pints of fresh raw vegetable juices every day without fail.  I drank a whole pint of carrot juice and a pint of a combination of carrot, celery, parsley, and spinach juices, one day, and the next I would drink the carrot juice and a pint of a combination of carrot, beet, and cucumber juices.  I would alternate these juices, one combination one day, the other the next day."

I'm off to the grocery store & I think I just figured out a nice juice to drink while I make us a big salad.  (I'll wait an hour or so before eating after drinking this.)

What's for dinner at your house?

UPDATE:  Well maybe that juice and salad will happen tomorrow evening... tonight, we ended up having Spinach Dip and Hummus with sprouted grain tortillas and a lovely salad!  I made some mango & red pepper dressing (with water for texture, and salt to cut that sweetness down a notch)  It was real good, but my Steve is a die-hard Caesar dressing guy, so he went with that.  He did pose for a dinner photo.  Props for that! :)

xo
Rawkin' 

Things that make me happy....

My beautiful friend, Wildhearted, just mailed me some gifts!!!  I love you, Wildy!  And I love them all very much, and if I *had* to pick a favorite, it would be the salt candle...LOVE THESE!!!

And one of the other things that makes me happy and that I am so grateful to have...

The beautiful soaps that my friend Mermie makes!
My most favorite of all is the coconut soap...I could just take a bite, it smells so great!

Dinner, EFT, Juice, Weight Loss...

Made savory nori snacks with salad for yesterday's dinner...yum.  I doubled the batch and went for it this time!  As an aside, my non-raw friend made these without a dehydrator and she and her family loved them.  So there ya go, apparently they are delicious just like that.

I nearly went out of my mind with sugar cravings last night.  I did some EFT and tapped it out, and was fine in a minute or two...but it got me thinking that I should start keeping my sugar intake in check.  You hear me mention those brownies about every couple days...there's a clue.

Lately I've been eating apples after dinner and I know that this is not a good thing.  Apples (along with most other fruit) only take about 20 minutes to digest, so if they get eaten after food that takes 20 hours to digest, they sit atop it, fermenting, causing gas and bloating and years of this behavior leads to very bad things. lol.  I'd have to look up exactly what, but I'm guessing it contributes to the usual suspects.

How's that for lazy??

In completely other news:

I am accepting clients for EFT sessions on Tuesdays between 3 and 8 pm in my new...drum roll please... office!  Yay! If you'd like a complimentary first session with me, please contact me via the email in my profile.

EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Technique, and can be described as emotional acupuncture...without those pesky needles!  Instead of needles, the meridians are gently tapped on with finger tips.  It's jaw-dropping how this gentle and non-invasive treatment garners results.  I've personally blasted through so much of my own stuff, from relationship issues, to core issues, even that hypochondria I have mentioned is fading into nothing as I tend to the different aspects of it.

EFT works by a client focusing on the issue they want resolved, and the practitioner tapping on the meridians while making statements and affirmations.  Sounds so simplistic, I realize.  I remember wondering how it could possibly be effective...until I permanently rid myself of too many issues to count!  Most of my core stuff was anxiety-based, and in the couple years I've been tapping on myself and seeing a practitioner, I've cleared so much energy around so many issues, that it's safe to say that it's changed my life...in all areas... relationships, performance, phobias, parenting, grief, guilt.  When one issue gets worked on, it affects a lot of other issues that have similar roots, so working on one thing often fixes another.

I've had remarkable results when working on others as well, and I get great joy from them experiencing freedom from things that have plagued them so long.  Honestly, some things can be lifted in moments.  People most often feel great relief in the first session, and in just a few sessions with an intuitive practitioner, life-long issues can be gone.  And I mean gone permanently.  I've worked with folks on their core issues of abandonment, their rattled nerves for upcoming concerts, their life-long physical ailments and sudden diagnoses, their fear of public speaking, and the list goes on.

When I saw my Mother this past September, I worked on the pain in her knee, finding the emotions that lurked underneath, that maintained that pain.  We had three sessions in three days, and she went from holding on to the backs of chairs for balance, and wincing with ever step, to wearing high-heels and dancing around to show us her recovery.  She was 78 years old at the time, and thanked me for giving her her life back.  I get tears just remembering it.  She continues to be fine today, and I taught her how to tap on herself so that if it did flare up, she had tools to combat it.  She says she didn't wait for it to flare up, and in fact has been tapping on herself daily since our visit.

Today is her birthday!  Happy 79th, Beautiful Mama!!!

So I'm off to the store to pick up some leaves for dinner. lol.  Salad is on the menu... and I dunno what else...maybe a juice or a smoothie.  I've cut back on nuts for a bit because I like how simple raw dishes make me feel, and I feel heavy on nuts, and just not optimal.  So while all those gourmet dishes I get into making are indeed scrumptious, I do believe I O.D. on them!  So wraps, salads, and and and...?  Help?

Oh, here's some kinda cool news... since being raw in mid December, I've now lost 10 pounds.  Kinda fun when it's a by-product and not an actual project!!
My jeans are saggy in that saddlebag area just below the bum, and I love it, because that's the first place it goes on, too.

I remember, about 3 or 4 years ago, picking up a book at Value Village and laughing at it, because it had a photo of a realllly old man, he looked a thousand, and the book was called Become Younger.  I showed it to Steve and we giggled that he wasn't much of an endorsement for youth.  But in fact, he was!  It was Norman Walker!  Silly me.  Well that book has been in all the rooms of my house, flipped through as I settle in for a bath, or on my desk in a pile of other books, etc.  I don't know how it took me this long to see this, but this alternating combination of raw juices really sounds fabulous, and I'm going to try it out. 

"...drink one or two pints of fresh raw vegetable juices every day without fail.  I drank a whole pint of carrot juice and a pint of a combination of carrot, celery, parsley, and spinach juices, one day, and the next I would drink the carrot juice and a pint of a combination of carrot, beet, and cucumber juices.  I would alternate these juices, one combination one day, the other the next day."

I'm off to the grocery store & I think I just figured out a nice juice to drink while I make us a big salad.  (I'll wait an hour or so before eating after drinking this.)

What's for dinner at your house?

UPDATE:  Well maybe that juice and salad will happen tomorrow evening... tonight, we ended up having Spinach Dip and Hummus with sprouted grain tortillas and a lovely salad!  I made some mango & red pepper dressing (with water for texture, and salt to cut that sweetness down a notch)  It was real good, but my Steve is a die-hard Caesar dressing guy, so he went with that.  He did pose for a dinner photo.  Props for that! :)

xo
Rawkin' 

Things that make me happy....

My beautiful friend, Wildhearted, just mailed me some gifts!!!  I love you, Wildy!  And I love them all very much, and if I *had* to pick a favorite, it would be the salt candle...LOVE THESE!!!

And one of the other things that makes me happy and that I am so grateful to have...

The beautiful soaps that my friend Mermie makes!
My most favorite of all is the coconut soap...I could just take a bite, it smells so great!