Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

For the last couple weeks I have been "smoothie crazy." Not just for the glowing green smoothie, but I kind of felt the need to change it up. I posted the recipe for my Pear/Blueberry Power Shake a couple weeks ago. Since then, I've been experimenting with different recipes. Here's another one that is sure to become a favorite. I feel like I have a little piece of the tropics here in Salinas (where the weather has been less than desirable) when I drink this smoothie.

I also decided to add chia seeds and flax meal to this smoothie to keep me full longer which I did not add to my Pear/Blueberry Shake. I was actually surprised that this smoothie kept me full for about 4 hrs which was fantastic!!

What the heck do chia seeds do??!! Chia seeds swell to about 10-15 times their original size when added to any kind of liquid. This then forms a gel and that is what keeps you fuller longer. These seeds have high levels of both soluble and insoluble fiber. I don't think I have to explain what role fiber plays when it comes to our colons! But, I will tell you that the gel chia seeds create, helps keep your colon hydrated which helps food move easily through your system. As an added bonus, chia seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie
1 c. almond milk (more or less depending on desired consistency)
1/2 c. frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 c. frozen strawberries
1 TBLS chia seeds
1 TBLS flax meal
1 TBLS virgin coconut oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
Desired sweetener to taste (I use Truvia)

Add all ingredients to blender and blend away!! If you chose to use fresh pineapple and strawberries, you'll have to add about 1/2 c ice in order to make your smoothie cold. As this smoothie sits, it will become thicker because of the chia seeds and flax meal, so I encourage you to drink smoothie immediately.

Sauerkraut in a Salad???!!!

The first thing I can hear you say as you read this post is "Whaaaaaaat...sauerkraut in a salad??!! That was my exact reaction when I read this recipe in Phyo's cookbook. But, I thought...hmmmm...I love salad and I love sauerkraut, so why not try it.

Raw sauerkraut has many nutritional benefits to it. We aren't talking about the over-processed, canned, over-salted stuff here, people. We are talking about the RAW, probiotic rich, unprocessed stuff that you buy in the refrigerated section of the store or you make yourself (you can find LOTS of recipes on the Internet...but they take some time to ferment). Along with providing a great source of Vitamin C, raw sauerkraut's probiotics are believed to help maintain a healthy immune system, and improve your digestion.

So, I challenge you to try this recipe if you like sauerkraut. It's definitely a different way of eating it AND it will add a new dimension to your salad. I love that you rub the greens with the avocado first to coat them. You don't have to add dressing and the sauerkraut adds a little saltiness so you don't have to add extra salt! Her original recipe includes capers, which I did not add. I also added romaine lettuce for some added crunch. Feel free to include greens that you love.

Easy Being Green Salad
1 handful spinach
1c. red leaf lettuce
Few romaine leaves
1/2 avocado
1/2 c. sauerkraut (I actually have added more!!)
2 TBLS fresh corn kernels (corn is deliciously sweet right now)
handful cherry tomatoes

Place greens in a bowl. Mash the avocado then massage into the greens. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss. Best enjoyed immediately!

Although I haven't tried adding protein, I bet this salad would be delicious also if you added a little chicken or steak if you needed some protein.

A Raw Soup and a Smoothie!!

I have recently discovered Ani Phyo's cookbooks (thank you Si!!). I have tried many delicious smoothie and soup recipes from Ani's 15-Day Fat Blast cookbook. I wanted to share one delicious raw soup recipe and one smoothie recipe with you. I have chosen to share her Curry Coconut Soup and Pear Power Shake (although it's more like a Pear/Blueberry Power Shake after I got done with it). Of course I made a few changes to the recipes to suit my taste buds!

Coconut Curry Soup
1 c. diced tomato, about 1 whole
1 TBLS lemon juice
1 TBLS virgin coconut oil
2 TBLS fresh cilantro
1/2 c. chopped bok choy or handful of spinach
1 tsp miso
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. coconut milk
salt to taste

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. I have a Vitamix so I actually put it on the "soup" setting and let the soup warm up just a tad. You don't want to let the soup go over 104° though in order for your soup to remain raw. You can always use the microwave too, just go easy!! I warm it to about 99°-100°....that is just perfect for me.

**Note: She also added 1 cup of avocado, and as much as I LOVE avocado, I actually didn't care for the taste of the avocado blended in the soup. The soup was actually quite creamy without the avocado. You could probably cube the avo and put it in the soup after you have blended it if you'd like.

Also, a little note about coconut oil. I have tried both the refined coconut oil and unrefined virgin coconut oil. Hands down, the virgin coconut oil is THE BEST. It has the wonderful aroma of coconut and tastes delicious. The refined version doesn't have a nice coconut smell or taste. Of course the vigin coconut oil is more expensive so that is a decision you'll have to make.

Pear/Blueberry Power Shake
1 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 pear, cut into cubes
1c. kale
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. filtered water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp wheat grass powder (you can find that at Whole Foods or on Amazon)
1/2 c. ice
You don't have to add a sweetener but I added 1 tsp Truvia to my smoothie

Place all ingredients in blender, and blend until smooth

**Note: Please don't be afraid to try the wheat grass powder. Whole Foods actually sells little individual packets for about $1.50 so you don't have to commit to a big container if you don't like it. I actually have found that by adding it to some of my smoothies (I've only just discovered it within the last few days), it gives me a little "vroom vroom" to my morning...and who can't use a little "vroom vroom"?? It is important to add the lemon as it cuts down the grassy taste of the kale and wheat grass. Lemon also aides with digestion and helps support the liver's natural detox process.

I hope you enjoy both of these delicious recipes. As always, don't hesitate to make the recipes your own by changing them up, as I always do. :-)

Delish Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Yes...I am back! After a 2 month hiatus, I have recharged my battery and am ready to post some more GREAT stuff. After planning 2 kids birthday parties back-to-back, I have recovered.

I have been DYING to post this fantastic Cauliflower Crust Pizza as I made it for the first time about a month ago. I got the recipe from one of my favorite books, The Fresh Energy Cookbook by authors Rose & Choi. It is not a raw recipe as it requires cooking but it is gluten free and made with goat feta and gouda which is suppose to be easier on the digestion than cow cheese. I also adjusted the cooking time as I didn't think it was sturdy enough after the time they used. Here it is:

For the crust:
4 cups Cauliflower "Rice" (you just take florets from a head of cauliflower and process it in a food processor until it resembles short-grain rice), steamed and excess moisture removed using a nut milk bag or cheesecloth
1/2 cup goat feta cheese (I found some delicious french goat feta at Whole Foods)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp dried oregano
Pinch of paprika

Preheat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (if using foil, spray lightly with non-stick spray or a little oil). Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and transfer the mixture to the baking sheet. Shape the mixture into a flat circle keeping it 1/3" thick (I used a cheesecake springform pan with the bottom taken off in order to shape my pizza perfectly...it worked great!).Bake for 25-30 mins until nicely browned. Then turn the oven down to 300° and bake for another 15-20 mins. Turn the oven off and leave the crust in indirect heat for another 20-30 mins. You can save the crust for the next day (I used mine the next day and it was still nice and sturdy) or top it with marinara and goat gouda and whatever toppings you'd like and bake at 400° again for about 10 mins until cheese is nice and bubbly. Now, my chiropractor tried this recipe and used pesto instead of marinara which I tried last week and it was delicious also...thank you Dr. B.

 

Using my sprinform pan to shape dough

A couple of important tips:It is soooooo important...did I say "IMPORTANT"....to really wring out your steamed cauliflower rice before mixing with the other ingredients which will require you to cool the cauliflower first.  I simply placed my processed "rice" in my nut milk bag and then threw it in my steamer turning it every once in a while with an over mitt so I didn't burn my hand until it was nicely steamed. Then I put it in the fridge until it was cool enough to handle.When cooled, wring it out. If you don't, your crust will turn out soggy. Also, I know the cooking process seems really tedious but I just did it on a Saturday when I was home all day and did a little bit of the process at a time in between feeding the kids and their naptime.

Now, with that being said, this is not something I would be able to do every week, but it is nice to have when I'm craving pizza. I'm not gonna lie though, the crust does not taste like regular pizza crust, HOWEVER, by adding the marinara and your toppings you'll get your pizza fix!

 

Browned Crust

 

Finshed product

 

Easy Peasy Coconut Chocolate Smoothie

I am excited to share with you a dairy-free, guilt-free smoothie that will satisfy any sweet tooth before you call it a night (or even to start the day). I simply call it my Coconut Chocolate Smoothie. This recipe will make about 2 servings (unless you want to drink it all by yourself as I often do).

1.5 cups Larissa's homemade (or store bought if you must) almond milk (I posted the recipe back on May 9th)
1.5 cups coconut milk
1 heaping TBLS raw cacao powder (I found some at W.F.)
1 1/2 frozen bananas
handful of ice

Throw all ingredients in blender and blend to desired consistency. You may add more liquid or less depending on the thickness desired. Enjoy!!

**If you don't have any coconut milk on hand or don't want to use it, just substitute more almond milk..then it would just be a Chocolate Smoothie. If you love coconut (as I do) then don't skip out on the coconut milk.

Crunchy Kale Salad

I cannot tell you how much I value Pinterest. My girlfriend Erin had tried to get me on Pinterest for a while. I kept telling her that the last thing I had time for was Pinterest. Well, I finally caved in and am so glad I did. Although I spend WAY TOO MUCH time on it, I have found so many great things that I hope to try eventually some day (it may even be 10 years from now :-) ). I was browsing through the recipes (so I can bring them to you), and found a beautiful looking kale salad pinned from www.userealbutter.com. I HAD to try it and it was soooo delish, I had to share it with you. I changed up the recipe just a little to make it more to my personal taste so I encourage you to also change it up for your tastebuds too.

This salad isn't totally raw but as I've stated before, not everything I eat is totally raw. However as you can see, this salad has A LOT of raw veggies in it.

Crunchy Kale Salad

2 cups kale, sliced thinly
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 cup broccoli slaw (I have only found broccoli slaw at Whole Foods)
1/2 cup carrots, shredded (because the broccoli slaw doesn't have enough carrots for me)
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and juliened
1 1/2 oz box raisins (the small snack size)
1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped (or cranberries)
1 cup dry roasted almonds, coarsly chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl (that's easy enough, right?) :-)

Dressing

Juice from 1 orange
1/2-1 TBLS maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)
3 TBLS tahini
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (I like my dressing a little thicker. If you don't like it thick, then omit the xanthan gum)
1/2 cup EVOO or other favorite oil


Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl (or you can blend them in a food processor). Slowly whisk in (or blend in) the EVOO in a light stream until all oil is incorporated and dressing is emulsified.

Add as much of the dressing to the salad as you'd like. I actually added ALL of the dressing and realized I probably could have gotten away with using half the dressing. The nice thing about this salad is that you can dress it and stick it in the fridge for a few days. It doesn't wilt quickly because you are using sturdier greens.

Here was my dinner for tonight:

I enjoyed a heaping serving of Crunchy Kale Salad with a Quinoa/Cauliflower Timbale. Mmmmmm....

 

 

What is the Dirty Dozen???

Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone! I wanted to take this opportunity and talk a little bit about a topic that EVERYONE (well, maybe not EVERYONE) seems to have questions about...organic produce vs conventional produce.

I could write an entire dissertation on the topic (which would probably bore you) but I'm going to share with you the best resource I have found. The list you should be consulting when buying organic produce is called the "Dirty Dozen". It was composed by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). This is a list that recommends which produce should be purchased as organic.You can actually download the "Dirty Dozen" app on your iPhone or iPad (which is very handy to have when you are in the grocery store). If you don't have access to the app go to: www.ewg.org/foodnews. You can actually download a PDF version of the guide. Here is a quick list:

1. Apples
2. Strawberries
3. Grapes
4. Celery
5. Peaches
6. Spinach
7. Sweet Bell Peppers
8. Nectarines-imported
9. Cucumbers
10. Potatoes
11. Cherry tomatoes
12. Hot peppers

Now, for my humble opinion. I tend to stick to this list pretty rigidly. My general rule of thumb is that if I am going to eat the skin off a piece of fruit or a vegetable, I buy it organic. If I am going to peel the skin off and throw it away, I don't worry about buying it organic. Now, not everyone can afford organic produce...I get that. If you can't splurge on organic, don't let that prevent you from eating your fruits and veggies. The opinion of the (EWG) is that consuming conventionally-grown produce is better than not consuming any produce at all.

If you are going to consume the skin along with the flesh of the conventional fruit/veggie, just make sure to use one of those veggie washes sold in stores or you can make your own using a mixture of water and 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar. Soak your produce for at least 30 mins and then rinse.

I hope this post helps you make better decisions when it comes to purchasing produce for your family. Any question, please feel free to post a comment on my blog or hit me up on FB. My next post will be a delicious recipe for a Crunchy Kale Salad that I adapted from www.userealbutter.com. See you then!

Fabulous Raw Chili Recipe

I absolutely had to share this raw chili recipe with all of you as it includes SO MANY delicious and flavorful raw veggies. It was so good that I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing!!!! I found the recipe on Pinterest. Here is the link:
http://thesimpleveganista.blogspot.com/2012/11/raw-vegetable-chili-with-taco-nut-meat.html

I did however change it up a little bit. You can either follow it step-by-step from the website or use my suggestions or use a combo of both.

I used all of the ingredients from the list but instead of using corn off a cob (I don't enjoy spending time slicing corn off a cob), I used 1 cup frozen Whole Foods brand corn, thawed. I think it tastes just like fresh corn and it's always handy. I don't suggest using canned corn because it never tastes fresh and usually has added salt.

The original recipe says to dice ALL the veggies and put half of them in the food processor. I did it differently. I cut all the veggies into big chunks first and added all the onion and garlic to the food processor. Then I added half of the other ingredients except the corn and roughly pureed them. Here are my reasons why: 1) I love onion and garlic but eating them completely raw without pureeing them first didn't sound appetizing to me and 2) I wanted to see and taste all the corn in its whole state so I didn't add it to the food processor.

Next, I then diced the other half of the remaining veggies that weren't thrown into the food processor. I didn't see any reason to dice ALL the veggies first since half of them were going to be pureed anyway; seemed like a waste of time.

Finally, I added the pureed veggies to the diced veggies (and corn) as the recipe instructs. I didn't eat the chili right away. I let it sit in the fridge overnight in order to give the flavors a chance to develop.

I almost followed the recipe for the "meat" (I just can't help myself) but added a few dashes of hot pepper sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder. I used button mushrooms because I didn't want mushrooms that were too overpowering in flavor. If you do dairy, I bet queso fresco would be delicious sprinkled on top. Here was the finished product that I enjoyed for dinner tonight...I hope you enjoy it too:

Note: If the idea of "taco nut meat" does not sound appetizing to you (although it tastes fantastic), I don't see why you can't use ground turkey instead.

 

Guacamole Wrap

Happy Mother's Day to all the tireless moms out there who never get a day off or if you do you're wondering what the kids are getting themselves into!! :-) Here is our Mother's Day candid shot...it is so hard to get everyone looking at the camera at the same time!! I couldn't stop laughing as my hubby was getting more and more irritated with us!!

After a VERY heavy Mother's Day brunch (I was full all day so I know my digestive system was like "what the heck, Larissa??!!"), I decided to make a Guacamole Wrap for dinner. It is super easy to make as long as you have the Guacamole already done. I found the basic recipe from one of my favorite books, The Fresh Energy Cookbook by Rose & Choi but of course added my own spin.

2 sprouted grain wraps or tortillas
1 tomato, sliced thinly
1 cup shredded carrots
a few thin slices of red onion or 1 sliced green onion
4 large lettuce leaves
Handful fresh cilantro
1 cup Guacamole (recipe follows)

Spread a half cup guacamole on each wrap/tortilla. Place 2 lettuce leaves on one side of each wrap/tortilla followed by half of the tomato, carrots, onions, and cilantro. Roll starting from the filled side of the wrap/tortilla folding in the ends to create a burrito. Cut on the diagonal and enjoy!!

Guacamole (makes 1 cup/store for no more than 3 days):
2 ripe avocados
1/2 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp seasoned salt or sea salt (depending on your taste)
1 lime, squeezed

Mash avocado to the consistency you prefer; I prefer my guac a little chunky. Mix in the powders, salt and most of the lime. I save a little lime juice to squeeze on top of the guac before storing in the fridge so it doesn't turn brown. You can also add chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro but I leave mine plain because I usually add those ingredients when making my wrap and the hubby doesn't like onions (crazy, huh?).   :-)

My Almond Milk Recipe

I am not one to crave a tall glass of milk. In fact, everyone in my household drinks the stuff except me. The only occasion you would ever find me drinking milk would be on some cereal which I hardly ever eat now that I drink my green smoothies in the morning. However, I do get a craving for a bowl of cereal every once in a while (maybe once every 3 months) before I go to bed. I used to use milk on those occasions but not anymore once I discovered how absolutely DELICIOUS homemade almond milk is. The store bought variety doesn't even come close.

I have received a few requests for my recipe, which I posted on FB a while back. Here it is:

Makes 3 cups almond milk
1 cup raw almonds (soaked overnight or at least for 8 hrs)
3 cups water (or 2 cups water/1 cup coconut water if you want some coconut flavor)
5 dates (I use the Medjool variety), pitted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
couple pinches of nutmeg

1. After soaking the almonds, give them a good rinse and put in blender. I use my Vitamix but you can probably use any old blender. Just don't expect it to grind the pulp as well as the Vitamix.
2. Add your water/coconut water and blend on the highest possible speed for a couple minutes.
3. Strain you milk either using a nut milk bag which you can buy at www.rawglow.com or use a fine mesh sieve/cheesecloth.
4. After straining, pour milk back into the blender. Discard the almond pulp. Add your dates and blend for about another minute (the timing really depends on the strength of your blender). Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend on low for a few seconds to mix the spices with the milk.
5. I then like to strain it one more time to get rid of the date pulp and froth but you don't have to.
6. Chill and enjoy. I bought a really cute milk bottle from Cost Plus.

**Note: Please experiment with the amount of your spices/dates. The measurements I gave you are what makes the perfect milk for me personally. I provided those measurements to you as a base.

Did you fall off the wagon?

Good evening everyone! I know it has been a while since my last post, but things have been hectic over here. My son Alexander turned 1 on May 4th. I had been preoccupied with planning his party which of course was a little over the top for a one year old party, but it has been such a turning point for us. Alexander was born 5 weeks premature and had open heart surgery when he was 2 months old. There were some moments when we weren't sure he was going to make it so him turning 1 was a HUGE deal for everyone involved. :-)

I have to admit that I have not been eating very well these past 2 weeks since my last post. The party food certainly did not help; tri-tip sammies, Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad, Cowboy Caviar, Strawberry Spinach Salad with LOTS of cheese, cupcakes, and homemade Rocky Road Marshmallow Pops.

I am here to let you know that it is OK to fall off the wagon on occasion. Don't be discouraged if that happens to you...it happens to everyone (and if anyone tells you differently, they are lying!). The tricky part (and the most important part) is getting back on. You get to a certain point where you say to yourself, "ok, I've been eating like crap for a few days/weeks now and I haven't been feeling too hot. Time to get back on the wagon and start feeling vibrant again!!"
It may take some of us more time than others to come to that realization, but just remember how awesome you felt when you were eating the right foods. Who cares if it has been a while...GET BACK ON THE WAGON.

Stay tuned later in the week as I share with you a couple of easy recipes that will help you get back on the wagon: a Raw Guacamole Wrap and a Soba Noodle Salad. I CANNOT wait to share these with you!

Food Combining Challenge

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend and the beautiful local weather. We took a brief little trip to Half Moon Bay to visit my brother...what a beautiful place. On our way back home on Sunday, we all went to Harley Farms in Pescadero. It is a little goat farm that is a great place to go with kids. Sofia especially loved it. I posted some pics on FB if you haven't had a chance to look at them yet.

So, I am back to give you Part II of Food Combining. In my last post, I informed you of the detriment to your body and its digestion when you combine the wrong foods.

Here are the basics of food combinging that I have gathered from all my reading:
*Animal (or fish) protein should only be consumed with raw/cooked non-starchy veggies
*Starchy veggies (ie...sweet potatoes) and grains should only be consumed with raw/cooked veggies as well as avocados
*Nuts/seeds should only be consumed with raw/cooked veggies and NEVER with avocado
*Fruit should be eaten by itself 20 mins before consuming anything else (except for bananas, which should be consumed 45 mins before anything else).

So, I challenge you to try eating well-combined foods for a week and see how you feel. If you have any questions, Facebook me or leave a comment. I know it is a lot to pay attention to, but it will be well worth the effort. I would LOVE to hear how it works for you and if you noticed any changes!!

What The Heck is Food Combining??

I decided today would be the day to talk a little bit about food combining. I had a visit with my chiropractor earlier in the week. I was filling her in about my blog because I hadn't seen her since starting it. I told her about my recent post about nuts and how you shouldn't eat them with animal protein or avocado. She then told me that the other day she had a salmon salad (sounds good so far, right?), with nuts (uh oh) and avocado (double uh oh) on it. She did not feel really great after eating that. As I stated in my last post, nuts should not be eaten with avocado or animal protein (or in this case, fish protein).

When I first picked up K.S.'s book "The Beauty Detox Solution", I was very interested in reading about food combining. When I finished reading about it, it made TOTAL sense. Since then, I have read a couple of other books that state the same food combining principles that I first learned about from K.S.

Here is why food combining is important:
In order to have the best digestion possible, your meals should move through your digestive track AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. You do not want your food to sit in your gut for many hours or days. The longer it sits in your body (at 98.6 degrees), the slower it will move through your digestive track and the more it putrifies (gross, right??!!). Different types of foods take different digestive enzymes to break them down. When you start consuming all different types of foods, your digestive system asks you, "What the @*!% are you doing to me??!!"

For example, animal proteins require an acidic environment in order to digest efficienly. Starches require an alkaline environment in order to digest efficiently. So, when you put together an alkaline and acid, they neutralize each other. This causes your body to secrete more digestive enzymes which in turn continue to neutralize each other trying to digest your improperly combined meal.  Does that make sense? So, what should only take a couple of hours is taking even longer which means that all our energy is going towards digesting "miscombined" meals. Ever feel tired after these meals? Gassy, bloated, or have heartburn? Well, now you know why.

In my next post I will briefly list the rules of properly combining foods and ask you to take the Food Combining Challenge. Have a great weekend!

Delicious Cucumber Rolls

Tonight I made cucumber rolls for dinner. I took the basic recipe from K.S. and made it my own. They are really easy to make. You can save yourself some time by making the almond butter paste ahead of time. I made mine yesterday.  

In a food processor (I have a mini one that is a 2 cup capacity), combine:
1/3 c. almond butter
1/2 TBLS grated ginger (fresh ginger REALLY makes a difference here)
2 TBLS lemon juice
2-3 TBLS water
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBLS agave (K.S. doesn't use agave but I like it)

Cut the ends of the cucumber and take a "Y" vegetable peeler and run it across the cucumber lengthwise to make thin strips. You can also use a mandolin if you have one.  

Take 2 cucumber strips and lay them on top of each other (I like a double layer of cucumber). Then, spread the almond butter paste on the cucumber slices leaving about an inch without the spread.

 

 

Put whatever veggies you want on top of the almond butter paste. I used the spiralized carrots from the other night and added spring mix.

 

 

 

Then, roll them from bottom to top. The idea of leaving a space at the top is because your filling will be pushed upwards as you roll.

 

Here is the finished product:

 

 



This is one of my favorite raw food recipes so far. I know you are probably thinking, "What??? Cucumber with almond butter??". You have to trust me that it is really yummy. You could even add thin strips of red bell pepper.

 

For dinner tonight I had a few of these rolls and a big green salad with roasted beets that I made a few days ago. The rest of the family ate broiled salmon, pasta, salad, and veggies. I really wanted to add salmon to my meal, but after eating all this, I didn't have room for anything else. Maybe I'll have a couple bites of the leftover salmon before bed! :-)

 

 

**As a side note, do not attempt to make any more rolls then you are planning to eat that meal. They do not keep well. They are quick to assemble and if you strip the entire cucumber, you can wrap them in a paper towel to absorb any extra moisture and put them in a plastic container for easy access the next day. The almond butter will keep in the fridge until the next use. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

 

 

Cheating and Nuts

Good evening everyone! Today was just one of those days. You know what I'm talking about. By 9:00am, I just wanted to climb back in bed, throw the covers over my head, and go back to sleep. As a mother, it just wasn't an option (but it's nice to dream, isn't it??). So, when Xander and I left Parent's Place after our afternoon of fun and play, I stopped off at CVCRC there on Lighthouse in P.G. for an iced Mocha. I only have them put half the amount of chocolate they normally put in it so it isn't so sweet. It tasted so good and I do not regret drinking it. We all need a cheat day...at least once a week. That is how we stay sane in this insane world.

 I have tried a few different diets over the years and while they worked well for the short term (quick weight loss), they ended up leaving me wondering "is that it?" As I got older, weight loss wasn't the only thing I cared about anymore. I wanted more youthful looking skin (without having to spend hundreds of dollars a month on beauty products), healthier and shinier hair, and just more energy. That is where eating more raw foods comes into play and including nuts in my diet.

So, I'm sure you have all heard how nuts are full of good fats. I used to only eat them on rare occasions for fear that they would contribute to weight gain. For the past 2 months, I have eaten them almost every day but I am always paying attention to the amount I am eating; about an ounce a day. I could probably sit down and eat a whole package of walnuts if I wanted to...that is where discipline comes in. :-)

 K.S. includes MANY raw nut dishes in her books. She does talk about soaking them first to make them easier to digest. Soaking times depend on the size of the nut. However, you can only soak raw nuts, not the roasted, salted variety. If you don't soak them, they become more acid-forming in the body and you want your body to stay as alkaline as possible. Since nuts are a dense food, you should also always eat nuts with water-containing raw veggies or a salad and never with animal protein or avocados. Eating them with animal protein or avocados will make everything harder to digest which means all that food will be sitting in your gut at 98.6 degrees for hours. I don't think I need to tell you how that is NOT good for your body! :-)

On the other hand, in Choi and Rose's book, "The Fresh Energy Cookbook", they do not recommend making nuts the focal point of your meals often because they ARE calorie dense foods and they believe in consuming mostly low-density foods. In fact, you will only find just a few nut recipes in their book.

I have found that a lot of "raw food" websites/blogs rely heavily on nuts in their meals. Regarding eating habits, I think moderation is the key to long-term success. You have to do what works for your body. Believe me, your body will let you know if it doesn't agree with something you just ate.

On a side note, I just ask you to remember some things before you sit down to your next meal. What is this food going to do for my body? Is my body going to thank me or slap me in the face?! Is it going to give me a "high five" or is it going to give me two thumbs down? Am I going to feel refreshed and energized after I eat, or am I going to feel like I just ate a bowling ball? I think you get the picture.

Spiralized Asian Veggie Salad

Tonight I made Kimberly Snyder’s (I’m going to start referring to her as K.S. since I will be referencing her a lot) Spiralized Asian Veggie Salad. It was DELICIOUS!! The ingredient list includes: zucchini, carrots, mixed greens, walnuts, cilantro, and a homeade Asian Dressing. I decided to add chopped scallions to mine though and wanted to add some diced red bell pepper for a pop of color but found not a one in the fridge :-(. Here is a picture of the finished product:

 

I used a spiral slicer that I purchased on line at: www.rawglow.com. If you don’t want to buy the slicer or don’t have time to spiralize your veggies, you can always buy shredded carrots and zucchini or julienne them with a julienne slicer. This website is actually a really great source to help familiarize you with the raw food diet. I love Cecila’s videos and tutorials because who the heck knows how to sprout garbanzo beans??!! J

Here is what the slicer looks like:

 

Here is the zucchini after going through the slicer. The zucchini is easy to spiralize because they are softer than the carrots. You’ll get a great arm workout spiralizing the carrots though.

 

Here are the veggies after they have been spiralized (this picture includes 2 large carrot and 3 large zucchini):

 

Just a little hint: I decided to place the zucchini in a colander in the sink and added about a tsp of salt. I did this because the salt helps draw out the moisture of the zucchini and “cooks” it. I then rinse the zucchini really well and squeeze out the extra moisture with a few paper towels. You don’t have to salt them, but I decided to do that.

I served my Veggie Salad with teriyaki chicken thighs. I made jasmine rice and sautéed veggies for my hubby Tyler and daughter Sofia. While Tyler had no interest in trying my dish, Sofia was all over it!

 

Tomorrow will be leftover night for me. I have some leftover Gorilla Wraps and one more serving of the Asian Veggie Salad. However, I would like to talk about my thoughts on the consumption of nuts. While K.S. makes a lot of nut dishes, I have read a book called “The Fresh Energy Cookbook” by authors Natalia Rose and Doris Choi who state otherwise. I cannot wait to share some of their fresh recipes also!

 

 

Side note about the Gorilla Wraps

I forgot to address a question about the "taco meat" in the Gorilla Wraps. The "taco meat" consists of chopped raw walnuts, tamari, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano. Hope this helps!

My Green Breakfast Smoothie

Every morning I start out with my green breakfast smoothie. I started drinking this smoothie a couple years before I found out I was pregnant with my son, Alexander. This is when I first discovered Kimberly Snyder's book. She had a great recipe for her smoothie but over the course of time, I decided to tailor it a little more to my liking. I have had several friends ask me what is in my smoothie. Here are the ingredients:

1 apple
1 banana
1 orange
1-2 large handfuls of spinach
5-6 leaves of kale
1 carrot
1 stalk of celery
1/3 bunch parsley
8-12 oz coconut water or water (depends how thick you want your smoothie)
Juice of 1/2-1 lemon
Ice

I didn't want to just tell you what goes in my green smoothie, I wanted to show you. Unfortunately, I didn't realize I was out of parsley this morning so that is why you don't see it in the picture. I am constantly in awe at how much fruit and veggies goes in my smoothie every morning. I don't believe most people eat this much fruit and vegetables in a day. That is the beauty of doing a smoothie. I drink this throughout the morning as it makes about 50-60 oz. If I have to leave the house in the morning for errands or an appointment, I take it with me in a little cooler bag so I have no excuse to not finish it.

 

 

The end product:



This is the only thing I consume in the morning. It gets my morning going and doesn't slow me down.

 

 

Why Would You Listen To Me?

As I was drifting off to sleep last night, I realized that there might be some of you out there that may wonder why you would read anything I have to say. I think that is a fair question to ask yourself. Why would you want to read any part of my blog?

Well, to start off, I AM NOT a certified nutritionist although one day when I have some extra time on my hands (not sure if that will EVER happen), I would love to pursue it. I am not an experienced and die-hard raw foodist. I do have a B.S. degree in Kinesiology which is the study of the human body, so I like to think I have some knowledge of how our bodies work. I did realize and confide in you that what was working for my body before, was not working for me anymore. Sometimes it is difficult to really listen to what our bodies are telling us after we consume certain foods. It tastes so good as were eating those foods, that we kind of ignore the effect it has on our body...admit it!!! :-)

As I stated in my earlier posts, I am sharing with you how my raw food journey (albeit short, so far) has improved my quality of life over the last 2 months and continues to do so. I hope that I can inspire you, as I have been inspired, to make some small changes in the way you eat. Happy Eating!!!

Raw Gorilla Wraps

Tonight, I decided to make Kimberly Snyder's Raw Gorilla Wraps for the 3rd time. I changed up her recipe from The Beauty Detox Foods a little. I followed her recipe but added garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano and a few dashes of Tapatio for an extra kick. I added pictures to show you the process. The "taco meat" came out perfectly, however I decided to use 2 collard leaves instead of 1 (the recipe uses 1). I also blanced each leaf for about 5 seconds to make them more pliable. They looked beautiful but by using 2 leaves instead of 1 (the recipe calls for 1 leaf), it made the wraps a tad bitter. So, next time I will only use 1 leaf! I had a wrap for dinner along with a big green salad with tons of veggies and some beets that I roasted yesterday. Yummy!

Step 1: Cut out most of the stem before blanching them.

Step 2: Layer them on top of each other.

Step 3: Add "taco meat" and salsa.

Step 4: Roll into a burrito.

 

Step 5: Slice in half on the diagonal and serve.

 

I will be eating these for lunch tomorrow and making Kimberly Snyder's Spiralized Asian Veggie Salad and my own terriyaki chicken thighs for dinner so stay tuned!

From the beginning

As I turned 40 last year, my body decided to change on me. While I never have been one to eat horribly, gone are the days of careless eating. I remember my 20's & 30's fondly; being able to eat and drink pretty much anything and then burning those calories by working out. Coming to the realization that that was not working for me anymore, I picked up a book by Certified Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder called The Beauty Detox Solution. The book gave me inspiration to change my diet. Not only did I want to improve my body on the outside, but I wanted to improve my body on the inside, especially my digestion. I wanted my body to run like a well-oiled machine. The goal is to eat the proper foods that optimizes your digestion. Your food should go through your digestive tract as quickly as possible; not sit there for hours/days.

Since buying her first book, I have bought a couple other cookbooks from vaious authors. I always like a place to start in the kitchen (that is why I like cookbooks) but always end up adding my own little signature to the recipes. 

By no means is this a blog about eating only raw. I do enjoy my animal protein and the occasional piece/pieces of cheese and glass of wine or dirty martini. So, if you're looking for a "raw food only" blog, this blog is not for you. My personal goal is to incorporate MORE raw foods in my diet while also keeping some of the same food habits as before. We'll see just how raw I plan to go.

As a side note, my hubby really has no interest in joining me on this journey as he is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. However, he has begun drinking a glass of my green smoothie in the morning and eating a bigger salad before dinner. We gotta start somewhere!! :-) I hope you enjoy my blog.