A Great Raw Meal

Yesterday, Wonder Girl and I whipped up some Onion Bread and put it in the dehydrator. The recipe is from Matt Amsden's book, Rawvolution. We tweaked it by using only one huge onion and adding agave and honey to taste. It was hard for us to surrender the batter, but we managed.

This morning, I pulled it warm from the dehydrator and topped it with Mock Tuna Salad. What a treat! I don't use walnuts in anything. Wonder Girl is severely allergic, so I just don't bring them in the house. I used all sunflower seeds, and did a few other substitutions. That's what I love about Raw Foods. It's not like waiting for a cake to rise. The formulas are infinitely adaptable.

Today was completely blissful! I met with my fiction writing group. I love these people and their work. Though only 3 of us were able to gather today, it inspired me to delve back into my fiction. Later, I attended a Red Carpet Oscar party hosted my next door neighbor. It's an event I look forward to every year. Friends and neighbors gathered to dish about the red carpet fashions. Fun!

Life is so good! Think my overflowing joy could have anything to do with the fact that LB comes home in the morning?!?! I do love that man!

Raw Roasted Radishes

I like radishes, but I was getting bored of slicing them to toss on top of a salad, and they come in my CSA basket just about every week. The farm newsletter recommended roasting them. I figured what's good for the oven was good for the dehydrator.

Quite simple:

Cut the cleaned radishes into halves or quarters, depending on what size you want. Mix with your favorite Raw Italian Dressing. I used a modified version of this one. Dehydrate for 3-4 hours at 105 degrees. Serve warm over a bed of spinach, pouring the the excess dressing on top. Add whatever you want to finish the salad. I went with avocados and tomatoes.

I should've taken a picture. The dressing turns a lovely pink color. Try it!

Today's Yummy Food

Morning Pick-me up: juice of beet greens and apples


Breakfast: raw peach cobbler
2 cups white/mate tea blend


Lunch: cantaloupe & kiwi
Cauliflower couscous (cauliflower pulsed to bits, parsley, onions, tomatoes, garlic, sundried tomatoes, lemon, olive oil, and sea salt)

Dinner: 2 bulbs of fennel--drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, dehydrator roasted

Dessert: 5 dried figs

Green Smoothie Wrap-up

So the Green Smoothie Challenge ended on Wednesday, and what did I learn:

• I really do love green smoothies, but the savory ones are best for cold weather.
• Living Foods has to be about abundance for me. When my mind clicks over to a scarcity mentality--focused on what I can't have--I slide into panic mode.
• I need fats to function well.
• Having a dedicated smoothie container makes things much more convenient.
• There's definitely a more intense feeling of lightness that comes with living off of green smoothies. I can only imagine the energy I'd have if I did it for a longer time period, or if I did a juice feast.
• I'm incredibly fortunate to have access to so much fresh, organic, local produce.

There will definitely be more green smoothies in my future--I'll likely invite LB to do a challenge with me when he returns--but I still love fruits and veggies in their original forms best of all.

I'm off to finish my juice of beet greens and apples.

Green Smoothie Progress Report

Breakfast: Smoothie of tatsoi, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, ground flax seeds, coconut butter, and a couple of dates

I don't really love kiwi in smoothies. I think this one would've been better without it--still, it's potable. Yeah, definitely no kiwi next time. It's kind of irritating my mouth....seriously, like, burning.


Pre-workout snack: juice of pineapple and celery
That was my 1st go with the new juicer, so I figured I'd stick to something easy. It was quite green and yummy!
1 tablespoon hempseed oil
I usually get lots of healthy fats in my diet (I'm obviously not 80/10/10) but lately I've been getting less than normal. Combine that with a severe shortage on sleep and I'm looking a bit raggedy. Gotta up the fats.


Lunch: smoothie of spinach, avocado, tomatoes, sun-dried tomato, cayenne, sea salt, garlic, onion powder and celery juice
I love having these savory smoothies as soups. I add as little water as possible and enjoy it as a meal. This 2/3 of a blender carafe was more than I could consume in one sitting. Satisfying!

Dinner: The last of the lunch smoothie

Stop the Cravings!

Today, I wrestled with the devil. Okay, it wasn't really that dramatic, but I did face down a craving for a toasty veggie panini.

I haven't thought of one of those sandwiches in a long while, but as soon as I'm told to limit myself, my mind goes directly to whatever's off limits. Doing green smoothies has been great, but it's also meant giving up the marinated veggies, dehydrator breads and crackers which have taken the place of some of the cooked foods I loved once upon a time.

But it's only been 2 days!

I know. It's pathetic. Check out this juicy gal who has been juice feasting for 80+ days, shooting for 92. You don't hear her whining about paninins. But I aint her, and I was sitting in my car, ready to head down to the cafe and get my sammich.


Here's how I fought down the craving:


1. Did a quick self-check to make sure it wasn't a demand for emotional eating.

2. Told myself that if I still wanted the sandwich in a couple of hours, I could have it.

3. Asked myself how I would feel if I blew a simple 3 day challenge on one sandwich. How will I know how I could benefit from the smoothies if I didn't give the 3 days a fair chance?

4. Promised myself that if I still want the darn thing on Thursday, I can have it without guilt.

5. Reminded myself that it's only 3 days!

Normally I'd go through these steps with LB and he'd remind me of my goals, while reassuring me that one stupid sandwich won't kill me if I really want it. We have a zero-deprivation rule. But LB wasn't around, so I had to walk through this one by myself. And I did!

Green Smoothie Progress Report

Breakfast: smoothie of spinach, avocado, tomatoes, sea salt, cayenne and garlic


Snack: 2 cups of white/mate tea


Early lunch: smoothie of strawberries, spinach, chia seed gel and a couple of dates
This smoothie needed something, but I didn't have time to do more experimenting. It tasted okay, just a bit bland -- especially after my spicy breakfast smoothie.

Post-workout snack: smoothie of apples, an orange, cucumber, cilantro, lime juice, ginger and a touch of agave.
Wonder Girl loved this one. Next time I'll make a larger batch, but this one's just for me!

Dinner: smoothie of tatsoi, strawberries, mango, papaya, ground flaxseed, pineapple and an orange
1 cup white/mate tea

Dessert: kombucha

This all seems like a lot of food to me, but I've been putting in serious workouts, and I have to remember I often share my blender-full with the girls. It's hard to turn down kids who're begging you for greens, veggies and fruit!

Why Green Smoothies?

After dropping my percentage of Living Foods down to about 50% or less and indulging in highly processed cooked foods over the holidays, I've gotten back to about 90% Raw and Living foods. I'm comfortable with that number, and often can go days where the only non-Raw I take in is in the form of tea. So why the 3 day Green Smoothie challenge?

I know I did some damage with the way I ate in December and January. I'm taking these 3 short days as an opportunity to bombard my body with the goodness of greens to undo some of that damage. The large amount of fiber should help me detox/cleanse to an extent, and blending the food makes it a snap to consume large quantities of greens, while making it easier for my body to digest and assimilate the nutrients.

Honestly, it's easy in some ways. I don't have to wonder what my next meal will be. I leave the blender sitting out on the counter, and soon I'll put the juicer in action as well. An essential part of doing green smoothies is to get a wide variety of greens. Right now I only have spinach, but my CSA basket arrives tomorrow, and it always has lots of different leafy veggies in it. While I was on my hike, I was truly tempted by the wild mustard and dandelion greens growing all along the trail. No picking allowed in the park, though. Too bad.

Green Smoothie Report

Breakfast: Smoothie of spinach, strawberries, coconut water, cinnamon and ground flax seeds
The only problem with this was that I used frozen strawberries, so it was cold. I sat under a heavy throw blanket while I sipped, but my poor fingertips were chilled to the bone.


Post-hiking meal: Smoothie of spinach, avocado, lemon, garlic, tomatoes and sea salt
After my workout, I really wanted something substantial. This smoothie is based on a recipe in Victoria Boutenko's book, Green for Life. I put it in a bowl and ate it like a soup--all the more satisfying for the little bits floating around for me to chew. I was quite hungry, and this green smoothie quickly satisfied me.


Snack: White tea with Raw honey

Dinner: Smoothie of pineapple, coconut meat & coconut water
I thought I'd have another smoothie after this, but I wasn't hungry. That means I missed my 3rd green smoothie for the day. No worries. I'll plan better tomorrow.

Green Smoothie Challenge Rules

The lovely thing about this particular challenge is that all participants are encouraged to make up their own rules based on where we are in our health journeys. It's late and I'm exhausted, but I want to post my rules for myself, lest I conveniently forget them.

For the next three days I will consume:

• Three meals per day of green smoothies (which can turn into soups if I opt to use a bowl & spoon)
• Up to one all fruit smoothie/juice per day
• Green juices as desired
• White and/or other low-caff tea as desired

I think that about covers it! Oh, yeah...one tiny detail: I reserve the right to bend the rules. I shouldn't have any problems, but this is a busy week, so if I find myself feeling deprived or lacking energy, then I might eat an orange or something. Heck, it's only 3 days!

Lovely Boyfriend Wins Gold Medal

So we're not supposed to exchange gifts for Valentine's Day. I purchased a blank card for LB and wrote him a slightly humorous message about how much he means to me (more than I can ever say). In the morning, when I opened my laptop, there was a nice card from him. All was right with the world, until...

Just before we left for dinner, Lovely Boyfriend called me into his room to take a look at something. On his bed there was a large box. Inside that box was a juicer! I've really been into juice lately, but the local juice bar is expensive, and not conveniently located to our home. We shopped online for the juicers all the Raw folks recommend, but they were incredibly pricey.

We'll have to get something else if we want to do wheat grass, but in the meantime, I'm thrilled to have a mid-range juicer than can do fruits and veggies for me. I'm doing the 3-day Green Smoothie Challenge next week, and I'll think of juice as my treat during that phase.

Once again, LB wins the Gold Medal for the Best Boyfriend Ever!

Three Cheers for 118

So our Valentine's Day dinner at 118 Degrees was marvelous. (I'm speaking only of the food. Our server made us feel like we'd arrived at a truck stop, rather than the chic Raw restaurant we know 118 to be. On the plus side, the other staff was friendly and attentive, including the partner-owner, who checked on our table a few times.)

I used to dine at fine restaurants and linger over 5-course meals, but it's harder to do when you're eating Raw. We enjoyed the starter: wild mushroom rosettes on vegetable crackers. A serving amounted to one cracker, which was perfect. It was followed by an amazing cream of asparagus soup. This might've been my favorite dish, as I do miss soup and haven't been able to create one at home that satisfies. LB and I both enjoyed the salad (Wilted Sweet Spinach Salad with Crispy Tomato, Olives & Basil Cheese). We weren't served the oversized portions common to modern restaurants, but after this course, I couldn't eat another bite. In the old days, I would've either continued to nibble on my food or rested a while before diving back in. Instead I had my entree packed to-go, tasted LB's Basil Ravioli, and called it a night.

I enjoyed a glass of organic Cabernet with my meal, while Lovely Boyfriend indulged in Yogi Juice: Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, Berry Juice, Bee Propolis and a splash of lemon juice. We both brought home our desserts, the Famous Chocolate Ganache, and we'll dive into those tonight.

We usually stay home on big ocassion days, avoid the crowds and high prices, but this outing was worth the time and effort.

Happy Valentine's Day

Don't just sit there complaining that it's a "Hallmark holiday." Nobody said you have to buy cards--or flowers, or chocolates, or anything at all for that matter! Save your money and take this as an opportunity to share a little love.

LB and I are looking forward to a 5 course Valentine's dinner at our local Raw restaurant, 118 Degrees. Here's a peek at the menu: (photo from 118 Degrees)

Courses 1-3:
Wild Foraged Mushroom Rosettes on Mixed Vegetable Crackers
Warm Asparagus Soup
Wilted Sweet Spinach Salad with Crispy Tomato, Olives & Basil Cheese
Choice of Entree:
Portobello Terrine with Fresh Garlic Creme sauce or
Basil Ravioli with Creamy Vegetable Filling, Topped with Spicy Tomato Sauce
Dessert:
Blackberries and Creme or
the Famous Chocolate Ganache

I've spent the last 48 hours or so (with a few hours sleep thrown in) working on Fierce Teenager's financial aid packets for college. Talk about stressful! I cannot wait for dessert! I'll let you know how it all was.

Have a fabulous day!

Check out Heidi

If you're reading this blog, you've likely been to Raw Food, Right Now! at some point. If you haven't been there lately, pop over soon. Heidi, who's doing a 92-day juice feast, posted a gallery of photos that show her at various stages pre- and post- Raw foods.

So what's the big deal? There are lots of dazzling Before and After pictures on the Internet. They show dramatic weight loss, cleared skin, and enhanced glow--all the result of Raw Food. Here's the thing though. Heidi hasn't yet reached all of her physical goals. In one picture (from quite some time ago) she's clearly displeased with where she is on her journey to health.

Even though there's a glow about Heidi in all of those pictures (a glow from being the kind of person she seems to be--open-minded, generous, friendly, kind and eager to dive into what the world has to offer), and she's cute at every stage, it took some guts to share those pictures with the world. It's not always easy to reveal our struggles (though believe me, she was never what would qualify as fat!).

Yikes! I guess this means I'll have to eventually suck it up and do something similar. Seems only right.

You Be The Judge

Yes, I sometimes watch Oprah. I tivo it everyday, but most days I don't have time to watch so it gets deleted. There are some topics I'll always save: health, Dr.Oz, and weight loss success stories. I've also watched her episodes on The Secret.

I never read the book, but the movie version of The Secret left me bothered. It seemed to simplify things to a point that I found troubling. I know. It should be a starting point for challenging one's thinking, and more people are apt to sit and watch a movie than they are to read the book, but sometimes a little bit of information can be dangerous. Whether or not you believe in the Law of Attraction, you have to know that it involves an entire shifting of the mind.

This week, Oprah had a follow-up on The Secret, during which she and her panel tried to address some of what couldn't be communicated in the movie. Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life, was the main speaker. I haven't read her book, or seen her new movie based on the same, but a philosophy with forgiveness as an essential part of its foundation is worth checking out.

You Can Heal Your Life movie trailer

Eat Food

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Thus begins the introduction to Michael Pollan's latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. It's a call to action for people everywhere to move away from processed junk, to limit meat consumption and to depend once again on a wide variety of plants to nourish us. Mr. Pollan is not a vegan nor a raw foodist. He's not pushing a diet or any supplements. He simply wants us to go back to eating food in its recognizable forms and to stop relying on what the fake-food industries push on us--all things boxed, bagged and canned for our convenience.

This books walks us through food history, describing how man hath fallen from enjoying what nature intended for our nourishment, to devouring whatever scientists suggest. After pointing out some of the damage being done by currently popular food-like substances, Mr. Pollan spells out some specific steps the reader can take to move away from a Standard Western Diet and begin eating food which our great-great-grandmother's would recognize as such. (What the heck is a Frito anyway?)

This book has the nerve to suggest that we shouldn't stuff ourselves with whatever's cheapest and easiest to attain. It has the nerve to state plainly that scientists don't really know much about why certain foods are good for us. It has the nerve to encourage us to enjoy what we eat. It's a worthy read.

Brand New Taste Buds

Back before I turned my attention to Raw Foods, I'd occasionally go down to the local Mother's Market and buy a fresh juice drink. Usually this would follow a night (or several nights, maybe even weeks) of overindulgence. I'd indulge in fatty foods--you don't want to know what some of these were--alcohol, coffee, infrequent soda, and other highly processed crap. I always ate my fruits and veggies, whatever I could fit in around the party food.

I'd stride into the market, study the menu board for a few minutes and order the same thing every time: The Detox Shock. You see, this was meant to purge my body of all the toxins I was well aware of taking in. Unless I was feeling particularly polluted, I'd order the smallest size (8 ounces). This I would drink over the course of a couple of hours, taking tiny sips . The taste sort of grew on me, but I never enjoyed it.

Cut to today. I'm ordering the same juice blend of wheat grass, lemon, ginger and apple. But I can't get enough of it. Eating clean, natural, living foods has, for whatever reason, helped me to develop a taste for this refreshing combination. I now order the 32 ounce cup of Detox Shock. Unfortunately, it's $8.50 for that big serving of yummy deliciousness. Looks like it's time to start shopping for a juicer--in the thrift stores!

A Living Example

Recently, we had over a group of friends and family--all people we love--and Raw was one of the evening's topics. Some people hadn't seen us since we first converted to High Raw and they marvelled at our weight loss. We talked about why we chose Living Foods as our path to health and fitness and served a sampling of Raw foods we enjoy. All was going well, until my girlfriend remarked, "I tried Raw for a couple of weeks, but it's too much work. You have to be in the kitchen all the time."

I froze. How could I argue against this notion? I tried to explain that Raw is only as complicated as you make it. My breakfast of apples, figs and Raw cheese takes less time to make than a microwaved bowl of oatmeal. Preparing my green smoothies consumes no more time than her protein shakes (Blech!!!). How simple is a breakfast of 3 oranges and some flax crackers topped with coconut butter?

I confess. When I first found my way back to Living Foods, I dove into gourmet meals. I invested time in identifying Raw ingredients and searching out reasonable prices. It took me a while to work out a routine that allowed me to dehydrate or freeze ingredients before they went bad. I'm just getting a handle on my CSA basket--making use of what I'm served and not allowing much waste.

At yesterday's Super Bowl party, another friend suggested we host a Raw demo/prep class/seminar. She thought we should have each couple chip in a few bucks to cover our costs and then teach them what we know. I'm no Raw expert, but this is one challenge I'm planning to take on. Hopefully, the Raw for Life dvd I ordered will have a chapter I can use as an introduction. In the meantime, I have to get myself together. If I'm going to represent Raw, I want to be a symbol of all Raw can be: simple, affordable, gourmet, intense, imperfect, glow-inspiring, bliss-facilitating and fun.

Mini-Feast--It's the Feast for Me

I've been toying with the idea of a smoothie feast for a while. I think it took me a while to figure out that I still need to have a certain amount of fat while doing the feast. I can add coconut butter, nut milk, hemp seeds, ground flax seeds or other yummy goodness to my smoothies, but there has to be a bit of fat in there or I just don't function well. I don't think I could do 92 days of anything. (That's a popular goal for juice feasts these days.) Surely, I could do 3 days!

Raw Diva Keely suggested I sign up for the Green Smoothie Queen 3-Day Challenge hosted by the Raw Divas. It starts on February 18th. Lovely Boyfriend happens to be leaving town on February 17th ( a trip about which I am not thrilled). Coincidence? I think not!

I think I'll order the Divas green smoothie jug. It comes with a couple of passes to the Feast. I'd normally give the second pass to LB. He's a great sport and would certainly go along for 3 days, but I think I should do this first one by myself. I can always offer him the opportunity later. Besides, I get tons of greens in my CSA basket and this won't increase my food bill at all. There's a certain thrill to having this all to myself.

So What Am I Gonna Do About It?

Yesterday LB and I went to a Super Bowl party. I patiently sat through what was for me a pretty boring game punctuated by pretty boring commercials. It was a chance to hang out and catch up with a lot of our neighbors though, and most were happy that "justice prevailed" and the cheaters lost. I took a tray of pineapples, oranges and blueberries and someone else brought a veggie tray, so it was easy to fill up on those, though I did also sample some non-raw snacks. It was nice to leave a party without eater's remorse, and after the game, LB and I went to the market and picked up a couple of large Detox Shocks (a blend of apple juice, lemon, ginger and wheatgrass).

It was a good afternoon and the day ended nicely, but this morning I'm tired and not in the mood for sensory input. The television's playing loudly in the other room. Wonder Girl's displaying attitude about correcting her homeschool work. (I'm sure she's tired--to bed late, then up early at her dad's, but still.) After arguing with me about how she should wear jeans and a t-shirt to a college interview, Fierce Teenager left for school without feeding her bird, so the bird's in its cage making plaintive, piercing calls for attention. Someone's landscaper is running his apparatus right near my back window. All this on a morning when what I want more than anything is some peace.

So what am I gonna do about it? After breakfast and more of my Detox Shock, after making sure Wonder Girl has what she needs to complete her school work, after taking care of the absolute must-do's and nothing more, I'm checking out, folks. I'll put on my tennis shoes and hit the streets, or maybe just go up to my room, slide back under the covers and open a good book. Sometimes, I just gotta escape. I'll return, ready for the world--or at least my little part of it.

Attack of the Killer Cloves

Every since I went back to a diet of mostly Living Foods, I've become sensitive to garlic. I can enjoy cooked garlic in things, as well as the crushed garlic that comes in a jar. I don't use those much though, because I want to stick to living foods.

Enter my fun friend and neighbor. For some reason, she bought a huge container of peeled garlic cloves. I have no idea why she would do this, but she couldn't use it all, so she brought me a bag of about 100 cloves. I knew immediately that I couldn't eat the stuff, but I hit on an idea. I'd dehydrate it! That should make it palatable to me, while still keeping it Alive.

I tried it with a few pieces. The girls loved them, and I threw the rest of the bag into the dehydrator. If anyone stole a piece before it was done, they'd experience a pungency that burned all the way down. I let it dehydrate for over 36 hours and this morning went down to check it out. It had a beautiful golden color, but I was not to be fooled. I went for a tiny piece, one that had to be completely dehydrated by then. The first bite tasted great, so I finished off my little piece.

That's when I found myself on my hands and knees, drooling on the floor the way one does when one is about to puke one's guts out. Within seconds my stomach was cramping and I felt searing pain shooting through my back in the area of my kidneys. I didn't puke, but I couldn't possibly get back on my feet. I started to call Lovely Boyfriend for help, but what could he do?

As soon as I could manage, I crawled over to the pantry and grabbed some Raw Breakfast Crusts, which I quickly ate, washed down with a couple of cups of water.

I know some people believe garlic and onions are toxic. I'm convinced of garlic's positive properties when it comes to certain ailments, but I think I'm treating it like a medicine from now on--something to be taken in small amounts and with great caution. As for the dehydrated batch, it's outta here.

Green Smoothies in the House!

I broke down and got a new blender before I read Jason's comments. He suggested I try the thrift stores for a professional quality blender. Why didn't I think of that?

Well, I will eventually do that, but for now I have an inexpensive machine, which will probably last for a while, since I'm careful not to overtax it. I feed the ingredients in progressively. If I find a better one, I'll pass this one along. Maybe Fierce Teenager can take it away to college.


I'd really like to do a smoothie feast. I know I'm not in a place for a juice feast, but the smoothies have been calling to me, especially since I dropped my Raw percentage over the holidays. It seems like it would be a good way to cleanse myself somewhat. I'm not ready to commit though, because I still have to use everything in my wonderful CSA basket and I have to prepare foods for the rest of the family. Well, I'm still playing with the idea, as I think it would help me go deeper into health--physically, spiritually and emotionally. Right now, I'm journaling a lot in order to better see the connections between my emotions and my spirit to what I'm putting in my body.

I just finished a great juice from the cafe at Mother's Market: apple, lemon, ginger & wheatgrass. It made me want to invest in a juicer and start doing that at home. I think I'll check the thrift stores.

Kohlrabi

One of the joys of a CSA membership is the discovery of new foods. We've really commited to using as much of our basket contents as possible, limiting the waste as well as limiting the money we spend on groceries.

Imagine my thoughts when this showed up in the basket! Wonder Girl says it looks like an alien.

This is kohlrabi. The first week, I switched it out. I assumed it was something that would need to be cooked. The next week, I decided to go for it and give it a shot. It was delicious! I cut off the stems and peeled the purple covering off the bulb to reveal a white vegetable. I cut it up in sticks and tried it without any seasonings or oils. Delicious! I had to fight Fierce-As-in-Fabulous Teenager for my share. If you see it in your local store or farmers' market, give it a try. I'm betting it'll be great in a salad.

Thank You!

Thank you to Connie and Terrilynn, both of whom tagged me with an Inspirational Blogger Award! I'll happily tag some bloggers this week. Of course, Connie and Terrilynn would've been at the top of my list. They really represent a spirit of honesty and supportiveness that I feel privileged to enjoy. Lots of people I'd like to honor have already been tagged, but there's one who hasn't, so I'll start with him.


This Hollywood writer doesn't blog as often as I'd like, but his commitment to his craft is a true inspiration. He fights this uphill battle not in the pursuit of material gain but because of a love of the art form and the joy it can bring when it's done well. Oh yeah, he's a Lovely Boyfriend, too!