Day 38 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

PHOTO FROM: http://www.naturemoms.com

I think finding the book that will become your favorite raw uncooked book is like finding the person you will be with for the rest of your life. Yesterday my wonderful hubby bought me a great pre-Christmas gift; RAW FOOD REAL WORLD by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis and I must tell you I haven't been able to put this book down since yesterday.

I am in love with everything about this book, the colors, the photographs, the personal stories of the two very beautiful people (who happen to also be a couple) who wrote it and of course the recipes are to die for! For those of you who know me personally or at least know of me through my book Lemonade Street, you must know I am a die-hard romantic, so yes, I am stating (and forsaking all other books to come) that I have found my favorite raw uncooked book and I am only on page 37 out of 367. It is like an album of never ending warm and fuzzy feelings; a love story. And what a wonderful way to be connected with the one you love by sharing something you're both passionate about: that is one of the secrets to a happy and fulfilling marriage. Rick and I talked about this years ago, no wonder we're still together and still so in love with each other.

Anyway I just wanted to share this with you guys and hope you get a copy for you plus what I wouldn't give to get a gift card from her organic beauty site http://www.oneluckyduck.com/

This is a link to their restaurant in NewYork http://www.purefoodandwine.com/

I have to run now, will share some pictures of our dinner tomorrow. We've been invited to dinner by some good friends and I can't wait to see what's to eat. Come back tomorrow for more.

~B.

Day 37 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

"Life is color."--Bernice Angoh

EAT TO LIVE, NOT LIVE TO EAT. YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT and WHAT YOU EAT BECOMES YOU...GO GREEN. LIFE IS COLOR.

Hello happy people, I hope you're all doing great today. Well, I started my day with a 20 minute walk with my walking-buddy, my six year old daughter, Nina. We got a good dose of Vitamin D and then I did a 20 minute circuit training (cardio and strength training) which left me feeling very high and energized. Breakfast was one of the green smoothies from below and then for lunch I had a hefty plate of my coleslaw. By the way, yesterday I received my order of Lacuma powder, raw cacao butter and some raw/vegan chocolate paste (sweetened). So someday this week I will be making a fantastic raw ice cream...stay tuned :-) you wouldn't want to miss that!

I was researching more on Vitamin B12, you know, the one some people say you can only get from eating meat. Well, it goes that most meat eaters should be the ones who are vitamin B12 deficient more so than vegetarian, vegans or raw/vegans. The reason being most non-vegans lack intrinsic factor which is needed for the absorption of B12 in the ileum and that approximately 80% of consumed B12 is absorbed by humans with healthy digestive systems, plus at higher intakes, absorption of B12 quickly drops down to 3%.

This translates to the fact that those on the Standard American Diet of meats(all flesh including chicken and fish), sugars, dairy, processed foods and high fructose corn syrup are at risk of having unhealthy digestive systems due to poor food combining, highly putrefactive nature of animal proteins and a diet high in processed foods. An unhealthy digestive system causes the inability of the system to produce intrinsic factor which is needed for absorption of B12. Okay, some may argue that their systems are healthy and clean, but if you are a heavy animal flesh eater ( people who eat some kind of animal flesh more than one time a day and many do, they may eat bacon or sausage for breakfast, then eat a fish or chicken or beef dish for lunch and dinner), your absorption rate of vitamin B12 automatically goes down to 3%. So, I think it is safe to say that non-vegans are more prone to B12 deficiency. We can now lay to rest the notion that we (non-meat and dairy eaters) are B12 deficient. A cup of alfalfa sprout a day, mixed with your salad gives, you enough B12 to sustain a healthy body.

I rest my case.
~B

Day 35 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

My Rich Fudge Brownies with Hazelnut Sauce

Can you believe it's day -35? Well, there is something I must say, cooked food is very addictive. The other night I tried some of my husband's vegan baked-zitti and after two spoonfuls I found myself wanting more. I had to restrain myself, because I realized what was happening; cooked food is addictive! and I, Bernice, definitely don't want to go back to that. I also realized that the food tasted different on my tongue. It felt like, well, it didn't give me the great taste that raw foods, especially my greens, gives me. It is almost as if I could feel the lack of nutrient whereas with raw foods every time I eat I feel like I am adding oxygen to my body, there is a freshness in the chlorophyll that leaves you very satisfied and quenched, lol, ok I know that didn't help but that is as close as I can describe the feeling.
Yesterday I had a whole oatmeal for breakfast, the recipe for this delicious raw breakfast is on a previous day, feel free to cruise around. I made a big bowl of my kale salad for lunch, I think I am addicted to this salad, it is just that good and the pine nuts make it very tasty. Today am going to make my Asian cabbage salad or maybe a tasty raw coleslaw, yes, why nut? lol, did you see that? I wrote "why nut?". Nuts are wonderful and very versatile. I still have some cheesecake and that will be my desert for tonight. I am still waiting for the raw cacao butter I ordered so I can do a white chocolate cheesecake and invent some more recipes for you all to try.
I also wanted to point out that I have added some affiliate sites to my blog and if you need to order something you can do it from the link here, it will help me make some spare change, lol. I am hoping to add more as time goes on. Eventually there will be some FYR apparel for those who'll like to support the blog and all FYR efforts.

I am also happy to announce that I donated a a poem to the children's orphanage in Haiti. The kids made the banana leaf cards by hand and every card you buy (I wrote all the words to the card) will be a double gift as the profits will go back to support the children in the orphanage. If you feel inclined to give, please do so by clicking on this link :http://web2.accureg.com/PiggyInk/ProjCur.aspx

Here's the recipe for the famous Rich Chocolate Brownie I promised you:

Chocolate Fudge Brownie:
1 cup walnut
5 mejool dates, pitted
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor with an 'S' blade till it's fine and start to ball up. Press into a square pan and freeze for 1 hour. Cut into desired squares and enjoy with a fresh glass of raw almond milk. YYYYYYYUUUUUUUMMM. This is the easiest desert recipe. i added some chopped macadamias to half of mine to give it a white chocolate speckled illusion.

Have a blessed day.

~B.

Day 34 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

My Raw/Vegan Ultra-delicious strawberry cheesecake

"Did you know that calves, instead of drinking their mothers' milk, are fed a formula made from cows' blood? Yes, these practices are all perfectly legal."--SelfHealth Revolution by Michael Zenn

Have You Met Your Meat Yet?

Do you recall that funny feeling after a meal of steak? Like you've just eaten a cow? Well, if you have it is because you have eaten a portion of a cow and all its barnyard Friends. Long ago I used to be very clueless meat-eater. Little did I care or know how my meat was handled and cared for. Who cares right? as long as it's FDA approved we are good to go. The FDA cares very much about us, they bring us the best of nature, right? Well, NO ONE LOVES YOU LIKE YOU, NO ONE CARES FOR YOU LIKE YOU, NO ONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU BUT YOU!

Cows are still fed feed that contains their barnyard friends like cats, dogs, fish, chicken, pigs and other cow parts. Did you read that correctly? Your MEAT is a cannibal! If that doesn't scare you, then this message wasn't for you. Let those who have ears listen; that is not only relevant for the Bible but with everything else in life. And the FDA? What do they say about this? In Michael Zenn's Self Health Revolution it says "Government spokesmen believe that whatever is processed by renders, becomes denatured (meaning it's actually no longer what it was before)"
So your Government spokesperson means that since it has undergone some kind of process to change the meat (they are heated for 30 minutes under very high temperatures), whatever it was before has been changed. What are you eating my friends? First, they heat it up in the rendering process and then you take it and heat it up some more! what are you eating? Ever imagined how eating or lets say being fed other animal parts can change the chemical composition of the animal? Ever imagined how eating that 'sick' and 'alien' flesh changes the chemical composition of you?

There is a famous saying that goes "You are what you eat." I have come up with mine and I think it is even better "What you eat, eats you."-- Most people don't believe animals have feelings but they do have fear vibrations they send out when they 'know' death is coming. Imagine what's going on in them when they see themselves on the slaughter line. I am sure they want to escape, I am sure that their adrenaline in at its peak, I am sure they have feelings, I am sure they like us, want to live, want to survive and enjoy life by playing in the grass or in the mud or just lazying around watching the sky. If "Curiosity killed the cat." I can safely say that "Ignorance kills the man."

If your problem is where to get your protein from, as so many fire back, protein is not all the craze, it will take a hard try on your part for you to be protein deficient. The body can get all its necessary amino acids from seeds, nuts and dark leafy greens. Humans are not meant to me meat-eaters but when it is packaged right and the Gorey red bleeding flesh is camouflage with seasonings and spices, I bet you it is very inviting isn't it? Sometimes it serves to be gullible and this is the one time. When I look at a piece of flesh my brain goes on alert mode and I am very grateful for that, in the past I would still eat it and ignore my inner voice but that is what I called denial. If you were sent out there with a spear in one hand and asked to go get your own meat or chicken or pig, would you? I think you would run the other way. Why then do we let others do the dirty work for us? so we don't feel the guilt because we didn't kill the animal? so there is no blood on our hands?

Did you know that the two leading causes of death in the U.S are directly related to meat consumption (cows, Turkey, pigs, chicken, fish etc)

"Patrice Green, J.D., M.D. and Allison Lee Solin state that animal products easily account for our largest intake of pesticides and herbicides, in fact, more than 80 to 90% by some estimates."--Self-Healing Colitis & Crohn's by David Klein, Ph.D.

"One half of all antibiotics in the U.s. alone are used in the production of livestock." Here are a few facts from Dr. klein's book:

Meat is the most putrefactive of all foods. This means of all foods meat is the most liable for decay in the intestines.

The hardest thing for the human body to digest is cooked animal meat.

Protein metabolism yields great amounts of toxic byproducts.

Flesh food can take up to 5 (five) days to pass through and out of the body (Plant food takes about 1 day).

Meat contains waste products that the animal did not get to eliminate and toxic hormones and fluids released into their blood stream at the time of death.

This may sound extreme but it is the truth and the truth usually stinks or should I say stings; when you look at your steak, chicken, pork the next time you're eating start to think:

Hello meat, how were you cared for? how long have you been dead for? hat sores, cancers or diseases did you have before you were slaughtered? Ask, Ask, Ask and maybe one day you will ask yourself if it is really necessary to eat flesh that you yourself wouldn't go out to kill or slaughter.

Did you know that bowel cancer is the second form of deadly cancer after lung cancer? What causes or puts you at risk of having this? answer: just go back and read from above.

I think I've written enough for today. There are many books and resources out there about animal protein, make use of them all and if you still want to eat animal flesh do so knowing what you are ingesting. It is GOOD to be in the know.

"People think the FDA is protecting them. It isn't. What the FDA is doing and what people think it's doing are as different as night and day."--Herbert Lay, Former FDA Commissioner.

"When I look animal flesh I see death; wilted, unscented, bland, limp and lifeless, but when I look at plants and seeds and fruits, what a difference it makes to see life in all its glory--colors of green and rainbows, sweet scents of fruits that tingle my nose. Life is color."--Bernice Angoh

HAVE YOU MET YOUR MEAT YET?

~B.

Day 33 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

NINA'S GRAPE-LEMONADE POPSICLE

It is drizzling outside my window and I am watching a great movie with some raw/vegan strawberry cheesecake I made yesterday. My morning started off wonderfully, did a 20 minute jog and then a 15 minute Pilate's (abs). For breakfast I had half a cantaloupe, Nina had the rest. Lunch today was pretty basic, pesto and veggies! I can't get enough of that. I tried Nina's creation; grape-lemonade Popsicle and it was fantastic. It's a good treat for a hot day. Here's what she said she put in it:

Grape-Lemonade Popsicle:
1 glass of water
Juice of 5 freshly squeezed lemons
3 packets of stevia
1 cup of red seedless grapes, cut in halves



Pretty creative of her and it did taste good. You might want to try it for you or some little angel you know :-)


Gotta run, got a busy day today. catch you all tomorrow.





~B.

Day 32 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

DEE-LICIOUS STRAWBERRY-BANANA SMOOTHIE

MY FANTASTIC PESTO ON JULIENNED VEGGIES

Are we ready for Halloween? My daughter wants to be an African princess and Tinkerbell this year, so we are going to make this happen! I'd like to be an Angel but can't find my size, all the angel outfits start at sizes 12-14 grrrr! Anyway, we'll see. I will post up some pictures and tell you how it goes.

I went out for a 20 minutes jog today and then did about 30 minutes of taebo; I felt up to it today so I indulged in some great aerobics. My breakfast was a delicious green smoothie which was very simple to make; 2 bananas, 2 ripe pears and 5 stalks of kale (My kale-panana, remember?). I added just 1.5 cups of water today to make it a little thicker, and this is by far my favorite smoothie.

For lunch I had Nina's creation, she calls it a Salad-ballad because all the ingredients are dancing together, talk about a genius for a kid! Here's the recipe:

Nina's Salad-ballad
2 cups of mixed baby spring veggies
1 cucumber, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup alfalfa sprouts
1 avocado diced
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tbsp sesame seeds
juice of one lemon
sprinkle of ground yellow mustard
sprinkle of ground black pepper
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of raisins, soaked and diced

This was extremely mouth-watering Nina! Thanks! Plus today she made her own homemade grape-lemonade. She has them right now in the freezer in the Popsicle cups. Brilliant idea. When I asked her what she used for sweetener she said "Stevia of course, mama." I will make sure I take photographs of her grape-lemonade.

~B.

Day 31 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

30-Day Celebration kale Salad

Yes, you read it right, it is Day 31 today and the opening day of Michael Jackson's "This is it". You know I wouldn't miss it for the world. Nothing was new to me as I watched this incredible entertainer whom I just adore; he has one of the most beautiful hearts of anyone I know in the world. I know a lot of people may argue with that but that is my opinion. God bless you and rest with Jesus, my friend.



I started today with a strawberry/banana shake. Decided to shake things up a bit huh? I added a tablespoon of coconut oil and it tasted exactly like strawberry yogurt--only healthier than the store brands.

I won't write too much today as I have been out all day and need to rest my delicate head, lol. For super I am having some julienned zucchini and carrots with some zesty pesto sauce. The recipe for my pesto sauce is somewhere below and all I added to it was 1/2 of sun dried tomatoes. YUMMMMMMMMMMMM!



I promised you the recipe of my celebration kale salad so here it is. AMAZING



30-day Celebration Kale Salad:



1 bunch of kale
juice from two lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 pine nuts, soaked and rinsed
1/2 cup raisins, soaked, rinsed and diced
1/4 cup chopped olives
1Tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 avocado, mashed
1 red bell pepper, diced



Thinly slice the leaves of kale. add juice of lemons and olive oil and mash with fingers to wilt kale. Once it starts to change color to a darker green, it is about ready. Then add the rest of the ingredients, mix and DEVOUR! This never last for more than a day. I could eat it three times a week and it is very filling. Dee-liciouso!

~B

Day 30 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

Photo by Nina Lakota

DAY 30! Why do I feel sad then? why? I think I know why. With every other diet I've tried before--even though I'd enjoy the journey--I welcomed the last day just so I could go back to eating some of the things I used to crave or eat. With every other diet I have done before, there was a starting and an ending date and I liked the ending part more because I had some addictions to cater to but with the raw food, I don't want it to end. There is nothing better to go back to, no cravings to satisfy, nothing at all. I am fully and completely satisfied and alive. So I am telling you now that this is not the end for I have found something that works perfectly for me.

I Love Me (Ode to eating RAW)

I don't want to go back to the days of eating so much and yet feeling empty,
days of eating non-foods that weigh me down and make me lose my shine,
days of eating foods and feeling them like dead-weight in my belly; just sitting there and waiting too long and finally putrefying and giving me horrible gas and bloating.
I don't want to go back to days of feeling drugged after eating and all I wanted to do was sleep.
I don't want to eat red meat or pork or chicken or fish; I want to live and let live.
I do not need any dairy, hydrogenated foods or high fructose corn syrup;
the only high I'm getting is that which I get from being healthy and alive
I want to fight to keep the PH of my body more alkaline and avoid dis-ease.
I love eating RAW.
I love feeling light and airy; I love soaring and gliding.
I love the glow on my face and the peace in my hips.
The laughter in my bones and the quietness of my gut.
I like the shine in my hair and the swagger in my steps,
the light that makes people smile back at me,
the friendliness and thoughtfulness of my mind.
The better person I am,
the cheerful wife and mother and sister and daughter and friend.
I love me
I love me enough to eat and live more green
because contrary to what they say, the grass on my side is greener and perfectly so!
(I'm sure I'll perfect this more and more as time goes on)

Copyright© 2009 by Bernice Angoh

Today is a wonderful day and since starting this lifestyle I have lost 18 pounds but gained something much more;
I have gained wings to fly as high as I want,
I have gained peace with humanity,
I have gained understanding of body and soul
I have gained more love than I can hold
I have gained a chance to live a far better life than I was taught
a life of abundance promised by a man called Jeshua
I have found the child I once was...
what a wonderful day it is.

Are you tired of me yet?lol I hope not. I hope this inspires you to incorporate more greens and raw foods into your lifestyle. Even if you have to start with dedicating 2-3 days of the week to eating raw/vegan, that will make a tremendous difference in your health. Whatever you do, add more greens, they are good for you. Green is the color of life. Don't you want life?

I am celebrating my Day 30 with an original recipe, a kale salad, I will put that up tomorrow for you to enjoy. Maybe later I will make some chocolate mousse desert, we'll see. Just know that the journey hasn't ended...I will put up more and more recipes as I learn more and more.
I have some very interesting things to share with you tomorrow about animal protein, ah, the things we don't know...I will leave you with something I wrote a few days ago.

The Story of the Seed

Out of the goodness of His hands
You were created from the Light
There in the warm soil you dwell
Bearing storms, weeds and bugs
Till you find a way to breathe and form
Sprouting forward, you shoot like a comet
Tenderly and lovingly I gaze at you “Hey there you! took you long enough.”
Like a parent, protective and nurturing, I become.
And then comes your first kiss and it’s nothing like mine
Kissed by the sun—golden!
Ripened with talents and fruits, you’ve finally come into your own
Swaying your green fringes in the wind
You are the lovely ballerina of the valley.
I am beautifully and fearfully made. You say to me
Eat of me and be merry. I come with abundance, I come to
Give you life.

And to this I reply:

“Out of the Light you’ve come to bring me comfort and joy. At this meal in which I partake with body, mind and soul, I take thee to heart and with all the gratitude I have in me, I give you thanks. You will bless my soul with the wholeness of you, ease my pain with the fullness of you, heal my body with the goodness of you and purify my spirit till I become the light—the Light of the world, a perfect reflection of my Creator. Amen.”

Copyright© 2009 by Bernice Angoh

Day 26 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

Leaving R. Thomas......Nina and Mommy

Raw Apple Pie...........YUM!

Nina and Mommy....I had just finished eating my RAWmazing seaweed salad.

Nina and Daddy's faces are hilarious, well, that's what happens when you're at R. Thomas.

If there is any one restaurant in all of Atlanta which deserves a million and more applauds, it is R. Thomas at 1812 Peachtree Road, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30309. They have captured the magic of downtown and all of its hustling and bustling and transformed it into the most spiritual, healthy and, without a doubt, a quintessential conscious eater's paradise.

My very first visit to R.Thomas was over eight years ago when I first met my Rick. He would spoil me and treat me like a queen, because that's how you feel when you're dinning at a health conscious place like R. Thomas. It was was just ten minutes walk from our apartment in Buckhead and we lived for their peanut sauce and quinoa. It was also when I met and chatted with the very talented India Arie, I was about four months pregnant with our first daughter then. It is always a very fulfilling and transforming experience at R.Thomas and yesterday night was no different.

After our discouraging hunt for a raw food eatery we decided to go to R. Thomas where I'd decided I'd manage a salad and then Rick and Nina can eat their delicious vegan delights. As we drove, the beautiful sights of the city and many familiar sights caught my heart and reminded me of when I first met my love. The more we reminisced on our drive there, the more excited I became. R. Thomas with its hippy, cheerful look sprung into sight. We were greeted warmly and seated at a comfortable spot right by the door. No matter how many times Nina goes there, she still is in awe about the dream catchers, the wind chimes and colorful decors hanging from the
ceiling and walls. "Look, mommy, look. Is that a real diamond?" Her childlike wonder always brings out the child in us all and we followed her eyes and fingers across the busy room. I slowly opened up my menu, started scanning through the items and let out a very happy shrill. R.THOMAS HAS RAW FOOD! Okay, pardon me if i may seem a little to excited, but I don't remember years ago seeing any of that on their menu and the more I thought about it, I realized back then I was a only a vegan and didn't have a clue what raw food was all about and so I wouldn't have been looking for it.

R.Thomas is by far my favorite restaurant in Atlanta because they not only serve organic meals, they cater to carnivores (meat eaters), herbivores (vegans and raw foodists) and everyone in between (including vegetarians). Now, I think all restaurants should follow their example. In fact it should be a law to serve only organic food and also to cater to all three groups of eaters (lol) okay I know i am just blowing steam here but seriously, HOW IMPRESSIVE IS THAT? I felt at home right there in the middle of everyone eating whatever they think is good for them.

James, our fantastic waiter was ever so patient and very knowledgeable. I drank water, and Nina got a strawberry/banana shake. We all had a Raw cashew cheese appetizer served with cucumbers, celery and pear slices--which, by the way, was hmm, hmm good. For main course I got a Raw veggie dinner #1: Walnut sunflower loaf topped with chipolte sauce, broccoli cauliflower medley, raw veggie kraut, collard kale salad(which was DELISH) and served with sweet potato chips, guacamole and flax chips(the best I have tasted). OMG! okay, I also got a raw seaweed salad (don't judge, I was very hungry--all of a sudden, lol) and for desert i got a slice of their raw apple pie.....wwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Oh, i forgot to say how much I loved, loved, loved the seaweed salad, it was perfecto! The pie was great (had to bring it home, I was done for the night). The amazing thing about all of this was how i felt after I'd eaten. Usually, on a SAD diet, you'd feel like you were carrying tons of dead weight in your belly, tired and ready for bed but I felt full yes, but not Oh-my-God-I-just-gained-ten-pounds full, I felt satisfied and revived. It was a 100% score card for me. here's their website to read more about this amazing restaurant at

http://www.rthomasdeluxegrill.com/

and their phone number is 404-872-2942. Rick and Nina both got what they wanted and we all left happy. It was money well spent and I will be going back many more times and that's for sure.

Stay Blessed!

~B.

Day 24 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: mY mOCK jOLLOF rICE

Hello everyone how has your day been going so far? Mine has been a little busy. Got up and went for a 20 minute brisk walk, didn't feel like doing a cardio workout today so I went straight to making our green smoothie of the day. Then I home schooled my daughter and then went straight to making my R-A-W-MAZING jollof rice. I have been putting together this recipe in my head for a few days now and I must say I am very impressed with myself. It came out perfect.

As Africans, we are very accustomed to eating the same things we grew up eating and sometimes afraid to try new things. The foods our mothers and grandmothers prepared were always so delicous and you could tell by the taste that they cooked it with love. I think when my mother comes over she might have a fit seeing what I eat now, good thing she knows I have always been an open minded child and was never afraid to try new things. There are still some things we used to eat back home that I as a raw-vegan can tweak to eat. They are mostly vegetables and I don't have to use the palm oil mom uses and I can definitely eat them without meat. My uncook book will have a section of mock African dishes that everyone will love like the one I made today. I must confess that there are certain dishes that my mother and grandmother used to make that I miss sometimes--I guess you can call that an addiction, lol, life is full of them...

Mock Jollof Rice:

Ingredients: (add the ingredients into a big mixing bowl exactly as I list them here)

2 cups of almonds, soaked overnight and rinsed

1 cup grated parsnips

1 dsp curry powder

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp paprika

2.5 Tbsp coconut oil

1/4 cup diced onions

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup peas (or peas and carrots)

1/2 cup soaked and diced raisins

2 heaping Tbsp of marinara sauce (this is what left overs are good for)

I also had a side Asian salad with this and a few slices of avocado. Everyone in my household enjoyed this, even Nina who like many children can be very picky.

Asian Salad: (Add all these into a big Ziploc bag, shake well and set aside)

2.5 cup thinly sliced cabbage

2 thinly sliced carrots

2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp agave nectar

1 tsp sesame seeds

This is very delicious!!!!!
Enjoy, till tomorrow...

~B

Day 23 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: DELICIOUS Blueberry Pie

Hello everyone. I hope you are feeling great today. I am totally awesome. Well, maybe that is due to the fact that I made a delicious blueberry pie today or could it be that, I finally got on the scale today. I wanted to wait till the end of the 30 days to do it but Rick's curiosity got the best of me. So as of this morning, I am 16 pounds (yes, sixteen) lighter than I was 22 days ago. I HAVE EFFORTLESSLY AND DELICIOUSLY LOST 16 POUNDS!--of toxins I suppose:-) All without starving and eating whatever I wanted, or say whatever my body craved, because these days my body craves raw/vegan food and great, yummy raw/vegan deserts. How sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Anyway before sharing the recipe of my blueberry pie, I would like to take a minute and share with you a thing or two about Vitamin B12. It seems like it is the main 'concern' that non-vegans and non-rawfooders have about this lifestyle. We are continually being taught that the best source of B12 is meat.

And, oh, I've also heard someone say "These people have no souls, they should be imprisoned. How do their children get Calcium?" That is why it is important to do your research and be in the know. Did you know that protein inhibits the proper absorption of calcium? So when you think you're getting your daily recommended calcium from milk, you are doing yourself a double disfavor, while also adding antibiotics and hormones to your body. Plus milk that has been pasteurized is now junk due to the high temperatures needed to 'kill' all the bad bacteria in it. If meat were the only good source of B12 then why isn't there a wide spread of anemia in the vegan and raw food community? There would actually be an epidemic in India because most of them practice vegetarianism.

Another concern is that vegans and raw foodists don't eat enough protein. It is this overeating of protein that causes all these diseases we have (refer to the CHINA STUDY, a must read). first of all, the body can only absorb proteins in its simplest form; amino acids. So when you eat a vegan or raw food diet, you are actually giving your body the best and most ready form of amino acids it needs to function in the form of fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. It is with these ready-to-use chains of amino acids that it can function at its optimum. It uses less energy for digestion and there's no concern of putrefaction if the food is properly combined.

Great Plant Sources of Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) include:

Sunflower seeds, comfrey leaves, kelp, bananas, concord grapes and alfalfa.
B12 is essential for the production and regeneration of red blood cells and also prevents anemia.

Great Plant Sources of Calcium include:

Most raw vegetables, sesame seeds, millet and oats. Calcium is needed to build bones, teeth and for normal growth and also for all heart and muscle activity.

Refer to Dr. John R. Christopher's The Regenerative Diet, great book.

Blueberry Pie

Crust:

2 cups of almonds and pecans mix, soaked and dried

3 mejool dates, pitted

pinch of salt

Blend nuts and salt till fine. Then add dates and blend till sticky. Press into pie dish and set aside.

Filling:

2.5 cups of fresh blueberries

2 Tbsp agave or raw honey

1.5 bananas

1/2 blueberries

Blend first 3 ingredients for filling until smooth. Add fresh blueberries into smooth filling and mix with spatula. Pour over crust and refrigerate for 3 hours.

This is a variation from the recipe at purelydeliciousmagazine.net

Day 22 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: Raw/Vegan Burger with Not-Your-Unhealthy French Fries (hint: jicama is way more delicious and healthy.)

My mother in-law and aunt in-law are both convinced I am channeling their late father, Louie. I laughed so hard when they told me this and even though it is funny when you think about it, I am actually very honored because I have the utmost respect for this man.

He was a very health conscious man and would talk passionately about not eating dead foods and staying away from diary and meats. He was ahead of his time and would often almost always offend people with his views and beliefs-- If only they would listen to this incredibly smart man.

He was self-taught and would spend countless hours in Libraries reading books upon books on every subject. One thing I admire most about him was the fact that he never worked for someone in his life. He had his own business and was very diversified. Is it possible to love someone even though you never got a chance to meet them?--he passed about two years before I met Rick--I know, admire, respect and love him very much. I think we would've been the best of friends. God bless you, grandpa Louie, we would talk up a storm when I get to meet you in heaven someday. For now, I am honored to know and practice what you were/are passionate about, keep inspiring me and I will pass it down to the generations that come after me.

Well, I decided to mix it up a little today. For breakfast, I made a vanilla milk shake, raw and vegan of course. It was done and ready to serve in under 5 minutes--and I made the almond milk fresh this morning, I have become an expert now, lol.

Almond Milk:

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight and rinsed

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups of water

1 pitted Mejool date

Blend all together and strain through a nut bag or cheese cloth to get out all the pulp. You are left with a creamy delicious-nutritious almond milk.

Vanilla Milk Shake:

Almond milk

4 ripe bananas

Pour almond milk back into rinsed food processor and add in four ripe bananas. Blend till smooth. YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY! And very much Nina approved :-)

Tomorrow's topic will be very interesting, you won't want to miss it.

Tata,

~B

Day 21 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: MY DELICIOUS BASIL PESTO ON JULIENNED VEGGIES

Hello good people :-). Well, I am excited to tell you that I will be making ice cream this week. I found some Yacon syrup at the whole foods Market today and was so happy I did. Also I bought enough bananas to make a good number of vanilla shakes, yum! As you can tell Sunday afternoon is my grocery shopping time--I think it is true for most people. I finally found some onion powder and mustard powder. I will use some of the mustard powder to make some raw/vegan mayonnaise which I found is very easy to make. I got some hazelnuts as well. I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but I am on the path to creating my very own raw/vegan Nutella spread. Now, when I have created a Nutella spread, then I won't ask for anything more, lol. I will be able to live deliciously.

Bought lots of greens and fruits of course and will be experimenting with lots of different spices. Not sure what day it'll be on but this week I will make some raw/vegan jellof rice (jell of rice) or jambalaya, as they call in New Orleans and the Caribbeans. I already have the recipe forming in my head. I'm so excited. Cannot wait to get an Excalibur food dehydrator, might get that for myself for Christmas and replace the useless microwave with it.

Did you know that when you heat food in the microwave it raises the temperature of the food to over 2000 degrees? Considering the fact that tons of nutrients and enzymes are destroyed when food is cooked to temperatures over 118 degrees, with a temperature of 2000 degrees you are basically eating rubbish, dead, alien, non-food. Hmm, makes you think huh? I haven't used my microwave for so long, it just sits on my counter top for decoration and I have decided not to give it that kind of privilege in my kitchen, so out with the microwave and in with my I-can't-wait-to-have-one food dehydrator, lol. I will be able to make raw crackers, pizzas, bread, not meat balls, dry my own fruits and seeds, oh, the countless possibilities! Can you imagine? I will go nuts--pun intended ;-)

Well, gotta run, got lotsa' stuff to take care of. And while you're at it at your end, take some time to go green.

Tata

~B

Day 20 (30-Day Green Smoothie challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: STUFFED BABY BELLA MUSHROOMS

Wao! how did I get to here? Day 20 already? I am super-duper proud of myself. When I put my mind to something, nothing and no one can defer me. I like that about myself. What a blessing this raw food journey has been to me. I find that I am more peaceful, patient, calmer and just a whole lot happier. In fact if I were anymore happier, it would be a crime, lol.

Been learning a lot and doing a lot of research. If you are one of those skeptics who really wants to try this lifestyle, I suggest you do your research and keep an open mind. Don't go into this thinking negative because you will subconsciously look only and the negative things people have to say out there--like there is anything negative about this lifestyle. I have realized people fear the things they don't know or are not used to.

Have you ever wondered how Adam and Eve lived in the garden of Eden with no fire? They had just trees, with fruits and nuts and vegetation and yet they survived somehow. Later on people started to realize that they could hunt and eat the animals during the winter because when they killed it and cooked it, it lasted longer. However, the animal or the cooked plant has lost its life-force and is full of death (toxins) at this point. Almost all of the enzymes and proteins are denatured and destroyed when heated to a temperature above 118 degrees.

With food in the raw state you are packing on on all the goodness of that food (vegan of course) because it still has all of its enzymes and amino acids (enzymes are also protein in nature) and therefore getting the life-force of that food and no death (toxins). Food was meant to decay eventually so it can go back into the ground and produce new life. Many processed food have such a long shelf life that one can only imagine what kind have chemicals have gone into the process of making it defy death.

The human body is the best picture of the human soul. Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) Austrian philosopher.

Many doctors are clueless when it comes to holistic medicine and except for those of them who venture down the path of alternative medicine and disease prevention, many of them just know how to diagnose and prescribe drugs. I once heard that nurses study more nutrition than doctors actually do. Nutrition taught in school today is also a joke because it is geared toward the capitalist mindset of making money from people buying more and more products and foods that they don't need and which are sending them to the hospital. As for the food pyramid, I think it is a total JOKE.

I often imagine that something that has been killed has already started to decompose and hence contains toxins. Before I went raw/vegan, I would look at meat and think, hmm, I wonder how long that animal has been dead. I was a vegan then and a flab of flesh just lying there, lifeless, used to make me cringe. My friends, I am not writing these things to gross anyone out or make you stop eating what you're already eating. I write them so that you can think, if anything. We are so used to following what we see on TV that we have lost the ability to think for ourselves and this is costing us our lives, literally. You have to want to find out the truth about what you are ingesting you have to be proactive. Nothing will come and fall on your lap. If your health and that of your loved one is important to you, then go and seek and you will find. I hope I have enlightened you somehow. I will keep posting little nuggets like this for people who want to be in the know.

Hope your day is as blessed as mine. I will leave you with some powerful quotes from the father of medicine himself, Hippocrates:

A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses.

If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.

Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease.

Prayer indeed is good, but while calling on the gods a man should himself lend a hand.

He who does not know food, cannot understand the diseases of man. Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.

Day 19 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: NUTTY HONEYDEW MELON

Hope you've all been enjoying integrating the green smoothies into your day. Thanks to Victoria Boutenko and The Raw Family, we can enjoy these and more. If you want to know more about the green smoothies and what they can do for you, I suggest you buy her book GREEN FOR LIFE. I have been very busy today doing some photos for a prospective client and still have much more to do, so I am going to leave you with my photo of yesterday's breakfast. Feast your eyes, lol.

p/s I can't believe day 20 is almost here and I've had no cravings for cooked food. Great for me, because i don't have to worry about portion control and counting calories, I am too busy for that ;-). It takes very little to satisfy me these days because my body is very well nourished. If there were ever a secret to healing, staying fit and energized, going raw or at least incorporating more raw dishes in your life is it. How simple and basic and so very uncomplicated. Walk into the light and light up the world. GO RAW.

Stay RAW and Original always.

~B

Day 18 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: My Finger-Licking Lasagna

Apart from the first two to three days that seem to go one forever, the rest of the days on the raw food lifestyle has a been a total breeze and an amazing high. My husband told me something I hadn't thought about today, he said "Baby, raw food preparation comes more easily to you than doing cooked food." He is absolutely right. I love preparing raw foods; playing with recipes and ingredients is such a great hobby of mine now.

I started my day with 20 minutes of circuit training with Jillian Michaels. She makes me sweat and I like that. I have been in the Kitchen all day today playing with recipes and I made a raw/vegan burger with french fries which Nina completely devoured, lol. Rick loved it as well and the plate of my finger-licking lasagna was gone in a flash! My, my,my, do we have some tasty eaters in this house. It feels great to make food that people love to eat, especially children.

I came up with this interesting cheese recipe, all by taste, and it blended great with the other ingredients in the lasagna. If you go down to Day 13, you will find the recipe of the Marinara sauce I used today. I have also discovered the great taste of pesto. It is incredibly easy to make as well. I like to use it for appetizers and as a dipping sauce. You can also eat it with julienned veggies, and as a stuffing for many side dishes. Whew! I am loving my life big time.

Here is my recipe:

Marinara Sauce:
Scroll down to Day 13 for recipe. Set aside.

Pesto:
2 cups of fresh basil
1 cup pine nuts
4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 -1 tsp salt (as desired)

Blend in food processor until smooth and set aside.

Cheese:
1 cup raw cashew
1/3 cup of pine nuts
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp lemon juice, fleshly squeezed
1/4 cup water
1Tbsp olive oil

Blend all together until smooth and set aside.

Using the flat blade of a mandolin or a vegetable slicer, cut peeled zucchini into flat strips. I used 1 zucchini.

Wash and strip leaves of two stalks of rainbow chard and set aside. You may also use spinach leaves but I had none today.

First, place the leaves of rainbow chard on plate. Then start layering the zucchini into a matted pattern. When that is done alternate between spread of cheese sauce first, pesto sauce and then marinara. Add some spinach leaves or chopped up chard leaves on the marinara and then place zucchini strips again. Then add cheese sauce, pesto and marinara. Continue process over and over till you obtain 3-4 layers. Garnish with some sprouts and serve as is. By far my favorite lunch or dinner recipe. Very delicious and filling. Enjoy!

~B

Day 17 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: fyr sIGnatURE ApRIcOt PiE with a pECan cRUst

Going raw is one of the best things that ever happened to me. First of all, I have always been in pursuit of the optimum healthy lifestyles and I think--in my opinion--the Raw food lifestyle is it. It is a lifestyle because unlike most popular diets out there where people have a start date and an end date, the raw food lifestyle is a way of life that reflects your beliefs and values. Belief that live foods create live beings (Ann Wigmore says it best).

The fact that I can still satisfy my sweet tooth when I so choose--and in a healthy way too-- is just mind blowing to me. The fact that I don't necessarily need eggs and flour and bleached sugar and that one can safely use nuts, seeds and natural sweeteners to create a delicious-healthy-nutritious crust is just perfect. Today I made the best tasting pie ever. I added the ingredients as I went and it came out MARVELOUSLY GORGEOUS, lol. I now realize that there is a great shortage of adjectives to describe the different foods and experiences I've had ever since I started this raw journey.

There is an immense variety of foods and you don't have to eat just fruits and a bowl of salad everyday. If that were the case I would have been long bored out of my mind. Anyway here is my signature FYR Apricot Pie with a Pecan Crust.

Crust:

1 cup pecan

1/2 cup sunflower seed

3-4 mejool dates

pinch of salt

1 Tbsp carob nibs (optional) but if you want the full blasted taste of Yumminess you must get carob or 100% pure cacao nibs

Filling:

1.5 cups dried apricots

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 apple

juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp organic grade B maple syrup (you can also use agave or raw honey)

1/2 cup fresh raspberries or blueberries (I like it for tartness)

In food processor with 'S' blade chop pecan, sunflower seeds and pinch of salt till almost fine. Then add dates and blend till mixture starts to stick together. Press into pie plate and sprinkle carob nibs on crust. Slightly press nibs into pie crust.

Blend ingredients of filling except raspberries or blueberries and process till thick and gooey. Spread thick mixture over crust with a spoon or flat spatula. Garnish with raspberries or blueberries. Serve as is or refrigerate and serve chilled. ENJOY! :-)

Day 16 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: MEDITERRANEAN Kale SALAD

Hi everyone, hope you're having a sunny-diva day. I woke up bright and early today and did my usual, water, 20 minute walk and then home schooled my six year old. My choice of smoothie today was the kale- Panana (basically, 2 bananas, 2 pears, bunch of kale leaves and 2 cups of water). I wanted to try something different and very simple to make today for lunch, so I went with the Mediterranean kale salad. It was SURPRISINGLY ExTREMELy DEliCiOUs (do you like the play of letters?, lol just kidding around).

Mediterranean Kale Salad:

1 bunch of kale leaves, sliced very thinly

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

sprinkle of salt

2 Tbsp pine nuts

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 Tbsp black pitted olives, diced

1/2 avocado, diced

First work the olive oil, lemon juice and salt into the bowl of sliced kale with fingers, to wilt and moisten. The kale will start to get a darker green color. Then add the rest of the ingredients, toss and serve. This salad is very high in calcium and very delicious. YUM!

Day 15 (30-Day Green Smoothie challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: CARLIFORNIA ROLLS (SUSHI MADE EASY)

Hello everyone and thanks for stopping by today to read my little insights. Today was a fantastic day. I woke up with joy on my face and a heart full of gratitude. So if you don't mind I want to take a few seconds and be thankful for all that I have.

To the Earth: Thank you for staying rich and resilient.

To the Trees: Without you there'd be no functional ecosystem, I thank you for that.

To the Fruits : For your sweetness ever true, you satisfy my sweet tooth like no other and enrich my insides with vitamins and minerals.

To Vegetables: Green and red and yellow, in vibrant colors you live to sustain my cells and build me up to the best of me.

To Seeds and Nuts: Nutty-nutty me loves you to pieces. You provide me with energy and good fats that melt away and never stay on my hips.

To the Sun: Queen of rainbows, excellent provider of vitamin D, without you I'd be oh, so gloomy.

To the Rain: Water, the giver of life, the purifier, eliminator and transporter. You wear many hats. My hats off to you.

To the Organic Farmers: You truly know what patience is all about. Thank you for caring and taking the time to grow all these foods with abundant love. Your love is felt and can be seen in the beauty of me.

To the Community of Raw foodists: Thanks for your constant support as seen in all the great cookbooks and blogs.

To God the creator and author of life: If we go back to basics as in the garden of Eden, that which you provided for Adam and Eve is all that we truly need to fully sustain us. After all, out of earth (dust) you made us and just makes sense that those things that grow alive out of this same dust are what we need to stay alive, in that way we can be in sync with our own. YOU are awesome!

I am very blessed and grateful that I have the opportunity to have what I have and be able to eat the way I eat. I am in constant praise and thanksgiving.

Today I made myself the easiest smoothie:

2 bananas
1/2 bunch of spinach
1.5 cups of water

A yummy-delicious-nutritious green rejuvenating elixir

I made the best tasting raw/vegan carlifornia rolls for lunch (sushi)

3 nori sheets
3 Tbsp peeled and grated parsnips (they look like albino carrots)
1/2 cup thinly sliced cucumber
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 cup clover sprout (or sprout of your choice)
drizzle of agave
drizzle of Bragg's aminos or nama Shoyu

Lay a nori sheet flat and brush down with a little water
add grated parsnips, cucumbers, carrots, avocado and clover sprouts (you can use which ever sprouts you have). Drizzle some agave and Bragg's over filling and tightly roll into cylindrical shape. Use a knife and cut into desired shape. I was almost tempted to eat it long like that, it smells so good and tasted like the best sushi I ever had, just without the fish and rice. WHAT A LUNCH! Even non-sushi lovers will love this version.

Enjoy!

Day 13 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: Zucchetti and Marinara Sauce...YUMMYLICIOS :-)

Let me quote Aunty Cathy, "There is a God." Today I made the most delicious and filling meal since starting this challenge. I made raw marinara sauce with zucchini pasta. There is nothing you can't make on this diet. I am sold. I had Rick and a friend of ours try it and she thought it was cooked. She was so pleasantly surprised that she had another mouthful. Once you start to try different recipes on the raw food diet, you begin to wonder if God intentionally put certain foods for this reason only. For example, I thought the zucchini pasta would taste a little weird or starchy, thing is, it has no taste at all but gives you the feel of pasta in your mouth and taste buds. This is absolutely incredible. I am looking forward to start making raw breads and crackers. For this thanksgiving I will be making a raw, meatless, meat loaf, some raw pizza and a raw raspberry white chocolate cake. What a bountiful feast it will be.

I realize it will be hard for all my wonderful non-vegan friends, but thank God they are so awesome and understand that this is my choice. We can always enjoy the best of both worlds. I also realized that the places I used to eat at before will no longer be the places I go to now. I love to cook at home anyway and if I have to eat out, I will make it a raw/vegan restaurant. I have been scouting for some in my area and found a few great ones. Price range is perfect and all worth it. I want to give my body the best it needs to be fully functional and vibrant. I thank God everyday that I can be able to do this and I praise him for his bounties, the incredible edibles he masterminded.

Here is the Recipe for my mouth-watering lunch:

You need a veggie-slicer or spooroli to slice the zucchini or turn it into angel hair zucchetti, lol

Zucchetti:

1 organic zucchini.

add sprinkle of black pepper and some salt and toss zucchetti then keep aside.

Marinara Sauce:

1 10oz ripe grape tomatoes

1 cup oil-packed sun dried tomato

1/2 red bell pepper (deseeded)

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sweet basil

1 tsp oregano

1 garlic clove (crushed)

1 jalopeno pepper (optional) or dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Blend all together in a food processor with an 'S' blade, till smooth. Pour over bed of zucchetti and enjoy.