Strawberry-banana Chocolate Mousse Pie (Raw-Vegan)

I NEED A VACATION...can someone give me a round trip ticket to India? I am a die-hard Bollywood fan, NO ONE DOES LOVE/ROMANCE like Bollywood. Those who haven't discovered the beauty of great Bollywood films don't know what they've been missing (I may be a little bias because I have been watching these movies since I was a child, so please forgive me). Seriously, if you can look past the subtitles, and the bursting-into-song parts, no I take that back, the music in the movie is usually as important as the story line. It works great for me because I love musicals (check), I am a sucker for good romance (Check) and I am very intuitive and philosophical (Check, check). I learned about love from Bollywood movies, that love is patient and that love doesn't mean sex and that true love never dies...so many teenagers could learn a lot from that these days...anyway, here are 10 of my favorites (excluding my favorite 80's gems like 'Ye vada raha' aka 'The Promise', 'Disco Dancer' etc)

1. Jodha Akbar (I say the world can keep Romeo and Juliet, I have Jodha Akbar)
2. Taare Zameen par (If this movie doesn't touch you then you are dead inside, a ghost actually lol)
3. My name is Khan ( ABSOLUTELY MIND-BLOWINGLY HEART-WRENCHING movie, of course it has Shahrukh Khan & Kajol, only one of the best jodi (pairs) in Bollywood)
4. Devdas.......
5. Kuch Kuch Hota hai (my daughter's favorite movie: the title song will stay in your head forever...with my favorite actor Shahrukh Khan)

6. Kabhi Alveda Na Kehna (aka Never say goodbye, a little controversial but yes, one of my favorite, starring Shahrukh and my favorite actress Rani Mukerji)
7. Jab we met (I am ashamed to say I have watched this movie more than 7 times and will still watch it again and again...need I say more?)
8. 3 Idiots (Brilliant movie, well it has the amazing Aamir Khan who also did a fantastic job in n# 9 on the line
9. Ghajini (Not for the faint of heart, a little violence but goodness, I sat there for a good 10 minutes long after it was over just thinking...)
10. Rab ne bana di jodi ( If you haven't met King khan aka SRK aka Shahrukh Khan...he is the best all his movies ROCK and this movie is EXCEPTIONALLY BEAUTIFUL)

I still have so many to fit in the top 10, like 'Billu' and 'Swades' and 'Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham' 'Om Shanti Om', 'Sawaariya' and the list goes on..... hahahahahaha is that even possible?


All this talk of great movies is making me hungry now, are you hungry? I made a chocolate mousse pie yesterday and my daughter literally drank it ...

Strawberry.Banana.Chocolate Mousse Pie

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup pecans
1/3 cup mixture of walnuts, hazelnuts
4 Tbsp coconut flakes
1/3 cup raisin + 3 medjhool dates (add dates until it gets sticky enough to form a dough)
2 Tbsp almond flour
pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until sticky. Press into a 13 inch pan and put aside

Chocolate Mousse:


12 oz fresh strawberries, sliced
5 bananas, sliced, divided (save two sliced bananas for layering crust)
3 Haas avocado
1/2 cup maple syrup, grade B (or agave nectar)
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 Tbsp cacao powder

Blend in a food processor 3 avocado, 3 bananas, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 2 tsp vanilla and 4 Tbsp cacao powder until smooth and set aside. Layer the crust of pie with the strawberries and banana slices.

Evenly pour chocolate mousse over fruit layer, cover with foil and place in the freezer for about an hour. It will still be gooey unless you choose to keep yours longer. I love mine gooey..yummmmmy!!!

Remember to EAT & DRINK TO YOUR HEALTH, YOU'LL THANK ME LATER!

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 29 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: MY MOCK CEVICHE. This was incredibly deeeelicious!

Good evening everyone. I am so happy so many of your responded here and even sent me private messages concerning my topic about milk being the worst food for you. There are too many things we put into our bodies without knowing and my friend Alexa brought up another culprit called 'sugar'. The very addictive and highly poisonous processed sweetener. I don't want to put her on the spot but it would be great if she can write about it here on the blog. Alexa, would you please? :-) Okay, we'll wait and see, lol (she will kill me for doing this...) I have a great topic for you all tomorrow, hope you come back for more healthy insights.

Today has been a great day. I started it off as usual with my delicious green smoothie.

Gorji-Lettuce Smoothie:

1 bunch of green lettuce

3 ripe bananas

1 ripe pear

2 Tbsp of Gorji Berries

2 cups of water

Blend it all together and feel your body soar.

Anyway, I made me favorite raw oatmeal and Nina ate almost all of it.

Whole Oatmeal Breakfast:

1.5 cups oat groats, soaked overnight

1 chopped apple

A handful of raisins, soaked and rinsed

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp organic grade B maple syrup or agave

pinch of salt

1/4 cup of water

1 banana

Except for the raisins and banana, blend ingredients until smooth. Add raisins and sliced bananas and enjoy. You may add some raw almond milk too if you choose. I like mine without the milk, it is thick and creamy.

~B.

Day 28 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: MY CREAMY SOUP OF ZUCCHETI :-)

I was just having a very interesting conversation with my husband yesterday about milk and we both agreed that cow milk has got to be the worst food out there. I would rather nominate a banana as a perfect food than cow milk and if you disagree with me, please take no offense just do more research and come to your own conclusion--mine is certain. I guess part of my conclusion is based on my very own experience, the experiences of people I know and indisputable research from distinguished professionals through out the century and beyond. Man/humankind was NEVER meant to drink the milk of another but from its mother as an infant. My youngest brother who never drank milk his entire life is now a 6 foot tall basketball player and he's yet to have a broken bone or falling teeth, so you tell me, where is the calcium defficiency and retarded growth in this case? I challenge you to try a month without milk, no wait, I take that back, try a week and you will tell the difference. Milk is the most mucus forming food. It is only the 'perfect food' when it is for the baby calf and not for humans.

-Consider all the hormones, pesticides and antibiotics fed to the cow, then think of casein--the milk protein-- which is used as industrial glue in carpentry and used to make plastics and adhesives, ever wondered what it does to your insides? By the way, 80% of milk protein is casein.

-Consider the pus in the milk caused by forcefully enlarging the mammary glands of these cows in order to overproduce due to the high demand of milk.

-Consider the fact that these cows get their own calcium from eating plants and you want to get yours from eating them? why not just go for the plant too and avoid the poisons from herbicides, pesticides, dioxins, up to 52 powerful antibiotics, blood, pus, feces, bacteria and viruses. (Cow's milk can have traces of anything the cow ate... including such things as radioactive fallout from nuke testing ... "It's not how much calcium you eat. It's how much calcium you prevent from leaving your bones."--Robert Cohen

read this for yourself: http://www.notmilk.com/igf1time.txt

and this http://www.notmilk.com/deb/030799.html..…

-Consider that it takes 10 pounds of milk to make a pound of cheese so each slice of cheese has 10x what is in milk, every bite of ice cream has 12x that and butter 21x whatever is in milk.

-Consider the fact that milk consists of almost 50% fat and it goes across the board for milk products as well.

-Consider that although milk is hailed as 'Liquid protein' it is just very expensive water because 87% of milk is water.

-Consider the fact that countries with the highest consumption of dairy have the highest rates of osteoporosis. This is because the protein in dairy inhibits the absorption of calcium.

-Consider that milk is allowed to undergo pasteurization to 'kill' the bacteria and feces found in the milk but this also makes it into a non-food. And since pasteurization does not kill all the bacteria milk tends to go bad rather quickly, sad huh?

-Consider that apart from milk not being Kosher, it's level of cholesterol is alarming and to think we some nutritionists recommend 2-3 glasses of milk a day. The cholesterol in those glasses of milk is equivalent to that from 52 slices of bacon...can you see yourself eating that daily?

Here are a host of problems that dairy may cause:

1) Obesity (Over 50% of Americans)

2) Leukemia

3) Diabetes

4) Crohn's Disease

5) Heart disease

6) Cancer, please read this :http://www.notmilk.com/deb/062198.html

7) Allergies (Ever wondered why there are so many lactose intolerant folks?)

8) Digestive problems

9) Asthma

10) Desensitization to antibiotics.

11) Toxicity of the human body due to ingestion of ingestion of dioxins, herbicides, pesticides.

12) Pollution and environmental degradation (we have only one planet)

To read more about milk visit http://www.notmilk.com/ and read more from author Robert Cohen.

Have a very blessed day.

~B.

Day 25 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: MY APPLE-TAHINI STUFFED PEPPERS yummmmy!

"I'm living my life like it's golden." If you are my friend on Facebook, you should have already seen that as my status. 'Golden' is a great song by the very talented Jill Scott and for a few days now it has been stuck in my head. I sing that line only. I sing it over and over and over several times a day and I think it is slowly becoming some sort of mantra. It is how I truly feel inside; I feel blessed and empowered and I know it is mostly because of my lifestyle--which is my raw/vegan eating habit and my healthy mindset.

I have sort of a busy evening and I have to make a fresh batch of my rich chocolate fudge brownies to take over to my friends house (Don't worry I will put up the picture and recipe up tomorrow :-)). I am going to leave you with a picture of what i had for lunch today. It's a new recipe of mine and I will share it with you later. It was DDDDDDDDDDEEEEELIIIIISSSSHHH.

Okay guys/girls, I gotta run. Rendezvous tomorrow.

~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 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 14 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE READS...WITH A GLASS OF CANTALOUPE SMOOTHIE

Whew! Sorry for posting this late today. I have been very, very busy. Just came back from the whole foods market with lots of stuff for the coming week's menu. I can hardly wait to make some raw/vegan sushi. I think my mom will be pleased that I no longer eat raw fish, lol. I also bought some raw cashews for next week's Alfredo sauce. The fresh basil I got will be used for some pesto I will be adding to my lasagna, YUM! I never liked lasagna (except for my mother in-law's which is TASTY) but now I get to make my own raw lasagna. That will be an experience. For smoothie veggies I got, parsley (I love parsley), arugula, rainbow chard, kale(yes), spinach (a must) and some endive (this is packed with B vitamins). As usual I bought lots and lots of bananas, I can't live without it.

For the first time I bought some jicama (pronounced 'hee-ca-ma'). I plan to use them to make some raw french fries and some raw/vegan burger patty which I will make with the some of the baby bella mushrooms, hmm, I can't wait for that. Anyway, it is always fun going shopping and trying new recipes. I hope you try some for yourself and if you do I hope you like it.

I gotta run though, Rick and I are making some seaweed salad. I am hungry and have to go eat. Tomorrow I will introduce you to another new recipe. Don't forget to make your green smoothie and stay healthy. I am going to leave you with something delicious:

Banana Shake:

2 frozen bananas (or 1 cup of ripe frozen strawberries)

1/2 cup almond milk

2 tsp agave nectar or organic grade B maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all until creamy smooth. YUMMY!!!

Day 12 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: COCONUT CHEESCAKE ON CHOCOLATE CRUST

Going raw is by far the best, the simplest and most nonrestrictive diet I have ever been on. The reason I say this is because I don't feel restricted at all, whereas on other diets I have felt the need to sneak things I wasn't suppose to be eating from time to time. At the end you find yourself back to square one trying another new diet in search for the one where you won't feel that need to binge. Isn't this what yo-yo dieting is all about? When humans feel the need to fight or resist something, the more they feel they need to give in to that temptation or situation. Restriction is a very frustrating feeling. on the raw diet, I don't feel any restriction whatsoever. I feel like I'm eating what I'm suppose to be eating because my body is not craving anything I used to like before, even white chocolate, can you believe that? even white chocolate.

I admit the first few days can be very daring because your body is undergoing this new change and your taste buds have to learn a whole new experience. I used to look at the behaviors of some raw fooders and think they were a little you know what, lol, but now I understand where that passion comes from. It is a passion for life. I've never felt more alive. When I was a vegan I thought I had reached the pinnacle of healthy living (no offense to vegan, veganism is awesome much better than the Standard American Diet) but then I've taken it one step further to being raw and vegan and it is an ethereal experience. I feel like my body is at peace with itself. There is no bickering from brain to stomach, lol or from liver to gut. All my insides are in harmony, no one is nagging their 'neighbor' , they are all brothers and sisters in unity working to provide the best for me. I feel like a queen. I do.

Well, so many people have asked for my coconut cheesecake recipe so here it is.:

Crust:

2 cups of walnuts, soaked and rinsed

1/2 cup raw cacao beans (ground)

1 tbsp agave nectar or raw honey

sprinkle of salt

Process nuts and cacao in food processor with 'S' blade until crumbly and then add salt and agave or honey till it starts to stick together. Press into a pie plate and keep aside.

Filling:

2 cups raw macadamia nuts, rinsed

1/2 cup raw shredded coconut meat (just the white part)

juice of 1.5 oranges

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup raw honey or agave nectar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

dash of salt

Blend everything except shredded coconut until mixture is creamy. If you don't really want to chew on the coconut then blend all together, if not, after mixture is creamy just mix the shredded coconut into it. Spread mixture over crust and freeze for about 2 hours or more if you prefer. serve with blue berry syrup if you choose.

Blueberry syrup:

2 handfuls of fresh blueberries

2 Tbsp of agave nectar

dash of salt

Blend till it's liquefied.

Enjoy!

Day 11 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: G'RAW'NOLA AND ALMOND MILK

Good day folks. I am feeling super today. Woke up bright and early and went for a 20 minute jog. I made myself a great smoothie (from one of the ones below) and then Nina and I made some fresh almond milk and g'raw'nola. Don't forget to scroll all the way down to view our slide show with some of our delicious recipes. I must start by giving you the recipe of my breakfast.

G'raw'nola and Almond Milk:

1 cup almonds (soaked over night)

4 pitted dates

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups f water

Mesh bag or cheese cloth

Blend all the ingredients together till mixture is milky. Strain using a mesh bag or cheese cloth. You will have to milk it like you're milking a cow to get all the almond milk out. Save almond pulp for another recipe later.

For G'raw'nola:

1/2 cup almonds (soaked, dried))

1/2 cup walnuts (soaked overnight and dried)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds (Soaked and dried)

1 cup dark raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 golden raisins

sprinkle of salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Chop in a food processor with 'S' blade till coarse. I like chunks of nuts but you can choose your own consistency. Add almond milk to it and some blueberries or sliced bananas and devour.

Yummy!

Day 9 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: Fresh Garden Salad with raw apple cider vinegar/xtra virgin olive oil for dressing.

I think the world just gained another rawfoodist! I can not believe what is going on in my mind and in my body. How is it possible that I have lost all cravings for cooked food? I feel full and completely satiated on this diet. I figured there is only one reason for that: I am giving my body just what it needs and hence I don't feel the need to want to eat every minute of the day. That is the only logical explanation of my obvious conversion. Everything I put into my mouth completely satisfies me. I feel light and full of energy. This morning I did 46 minutes of Taebo : www.billyblanks.com . My shake for the day was the shake I made on day 1. Please scroll down to see recipe.

I have a whole new perspective about life and eating. I am definitely eating to live and my stomach is no longer the boss of me. Who would have thought this could turn out to be so much fun? not even I. but it is and I hope you can learn to introduce more raw foods into their diets, it makes a whole lot of sense.

Anyway today has been a very busy day. I had to catch up with a lot of work, editing and replying to emails. I found another great site that I'd like to share with you: http://www.therawtable.com/ there is so much to learn and many options and I am dying to try them all. Have a blessed day everyone...

~B.

Day 8 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: Chocolate banana pie

Today I found another reason to love my husband more. Let me tell you a story. six years ago on my 24Th birthday, when I was 5 months pregnant with our daughter, Nina, Rick took me out to one of Atlanta's best, Kava restaurant, to celebrate. After the exquisite fine dinning and great service from the staff we were off to the house where I couldn't wait to open up my birthday gift. Well, I am embarrassed to tell you I was a tad disappointed--even though I didn't show it-- with my gift because it was an expensive Cuisinart food processor. I was hoping for something you know, more romantic and definitely less expensive. But then he told me "Well, this is for when the baby comes and you can make it all these great homemade food." I did use it for Nina's food. She ate only homemade pureed baby food and I was glad then that I had it.

Little did I know that six years later I would find the other dual compartment of that food processor hidden beneath the kitchen shelf and yes, it had the 'S' blade my raw desert asked for. It had been hidden away all that time! It was a great birthday present after all and it took me six years to really appreciate it fully because today, Nina and I made our very first raw desert and boy is it TO-DIE-FOR Delicious, rich and very filling or as Nina said "Mama, this is delicious and nutritious". I love you, Rick and thank you for the best birthday gift ever. It was a great investment after all.

Today is day 8 and as you can tell, I am on top of the world. I wish I had tried this raw food lifestyle many years ago. What a way to live, what great abundance there is in living foods and how blessed I am to have the opportunity to eat all these wonders of nature.

Today's smoothie was my awesome Kale-Panana smoothie. Scroll down to Day 3 to get the recipe.

Here's our Chocolate banana pie recipe:

Ingredients for crust:

1 cup walnuts, soaked for 2 hours, rinsed and dried

1 cup almond, soaked overnight, then rinsed and dried

1/2 raisins or pitted dates (I used raisins, I LOVE raisins)

1/2 cup agave nectar or raw honey

sprinkle of salt

Chop nuts in a food processor with an 'S' blade. Then add remaining ingredients and process to thick and sticky dough. Press dough into 9-10" pie pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.

Ingredients for Filling:

4 ripe bananas

3 ripe Haas avocados (seeded)

3 Tbsp carob powder

5 Tbsp 100% pure cacao powder

sprinkle of salt

1/2 cup agave nectar or raw honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cut banana into thin, round slices and layer on top of crust (cover crust completely with banana slices.)

Add the rest of the ingredients into a food processor with 'S' blade and process till smooth. Then pour filling over banana layer and partially freeze or refrigerate. You now have yourself a guilt-free, delicious and nutritious desert!

~B