Day 45 Sweet Tahini Dressing

POMEGRANATES

I devoured this pomegranate today with Nina, yummy! Doesn't it amaze you that such a thing exists, look at how well designed and structured it is...I always find such things fascinating, always.

Someone asked me today if I was a dancer :-) you betcha' I took that as a compliment. Sure i was wearing a tiny tank top (Completely decent by the way) my dancer shoes and my spandex double folded around the waist. I sure looked like one, especially as--thanks to my circuit training--some little muscles or should I say lean muscles have started to pop up on my arms and gluts, lol, they still call me J.Lo but again isn't that a compliment too? I figured whatever someone says to me, I will find the positive and use it as a compliment. That is something we can all try to do. We are all beautiful in our own way and that is precious.

Anyway, I had this great salad I made with some baby spring mix, 1/2 red bell pepper, diced, and extra arugula(I like it) I also julienned one yellow squash for the color into the salad bowl. I wanted something different today for a dressing so I came up with this sweet tahini dressing:

4 Tbsp raw tahini paste (or less if you don't particularly like the taste of sesame paste)
1/4 cup agave
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 orange juice, freshly squeezed

You can always save the remainder of the dressing for another salad on another day. It reminds me of peanut butter. I like this and you can add to make your own version.

p/s I made my own coconut butter skin lotion today, do I ever smell and feel yummy, hope no one eats me by accident, lol.

~B~

DAY 44 Spanish Spinach Casserole

MY SPANISH SPINACH CASSEROLE

i CAME uP wITH tHIS rECIpE jUST ThIS eVENiNG (I like writing like this, it's fun isn't it?)
okay, I added the ingredients as I went and happy to say I've started developing the knack for smelling ingredients and figuring which ones would work with which. Well, everything that is Nina approved (she cleaned out her plate) means it has got to be delicious--I passed my taste test. Oh, Rick finished his as well. Watching both of them enjoy my food makes me full :-)

Isn't She Lovely?

This was yesterday's project and now it's all gone. This is what a 5 LBs bag of fresh organic carrot yeilds. We added just two apples to this and juiced them all together. One of my favorite juice. Tomorrow i plan to make some fennel/ginger/apple (and by the way Alexa, I did send and speak some positive things to my juicer, she forgives me :-))



Here are my fruity truffles and chocolate covered snow mountain munchies. WHAM! that's what you feel when you taste these amazing deliciousness. YUMMMMY, hmm, don't let me start. can you permit me to get romantically involved with my desert? okay, "I love you chocolate, so very much." lol

A few of my coconut boats, walnut boats and raisin boats.....ah

A perfect example of my coconut boat desert...if you look below you can see what her insides are made of...pure goodness!

PURE GOODNESS! (Aunty Cathy, you will love these)

Tata for now

~B~

Day 43 My Very Own Organic Farm!

I have great news! I am now proud owner of my very own organic farm, yes, yes, you read it right. I get to manage it from the comfort of my own home and have planted on it whatever I want and when it's ready I will have it shipped to my house or sell it at the farmers market. NOW, whoever came up with such a brilliant idea is a genius. This is a phenomenal and amazing food system. Not only do I get to have fresh organic produce from my own garden, I get to sell it to others or give it some to feed hungry children somewhere. And oh, all the crops will use products certified organic by the USDA, guaranteed!

YOU CAN OWN YOURS TOO ...

Where ever you are you can own your own organic plot which you can manage from the comfort of your home. All your products will be free of pesticides and herbicides, 100% organic. The way the company works, you are basically getting your own organic food for less than nothing by introducing others to this amazing system and if that does not interest you there are still many more benefits. For example say you're paying $100/month maintenance fee for your full garden to be taken care of, you not only get all your organic products from your own plot sent to you but also a $100 debt card to use in their online store for whatever you wish to purchase, you can also choose to sell the rest of your produce to the online community farmer's market.






This is an idea worth supporting I believe. I am all for organic but then to have my own plot and an opportunity to make money while doing it sounds even better plus don't forget you can also choose to give good --guilty-free--organic food to hungry children.

For more information and to pre-register FOR FREE (the launch is in January so you can start building your income by referring other too now, right now!) click below:

p/s The first 2000 people to register become part owners of this great revolution plus you get to keep 2% of all the company's profits for years to come. I can't wait, can you?????????

CLICK HERE : http://www.myorganicacres.com/index.php?id=4399

HAVE A Blossoming DAY...and spread the word!

~B

DAY 43 Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake

Basil-Arugula Pesto Wraps

What a delicious recipe this is! I used green chard leaves to wrap my filling. Just 1 of those wraps were enough to satisfy me, you know I had to keep some space for a little bit of what's down below...go ahead look below, did you see that? lol, okay back to our grand wraps. Here's the recipe:

Basil Arugula Pesto
(recipe of pesto from http://www.thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com I made a little variation and didn't add the 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast it called for and instead added the wraps and julienned veggies for a more of a meal)

1.5 cups fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
1/2 cup arugula
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp mellow white miso
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs almond, ground
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbs pine nuts

Blend in food processor with 'S' blade to preferred consistency--I like mine not overly processed. You can wrap it as is in some green chard leaves or add some julienned squash and zucchini--like I did-- to fill it up more. ENJOY YOUR GREENS:-)

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake
ONE ONE: RAWsome!

Day 41 ...And The Beet Goes On....

...AND THE BEET GOES ON...

oKAY, sorry for posting so late but as you can see from above, this is what I was doing in the kitchen. Came up with this recipe on the spot because I have more collard greens than I know what to do with it. I hope you like it, I certainly did.

Ingredients for THE BEET GOES ON SALAD

4 cups of thinly sliced collard greens, tightly packed (great source of folic acid)

1 tsp of minced garlic ( I love garlic)

1/4 cup of Bragg's raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar + 1/4 more

dash of salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup diced red onions

2 Tbsp green bell pepper or red bell pepper

1 Tbsp dulse granules (great source of iodine)

1/4 cup currants or 1/3 cup for sweeter taste

1/4 cup shaved or grated beets

First add apple cider vinegar and dash of salt to the collard greens and work with fingers to wilt the greens (till they start to take a darker green color). Then add the rest of the ingredients as listed. You can eat as is or garnish for more fun. I like more fun!

...LET THE BEET GO ON...

Day 40 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

Coconut-Curry Soup

Garnished with cilantro, tomato, mushrooms and avocado slices.


Whether it's cooked or uncooked, preparing food is an art form but I believe that raw/uncooked food is superior when it comes to nutritional density and benefit. Today is day 40 for me on the raw food lifestyle, I would never have imagined myself eating raw for 40 days but it got so simple once I got rid of my cravings for cooked food, got more recipes and joined some raw food communities for support. There is no way I can go back feeling the way I feel and knowing the things I know now. I love this lifestyle! It is back to basics and that to me is just gravy.

Today I made a delicious coconut curry soup (thanks Alexa, for the young Thai coconut).

This recipe if off a video I saw on YouTube and the host said it is from the Cafe Gratitude uncook book. Just type in 'Vegan coconut soup at cafe gratitude with the hippy gourmet'

There are so many great nenefits of coconut water and I will list some here:

-It is a natural isotonic beverage

-It is better than processed baby milk: it contains lauric acid which is present in a human mother's breast milk

-It is more nutritious than whole milk, it has less fat and no cholesterol

-It contains more potassium than most sports drinks

-It has less sodium and sugars than most sports drinks.

~B

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 36 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

My RAW-mazing COLESLAW

YOU MUST TRY THIS!

I think I outdid myself today with this recipe. I hope you all love it. I made a big batch so I have leftovers for tomorrow.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of green cabbage, thinly sliced

1 cup of purple cabbage, thinly sliced

6 medium sized organic carrots, 3 grated, 3 julienned (or all grated)

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

2 organic apples, chopped

Mix all in a bowl and set aside.

Dressing:

2 cups of almonds, soaked overnight

1/4 cup of agave or raw honey (I like and used agave with this one)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dried mustard powder

1.5 cups of olive oil

1/4 cup coconut oil

juice of 1 lemon

juice of 1-2 oranges

Process in blender until smooth. Pour over veggies and toss.

warning:WILDLY DELICIOUS!

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 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 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 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 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 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 6 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

ZUCCHINI-LINGUINE Photo from site listed Below.

I will introduce you to many sites with great recipes like this one:

http://goneraw.com/recipe/zucchini-linguine-basil-pesto


Wao! I am on day 6 already and feeling as light as air. I feel full yet I don't feel that heaviness you feel when you're on the SAD (Standard American Diet). I had a 20 minutes walk today with my God. I always meditate when I walk or jog, I have on my earpiece and I listen to "Worship Together" I love listening to "Above All", keeps me focused and keeps my mind at peace. You can choose which ever way you want to stay focused, I find that this helps me most. I drank lots of water yesterday and my pee has no color, well sometimes a barely noticeable yellow hue and definitely no odor (sorry if I am grossing you out but I am just being truthful. That is what my daily diary entry is all about; the changes in my body when I'm on raw food).

I find that I've become more patient and I smile more, it's less about me and more about others, I watch them, listen and make them comfy. It is great to hear someone say "You've brightened up my day" or "There's something about you that shines." I heard this compliments before i started the 30-day journey but it's always nice to hear them again and again knowing there's something really 'shining' inside me (my insides, lol more precisely, my colon :-)).

This is what I made for smoothie today:

2 bananas
5 kale leaves
2 handfuls red seedless grapes
1.5 cups of water

You can always freeze your fruits a few minutes before you blend them, that way you get the cold, frothy smoothie you like.

I have a lot of cleaning to do today so I must say tata but I will be back tomorrow with some great insights about what your poop says about your health.