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 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