Tuesday, October 6, 2009

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.

Monday, October 5, 2009

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

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Day 7 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: MY CuCuMbER Smoothie

Rise and shine, rise and shine! Hello world, I hope you are feeling just as wonderful this woman typing these words, lol. I feel FABULOUS :-)
Today is a great day for a great cucumber smoothie don't you think? I am amazed that I don't feel hungry at all. Did you know that when you're feeling hungry 90% of the times you are just really thirsty and that a glass of fresh water with slices of lemon would do the trick? Talking of water, I think it is fair to say many of us take water for granted. What I mean is if you're not loving your water and hydrating your body, you are taking water for granted. Someone once told me that they went a week without drinking water because they don't like water. Some people feel the need to add powdered, sugar-packed substances to their water to give it a zest.

Think about those who would do anything just for a glass of water to quench their thirst. For many of them that would be a great breakfast, lunch or supper. They definitely don't take water for granted, they value it like the air they breathe. So when next you shy away from water, think about those children who have none--your gratitude will multiply. You can enhance your water in a healthy way by adding some slices of lemons, oranges or even slices of your favorite fruits. If that is not enough add a dash of stevia (www.sweetleaf.com)to sweeten it.
Before we delve into how important your poop is, here is my cucumber smoothie recipe.

Bernice's cucumber Smoothie

2 bananas
2 golden brown Asian pears (you can use any other type of pears you have)
2 cucumbers
2 kale leaves
2 cups of water

This smoothie is thick and slightly gritty, you will definitely enjoy it even if you're not a cucumber lover.

Did you know your stool can tell you all you need to know about your health? People who are healthy generally don't have offensive smelling stools or gas. When your stool has an offensive smell it usually means your food was not properly or completely digested and so it putrefied and fermented in in your gut. Putrefied and fermented food emits poisonous and very corrosive gases which erode the lining of your stomach and intestines. These gases are strong enough to eat through concrete pipes, think about the damage they do to you. The solution to this is proper food combining. The two common problems with stools are either constipation (compact stools) or diarrhea.

Diarrhea is the body's way of eliminating toxins from the body, so don't try to suppress it with medications unless it is severe. All you need is lots of rest, water and fresh fruit juices.

Constipation is a sign of eating improperly. Your diet may be too low in fiber, water and/or you're eating too many fatty and starchy foods. You can reverse this by doing just the opposite.

The colon is a great health indicator, a clean colon makes a happy person and an unclean colon is breeding ground for disease. Again, like water, do not take your colon for granted. Don't take your health for granted make it your personal business to see that you're doing the best to live an abundant life free of illness and disease.

Arrivederci!

~B

Saturday, October 3, 2009

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.

Friday, October 2, 2009

I'm in 'raw' heaven!

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: Bernice's Walnut Pâté

I'm sure everyone can sense my excitement. Doing this 30-day green smoothie challenge has become the most exciting thing I've undertaken in a while. It is as though my taste buds are 'waking' up from sleep. All the natural, tantalizing tastes of individual ingredients seem to send my senses into a beautiful frenzy. I appreciate the taste of food and the feeling it gives me. Experimenting with different recipes is so much fun. I didn't realize there are so many things one can do with so little ingredients. Ah, I am in Raw heaven for real, lol. I can't help the feeling...you wouldn't if you tried what I made this afternoon.


Bernice's Walnut Pâté
(Can be used on a garden salad or in a sandwich)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups soaked walnuts ( I soaked mine for 6 hours, but you can do a couple of hours or overnight)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Bragg's Aminos (you can use tamari if you have some)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp thyme
2 garlic cloves
dash of salt
2 Tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 Tbsp chopped onions
1/2 green pepper

Method:

Place nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, Bragg's Aminos(or tamari), garlic powder and salt in food processor and blend. Then add parsley, onions, garlic cloves and green pepper and blend. You can blend into a paste but I like to chew on some almonds so I blend for about 1 minute. A generous scoop of this on my garden salad was all I needed and I stored the rest in the refrigerator for later.
p/s I added some half an avocado in my salad and then dressed the salad with my Walnut Pâté. This is so filling you wouldn't even believe it and it's all raw and healthy, who would've thought it?

Let it be known: THIS IS THE BEST SALAD I'VE EVER HAD.

I couldn't wait till tomorrow to share this. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


~B

Day 5 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: My Honeydew Heaven


FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: Bernice's Creamy coconut butter with tempeh

I am constantly amazing myself, yes I am. Last night I created this wonderful recipe for Rick and Nina. I am not doing cooked food but I do cook for them. In Rick's own words "This is by far one of the best tasting foods I've ever eaten." and my husband is a phenomenal cook. So I am going to start by sharing my beautiful recipe with you.

p/s I did save some in a container for the freezer, that way I can try some when my 30-day challenge is over :-)

Bernice's Creamy Coconut butter with Tempeh

Ingredients:

1 can 13.5 oz organic coconut milk
2 Tbsp almond butter
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tsp sweet basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 pack 8oz organice garden tempeh
1/4 green pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup of water
1 cup of quinoa

Method:

In saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil and coconut milk. Stir in almond butter, sweet basil and black pepper. Add garlic powder and curry. Then add 1/2 cup of water and then add peanut butter and mix evenly. Add agave nectar, cover pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Add tempeh and the rest of the water and let cook for another 15 minutes. Add thinly sliced green pepper towards the end for a more crunchy taste. This make s a very think and creamy sauce. Add on a bed on cooked quinoa and serve, listen for the "umph" and "ah". DELICIOUS!

I started my day with 46 minutes of Taebo; cardio and strength training(resistant bands). After that I made this delicious smoothie:


Honeydew Heaven:

2 bananas
1/2 bunch of parley (or if any greens of your choice)
1 celery stalk
1/4 frozen honeydew melon
2 cups of water

I love parsley because it does wonders for my skin and it 'wakes' me up. You can substitute it with lettuce, spinach or kale. Yummy!
I am having a blast with this raw challenge, I swear I never thought I would. I have joined a meetup here in Atlanta and can hardly wait for their next potluck and ofcourse i will contribute--been studying my raw cook books. There are so many raw deserts I can make to satisfy my sweet tooth. This is just too good.

Arrivederci!


Thursday, October 1, 2009

Day 4 (30-Day Green Smoothie Challenge)

FROM MY KITCHEN TO YOURS: Bernice's Orange Gravy

I woke up feeling great this morning. Last night I was a little cranky, I think if I'd gone to bed early I wouldn't have felt that way, either way I had good night's rest. I went out for a 20 minute jog this morning and then was off to the kitchen to make my Spring Baby green smoothie.

Spring Baby Smoothie:

2 golden ripe pears
1 delicious apple
3 handfuls of baby spring mix (red lettuce, arugula and green lettuce)
2 tsp of flax seeds
2 cups of water

This has a delicious gritty feel in your mouth, so you can chew on it some or if you have a super blender, puree it to a smoother consistency. I usually blend, then puree. Yummy!

The picture above is a raw soup I made yesterday, surprisingly tasty. Rick had two bowls of it, he added some Bragg's aminos in his and ate it with almond butter sandwiches. Here is the recipe:

Bernice's Orange Gravy

1 celery stalk
2 medium carrots
5 ripe tomatoes
1 Tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1 tsp of sweet basil, thyme and oregano
1 tsp agave nectar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of water
salt to taste

Blend to desired consistency and enjoy. You can also add some cayenne pepper later on if you choose.

A short note before I say "Arrivederci":
Health is your birthright and there's no one out there who will help you preserve that right but you. Take your health into your hands like you take your bills seriously. If you don't pay your bills you get in trouble; maybe the lights will get turned off, the car repossessed or you get foreclosed. The same is true if you don't feed your body right, sickness and disease will prevail and organs start to shut down because you've not been 'paying' your 'bills' to your body.