Saturday, December 8, 2007

Voluntary Simplicity

We are the most successful people the world has ever
known.
It's a great time to be riding this wave. Our
enormously productive economy affords us luxuries
beyond the wildest dreams of previous generations and
far beyond the reach of most of the almost 7 billion
Homo sapiens inhabiting & modifying this tiny planet.
A planet on which over 1/3 do not have electricity,
many starving, 99% without computers and
enviro-degradation everywhere. It's an exciting, fun
time for most of us in America. I call it the final
glow of the "Golden Age of Man".

Many today long for a simpler society, a simpler life,
a life- style more in tune with the natural world - a
sustainable way of life. We comprise only 5% of the
world's people we consume over 35% of the world's
resources. People of third world countries watch TV
and aspire to our consumerism. We are the lucky ones;
at least for a little while longer.

Voluntary Simplicity is a movement reducing
consumption and spending, creating less debt, using
less resources, recycling more, living WITH the
natural world. Many in the VS movement take delight in
exercising imagination and creativity consuming less
and recycling more.

On Thanksgiving Day I picked up the morning paper. It
was over 90% advertizing. How many times a day are we
told to buy "stuff"? A local example of VS is Eric
Greening who hasn't owned a car for decades but gets
around by bus, walking and hitching rides; he is
always at the SLO Board of Supervisors educating the
rest of us - a role model for all to emulate.

Defining simplicity is a very individual matter that
covers a wide potential range. A few things for me:

1. reducing trash from 2 barrels per week to one
barrel per month - 3 decades ago,
2. planting acorns of native oaks everywhere I think
they might grow
3. bicycling more - I bike 1K--2K miles each year - 3
decades
4. connected the shower, laundry and sink so that
waste water flows to plants outside - 3 decades
5. hanging laundry on a line in the sun - always
6. deciding to get a vasectomy to prevent "accidents"
- 3 decades ago
7. having a garden - 4 decades

Voluntary Simplicity is a unique trend but one whose
time has come as our resources become depleted. Some
suggestions on things
you might do:

1. AVOID YOUR CAR: Walk, ride your bike,carpool, take
the bus but don't drive your polluter. Walk on the
beach rather than drive as at Oceano & listen to the
waves.
2. AVOID SHOPPING: Why do we get over 1000
messages/day to buy more?
The average credit card debt is over $9,200. Before
you buy anything, ask yourself if you really need the
item.
3. GET RID OF YOUR LAWN: Make a bio-intensive garden
as I have done - great food. Grow native bushes and
increase biodiversity - birds & butterflies love it.
We use over 202 million pounds of pesticides/yr. for
lawns in the US plus all that polluting
lawn-machinery.
4. TURN OFF THE TV: Corporations spend over $7 Billion
each year telling us to consume. It is OK to watch
"Democracy Now" by Amy Goodman as there are no
commercials & my main source of the news.
5. STOP ACCIDENTS: Sixty percent of all pregnancies in
the US are unintended (accidents). I urge vasectomies
for males, emergency contraception for gals and condom
vending machines in all restrooms.
6. HANG YOUR LAUNDRY: We have the wonderful warm sun
so much on the Central Coast.
7. READ (then recycle it) HOPEDANCE: This free
publication is dedicated to voluntary simplicity - the
hope for a future.

Bill Denneen

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

How to Set the Mood For the Day

by Frederic Patenaude

Here's one of my most important health (and success)
tips of all:

"Design and follow a strict morning routine to improve
every aspect of your day"

Let me explain: it's been found that people who had
the most success in implementing a fitness program,
releasing weight or accomplish great things (like
writing a book) all had one thing in common:

-They Started the Day on the Right Foot-

What you do in the morning will influence every aspect
of your day. If you exercise in the morning, you'll
feel more alert the rest of the day. If you eat a
great raw, living meal in the morning, you'll compare
every other meal to that one. And so on and so forth.

But the key is... you actually have to *design* this
morning schedule and practice it religiously until it
becomes a *ritual* รข€” so completely automatic.

As an example, here's my current morning routine:

- 7:30 a.m. waking up, quick stretch, and I go outside
to get sunshine in my eyes
- I drink 1/2 liter of water with lemon
- I practice the 5 tibetan rites (a yoga-like
exercise), and a few other exercises for about 10
minutes
- Shower, shaving, dressing properly
- Breakfast of usually a raw smoothie
- Brushing teeth
- I go for a walk

The morning routine allows me to remember to do all of
the things that are important to me in the morning in
a systematic manner. Before that, it was completely
random. I would wake up at different times every day,
sometimes I would exercise, sometimes I would not.
Sometimes I would forget to drink water, sometimes I
would not...

Success in life and health is a lot about
*consistency* .

In order to do that, you need *rituals* that are
completely automatic. I will talk more about this in a
future tip.

But for now, focus on designing on paper your ideal
morning routine, and then follow it for the next 21
days. Make it realistic. After a few weeks, it will
become completely automatic.

Frederic Patenaude, is the author of the best-selling e-book “The Raw Secrets”. You can get his daily “Outrageous Health & Success Tips” ezine by visiting http://www.fredericpatenaude.com

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Eight common mistakes that occur on Raw Food

by Victoria Boutenko
http://www.RawFamil y.com

http://rawlivingfoo ds.typepad. com/1/2007/ 11/eight- common-mi. html

1. Many raw fooders do not eat enough greens.
Solution: Regularly consume energy soup or green
smoothies to guarantee the proper amount of greens.

2. Many raw fooders do not consume enough fiber,
soluble and insoluble.
Solution: Drink more smoothies or energy soups instead
of juices.

3. People on a raw food diet often consume too many
fats. When they try to imitate cooked dishes they
substitute starches with nuts.
Solution: Use nut pulp left over from making nut
mylks, use more seeds and less nuts, and use more
fruit and vegetable pulp from juices in your mixtures,
to minimize the consumption of nuts.

4. Raw fooders commonly try to become too perfect too
fast. They don't give their bodies a chance to adjust
to such a radical dietary change.
Solution: Gradually adjust and purify your own
individual diet to help you ease into the healthiest
diet for you.

5. When people change their diets they usually decide
the other components that make up health are no longer
important, such as sunbathing, exercising, proper
rest, fresh air, etc.
Solution: Practice a well-rounded healthy lifestyle.

6. People on the raw foods diet often over-indulge in
some particular foods and neglect the variety of other
fruits and vegetables.
Solution: Eat foods in reasonable quantities.

7. The biggest mistake raw fooders make is that they
listen to the raw food authorities and don't trust the
invaluable messages their own bodies communicate.
Solution: Keep a diary of your daily food
consumption and how it affects your well-being.

To add #8: Dietary Variety - perhaps just an emphasis
of #6 - At Creative Health we often found that after a
year on Raw Living Foods many people we experiencing
imbalances because they had settled into a routine of
only 6 or 7 foods they were eating. Dietary variety is
very important! Try everything in the veggie aisle.
Experiment with the unfamiliar in the fruit aisle. Try
different grains and seeds.
Even if you just toss a bit of this and that into the
blender, you'll still gain the benefits that each food
gives us.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

The Supreme Machine

How much value would you put on a machine that is so special that there are no others like it, no spare parts and yet it must run continuously without stopping for up to 100 years?

The machine, of course, is your body. The value assigned to it is up to you. But before you decide how much your body is worth, you should appreciate a few things about it. You ask it to do some phenomenal things, including process huge amounts of information, both input and output, on a daily basis; interface with others on many different levels; produce another human machine for continuity of the species; and under certain circumstances, perform feats of strength and courage.

Those things your body does because you tell it to; but what about all those things your body does every day, day after day, year after year, with little or no thought or decision on your part? Consider this for a moment - if you are an adult of about average weight, here's what you do in 24 hours:

Your heart beats 103,689 times.
Your hair grows .01714 inches.
You breathe 23,040 times.
You eat 3 pounds of food.
You perspire 1.43 pints of liquid.
You speak 4,800 words.
You turn 25 to 35 times in your sleep.
You lose 7.8 pounds of waste weight.
Your blood travels 168,000 miles.
Your nails grow .000046 inches.
You inhale 438 cubic feet of air.
You drink 2.9 pounds of liquid.
You move 750 major muscles.

It pays to take care of this fantastic, one-of-a-kind machine, since there are no spare parts!

Now that you have some idea of what this superb creation does, do you properly take care of it? It relentlessly performs its daily functions and asks only periodic attention, proper fuel, some rest, exercise, and an occasional checkup. Now that you know a little bit about what your body does and its minimum requirements, what is it worth? Of course, it is priceless, so be sure to maintain it with the basic requirements of proper nutrition, sleep and daily exercise.

--- Source: Vitality Labs Newsletter

Friday, November 9, 2007

Raw Gingerbread Men

Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach 2007, www.TheRawFoodCoach.com


This recipe doesn't have to be dehydrated to taste good or hold itself together, but for the crunch factor, yes, absolutely.

Ingredients
Makes 9 small Men.

* 1 cup of golden flax (linseed)
* 1 cup pecans
* 3 teaspoons powdered ginger
* 2 Tablespoons of dark agave syrup
* 1/8 cup of pure water

Directions

1) Mill the flax seed and pecans together into a fine flour. (This is best done in the Vita-Mix dry jug, or by using a coffee mill; a food processor won't get it fine enough on its own).

2) Pour the "flour" - saving just a little back for step 3 - into a food processor adding the remaining ingredients. Process until a dark sticky ball is created.

3) Remove the ball from the processor and lay it out on a flat surface ready for rolling out. This is where you may need to use the flour you held back from step 2 as it might stick to the surface or rolling pin! So lightly coat the board you are rolling on or the mixture itself in a fine dusting of flour and then roll out into a flat dough.

4) Using gingerbread men-shaped cookie cutters, cut out your men and either leave plain or decorate, according to your preference. Once finished, you can either eat as a "fresh" version which will be juicy and slightly chewy, or you can move to step 5 where you'll need a dehydrator...

5) Lay your men out on your dehydrator tray. No protective sheeting is required as the mixture isn't runny. Depending on how crunchy you want your men (!), dehydrate anything from a few hours to 24 hours. The full 24 hours at 100 degrees F will give you crunchy men, so long as they are no more than 5mm thick when they go in to dry.


By following this recipe you'll have gingerbread men ready to go in just minutes if you opt for the fresh version. As this is my first conscious foray into making creative raw food for kids, next time around as I tweak the recipe I'll be experimenting with raisin "buttons", chocolate "icing" and goji berry clothing!

Pumpkin Bread

by RoseLeeCalabro
www.rawtimes.com

1 c barley, soaked 2-3 days, be sure to rinse daily,(good)
2 C soft wheat, sprouted 1 day
1 1/2 C fresh pumpkin puree
1/2 orange
1 tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 t cinnamon
1/2 C dates
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C walnuts, soaked and chopped
Put 1 1/2 C barley, wheat mixture in the champion juicer using the solid plate along with dates. Puree pumpkin and orange and add to the mixture. Add spices, raisins, and walnuts. Mix well, form into 3 loaves of bread and place on a tray with teflex sheet in dehydrator at 105 degrees for 4 hours, remove teflex sheet and continue dehydrating for 4-6 hours or until moisture is desired.

Monday, November 5, 2007

A large collection (over 70) videos on Raw and Living Foods: http://feralfoods.org/video.html.

Quote To Remember

"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine, or the slowest form of poison."

- Dr. Ann Wigmore, N.D.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Ranch Dip or Dressing

From Raw Power by Stephin Arlin

1 1/2 C cashews or macadamia nuts
1/2 C water
3 T fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic
1-2 tsp Celtic Sea salt
1/2 tsp dried dill (or 1 very small sprig fresh)
1/2 tsp dried basil (or 2 leaves fresh)
1 stalk celery

Mix all ingredients in Vita-Mix or blender until smooth and creamy. Makes 2 cups. If making dressing, use an extra 1/2 to 1 cup of water.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Sunlight cuts risk of many cancers

By Roger Dobson
Published: 21 October 2007

Sunbathing, considered risky by skin cancer experts, may actually reduce the risk of breast and other cancers, new research has found.

Some women who had higher sun exposure had their risk of advanced breast cancer reduced by almost half, according to the scientific study.

The researchers from Stanford University , who report their findings in the American Journal of Epidemiology this week, said: "This study supports the idea that sunlight exposure reduces risk of advanced breast cancer among women with light skin pigmentation. ''

The Stanford cancer specialists measured 4,000 women aged 35 to 79, half of them diagnosed with breast cancer, for the effects of long-term sun exposure.

Sun exposure may also protect against a number of other cancers, according to a second research team who studied more than four million people in 11 countries, including 416,000 who had been diagnosed with skin cancer.

These results, reported in the European Journal of Cancer, show that the risk of internal cancers after skin cancers was lower among people living in sunny countries.

The researchers said: "Vitamin D production in the skin seems to decrease the risk of several solid cancers, especially stomach, colo-rectal, liver and gall- bladder, pancreas, lung, female breast, prostate, bladder and kidney cancers."

Sunlight plays a vital role in the production of beneficial vitamin D in the body. Although food provides some vitamin D, up to 90 per cent comes from exposure to sunlight.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Carob Banana Pops

Carob Banana Pops
by Paul Ladendorf

Large Ripe Bananas (Bananas aren't ripe til they are covered with brown speckles)
Carob Powder
Almonds soaked 12-24 hours (optional)
Water
Popsicle Sticks (Buy from crafts shop)

Chop nuts in food processor. Mix carob powder and nuts, in tall cup adding water until you have a thick, creamy consistency. Cut bananas in half, insert stick into cut end of banana halves and dip in carob nut mixture. Place "pops" on wax paper or plastic wrap in freezer until frozen and enjoy!

Note: Excess carob nut mixture can be frozen, then thawed out for next batch.

Fettuccini Alfredo

Fettuccini noodles:
3 Zucchinis

Peel skin with vegetable peeler. Discard green skin or use for another recipe.
Use vegetable peeler to make long, flat Fettuccini-type noodles, until you reach center part with seeds. Discard or use for another recipe.

Alfredo Sauce:
1 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (soaked overnight)
1/8 c walnuts (soaked overnight)
1/4 cup cold pressed, first pressed olive oil
2 tsp Celtic sea salt
3 small cloves garlic
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
water for sauce consistency

Pour sauce over bowl of fettuccini, add dried parsley for pretty and serve immediately.

*** A nice addition is to add about 1/2 Tbl diced marinated mushrooms to the top, before you add the parsley. This gives just a nice addition to the meal without overpowering.

- from Michelle Reeves, www.FromSADtoRAW.com

Saturday, October 6, 2007

You must check out this site!!!

I found this site today, and this guy is soooo inspiring.
Make sure you watch his youtube video on the site.
He has lost over 125lbs.
Yeah for him!!!
www.lovingraw.com

Pizza

From "Living on Live Food" by Alissa Cohen www.alissacohen.com

Trust me: any cravings you have for pizza will be taken care of with this recipe! Crust, cheese, sauce and toppings...just like the real thing, only better!


Easiest Crust:

2 cups ground flax seeds (not soaked)
1/2 cup onion
2 celery stalks
1 carrot
1 large tomato
2 large cloves garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup water

Creamy Cheddar Cheese:

1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cups red bell pepper
1/2 peeled lemon
2 cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon Bragg liquid aminos

Marinara Sauce:

2 1/2 cups tomatoes
12 sun dried tomatoes, soaked
3 dates, pitted and soaked
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic
2 Tablespoons parsley (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt

Toppings:
Any assorted vegetables of your choice. I like to use avocado, mushrooms, spinach, onions, etc…

For Crust:
1. Combine all ingredients for whichever crust recipe you are using in a food processor until well blended and smooth.
2. Remove from processor and place on a Teflex sheet on top of a mesh dehydrator screen.
3. Smooth crust into 1/4 inch thick large circle.
4. Make the edge of the circle a bit thicker, like a pizza crust would be.
5. Dehydrate crust for 2 hours at 105 degrees, then flip off of Teflex sheet and onto mesh dehydrator screen and dehydrate for another couple of hours until firm but not hard or crispy.

For Cheese:
1. In a food processor, blend the cheese ingredients until smooth and creamy.

For Sauce:
1. In a food processor, blend the tomato sauce ingredients until smooth.

To Assemble:
1. Remove crust from the dehydrator and flip the crust back to its original side before topping so you have the thick outer crust that you molded facing upward.
2. Spread cheese sauce over the pizza crust. (Leave a 1/4 inch of space near the edges of the crust.)
3. Pour marinara sauce over the cheese on the crust.
4. Top with your favorite toppings.
5. Place pizza back into the dehydrator and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 6-10 hours depending on desired texture.

Notes: I usually put the cheese sauce underneath the tomato sauce because it looks prettier and is easier to spread. You can use any cheese sauce you prefer... You can also use a small amount of cheese and sauce to make the pizza extra thin if you don't like it too thick. Experiment with the toppings and dehydrating times to suit your taste.

Carob mousse pie

recipie from www.rawlifeline.com

Mousse Pie
Filling
2-3 ripe avocados
1/2 C coconut oil
3/4 C Agave Nectar
1 C carob or even better cacao powder
Crust
1 C shredded coconut
1 C dates
Filling
Put ingredients into food processor
Blend until smooth
Crust
Blend in a food processor and press into pie mold

Makes approx. 1 pie
Enjoy!

Friday, October 5, 2007

How To Get Going With Your Dehydrator

So, the big question: "I've got my dehydrator, now what do I do with it?!"

As with all new pieces of equipment, I encourage you to start small with something really basic - first simply to get on and get started and to do something and second to get your courage up so that you can go on to make even bigger and better things. In the case of the dehydrator, here's a list of things to play with ordered from the easiest to the more complicated:

Slices of fresh fruits and vegetables: Start with some simple classics such as slices of apple, banana, cherries, strawberries, mango, tomatoes, courgette (zucchini), carrot, red bell pepper and so on.

Biscuits, snack bars and cookies: A great next step (and a rewarding one at that!) is to move on to the crunchy snacks and treats such as flapjacks and cookies, made from simple, easy to find ingredients (usually nuts, dried fruits, maybe some oats or sprouted grains) that you just need to grind together in a food processor. To get started simply pick an appealing recipe from a raw recipe book or wait for me to post one (but you may be waiting a wee while as I have hundreds of posts I want to put up before then!).

Burgers and loaves: It's lovely to have something more 'meaty' to bite into sometimes, and a good juicy veggie or nut burger served with a fresh crisp salad and mouthwatering dressing can often be just what the taste buds ordered! Either that or serve the burger wrapped inside a large lettuce leaf or cabbage leaf like a bun, pile it high with assorted toppings and sauces and you can have something which looks and feels really naughty ; )

Flax crackers: Flax (or linseed as it is also known) is a great seed to get started with, extremely good for you (full of EFA's) and very cheap and easy to use. I have a great recipe online (and video too) for my most excellent Italian Flax Crackers which anyone with a food processor can make - it's simply a case of JUST DO IT. And when you do, you'll be very glad you did! And they last for months in an airtight container - provided they don't get eaten in the first week...

Pizza bases: These are just as easy to make as flax crackers, but need the toppings added after dehydrating, so therefore the recipe as a whole takes longer. The pizza base I make tastes so good that I always make extra and score it with a spatula before drying so that I have crackers as well. In fact it has been known for past students of mine to not even get to pizza making stage as they've eaten the base just as it is! Find the recipe for this here.

Breads: My first forays into bread making was a complete disaster. Mainly because I made it about 5 inches deep and tried to dehydrate it in an oven with the door open! With these two factors combined it took so long to dry (well, it actually never did dry) that it fermented and stunk my mother's kitchen out and I was banned. Need I say more?! The good news is that, believe it or not, you can make raw breads (which can be wheat-free or made from sprouted wheat which is practically allergy-free) and (this is the exciting bit!) you can create amazingly delicious raw sandwiches that look and taste far superior to any Tesco's Triple Pack you may care to mention! Those of you who have tried raw food chef Russell James' completely delicious and mouthwateringly moreish herbed almond bread sandwiches (with avocado, lambs lettuce, tomato, cucumber and cashew dijonnaise filling) will know that raw bread is the TOPS! (And if you haven't heard about this recipe then go ahead and get it right now! Get it here, and definitely sign up to Russell's fantastic new eZine). Now we're talking, right?!

And beyond... There's many places to go from here, but this was, after all, just about getting started! Hopefully seeing the path ahead now mapped out for you you're now inspired to dust off your dehydrator (or in some cases, unpack it - you know who you are!) and just do it! When you compare a few apple rings to a herbed almond bread sandwich, well, what more impetus could you want to start working your way through the dehydrating ranks?

© 2007 Karen Knowler

Karen Knowler, The Raw Food Coach publishes "Successfully Raw" - a free weekly eZine for raw food lovers everywhere. If you're ready to look good, feel great and create a raw life you love get your FREE tips, tools and recipes now at www.TheRawFoodCoach.com.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Raw Walnut Fudge

2 cups walnuts
1/4 cup dates, pitted and soaked
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Grind walnuts in a food processor until fine
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until creamy.
3. Form into balls or a big block and keep in the refrigerator.

Yummy!!!

Monday, October 1, 2007

Easy Cucumber Soup

A simple, refreshing soup

1 avocado
1 cucumber
2 tablespoons dill weed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend all ingredients in a blender or Vita-Mix until smooth and creamy.

-Alissa Cohen

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Short segment on vaccines

There are many great sites you can view to educate yourself on the pros and cons of vaccinating children. There is a great site connected to this blog and one on beaveggie.blogspot.com Scroll down and click on the children's photos to read their stories. There are thousands of stories like this on the web but it seems to be very hard to find any stories about unvaccinated children dying.
The subject has come up recently by a few different people so I thought I would just do a short rant and make sure everyone can locate these sites.

Here goes...
Each generation is subjected to more vaccinations and, as a result, is experiencing more immune dysfunction diseases. Many children have as many as twenty-two vaccinations before they go to the first grade, and as more vaccines become available, the number keeps increasing.
Vaccines are toxic mixtures loaded with various substances that never should be injected into the human body -including foreign proteins and dangerous viruses from chickens, guinea pigs, calves and monkeys. Some researchers believe these viruses put a permanent burden on our immune system and do continuous damage both to the immune and nervous systems.
Vaccines also contain toxic chemicals, like mercury (a neurotoxin), ethylene glycol (anti-freeze), formaldehyde (a carcinogen), aluminum (a carcinogen and also associated with Alzheimer's), plus antibiotics like Streptomycin (Which can cause allergic reactions). Even the FDA has called for cessation of mercury in vaccines.
Decisions about whether to vaccinate your children, should be based on accurate information. Unfortunately, the public has had little access to research questioning the safety and effectiveness of vaccines.
To avoid an infectious disease, you don't need to have vaccinations; you need to keep your immunity strong. From the beginning, breastfeeding protects against many infections. Avoid allergenic foods like milk and wheat. Refined sugars are well known to depress immunity. Regular exercise, a good diet, and avoidance of allergens and toxins help to maintain a healthy immune system.
Finding any studies that prove vaccines' effectiveness is difficult. Recent worldwide outbreaks of virulent forms of TB have demonstrated that alleged "protection" by TB vaccine has little to do with whether or not anyone contracts the disease.
-excerpts from Never Be Sick Again
Health Is a Choice Learn How to Choose It.
Raymond Francis


Not meant to be used as medical advice, you must choose what is right for your child.
This is strictly my opinion.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Newsflash!!!

Thursday, September 20th was 200 days 100% raw for me!!!

Apple Nut Cream

Rich, thick, and delicious over fresh fruit.

3 apples, peeled and cored
3/4 cup cashews
1 Tablespoon tahini
3/4 cup water

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
-Alissa Cohen

Raw Apple Sauce

Apple season is here!!! This is a great raw recipe that is very easy and quick. I actually just made and ate this today. :)
It is from Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food

4 apples
2 Tablespoons raw honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Slice the apples into large chunks. (There is no need to peel the apples)
Place the apples and all other ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.

Raw Ranch Dressing

Makes 2 cups

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 T. Celtic sea salt
1 T. dried chives
1 T. dried rosemary
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. dried sage
1 cup whole, raw macadamia nuts
1/3 cup cold-pressed olive oil (optional)

Blend all of the ingredients until very smooth. Add water to achieve desired consistency.

-Raw Food Detox Diet

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Powerful Juice Combinations


1. Beet, celery, alfalfa sprouts
2. Cabbage, celery and apple
3. Cabbage, cucumber, celery, tomato, spinach and basil
4. Tomato, carrot and mint
5. Carrot, celery, watercress, garlic and wheatgrass
6. Grapefruit, orange and lemon
7. Beet, parsley, celery, carrot, mustard greens, cabbage, garlic
8. Beet, celery, dulse and carrot
9. Cucumber, carrot and parsley
10. Watercress, cucumber, garlic
11. Asparagus, carrot, and mint
13. Carrot and coconut milk
14. Carrot, broccoli, lemon, cayenne
15. Carrot, cauliflower, rosemary
16. Apple, carrot, radish, ginger
17. Apple, pineapple and mint
18. Apple, papaya and grapes
19. Papaya, cranberries and apple
20. Leafy greens, broccoli, apple
21. Grape and apple
22. Watermelon
-Bragg Healthy Lifestyle, Vital Living to 120.

Monday, September 3, 2007

The doctor of the future will give no medicine
but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame,
in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.
-Thomas Edison

There is a great deal of truth in saying
that man becomes what he eats.
-Gandhi

Dine with little, sup with less; do better still, sleep supperless.
-Benjamin Franklin

Raw Cabbage

Raw Cabbage has amazing properties. It stimulates the immune system, kills bacteria, viruses, and heals ulcers - juiced a Standford Study shows. Dr. James Balch in Prescription for Dietary Wellness, says your chances of contracting colon cancer can be reduced by 60% by eating cabbage weekly. Dr. Saxon-Graham states that those who never consumed cabbage were three times more likely to develop colon cancer. A japanese study shows people who ate cabbage had the lowest fatality rate from any cancer. Therapeutic benefits have also been attributed to cabbage in relation to scurvy, gout, rheumatism (arthritis), eye diseases, asthma, pyorrhea, and gangrene. Cooking destroys the cabbages healing properties.
-Bragg Healthy Lifestyle Vital Living to 120

Friday, August 17, 2007

Almond Pudding

2 cups apples, diced
2 cups dates, diced
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups soaked almonds
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

Blend all ingredients in a food processor or heavy-duty blender, until you reach a thick, pudding-like consistency. Use more water if necessary.
Almonds have to be soaked the day before. 3/4 cups soaked almonds in water overnight will yield 1 1/2 cups.

Raw Chocolate Pudding

2 cups soaked cashews
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup soaked raisins
6 tbsp carob powder
1 cup water, or nut milk

Blend all ingredients together. You may also use the food processor to make this.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Why not cooked?

When a food is heated to over 110 degrees, its enzymes are destroyed. To help with digestion, the pancreas must then produce additional enzymes to aid the digestive process. It requires additional energy and stress for the body to produce its own enzymes.
Since raw foods are left whole and unprocessed, they retain all their nutrients, as well as enzymes the body needs to convert food to fuel. Raw foods don't take a lot of energy to digest and are digested more rapidly-in 24 to 36 hours. In contrast, cooked foods can take from 48 to 100 hours to be digested.
Incorportating uncooked foods into your diet may help support weight loss and provide more energy and clearer skin, while releasing stored toxins. People eating raw foods tend to have less body fat and inflammation, as determined by low levels of C-reactive protein A Journal of Nutrition study linked long-term consumption of a 70-100-percent raw-foods diet with favorable serum LDL cholesterol and trigliceride levels. Raw foods may even help fight cancer.
-Taste For Life 8/07

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Salad Study

Don't skimp on salad. A recent report from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that those who frequently ate salads had higher levels of vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and folic acid - key nutrients for enhaced immuity and disease prevention.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Corn Salad


2 cups fresh corn kernels
1/2-1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
1/4 cup finely chopped red onions
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
Pinch cayenne

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss gently.
-Rose Lee Calabro

Tomatoes with Italian Parsley Dressing

Lettuce leaves
Sprouts
2-3 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons cold-pressed olive oil
2 tablespoons finley shopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt

Arrange a bed of lettuce leaves and sprouts on a serving platter or two individual salad plates. Top with the tomatoes. Combine the parsley, olive oil, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in a jar. Seal tightly and shake well. Pour over the salad and serve. Makes 2 servings.
-Rose Lee Calabro

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Why Eat Fruits and Vegetables?

Most of us have heard of colon cancer, sometimes called colorectal cancer. Rectal cancer may be a less familiar term. The rectum, where rectal cancer occurs, is located at the end of the large intestine; it is about 7 inches long About 1 of 8 deaths from colorectal cancer is due to rectal cancer. Some studies of colon cancer have found that high fiber diets reduce risk. Researchers from the University of Utah examined 952 people with rectal cancer and compared them to 1,205 people without rectal cancer. Subjects were asked to recall their diet two years before the start of the study, which for the people with cancer, was two years before their cancer was diagnosed. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains were associated with a reduced risk of developing rectal cancer. High intakes of dietary fiber also reduced the risk of cancer.

Slattery ML, Curtain KP, Edwards SL, Schaffer DM. 2004. Plant foods, fiber, and rectal cancer.
Am J Clin Nutr 79:274-81.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

This Dressing Is Sooooo Good

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup Nama Shoyu
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
6 tbsp raw tahini
1 clove garlic

Put in blender and blend, serve over salad greens and lots of raw veggies.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Check out a great blog

Ok...quite some time ago I came across a raw blog that inspired me. This lady is superwoman.
You will literally spend hours reading her blog archives and recipes. I have tried a lot of them and they are all great. She had to end her blog in December because she was way too busy to keep it up.
Here is the link....enjoy

www.mawintheraw.blogspot.com

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Drink Your Water


We all know that water is important. See for yourself:

- 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (This likely applies to half the world's population)

- In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so week that it is often mistaken for hunger.

- Even MILD deydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

- One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study.

- Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

- Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

- A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory; trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

- Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and you will be 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Spinach Dip

Great on veggies or raw crackers

4 cups spinach
1 large avocado
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Herbamare Seasoning salt

Bend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth

Note: Adjust Herbamare to taste or try just adding sea salt instead.

We learned this recipe at Alissa Cohen's class in March.

Friday, July 27, 2007

It's Friday Night...Have A Healthy Drink

From Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food


Mudslide

A filling drink that really 'hits the spot' when you get a craving for sweets.

1/2 cup almonds
1 1/2 cups water
1 banana
3 dates

In a blender or Vita-Mix, blend until smooth.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Romaine Roll-Ups


By Shazzie

Ingredients:
1 large head of romaine lettuce
3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and finely chopped
1 handful alfalfa sprouts
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
basil, oregano or mint, finely chopped
onion and/or garlic, finely chopped

Directions:
Separate the leaves of the romaine lettuce and place on a plate.

In a bowl, mix together the tomatoes, avocado, alfalfa, cilantro, basil, oregano or mint, onion and garlic to make the filling.

Spoon a generous dollop of the filling at one end of each lettuce leaf. Roll the sides of the leaf over, fold it in half. Continue until you have used all the filling and then eat like a sandwich.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Be kind to the earth tips

1. Bring your own bags to the store
2. Donate old cell phones and help save the African gorilla (eco-cell.org)
3. Start composting
4. Swap, don't buy (try eBay.com, craigslist.org, and freecycle.org)
5. Clean up indoor air with plants instead of artificial air fresheners
6. Plant a garden
7. Collect rainwater to water your garden
8. Remove your name from junk-mail lists by registering at dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist
9. Eat more veggies
10. Wash clothes in cold water and hang them out/up to dry

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Sun Tea


1 bunch of each: peppermint, spearmint & lemon balm

Put into a gallon jar and fill with pure water. Let soak in the sun for
8 hours or more until it turns golden in color. Makes one gallon.

-Eating without Heating, Boutenko

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Banango Smoothie

From Eating Without Heating - Boutenko

Blend the following ingredients in a blender until smooth:

2 frozen bananas
1 1/2 cups frozen mango chunks
1 cup orange juice

Cut up one fresh ripe mango into small cubes and mix into each cup for texture.
Serves 2-3

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Mango Orange Cream

Recipe from Rawbert Reid, Organic Garden


1 Mango
2-3 oz. Almonds (soaked 6-12 hours)
Juice of 5-6 fresh-squeezed oranges


Blend until creamy with more or less orange juice to desired consistency. This can be eaten as a smoothie, a topping for fruit salad, or pudding.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The Dirty Dozen


My sister Kayla recently switched from conventional produce to all organic, when she did we had a conversation about which veggies or fruits were the least treated if she couldn't find organic.
Here is a list of the most heavily treated produce
and a list of produce that has lower amounts
of pesticides. It is helpful if you find yourself
in a situation where you are at a restaurant or
party where they are serving veggie or fruit
trays that you know are not organic.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

How to read produce stickers

Have you ever wondered what the numbers on your produce stickers mean?

Most people assume it is only to help the cashier locate the correct price to charge for that shiny red apple. This series of numbers can also give you information about the food you are purchasing.

1. A label with four digits means the food is conventionally grown. (pesticides, etc.)

2. Labels with five digits starting with an eight indicate the food is genetically modified.

3. Labels with five digits starting with a nine mean that the food is organically grown.

So, look for five digits starting with a nine for peace of mind.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Alarming Facts

The Standard American Diet

In American between 1980 and 1997, the average per capita consumption of major food commodities per person, per year included:

111 lbs. red meat
580 lbs. dairy products
29 lbs. ice cream
53 gallons of soda
66 lbs. fats and oils
39 gallons alcohol
150 lbs. wheat
24 gallons coffee
154 lbs. sugar

US Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract 1999

On a raw-vegan diet you would consume nothing from the above list.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Busy Weekend



Sorry I haven't posted at all this weekend, we have been busy, busy, and more busy.

Also, took a little time to spoil Madison.

Back on schedule tomorrow. :)

Friday, July 13, 2007

Time to eat lots of WATERMELON


Watermelon is loaded with vitamins B, C and beta-carotene.
Minerals you get when you eat watermelon are: calcium, iron and lots of
potassium.

Watermelon supports kidney and bladder function. The seeds dilate capillaries to reduce blood pressure. (So Stop Spitting Them Out!!!)
Watermelon also has anti-aging capabilities and raises energy levels.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Raw/Vegan Ranch Dressing

This is soooo good on a big plate of salad. This recipe is by Elaina Love.
All you need is a blender and lots of veggies.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Directions:
Blend the cashews, lemon juice, sea salt, onion and garlic powder with 1 cup purified water until smooth and creamy. You may need to add more lemon juice if the lemons you are using are not sour enough. Pour into a bowl.

Add the dill and Italian seasoning by hand to the blended dressing. Serve as a dip or a salad dressing. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Hummus

This is from Alissa Cohen's awesome cookbook. I had the pleasure of staying with her for five days in March and learning a bunch of great raw recipes.

Tastes just as delicious as the hummus served in the finest Greek restaurants! You can change the flavor of this hummus by adding different vegetables, e.g.: red peppers = "Red Pepper Hummus," carrots = "Carrot Hummus," and so on.


4 cups sprouted chickpeas
1 cup tahini
1 cup onion
1 cup olive oil
1 cup lemon, peeled
1/2 bunch parsley
1 Tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos (I prefer Nama Shoyu)
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Side note: CHICKPEAS - Acording to researchers, the mineral and protein content of chickpeas are of a level so high, that they may actually lower the risk of cancer and heart disease. Chickpeas also contain elements that prevent the wrinkling of skin. (nice!)

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Eat More Veggies


What's good for the planet is good for you, too. That's why Frances Moore Lappe', author of Diet for A Small Planet, champions a vegetarian diet. "Eating low on the food chain is one of my core lifestyle choices," she says. While a meat-centered diet deepens our ecological foot print and contributes to pollution, a plant-centered diet requires fewer resources and supports long-term health. Research shows that vegetarians have lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, prostate and colon cancer. You don't have to go completely veggie to reap the benefits; try gradually shifting the emphasis of your meals from animal-based proteins to plant-based ones like soy foods and beans. -Body & Soul 5/07

When anyone ask the kids how they get their protein they answer, "from the same place the cow your eating got theirs, fresh greens. " :)

Friday, July 6, 2007

Strawberries are in season!!!


Strawberries are rich in vitamin b, c & beta-carotene.

They are filled with the minerals potassium, calcium, iron
and phosphorus.

Strawberries are an excellent skin cleanser. Mild laxative and have a
diuretic effect. They are helpful for high blood pressure, gout and rheumatism.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Dilly Zucchini

This is from Jackie Graff

Here is a great way to use all of the extra zucchini.

5 cups zucchini shredded

Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 bunch fresh dill
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt
2-3 cloves garlic

Place lemon juice, sea salt, garlic and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth. When the dressing is mixed well, add the dill, pulsing the blender until the dill is chopped. Toss dressing with zucchini, mixing well.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Happy Fourth of July


We hope everyone has a great day!!!
Back tomorrow with new recipes and more.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Avocado Burritos


Recipe by David Wolfe

Super easy and very satisfying.

Ingredients:
2 avocados
4 tomatoes
1 orange (juiced)
8 lettuce leaves

Directions:
In a meduim bowl, mash and mix together the avocados and tomatoes. Squeeze in some orange juice for sweetness. Divide mixture amoung lettuce leaves and roll up burrito style.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Garlic Dressing

Simple to whip up and it goes well with any green salad

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 cup olive oil
pinch of corse celtic sea salt

Blend all ingredients together. It is best to let this dressing sit for a little while to develop flavor.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Juice, Juice & More Juice



Well, I think we are going to get some relief from the heat today.
It seems cooler this morning. Maybe a rain shower?

Sometimes it is nice to take a break from eating for a day or two. It gives the body a chance to rest and work on healing things that may not get taken care of if the body is busy digesting foods all day.

Every once in a while I will try to just have juice for the day. I usually will peel 4 or 5 oranges in the late morning and run them through the juicer or sometimes I will just blend them if I want the flesh as well. I usually dilute the juice with a little distilled water.

Today I will also be having one of my favorites...Apple-Carrot-Celery juice.
I take about 6 carrots, 2-3 apples and 2 stalks of celery and juice them together. Pour into a glass and it is really delicious. They apples make the juice quite sweet.

There are so many combinations of juice to make. I'll be posting lots of juice recipes throughout the summer.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Fresh Strawberry Pie

From Recipes for Life...from God's Garden by Rhonda Malkmus

Pie Shell:

1 cup raw almonds, soaked overnight
1 cup soft, pitted dates
1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Soak the almonds for about 12 hours. Grind the nuts in a food procssor until finely chopped. Add the dates and vanilla, and blend well. Press thinly into a pie plate (from the center to the outside rim) to form the shell.

Binder:

7 or 8 large strawberries
5 soft dates, pitted
2 bananas, fairly ripe
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Blend all binder ingredients in food processor or blender until well mixed.

Fruit Filling:

Cut 2 pints of frsh strawberries into quarters, and fold into binder and fill shell. Decorate with approximately 1/2 pint of quartered strawberries. Cover and store in fridge. Chill well before serving.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Refreshing Spinach Salad

Today in Maine it is over 90 degrees!!! When it's that hot who wants to eat cooked food?
Summer is the easiest time to eat a raw vegan diet. There is an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables and everything just seems to have more flavor.

Cool smoothies and salads are the way to go on a day like this. Here is an easy salad that takes just minutes to prepare.

Refreshing Spinach Salad

1 pound raw spinach, broken into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup of leeks or chives, chopped
sliced radishes (about 4)
10 raw mushrooms, sliced thin (my favorite are baby portabellas)
1 carrot, shredded

Toss with your favorite raw dressing and enjoy.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Banana - Coconut Pudding


This pudding is soooo good!!!

1 whole young coconut (the white ones - not brown)
6 ripe bananas
1 T agave nectar
1 T raw carob powder (or cacao powder)
1 t almond extract and a pinch of nutmeg

Add both the meat from the coconut and the milk to the blender and blend. Add other ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve chilled and garnish with fresh mint leaves.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Kyle Graduates!!!


Yesterday we had all of the family over and presented Kyle with his diploma. He is the last of our three children to graduate from high school. Kyle was homeschooled for all four of his high school years.
Congratulations Kyle, we are so proud of you!!!

Friday, June 22, 2007

Today's Mission - Perfect Tomatoes


Today I went to Wild Oats in search of a large amount of organic tomatoes. Not always a successful mission, but today was my lucky day. I could hardly contain my excitement when I saw a huge display of beautiful Roma tomatoes for only $1.49 lb.
I have many plans for these beauties this weekend. I am going to make raw marinara, raw chili, and just enjoy a few all by themselves!!!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Late Morning Smoothie


This is my favorite smoothie. I have this almost everyday. It is the first thing I usually eat or drink. I get up at 6:30 with hubby, make his lunch, do paperwork for our plumbing business, set appointments, return calls and the usual daily household duties.

2 frozen bananas
1 tsp. raw carob or sometimes I use raw cacao powder
1 tbsp. raw organic almond butter
a small squirt of raw agave nectar
2 cups of distilled water (more or less) depending on how thick you like it

Kyle, my very picky 16 year old even loves this drink. When he is home I have to double the recipe!!!

First Post

Hi,

My intention with this blog is to keep a journal of my raw journey. Also, to make it easier for others to succeed with their raw journey.
My name is Laura, I am married with three great children. Jenn 21, Tracy 18, and Kyle 16.
I will try to post examples of what a regular day of raw is like for me, recipes that I love, and just everyday fun stuff.

I also just became a grandmother three weeks ago!!! Her name is Madison.