Lucuma Pudding

Lucuma Pudding

I can eat different varieties of this raw pudding any day of the week. I am in love with this stuff. There are days when I can actually tell that I NEED this pudding. :) Well today was one of those days. I decided to use some Lucuma powder to flavor this version. It turned out spectacular. Right before I ate it I decided to sprinkle on one tablespoon of Hemp Seeds. They aren't in the photo. This will keep you full for HOURS. I sometimes don't get hungry again until almost dinner time! In June I posted a recipe for a basic carob pudding, this is a super charged version, minus the carob (I was out :() loaded with even more nutrition!! I added my buckwheat crispies to add a nice crunch. I have been adding these crispies to a lot of breakfast recipes lately. They take the place of dried cereals. Here is my recipe:

Lucuma Pudding

1  organic avocado
1 large organic banana or 2 small (plus a few slices for topping)
2 heaping Tbsp Lucuma Powder
1 Tbsp Tupelo Honey
pinch of sea salt
Handful of Buckwheat Crispies
1 Tbsp Nutiva Hemp Seeds

In a food processor, process the avocado, banana, lucuma, sea salt, and honey till smooth and creamy. Put into a serving bowl and top with the buckwheat crispies, sliced banana and hemp seeds.
Note: I was out of raw carob powder, next time I will add this also. You could also use raw cacao powder.

Buckwheat Crispies

1 pound buckwheat groats
Put buckwheat groats in a large bowl and fill to the top with water. The buckwheat will double in size, so use plenty of water to keep it submerged.
Rinse the buckwheat every few hours to remove the thick slimy layer. Cover again with fresh water. Let it soak a total of 6-8 hours.
Rinse the soaked buckwheat thoroughly after the 6-8 hours. Using your Excalibur dehydrator, place a teflex sheet or wax paper over the mesh screens so the buckwheat won't fall through. Spread the buckwheat out onto the trays and dehydrate 3-4 hours or until completely dry at 104 degrees. Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the pantry. Should keep for 6-9 months.
Uses:
These are like a raw version of rice krispies. They travel well and are very versatile because they are so bland. You can top them with your favorite nut milk or sprinkle on puddings, cobblers or salads. You could even try topping them with a chocolate nut milk for the children!!



~JMJ~ Today I am grateful that I can choose what I want to eat each day. My heart goes out to those who don't know when or where their next meal will come from. We are blessed in so many ways that often get taken for granted, let's not take things for granted; give thanks for even the simple things. Peace and Raw Health!

Drying and Grinding Steevia

My Organic Green Steevia Powder

When I saw the price for a bag of green steevia powder I said to myself, I can do this!! I found steevia plants at both Home Depot and Wally World. I bought mine at home depot. I have it growing in my container garden on the upper deck. I planted it in an organic soil mixture that I blended myself. I feed it weekly with an organic liquid plant food. I harvested my first bunch a month or so ago. I hung it upside down to dry in the kitchen. Once it was fully dried I ground it to a fine powder in a clean coffee grinder. I store it in an airtight container in the pantry. See how easy that was?? And just think of all the money I saved. Awesome in my mind!

 It is so important to try and grow at least a portion of our own food. I am limited during the summer as to what I can grow since I am in Southern Florida. Not much produce can survive the heat. I am successful at growing grape tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper and a variety of herbs and micro lettuce/greens. Fruit trees are good also. Right now I have a tree full of key limes and two pods of bananas on my banana trees. I'll get pics of those for another post.

How are you saving money by becoming more self sustainable?
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for home grown goodness. Patiently waiting for our Fall planting season. :)
Grow Your Own Greens!!
Peace and Raw Health!

Mango Festival

This past Saturday we went to the Mango Festival. Man was it HOT!!!! Too hot to even enjoy ourselves to the fullest. It made the youngest two very cranky.They would just stop walking and cry. We all were dripping with sweat. But we stuck it out for a while and I got some good pictures. They had several vendors, activities for the kids, food, tasting tables, gardening supplies, fruit and vegetable trees and plants and even butterfly gardening information. Mote Aquarium had a set up there with many specimens on display as well as a touch tank and a beautiful fish tank. Our children loved the touch tank. They were able to hold a water hermit crab, sea urchin, star fish, and a horse shoe crab. 

Later we found a bounce house and our three youngest spent about 20 minutes in it. Then we decided to call it a day and go get something really cold to drink. I still am glad that we went, even though it was so stinkin hot. One of the reasons I am glad we went is because my husband and I tasted our first Leechee. I loved it, he said it gave him heartburn. Too funny. Anyway, I plan on planting a Leechee tree this fall when I get my two square foot garden beds set up. They really are a unique fruit!

Here is a refreshing salad using the delicious mango fruit, in honor of the Mango Festival:

Elizabeth's Mango Sprouty Salad

Organic red leaf lettuce

1 mango, diced

mung bean sprouts

adzuki sprouts

grape tomatoes, sliced

red clover sprouts

broccoli sprouts

First cold pressed EVOO

1 T coconut vinegar

2 T fresh squeezed orange juice

pinch sea salt

pinch of onion powder

1 T raw honey

fresh lemon basil, chopped fine

Directions: Plate lettuce, top with mango, sprouts, and tomatoes. Whisk the oil, OJ, salt, honey and basil. Drizzle this dressing over the salad. Enjoy! 

~JMJ~ Today I was grateful for the breeze that would blow every so often, giving us much needed relief from the heat! Did I mention it was HOT at the festival? :)

Peace and Eat More Raw!

Water Kefir Grains

While eating a raw food diet, usually no dairy products are consumed. I do not consume dairy products and neither does one of our youngest. He has been struggling with GI issues for 11 months and we have been trying to slowly eliminate foods, attempting to pinpoint the culprit. I have read so much information on people healing when they eliminate dairy from their diet. Well, five days ago we totally eliminated all sources of dairy in his diet and he already is showing improvement!! This has been a looooong 11 months on all of us. I won't get into the details but changing 6-7 diapers a day will give you a clue as to what I mean. I try to keep dairy out of the rest of the families diet as well. But they still choose to consume some products that contain it. I won't feed it to them, so at least I know it can slowly be eliminated from their diet as well. 
I have been doing some research on making kefir. I have learned on the Internet and also from Ani Phyo, when she came to our raw foods group, that you can make coconut water kefir and even kefir with just regular filtered water, pear, and ginger. Ani likes this version right now. She uses the pear to feed the kefir grains with natural sugar and she adds the ginger because she likes the flavor.
I found water kefir grains and have added them to my store. If you are raw or even a vegan, you can't use kefir grains that have come from a dairy source so these water grains are the perfect answer. I have not made my kefir yet. That will be posted as soon as I give it a try, but I wanted to post about the water kefir grains now because a few of us were discussing it at our last meeting.
I found two young Florida coconuts in our neighbor's yard. I decided to try my hand at cracking it open to get to the coconut water. It worked! The coconut water tasted great. Even the kids liked it. I am excited to make coconut water kefir as well as Ani's version.
TIP: Freeze young coconut water that has been blended with some of the meat in ice cube trays. You then can easily add these cubes to your smoothie recipes.

Water Kefir Grains

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for yet another answer from prayer and healthy bacteria! God is good, very good!
Peace and Eat More Raw!

Making the Transition to Raw

When making the transition to raw you can either jump in with both feet or slowly make the changes. I basically jumped in with both feet, with the exception of coffee. It took me six months of being raw before I could kick the coffee habit. But I am happy to say that I did it a few months ago and am so glad I did. My body was addicted to the caffeine but I just didn't enjoy drinking it anymore. As my body was getting more and more detoxed I was really noticing how awful the caffeine was making me feel. I quit cold turkey and the only with drawl symptom I suffered was night sweats the first night. I am very grateful for that because in years past I would suffer from migraines each time I tried to quit. I really believe that the fact that I had been eating raw for over six months at the time made it easier. I feel that as each month passes I notice more and more positive results from eating raw.
Here is a link that will take you directly to a great chart that helps you transition to raw. It shows you "bad, better, best" choices. There are six categories total on the charts. It really is a great resource. I didn't find this resource until after I had gone raw. I have found so many helpful resources on the Internet. I taught myself everything about eating raw by simply scouring the Internet. Now I have the good fortune to also learn from others in our Raw and Living Foods Group.
Here is the link for the charts, check it out:
http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/raw-food-diet-conversion-chart.html

This is another great starting point. When I was first researching and getting started on the raw and living foods lifestyle, I read every single page of this website. It took me several weeks, because I would read a little bit while taking breaks from the homeschooling, but eventually I read everything that I wanted to.
http://www.rawfoods.com/


~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for all of the wonderful people who are willing to share the intimate details of their journey on the raw and living foods diet. I have learned so much and am learning everyday.

Raw Carob and Raw Nori

I am so excited, I added two new raw products to my store. I have been looking for truly raw carob powder and raw nori wraps for quite a long time. No one in town sells them. Well I kept looking and I found them. I had to use lightly toasted nori for the sushi I posted yesterday. Once that bag is gone I will be ordering the raw nori!! 
I just uploaded both products to my astore!!
Here they are:
Truly Raw Carob Powder a 16 oz bag

and Raw Nori Wraps

P.S. I am doing a little research. I have asked Whole Foods if they can find and order raw carob and raw nori. We shall see what they say. Plus I want to compare the price to the two products I found and added to my store.

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for my oldest child. She is our only girl. I am so happy to see that as she grows she becomes more and more like her father. They both have such a calmness about them. It is just what I need to balance me. They both are so patient and kind. I am truly blessed. Peace and Eat More Raw!

Sensational Sushi

I was so pleased with the results when I made this recipe. It actually is a recipe for a Sunflower Basil Salad. I decided to make it two ways.  I used some of it for my sushi filling and the rest to make salad wraps using romaine lettuce. I got the recipe from my copy of the book, The Raw Transformation. I mentioned before how much I like all of the recipes I have tried so far. This really is a great raw book. Here is the recipe:

Sunflower Basil Salad

Serves 6

1/4 C grated zucchini

1/4 C grated squash

1/4 C grated jicama

2 C sunflower sprouts, chopped

2 C firmly packed fresh basil

3 green onions, sliced thin

3 tomatoes, chopped bite size

1/2 C sunflower seeds soaked overnight

1 large avocado, cubed

2 garlic, minced

1/2 tsp minced ginger

1/4 tsp minced jalapeno ( I used a pinch of red pepper flakes)

3 T first  cold pressed EVOO

1 T fresh lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp onion powder

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, adding spices, oil, and lemon juice last. Serve chilled.

I wrapped some up in romaine leaves, remove the tough center rib first. Then with the remainder I rolled it up in Nori Wraps. Cut them with a very sharp knife into bite size sushi pieces. You can google how to roll sushi. It is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I didn't use a bamboo mat and it turned out fine. You really should try this as a sushi roll. It is my favorite sushi thus far.

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for the beautiful morning spent at our beach with the three youngest children. We got up early, had breakfast, packed up our things and got in the car by 9 AM. I was proud of myself...I got us all ready by myself and everything came together beautifully. I even pulled right up to an open parking spot and didn't have to worry about using the parking garage halfway down the block. I was wondering how in the world I was going to lug all of our stuff down to the beach carrying the baby and holding on the hands of the other two. So I must say I was very grateful for that "up front" parking spot. The water was calm, the sky was a most beautiful blue and the kids were having a ball! Can't beat that. I actually thought about eating seaweed when I was there, watching it roll around in the surf. I actually got hungry!! I love my seaweed. I didn't eat any. Peace and Eat More Raw!

The Dairy Lie--But I Love Ice cream!

Blueberry Ice Kream
My New Kinda Ice Kream


"The number one cause of cancer is casein from milk" says Brian Clement leader of Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida.

I found some great videos regarding the dairy topic.
As well as many resources on the dangers of cow's milk. Of course if you are on an 100% raw food diet you do not consume dairy. Not even from goats or sheep. Now some people on a raw food diet do choose to consume raw goats milk from time to time but all animal milk contains casein, and that is where the danger is. Click on this link to go directly to this information.  There is also a video demonstrating how easy it is to make nut milks at this link.
http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/vegan-protein.html
Many raw ice kream recipes use nut milks, that is how we get the creamy texture. I like to make quick ice kreams at times that have no nut milks and I love them. I don't think I will miss the milk based ice creams. Hopefully the family won't either. They bought me an ice cream maker for Mother's Day so I can make the raw ice kreams in it. I have already tried it and I was blown away with the results.
I personally know many people negatively affected by dairy products. People in our family suffer from the adverse effects. It is my goal to get everyone off of cow's milk or products containing cow's milk. I am reading labels and looking for all of the hidden words for milk or milk products. Whey is a big one that you'll see on many food labels. (The rest of my family has a portion of their diet that contains cooked foods.) It is worth it to do the detective work because the quality of life for these individuals will only improve. I can feel good about that. Not to mention that we can feel happy about eating frozen raw goodies and not guilty or sick like we would if we consumed unhealthy dairy products.
This is a great place to start. It is not a raw site, but a great dairy free site to help you with eliminating dairy from your diet. http://www.godairyfree.org/
But also google for yourself the dangers of milk...your eyes will be opened wide! Here is what I found:

http://www.google.com/search?q=dangers+of+milk&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7SUNA_en
Next, google "raw ice creams" and you'll see all of the options available to tickle your taste buds. Most all of the raw food books contain several raw ice cream recipes along with the most amazing raw desserts. I have yet to find a cooked dessert that can compete with my favorite raw desserts! Raw wins every time. And you don't feel sick and tired after eating them. The opposite is true, you feel light and full of energy, living energy from the living foods. Here is the recipe for my blueberry ice kream topped with mixed berries:
Blueberry Ice Kream
1 1/2 frozen bananas, cut up
1 C frozen blueberries
fresh mixed berries for garnish
Place frozen bananas and blueberries into a small food processor. Process till smooth and creamy. Top with a mixture of fresh berries. Enjoy!
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for raw food dessert recipes. The endless raw food dessert recipes can make the transition to raw easier. I personally do not miss the sugar loaded, fat laden unhealthy processed and cooked desserts one bit. All they did was make me feel terrible. Now I can eat a dessert and feel wonderful. Life is good! Peace and Eat More Raw!

Chia Pudding

The first time I tried chia was when I made my blueberry chia parfait. I fell in love with chia and wanted to try my second recipe. The taste of this pudding reminds me of coconut cream pie. It also tastes very festive at the same time, like eggnog. I can't really explain it, but it is just plain good! The first day I enjoyed it as a dessert topped with fresh blueberries. The second day I added some banana slices and a drizzle of real maple syrup and had it for breakfast. The chia recipes I have made seem to stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. But I bet they could stay even longer. If they thicken up too much for your liking, just add in some more water and stir...good as new! Here is the recipe:

Chia Pudding

1/4 C chia seeds
1/4 C raw coconut, shredded and unsweetened
1/4 C raw cashews, soaked
4 fresh Deglet dates
1 1/4 C filtered water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp Lucuma powder
1/8 tsp vanilla powder or extract
Stir the chia seeds and coconut. In a blender, blend the remaining ingredients and then add to the chia and coconut. Stir well and then let sit for 5-10 minutes. Then stir every 5 minutes for the next 15 minutes. The chia will have soaked for roughly 20 minutes. Enjoy the chia goodness!
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for my loving husband. We celebrate twenty years of marriage today. We met when we were 16 years old. We dated each other for 7 years as we completed high school and college. Our journey as man and wife began on 7-7-1990. I am so blessed. He is the most patient and kind man I have ever met. There is a certain calmness about him that balances my tendency to be high strung at times. He has a perfect way of grounding me again and then I can focus, and life goes on. We have five beautiful children who enrich our lives each day. For all of this and more, I am truly grateful! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HONEY!!! Peace and Eat More Raw!!

A Days Worth of Recipes

Carob Breakfast Pudding

Sprouty Citrus Salad

Marinated Mushrooms and Spinach

I thought I would share a days worth of meals again. I always like to see people's daily menus; it inspires me to be creative with my own menu. This day I started out with my favorite carob pudding. I can eat this any time of day, I really like it. I decided to top it with fresh banana and my buckwheat krispies. Wonderful! It kept me so satisfied. This is a great filling breakfast for those days when you know lunch might be later than usual.

For lunch I had a refreshing sprouty citrus salad. I love finding all kinds of ways to incorporate my sprouts into recipes.

For dinner I adapted a recipe from $10 a Day and served it on top of some raw organic spinach. It went so well together that I will always prepare it this way. I really love this recipe. Here are all three recipes. Hope you can try them soon.

Carob Breakfast Pudding

2 ripe organic bananas (use them separately)

1 ripe organic avocado

1/8-1/4 C raw carob powder

1 T raw honey or real maple syrup (syrup is not raw)

1/4 C buckwheat krispies

Directions:

In a small food processor, process one of the bananas, the avocado and the raw honey or syrup. Place this smooth mixture into a bowl. Top with the other banana sliced into rounds and a sprinkling of the buckwheat krispies. Yummy!!

Sprouty Citrus Salad

2 C mung bean sprouts

1/4 C sprouted quinoa

1/4 C sunflower sprouts, rough chopped

1/2 C Gogi Berries, soaked

1 C orange cut into chunks

1/4 of a red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 C cucumber, finely chopped

1/2 C jicama, chopped

2 T fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

6 leaves of fresh lemon basil, sliced into thin strips

2 T broccoli sprouts, reserve for garnish

Place the following ingredients into a bowl. Top with the following dressing and toss.

Dressing:

2 T First Cold Pressed EVOO

1 T fresh lime juice

1 T fresh orange juice

1 tsp orange zest

2 tsp raw honey

1/2 tsp ginger, grated

sea salt

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of cumin powder

Whisk dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss. Garnish with broccoli sprouts. Enjoy the goodness of these living foods!!

Marinated Mushrooms and Spinach

10 oz white organic mushrooms, sliced

1 organic green zucchini, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, diced

broccoli sprouts

red clover sprouts

mung bean sprouts

2 T raw honey

2 T first cold pressed EVOO

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, pressed

pinch of red pepper flakes

raw organic baby spinach

Directions:

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the mushrooms, zucchini, red pepper, and onion. Place this in a covered dish and let sit for 2 hours. Plate the spinach and top with the marinated mushrooms, broccoli sprouts, red clover sprouts and mung bean sprouts. Enjoy!

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for our new pool!! We put up our new above-the-ground pool yesterday. Today I will be hooking up the filtration and our salt water pump. We only use salt water systems to clean our pools. We absolutely love the salt water pools. It is so gentle on the skin and the environment. Get Swimming and Eat More Raw!

Agave Article

On Saturday at our Raw and Living Foods Group meeting, some of us were chatting about agave. I found this article and thought I would pass it along. I am very curious to hear what you all have researched and learned about this. I personally don't use agave because I really haven't had the need. But, if this is a safe product I would like to have the option in the future. I also want to share this info with my father, as he is borderline diabetic.  

From the blog, Rawmazing
http://www.rawmazing.com/articles/agave-hero-or-villain/
 Here is the link for the product she is referring to:
http://www.xagave.com/


I added it to my store.
xagave

Please share any info or input you have. I would love to learn from those with experience. Thank you.
Peace and Eat More Raw!

Raw Living Foods Group

Eastern Exotic Carrot Salad

Our local Raw Living Foods Group had yet another killer meeting this past Saturday. Our hosts are showing a series of DVDs from The Hippocrates Health Institute. Each month we meet and have a phenomenal raw pot luck followed by the DVD lecture and then discussion and great sharing of each other's experiences. This month's lecture was, "Supplements, Herbs, Algae and Homeopathy".
Upon arrival we were greeted with an "Algaetini" which was fabulous, in my opinion. I would like another one right now, actually. I am patiently waiting for my blue-green algae to arrive in the mail. I ordered some last week. I am glad I chose the one I did because I learned from the DVD that Dr. Clement  recommends that the blue-green algae should come from Lake Klamath. I ordered "Klamath Blue-Green Algae". This particular source of blue-green algae has no outer shell so our body can digest and use it. Even infants can digest this type of algae.
Dr. Clement also recommends taking green algae supplements as well, called chlorella(?spelling?). These are supplements that we should take daily to stay young, healthy and vital. More importantly, algae naturally affects our DNA and the activity of our stem cells. There are pigmentations in chlorophyll and polysaccharides. Algae can aid in building up tissue mass in the body where needed. 
I brought an Eastern Exotic Carrot Salad for the pot luck.  It is from the book, The Raw Transformation, by Rudell. I really like the recipes in this book. I already have made several of them and loved them all. Now that I have my new dehydrator I can make some of the other recipes that look so wonderful.  I added an extra ingredient,to her recipe for the carrot salad, sprouted brown lentils. I always have to add in some of my sprouts to most of my recipes. I love my sprouts!! Here is the recipe:

Eastern Exotic Carrot Salad

1 Cup organic sprouted brown lentils (my addition)
2 lbs organic carrots, shredded
4 T First Cold Pressed EVOO
2 T fresh squeezed organic lemon juice
2 T Bragg's apple cider vinegar
2 T cold pressed sesame oil
2 tsp organic Tamari wheat free
1 1/2 tsp organic miso paste
1/2 Cup finely chopped organic sweet onion
2 T fresh organic parsley
1/4 tsp fresh organic tarragon

Prepare the vegetables and herbs and put into a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the oils, lemon juice, miso, tamari and vinegar. Pour over vegetables and mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. Enjoy!
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for our local raw and living foods group. I am learning and growing so much thanks to all of the wonderful members. Peace and Eat More Raw!!

Raw Sprouted Wheat Berry Bread

Sprouted Wheat Berries

Here you can see the bread triangles with dollops of raw honey.

I purchased my Excalibur Dehydrator one and a half months ago and made my first raw bread. It turned out really good and I look forward to making it again but with a few additions. The bread I made here was a slightly sweet version. I hope to make a more savory version next.

By the way, I love my dehydrator. So far I have used it for buckwheat krispies, tomatoes, raw sprouted bread, stuffed mushrooms, and pepper corn crackers.

Here is how to make the raw sprouted bread:

Soak 2 cups of wheat berries overnight. In the morning rinse the berries very well and drain. Let berries sprout in a glass jar for 2 days. Each day you must rinse them off and drain well about every 6 hours. This is the same technique that I described in a previous sprouting post. I reuse large glass jars from applesauce or spaghetti sauce. I cut screen material into squares and rubber band it around the neck of the jar. This makes it very easy to rinse what ever you are sprouting. I then invert the jars in a bowl at a 45 degree angle to allow for drainage. Overly wet sprouts will mold.

After the wheat berries have sprouted for two days you will see tiny white tails like the ones in the photo above. Now you want to let them air dry on paper towel so they are not wet when you are ready to process the dough.

Put them into a food processor with the "S" blade. Add a handful of soaked raisins and a pinch or more of sea salt. Process all into a dough. Spread dough with a firm rubber spatula onto the dehydrator non stick sheet. Dehydrate on 105 degrees for 12 hours. Check it after 6 hours to see if it is firm enough to turn over. To easily turn bread over, simply flip the tray upside down onto a second dehydrator tray and slowly peel off the non stick liner from the bread. Continue to dehydrate for roughly 6 more hours. Keep checking the bread because dehydration times will vary depending on your current weather conditions.

To make a more savory bread you can add flax meal, Italian seasonings and sea salt to the sprouted wheat berries and then process it and dehydrate it the same way.

Allow the finished bread to cool and then slice into desired shape. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Mine kept well for 4 days. I also put some in the freezer for longer storage.

Here is another recipe for sprouted bread. I have not made this one yet but it is next on my list:

Raw Sprouted Kamut Bread

(you'll have to do a little math to get conversions)

250 grams kamut, sprouted

125 ml agave (I don't use agave so I would use an alternate sweetener)

125 ml First cold pressed olive oil

250 ml filtered water

100 grams Lucuma

1 T Suma

Soak grains overnight. Drain well and sprout 2-3 days till tails are as long as the actual grain. Blend to a puree all of the ingredients. Shape into little breads on dehydrator sheet and dehydrate 9 hours. Flip them over and dehydrate 3 more hours. Serve it with some nut butter.

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for learning new things. I was lucky enough to spend last evening with some amazing people in my Raw Living Foods Group. I learn so much from everyone and truly enjoy our time together. Peace and Eat More Raw!

Raw Tacos

Raw Tacos.....I LOVE raw tacos!!!!

When the family has their traditional chicken tacos I make a raw taco recipe for myself. I absolutely LOVE this raw taco recipe. It is so simple and has so much flavor. I wrap it up in romaine leaves or even collard leaves that have the tough spine removed. I also have two recipes for nacho sauces that can be drizzled on top, but I never seem to get around to making the sauce because I gobble these up so quickly. I don't think they need any sauce personally but if you are or were a cheese person, I would make a nacho sauce. I will post two recipes for nacho sauces. I am going to try them both very soon. I have been wanting to use them for dipping fresh veggies and also on top of a veggie burger. When the family grills I like to make my veggie burgers. A lot of grilling will be going on this holiday weekend, so I guess I better get to making some of this sauce. Here are the recipes:

Raw Tacos

2 Cups raw walnuts, soaked
1/4 Cup cilantro, chopped
1-2 T Organic Tamari or Nama Shoyu
1/4 Cup organic raw corn (optional)
1 T cumin powder
1 T coriander powder

Process with the "S" blade all of the ingredients. Pulse it till chopped. Spoon the taco filling onto a romaine leaves or collard leaves that have the center rib removed. Drizzle with nacho sauce, top with chopped tomatoes, onion and  shredded lettuce. Enjoy!


Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce
(from Kristen's Raw)
Yield approx. 1 1/2 Cups

1/3 Cup water
1 clove garlic
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 red bell pepper, seeded and rough chopped
1 cup Nutiva Hemp Seeds
2 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast flakes (these are not raw)
1 T Simply Organic brand of chili powder
2 tsp Organic Tamari
1/2 tsp Himalayan crystal salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp turmeric

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Can be stored in refrigerator for 4-5 days.


Nacho Sauce

1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup pine nuts, soaked
1/2 Cup sunflower seeds, soaked
1 T miso or to taste
1 clove garlic
1 T fresh lemon juice
fresh jalapeno pepper, deseeded and no white flesh
1/2 a red bell pepper
Blend all well till creamy.


Have a great Fourth of July and a happy raw day! Peace and Eat More Raw.
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for my morning workout. It gave me the time I needed to destress. No one likes a stressed Mommy, right?!

Aspiring Raw Chefs

Our Three Youngest














The other day I was preparing some of my food and noticed our three youngest imitating me. We have a play wooden kitchen in the family room fully stocked with pots, pans, plastic food and dishes. My kids get so much use out of this set. They always pull out their stuff whenever I am in the kitchen preparing something. Well today they even donned their toques. We got these toques at Roy's Restaurant on Mother's Day. We went to Mother's Day Brunch and they gave these to all of the children. My kids have so much fun with these it makes the ridiculous price of that brunch almost worth it. Tee, Hee, Hee.
I was preparing a raw dish I'll call "Berry Good Bowl". It is so simple and sooo good. This would be a great dish to prepare while traveling this summer because the ingredients would be really easy to have at the hotel room and you do not need any fancy equipment to prepare it. I have traveled twice so far since I went raw and I needed easy to prepare, nutritious meals like this one. Here is my recipe:

Berry Good Bowl

4 Deglet dates, room temp and sliced
6 fresh organic strawberries, sliced
1/2 C of fresh organic blueberries
1 ripe organic banana, gently mashed w/ a fork
1 T Nutiva Organic Hemp Seeds
2 T raw unsweetened dried coconut, finely ground
Put everything into a bowl, mix and enjoy!

~JMJ~Today I am grateful for my three aspiring chefs.

Kiwi Mango Sorbet and My Mini Food Processor

                                                                Kiwi Mango Sorbet
I wanted to show you my mini food processor that I just couldn't do without. This is the processor I use to make my raw ice kremes and sorbets. I also use it for some salad dressings and to make raw pudding with avocado, banana, carob powder and honey. Oh man do I love that pudding! Anyway, the other night I wanted a really good dessert on a really hot night. I came up with this sorbet. I love how it turned out and so did our three year old. Here is my recipe:

Kiwi Mango Sorbet

1 frozen organic banana, cut up
1 fresh ripe organic kiwi, cut up
1 C frozen mango cubes, organic if you can find them

Place all of the ingredients into a small food processor and process until the consistency of sorbet or soft serve ice cream. Garnish with a fresh blackberry or any berry of your choice. Peace and Enjoy the Simplicity!
~JMJ~Today I am grateful for an answer to prayer!

Health Benefits of Sea Vegetables

Elizabeth's Sea Vegetable Salad

Lunch yesterday was a fabulous salad made with loads of fresh vegetables and  sea vegetables. I used the Creamy Thai Dressing from yesterday's salad dressing post. I decided to use the red pepper flakes instead of the Thai bird chilies. I like things slightly spicy, not overly spicy. The red pepper flakes gave it just the right amount of heat. I enjoyed this salad so much, I was tempted to lick my plate when it was all gone!

If you are trying sea vegetables for the first time you may want to use less than I did in my recipe. I really adore them so my recipe has quite a bit. Alter it to your tastes and I'm sure it will be fantastic.

Below the recipe I have pasted an excellent article outlining the wonderful health benefits of sea vegetables. It also points out the one sea vegetable you should steer clear of. Please read it and educate yourself. You will be truly amazed at how healthful these plants are.

Here is my recipe:

Elizabeth's Sea Vegetable Salad

2 strands of Ito-Wakame Dried Seaweed
1 C Kelp Noodles
1/2 C Sea Tangle Mixed Sea Vegetables
2 red radishes, cut into slices and quartered
1/4 of a yellow squash, sliced into half-moons
1/4 of a green zucchini, sliced into half-moons
2 leaves of red leaf lettuce, sliced into thin strips
small handful of a combo of broccoli sprouts and red clover sprouts
1/2 of a cucumber, diced

Directions:
Soak the strands of Wakame in a bowl of filtered water for 30 minutes. At the same time soak the kelp noodles in a separate bowl of filtered water. Rinse off the packaging salt from the Sea Tangle Mixed Sea Vegetables and let drain. Now prepare the Creamy Thai Dressing(see yesterday's post for recipe).  After the Wakame and Kelp Noodles have been soaked for 30 minutes, rinse them well and drain. Cut into bite size strands with sharp kitchen scissors. Now you are ready to mix all of the fresh vegetables with the sea vegetables in a large bowl. Pour on the Creamy Thai Dressing and gently toss the salad. Enjoy!!

Creamy Thai Dressing (Spicy)
3/4 C sesame oil
1/2 C Tamari
1/4 C first cold pressed olive oil
1 T real maple syrup (this is not raw)
4 Thai bird chilies or 3 T red chili flakes
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 C chopped cashews, that have been soaked 1-2 hrs then air dried
Blend in blender. Yields 2 1/2 cups.

~JMJ~Today I am thankful for the beautiful song echoing in our chimney. Every morning we are blessed with mocking birds that sing the most beautiful songs to us while we enjoy our breakfast.
Peace And Take Time to Listen to the Birds!

I found the following information on this web site:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=135
Take the time to read it. There is so much great information. Educate yourself about sea vegetables before you give them a try. I am a big fan and am totally hooked!


Sea vegetables



Western cultures are only recently beginning to enjoy the taste and nutritional value of sea vegetables, often referred to as seaweed, that have been a staple of the Japanese diet for centuries. Numerous various varieties of sea vegetables can be found in health food and specialty stores throughout the year. Owing to their rise in popularity, they are also becoming much easier to find in local supermarkets as well.
Sea vegetables can be found growing both in the marine salt waters as well as in fresh water lakes and seas. They commonly grow on coral reefs or in rocky landscapes, and can grow at great depths provided that sunlight can penetrate through the water to where they reside since, like plants, they need light for their survival. Sea vegetables are neither plants nor animals but classified in a group known as algae.


Why would anyone want to eat sea vegetables?

 Because they offer the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean-the same minerals that are found in human blood. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.

Promote Optimal Health


Lignans, phytonutrients found in sea vegetables, have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis, or blood cell growth, the process through which fast-growing tumors not only gain extra nourishment, but send cancer cells out in the bloodstream to establish secondary tumors or metastases in other areas of the body. In addition, lignans have been credited with inhibiting estrogen synthesis in fat cells as effectively as some of the drugs used in cancer chemotherapy. In postmenopausal women, fat tissue is a primary site where estrogen is synthesized, and high levels of certain estrogen metabolites (the 4OH and 16OH metabolites) are considered a significant risk factor for breast cancer.
In addition to lignans, sea vegetables are a very good source of the B-vitamin folic acid. Studies have shown that diets high in folate-rich foods are associated with a significantly reduced risk for colon cancer.


Promote Healthy Thyroid Function


Sea vegetables, especially kelp, are nature's richest sources of iodine, which as a component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), is essential to human life. The thyroid gland adds iodine to the amino acid tyrosine to create these hormones. Without sufficient iodine, your body cannot synthesize them. Because these thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in every cell of the body and play a role in virtually all physiological functions, an iodine deficiency can have a devastating impact on your health and well-being. A common sign of thyroid deficiency is an enlarged thyroid gland, commonly called a goiter. Goiters are estimated to affect 200 million people worldwide, and in all but 4% of these cases, the cause is iodine deficiency.


Nutrient Prevention of Birth Defects and Cardiovascular Disease


The folic acid so abundant in sea vegetables plays a number of other very important protective roles. Studies have demonstrated that adequate levels of folic acid in the diet are needed to prevent certain birth defects, including spina bifida. Folic acid is also needed to break down an intermediate dangerous chemical produced during the methylation cycle called homocysteine. (Methylation is one of the most important cellular cycles through which a wide variety of important chemicals are produced.) Homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls, and high levels of this chemical are associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Flavoring soups and stews with sea vegetables or using them in salads is a smart strategy, especially for those dealing with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease.


Sea vegetables pack a double punch against heart disease. In addition to their folic acid, sea vegetables are a very good source of magnesium, which has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure and prevent heart attack.


Anti-Inflammatory Action

Some sea vegetables have been shown to be unique sources of carbohydrate-like substances called fucans, which can reduce the body's inflammatory response. Plus, as noted above, sea vegetables are a very good source of magnesium, the mineral that, by acting as a natural relaxant, has been shown to help prevent migraine headaches and to reduce the severity of asthma symptoms.


Relief for Menopausal Symptoms

Sea vegetable's supply of relaxing magnesium may also help restore normal sleep patterns in women who are experiencing symptoms of menopause. And the lignans in sea vegetables can act as very weak versions of estrogen, one of the hormones whose levels decrease during the menopausal period. For women suffering from symptoms such as hot flashes, sea vegetable's lignans may be just strong enough to ease their discomfort.


Description

Sea vegetables, often called seaweed, are one of Neptune's beautiful jewels, adorning the waters with life and providing us with a food that can enhance our diets, from both a culinary and nutritional perspective. Sea vegetables can be found growing both in the marine salt waters as well as in fresh water lakes and seas. They commonly grow on coral reefs or in rocky landscapes, and can grow at great depths provided that sunlight can penetrate through the water to where they reside since, like plants, they need light for their survival. Yet, sea vegetables are not plants nor animals-they are actually known as algae.


There are thousands of types of sea vegetables that are classified into categories by color, known either as brown, red or green sea vegetables. Each is unique, having a distinct shape, taste and texture. Although not all sea vegetables that exist are presently consumed, a wide range of sea vegetables are enjoyed as foods. The following are some of the most popular types: Nori: dark purple-black color that turns phosphorescent green when toasted, famous for its role in making sushi rolls. Kelp: light brown to dark green in color, oftentimes available in flake form. Hijiki: looks like small strands of black wiry pasta, has a strong flavor. Kombu: very dark in color and generally sold in strips or sheets, oftentimes used as a flavoring for soups. Wakame: similar to kombu, most commonly used to make Japanese miso soup. Arame: this lacy, wiry sea vegetable is sweeter and milder in taste than many others Dulse: soft, chewy texture and a reddish-brown color.


History


The consumption of sea vegetables enjoys a long history throughout the world. Archaeological evidence suggests that Japanese cultures have been consuming sea vegetables for more than 10,000 years. In ancient Chinese cultures, sea vegetables were a noted delicacy, suitable especially for honored guests and royalty. Yet, sea vegetables were not just limited to being a featured part of Asian cuisines. In fact, most regions and countries located by waters, including Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and coastal South American countries have been consuming sea vegetables since ancient times.
Presently, Japan is the largest producer and exporter of sea vegetables. This may explain why many of these precious foods are often called by their Japanese names.

How to Select and Store

Look for sea vegetables that are sold in tightly sealed packages. Avoid those that have evidence of excessive moisture. Some types of sea vegetables are sold in different forms. For example, nori can be found in sheets, flakes, or powder. Choose the form of sea vegetables that will best meet your culinary needs.
Store sea vegetables in tightly sealed containers at room temperature where they can stay fresh for at least several months.

Individual Concerns


Sea vegetables have been a topic of ongoing debate and research concern involving heavy metals. In the world of marine biology and marine ecology, sea vegetables are widely recognized as plants with an excellent ability to take up minerals from the water and hold onto these minerals in their cells. This ability makes sea vegetables a rich source of many wonderful minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, and iodine. However, in waters that have become polluted with heavy metal elements - including arsenic, lead, and cadmium - sea vegetables can also act like a sponge in absorbing these unwanted contaminants. Some marine ecologists actually use sea vegetables as a kind of "biomonitor" to determine levels of heavy metal pollution in bodies of water.
Among all of the heavy metals, arsenic appears to be most problematic when it comes to sea vegetable toxicity risk. Virtually all types of sea vegetables have been determined to contain traces of arsenic. These types include arame, hijiki, kombu, nori, and wakame. Among all types of sea vegetable, however, hijiki stands out as being particularly high-risk when it comes to arsenic exposure. During the period 2000-2005, government-related agencies in England, New Zealand, and Canada issued public health recommendations advising against consumption of hijiki sea vegetable unless verified as containing very low levels of inorganic arsenic. Based on these reports, we recommend avoidance of hijiki as a sea vegetable unless available in the form of certified organic hijiki.
The levels of arsenic found in other types of sea vegetable have been relatively small. For example, after preparation using water soaking, a British study found wakame to contain an average of 3 milligrams arsenic per kilogram of sea vegetable. In practical terms, this amount represents about 43 micrograms per half ounce of wakame. However, even in this case of relatively small exposure, health risks appear possible. Our reason for posting information about these possible risks involves a decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1993 to set an oral Reference Dose (RfD) level of .0003 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day for inorganic arsenic. In practical terms, this maximum safe dose level would allow an adult weighing 150 lbs. to consume about 20 micrograms of inorganic arsenic every day and stay beneath the RfD level. While a person might be unlikely to eat sea vegetables on a daily basis, you can see from this example how an arsenic-related health risk might be possible with routine consumption of an arsenic-containing sea vegetable. It's important to note here that scientists continue to debate the health risks associated with inorganic (versus organic) forms of arsenic, and that the arsenic found in sea vegetables exists primarily in an inorganic form. It is also important to note that methods of preparing sea vegetables can make a difference in the amount of arsenic found in edible portions.


We continue to include sea vegetables among the World's Healthiest Foods because of their incredibly rich mineral content and other unique health benefits, and because the toxicity risks described above can be prevented through the purchase of certified organic sea vegetables! Because most certified organic sea vegetables can be purchased in dried form and reconstituted at home, they can often be ordered from outside of your local area and shipped to you at a relatively low cost.


Nutritional Profile

Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K and a very good source of folate and magnesium. They are also a good source of the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables are a good source of the minerals iron and calcium.


For an in-depth nutritional profile click here: Sea vegetables.
In-Depth Nutritional Profile


In addition to the nutrients highlighted in our ratings chart, an in-depth nutritional profile for Sea vegetables is also available. This profile includes information on a full array of nutrients, including carbohydrates, sugar, soluble and insoluble fiber, sodium, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, amino acids and more.


Introduction to Food Rating System Chart

In order to better help you identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created a Food Rating System. This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good, or good source (below the chart you will find a table that explains these qualifications). If a nutrient is not listed in the chart, it does not necessarily mean that the food doesn't contain it. It simply means that the nutrient is not provided in a sufficient amount or concentration to meet our rating criteria. (To view this food's in-depth nutritional profile that includes values for dozens of nutrients - not just the ones rated as excellent, very good, or good - please use the link below the chart.) To read this chart accurately, you'll need to glance up in the top left corner where you will find the name of the food and the serving size we used to calculate the food's nutrient composition. This serving size will tell you how much of the food you need to eat to obtain the amount of nutrients found in the chart. Now, returning to the chart itself, you can look next to the nutrient name in order to find the nutrient amount it offers, the percent Daily Value (DV%) that this amount represents, the nutrient density that we calculated for this food and nutrient, and the rating we established in our rating system. For most of our nutrient ratings, we adopted the government standards for food labeling that are found in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's "Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling." Read more background information and details of our rating system.


Kelp (sea vegetable)


0.25 cup


20.00 grams


8.60 calories


Nutrient Amount DV


(%) Nutrient


Density World's Healthiest


Foods Rating


iodine 415.00 mcg 276.7 579.1 excellent


vitamin K 13.20 mcg 16.5 34.5 excellent


folate 36.00 mcg 9.0 18.8 very good


magnesium 24.20 mg 6.0 12.7 very good


calcium 33.60 mg 3.4 7.0 good


iron 0.57 mg 3.2 6.6 good


tryptophan 0.01 g 3.1 6.5 good


World's Healthiest


Foods Rating Rule


excellent DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10%


very good DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5%


good DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%














In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Sea vegetables






References






Blondin C, Chaubet F, Nardella A, et al. Relationships between chemical characteristics and anticomplementary activity of fucans. Biomaterials 1996 Mar;17(6):597-603 1996. PMID:11800.


Blondin C, Fischer E, Boisson-Vidal C, et al. Inhibition of complement activation by natural sulfated polysaccharides (fucans) from brown seaweed. Mol Immunol 1994;31(4):247-253 1994.


Ensminger AH, Esminger M. K. J. e. al. Food for Health: A Nutrition Encyclopedia. Clovis, California: Pegus Press; 1986 1986. PMID:15210.


Goldbeck N, Goldbeck D. The Healthiest Diet in the World. Plume (Penguin Putnam Inc.) NY, 2001, pp 378-80 2001.


Terry P, Jain M, Miller AB et al. Dietary intake of folic acid and colorectal cancer risk in a cohort of women. Int J Cancer 2002 Feb 20;97(6):864-7 2002.


Wood, Rebecca. The Whole Foods Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Prentice-Hall Press; 1988 1988. PMID:15220.