I Was the Winner of the Coconut Bliss Give Away

I won the Coconut Bliss Give away a few weeks ago, from Animal Friendly Eating. Thanks again Kelli. This couldn't have come at a better time. Several weeks ago we cut out dairy and wheat from our 4 year old's diet, and the rest of the family will have theirs cut drastically and eventually cut out as well. He was having some major GI problems and this seemed like the best place to start. I think it will be easier transitioning everyone, especially with store bought treats like this one. I tasted this ice cream and fell in love. Now I am challenging myself to come up with a raw coconut milk recipe I can make in my ice cream maker.
The carton I chose was Cherry Amaretto.

Cherry Amaretto


This ice cream is so creamy smooth and rich. I would have to say that it is by far, better than dairy milk ice cream!!! We are going to slowly go through every one of their flavors so my family can pick their favorite. I saw a chocolate peanut butter and have to get that one for the hubby. He always gets that flavor when having "regular" ice cream. I am hoping this will make it easier for him to transition to a non-dairy brand.
Check out their web site for more information. They have such a great story to tell. I love how their business got started.
http://www.coconutbliss.com/
Thanks again Kelli. I am really glad that I won your giveaway. Peace and RAW Health.
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for discovering the best non-dairy ice cream on the market. I am so happy that I now have a creamy, rich, delicious non-dairy ice cream to offer the family. I will of course keep making my raw ice cream, but this will come in handy when we need it for convenience sake.

Elizabeth's RAW Corn and Lentil Salsa

RAW Corn and Lentil Salsa
by Elizabeth

2 ears raw organic corn, cut off cobs
1/4 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/8 of sweet onion, diced
1/8 of a jalapeno, very finely chopped
1/2 C sprouted brown lentils
Lemon thyme, pull off of stems
Lemon basil, chopped
pinch of sea salt
fresh ground black pepper (optional)
Light drizzle of first cold pressed EVOO
4 capfuls of Coconut Vinegar
Generous squeeze of fresh lime juice
Mix all of the ingredients together. Enjoy!

This is summer goodness at its best. I eat this as a side dish and also as a main meal. It is not really a salsa but I just call it that. I suppose you could add in some summer tomatoes chopped fine or mashed and throw in some cilantro and create a salsa for some raw corn chips or raw crackers. Anyway that you serve it I am sure you will enjoy all of the wonderful flavors. I really love this recipe. I hope you give it a try!
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for cleaning up the garage. What??? Yes, I am actually grateful that I was able to sneak away from the baby, who cries when I leave the room, and get some cleaning done. It is pretty sad that I get excited about more cleaning, but since our fifth child was born I really have to get creative in order to fit it all in. It seems like the younger three get all wild and loud whenever I switch on a vac. So I tend to put it off until I just can't take it any longer and I HAVE to clean. Dirty things freak me out, so this has been a real struggle for me. I am very anal about germs and things out of place. But I must admit, I have come a long way. I am not as bad as I use to be. Five kids will just naturally make you become more laid back about crumbs and toys all over the floor. Peace!

Transforming Leftover Pad Thai

Yesterday I posted my Pad Thai recipe and thought I would have enough leftovers for one more lunch. Well, as it turned out I had enough leftovers for three more lunches. I decided to take the majority of the plain "noodles" and use them in a bread recipe. I didn't have a bread recipe, using these specific ingredients, so I made one up! Have you heard of a raw bread recipe yet with kelp noodles in it?? Well you soon will have one. I added in some fresh raw baby spinach and several other things. I didn't want to call it Sea Weed Bread so I settled on Spinach and Mixed Vegetable Bread.

        Ready for the Excalibur Dehydrator

Oh my, I really surprised myself. When I tasted the dough after adding in all of my herbs and spices, it was so good I was tempted to put some in a bowl and eat it like pudding. But I decided to stick to my plan and put it in the dehydrator. This was by far the best raw bread that I have tasted yet. (Not trying to brag :) it really is fantastic) You could leave it in longer and make it into crackers. I kept it pliable but dry on the top and it was just right for a thin bread. 

I also was able to use some of the leftover Pad Thai sauce as some "mayo" for my tomato sandwich. The sauce solidified in the refrigerator because it had coconut oil in it. Perfect! I let it sit out for about 5 minutes and it spread easily on my bread like a thick "mayo" or "cheese spread My daughter and I both agreed that this thickened leftover sauce would be great spread on raw crackers.

It made the most fabulous tomato sprout sandwich. I will share both of my newly created recipes here:

Spinach and Mixed Vegetable Bread/Crackers
by Elizabeth @ rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com

In your food processor add: 

2 large handfuls of fresh organic baby spinach 
2 cups of the leftover plain Pad Thai noodle mixture. Pulse a few times until spinach just begins to break down.
Now add in:
1 C  raw sunflower seeds, soaked and drained
1/3 C raw sesame seeds, soaked and drained
2 T nutritional yeast
pinch of sea salt
2 T chia gel (4 T chia seeds soaked overnight in 1/2 C water)
1 t onion powder
2 pinches of chili powder
2 t chives
1 t dried basil
1 T hemp seeds
squirt of fresh lemon juice
Continue to pulse until all of the ingredients are well mixed and the spinach is completely broken down. Taste and add more spices as needed. Check consistency, adding more wet or dry ingredients as needed. Spread out thinly onto one Teflex dehydrator sheet. Gently press onto the surface some Tamari seasoned sunflower seeds and more sesame seeds.  Dehydrate on 105 degrees for 3 hours. Feel the bread and see if it is ready to flip over. When it becomes dry to the touch, flip it over onto another dehydrator tray and carefully peel off the teflex sheet from the bottom of the bread. Continue to dry until you reach desired texture. Allow to cool and cut into desired shapes with a sharp knife. Store air tight in refrig. If making crackers, dehydrate till crispy and store airtight at room temp for 2 days.
Enjoy!

Amish Tomato and Sprout Sandwich with a side of Corn Salsa


Today I was feeling extra creative and I also tossed together a new recipe for my RAW corn salsa. I will be posting that in the next few days. It is better that my original corn salsa. Both are great, but this one really tasted special. Maybe it was just the super fresh, good organic corn.



Amish Tomato and Sprout Sandwich
by Elizabeth @ rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com

1 Amish red tomato, cut into very thick slices
sunflower sprouts
solidified Pad Thai sauce (allow to set out for 5 min, till spreadable)
dried Italian seasoning(optional)

Place a tomato slice on one piece of bread. Spread the other piece of bread with the softened Pad Thai sauce, using it as "mayo". Top the tomato with a sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning and some sunflower sprouts. Serve with a side of RAW Corn and Lentil Salsa. Enjoy!!
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for my son Mason. He is such a gentle, loving little guy. I get more hugs each day that any Mom could ask for. I love you Mason!!

Elizabeth's Raw Pad Thai

        Elizabeth's Raw Pad Thai



Having lunch the other day with my friend left me with the desire to concoct a Raw Pad Thai recipe. Yesterdays post mentioned the raw entree I ordered at Food and Thought, it was raw Pad Thai of course. I really liked their recipe, I wish I had it!! 
I needed somewhere to start, so I turned to my new copy of "Ani's Raw Food Essentials". Her recipe is very easy and I made some additions and changes and came up with a totally different recipe. Now I have to go back and make hers to see how I like it.
Her recipe calls for the following:

Noodles:
sliced fresh basil
thinly sliced cabbage
kelp noodles

"Peanut" Sauce:
almond butter
coconut oil
Liquid aminos
lemon juice
jalapeno
coriander
water

I decided to use the kelp noodles and basil but omitted the cabbage. Instead I added zucchini, carrots and yellow squash to the kelp noodles and basil. In place of the cabbage I used my red clover sprouts, that were perfect for "harvest" today; ultra fresh, packed with nutrition. I also added in some chopped sunflower sprouts that I also just harvested today. I made her sauce recipe and thought it tasted flat the way that it was, so I added some soaked cashews, onion powder and 2 cloves of garlic. Wow! Now that is a good sauce. I made several more changes so let me just post my recipe so you can see how I made my dish. (Did I mention that I met Ani???? Still beaming!!)

Elizabeth's Raw Pad Thai (inspired by Ani's)

Noodles:
2 small zucchini, shredded
2 small carrots, shredded
1 yellow squash, shredded
1 C of kelp noodles, soaked for 30 min in water then drain
1 C red clover sprouts
8 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
1/4 of a red pepper, chopped
1/4 C sunflower sprouts, chopped

                                      Noodles Without the Sauce


Sauce:

1/3 C raw cashes, soaked
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 C raw almond butter
1/2 C coconut oil, in liquid state
2 T Coconut Aminos
1/2 of a lemon, juiced
1/2 T jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 t ground coriander powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup filtered water

Extras:

1/3 C raw cashews, soaked then dehydrated and chopped
Arugula leaves
Micro-greens

Place sauce ingredients into a personal size blender. Blend until smooth.
Toss together the noodle ingredients.  Mix the noodles with enough of the sauce to nicely coat them. Place some Arugula leaves around the perimeter of a plate.  Place a large mound of the noodles in the center of the Arugula. Top with the chopped cashews and micro-greens. This is so yummy. Enjoy!
NOTE: Keep the remaining sauce separate from the remaining noodle ingredients. The sauce should keep 3 weeks in fridge and the noodles a few days. I have enough left over to make another meal....sounds like lunch tomorrow.
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for a creative burst of energy. I made up some more recipes today. One was a cookie recipe for the rest of the family. Everyone really like them. Will post that soon. Peace!

Amish Watermelon...Tastes Like a Jolly Rancher!!!

Amish Watermelon for Breakfast

On Monday I went to lunch with a former co-worker. It was so nice getting out and having a quiet conversation with her. We met at my favorite organic market, Food and Thought. On the side of the market they have a small organic restaurant. Each day they feature a special raw entree along with other raw "regulars" on the menu. I had the  Raw Pad Thai and it was bliss in my mouth. I have been wanting to make Raw Pad Thai and this got me super excited to finally give it a try. I still have to get my spiralizer!! That will be purchased this week for sure.

After lunch I had to shop of course, for a cart full of organic produce, sprouting seeds, coconut butter and some Amish Watermelon!!!! These babies were gigantic! They were selling for $0.99/pound. So I decided to get a pre-cut wedge. I didn't want to spend $15 on a watermelon. I do have limits. As it was this wedge cost me over $6. Was it worth it?? Oh yes! When I put that first piece into my mouth all I could think of were Jolly Ranchers, yeah you know the watermelon ones that make your saliva flow like a river. Of course this watermelon wasn't sour or as disgustingly sweet as a sugar filled Rancher, but you get the point. It had the intense watermelon flavor. I had a large bowl for my breakfast. Nothing else, just the bowl of watermelon. I don't mix anything with melon, ever! It doesn't do a body good. But this breakfast did my body good, that's for sure. I am trying to only have fruits in the morning during the summer. It has worked out really well for me. I stay satisfied and I feel really hydrated.

                                                       My Serving

I even had some leftover to enjoy another day, and the rind is going into the compost bin.

My Leftovers

                                                                     Going to the Compost Bin

 This watermelon came from Smyrna View Farms in Christiana, PA. If you come across Amish Watermelons, I encourage you to give them a try. The fact that they have SEEDS is what initially sold me. I don't eat seedless watermelon. If they are seedless, they have to have been tampered with somewhere in their past...not in their natural state as far as I'm concerned. So that makes me think that they also will  lack their original nutritional content. I just want real food, I am so tired of all of the produce in the markets that are no longer "real". It seems like everything has been messed with in a lab somewhere. Farming just isn't farming anymore. Keep it local. Buy as local as you can they say. Well, here in Florida all they have is seedless watermelon so the most local one I could find with seeds came from PA. That is sad! Peace and Have a Great RAW Day!

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for great friends who let me raid their mango and apple custard trees yesterday. Future post.

Ani Phyo's Tomato Tarragon Bisque....my addition

Our local raw and living foods group brings in some of the top speakers when it comes to raw health, which is amazing considering the fact that we are a small town way down is southern Florida. A few months ago I was lucky enough to hear Ani Phyo speak. She also signed my two cookbooks and we even got to chat a bit. WOW!!
That evening she demonstrated how to make her yummy Tomato and Tarragon Bisque. You can see the recipe under my full post about her,  Ani Phyo. This recipe comes from her new cookbook, "Ani's Raw Food Essentials".

I decided to make it at home for lunch the other day but of course I had to add something to it, just for fun. I was feeling a little more hungry than usual so I decided to add an avocado. Perfect choice! I really enjoyed this raw bisque. One thing I noticed though, fresh tarragon can really be quite strong. I am use to using dried. So next time I will use less fresh tarragon or perhaps make it the way she did at our demonstration, with fresh parsley instead.

My Version of Ani's Bisque
(my daughter said the tarragon garnish looks like a bird's footprint)





Ani prepares her Tomato Tarragon Bisque for our raw and living foods group!

ANI PHYO

What a great evening that was, I don't think I will ever forget it. It  is truly amazing that I have been able to meet, Ani Phyo, Paul Nison and Brenda Cobb, so early in my raw and living foods journey (I will be posting about Paul and Brenda soon). I look forward to meeting and hearing more paramount raw foodists throughout this wonderful raw experience, that I now claim as my lifestyle. Which reminds me, Brian Clement is coming in November!! Peace and Eat More RAW and Living Foods!!

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for Amish watermelon; it tasted like a Jolly Rancher!!. I will be posting about that tomorrow. Peace.

Happy RAW Mommy

What could make a raw mommy so happy?? My three youngest boys drinking green lemonade with me on Sunday morning!! The older two would have been drinking it with us but they were sleeping in. :) And the fact that Eric Jr, our 4 year old had a huge bowl of raw kale for breakfast, made me even more happy!!! These kids are getting serious about the raw foods. I couldn't be happier. We have some health issues in the family and there is nothing more important than a raw diet for healing. As much raw as I can get into the rest of the family the happier I become.
The green lemonade we made was absolutely wonderful! I ran out and the kids wanted more. Next time I'll double the batch.

GREEN LEMONADE

RAW Green Energy

Three Little Cups for Three Little Boys

Eric James Jr., 4 yrs Old

Aidan Joseph, 23 months

Mason Anthony, 6 yrs Old

GREEN LEMONADE

3 small apples, remove seeds
1/4 of a large cucumber
1/2 a head of organic romaine
3 large handfuls of organic baby spinach
1 small stalk of celery with leaves
1 large lemon with peel

Run everything through your juicer and enjoy the green goodness!

My juicer is the L' Equip XL Wide Mouth Juicer. I love this juicer. It is very powerful and very easy to clean. Those are the two features I was looking for when I did all of my research on juicers. Right now this juicer fits my needs perfectly. The next juicer I will be getting is a manual wheat grass juicer, once I learn how to grow wheatgrass. Peace and have a green juice today!!
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful that my children actually enjoy raw green juices and raw foods that I prepare. My wish was that the rest of the family could transition into a high raw diet, I have been raw since Nov. 09, and that wish is coming true, more and more each week. Peace and RAW Health!

Radish and Grapefruit Salad

                 Radish and Grapefruit Salad

This is probably a food combining nightmare, but man was it delicious. Fruit is suppose to be eaten alone, I know, but I really have not had a problem, as of yet, with food combinations. I don't know if that will change in the future but right now I am happy and feel wonderful with all of the raw food dishes I eat. I tend to make this salad very often, changing a few things each time, so it will look similar to a previous post. This is the type of salad that I have for breakfast. If I don't get a green juice in the morning I have to have a salad to satisfy my craving for GREENS!
This version had a wonderful dressing that I sweetened with Wholesome Sweetners Organic Amber Raw Honey. I LOVE this honey!! And it is Fair Trade. It also contained one of my other favorite condiments, Coconut Aminos.
The salad was very simple but loaded with vegetables and of course my own broccoli sprouts. If I said it before, I'll say it again, I love my sprouts.

Honey Dijon Dressing

2 tsp Wholesome Sweetners Organic Amber Raw Honey
2 tsp Organic Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 C first cold pressed EVOO
1 capful of Coconut Aminos

Wisk all till creamy smooth. The combo of this honey and the EVOO produces a lovely creamy dressing.


Radish and Grapefruit Salad

Mixture of  Organic Baby Romaine
1 red, yellow and orange mini sweet pepper, sliced
1 carrot finely diced in processor
2 large red radishes, sliced
1 organic grapefruit, cubed
2 celery stalks, sliced
Large handful of broccoli sprouts
1 scallion, sliced

Enjoy!
~JMJ~Today I am grateful for quiet reading time...well, not really quiet but I did get a chance to read from a really good book today. I will be blogging about it once I'm finished reading it. It is a fantastic book about, what else, raw foods. I wish I would have know about it a year ago when I began this journey. Peace and Eat More RAW!

Another Chia Recipe

On Thursday night I was thinking ahead to Friday's breakfast. I was in the mood for chia again and decided to get some seeds soaking. When I woke up I decided to make a Chia pudding. Well, once I had the chia pudding almost finished I changed my mind and turned it into a parfait. All the buzz about parfaits must have gotten me thinking about eating one. Here is my recipe for a Chia Cashew Coconut Kream Parfait:

Chia Cashew Coconut Kream Parfait

1/2 C chia seeds, soaked over night in 3/4 C filtered water
1/8 C unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 C raw cashews, soaked and drained
4 Deglet dates
1 tsp Lucuma powder
1/8 t vanilla
pinch of sea salt
cinnamon and nutmeg to garnish top

I soaked my chia seeds overnight. This ratio of chia to water creates a nice thick chia gel, allowing you to thin, as needed, with more water. Next I processed the cashews, dates, coconut, salt, vanilla and Lucuma. Then I added the chia gel a few spoonfuls at a time; processing in between each addition of chia gel and adding water as needed until a nice pudding consistency was achieved. At this point you could eat it as a pudding, sprinkled with some cinnamon and nutmeg. I turned it into a parfait by layering it with 6 sliced, fresh  organic strawberries. Finally topping it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. Makes enough for 2-3 parfaits. I even had about 1/2 cup of the pudding leftover.
I must say, this was a really good breakfast. Went together so quickly; that is what I really liked! Simplicity. Enjoy!
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for lunch out with my husband. He was able to get away from work for an hour and have lunch with me. Little bits of alone time for us have become a more frequent occurrence now that the baby is getting older. I cherish each moment that I have with him alone. We are always surrounded by the children and rarely even have time to talk privately; so these "dates" have been wonderful.

Giveaway at Animal-Friendly Eating

I learned about soap nuts this evening and wanted to tell you to go check out the give away at animal-friendly eating.
I am trying to contact the company also to test their product, and give it a review.
Peace and RAW Clean Health!

Squash Pasta with Lemon Sauce

Squash Pasta with Lemon Sauce

I think all of you lucky enough to have gardens overflowing with produce, zucchini and yellow squash in particular, may welcome this recipe. Another way to utilize your stock of squash and zucchini!  Right now I am not fortunate enough to have any, so I resort to purchasing it at the local market.
 I made my pasta with a yellow squash and my vegetable peeler, because I don't have my spiralizer yet. :(
I added sliced asparagus and chopped red bell pepper, then tossed it all with a very delicious lemon sauce. Lastly I sprinkled it with Dulse and onion powder. It was fantastic. Very light and fresh tasting; a perfect summer dish, in my humble opinion.
Here is the recipe:

Squash Pasta with Lemon Sauce

1 large yellow squash made into noodles w/ veggie peeler
4 stalks of asparagus, cut on the diagonal into bite size pieces
1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped
Dulse flakes
Onion powder


Lemon Sauce

1/4 C raw walnuts, soaked and drained
1/4 C raw sunflower seeds, soaked and drained
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 clove of garlic, pressed
1/4 t dill
1/4 tsp tarragon (optional)
First cold pressed EVOO, enough to blend sauce

Prepare the sauce by processing or blending all of the ingredients except the oil. Slowly add in the EVOO till you get a nice creamy texture.
Assemble: Toss together the squash noodles, asparagus and peppers. Now stir in the lemon sauce, gently, until all of the vegetables are evenly coated. Lastly, sprinkle with Dulse and onion powder to taste. Enjoy!

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for the ability to care for my family. I know I complain at times about all of the dirty diapers, laundry, dishes, the demands upon me, my lack of "free time", and the noise level. But I am truly grateful that I am healthy and able to care for our five children, my husband and our home.
Years ago I read a great book titled, "Holiness for Housewives (and other working women)", by Dom Hubert VAN ZELLER. It is a short little book, only 85 pages long, but man is it filled with great stuff. My vocations in life are to be a wife and a mother. I am glad and proud to accept these vocations. This book reminds me that I am doing all that I do for The Lord, with Him right by my side. It is the type of book that I need to read yearly. Do you have books like that?? I have several. I like to re-visit them once a year because I get so caught up in the day-to-day that I need these trusted works of literature to ground me and allow me to clearly see what my true purpose is, in this earthy life. I know that the sacrifices and sufferings are worthwhile and that the rewards that I hope to gain will be far superior than anything that is provided in the way of earthly pleasures (learned that in the book) --I look forward to the heavenly treasures; I pray that I may be worthy!!
Peace and Raw Health.

Rawfully Tempting Giveaway

I have to post a second post for today because I am excited about another giveaway at Rawfully Tempting.
I actually won one this month but missed out on it because we were away for 5 days and I was unable to respond to the e-mail w/ in 48 hours. I was very sad!!
I really need this coffee extract because I have been making raw chocolate birthday cakes for the kids (see post for 7/18/10) and like to put coffee in to enhance the flavor of the raw cacao. I don't like using coffee, for obvious raw reasons. She had suggested I use this extract when I posted my recipe, stating that I had added some decaf coffee instead. So there you go...I need this extract. It would be really great to win this giveaway. Check it out for yourself at Rawfully Tempting.
Peace and have a great raw night!

Stuffed Portobellos with Herbed Nut Cheese

For this dish I was inspired by two recipes from The Raw Transformation.

The Raw Transformation

First I marinated my portobellos for six hours in the following marinade:

Marinade

1/2 C first cold pressed EVOO
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
1/2 C filtered water
1 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 T Tamari

Mushrooms Marinating...Gettin Happy :)

While the mushrooms were doing their thing I started making my Herbed Nut Cheese. I combined several nuts to utilize each one's unique taste and texture. Combining them made a very tasty and filling cheese. I let the nut cheese set over night in the refrigerator. The next day I stuffed and dehydrated the shrooms.

                                                                                    Herbed Nut Cheese

Herbed Nut Cheese

1/4 C raw almonds, soaked

1/4 C pine nuts

1/4 C raw cashews, soaked

1/4 C macadamia nuts

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

1 tsp Tamari

2 cloves garlic, pressed

pinch of fresh boxwood basil

pinch of fresh lemon thyme

pinch of fresh lemon basil

pinch of fresh parsley

water for proper consistency

Blend all ingredients, adding enough water for desired consistency. Makes 1 1/2 Cups.

Now it's time to stuff the mushrooms and dehydrate them till nice and warm. Stuff each mushroom with a large spoonful of the herbed cheese. Place onto your teflex dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 105 degrees, 8 hours or until the warmth you desire.

                                            Mushrooms Going into Dehydrator

I decided to serve my mushroom on a bed of red leaf lettuce with some grape tomatoes sprinkled around. This meal was amazing. I think you will agree. I loved it so much I had the second mushroom the next day for breakfast....yes, breakfast! I couldn't resist.

                                         Stuffed Portobello with Herbed Nut Cheese

I was amazed at how quick and easy this dish was. I even had some of the nut cheese leftover that I used as a dip for fresh cut veggies, just thin it a bit with some filtered water and dip away! Enjoy.

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for my baby pulling on me as he contently nurses; his gorgeous blue eyes get all heavy and sleepy. Oh how I am going to miss these sweet, sweet days. It has been a long haul, getting to this point, but our baby (the youngest of five) is really growing up. He turns two in September. I LOVE my babies!! I still call all of our children "my babies". The oldest two think I am a goof and our 6 year old says, "I'm not a baby". Eric Jr. our 4 year old doesn't mind. Then I say my Mom's old line, "You'll always be my baby, no matter how old you are!"

Can I Really Eat This for Breakfast?

Chocolate Breakfast Oatmeal

 I was introduced to a blog yesterday and I found a recipe for chocolate oatmeal. I decided to adapt her recipe to my tastes and I came up with an amazing Chocolate Breakfast Oatmeal. As I sit here eating it I have to think, "Can I really eat this for breakfast?" It tastes like a wonderful dessert. Like a chocolate oatmeal cookie, but in a bowl. Raw foods are great aren't they? I love that no rules apply when deciding what to eat for each meal. As I have posted before, my favorite thing to eat in the morning is actually salad!! So this is a bit different. If I could figure out how to incorporate some greens into it I would. Actually I just got a great idea. I just "harvested" my brown lentils today; those are going in! Lentils would go great with chocolate. If you don't love brown lentils, leave them out, you'll think it is strange. I love them and they taste great in my bowl. I added 1 heaping tablespoon. I'm thinking in place of the lentils you could add soaked raisins perhaps. Well enough rambling, here is the recipe:

Chocolate Breakfast Oatmeal

1/2 C Steel cut oats, soaked 8 hours then rinse and drain well (or oat groats properly soaked)
1-2 T raw cacao powder
1T raw agave
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 capful pure vanilla extract
2 T fresh nut milk or rice milk
8 raw pecans, soaked and chopped
1-2 T sprouted brown lentils (optional)
1 ripe organic banana, cut into rounds

In a small bowl mix the cacao, agave, salt, nut milk, and cinnamon till smooth and well blended. Stir this into the oats. Top with the sliced bananas and chopped soaked pecans. Sprinkle with some raw cacao powder. Enjoy!
NOTE: I found the inspiration for this great recipe on http://www.charskitchen.blogspot.com/
~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for lazy summer days. Yesterday was such a great day. I just hung out with the kids in the yard and floated around in the pool after the two youngest crashed outside...they both just fell asleep and while they were snoozing I had some time to swim with Mason and Mitchell. Madison was upstairs reading The Phantom of the Opera. She is quite the bookworm! Boy I'm going to miss these days once homeschooling is back in session.
Peace and  Raw Health!
PS Check out this link. She is doing a great giveaway of sunprotective clothing and such.
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/07/28/giveaway-nantucket-sun-sleeves-set-of-2-up-to-a-52-value/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kitchenstewardship%2FPgbo+%28Kitchen+Stewardship%29

Digging My Way Out of the Laundry Pile

Getting back into the normal routine after a trip is always a chore with a large family. It still amazes me how much laundry a family of seven can produce on a short 5 day vacation! But I am digging my way out from underneath this mountain of dirty clothes and trying to get back to normal. Unpacking all of the suitcases is what I dread the most. Then I get to sort through all of the mess and try to make piles of color sorted laundry, the kiddos help with this. I already have done about 5 loads and I think I have 5 more.The older two help me with switching the wet clothes to the dyer and then emptying the dryer and folding. Thank goodness for that!
 On the brighter side, I am happy to say that my sprout kitchen is back in full swing. My lentils will be ready to eat today and the broccoli sprouts should be ready in three days. I will plant my sunflower seeds on Thursday or so, after they get their tails on. My adzuki beans are in the sprout bag.
 Now that I am back from the trip I have to start working on my goal. I said that I would learn how to sprout and juice my own wheatgrass after this short vacation. I took packets of wheatgrass powder with me to the hotel. It was very easy to dissolve it in my morning water and drink it down. Well, it is time to start gathering my notes on growing my own wheatgrass. I am excited and a bit nervous for this challenge. Anytime I embark on something new I get a tad bit intimidated. But once I get into it that feeling melts away. I just have to have a positive attitude, knowing that we all can do anything we put our minds to. 

Sunflower, Broccoli and Lentils

My kitchen is still quite empty. I shopped on Sunday for a few things but didn't have my menu planned for the week yet. Therefore I am limited on options for my raw dishes. This morning for breakfast I threw together this pie. I used what little I had on hand and I was more than pleased. This pie is yummy.

Banana Blueberry Breakfast Pie

 The hint of orange in the crust is a wonderful surprise. I made this crust a "loose" crust on purpose. I like the way it coats the pieces of fruit when I take a spoonful. If you want a firm crust, just moisten it with a little water or raw agave while processing. If you use raw agave remember to cut down on the number of dates you put into the crust dough. Don't skip the basil. It adds such a wonderful component to raw desserts and fruit dishes. After I took the picture I added about 10 small leaves of basil to my pie. It was fabulous, I love basil with fruit. I used some of my boxwood basil from my container garden. Remember, here in SW Florida we don't have our gardens growing like the rest of the US. I am anxiously awaiting Fall as I posted before, so I can get my square foot gardens planted. But until then I am enjoying the few things I have growing on our upper deck. I have 3 cucumbers growing right now and the herbs are doing well. My pepper plants are growing very slowly and the tomatoes are doing strange things.

Here is the recipe for my Banana Blueberry Breakfast Pie:

Banana Blueberry Breakfast Pie

Crust:

Handful of soaked and dehydrated raw almonds

Handful of Buckwheat Krispies

1/4 C dried coconut ground fine (reserve a pinch for garnish)

4 deglet dates

capful of vanilla extract

2 drops of orange extract(or use orange zest)

1 T Hemp seeds

pinch of sea salt

Process the crust ingredients until completely mixed. This will be a loose crust. If you want a firmer crust, moisten with some water while processing. Arrange crust around the perimeter of a large bowl.

Filling:

1 C fresh blueberries

2 small bananas sliced into rounds

1 sprig of boxwood basil

Place blueberries in the center of the crust in the bowl. Arrange banana slices around the pile of blueberries. Top fruit with several leaves of boxwood basil, sprinkle with a little dried coconut ground fine. Enjoy!

~JMJ~Today I am grateful for my son's health improvements. He has been 100% dairy and wheat free for two weeks and his healing is beginning to show. We have a long way to go, as his GI tract was very inflamed, but I am grateful for the little bit of progress he is already making. No more bloated pot belly and the big D has subsided. I look forward to his continued healing and progress. Diet is everything! It is amazing how we can be blinded by the everyday busyness and neglect to see the culprits. I had learned that those two offenders were awful but when trying to slowly wean little ones off of foods they are use to, it can be quite a hurdle. Now that he is more understanding it is easier, a bit. He now can realize and say, "Mommy, I can't have that because it isn't good for my body??" He'll even say, "Does it have wheat or dairy?" Or, "Cow's milk is yucky!" Love it!

Peace and Raw Health.

Chia for Breakfast Today

Today I am inspired by Raw on $10 a day or Less. Here is her amazing recipe. I have my chia soaking right now and will be enjoying this wonderful and healthful breakfast in just about twenty minutes.
Here is my Chia

http://astore.amazon.com/rawlivandlea-20/detail/B001CJOMZC

 Can't wait to try her recipe!! Click on this link to see her recipe and photos:
http://rawon10.blogspot.com/


"Breakfast
Ch-ch-chocolate Chia (From Raw on $10 a Day or Less)
serves 2 ~ $1.46 per serving


2 oz chia seeds ($1.56)


2 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder ($.40)


2 tablespoons agave or sweetener ($.20)


dash salt


10 oz water


2 tablespoons crushed walnuts ($.25)


2 tablespoons raisins ($.10)


chocolate sauce ($.40)

Put the chia seeds, cacao powder, sweetener and salt in a bowl and cover with the water. Let sit for 15-30 minutes until the chia seeds have gelled. Stir really well, breaking up any lumps, and top with walnuts, raisins and chocolate sauce.
The chocolate sauce is made from equal parts olive oil, agave, and cacao powder."

Chocolate Chia Bliss

Here is my finished product. I used half raw carob and half raw cacao. For the sweetener in the pudding I used honey, in the sauce I used raw agave. Man oh man is this good. If you want something to satisfy a craving for chocolate, this will do it. I can't tell you how good it is. I ate the whole batch by myself. Try it!
Next time I will top it with my buckwheat krispies too.

Everything is Soaking

~JMJ~ Today I am thankful for creative raw chefs. You all are such an inspiration. Keep sharing your talents, you have a gift and gifts are meant to be shared.

Traveling RAW

We just returned form a trip to Orlando, our third in the past 10 months. Fun for the kids and I, but somewhat of "work" for the hubby. He was in classes all day getting his continuing ed credits for Optometry. The good thing about continuing ed is we get to go to really great hotels. Several of the meetings have been at The Breakers. That is by far our favorite location. This year it was held at The Hilton Orlando. It is a fairly new hotel and we enjoyed it very much. It had the most amazing pool for the children. I actually had all 5 kids in the pool all by myself for most of the day. My husband would come down on his longer breaks from class and hang out with us, but for the most part I was doing it alone. It worked great, I was surprised. I didn't think I could keep track of the 3 little ones alone. Thank goodness for arm floats!! They did so well. Mason, our 6 year old, did fine swimming around without any help, so I mostly had to keep a close eye on the 1 and 3 year olds. The oldest two went off to the Lazy River and the slide. We all had a really nice time. Here are some pics, next  I will write about what I packed and also what I bought upon arrival, to eat raw and living foods while traveling.

Mason Loving This Pool

We Loved This Water Tower

Eric Jr. is Very Happy!

Aidan Hanging Out

Madison Enjoying the Lazy River

Mitchell Relaxing on the Lazy River

We were gone for four nights. I decided to pack as much as I could and then buy more food upon arrival. Here is what I packed:

Wheatgrass Powder Packets
Blue-Green Algae
Radishes
Mini red, yellow, and orange peppers
Red clover sprouts
Broccoli sprouts
Thick and Creamy Raw Ranch Dressing
Raw Almond butter w/ raw honey
Organic apple slices drenched in fresh lime juice
Limes
Lemons
Organic red grapes
Oranges
Organic bananas
Organic carrot sticks
Organic celery sticks
Organic raisins
Marinated tomato, zucchini and onion salad
Organic baby romaine
1 Ugly Ripe tomato

Here is what I bought upon arrival:

Spring water
Mineral water
Organic green grapes
Apples
Melon
Paper towel
Paper bowls


It sounds like a lot but it only took two small coolers to pack it all. We had adjoining rooms and each one had a refrigerator. I had loads of space to store all of the food. I packed a knife, cutting board, silverware, and salt and pepper. Food prep was easy in the room. We had breakfast and most of our lunches in the room. I just had to think ahead for meals and plan on eating mine in the room. Dinner we ate outside of the hotel at various restaurants. It was very simple, and worked well for me.
There was a painting in our room that reminded me of lettuce, I just had to get a photo. And they had some awesome paintings in the hall that I had to photograph as well.

I Loved These Paintings

We went to Downtown Disney and had a great time. The children loved visiting the Lego store.

Reminded Me of Lettuce

Madison Hanging with Lego Girl

We had a great time and I am happy to say that it was very easy to travel RAW. I think this time was the best planned so far. I am happy with everything I packed and was fortunate enough to have a supermarket down the road only five minutes away. Not to mention the added bonus of having two refrigerators! We all will have very fond memories of this trip. Peace and Happy RAW Travels.

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for family vacations. Time is going to go by so quickly and I will hold on, with a firm grasp, to these precious memories. Traveling while the children are young is always a challenge, but well worth it for sure!