My Cherry Green Goodness Posted on Blend It And Mend It

I posted a few days ago about a great site I found called Blend It and Mend It. Well, now she has show cased two of my smoothie recipes!! She videos her recipes and also viewer submitted recipes, demonstrating how to make wonderfully healthy and delicious smoothies and green drinks. A recent video is of my cherry smoothie that I wrote in to tell her about.

Elizabeth's Cherry Green Smoothie
2 C spring water
1 10 oz bag of organic cherries
2 ripe bananas
3 handfuls of organic spinach
1 T chia seeds
1 T hemp seeds
1T sprouted and dehydrated raw buckwheat (buckwheat crispies posted here)
1 tsp pure vanilla or almond extract (we use almond primarily)
Blend until creamy smooth. Enjoy!

I love how Jane improvises, using what she has on hand when recreating other's recipes. She has made some good substitutions. Go to her site and watch the video. My recipe calls for hemp seeds and she substituted sesame. Did you know that a 2 tablespoon serving of hemp has 5 grams of complete protein including all eight amino acids and 880 mg of omega 3's?? And one tablespoon of raw sesame seeds contains as much calcium as 5 cups of (toxic) cow's milk!!
When you go to Jane's site plan on spending some time there, she has fabulous recipes that you are going to want to write down. Trust me, I went through all of her previous posts and wrote down all of the recipes into my raw  spiral notebook. You won't be disappointed.
Here is the other video she made for her smoothie recipe that called for grapefruit and I suggested she try substituting my beloved Pummelo! You can view that here. Her original recipe called for spinach, I think, but this time she used parsley.
+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for a beautiful female cardinal who sang me the sweetest song this morning when I opened up the kitchen window. This has happened to me several times before, but it is still just as special as the first time.

Carob Pudding with Raspberries and Sprouted Buckwheat Crunchies

Yesterday for lunch I had dessert; carob pudding to be exact. But I pumped up the already healthy dish with some organic raspberries and my sprouted buckwheat crunchies. Later in this post you'll see just how I sprout and dehydrate raw, hulled buckwheat.
Buckwheat is a variety of plant in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the North American genus Eriogonum. Buckwheat is not a cereal but a pseudocereal. It is not a grass either, despite the common name and grain-like use of this crop. The name "buckwheat" or "beech wheat" comes from its triangular seeds resembling the beech trees much larger seeds, contained in the beech nut, and the fact that it's used like wheat. This name makes it very confusing especially for those looking for gluten free alternatives. This seed is in fact gluten free and in recent years has been used as a substitute for other grain in gluten free beer!
How about its chemical composition?
The seeds contain:
STARCH-
71-78% in groats
70-91% in different flours
25% amylose
75% amylopectin
PROTEINS-
18% with biological values above 90%--due to its high concentration of ALL ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS!!!!
Especially high in lysine, threonine, trytophan and the sulfur-containing amino acids.
MINERALS-
Iron 60-100ppm (wow, nice way to get this mineral naturally)
Zinc 20-30ppm
Selenium 20-50ppb
ANTIOXIDANTS-
rutin 10-200ppm
0.1-2% of tannins

So you can see why I didn't even think twice when making a luscious dessert for my lunch today! This baby is packed with so many good things. Next time I will add some chia as well.

Carob Pudding with Raspberries and Sprouted Buckwheat

2 small, ripe avocados

1 small, ripe banana

4 T carob powder

raw agave to taste, optional

1 T vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

splash of raw almond mylk or water

6-8 frozen organic raspberries

2 T buckwheat crunchies

In a small food processor, process all of the ingredients until the desired consistency of pudding. Adding nut mylk or water as needed. Top with the raspberries and sprouted buckwheat crunchies. Enjoy!
Buckwheat is one of the fastest, easiest, and cheapest seeds to sprout. They make a great alternative for getting your daily greens. I have even blended them up in smoothies in addition to adding them to salads, chia cereal, desserts, and even raw pizza crusts and raw breads. The possibilities are really endless bound only by each individual's imagination.
Here is my simple method of sprouting and making "Sprouted Buckwheat Crunchies":
Soak 2/3 C of organic, raw, hulled buckwheat in spring water for 20 minutes. Rinse until no slimy residue remains. I rinse them in a colander making it easier to sprout them using the same. Place your colander over a bowl to allow for drainage. Rinse the buckwheat every 6-12 hours. Place back onto  your bowl to drain and sprout. Keep rinsing every 6-12 hours until their tails sprout. You will see the tiny tails emerge in 1-1 1/2 days. Once your buckwheat has sprouted, spread them onto dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 6-10 hours or until crunchy when tasted. I just keep checking my buckwheat during the dehydrating process and once they are crunchy they are done! Allow them to fully cool and then store in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid in your pantry. Keep in mind that 2/3 C of buckwheat seeds will yield about 1-1 1/4 cups of sprouted.
Here is a recipe for a sprouted buckwheat raw pizza crust using freshly sprouted buckwheat that has not been dehydrated into crunchies:

1 1/2 cups  fresh sprouted buckwheat groats


1/4 cup olive oil


raw honey to taste


2/3 cup carrot pulp


2/3 cup soaked flax seeds


1/4 cup water


In a blender combine groats, olive oil, honey, carrot pulp, flax seeds and water. Blend using a spoon or rubber scraper to mix occasionally.

On a solid dehydrator tray, spread the dough mixture out. You can use a spoon to transfer the dough and then use wet hands to spread the mixture evenly.
Dehydrate the crust at 100 degrees for 7 hours.
Transfer the crust to a mesh dehydrator tray and dry for 8 hours checking occasionally to see if it is fully dry.
Top the pizza crust with your favorite ingredients and eat immediately or store covered in a dry area for up to one month.
(Read more: How to Make Sprouted Buckwheat Pizza Crust: Raw Food Recipe
eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5190689_make-crust_-raw-food-recipe.html#ixzz1E3frKU7P)
 
+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for being my children's teacher. I felt so much joy today listening to one of my sons reading their stories aloud from their reader. It just made me feel so blessed knowing that I am responsible for his learning and that I get to see first hand all of his academic accomplishments. I wouldn't want to miss one minute of it. **BIG SMILE**

Sunny Salad Bowl

Crystal blue skies this morning in SW Florida, the air is crisp and the smell is sweet. I had to fill up on some sunshine this morning and this was the perfect dish to do just that!
I was blessed once again to receive fresh, tree ripe, Florida pummelos from our dear friends Dr. & Mrs. "F".
Thanks guys!! You are so wonderful.
Well this time I hit THE PUMMELO LOAD-- the mother load of pummelo. Seven of them are missing from the picture, I already ate those :)

Mother Load of Pummelo

Sunny Salad Bowl
2 pummelos, peeled and sliced/diced
handful of sunflower sprouts (my own :)
handful of organic raisins
drizzle of RAW honey
sprinkling of pumpkin seed powder (ground in nut chopper)

These citrus fruits are sooo juicy, you will be left with a delicious juice in the bottom of the bowl. Be sure and drink that straight from the bowl, I always do!! It is so sweet and yummy with the raw honey mixed with the pummelo juice--yummo! Drink in the sunshine. If you spot a pummelo at your market I highly recommend you try one, they are so worth it. Be warned, they are filled with millions of seeds and there is only one way to cut them. You'll want to get every bit of this delicious fruit when cutting (that you'll probably pay dearly for) so please read my step-by-step post. I posted about that here.

+JMJ+Today I am grateful for tree ripened fruit right from my friend's backyard.

Tiny Fudge Bites on the Feast Day of St. Valentine

Sweet Feast Day Treat for my Valentines

 St. Valentine's History
He is the Patron Saint of:
 affianced couples
 bee keepers
 engaged couples
 epilepsy
 fainting
 greetings
 happy marriages
 love
 lovers
 plague
 travellers
 young people
He is represented in pictures with birds and roses.


The origin of St. Valentine, and how many St. Valentines there were, remains a mystery. One opinion is that he was a Roman martyred for refusing to give up his Christian faith. Other historians hold that St. Valentine was a temple priest jailed for defiance during the reign of Claudius. Whoever he was, Valentine really existed because archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine. In 496 AD Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration in honor of his martyrdom.


The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in a The Nuremberg Chronicle, a great illustrated book printed in 1493. [Additional evidence that Valentine was a real person: archaeologists have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to Saint Valentine.] Alongside a woodcut portrait of him, text states that Valentinus was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius the Goth [Claudius II]. Since he was caught marrying Christian couples and aiding any Christians who were being persecuted under Emperor Claudius in Rome [when helping them was considered a crime], Valentinus was arrested and imprisoned. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus made a strategic error: he tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't do it, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate [circa 269].


Saints are not supposed to rest in peace; they're expected to keep busy: to perform miracles, to intercede. Being in jail or dead is no excuse for non-performance of the supernatural. One legend says, while awaiting his execution, Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter. Another legend says, on the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine."


St. Valentine was a Priest, martyred in 269 at Rome and was buried on the Flaminian Way. (source: catholic.org)Full article here.

Sooooo, from all of this history we come to present day and see all of the commercialism and money making that surrounds this "holiday". In our house it is a Feast Day, and another chance to get history into our homeschooling day--in a fun way. A springboard to studying the Emperor Claudius, Rome, archaeologists and the persecutions. I try to ground my kids in history before the world tries to sweep them away with all of the retail brainwashing, telling them it is all about roses and chocolate. While those are lovely, I say it can be simply showing love through kindness and caring without any material things involved. But, did I still get the hubby a card and some sweets?? Of course I did but I also surprised him with an act of kindness, by filling his car up with gas late last night so he wouldn't have to leave for work early to do it. Little things like that go a long way. I hope to show my children that it is the way we treat others and not what we buy them that shows our true love. My children see all of the chocolates in the stores and even though they don't say anything I know they are probably thinking it would be nice to have some. Well, they do not consume cow's milk, or any animal milk for that matter, so this gives Mom a perfect opportunity to make them something healthy and sweet.
The other day when we celebrated my Mom's birthday I had made Heather Pace's Lava Cakes and I added a carob sauce. Well, I had so much "dough" leftover and carob sauce that I decided to make some freezer fudge. I took the leftover "dough" and pressed it down, very firmly, into a square dish. I then poured on my leftover carob sauce and popped it in the freezer. I knew it would turn out to be more fudge like this way and boy was I right. This is amazing fudge. I love that it is kept in the freezer because the kids can snack on it for several weeks to come and it will taste just as fresh as the day I made it. See my post about the Lava Cakes here. I hope someone gets the chance to make this wonderful treat! Enjoy. Happy Valentine's Day!!

+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for unconditional LOVE.

Avocado Tacos

This was an impromptu lunch and I am very pleased with the result. I used what I had on hand and threw together this easy raw taco recipe. Romaine hearts served as the taco shells and the fillings were;
*Bubbies Kraut
*1 avocado
*fresh cilantro
*radish sprouts for some heat
*fenugreek sprouts
*sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
It is simple foods like this that really make raw living foods so enjoyable. I could taste the flavor of each individual ingredient and there was no competition. If you have not tried real sauerkraut with avocado you are missing out on something truly spectacular. Of course it would be even better if it were my own fermented cabbage, but hey I can only do so much. Some day I will get back to fermentation. For now I am thankful for Bubbies.

+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for cool, crisp weather--the kind where we can open the windows and feel almost zero humidity!! Very nice.

Thick and Creamy Carob Smoothie

This morning for breakfast I made a juice for myself and the three youngest children. The older two were still upstairs getting ready to come down and start school. The morning juice consisted of:
2 lbs organic carrots, washed but unpeeled
1 handful fresh parsley
1 sprig fresh dill
1 large organic red apple
1 clementine, whole/unpeeled

I didn't bother to take a pic--we all know what carrot juice looks like :) This was just delicious--you never saw three little boys drink fresh juice so fast. My six year old said, "Mom you make THE BEST fresh juices". Isn't that sweet! He is my complimentor, always praising Mommy and writing me tiny love notes throughout the day even on his school papers I'll see, "Mom, I love you." Sigh! I wish they could stay frozen in time--all this sweetness, can it last?
For lunch I treated myself to a dreamy, elegant, thick and creamy smoothie. It was so rich and so filling I will be set until dinner!!
I made my own version of "Angela's Chocolate Avo Green Smoothie" which was posted by a viewer of "Blend It and Mend It", over at http://www.blenditandmendit.com/ It was her February 10th's post. She demonstrates a version of it in a video. The original recipe calls for a few different ingredients that I didn't use and I substituted others. If you want to see the original recipe submitted by Angela, please stop by http://www.blenditandmendit.com/
You can even submit your favorite smoothie recipe to Jane and she will make a video on it. She made a video for me after I recommended she try using Pummelo instead of grapefruit in one of her recipes. She forgot to remove the pummelo seeds, so if you ever try one be sure and remove all of the seeds, they have like a 100 seeds in each pummelo, I swear.
Here is my recipe for
THICK AND CREAMY CAROB SMOOTHIE
2 C of water or fresh nut mylk of choice
4-5 medjool dates, pitted or use 2 T of Coconut Water Date Paste (my post yesterday)
1 T raw macadamia butter
1 fresh, ripe banana (brown spots on the skin = ripe)
1/2 stalk of organic celery
2 tsp pure vanilla
pinch of sea salt
2 heaping T carob powder
1 large avocado
Blend until thick and creamy in a high speed blender. It will be almost like pudding, so add more water or nut mylk to get your desired consistency. Enjoy! This is insanely good!!!

After enjoying this smoothie I was thinking that this would make the perfect recipe for raw fudgesicles--just add in some coconut oil while blending and then pour into molds, then freeze.
+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for friends offering me, much needed, information! It always makes me smile when people step forward and are so helpful.

Making Coconut Water Date Fluff (Paste)

"Seek out foods that sustain, nourish, and warm you".

 quote by Terri Trespicio

While raw foods don't warm me in the sense that cooked foods warm others, they do warm me with the feeling of wellness. I feel so alive and warm with energy, when I eat raw living foods. Here is yet another way to bring raw goodness into your life with a natural sweetener from God's creation, one of which was right outside my front door :).

Coconut Water Date Fluff (Paste)

The other week I stumbled upon a great site called Blend It and Mend It. I followed her recipe for making a great all purpose sweetener in the form of a "date fluff/paste", she calls hers something different. She makes it with fresh coconut water infusing the dates with electrolytes. It turned out fantastic, so creamy, thick and delicious. I used it in a raw cookie recipe for the kids. You can also use it in smoothies, raw pies, and any raw dessert that calls for extra sweetness.
I found a fresh coconut in my neighbor's front lawn. Started hacking away at it in the kitchen with my cleaver and before long I had an amazing amount of fresh coconut water.

 This was a young green coconut and had virtually no meat inside, just fresh electrolyte filled water.

Next I pitted several Medjool dates, enough to fill an entire container. I poured the coconut water on top, making sure to cover all of the dates with the water.

 Press the dates down into the coconut water with the back of a fork. Place the covered container in the refrigerator and let it sit overnight for at least 8 hours. In the morning stir the dates well, breaking up and mashing any lumps until you have a creamy "coconut water date paste".
Coconut Water Date Fluff/ Paste
1 young coconut, water from
10-12 Medjool dates, pitted
Place dates into your container of choice, one that has a lid, and cover completely with the fresh coconut water. Make sure the dates are submersed in the coconut water. Allow to sit overnight, at least 8 hours,  covered in the refrigerator. In the morning, mash and stir the dates until creamy smooth. To turn it into a fluffy texture, process in a small food processor instead! Will keep a few days in the refrigerator, freeze for longer storage in smaller batches for future recipes.
It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator but for longer storage measure out smaller batches and freeze for future recipes.
Here is one of her recipes to try with this wonderful "coconut water date paste":
Orangeade from http://www.blenditandmendit.com/
3 oranges
1 T pure vanilla extract
1/2 C date sweetener ("coconut water date fluff/ paste")
Blend till creamy in a high speed blender.

+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for a snugly little four year old on my lap as I type this post.

Asian Citrus Salad

Today's lunch inspiration came from a vegan magazine titled "Healing Foods". It had a lot of cooked foods in it and only a few salads so I opted not to buy it. I was happy to see an article on sea vegetables, but the recipes were for using it cooked. I eat my sea vegetable raw so all of their vital nutrients are intact. I was a bit baffled with the title, "Healing Foods" since the majority of the foods were cooked??  But I did take the time to make note of a fantastic looking salad. I changed it a bit and love how it tasted. I really like that the dressing is oil free. The original recipe called for arugula but I used mixed baby greens. It also called for shallots but I only had one scallion left so I substituted that instead. I also added a pummelo and a clementine in addition to the grapefruit and orange that it called for. And of course I had to add some fresh home grown sprouts!! The dressing is definitely Asian style so I will call it "Asian Citrus Salad". Here is how I put mine together:

Asian Citrus Salad
mixed baby greens
1 pummelo, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 small grapefruit, peeled, seeded and chopped
1  clementine
1 scallion, finely chopped
8 mint leaves, finely sliced into ribbons
1/4 C raw soaked and dehydrated almonds, slightly ground
1 T raw sesame seeds
radish sprouts, for some extra heat

Plate the baby mixed greens and top them with the remaining ingredients. Drizzle on the Oil Free Asian Dressing.

Oil Free Asian Dressing
2 T raw agave or raw honey
1 1/2 T lime or lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 T Wheat Free Tamari
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, use more if you like it spicy and hot
1/2 tsp sea salt

In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients.

+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for silence.

Fenugreek and My New Sprouting Rack :)

A very nice couple in my Raw Living Foods Group was nice enough to let me purchase their extra sprouting rack. I was going to make one, with my hubby's help, but when this opportunity came up I couldn't resist. He did a great job and I am so happy with my new sprouting rack!! Thanks guys!

On Our Back Balcony

I put the rack right to use with two trays of sunflower sprouts.

 When I went over to pick it up "L"(not sure if you'd want me using your name) was so sweet, she shared some beautiful Meyer's lemons and some of her fenugreek seeds with me. She said she had sprouted some and didn't like them very much. I had a funny feeling that I would like them, so I was anxious to give them a try. Right away that night I began soaking some seeds. They sprouted beautifully in just 3 days. I sprouted them using my standard jar technique.

 I researched how to sprout them first at The Sprout People's website. I harvested them very young, just as they got their tiny leaf and even some without any leaf showing.

They have a very unique taste that is difficult to explain, but I find them delicious. They are a tiny bit spicy but nothing like my radish sprouts, now those pack a punch.
Fenugreek, when sprouted, is an amazing living food. Here is a brief list of its nutritional contents:
Nutritional info:

Vitamins A, B, C, E
Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc
Carotene, Chlorophyll, Digestive Aid, Trace Elements, Amino Acids
Phyto-Nutrients - Excellent for Women (Breast Health)
Protein: 30%
I learned from The Green Pharmacy Herbal Handbook that fenugreek has therapeutic uses for dermatitis, diabetes, high cholesterol, indigestion, inflammation, lack of appetite, arthritis, cancer, constipation, eczema, gas, hair loss, hardening of the arteries, HBP, high triglycerides, infections, labor, sore throat, stone formation in the urinary system, ulcers, and breast milk deficiency.
Defatted fenugreek seed powder was given to people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in clinical research studies and it had significantly lowered blood sugar, thanks to some six different phytochemical compounds found in it. In one study, urinary excretion of glucose plummeted 54 percent after a group of people with type 1 diabetes began to take 50 grams of defatted fenugreek powder twice a day. Their fasting blood sugar, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood triglyceride levels also dropped notably.
Tutankhamen was entombed with the seeds from this ancient herb. You can eat the seeds cooked or raw and can sprout them as well.
Southwest Asia and southern Europe is where this herb originated. It is a member of the pea family and the plant has oval, minutely serrated leaves, with seeds that grow inside a pod like peas. It has whitish flowers. This page has some pictures of fenugreek and the seeds.
I made a wonderful salad with loads of fenugreek sprouts on top. The combination of pummelo and fenugreek was incredible. Here is the recipe for my salad. 
Pummelo and Fenugreek Salad:
Mixed baby greens
1 pummelo, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 radishes, sliced
1 stalk of organic celery
fenugreek sprouts
Whisk together and dress salad with:
fresh lemon juice
raw honey
Dijon mustard
cumin
basil
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for my new sprouting rack and my new found sprout--fenugreek.

Birthday Lava Cakes with Mousse

Tonight we had my parents over for dinner to celebrate my Mom's birthday. February 7th is her official special day. For my dinner I made another spiralized noodle dish topped with red bell pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, radish sprouts and a drizzle of Italian vinaigrette. It was wonderful. The vinaigrette was simply Italian herbs, fresh lemon juice, EVOO, and a splash of balsamic.

I made an extra special, almost raw, dessert for everyone. It was carob mousse and Lava Cakes. The Lava Cake recipe is from Sweetly Raw's new carob cookbook. You can have the recipe e-mailed to you, just go to her blog and read her post.
My mousse was so simple yet so delicious. I used avocado, carob, sea salt, vanilla, maple syrup, and a small drizzle of raw agave. It required a small amount of water to get the right consistency. The key to this mousse is chilling it well prior to serving.
Next I prepared the Lava Cake by soaking the raw walnuts for 10 hours. I rinsed them twice during the soak period, they seemed a bit dirty. By the time they were done soaking and had their final rinse they looked super clean. It is so important to properly clean and soak your raw nuts.
I processed the walnuts into a "flour". Next I made a paste with pitted Medjool dates and a splash of water. In went the carob, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Now it was time to add in the walnut flour and turn it into a "dough".

The mini cake pans were prepped with plastic wrap and I made the carob sauce for the lava center. I used a glass jar to shake together the sauce. It was basically carob powder, water, vanilla, melted coconut oil and maple syrup. I don't use raw carob; I was told that the raw carob is not healthy. Our health food store downtown won't even carry raw carob. I'm not worried about an occasional dessert with products in small amounts that are not raw. As long as the majority of the ingredients are, I am fine with that. Dessert shouldn't be stressful, just enjoyable (but healthy).

It was a bit tricky pressing the dough into the mini cake pans; it kept sticking to my fingers. Once I got them all filled I took a spoon and gently scooped out the center, being careful not to puncture the bottom (which really ends up being the top, once inverted).

In goes the carob lava sauce. Into the freezer they go to set up.

I plated the cakes and drizzled on some of the extra lava sauce.
Alongside the cakes I put a dollop of mousse. I made the smaller cakes for the three youngest kids and the rest of us had the larger size. I bought the molds at Bed Bath and Beyond.

+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for time with my parents.

Revved Up, Pumped Up, Juiced Up Morning

This morning I was all fired up and ready to make some super charged juice for the family. I juiced up:
2 lbs of organic carrots
1 organic red apple
2 clementines
1 large Meyer lemon, skin on!
large handful of parsley, with stems

We all just guzzled it down so quickly and it was amazing. Still being fired up for some greens and fruits, I decided to make a green smoothie. I wanted to incorporate some of the Chia Goodenss that I posted about the other day.

 I know people add chia to their smoothies but I thought it would be great to also have the buckwheat and hemp that is in this particular Chia Goodness mix. This smoothie was so creamy and delicious it tasted like a raspberry milkshake. Here is my recipe for our
 Revved Up Saturday Morning Green Smoothie:
4 large collard leaves, remove stems
3 C water
4 pitted Medjool dates
4 bananas
1 T vanilla extract
2 hands full of organic raspberries
1/2 scoop of Vega (plain)
2 T Chia Goodness
1 C ice

+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for the beautiful songs of the cardinal and mockingbird that greeted me this morning when I opened the kitchen window. We have a cabbage palm right outside the kitchen window and it is a favorite hang out for birds of all kinds.

Making Raw Kale Salad

I have been enjoying "The Daily Raw Inspiration from Jinjee" at The Garden Diet. Today's inspiration was very good, this is what she said:

"Every body is different and I think the most important thing to do is honor what feels right to you. If the raw diet is not working for you, perhaps it is a matter of belief system. Not everybody is ready to believe that you can get all your nourishment from raw plant foods. One way to shift your beliefs is to actually experience the benefits of the raw diet. However if you don't feel good eating 100% raw, and feel better when you eat a little dairy, meat, steamed veggies, soup, whatever it is, then I think one should honor this; honor your process, your path. We are taught to follow others; we are seldom taught to listen within. Health is really a good starting place to learn to trust ourselves. If we can learn to listen to our body, perhaps it will help guide us to the even more mysterious art of listening to our heart! "



- From our Go-Raw Programs materials...Jinjee @ thegardendiet.com

I personally do know that we can get all of our nourishment from raw living foods, with the exception of perhaps B-12, which I take as my only supplement. And I personally feel the best consuming a raw living foods diet. I can feel the negative effects almost instantly when I consume cooked foods. I have really mastered the art of listening to my body but it didn't happen until I cleared my mind of the brain fog that I had for several years. The mental clarity came after being on the raw living foods diet for several months. It is just amazing how drastically it changed my perception of things. I have said before that you never really know just how awful you feel until you start feeling good! I am so grateful for all of the benefits received from living this lifestyle. I don't miss the chronic hives, migraine headaches, sinus congestion with sinus headaches, acid reflux, restless sleep, stomach pain after eating certain cooked foods, lack of energy, and the BRAIN FOG. They are all gone and I couldn't be happier. I continue to see improvements as the months go by and as I add in even more green juices and of course my beloved sprouts. I am sprouting new things and will post about that soon.
On to the next subject.....
I was talking to some very special ladies today at our homeschool 4-H Archery group about making raw kale salad.
Here are some pics of our oldest two chidren at their 4-H Archery Club: 

So after trying to explain how I make my salad, I decided to go ahead and post a step-by-step recipe.

Step 1: Remove the center rib from each kale leaf by ripping it off or cutting. I just grab hold of a leaf upside down, hold on to the end of the stem with one hand and pull down with the other, stripping the kale right off of the stem. Finely chop up the kale leaves and place into a large mixing bowl.

Step 2: Drizzle the kale with some First Cold Pressed Olive Oil and massage the kale with your hands. I use both hands alternating between left hand, right hand, squeezing the kale quite hard until it softens and wilts. Your hands will get tired as it takes several minutes to properly wilt the kale. It will release some of the deep green chlorophyll and the cell walls will begin to break down. The kale will almost shrink down half in size.

Step 3 : Sprinkle on some raw white sesame seeds, about 2 teaspoons of wheat free Tamari and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Mix well until kale is coated with the lemon juice and Tamari.

Step 4: Slice some tomatoes and add them to the kale along with some onion powder. If you have fresh onion you can use that instead. When I have vadalia in the house I chose that over the onion powder. If you don't have fresh tomatoes sun dried are excellent in this recipe.
 Toss and serve.

This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for three days, if it lasts that long--my kiddos gobble it up in one, two days tops.

Raw Kale Salad

1 bunch of organic kale

1-2 Roma tomatoes or 6-8 sun dried

onion powder to taste or sweet onion

juice from a fresh lemon

1 T wheat free Tamari

raw white sesame seeds

First Cold Pressed Olive Oil

+JMJ+ Today I am grateful for good smells that bring back memories.