Veganspiration

It comes to no surprise to me to see that it has been nine months since I last wrote. Rather it's quite perfect that my last post was about the birth of Good Karma Cafe and here I am nine months after, finding some time to get back to my personal writing. Good Karma was a little start up that could with great dreams and inspiration and it has taken the community by storm and been embraced and skyrocketed like no other mission before. I have been delighted to be a part of it's gestation and feel that I am at a place where I can pass on some responsibility to other talented staff and get back some time for my girls, my own mission, and this new surrogacy journey.
I am thrilled to share that I am nine weeks into a pregnancy for an amazing couple from Australia. This being my fifth pregnancy (2nd as a vegan) I've decided to keep up my recipe writing and sharing to inspire other women to enjoy macro-raw vegan super pregnancies like mine.
Speaking of inspiration, my dear friend and surrogate baby daddy, sent me this wonderful complement:
 "So after seeing a post on your wall I made vegan sour cream to go with our veggie burritos last night using cashews but also added apple cider vinegar...oh my it was delicious!! Who would have thought! Thanks for the veganspiration!"
Thank you, for my favorite new word of the week "veganspiration"! The word inspired me to contemplate where my "veganspiration" has come from. The list is overwhelming and endless. There are so many raw, vegan, macro chefs of fame and friend that inspire me to create new food combinations almost daily. Then there are the films, books, and places too.I'll just share a few and maybe you can share your "veganspirations" in the comments with me.
I must began with my dear sweet fourteen year old daughter, Xavia. At the age of ten after seeing a PETA flier she let me know that she was no longer consuming meat. Thanks to her compassionate heart the enlightenment commenced for me. Worrying about her health and the "where will she ever get her protein" question, I researched endlessly. Though I had gone through my teen years as a vegetarian, more for rebellion, I was surprised at the health benefits and scientific backed claims. I leaped in and shortly my husband and younger daughter followed. 
A year later, I was lucky enough to meet two other families with vegan children. We became great friends and it was so nice for my girls to have friends that understood how and why they ate for compassion and health. At this time I was still vegetarian, but desperately wanted to move towards veganism. My biggest obstacle was the cheese. Even though I knew the detrimental health effects of dairy and we were making almond mylk, I just couldn't find a good replacement for cheese in some of my children's favorites like pizza and mac & cheese. Along came my next big "veganspiration". A mother from one of these families and wonderful friend Khristine. She has an incredible story of saving her own life and coming back from near death with a raw vegan diet change. Her family had been vegan for over ten years and I really admired that. Khristine granted me the most magical and coveted vegan cheeze recipe. Of all the recipes ever shared with me from friends and family this is far and away the most life changing. This recipe was originally published in Vegnews magazine as "The Best Mac & Cheese On he Planet". The sauce is wonderful on pasta, but also very versatile and we've used it on everything from pizza to nachos. No, it may not be a pure macro-raw food, but I've tweaked it to lower the fat and use it only as a treat now. Thank you Khristine for giving me that inspiration to finally become 100% vegan!
Other "veganspirations" that I encourage you to check out for yourself include :
Michio and Aveline Kushi http://www.kushiinstitute.org/index.html 
their macrobiotic institute and many publications,

The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted And the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, And Long-term Health T. Colin Campbell,

The Kind Diet: A Simple Guide to Feeling Great, Losing Weight, and Saving the Planet Alicia Silverstone,

Films:

Earthlings

Forks over Knives 

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

I am so filled with "veganspiration" and look forward to sharing it with those who want and need to know the truth about health and compassion.

"Super Simple Kind Sour Creem"
-1 Cup of Raw Organic Cashews (soaked at least 1 hour and rinsed well)
-Juice of 1 Lemon
-1/4 tsp. sea salt
-1 tsp. A.C.V.
Blend all in a high speed blender and marvel! You may add herbs, and spices to this base to create an array of dips, thin it out for a dressing, or use as a spread.