Good Karma Cafe Grand Opening Announcement & 30 Day Challenge Day 18

I am very excited to share that a new plant based cafe has opened in Exeter NH and I am the vegan baker and raw food dessert designer on staff! I am so honored to be involved with the evolution of Chef Brett Aylward's Good Karma Cafe, he is a master raw food chef filled with inspiring ideas. Designer Anna Hardy-Evans of In-Home in Exeter has created a beautiful welcoming comforting atmosphere. I know that this beautiful place will inspire peace and wellness for each soul that enters it's doors.

The cafe offers a vegan menu with raw selections, a bakery counter with %100 coconut nectar sweetened baked and raw treats, organic coffee and healthy food shop. In the future Good Karma will offer classes and events, juice cleanses, Reiki and sauna use. This place is the new health mecca of the east coast! I went in there last week just excited that a new healthy option was opening close by and hoping to join the team. I had no idea that the chef was a raw foodist and I am blown away by how this opportunity manifested for me! I am so greatful, excited and in the passion flow!

I'd love to see you there on Saturday May 5th for the Grand Opening festivities! Come by and try some of my creations and enjoy great food, fun music, and wonderful people!

Day 18 Smoothie:

Green Tea Dream

1 C Hemp Seed Milk

1/2 tsp. Chai Green Tea (I purchase this mix from my local herb shop The Mustard Seed)

Meat of 1 Young Coconut

1 tsp. Raw Honey

A handful baby mixed greens

Fresh Ground Nutmeg and Cinnamon

Chai Green Tea Blend

Blend the milk, tea, coconut, honey and greens in a high speed blender. You can blend for a few minutes for a warm drink or add ice for a chilled version.  Pour into a glass and top with fresh nutmeg and cinnamon to taste.

30 Day Challenge Days 14-17 Celebrations The Divine Decedent Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Reveal!

 Still here going strong in the challenge, I've just had an extremely busy last few days that left me with no time to post. My days have been filled with celebrations and raw food magic. Though I've stuck to mostly juice and smoothies I've been very tempted because there have been events to create for.
One was my daughter's 10th birthday bash with her closest friends at an arcade. She requested my famous Divine Decedent RAW Chocolate Peanut butter Cake. I have to say that this cake has been so requested by family and friends that I'm a little tired of making it and looking forward to moving on to the next decedent dessert! Therefore I'm sharing the recipe here today, write it down because it will be removed soon to go into my book! The cake is creamy cheesecake like or can be eaten frozen like an ice cream cake.  Topped with a hard chocolate coating, cashew cream and raw peanut butter cups, it looks almost as good as it tastes!
This past weekend I also shared a great half-way there hike and lunch with a couple of friends from my challenge group! My Sunday creative session included a mixed greens salad with spicy mustad dressing, bok choy seaweed salad, onion bread, and Thai Coconut Curry Soup (find the soup in my raw iron chef post)and a chocolate cookie for dessert. It was such a joy to share my raw creations and conversation with fellow 30-day challengers.

Divine Decedent RAW Chocolate Peanut butter Cake

Brownie Bottom:
1/2 C Dates (soaked)
1 1/2 C Walnuts
1/4 C Cacao
Pinch of Sea Salt

Using a food processor grind the walnuts into crumbs. Add the dates, cacao, and sea salt and pulse to combine. Press this into the bottom and just up the sides about 1/8th of an inch of a 9" spring form pan.

Peanut Butter Cream Layer:
1 C Soaked Cashews
1 C Almond Butter or Raw Peanut Butter

1/4 C Raw Honey or Pure Maple Syrup (not raw, but high in minerals)

1/4 C Coconut Oil (melted in dehydrator or double boiler)
1/2 C Pure Water (a bit more may be added if needed)

Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix using the tamper if needed. Pour this over the bottom layer and let set in the freezer while you make the next layer.

Chocolate Cream Layer:
1 C Soaked Cashews
1/3 C Raw Cacao Powder
1/4 C Raw Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, or Coconut Nectar
1/4 C Melted Coconut Oil
1/4 C Pure Water

Blend and pour over the peanut butter layer smoothing out to fill sides. Set in the freezer while you make the next layer.

Vanilla Cream Layer:
1 1/2 C Soaked Cashews
1/3 C Raw Honey, Pure Maple Syrup, or Coconut Nectar
1/3C Melted Coconut Oil
1 Vanilla Bean Scraped or 2 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 C Pure Water

Blend and reserve about 1/2 C of the cream for decorating the top. Pour and smooth the rest over the chocolate layer. Place the cake in the freezer and reserve the 1/2 C of cream in a decorators bag in the refrigerator.

Raw Chocolate P.B. Cups

1 C Raw Cacao Butter

1/2 C Raw Cacao Powder

1/2 C Coconut Nectar

Shred the cacao butter and melt it in the dehydrator or on a double boiler. Add the cacao power and nectar to the melted cacao butter and mix well. Line a cupcake tin with paper liners (or use plastic or silicone molds). Fill the bottom of the cups with the melted chocolate and place in the freezer.

Peanut Butter Filling

Mix:
1/2 C Almond Butter or Raw Peanut Butter with
3 Tbl. Coconut Nectar or Raw Honey
1 Tbl. Nutritional Yeast

When the chocolate has hardened to the touch top with a dollop of peanut butter filling and cover with more melted chocolate. These go in the freezer once more to harden. Use the rest of the melted chocolate to coat the vanilla cream layer of the cake and replace in the freezer to harden.
Using the cream in the decorator bag add cream rosettes on top of hardened chocolate. Be creative and place peanut butter cups in halves or quarters on top of the cream rosettes.
Place the whole beautiful thing back in the freezer for a few hours. It may be sliced and served frozen like an ice cream cake or thawed and served as a creamy dreamy decedent dessert.

Raw Chocolate Cookie
1 C Walnuts
1C Cashews
3/4 C Soaked Dates
1 tbl. coconut oil
1 tbl. Vanilla
1/2 C Raw Cacao
Pinch of Sea Salt

Grind the nuts into a flour in your food processor. Add the dates, oil, vanilla, cacao, and salt and blend well. You will have a chocolate "dough". Scoop by rounds onto the mesh sheet of a dehydrator and flatten with your palm. Dehydrate at 105 for 8 hours. Alternatively they may be made into balls and eaten as cookie bites with out dehydration.

30 Day Challenge Day 13 Passion

Continuing to have a clear mind and stay in a place of allowing has brought me opportunities to fulfill my passions in surprising ways in the past few days. These gifts from the universe have reminded me of how important it is to share my passion for the macro-raw vegan life. I have recently received so many stories and compliments of how I have inspired others to change their health and that just blows me away! These people have no idea of the joy they bring to my heart and living in that space of joy has me receiving more than I ever thought possible. I feel immense gratitude for you!

Today I did a lot of hard physical work and had no time or need for formal exercise. I did however go for a short walk in the rain with my daughter. She was excited to find a field of violets in a neighbors yard. She picked many for a vase, many to eat on the walk, and some more to make violet tea. A few were left over to top our banana blueberry ice cream that we created together tonight!

I felt well sustained on juice and smoothies today even though I expended so many calories. I did have a Mindnight Maca this afternoon that helped to give me that little lift. I continue to apply fresh aloe to my skin everyday and have noticed great improvement.

Day 13 Juice:

Purple Passion 

5 Carrots

5 Stalks of Celery

2 Green Apples

1 Large Beet

My smoothie recipe calls for a bit less, but I filled my Vitamix right to the top with these lovely fresh mustard greens!

Day 13 Smoothie:               

Super Green Munster

4 C Mustard Greens

1/2 Red Bell Pepper

1 Tbl. Dulse2 Tbl. Flax Seeds

1" Piece Aloe

3 Sun dried Tomatoes

1/2 Lemon Peeled

2 Stalks Celery

1 Tbl. Sesame Seeds

2 Bananas

4 Dates

This is not the smoothie for the "new to green smoothies" person. If you are, you might want to add a few more dates. It's much more of a blended salad taste, which I love, but it's taken me years to find that love for blended salads!

The wonderful dulse in this drink contains at least trace amounts of every known mineral! Dulse also contains an essential enzyme that aids the body in producing energy from sugars. The seaweed is a staple in many of my macrobiotic meals and it's a comfort for me to add it in raw food smoothies and dishes.                                                         

Zelda's Frozen Banana Blueberry Ice Cream

4 Frozen Bananas

1 C Frozen Wild Blueberries

1/4 C Hemp(or other nut or seed) Seed Milk

1 Tbl. Raw Honey

Place all ingredients in Vitamix and blend on high. You will need to use the tamper liberally.

Chocolate Sauce is:

Melted Coconut Oil

Raw Cacao

Coconut Nectar

30 Day Challenge Day 12 Power

I sure am feeling the power today!  My mind is open and clear and I've been needing just a few hours of sleep. Exciting things are starting to happen not only with my body and energy, but also in manifesting my desires. A few pursuits that have been moving slowly are all of a sudden right within my grasp. This raw energy has got me running down the path of my dreams at supercharged speed!

Another surprising sunny day had me out for an exhilarating run. I'm pretty sure it was the farthest I've ever gone. After my run I planned on doing a yoga video, but I was called to Pilates. Around ten years ago I had been keeping up a daily practice of Pilates and was in the best shape. I loved what it did for my core strength. For whatever reason I fell out of the practice and had not even thought about going back since. Today I tried a new Pilates video and couldn't believe how easy it was. My muscles just fell back into the positions as if getting back on a bike after the winter. I'm looking forward to keeping it up everyday!

Day 12 Juice:
Beta C Fusion
2 Small Turnips
10 Carrots
1 C Pineapple Chunks

2 Oranges Peeled

This orange juice has high amounts of Beta-Carotene which is transformed into Vitamin A by your liver giving your cells protection and the ability to slow the aging process down. Vitamin A also plays an important roll in the formation of bones and teeth, hair growth, and of course vision.
Turnips in this juice give a huge dose of Vitamin C as does the oranges. The turnip also adds potassium, B6, copper, and folate.
Pouring the juice into a pretty glass makes me feel special and reminds me to be proud to take good care of my cells!

Day 12 Smoothie:

Blue Hawaiian

2 C Water

1 C Frozen Wild Blueberries

2 C Pineapple

1 C Baby Spinach

1 C Baby Romaine

Add ingredients to a high speed blender and blend on high. I try to always use fresh organic fruit in my smoothies, but when it comes to wild blueberries, I think they are great to buy frozen when out of season. Being "wild" there is no need to worry about them not being organic. Wild is always better than farm grown organics.

I found this sticker on my banana today and it made me smile!

30 Day Challenge Day 11 Kickin' It Up

I'm feeling much gratitude for sunshine today. After a few cloudy rainy days, today was cool but superbly sunny. I spent many hours this morning working in my garden and cleaning out my chicken coop. I know how ironic it is that our vegan family has hens, but they are lovely pets. We love their silly antics plus they eat bugs including ticks out of the yard. We gladly give the eggs away to friends and neighbors. I drank plenty of lemon water all morning while working outside, but never felt hungry until my hard work was done in the afternoon. Then I made a juice, and later in the evening a smoothie. I feel quite well and highly energized tonight! Somehow I also got in a 2 mile run and an hour of yoga. The super raw girl has arrived!

Day 11 Juice:

 

Kick It Up

5 Stalks Celery

5 Carrots

2" Piece of Ginger

1 Lemon Peeled

1" Fresh Turmeric (or 1 tsp. powdered)

2 Green Apples

Beet Greens from about 3 Beets

Dash of Cayenne

This spicy juice kicks up digestion and adds warming energy.

Ginger and it's cousin Turmeric are helpful to increase the activity of digestive enzymes and stimulate bile flow. Cayenne stimulates blood flow allowing for oxygen to and nutrients to reach cells and heal and beautify skin. New science shows that this cool pepper resets your metabolism to work at a higher temperature causing your body to burn more calories in the hours after eating it.

Day 11 Smoothie:

Dreamy Green

Water from 1 Young Coconut

1 Bunch Mustard Greens

1 Orange Peeled

1 Pear Seeds Removed

3 Dates Pits Removed

2 Tbl. Raw Golden Flax Seeds

1 Tbl. Chia Seeds

1 tsp. Freshly Ground Nutmeg

30 Day Challenge Day 10 Shifting

Once you've lived on raw foods for a period of time you begin to shift into a new vibrational existence. The mind clears and allows for new ideas and emotions. This can be so freeing and uplifting on many levels. For me this sort of emotional awakening has brought on such joy and opportunities, but at the same time separation and anxiety. The difficult part is that I open and change so fast that much of my family and friends can not join me or understand my views and feelings. Leading to strained relations and confusing feelings.

I am grateful for the few in my life (you know who you are) that are in this same space and there to share in my growth. Today was a whirlwind of joy! I spent time with dear friends in great discussion. We were in one room pondering the future and discussing our ideas and preparedness for a possible impending shift in the universe for 2012. Our insightful children in another room were implementing a great imaginary scheme of life for community living. After an interesting conversation about if any of us would ever really have the skills to live off the grid and without common commodities, my friends and I checked in on what our children had been up to. The kids had created this immense "eco-village" out of cardboard in the next room, complete with gardens and bartering systems. I was in awe and appreciated that little sign from the universe that the knowledge I may seek is often right in the next room.

Today I did very well on drinking plenty of water, but never fit in the time for exercise. My body is craving a run and I look forward to fulfilling it in the morning. I've yet to run in the rain and it's been rainy here with no signs of clearing for the next few days, so tomorrow I'll give it a try.

I've always had an aversion to the taste of maca. I still throw a scoop of the beneficial Peruvian root powder into a smoothie once in a while, but never enjoyed the odd flavor it adds. This all changed today! Today I found my love for maca. Is it that my super raw clean palate has accepted it or that I have found the way closer to that of our ancient ancestors to prepare it, warm? Two or three articles and recipes about warm maca came across my desk in the past couple of days. Then tonight I chatted with a very interesting raw food chef and he mentioned a warm drink that he makes in the Vitamix. I came home and finally made a warm maca concoction of my own and fell in love with this superfood!

Day 10 Warm Smoothie:

Midnight Maca

2 C Hemp Milk

1 Tbl. Maca

2 Tbl. Raw Cacao

2 Dates

1 Banana

1 tsp. Dried Nettles

1 tsp. Astragalus (potent Chinese antioxidant herb for immune and skin health)

Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend for several minutes to heat. Pour into a large mug and get excited about all the froth! Sprinkle with cinnamon and bask in the benefits!

If you have not tried maca before here are some of the amazing benefits to encourage you.

*Increases energy levels and stamina

*Is an adaptogen

*Improves physical endurance

*Enhances fertility

*Increases oxygen in the blood

*Regulates hormones

*Increases neurotransmitter production

*Reduces adrenal stress

*Improves mood

*Enhances memory and improves learning ability

*An anitcarcinogenic and antioxidant

*Reduces the effects of aging and creates skin glow

*Rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur, sodium, iron, zinc, iodine, copper, selenium, bismuth, manganese, tin, silicon, B1, B2, C, and E.

If one was having trouble getting rid of an addiction to coffee, my Midnight Maca is a super substitute! It gives that satisfying warm feeling with so many benefits instead of adrenal stress caused by caffeine.

30 Day Challenge Day 9 Flow

Things have turned around and I am feeling back in the flow. In part due to my "Feel the Flow Smoothie" that I created this morning! Today I also began to miss my raw food creativity. Sure I've been having fun coming up with new juice and smoothie combinations, but I still feel the need to play with more of my chef skills. Therefore, I decided that for the rest of the Sundays during the 30 Day Challenge I will create one or more new raw dishes. Even so these new dishes will still be nut and fractured food free and keep within my goals for the challenge.

Today the northeast has slipped into a rainy spell. I am glad for my garden, but hurt for my love of outdoor activity. To stay active today I utilized my favorite pilates and yoga videos on Hulu and Netflix. They are a great resource when I can't get out, and keep things interesting with so many workouts to choose from.

Day 9 Smoothie:
Pineapple is super great for digestion and loaded with enzymes. Specifically bromelain which

banishes inflammation as effectively as drugs, reduces swelling, helps against sore throat, treats arthritis and gout, and speeds digestion of proteins. New research is even showing pineapple to be highly effective at cancer prevention and treatment. Pineapple also supplies a super source of Vitamin C to fight free radical damage, boost the immune system, and increase oral health. This special tropical fruit is also known to aid in the implantation of embryos because of the bromelain's ability to break up proteins that may inhibit implantation. All of my surrogacy sisters know to eat up some pineapple before IVF transfers!

Mustard greens contain phytonutrients called glucosinolates that can help activate detoxification. At least three key glucosinolates have been identified in mustard greens: sinigrin, gluconasturtiian, and glucotropaeolin. They provide an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and manganese. Hydroxycinnamic acid, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol are among the key antioxidant phytonutrients provided by mustard greens. These leafy greens are also an excellent source of vitamin K and a smaller but reliable source of omega-3 fatty acids. 

Flax, Psyllium, Chia, and Aloe are all unbelievable digestive aids that bind to toxins and build up in our system and aid expulsion. 

Feel the Flow Smoothie

Fruit from 1/2 of a Pineapple
2 Oranges Peeled
1 Bunch Mustard Greens
1 Handful of Parsley
1 Tbl. Raw Golden Flax Seeds
2 Tbl. Psyllium Husk Powder
1 Tbl. Chia Seeds
1/4" Piece of Aloe Vera

1 C Water

1 C Ice
Blend all of the ingredients in a high speed and be ready to feel the flow!

Day 9 Sunday Creative Raw Meal:

Seed Burger on Tomato Basil Onion Bread with Hipster Mayo with a side of Rutabaga Fries

Seed Burger

1 Large Beet

1 Carrot

1 C Alfalfa Sprouts

1/4 C Chopped Parsley

1 Clove Garlic

1/4 C Hemp Seeds

1/4 C Flax Seeds

1/2 C Soaked Sunflower Seeds

With the grating blade on a food processor grate the beet and carrot. Switch to the S-blade and add the sprouts, parsley, garlic, hemp, flax and sunflower seeds. Process well. Form into patties and place on the mesh sheets of a dehydrator and warm at 105 for 1 hour. I dressed my burger with lettuce, Hipster Mayo, soaked sun dried tomatoes and sprouts.

The onion bread was adapted from Matt Amsden's in Rawvolution. I added sun dried tomatoes, basil and garlic to his basic recipe.

Hipster Mayo

1 C Hemp Seeds

1/4 C Pure Water

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/4 tsp. Cumin

1/4 tsp. Oregano

1/4 tsp. Hungarian Paprika

Dash Coriander

Dash Cloves

Dash Allspice

Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and whip for 2 minutes. This is a great dip or spread for burger or any sandwich. I dipped my fires in it too!

Rutabaga Fries

2 Good Sized Rutabagas Peeled

1 tsp.Sea Salt

2 tsp.Paprika

Slice the rutabaga into shoestring size fries and toss with the sea salt and paprika. They may be warmed at 105 in a dehydrator for one hour. Alternatively these may be made with khol rabi or jicima in place of rutabega. I am not a big fan of cooked rutabega, but I was surprised to find that I enjoyed their subtle sweetness prepared raw in this way.

30-Day Challenge Day 8 Super Transfusion

Today I woke still feeling in a funk. My energy was down and I felt bloated and constipated. I had a meeting scheduled and some plans with my daughter, so I concocted the Super Transfusion this morning to kick my ass into gear.
In The Vietnam War coconut water was actually used for blood transfusions. This amazing super electrolyte liquid is only a few molecules different than human hemoglobin. Both coconut water and aloe vera provide long burning carbohydrates for steady energy over time. Aloe's polysaccharides lubricate the joints, brain, nervous system, and skin.

Day 8:
Super Transfusion
Water from 1 Thai Baby Coconut
1 tsp. Greens Powder
(I use Phresh http://www.phreshproducts.com/phresh-greens-superfood/)
18 Drops of ChlorOxygen Chlorophyll Concentrate Drops *
1 Cup of Ice
1/2" Piece of Fresh Aloe, skin removed
Blend on high and feel the rush of pure energy!



Later in the day:
Pina Blue Smoothie
1 C Pineapple Chunks
1/2 C Blueberries
Meat of 1 Thai Baby Coconut
1 C Kale (or other green)1 C Pure Water
Handful of Ice
Blend on high

I blame my busy schedule the last few days for eating too many apples and bananas and not enough greens. I believe apples and bananas, being cooling in macro,cause constipation and throw the delicate yin yang balance off. Tomorrow I will focus on adding in more greens, flax and chia to hopefully cure my slow digestion. If that does not work I shall have to try one of those famous Gerson Therapies.

*ChlorOxygen Chlorophyll Concentrate Drops can be purchased for around $10 at vitacost.com. Use this link for a $10 coupon code at Vitacost:
http://www.vitacost.com/Referee?wlsrc=rsReferral&ReferralCode=2830152

30-Day Challenge Day 7

Today was a busy one here and I'm feeling tired and a bit nauseated tonight. My youngest daughter and I went to one of our group classes this morning. It's a body, mind, health and wellness group called Whole Person. Today we watched "What the #$*! Do We Know!?". It is a very interesting film that explores neurological processes and quantum physics. I highly recommend watching it. The group of us did a wonderfully thoughtful activity that helped me to see that the qualities I find unappealing in others are the very ones I need to work on in myself. After the class we had many errands to run including checking out an arcade for her birthday party. We played and had a good time there. By the time we came back home it was late in the evening and I prepared dinner for the kids and myself. Luckily I had packed plenty of smoothie and fruit for my long day out, but when I got home and made my dinner I felt too full to eat it. I'm wondering why and finding it odd. I had only had one large smoothie in the morning, a few bananas, an apple and some grape tomatoes.
 While out today I spotted fiddleheads at the market. They are one of my favorites and are only available for a few weeks in the early spring. I marinated them with some portobellos, onions and garlic in nama shoyu and flax oil. Then I warmed them for about an hour at 105 in the dehydrator. They smelled delicious! I took one bite and enjoyed the taste, but just felt full and sort of nauseous. I guess I'll have them tomorrow.

Day 7 Smoothie:
Apple Pie
1 C Hemp Seed Milk
1 C Water
2 Apples (cored and sliced)
4 Medjool Dates (pits removed)
2 tsp. Cinnamon
2 C Lambsquaters
Blend and enjoy!

Ellie's Chocolate Hemp Seed Milk
1/2 C Hemp Seeds
4 C Water
1/4 C Raw Cacao
4 Dates (pits removed)
Dash of Vanilla
Blend well in a high-speed.

30-Day Challenge Day 6 My Love Affair With Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds are amazing little super gems! These seeds are an excellent source of zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and essential fatty acids. Maybe my body was in need of magnesium or maybe zinc from all this time I've spent in the sun this week. Whatever the reason, I had been craving them and it's so important to listen to your body. Yesterday I sprinkled a handful of the seeds on my salad. They tasted so good to me that I found myself picking them off of the salad that I brought to share with my friends to eat all myself! Last night while lying in bed I was fantasizing about those little seeds! When I woke this morning one of the first things that I did was set a cup of pumpkin seeds to soak. Soaking seeds is so important to remove their enzyme inhibitors. I enjoyed my morning water and juice all the while planning the magical pumpkin seed rendezvous I'd have later in the day.


Day 6 Juice
3 Carrots
1 Bunch Kale
1 Apple
2 Oranges
A Few Springs Parsley

My pumpkin seed smoothie dreaming led me to another affair I had in the past with the Cinnamon Roll Smoothie. I was missing and longing for him, but he's so full of nuts and I'm avoiding them on this challenge! Plus, I practically had nothing on hand except for cinnamon to make something like this. Here's a video of the Cinnamon Roll Smoothie, enjoy one for me!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wb6xQNEeES8


My Day 6 Apple Blueberry Cinnamon Roll Smoothie
1 C Soaked Pumpkin Seeds
3 C Pure Water
1 Apple Chopped
1 C Frozen Wild Blueberries
Seeds Scraped from 1 Vanilla Bean
1 Tbl. Cinnamon
1 C of Ice

I began by making a thick pumpkin seed milk. Using the cup of pumpkin seeds and three cups of water blended in a high-speed very well.
Added in the rest of the ingredients. Blended again. This made enough for two large glasses.
I drank down the whole thing around 2:00 and remained totally full and satisfied for the rest of the day. Ahhh!


This evening I performed my kind of triathlon too. I went on a beautiful kayak with my little girl. It was a bit windy and that provided a great arm and shoulder workout trying to bring the boat in against the wind. After that I went for a run and found some lovely lambsquaters along the way. I grabbed those for tomorrow's smoothie. When I returned from the run I cooled down with some meditation yoga.
Namaste! I'm ready for Day 7, bring it on!

30-Day Challenge Day 5 Feasting With Friends

I am feeling such immense gratitude for the amazing friends I have in my life. Today my girls and I visited my dearest friend, Dayna, who happens to also be a raw food chef (http://www.rawenvy.blogspot.com/). Two other wonderful friends were there and we shared a raw feast. I brought along a beautiful salad and found no trouble sticking to that and some yummy fruit salad. I had been a little nervous about visiting with friends while on a lighter raw cleanse, but my fears were overcome and day five was a success! Dayna had made an amazing looking raw cheesecake and I was happy to enjoy the beauty and smell of it knowing that she'll make me another one next month!


Day 5 Juice
1 Large Beet with Greens
3 Carrots
1 Bunch Kale
1 Apple
1" Piece Ginger
2 Lemons Peeled










Smoothie for the car ride:
Water of 1 Young Coconut
1 Banana
1 Orange
2 Tbl. Chia Seeds
1 C Dandy Greens



Salad Dressing
1 Papaya
1 Small Onion
1 Clove Garlic
1" Piece of Ginger
Juice of 1 Lemon
1/4 C Hemp Seeds
1 C Water

Here's the salad I shared:



Thank you Dayna, Kim, and Jen for the good food, inspiring conversations, and supportive freindship!

Day 4 of The 30-Day Challenge

Today I enjoyed more unseasonably beautiful weather for the northeast. I began my day sitting my dock watching turtles swim, sipping 30oz. of lemon water and soaking up the morning sun. After some work in my greens garden I had 24oz. of juice.

Day 4 Morning Juice
1 Bunch of Kale
2 Large Beets
2 Apples
3" Piece of Ginger
1 Lemon Peeled

There's a funny cleansing phenomenon that while you cleanse your insides you began to feel a need to clean and de-clutter on the outside. I longed to spend this whole beautiful day outdoors, but couldn't resist the urge to clean my house. I scrubbed the bathrooms, baseboards, cupboards, and even got some e-mails and errands done that had been weighing on my mind. The actual process of the cleaning and organizing was enjoyable and left me feeling very accomplished

I regret to say that along with all of this joy and accomplishment today, there was one unpropitious action. The toughest thing for me is that I still need to make my partner and two children an evening meal. I make our usual vegan-macro. fare along with a salad or a vegetable based raw dish for me. Tonight my youngest daughter asked me to make sweet potatoes. They are one of my favorite foods and I have not found a way to make them taste very good raw. I sliced and slow roasted the sweet potatoes in a bit of coconut oil. I told everyone at dinner that they must eat them all because they looked so good to me. Well after I had eaten my beautiful kale salad and was cleaning up the kitchen I noticed that two slices were left in the pan and...I ate them! Of all things to "cheat" on two slices of roasted sweet potato are not so bad. I went for a run and pushed extra hard because of it this evening. Now, I'll just pick up and start fresh tomorrow, my confidence undamaged!


Day 4 Dinner:
Apple Ginger Kale Salad
One Bunch Kale stems removed and sliced into bite sized pieces
2 Tbl. ACV
1 Tsp. Sea Salt
1" Ginger, Grated
1 Apple, Chopped
1/4 C Gogi Berries
1 Tbl. Chia Seeds

Add the ACV and Sea Salt to Kale in a bowl. Massage the Kale for a few minutes. This will make the leaves tender and darker in color. Add in the rest of the ingredients, toss, and enjoy!



I drink my water out of a 32oz. glass mason jar. I've come up with a good way to keep track of how many oz. I am drinking. Each time I re-fill the jar I add a rubber band to the outside. This way at the end of the day I can count the bands and add up the ounces. 160oz. today!

30 Day Raw Challenge Ready, Set...Go!

My friend and organizer of the Manchester Raw Food Meet-Up, K.O. has posed a 30 Day Raw Challenge. Over twenty people signed up and I'd never be one to turn a challenge down. Plus, it's come at a perfect time for me. Coming back from a week away and feeling a little down, I hadn't been treating my body as the temple that it is over the past few weeks and boy was I feeling the effects. My skin is dry and my face and neck have broken out horribly. I've gained about 10 lbs. and feel sluggish. Also, with my next surrogacy transfer possibly weeks away I want to be as clean as possible. The challenge was to go %100 raw for 30 days and well that's not much of a challenge for me since I've been raw for up to 8 months at a time in the past. Therefore I'm taking on the challenge and making up my own cleansing plan along the way.
The official start day was Saturday April 14th. I began on Friday the 13th (what better date!)with a twenty-four hour water fast. I drank about 200oz. of pure water with lemon and sometimes a few dashes of cayenne to keep it interesting. In the evening I had a cup of daily cleanse tea which I purchase from The Mustard Seed herb shop in Nottingham, NH. The tea contains dandelion, burdock, fenugreek, pau d'arco, red clover, parsley, marshmallow root, nettles, slippery elm, ginger, clove, and yarrow. I placed the herbs in a mason jar and let it brew in the sun for several hours. Fasting improves circulation and the body's capacity to eliminate and helps rebalance our unnatural cravings by eliminating the chemicals or properties that cause them resulting in better overall health.

My idea for the thirty days is to have juice in the morning, followed by a huge green smoothie and a salad or other vegetable based raw dish in the evening. Adding in more pure water with lemon, at least 100oz. every day is key. I'll be eating large amounts of greens and fruit, other vegetables, and some small amounts of seeds. Most importantly, I'll be getting back to my routine of daily yoga, walking and running. I feel like the planet has aligned for me to be successful once again. We have had unbelievable weather for this time of year in the northeast. I can't help but be outside on my kayak, in the garden and the forest soaking up this beautiful sun and getting a ton of exercise without even thinking about it.

Feeling great, super powered and ready I began Saturday with a beautiful juice thanks to my sweet friend Rachel for letting me borrow her Omega juicer since my older centrifugal juicer died. I love the Omega and am saving up for a masticating juicer of my own. Even my partner and youngest daughter tried and liked this juice, it has a sweet apple taste!



Day 1 Juice
1 bunch celery
1 bunch kale
a handful of parsley
4 red apples sliced and seeded
1 orange peeled


Well it's already day three as I write this and I've been keeping to my plan and feeling amazing. I'm just bursting with energy and my skin is beginning to feel and look better. I've been skin brushing and applying coconut oil daily and aloe to my face along with soaking up plenty of natural vitamin D. I plan to post here each night for the remaining 26 days as a journal of this challenge. I'll try and record my success, trials, and recipes to inspire and enlighten.

This was dinner on day 1:

Sprout Tuna Lettuce Wraps
1/4 C Mung Bean Sprouts
2 C Alfalfa Sprouts
1 C Radish Sprouts
1/3 C Sunflower Seeds (soaked)
3 Stalks Celery
1/4 C Chopped Onion
1/2 C Hemp Seeds
2 Tbl. ACV
1/2 C Dulse soaked or 2 Tbl. Dulse or Kelp Powder

Process all ingredients except for Alfalfa and Radish Sprouts in a food processor. Pour the mixture over the sprouts and mix to combine. Spoon into Romaine Lettuce and top with tomato slices.

This was dinner on Day 2:

Hemp Broccoli Salad
3 Bunches of Organic Broccoli Crowns washed and stems removed
1/2 C Hemp Seeds
1 Apple Sliced and Seeded
Juice of 2 Lemons
2" Piece of Fresh Ginger
1/2 C Raw Raisins
10 Grape Tomatoes Sliced
2 Tbl Sesame Seeds
1 Tsp. Sea Salt

Place the broccoli in a large bowl. Process the hemp seeds, apple,ginger and lemon juice in a high speed blender. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and add remaining ingredients. Top with sesame seeds.Toss and enjoy!

For a treat last night I made banana ice cream:
The pure local maple syrup is not "raw", but in my book is the best sweetener. The sap it's made from is the food of big strong maple trees and loaded with high minerals. Raw honey or agave may be substituted to keep it truly raw.
Maple Ginger Banana Ice Cream
2 Sliced Frozen Bananas
A Few Shavings of Fresh Ginger (use a peeler and your taste guide)
1/4 Tsp. Fresh Nutmeg
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tbl. Maple Syrup
1/4 C Hemp Seed Milk
Place in high speed blender and blend until smooth. You will need to use the stamper liberally for this to blend well.

Raw Food Iron Chef Excitement

One week ago at the Life Rocks Radical Unschooling Conference my friend Mary and I partnered up to compete in a Raw Food Iron Chef Competition! The idea for the event was born months ago when I told my friend and conference organizer, Dayna Martin, about a vegan iron chef that I had staged for my daughter and her foodie friend. The kids had a blast cooking up vegan meals in one hour and being judged just like the popular show on Food Network. Dayna became so excited and the ideas began flowing for us to compete against each other in the first ever Raw Iron Chef Competition! After months of planning and anticipation Stadium Kitchen was set and the live event was thrilling!

A crowed of unschooling parents, many interested in the raw food lifestyle, cheered us on as we prepared the dishes. The secret ingredient was pulled out of a bag and announced to be gogi berries! Dayna's husband, Joe was our MC with fun Alton Brownish comments. The three judges sat in anticipation as we blended, chopped, and processed.

In the end Dayna and her partner Jamie took away first place beating Mary and I out by only one point! My hat goes off to them for some creative ingredients and fancy plating. Birch paper, pine fronds and fresh local spring water, were a few of their secret weapons!

Thank you to judges Josha Grant, Roderick Russell, and Steve S! Your accolades were flattering and your welcome to dinner at my home anytime!







The coveted first place trophy in the foreground as I work under pressure!


Many in attendance have requested the recipes so here they are! Thank you for your feedback and praise!

Our Inspiration was Asian Fusion because Mary was thinking of all American gone raw and I wanted to stay in my speciality, Asian.

The Appetizer was a Thai Curry Soup adapted from Matt Amsden's Rawvolution
3 C Tai Coconut Water
3 Cloves Garlic
One 2-Inch Piece of Fresh Ginger
1/4 C Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 C Raw Flax Seed Oil
1/4 C Gluten Free Tamari
1 Tbl. Curry Powder
Blend all of the ingredients to warm in a high-speed blender.
Garnish with Chopped Avocado, Scallion, Tomatoes, Red Bell Pepper, Marinated Shitake Mushrooms and Gogi Berries

We served slices of raw curry bread and onion bread along with the soup.

The Main Course consisted of a Sushi Burger and Asian Slaw (find the slaw recipe in my post Macro-Raw Harmony)
Sushi Burger
Chop
1 C Celery
1/2 C Onion
1 C Red Pepper
Add to a food processor with
1 C Sunflower Sees
1/2 C Flax
1/4 C Hemp Seeds
Process Well
Add
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. parsley
1/4 C water
Mix well and form into burgers. These can be put in the dehydrator at this point for about 6 hours for a more authentic "burger" feel.
We served these on rounds of nori paper topped with a coconut raw rice, mango, avocado, sprouts, and a goji berry ketchup.
The ketchup was made on the spot and one of the best things to come form the competition!
1 C Fresh Grape Tomatoes
1/4 C Sun dried Tomatoes
1/2 C Goji Berries
1 Tbl. Raw Honey
Process in high-speed blender.




For dessert we served a Chocolate Peanut Ginger Dream Pie

Crust:
1&1/2 C Pecans
3/4 C Soaked Dates
1/2 C Cacao
Process in a food processor until the mixture holds together. Press into the bottom of a pie plate.

Peanut Layer:
1&1/2 C Soaked Cashews
1/2 C Coconut Oil
1/2 C Almond Butter
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1/4 C Raw Honey
Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender and pour over the prepared crust.

Banana Ginger Ice Cream Top:
8 Frozen Bananas
1 Small Piece of Ginger
Cinnamon and Nutmeg to taste.
Process in food processor and top pie.

Gogj Sauce Topping:
1/2 C Goji Berries
1/4 C Raw Honey
1/4 C Water
Blend and drizzle over top.


My dearest friend and competitor Dayna's prayers for a win were answered!





The whole event was filled with love and play and brings great joy to my heart to remember!

Feed The Body Well

Nourish yourself with an abundance of nutrients and you will be astounded by the body's powers

Though it sounds surprising, almost all people who are "overweight" are actually starving. They are starving of the proper nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for proper cell functions. The brain recognizes this and sends a message of hunger. Unfortunately, most people have lost all connection to their cravings and fill them with high empty calorie junk foods. During transition to a whole foods macro-raw diet there is no need to change overnight. Simply adding in more living foods, smoothies, and juices will start to replace those missing nutrients. Very soon one starts to notice the cravings have diminished and there is no longer a desire for the empty calorie foods, rather a new joy and appreciation for whole living foods.

Proper digestion is key to nutrient assimilation. If your digestive track is sluggish and blocked the vitamins and minerals broken down from whole foods are not able to be absorbed into your blood stream. A diet high in fruits and vegetables helps, but is not always enough. Adding chia, flax, aloe, and psyllium husk to smoothies and other recipes are wonderful digestive aids. The very best thing you can do is add fermented foods like water kefir, rejuvelac, and kimchi to your health routine. Fermented foods help to balance the bacteria and keep the digestive track flowing. They are highly recommended in raw food and macrobiotic diets alike.

Once the body is receiving what it needs to maintain cellular functions, you won't believe what it is capable of. The body's incredible healing powers are being stifled by starvation and gut imbalances. Our human bodies have the ability to heal all illnesses quickly and produce glowing smooth skin, shining eyes, and healthy teeth and gums. Healthy balanced bodies give way to clear minds and a deeper connection to pure consciousness and overall spiritual well being!




Nori Sprout Roll with Kimchi Sauce
1 Nori Sheet
1/2 C Brown Rice (sticky leftover is best)
Cucumber matchstick sliced
Avocado matchstick sliced
1/4 C Bean Sprouts
Black Seseame Seeds


Place the nori sheet shiny side down. Place enough brown rice to cover the whole sheet leaving only abut 1/8 in. around the edges. Use a chef knife that had been dipped into cool water to press the rice down and even out. Line the veggies and sprouts across the rice about 1 in. from the top. Smear a bit of the sauce on one end of the nori. Using a sushi mat roll the nori sheet away from you and press down slightly to seal. Remove the mat and use a wet knife to slice the roll into 8 pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with Kimchi Sauce (below) and Pickled Ginger.

Kimchi Sauce
Juice of 1 Lemon
2 Tbl. Kimchi
1/2 avocado
1 Tbl. Raw Honey
1 Tbl. Dark Miso
2 Tbl. Water

Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and process until smooth.
Use this tangy sauce for sushi dipping or on top of a sprout salad.

Make REJUVELAC
2 cups of organic wheat berries or other whole sprouting grains
Spring or filtered water.

Soak the wheat grains (berries) for about 8 hours after washing them well and discarding any dead, broken or discoloured berries. Drain and rinse them 2-3 times per day. The berries will take about 2 days to sprout, depending on the temperature, their quality, the water you use and other factors.

After the grains sprout about 1 cm, put them in a container and just cover them with spring or filtered water. After two days,the liquid should have a lemony smell and taste a bit like sparkling lemon water. Drain this and enjoy or store covered in the refrigerator.
Add fresh water to the soft seeds and make a second batch. You may repeat this several times.
Forget the yogurt! Rejuvelac has hundreds more beneficial bacteria for healthy digestion!