...checking out again...Happy New Year...Wedding Ahead

I'm going to be taking another break from blogging. Last night as I lay in bed unable to sleep...I realized I only have about 5 weeks to get ready for my daughter's wedding. At that point it came to me that I have much to do and I do not need to be hanging on the computer.
This is my first child to be married and she will be moving to another state afterwards. I thought that this was not going to be too tough. I have homeschooled her all of her life so we have been together more than most parents spend with their children. I ignorantly said to someone months ago that we've had so much time together that we were just moving from one season to another and it was time and I was ready.
We'll early this morning I had to pass thru her bedroom and many of her belongings have been moved down south....and with this glance REALITY hit me right in the HEART...and it tore something away and left it flapping in the wind...it was still connected to my heart...but it was the beginning of something that only a mother knows...of this I am sure. Perhaps... I think... in yet more of my ignorance....this will continue to tear away until she is moving on in her new life with her wonderful husband.
I know this is part of the life cycle...one that I have not experienced until now...it is okay...but painful none the less. I have been teary all day...I told my daughter that I hope to get this all out before her wedding day so that I will not have to be retrieved in a puddle of tears.

My daughter is beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside and she was the first great joy of my life. She is one of whom I have said many times, that if she is your friend you are blessed indeed for her loyalty runs deep and her love is as deep as it is wide.
May the LORD GOD bless Emily and Barry richly with His presence in their lives and may they grow together in their knowing of Him.

Looking ahead to the New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with your family and friends and that you took time out to remember why we actually pause this time of year. It is still the only day of the year when almost everything closes down to observe this day.

I hope that Jesus is a part of your everyday life.... because He is our Life and the giver of Life.

Now we are on the verge of beginning a new year. My hope for you is that the new year will bring you closer to God through Jesus Christ and this for the salvation of your souls.
This is my longing...to know Him more. Also, to stay balanced and not allow the things of this world to distract me from my purpose here on this earth. The Bible tells us to, "...Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" Mt. 6:33. May this be our goal for the new year.

I do plan on continuing to blog and post my eats with new recipes as we go into the new year. I may not post every day as I need to make sure that my priorities are in place and I do not rob my family of myself.

Since I began blogging I have consistently maintained a super high raw diet, about 98-100%. This is the best diet for me. Remember that each of us are unique and have differing needs according to our individual health concerns. I encourage you to eat as much organic raw fruits and veggies as you are able and can tolerate. Try to incorporate more of these items into your diet each week and eliminate the processed foods from your diet at a pace that will achieve your success.

Blessings and Peace to you from God above!


today's eats~
banana
lucuma/mesquite
raw almond milk

herbal mint tea

Carrot/celery/apple/ginger juice~24 oz

SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIE 1 qt
raw almond milk
banana
green powder w/ probiotics and superfoods
chia seeds
cacao nibs
lacuma
mesquite

New Recipe today~

Kathy's Raw Cheezy Chips~my potato chip substitute

Daikon~sliced on a mandolin
sprinkle with
nutritional yeast
onion powder
salt of choice

mix together. you can eat these raw to get a water dense chip or dehydrate until crisp
*if you let these sit too long before eating they will get very wet

Raw Pizza
raw crackers
Rich Cheddar Sauce~recipe below
marinated portabella mushrooms sliced
marinated fennel and roma tomatoes

I also ate some sliced cukes on the side

Dessert/snack~ banana slices topped with chocolate sauce and pecans
chocolate sauce~cocoa, lucuma, mesquite, vanilla, water to thin

RICH CHEDDAR SAUCE
adapted from "Rejuvenate Your Life: by Serene Allison
1/2 large red bell pepper
1/4 c. water
1 c. raw cashews, sunflower seeds and/or almonds (soaked overnite)
1 T. tahini
2 T. nutritional yeast
1 1/2 t. sea salt
2 t. onion powder
1 clove garlic
2 T. lemon juice

blend until creamy. add more water if it is too thick. this will thicken after it is refrigerated

Marinated Mushrooms/fennel and tomatoes

clean and slice small portabella mushrooms place in a shallow dish (keep separate from tomatoes and fennel

clean and slice fennel in a food processor very thinly inluding the tops
clean and slice roma tomatoes thinly
place tomatoes and fennel together in another shallow dish

marinate both with Braggs liquid amino's and olive oil for at least 30-60 mins.

To make pizza's spread cheese onto crackers then top with other mixtures and make sure you get a little juice on the pizza also. Do not let these sit long because the cracker will get too soggy.

Merry Christmas!!!

I'm going to be checking out for a few days as I celebrate Christmas with my family. I hope that everyone has a safe and blessed time with family and friends!

An evening in the kitchen~preparing for at least a few days

Have you ever looked up on your cabinets, ceiling and the side of your fridge after a time of juicing, making smoothies and blended soups. Yikes!!! What did I see....green chunky stuff hanging and splashed upon the surfaces. Funny!!
Anyway, for some strange reason I decided to just have a time of prep...a lot of prep for the week.
I started with 1 gallon ofGreen Juice then 1 gallon of Carrot Juice blend, followed by 9 pints of smoothie...then I said, "Why stop now??? I finished off with a gallon of Blended salad and some raw cracker/bread.
Here are my recipes today~

Green Juice
6 bunches of organic celery
5 organic granny smith apples-large
2 thumbs of organic ginger

Carrot Juice blend
5# of organic carrots
3 bunches of organic celery
5 organic granny smith apples-large
2 thumbs of organic ginger

Smoothies
water
8 bananas
2 huge handful of organic swiss chard
1 pint of blackberries
3 c. strawberries
2 c. blueberries
2 organic gala apples

Blended Salad
water
1 bunches of organic celery
8 organic roma tomatoes
2 big handfuls of spinach from my CSA
small handful or organic romaine
handful of cilantro
1 mango
2 limes
4 tangerines juiced

After I made the blended salad I spotted that I still have some baby cukes~so when I eat my blended salad I'm gonna dice some of them and put on my salad

Raw Crackers
Juice from carrots and celery
flax seeds ground & soaked
almond pulp
sunflower seeds
sesame seeds
dried onion flakes
oregano
basil
Mrs. Dash~chipotle spice

spread on dehydrator sheets and dry until crisp...I think these might be more like a bread...we'll see

Family Dinners for Christmas Celebration~

Well I am sitting here this morning getting ready for my mom's Christmas dinner with baked beans sitting on the stove waiting to be baked...and what do I hear...I just turned on my stove, sit down at the table to do some studying and things begin to sizzle....more sizzling...curious I get up to see if I left something in there..lo and behold, my bottom coil has just split apart...no more oven...YIKES!!
I am having my husband's parents over Thursday and mine the following day...for what you might ask...Christmas Dinner, of course, with all the SAD trimmings. This means I need my oven.
Today, I'm goona try to bake my beans from the bottom up...by using the broiling burner at the top of the oven and placing my beans covered at the bottom of the stove. :)....maybe I'll try to remove the top coil and place it at the bottom when things cool off. I don't use the boiler much anyway.
This is the first year since we bought this oven that I didn't renew my extended warranty..Funny!
This does not affect my diet, but it will the rest of the family.
I'll let you know how the coil exchange works out.

I have prepared my take alongs for the dinner, so here is what I will be eating today~
Kale & Sprout salad
Apple Salad
Almond Cheese & raw crackers
maybe an Almond Butter cup


something weird just happened..my oven just pre-heated with a broken coil :) :) :) Ya! The beans will get done! Praise the LORD!

Back to my menu today~
I have a couple Superfood Smoothies (16oz. ea) in the fridge I'll pack along too!

The menu my mom has planned goes like this:
Spiral sliced Honey Ham
sweet potatoes
augratin potatoes
baked beans
mac & cheese
potato salad
rolls
a couple of pies
peanut butter fudge
Oh yeah and CORN~yet another starch! yikes...no wonder so many people are diabetic...this is the SAD (standard American diet). Many people have trained themselves to eat this way. This is done out of tradition and ignorance...and I say this humbly....I think most people just do not understand or think this through to the tenth power...as my husband says. Remember to be an example of healthy eating and let your energy and vibrance shine through...don't be a hammer, pounding your way into others. This will lead to rejection and misunderstanding by those you want to help. I once heard someone say, "More is caught, than taught."
Wait for others to ask you for information or help. This is when they will begin to receive.

One more thought I have today as I prepare to be with my extended family.
What is the Christmas season all about??? or should I say "WHO"...does HE get lost in the activities during this season? for many, I think yes...
Jesus is what this time is about, should be all about...may we focus more on HIM, than on the food, shopping, parties, etc. Filter all things through HIM and with HIM....Remember HIM...point your children to HIM, remind them often about HIM, why HE came to the earth...please don't just wait for a Holiday to do this...do it daily. He is our life and He wants to give us life, life more abundantly. Without Him we are not really living. I beg you, invite Him into your life today.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, Praise Him all creatures here below, Praise Him ye heavenly host, Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost! Amen!

Girl on the Run~ Christmas Shopping!

coconut milk
banana & 1 t. raw honey

gala apple
banana

1quart of Superfood Smoothie

1 baby Cucumber

That was my to-go food today...when I got home I ate

Kale and Sprout Salad~ 2 big bowls full
1 raw cracker with some spicy almond cheese

1/2 of an almond butter cup

1 c. apple salad


Christmas Apple Salad~red and green

4 organic apples ( gala & granny smith coarsely chopped)
3 stalks of celery diced
1 organic carrot shredded
small handful of walnuts
1 lemon juiced
1 tangerine juiced
mix together so that apples are covered with juices so they don't brown
drain juice and place juice in blender with 1/4c. raw pecans...blend until smooth and pour over salad. Mix and marinate..
you can add a handful of raisins or chopped dates if you like

Superfood Smoothie

SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIE
water
Swiss Chard~10 leaves
Romaine Lettuce~big handful
1 Container of alfalfa sprouts
banana
gala apple
strawberries
blackberries
blueberries
cranberries
goji berries
Just Barley
Amazon Bliss
Raw Cacao Nibs
Ruth's Hemp Protein with Flax and Maca

Whazoo! This is green berry goodness! I made a batch for tomorrow and thought I better get the ingredients down before I forget them. This made 2 quarts of smoothie.

Chew, Chew, Chew for Good Digestion

Our lives seem to be so busy these days. Packed with things to do, places to go and so many distractions that grab our attention.
Sometimes I've got so much on my mind and my plate that I forget to really chew my food. This is essential for proper digestion. Our mouth is the first place that we produce digestive enzymes, so when we do not chew throughly our food does not receive all of the enzymes it needs to digest properly. Do you suffer from digestive distress? Not chewing enough can be a contributor to this problem. Take notice how many times you chewyour food before you swallow? Our food should be chewed so that you should not be able to recognize it by it's texture.I had a friend that went to finishing school and she had to chew each bite 30 times. How Many times do you chew? Check out this article on the importance of chewing your food


coconut milk
banana

8 oz green juice~time to make more

SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIE~ water, banana, spinach,romaine,butter leaf lettuce, strawberries,blackberries, dark sweet cherries, Amazon Bliss, Just Barley powder, Ruth's hemp,flax & maca powder and a handful of alfalfa sprouts

KALE and SPROUT SALAD~leftover from yesterday~recipe below

Almond Butter Cup~recipe below or on sidebar

Raw carrot cake cookie crackers with Macadamia Vanilla icing & raw pecans

2 c. blackberries

Kale & Sprout Salad~new batch butsame recipe as yesterday with an addition of garlic and cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit. I also used a lot more shredded dulse...I really love that stuff!

iherb.com

I just found a great place to order supplements
iherb.com
They have low prices and shipping is free if you order $40 of products. If your orders are under $40 shipping is only $4
You can get $5 off your first order if you use the coupon code CUL059 and right now you can get an additional 10% off if your order totals $60 or more until December 31, 2009. This is great savings.
They give out free samples in every shipment. Before you complete your order, make sure to place all of the free products in your cart. You will enjoy trying new things that you wouldn't normally buy. Getting all of this "free stuff" is like getting door prizes every time you order!
Check them out and make sure to use your $5 off code CUL059

Co op pick up today~Making Almond Butter Cups with my Daughter and Kale & Sprout Salad

My family is part of a group that buys from a produce distributor here locally. The produce is the same organic produce you find at your local grocery store or market. Each month a friend of mine works on a large group buy. Some of us buy a whole case of an item and many others split cases. This saves us time and money. We are very blessed to have someone willing to do all the footwork to make this happen. She collects infomation, tally's the orders, her husband or sons pick up the order and her family sorts them out and has them ready to be picked up. There is always a helping hand to load them into our vehicles too! Besides all of this she handles another group buy for us from United Buying Clubs. This includes perishables and dry good items. Both of these are distributed on the same day. Many thanks go to my generous friend and her family.
Today was pick up day!!
I always buy loads of celery for eating and juicing. Check out my link on the sidebar for benefits of celery.
I encourage you to buy organic if able and whenever possible. But if you cannot, don't skip the fruit and veggies. The benefits outweigh the pesticides....so eat your veggies!!! Focus on Greens. Try to get in at least 5 servings a day, but aim at 9.
One of the best ways to achieve this is by drinking Green Smoothies.
Check out this site for a 14 day Green Smoothie Challenge
This site has recipes and other helpful information. If you sign up for the challenge they will send you one e-mail a day for 14 days with some recipes and educational information. If I remember correctly at the end of the challenge they will ask you to fill out a survey and if you do so, they will give you a free recipe e-book.

Today I enjoyed~

banana
handful of soaked raw almonds
honey

Green Juice blend 16 oz

Superfood Smoothie 16 oz

Blended Salad~
3 roma tomaotes
3 large celery stalks
handful of romaine and butter leaf lettuces
1 T. tahini
lemon juice
squirt of Braggs liquid Amino's

this made about 3 c. and I ate it all!

1/2 of an Almond Butter Cup

Kale and Black Bean Salad about 1/2 c.
(the beans are the first cooked item I have had in a long time) I ate approx. 1/4c. beans, the rest being celery and onion
2 celery stalks

Kale & Sprout Salad 3 c.
*******************************************************************

KALE & SPROUT SALAD

Kale de-stemmed and shredded in food processor (about 6-8 cups after shredding)
handful of alfalfa sprouts
red onion diced
5 roma tomatoes diced
1 avocado-mashed into salad(use hands)
lemon juice
small handful of dulse-shredded or cut up in little pieces
1/8 to 1/4 c. nutritional yeast
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

mix together by hand and let sit for flavors to blend.


ALMOND BUTTER CUPS

3 Dark Chocolate bars-I used Endangered Species: 2-Dark Choc.w/ Hazelnut Toffee and 1-Dark Choc. w/ Deep Forest Mint
1/4 c. raw almond butter
4 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. honey
chia and flax seeds to sprinkle

Melt chocolate in saucepan. Place a small amount of chocolate in the bottom of muffin papers (we used nine) sprinkle with chia & flax seeds.
Place them in the freezer to harden
Now mix almond butter, yeast and honey together.
When chocolate has hardened take out of freezer and put a dollop of nut butter mixture on chocolate leaving the edge uncovered.
Then top with remaining melted chocolate and top with chia seeds
Put back in Freezer to harden. This recipe yielded about 9 regular sized muffin cups about 1/2 filled.
Delicious. I found this recipe on Green and Crunchy. Pictures are included. I have altered my recipe a bit. Enjoy! and don't forget to involve yor children, it makes them taste better!!!

Reminisece of childhood and thoughts about Temptation and Deliverance

Tuesday's are a big day for me. I have BSF class in the morning and then I usually run errands all afternoon. I live out in a rural area and my class is in town so I like to take care of business while I'm there.
I always pack my to-go bag with smoothies, juice and fruit and veggies.
Remember to always be prepared when you go out...it avoids eating something you shouldn't and it saves time and $$$!

Today was a special day. Two of my most favorite people had their birthday so we went to Olive Garden to celebrate. There was a lot of happy chatter and eating. It was reminiscent of my childhood days of being at my grandparents for Sunday dinners. Those were some of my most happy childhood memories. The meal itself was nothing like what my grandma prepared but the mood overpowered what was on our plates. We had a very happy time together.
I think I ate a whole bowl of their salad and when I got out to my car I had a banana. I chose not to eat anything else but salad today. I really prefer not having intestinal pains. Pain can be a great motivator.
Sometimes Pain is what it takes for us to be inclined to take care of ourselves.
I get a lot of opposition from the people I love in regards to the way I choose to eat. My loved ones will tell me that I need to eat REAL food, food that will stick to my ribs....pork fritters, bread, meat, heavy cooked meals...you know what most people are eating. Well, I used to do this and it caused me distress and Pain, with a capital P-A-I-N!! I have found that most people do not understand. They are so used to taking pills to alleviate their discomfort that they just don't understand that pain and discomfort is not normal and it is not necessary when eating. I think that many people are conditioned to eat to gratify this craving for pleasure. I am not saying that pleasure is bad, just that we should eat to live and not live to eat. :) So if you have opposition from your loved ones, stay strong in your resolve knowing that others just do not understand and we are not all in the same place. Just be an example, a light and not a hammer.

Do you remember the first temptation in the Bible to disobey God was not only a desire to become wise but also one of eating, she saw that the fruit was good for food. When you come to think upon this, many of our sins are from our mouths. Many verses in the Bible are about the sins of the tongue. We misuse this instrument very much, I think. Also, when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus was hungry because he ate nothing during those days, so Satan tempted him to turn the stone to bread.
Curious, I think...the first sin of man in disobeying God was by eating the forbidden fruit and Jesus first temptation was to make himself something to eat...Praise be to God that Jesus overcame this and was victorious. He was victorious in all things, even Death...and he offers us this victory too. We can have victory in every area of our lives if we believe and trust in Him..we can have victory even over death...Wow...when we repent (which means to change our minds and turn in the other direction)..when we realize who we are in relationship to a Holy God...we are sinners...and we cannot save ourselves...knowing that this violation against this one and only Holy God, our creator...will end in eternal damnation, separation from Him forever...in other words..HELL...and THEN we turn to Him, trusting that He is who He says HE is and that He will do what He says HE will do and if we hold onto this...continue believing He will save us and deliver us from eternal damnation and INTO His marvelous light of eternal hope and victory over sin and death, He will save us and give us power to overcome death and give us victory in this life too!
I invite you to think upon this, to consider HIM today and allow HIS life to change yours today.


Here is what I ate today~
rawpuchinno
16 oz. of Green Juice blend
Superfood smoothie
water
kale and spinach
banana
blackberries, dark sweet cherries, strawberries, goji berries, cranberries
Amazon Bliss (coconut butter with superfoods, available from RawFood World~link on sidebar or below post)

banana

Peanut Butter Smoothie

kale chips and celery

carrot cake cookies and macadamia icing

Today's eats~

Rawpuchinno
16 oz Green Juice

Smoothie
water
kale
banana
blackberries
sweet dark cherries
strawberries
goji berries
Amazon Bliss

2 1/2 c. Cauliflower salad

1 T.Organic no sugar peanut butter
1 banana
1 c.raw almond milk

bowl of sweet raw spinach-locally grown
few raw carrot cake cookie crackers with Macadamia almond icing

kale chips and a few celery sticks
******************************************************************

CAULIFLOWER SALAD

1 head of cauliflower
cilantro
green onion and onion powder
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. fresh squeezed lemon juice
salt to taste

Macadamia Almond Icing
1 c. macadamia nuts-raw
4 T raw honey
juice of one lemon
1 t. almond extract
a little water to thin
blend in Vita-Mix until smooth

Another Busy Day and the Benefits of Broccoli

Today was another day away from the house and I had to forage for my food quickly before I headed out. I had already drank my a.m. Rawpuchinno so I had my eldest daughter whip up some smoothies quickly while I got ready.
Here is what I put in my travel bag:

1 1/2 quarts of Smoothies:made of 2 c water, 3 small banana's, several handfuls of Kale, frozen strawberries and frozen cranberries~these were very good

Bananas

16oz. of Green Juice

after arriving at home this was the rest of my eats:

Marinated Broccoli~ about 2 cups

Blackberry and Cherry Smoothie
1/2c. water
1/2c. fresh raw almond milk
frozen blackberries
frozen dark sweet cherries
I made about 28 oz...very good

couple handfuls of CHEESY KALE CHIPS
*******************************************

MARINATED BROCCOLI

2 c. broccoli (chopped)
1 large celery stalk (diced)
a few baby carrots (chopped)
basil
oregano
garlic
lemon juice
extra virgin olive oil

toss and let marinate for a few hours (I let mine marinate overnite)

very good! check out the benefits of this super veggie @ http://home.howstuffworks.com/broccoli3.htm

"Wherever you are-be all there and Smile"

Today I had a shopping date with my youngest daughter. We had a great time just spending time together. I let her pick out an outfit for me and she loved being able to do that, so I bought it~which made her day.
Life seems so busy these days. I just cannot get hold of it. It keeps slipping away. I heard a great quote by Jim Elliot* that I keep close in my mind. "Wherever you are-be all there"...this rings at the back of my mind reminding me to look into my loved ones eyes when they are speaking, to not let the distractions of the going on to rob me of time with my loved ones and a loud voice that says pay attention to the people I meet.
Always placing more value on people than things. All this stuff around us will pass away, but people are eternal beings that matter and have value, so be kind to others because we are all struggling with something.
One of my Yoga intructors always closes our practice by saying, "The most important thing you will wear today is your smile, so remember to smile because it may be the only one that the people you meet may see today"
So today, I encourage you ~ "wherever you are-be all there"* and to smile at someone...or everyone!

Here is what I packed in my to-go bag for today's errands.

Rawpuchinno

28 oz of Superfood Smoothie

16 oz. Green Juice blend
Bib lettuce and almond cheese sandwiches~using the lettuce as the bread
Raw Crackers

Green Smoothie
spinach
banana
strawberries
cranberries
water

6 oz. fresh blackberries

Clent Manich's testimony on Reversing Diabetes and Weight Loss

After viewing the above youtube I hope you are encouraged to make positive changes that will enhance your health and spur you on in your own journey.


The Bible says, "Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture" (Psalm 100:3). Should we not honor God with our body. I Corinthians 10:31 says,"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God"
For most people we are reaping what we have sown into our bodies, by what we have eaten or drank, factoring in our own individual genetic weaknesses of course. Can you or I say that we are truly honoring God and taking care of our bodies? The mirror will tell us the answer and if we cannot see it, our doctors are telling us by his diagnosis.
You may be in good health and are only seeking to maintain it. May the Lord continue to bless you. But if you are like many, you are struggling with issues and emotional attachments or addictions that you are feeding your body that are destructive. There is freedom. We can overcome them.
I have found this the hard way, perhaps through ignorance and self-indulgence I came to a place that demanded a response. A CHANGE. The road has been painful but educational and now very freeing, if I choose to view it as such. I now follow a high raw diet out of necessity and out of choice. I must follow this way for freedom from pain. Freedom from pain. Freedom to feel good. I choose to feel good and to be free from pain and free from medication, free to make my own choices~I do not have a doctor making them for me.
Green smoothies are one of the tools that the Lord gave me to help me along the way. I highly recommend them. There are too many benefits to mention in this post. I will try to post links on the sidebar.
All along this path the Lord God has been with me, to direct, comfort and give me the strength to persevere. He is my anchor and my hope. I hope that you know HIM. He knows you, He made you. Seek Him while He can be found. His name is Jesus.
Choose Life today...There is salvation in no other Name.


Today
rawpuchinno
32 oz of Green and Carrot juice

Superfood Smoothie~check yesterday's post for recipe

2 baby cucumbers sliced
1/4 of a roma tomato
1/4 c. Valya's spicy almond cheese

4 raw carrot cake cookies with Cashew Cheese & topped with pecans

Peanut Butter Smoothie
raw almond milk
banana
organic peanut butter
vanilla
ice

Below are some books with information about Green Smoothies and their benefits...

Christmas Salads

Rawpuchinno
16 oz carrot juice blend~carrots, celery, apple, ginger
16 oz green juice blend

Red/Green Blended Salad~ Christmas Salad!
Romaine
Bib lettuce
celery
roma tomatoes-2
cilantro
lime juice
1 heaping t. guac
1/2 c. beet salad
sprinkled with dulse flakes

This quantity filled up my small Vita Mix container before blending and made about 3 cups of soupy salad like a finely grated cole slaw texture

raw carrot cake cookie (see recipe link on sidebar)

Peanut Butter Smoothie
2 bananas
organic peanut butter
raw almond milk
honey
ice

Kale Chips~I am making them so they are not quite dry yet, but I couldn't resist (check the sidebar for recipe page link under recipes and topics)

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen today.
One item I made for my family was a Bean and Kale Salad(this is not on my menu but it is a good one)

BEAN AND KALE SALAD

clean and shred kale on the bottom of a large bowl and sit aside

In another bowl:
3 cans of black beans (rinsed and drained) FOR A RAW VERSION~use red and green lentil sprouts (red are my favorite~this could be labeled Christmas Bean and Kale Salad:))
1 c. of diced celery (helps to aid digestion)
1/2 sweet red onion
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1/3 c. raw honey
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
salt to taste

mix together throughly and spread on top of kale, covering it completely..do not mix kale and beans together but let it sit in fridge overnight and then stir before serving. Be sure to cover it.
I have made this in the past with pinto beans, kidney beans and green beans instead of the black beans and also added red pepper instead of the carrots...I just make it with whatever I have on hand...the dressing is what really sets this this off.

** You could make this raw by using sprouted lentils..a combination of green and red lentils would be good.

Day on the Run, Planning Ahead and Cashew Frosting Recipe for Carrot Cake

I was running errands all day today so I just packed the juice, fruit, smoothie and raw cookies.
Remember, when you leave your house to be prepared. Liquids, fruits, veggies and some nuts and/or seeds are good items to take with you. Then you are not tempted to go off your eating plan.
I must always plan ahead to avoid creating situations that cause myself painful consequences.
REMEMBER PLAN AHEAD!


Rawpuchinno
2 Quarts of Juice
Carrot blend and Spinach/celery blend I made yesterday.

Banana

1 pint of Green Smoothie
Banana
strawberries
spinach
water

1 c. cherry and grape tomatoes

Blended Salad and a few raw crackers
romaine
cherry/grape tomatoes
celery
1/4 avocado
lime
jalapeno

My kid's were eating the rest of the Cashew Cheesecake so I ate an exremely small sliver...just had to have a taste.


Today I ate several carrot cake cookies I made yesterday.
They turned out extra yummy! When I got home today I drained my cashews and made the frosting. Yesterday, I made a few cookie shapes with a raw pecan on them and 3 dehydrator trays of squares. ( Recipe is on yesterday's post). I broke some of them apart and put the frosting in the middle like a sandwich cookie. These are delicious and no gastrointestinal discomfort. I am thrilled!!!
Remember when you eat dehydrated foods you need to drink extra water. Dehydrating takes the water out, so we must drink enough so that the food doesn't rob our body of it's fluids and also to move 'em out comfortably.



CASHEW FROSTING
taken from "The Complete Book of Raw Food"~Lori Baird Editor and Julie Rodwell, contributing Editor; Page 316 by Julie Rodwell
2 c. cashews, soaked for up to 1 hr.
2 lemons, juiced
8 to 12 T. raw honey
2 t. almond extract
Blend in a food processor until very smooth.

Juicing Day and Carrot Cake~the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15

Today's fare~
Rawpuchinno
1 1/2 qts. Green Juice

Blended Salad~I made enough for lunch and supper
cherry and grape tomatoes/celery/cilantro/spinach/avocado/jalapeno
raw crackers and 1T. Macho Nacho Cheese...it is all gone :(

Peanut Butter Smoothie
Raw carrot cake cookie (recipe below)~I just ate this before dehydrating to make sure it tasted good. It has a light taste and not too sweet.

Cherry/Vanilla Smoothie
raw almond milk
banana
dark sweet cherries (frozen/organic)
vanilla
cinnamon
ice


I prepared 1 gallon of Really Really Green Juice today~
3 heads of celery
1 pound of spinach
handful of Swiss Chard
2 1/2 gala apples
ginger
lemon
water

I also juiced
5 pounds of carrots
1/2 head of celery
1/2 gala apple
ginger

Total juice for the next couple days: 1 gallon 1 1/2 quarts

I didn't want to see all that good pulp go to waste so I used the carrot pulp to make some kinda carrot cake/bread/cookie
they are in the dehydrator right now and I have some cashews soaking to make cashew cream cheese icing

Kathy's Carrot Cake/bread/cookie

Carrot pulp from juicing 5# of organic carrots
1 pineapple (I mashed up about half of it with my hands & the other half I blended in the Vita-mix)
1 c. raisins
3 c. of almond pulp from making almond milk
1 to 1 1/2 c. of soaked golden flax seeds
1 c. sunflower seeds
unsweetened organic dried coconut
allspice
cinnamon
Mixed it together and spread some on teflex sheets, some I made into cookie shapes and put a raw pecan on top.

I always use as much organic produce as possible. I do not always list when I am using organic. It gets a little redundant. I highly recommend that you use organic whenever possible. To help you determine the most important produce that you need to buy organic I have posted a list below with a link. Follow the link for more information.

These are the Dirty Dozen
Buy these organic
Peach
Apple
Bell Pepper
Celery
Nectarine
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Grapes (Imported)
Carrot
Pear

Here are the “Clean 15″ – the least amount of pesticides found, in descending order with the cleanest first:

- Onions (lowest pesticide load)

- Avocado

- Sweet corn (frozen)

- Pineapple

- Mango

- Asparagus

- Sweet peas (frozen)

- Kiwi

- Cabbage

- Eggplant

- Papaya

- Watermelon

- Broccoli

- Tomato

- Sweet potatoes

Source: Environmental Working Group; http://www.foodnews.org

Water, Celery Juice and the Benefits of Staying Hydrated...

I am conscientiously drinking water as soon as I get up. It really makes a difference in many ways. It helps to restore the body from the fasting state it is in while it sleeps. It prepares the body to receive food. The digestive system needs it to produce adequate stomach acids for digestion and also to spur on peristalic activity in the colon for elimination. Consider this: Approximately 85% of your brain, 80% of your blood and 70% of your muscle is water. Every cell in your body needs water to live.
Shouldn't we be drinking water and eating a high water content diet?? Common sense tells us this. One reason I drink alot of celery juice(in comination with other greens) is to to help keep myself well hydrated. I have had significant changes in my skin, body fluids and flexibility of my body since making this a practice in my own life. You may want to try this and be sure to tell me if you notice any changes in your body.
There is a link on the sidebar for the Benefits of celery juice as well as a link to interesting facts about water.


Today~
Water
1 Qt. Green Juice
Rawpuchinno

Blended Salad~ chunky and soupy!
1 c. yellow cherry tomatoes and red grape tomatoes
3 stalks of celery
3c. romaine
1/4 avocado
handful of cilantro
1/2 lime ~squeezed
water
dulse

This made about 3 cups

raw crackers with Macho Nacho cheese

I had to hit the road so I took:
1qt. of Peanut Butter Smoothie with Ruth's Raw Hemp Protein Powder Sprouted Flax and Maca

When I got home I ate
Beet salad with raw sunflower seeds and
Cheesy Kale Chips

Tips for Healthy Elimination~

My Husband has been taking green smoothies to work for over a year now so most of the guys he works with know that he has a healthy perspective on healthy eating. Many of them ask him questions. One of the guys ask him how to make one of these green concoctions because he is having issues going to the bathroom or should I say not going to the bathroom. So I made a list of things along with the Green Smoothie recipe. I thought it might be of benefit to some of you reading this blog and a good reminder to myself of what I should be practicing for regularity and for good health. These are the things that work for me~

First of all, drink 1 quart of water upon rising.(preferrably room temp. you may add some lemon to it)

Eliminate caffeinated beverages (this is still on my list~that one beverage I have in the a.m.~it is definately an emotional issue for me.)
Caffeine dehydrates the body...somewhere I read that for every 8oz. you should drink 16oz. to rehydrate

Drink 1 to 2 quarts of green smoothies a day preferrably in the early part of the day on an empty stomach (you can make one of these blended green soups)

Try to eat 5 to 9 fresh raw fruits and veggies per day~make sure you are getting a lot of water dense varieties~ you can get many of these in your smoothies and blended soups

Get at least 30 mins of exercise a day (preferrably more)
walking is a good start

Reduce stress

Go to bed and get up at the same time each day with adequate sleep


Today's menu for me~

Rawpuchinno
1 qt. of Green Juice

Salad~large bowl of romaine, green pepper, onion, 3/4c. pico de gallo/guacamole

Peanut Butter Smoothie

1 c. blended soup from yesterday with diced cucumber and beet salad mixed in; sprinkled with dulse
raw crackers with Macho Nacho Cheese

Remember to be Kind to others, we are all struggling with something...

Greens and Hummus~and the Benefits of Celery Juice

I normally have several quarts of juice in my fridge, but I am out and need to do some juicing today. My favorites always include lots of celery. Right now I have three heads of celery waiting on me to juice. I will probably add some beet greens, bok choi, lemon and apples this time
Follow this link for the benefits of celery juice.


I feel great as far as my digestion goes since my liquid feast...which is a huge blessing. My digestive process is usually a constant issue, as I am aware of what is going on and prehaps have a little discomfort. It is usually nothing big and painful but just a constant awareness. I believe this is because in the past I have eaten corn chips with my raw soups. It may seem like a little thing, but the discomfort it brings is not a constant that I think I want. Along with this discomfort I am always on the edge of another attack if I add anything else to my diet that I know causes me distress, too many nuts or nut butter, avocado, etc. The nuts and avocado are okay in very small amounts with no problems as long as I am not consuming the chips or other non raw items.
I was listening to Penni Shelton give her testimony on Discover Kingdom Health the other night and she also battled with IBS for many years. She said something that really encouraged me and kinda empowered me. She stated that through her experiences she know that if she reverts back to eating like she used to that all her symptoms would return. I believe Penni has discovered what I am now discovering with IBS. This condition requires diligent attention to what we put into our mouths. With every action there is a reaction. So study yourself and find out what your individual reactions are when you eat and make the appropriate changes that meet your unique needs. We are not all the same and will not all react the same as we follow a raw food diet or any diet for that matter.


Rawpuchinno

Green Soup
1/2 english cucumber peeled
handful of organic cherry and grape tomatoes
2 oz organic cilantro
2-3 celery stalks
big handful of organic spinach
1/4 avocado
lemon juice
cayenne pepper
Blend and pour into a bowl
I put about 3/4 c. of Beet Salad in it

raw seed crackers with a little Macho Nacho Cheese

snack~
Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie (recipe below)

supplements~ I take nearly everyday, I just don't post them~
b-12 sublingual, D3, multi w/digestive enzymes and probiotics

Rejuvelac lemonade

Supper~
2 c. romaine (organic) torn
2 celery stalks
Hummus (no beans~this is great if beans bother you~I call this the no gas version)

HUMMUS
~ recipe from "How We All Went Raw," Nungesser ad Malachi (see link on sidebar) page 70
in a food processor using the S blade add:
2 garlic cloves
1 zucchini, peeled and chopped
2 c. sunflower seeds
1/2 c. raw tahini
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
2 t. sea salt

Mix in the food processor on high until creamy.



GREEN JUICE TODAY~
3 heads of celery (organic)
1 bunch of beet leaves (organic)
3 c. Romaine (organic)
1 head of bok choi (organic)
3 gala apples (organic)
lemon juice fresh squeezed
ginger root (organic)
liquid stevia
1 1/2 c. water

this made about 3 1/2 quarts

Blessings From Above and Peanut Butter Cup Smoothies

Today's fare~

a.m. Rawpuchinno
2 bananas
raw honey
raw almond milk
little instant organic coffee~try Dandy Blend for a caffeine and healthier version

Beet/Green Juice with rejuvelac

Lunch~1 c. of organic red grape and yellow cherry tomatoes
celery sticks (several)
on top of each celery stick I sprinkled dulse flakes and topped each bite with a tomato...Yum!!! one of my favorites!

Raw Pizza snacks topped with Shredded Beet Salad
I used my raw seed crackers (some are the size of cheese it's but I did make some larger ones too)
I spread my Macho Nacho Cheese and topped them with Beet Salad I made this morning...sounds weird but it taste great!!
Rejuvelac lemonade


Two of my children and I just had dinner. I love it when we get to sit down together and eat. It is such a Blessing. My oldest daughter will be getting married soon and fly away to Tennesee. I have very mixed emotions about this. I am so happy for her as she enters into a new season of life of growing together with the man she loves. It will be exciting to watch her grow into the woman she is to become as God paints His brush into her life with her husband.
Somehow, with this change it makes me cherish my other two children even more, realizing one day they to will take flight.
There is also a remote feeling that I cannot really identify yet as I await the flight of my daughter. I feel tears of change a coming...something deep within that is indescribable as of yet.
One thing I know for sure is God is with us and He goes before us and for this I am thankful.
What are you thankful for today?

Tonight I prepared a stir fry for my family~ brown rice with onions, toasted sesame oil and Braggs liquid aminos; sauteed sliced portabella mushroooms and broccoil marinated in Braggs and steamed shredded cabbage, red onions, peas with sesame oil and Braggs. I did use a little organic virgin coconut oil in the bottom of the skillets.
My kids were happy!

I ate~raw marinated portabella mushrooms
1/2 c of the steamed cabbage and a couple pieces of the steamed broccoli tops~(at this point I really have a hard time digesting the raw broccoli)

DESSERT~
I just made this up as I was in the process of making our smoothie tonight and it turned out great...more smiles from my kiddo's

PEANUT BUTTER CUP SMOOTHIE
3 servings
2 c. fresh raw almond milk
3 bananas (Ripe~always use ripe bananas with brown spots, otherwise they are a starch~ never eat a banana that has any green on it)
honey
cinnamon
1 heaping T. organic peanut butter
blend & pour into glasses. I drizzed my leftover chocolate syrup from yesterday on top.
I guess I should have taken a picture but they were gone before I had a chance to think about it! :)

Pilates and rebounder tonight~goodbye

Discover Kingdom Health, Transitioning from Juicing/Smoothies back to Raw Foods & Rejuvelac

For the last two days I've been listening to a telecast on the net called Discover Kingdom Health. They are interviewing raw food and health advocates. The seminar last for 7 days. Last night was an interview with Penni Shelton of Real Food Tulsa, Raw Food Rehab and author of two books. Penni was healed from IBS through a raw food diet(and of course the power that comes from God) and it was encouraging to hear her testimony. One theme has ran through my mind after listening for the last two days.."We are not looking for perfection..but moving forward, improvement...and with this comes FREEDOM"
With that thought in mind, I say, life is tough enough without adding additional burdens or bondages or the attitude of perfection which only brings pride.
The Host is Ginny Edwards a Biblical Health and Life Coach. Scheduled are Paul Nison, Doug and Marilyn Polk and a few others. You can still sign up to listen for free, each telecast is available for 24hrs. Follow this link:
http://www.discoverkingdomhealth.com/


Today I am working on transitioning back to my normal raw food diet.

I began my day with my old faithful Rawpuchinno followed by some
beet/green juice with rejuvelac added for probiotics.

Lunch~ green soup~red leaf lettuce/1 whole english cucumber peeled/ 1/4 bunch ofcilantro/2 large stalks of celery/2 T. avocado/lime juice
and some
raw seed crackers I made with the leftover pulp from all of my juicing. They turned out very thin and light!
This is what I remember putting into the mix-I added sesame seeds, sunflower, soaked flax seeds and mexican seasoning/cumin dried onion...I think that is all...I used the pulp from the carrot juice and from my Virgin Mary...so they are tomato-y (spread thinly on teflex sheets, score and dry until crispy at about 105 degrees)

snack~3 seed crackers(these are cut into the shape of cheese it's, so they are pretty small)with a bit of Macho Nacho Cheese on them (see side bar for recipe link)
3 seed crackers with 2 T. of mixed mushrooms(oyster/shitake)
Rejulevlac lemonade
spirulina tablets, B-12 and D

Supper~
Salad~ Red leaf lettuce/red onion/celery/kalamata olives/artichoke/garlic/oregano/basil/olive oil/lemon juice/dulse flakes
the only non raw items are the olives and artichoke
small handful of my raw crackers with 1/2 T. of macho nacho cheese

Dessert~
smoothie
banana
vanilla
cinnamon
raw honey
1 c. water
ice

1/2 banana sliced with chocolate syrup drizzled over them and topped with a raw pecan

Chocolate Syrup
cocoa
local pure maple syrup (made by the farmer I buy my CSA from)
vanilla
water

Rejulvelac lemonade
lemon juice
rejuvelac
water
liquid stevia

To make your own Rejuvelac I followed Ann Wigmore's recipe in her book titled "The Wheatgrass Book"

supplies needed:
1 quart ball jar
spouting lid or cheesecloth
1 C. of whole organic wheatberries (cover with water to rinse and if any float to the top discard them)~only use filtered water (R/O, distilled,etc.)

Cover the wheatberries with water and put the lid on it or cheesecloth with a rubber band. Let this sit in a dark place approx 70 degrees for 48 hrs. Strain off the liquid~this is the first batch of rejuvelac. Fill jar again and let it sit for 24 hrs. Strain for your second batch. Fill jar once more and let sit for 24 hrs. this is your third and last batch of rejuvelac. Discard seeds or feed to the birds.
*you may make your rejuvelac this way or you may sprout your seeds first and then make one batch from the spoouted seeds.

***1. It is possible for Rejuvelac to go bad (as it is for sprouts and probably any fermented culture). You can generally tell if the rejuvelac is okay by the smell and taste. It should be acidic with a pH less than pH 3.9. It is good practice to observe, smell and taste the rejuvelac periodically to become accustomed to the changes that occur (as it is for any fermented culture). Rejuvelac should keep in the fridge for a week or more, and will gradually sweeten with time.

2. All bacteria and yeasts have an optimum incubation temperature. Refrigeration will inhibit the growth of some organisms but may give an opportunity for others to flourish. Hot weather or high temperatures, may encourage the rapid growth of pathogenic organisms before the beneficial organisms get started, in which case the culture will smell putrid. If your Rejuvelac culture goes off then discard it, sterilize the jar and wait for cooler weather. In hot weather, it is feasible that a slight acidulation of the water with a little lemon juice at the start of the fermentation, may provide an environment less suited to pathogenic organisms.


Physically~I've been walking, practicing Yoga,Pilates and jumping on my rebounder..occassionally picking up my hand weights, trying to remember to breath deeply and use good posture
And most importantly PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD

if you want to know about the last thing I mentioned...check out the book by Brother Lawrence~Practicing the Presence of God...

My 3 Day Liquid Feast

Well, I just spent the last 3 days drinking a liquid diet by drinking mostly juices and a couple smoothies a day. I have felt wonderful during this feast. My intestinal tract has been resting from it's usual activity and feels refreshed and I am now ready to move forward. I think I'm going to do this feast or a variation of it on a regular basis.

My husband has been watching and he wants to do a juice/liquid feast this weekend while he is off from work...so I'll be cranking out the juicer again. :) I'll keep you posted on how this works out for him.


I started out drinking carrot/celery/apple juice the first day.

Second day~more carrot juice and some spinach/chard/apple/lemon/ginger juice

Third day~ more spinach/chard/apple/lemon/ginger and beet greens/spinach/apple/beets/lemon/ginger
on the third day I ate a small amount of blended soup~spinach/tomato/celery/lime/dulse

Fourth day~ more of the beet juice from yesterday~
3c. of spinach/tomato/celery/lime/dulse -blended soup
1c. of spinach/celery/cilanto/lime/dulse -blended soup

celery stalks with a 1 T. of almond cheese (Valya Boutenko's recipe)~I only used 1/2 of the olive oil and lots of red bell peppers

Each day I have consumed smoothies~
fresh raw almond milk
banana
raw honey
vanilla
cinnamon

I did use 1 t. of organic coffee in my a.m. smoothie...I am not ready to let this go. My evening smoothie was more like a almond/vanilla milk shake

On each of the first three days I also consumed 1 quart of Penni Sheltons Virgin Mary..yum!

Each day I drank approximately 1 gallon of juice including the Virgin Mary's