CSA share this week!

1 large head of  Bok Choy
15 bell peppers (variety of colors)
variety of hot peppers
1 bag of mixed greens
2 yellow heirloom tomatoes
1 bag of variety heirloom tomatoes
1 large bag of sweet potatoes
chives
oregano
lemon balm
basil

Our CSA will have four more weeks of veggies coming.  I am sorry to see it end.  There is nothing like the taste and quality of fresh local organic produce.  I hope that you are encouraged to visit your local Farmer's Market or to join a CSA next year~ after reading my lists of produce that I receive each week for joining my local CSA.  If some of the produce is foreign to you, it is a great opportunity to experiment with new veggies and get more variety in your diet.  It is important to have a rainbow of fruits and veggies in your diet to provide the nutrients that your body needs.

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I have been out of town this week, therefore I have not been in the kitchen much and I am looking forward to returning to the knife and cutting board.
 While traveling I took along some brown rice cakes with raw almond butter, bell peppers quartered, celery sticks, grape tomatoes, pineapple spears and a few smoothies.  Each of these items were packed in containers ready to eat.  It is best to be prepared so that you are not tempted to eat something that is harmful to your health, whether it causes distress symptoms or prevents you from reaching or maintaining your goals.
Last night on the way home I had to buy some mixed nuts from a convenient store to munch on on the long journey home...as I had run out of some sort of protein to have with my veggies...next time I will take along a jar of raw almond butter.
...
moral of the story....be prepared....this takes time and forethought....
determine how long you will be gone
how many meals or snacks you may need
pre-cut as many items as possible to store in a cooler while traveling
take pre-packaged* fruit/veggies...like bananas, apples, oranges, avocado's...items that can easily be peeled and eaten (don't forget to pack a sharp knife)
*by pre-packaged...I mean packaged for traveling, by God...these are thick skinned items that can be eaten whole or peeled and do not need to be refrigerated
nuts and seeds are good too...( place in a glass jar and keep in cooler)
you can also take raw bars...like Larabars
green smoothies travel well too

When arriving you find yourself without a fridge....just go to a local gas station or grocer and buy some ice.
If it happens to be warm outside, I cover my cooler with a quilt to help insulate it or you can cover it with a reflector made to install inside the windshield.

I have found when I take time to plan ahead and have foodstuff on hand that I can eat that I feel better and am able to enjoy the journey.

Side note~traveling and sitting for long periods of time can sometimes promote a sluggish colon, so I always take Smooth Move Tea with me just in case.
This tea may not be good for everyone, but I have found it to be very effective for me when necessary.
I use the original flavor and find it very tasty.





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Remember to breathe deeply, drink plenty of water, get proper sleep, sunshine, exercise, eliminate and/or manage stress, laugh and love..and pray to the creator of the universe through Jesus Christ.

Make sure to tell those you care about that you love them...

He that covers over an offense promotes love....don't be so sensitive.......... allow others to be human.

Asian Cabbage Salad & Broccoli Soup Recipe

Today my son requested a recipe I came up with a few years ago, so I had to dig it out of my recipe file.  My file is several binders with printed recipe pages, enveloped in plastic page protectors.   Of course, it was the last binder I perused.

Here is my recipe~

Chinese Cabbage~thinly shredded
1-2 c. of chopped celery
1 large colored bell pepper or two med. (red, yellow, orange)
Chopped red onion (or green onion)
1 large garlic clove minced
slivered almonds

Avocado drizzed with lemon juice

 1 bottle of Annies Asian Sesame Dressing

To assemble:
layer vegetables in 13 X 9 in  glass dish beginning with cabbage, celery, peppers, onions, garlic, slivered almonds and  top with slices of avocado.  Pour desired amount of salad dressing over the top..

If you will not eat the entire dish in one setting do not place avocado or dressing on the salad, but top each individual serving so that the remaining salad can be stored in the fridge for later use.  If you cover it tightly it will keep for a few days.

If you are avoiding pre-made salad dressings you can make your own avocado dressing and use pumpkin seed oil or toasted sesame oil and water and mix to desired consistency.

While looking through this particular recipe book I discovered another one I had made up that is worth sharing....even though it is not raw...it is especially yummy!


Non Dairy Broccoli Soup

3-4 garlic cloves
1 med. red onion halved and sliced thin
1 celery stalk diced or 1 T. dried celery
coconut oil.
Saute these ingredients


3 c. broccoli florets, separated, stems chopped into 1/2" rounds
or pulse in food processor until small chunks (peel tough fiberous skins off)
32 oz of low sodium Pacific veggie broth plus 2 vegan veggie boullion cubes or use 2 t. Seitenbacher Veggie Broth Powder)
4-5 c. water
1 handful of shredded carrots
1 handful of dried celery leaves
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
2 t. lemon juice
2-4 t. Annies Worchester sauce

Add all other ingredients except lemon juice and simmer until broccoli is al dente.
Add lemon juice just before serving.
Ladle into bowns and put a dolop of Ranch Dressing on top

Ranch Dressing

1 c. Vegenaise
1 t. garlic powder
1 T. dried onion
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. sea salt
3 T. water

Blend until smooth and creamy...can a bit more water if needed.


Both of these recipes include an abundance of cruciferous vegetables, namely Broccoli and Cabbage.

Here are a few benefits:
enhancing the immune system


helping in the prevention of macular degeneration eye disease and cataracts

helping in the treatment and prevention of high cholesterol and high blood pressure

preventing constipation and maintaining healthy bowels

helping maintain blood glucose levels and promoting weight loss.



Follow this link for a listing of cruciferous veggies and more information!

CSA this week!

CSA share this week ~

3 cucumbers
10-12 ears of sweet corn
1 large yellow heirloom tomato
1 bag of variety heirloom tomatoes
1 bunch of swiss chard
1 garlic bulb
1 acorn squash
big bunch of dill (one of my fav's)
cilantro
okra

In spite of the dry weather here in the midwest we are still receiving ample produce in our share as you can see from the list above.

While taking my power walk today I walked in the grass around a parking lot near my home.  All of the grass is dry and brown, but upon inspection I noticed the plantain, red clover and dandelion looked fine.  They were green and could be used for food or medicine.  It made me think of our Great Creator and how He has provided food even in the so called drought we are having.  Most people think of these as weeds and bothersome but they were given as a gift to man.  What a gracious heavenly Father we have.  How He cares for us.
It is so easy to take the little things for granted. ...and the people in our lives. I have been trying to be in the moments I am given and be mindful of the many gifts I have ......life...my relationship with God....my husband.....my children....
....be all there....in each moment...be mindful...be thankful....
...time....you cannot get it back once it has passed.....

CSA share today!

Here is a picture of this weeks share.

cucumbers

beets

butternut squash

cayenne peppers

red jalapenos

bell peppers

(the yellow one in front is sunburned)

heriloom tomatoes

red leaf lettuce

green leaf lettuce

basil

chives

cilantro

one asian pear (sample)

For those of you that are not familiar with CSA's here is a copy of a previous post~

Wednesday's are my pick up day for CSA (community supported agriculture). If you are not familiar with them..here is a website to learn about them.. http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ Each week I get a share of my local farmer's crop that feeds a family of four that consumes a primarily plant based diet. Prior to the planting season I make arrangements to pre-pay for the seasons harvest, which is 26 weeks. I have been doing this for 5 years and we love the fresh variety of produce and we get to support our local farmer's. Our group has been working with our farmer for about 7 years and he uses only sustainable & organic farming methods..He is committed to not use any pesticides/insecticides and will allow the crop to fail rather than taint the fields.

Know your farmers...ask questions....get involved.

CSA share this week~

Included in this weeks share were:

1 large bunch of Swiss Chard
1 bag of potatoes
1 bag of heirloom tomatoes
1 bag of bullhorn and bell peppers
5 ears of sweet corn
1 bag of zuchinni
hot peppers
basil
chives

My dear friend gave me the extra 2nd peppers that no one wanted~amounting to about 3 pounds... so I'll be juicing and dehydrating tomorrow

I am preparing a class to demonstate making alternative dairy recipes with nuts.  This will be taking place in October.  Sometime afterward, plans are in the making for a Raw Food Demo Class. 
This has been a long time coming, and I am excited to finally be able to do this.  Thanks goes out to my family and friends for their encouragment.....and to the special friend that will be allowing me to work from her ktichen!

If you know me and are interested, let me know and I'll send you the details.

Digestion, Inflammation and Healing with Paul Nison

I cannot agree more with Paul about healing the gut or any other inflammation in the body.  A couple years back I got very ill with some wicked stomach virus that was going around.  In fact, so did everyone in my household.  None of us could eat for about 3-4 days.   At the end of the third day I felt like I had a new digestive system. Prior to this I had been experiencing pretty severe intestinal issues with lots of pain.  It was at this time that I was convinced about the things Paul shares in this video.  I am not recommending that anyone fast or get sick to heal, just sharing my experience. 
You may notice in my previous posting that I drink a lot of juice.  I do this to rest my digestive system, and to to flood my body with nutritious goodness, without going through the long disgestive process.  This also provides time for more healing to take place.
I find that I am more energetic and clear minded if I eat mostly raw foods and I don't have too much foodstuff to digest.  It is better to eat too little, than to eat too much and burden our bodies.......this is where I live.....I listen to my body and when it needs food, I feed it...trying to make good, healthy life-giving choices.

"He that eats till he is sick, must fast till he is well".  English Proverb

*you can find a link to one of Paul Nison's books on my sidebar.  If you are having any digestive issues, I highly recommend his book, "Healing Inflammatory Bowel Disease".  It is a quick read and a simple approach to healing the gut.  Whenever I have had a lapse in my diet, I have pulled this book off the shelf to remind me of the process.