A Tribute to My Mom for Mother's Day

My life has been a whirlwind of change over the last couple of months.  Some of the changes are grievously sad.  In the midst of sadness God gave us a Blessing.  My daughter became a mom for the first time and I became a grandmother to a beautiful little girl...Belle.

In March my mother passed away unexpectedly.  This has been the saddest experience of my life.
I miss her everyday.  We had a thing where she would call to check in and let me know she was okay....and still among the living.   

 

I miss those calls...the sound of her voice and her humor.  She was one of the funniest people I've ever known.  I only lived with my mom until I was nine years old and because of this we had a unique relationship.  We became friends.  I could tell her anything and she would do the same.  My mother had a very difficult childhood and it continued throughout most of her life, but she was a survivor and would plow through.  Perseverance is one of the greatest things that my mom taught me and I hope to pass on to my children.

Her greatest love in her life was her children...I am the oldest, then Ed, Joe and Esther (Esther passed away at 5 yrs. old)..and her grandchildren. She loved us more than anyone in the world and we knew it.

Whatever was going on in our life, she would be there and do whatever she could do to help or assist us, no matter the cost to herself.

This Mother's Day I am aching for my mom....so many things I want to tell her and do with her.

For now, I will look at her picture and remember her life and the love she gave and trust that I will see her again someday....giving thanks to my God and Savior for the Mother that he blessed me with.

 

Linda L. Bonta

 

January 21, 1943

to

March 14, 2014

 

 

 

Eats..Treats..and Detox Juice

CHOCOLATE AVOCADO SHAKE

WITH COCONUT WHIP CREAM

 

In Vita Mix blend this mixture until smooth:

1 c. fresh almond milk

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

1/4 to 1/2 avocado

2 t. raw cacao

1 heaping teaspoon of Lucuma (has a sweet malt & carmel/butterscotch flavor)

English Toffee Stevia to taste

 

Add:

1/2 of a frozen banana

ice

Blend until thick & creamy so that you have to eat it with a spoon

If your mixture is too runny add one ice cube at a time until it is thickened

 

COCONUT WHIP CREAM

 

1 can of full fat organic coconut milk

vanilla powder or extract

 

chill the coconut milk

remove cream from can: you can do this by scooping out the cream or you can drain off the liquid by inserting a knife into the cream and pouring off the liquid first and then scoop out the cream

Place the cream into a Magic Bullet/Nutri Bullet or small food processor and add vanilla to taste and whip until smooth & creamy.

Place in the fridge to set or use as is

 

 

 

NORI SUSHI

 

Nori Sheets

Cashew cheese

cucumber

avocado

lettuce

tomato

onion

Coconut Aminos

 

Spread Cashew cheese onto nori sheet and top with veggies of your choice and roll, seal & let sit for a few minutes to moisten the sheet so that it holds together

 

 

This is one of my favorite Cheeses to have on hand at all times!

 

CASHEW CHEESE

 

2 c. soaked cashew

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. lemon juice

1/2 c. water

3/4 c. nutritional yeast

 1/8-1/4 t. turmeric to add color

 1/4 t.dry mustard

 

Blend in Vita Mix until smooth & creamy

 

You can use this as a dip, spread or a topping for broccoli, cauliflower or pasta

 

Now after all that yummy food it is time for another cleanse.

 

DETOX JUICE

 

This juice contains:

celery

cucumber

cilantro

romaine

spinach

beet

ginger

lemon

apple

 

Gluten Free Summit

Click on the picture above to register.  It's FREE!

Educate yourself about Gluten and it's effects on your health.

The Gluten Summit Begins Today!!

 THE GLUTEN SUMMIT BEGINS TODAY!!

THIS SUMMIT IS A FREE ON LINE EVENT THAT WILL ANSWER ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT GLUTEN AND IT'S EFFECT ON YOUR HEALTH.
TO REGISTER FOLLOW THIS LINK: https://gg110.infusionsoft.com/go/tgs/rawmom/

DR. TOM O'BRYAN IS ONE OF THE MAIN SPEAKERS

I have learned more about gluten and it's effects on health from Dr. O'Bryan, than any other source.  He is an expert in this field and has a passion to educate patients and doctors about this topic.

Gluten related disorders are increasing. Many people have gluten sensitivity and do not realize it.   I encourage  everyone to try, for a short period of time, to remove gluten from their diet and see how they feel. It would be ridiculous to say that gluten is the cause of everyone's symptoms or health issues, but I am confident that it's sensible everyone at least consider if gluten is helping or hindering their health. The neurologist, Dr David Perlmutter, M.D. states "Gluten is this generations tobacco". And cardiologist Dr William Davis, author of Wheat Belly states that gluten may impact heart health. Both of these MD's, and many more have participated in The Gluten Summit. Starting TODAY, Dr. Tom O'Bryan TheDr.Com is providing a wealth of cutting edge information on gluten related disorders and I encourage you to take advantage of this free online information while you can. I have been privileged enough to have already heard a couple of the interviews and they were fascinating and ground breaking. If you are confused about what gluten related disorders means, if you are considering going gluten free, if you have poor health (not only digestive issues) if you have someone in your family who is celiac, if you or anyone in your family has an autoimmune condition, depression, IBS, acne, brain fog, infertility, ADHD, fatigue, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, schizophrenia, arthritis, migraines, neuropathy...etc...! More than 300 symptoms could be caused by the consumption of gluten, yet a very small percentage of the population knows it could be fueling the cause.
It generally takes 10 years to get a proper diagnosis. Instead of waiting 10 years, listening to this information could just help you or someone you care about to dramatically improve their health. Being gluten free is hard, at first, yes. But being ill is much harder. I do not endorse any fads or diets. This is science and, everyone should have access to this information. To get FREE access, click here:https://gg110.infusionsoft.com/go/tgs/rawmom/   to your health~
 
 

Juice Feasting Day 2 & 3

Day 3..... fifth juice of the day from rasa juicery

Yesterday was day 2 of my juice feast.  It was a good day.  I had to work in the morning and my job requires a lot of physical movement/energy, so I sipped on juices while working.  I did not have any cravings or detox symptoms.  My energy levels were stayed level and very good.

I attribute this to my high raw nutrient dense diet.  

Many people will have detox symptoms, such as headache, or fatigue, etc.

Today (day 3) has been good.   I stayed home and worked around my house.  I walked 3 miles with no problems...(I also walked 3 miles on day 1) with the exception of needing a bathroom, because of all the liquids I am consuming.

This cleanse has been so easy this time, that I thought I'd continue the juice feasting for an undetermined period of time....I will modify whenever I feel the need to begin eating again.

 I made some green juice for tomorrow.  

Kale/beet greens/parsley/celery/cucumber/zucchini/lemon/ginger.  

I also made some watermelon/mint juice.  

I froze most of the watermelon juice because I had so much!  

I only like to drink one watermelon juice per day, so freezing it will keep it good for a longer period of time.

My juices from rasa still taste as good today, as they did the day I picked them up.  

For convenience I will definitely purchase from rasa again.  They use high quality organic produce and they are cold pressed juices, which allows them to stay fresh for up to three days.

You can find rasa juices at Georgetown Market.

Juice for Health....

follow the links below and educate yourself about juicing

All about Juicing

Joe Cross's 3 Day Weekend Cleanse

Watch the Documentary Free on Hulu:

 Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

 Be Well~

Kathy

3 Day Juice Cleanse with rasa juices

Today I began a 3-day juice cleanse.

 I am doing this for several reasons......rejuvenation, reset, eliminate toxins, restore my adrenals after a very stressful period of time, I also have a rotator cuff injury that needs healing, so I really wanted to alkalize my body to relief some of the pain and discomfort and aid in healing.  As you can imagine, it is difficult to prepare veggies and then push them through the juicer if your rotator cuff is not cooperative...  :)

Thanks to Georgetown Market I did not have to make my own juice.

rasa  had my juices fresh pressed this morning and ready for pick up bright and early.

24 bottles bagged and ready to go, with instructions. Each bottle was numbered in the ordered to drink.

They also included instructions for those who are new to juicing.

I received 5 fresh pressed juices, a nut milk and 2 alkaline waters per day.

As you can see...this one was already gone..........

rasa juices and nut milks are absolutely fantastic!!  Delicious, Smooth and Juicy!  If you are out on the West Side and need a pick me up....try one of their juices!!

On my way to pick up my juices this morning I drank 1 bottle of my homemade mineral broth (pictured in the kombucha bottle) and a bottle of Fire Water (AVC, lemon juice, cayenne and water, pictured in the pitcher)

I also supplemented with an additional bottle of mineral broth in the afternoon.

I only had a few moments when I wanted to eat....so far not too bad...

Day One over and out!!!

German Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake~Raw

A couple of months ago I started making this super yummy Raw Super food dessert and I cannot stop talking about it.  

   While I was visiting our local health food market I met K and promised him I would post the recipe....so this is for you K.!!!

Enjoy!  Many blessings to you and your dad on his journey to health!

German Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake

Ingredients for the brownie crust:

1 c. raw pecans

1 c. raw walnuts

2 c. of pitted dates

pinch of salt

1 c. raw cacao

In a food processor place nuts and salt and process until it is finely crumbled, but not turned into nut butter.  Watch it closely.

With the food processor running add one date at a time until well incorporated being careful to process just until it sticks together.

Open the lid and add raw cacao and process until powder is incorporated.  Maybe 15-20 seconds.

Press into baking dish.

Cheesecake Topping:

 1 3/4 c. raw cashews

Place cashews in 1 pint mason jar and add enough water to fill to top.

Soak for 2 hrs.

After 2 hrs. place the cashews and 1/2  of the soak water in the Vita-Mix and begin blending on the lowest setting...with the lid off.

Add:

1- 1 1/2 T. lemon juice (to taste)

40 drops or 2 droppers of Nu Naturals Liquid Stevia

                                               1 t. vanilla extract or vanilla bean powder

dash of salt

Turn blender on #3 for 2 mins and then turn up to #6 until it is smooth....you may need to add a bit more water if yours is too thick to mix.

Optional:

1 T. lucuma

If your mixture is too thick to blend  after adding the lucuma add  2T. of water at a time to get it to blend freely.  It should be thick... loose but not runny...your blender should be able to run at #6 pretty easily.

Then place the lid on the top of Vita Mix container.

Next add:

1/2 c. melted coconut oil

and then quickly add 2 T. coconut butter

Blend until just incorporated.

Your Vita Mix will begin to make that noise and you know you need to turn it off. 

This mixture should be the texture like a thick creamy pudding.

Remove from blender base and

 add 1/4 - 1/3 c. unsweetened coconut flakes

Stir this in with a spatula

Pour over brownie base and spread evenly.

Top with pecan pieces and a light sprinkle of coconut.

Place in the freezer for 15-20 mins to help it set, but do not leave it in the freezer until it freezes.

You will have a better and more smooth texture if you do not allow it to freeze.

Remove from freezer and place in the fridge until set....1-2 hrs.

Store it covered in the fridge until it is all gone!!!  Which will not take long!!!

Enjoy!!!

In the picture below you can see the layers.

CSA Goodies!!

We are 12 weeks into our CSA season.  Our harvest is bountiful and delicious!

These pictures are from our opening day.

I've been pretty busy this summer and have not been able to post much, but I have been taking pictures.  I am planning on trying to squeeze in a post from time to time so you can see what I've been up to in my kitchen,

Today I tried to clean out & put up some of my excess produce.

I decided to freeze some summer squashes for smoothies.

There are times during the summer months that I cannot eat up all of my zucchini...so instead of  letting it go bad freeze it to add to smoothies or soups.

When using it for smoothies just throw in chunks of the frozen veggie!

I love that you don't have to blanch it before storing.

You can also shred your squash before freezing to make zucchini bread later. 

So.....if someone wants to share their summer squash harvest with you and you don't have need at the moment.......go ahead and accept it and put it in the freezer!   You can enjoy the gift long after it was given.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Give thanks to the LORD for his bountiful provisions!