Day Twenty-Six

Do we like this pear? YA, ve do!!! (Sorry... I couldn't resist.)

This is a YA Pear, also known as a Chinese White Pear or a Snow Pear. They are grown in northern China, and are totally different from the Asian pears you see in the regular markets. I got this one in a little Asian market, all wrapped up in tissue paper and foam webbing to protect it.

YA Pears have a thin skin with white or slightly yellow flesh. They are juicy and crisp... and quite yummy!!! They have a slight pineapple taste with just a touch of rose! So if you can find one, buy it and give it a try. You will like it!!!

B = YA Pear
L = 2 large "Fiesta Crackers" with 1 Tbsp. "Oh My this is a Tuna!" spread on each.
S = 3 medool dates
S = large red pepper
D = fruit smoothie (bananas/fr. strawberries/cranberry pomegranite juice) with 1 Tbsp. Royal Jelly

A Place to Bark ... and meow

Bernie thanks you, I thank you... but most importantly, the dogs and cats that have been and will be saved by A Place to Bark thank you!

Did they win the $50,000 grant? It doesn't look like it. But the official counting must be done to make sure that there are no duplicate donors. So in theory, if one of the other badges had a lot of duplicates that dropped them down, Bernie could move up! We won't know for sure for about 30 days. You will be able to check the status HERE.

The wonderful thing is that a shelter will still be built! It will not be as large as it would have been with the additional grant money, but we raised $42,149 and the Zoline Foundation matched it up to $25,000. They will also receive $1,000 from Network for Good for being one of the 50 charities in the U.S.A. that raised the most donations. That's over $77,000!!!

See what happens when we all band together for a worthy cause!!! Thank You!!!

A Place to Bark ... and meow

I want to really thank you if you have already donated $10 to A Place to Bark. The money will make a huge difference to the day to day operations of the shelter and help Bernie save more animals.

If you have not donated yet, won't you please take a moment to do so? In order to win the $50,000 so that she can build a new shelter... Bernie must be one of the top four charities. Just yesterday she was in second place, where she had been for quite a while. Unfortunatly, the other charities have stepped up to the plate and she is currently down in fifth place. We need to get her back up at least to number four before 3 PM EST on January 31st!!! And if you have already donated, please spread the word. Every little bit helps!!!

You can check to see how Bernie is doing by clicking HERE.

The badge to donate is in the sidebar, or you can do it right from the link directly above!

And if a little bribery is needed... well, we're not above that!!! Several artists have now stepped up and are offering original pieces of artwork as prizes to those who donate to A Place to Bark!!! Nudge - Nudge!!!

Day Twenty-Five

Bob and I just got back from a very good free lecture that was held at The Raisin Rack. Jesse Miller of Flora gave a very informative talk about "The Ins and Outs of Cleansing". Most of the stuff we already knew, but it was good to hear someone else say it! [grin]

Anyhow... I wish the weather would make up it's mind around Ohio. Yesterday we had a daytime high of 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but it was very dreary, depressing and drizzly. Then we had high winds and a thunderstorm roll through last night. Today we had a bright and beautiful day, but it was cold... damn cold! It said that it was 21 degrees for the high today... but it sure felt colder to me!!!

B = water until noon
L = green smoothie (bananas/fr. pineapple-mango-strawberry blend of fruits/fr. pineapple/coconut nectar/Vitamineral Green/spinach) with 1 Tbsp Royal Jelly.
S = raw "Fiesta Cracker" with 1 Tbsp. "Oh My this is a Tuna" spread and 1 sun-dried black olive
S = bunch of white seedless grapes
D = 2 large red romaine leaves, deveined and divided, wrapped around 4 mini Raw Whole Food Hot Dogs with a little bit of radish sprouts.

Day Twenty-Four

I did not sleep well last night. I don't know what started it up, but I was having some serious acid reflux. Actually, that has mostly become a thing of the past since becoming raw. However, I think I ate too late, so no doubt that had something to do with it. I ended up spending most of the night sleeping on the couch with my head and shoulders well elevated.

Tonight Bob and I decided to have a drink! Well, okay... it wasn't really alcoholic, but it tasted like it could be! We got this recipe from the website Real Food in Tulsa. You really need to head on over there and check it out!

B = 2 bananas
L = huge mixed green salad
S = banana
S = Blood Orange Raw Mojito
D = 4 Oh My This is a Tuna! wraps (in red romaine leaves)

Day Twenty-Three

Have you ever heard Tera Warner of The Raw Divas talk about eating a persimmon? You would think she was having a steamy relationship by the way she goes on!!! [grin]

Well, I finally get it! The first time I bought one, I left it sit on a windowsill until it started to get really soft... just like someone online had said you needed to do. However, I didn't think it tasted so great. But Tera just kept going on about them, so I decided to give them another try. I bought a couple of them, and this time I put them in the fridge and waited until they just started to get soft. Oh dear goddess!!! That's all I can say. I have a passion for persimmons!!!

B = BBC Smoothie (with the addition of 3 Tbsp. raw cacao & 1 Tbsp. Royal Jelly)
S = banana
L = white grapes
D = persimmons
S = Basil Limeade

Day Twenty-Two

Today was a day of rest for me. I got up earlier than normal and put my body together, fed the birds and then waited for my mother to make her weekly call. After that I put the sheets in the washer and then promptly fell asleep for two hours!

I just drank water most of the day. I did have the little bit of leftover Spinach and Tofu from the previous night. I just finished a nice green smoothie and now I'll go curl up under the covers in bed with a magazine and turn in early. I just feel like a cat with a bowl of warm milk!

Today's picture is of the soothing warm glow from the pink salt crystal lamp that Bob's parents gave us at Christmas. It casts a lovely glow all around the room!!!

Water until around noon.
L = leftover Spinach and Tofu
nap time!
D = green smoothie (bananas/fr. mixed fruit/fr. peach/fr. pineapple/spinach/papaya nectar/orange-mango nectar) with 1 Tbsp. Royal Jelly

Day Twenty-One

Spinach and Tofu stir-fried (in a garlic sauce)

Today was a very weird day. I woke up kinda sick to my stomach. I ate a couple of bananas for my breakfast and I seemed to feel a bit better, but by the time Bob and I got to our Tai Chi class, I was queasy again. We had a great class, though!

Then of course, we had to run to the community market and pick up some raw nuts and seeds for something we are planning to whip together over the weekend. Then we ran to the grocery to get leafy greens and herbs and such. By the time we got home and I got everything put away and the mail opened... it was time to put my face on (make-up) so that I would look presentable when Bob and I went to our favorite restaurant (do I even need to mention that it is called Ha Long Bay Vietnamese Kitchen, anymore?).

Well, I had no sooner started to put on my make-up when every smoke detector in the whole house started blaring! You know how you are supposed to change the batteries on New Year's Day. Well... we do... for the most part. The ceiling in our bedroom is vaulted and it is a long way up there. Bob is afraid of heights, and I am not supposed to climb ladders... so, we didn't change that one... for two years! Today, it decided to die. So the ladder came out and after installing, then re-installing the battery in the correct direction and switching off and on of power supply we finally got the things to shut up!!!

Anyhow, what I'm trying to say is that I had breakfast, and then did not eat again until dinner. Because of that, I am not posting my normal list of what I ate when. But for your enjoyment, here are some pictures of what I had for dinner. Yes, gentle readers... it is cooked. But the good news is, my tummy is no longer queasy!!!


Caphe Sua Da on the left, Vegetable Rolls on the right. We also shared some Summer Rolls (behind iced coffee).



Check out Bob's blog to see what he ate!!!

Day Twenty

I bought the wrong bag of fruit the other day. Usually I get a bag of tropical fruits for smoothies. It's made up of something like mango, papaya, pineapple and strawberry... or peach... something like that. The other day, I grabbed for that bag, but obviously came away with something else. I got mixed fruit, which is strawberries, mango, pineapple, peaches, and grapes. That's bits of grape skin making those pretty little flecks all through my smoothie. Anyhow, it wasn't half bad. Much milder in flavor than with the other mix, even with the extra pineapple and peaches that I added! I had planned on having a green smoothie, but when the time came to add the greens, it just did not appeal to me, so I had it straight up fruit!!!

B = 2 bananas
L = fruit smoothie (2 bananas/frozen mixed fruit/fr. pineapple/fr. peach/coconut nectar) with 1 Tbsp. royal jelly
S = vegan oatmeal cookie
D = mixed greens salad with baby spinach/celery stick with Oh My that is a Tuna! spread

Day Nineteen

Isn't that purty!!! In case you have never had one, it is a Pummelo, also known as a Chinese Grapefruit. The one I had was about 9 inches across. It's like a grapefruit on steroids!!! [grin] Now I have to admit that the pummelo is deceiving. It is huge on the outside, but the edible part is barely larger than what you would get out of a regular grapefruit. It has a thick skin and thick membrane surrounding the segments. The taste is sweet-tart and less acidic than grapefruit. This would be a good citrus fruit for people who have trouble with the acidity of other citrus. The one I had was pink, but you can also find them with white fruit.

B = 1/2 of a pummelo (Bob had the other half!)
S = six medool dates
L = green smoothie (banana/spinach/coconut water) with royal jelly
S = 2 Oh My this is a Tuna! wraps in red romaine leaves
S = grape juice with club soda
D = 2 bananas

Day Eighteen

It works!!! I got a mango splitter for Christmas and have been patiently waiting for my mango to get ripe enough to use so that I could try it out. I am so pleased! OXO Good Grips makes this product and it works like a dream. It seperates the seed from the flesh and then all you have to do is score the fruit and squeeze it. The flesh just pops right out of the skin!!! You might want to ask for one of these bad boys for your next special day!!!

B = 2 bananas
S = red bell pepper
L = Manana Smoothie
S = 3 medool dates with raw almond butter
D = mixed greens salad with spinach

and the winner is...

*

I would like to thank Terilynn of Inspiration:Life and The Daily Raw Cafe (and the Academy) for this award. Truly... I am grateful, and humbled and I promise not to forget any of the little people who helped me to get to where I am today! [dabs at tear in corner of eye] (There is a cash prize... right? Right???)

Seriously... I AM very grateful for this award! Terilynn has been a big inspiration to me, and I know scores of others. She also tagged Kristen of Kristen's Raw, and my hubby, Bob of Legally Raw... both of which I would have tagged as they have also been inspirational to me. However, I am going to name people who have not yet been tagged for this award to further spread the inspirational circle!

First a little history... This award (and three others) is the brainchild of Christy Z of Writer's Review. You can read the full rules, the meaning of the award and get your award badge at her post HERE. Basically, if you are tagged for the award, you go her site, get the badge for your site, then tag 5 others.

So without further ado... the envelope please! The five winners of the Inspirational Blogger Award are...

The Raw Divas, Tera and Amy! Even though Bob lead me to them, it was their quirky charm, spunkiness and downright support and friendship that turned me into the raw diva that I am today! I want to send out a big MUAH to both of you!!!

Heidi and Justin of Raw Food, Right Now! There are days when I don't think I would make it if it wasn't for their wonderful recipes and inspirational blog talk. They are really rocking the raw world!!! Thanks, guys!

Connie of Banana Island. This is only one of her wonderful blogs which are daily reads for me. The other is Naked Food Cafe. I like hearing about her adventures with different types of fruits, and it has lead me to greater experimentation. She is a also a fellow raw diva! Spread the love, Connie!

Kathy of Raw Girl too! Kathy seems to always be there with a comment (and I so love comments). She has a great blog and she is another fellow raw diva! Keep up the great work, Kathy!

Holly Lisle has been my best friend and inspiration since 7th grade. Back then, my mother used to complain that I was trying to BE Holly! [grin] Nowadays, she is a total source of amazement to me! She is a successful author, and helps and inspires other writers through her website and e-books directed towards writers. Post this award proudly on Pocket Full of Words, Holly!

While I am at the podium, I would like to start one more award...

Dawn Houser is THE reason that I am blogging today! I found her blog while doing an Internet search for her line of rubber stamps and fell in love. After lurking for about a year, I came out and introduced myself and it wasn't long before I decided to start my own personal blog. (That blog lead to my husband's blog, and ultimately to this blog that you are now reading.) Although Dawn IS an inspiration to me, it is her creative spirit that holds me transfixed. The award I want to give to her is available from the same site. Dawn, pick up your badge and display it with all the pride your big Texas heart can muster!!! I give to you... the Creative Blogger Award!!!

I also want to point out that if your site is listed anywhere on my blog, you are a winner in my eyes!!! Thank you all for reading my blog and commenting on m... [music swells... Keely is escorted off the stage]

Papaya Peach Smoothie

I have never been able to buy a papaya that has any flavor to it. I've always assumed that I was a poor judge of when it was ripe, because the papaya in the springrolls at Ha Long Bay Asian Restaurant always are quite tasty. So the other day when Bob and I went to the Asian market and I saw a yellow papaya, already cut in half and wrapped up, I thought, "Aha! A ripe one!!!"

I now have a new theory. It is the type of papaya that I have been picking. I always get a yellow papaya. They also had a variety that was called a green papaya. It wasn't as attractive... but maybe they are the ones that taste good!?!?!

Anyhow, since I was stuck with a rather boring tasting fruit, I decided to conqure a question that I have heard others ask of The Raw Divas... "How do I make a smoothie if I hate bananas?".

Papaya Peach Smoothie
(makes about a quart)

1/2 of a large yellow papaya

16 oz. bag of frozen sliced peaches
enough Papaya Nectar (or juice of choice) to blend
1/4 cup Blue Agave Nectar (or to taste)
1 Tbsp. Royal Jelly (optional)
1/4 tsp. alcohol free Almond Flavor (optional)

Blend papaya and liquid of choice until completely smooth. Gradually add frozen peaches and continue blending. The almond flavoring will bring out the taste of the peaches. You will need to taste to see how much agave you will need to add to sweeten it to your own tastes.

If you make it as above, it will make a smoothie with a deep peachy color. However, for a wonderful Papaya Peach Green Smoothie, add two heaping handfuls of baby spinach leaves.

Day Seventeen

I have fair skin, that in my younger days I used to tan to a deep bronze... and on several occasions gave myself some rather nasty sunburns. My fair skin is also sprinkled quite liberally with dark "beauty marks"... one of which caught the eye of a dermatologist doing free screenings at a health fair about three years ago. I showed it to my regular doctor, who immediately sent me to a local dermatologist. The local dermatologist thought that it looked fine, but found another suspicious looking mole and did a biopsy. It came back pre-cancerous. I went in for a follow up six months later and she looked me over and said everything was looking fine, so I could switch to yearly appointments. She found another one last year that she tested, and it came back fine.

Today was the date of my annual appointment with the dermatologist. And again, she found one that she "didn't like the way it looked". I'm sure it will be fine. What I really wanted to tell you was this...

At one point the assistant had me sign a release form on which I had to put my birth date. She looked at it, went over to the doctor and excitedly said, "Did you see this!" For a moment I was a bit worried, until Dr. Rupert said, "Oh, I know. She doesn't look anywhere near her age!"!!! [grin] The assistant then explained that when she had looked at my chart, she assumed they had put the wrong birth year in my records. When I signed the release, it confirmed my age, and she just couldn't believe I looked so much younger. There I was sitting in a room with posters and flyers explaining that they also did botox injections, chemical peels, laser treatments... yada, yada, yada. And in effect, I got the same effect from just being a vegetarian for about seventeen years, and a raw vegan for the last six months!!! Yeah, raw foods!!!

B = banana
L = 2 raw "hot dogs" divided in red romaine leaves
D = Papaya Peach Smoothie* with spinach

*recipe to follow in the next post!

Day Sixteen

Sometimes you make a bigger mess just trying to get where you want to be. Bob and I went to the grocery today and when we got home he decided we should clean out the fridge before we put the new stuff away. We had quite a few old non-raw items in there that we wanted to toss. Well, I figured if we were going to be pulling out stuff, we might as well pull it all out so that I could wash the shelves down. Several hours later, the main part of the fridge is clean and organized. The door still needs done, but that will have to wait because I'm just too tuckered out right now. I'd like to throw even more stuff out, but Bob has a thing for hot sauce. There are probably at least ten different varieties in there. [sigh]

B = banana
S = Kara Lovin' Smoothie (banana/fr. strawberries/fr. blueberries/pomegranate juice)
L = Pho
S = Blood Orange Raw Mojito
D = salad (mixed greens/spinach/avocado/seaweed salad)

Day Fifteen

Besides being the name of David Wolfe's alter ego, an avocado is a great source of healthy fat. Although a low fat raw diet is the healthiest, you do need a little now and then. It helps you feel satisfied on a cold winter's night!!!

Just be careful if you are prone to candida. I have heard several raw foodists say that they only have outbreaks if they eat too much fat. I do not suffer from this, so I can't speak from personal experience, but these are people who can eat fruit and veggies the whole live long day... but throw too many nuts, seeds, or avocados at them and BAM!

Today my body needs a bit of fat. I slept a good portion of the day, woke up with a headache and a hankering for an avocado. I rarely take naps during the day. So when I got tired and decided to lay down for a bit, it took me by surprise to wake up about four hours later! I was afraid that I would not be able to sleep tonight, but I'm tired enough to crawl right back in bed now that I have eaten!!!

B = 2 bananas
S = 2 dates
L = Pho
D = mixed greens/spinach/avocado salad
S = 1/2 cup raw chocolate mint ice cream

Day Fourteen

I was going to skip posting today all together, but then I decided, what the heck!!! There will be no pretty picture as I was too busy to take any today.

Bob and I got up and went to our Tai Chi class and then we had planned on going directly from there to the grocery store. But then one of the other students asked us if we were going to go to Ha Long Bay for lunch, and if so, he would join us. Well... we do so love that restaurant, so we dropped everything like a hot potato and headed on over there. Alas, we ended up eating alone, as our "date" must have gotten tied up with something.

After that we started running errands. First to the hobby store so Bob could pick up a magazine and some model paint. Then to the craft supply store so I could use my 50% off coupons!!! [grin] Then we went to a couple of Asian grocery stores so we could get Durian and Jackfruit and other assorted treasures. (We did NOT buy any of the live frogs that they were selling!!!) Bob made a quick stop to pick up a camera card for one of his co-workers and then it was off to the health food store to stock up on Medjool Dates.

Alas, while we were there we learned that they could no longer get the Woodstock Farms Organic Raw Almond Butter because of that stupid almond pasteurization fiasco. And I SO do love me some raw almond butter inside my Medjool Dates for a sweet treat!!!

I'm not posting a food diary for today because I ate a couple of bananas for breakfast, and then ate at the restaurant for lunch and had leftovers for dinner. The rest of the time we were too busy to eat!

For dessert tonight we had a big serving of LAUGHTER and inspiration courtesy of The Raw Divas' Body Enlightenment System support teleseminar. Ah, Bliss!!!

Day Thirteen

Tonight was date night!!! No... I did not gorge myself on Medjool Dates. Bob and I went out to dinner and then met a couple of friends to see the movie version of Sweeney Todd. (Which... if you haven't seen it yet, hurry to your box office!!!)

Because I knew that we were going to our favorite restaurant tonight, and I would be eating my favorite dish of fresh steamed spinach and tofu stir-fried in a garlic sauce... I basically water fasted all day, except for a banana around 2:00. Although the Spinach and Tofu Stir-Fry is not raw, it is still vegan.

B = water
L = water
S = banana
D = Spinach and Tofu Stir-Fry with steamed rice, Caphe Sua Da
At the Movie = small Mountain Dew, popcorn... yeah, I'm going to regret this tomorrow!!!

Day Twelve

Wow... the day just flew by!!! This is going to be short and sweet, because I need to get up early (for me) in the morning and wash my hair (for my big date with Bob that night) and then hustle over to see Dr. Laura so she can set me straight!!! Just a little chiropractor humor there!!! [grin] I have to remember to conspire with Dr. Leslie while I am there, too. We are both having fun using our Knifty Knitter looms to make scarves and hats. There is a yarn sale she needs to know about!!! [wink-wink]

B = 2 bananas
S = 6 dates
L = 4 Oh My this is a Tuna! wraps
S = tangerine
S = one more wrap
D = green smoothie (bananas/mango/spinach)

Did you notice something amiss??? Post your answer in the comments!!!

Day Eleven

I felt like I had a lot more energy today. I ate a lot of meals, but they were small. Maybe that made the difference. After I had my lunch, I really didn't get hungry again until around 5:30 tonight. I just finished my green smoothie and now I just feel like curling up in the bed with a good book!!! [grin]

B = 2 bananas
S = Braeburn apple
S = peach
L = red pepper
S = banana
D = green smoothie (2 bananas/fr. mango/frozen fruit blend/spinach/goji berries) with 1 Tbsp. Royal Jelly

Day Ten

Today was a really great day! Lots of yummy fruits and a big fluffy salad for dinner!!! I have been taking advantage of this program to experiment with some new fruits and veggies that I have never had before. Some of them are common sights in the market, but I have never had them.

Today I had an Uniq fruit, which is a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine. You may know it by the trademark name, Ugli fruit. If you have ever seen an Ugli fruit, you would know that mine was actually quite beautiful! Some of them look really scary, but mine just looked like a lumpy grapefruit. What do they taste like? Well... they are described as sweet, but mine was a little more on the sour side... but it was a mild sour. Quite pleasant, actually. The juice that was left over in my bowl after I ate the fruit was actually the best part! Go out and get one!!!

For lunch I had four leaves of red romaine lettuce that had about a tablespoon of "Oh My this is a Tuna!". Honest... I'm not making this up!!! [grin] If you follow this LINK, you will find the recipe!!!

B = 2 bananas
S = Uniq fruit
L = 4 "Oh My this is a Tuna" wraps
S = 4 medjool dates
D = green salad

Day Nine

A(pear)antly, I had a theme for today. Everything I had was pears!!! And I have a bit of advice for those who like to have a green smoothie for one of your meals. I like a bit of mint in with my pear smoothies. Unfortunately, I had no fresh mint in the house, so I put a bit of Creme de Menthe extract flavoring in the blender. Actually, I put a "bit" too much. Bleck!!! I had to doctor it with bananas and then it was barely palatable!!! [sigh] Do NOT put more than a drop of the stuff in your blender. Better yet... only use fresh mint leaves!!!

B = 2 forelle pears
L = 4 seckel pears
S = 2 seckel pears
D = green smoothie (bartlett pears/apple juice/mint flavoring/bananas)

a place to bark

You may have heard of Bernie Berlin. She is a mixed media artist that specializes in Fabrege style eggs and teaches classes in Altered Books and Creating Artist Trading Cards among others. She also has written the wonderful book, Artist Trading Card Workshop Book.

But... did you also know that she has a heart of gold? She runs a full-time, no-kill dog (and cat) rescue shelter. It is called A Place to Bark, and she needs our help!

Here is How It Works:

* The four charity badges with the most unique donations through America's Giving Challenge will get $50,000 for their cause.

* Only donations of $10 or more will count towards the challenge.

* America's Giving Challenge runs only until January 31st.

Donate:

* If you are able donate , please donate via the badge (in the sidebar) a $10 tax deductible donation. We need the most people possible to each donate $10 to A Place to Bark. In order to win the grant we need to have the most amount of donors, not necessarily the amount of money donated.

* If you enter the name "cooper" on the line that says dedication or gift, you will be entered into a drawing to recieve a beautiful piece of artwork by Tim Holtz!!! Please visit his BLOG to see it!!!

* In addition, you will also be put in a drawing to win one of five autographed copies of Bernie's book, Artist Trading Card Workshop Book plus one of her original ATCs that was published in the book!!!

* All donations made to A Place to Bark's Six Degrees Badge, will be matched by the "Zoline Foundation" up to $25,000.00!!! All donations up to June 1st will be counted for the matching donation from the Zoline Foundation, but to help her win the challenge, and be entered in the drawing, you must donate before January 31st.

Please take the time to check out Bernie's BLOG to get more detailed information on this and watch the video. And after you do, give your pet a hug!!! [grin]

Day Eight

I decided to have nothing but cool clear water all day today. I wanted to give my body a rest after the meal of cooked food I had yesterday evening. I broke my water fast at 6:00 with a wonderfully sweet pineapple! The only problem I have with pineapple is the high acid content always "burns" my mouth.

I was very clear headed and focused today. I am beginning to get tired, though, now that I have broken my fast. I think it will be an early night for me!

B = water
S = water
L = water
S = Are you sensing a theme here?
D = 1 pineapple
S = 1 cup watermelon

Day Seven

Normally, Bob and I would go to our Tai Chi class on Saturdays, but Bob woke up a bit under the weather. He hasn't been sleeping well, either. So... later in the afternoon I talked him into a walk in the park. Then we went to the market to get some fruits and veggies. (I'm going to be trying Ugli Fruit this week!)

On the way home, we had to drive past our favorite restaurant, Ha Long Bay Asian Kitchen. And that is when the seeds of discontent were sown. Bob said he should have gone home a different route, and I agreed that I had been thinking how good it would be to stop. We didn't though. We went home, put the groceries away, started puttering around the house... but the seeds found fertile soil and soon they sprouted. Yes, gentle readers... Bob and I are only human and the call of the Bay, too great!!! [grin]

Tomorrow is another day, full of fresh fruits and veggies!!!

B = 2 peaches
S = 6 medjool dates
L = green smoothie (bananas/fr. tropical smoothie fruits/fr. peaches/apple juice/mixed baby greens/spirulina) with 1 Tbsp. Royal Jelly.
D = Garlicky Spinach with Tofu, Ca phe sua da at Ha Long Bay

Day Six

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well... not this time!

I woke up at around 8:30 and was in the worst pain, even before I got out of bed. I hobbled downstairs in the hopes that just moving around would loosen up whatever was out of place. I ate an apple and about a half an hour later, I realized that instead of getting better, the pain was getting worse. It felt like I had pulled all the muscles in my hip area and the pain was radiating down my leg. I knew I hadn't done anything to injure that area, so I figured that I had a pinched nerve.

Fortunately, I have a wonderful chiropractor that is always just a phone call away. I went in and Dr. Laura put me back together. Then I got hooked up to the stim machine with heat for a bit. Before I even got home the pain was almost all gone. Now it is but a distant memory!

Today, several of the divas on the BES program decided to do an apple only day, and I participated, too. Except for a piece of dark chocolate... which forced itself on me. Probably somewhere around the hips!!! [grin]

B = Braeburn Apple
S = 1 piece chocolate @ 60 calories
L = nothing
D = apple smoothie (4 apples, apple juice, dash of cinnamon)

Day Five

Today I followed Tera's suggestion and started tying up loose ends. The problem is... I have so many loose ends that I am close to coming unraveled!!! [grin]

I did make a photo database on PhotoBucket so that I can host my own pictures to be posted in The Raw Divas' The Powder Room! That way I don't have to use up my limited space on blogger to host them. That is a big weight off of my shoulders.

Now I'm going to throw a load of whites in the laundry, and then wash the dishes. I also want to make sure that I watch Celebrity Apprentice. Normally, I would never watch one of these "reality shows", but Carol Alt is one of the contestents.

We have to support our raw food friends!!!

B = 2 peaches
L = 2 peaches
S = cabbage leaf
D = salad
S = 1 Tbsp. raw pumpkin seeds

Day Four

Nothing too exciting to report for today. I did feel the need to eat something a little more substantial then fruit monomeals, so I had a salad of mixed greens and spinach with a tomato squeezed over the top for one meal.

Almost forgot to mention... I was in bed before 10:30 last night. Then the phone rang at something like five after midnight. It was Bob on the other end saying he couldn't sleep and he thought I would still be up. By the time I got him off the phone I was awake enough that it took me until after 1:30 AM to fall back asleep, and then there was a loud cracking noise in the room that woke me up at 2:00 on the dot. By then the high winds (gusts up to 55 mph) had died down and I was able to get back to sleep fairly quickly and slept well the rest of the night. Got up around 8:30... when Bob called me again!

I'm busy cleaning out drawers. Detoxing them, so to speak!

B = 2 bananas
L = mixed greens salad
S = 2 leaves cabbage
D = green smoothie (bananas/fr. mango/water/spinach/spirulina) with 1 Tbsp. Royal Jelly

Day Three

Despite the fact that my sister is in the hospital right now for chest pain related problems, I feel amazingly good.

Okay, I am really detoxing, so I am a bit tired, and I smell like popcorn (consumed two weeks ago). But I have no headaches or anything. I am very conscious of odors working their way out of my system, and I brush my tongue a lot to rid it of the film of detox, but I'm feelin' clearer and cleaner.

I found out what that cabbage was that I bought the other day. It is a savoy cabbage. I was only used to the regular green or red variety. Even then, Bob and I rarely use cabbage... so I had never had any of this variety before today, and it tastes so good... even with nothing on it!!! Now before you think I downed a whole head (like Tera probably would have), let me just tell you that I only ate a couple of leaves as a snack. I'll probably eat a leaf or two each day till it is gone. It's quite tasty, but just those two leaves left me feeling full and just a bit bloated!!! Because of this I ate a late lunch and dinner. But I ate dinner early enough that I will have at least three hours to digest before I turn in for the night, and I will be in bed by 10:30!

B = 3 bananas
S = 2 savoy cabbage leaves
L = 4 peaches (.99 cents a lb.)
D = green smoothie (2 frozen bananas/fr. peaches/mango flavored coconut water/spinach/spirulina) with 1 Tbsp. Royal Jelly

Day Two

I'm feeling great physically!!! However, I have been a snarl-puss all day. I even blew off my stamp club meeting tonight, which is not like me. I'm sure it is just a detox symptom, so all is cool!!! [grin]

I wanted to report on the oroblanco that I had for a snack today. YUM! It has a very thick rind, so I just cut it in half and scooped out the goodness with my spoon. Flavorwise, it has a very mild grapefruit taste... only very sweet. There is no bite to it at all!!! I highly recommend that you try one. They are a bit pricey... but well worth it for a special treat!

B = cantalope
L = three bananas
S = oroblanco
D = green smoothie (banana/fr.banana/coconut water/spring mix lettuce/spinach) with 1 Tbsp. Royal Jelly

The 2008 BES Program

Bob and I are following The Body Enlightenment System program again. The focus is on simplicity this time!!! That means that there are going to be a lot of monomeals and simple green smoothies being consumed over the next thirty days!

Alrighty then... I started fasting last night and have had nothing but water all day. In the past, water fasting has been no problem for me, but this time I couldn't stop thinking about food!

This only got worse when Bob and I went to the grocery to pick up some fruits and veggies. We got oranges, two kinds of pears, watermelon, pineapple, cantalope, bananas, and first of the season peaches. I got a big, long cucumber, celery, a couple of bags of baby lettuce, and some strange looking cabbage like thingy that I have yet to identify... but it looked interesting!!! Oh... and I also got a big honkin' oroblanco. I've never had one, but I'm willing to give it a try!

Bob and I broke our fast tonight on fresh pineapple. Very yummy... but now my tongue hurts!!! [grin]

Happy Raw Year!

Well, if you are like me, you are eager to embark on another year of eating raw! It's a new year, a clean slate, so to speak. I just wanted to give you a head's up about a couple of things that will help you to kick off the new year!

The Raw Divas are about to embark on a special LIVE version of the popular Body Enlightenment System. This one will focus on simplicity. If you join us on this, you will automatically be taking care of three of the top ten most popular New Year's Resolutions: Lose Weight, Excercise More, Eat Healthier!!!

Now if you have ever been on the BES program, remember... you have an open invite to take it again, at any time! Just let Tera know that you want to take it again, and join Bob and I for this very special LIVE version. Hurry, though. This is the prep week and the kick-off call will be this Saturday, 5th! The BES works very well as an automated system. However, knowing that there are hundreds of others taking the program with you is really inspiring!!! If you never have taken the program before, just click here to be whisked away to a page that will tell you all about it!!!

Speaking of inspiring, there is a new blog in town from an old favorite!!! Terilynn from The Daily Raw Cafe will be opening up her newest blog, Inspiration:Life, to the general public on January 2nd!!! It is a great read, and it will be especially helpful to any of you that are on, or will be embarking on a Raw Juice Feast this year. Terilynn is doing a 90 day feast and is already over a third of the way through!!! Make sure to check it out tomorrow, and do go back and read all of the older posts. They are quite inspiring!!!

I want to wish you all Peace, Good Health, A Happy Home and Lots of Friends with whom you can Share!!!