Raw Diva Keely

Summer's End Savory Smoothie

2009-11-04T02:43:00.004-05:00

Summer's End Savory Smoothie
Keely Bush
(makes over 2 quarts)

3 medium carrots with green tops
2 large ribs of celery
1/2 english cucumber (seedless)
1 medium avocado
2 spring onions (green tops, too)
1 clove garlic
1 lemon - juiced
2 sprigs fresh oregano
1/2 tsp Pink Himalayan Salt or use Dulce Seaweed to taste
4 large handfuls of baby spinach
coconut water
4 roma tomatoes

You will need to break this down to make it all or cut the recipe in half. I used my VitaMix and blended everything except for the tomatoes. By that point, my blender was overflowing. Then I poured out half into a jug. I added two of the roma tomatoes to the remainder and processed until smooth. I poured that into a quart glass, put the rest back into the blender and processed the final two tomatoes into the mix.

Raw Mom Summit

2009-06-09T21:36:00.007-04:00

Tera Warner has been at it again! Thanks to her great idea and Shannon Leone's interviewing skills, The Raw Mom Summit was born.

Now whether you are a mom or not, a lot of the topics being discussed look very inspiring! I know for a fact that a lot of raw vegan women have a carnivore for a husband. There is help for you in these interviews, too! Ever wonder if you can or should raise your children raw. Well, there are experts galore just waiting to ease your mind! Are you worried about the fate of the bees, wonder about sustainable living, wonder what can be done? Check out some of these inspiring guests and their topics!

I could tell you all about it, but the fact is ... they created a really cool website to do just that!!! [LOL] So click on that banner at the top to find out all the juicy details and find out who participated in this great event ... and how you can join in on the fun, too!

OH ... did I mention that

IT'S FREE

for a limited time!!!

Swine Flew!

2009-05-12T11:28:00.009-04:00

heyzap.com - embed games

I'm getting just a wee bit tired of some of these raw food "gurus" sending out messages that we are heading into a swine flu epidemic and that if you want to survive, simply buy their informative teleseminar on the subject of the Swine Flu. Seriously ... if they really wanted to help us, shouldn't that information be made public for free?

So I thought I would do my part!!! As laughter is supposed to be the best medicine, and eating a healthy raw diet ranks right up there ... here is what I want you to do:

1) Help the doctor inoculate the little flying piggies so they are healthy again in the fun little game above!

2) Head over to The Green Smoothie Blog and hop onboard the free Green Smoothie Revival being held through that blog!!! The first message in the series was on May 8th, so you will need to scroll back a bit.

Now THAT should get you feeling all super- duper! :LOL:

6 Week Deep Tissue Detox

2009-04-11T17:32:00.009-04:00

Spring has Sprung!

Time to get those lingering toxins from winter, bad eating habits, pollution and stress OUT of your body to
make room for more energy and vitality!

BIG BESSY NEWS!

2008-10-19T14:11:00.011-04:00

The Raw Divas have been busy updating the Body Enlightenment System to include more GREENS and special guests! But you will have to click the link to find out all the RAW, juicy details!!! [grin]

BUT HURRY!
YOU'VE ONLY GOT UNTIL NOON (That's Eastern Standard Time) ON OCTOBER 25, 2008 TO SIGN UP FOR THE MOST EXCITING BODY ENLIGHTENMENT SYSTEM TO DATE AND TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND AS A NEW MEMBER OF THE RAW DIVAS!

Cravings and Emotional Eating

2008-09-24T20:50:00.006-04:00

The Raw Divas very own Cravings Diva, Angela Stokes has been featured on CNN! If you haven't seen it already, check out the segment here:

To learn amazing and effective tips from Angela Stokes and The Raw Divas on dealing with YOUR cravings and emotional eating check out The Raw Diva's Guide to Cravings and Emotional Eating. Amazing program, amazing value. Click Here!

You will also receive, FREE as part of the program, Angela's wonderful e-book "Raw Emotions"!!!

Viva la Mouthalucion!

2008-09-11T12:11:00.002-04:00

100% Organic

2008-05-07T05:15:00.002-04:00

In today's world of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, genetically altered foods and depleted soil ... sometimes it's nice to know you are getting something truly fresh and 100% organic!!! [grin]

Green Smoothie Smiles

2008-05-02T08:37:00.009-04:00

I bet a bunch of you have been wondering where the heck I have been, and what ever happened to my blogging abilities. Well, I have to tell you ... it's been a bit difficult to come up with the energy to blog when I have just finished a whole day perched in front of my computer as the Customer Service Diva and The Powder Room Queen for The Raw Divas! [grin]

Today is the last day of the LIVE version of The Green Smoothie Queen 3 Day Challenge! (We are going automated next, so you can take it whenever you want, just like The 7 Day Diva Detox!) I was making my morning smoothie and I put the lid of the blender down on the counter so that I could pour my concoction into my Green Smoothie Jug, and when I lifted the lid to wash it, I was greeted with this cheery little fellow!

Honestly ... how could I not stop everything to share!!! [grin]

Dr. Feel Good

2008-04-15T17:51:00.007-04:00

I haven't been feeling too chipper the last few days. Stuffy runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, sinus headaches. YUCK!

Today I absolutely had to get some work done but I just felt like crawling back in bed for the day. Instead of resorting to that, however, I decided to try to make something that would make me feel better.

I came up with the Dr. Feel Good Shake. Within a half hour of drinking it, I was no longer sleepy and I had an overall feeling of well-being. I actually felt like running around and hugging everyone. I did still have a runny nose and all, but I did feel a lot better. I have noticed that quite a few people have mentioned on their blog that they had a cold, so I decided I would share this with you!

Dr. Feel Good Shake
(makes about 32 ounces)

4 bananas (frozen is best)
2 cups water
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. of vanilla
And here is where the feel good stuff comes in....
4 T of "Go Goji Cacao" (dried goji berries & cacao beans - raw blend)
1 T Hemp seeds
1 T Royal Jelly in Honey

Blend it all up and enjoy. About a half an hour later you will feel full of hugs and energy!

UPDATE: It has come to my attention that "Go Goji Cacao" is no longer being made, so just throw in 4 T of raw cacao and a small handful of raw, dried goji berries.

Made to Order

2008-04-05T18:21:00.015-04:00

Bob and I found a couple of raw products that we had never seen before at out local co-op, the Clintonville Community Market. We decided to give them a test spin... for YOUR benefit, mind you!!! [grin]

There were raw breads of various varieties, and raw red cabbage. Bob is doing a product review over on his site, for you.

I just wanted to give you a little glimpse of how we used them! It is just one slice of "bread", in this case the Sun-Flax Italian, topped with the red cabbage and some mung beans. Very nice!

Where's the Passion?

2008-04-04T00:49:00.006-04:00

Doesn't that just make your mouth water? It is called Pineapple Passion Fruit Salad, but alas... I could find no passion fruits to lend their seeds to this wonderful dish! I made this for Bob and I about a week and a half ago following a recipe by Heidi and JS of Raw Food, Right Now! You can find the recipe in their Raw Easter e-book!

The above photo makes a delicious wallpaper for your computer! Go ahead and download it to your desktop... you know you want to! [grin]

Raw Easter Dinner!

2008-03-27T23:45:00.017-04:00

Well... I think I made you wait long enough for my pictures of Bob's and my Easter dinner!!! If you click on the picture of the plate it will say that the picture is entitled "Thanksgiving Dinner". I assure you, it was Easter! I'm just a bit loopy!!! [grin]

I would have loved to have had ALL of the lovely recipes from Raw Food, Right Now! presents Raw Easter, but we actually got a late start on shopping and all.

Bob prepared the entire dinner by himself (which is not uncommon). He made the following recipes:

* Easter Roast with Sweet Mesquite Dry Rub
* Apricot Glaze
* Deviled Eggs
* Garlic Green Beans
* Carrot Cake

Delicious!!! The apricot glaze on the roast was just the right touch. Not only did it give it a nice slightly sweet taste, but it made it look more like an actual roast. The Deviled Eggs were so good that I whipped up a second batch (and a batch of Heidi's original Eggless "Egg" Salad recipe) today!!! JS had e-mailed me and said that he could eat Heidi's Garlic Green Beans all day long. I could too!!! They are so good and refreshing.

Then there was the carrot cake! Now I don't know if Bob followed the recipe or if he doubled it, but we ended up with four two-layered 4" cakes! They are SO rich tasting that Bob and I can only eat a quarter of a cake at a time. If you are just preparing food for two people (as we were), you might want to cut the recipe in half. Definitely a nice ending to a great meal.

Honestly... I just can't wait until Bob and I have a chance to try the other recipes out that are included in the book. If you didn't order it, yet... DO!!!

Hopefully, Bob and I will be able to fix more of the recipes that were in the book in the near future. There are a lot more left to try!!! If anyone else made any of the recipes in JS and Heidi's e-book, please let us know how it went!!!

Raw Rabbit Food (at it's Best)!

2008-03-22T16:02:00.020-04:00

Heidi and JS have done it yet again!!! I'm just so excited about this, I can't even tell you. Bob and I have enjoyed the recipes from both the Raw Food, Right Now! Raw Thanksgiving ebook and the Raw Food Right Now! Raw Christmas ebook. Now we are in the midst of soaking nuts and apricots in preperation for tomorrow. The recipes in the Raw Food, Right Now! Raw Easter ebook look so wonderful that I can't even articulate! I'm just drooling too much!!! [grin]

If you order the book before Easter Day, Sunday, March 23rd at 11:59 PM Central, you can get it for only $12.00!!! Mind you it only goes back up to $15.00 after midnight, so it is still a great deal. But hey... why waste time. Get it now and save $3.00 to spend on... oh, lets see... fresh fruit!!! [grin]

Click here to view more details

As always, I will report back how our Easter dinner went. But don't wait for the review. Get it now, print it off in full color and stuff it in your easter basket!!!

Green Smoothie Bliss

2008-03-19T12:29:00.005-04:00

This is technically the last day of my Green Smoothie Queen 3-Day Challenge. However, I'm going to continue drinking mostly green smoothies through the weekend, at the very least. I may have a salad here or there, but I really need to up my green intake.

I found this interview on YouTube and I feel that it is very important for everyone to watch this. It answered a few questions for me. Each part of the interview is only about 10 minutes. You can spare twenty minutes for your health, can't you???

Ack! I've been Hit!

2008-03-18T16:21:00.007-04:00

Photo by Fredcat

I never could run fast enough not to get tagged! [grin] I was tagged by Leslie Anne, yesterday, to list five things that you don't know about me. Well... okay... I'm pretty boring, really... but if you really want to know!!! [grin]

1. When I was in about sixth or seventh grade, my sister and I went to a Halloween Haunted House. I enjoyed it so much that we went home and transformed our bedroom (over several days) into a haunted bedroom. We made our own soundtrack of spooky moans and groans. I cut up my fuzzy purple bathrobe to make a vampire bat (glued to styrofoam, cardboard wings) and rigged it to slide across the room on transparent thread. unscrewed the bulb in the lamp to the point that when you walked (our floor was creaky... we lived in a barn) it flickered. Then we took the kids my mother babysat on a tour. (They cried... we loved it!) I've been hooked ever since then. Over the years my display has gotten a bit better. Check it out!

2. My sister put a pickled hot pepper in my mouth while I was sleeping when I was in Junior High School. In my sleep, I chewed it up and swallowed it. I became so ill that I was unable to sit up without throwing up for over two weeks. I could barely keep food down, but bananas and Dr. Pepper gave me no trouble. My neighbor, Dr. Jose, came over almost every day to check on me. He had no idea what was wrong with me, so all they could do was try to keep me comfortable. Oh... did I mention that my sister thought I was going to die, so never told anyone what she had done for fear of being punished? She finally confessed after we were both adults. She said that she honestly thought I would wake up and spit it out because I never could stand spicy hot food!

3. Just so you know that my sister, Chana, was not the only brat in the family... When I was in seventh or eighth grade a big tree fell in the field behind our house. My best friend, Holly Lisle, and I tied my sister's hands behind her back, put a noose around her neck and left her balancing about five feet above the ground on the trunk. We rescued her in about fifteen minutes, but to this day, none of us can figure out why we did it!!!

4. I met my husband while taking out the trash. Yep! I was employed as a housekeeper at the Ohio State University's Student Union when I was a sophomore at OSU. I was pushing one of those great big rolling dumpsters towards the hall that would lead to the outdoor trash compactor from the eating area on the lower level. Bob put out his foot as if to trip the dumpster. (Had I not stopped, he would have gotten a broken ankle, I'm sure!) He then struck up a conversation about how he had been doing my job three days earlier. I basically called him a liar!!! [grin] You see, he was a "Red Coat", which is what we all called the Night Managers (days, too... but we worked nights) because of the garish scarlet blazers they sported. The only way that you could get to be a Red Coat was to work your way up through the ranks, and housekeepers were at the very bottom of the ranks. In effect, he pulled strings. He was friends with one of the managers and when an opening came up, they just squeezed him in there. Bob also broke our first date! He invited me to go out for pizza, and on the night before we were supposed to go, he cancelled. I can't remember why. We did finally go on our first date which was changed to dancing (this was during the urban cowboy craze for those old enough to remember). And the pizza date actually became a reality for our second date!

5. About five years after Bob and I got married, Bob moved to Ada, Ohio. I stayed behind in Mansfield and worked several jobs (in shifts... not much sleep) in order to keep us afloat and keep the house intact. Bob was in law school. It was the longest three years of my life. Wait... make that four. After he graduated, he moved to Columbus and did volunteer work for Governor George V. Voinovich. Somewhere around here I have an award presented to me by the governor for supporting Bob so that he could be a volunteer during that year. I moved to Columbus (where we still live) after Bob was given a state job at the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review.

The Rules: Link to the person who tagged you. Share 5 facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them). Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

I am tagging; Bob, Holly, Kathy, Nikki, and Terilynn!

If you were already tagged, you can ignore this tag. Otherwise... YOU'RE IT!!!

Pucker Power

2008-03-16T17:20:00.004-04:00

I know some of you have been wondering where I have been for almost two weeks. Well... Bob went on the Master Cleanse for 10 days starting on the 2nd of March. I decided to tag along.

Now, as I have said before, the idea of going without solid food and drinking only juices does not even remotely appeal to me. But I thought it couldn't hurt to get a bit of a cleaning out. Bob blogged about his experience at Bob's Legal Lemon. I, on the other hand, dropped off the face of the Earth. (Well... the face of my blogs, anyway!) Bob is still blogging there through Monday. He's keeping people in the know about what happens once you transition back to solid food.

Why didn't I blog about my experience? Well... I knew that for me it would not be pleasant, and I simply did not want to dwell on it. I had very strong detox symptoms and to say I got a good cleaning out would be an understatement. However, I also nibbled on raw almonds now and then to slow the detox symptoms down. I did not need to sleep as much as I normally do, which is what most people that juice report. I didn't, however, experience the bouncing off the walls energy that they experienced. Would I do it again? Yep. Probably. But not until later in the year. I could not wait to start eating solid meals again, but now I find I crave the Master Cleanse Lemonade, with less cayenne! Therefore I have decided that I will be drinking that from time to time instead of a meal. Probably first thing in the morning. Just trying to keep a bit of clarity!!! [grin]

Wearin' O' the GREEN

2008-03-14T22:19:00.004-04:00

Pucker up all you Irish... and Irish wanabees! It's time for another Green Smoothie Queen 3-Day Challenge. And this one is extra special. Why? Well because it starts on St. Patrick's Day and since you will be toting around your green smoothies wherever you go... no one can pinch you! That's no Blarney!!! So join Bob and I and go over and sign up right now. Then dance a little jig! But hurry, kiddies, because The Divas are closing registration Saturday night.

And thanks, Penni, for letting me borrow your lips!!! [grin]

Salute!

2008-03-01T16:45:00.008-05:00

Although I am not one of those that heard the siren call of The Global Juice Feast, I want to give credit to all of you that have decided to embark on this epic adventure. 92 days without solid food... WOW! Nope. I'm not feeling it!

But even though I will not be joining you, I did make myself a juice to honor you! In all honesty, I made it several weeks ago, but held the picture to post for you today! I can't remember everything that was in it, but I do know it contained two small apples, three carrots, two large beets, some cilantro, a small bit of fresh ginger and a plum tomato or two.

After I made my juice, I was left with all of this pulp from both my drink and Bob's. Now, I am one of those people that don't like to juice because I feel like I'm throwing away good food. So I took a tip from Oscar over at Freshtopia and mixed all the pulp with some soaked flax seeds and made crackers!!! Yum!!! Now I realize that those of you that are feasting could not eat the crackers, but if you have family members that are still eating solid food, you might want to make some for them. And, of course, you can always feed the pulp to your compost pile if you are lucky enough to live somewhere that will allow that.

So GOOD LUCK!!! Take lots of pictures of your progress, and if you need inspiration... head on over to Terilynn's blog, Inspiration:Life. She just completed day 92... and is still going!!!

Green Smoothie Queen - Day 3

2008-02-20T21:21:00.004-05:00

This is just a quick post because I have to get to bed early. Bob and I are leaving town tomorrow morning, and this will probably be my last post until Monday.

This was the last day of the Green Smoothie Queen 3-Day Challenge. I feel more jovial than I had in the past several weeks, but I'm not sure that I did too much detoxing. I did not have any symptoms really. Still... I do feel more focussed and am ready to face the world again!!! [grin]

I made all of my smoothies first thing in the morning today so I did not have to worry about them throughout the day. I didn't make anything new. I made two BBC Smoothies with added greens, one for breakfast, and one for dinner. For lunch I had the Tropical Green Smoothie that I had yesterday... but I added some goji berries to it for an extra boost.

I hope everyone that was doing this Green Smoothie Queen Challenge enjoyed it. If you missed this one, I believe there will be another sometime around April. I'll let you know!!! [grin]

Green Smoothie Queen - Day 2

2008-02-19T22:21:00.004-05:00

Tropical Green
(makes 32 ounces)

2 bananas
1 cup frozen smoothie fruit blend (strawberries/mango/pineapple)
small handful frozen pineapple
2 cups of coconut nectar
large handful spinach
1 Tbsp. Vitamineral Green
1 tsp. royal jelly in honey

I had the above wonderful smoothie for my breakfast. For lunch I made a smoothie which I named a "Papaya Scream". You will not be finding the recipe for that anywhere on this blog! To say that it was horrible would be too kind!!! The only nice thing I could say about it was that it was the most lovely shade of green. I put it in the fridge in the hopes it would taste better cold. It did not. [sigh] I drank a "Basil Limeade" to get the terrible taste out of my mouth. For dinner I had a jackfruit smoothie.

Observations: I woke up this morning with a killer headache, but it was gone before I finished my first green smoothie of the day. I noticed that I have been more ornery than usual today, and the e-mails that I get are funnier to me! I was able to run my errands in record time today, too!!! [grin]

Green Smoothie Queen - Day One

2008-02-18T18:37:00.006-05:00

Is it GREEN? Yes... it is!!! This was my late lunch smoothie. I've decided to call it a Raspberry Green.

Sunrise Smoothie
(makes 32 ounces)

2 bananas
1-1/2 cups orange juice
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 handful mixed greens
1 handful spinach
1 Tbsp. Vitamineral Green

Raspberry Green Smoothie
(makes about 2 cups)

1 cup frozen raspberries
2 cup pomegranite/cranberry juice
1 cup spinach
1 tsp. Spirulina

I had these two green smoothies that I made up today, plus a Banana Blueberry Brew Smoothie. The last one is one of The Raw Divas recipes as part of their programs, so I can't copy it here.

Observations: Felt pretty good all day up until dinner time. I started to get a headache at that point. However, I don't think that has anything to do with the challenge. I was researching something on my computer and I developed a stiff neck. I think I probably pinched something and that is what is causing the headache.

Green Smoothie Queens Unite!

2008-02-15T11:35:00.004-05:00

Bob and I are once again embarking on The Green Smoothie Queen 3-Day Challenge! If you have done this in the past, why not join us again, and if this is all new news to you... why not sign up!!!

If you are going to be doing this and you have a blog, why don't we blog about our experiences for those three days. Don't have a blog, but want to play? Don't forget that there is a special area set aside in The Raw Divas Powder Room just for those of us on the smoothie challenge!!! Take advantage of the space and get lots of support from fellow smoothie queens!

If you need more info about the program, you can read my previous blog entry about it HERE.

But HURRY... the adventure begins on Monday, and registration will soon close!!!

Chocolate Mint N'ice Cream

2008-02-14T22:55:00.001-05:00

Bob worked until around 8:00 PM tonight holding night hearings, so we did not have a Valentine's Day Dinner tonight. However, this is a little something that I whipped up for Bob and I to have this evening after he got home from work.

Chocolate Mint N'ice Cream
(makes about 2 cups)

2 ripe bananas
2 medool dates, pitted
1 Tbsp. raw almond butter
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
2 drops creme de menthe flavoring (or fresh mint)
1 tsp. vanilla extract (or vanilla bean)
water - enough to blend into a thick smoothie consistency

Blend all of the ingredients until smooth and freeze. If you freeze it until it is completely solid, you will need to let it thaw for about a half an hour before stirring it by hand and scooping it into your dishes.

Our BES Celebration Dinner

2008-02-05T23:59:00.003-05:00

Tonight we had a celebration dinner to end The Body Enlightenment System's Mono Meal Experiment. The idea was that we would have nothing but monomeals of fruits or vegetables for every meal for thirty days. I think that just about everyone that participated in the experiment soon added in a green smoothie per day. The next thing you know, salads started popping up. And in the case of Bob and I, easily prepared meals soon followed. I know that I tried to at least keep my snacks to a monomeal, and usually breakfast was just bananas.

Just a quick note... The Walnut Burger and the Fiesta Cracker recipes are not mine. I do not know who was the original author of the recipes. The woman who gave the recipes to me said I could not sell them and that I could not use them to make money in any way. I am giving them to you for your own personal use. However, I would ask that you follow the same considerations.

Fiesta Crackers
(Makes about 12 servings)

1/2 cup sunflower seeds -- soaked overnight
1/2 cup walnuts -- soaked overnight
1/2 cup almonds -- soaked overnight
2 tablespoons flax seed -- soaked 30 minutes
1/2 cup onions
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 cup tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt -- or kelp
1/2 teaspoon jalapeno -- dried

Place jalapeno pepper, tomato and onion into processor and process until creamy. Add nuts and process until finely chopped and creamy.

Place on a Teflex sheet in dehydrator overnight at 90 degrees. Flip and remove sheet. Dehydrate until crispy. Takes two days to dehydrate.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 115 Calories; 10g Fat (70.1% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 82mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.

NOTES : Can also be used as the crust for a raw pizza.

Walnut Burgers
(Makes 20 servings)

1 cup walnuts, soaked overnight
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight
1/2 cup almonds, soaked overnight
3 cloves garlic
2/3 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup onions
1 tablespoon rosemary
1/2 cup red pepper
1/2 tablespoon jalapeno pepper -- dried
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1 cup tomatoes
2 dates -- pitted and soaked 4 hours
3 basil leaves

In the food processor mix together the garlic, salt, onion, rosemary, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, cumin, tomatoes, and basil. Once this is blended add the nuts which have been soaked overnight. Dehydrate the steaks for 2 hours and serve warm or you can make ahead, refrigerate and serve cold. You can also use this as a dip or spread (Walnut Pate - not dehydrated). When you dehydrate, it becomes Walnut Burgers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 87 Calories; 7g Fat (69.6% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 64mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat.

NOTES : 1/4 cup patty before dehydration = 2 points Weight Watchers

Catalina in the Raw
(a dressing by shannonmarie of Rawdorable)

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for a least a few hours
1/3 cup soaking liquid (from the tomatoes)
1/2 cup agave
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. onion powder (or fresh, to taste)
dash of paprika
pinch of sea salt

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

Day Thirty

2008-02-04T23:59:00.000-05:00

And there it is... day 30... the last day of the BES. Well, for now at least!!! I'm sure Bob and I will be signed up for another one before too long!!! [grin]

I have to tell you, I did not sleep well at all last night. I went to bed, tossed... turned... drifting in and out of consciousness. Finally gave up at 1:30 AM and went downstairs to do some cleaning. Went back to bed at 3:30 AM and finally started to really sleep sometime around 5:00 AM. Of course I had to get up at 8:00 AM to go to see Dr. Laura.

Sadly, all of Dr. Laura's work was for not. She no sooner put my back in alignment, but I left the office and proceeded to screw it back up with dishwashing and laundry and grocery shopping. [sigh]

Anyhow... I scored a Mangosteen today!!! There was one little lonely fruit huddled in the corner of the freezing unit at one of the Asian Markets I was visiting. I snagged it instead of taking the bag of them because I was afraid that it would not be to my taste. When I got it up to the check-out the woman informed me that they were not sold individually and set it aside. However, after she had totalled me up she slipped it in my bag, gave me a big smile and said, "I give you free... to try"! Such a sweetie!

After I got home I looked up mangosteens, because I knew nothing about them. I became a bit concerned when I read that it was considered the queen of fruits. You see, I'm not too overly fond of fresh durian... the king of fruits! Anyhow when Bob got home I pulled it's little zipper (it was pre-cut, taped, then frozen) and we each gave it a try. Now, judging from the condition of the "meat" of the fruit, it was getting a bit dehydrated and was probably not very young. However, at least we got to say we tried it! Ours was very mild. Bob was not impressed. I thought that it had a bit of a grape taste to it.

I spent the rest of the evening preparing food to be dehydrated. Tune in tomorrow to see Bob's and my end of the BES celebration dinner!!!

B = green smoothie (bananas/fr. pineapple-mango-strawberry blend of fruits/fr. pineapple/coconut nectar/Vitamineral Green/spinach) with 1 Tbsp Royal Jelly.
L = white grapes
S = plum tomato
D = sweet red peppers
S = 1/2 of a mangosteen

Day Twenty-Nine

2008-02-04T08:10:00.000-05:00

Day twenty-nine was sucked into a black hole. Sorry about that!!! Suffice it to say that no unusual fruits or veggies were consumed on that day. Bob did make some sort of "fried" potatoes in the dehydrator. But I'll have to wait to ask him where he got the recipe... then I'll post it here. They were quite good!!!

Day Twenty-Eight

2008-02-02T22:24:00.000-05:00

We did not go to our weekly Tai-Chi class. Bob came home from work on Thursday and was too ill to go into work on Friday, or to class this morning. So today we just kinda sat back and coasted.

B = 2 bananas
S = lg. glass of Basil Limeade
L = green smoothie (mango/banana/fr. strawberry, mango & pineapple mix/orange-mango juice/spinach/tsp. spirulina powder) and 1 tsp. royal jelly
S = 4 medool dates stuffed with raw almond butter (yum)
D = big salad (mixed greens/avocado/radish sprouts/grape tomatoes)

Day Twenty-Seven

2008-02-01T20:00:00.003-05:00

I've been trying to only put up pictures of fresh fruits and veggies and a few drinks during this special live version of The Body Enlightenment System. However, tomorrow is the Super Bowl and when I put one of these together today, it suddenly struck me that these would be great for raw foodists to serve for special get togethers such as this!

The base is a "Fiesta Cracker" that was cut to about 3" by 3". On top of that is 1 Tbsp. of Ocean's "Oh My this is a Tuna" spread. Then a healthy pinch of radish sprouts is placed on top of that. Now when I actually eat these, I squash the topping and sprouts down all over the whole top of the cracker. It just doesn't look as pretty that way!!! [grin]

I haven't posted the recipe for the "Fiesta Crackers" so far, because I don't know to whom I should credit the recipe. If anyone has a clue, please let me know. If I don't find the rightful author in a week, I'll post the recipe for you!

B = 2 bananas
S = 3 medool dates
L = 2 large "Fiesta Crackers" with 1 Tbsp. "Oh My this is a Tuna!" spread on each.
S = celery stick
D = vegetable pho, mango martini

Day Twenty-Six

2008-01-31T20:00:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-31T15:30:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-31T03:25:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-30T22:22:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-29T21:30:00.001-05:00

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

2008-01-28T20:17:00.001-05:00

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

2008-01-27T20:44:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-26T20:44:00.001-05:00

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

2008-01-25T19:29:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-24T22:33:00.001-05:00

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

2008-01-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

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...

2008-01-23T17:14:00.000-05:00

*

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

2008-01-23T11:00:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-22T23:42:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-21T20:24:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-20T19:13:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-19T22:37:00.001-05:00

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

2008-01-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-17T21:28:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-16T18:16:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-15T19:57:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-14T22:09:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-14T13:04:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-13T17:58:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-12T20:42:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-11T20:03:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-10T18:02:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-09T20:29:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-08T19:55:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-07T18:55:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-06T20:32:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-01-01T11:47:00.000-05:00

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!!!

I'm Dreaming of a Raw Christmas!

2007-12-31T23:29:00.001-05:00

Sorry I have been gone so long, but I caught a cold and just haven't felt like posting (or much else, for that matter).

Bob and I had a lovely Christmas Dinner for just the two of us. It was not as extravagant as we had originally planned, due to me getting sick and not being able to help out in the kitchen, but it was still great. I'm sure that we will be trying out the dessert recipes that we had to cut from the celebration at a future date.

We are going to go clockwise around the plate and I will tell you what we had for dinner. First up will be some of the recipes that we got from Raw Food, Right Now's Raw Christmas Recipe Menu e-book. We are starting at the bottom of the plate with Meaty Nut Loaf and Marinara Sauce, a piece of Macadamia White Cheddar Cheese Ball, and Mango Cranberry Chutney. Then Bob made Hot and Sour Asian Slaw and Rawcoroni Salad. Everything was delish!!! Seriously, these are all keepers!!!

Raw Food, Right Now Christmas Recipes!

2007-12-20T17:38:00.001-05:00

Have you heard the news??? Heidi and Justin have done it again!!! They have just released their brand spankin' new Raw Food, Right Now's Raw Christmas Recipe Menu e-book!!! Now, it is true that I have not actually tasted any of these recipes... YET. But rest assured, that will be changing soon!!! Once Bob looks over these recipes, there will be a mad dash to the market to stock up on ingredients!!!

The first thing I have to tell you is that I have had their Raw Thanksgiving Recipes and they are absolutely wonderful... so I have no doubt that these will also be outstanding.

Now I could tell you all about the recipes that are included in this book, but the fact is... Justin and Heidi have a page all set up for you to read all about it!!!

Click here to view more details

Don't be surprised to see a post with these recipes made up for our Holiday Feast in about a week!!!

Are you still trying to decide if you want to buy this bounty of goodness??? Well just cast your eyes below at the Raw Chocolate Coins!!! Are you salivating, yet?

Green Smoothie 3-Day Challenge

2007-12-08T22:30:00.002-05:00

Are you ready for a challenge? It's a good one!!!

On Dec. 17th, Bob and I are going to embark on a three day adventure of nothing but green smoothies!!! The program that we are going to be following is The Raw Divas' Green Smoothie Queen 3-Day Challenge. For a mere $19.95 you will get a beautiful Green Smoothie Jug (like those pictured above) plus 2 FREE PASSES to the Green Smoothie Queen 3-Day Challenge!!! Bob and I each bought a jug so we each got to invite a friend along for the experience!

The jugs are really great! My favorite smoothie jug has always been my glass "canning jar" mug. However, I couldn't take it with me if I was on the go. These Diva Jugs are made out of Nalgene and hold a generous 4 cups of liquid. The attached screw top lid makes it easy to pack it up for a road trip, too. Besides that, all those lovely words all over the side are bound to put a smile on your face!!! [grin]

Do you have to buy a jug to take the challenge? No! The program will only cost you $5.00 without the jug. If you get some friends and family to sign up with you, it will only be $4.00 apiece for 5 or more people!!! Go ahead, ask your siblings, co-workers, Uncle Donnie, your chiropractor or whoever to join you for just three days. You will all feel better and look better for the upcoming holiday season! All that is needed is a blender and a good place to buy fruits and veggies... the recipes will be provided!

For more info, or to sign up just clickity-click HERE. You will instantly be directed to a page that should answer all of your questions. Go ahead... click on it and read all about the program!!! Hurry though, sign-ups for the program will be ending very soon!!!

And if you do decide to take the challenge, please leave me a comment or drop me an e-mail and let me know!!!

PLEASE NOTE: The above special offer is no longer in effect. It has been replaced by THIS offer. And you can still buy the jugs seperately, HERE.

Dinner for Two

2007-11-22T20:27:00.001-05:00

Not a turkey in site (other than Bob), and no cooking was involved. In fact, this was the easiest Thanksgiving that Bob and I have ever had. Very laid back, and everything came together beautifully!!! A lot of the dishes could be made ahead of time. I don't have the same aversion to food prep that I do with cooking, so this year I actually made a few of the dishes, myself.

What did we have? Going clockwise around the plate, there was Raw Cranberry Relish, Raw Walnut Pecan Stuffing with Raw Gravy, Raw Waldorf Salad, Spinach Casserole and smack dab in the middle is Raw Deviled Eggless "Eggs" Spread! It was all delicious!!! To drink we had Basil Lemonade with basil frozen in the icecubes.

The lemonade was based on Terilynn's of The Daily Raw Cafe's recipe for Basil Limeade. We used lemons and filled the glass about half full of the basil lemonade mixture and then filled it with club soda for a sparkling drink. We LOVE this drink, with either lemons or limes!

Jackie Graff of Sprout Raw Food is the creator of the recipe for the Spinach Casserole. We've used it for a few years for different occasions! Although it is featured in one of her recipe books, she also just sent the recipe out in her newsletter. I'm sorry, I don't have a link to the actual recipe.

The rest of the meal came straight out of Raw Food, Right Now!'s Raw Thanksgiving Recipes ebook! I can't say enough about how great these recipes turned out! Not sure you want to buy it? Well, just remember that it has the Bob and Keely seal of approval!!! [grin]

Salad Days

2007-11-20T13:46:00.000-05:00

Why has the term "salad days" taken on such a negative connotation? It is usually used to refer to those lean times before you have all the "gravy". I am assuming that this is a reference to only being able to afford a salad on a restaurant menu. However, I think that salads can be a glorious thing filled with all sorts of goodies! Nothing to "look down your nose at", for sure.

Today, I am eating nothing but salads!!! They are filled with all sorts of good things and just might make those people who think you only eat salad when you have no money to take a second look! So go ahead... declare your own Salad Daze!!! [grin]

On the Road...Raw

2007-11-16T10:23:00.001-05:00

Bob and I are often asked what we do when we go on the road. We are on the road about three days almost every week. The places we stay (lately the Residence Inn in Boardman, Ohio) have kitchens which feature a full sized refrigerator. We don't use the stove or microwave (unless the call of the free popcorn is too great... but that is extremely rare). But the fridge is a great thing!

We have two options, we can either shlep all the ingredients to the hotel and drag our blender along to make it all into smoothies, or we can make it all ahead (and by we, I mean me) and just take the finished product.

Now before you start preaching to me about the hazards of plastic leaching into my food, let me just say...I know. However, glass is not an option when we are packing for a trip, due to possible breakage and thus meal loss. We have replaced the bowls with nalgene, so that is much better, and we will eventually get smoothie containers made out of the same substance.

I make a breakfast whole fruit smoothie for each of us for the day we leave. Then there is a green smoothie for lunch and a dinner sized salad for that evening. The dinner salad features raw seeds and nuts, or avocado... this week we had both. We have lunch sized salads for the second day, too. I try to vary some of the ingredients in the dinner and lunch salads just for variety, and I have different dressings in each. Both salads are made from a variety of salad greens and spinach. Then they are dressed up with cubed red, yellow and orange bell peppers, grape tomatoes, shredded carrot, broccoli slaw, green beans, sometimes mushrooms, and sprouts of some sort. Finally, on the day we leave we have a green smoothie ready for us to drink in the car for our lunch as we wheel our way home!!! We also have a grocery store right down the street in case we feel the need to get some raw veggies or such to snack on. However, I always pack and usually end up taking back home, a couple of raw snack bars of some sort.

Generally we treat ourselves the second night and go out to the local vegan restaurant, The Flaming Ice Cube Cafe, for dinner. On the second and third day we get our breakfast from the hotel. They have a full breakfast bar and it always includes at least three varieties of fresh fruit. They also have a fruit salad, usually made with varieties of melon.

During the day on the one full day that we are in the hotel, while Bob is slaving away holding hearings, I am taking full advantage of the hotel "down time"! I exercise in the pool for at least one hour, then I hop over into the hot tub for 15 to 20 minutes and just soak my tired muscles and joints. After I relax on a lounge chair for around a half hour (so I'm dry enough to put my sweats on over my suit) I head up to the room for a shower and shampoo to rid myself of the evil pool chemicals. [grin] Then I generally do something girly like give myself a manicure and put myself together so I look nice when we go out that night. I spend any free time and travel time knitting scarves and hats for this year's Christmas presents!!!

Satsuma Smoothie

2007-11-04T13:21:00.000-05:00

I got a great deal on a 5 pound box of Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, yesterday. I try to stay away from a lot of citrus, but I wanted to come up with something that featured these little jewels! This is probably one of those recipes that will put the folks in cooler climates running for the blankets, but keep it for the summer, or enjoy it while soaking in the tub! [grin]

Satsuma Smoothie
(makes about 6 cups)

10 Mandarin Oranges - juiced
1 banana
16 oz. bag of Frozen Fruit for Smoothies (strawberry, mango & pineapple blend)

Blend the mandarin juice and half of the frozen fruit blend until smooth. Add remaining frozen fruit and blend until completely smooth. You may need to add a bit of water to get that all blended. Finally blend in the banana.

NOTE: If you want a special occasion super sweet smoothie, make as above but add one tablespoon of agave nectar and serve in fancy glasses, garnished with mandarin slices.

Cran-Apple Smoothie

2007-10-29T12:30:00.000-04:00

How can you have a Cran-Apple Smoothie if you have no cranberries!!! I had been all set to make this smoothie today. I had gotten dried cranberries a week or so ago, and then just yesterday I went out and got three Honey Crisp Apples. I was really looking forward to making something new, as with all the hustle and bustle around here, I had just been making the same things or using someone else's recipes. I had my apples peeled, and blended. I reached for the cranberries. No cranberries. I was NOT amused. Either they were used in another recipe and not replaced, or someone snacked on them. [sigh] So... because I was all ready to blog about my newest smoothie I threw in a couple of handfuls of Goji berries! Yum!!!

Cran-Apple Smoothie

3 apples
apple juice - enough to blend apples
1 or 2 handfuls of dried cranberries

Blend the apples and juice until smooth, then throw in your cranberries and blend to chop them up a bit. If you have no cranberries... goji berries will do! [grin]

Minty Pear Sensation

2007-10-16T15:07:00.000-04:00

I originally made the recipe with one each of three pears, Bartlett, Red Anjou and Brown Asian. The Asian Pear had a crisp texture and a pleasant, almost spicy flavor. The Bartlett was a fine example of a pear. Good pear flavor and juiciness. The Red Anjou was a bit of a disappointment to me. Though, by far, the prettiest of the pears... it's flavor was rather bland for me, and it was not at all sweet. Therefore the below recipe replaces the Red Anjou with a second Bartlett (or use a Red Bartlett). You could also try replacing one of the pears with two Seckel Pears which are very sweet.

Minty Pear Sensation
(makes about 4 cups)

2 Bartlett Pears
1 Brown Asian Pear
2 or 3 sprigs of mint
enough Apple (or Pear) Juice to blend
1 T light Raw Agave Nectar*

Whip up everything except the Agave Nectar in the blender. Do a little taste test. If the pears were sweet enough for you, go to the next step. If it tastes like it needs a little something, add the Agave and blend again. Place in dessert bowls and chill in refrigerator for at least one hour. Decorate with additional mint leaves if desired.

NOTE: I initially made this up as a smoothie, but I put a small dessert bowl of it in the fridge to see what would happen and Bob and I agree it makes a really refreshing little dessert. If you do want a smoothie, though, just add more liquid.

Harvest Sauce and Smoothie

2007-10-14T15:49:00.000-04:00

Raw Apple-Pear Sauce
(makes about 4 cups)

2 Jonagold Apples - peeled & cored
4 Seckel Pears - peeled & cored
1 cup apple juice or cider
1 large handful of Dried Cranberries

Slice the apples and pears and place in your blender along with just enough liquid to blend and process. Add the cranberries and blend until the mixture starts to turn pink with red flakes. Chill in fridge. When ready to serve, spoon into pretty dishes and garnish with dried cranberries. (As the apples and pears oxidize they will turn to regular applesauce color.)

Harvest Smoothie
(makes a little more than a quart)

Make the Raw Apple-Pear Sauce recipe, but add more liquid to make it thinner. Also add a handful of your favorite mixed fall greens to make a nutritious smoothie. You can garnish this with your dried cranberries, too. It is especially nice if you stir those cranberries into your smoothie. By the time you get to the bottom of your drink, the cranberries will have reconstituted in the liquid and you have a little post drink snack!

NOTES: Jonagold Apples are a firm and slightly tart apple. Seckel Pears are small very sweet pears. In fact, they taste a lot like the canned pears that are packed in light syrup, but they are raw and have no added sweeteners! Great snack for children, too!

My First Subscriber!

2007-10-13T22:33:00.000-04:00

Wow!!! I got a message today that someone has actually subscribed to my blog!!! I'm so excited that I have recipe block. Furthermore, I don't even recognize the e-mail address, so it is not my hubby just humoring me. [grin] Well, whoever you are, and anyone else that is reading... Welcome! And please go ahead and vote on the poll right over there, under my profile. Also, feel free to leave me a comment and introduce yourself! I'll try to get another recipe posted in a day or two.

BBC Smoothie

2007-10-07T23:40:00.001-04:00

I just made the best smoothie for my breakfast!!! This is what happens when you get up in the morning and look around, only to find that the only fresh fruit you have left in the house would not make a good smoothie. What then? Hit the freezer!!!

BBC Smoothie
(Banana, Blueberry and Cherry)

2 cups apple juice
1 fresh or frozen banana
1 cup frozen Blueberries
1 cup frozen Dark Sweet Cherries

Blend it all thoroughly and you will be rewarded by a nice, thick, deep purple smoothie!

I'm sure that this would taste great with greens, but the color would be atrocious!!!

Sweet Summer Smoothie

2007-09-29T00:20:00.000-04:00

Sweet Summer Smoothie
4 bananas
2 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup white seedless grapes
1/2 cup raw apple juice

Blend it all up and enjoy while sitting in the sun!

NOTE: I originally posted this recipe on my other site. You can access the original comments from here3 comments, but you can only post new comments from this blog.

Raw Corn & Tomato Jamboree

2007-09-10T23:20:00.000-04:00

Lately, every time I went past a display of corn on the cob in the market, I wanted to dive right in and make a meal of it right there! However, self composure and Bob restrained me from making a spectacle of myself. The urge persisted. Yesterday I ran across a recipe which I decided to RAWvolutionize. I decided to cut the recipe in half, which was good, because there were only four ears of corn left in the store! We made it last night, and it is a definite keeper! Bob and I each tasted it last night, but saved it for our lunch today. I personally think that it has better flavor right after you make it. The tomatoes tend to lose their juice which waters down the sauce, if made the day ahead. So if you want a refreshing late summer salad, give this a try!

Raw Corn & Tomato Jamboree
serves 4 as featured salad

8 ears of corn, husked and cut from cob
8 plum tomatoes, diced into 1/4" cubes
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced white and tender green parts
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh herbs. I used basil, tarragon, and cilantro.
herb sprig (I used dill) for garnish
arugula

Mustard Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Make the mustard vinaigrette: In a jar, combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Cover and shake to blend well; set aside. (Or stick it all in a Magic Bullet and blend!)

In a large bowl, add the corn, tomatoes, scallions, and chopped herbs and toss to mix well. Add the dressing and toss again. Spoon mixture over a bed of arugula on individual plates and garnish with herb sprigs. Serve at room temperature.

NOTE: I originally posted this recipe on my other site. You can access the original comments from here3 comments, but you can only post new comments for this post on this blog.

I'm a Raw Diva!

2007-09-05T17:10:00.003-04:00

Oh dear gods... what is she up to NOW?!?!?

Well, my dears, for the last several weeks Bob and I have been eating nothing but fresh raw foods. First there was The 7 Day Diva Detox. I felt really good about the program, and I loved the lovely Divas, Tera and Amy, who put it all together. Bob and I were having fun (he was the only male diva... so yeah, he was lovin' it), so we decided to continue on with The Body Enlightenment System (BES) . The BES is a 30 day program meant to free you of cravings and break bad food habits. It works! I prefer fresh fruits and veggies to any processed foods, now!

Last night we graduated from BES. Turned our tassels and threw our mortarboards in the air!

So what did I have today, now that I don't have a menu guiding me? Pizza? Pasta? Chocolate? (Well, maybe if there had been some chocolate in the house, but no.) I had a green smoothie!!! And before I had hung up from my graduation call last night, I had signed up for The Sisterhood Gold program. I'll be getting monthly menus from The Raw Divas. Now we may not follow every menu to the letter. There will be days when we go out with friends and choose to eat cooked foods, but for the most part... we are now RAW!!! Okay, I still want chocolate once in a while, and I will eat chocolate once in a while. But... it is going to be good chocolate and not some dime store bar that has been on the shelf for six months. [grin]

Don't worry about me jumping up on a soapbox and sprouting (just a little raw humor there) off at the mouth that you need to eat raw if you want to have better health. I'll leave that all up to Bob on his blog!!! [grin] However, I may post a picture of something that I made, or a recipe I think you would enjoy once in a while on this blog. I just wanted to let you know where I am at. I still consider myself a strict vegetarian, but I will probably be about 80 to 90% raw. Bob will be closer to 100% and he will be strictly vegan, I believe. This is new to me, but not to him. I do feel better, and best of all... a fellow Tai Chi student said to one of the other students in class that Bob and my skin just glowed!!! I liked that!!!

Manana Smoothie
2 ripe mangoes
2 bananas
several handfuls of spinach (or you may prefer another salad green)

Mix these all up in the blender until dreamy creamy! If you prefer a thinner smoothie, just add some water to the desired thickness. You can chill this or drink it right down. I know some of you are thinking, "YUK! She put spinach in a perfectly good fruit smoothie". Trust me when I tell you... you will not taste the spinach!!! Now some of the other greens have very distinctive tastes, so go with what you like. I personally hate Kale and can not tolerate it in my smoothies, but there are those who will put the whole bunch in there. You can also just add a handful of greens, and gradually increase the amount you add. This is a great energy boosting smoothie for the first thing in the morning... or any time! Yeah, Baby!!!

NOTE: I originally posted this message in my other blog. You can access the original comments from here2 comments, but you can only post new comments on this blog.