Monthly Archives: September 2009

Pizza flax crackers – Cherie Soria

September 27, 2009
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This is a basic staple that I learned at raw chef school.  It’s  indispensable to have on hand.  I make huge batches and score the crackers in different sizes for different purposes.  I make big squares for pizzas and sandwich “bread.” I make medium squares for dips and spreads.  And I make cracker sizes for snacks.  I go easy on the salt in this one.  Dehydrating makes flavors stronger.

Pizza Flax Crackers

Pizza Flax Crackers

Pizza Flax Crackers by Cherie Soria
Yields 5 trays of 32 crackers = 160 crackers
20 servings of 8 cracker sized crackers

1.5 cups sun-dried tomato powder
1 cup purified water plus additional water to thin as needed
3 cups carrot pulp or chopped red pepper or zucchini (or a mixture, or use whatever leftover veggie bits you’ve got on hand)
.5 cup chopped onion
2.5 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
4 cloves garlic crushed
.5 cup minced fresh herbs (basil, parsley, dill weed, or oregano)
2 cups flaxseed ground
2 cups flaxseed soaked 8-12 hours in 4 cups purified water (do not rinse or drain)

1. Combine the sun-dried tomato powder and the water, and stir to form a paste.

2. Combine the veggie pulp, onion, salt, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and garlic in a high powered blender or food processor outfitted with an S blade.

3. Blend or process the vegetable mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the flaxseeds and flax meal, and stir well to combine.

4. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl, add the flaxseeds ad flax meal, and stir well to combine.

5. Spread about 3 cups of the batter evenly on a dehydrator tray lined with a nonstick sheet.

6. Score the crackers into squares.  Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 12 hours, until they are completely dry and crisp.

7. Flip the crackers onto mesh dehydrator screens, and continue to dehydrate for 24 hours, or until they are completely dry and crisp.

8. Allow the crackers to cool completely, then store them in sealed glass jars for up to three months at room temperature.  The crckers may also be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for up to six months.

30 day challenge – Week 3/4

September 25, 2009
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I made it out of the slump! Yeah, it took a few days longer than I would have liked.  I blame sleep deprivation. It’s a bit more difficult to hold the line with new habits when one is groggy groggy groggy. three But, I did rally! I spent the rest of week 3 eating blissfully 100% raw (don’t ask about the bevvies.  I did slip back into coffee — see the part about sleep dep). I was really beat and didn’t exercise too much but managed to get in two stellar cardio workouts nonetheless.  So here’s the stats on my monthly goals so far:

1. Complete a 30 day 100% raw vegan challenge: I’m on day 25.  I’ve had 17 days of 100% raw.  I’ve had a stretch which ran 7 days — the longest run of all-raw I’ve ever had.  I’ve gotten into the flow of regular raw routine.  I actually think about my choices when I reach to grab food.  I’m considering extending the challenge into October! Even though September hasn’t been perfect, it’s been the best period of raw-eating that I’ve ever done.   That’s something. I’ve got 5 days left.  I’m going to end on a high point.

2. Exercise 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week.  Week 1 I did 4 days of workouts, a couple of which were longer than 30 minutes.  One was significantly longer – I rode the tandem with my beautiful wife for 2.5 hours.  We’ve started doing that on Saturday afternoons – another good habit instigated! Week 2: 3 30 minute workouts, 1 2.5 hour workout.  Week 3: 2 workouts.  Hey! It’s better than zero workouts.  Week 4: I’ve done 1 1.5 hour skating workout, and 4 half-hour workouts.  One of those was a high intensity interval skate.   I’d say I’ve been pretty successful at this goal given the circumstances surrounding my lack of sleep and resulting exhaustion.

3. Attend 1 Iyengar Yoga class : this is still pending.  The 30 days are not done yet though!

4. Cycle to work 3 times.   I’ve cycled to work 5 times.  I’m getting close to doing it every work day.

I’m feeling pretty good about it all.  In the past I’d take my less than perfect results as an excuse to beat myself up.  I’m practicing being kind to myself.  Attitude is everything.  We are what we think we are.  I think I’ve made amazing progress.  I’m going way more exercising than I was before.  I’m eating much healthier than I was before.  I’ve resumed activities which give me great joy (cycling, and in-line skating). I’m becoming accustomed to making the raw choice when presented with obstacles.  I even celebrated my birthday in the raw.  I made an awesome raw  German Chocolate Cake (recipe to follow) which was very well received by the carnivores in my life.

I’m counting my September 30 day raw food challenge as a success even though the month isn’t done yet.  I’m planning on giving myself a juice feast challenge pretty soon as a follow-up.   At the end of the month, I’ll do a wrap-up and list the positive benefits I’ve experienced from the challenge.

Fuhrman on motivation

September 18, 2009
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I’m a huge fan of Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Live.  It’s the only book about a mostly raw vegan eating plan that extensively cites the peer-reviewed research literature.  My only issue with the work is that the recipes suck (sorry Joel).   The book espouses a lifestyle which is extremely healthy and it’s very convincing.  Dr. Fuhrman, like Gabriel Cousens, has helped thousands of people lose weight, lower blood pressure, lower diabetes medications and just generally feel better.

Eat to LiveI’m a member of his website and find it helpful in getting recipes from other ETL adherents and in getting some much needed motivation from the support forums.

Here’s a few quotations from Dr. Fuhrman which have helped me stay motivated (don’t ask about the 30 day challenge – I’m hanging in there, barely).
“…It is more difficult to go off and on, and less stressful if you just decide to do it and stop looking for excuses to eat garbage.”

“…you have to eat the greens to break the cycle, whether you feel like it or not.”

“You don’t have to work to do this diet-style, you just have to eat it, and not eat the other stuff”
“..completely change your mindset from trying to eat healthfully to doing it 100%”

“…Don’t “try” to do it. Just do it no matter what, or don’t eat. If you are 100% committed you always find a way to make it work. If you are just “trying” you always find an excuse to not make it work”

“The SALAD is the main dish”
“Eating a huge, delicious salad is the secret to successful weight control and a long healthy life.”
-Dr. Fuhrman

Sun dried tomato powder

September 18, 2009
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This is a pantry staple that allows you to quickly add the flavor of sun dried tomatoes to a recipe without having to spend time soaking tomato pieces.   Caution: it only works with extremely dry sun dried tomatoes. If there is any moisture in the fruit it will not turn into powder in the grinder and you’ll be left with big ‘ol chunks of tomato in your mix.  Stored in glass jars, away from heat and light, this keeps for months.  I use it in flax crackers, soups, salad dressings.

Sun dried tomato powder

Very dry sun dried tomatoes.

Grind sun dried tomatoes in a coffee or spice grinder or a high speed blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec.

30 day challenge – still in the slump

September 16, 2009
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I’m trying to rally.  Really. I’m still in the 2nd week slump, however.  I slept very poorly Sunday night.  I was exhausted Monday.  And Tuesday.  Here it is Wednesday and I’m still not recovered.  I blame monthly hormonal shifts. I need to blame something.  It’s either that or lack of exercise.  I haven’t managed to get any since Sunday. It’s been one of those weeks.  Monday has been my scheduled day of rest.  Yesterday was just highly scheduled.  It happens. I have to be flexible when other things like work or family take priority.

I’m just finding it very difficult to garner the energy to go out and do it.  I’m using every trick I’ve got to motivate myself.  I’m reminding myself that by exercising I’ll actually increase my energy level and want to exercise more.  I envision myself putting on my gear.  Just putting on my gear.  That’s very do-able.  Once the gear is on, I’m more likely to go out and move.  I’m telling myself that I can do 5 minutes.  If I still feel bleh then I can stop.  In all my years of exercising, I’ve probably only had 1 time where I stopped when I told myself that.  When I get going, I usually want to keep going.

Mood wise I’ve been very very crabby.  Between the exhaustion and the mood I’m finding it incredibly difficult to stay 100% raw or vegan.  I’m at the 90% mark so far this week.  I just want to grab what’s convenient and not have to think about it.  I just want things which are “comfort food” and I haven’t had the energy to do my pre-preparation on complex recipes and I haven’t had the groceries on hand to just grab a piece of fruit.  And the kitchen’s been a mess.  In other words, I’m encountering many barriers this week.  That leads to a latte here, a few saltines there, and a quick meal of sliced cheese since it was the only appealing thing in the fridge.

I said before that the some of the “one-littlest-thing’s”  I can do each day to be successful are to pack the night ahead, plan menus/meals, keep appropriate groceries on hand.   And I haven’t.  It’s getting difficult to continue treating myself nicely when faced with adversity.  I can see what’s wrong here.  I know how to fix it.  I just can’t seem to apply the knowledge.  Here’s the part where self-talk and willingness to change enter the mix.  Falling into familiar barriers leads me to practice familiar habits.  These habits are choices.  Choice implies the ability to select between alternatives.  What alternative to choose then?

Today, I choose to head to the grocery store after work.  I’m going to get some pre-washed, pre-cut, fruit and veg.  An abundance of it.  Enough for my dinner tonight and my meals tomorrow.  That way, I don’t need to think about anything meal related.  I can grab and go without grabbing my wife’s coffee-pot left-overs in the morning.  I’m also going to get some more ingredients for my birthday cake.  When I get home, I’m going to change into my workout gear the instant I arrive (well ok, maybe I will feed the dogs first. Make that the second instant after I get home).    I’m going to exercise.  And watch a movie at the same time.

Finally, I’m going to ask my wife to help me get the kitchen cleaned up.  Then it will be ready for me to make fabulous things tomorrow night when I (hopefully) will be feeling more energetic and happy due to the exercise.

The most important thing is to not give up.  Patience, persistence, practice.  I’m doing great.  Having a less than 100% day is not a good reason stopping the challenge.  I’ll carry on and let you know how it goes.

30 day challenge – 2nd week slump

September 13, 2009
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I’m still raw-king the 30 day challenge! I’ve had a few bumps along the way, however.  I think I’ll call it “the 2nd week slump.”  I rode through the 1st week of the challenge on getting-started-enthusiasm.  Plus, I lost 3.6 lbs during my first 5 days.  That’s a very strong motivator. I’m a bit sorry that’s the case.  I am focusing more on health than weight ’cause weight is just the force of gravity on my body.  That force does cause some of my aches and pains though, so I’ll give myself a get-out-of-jail-free card on that count.  I’m all about being kind to myself.

2nd week

2nd week

I lost an additional pound during the second week.  That makes a total of 4.6 lbs so far.  Not shabby.  It is a significant slow down but not unexpected.  One pound per week is a very healthy loss.  I’ll be very happy indeed if I keep this rate for the rest of the month.

My aches and pains are doing quite well.  Not completely gone, but much less noticeable.  Yay! Pain sucks and it can kiss my you-know-what.

My energy levels have gone through the roof.  I’m finding it difficult to go to sleep at my usual 9:30pm bed time (it’s not that early, I do need to get out of bed at 5:00am for work-out and cycling to work).  I’m still way less groggy in the morning as well. I’m finding it easier to exercise and that’s fabulous.  Exercise is a critical component of self-care for my medical conditions.

All in all, I’d have to say the progress is still there if slowed.  I think it’s my own fault that the momentum hasn’t sustained itself.  I mentioned that I indulged in a few beers at the end of week one.  During week two, I had a few handfuls of non-raw blue corn tortilla chips and (true confession time here) I had a cup of cooked brown rice with butter on it when I was feeling nauseous from having fresh fruit juice on an empty stomach.  It’s not an excuse, but an explanation.   Finally, I had coffee rather than teechino both this morning and yesterday morning.  My almond-milk lattes are more than caffeine to me.  It’s a weekend ritual that I share with my spouse.  We have our coffee in bed and read the news and treat ourselves to a slower than weekday start to our day.   All of these indulgences came at a cost.

I’d have to say that my second week was about 99% raw.  I’m very pleased with myself even with the indulgences.  The slow down has left me more motivated to do better during week three.  There are a few more things that I’m doing to ensure that I sustain this motivation.

  1. I’m preparing my menu plan for the week and making some items ahead of time.  On the agenda today: pine nut parmesan, carrot & currant salad,  almond cheese, and my juices and green leafy salad for tomorrow’s breakfast & lunch.  These items should see me through Wednesday.  And, I’m left with a grocery list for my mid-week food prep.  I won’t need to think about it too much during my busy work week. Flipping through my raw recipes books always gets me stoked about eating yummy nutritious food.
  2. I’m planning my raw birthday cake.  I will complete my 38th revolution around the sun this Thursday.  I’m going to have me some German Chocolate cake!  Making kick-ass raw recipes always excites me.  I’m making this baby up in my own head, inspired by the recipe in I am grateful: recipes & lifestyle of Cafe Gratitude.
  3. I’m remembering that I’m going up to Ft. Bragg in October to do a few more classes for my raw chef certification.  I feel a need to be truly raw until I get there.  The folks at Living Light are not hard-nosed evangelical raw types.  They are truly accepting of everybody whatever their place on the raw food spectrum.  It’s my own emotions that draw me into a higher percentage of eating raw.  It’s about integrity.  I want to be a truly raw raw chef.
  4. Our boyfriend is visiting for a week starting at the beginning of week 4.  I haven’t seen him in 6 weeks and I’m curious to find out how much of a difference in me that he will notice (or not).
  5. I feel great! And I know that I feel great ’cause I’m truly nourishing myself.  When I remember that, it’s easy to say no to traditional cooked vegan fare.
  6. I’m keeping my end of the bargain when it comes to all the other things I committed to doing this month.  I’ve been cycling to work.  I have already done it 3 times, which was all I said I would do. Of course I’m so excited about it that I’m going to keep it up.   I’ve been exercising at least 30 minutes a day 5 days a week.  I do count the cycling to work.  I’ve also been roller blading and walking and stretching.

Lot’s of reasons to stay on track right there.  My intentions are set.  It will be a fabulous week, the best week ever.

30 day challenge – Week 1

September 8, 2009
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I finished 7 days of eating 100% raw.  So far, I’m not feeling any better with my aches and pains.  I thought my pain wasn’t as intense, but this morning I awoke stiff and sore in the joints..  It’s probably my own fault.  I did a pretty hard inline skating workout on Sunday.  And, I drank a couple of beers at a Labor Day bbq which probably undermined all of my work from the past week.  Yet, I needed to have those beers so that I wouldn’t feel deprived while my carnivore friends indulged.  I stayed raw with everything I ate.  As I’ve said before, I refuse to be hard-core about my beverages.

Given how I feel today, I doubt I’ll be indulging in alcohol again anytime soon.

raw-food-dietI got tons of compliments from my friends at the bbq. Over and over I heard how good my skin looks.  Somebody even used the term “glowing.”  I suppose that’s a small thing which the all raw eating has brought me.

The other thing it may have brought to me is a little weight loss.  I’ve dropped 3.6 lbs since the 1st of the month. I won’t mind if this rate of loss continues for the rest of the month. I’ve been exercising a lot too. I can’t attribute the loss to raw eating alone.  Correlation is not causation.

Also, the other thing that eating raw may be doing is increasing my energy level. I don’t find myself sleepy at all when bed time rolls around. In fact, I’m having trouble getting to sleep ’cause I’m just not tired.  Of course, it’s been over 100 degrees here for the past week and a half.  The tossing and turning from the heat isn’t helping.

I’m not feeling more energetic in the morning.  I’ve always been incredibly groggy and foggy in the morning.  So much so that I’ve been a huge coffee fan for almost 30 years.  I haven’t drank coffee since starting the challenge.  Usually I’m drinking water instead.  Or peppermint tea.  This habit was one of the “one smallest thing” I said I could do in support of my health each day.

In sum, I’d have to say that whatever effect eating 100% raw has had upon me has been subtle. I did find it incredibly difficult for the first 3 days.  I’m starting to get into the routine of it though.  I make a smoothie in the morning.  I grab a salad for lunch.  And I make some sort of tasty raw entree in the evening.  This pattern seems to be working.  I’m hoping I won’t get bored with it.  I’ve got mock salmon pate and raw marinara sauce left over from last week.   I made pizza flax crackers over the weekend.  I’ll be repeating those foods this week since I need to use them up.  I’ll have to get creative in how I use them.

I’ll also need to incorporate more green juices. I hope if I manage to go another full week of raw, with more greens, that my joint pain will eventually start to improve.

I heart teechino

September 6, 2009
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I love my lattes.  Caffeine doesn’t love me.  It doesn’t help my joints.  Or my mood disorder. So I started drinking teechino.  This morning I had me some teechnino — the Maya dark roast kind with some frothed homemade almond milk.  OMFG.  I’ve been drinking the original teechnio Mediterranean roast and, shrug, it was good but it didn’t provide that rich coffee-like experience.  I found it a tad too sweet.  The dark roast though… wow….

teechino

I think I just may be able to give up coffee as a regular habit (I insist on keeping the right to take it as an occasional treat).   That my friends, will be a major change.  I’ve been hoisting mugs of brew since I was ten years old .

I don’t know if teechino is raw, technically, but whatever.  It’s a beverage.  It’s like herbal tea. I refuse to be a raw Nazi with my beverages.  I’m still eating 100% raw.

Save the green smoothie!

September 5, 2009
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It’s important to be flexible when practicing the culinary arts.  First, recipes are only guidelines.  One should be comfy with adjusting ingredient amounts or substituting according to one’s own sense of taste.  Second, making food is an avenue for expressing your creativity.  This flexibility can save you if something doesn’t quite turn out right.

Saved Green SmoothieTake the green smoothie I made this morning.  I had a bunch of oranges about to go, so I figured I’d juice them.  I used the freshly squeezed juice as a base for a green smoothie.  I added a couple of frozen bananas, some parsley, and a tablespoon of Vitamineral Green.

I blended.

I tasted.

It was way too greeny.

So I added another banana.

I blended.

I tasted.

And it was waaaaaay too sweet.  I couldn’t taste my wonderful OJ at all.  I suffered through drinking a cup or so.  I didn’t want to adjust anything else because I’m being mindful of my caloric intake during my 30 day 100% raw challenge.   After 1 cup, however, I just couldn’t take the sweetness anymore.  My toes were curling.   So I modified.

I added a cup of pomegranate juice to the remaining 3 cups of smoothie I had left.  Ah ha!  That did the trick.  It’s still pretty sweet, but now it’s not cloying.  I get a bit of tart and I get the benefits of all those anti-oxidants in the pomegranate juice.

Voila! I saved the green smoothie! No need to waste food and toss it.  My willingness to be flexible and creative let me keep my smoothie.  The moral of the story is that improvisation is a good thing.

Saved Green Smoothie
Yield: 5 cups  Servings: 2-3

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
3 frozen bananas
1/2 bunch parsley
1 Tbsp Vitamineral Green
1 cup 100% pomegranate juice

Blend.  Serve with love.

I added MSM to the mix to help my chronically sore tendons and joints.   I split my smoothie into two servings and had some with breakfast and with lunch.   Mmm, mmm, good.

Day three done!

September 3, 2009
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I made it through the 1st 3 days of my 30-day raw challenge, so far so good.  I almost caved this morning.  A bit of marital discord and a wicked headache this morning almost led me to a latte.  I’d typically self-soothe with a treat in this type of situation.  Especially when I’m running late and feeling stressed out.  I managed to talk myself out of my usual habit.  I said, “Laura, it takes as much time to make a smoothie as it does to stop at Starbucks on the way to work.”

So I made a smoothie.  Go me!

And everything else I ate today was raw.  I’m having a bit more of the fatty nutty stuff than ideal, but not excessive.  I’m not feeling much change, either for good or ill.  Yet.  I wish I could be one of those lucky folk that have immediate and dramatic changes from eating raw. Given that I already eat a lot of raw, it makes sense that I wouldn’t see much change right away. I need to be patient and, this is critical, persistent.

It does seem like my joint and tendon pain are a little bit better.  And I’ve lost almost 3 lbs.  That’s a normal weight fluctuation for me though.  I can’t claim a scientific cause and effect from the diet.

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