Blog Archives

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.

Apple Cinnamon Granola – Cherie Soria

September 2, 2009
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A variation of Cheri Soria’s Buckwheat Granola.  I love this for breakfast with fruit and almond milk.  It’s especially decadent with coconut yogurt.  I don’t eat this often because I find it  a bit difficult to digest. Letting it soak in the milk or yogurt to soften a bit before eating helps.   So does making sure to really chew chew chew.  It’s extremely filling and great for those times when you want to get that full belly feeling.

It’s also useful for quick desserts.  You can break it up and use it as a crumble toppings for fruit crisps or pies.

Buckwheat GranolaApple Cinnamon Granola

3/4-1 lb pitted dates (1-1 1/2 cups packed)
1/2 cup purified water (approximately)
1 lb (2 1/2 cups) raw buckwheat groats, soaked and sprouted
1/8 lb (3/4 cup) currants or raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded or shaved coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 4-6 hours, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked 4-6 hours, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup sesame seeds, soaked 4-6 hours, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup flax seeds, soaked 8-12 hours in 1/2 cup purified water (do not rinse or drain)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

  1. Loosely separate the dates and put them in a high speed blender.  Add the water and blend to form a smooth paste, adding more water if necessary.
  2. Combine the buckwheat groats, currants or raisins, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and stir well or mix with your hands.
  3. Spread 1/4 inch of bater (4-6 cups) evenly on a dehydrator tray lined with a nonstick sheet.  Repeat until all of hte batter is used.
  4. Dehydrate for 8 hours at 105 degrees, flip the granola onto a mesh dehydrator screen, and continue dehydrating another 24 hours until completely dry.
  5. Break the granola aparat or crumble it into chunks.
  6. Store in a sealed glass jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Note: use the larger amount of dates for a sweeter granola.

Note: toasted buckwheat groats, known as kasha, is a very popular Middle Eastern grain and can easily be confused with raw groats.  Make sure to buy raw, hulled, buckwheat groats.

Note: for a pretty presentation, you can score the batter into 1″ squares after you put them onto the nonstick dehydrator sheets.

Note: to sprout groats, first soak them in water to cover for 8 hours or overnight.  Drain and rinse them, and put them in a colander over a plate, to catch any water.  Allow them to sprout for 12-24 hours, rinsing them every 12 hours.

Variations

Apple cinnamon granola – add 4 cored and shredded apples.

Berry granola – eliminate the cinnamon and add 1 lb of fresh or frozen berries.  Be sure to fold those in last.

Granola bars – spread the granola batter 1/2 inch thick on nonstick dehydrator sheets, then score into squares before dehydrating.

Serve with love

She said habit

September 1, 2009
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Natasha posted a vid on habits.  I had to link, ‘natch, ’cause I’m all about the raw and the habits.  Go Natasha!

Monthly goals

September 1, 2009
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I wrote about my monthly goals on Sunday, but thought I’d summarize them in a single easy to reference post.  For September 2009 my goals are:

  1. Complete a 30 day 100% raw vegan challenge 09/01-09/30
  2. Exercise for 30 minutes 5 days per week
  3. Take at least 1 Iyengar yoga class this month
  4. Cycle to work 3 times, if possible, once the air quality improves.  I’m very close to the Station fire and it’s currently raining very chunky ash

That’s enough I think.  Don’t want to overwhelm myself.  Got to keep things Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-framed.   It helps that I’m already raw for two meals per day.  I made my fitday account publicly viewable, so folks can see what I’m eating.  I did pretty good staying raw yesterday.  I had some toast with cheese in the evening.  I simply forgot I was going to stay 100% raw.  I’m used to having cooked ovo-lacto veg food in the evenings.  Good thing it was still August.  I technically hadn’t started my Sept. 100% raw challenge.  Today has been 100% raw so far.   I think if I make it 3 days, I’ll be ok.  It’s like juice fasting.  Once I get through the initial hump it gets easier.  I need to watch out for the things which can interfere with my goals.  For tomorrow, I’ll figure out what the obstacles are and come up with work-arounds.

Courtney on habits gets me into goals

August 30, 2009
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“small, consistent habits are what bring results” says Courtney over at Radical Radiance.  I couldn’t agree more.  Somebody, sorry, I forget who, once asked me, “what’s the one smallest thing you can do today to get yourself closer to achieving your goal?”   When I replied, that person came back at me with, “well then do it.”

It’s so Nike (just do it).  Or Nancy Reagan (just say no).  But simple is not easy as I always say.  The thing which holds us back is all or nothing thinking.  If I can’t do it all at once, I can give in and let myself slide.  If I can’t juice feast 100% for 90 days, then I’ll go straight back into SAD style eating.  It’s b*lsh*t.  It’s truly addictive thinking.  The addict inside makes any excuse to justify continuing in the comfortable familiar ruts.

So what’s the one smallest thing I can do each day to get closer to my goal? Um. I first need to articulate a goal.  A few days ago I said I was going to do that soon.  And I was going to make those goals SMART.  Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-framed.

Well ok then.  We’re at the start of a new month.  It’s my birthday month (going to be 38), no better time to take on a challenge.   My goal for this month is to be 100% raw.  There.  I said it.  I’ve put it down in text. The proof is right there in front of me.  My other goal this month is to return to my old habit of cycling to work.  Unfortunately, I can’t begin cycling just yet.  I live in L.A. very close to the Station Fire and the air quality is dangerous.  So, I’ll return to exercising at lunch inside the gym.  I took my gym bag to work last week, so I”m ready to go with that.   I need to focus on the 100% raw.

What’s the one smallest thing I can do each day to help?  I can actually think of lots of small things I can do.

  1. Plan what I’m going to eat
  2. Prepare food each night for the following day.
  3. Set out my supplements so I take them every morning with my meds
  4. Have juice or green smoothie for breakfast (hey! I already do this! I’m making good progress already)
  5. Sip on water at work instead of coffee or tea.
  6. Tell my family what I’m going and ask for support I did this today.  Guess I’m on my way.
  7. Have a plan B in case I don’t prepare food ahead.

Steps 1-3 are practically the same, so I’ll amalgamate.  Step 4 is a non-starter, since I already to it. Plan B will be to eat at the salad bar at the campus cafeteria if I don’t bring my own food for some reason.

There.  I’ve figured out what  small things I can do.  Now to do it.  My eating plan for tomorrow:

Breakfast: Green juice – celery, apple, parsley, lemon.

Lunch: sprouted quinoa and hemp seed tabbouleh

Snack: Green smoothie: pineapple, banana, coconut water kefir, kale.

Dinner: Wrap’n'roll with mock salmon pate (if I’m hungry – I may not be after the hearty smoothies).

I need to make the juice tonight.  I’m procrastinating.  It’s well over 100 degrees F.  I will do it before bed.  update: I did do it before bed.  Can’t find the camera to take pix of the granola so that is going to have to wait.

Sprouted Quinoa & Hemp Seed Tabbouleh

August 28, 2009
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Our boyfriend N. is visiting from Berkeley, so I didn’t juice the past few days as planned.  I had a  bunch of green stuff in the fridge which needed to be used up so I decided to make tabbouleh.  This recipe is a variation of the old standard.  I prefer not to use measurements when making recipes as I like to adjust ingredients to taste as I go.  It feels more creative that way.   N. adores it and he’s not a raw foodie. I’m hoping there will be some salad left for dinner tonight.  He loves it that much.

Sprouted Quinoa & Hemp Seed Tabbouleh
Yield 8 cups. Serves 8 regular portions or 4 entree sized portions.

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Salad
3 cups quinoa
3 bunches parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup hemp seeds
3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
3 bunches scallions, minced
2 cups grape tomatoes

Dressing
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp hemp seed oil

Soak quinoa 8 hours.  Sprout quinoa until it’s as soft as you would like, minimum 8 hours.  Be sure to rinse every 8 hours of sprouting.  I usually soak the quinoa overnight, rinse in the a.m., and then make the salad in the evening after another rinse.

Put all salad ingredients into a large bowl.  Mix dressing ingredients. Add dressing to salad.  Toss gently.  Chill for several hours to allow flavors to blend and develop.   I like to bring the salad back to room temperature before eating.

Serve with love!

Golden Tortilla Chips – Matthew Kenney

August 28, 2009
By

These smell exactly like chili with Frito’s when they’re dehydrating.

Golden Tortilla Chips

Golden Tortilla Chips

Golden Tortilla Chips

1 3/4 cups flax meal
4 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 1/3 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
3/4 small red onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 tablespoon sea salt + more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lime juice
Pinch cayenne
2 teaspoons chili powder

Place flax meal in a large bowl. Blend all remaining ingredients except chili powder in a Vita-Mix or high-speed blender until smooth. Stir in flax meal and chili powder. Spread one cup of batter over the entire Teflex sheet to no more than 1/8 inch thickness and place in dehydrator. Approximately 30 minutes later the chips will be ready to be removed and marked with a paring knife into the size and shape you desire. Sprinkle with salt and dehydrate 12-24 hours, until completely crispy. Yields 4 trays.

Serve with love!

Not fasting

August 26, 2009
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I didn’t end up juicing last night.  M. wasn’t up to it.  Bad excuse, I know.  I will do it tonight, come hell or high water.  I need a cleanse day.  I did make the raw corn tortilla chips from Matthew Kenney’s Everyday Raw.  Go me! They smell awesome – like Fritos and chili.  Can’t wait to try them.  Hoping they’ll be ready by tonight.  My buckwheat sprouts are coming along nicely.   I may let them go another day so they actually get tails.  Usually they require 5-6 days of sprouting to become truly sprout like.  I only sprout them for a day or so for Rawnola.  All depends on whether or not the tortilla chips are ready and whether or not I’m awake enough to make the rawnola.  I didn’t sleep again last night.  It’s my own fault.  I stayed up late reading a juicy novel.  You know.  The kind you just can’t put down.  I have a few chapters left.  Recipe making tonight also depends upon whether or not I choose to read instead.  Juicing will take enough of my time.

I’m not going to say what I’ve been eating today.  Let’s just say it starts with a bis and ends with a cotti.  Yummy, but not the bestest of choices.  It’s what I wanted this morning though.  I’m calling it a vegetable and moving on.

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