I’m getting back into the swing of things with juicing. Today’s combo: 2 cucumbers, 1/2 bunch lacinto kale, 1 granny smith apple, 1 lime, 1/2 bag of pre-washed & cut butter lettuce from Trader Joes. Yield – 20 fl oz. Half went to my lovely wife.
What I ate today
I put what into my body?
Garden blessed
Chard from our garden
I’ve mentioned before how blessed I feel that M. is an avid gardener. She’s planted a patch of chard which acts perennial. No matter how many leaves I cut off of it, it continues to grow more. This morning I made an awesome green smoothie with freshly picked red chard. It had soymilk, strawberries, banana, maca, DHA, Irish moss gel probiotics, bee pollen, and a wee touch of stevia. It was about time that one of my concoctions tasted fabulous. Lately my smoothie combos have all been “plug & chug” (meaning you hold your nose just to get it down).
German Chocolate Cake
German Chocolate Cake
Turns out I did take a picture of the German Chocolate Cake I made for my birthday in 2009. It was yummy. I adapted a recipe from I Am Grateful. Unfortunately, I didn’t write down what I did so I can’t write out the recipe. As usual, I ended up freezing this because it’s too much cake for our little family of three. It lasted about a year in the freezer at the rate we could eat it. It’s so rich one can only take a teeny tiny slice. Too many nuts at once plus sweeteners aren’t health supporting. We need some deliciousness every now and again.
Three Seaweed Salad
Three Seaweed Salad
I’ve got a new favorite salad. I’ve been making it at least once per week. I was inspired by the seaweed salads at my favorite local Japanese restaurant and the one I had in Baltimore at Liquid Earth.
Seaweed has a host of health benefits. It’s great for thyroid balance since it’s a natural source of iodine. It’s chock full of B vitamins and minerals including including calcium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, iron, and zinc. Seaweed is a great way to get salty flavor into food without eating too much sodium — it’s way lower than typical sea salt.
This is simple, quick to make, and very satisfying. The kid will actually eat it, which amazes me. Then again, she is a sushi hound so she’s accustomed to seaweed.
Three Seaweed Salad
Makes 6-8 hearty servings
2 cucumbers, diced
2 carrots, shredded or ribbon-ed
3 scallions, diced
1/2 cup arame
1/2 cup wakame
1/4 cup dulse or to taste (I use more, I like it salty)
1 recipe Asian vinaigrette
Asian Vinaigrette
Yields 1/2 cup
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar
2 Tablespoons mild oil of choice (olive, sesame, — I add a touch of flax oil for good omega fatty acids)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon tamari or nama shoyu (optional, omit if using lots of dulse)
Toss ingredients together. Allow to sit 30-45 minutes to get flavors to blend, tossing occasionally. Serve with love.
Keeps a couple of days in the fridge. I recommend draining the marinade prior to storing to avoid a soggy salad.
Chocolate Cherry Buzz
Cherry Extract
I made SUCH the kick-ass smoothie this morning. I was feeling sad about the scale. I’ve had so many slip-ups lately that there are virtual skid marks on my shoes. I couldn’t face another green smoothie so I treated myself to some super food: raw cacao! (my favorite is Navitas Naturals) . I threw in some frozen cherries and to intensify the cherry buzz I added some cherry extract. It was so fabulous I drank the whole thing even though it could have fed two people. It kept me full through a busy morning. I’m picking up some more frozen cherries on the way home. This one is a keeper.
Chocolate Cherry Buzz Smoothie
serves 2 (or 1 very hungry person)
2 cups almond milk
2 frozen bananas, medium sized
1 cup frozen cherries
5 Tbsp raw cacao powder (I like a LOT of chocolate, you can adjust to taste)
1 tsp cherry extract
Blend. Serve with love!
Progress not perfection
Green Smoothie (which isn't green)
Wow! Has it really been over two weeks since I posted? Life has trumped blogging as it sometimes happens. Things are going relatively well in my raw world. I’ve been high raw for several weeks even managing to stay vegan while helping a dear friend run the Grilled Cheese Invitational. I’ve been enjoying many fresh greens from my wife’s garden. I’m so fortunate to live in Southern California where I can have garden produce right outside my door throughout the year. Mostly I’ve been doing green smoothies like this luscious one from this morning. Best way I know to get in those greens.
I have a back log of recipes to share. I’ll probably be busy with life for a few more weeks yet but stay tuned for some yumminess. Also, I’ve been reading “Becoming Raw” and it’s an incredible resource on raw vegan nutrition. I may be able to find some time to review it. Short version? Get it, it’s worth it!
PS – the L.A. raw food potluck was way fun. Meeting Dhru, Courtney, Debbie, and Mike was incredible – such an energetic lot! I look forward to running into the L.A.-based folks at other local events.
Rejuvelac
Rejuvelac - Courtesy Rejuvenation Company
I usually make my own Rejuvelac. It’s easy, although it’s not instant (learn how here). It takes a day or two to sprout the grains and wait for the fermentation process to take its course. I’ve been meaning to make up a batch since I found my motivation by partnering up with my friend K. I take probiotics in my usual supplement stack but as somebody with IBS symptoms, I can use all the help I can get.
Yesterday I found bottled Rejuvelac from the Rejuvenation Company at my local Whole Foods. It’s not cheap (about $2.83 for 8 fl oz), especially compared to making it from scratch (pennies a serving!). It is, however, a nice option when you’re waiting for a home made batch to cure or if you’re on the road.
I’ve been making Rejuvelac for years. I’ve never tasted it made by any body else so I was eager to compare the commercial version with my own. Verdict? More tart and effervescent than home made. It’s likely due to the fact that it’s a “live food.” Things which ferment just keep on fermenting. Over time the taste will become stronger. Apart from the acid-tang the commercial version tasted the same. Rejuvelac is pretty neutral and mild in flavor. It’s good to know I’ve been making mine right.
I’d recommend this brand with a caveat. I’d prefer if the bottles were glass instead of plastic. At least they “hand-blow” their bottles themselves which they claim reduces carbon emissions from having bottles shipped for manufacture. They also point out the the type of plastic they use (PETE 1) takes less energy than glass to recycle. That may be true but I re-use glass bottles (so no energy taken at all) and I’d rather not have the potential, no matter how small., for toxic compounds to enter my body from the plastic.
There’s no getting away from pollutants in this modern world so I’m not letting the plastic bottle stop me from drinking this. I’m going to keep it to a minimum, however. Besides, it’s just way more fun to make my own.
Rawk on Baltimore!
Homemade Buckwheat Granola
It’s easy to be raw vegan on a business trip to Baltimore, MD — at least if you’re staying in the harbor area, as I am currently. There’s a Whole Foods literally 50 feet around the corner from my hotel and a vegetarian/vegan/raw restaurant within a 15 minute walk. I’ve eaten at Liquid Earth both days of my trip, and it was fabulous. Of course, I brought plenty of raw staples to tide me over on the plane ride here (hummus & veggies, an apple, almonds, raisins, and some home made sprouted buckwheat granola).
It’s been as simple as replenishing my fruit/veg/nuts/hummus supply at the market and wandering into a restaurant and ordering up the goodies. If only all business trips would be this easy (I’m looking at you Detroit!).
I’ve enjoyed two amazing juices. The “O.C Loco” was a super yummy combo of carrots, celery, apple, parsley, and spirulina. I declined the salt-rimmed glass since I was taking it to go. It was very sweet and I imagine a salty balance would make the juice even better. “X-ray Eyes” consists of carrot, spinach, beets, and parsley with liquid multi-vitamin. It was also super-sweet (no surprise with carrot AND beet).
I also had their seaweed salad, a simple mix of cucumbers, hijiki, enoki mushroom, Asian radish and shredded carrot dressed simply in oil and tamari (that’s all I could taste, at least). I liked it and wished I could have squeezed on some of the sliced lemon garnish. I saved those for my plane ride home. I grabbed a kale and hemp seed salad from the Whole Foods and I know I’ll want lemon on it.
The service at Liquid Earth was friendly and efficient. They even gave me a to-go shot glass of lemon juice for me to supplement the lemon slices I had palmed.
I’m a happy gal. I haven’t really eaten well since partnering up with my friend K to get more accountability in my diet I’ve eaten so cleanly for the three days of this trip that my usual get-over-the-initial-hump period has been painless. I’m so busy with work meetings I haven’t had the time to feel my typical grouchy detox .
Now I need to consider motivational rewards. If I keep going like this I think I’m going to get my reward at the next two-week check-in.
Silly rawhabit (motivational) tricks
I’m regaining my momentum. Remembering that it’s not how many times you stumble, but how many times you get up. I’ve been using some old stand-bys for motivation (reading my raw books, reading blogs, etc.) but have also added something new – directly partnering with a buddy to keep myself accountable.
I’ve put my goals and intentions out for the world to see on this web site, but that hasn’t really kept me accountable. Despite the commenting facility on this blog, it really is a one-to-many broadcast-type medium. There isn’t anybody out there willing to kick my ass if I don’t do what I promise to do. Enter my friend K. When I complained about being on-again off-again with my goals, she suggested partnering up. Wow! How nice! I can’t refuse an offer like that. So I didn’t.
We’re going to check in every two weeks to see how we’re doing. If we’ve sustained our commitment, we get to have a reward. Mine is a new bag to carry my work gear around. To get it I’ve got to exercise 30 mins per day at least 5 days per week. And eat Phase 1 ETL style. Religiously.
So far so good. It’s yet another “first day” of eschewing addictive foods. I’m home with a cold and haven’t felt like eating much. A blessing in disguise: I can’t feel detox because I’m already feeling cruddy!
Breakfast was: a big shot of E3 live and a fruit salad with 1 tbsp ground flax seed (1 banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, 2 mandarin oranges)
Lunch was: 14 oz of salad (yes, I weighed it. yes, I am a dork). Mixed baby spring greens with shredded carrot and red cabbage. 4 tbsp of Newman’s Own Light Honey Mustard dressing. I take my Fuhrman supplements after eating. 2 Osteo-sun and 1 Gentle Care multi-vitamin.
The dinner plan is to do black bean burritos. The family gets to have flour tortillas. I’m wrapping my fillings with a big old romaine lettuce leaf. The beans are my wife’s specialty – done Cuban style with lots of cumin, onion, garlic. I’ll be adding shredded lettuce, avocado, and salsa fresca. Plus hot sauce, naturally.
If I’m up to it, I’ll walk the doggies later to get in my 1/2 hour.
I’m going to write up a separate post about rewards. I’m trying to figure out things which will entice me to carry on with the two week reward/check-in cycle. I’m especially interested in free and low-cost rewards. Most of the things I’ve thought of so far require cash outlay.
Rage against the green – Smoothie recipe
Strawberry Beet Green Smoothie
Sometimes green smoothies are not green!
I made this baby today and it was more than fabulous. The color was so vibrant I almost needed to put on my sunglasses. I don’t know how the color will render on your computer screen. It was the color of Pepto-Bismol in real life. Not that you need Pepto (honey, if your body needs to eliminate, let it eliminate whatever toxin it has to get rid of!). The color was so intense, that it reminded me of Rage Against the Machine. Hence the name. Plus, I like me some puns. Even when they’re bad puns.
Rage Against the Green Smoothie
1 cup almond milk (or soy milk)
1 cup chopped beet green stalks
1 cup strawberries
1 cup frozen raspberries
Supplements (I like MSM, bee pollen, acidophilus, and a source of Omega fatty acids like flaxmeal, chia, or hemp seed)
Blend. Serve with love.
Today I used ground flax (aka flax meal) as my source of omega fatty acids. I tend to use it the most because it’s cheap, it’s easy to grind fresh, it doesn’t leave a taste like hemp seed does and it doesn’t make things as thick as chia seed. I’m going to be getting two types of beets today in my 1st CSA box from South Central Farmers’ Co-op. I can’t wait!!! Prepare yourselves for a lot of beet and kale recipes in the very near future.
