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.

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.

This book explains those things succinctly and with illustrations.

The recipes themselves are to die for.  I have yet to make anything from this book that I haven’t adored. My family has liked every recipe I’ve used from this book.  It has a nice mix of impress-your-friends tres gourmet and every day recipes.

For somebody really new to raw, I would recommend a book with simpler recipes that require less equipment.

But if I could only have one raw recipe book this would be it.  I’m about to buy my second copy.  My first has been loved to death.