4th of July--Vegan Eats to Celebrate in Longview WA

Hello friends!  With the 4th of July quickly approaching I know that some of you, especially the newbie vegans, find yourselves scrambling for picnic ideas.  What to make?  If you live in or nearby Longview and Kelso, WA--I am here to help!

Every year our church--Kelso Church of Truth--runs a booth at the lake selling Russian/Asian Foods.  Every year we have tons of people.  Occasionally we have some inquire on vegetarian/vegan options.  Luckily for them I moved to Longview ;) [I am not kidding either], so this year we will be offering Vegan/Vegetarian Food Options, along with super nutritious, delicious green smoothies! No one will be left out.

So, make sure to come and say HI to me, at Lake Sacajawea in Longview WA this weekend, and to try delicious vegan 4th of July foods.

I hope to see you all there [as is the rest of our working crew ;)]: Friday-Sunday this week! We will be located by the statue of boy with the dog. Come out and bring your friends and family.

See you there!

How can you protect your face and body from skin infections?

Our body has an immune system, and our body parts are wrapped up in a natural shield, that protects us from many types of infections. Yes, I am speaking about the skin. Our skin provides us the first line of defense. It prevents the entry of germs, be it bacteria, virus, fungi, or other microbes. This microoragisms penetrates our body, from the cracked skin. However, this is not only the point, from where they can find an access to your body. They can enter through other openings, such as eye, ear, mouth, open wounds, etc. Our main concern lies with the fact that, how can we protect ourselves from skin infections?

The first lesson I had learnt from my mother was to keep yourself clean, and wash your hands thoroughly, and it is the basic step to protect yourself from germs. Do not ignore the first symptom, if you feel that your skin is itching, or you feel burning sensation, it means you are caught up with some kind of skin infection. Apart from this, if you have cuts, bruises, blisters or sores, or anything that is making you uneasy, get it treated on time. Otherwise, these small things turn out into severe illness.

Diabetes is also among a few reasons, which can enhance your skin infection. We know that a diabetic person takes a longer time to heal up his injuries. Thus, the germs get more opportunity to attack your skin, and get your skin infected. Cellulitis is the most common type of bacterial skin infection, and a diabetic person can get infected with Cellulitis more frequently. It is treated with the help of antibiotics. It is safer to use an antiseptic soap beforehand, to avoid such infections. The antiseptic soaps can kill the bacteria, viruses and fungi that are harboured by your skin. Most importantly, keep a regular check on diabetes.


If you have cuts or abrasion, do not leave your skin open. Apply medicated tape or bandages on the damaged skin area, to avoid skin infections. Clean the area with any antibacterial product and get it treated by the doctor.

Do not share your things with others, and do not use the thing that belongs to anyone else. Skin infections can spread by the use of contaminated things, from direct contact with the infected person or neglecting hygiene. Bath daily, and keep yourself clean. Sometimes, bacterial skin infection also spread through air, so washing your hand frequently can save you from skin infection.

Wear loose-fitting and properly washed clothes, after bathing. Many times, fungus thrives in moist environment; so, keep your self dry, as far as possible. Change your cloth that has become wet due to sweating, or by some other reasons. Do not wear tight-fitting and sweaty shoes to protect your foot from the skin infections.

At last, keeping clean can save you from so many skin infections, why not try it?

Vegan Couscous and Delicious Hummus Recipes

If you ever get stumped on what to make for dinner and are in a crunch for time, fret no more!  I have a solution for you!  I present to you Spring Couscous--a vegan recipe for people who enjoy entertaining their taste buds. 

If you don't know what couscous is here is a quick 411 for you: couscous is small size grains made out of semolina wheat and coated with wheat flour [so if you don't tolerate gluten, this dish is NOT for you].

Being that the grains are so tiny, they cook through very quickly.  After one minute of boiling grain can be removed from heat and will cook to perfection in only 10 minutes.  That's it! 

So, without further delay here is the recipe for... 

Spring Couscous
will feed 6-8 people

Ingredients

• 10 springs of green onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 2-3 tbs olive oil
• 4 cups couscous grain
• 6 cups water
• 4 tbs cumin
• 1.5 tbs sea or Himalayan salt [or to taste]
• 8 Roma tomatoes, chopped into small squares
• 1/2-1 cups chopped dill

Preparation

• saute green onions in oil for about 1-2 minutes on medium heat
• add garlic, saute for another 30 seconds
• add cumin, salt, couscous and water
• bring to boil on high heat, stirring
• reduce heat and boil for 1 min, stirring
• take off heat, and cover for 10 mins
• meanwhile chop tomatoes and dill
• after 10 mins mix in tomatoes and dill and serve!

That simple! And super delicious.

I like serving my Couscous with a very simple tomato salad.

• chopped tomatoes
• little bit of chopped white or green onions
• salt
• dressed with Veganaise mayo or a tbs of olive oil

Another favorite summer dish/dip I have is hummus.  It can be used as a spread,; instead of sour cream in making veggie rolls [spread on large leaf of lettuce and add chopped veggies; roll and enjoy]; or as a dipping "sauce" for freshly cut veggies--my hubby's favorite way to eat it. 

I am going to give you a very basic recipe for hummus--you can build on it from there. 

Vegan Hummus

Ingredients

• 5 cups cooked chickpeas [garbanzo beans]
• 1 cup tahini paste
• 3-3.5 cups water, depending on how thick you want your mixture to be--I used 3 cups in this recipe, but could have comfortably added another .5 cup [you can use water beans were cooked in]
• juice of 1 1/2-2 lemons
• 7 cloves of garlic
• 2 1/4 tbs salt or to taste

Preparation

• I cook my own chickpeas.  To do that I soak them in water overnight or for a few hours.  Drain, rinse and boil in water [so they are submerged/covered in water].  Cook for 1 hr or until soft.
• pour into a high speed blender, such as VitaMix 5200 or Blendtec Total Blender [I used VitaMix, since it has a very handy temper that I used to push the ingredients down with]
• add remaining ingredients
• Blend until smooth [be careful not to burn your blender's motor!]
• refrigerate and INDULGE! ;)

To get your Hummus a bit more sophisticated feel free do dress it up: add your favorite seasoning; add cumin or roasted red bell pepper; if you like it spicy add a chili pepper or whatever else you might fancy.  Let your imagination take you places. 

I hope you enjoy this wondrous duo.  If you make these recipes, please stop by and let me know how you liked them.  I really hope to hear back on these two ;)

Live a prosperous, healthful life!

Winners of the Raw Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe Announced

Drum roll please... Mr. Random.org helped in this drawing and the two winners are...

comment #9--Melanie

comment #2--Ryan

Congratulations to both!  You will receive your recipe by the end of the day today.  Remember that you now have to make it and send me a review ;)

Sweet eatings!

Delicious Vegan Raw Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe Giveaway [CLOSED]

Hello, loves!

I was creatively inspired during our RAW week, so I feel very generous.

I updated my amazingly tasting Chocolate Cheesecake. It tasted great before, but now it is super fantastic—a sure crowd pleaser, regardless whether you are treating raw vegan, vegan or any other crowd with it.

Check out how delicious it looks:

I hope you are salivating already ;) I know I am… already!

The great part about it is that it takes very LITTLE time to make—less than baking one. You will be forced to exercise a little patience while the cake is freezing, of course, BUT it will be worth the wait.

Now, I KNOW that you all want the recipe now. However, like I said before, I feel a bit attached to it—it is going to be a part of my cookbook [when I have time to finish it], which I will be offering through this blog to everyone. But I do want to share the joy of raw eating with my faithful readers—by on-line friends.

So… you voted, I listened and I decided to give a recipe for this scrumptious raw vegan cheesecake to not ONE, but TWO lucky winners. There is going to be a catch, though—you will have to make it, eat it ;) and then write a review about it and send it to me. If you are generous enough to share it with friends or family, I would love to hear what they had to say about it too.

Is that a deal? I will hound both winners till I get what I need! :)

The giveaway contest will run starting today: Thursday, June 17, 2010, through Sunday night, 10 pm EST. You can be ANYWHERE in the world to enter the giveaway—the recipe will be sent to you electronically, which means that you have to provide a valid name and e-mail address.

Now, here is how you can get a recipe for this slice of “heaven”:

Required Entry:

1. Subscribe to my Newsletter and leave comment under this post that you did it. If you are already subscribing to the Newsletter you can recruit your friends/family/neighbors—use your imagination, to subscribe also. If they do, leave a comment under the post with their first name and the initial of their last name.  If you don't know anyone to recruit--that would make me sad... but you can still leave a comment that you already subscribed.  And DON'T FORGET, you will have to send me a REVIEW of the recipe.

For extra entries you can do one or all of the following—it is up to you:

2. Twit about this giveaway. You can use following text: I just entered a Delicious Vegan Raw Cheesecake Recipe Giveaway: http://bit.ly/bBle8N.  You can too!

3. FaceBook this message: I just entered a Delicious Vegan Raw Cheesecake Recipe Giveaway: http://bit.ly/bBle8N.  You can too!

4. Blog about this giveaway on your blog, if you got one, linking to this post: http://bit.ly/bBle8N. 

5. You can also follow this blog through RSS/e-mail or Google Friends feed and/or Do a happy dance [just kidding] and tell me a wonderful story about pretty much anything food or non-food related. You can get an extra entry for each of these.

That’s it! I will use random.org to draw the lucky winner’s number on Sunday.

Raw Food Vegan Recipes: Day 7 of Raw Eatings The FINALE!

So, the final day of 100% Raw Food Intake [diet] has come and gone! IT IS FINISHED!

We had FUN being all raw. My creativity in the kitchen was taken to a whole new level. My sister, who is goind 30 days raw, was super excited when we joined her--she did not have to think about making her meals as hard, since I made over 90% of them. Last night, Day 6 of the Raw Food week, she expressed her regret over us hopping off the raw train-she was bummed! No more ready to eat meals! [although who knows about that ;)]

Does this mean that Demetrye and I will no longer eat raw? Not at all! In fact 70-80% of our diet is raw on a regular basis. So, we will still be drinking our green and fruit smoothies, eating lovely salads, making raw soups, but we will now also eat cooked beans, hot soups, and some bread. So, it is not a huge change.

Morning Smoothie

Strawberry Pear Smoothie

~3 cups water

~1 large ripe pear

~3 bananas

~2-3 quarts strawberries

~1 tbs honey for sweetness [or use less water]

Early Morning Snack

You might have guessed it--it was Okroshka. So, so GOOD and just enough to keep me going.

We finished off the last day with more Okroshka [for lunch] and I made a

huge green salad for dinner:

~Spinach

~Bell pepper

~Cucumber

~Tomato

~Green onion

~1 tbs toasted sesame seed oil

~1 tbs balsamic vinegar

~Salt and seasoning

Looking back now, the 7 days seem to have flown by. We did great—one day at time. The part we enjoyed the most about being all raw is feeling lighter physically, shedding a couple of pounds, being more focused mentally, and being more open spiritually—a good raw diet can comprise a great basis for a fast.

As of today we are going back to adding some cooked foods to our diet, but we will still be eating about 70+% of our diet raw. I WILL indulge in some whole wheat homemade bread today, that much I know for sure :) and I will whip up a couple of warm dishes, and a hot bowl of vegan soup.

So, dear reader, have you followed all or a part of this raw week with us? How have you done?

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post—I feel a giveaway coming on :) [must be all that raw food we had that makes me feel this way!]

Raw Food Vegan Recipes: Day 6 of Raw Eatings

Hello, loves! Can you believe we made it through Day 6 of all Raw? We have not gone hungry at all. Although we had a few cravings here and there and certainly miss some of the cooked dishes, we are having FUN! Just read all of the previous posts about each day’s food intake

Day 1

Day 2

Days 3 and 4

Day 5

Doesn’t it all look fabulous?!

I know that some of you are thinking that the only way you could do raw for a week… or whatever length you are thinking about, is if I moved in with you and made all of the meals. Well, as fabulous as I am [and I am pretty much all that and a cheesecake (not a bag of chips! ;)], I am certain that by looking at the recipes I posted this week you realized how EASY it is to make these meals yourself. The ingredients are very simple--I made sure not to introduce anything so different that it would scare you, and the process of making these dishes is simple and time saving! You will spend little time in the kitchen if you start your raw week all prepped [grocery shopping, meal planning]. If you feel that you get stuck in the kitchen it would be for only one reason—you are loving the exploration part of it! That simple!

Having said that I am ready to tell you what we had on our Day 6 of all Raw Vegan Food intake.

Morning Smoothie—one of my favorites:

Strawberry/Banana/Spinach Green Smoothie

with a little zing to it!

• 3 cups water
• 2 quarts strawberries
• 2 bananas
• 2 huge handfuls spinach
• 1-2 inch long ginger root
• 2 tbs dulse flakes

Delicious! Will have you asking for more! Ginger is optional, but is SO great for your health that you would be amiss not to include it. Dulse flakes are great for overall health, and especially for your thyroid gland, and your hormone health.

Want to know what I had for my morning snacks? I will tell you: and orange AND a delicious, creamy, melting-in-your-mouth, chocolaty, fluffy… Chocolate Cheesecake! Yum! Yes, I had cake for Breakfast!  No guilt, but a side of hot cup of tea!

If you want to take a chance of getting a recipe for the cake see what I said about it in yesterday’s post and share your thoughts ;).

Lunch

I went out to lunch [a very rare occasion for me indeed—I prefer making my own meals]. I met with a very dear photographer friend over lunch to share ideas, thoughts and to catch up on our lives. I had a HUGE green salad with cucumbers, shredded carrots and sprouts served with in-house made vinaigrette. 3 hours later I still felt satisfied.

Afternoon Snacks

After getting home around 5:30 pm I snacked on... the cheesecake.  Yes, indeed, it must sound wrong, but it really wasn't.  With the extra boost from raw cacao and other ingredients I had enough energy to complete a 4-mile walk around the lake, help my sister shop for a new appliance, grocery shop and make dinner!  Not bad?!

Dinner

Having made Okroshka [my and my sister's weakness] the day before dinner was a no brainer!  I shopped enough to make Okroshka... times 4!  Yes, I increased the ingredient list times 4 and made that much of it!  Between myself, hubby and my sister half of it was gone the same night.  Tons of wonderful liquid with fresh veggies!  What we did not finish at dinner is going to be split for lunch... although mine might be gone WAY before that time.

Enjoy your raw meals, loves!  I will chat with you tomorrow abour our final day 100% RAW!

Raw Food Vegan Recipes {Raw Desserts}: Day 5 of Raw Eatings

I  woke up with no sense of hunger at all. It took me a couple of hours to get there, which put me in a very exploratory and creative mood... for desserts :) [lucky for you].

I snacked on less than a cup of what was left over from Borsh and then went on a scavenge hunt through our fridge. I had plant to make a soup or salad and raw desserts.

A while back I found a way to recreate one of my all time favorite dishes--Okroshka--a traditional Russian cold soup, loved by everyone, especially during hot summer days. Between my sister and I we could probably eat a couple of gallons worth of it barely stopping for a break. However, the "veganized" recipe still had cooked ingredients... so this morning I did not only make a vegan, but also a RAW version of it.

Speaking of my sister... let me digress for a second, I think it is time I introduced her to you [although I do have more than one, but this one is a trooper--she went vegan over a year and a half ago, helped her body heal and now she is doing a 30 day raw challenge]... So, without further ado, meet Marina--the gorgeous lady on the left. Can you see how she is glowing?! ;)

Raw Okroshka [Cold Soup/Salad]
feeds 4

Ingredients

Part I-Hemp Milk

~4 cups water

~1 cup hemp seeds

~3/4 tbs honey

~1/4 tsp Himalayan salt

Blend in a high speed blender until seeds are completely ground--milk will look white.

Part II

~1/2 red bell pepper

~1/2 yellow bell pepper

~1 cucumber

~2 bunches of radishes

~2 springs of green onion, chopped
~1 avocado cut into small cubes

~1 3/4 tsp Himalayan salt [or to taste]

~5 tbs apple cider vinegar

~1 tbs balsamic vinegar

~1 tbs dried dill [if you have fresh-it will be the best to use, then use 2+ tbs chopped dill]

~juice of 1/2 lemon

~1 tbs Veganaise [totally optional and not necessary for perfection... I used it out of habit]

Preparation

~pour milk into a bowl, adding the rest of the ingredients to it, starting with salt, lemon juice, Veganaise and vinegars--whip until Veganise is blended in [if you decide to use it]

~chop peppers into tiny squares, or you can do what I do and grate them in a food processor--quick and lovely

~shred cucumber into small pieces [I used my Mandoline slicer on the finest setting, and at other times I simply grate it in a food processor]

~shred radishes with a grader or a food processor [my choice for speed]

~chop green onions
~cut avocado into small cubes

~mix all ingredient together and let marinate in a refrigirator for at least 30 mins.

~Enjoy!

Now for that Yummy, raw vegan dessert...

Strawberry Pudding
4 servings

Ingredients

~2 cups water 

~1 cup chia seeds

~2 cups strawberries

~3 tbs raw honey

~zest of 1/2 lemon

~1/8 tsp Himalayan salt

~4 strawberry  and 4 mint leafs for garnish

Preparation

~soak chia seeds in water for 20 mins, occasionally stirring-you will end up with a very gelatinous substance

~pour into a high speed blender [and you will need one for sure to ensure you end up with a SMOOTH, seedless pudding!--I used Vitamix 5200 for this task]

~add remaining ingredients [except for garnish]

~blend until smooth and seeds are disintegrated [you might have to use Vitamix's temper to push ingredients down in the beginning]

~you should end up with creamy pudding

~pour into serving dishes, garnish with sliced strawberry and mint leaf

~chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins

~and of course... Enjoy!

Mango Strawberry Smoothie

~2 cups water

~1 mango

~1 banana

~3 cups strawberries

~honey or dates for sweetness, if needed

Tonight we will end with a scrumptious green salad [see yesterday's post for the recipe]. 

I also made a SUPER delicious RAW VEGAN Cheesecake... however, I decided not to provide the recipe here.  I feel very special and very attached to it... :) I am going to feature it in my first ever e-cookbook [whenever I am ready to publish it]  and I thought that if I am going to give it away it will have to be in a very special way... SO, I will give my readers a choice to VOTE on a couple of options so I can decide how to do it: 

Option #1

I will have a Giveaway of the recipe  with ONE winner [I would run a special post for it]

OR

Option #2

I will have a Giveaway of the recipe with TWO winners [I would run a special post for it]

So, drop a note under this post and let me know what you think I should do.  Majority WINS!

Happy Raw Eatings!

Raw Food Vegan Recipes: Day 3 and 4 of Raw Eatings

My desire for food has diminished of the last couple of days.  It is not gone by any means, but I am just not ravenous hungry. Last night, however, I had a craving for bread... but that went away since.

Morning of Day 2 I started off by eating half of medium size Galia melon, later followed by a pear.

For LUNCH I made Raw Taco Soup, although this time I used 4 tomatoes, added 1/4 green bell pepper and reduced water to 2 cups to make it thicker. It was filling!

By about 4 pm I finally down the extra Banana Pear Green Smoothie I made yesterday.

Dinner

Dinner was more eventful.  I whipped up two batches of Raw Borsh, and my husband asked for a crunchy salad, so I made him one of those too.

Raw Borsh [Soup]
Feeds 4

 Ingredients
Part I
~4 cups warm water
~2 large stalks celery
~3 cups white or red cabbage
~3 tbs white onion
~1-2 garlic cloves
~5 tbs apple cider vinegar
~1 tbs balsamic vinegar
~1/2 bell pepper [any color, but I used red]
~3 tbs [or about 4-5 springs] parsley
~2 medium carrots
~3 cups [2 smaller size] beets
~1 small-medium avocado
~1/2 cup cashews
~1 tsp Kirkland organic seasoning
~1.5 tsp Himalayan salt [or to taste]
~black or white pepper to taste

Part II

~1 cucumber, shredded
~1 cup shredded cabbage
~1 cup green peas
~2 tbs chopped dill
~2 Roma tomatoes, cubed

Preparation

~Blend all Part I ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth (about 60 seconds) [I use Soup setting on Blendtec Total Blender]

~Pour into a bowl and add remaining ingredients; mix together
~Let marinate for 20-30 minutes
~Store in a fridge, if you don't finish the whole portion
~Enjoy!  Life is that simple!

Crunchy Sesame Salad

Ingredients

~5-6 leaves of dark leaf lettuce, torn into eatable pieces, or 3 cups of spinach
~1/2 red or orange pepper sliced into thing long slices
~1 Roma tomato sliced lenghtwise
~1 tbs toasted sesame seed oil
~Himalayan or sea salt to taste
~sprinkle of you favorite seasoning on top

Toss all ingredients together and serve!

Day 4
Morning Smoothie
Ingredients
~3 cups water
~3 springs mint
~1 orange 
~1 mango
~1 banana
~2 tbs dulse
~6 oz dark leafy lettuce
~dates or honey for sweetness, if lacking

I had a great workout and followed it up with 1 glass of mint water kefir [I will blog about that in the future].  After that I made Cabbage salad and more Raw Borsh [borscht, if you will ;)].

Cabbage Salad
~3/4 large cabbage, shredded very thinly
~1 cup yellow corn
~1 cup green peas
~2-3 tbs fresh dill, chopped
~sea or Himalayan salt to taste


Optional
~1 tbs Vegenaise [vegan mayo]


Preparation

~after shredding cabbage add salt and massage it into the cabbage with your hands for 1-2 minutes--this will let the juices out

~add remaining ingredients and let marinate for 10-15 minutes before serving

~Enjoy!

In the afternoon I attended a graduation party for my niece--she is smart, talented and beautiful--the whole package!  We all are so proud of her.  Zarina was a salutatorian of her class [along with a few more students].

On the way to the party I scored myself a whole flat of STRAWBERRIES!  I missed fresh strawberries so much over the last year that I think I might overdose on them :)

At the party I ate a HUGE green salad, which satisfied me until I got home... that is when true OVERdosing on strawberries happened. 

I made a couple of serving of a wonderful, refreshing strawberry smoothie, had Galia melon, some raw borsh, and more strawberries. 

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
~1.5 cups water
~2 quarts strawberries
~4 mint leaves [optional]
~2 tbs honey
~2 bananas

Blend everything until smooth. then add 2 cups of ice and crush on a slower speed.  MMMMMM..... MMMMMMM... so good!

Stay tuned for Day 5 Raw Food intake, as I explored the wonderful world of Raw Desserts [imagine strawberry pudding and strawberry chocolate cheesecake.... YUM!]

Happy Raw Eatings!  Drop me a note and tell me if you had tried any of the recipes yet. 

Raw Food Vegan Recipes: Day 2 of Raw Eatings

I missed my alarm this morning! Sheesh! So, instead of following through with my grand plat to make 2 huge salads I ended up grabbing random fruit and making 2 smoothies and heading out the door---all in 30 mins! And I managed to put make up on and get my hair looking decent. I think I deserve an award!

Snacks

So, my snacks this morning [not all at the same time] were: small avocado, an orange and a Roma tomato.

For the rest of the day I am going to snack on: banana, pear and Galia melon [oh so delicious]!

Funny thing happened, though. In the morning I e-mailed my sister, who is doing 30 day raw diet, and told her “I am making a smoothie in my stomach—first down went avocado, later an orange… I think I shall have a tomato in the next few minutes ;)” And her response was: “Let me know when you get to the blending part.” Oh, my! Ha-ha-ha-ha… the mental images of that actually happening was bombarding my mind left and right. I could not stop laughing! That was my RAW humor for the day :)

Green Smoothies

Banana Pear Green Smoothie

• 4 cups water

• 2 bananas

• 1 large pear, seeded

• 1 bunch of dinosaur kale

• 1 spring of mint

Pear Spinach Green Smoothie

• 4 cups water

• 2 bananas

• 1 large pear, seeded

• 2 springs of mint

• 2 huge handfuls [about 8 oz] spinach

Spinach Sesame Salad
Ingredients
• 2 huge handfuls of spinach [yes that is my official measurement unit ;)]
• Mint leaves [off 1 spring of mint]
• ½ red bell pepper sliced into thin long slices [cut lengthwise into about 8+ slices]
• 1 Roma tomato cut in 6-8 long slices [cut lengthwise]
• ½ large zucchini cut in rounds
• 1-2 tbs toasted sesame seed oil
• Sea or Himalayan salt to taste

Preparation
• Toss all ingredients together and let marinate for about 20+ mins
• It is irresistibly good, so enjoy!

The rest of the day I snacked on fruit--no recipes needed :)  I did make a HUGE mistake though--after getting home I had not one, but two large mugs of cacao made with raw cacao [totalling about 3 tbs].  I regretted it all night long [drinking it that late, that is (about 6 pm)]--I was up until 2 am this morning and kept waking up even after that.  Lesson learned--drink cacao ONLY in the morning and ONLY mixed in green smoothies... with a rare exception!

Glass Drinking Bottles in Longview, WA

Now, on a whole different note: I am huge proponent of using only glass containers, especially for drinking and for any hot substances.  Not too long about I was sent a couple of nice glass bottles by a Canadian company to do a review.  The bottle are nice, but the price tag is... well it is unbelievable!  Last night I got out to look for new scales and stopped by Ross... Lo and behold, they carry glass bottles that look almost identical to the ones I got, only slightly bigger, and... about $30 cheaper.  So, if you are in Longview/Kelso, WA and need a good drinking bottle that won't leak from the top [as does my $30+ bottle] head on over to Ross and claim yours for only $1.99!  It is in the same isle as their kitchen gadget section, all the way on top shelf.  You simply can't beat that deal.

Happy Raw Eatings, loves.  I will chat with you all tomorrow.

To know more about MRSA Skin Infection

MRSA is an acronym for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria that has become resistant to many antibiotics, including methicillin, penicillin, amoxicillin, and cephalosporins. It is routinely pronounced M.R.S.A. MRSA Skin Infection are now very common among healthy children and adults in the community. Your pediatrician will likely suspect that an infection, such as a leg abscess, is caused by MRSA if it isn't improving with routine antibiotics. In that case, the abscess may need to be drained or the would need to be changed to a stronger or different antibiotic to treat the infection. MRSA Skin Infection is highly contagious and can be contracted simply by touching something an infected person has touched with the infection on their hands and then touching yourself somewhere.
MRSA-infected skin can change from skin or surface irritations to abscesses. This germ can infect the blood, bones, tendons, skin and all surrounding tissue. It can survive on objects and surfaces for more than 24 hours. Pus from skin sores can spread to other body parts or to other people. Infections can be found in crowds of people such as schools, gyms, teams and jails. MRSA is usually spread by physical direct contact of the skin secretions with bacteria or pus. It is spread through towels, keys, sheets, and work areas that have the germ on them.


Preventing the Spread of MRSA

One of the most important factors in MRSA prevention though is helping to prevent MRSA infection from spreading to others . In addition to keeping suspected MRSA infection covered, it is important to see your pediatrician so that it can be properly treated. If the wound is draining and can't be completely covered, then it should likely be excluded, so that it doesn't infect other pepole. Also, it is important to wash your clothing, towels, and bedding in hot water .

Raw Food Recipes: Day 1 of Raw Eatings

Good morning, loves!

What a great first Raw Day we had! But… preparation is EVERYTHING!

First, I got geared up: I used my Blendtec Total Blender and VitaMix 5200 6-7 times yesterday. They are truly an investment in our health! I actually had them running simultaneously when making green smoothies in the morning—saves a lot of time!

Second, I went shopping yesterday and, behold, this is how my fridge and my counter look now—totally fresh and totally raw! We are ready to rock and roll.

Yesterday’s food intake was delicious and more than enough—green smoothies, fruit, and raw soups were flowing abundantly. Even my 81 yr old mother, who still gets on me once in a while for rejecting even fish [that is a biggy in her mind] has joined the raw train—not purposefully but by default, since I am making all the meals. Yesterday she had only ONE cooked meal! That is it!

About a month ago she went to see a doctor—she’s been having problems with her hip—to see if she needed a hip replacement. Thankfully he said NO, not yet, gave her a shot and sent her home with instructions to cut down calories and lose weight. What a smart man! Because he is a doctor she naturally listened to him and it now opened a huge window of opportunity for me to get her health in order. She is drinking smoothies/green smoothies every day, raw soups and blended fruit are abundant. She has not time to miss her dairy [although she is still having some, and dairy is her weakness]. She already lost about 10 lbs! That is one month! Isn’t that awesome?!

With that said, here are all of the recipes for the yesterday.

Green Smoothies

I made large portions, since I am feeding 4 adults.

Each of the recipes made up to 64 oz~

If you are going to use frozen corn, like I did, start running the blender with water first and other ingredients first, then pour corn in slowly, so it won’t freeze up.

Pineapple/Blackberry Green Smoothie

~3 cups water

~1-2 cups blackberries

~½ pineapple [peeled from the outer skin [you don’t need to core it if you have a high speed blender]; chop in smaller chunks to add to blender

~1 orange, peeled and seeded

~2 full stems of mint greens [with leaves]

~1 bunch of chard

~3 tbs dulse

~8 dates, pitted [for sweetness, optional]

~2 tbs chia seeds

Banana Beet Green Smoothie

~4 cups water

~3 bananas

~2 tbs maca powder [optional]

~5 dates, pitted

~1 Bunch of beet greens

~Handful of spinach [optional]

~2 tbs chia seeds

Banana Pineapple Green Smoothie

~4 c water

~1 banana

~½ pineapple [peeled from the outer skin [you don’t need to core it if you have a high speed blender]; chop in smaller chunks to add to blender

~2 full stems of mint greens [with leaves]

~½ bunch chard

~Handful of parsley

~5 dates, pitted [optional, for sweetness]

Raw Soups

Get ready for a delight galore. Today’s star was Corn, so all of the soups will have some corn as an ingredient.

Each recipe will feed 4-5 people comfortably.

Corn Bisque

Ingredients

Part I

~2.5 cups warm water

~4 cups frozen corn [you can use fresh, if you have access to it]

~2 cloves [medium size] garlic

~Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Part II

~1-2 cups corn

Preparation

~Blend Part I ingredients until smooth

~Pour into a large bowl and mix in Part II ingredients

~Enjoy!

~[you can also add a handful of sunflower seeds for crunch]

Corn Chowder

Ingredients

Part I

~2 cups warm-hot water

~4 cups frozen corn [you can use fresh, if you have access to it]

~2 cloves [medium size] garlic

~Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

~1 tbs cumin

Part II

~1/3 medium size jicoma root, cut in a food processor to look like rice [I put it in chunks an pulse a few times]

~½ green [or any other kind] bell pepper, chopped into small [very small] cubes

~2 cups corn

~2 medium avocados, cubed

Preparation

~Blend Part I ingredients until smooth

~Pour into a large bowl and mix in Part II ingredients

~Enjoy!

Taco Raw Soup

Ingredients

~3.5 cups water [cold, warm or hot]

~2 Roma tomatoes

~2 stalks celery

~6 tbs corn

~2 medium carrots

~2 springs of green onion, or 1/4-1/3 cup white onion

~1 handful [yes, I did not measure it!] of cashews

~Few springs of parsley

~1 clove of garlic

~1.5 tbs chili poweder [or taco seasoning]

~½ tbs cumin

~¼ tsp white or black pepper [optional]

~1 tsp Kirkland organic seasoning

~Himalayan salt to taste

Garnish

~3 small-medium size avocados, cubed

~2 Roma tomatoes, cubed

Preparation

~Blend ingredients in a high speed blender [I used Blendtech Total Blender’s Soup function]

~Pour in a bowl, add garnish and serve!

~It will make you lick your bowl!

Raw Bread

I also made an attempt at making quick raw “bread” to go with Taco soup, but it needs perfecting. However, if you want to give it a whirl, here is the recipe [remember that it is not perfected yet!]

Ingredients Part I

~1 cup presoaked and dehydrated oatmeal groats

~1cups presoaked and dehydrated almonds

Ingredient Part II

~2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

~¾ tsp raw honey

~1 tbs raw coconut butter

~½ tsp Himalayan salt

~1 ¾ tbs water

Preparation

~Blend Part I ingredients in a high speed blender [I used VitaMix 5200] into fine flour

~Pour into a food processor

~Add Part II ingredients and pulse until combined

~Take out by hand and press “dough” into small blocks [I came away with 6, which was sufficient for 4 people]

~Serve with Taco soup

If I ever get to perfect this recipe I will let you know :)

I also had a green salad:

~Mixed spring greens

~Cherry tomatoes

~Sliced cucumber

~Sprinkle with lemon, spices and salt and you are set!

Well, folks, I hope this will be enough to keep you going for a day or two! I will continue with our intake tomorrow.

Happy Raw Eatings!

Raw Food Meal Possibilities for this Raw Week

Here are a few possibilities you can kick off your week with, until I start blogging about our daily food intake:

Creamy Tomato Corn Soup

Green Avocado Cucumber Raw Soup

 Cucumber and Green Pea Raw Soup



Raw Corn Bisque

Raw Vegan Borsh

Tons of Green Smoothie Recipes

Goji Delight Salad

as well as many other delicious Raw Salads
 

Well, this should give you a start... Tomorrow, at the end of the day I will blog about our food intake. 

For snacks you can use anything from raw fruit, veggies, berries, and occasional [small portions] of raw [pre-soaked and dehydrated] nuts. 

I hope you are in on the challenge!  See you all soon!

Raw Food for a Week: Any Takers?

Spur of the moment decision: my hubby and I are going raw for 1 week, starting tomorrow.  If you would like to join, leave a comment under this post to let me know, that way I can make a decision on whether to blog about it [i.e. recipes, etc.].

You WILL need a good blender--we will be consuming a lot of green smoothies, smoothies and raw soups.  I will be heavily relying on my Blendtec Total Blender this week [my favorite blender for making raw soups].

So, are you in?

Raw Tomato Soup, Weight Loss, Vacation and Product Reviews

Good morning, loves! Long time since last post… I did enjoy my time off thoroughly, though.

I have a few cool product reviews in the works: Blendtec Total Blender, which I am using on a daily basis nowadays, Ulimana chocolates, and Sesen glass drinking bottles, which I use NONSTOP daily. These items are totally cool and I cannot imagine my day without them.

I also have a delicious giveaway in the works. You would not want to miss it! Two words: Coconut Bliss!

Meanwhile, I wanted to catch you up on things that are going on in my life, that are related to plant-based diet and exercise, well… almost :)

Trip to AZ!

First, here are a few pictures from our trip to Arizona.

Enjoying Lovin' Spoonfuls offerings  

St. Xavier's Mission was my favorite stop in Tucson

Inside St. Xavier church

Demetrye's love/hate relationship with cacti was nonstop ;) Cacti won!

I got to enjoy locally grown grapefruit, which was HUGE [here I am comparing it to my hubby's head ;)]

I could not bring my Blendtec with me, so I had to use the blender we had at the resort... I went through 2 of them!  They were so flimsy they just could not take the pressure ;)

My favorite ice cream comppany Coconut Bliss sent me this cute tote [along with a coupon for awesome ice cream bars to give away!] that I carried with me EVERYwhere. It comes with a little pocket and folds to a tiny-tiny size.  Thanks, CB!

The Biggest Winner Challenge

The Biggest Winner Challenge is going full speed—we just reached our 4 week mark. The contestants lost combined 37 lbs! [Diana-15 lbs; Dan and Barb—11 lbs each!] How great is that?! To read about the rest of their [and my] adventures go to The Biggest Winner Challenge blog and leave some blog love ;).

We were blessed to have gotten sponsorship from two wonderful places that support healthy living: Excalibur Dehydrator sent our participants two 5-tray dehydrators—one to each family; and CSN Stores [who sell about EVERYTHING you will ever need in the kitchen, AND lighting and barstools!] provided two $40 gift certificates to each family. Diana was able to get herself a chemical free frying pan and Barb got herself a handy salad spinner [I use mine faithfully—my kitchen would not be complete without it!].

Raw for 30!

Another awesome project that just started to unfold has to do with my niece and sister. They both, totally of their own accord, decided to go on a 30-day Green Smoothie/Raw diet. It is really hard to believe, considering that these people thought I was totally insane for going on a plant-based [vegan] diet only a couple of years back.

I was very impressed and excited to hear about their adventure. So, this morning I made my sis 64 oz of green smoothies to take to work with her AND a delicious raw soup for lunch. I am going to share the soup recipe with you, so you can add it to your daily meal repertoire.

Creamy Tomato Corn Soup [RAW]

Ingredients

Soup
~1/4 cup water
~2 middle-large ripe tomatoes
~½ large red bell pepper
~1 ½ cup yellow corn [fresh or frozen]
~1 clove garlic
~white pepper and Kirkland seasoning to taste
~sea or Himalayan salt to taste
~2 tbs hemp seeds

Garnish
~1 avocado, cubed
~2 tbs sunflower seeds
~1 tbs chopped cilantro

Preparation
~Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender [I used Blendtec Total Blender] until smooth.
~Pour in a bowl
~Cube 1 ripe avocado, add to the soup
~Sprinkle with sunflower seeds for crunch
~Finish with cilantro and…
~Enjoy!

I will chat with you all soon! Enjoy your day!