A few weeks ago CSN stores contacted me and offered to do a review for one of their products [and they offer a whole lot!]. They offered a $75 gift certificate toward any item in their store. I started making my list.
Since we moved and I left a few of my kitchen items back in WA I still needed to replace them. So, pen and paper out, I am making my list... and then I remembered--I had forgotten the most important item on my list, that for sure could not be bought for $75--a desk! I left my nice oak desk in WA because I knew it would not fit into our new place. Once we moved I had to improvise, while I was looking for a replacement--I had stalked a couple of boxes on top of each other and... that is how I worked. Let me tell you--I was MISERABLE!
I am not only a blogger [that alone deserves a ton of attention] but also a photographer, which requires a lot of PC face time. Needless to say that I was not as driven to get behind my computer.
So, the decision was made--I needed a desk! I looked through local stores and online until I found what would go nicely in the space we had and still make it look like we have a nice size study. I found a pretty glass desk. CSN stores happened to run a little discount on it, plus $75 gift certificate, which left me with less than $100 to pay out of pocket. GREAT!
I ordered the desk and by the time we got back from our New York trip the desk was delivered to my front door [just as promised].
My experience with CSN, before I get into my desk review, was fantastic. Great response and delivery time.
So, here is the desk [Walker Edison Alexa L Shaped Computer Desk in Silver]:
[no, it is not how it looks in my place--I have way too many cords hanging off it now ;)]
It is really a nice size--not too small, not too big. I knew that the glass surface would require a lot of cleaning, but it was something I was willing to put up with since I really wanted to have the illusion of more space.
The trouble started when I put the desk together. It was not the instructions that I had an issue with--they were great, but my 3 glass panels did not line up in a straight line! I did not like that at all. Also, of the glass pieces came unglued in a couple of days. The good part is that I contacted the manufacturer and they made a couple of suggestions on how I can level the glass panels [which I am yet to try]; they will also send me a replacement for the damaged piece.
So, all in all, I can give this product 3 out of 5 stars. I will be a happy camper once all is taken care of. At least now I am VERY productive and enjoy working in my newly set up study.
Well, that's it for today. Keep your eye on my blog--in the next few days there will be a giveaway post! :)
Right after our recent move I discovered that there were a few things missing in our kitchen--I forgot to pack our kettle, my salad spinner broke, I forgot my rolling pin... the list can go on. That had never happened to me before and the situation needed to be remedied quickly. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, we eat a ton of greens and drink a lot of tea.
Fortunately for us, CSN stores contacted me and offered to do a product review. Originally I was like a kid in a candy store and wanted to try NEW gadgets, but then I remembered my dim situation... so I was even more excited to go shopping for items I really needed and see if they would be something that I could recommend to friends, family, clients and readers. So I got 3 items from CSN stores that I will review today [btw, I found it pleasant yet almost overwhelming shopping at CSN stores because they have SOOO many choices! But who would complain about that?!]
First, I got myself a kettle. There were so many to choose from and I was tempted to go for something that looked absolutely unusual [that would be me], but at the end of the day I wanted something functional, simple and easy to clean. So I picked Aroma 1.5-Liter Stainless Steel X-Press Water Kettle
I am very happy with the product. It has a self-shut-off function. I pour water into it, turn the kettle on and go about doing whatever tasks might be at hand.
Next I needed a salad spinner... BADLY! I don't like having water in my salad, except what is already in my greens. So, I picked the cutest, largest spinner I could find: Chef'N Salad Spinner Meringue with Arugula Basket. Hello, beautiful!
Not only is it cute [a must in my kitchen :)], but it is very functional. The handle, unlike the other two spinners I had [one was a little cranking handle I had to circle around and it would get stuck once in a while, making horrible noises, the other one had a large handle releasing to the top [very high] and turned out to be too tall for me when it was on a counter] the handle on this spinner releases only a couple of inches up and requires very little effort to press down. In addition to that there is a little handy STOP button that can be pressed if you decided you got all the water out and don't want to wait for the spinner to come to a stop on its own. Both, I and my husband, give this spinner two thumbs up! My only desire would be for even a bigger size of the same model.
The last item I got from CSN stores was a cute little palm peeler.
I heard about it before but surely have not tried it. I primarily got it out of curiosity. I found it to be functional and even fun to use, but only on bigger, round items, such as apples, or large potatoes. I am a bit too scared to use it on smaller items, unless I really take the time to watch where the blade is. So, I could give it only 3.5 stars.
Overall I am a very happy girl with my new toys. I now have more things on my wish-list that I am still missing :)
Thank you, CSN stores! [BTW, CSN stores sell all kind of things: kitchen gadgets, furniture, lighting and even modern rugs, so check them out.]
Next I will move on to something even more exciting.
For a long time I had be more than curious to check out Blendtec Total Blender. My friends used it and spoke highly of it. I had my first [blender] love--VitaMix, but a girl like me likes options. I felt so blessed when I heard from the Blendtec team who offered for me to do a product review and then to either keep the blender or to give it away. YEAH!
I loved the wide base of the container. With the width of it I required no temper as I do with Vita occasionally to push items down when making smoothies or soups. However, something like a temper could be helpful for more solid ingredients, like nuts, to keep ingredients going.
In the first month of having Blendtec we used it over 200 times [yes, that is true]. The blender is one of the best and is great for high quality, high speed blending. At the end of the day, however, I already did have a great blender that I adore, and I wanted to make someone else a happy healthy eater. I found the right person to give the blender to, when we moved--my very own dear, 81-year old mother. It was so easy for me to teach her how to blend her own soups and fruit drinks by pointing out a few useful, pre-programmed buttons--no English required! It was awesome to see her pull it out and make fresh, healthy foods that did not have to be cooked to be soft [Mom has dentures, so hard foods are out of the question for her]. So, this wonderful machinery found a deserving home, and I found another favorite gadget.
Lastly, and deliciously so, I wanted to brag on raw truffles sent to me by Ulimana company. I got a little sample packet and had to split it with the people I love.
We all liked every single truffle and were SAD to see them melt away in our delighted mouths. Even my non-vegan, milk-loving Mom was smacking her lips with delight. TWO THUMBS UP, Ulimana!
Great products! And great day to you all!
[DISCLOSURE: The reviews in this post are my opinion. I received no compensation from any companies mentioned in this post to provide a positive review. They had sent me the product to be reviewed, but no other form of financial compensation had taken place].
While I am bathing in the sun in beautiful Tucson, AZ, I thought to share some joy and have a fun giveaway.
Kaia foods was founded with the belief that our health is best supported by eating an abundance of minimally processed whole foods. They sprout, mix and dehydrate their organic foods at low temperatures so that they remain 'raw.' No baking, frying, bleaching, or weird processing steps!
I was excited to receive my little review package from Kaia as was the rest of my family. After opening the box we swiftly dug through to pull out little treasures:
Granola was my hubby's favorite--he crunched on it to his heart's desire.
Mom indulged in Fruit Rollups
I personally liked their sprouted and flavored Sunflower Seeds and the rest of the goodies:
I was pleasantly surprised by the good taste and flavors of raw vegan snacks--snacks I could easily drop in my purse to take along with me anywhere I have to go to stay nourished.
Now for the giveaway--Kaia Foods is graciously sponsoring ONE lucky winner to get following:
1 granola
2 sunflower seeds
4 fruit leathers, and
1 baggie of kale chips
You must live within continental United States to be eligible to enter!
Make sure to enter your name and e-mail address in the comment form--anonymous entries will be disregarded.
Required Entry:
To be eligible for a drawing for this giveaway leave a comment under this post and tell me how long you have been following my blog and what has been your favorite post to date. It's that simple!
Bonus Entries:
Post about this giveaway, linking back to the post on Twitter, Facebook or your blog and leave a link for it--separate entry from the first one.
Sign up for the Newsletter [on the blog it is located on the right-hand panel at the top] and leave an additional comment under this post.
Add yourself to Google Friend Connect on this blog or Subscribe to e-mail or RSS feed and leave a comment for yet an extra entry.
That's it! You can pick how many entries you want to make, one or three!
The drawing will be open through Friday, 10 pm PST, May 21st. I will use Mr. Random.org to make the decision for me :)
Best of all! I am off to enjoy my last day of blazing sun and get extra vitamin D into my skin :)
Good morning, loves! I know I have been MIA for a few days. After celebrating our 7th Wedding Anniversary I have been busy preparing not only a video for this post but also photographing and processing a couple of photo sessions [if you have been following my blog long enough you know that is my other passion in life]. After long weekend now I have stolen away a few moments to prepare this amazing post, to help make your Monday.
When I first started on the Vegan Path I can honestly tell you that I knew little to nothing about wheatgrass as food. I was totally ignorant of the benefits this super plant has to offer too. To me it was just that-grass!
As the time passed I had learned that it was oh, so much more. I had tested different ways to drink wheatgrass juice. My favorite was by juicing it with Grannie Smith apple and adding Ginger to it. Mmmm... mmmm... GOOD! However, I personally did not and still do not have a proper wheatgrass juicer.
Since I did not have a juicer and still wanted to partake of what this miracle plant had to offer I tried blending it in my Vita-Mix, straining it and drinking it that way. For some reason, and it might be because I diluted it with water and did not add enough of other more pleasant tasting ingredients to it, I did not like the way I felt after drinking it. I also found it problematic to keep my grass from developing mold, since I have about a million other things on my plate every day.
So, what a girl to do? I still wanted wheat grass in my diet!!!
Why? Check out these facts about wheat grass.
Wheatgrass contains vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino-acids (used to build proteins) and large amounts of chlorophyll.
Wheat grass consists of 70% chlorophyll. Why is this fact so amazing? Both chlorophyll (as in wheatgrass juice) and hemoglobin (red blood cells) are molecularly similar. The only actual difference is that the central element in chlorophyll is magnesium and in hemoglobin it is iron, so chlorophyll has been shown to build red blood cells quickly after ingestion.
The high chlorophyll content of wheatgrass also acts as a powerful detoxifier cleansing the liver, cells, tissues and blood.
Wheatgrass contains vitamin A, vitamin C, B complex vitamins, vitamins E and K. Wheatgrass also contains over 90 minerals found in soil including calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Potassium, Phosphorus and Cobalt.
Wheatgrass is a complete protein and provides the following AMINO ACIDS. Abensic- anti cancer agent Alanine- blood builder Arginine- seminal fluid Aspartic acid- energy Glutamic acid- mental alertness Glycine- energy Histidine- hearing and nerve function Isoleucine- growth in infants Loucine- energy and nerve stimulation Lysine- anti aging Methionine- kidney and liver cleanser Phenylaianine thyroid function Proline- Glutamic acid absorption Serine- brain stimulation Threonine- digestion and assimilation Tryptophane- skin and hair growth Valine- brain/muscle coordination
Amino acids are the building blocks the body uses to make proteins. Protein found in meat, fish, eggs etc needs breaking down into amino acids before being built into protein [and by the way, animal protein cannot be fully digested by human bodies!]. Wheatgrass provides the body with the protein building blocks so there is no need to expend energy on breaking the proteins down into amino acids.
Wheatgrass is great for balancing hormones! [Sign me up for that!!!]
Farmers in the Midwest who have sterile cows & bulls put them on wheatgrass to restore fertility. (The high magnesium content in chlorophyll builds enzymes that restore the sex hormones.) And, people, if wheatgrass is good for a cow and helps her, it is good for me too [no joking here!].
Want MORE facts about wheatgrass? OK.
Wheatgrass juice keeps the hair from graying.
By taking wheatgrass juice, one may feel a difference in strength, endurance and health.
Wheatgrass juice improves digestion.
Wheatgrass juice is high in enzymes.
Wheatgrass juice is an excellent skin cleanser and can be absorbed through the skin for nutrition.
Wheatgrass implants (enemas) are great for healing & detoxifying the colon walls.
Wheatgrass juice is great for constipation and keeping bowels open. It is high in magnesium.
Wheatgrass juice can dissolve the scars that are formed on the lungs from breathing gasses. The effect of carbon monoxide is minimized since chlorophyll increases hemoglobin production.
Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure and enhances the capillaries.
Wheatgrass juice can remove heavy metals from the body.
Wheatgrass is an amazing CANCER FIGHTER because of all of the above listed qualities.
I hope that by now you are convinced that WHEATGRASS IS GOOD FOR US!
To solve my wheatgrass problems I went to the next best thing after being able to make fresh wheatgrass juice--buying and making a drink from raw organic wheatgrass powders. I found a couple of different brands and settled on one that I found most affordable at http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ [I get no kickbacks for mentioning them here-they are not even aware of my existence (sadly :( )]. The powder is fine, but a bit grainy for my taste to drink it by itself, so I add it to mys smoothies. Yeah for ingenuity!
Recently, however, my view on wheatgrass powder has been altered... in a positive way. A couple of nice people left a comment on my blog. Before approving the comment, to make sure it was not spam I headed over to their site [Best Organic Wheatgrass], to make sure it was legit, and to see what they are talking about. After reading up on the information I wrote them to ask a few questions. As you know, I would never put a stamp of approval on a product without knowing first hand that it is indeed good for my readers. So, after a couple of e-mails Ken sent me a sample of their wheatgrass powder. I was determined to go through the whole container and see how I feel consuming it before considering doing a review. The product is called Easy Pha-Max Wheatgrass.
I finally finished my sample last week and... well, I LOVED IT! I am sad, however, that ran out of it :(
It comes in a box in small packets that can be easily taken ANYWHERE with you. All you have to have is a glass of water to dissolve it in and you have your wheatgrass for the day! They offer two different flavors/combos: plain, with just wheatgrass and wheatgrass with honey.
I also watched a video that was sent to me and checked out their fact. I saw their organic certification {I am a stickler for ORGANIC!}
Here is the cool part about their wheatgrass: they use not only the green part of the plant but also the ROOT that has many additional vitamins and nutrients. That's a bonus in my book!
The grass, after being grown for just the right number of days is harvested and freeze dried, which helps it keep more nutrients and insures that it stays RAW. It is then ground to fine consistency... so fine, in fact, that when you dissolve it in water, you barely taste any grains at all [if any]. I found it easy, once again, not having to add my wheatgrass powder to smoothies, if I did not want to but simply dissolve it in a glass of water and drink it in the morning and before going to bed.
But, you don't have to take my word for it... I recruited the finest tester of any product I know--my husband--to taste this wheatgrass powder. Watch to see what he thought of it.
[If you are subscribing to this blog via e-mail and are not able to view the video, please click on this link.]
I personally enjoyed how I felt during the days I was drinking extra pleasant wheatgrass drinks. Extra energy!
So, you are thinking: "Wonderful to know that you enjoyed it, but so what?!" Am I right? Don't despair--I have a treat for you! Ken and Barb offered to give the two wheatgrass boxes [one is plain wheatgrass and the other one made with honey] to one lucky winner! The two boxes combined are worth $60!!!
So, I am sure that now you want to know what you must do to be entered into the drawing. It very simple, actually.
[You have to reside in the US to qualify!]
Please be kind and use at least your first name, so when I announce the winner I can sound nice too :)
1. Leave a comment under this post and tell me why you should win this product and how it would make a difference for you [if you think it will]. Be as creative as you want to be with your story--I read all of them. This time around I WILL NOT be using a random number picker, so take your time and write something meaningful. I and my hubby will pick a winner! [It is much harder than trusting mr. random, but I think it is a great way to do it!]
2. To increase your chances of winning [and yes, it impresses me!] sign up for my Newsletter and leave an additional comment. You can subscribe by visiting this page, or, if you are on my blog, you can do it by filling out the form at the top of the blog, on the right hand side.
However, and I am kindly requesting this, please do not sign up only to unsubscribe a day or two after the drawing. When I send out Newsletters and spend extra time on researching and writing about any specific topic and I do it only for the benefit of my readers. It makes me VERY happy to know that the Newsletters actually get read :)
It is that simple!
If you would like to spread the love and make this post viral, feel free to post about it on Twitter, Facebook, or blog about it, or link to it from your blog. You will get a huge THANK YOU from me.
The drawing will be open all this week and will close on Sunday, April 25th, at 10 pm PST. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 26th.
See you at the winning line.
PS: Almost forgot to tell you, and this is a BIG surprise, don't lose heart if you don't win this amazing package... Ken and Barb have come up with a way to let EVERYONE who enters this giveaway feel like a winner. That's all I am going to tell you. You will have to come back NEXT MONDAY to find out what exactly I mean by that and how it is going to happen. :)
BestWheatGrass is also on Facebook, so if you are there, friend them up!
If you did not get in on the 3-day or 30-day challenge but are still looking for good green smoothie recipes, try this delicious smoothie—I made it this morning for myself and the family
Mango Banana
Makes ~50 oz. [serves 3+ people if served at ones]
• 3 cups water
• 1 large mango [it is organic, you can eat the skin too, or peel it]
• 1-2 ripe bananas
• 4-6 oz beet greens
• 4-6 oz dark leaf lettuce
• 3 tbs chia seeds*
• 3 tbs dulse [if making for one person, reduce to 1-1.5 tbs]*
*optional
Blend until smooth and enjoy. I did not need any sweetener, but if you must, you can add dates or raw honey, or whatever else you might fancy.
Tip: Did you know that you can add a clove of garlic to your smoothie? Sounds weird but adds a whole new tasty dimension to smoothies!!!
Kombucha Adventures
I have also been fermenting kombucha and recently bottled some for extra fizz. Today, I ground up 1 whole mango [minus the seed and the skin] and then mixed it with ~50 oz. of kombucha. It made the most delicious mango kombucha! A bit tangy, fizzy and just right on sweetness. There is nothing tastier than being healthy!!!
12 oz of Mango Kombucha was my breakfast, and interestingly, I am not even hungry yet! [By now I sometimes would have had breakfast and a snack. However each day is different.]
[Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that is extremely beneficial used as probiotics to us.]
Delicious Product Review
Recently I received a little box of super deliciousness from the folks at Fine and Raw—makers of raw vegan chocolate.
Please watch this 2 minute video to see what my family thought about it.
[If you get my posts through e-mail/RSS feed, you can click on this link to watch it.]
The chocolate was heavenly, especially to perfectly soft and creamy bonbons… I did not want to stop eating mine, before I had to share with my hubby. The mesquite and blueberry bars were tasty also, but not as smooth and creamy. So, my vote goes to the glorious bonbons.
These chocolates would make perfect party or wedding favors for vegans and non-vegans alike. After all, most of us like chocolate in one form or another. Just imagine laying a box of perfection next to your guests’ plates!!!
If you have a little money to splurge, head on over to Fine and Raw and order yourself a box of raw chocolate! You will love it.
Enjoy your lovely day!
Question: How much are you willing to pay for GOOD chocolate?
Good morning, loves! Have you heard that we are conducting a 3-Day Green Smoothie Challenge? If you have not, hop on over HERE and read all about it. Join us and you will be amazed with the results.
All of the material for the challenge will be sent to you for FREE!!! Yep, absolutely FREE! Why? Because I want you to feel better quickly! It is a limited time FREE offer, so jump on it before the Green Smoothie Train takes off!
[If you would like to join us, go to the above linked post and leave a comment there (make sure I have your e-mail address).]
I started off a bit early with my 3-Day challenge [yesterday], and let me tell you—I feel amazing! I feel like I had lost 5 lbs, I slept more and feel more rested and rejuvenated than before, and my skin is glowing!!!
Now, on to this week’sGREEN giveaway to celebrate both of our challenges!
I am giving away a copy of Green For Life, by Victoria Boutenko—a book that gave me a jump start on my way to healthier and slimmer body a couple of years ago. [Please visit Green for Life Review and Giveaway post to read all details about the book and how I conducted my own 30-day Green Smoothie Challenge.]
The Giveaway is open to US residents only [sorry, the shipping cost can get a bit expensive on the out of country mailings].
Remember to leave include your e-mail address when you are entering yourself as a commenter!
TO ENTER [REQUIRED]:
1. Leave a comment under this post telling me how you would use this book and if you have or will be adding green smoothies to your daily diet. If you are now eating green smoothies, tell me if you feel any definite benefits from doing so.
Bonus Entries
[do as many of the following as you want. However, you will need to come back and leave an entry telling me that you did it for every single one of them!]
2. Participants of 3-day Green Smoothie Challenge and Back to Eden Vegan Forum get a bonus entry—make sure to leave a separate comment if you take part in either or both [if you are doing both, make two separate entries].
3. Sign up for my Newsletter [on the right hand side of the blog, or through Subscribe Page] and leave a comment that you did it.
4. Twitt about this giveaway using the following line:
Green For Life book #giveaway by @elenawilkins of #Vegan Recipes blog http://bit.ly/bVcBWv.
Come back and tell me that you did it with a link to your twit.
[For extra entries, Twitt about it once a day [max], and leave a comment every time you do it.]
5. If you have a blog, blog about this giveaway and come back to tell me, leaving a link to the post.
When mentioning the giveaway, please use the following line:
Elena of Eat Healthy! Be Happy! Vegan Recipes and Living Blog is giving away Green for Life by V. Boutenko. Enter to win HERE. [If the link does not work, add this http://bit.ly/bVcBWv]
That’s it!
Make sure to leave your name and e-mail. [When you are entering e-mail address in the comment form, not the comment section itself, it is NOT visible to anyone but me!]
Deadline: April 13th [the last day of our 30-day Green Smoothie Challenge!], 11:59 PM, Pacific Time.
Good morning lovely readers! The sun is out and shining in Longview WA, and I, with my vegan self, am enjoying as much of it as I can sneak through the window. The sun does put me in a very good mood, which is beneficial for everyone! I am going to tell you why.
Premier Organics, the makers of Artisana butters recently sent me some samples of their goodness to try.
[click on the image to see it larger]
I enjoyed every single one of their samples, but I have to admit that Coconut Butter and Cacao Bliss butter were by far my favorite, followed closely by the Cashew and Macadamia butters. I simply could not get enough of them… until I ran out! It was great to much on butters and spreads that were actually GOOD for me!
I used to eye Artisana butters every time I went to Whole Foods, thinking that one day I will splurge and try some. Everything from their packaging [glass jars], to their colorful labels, the fact that they the butters are RAW and ORGANIC was appealing to me. Well, now I had tried them and I am HOOKED!
Premier Organics, the makers of Artisana is a small organic food company trying to make a big difference. They make and create living and organic butters and spreads. They are devoted to sustainable living and support the organic and living foods movement. They try to buy their foods as close to the farmer as possible. In many cases they are able to buy straight from the organic farmers. That’s how they operate. It is how they live their lives.
Handmade with care, their organic live foods are crafted using a special low heat process that always preserves the life-essential fatty acids, proteins, vitamins, and enzymes.
Their mottos is: Artisana: Raw life-energy from Sun to Plant to Body.
So, today, lucky you, you have a chance to enter to win a drawing for a jar of your very own Artisana Cacao Bliss RAW Coconut Chocolate Butter [it is YUMMY!].
NOTE: The contest is open to US Residents ONLY! Sorry, folks, international shipping is too expensive and I am shipping this item myself.
Here is how you can enter:
1. Leave a comment under this post asking a question about vegan/raw diet. It has to be something that is REALLY of interest to you and has been on your mind. Please DO NOT ask just any ol’ question to make an entry.
I will later do a post answering some of the questions.
For EXTRA entries do as many of the following as you want. However, you will need to come back and leave an entry telling me that you did it:
2. Twitt about this giveaway using the following line:
Enter to Win #Raw #Organic Coconut Artisana Butter @elenawilkins #Vegan Recipes blog http://bit.ly/9uPdeD
Come back and tell me that you did it with your Twitter username.
For extra entries, Twitt about it once a day [max], and leave a comment every time you do it.
That’s it! I am sure I could think of many other ways to help you with more entries, but 8 are way more than enough.
Make sure to leave your name and e-mail. [When you are entering e-mail address in the comment form, not the comment section itself, it is NOT visible to anyone but me!]
Good morning, loves! Hope your week is going well and you are loading up on your greens.
I am VERY excited! I received an e-mail from my farmer yesterday letting me know that he has greens and radishes—ALREADY! I could not tell you how exciting it is. With the 30-Day green smoothie challenge my green intake has gone up tremendously—I inhaled 40 oz of green smoothies yesterday. It made me shutter thinking how much I have to spend on organic greens at the local grocery store [although it is still not as much as average American spends on meat and dairy products and processed foods per week]. Well, no more fears or tears for me! No, sir!
Yesterday I got 3 full grocery bags of greens:
• Spinach
• Mustard greens [very mild kind]
• Lambsquarters
• Radishes and radish green
• 2 different varieties of lettuce
Bok choy
All for $10!!! Can you believe this? Just look at all the goodness [I was washing, drying and bagging; some greens, because there was so much, went directly into the freezer, so they would not spoil or oxidize too much].
Here are a couple of Green Smoothie Recipes I made with these greens already:
Lambquarters Delight
Makes 32 oz.
• 2 cups water
• 1 banana
• 4-5 plums
• 2 handfuls [about 5-6 oz] lambsquarters
• 1 tbs wheat grass powder**
Very light to taste. Refreshing.
Bock Choy Plums
Makes 64 oz.
• 3 cups water
• 2 oranges
• 1 banana
• 4 plums
• 6-8 oz bock choy
• 3 tbs hemp seeds
• 3 tbs goji barries*
• 1/4 cup dulse flakes*
• 4 dates for sweetness, if needed
To my individual drink Added
• 1 tbs wheat grass powder**
• 1 tbs maca powder*
*designates SUPERFOODS and is optional, although highly encouraged
**breastfeeding mothers are encouraged to avoid wheat grass as it might decrease lactation
As you can imagine with greens coming into my body, opening it up for healing, my whole body and my skin is just glowing: more energy, less skin dryness. However, being that it is still cold outside, the air is dry, and we simply don’t live in a perfect world, I still need a little help to keep my skin, especially my face, pampered and moisturized. Sprout Wellness to the rescue!
About 3 weeks back, wonderful folks at Sprout Wellness, makers of the most natural skin care products that I know so far, had mailed me a little sample pack to try out their goodies.
I tried them out and I am in L-O-V-E! Their all-Over Cream is my favorite—very moisturizing and nourishing, and… has only 3 ingredients in it!
• shea butter
• organic extra-virgin coconut oil
• organic extra-virgin olive oil
Yes, you read it right—ORGANIC and RAW!!! You can actually eat this stuff, that is how good AND safe it is. [Don’t forget that skin is the largest body organ—whatever goes ON it, ends up on the INSIDE of us, so BEWARE what you slather your skin with!]
The cream feels light and nourishing on the skin. The amazing part is—you need very LITTLE of it to cover your whole face—I use only about the size of a green pea for my entire face, so it lasts you a long time.
I am almost out of my cream, and as much as I enjoyed using coconut oil ONLY on my body, I am HOOKED! I am getting ready to place an order to get MORE of their good stuff! I have not heard of any other company offering RAW, VEGAN, ORGANIC skin care, not yet.
I also enjoyed the facial cleanser and toner—good stuff! I gave my lip balm away to my nephew to enjoy.
So, folks, ladies and gents alike, if you are looking for good, nourishing, safe, healing skincare, look no further. Go to Sprout Wellness and place your order—take my word for it—you will like it!
DISCLAIMER: Sprout Wellness did not pay me to do a review, neither did they ask for it when I requested a sample from them. If any of my readers purchase Sprout Wellness products I get NO kickbacks or rewards—just happy people :).
Questions of the day:
1. How is your GREEN intake coming along? Did you up it this week?
2. What skin care products did you find that are good, safe, nourishing AND edible?
Before I tell about the product I am reviewing today, let me tell you a little story [you can find an in-depth recount of it on my August 2008 blog entry].
After moving to Washington State a couple of years back I met a young lady at the local nutrition store. Well, it was more like I ambushed her.
Demetrye and I were already vegan when we moved, and in a small town of Longview, where obesity rates soar up to 70%+ vegans and health seekers are a rarity. I quickly found out that there is only ONE health food store for the whole county of 100,000 people, which closes at 6 pm promptly. Forget about a Whole Foods or a vegan group/association or anything like that. It felt a bit lonely!
One day, while at the aforementioned nutrition store, I was informed that there was a raw vegan in town. The owner of the store gave me her name, and I was looking forward to one day meeting her. As I was about to leave the store she was coming in, and someone pointed her out to me. Being me… I went straight to her, all excited, introduced myself and started chatting away. Oops! I think I scared her at first. But… now the rest is history, as our families have befriended and we spent a lot of quality time together.
Darlene, my dear friend, introduced me to a couple of books that really influenced my life/health. One of them was: Green for Life, by V. Boutenko.
Green for Life
The book covers the results of the Roseburg study conducted by Victoria and Dr Fieber. It reveals the unique healing potential of greens, in particular Green Smoothies. This book is illustrated with anecdotes, diagrams and pictures.
Victoria was originally looking for a way to improve her family’s raw food diet, which cured her family of numerous ailments—a diet based on fruit, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and avocados. While this eating regiment helped her family's health tremendously, Boutenko couldn't help but notice something was missing. After extensive research, she came to the conclusion that without a sufficient amount of greens one cannot reach optimal health.
Greens make our body more alkaline, add fiber, and provide a wide spectrum of prime nutrients. Chlorophyll effectively aids in the healing of many human ailments.
Green for Life explains why eating more green leafy vegetables can help normalize the acidity level in the stomach. Greens can give us so much energy we will actually require less sleep.
In addition to Victoria’s recount of her research, Green for Life includes 23 delicious smoothie recipes with ingredients like romaine, strawberries, and bananas, to get you started on drinking your way to a healthier life. Plus, Boutenko shares the testimonies of her research subjects who drank 1 quart of her green smoothie every day with astonishing results.
My Green Smoothie Experiment
Having read the book, although interested, I was a bit skeptical. I knew greens are good for us, but the claims that I read in the book were a bit outlandish even for me. And, being me, I decided to conduct my OWN experiment. I decided to go on a strict regimen of Green Smoothie drinking for 30 Days.
I made a list of things I wanted to observe—one has to have expectations, and kept a journal of my daily food intake. Here is one of the entries:
22 days after doing green smoothies EVERY SINGLE day, at least 16 oz. a day, I checked my foot and the wart fell out right into the palm of my hand!!! No zapping, no freezing and burning... It was OUT!!!
Don’t be alerted at me talking about warts with such enthusiasm. It is not warts that I am really excited about, but the power of God-given nutrition, that we—the human race—are yet to discover with all of our technological and scientific advances.
[and here is a shot of my fridge during my experiment days—being prepared helps to ensure a successful experiment]
So, if you are looking for a good read or a great present for someone you love, grab a copy of Green for Life! [click on the link to be taken directly to it]
Another way you might get a copy of Green for Life is by becoming a member of our on-line vegan forum Back to Eden. I am giving away a copy of this amazing book to one "green" member of our community this week... and maybe more in the future. Simply click on the link to find out more about the community and get your membership.
Best of all to everyone! Happy Tuesday and Happy Green Smoothie Drinking.
Green Smoothie Challenge Continues!
Our Green Smoothie Challenge is going STRONG. We already have a couple of pretty amazing testimonies. One of our members, just a week after starting on Green Smoothies was healed of an exzema on her scalp. Talk about miracles!
A few weeks ago, cool folks at http://www.cookware.com/ contacted me and asked to do a review of their Tribest Automatic Sprouter. I was excited! I had seen a Tribest Sprouter at a friend’s house once and the sprouts growing in it looked beautiful, so, naturally, I wanted to try the sprouter myself.
At the same time I have been thinking about doing a post on teaching folks how to sprout seeds at home, without having to spend too much time on it, or spend too much money at a local grocery store on buying sprouts.
It was only logical to combine the two things together, so I decided to do a Side by Side review of home [jar] sprouting and sprouting using Tribest Automatic Sprouter.
Watch the video [I literally took over 5 days to do the comparison and draw conclusions], and then read about the Benefits of Sprouting below it.
[Warning :) in the first few frames you will see a shot “How to Sprou”—it was not an intentional mistake—I actually did type SPROUT [I have a proof], but somehow, during the creation of the video, Windows Movie Maker squeezed the “t” out and I was too tired to go back and fix it. I am not illiterate… really ;)].
Now you have seen it for yourself that sprouting is easy and painless, and will take no more than 5 minutes of your time per day for up to 5 days. All you need is a jar, a breathable top [paper towel or a coffee filter will do] and a rubber band; or an Automatic Sprouter. That is it! If you rinse your seeds at least three times a day you won’t have to worry about bad bacteria or molding. It has worked for me and I am sure it will work for you.
If you are wondering about which method is my favorite, I will satisfy your curiosity: Jar Sprouting! I found it to be painless, takes little space and little time. It might be different for everyone, and once I in a while I might even pull out the sprouter that CSNstores.com sent me [yes, I got to keep it, but my opinion, as you can see is absolutely unbiased].
Now, let’s move on to the benefits of sprouting. Why should we eat sprouted seeds as opposed to waiting for a fully grown fruit/vegetable/legume, etc.?
Sprouted Seeds have been knows as the Ultimate Food
OVERVIEW
Sprouts are one of the most alkalizing, nutritious and easily digestible foods. Through the process of sprouting a seed releases all of its energy, vitamins and nutrients to transform into a strong plant.
Before sprouting the seed/nut is in a dormant state, covered with naturally protective shield knows as enzyme inhibitor to keep its core intact, preserving the life within, and making it hard for us to digest it [because of those enzyme inhibitors]. During the sprouting process new and higher quality proteins and other nutrients are produced, breaking and replacing the protective enzymes.
The endosperm of the seed is the storehouse of carbohydrates, protein, and oil. When the seed germinates, these become predigested amino acids and natural sugars on which the plant embryo feeds as it grows. At the stage of sprouting the seed’s nutritional value is at its height. Tests have shown that the nutrients in seeds and nuts are anywhere from 50% to 400% greater after sprouting or soaking. For example, lettuce sprouts contain up to 400% more protein than lettuce and over 3900% more beta-carotine. Another example, according to Rita Romano in her book Dining in the Raw, millet and wheat contain over 5 times the vitamin C when sprouted.
Sprouts contain a greater amount of vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes, phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, nitrosmines, trace minerals, bioflavinoids and chemo-protectants (such as sulphoraphane and isoflavone) which work against toxins, build our immune system, resist cell mutation than at any other point in the plant’s life.
The abundant enzymes in sprouts make them easily digestible. Living enzymes makes sprouts easily assimilated and metabolized by the body.
Studies have also shown that sprouts in general, and specifically sprouts of cruciferous vegetables contain exceptionally high levels of a natural cancer fighting compound called sulforaphane, which helps support antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E.
Research has show that ingesting seeds and nuts with the enzyme inhibitors intact can actually be harmful to us, resulting in gastrointestinal problems, enlarged pancreas and a condition that leads to the excretion and therefore loss of needed enzymes. Sprouting helps us avoid such problems, and on the contrary, heals our bodies from within.
As you have seen in the video, sprouting is EASY and can be done by anyone, nearly anywhere. The benefits of sprouting are too great to list [although I will take a stab at it] and too important to ignore. When the seed releases its life to produce a sprout it generates new healthy cells, and through ingestion of sprouts our bodies can do the same.
Sprouts do not only help our bodies fight cancerous invaders, but also retard the aging process, by helping our bodies to balance male and female hormones alike.
Based on all of this information it should be concluded that sprouts should occupy a prominent place in our diet [in fact, at this very moment I am sprouting a jarful of mixed seeds, which will be ready for eating in a day or two :)]. Organic seeds do not cost much, can be easily stored, and, as you have seen it, easily grown.
Equipment Needed
As you have seen, you need very little: a jar, a paper towel and a rubber band, or an automatic sprouter.
[I use clean, filtered water for sprouting, just as I do for drinking.]
What to Sprout
SEEDS: alfalfa, celery, clover, oats, radish, fenugreek, and sunflower.
Soak the desired amount of seeds for 5-12 hours or overnight, covering the top with a breathable cover and securing with a rubber band. Place the jar in a dark area, at room temperature. After soaking, drain, rinse. Lay the jar on a side to give seeds more room to spread and grow. Rinse 3 times a day, draining water through a strainer. Rinse seeds with lukewarm water.
For the next 5 days repeat the process, keeping sprouts at room temperature in place away from direct sunlight. If desired, on the last day, place sprouts in the light to increase their chlorophyll content.
At the end of last day, separate seeds and place into containers [preferably glass] or bags, and refrigerate. Remember that seeds will keep expending, although very slowly.
GRAINS: rye, wheat, buckwheat, barley, millet, and rice. Same directions as for the seeds.
LEGUMES: lentils, mung beans, and soy beans. Due to the hardness the initial soaking time should be increased to 12-15 hours.
Note: Sunflower and lentil sprouts should not be larger than the seed itself in order to be palatable. Sunflower and lentil seeds take only 2-3 days to sprout.
Sprouts can be refrigerated for up to two weeks. However, it is better to sprouts small amounts frequently since seeds and sprouts tend to become rancid when held for too long.
Where to buy Organic Seeds
Your local health food store should be your first stop. If you have a Whole Foods near you, your will find a variety of seeds there, and even seeds blends, like the one I used in the video.
Nutritional Value
All LEGUMES are In both protein and starch and are acid-forming unless sprouted.
Maintain a diet diverse with greens, seeds, nuts, vegetables, to maintain a proper balance of acidity and alkalinity. Diets heavy in protein result in excessive acidity. Sprouting helps to reduce the acid-alkaline imbalance.
Mung beans are rich in vitamins A, C, and B complex.
Most SEEDS contain a lot of phosphorous—mineral that increases alertness and mental abilities. Phosphorous is also necessary for healthy bones and teeth, which makes sprouted seeds desirable food for babies and children.
Sunflower seeds are rich in vitamins B and D and all the essential amino acids.
Sesame seeds are a rich source of calcium, iron, phosphorous, niacin, and protein.
Alfalfa contains much chlorophyll, and vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E, G. K, and U. It also has large amounts of iron, calcium, phosphorous, and sulphur.
GRAINS: Sprouted wheat contains vitamins C, E, B complex, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, protein, enzymes, chlorophyll, and possibly B-17. While in its cooked form, wheat is unacceptable to some individuals, causing mucus congestion, allergic reaction, and constipation, whe sprouted, a large portion of starch is converted to simple sugars, making it a wholesome food acceptable to many who would otherwise need to eliminate wheat as a food source.
Buckwheat is rich in lecithin and rutin.
Eating Sprouts
Having read the benefits of sprouting you must realize that sprouts are most beneficial when eaten raw. Cooking will kill the precious enzymes that make sprouts the most digestible source or protein and various minerals and vitamins.
You can include sprouts on sandwiches, add to salads, and soups [again, without being cooked].
Sprouts can be blended for baby food, sauces, and dressings.
Conclusion
Sprouts are a God given powerhouse and should take a prominent place in our diet.
So, don’t wait any longer, get out, get seeds, find a big jar and get to sprouting!
I hope you have found this tutorial and review to be of a great value.
Happy Sprouting!
Disclaimer: Although I got to keep the product I reviewed, my opinion is completely unbiased and depended on the outcome of my experiment. I did NOT get paid to do this review and get no further perks for having it on my blog.
You can find Tribest Automatic Sprouter at cookware.com [linked] or at Amazon [my affiliate link on the left--not visible in RSS].
Wow, who would have thought that Product Reviews could be this fun! But… don’t let me get ahead of myself.
In the last couple of weeks you have heard be rave about my new obsession: Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate ice cream. I am not a sweets person. Never was and don’t plan to be either. But DC [Dark Chocolate] is an exception.
How did I ever let it happen to me?!
About a year ago Demetrye and I were vacationing in Bend, OR and I had a craving. Wonderful as my hubby is, he ran out to the store to get me chocolate ice cream that I favored at that time [I won’t mention it here, but it was vegan also]. He came back, beaming from ear to ear with the spoil in his hands… only it turned out to be the WRONG ice cream! It was Coconut Bliss Dark Chocolate.
Oh, no! What was I gonna do?
Good thing I decided to give it a try. After the first two spoonfuls I was hooked. Yes, like dangling up in the air, feet off the ground HOOKED. The ice cream was creamy, rich, chocolaty… [did I mention it was DARK chocolate?!], it was ORGANIC and the whole pint was MINE! I’ve become very possessive of my ice cream since. [How could something so WRONG (Demetrye's mistake) be SO RIGHT?!]
So, a couple of weeks ago wonderful folks from Luna and Larry’s Coconut Bliss sent me a couple of coupons to try their different flavors [since I am stuck on only one], and one [1] coupon to give away to a lucky reader of my blog. YEAH!!! That’s a double win in my book.
But, since I am a very generous person [and I am not just tooting my horn, you will see that in a moment], I decided to spread Blissful Love with others. I held on [as hard as it might have been for me] to those coupons until last week’s Cooking Class. I sent out a quick survey to the participants and we decided to try Dark Chocolate [yeah for me], and Pineapple Coconut. I actually wanted to try Cherry Amaretto, but their votes outweighed mine. [sigh]
Watch this video to see what they thought about it.
Now that you have seen it, I am sure you want to try it [and so you should!].
One lucky winner will receive a coupon good for one pint of their favorite ice cream in the mail [I mail the coupon, you take it to your grocery store and find your favorite flavor there].
You have to live in the continental US to get the prize [sorry, folks, international postage gets a little spendy ;)].
Here are is how you can enter [you can enter as many times as you see listed below—it is totally up to you!]: 1. Leave a comment and tell me your favorite CB flavor [click on the link to see all of them].
2. Make sure to leave your name and an e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.
3. Follow me on Twitter, and Twit about this giveaway, then come back and leave a comment about it.
4. Friend me up on FaceBook and post about this giveaway with a link to the post, then come back and leave a comment about it.
5. Sign up for my Newsletter [on the right side of the blog at the top], then come back and leave a comment about it. Make sure to confirm your subscription first, by going to your e-mail box and responding to the e-mail requiring a confirmation. If you do not confirm your subscription your entry will be disregarded.
6. Follow my blog [look on the right hand side panel and you will see a list of followers that you can add yourself to], then leave a comment about it.
7. Add my blog to your blog roll, then come and leave a comment about it.
I am a huge smoothie drinker. One of the things that I had always wished for, simple as it may be, was to have glass straws to enjoy my smoothies even more. I know it sounds weird, but I am one of those people that occasionally ended up with a green mustache... and forgot to look in the mirror before heading out of the door.
In the beginning I thought it was only wishful thinking, but with time I noticed that there in fact are glass straws out there. You can imagine how ecstatic I was when David, from GlassDharma, set me a set of their straws for a review. Like I have told you before--it does not take much to get me excited. But this is a perfect solution to the plastic pollution we are experiencing. And the straws are not only pretty, but also reusable.
Here is what David, the creator of these handmade beauties, has to say about this amazing product: * Glass straws don’t leach toxins into your food as you drink. * Each time you use your glass straw equals one less plastic straw ending up in your landfill. * One glass straw replaces thousands of plastic straws. (How many times will you use a straw the rest of your life?) * Using your glass drinking straw adds a feeling of beauty to your day.
You might not get his last statement until you actually get to use the straws yourself. But if a picture is worth a thousand words, let me try to say what I mean with one picture: Aren't they gorgeous? [You can click on the image to see it larger.]
Since this is a product review I had to make sure that I really liked these straws. In the last few days I made a variety of different drinks and smoothies. My 80-year old Mom and I fell in love with the straws. Her favorite two are the bigger ones, as are mine. The small decorative straw is perfect for more liquid drinks and shallower glasses, but is totally fun too.
My green mustache days are over! Thank you, David! Thank you, GlassDharma!
David, being the nice guy that he is, agreed to provide a $25 gift certificate to one of my readers toward a purchase of any of GlassDharma products. The gift certificate will be e-mailed to the winner.
Now, that is EXCITING! The winner will get to pick what s/he likes!
If you win, you will need to respond to the announcement within 48 hours or I will redo the drawing and the prize will go to someone else.
Now I will tell you what you can do to enter the drawing to get the $25 certificate. And, since I am so nice, I will give you more than one chance to do it. You can do as many things as you wish listed below to increase your chances of winning.
1. Leave a comment and tell me why you should win GlassDharma $25 gift certificate. Make sure to leave your name and an e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. 2. Follow me on Twitter, and Twit about this giveaway, then come back and leave a comment about it. 3. Friend me up on FaceBook and post about this giveaway with a link to the post, then come back and leave a comment about it. 4. Sign up for my Newsletter [on the right side of the blog at the top], then come back and leave a comment about it. Make sure to confirm your subscription first, by going to your e-mail box and responding to the e-mail requiring a confirmation. If you do not confirm your subscription your entry will be disregarded. 5. Follow my blog [look on the right hand side panel and you will see a list of followers that you can add yourself to], then leave a comment about it. 6. Add my blog to your blog roll, then come and leave a comment about it. 7. Subscribe to my RSS Feed, and leave a comment about it. 8. If you have a blog, mention this giveaway in your post, directing to my post and leave an additional comment under this post.
Phew... I think I have given anyone more than enough enough chances to win this giveaway. It is completely up to you how many entries you will submit based on the list above.
The drawing will be held after 9 pm this coming Sunday, February 21, and the winner will be announced on February 22nd.
