Today is not my wedding anniversary. But today is the day that Basil and I will be celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary. You see, when we picked our wedding date, Basil failed to mention that it was going to fall during the Stanley Cup finals every. single. year! This year since the Red Wings are in the playoffs (as they have been for the past 17 years!!, Go Wings *ahem*) we have to celebrate on a non-game night. Our actual anniversary is on June 2nd, Monday night; Game 5 between the Penguins. These are the kinds of things you overlook for the love of your life. Look at those eyes. How could I ever say no to that man?
So, today we are spending the day leisurely making our way to Asheville, where we will be having dinner at Laughing Seed Cafe and then spending the night at my mother's place in Hendersonville. A whole day alone together with no work, planning, or distractions. Yippee!
Happy 7th Anniversary, baby. I love you. --------------------------- This is the song that was playing during our first dance as husband and wife. Baby Love Child by Pizzacato Five.
Zuchinni Fettucini: Peel one zuchinni per person into strips using a good old fashioned peeler. Pesto: Put one grocery store bunch of basil, one handful of raw pecans, juice of half a lemon, 1 TBS of garlic, and salt to taste into the mini food processor, blender, or whatever you have to chop and mix it all up. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust to the way you like it.
Serve the pesto over the zuchinni, and sprinkle tomato and pecan pieces on top for extra flavor and zing!
Today I am as country as cornbread! I show off my country teeth, and talk about how my brain is not yet ready to accept a sustitute for good old fashioned bread!
Today I talk about my tick bite, and the possibility that I might have Celiac Disease. Sorry to be gross, but I have to tell you about the rash that I've had on my ankles for 10-12 YEARS! I am pretty sure it's Dermatitis Herpatiformis, and I'm having a biopsy done next week to confirm that.
I got adventurous today, and broke out the Ronco dehydrator again. I have been eyeing the raw eggplant ravioli recipe over at Vegan Menu: Raw Eggplant Ravioli Recipe
So, this morning I got up and made my own version of it with what I had in the house. I am so envious of the mandoline that tofu666 uses! I had to cut my eggplant down in circumfrence to make it work with my (ahem, cheap ass!) mandoline. So, my ravioli were not as big and lucious as they could have been. But the flavor? Wonderful!
Also, I made a really simple orange pepper sauce to top it off with instead of the alfredo, since I knew that Basil would like the pepper sauce more. I served it over julienned carrots with a little sprinkling of spinach on top for garnish.
Overall, I think it's a great raw meal, and one that I want to try again. Next time I will use two pieces of my small eggplant to make one ravioli, so that they can be a little more formidable. Oh, and I misread the recipe and used the juice of one entire lemon in the marinade which made my ravioli kind of tangy. I actually really liked that, and don't think I'd change it the next time I make this dish.
Mmm. Mmm. Good. I scarfed it down in a nano second.
Basil and I have spent the last two days planning out the next 12 months. We've got 25 goals on the dining room walls, but by the end of the weekend there can be only 10.
I hope Basil votes for "Go 2 Paris". C'mon, Paris!
One of the things that I demand of my green smoothies is that they past the straw test. You know the one. The smoothie has to be thick enough to support a straw stuck strategically in at a perfect angle without touching the side of the glass. This morning's smoothie passed with flying colors. A handful of almonds, two handfuls of spinach, and tons of pineapple, both fresh and frozen. And while I am not promoting any sort of criminal activity on this website, I will give you a tip on the three places that have the best and fattest straws that just happen to be out in convenient little dispensers for the entire world to enjoy. Moe's Southwest Grill ("Welcome to Moe's!") has extra long red fat straws like the one you see pictured here. Starbucks provides deliciously fat green extra long straws, perfect for frozen treats. And, of course, McDonald's (dear God, don't eat the food, just grab a straw!) is famous for its fat red and white striped straws, which might not be as long as the others but are still worth noting.
In the interest of not being a greedy pig, I do recommend rinsing out your fat straw and reusing it until you inevitably bend it, chew it, or wear a hole into one side. But if you happen to be near one of the three fine businesses listed above, you may want to stockpile a straw or two. After you've purchased something, and thus establish your inalienable right to pillage the condiment bins, of course. I'm just saying.
Oh my Lord. Today I got a package in the mail from Penni Shelton over at http://www.realfoodtulsa.blogspot.com/, filled with the most amazing raw treats and goodies. The woman is a raw food genius. I have to show you some of the treats she sent me.
My tastebuds are in raw food heaven. It's as if Barry Manilow is right here in the room singing me a love song. I have seen the light. With little nibblies like this, I know I can stay raw for the next 61 days and BEYOND!
Penni, you send me over the moon, you gorgeous woman!
I'm finally starting to get used to the idea of salad without some kind of meat or grain attached to it as a meal. It's taken almost 40 days to get there.
Beckett had his 4 year old immunizations today, and so I made him his favorite dinner: chicken and couscous. I didn't even slightly resent the boys as they sat and ate their chicken dinners. Progress.
Today I talk about how Basil and I are taking the next two days to set goals and to determine what would make the next year our best year yet.
Also, I wanted everybody to know that I'll be spending some time over the next few days getting back to everybody who has been so wonderful and written to me. I haven't really sent any e-mails in the last few days because I've been in such a funk. But I'm coming around. Big LOVE! xoxoxo
Remember yesterday how I didn't have a picture of Ani's Coconut Breakfast Cakes with the orange syrup? Well, here they are. I forgot that I had another serving of them in the fridge for this morning's breakfast. The recipe makes 4 good sized pancakes, and I can scarf two down for breakfast. Actually, today I had them for brunch, and added a few dried cranberries on top. Delish!
Also, the very sweet (and might I add quite HUNKY!) Joel Ohdner has a new eBook available on his website at http://www.joelsfood.com/. I was lucky enough to get a little sneak peek of it. Let me tell you, there are some desserts in that eBook that will make you smack your granny and tell her to get out of the kitchen! You definitely want to bookmark his site and pick up a copy of the eBook.
Wow, I just made the Coconut Breakfast Cakes with Orange Vanilla Syrup out of Ani Phyo's Ani's Raw Kitchen. I really meant to stop and take a picture, but that would have meant putting the fork down long enough to pick up the camera. Wasn't going to happen! Sweet, delicious, and very filling. The perfect thing for a white knuckler who woke up really hungry.
Oh, yeah, you know you want some of that delicious orange pepper flax seed dressing I whipped up. Note to self, do not like snow peas raw. Way too bitter.
Which do you think most people would find easier to change?
I posted this question last week on Ask500People.com . One voter commented, "People can rationalize anything, but what you like to eat gets established in the bone."
In your experience with humankind, which do you think most people would find easier to change? Vote Here!
Today I have my 30 Day Weigh In, and I have been raw for one month! I put together a little something special for all of you lovelies. Now, go and watch!
Today I will be going to my mom's house for lunch to celebrate Mother's Day. This is going to be my first raw family holiday, and I'm excited to be bringing a couple of raw dishes to share. When I talked to my mother yesterday she said that we would be doing our traditional family holiday meal: steak, baked potato, and salad. When my father was alive, he owned a small town grocery store, and was the neighborhood butcher. I grew up eating the best cuts of meat, and have always had an appreciation for great steaks.
I told my mom she didn't need to buy me a steak, and that I would bring the salad, a fruit, and a dessert. That will be my Mother's Day meal, and a chance for me to show the family how delicious the food is that I've been eating. My brother commented a few days ago that I looked like I had lost weight. I'm happy that it's already starting to show. But what I really think that he was noticing was that I wasn't sluggish and tired, and I was actually smiling. I think smiling definitely makes you look skinny! -------------------------------------
With a wonderful rosemary and parsley dressing, fresh pears, and a few blue cheese crumbles (for your friends who are not raw), this is a wonderful starter salad for a nice dinner with company, or great as a dinner salad.
The pears and the spinach together are just sweet and tasty.
Amazing Spinach & Pear Salad 1 large bag of spinach salad greens 3 medium pears, ripe 2 TBS rosemary, finely chopped 2 TBS parsley, finely chopped 4 TBS olive oil 4 TBS red wine vinegar 4 TBS rice vinegar 1/4 cup bllue cheese crumbles Salt and Pepper to taste
Wash your spinach and shake gently in collander to remove water. Slice pears very thinly, leaving the skin on. If you like smaller bites, cut to the size you like.
In a blender, small food processor, or a cup with a tight lid add the rosemary, parsley, oil, vinegars, salt and pepper. Blend until thoroughly mixed, or shake until thorougly mixed.
Toss the pears into the spinach greens. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss using your tongs.
I'm serving this topped with the Berry Compote, which is also in the book.
I went to the library to check out a couple of new raw food cookbooks, and picked up this wonderful book by Ani Phyo. The recipes are just what I was looking for: easy, fresh, and most of them don't require any fancy pants equipment. A blender, a good knife, and maybe a food processor (if you have one) will get you through most of the recipes in this book.
The other thing I love about this book is that Ani tells you how long things will keep in the fridge after you've made them. Oh, and there is a VERY HANDY page on substitutions for those of us who live in places that don't have easy access to things like dates and vanilla beans.
And OH MY LORDY! I made these donut holes when I got home to see if they would be good to take as dessert for this Mother's Day lunch. Let's just say I had to make another batch so that there would be enough to take for the party. Holy Dunkin Donuts, Batman! They are GREAT!
I'm definitely going to put this book on my gift list. And I'm going to return this copy to the library, and buy one for keeps. You can click on the picture of the book below to buy a copy of the book on Amazon. Or Click Here to Buy Ani's Raw Food Kitchen.
Today I ask for advice on how to stay raw while on the road. I will be traveling for work, and will be living out of a hotel for a week. Any suggestions for staying raw while traveling are greatly appreciated, and I'm sure others will also appreciate your sage advice!
Today I am celebrating the 1/4 milestone of my 100 Day Raw Food Challenge. I list some of my raw food experiences, and am excited to see where the next 25 days lead me.
Today I make Ray's Jicama Fries from www.GoneRaw.com and they are delicious!
Props to recipe creator Ray from GoneRaw. Here is a link directly to the recipe. Ray's Jicama Fries
There is something funky going on with my video camera! My theory? Demon possession!
UPDATE! I have been informed that it is pronounced Hick-a-ma, and not the redneck Southern way that I repeatedly say it in this video! Forgive the Bunny. She is a HICK as in Jicama! OMG, HOW EMBARASSING!
This is exactly why I love the Internet. You must go watch more of heita3's YouTube videos of his musical instruments made from raw vegetables. If this does not get you excited about raw food, nothing will and you have cold cold heart!
I think this guy should be invited to play at the Raw Spirit Festival that everyone is talking about!
This is a green smoothie recipe that you can prepare ahead of time, and put into the freezer. When things like fresh berries are in season or organic bananas go on sale, you can buy in bulk, and package up a bunch of green smoothies for the freezer. Pop them out and blend whenever you need a quick breakfast or meal. Perfect raw make ahead food.
Prop open a freezer bag. Add two giant handfuls of spinach, one giant handful of bananas, and one giant handful of blueberries.
Remove excess air from the freezer bag. Label the bag and place in the freezer. If you are not using a freezer bag, just follow the same steps with whatever freezing container you like. I use Ziploc 1 Gallon freezer bags, and then wash them out and reuse them. I prefer freezer bags because they will lie flat in my freezer when I am preparing 14 to 30 days worth of meals at a time.
On Smoothie Day, empty your freezer bag into the blender. Add around 12oz of water. Blend!
You may need more water, depending on your blender. I have a cheapy blender, so I have to add tons of water to get those greens mixed in there.
This is how the smoothie will look after you blend it. Now, tip it back and go sit in the sun. Drink the whole glass, and think about something you are grateful for. Then GET BACK TO WORK!
Until I started eating raw food I always disliked the grocery store closest to our house. I called it The Ghetto Grocery because they didn't carry a lot of the gourmet and snobby foods I would buy. You can't find Nutella at The Ghetto Grocery. And they don't have live lobsters in a tank!
But who knew you could get organic unsweetened coconut flakes, every kind of raw nut imaginable, flax seeds in bulk, and the most lovely fresh herbs I've ever seen in a grocery store. The Ghetto Grocery has got it going ON!
We were there yesterday, and the fresh dill looked amazing. So, I got up this morning and made little zuchninni bites with a raw dill and sunflower paste, filled with sweet peppers and tied with little carrot strings.
These are in the fridge waiting to be gobbled up for dinner. It was wonderful to spend a lazy morning in the kitchen being creative. I created a few new salad dressings, did a lot of chopping and bagging up of ingredients for sauces and smoothies for the week, and got some stuff into the freezer to help make the week less about chopping and mincing and dicing and more about the YUMMM.
Today I have my 20 Day Weigh In, and even though I am extremely water logged from PMS, I have actually lost a couple more pounds!
I spend some time today loving my wonderful online friends, and getting jiggy with it about how all it takes is changing your own mind to make a difference in the world.
I've had a few weeks to start getting my groove on with the raw food, and I think tonight I actually hit that threshold where I can transition into officially "chef'n it up!" I created this recipe tonight, and OMG, even if you don't try this as a main course, you should try this dish!
Carrot & Squash Pasta with Red Pepper Marinara by Bunnylicious Berry
Ingredients 2 small yellow summer squash 2 small carrots 1 large red pepper Handful of fresh basil leaves 1 tsp garlic salt 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried parsley 1 TBS juice from fresh lemon 2 TBS olive oil
Instructions Peel the squash and the carrots into "pasta" strips, and plate them in a pile with the carrot on bottom and squash on top. Save any left over squash and carrot pieces to blend into the sauce.
Cut the pepper into pieces, and put into food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until as smooth as you like it. Taste and season to your liking.
Spoon the pepper sauce over the pasta strips. Garnish with sprouts and a small handful of fancy raisins.
This is the best thing I have eaten since I have been raw. The sauce is a little runny, but who cares! I tipped my plate and drank it all up. It's just scrumptious! ENJOY!
Okay, I know this is going to sound crazy. But here goes. I can already see changes in my face since I've been eating a raw diet.
This picture was taken about a week before I started eating raw. Do you see that white cyst on my forehead there between the bangs? It looks like a little white zit. The dermatologist told me it was a cyst, and that the only way to remove it was to cut it out. I opted to leave it on my face, thank you very much.
After 20 day of eating raw, the cyst is completely GONE. There is no trace of it left. In fact, the skin on my face is completely different. It has a new texture. It's soft and feels younger.
Craving something sweet, so I whipped up these pumpkin seed balls.
1 giant spoonful of tahini 1 giant spoonful of almond butter Handful of raisins Handful of dried cranberries Handful of pumpkin seeds
Mix all in a bowl until thick enough to roll into balls. Roll into 1/2 inch balls, and then roll in whole raw sunflower seeds.
Try to forget about eating them until they have had time to flash freeze. If you can wait that long, you can either bag them up for later and keep them in the freezer for a "Dibs" like ice cream treat. Or you can just pop them in your mouth and eat them as soon as possible!
