Back To Basics

That was how I looked last May, not even a year ago. Look how fresh and clear my skin was! I've managed to make it through this whole winter so far without a head cold or any illness, and I'm so thankful about that, but I've been feeling so crappy lately...run down, headaches, blemishes on my face so I have to (or I feel I have to) wear makeup. Ick ick ick!
So I've decided to go back to raw. Not 100% or 70% or any set percentage. If I set a "goal" I feel terrible if I fail, (and I also get burned out) so I'm just going to try to eat raw throughout the day and then a cooked meal for dinner. I'm really wondering if introducing milk back into my diet is contributing in making me feel so icky also. I'm not taking milk back out, but I am going to limit it (and any milk I bring into the house is hormone free).
It's so wonderful to wake up in the morning and have your whole routine be put on clothes, throw on a head wrap and go. No time standing in front of the mirror attempting to hide the grossness, and no lounging in bed all morning because I'm too tired to get moving. I'm serious, it's amazing how you feel when you are eating mostly raw, and you don't even appreciate it until you get away from it and start feeling icky again.

The Perfect Breakfast Casserole!

Preferably, use organic ingredients:) You can make this vegan by using egg replacer.

6 large potatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
fresh mushrooms
A dozen eggs
Canola Oil

Method:

Chop potatoes and bring to boil in large pot.
Saute the onion and mushrooms in the oil.
When the potatoes are soft, drain them and then add the onion and mushrooms to them. Mix. You'll have an almost mashed potato texture. Put the mixture into a 9x13 pan.
Beat the eggs and pour over the potato mixture.

Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked.

Enjoy!!!

My Goalie Goal

My ultimate goal is to be a raw vegan. Folks, that means that eventually I will only eat raw vegetables, fruit, greens and nuts/seeds. I will state right now that I will probably never give up coffee and chocolate, the raw foodies can just throw me out of the group! ha. For now I'm going to start with just be vegan (no animal products) with an emphasis on eating mostly raw. I'm going to start blogging my daily meals, so you can all follow my journey...because isn't that interesting?? lol.

I started Thursday:

Breakfast:

The Good: 4 Plums, 2 bananas, and a green smoothie
The Bad: Starbucks (hey, I said I'm not giving up coffee!)

Snack: Cashews and blueberries

Dinner: Amy Organics frozen dinner...something Chinese. We had Vacation Bible School and I was really hungry so I stopped at the grocery store and picked that up.

Snack: grapes

Friday I'm not remembering for some reason. Oh well....on to Saturday.

Breakfast: 4 bananas

Lunch: Went to a wedding shower and had cooked seasoned potatoes, salad w/vinegarette dressing, bread, and steamed veggies. I skipped the butter, but the potatoes possibly were cooked with butter, I didn't ask. I was good and skipped dessert:)

Dinner:
Had a blogger meetup at a restaurant. I had tortilla chips w/salsa, and then the Spinach and Goat Cheese salad without the goat cheese, bacon and hard boiled eggs:)

Sunday:
Breakfast:
the good: Grapes
the bad: coffee

Lunch: we had a cookout after church, I had seasoned potatoes, tons of fruit, jumbalia w/out the meat, swiss chard (yum!) and some veggies. No dips and no sweets:)

Dinner: 2 cucumbers

That's were I am. I'm also drinking tons of water. I've been feeling dizzy lately like I have low blood sugar, but when I've had adequate amounts of water it doesn't happen, so I've been trying to make sure I drink tons.
I think as long as I don't set the bar too high I'll be fine. Too many restrictions I think would cause me to fail, that's why I'm still allowing coffee and chocolate:) I also think that I need to keep a calorie count, but I haven't yet and I don't feel like I'm starving myself so I think I'm fine right now.

Do you think I'm crazy??

Cancer Dogs

With summer comes the almighty BBQ. You've probably already been to a couple, and maybe had a few yourself. This is what I dread about summer. Ugh. People invite us over, and really it is kind and great to get away and have fellowship with friends, but it also brings about tantrums when I don't allow my kids to eat the bloody hot dogs. (and yes, I know that bloody is really the "F" word i Europe...whoops!)

Here are the ingredients in a beef hot dog:BEEF, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SODIUM LACTATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM DIACETATE, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA, DRIED GARLIC, SPICE, SODIUM NITRITE.

And I don't care if all the crap is less than 2% of the hot dog, it's still gross. According to CSPI, Sodium nitrate is linked to cancer:
" Several studies have linked consumption of cured meat and nitrite by children, pregnant women, and adults with various types of cancer. Although those studies have not yet proven that eating nitrite in bacon, sausage, and ham causes cancer in humans, pregnant women would be prudent to avoid those products.

The meat industry justifies its use of nitrite and nitrate by claiming that it prevents the growth of bacteria that cause botulism poisoning. That’s true, but freezing and refrigeration could also do that, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has developed a safe method using lactic-acid-producing bacteria. The use of nitrite and nitrate has decreased greatly over the decades, because of refrigeration and restrictions on the amounts used. The meat industry could do the public’s health a favor by cutting back even further. Because nitrite is used primarily in fatty, salty foods, consumers have important nutritional reasons for avoiding nitrite-preserved foods."

OK, go ahead and argue that it's only linked to cancer, and that it's less than 2% of the dog. But please think about how many you're letting your kids eat. People stuff their kids with hot dogs because they're filling, cheap and easy. Barf.

I'm going to have to start carrying soy dogs in my bag, just in case. Oh, and bologna has the same stuff in it, along with most lunch meats.

Helllloooo There!

Hold on a second while I dust this thing off! Man, it's been a while since I posted on here! Mainly because I've fallen off the wagon a little bit. I was doing about 70/30 as far as the raw diet was concerned and now I'm probably about 50/50. Still everything we eat is organic (unless I'm sneaking a cookie at church), just not raw...but my main goal on here was to talk about eating healthy food without all the chemicals, additives and all around poisons they allow in our foods.

I have made some yummy recipes from RAWvalution, just didn't get around to posting about them. Yeah, I'm a slacker. I won't leave you without a good food tip though:)

When you're out and about and have the urge to stop for lunch, because you know it's easier and faster than making something from home and bringing it with you, go to Subway and get a Veggie Delight. Oh, they're so wonderful. I get mine on Italian Herb and Cheese bread with everything except jalapeños (because I'm a huge wimp when it comes to spicy), and with vinegar. It's so good, and you won't feel weighed down and guilt ridden.

Ok, that's my 2 cents for today. I hope to be more regular on here, but don't hold me to that!!

RAWvolution

I just bought Matt Amsden's book, RAWvolution. I'm in love. Finally, a raw food cookbook with recipes that a normal person, not living in a huge city can make!

Tonight I made this:

Stir-Not Fry
1/2 C shredded carrots
1/2 C shredded zucchini
1/2 C shredded daikon
1 head bok choy
1/2 C diced red bell pepper
1/2 C shredded red cabbage
1 head broccoli, stems shredded, florets left whole
1/2 C snow peas, cut in half crosswise
1/2 C shredded parsnips
1/4 C scallions, cut diagonally
one 3 inch piece burdock root, cut into small discs
1/4 C fresh parsley
1 Tbls black or blonde raw sesame seeds

For the dressing:
1/3 C ume vinegar
1/3 C Nama Shoyu
8 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1 1/4 C olive oil

In a bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients and toss to mix thoroughly.

To make the dressing, in a high-speed blender, combine the vinegar, nama shoyu, garlic, and ginger. While the blender is running, pour in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until the dressing has emulsified (you may not have to used the full amount ). Pour over the salad, mix well, and serve.


Or you could do what I did and buy a few bags of frozen veggies(or a few bags of stir fry), set them out to thaw, make the dressing as he calls for it and add it to the veggies:) Viola!

It was wonderful. I used only 5 cloves of garlic and I think it's going to be seeping out of my pores for the next 3 days...not so much next time. He has a delish looking "Strawberry Fields Forever" strawberry pie that I cannot wait to make!!!

Strawberry Fields Forever:

For the crust:
2 C raw almonds, finely ground in a food processor
1/2 C agave nectar

For the filling:
1 1/2 C strawberries
14 C agave nectar

To make the crust:
in a mixing bowl, combine the ground almonds and agave nectar, and mix well. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and sides of a 5 inch pie tin.

To make the filling:
in a food processor, slice the strawberries with the slicing disc. Transfer the sliced berries to a mixing bowl, add the agave nectar, and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the pie crust and serve.

Doesn't that sound YUM??? I can't wait to get some strawberries!!!

Rockin' The PB&J

Can we save the planet by eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
More wonderful reasons to eat more plant based foods and less animal based foods. Click HERE to read all about it!

Of course if you wanted a raw PB&J you could always use Ezekiel bread with raw jelly and raw almond butter! Or skip the Ezekiel bread and put it on a romaine leaf!


Happy eating!