Weekend Fare

Saturday summertime lunches around our place consist of the same meals as most others across the nation...including burgers and potato salad. One huge difference--the ingredients. Fresh, wholesome, living, and nutritious generally describe our dining table digs. 

Take for example, our potato salad. They will never even notice the eggs are replaced with cauliflower. Or that the mayo is a thick, creamy homemade dressing with lots of herbs.

(Almost) Raw Food Vegan Potato Salad:

- potato, grilled & chopped (nope, it's not raw, but I know what my boys will eat) 

[while the 'taters are grilling, start prepping other veggies] look here to see how we cook 'em

- cauliflower, chopped

- red peppers, chopped

- pickles, diced (don't skimp here...make your own or buy a health food store brand like Strub's or Bubbies)

- celery, chopped

- fresh herbs to taste--we love cilantro around here (some came up from last year already, but if you prefer a more traditional taste, use dill)

fake mayo:

- about 1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)

- about 1/3 cup cold-pressed olive oil

- a handful of raw sunflower seeds

- touch of brown rice syrup or honey

- lots of dill

- big blob of mustard

- a dash of salt

Blend in high speed blender until creamy; taste and adjust ingredients to your liking.

Add all veggie ingredients in one big bowl. Stir. Add fake mayo to the texture and taste that suites your fancy. Viola, that is one healthy bowl of potato salad.

Then comes the burger. You can make raw food burgers. They do take time and pre-planning, neither of which was handy last Saturday. So, my boys ate this store-bought non-soy, no junk variety (Bahama Rice Burger). As for me, I just eat my fixings as my burger atop a big piece of lettuce. Want to add some tongue tantalizers to the burger? Take some of the fake mayo and add mustard & ketchup to it. And please, use home made or health food store variety condiments without the high fructose corn syrup or anything gross like that. Now, that is a burger sauce worth biting into!

As I previously shared, my 'lil spud doesn't fancy raw onions like his Raw Food Mamma, so I grill those for him and his daddy. Add a touch of olive oil and they gobble 'em up. Prepare all the fixings and stack on a plate. Half the fun is stacking the burger high with piles of veggies. 

Of course one could ruin the whole healthy meal with bad bread or yucky buns. Buy some of this (Dave's Killer Bread) or make some of your own. My little fella and I baked whole wheat bread together and it was so fun. His is the mini-loaf with all the fresh herbs.

Include your kids in the food prep and meal assembly. They will eat more of these delicious veggies if they partake in the preparations. My guy loves gathering herbs from the raised beds while the dough is rising. I let him pick his own herbs, rinse them, cut them (with scissors), and knead them into the dough. It's okay if they don't do it your way or the "right" way, just let them try.

So, make your next summertime Saturday lunch so packed full of living foods nutrients, that they won't know what him 'em. But, they will certainly be back for more!

Kiddo in the Kitchen

As a raw foodist, I spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. And I love it. Thankfully, so does my son. Since infancy, I have involved him in food prep. Initially of course he was only an audience member, but now he is a full-fledged "chef" with his own apron and table knife. 

Back in the days (er, daze) when we had TV hooked-up to the outside world (via bunny ears to get 1 1/2 channels), my toddler son and I occasionally watched a couple of cooking shows on PBS. Apparently the shows rubbed off on him. As we would stand and work together at the counter, he would start talking. He would say things like this, "Okay people, now we are adding in the peppers. You just toss them on the top." And he would add in little diatribes like this, "Now, if you are wondering about the sauce, it is really easy to make. You just..." The first time I heard one of his narrations I asked him why he was talking aloud as he worked. He told me he was "talking to the people, mamma, just like on the cooking shows." Apparently he thought "the people" watched everyone work in the kitchen! 

Nowadays he is even used to the odd things food bloggers do with their fare, like photograph the food before consumption or photograph the food part way through consumption (because it looked so darned good that we had forgotten to snap an initial image). I try to leave the camera in its case and its drawer when quests are over for a meal. What would they think?!

Anyway, two days ago while my mom was here for a visit, we where schooling her in the fine art (ha!) of raw food prep and consumption. While I showed her our version of nori rolls, my son made his own salad. Then he said, "Take a picture, mamma. The people are really gonna want to see this!" So, I did. Here is the masterpiece my 5-year old made. Of course I did the cutting and chopping, as per his directions, but he dictated, assembled, and then shared it with his ma and grandma!

Kiddo's Salad

cooked quinoa on bottom

shredded cabbage

sliced carrots

chopped red peppers

topped with:

thin-sliced roma tomato

fresh-cracked pepper

smashed avocado

(lots of love & fun)

* If you are here from the Heavenly Homemakers Fruit & Veggie Challenge, 

please click here and here for CSA information, recipes & photos!

* And yes, I just noticed that one of the nori roll links with photos show my son and gasp! He is wearing the same clothes in those photos as in today's. Oh well, we worry more about what's on our plates than we do about being fashion plates!  ;-)

Where You Are

Recently some of you have contacted me -- wanting more information about eating healthier in general. Some had requests about green smoothies. Some had requests for healthier cooked food recipes. As I continue to eat a raw food vegan diet, I realize that is not where most of you are at in your journey toward health. I want to meet you where you are. 

I used to carry the burden that it was up to me to change people. Nope, not any more. It is ultimately up to God. And you, of course. So, if a HEALTHIER YOU is what you really want, pray for the wisdom, guidance, and strength to do it. Then, go for it!

Reality in my house...

Number of Raw Food Vegans: 1 - me

Number of Wholesome Food Vegans: 1 - 5-year old son

Number of Trying to be a Wholesome-Healthy Eater: 1 - husband

If you are on the Standard American Diet (SAD diet), but want to stick your leg overboard and dangle it into the waters of healthy eating, before taking the plunge, that is fine. We all need to start somewhere. I did. You can check out my journey here...

LUNCH

mostly Raw Food Salad

- salad

- organic baby salad greens

- organic celery (chopped)

- organic baby spinach

- organic cilantro (chopped)

- red onions (grilled slightly--so son will eat them!)

- sun dried tomatoes (chopped small -- for flavor)

- avocado "dressing" (ripe avocado fork-mashed, half organic lemon squeezed into green mash, dash sea salt, splash organic cold-pressed olive oil)

- toss all of the above together, enjoy!

* Sometimes I don't put amounts for my recipes. To tell you the truth, I am not much a recipe-follower. I get an idea. Then I do what I can with what I have! It is up to you. Make food you want to eat! If you like cilantro, put a whole cup in your salad. If you don't fancy onions, leave 'em out. Do it so you will eat it. And like it!

BREAKFAST

fruit-filled vegan coffee cake

Berry Mixture:

3 cups berries
(I used strawberries & blueberries)

1/2 cup water


1/2  cup honey or brown rice syrup

3 TBSP arrowroot powder or ground tapioca (thickener)

Cook blueberries and water together until boiling.  Turn down the heat, cover and simmer for about five minutes.  At lowest heat, add sweetener and thickener, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.  Set aside.

Cake Mixture:


3 cups whole wheat pastry flour


1 TBSP baking powder


generous pinch sea salt


3/4 cup olive oil


 2/3 cup brown rice syrup
or honey

1 tsp pure vanilla extract
(or orange or almond…)

1 1/2 cups whipped silken tofu
(blend 1 container silken tofu in blender until to a pudding-like consistency)

1/4 cup fresh orange juice


1/2-1 cup “milk” (hemp, rice, almond, soy…)

Put all ingredients in mixing bowl. Mix at med-high speed for about 30 seconds. 

To make the coffee cake, pour half of the cake batter into an oiled stoneware baking dish or cast iron skillet.  Spread berry mixture over the batter.  Drop remaining batter by spoonfuls on top of berry mixture. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes -- 20 minutes uncovered, 20 minutes covered with foil. 

* portions of recipe adapted from... one found on my blog & at Christina Cooks & at  Heavenly Homemakers

Yum-yum! A fruit-filled coffee cake worthy of any cup of coffee or tea...or even eaten as breakfast (like at our house)!

So, wherever you are on your journey, do what you can to make your current recipes healthier. For example, cut out the animal ingredients, use whole wheat pastry flour instead of white flour, use brown rice syrup or honey instead of white sugar, and make it from scratch!

Cancer Education

These are both parts of an article in the recent Health News publication by the folks at Hallelujah Acres. The topic for issue #54 is entitled Discussing Cancer. In addition to being an informative-packed little magazine this month, it is full of inspiration, education and health testimonials of those who either recovered completely from their cancer diagnosis or those who where able to extend their life well beyond what the medical profession said was possible.

Why aren't more people aware of these simple dietary steps they can take to walk a path of health and healing? Why?! I want to scream it. It breaks my heart. Why don't they seek alternatives to healing? Perhaps you already read the above article snip-it. If not, please take the time to do so now.

Huh? Amazing, isn't it? Astonishing, really. Some doctors don't know and therefore cannot offer ideas beyond their cancer education (brought to them courtesy of the pharmaceutical companies selling cancer-combat & anti-cancer drugs). What is worse, some doctors know the facts, but don't bother to research and/or present the alternatives, much like Leslie Kirchmeier's doctor in that article.

Do not despair. Please read on to find out what she did in response and how she is doing now...

Let me backtrack and give you the set-up for this amazing story. Mrs. Kirchmeier was diagnosed with stage-2 cervical cancer in June of 2000. She underwent conventional treatments (precautionary lymph node removal, 6 hours a day of chemo 1/week for 6 weeks, and radiation everyday). In her words, "In the end, the treatments were all for naught. The 'heavy hit' package of chemo and radiation that I endured did not shrink the tumor as the doctors expected."

Today her blood work continues to show she is cancer free. There are many other similar health testimonials at the Hallelujah Acres site to further support this health and healing. Are you interested? Are you curious? Are you ready to discover other ways to rid your body of cancer and disease? I hope you are hollering YES! 

Imagine, if your body would heal by just making some changes to your diet. Simple. Add in more fresh fruits and veggies. Drink fresh juices extracted in your very own home. Make green smoothies and chug 'em down. Take out the whites...white sugar, white flour, white rice, white pasta, all milk products. Avoid corn syrup and other artificial sweeteners. Don't drink caffeine. Cut out the meat. All of it. Oh, come on. You can do it! Just eat like God intended us to eat. Eat like you were in the Garden. Simple.

It is not like I am suggesting you take multiple swigs of poison or inject yourself with toxins that can eat through the floor or swallow pills with so many negative side effects you need to take a nap while reading the insert...no, I will leave that to the doctors.

If you are curious and want to learn more, please take the time to visit these links. Yes, there are other links to sites that also promote healing and raw foods, but some are tainted with New Age guru poopoo (my official term for the eastern influenced junk). I am a child of God. I will do my best to discern the good from the bad. In leading someone along a path of health and healing, I don't want to lead anyone to an eternity separated from God. Please use prayerful discernment when seeking a medical regime. 

Hallelujah Acres site

full-length health testimony of Leslie Kirchmeier

H. Acres cancer dvd series (to watch on-line)

More videos with information, food prep...

Cancer DVD I previously highlighted here last year

All I can do, no, what I must do, is present you with information, education, and pray that God will lead you along the path He intends you to take in this life. 

* And it is sad, but please read the disclaimer in the sidebar. I went to law school just long enough to know about disclaimers. People, I cannot heal you. I can help you find information and adjust your diet though... Your healing is between you and God (and the path he sets before your feet).

* Please go the H. Acres site and sign-up to receive their bi-monthly publication. You can also get a weekly email.

Simple Path

My posting today is actually a re-post. I have another blog (Aspire to Lead a Quiet Life) and this is something I wrote back in December. With Spring knocking on the door and tulips poking through the dirt, we soon will be without Winter and her cold mornings. Although I am excited for greenery to fill my garden and summer sun to warm my face, I will miss the smells of simmering oatmeal on the wood stove...

Soft bubbles rise to the surface. They become more rapid in their ascent. Many more join until I can hear them knocking into the sides of the stainless tea kettle. The wonderful warmth of the wood stove heats the cold water into a frenzy of boiling bubbles. A favorite mug with a minty tea bag waits patiently in my hands. Soon I am sipping hot tea while stretched out legs offer chilly toes to wood stove warmth.

My son pads on out of his room. He wears his heavy morning slumber and rubs fists into eyes as if nudging them to accept morning's light. I hug his hot skinny boy self. My eyes close slowly, beckoning my internal camera shutter. My soul tries to capture this early morning moment and print it on my heart.

I mix rolled oats with their dust into a small pan of water. Thick, sweet, golden honey glops out of the jug and sinks to the bottom. Gently it rests under the oat mixture. I shake on dark brown pumpkin pie spices. The small pot, a lid, and its breakfast fare is set atop the wood stove. Soon I smell its warmth. And honey sweetness fills my nostrils. I add raisins, currants, and blueberries before taking it from the hot black surface. Scooped into a bowl with a wooden spoon and eaten with eager anticipation, my oatmeal concoction disappears.

Simple ways. Simple things. Simple gifts. Simple life.

When distractions of haste and a fast pace are set aside, it is easier for this Simple Country Girl to find God. 

His footsteps appear in the sand. I hear Him. I feel His hand in mine, tugging me along. I follow, trying to match my small steps into His large imprints. 

It is a simple path He walks.

What's Cookin' in Your Dryer?

It is time for another post about simple cleaning and healthy household tips...

Take out your dryer's lint trap. After you dispose of the lint (keep the lint and tuck into toilet paper rolls--use for starting fires in your wood stove or on camping trips), hold it under the faucet and run some water onto its surface. Now, take a look. Does that water pool up or does it freely drain right through? Chances are high that it pools up on the surface of your lint trap. Hmm...I wonder why? 

Most fabric softeners (dryer sheets especially) actually coat your meshy lint trap. As they toss to & fro in your heated dryer with the clothes your precious family wears, those dryer sheets release their gunk. Their smell. Their perfume. Their chemicals. Yuck! Not to mention the fire hazard posed by those dryer sheets...

I am always trying to do things healthy and simply for my family. Many years ago I switched to natural laundry products from Seventh Generation and Bi-O-Kleen. Those companies offer some great laundry and household items. I used the liquid fabric softener for years. Of course I diluted it by half water and then only put in half the amount--yes, you can get by with less! Several months ago I switched to an even cheaper, safer, simpler fabric softener. White vinegar.

Oh, it works, really it does. And no, you won't walk around smelling like a pickle! Just pick up a big ole jug or two (I get mine at Costco). Pour some (I have never really measured...probably about 1/3 cup) into the liquid fabric softener dispenser at the start of your wash cycle. That is it. If you miss the perfume smell (it about gags me and I can smell it on people and in their homes now), I don't know what to tell you except think about what absorbed into the skin of your family each time they wore "clean" clothes.

If you lean more toward a faint, natural scent, just buy some essential oils (like lavender) and take a scrap of fabric or an wore out ole sock, now put a few drops of oil onto mister sockie and toss it in the dryer near the end of the cycle. Or make up a concoction of water and essential oil in a spray bottle. When your clothes are spread out on your bed for folding, mist them with the scented water. 

Viola! Clothes free of cooked chemicals. Safe for the whole family!

I will post more later on other simple, cheap, and healthy house-cleaning hints...

Breakfast

My son and I rummaged through our big upright freezer a couple weeks ago. I was running low on fresh greens for my green smoothies, but I didn't want to make a trip all the way to town. I knew I had stashed extra garden wonders in the freezer all last summer. I just had to find them!

After we organized the icebox, I found that I had a smorgasbord of greenery. Here is some kale. Several months ago when kale was in abundance, I rinsed it, patted it dry, gently rolled it into green smoothie portion sizes, and wrapped plastic wrap around each bundle. I put 3-4 bundles into a big sealable plastic bag and tossed them into the freezer.

I knew I needed to portion out the sizes beforehand. Frozen kale leaves all stuck together would be hard to separate for my pond sludge slurpies. ;-)

My smoothies have been as fresh and healthful this week as they were when the sun was shining and the garden was growing. 

Green Smoothie Recipe--Kale Delight:

To my kale, 

I added water (2 cups), 

frozen blueberries (handful)

a couple large frozen strawberries (more produce that I got fresh and froze for extended use), 

and some freshly squeezed lemon juice. 

Yum.

Simple breakfast. 

My son loves his fruit and honey laden rolled organic oatmeal to jump start his day. He drinks a small smoothie, but tops off his cavernous 5-year old tummy with our homemade oatmeal. 

I add hemp milk for the good fats and great protein--all essential for a growing boy!

Boil water.

Add whole oats.

and honey to taste.

Add some cinnamon.

Toss in a handful of blueberries

and some currants.

Cook for a minute.

Turn off stove.

Let concoction sit for a few minutes.

Healthy eating for my family works best when it is simple. 

For us, simple is repeatable and achievable. 

Day after day.

Do what works for you!

Green Smoothie Anniversary & Experiment

This month marks my one year anniversary with green smoothies! One year ago a dear friend told me about these seemingly gross pond-sludge drinks that she concocts in her kitchen. Multiple times each day. I read the book she suggested ("Green For Life" by V. Boutenko). I gathered the greens, fruit, revved up my K-tec motor, and got busy with the smoothies.

My health improved. Simple fact.

Food cravings - gone.

Energy - up.

Weight - down.

Recovery from physical exertion - fast.

Hair - thicker.

Skin - clear.

Nourishment of body - excellent.

Food craving amendment - crave fresh veggies & fresh fruit.

Blood sugar levels - better control.

Insulin - dosage cut in half.

All in all, green smoothies have done wonders for my health, including my Type 1, child-onset, insulin-dependent diabetes. My insulin requirements have cut way, way back. Amazing. Some even believe that I will be "cured" of my diabetes if I stick to this. 

*(Please be advised that Type 2 diabetes for the most part, I think is self-induced with gluttony, lack of exercise, and lack of knowledge--the pancreas still manufactures insulin, the body just gets really mixed up on how to use it. To the contrary, with Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas makes no insulin, making injections or insulin pumps mandatory.)

If you are new to this site, please revisit previous posts regarding green smoothie facts & recipes, also look here for an intro to green smoothies. And it is true, I don't write as much here as I used to. Life is happening. God is leading. My family is following. That takes priority.

By the way, I conducted an experiment on myself. Oh yeah. I must say that I learned a lot. And I must also say that I would like to smack my forehead and say "duh" about my findings. You know, I did it for your sake. For the sake of those who doubt about why I eat this way. And drink this way.

Two days ago I ate some store-bought, non-raw food corn chips. Oh yes I did. I ate probably 15 of them. I also got out my hubby's tub of store-bought, non-raw food salsa and I dipped away. My taste buds didn't know what to do. My mouth burned. My stomach churned and gurgled and protested. My tongue started to swell. My mouth felt coated and gross. In a fit of desperate regret, I downed a bunch of live culture acidophilus. 

I went on my merry way for the rest of the day. 

Results from shocking my raw food body...

Same day: felt sluggish, grouchy, slight head ache, by bedtime was beat, did not sleep well that night.

Next day (yesterday): Made an intense green smoothie with lots of cilantro (blood purifier) and felt worse before I felt better... sick to my stomach, felt like I was gonna blow for the first half of the day, wanted to lay down with my ugly guts, clear skin replaced with the opposite, felt flu-ish (and foolish), slept like I was riding a rail car last night...  

Today: ready for green smoothies, lots of lemon water, and for my system to get back under control.

My experiment proved to me that eating a raw-food diet, complete with green smoothies is the best thing for my body. I have no desire to indulge in that sort of food fare again--the chips and salsa from the store. 

I will make my own flax crackers. And my own salsa. Thank you very much!

Living bodies do thrive on living foods!