Raw 'Cheese' Sauce

Back to my hunt for a raw cheese that feels like a satisfying substitute for the real thing.  This one passed my "kiddo taste test" so it's a winner for the whole family!

I found a recipe for a cooked vegan cheese sauce that used almost all raw ingredients.  I thought, "Why cook it?"  So I modified a few things like using raw bell pepper instead of jarred pimentos and changed up quantities to make a smaller batch.  I used dried seasonings but if you like you could easily use raw garlic and onion (they just don't sit well in my tummy these days so I didn't want to risk it.)

I'd like to experiment with this recipe and dehydrate some on a paraflex sheet sometime but that's going to have to be another day with another batch.  I have big plans for this one.  This is a cheese substitute that fits the bill right now and I don't have to wait hours for (except for the soaking part but I did that this morning and came back to it when I was ready to start the recipe.  Soaking is somehow different for me.)

Raw 'Cheese' Sauce

3/4 cup water
1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 6 hours if possible)
1 lemon, juice of
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 orange or red bell pepper
1/3 cup nutritional yeast (optional - cut 1/4 cup water if not used)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.  Add more water if needed for desired consistency.  Enjoy with vegetable crudites or as a sauce over raw noodles.

I haven't had any kind of non-raw cheese substitute that has even come close to this.  I absolutely LOVE it!  Hope you enjoy it, too.

Raw Turtles

I have had quite a sweet tooth lately and with Valentine candy of the past and Easter candy of the near future on my brain I decided to satisfy my craving with a raw version of one of my very favorite holiday candies, Turtles.

These are really very simple and easy to make.  I used my usual raw chocolate recipe with a bit less agave to cover pecan halves that were covered by date halves and voila:  Raw Turtles!  They are so yummy and satisfying, and better yet they have saved me from even wanting the real thing.

Raw Turtles


Raw Chocolate
1/3 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup raw cacao powder
1/4 cup raw agave nectar

Other Ingredients
30 raw pecan halves
30 date halves

Mix coconut oil, cacao powder and agave together into a thick chocolate sauce.  Lay the pecan halves on waxed or parchment paper covered cookie sheet and cover each one with half a date.  Dip each pecan/date combo in the chocolate sauce and place in freezer to harden.

 I recommend storing in either the refrigerator or freezer to keep the chocolate from melting.  They'll last longer in the freezer and I find that I eat goodies like this less frequently if I keep them out of site in the freezer than if I can see them every time I open the fridge.

Long Time, No Post. What's UP?

Wow, I haven't posted since July 2010!  It is now February 2011 and raw food is still a part of my life, though not in the quantity I would prefer.  I've been encouraged, motivated and even inspired by comments that people have left on the blog and today received and email stating: "We've scoured the web to look for qualifying blogs who've gone the "Extra Mile" in being an overall excellent resource."  What?  Really?  Wow!  I'm not really sure I deserve it but Thank You!!  Nothing more motivating than that to get back to blogging!  Check out the award badge on the right side of the blog to see many more blogs featuring raw food.

So where have I been?  I had a baby girl in September.  She's so awesome and her big sister is amazing with her.  As a nursing mom I've become even more aware of what is going into my body because someone else is reacting to it.

Here I am with my family.  The girls are perfect.  My hubby and I managed to grow an extra chin for each of us during my pregnancy.  Not the most flattering photo of me, but real.  Seriously, time for change.

NOT surprisingly baby girl does not tolerate one of my favorite indulgences: dairy.  I confess that I am a lover of cheese, and I haven't been able to have it for the past 5 months.  What better reason to begin the hunt for a satisfying raw cheese alternative.  It's on!

I don't have an raw recipes to post today but I want to give two big thumbs up to Weight Watchers.  For the first time in 13 years they have revamped the program and for the better.  The new points system encourages people to eat more fruits and veggies by making the vast majority of them worth 0 points, meaning those following the plan can eat as much fruit and veg as they want.  I'm so happy for this change as I did Weight Watchers in the past and was always frustrated that people could eat their processed unhealthy crap and still lose weight but not gain health.  This has been addressed with a new points calculator as well.  Finally, calories are not accounted for.  Instead they use protein, fat, fiber and carbs to calculate the points based on how the body uses those nutrients and not based on calories consumed.  Not all calories are created equal.  There's probably still some room for improvement but I feel that this is a giant leap from where they were a year ago.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

It's been a long while since I've posted to this blog.  I've been away from blogging about raw because I've been avoiding raw quite a bit during pregnancy.  Not intentionally at all.  I just haven't had an appetite for raw food, I can't explain it.

Though I recently had a craving for healthy fat and one of my favorites is virgin coconut oil.  Mmmm, good!  That is what led me to make some raw chocolate covered strawberries!!  They're very simple really.

1/2 cup raw cacao

1/2 cup raw coconut oil

1/3 cup raw agave nectar

That's all folks.  Blend it all up in a food processor or blender and you have a thick chocolate syrup which you can dip strawberries or any other fruit or goodie in.  Once you put them in the fridge it only takes 30 minutes or so for them to firm up.  I also made some chocolates in candy molds but didn't get any photos of those.  Some have raw almonds in the center - another tasty and healthy fat to satisfy my healthy fat craving.  I guess that baby needed a little extra something to help pack on the weight before coming into the world.  We're due 8/23 - just over 3 weeks to go (give or take ;)

Green Goodness, thanks to iPhone?

It's true. I took the plunge and bought an iPhone a couple of days ago with high hopes of using handy applications to help me and my family make some healthy lifestyle changes. Sound unlikely? That's what I might have thought before I learned about all the AMAZING possibilities that this little piece of wonderful has to offer!
Because I got my new iPhone I looked into a free web service I used years ago called

Spark People

This service offers a number of web tools to help people meet their health and fitness goals. It's a whole package. And it's free!! I can't say enough wonderful things about Spark People. You'll have to just check it out for yourself to truly appreciate all it has to offer.

So with the inspiration of my iPhone and a free website as well as a free app for my new toy from Spark People, I set up my account with my current data and set goals. Now I can track my progress daily using my phone, no matter where I am. The convenience is amazing.

There are many factors that go into a healthy lifestyle. I personally choose as many local foods as possible, growing much of it myself. I have every intention of remaining vegetarian, though do not intend to make the move to vegan. I do intend to eat at least 50% of my daily calories raw and hope to increase that over time. I appreciate the motivation that I've gained through a high tech contraption because trust me friends, I wasn't getting motivated any other way!

So this morning I replaced my morning cup of java with a heavenly simple green smoothie that even my 4 year old gulped down. We were both impressed by the flavor, the energy and the shimmer in the glass. It was like magic!

Simple Green Smoothie

1 cup frozen peaches

1 fresh banana

1 cup baby spinach

1 cup water

Blend in the Blendtec until smooth and dreamy. Serves 2.

Stuck

I feel stuck. I haven't been eating a raw diet for quite some time now. I've gained quite a bit of weight and I don't like it. Who would? It's frustrating because I have this amazing, bountiful garden with amazing goodness available for harvest and even get food delivered to my door by my CSA (including tons of zucchini that "I just don't know what to do with". Ha! There's zucchini noodles, zucchini hummus, zucchini chips... what is wrong with me?

Anyway, I'm preparing for a one day mono diet cleanse/fast. I'm choosing cucumbers because we have an abundance of them and they are oh so good for me. I'm hoping this will jump start a fresh inspiration to move back in the raw direction, even if it's not 100% raw. I have a friend that would like to do raw for one week with me so I'm hunting down recipes now and planning some good dehydrated breads and crackers to help get back into the groove.

So in the meantime, enjoy a happy, colorful photo of a days harvest from the garden.

Homegrown Inspiration

Growing my own food has always been inspiring. When I saw the tops of these gorgeous crimson radishes poking their heads out of the soil inviting me to pull them up I was totally amazed that they grew so quickly and even more excited to eat early crops from the garden other than lettuce which we've been harvesting small amounts of for the past 10 days or so.
This year I planted nasturtium, a plant I've never grown before. They have these gorgeous edible flowers and while I understand that growing this plant is somehow good for my soil, growing the flower to eat is good for my soul :) Another edible flower that I included in my square foot gardens this year is the pansy. They come in many different colors and they have long been one of my favorites because of their bright colors and papery petals but again, this is the first year I've grown them. I can't wait to create a salad with homegrown greens and gorgeous edible flowers.This lush bowl of salad greens including a variety of lettuces and arugula from the garden was more than photo worthy. I feel so blessed to have the liberty to walk out my back door and go to my garden to gather my lunch or dinner. Wow.
So I've been away from raw for a while and though I of course continued to eat raw foods I did not manage to maintain a high raw diet. If all of this homegrown fresh goodness isn't inspiration to get back into the raw groove I don't know what is.