Raw Cranberry Sauce

This tasty cranberry dish is great all by itself, on top of a bed of crisp romaine, or alongside your holiday meal. Most importantly, it contains NO refined sugar, and all of the ingredients are RAW which means you are getting all the nutrients in your foods. You will be eating whole, real foods, straight from nature into your mouth. You will feel great and energized instead of gross and left craving more sugar. Ok, I will stop convincing you of the power of raw foods and let you try this amazing recipe.

Raw Cranberry Sauce

2 cups fresh cranberries
1 large orange
6 medjool dates
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
optional: a handful of chopped raw nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamias, etc)

Blend in your Vitamix (or high speed blender) until desired consistency is reached. I like mine nice and chunky.

You can add more maple syrup or dates if it's not sweet enough for you.

Enjoy!

:)

Our Daily Green Smoothie

We make daily green smoothies at our house, around lunch time (in addition to green juice 4-6 mornings a week) using our Vita Mix. We first started doing this for our extremely picky 3 year old, so he would get some good nutrition, without having to force him to eat the slimy & wet textures of fruits/veggies that he would burst into tears just looking at. So if we miss a day, it means that he isn't getting a really big part of his diet. Hence, we are committed to making this everyday, whenever possible. It also has been great for my husband and I- a sure way to get our daily nuts/seeds, omega 3s, probiotics, vitamin C, and of course all the fruits and veggies and protein.

Here is what our juice usually consists of (the measurements are approximate since we are always changing the kind of fruits & veggies we put in and we sometimes add the juice from our greens instead of the whole greens):

Our Green Smoothie:

(REVISED April 2014)

GREENS:

2-3 cups (tightly packed) leafy greens: spinach, kale, or collards (spinach blends a lot easier and is almost tasteless, so great for those not accustomed to green smoothies)

FRUIT:

2 cups frozen fruit (mango, berries, pineapple, etc)- we love mango & strawberries

1-2 bananas (for sweetness)

1/4 lemon (peeled & seeded)- lemons have so many health benefits!

OTHER VEGGIES:

2 carrots (or carrot pulp from earlier juice)

or

a small wedge red cabbage

or 

1/4 cup chopped cucumber, zucchini, or asparagus or broccoli

NUTS/SEEDS:

1/4 cup raw almonds or raw sunflower seeds

3 Tablespoons source of Omega 3s (ground flaxseed, chia seed, or hempseed)

LIQUID:

2 cups water, almond milk, or coconut milk

EXTRAS:

- Protein powder: 1 scoop raw organic protein powder (Garden of Life brand) (my husband likes extra protein, but I don't add to mine or my kids) 

- Probiotics: 2 Tablespoons Inner-eco probiotic kefir (from coconut water)- added to adults smoothies (kids get different kind of probiotics separately)

- Extra Vitamin C: 3/4 teaspoon Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) (3000 mg) (I try to add more Vitamin C to our diet after reading Dr. Andrew Saul's book "Doctor Yourself" and learning about the research showing diseases being cured with high levels of Vitamin C.)

ORIGINAL POST (Nov. 2013):
Our Green Smoothie:
1/4 cup raw almonds or raw sunflower/pumpkin/sesame seeds
3 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 big handfuls greens (spinach, collards, or broccoli usually)
2 carrots (or carrot pulp from earlier juice)
1/2 cup frozen fruit (mango, berries, pineapple, etc)
1-2 bananas
scoop raw organic protein powder (Garden of Life brand)- added to adults' smoothies
2 Tablespoons Inner-eco probiotic kefir (from coconut water)- added to adults smoothies (kids get different kind of probiotics separately)
3/4 teaspoon Vitamin C powder (ascorbic acid) (3000 mg)
water- enough to get desired consistency

** This smoothie is guzzled by 2 adults and an almost 4 year old (our 14 month old gets a slightly different smoothie you can see here).

My daily juice recipe

These days we try to make fresh juice at least 4 times a week. Here is what our juice usually consists of (this is for 2 adults, 1 small child, and a baby):

Daily Green Juice:
3-4 cups of dark leafy greens (kale, collards, or spinach)
a pound of carrots
1/2 large cucumber
1-2 celery
1/2 lemon or lime
small piece ginger
a sweet fruit such as: oranges (3-4), pineapple (1/3), apples (2-3), or grapes (1 cup)

This makes enough for about 8-10 oz for each adult, 6 oz for the child, and 2 oz for the baby.

Note: For our baby, who is 14 months right now, we don't include pineapple, oranges or lemon/limes  since they give him a rash around the mouth. Instead we use apples or grapes for sweetness.
However, most of the time, we will just juice greens and carrots for our baby and blend that up with some fruit and a little water and raw almonds (or sunflower or pumpkin seeds) to make it into a smoothie for him which he loves. We use fruits such as frozen mangoes, berries, and banana.

We also add to our juice sometimes (remember these are all raw):
- zucchini- It tastes bland and goes well with any other juice, especially carrot. The pulp is actually really good to eat plain too; it's still somewhat moist and just tastes like grated zucchini.
- broccoli
- bell peppers
- parsley

What do I do with the pulp? (I get this question all the time)

Since carrot pulp makes up the bulk of our pulp container, I mostly just use that and discard the rest (it is not very much and most of the juice/nutrition has been extracted so there's no flavor, just a small mass of tasteless stringy stuff).

This is what I do with carrot pulp:
- Add to oatmeal with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, dates, vanilla, almonds, for a "carrot cake" taste
- Add to cooked grains, such as quinoa, for a warm, savory pilaf with italian seasonings, garlic, and a little Earth Balance "butter"
- Add to smoothies for some extra fiber
- Add to muffins or baked goods (I'm just now experimenting with this)

Dinner: Keep it simple

It's good to remember that I don't have to cook a big meal every night just because I want to be healthy and avoid frozen pre-made dinners or fast food. It's possible to eat a simple, yet totally healthy home cooked meal that can also taste great.

Here's my new formula for those nights when I'm low on time:
1- cook a whole grain (boil and simmer on the stove)
2- add some veggies to the pot when it's almost done (but there is still water in the pot)
3- Season and add a little dairy-free butter or olive oil,
4- Have a big salad to go with it
Note: I usually try to add beans to the grain dish or on the salad since they are a great plant source of calcium and iron, not to mention the fiber and protein.

My simple dinner experiment:
So tonight I made quinoa, not knowing really what I was going to do with it. There are countless uses for quinoa (such as warm in the morning with almond milk, cinnamon and dates; warm as a pilaf with cooked veggies and seasonings; cold as a salad with a vinegarette dressing and mango/red pepper  or with citrus dressing and squash/craisins, etc) so I wasn't too worried.

A couple minutes before it was done cooking (it only takes 10-15 minutes total to cook by the way), I ended up throwing in a diced yellow squash and the carrot pulp from the juice I made yesterday. I also added Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute" spices and a couple tablespoons Earth Balance dairy-free "butter" spread (I get the soy free kind).

I paired that with a big salad and we had a wonderful, yet simple and nutritious meal. :)

Nutritional note:
Here is a great article from Harvard School of Public Health, about the benefits of eating good carbs (aka whole grains): http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/ 

UPDATE:

I just found this awesome quote from Brigham Young!

"I believe that we enslave our women; … our tables are covered with every delicacy and variety that we can think of… I do not believe in mixing up our food. This is hurtful. It destroys the stomach by overtaxing the digestive powers; and in addition to that it almost wears out the lives of our females by keeping them so closely confined over cooking stoves…We can have a variety in diet, and yet have simplicity. We can have a diet that will be easily prepared, and yet have it healthful. We can have a diet, that will be tasteful, nutritious and delightful to us, and easy to digest…” Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 13: 154

Amen!

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

This was my week to teach Joy School (a preschool group of 6 kids who's moms rotate teaching) and I made my favorite banana muffins. The kids LOVED them and most ate 2 whole muffins for snack (plus the carrot juice that they juiced themselves in our Omega 8003 juicer).

Today was proof that you don't need to fill baked goods with white flour and sugar for them to be kid-friendly!

Note: These are not totally vegan, since they still contain 1 egg. We still currently eat organic eggs occasionally in baked goods. If you want it to be totally vegan, I would try a vegan egg replacement such as flaxseed.

(Sorry there are no pictures- they were gone before I could take one!)

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
3 ripe bananas, mashed
3 Tbsp melted butter (I use the dairy-free Earth Balance spread found in most regular grocery stores)
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup honey (or less if your bananas are really ripe)
1 egg, beaten (you can use a egg replacement here)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used sprouted whole wheat flour)
2 shakes cinnamon (or up to 1/2 tsp)
1 shake nutmeg (or up to 1/4 tsp)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)

Preheat oven to 325.
Combine mashed banana, applesauce, and melted butter. Mix in honey, egg, and vanilla.
Sprinkle in baking soda and salt and mix. Add the flour and spices last and mix.

Put into muffin cups and bake for about 23-25 minutes.  (Mini muffins about 18 min.)

Double the recipe and freeze for a quick snack anytime (just microwave for about 20-25 seconds).

Enjoy!

Avoiding dairy while breastfeeding = An easy baby...?

Hey everyone. I just want to share my experience here for a minute. I stopped eating dairy and meat when my second baby was 3 months old. And I didn't just stop eating dairy and meat. I added tons of fruits and vegetables (mostly raw) to my diet, as well as raw nuts & seeds (mostly almonds, sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame), incorporated a lot more beans/legumes, and continued to eat whole grains, with a limited amount of processed/packaged food. Yes, I was in the kitchen a lot (and still am- we have half our toys in the kitchen to entertain my 2 kids).

My second baby was pretty easy going from the start, pretty much the complete opposite from my first. My first had lots of fussiness/colic, reflux, crying while nursing & stomach upset, difficulty sleeping, etc. With my second, we have dealt with none of that, and virtually no negative reactions to my diet through my breast milk. I really think it has to do with the fact that I stopped eating dairy.

I just came across this- 101 reasons not to feed dairy to your kids:

http://www.vegfamily.com/babies-and-toddlers/101-reasons.htm

The reasons are not all documented and are probably based on this person's opinion. However, the crazy thing is, my first baby dealt with a lot of the negative things on the list, whereas my second baby did not.

(And that's not even getting into the positive change I have felt in my own health since eliminating dairy!)

Here is a great article from a more reputable source, Harvard School of Public Health. They say "Calcium is important. But milk isn't the only, or even best, source. Check it out below:

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/

Needless to say, I will not be giving cow's milk to my now almost 14 month old toddler. I will be continuing to breastfeed (4-5 times a day, currently), in addition to giving him the fresh vegetable/fruit juice & green smoothie we make daily (with raw nuts/seeds), the whole grains (such as quinoa, brown rice, amaranth, oatmeal, whole grain pasta, sprouted whole wheat bread), the beans/legumes (especially lentils, peas, and other beans mashed up in guacamole), the healthy baked goods & pancakes, the raw almond butter mixed in with applesauce that he loves, and other fruit & veggies.

Love this about how to feed kids in a vegan way:

http://www.raisingvegkids.com/veg-kids.html 

We are not perfect by any means. Sometimes we resort to Joe's O's (Cheerios cereal from Trader Joe's) and there are days where I am running out of ideas so he doesn't get as good a variety as I would like. But I do make a huge effort every day to prepare healthy food for my family, in my own kitchen.

In today's world, we cannot rely on packaged food companies, the government, or even the medical world to correctly guide us to a healthy life. Just look at how cancer rates are rising. We must take the responsibility upon ourselves to search for the best way to feed our families, through the many resources online, documentaries (Food Matters on Netflix is an absolute must watch!) and listening to our hearts and spiritual promptings that come to us as we seek light and truth from above.

Fall Quinoa Salad

This is my new favorite dish for the Fall. It tastes like Thanksgiving! I am planning to add it to my growing list of healthy comfort food. It would pair nicely with slippers, a blanket, and snuggled up with the one you love (whether that be a person, a movie, or book). :)

"Two Peas & Their Pod" has posted this recipe (and a way better picture of it) here.  I think it is way better served warm, instead of cold, and with a touch of cinnamon. So happy to have another quinoa salad that I love (my summer fave is this Mango Quinoa Salad).

Sweet Potato Curry

Dinner tonight was Sweet Potato Curry, one of our favorites!

Combine the following in a Crock Pot and leave for about 5 hours:
1 cup dry lentils (sorted and rinsed)
4 sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped)
2 cups coconut milk (canned, organic, full fat)
2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp curry powder
salt to taste
pepper to taste
Optional: add a 1/2 cup frozen peas or broccoli about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve over brown rice, quinoa, or other grain of your choice. And don't forget a big salad too. :)

This is a protein packed, iron packed, Vitamin A & other nutrient packed dinner, sure to fill and satisfy even those who aren't accustomed to eating vegetarian or vegan meals. My husband loves it. Give it a try!

Phasing Out Body Care Products

I have just recently made a goal. This is serious folks. Just like my goal to take out meat & dairy and center my meals around plant based foods.

My new goal is to eventually stop using any and all body care products (such as commercially produced face wash, lotion, shampoo, deodorant, etc), and instead use totally natural, single ingredient substances, such as coconut oil and honey.

Why?
I am so sick of mainstream products containing toxic chemicals, and organic products being so darn expensive. Before people started producing bottles of shampoo in factories, I'm pretty sure human kind did pretty well using the natural elements God gave them in this amazing world.

So, here is what I'm going to start with.

Deodorant- Since my plant-based diet leaves me virtually odor-less (under my arms), I don't even wear deodorant every day and I'm still fine. When I do, it is Miessence Tahitian Breeze certified organic deodorant. But since that is running out, I am starting on coconut oil. Google it, seriously. Since coconut oil (Extra Virgin) is a huge anti-bacterial, in theory, it should kill any bacteria under my arms that would create a nasty odor, right? I'll let you know how it goes!

Face lotion- Coconut oil! I've been using it every night, and using Miessence Rejuvenating Moisturizer during the day. I love Miessence- the first ingredient is aloe vera and all ingredients are completely raw (never heated) so all of their powerful health properties have not been cooked away. But alas, if I want to eat healthy, I can no longer afford to buy expensive body care products, if I can find natural substances that do just as good a job (or almost as good a job). So when my Miessence runs out, I'm going to just use Coconut oil.

Face wash- In the morning, a splash of water. At night, honey: Apply and rub into pores. Rinse with warm water. See more about honey and other natural facial cleansers here.

Body lotion- Coconut oil! Google all the benefits if coconut oil.

Eye makeup remover- coconut oil! I'm so glad I discovered this- it works better than any other makeup remover, even on waterproof mascara.

Hair product- coconut oil! I love putting this  stuff on my hair to smooth it down. It also makes it super soft. A little goes a long way.

Toothpaste- I currently use Miessence certified organic Mint Toothpaste with baking soda as the main ingredient. My teeth have never felt cleaner- I love how the baking soda works so well, and the all-natural mint flavor is great. But when that runs out I will be trying out my own toothpaste recipes, using baking soda and essential oils. When I do, I will definitely share what I come up with.

I am going back to the basics. I love this amazing planet and I believe that when God created it, he consciously provided us with everything we need to be healthy and to take care of our bodies.

Let me know what natural body care you have tried and what you recommend!

Pumpkin Nog

Egg nog season has officially begun, and I fully intend on having my fair share of dairy-free nog this year. I glanced at the options today in Whole Foods, and I was so excited to find So Delicious Coconut Milk Nog & Pumpkin Spice (I thought the only non-dairy option was Silk Nog). I was seriously considering buying some, but of course, I looked at the ingredients, and predictably it was loaded with sugar. There are 14g of added sugar (dried cane syrup) per 1/2 cup. Is this really the best Whole Foods can offer me? A "healthier" option to cow's milk, that is filled with sugar? I took one more look at the ingredients and decided to make some myself.

So tonight I decided to make an almond version, using my aunt Juliette's Almond Milk recipe (that can be found on her blog 3 Fruity Chicks). It is so easy, but you do need a high powered blender such as a Vita Mix or Blendtec. (1/2 cup raw almonds gives you a little more than 5 cups of Almond milk! Way cheaper than store bought kind.)

Then to turn my basic Almond Milk into "Pumpkin Nog" I added:
1/2 cup pumpkin (I used Trader Joe's canned Organic Pumpkin)
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
a couple dashes of extra nutmeg & cinnamon
(and I used 1 tsp pure vanilla (alcohol free) instead of the vanilla bean)

I didn't bother to strain out the almond pulp since my Vita Mix did such a good job blending it up and I am all about taking the easiest & quickest way possible lately. :)

It was delicious! So creamy and good. I drank mine cold, then warmed up (both great), then put it in a bowl with some pumpkin granola, yum. :)

And this is almost totally raw, with NO added sugar (the dates are the only sweetener). I'm never buying another carton of liquid sugar nog again!

P.S. I can't wait to try my own regular nog version! Probably just adding nutmeg and a little cinnamon to the regular almond milk. I'll post about it soon!

Raw Caramel Dip for apples

My aunt and cousins (the  3 Fruity Chicks) are such an inspiration to me. I love their blog and the yummy, healthy recipes I discover there. This one is absolutely wonderful. Caramel dip for apples! I made this on Halloween for a special treat. You can find it here.