Sunday, May 30, 2010

Menu planning


I have been pouring over my raw cookbooks and recipes that I have saved over the past year. Now I think I have more recipes than I could make in a month. For me the planning is key. If I do not have ready to eat food on hand, I stray from healthy eating to convenient eating.
Since my DH is going raw with me, I asked him what were his favorite raw dishes I have made over the past year. He had a hard time remembering what things were called but described to me what he liked. We now have a list of about 15 staples that we can make on a seconds notice.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Preparing to go raw for 30 days


I think I love to plan. I love researching, preparing to plan and there is where it sometimes stops. My husband and I have been talking about going raw for an extended period of time for several months. We wanted to wait until produce is in abundance and farmer's market were up and running. This plan has been slowly building. I started my date with green smoothies in the morning almost 18 months ago. Then I found Raw Food Rehab and Penni Shelton last June and participated in an experiment that lasted 11 weeks. Many members did go 100% raw at that time, I was not one them.
I used that time to research recipes, try fruits and veggies that were unfamiliar to me and connect with others that were wanting to restore health. At that time I was sick. I had a blood transfusion and iron treatments. The hemoglobin was dangerously low. Doctors were unable to find the blood loss source. I was desperate to feel better. That is what motivated the green smoothie routine in the first place. At the end of the 11 weeks I was consistently 50% with sometimes close to 75%, my skin looked great, lost about 7 pounds, (which is not a lot but I have since found out that when you are iron-deficient it's hard to lose any weight) lost my fear of the scale and released the power it had over me. I can now accept the number it reads for the day and move on. I used to let that number paralyze me now it really is just a number. A number that I would like to see go down but it no longer defines me. My relationship with food has changed as well. My interest in food is not just for taste and enjoyment, it is for health, refueling and vitality.
This line has become a little fuzzy lately so this is a great time to go raw. I look forward to the next few weeks and will post often about all the changes in our house.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

1st Friday Night Raw Food Fight











Last Friday night, I had several friends over to try some yummy raw food recipes. We had a great time. It has been 16 months since I had started my green smoothie routine, and many of my friends tease me about this new habit. They also have many questions about green smoothies too. Although I am not authority on this subject (I still haven't read Green for Life yet) I know what it has done for me.








Here is the finale menu and photos from our fun night.




Penni Sheltons Clean Sweep Juice with kale




Sun-dried tomato crackers




Raw tortilla chips




Rawkin Guac




Bean-free hummus




Nori veggie rolls




Thai Confetti salad from my friend Jodi Clark




Ani Phyo's Chocolate Gouache Cake with Strawberries