Juicing and Being Selfish

I didn't exactly make a new year's resolution.  I did vaguely talk to myself about taking better care of me.  You know, that person who takes care of everyone else??  Well, I know she's been a bit neglected...

Today, I am on day three of a ten day juice fast.  Yep, only juice from my trusty juicer...all...day...long.  (I could really go for some pasta and marinara sauce right now.)  

My main focus is to cleanse my body as a sort of transition into some lifestyle changes.  Nothing drastic, just getting enough sleep, enough exercise, enough time to myself, and feeding myself three times a day.  Seriously, amazed that I am raising healthy kids and pets, when I look at the way I take care of myself!

Two things I would recommend to anyone considering juicing regularly are getting a high quality juicer and a good juicing book.  

I just traded my old (7 years!!) juicer in for a slow juicer (Omega brand) and the actual juice that comes out of it is incredible!  It just looks like it has more vitamins in it and tastes richer too.

A good book is helpful because drinking juice all day means you need variety, and some new recipes can get you putting things you never thought could be juiced in that juicer.  I found out that I really like melon juice in the morning, and that a juiced sweet pepper isn't as bad as it sounds.  I'm using The Complete Book of Juicing.

So far I am feeling great about the juice fast.  I just keep telling myself that I can do this and am drinking a lot of tea.

Cheers, to my health and yours!

Our bodies are our gardens 

to which our wills are gardeners. 

– William Shakespeare

Must Share: Southwest Salad Recipe

I crave raw foods in the hot months of summer, and this salad has been my recent go-to when I want a healthy, refreshing, raw food dish.  Had to share!

Southwest Salad:

Romaine Lettuce

Cabbage

Cilantro

Raw Pumpkin Seeds

Carrot

Raw Corn

Blue Cheese Yogurt Dressing 

Pretty basic to make:  Chop cabbage up in small pieces, chop lettuce and cilantro too.  Cut raw corn right off the cob.  Grate a few carrots.  Add raw pumpkin seeds.  Top with dressing!

These flavors, especially the cilantro and raw corn really add a refreshing element, perfect for a hot summer day!  And this dressing, I just discovered is so low cal, I can't stand it...and even more delicious.  

Enjoy!

The Efficient Juicer

 Sometimes all it takes is a good short cut.

As you probably know, I am a big fan of fresh juice.  What I am not a big fan of is...cleaning the juicer!!  And being as busy as you also probably know that I am, the whole cleaning process involved with juicing can be a turn off.

But wait!  Problem solved!  There can be juice and a busy lifestyle!

I started juicing in bulk.

I spend some time chopping everything up, carrot, beet, lemon, celery, ginger....and as I juice, I pour it into one big pitcher.  This makes the juice mixture evenly mixed. 

Immediately after I finish, I pour equal parts into smaller containers which I freeze!

It is very refreshing to drink the juice as it slowly thaws throughout the morning, great to have at hand as I start my day!  And now I have days and days worth of juice and only one day of juicing and cleaning.

Raw Tacos: Simple Veggie Lettuce Wraps

Wowzah, these raw tacos really taste southwestern!  And all that tomato juice and raw corn and crisp lettuce make these lettuce wraps deliciously crunchy and juicy.

So simple to make, just pile the ingredients on a piece of lettuce and wrap it up like a taco.  Munch away!

Ingredients:

Raw Corn
Diced Tomato
Fresh Cilantro Chopped
Minced Garlic
Raw Sheep Cheese
Whole Leaves of Iceberg Lettuce
Salt and Pepper to Taste


I'm sure any other bit of tasty veggie you can think of would be a great addition here.  I love the simplicity and fresh flavors.

Enjoy!

Salad, Anyone?

Salad can be so boring sometimes!  But not this one.  This is a salad inspired be a recipe in Natalia Rose's Raw Food Life Force Energy.  It is savory and mouth watering!

Grated Veggies

The Good Stuff: Dressing & Cheese

And....Salad

The Salad 
One large head of purple romain chopped
Half a bunch of cilantro chopped
One medium beet grated
Two large carrots grated
1/4 cup Myzithra sheep cheese


The Dressing
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 medium shallot minced
2 tbs. balsamic vinegar

Combine dressing ingredients and let sit to combine flavors.  Chop salad mixings up and toss together.  Now drizzle the dressing over the salad and ENJOY!

Angry Wasp Season & Sweet Pepper Salad

I've been out regularly working it with my husband, breaking in those new Nikes.  Well, this morning, a wasp made a bee line (hah) for my hair and gave me a scare and a sting right above my ear!  Boo, the risks of exercise...it still hurts and I'm still mad at that wasp.  The funny thing is that, Matt was stung just last week while we were out burning calories minding our own business.  What is this, angry wasp season, or do we both just smell like flowers??

In my quest lately to be a healthy healthy girl, I have been cooking out of Natalia Rose's Raw Food book again.  I absolutely love this pepper tomato salad.  It's great by itself, in sandwiches, and even as a pizza topping.  It lasts for days in the fridge, so it is a great thing to use all week long!

Here's the easy recipe:

Cut up a bunch of pretty, sweet peppers.
Cut up a tomato.
Mince a clove of garlic.
Add lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy a healthy treat!  Simple, easy, and yum, and don't leave your house without bee repellent!

Adventures in Raw Cooking

Lately, the kitchen has been a mess of carrot tops, juice spills, beet greens, and all the other makings of many a raw entree.  I've been completely in awe of the variation one can find in eating only raw foods.  For instance, I decided a sushi night would be fun, as the kids enjoy it and the making of it is always a fun group project.  Well, I found a raw sushi recipe (sans rice) that was indescribably good!  In place of rice, the recipe called for cauliflower, a bit of tamari and lemon juice, and pine nuts all ground up to form a very rice-like product.  As I was busy food processing, I wondered who came up with this?  Someone one day said to themselves, "gee, I'll bet if I grind up a bunch of raw cauliflower, it will look and taste just like white rice and be awesome in a sushi roll"!  Anyhow, that stroke of genius made me forget all about the usual cream cheese and smoked salmon I usually make sushi rolls with.  Here's a pic (not mine) and a link to the recipe if you all want to try it.









http://www.rawfoodhomerecipes.com/category/vegetable-based-meals/


I also made some simpler rolls with raw spinach and avocado rolled up in some nori, quite delicious.    I plan on continuing on with this detox raw diet thing until tuesday, the last day of the 30 day detox. Tuesday will find me indulging completely in whatever divine treats my little heart desires.  Yay me!!  So far, plans include fine food and drink such as wine filled cheese fondue, chocolate fondue for desert, and lots of red wine in between.  Don't think for a second that I will have fallen off the raw food wagon completely at this point.  Eating raw foods and freshly juiced juice daily has really made me feel incredibly in tune with my much healthier feeling body.  And, with such positive results, I will continue the work to incorporate such healthy choices more regularly.