Monday, June 28, 2010

berry yummy

very berry dreamy...




berry healthy...


kale, chard, banana, apple, blueberries and irish moss


berry creamy...


a variation of heathy's triple berry cake


berry refreshing...


frozen bananas, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, rice milk and vanilla bean


and berry cute!

my niece alaina

the photo has nothing to do with berries, but she's just so berry sweet!

=)
 

Thursday, June 24, 2010

first trip to the organic csa and a spectacular summer giveaway!

keeping with the theme of eating fresh and local, this week was the first of my organic csa share at muth family farm. every wednesday ('til the end of september) i get to fill this basket with local organically-grown goodies. veggie heaven!


week one's loot: kale, rainbow chard, arugula, endive, mizuna, purslane, basil, green onions, romaine, zucchini, yellow squash, sunburst squash, cucumber pickles, bok choy, and savoy cabbage. ALL ORGANIC - WOOHOO!!!=)


the kale will mostly likely be dehydrated into chippies... the chard and purslane used in my smoothies... the greens and cukes will make beautiful salads... the zucchini and squash possibilities are endless... but what was i to do with the savoy cabbage and bok choy? philip's the raw food salad bar had the answer.=)


herb cole slaw


this slaw was so simple, so quick, and so yummy! chop up some cabbage and herbs (i used my favorites - cilantro and basil) and add seasonings - that's it! it was so tasty, i kept going back to the fridge to sample more. the slaw didn't last a day (though i had intended to let it marinate overnight). i'll surely be making this simple slaw again and again! thanks, philip!


mixed bok choy

spicy, sweet, and crunchy - a divine trinity in my book. made and devoured in less then twenty minutes - who knew bok choy was so delicious?=)



***
as i mentioned in my previous post, philip and i are both offering a copy of the raw food salad bar ebook. that means two lucky readers will be equipped with the best un-cookbook around for utilizing the summer's bounty!

have a lookie at philip's ideas for those heirloom tomatoes...

  • heirloom tomato salad
  • sungolds and green beans tossed with herbs
  • bloody mary soup (can't wait to try this one!)
  • gazpacho with cumin and avocado
  • summer minestrone (mmm...)
  • tomato basil soup 
  • august sunset

but this book is not limited to summer dishes - it's 115 pages FULL of amazing creations, including sections labeled autumn and winter salads and creamy comfort soups, featuring southern belles in london soup.


heathy from sweetly raw and i agree this red pepper soup is comforting any day of the year!

so are you ready to win a copy?


here's how to enter:

in the comments section, tell me why you would like to win a copy of the raw food salad bar ebook

extra entries:
  1. become a follower of animal-friendly eating
  2. blog about this giveaway (5 entries - leave a separate comment for each entry and a link to the post, please).
  3. eat an animal-friendly meal and tell me about it.
  4. tell me one benefit of eating raw or animal-friendly foods. you can go here for some ideas. 
  5. tell me one fruit or veggie in season in your area. visit here if you're not sure. (thank you for the link, meredith!)

    this giveaway will be closed sunday, july 11th at midnight. the two winners will be chosen randomly through a number generator and announced shortly after. be sure to check back to see if you won!

    best of luck to you all!

      Thursday, June 17, 2010

      eating fresh and local

      nothing beats the taste of fresh, local produce. with the growing season upon us, i thought i'd bring forth a produce discussion. please answer the questions in the comments. i'd love to hear from you!


      1) what is your favorite local fruit or veggie?

      for me it's difficult to pick just one. (i do live in the garden state!=) jersey peaches and tomatoes are delicious, as well as sweet jersey corn.

      jersey's local strawberries and blueberries are also quite tasty and abundant this time of year. i like to take advantage of  pick-your-own opportunities and stock up.

      strawberries and blueberries with crunchy dried buckwheat

      last year john came along to help pick strawberries, and this time little lainie loo kept me company by singing and dancing in the fields. =)


      we picked 8 pounds of strawberries, which we used for snacking, ice cream, dried snacks, and rhubarb crumble! the rest were frozen for smoothies, and evergreen from the happy raw kitchen has inspired me to save some for strawberry jelly and raw cream cheese sandwiches. mmm!




      2) do you grow any fruits or vegetables? if so, what's your favorite thing to grow? if not, what would you like to grow?

      last year i was in love with my lettuce plants (maybe because i'm part rabbit, as my mom says=). this year i'm loving my zucchini! there's one to pick almost every other day, and zucchini can be used so many different ways in cooking and uncooking.


      with half of one zuke, a measly little carrot, some sweet peas and cilantro, i was able to spiralize myself a lovely little meal. it doesn't get any more fresh and local than the backyard!


      this zucchini pasta was served over an avocado "cream" sauce.


      topped with some nut parmesan (almonds and nutritional yeast) - delicious!


      next year i'd like to grow yellow squash to go with my purple beans.

       
      i'd also like to plant some blueberry and raspberry bushes this fall. if i lived in the right location, i'd LOVE to grow avocados, coconut, lemons, oranges, bananas, and grapes.


      3) what is your favorite way to use zucchini? do you have any unique zucchini recipes to share?

      summer finds many up to their elbows in zucchini. i'm amazed at the different ways folks cook with them! when i first heard of zucchini brownies i thought, "now that is just wrong. mixing zucchini with chocolate? what are these people smoking?! (and where can i get some? hehe)"

      but i'm so happy i gave them a try, as john and our neighbors rave about them!


      these gluten-free zucchini cupcakes were a hit at a child's birthday party last summer. the gluten-free children loved them and were really excited to be able to enjoy some sweet frosted goodness, which is usually off limits.=)


      last year i made a lot of zucchini crab cakes. they were scrumptious and loved by vegans and non-vegans alike. if frying wasn't such a mess, i'd make these zucchini zips more often.


      ... but my favorite way to enjoy zucchini is raw - simply sliced with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.


      another favorite is carmella's raw lasagna magnifica made with zucchini noodles, warmed in the dehydrator. doesn't this lasagna look baked?



      4) do you buy organic produce? are there fruits and veggies you will only eat organic? do you avoid the dirty dozen?

      as long as the price is reasonable, i will buy organic. if i need to buy conventional to stay within my budget, i do. to be honest, i sometimes buy non-organic produce found on the dirty dozen list, like local strawberries, blueberries, apples, and bell peppers.

      (i'm still wondering why we even allow non-organic and gmo foods in our stores, but it's become quite evident that profit and control reigns over health and wellness in our system.)

      anywho, vegan dietitian did a wonderful post on saving money on produce. you can also read my tips in the comments. if you have tips to share, please do!


      5) what is your favorite summer meal to prepare using fresh ingredients?

      last summer i loved making quinoa salads, especially mango, cucumber, corn, red pepper and mint from the garden. i also enjoyed lots of mint tea...


      and minty watermelon soup. no words to describe this one. maybe fresh fruity heaven in a bowl?=)


      i have a feeling this one is going to be the summer of soup, as raw soup is so refreshing, easy to prepare, and a great way to use the summer's bounty. the possibilities for flavor combinations are endless, and they need not be made in a fancy blender - any old blender will do.

      (some say they don't care for raw soups. i say give them a try in the summer! if texture is an issue try adding something to chew like chopped veggies or wakame. if temperature is the problem, you can heat your soup lightly while stirring to preserve the enzymes - although, you may come to appreciate cool soup in the summer heat!)

      southern belles of london soup
      from 

      this red pepper-based soup is AMAZING. it made me want to get out of my seat and dance - maybe that's why philip named it after a song.=) cilantro and chopped yellow squash were added, as i like something to chew in my soups.

      you may remember southern belles of london soup featured at sweetly raw. philip is heathy's sweetie pie, and i was the lucky winner of his new ebook, the raw food salad bar by being the first to submit an entry for her raw ice cream cake challenge!



      full of quick creative ways to use fresh local produce, philip's the raw food salad bar is the essential book for summer. (who wants to spend a lot of time in the kitchen during the summer? not me!) it's also a must-have for the raw foodist looking for a break from the dehydrator.

      the visuals and recipes are so stunning and inspiring that i want to purchase the ebook for one of my readers. i contacted philip and he said he'd like to offer one as well, sooo... 


      ... i will be giving away 

      *two*

      the raw food salad bar ebooks 

       to kick off the summer of soup (and salads=)!

      stay tuned for my first spectacular summer giveaway, and until then, enjoy those local fruits and veggies!=)

      edit: nelly is hosting a giveaway of two ani's raw food essentials cookbooks. deadline is tuesday, june 29th.

      Thursday, June 10, 2010

      the push

      (click for video) 

      "why does the thrill of soaring  
      have to begin with the fear of falling?"

      Tuesday, June 8, 2010

      an update from biggles


      hey, it's me, biggles. mommy's got her hands full gardening, dehydrating, tutoring, baby- and puppy-sitting, so i thought i'd give her a break and fill in like hayden sometimes does for her mommy. yes, i know i'm a cat and hayden is a human, but i pay very close attention to what goes on around here, especially in the garden.=)


      daddy built 2 new boxes this year, so now we have 3. he also made another trellis so we can grow cantaloupe and more cucumbers.

       
      it may not look like it, but along with our flowers, there's lots of watering to be done. mommy doesn't like to use the hose, as our city water is full of chemicals, so we got a rain barrel for just 20 bucks on craig's list. now we're just waiting for some rain!


      take a peek at what's growing!

      kale

      black beauty zucchini
        
      this tomato plant's got whiskers, like me!=)

       break o' day or pink ponderosa heirloom tomato

       eggplant blossom

      arikara sunflower

      cucumber blossoms

      and arugula flowers

      ~*~

      onto other happenings, we puppy-sat my aunt krista's new puggle, mr. bear. he may stay with us one day a week when his mommy goes to work and school.


      i had to swat and hiss at him already. mommy said that wasn't nice of me and that he's just 8 weeks old and doesn't know any better and blah blah blah. i was just teaching him a valuable lesson - never run up to strange animals!

      mommy's hoping we warm up to each other. we'll see.


      i guess he's kind of cute... when he's sleeping!

      ~*~


      lastly, did you hear the nice things heidi had to say about mommy and her blog over at hihorosie's place? she was delighted! heidi is a real sweetie. i hear a lot about her, her hubby sam, their adorable baby ys2, and how many awesome people live in seattle. mommy wishes they were our neighbors, too!=)

      not only does heidi have a fun and informative blog, she hosts lots of great giveaways, like free organic wheatgrass powder and a $100 gift certificate to csn stores.

      speaking of giveaways, bitt (another sweet seattlelite) is giving away a signed copy of a jennifer cornbleet recipe book plus an adorable apron (edit: deadline is june 12th). does anyone know of some cat treat giveaways?=)

      ok, i think that's about it! there's a back-up of food pics, but i'll leave that up to mommy.

      sweet dreams!

      Sunday, June 6, 2010

      homemade raw chocolates



      what does this one remind me of?


      the partridge that appears about 12 seconds in.
      =)
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