berry nutritious brekky

chia seeds, coconut milk and irish moss gel
topped with organic blueberries and soaked/dehydrated buckwheat groats

chia seeds : excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, dietary fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals. used to treat heartburn symptoms. can be purchased online and in most health food stores.

irish moss : a gelatinous seaweed loaded with vitamins and minerals such as sulphur compounds, protein, iodine, bromine, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc, pectin, B-vitamins and vitamin C (cites pure joy planet, a trusted seller of raw irish moss). also used topically to hydrate and heal skin problems.

note: i've read those taking anti-coagulating medications should avoid using irish moss.

blueberries : super rich in antioxidants known to prevent/heal heart disease and cancer.

buckwheat groats : gluten-free seeds found to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels. full of fiber, vitamins and minerals. also a good oil source of alpha-linolenic acid, one of the two essential fatty acids needed for a healthy system.

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to make this simple breakfast whisk about 2 T chia seeds with 1/4 C non-dairy milk and a heaping teaspoon irish moss gel. allow seeds to absorb liquid a few minutes.

beforehand, soak buckwheat groats 30 minutes then dehydrate until dry (you could also let them sprout a few days prior to drying for added nutrition).

top with bloobs or berry of choice. raisins and cinnamon also make a nice chia breakfast topping.

what is your breakfast of choice these days? 

coffee coconut ice cream with irish moss

utterly delicious, and dairy-free!

1 1/4 C strong black coffee
1/4 C coconut flakes
1/2 C young coconut meat
1/4 C coconut water
3 pitted dates
3 heaping T irish moss gel
1 T raw coconut butter
1 T maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
love


blend first two ingredients well. add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. process in an ice cream maker or simply place in freezer, stirring every so often.


top with raw chocolate shavings and enjoy the buzz!


if coffee isn't for you, replace with water and add a bit more vanilla, to taste.

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2 oz soaked irish moss
1 C water


rinse irish moss well and soak overnight in the fridge. chop into pieces and process in a high speed blender until completely smooth and gel-like, stopping to scrape down the sides. store in fridge about a week or so.


+nouveau raw posted a great guide for irish moss gel here.

++edit: here is a great source for raw irish moss. (pure joy planet)

healing

hello there... long time no post!=)

until today, i hadn't been feeling like myself. it's like i'm fighting something. i've been super sleepy and COLD (guess it's just that time of year). on top of that, i've been experiencing uncomfortable heartburn. i battle the best way i know how - with lots of rest and healing foods (and also letting the house go to sh*t.=)

below are some things i've been feeding myself. i've also been taking echinacea, elderberry, raw vitamin d, goldenseal, and drinking warm miso/ginger soup. 

green smoothie

(that's oscar, bubbie and evie's cute cat)

salad with mushrooms, chopped date, almond slivers, balsamic vinegar and oil

coconut chia pudding with raspberries

(blended coconut meat, coconut water, chia seeds, irish moss gel and nut milk)

 raw pizza crust with a black bean spread

(cooked black beans, raw tahini, nutritional yeast, cayenne, cumin and lemon juice)

 vegan split pea soup

so i'm happy to say today i had lots more energy and tackled almost all of the chores. my heartburn symptoms have let up, plus another snowstorm is on its way, which means i get to sleep in tomorrow. hey, it's the little things!=)

my spirits were lifted when i received this lovely postcard from lela in estonia! great timing, i'd say. lela has a pretty blog called touching the sky is easier for birds, where she shares her thoughts, vegan food and postcrossing postcards. lela's photos have inspired me to take a trek in the snow tomorrow with camera in hand.

what's the weather like in your neck of the woods?

the ultimate raw ice cream cake challenge: pearberry bliss

edit: this cake won 2nd place! woohoo!=)

PearBerry Bliss

the idea for this ice cream cake was inspired by a pearberry parfait i made in march for our friend, yahya. a nice, ripe pear is one of my favorite fruits, and i love all shades of purple.

the trinity of tart blackberry, sweet pear, and raw cacao is heaven to my taste buds... i just had to recreate it in ice cream cake form.

allow me to take you through the process...=)





1. the sketch

the original plan, until i bought a spearmint plant.

pearmint sorbet with chocolate sounded really yummy, so i went with it. the vanilla ice cream with pear chunks square was omitted, and pear sorbet (minus mint) took its place.

2. blackberry ice cream

heathy's berry ice cream recipe with chocolate chips. irish moss subbed soy lecithin. 


3. the pear sorbet center

frozen chunks of pear and banana blended in the food processor.

4. blonde crunchies

heathy's recipe for vanilla flavored buckwheat crunchies. 


5. pearmint sorbet

chunks of frozen pear and banana with a few spearmint leaves, blended in the food processor 'til smooth and creamy. 


6. chocolate ice cream center

heathy's chocolate ice cream recipe. (once again omitted the soy lecithin and subbed irish moss gel, my new favorite emulsifier and anti-aging cream.=)


7. sampling the leftovers =)

***

the sketch called for a pearmint sorbet and blackberry sauce swirled topping.

*blended blackberries, agave, and lemon juice strained through a nut milk bag to remove the seeds.

once again my fruit mixture turned an unpleasant color. (stinkin'oxidation!) luckily i had lots of blondies leftover, so i coated the top of the cake.

(see my new 4x4 and 2x2 beds in the background? we're planting tomorrow=) 

 

***

major kudos to heathy for 1) creating such amazing ice cream cake recipes and 2) hosting such an awesome challenge. what a blast it's been, and summer hasn't even officially begun!

and high fives to all who participated! each and every cake looks delicious and is incredibly creative.  whaddya say we all meet up and do a slice swap?=)

the ultimate raw ice cream cake challenge: café almond biscotti

this decadent ice cream cake was made for my sweet momma to enjoy on mother's day. she loves coffee and almonds, so john came up with the delicious idea to use newman's own café almond biscotti flavored coffee for an almond coffee ice cream cake.

 a delicious idea, indeed!

the bottom layer is coffee ice cream made with a strong cup o' joe and 1/2 cup of hazelnut milk. there are chunks of chocolate covered almonds throughout.

in the middle is heathy's chocolate buckwheat crunchies with chopped almonds. the top layer is heathy's vanilla and chocolate ice creams. i attempted to swirl the two layers, but the chocolate wasn't behaving.=)

all three ice creams were made with 1/3 cup irish moss gel in place of soy lecithin. i found this makes a creamier ice cream.

i made the raw biscottis using a few recipes to guide me. they contain almond pulp, almond meal, dried coconut, agave, vanilla, and coconut oil. i dipped them in chocolate and coated with crushed almonds. heathy's whipped cream is holding the biscottis in place.

my very talented sister also made our mom an edible gift - a cupcake bouquet!

my mom loved her gifts but said she was most happy to spend the day with her three children. isn't she sweet?! =)