going with the flow

hello friends, and welcome, julia and nelly!  i appreciate your visits. =)

first off, let me say that i loved everyone's snack ideas from my last post! i'm happy to report my cravings have led me away from milk chocolate snacks... but are now guiding me towards fried potatoes! yikes! i am also craving lots of greens and fruit, so i've decided to feed that craving and take it to the next level with a green smoothie fast (edit: a green smoothie FEAST! =).

when i first became serious about transitioning to an animal-friendly lifestyle, i heard of the master cleanse (aka lemonade diet). many testified that the cleanse helped align their taste buds to animal-friendly raw foods, which eliminated cravings for toxic treats.

i thought of trying the lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper cleanse, but never felt fully compelled to give it a go. i find i'm sensitive to cayenne pepper in the urinary region. many health sources are now making the claim that maple syrup as well as agave nectar may not be as healthy as i thought =(. "Lick the Sugar Habit" author Nancy Appleton, Ph.D. explains that, “maple syrup and other sugars literally make the white blood cells go dormant or sleepy [which] opens the door to infectious and degenerative diseases.” ouch.

i would love to do a juice fast (as i hear such wonderful things about them), but i don't own a juicer. yes, i can blend the veggies and strain them through a nut bag, but i know myself all too well and doubt that will keep up more than 2 days.=)

after reading kimberly snyder's post, the green smoothie vs. the master cleanse, i decided to create a fast plan to accommodate our lifestyle.

it feels right to start the fast 7 days before my 29th birthday, to begin my 30th year on a healthy note. we've been prepping by having a green smoothie every day, eating lots of raw food, and cutting back on our vices.

goodies from our shopping trip a few days ago to aid in our fasting prep

my idea to fast was affirmed when i was greeted online tonight by three posts in a row on the same topic! my friends hippiemom and heathy are fasting, and the lovely debbie from vegan family style posted a review for Robyn Openshaw's "The Green Smoothie Diet." the stars are aligned, my friends! =)

this fast will be a challenge, as i don't think i've gone a few waking hours without "food"! john and i are doing it together, so that will help tremendously. i'm still working out the details, but i think i'd like to have 1-2 green smoothies per day and 1-2 glasses of juice, depending on how we feel. i'd also like to incorporate teas, lemon water and some type of flush. if all goes to plan we will begin thursday, february 4th. of course i will document my experiences - the good, the bad, and the ugly! =)

advice and tips from those who have done any type of fast, cleanse, or flush will be greatly appreciated!

snack attack

i battle several snack attacks throughout the day.

my prescription?

animal-friendly treats, of course =).

when my pantry is stocked, a typical day could unfold like this: 

spelt cakes with sunflower pesto and cashew cheese may start the day...

which then might lead to raw pizza with sprouts...

which may be washed down by a green smoothie with hemp seeds...

 

(i find banana, apple, kale, and lemon make a sweet skittles-tasting smoothie!)

while another peek in the pantry might fold into nori-sheet munchin'..

i chomp on them whole, just like that!

all could possibly be followed by a sweet finale to the snack fest...

organic oranges

most of the time my animal-friendly snacks do the trick, but every now and then i eat *whispering* a twix bar! i know, aren't i bad?! :P although delicious in the moment, i feel nauseous 15 minutes after i eat them. i didn't pay much attention to milk chocolate until i decided to give up the animal products. go figure!

i think it's just a phase, and i'm sure it will pass. i also received cacao powder with my sirova order today, so i'll soon be able to get that chocolate craving in check! =)

what are your favorite "good" snacks/"bad" snacks?

coconutty sweets

ahhh, this picture's got me thinking of summer. john and i have a lot of fun thinking of names for our creations, and we both agreed tropical bliss-ard is fitting for this sweet, frosty beverage we enjoyed on a cold, january night! (i know the umbrella is a bit much, but i couldn't resist! =)

tropical bliss-ard

3 C. tropical fruit, chopped and frozen (i used 2 bananas and one mango)
1/2 C. coconut meat
1/2 C. coconut water

add a handful of ice cubes and blend all ingredients until smooth. yields about two 12 oz. glasses. tastes great topped with granola or shredded coconut!

~*~

these coconut kale chips are my new favorite snack. so sweet and crunchy! 

coconut kale chips

a bunch of kale

1 Tbsp agave nectar

1 Tbsp coconut oil

shredded coconut (optional)

few pinches of salt, to taste

trim off the tough stems and break kale into chip-size pieces. place in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with agave and coconut oil. (you may need more or less than 1 tbsp of each, depending on how much kale you're working with.) massage kale a few minutes, making sure each piece is saturated. if desired, add shredded coconut. allow to marinate (i marinate my kale overnight in the fridge, but a half hour or so should do). spread kale in a single layer on teflex sheet and dehydrate at 115° until dry and crispy.

~*~

have a sweet weekend!!!

=)

raw pizza with sunflower pesto

photo from sunset.com  

not only do sunflowers cheerfully resemble the sun, they produce a little seed loaded with nutrients to nourish humans and animals alike.

sources say sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E, fiber, protein (6 grams per ounce) and phytochemicals. they also have a beautiful history....

*

"Sunflowers are native to both North and South America where indigenous people were first to cultivate them. The natives, following a 4,000-year-old practice, chose the largest seeds from the biggest heads year after year, developing the largest sunflowers that, in turn, produced the largest seeds. Ancient farmers tended their sunflower gardens with bone hoes and antler rakes. To encourage an abundant crop, they created special songs and held ceremonies at the time the seeds were sown.

Buffalo Bird Woman, a Hidatsa Native American farmer born in 1839, carried the ancient tradition forward and sang to her plants. Native Americans form deep spiritual bonds with the earth and are grateful for all it produces. Buffalo Bird Woman said, "We cared for our crops in those days as we would care for a child, for we Indian people loved our garden just as a mother loves her children ..."

(from vegparadise.com. you can read the rest of the write-up here.)

  *

another glorious aspect of sunflower seeds is the price. i find them to be considerably cheaper than other seeds and nuts used in raw food recipes (less than a quarter of the price). i use a very heavy hand when pouring my sunflower seeds from the bulk bins!

with all its wonderful qualities, i try to use sunflower seeds often in breads (see sunny bread recipe below) and other raw delights. tonight i decided to make a sunflower seed pesto (instead of walnut or pine nut) to top my favorite dinner, raw pizza.

Sunflower Pesto

1/2 C. sunflower seeds, soaked
4 C. lightly packed basil
1/4 C. water
3 Tbsp. olive oil
5 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp salt or shoyu
2 tsp. nutritional yeast
1 tsp. lemon juice

for the last four ingredients, use more or less to taste (note: i like garlic). process all ingredients until smooth.

Herb Pizza Crusts

1 1/4 C. buckwheat, soaked overnight

2/3 C. sunflower seeds, soaked overnight

5 T. ground flax seed

1 C. zucchini, chopped

1/4 C. water

1 T. olive oil

1 tsp. herbs

1 tsp. garlic

1 tsp. sea salt

1. blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

2. spread batter about 1/4 " thick on 3 3/4 dehydrator trays covered with teflex sheets. score into 9 squares per tray (or make pizza rounds).

3. dehydrate at 125 for 2-3 hours, then flip onto mesh and turn the temperature down to 110.

4. dehydrate until dry.

the pizza was assembled with cashew cheese, marinated mushrooms and bruschetta, then warmed in the dehydrator for about one hour.

not the most flattering pic, but doesn't that cashew cheese look like mozzarella?!

it seems like every raw pizza i make is tastier than the last. i was literally dancing in my seat while i ate it. so much better than SAD pizza!

~*~

photo from nps.gov

once when i was feeling really down, my bestest friend missy's mother bought me a sunflower to cheer me up. it sure did! i remember that as one of the nicest things anyone has done for me.

i guess the moral of this post is sunflowers are a great way to brighten someone's day...

...and raw pizza is another! =)

sunny bread, kale chips, and buckwheat granola

this was breakfast today. 

sunny bread sandwich with sliced avocado, tomatoes, carrot, and lettuce.

served with a crunchy side of kale chips.

 

and this was lunch.

 

buckwheat granola cereal topped with almond milk.

sometimes my belly can be very strange! =)

~*~

i created the sunny bread recipe using matthew kenney's cumin bread recipe as a guide. i call it sunny bread because 1) its got sunflower seeds in the recipe and 2) it was a nice, warm(er) sunny day here yesterday when i made it. =)

Sunny Bread

1 C. golden flax meal

3/4 C. sunflower seeds, soaked

3/4 C. walnuts, soaked

2 small squash, roughly chopped

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp agave nectar

1/2 tsp salt

1 clove garlic

place flax in mixing bowl. process remaining ingredients in food processor until smooth. add to bowl with flax and stir until well combined. spread batter on one teflex sheet, score bread into 9 (or more) slices, and dehydrate for about one hour at 145°. turn temperature down to 115°, and dehydrate until top feels dry. transfer to screen and dehydrate a few more hours, until bread is dry but still pliable.

~*~

john came into the kitchen yesterday saying "i want chipsss" (meaning tortilla or potato chips). i felt a little sorry for him because we had neither, but then i remembered we had kale chips in the dehydrator! we gobbled those chippies until our tongues turned green!

(you may remember this dish from the salem county arts festival post. i love the way the kale chips look on the orangey plate!)

 

Kale Chippies

a bunch of kale

1 Tbsp agave nectar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1-2 garlic clove

few pinches of salt, to taste

trim off the tough stems and break kale into chip-size pieces. place in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with agave and olive oil. (you may need more or less than 1 tbsp of each, depending on how much kale you're working with.) massage kale a few minutes, making sure each piece is saturated. allow to marinate (i marinate my kale overnight in the fridge, but a half hour or so should do). spread kale in a single layer on teflex sheet and dehydrate at 115° until dry and crispy.

~*~

after trying many different raw granola recipes, i've finally come up with one i absolutely love! it's tasty as a dry snack or topped with milk for a yummy cereal.

the main ingredient of this granola is buckwheat. despite its name, buckwheat is a gluten-free fruit seed, so it should be safe for those with wheat allergies.

"o-tay!"

Buckwheat Granola

6 dates, pitted and soaked

1 Tbsp soak water (reserved from dates)

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp agave nectar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 C. raw buckwheat groats, soaked

1/2 C. almonds, soaked, then roughly chopped

1/2 C. sunflower seeds, soaked

1 C. shredded coconut

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp hemp seed

handful of raisins or dried cranberries

process first 5 ingredients in a high speed blender until a paste is formed. place remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. add date paste and mix thoroughly. spread onto 2 teflex trays and dehydrate at 115° until dry.

i'm not much of a recipe writer, so if you have any questions, just ask! i'm happy to help! =)

herbal coffee, almond milk, and chia pudding

carmella and don from the sunny raw kitchen introduced us to herbal coffee during their stay. for those who don't already know, herbal coffee is a grounded blend of herbs, grains, nuts and seeds that have been roasted. while it is not raw, it is naturally caffeine-free and non-acidic.

i've been sippin' teeccino hazelnut and organic chai. i find these flavors to be pleasant, and they go very nicely with yummy raw desserts!

~*~

if you'd like, you can read part I, part II, and part III of our animal-friendly raw-venture with carmi and don (hey, it was a very exciting time for me and deserved more than one post! =)  you can also read carmella's recap of the visit at the sunny raw kitchen blog here.

~*~

i like to add a bit of almond milk to my herbal coffee. i also enjoy a glass of almond milk with chocolatey desserts. i've been making three cups at a time and conveniently storing it in a quart-size mason jar.

Almond Milk

1 C. almonds, soaked
3 C. filtered water
nut milk bag

process water and almonds in a high speed blender a minute or so. strain mixture through nut milk bag (or a paint straining bag). store almond pulp in the fridge or freezer for later use. almond milk keeps for about 3-4 days in the fridge.

kelli's notes: i like to leave the almond milk plain, but occasionally add a little maple syrup to sweeten it a bit. i've seen recipes with coconut oil, soy lecithin, agave and vanilla, but i'm all for simple!

~*~

carmella taught me how to make this easy yet delicious chia pudding. (come to think of it, she taught me how to make nut milk, too!=)

Chia Pudding

serves 1-2

2 T chia seeds
1/4 C almond milk
maple syrup
raisins
cinnamon

mix chia seeds and almond milk with a whisk or fork. allow seeds to absorb the liquid a few minutes, then stir again. add raisins, maple syrup, and cinnamon to taste.

  Chia Pudding makes a delicious layer for parfaits with strawberries, Chocolate Sauce, and Sweet Gratitude's Coconut Meringue.

~*~ 

nikki from yummy raw kitchen posted an amazing-looking Chia Pudding recipe with almond butter! go take a looksie!

=)

what's new

hello friends! some laptop difficulties, a sore wrist, and a lack of motivation in the kitchie has kept me from posting lately. now the laptop is fixed, the wrist a bit better, and the kitchen fully stocked on animal-friendly ingredients, so this blogger is back in action! =)

when i'd rather sit on my butt and drool over the amazing raw treats others are preparing (have you seen the happy raw kitchen's latest?!), zucchini pasta is my go-to meal. it requires little thought and energy on my part, but is oh-so delicious and nutritious.

i used my spiral slicer to spiralize one medium zucchini, which i then tossed with olive oil, chopped garlic, cashews, sliced button mushrooms, grape tomatoes, and some seasonings.

~*~

my generous mommy (who is also an outstanding cook) made us a batch of split pea soup. mmm mmm mmm was it good! she also made croutons, but they were gone before i could even think of taking a picture. today ezekiel's sprouted bread accompanied my lunch.

 ~*~

i've been crocheting a lot lately (which is why i think my wrist hurts) and i made biggies a cat mat. she loves it, and she loves to play with the yarn while i'm crocheting.

 

 

 

cats and yarn go together like peas and carrots! =)

~*~

today i signed up for the 2010 Muth Family Farm Organic CSA Program! yayyy! i am so excited for june 23rd, the first day of their season. i went twice last summer with my friend carol and felt like i'd died and gone to veggie heaven. i'm sure you will be reading a lot more about muth farm from me this summer! =)

spring

(google images)

please get here. quick!

=)

happy 101 award and a giveaway

Heathy and Bitt have nominated me for this sweet little award.

thanks, ladies! you both brighten my day, as well! =)

Here are the rules: List 10 things that make you happy. Try to do at least one of them today, and tag 10 bloggers that brighten your day. For those 10 bloggers who get the award, you must link back to my blog.

10 things that make me happy:

• animals, especially my cat mrs. bigglesworth
• my sweetie pie, john
  
• sitting in my cozy turquoise room with my little fam
• blogging and reading all the wonderful blogs out there
• a good book
• animal-friendly food
• playing with my my niece, alaina
  
• cannabinoids
• crafting
• eating quinoa veggie sushi while the wasabi burns my nose (it's a good hurt!)

edit: i'm adding an 11th. i guess the cold weather made me forget,

• gardening!
  

blogs i nominate:

(i will try to list 10 i haven't seen with the award.)

• pieces of nick and missy
• color me katie
  
• urban veggie garden blog
  
• subsistence pattern
  
• vegan food: more than tofu and sprouts
  
• beautiful living food in vermont
  
• the life of a vegan
  
• annie's kitchen garden
  
• integral dynamic
  
• the voracious vegan

one last thing. the lovely voracious vegan is hosting a giveaway to promote her delicious vegan bakery. (i get a second chance to win for posting this!=) one lucky winner will receive a bag of cacao nibs, a jar of almond butter, a jar of hemp butter, and a jar of pecan butter! check it out! oh, and if you win and you found out about the giveaway here, you must split the prizes with me! (hehe just kiddinggg)

have a happy week! =)

hats and pom-poms

in my christmas wrap-up, i posted a pic of the cute lil hat i crocheted for our nephew.

i had a feeling it was going to be a bit too small,

but the wonderful thing about crochet is you can take it apart/add to it and fix it!

i added brown and tan single stitches to the bottom to give it length.

then i thought i'd make a cute pair of thumbless mittens that i also made for our twin nieces. (i added a few stitches to make them a bit larger)

then i topped the hat with a pom-pom for added cuteness.

(you can learn how to make easy pom-poms here.)

i followed a lovely blogger marisa and made a pom pom gift topper. 

i'm really having a lot of fun with yarn. although it's frustrating at times and my projects are far from perfect, i find crocheting to be so soothing and rewarding. i've been teaching myself how to follow patterns and, for those interested, i find teresa's blog and video tutorials extremely helpful.

i love this soft hat i made john using lion brand homespun yarn in wild fire.

and since this is technically a food blog, i will leave you with a yummy easy dessert we enjoyed last night!
=)

Banana Soft Serve
from Choosing Raw

topped with leftover Chocolate Ganache from a Chocolate Pecan Pie
and chunky peanut butter

yum!!!

delicious

i have to share these recipes that made our ny eve so yummy!

Vegan Bay Crab Cakes

Recipe by Cherie Soria (as printed in Purely Delicious magazine)

Serves 6 (Yields twelve 1/4 cup cakes)

1/2 C. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for 1 hr, drained and diced
1 1/2 C. zucchini, spiralized
1 1/2 C. macadamia nuts, ground
1/4 C. onion, finely minced
1/4 C. celery, finely minced
2 Tbls. nutritional yeast
2 Tbls. lemon juice
2 Tbls. red bell pepper, very finely diced
2 tsp. kelp powder
2 tsp. ground golden flax seeds
1 Tbls. ground psyllium seed
1 tsp. garlic, pureed
1 tsp. red jalapeno, minced (or substitue cayenne pepper to taste)
1 tsp. Himalayan crystal salt

1. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut the spiralized zucchini into pieces about one inch in length. (A spiral slicer and a chef's knife are perfect for this task.)
2. Combine the zucchini and all remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add a few drops of water, if needed, to form a firm dough.
3. Using a 1/4 C. measure, create small cakes, about one inch deep.
4. Place the cakes on a nonstick dehydrator sheet and place in dehydrator at 120 degrees for 1 hour; then turn over to dehydrate the other side for another 1-2 hours. (This temperature will not be too hot to destroy the nutrients and enzymes, since the dough has enough water to stay cool during this time.)
5. Serve with a generous serving of Cocktail Sauce and/or Creamy Dill Sauce.

kelli's notes:
i used 3/4 diced button mushrooms instead of porcini, 1/2 macadamia and 1 cup cashews, omitted the onions and psyllium powder, and served with a mixture of ketchup and wasabi. i needed to dehydrate longer, more like 6 hours. they are a bit flat (most likely due to the lack of psyllium powder), but still scrumptious! i will follow the recipe to the T next time so they look as good as they taste!


Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Walnuts
from Raw-Riffic Food's Recipe Blog

1 lb Brussels Sprouts (stems removed, and sliced thin)
1/2 cup walnuts coarsly chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped
1/2 – 1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 T (more or less) cold pressed Hemp Oil
1/2 T cold pressed Olive Oil
2-3 drizzles of raw agave nectar (or to taste)

Preparation:
Lightly steam the Brussels Sprouts and place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and toss well. This dish is a very hearty meal. Try exchanging the walnuts for chopped pecans, or dried apple pieces and raisins in place of the dried cranberries. I think you will agree that this dish is super yummy, and makes you feel cozy too! Perfect for Winter! =)

kelli's notes:
i did not have hemp oil so i added more olive oil. i sliced the brussels thin, tossed with all ingredients, and dehydrated a few hours instead of steaming. the flavors go together so well in this dish that i'm sure any way you make it will be delicious!

~*~

 

Quinoa Veggie Sushi

4 nori sheets

1/2 C. quinoa

1 C filtered water

1 small carrot

1 small zucchini or cucumber

1 avocado

agave

rice vinegar

tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

wasabi

1. rinse quinoa. bring water and quinoa to a boil, lower heat, cover, and cook 15 minutes.

2. shred or cut veggies thin.

3. add a few drizzles each of agave, tamari, and rice vinegar to the cooked quinoa.

4. place nori sheets on sushi mat, add ingredients and roll. i've watched youtube videos to learn how to do this.

5. serve with tamari and wasabi.

6. mix leftover ingredients and top with wakame for a yummy salad!

~*~

Chocolate Pecan Pie

from Jennifer Cornbleet's Raw for Dessert

altered and posted at Beautiful Living Food in Vermont

(a lovely blog i stumbled upon recently)

by Joyce

This recipe includes a few components so I’m going to list them in the order that I made them:
1 Cup of Date Paste (here’s what I used since I cut the recipe almost in half)

• 20 pitted medjool dates
• 1 1/2 cups of water (and a couple teaspoons extra)

Soak dates in the water for 20 minutes, massaging them with your hands for a minute. Drain dates but reserve the soaking water.
Place dates in food processor along with a bit over 1/4 cup of soak water and blend until smooth.
Almond Pecan Crust

• 3/4 cup of unsoaked almonds
• 3/4 cup of unsoaked pecans (recipe calls for 1/2 cup)
• 8 pitted medjool dates
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Place almonds and sea salt in the food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the pecans and process until both nuts are finely ground. Add the dates and process until mixture begins to stick together. Don’t overprocess. Form a pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate or tart pan. I used a pie plate.
3/4 cup of Chocolate Ganache

• 3/4 cup of dark agave syrup or maple syrup (I used mostly dark agave with a bit of maple syrup)
• 3/4 cup of cacao powder
• 1/3 cup of virgin coconut oil, melted (in dehydrator)
• 1/8 teaspoon plus pinch of sea salt

Blend everything in the Vitamix until smooth. Add most of it on top of the crust. Scatter 3/4 cups of pecans on top of the ganache. Press down with your hand. Put in the fridge while making the filling.
Filling

• 3/4 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of agar flakes
• 1 cup of date paste from above
• 1 tablespoon of dark agave or maple syrup (I used maple syrup since I live in Vermont)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Place the water and agar flakes in a small saucepan on the stove and let soak for 5-10 minutes. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Place the date paste, maple syrup or agave, vanilla extract, and sea salt in the food processor and process until smooth. Add the agar mixture and process until blended.

Spread the date mixture evenly over the ganache and pecans with an offset spatula. Scatter the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup of pecans on top, pressing them down slightly. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

kelli's notes:

i followed another blogger and used 1/2 C. melted coconut oil in place of the agar flakes. it worked wonderfully, but i think i will use a bit less coco oil next time (maybe 1/3 C). the pie was amazingly sweet and decadent, and i will definitely be making it again!