RAW Living and Learning

This past week has been all about my children. One can truly be humbled when they put others first. I get such joy caring for my family and having the privilege of teaching our five children at home. This past week was filled with new books arriving daily, lesson plans being written, school work being completed, grading papers, field trips being planned (I am our homeschool groups Field Trip Coordinator this year), running to classes out of the home, and just trying to settle into our new routine. Look at my cute boogers!!! Our oldest (our one and only daughter) wouldn't pose for me so I'll just post her pic that we took for her homeschool ID card. Love yah Mad Dog!!!!                                  Yes, I'm Only One And I Do School This past summer I really tried to relax and have a little bit of time...

My daughter wanted a frozen treat last night. I had bought some organic blackberries on super sale last month and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to use them. Wanting to add some creaminess, I added some frozen mango to the raspberries. It turned out wonderful. Here is the ultra easy recipe. Ultra Easy Blackberry Sorbet 2 C frozen organic blackberries 1 C frozen mango Raw sweetener of choice, to taste (optional) Place fruit in food processor. If very hard allow the frozen fruit to only soften a bit. Begin processing fruit until it looks like soft sorbet. Taste fruit, if needed add a raw sweetener of your choice. If sorbet softens too quickly while processing, spoon into a container and allow to freeze 20-30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!                      Madison Enjoying Sorbet Studying for Drivers Ed We decided to start doing some of our schoo...

I am so excited. I have been wanting to make my own Kim Chi and I did it! It was super easy and I can't wait to make my next batch. This first batch was pretty flaming hot, so next time I will tone it down a notch. The recipe called for Napa Cabbage but I used a regular head of green cabbage instead. I also made a few changes to other aspects of the recipe but it all turns out the same in the end. I try not to deviate too far from the original but it is always fun to add your own creativity to a base recipe. I will begin with the recipe and then show you how I put it all together: Kim Chi Base (NOTE: You will need a pair of vinyl gloves) 1 whole head of Napa Cabbage (I used regular green cabbage) 1/4 C sea salt 1/4 C or less of ko choo kah rhoo (red chili powder from Asian markets) 1/4 C warm water Additions to Base 1 clove of pressed garlic 1 T grated ginger 3-4 scallions, sliced on the diagonal, greens too 2 T fish sauce or anchovy paste (I used a curry paste) Sec...

Mango Chia Pudding I had to decide what to do with my last mango that I picked from my friend's tree. It was really ripe and fragrant and ready to be enjoyed. I had some chia gel in the refrigerator so I decided to make a pudding with it. To add some creaminess and texture I added half of a small avocado and some other ingredients to compliment the flavors. This mango was so large it made 4 servings of pudding!! And I mean large servings! It was really delicious. Here is my recipe: Mango Chia Pudding by Elizabeth @ Raw Living and Learning 1 very large Valencia Mango, peeled and rough chop (reserve 5 cubes for top) 1 large organic banana, peeled and rough chop 1/2 of a banana, sliced (for topping) 1/2 of a small Haas Avocado 1/2 C chia gel (thick gel is best) 1 capful of vanilla extract (alcohol free) juice from 1/4 of a lemon 1 T Lecithin powder pinch of sea salt 1 T finely chopped dried coconut, unsweetened 1 tsp chia seeds, unsoaked or buck...

GUDERNOOBS, what's a Gudernoob you ask? Well, allow me to tell you. Gudernoobs are a sweet and tasty, bite-sized chew. Are they raw you ask? Well, I asked one of the founders and she said, yes. How did I come across Gudernoobs? My husband brought home a few from work. He knew I would be really excited about this healthy snack. It is similar to a raw fudge that I make.  I looked on the back of the bag and decided to  call the number. I thought I was calling someone in Ohio, as the address on the bag read, little did I know I actually was calling someone right here in my town. One of the founders returned my phone message promptly. I saw my area code on the caller ID and thought maybe she was here vacationing. We do live in a very popular vacation destination spot. But it turns out, she actually lives here!! Too funny. I asked her if I could get a full bag to sample with my family and to review for my blog. She got me out a package in the ma...

Impromptu Breakfast Fruit Bowl This morning I could not think of anything to make for breakfast. I wasn't in the mood for one of my raw power puddings and I didn't want "just anything". I wanted something sweet with a little bit of a crunch. Here is what I started throwing together. I knew the focal point had to be my red skinned organic pear. It has been sitting on the counter top just begging me to find a recipe for it. Then I thought, dried apples and black mission figs with perhaps some raw honey drizzled on top and a splash of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Next I needed the crunch factor. Yesterday I dehydrated another batch of my sprouted buckwheat krispies. That would be my crunch! But wait, I had the fresh blueberries that I just bought last night. I had to throw some of those in too. And last but not least, my boxwood basil. So there you have it, my impromptu breakfast fruit bowl. Here is the recipe: Impromptu Breakfast Fruit Bowl by Eliza...

Our Organic Bananas from the Backyard Several weeks ago I walked out to the back yard and almost broke out into tears. Two of our banana trees had fallen over from the weight of the banana bunches on them. They were still dark green and I thought they would be a total loss. I decided to cut them off the tree, bring them inside and see what would happen. To our surprise they slowly started to ripen. Each day we got more and more excited as we watched the faint shade of yellow appear. They finally started getting tiny brown spots and I knew they were ready for a taste test. Let's just say the little ones could not stop eating them. I froze half for our raw ice kream recipes and green smoothies, and there are still about five left for eating as snacks. Here is our 4 year old enjoying his "cute" banana. Look at Those Cheeks!!... Mom Wants to Eat Em! The kids just kept saying, "They are so tiny and cute!!" Usually when they stay on the tree ...

I am so happy to say that I won the Coffee Extract Giveaway- Week #7 at Rawfully Tempting. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Here are the details: Rawfully Tempting I decided to use it in my ultimate favorite breakfast. My raw carob/cacao breakfast pudding. I have written several times how much I LOVE this morning meal. The other day I made such a nutrient dense, power packed pudding that when dinner time rolled around I still wasn't hungry! I'm telling you, this is the most satisfying raw meal I have had thus far. Here is that recipe: Raw Power Pudding by Elizabeth 11/2 large bananas 11/2 Haas avocados 1 T Lucuma powder 1 tsp Nutritional yeast powder 1 T Lecithin powder 1 T Nutiva Hemp Seeds 1 t raw honey 2-4 T of a mixture of raw carob and raw cacao powders 1 capful of vanilla pinch of sea salt 1 T Gogi berries, soaked (reserve for topping) 1 T buckwheat krispies (reserve for topping) Process till ,in a small-sized food processor. Top pudding with the buckwheat kr...

Marinated Baby Bok Choy I have said it before, I love simple recipes. This is a wonderfully flavorful dish. The first time I had raw bok choy was in a recipe similar to this one. I fell in love with it. I make it regularly and it always turns out perfect. Here is the recipe: Marinated Baby Bok Choy 1 head of baby bok choy, chop into bite-size pieces 1/4 C coconut aminos 1 t sesame seeds, soaked drizzle of first cold pressed EVOO 2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed onion powder to taste sprinkle of Dulse Mix everything together and let marinate 30 minutes or longer. Only keeps one day, otherwise it starts to get too mushy. Enjoy! I also made some marinated mushrooms, but neglected to take a picture. But hey, they are mushrooms...not too exciting anyway. I never would have thought nut butter and tahini would be good in a mushroom marinade but these were fantastic!! Here is my recipe: Mushroom Marinade 1 pkg of white mushrooms, sliced 2 T raw tahini 1 T Raw Alm...

The other day I was craving oatmeal. Of all things to crave during this hot summer, but that is what I decided to make. Of course this isn't your traditional cooked oatmeal, it is RAW oatmeal. (sorry for the blurry picture) Figgy RAW Oatmeal If you can find truly raw steel cut oatmeal use that, otherwise use some raw oat groats. Soak the oats for 24 hours, rinse and drain well. In the morning I get my sunflower seeds and dried figs soaking. Next, mix it all together and top with a drizzle of raw honey. At this point you can eat it up or gently warm it in your dehydrator. Since it was summer I did not heat this recipe, but in the winter I am sure I will. Sometimes I like to sprinkle on some cinnamon and nutmeg. Here is the recipe: Figgy RAW Oatmeal 1 C Truly raw oatmeal or oat groats, soaked 1/4 C raw sunflower seeds, soaked 4 dried figs, soaked and sliced pinch of sea salt raw honey, gently warmed to liquid state cinnamon nutmeg Rinse the soaked oats, seeds, and figs, let dra...

Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass Powder from http://www.bestorganicwheatgrass.com/ Look at the beautiful gift I received in the mail the other day! Boy was I shocked to see a full box of my favorite Wheatgrass Powder. I had requested some samples before our Orlando trip and the company sent me about 6 sachets. It proved to be the most convenient way to have wheatgrass on the go while traveling. I easily mixed it up each morning in our hotel room. I was worried about traveling while raw, wondering if I would be able to pack everything I needed to get my daily dose of greens. Well, this product solved that problem perfectly. I loved it so much and wanted the entire family to sample some. (I admit I was greedy and drank all of the sachets) I wrote to a gentleman at the company requesting a few more sachets and he sent me a full box of wheatgrass powder!! This box contains 66 sachets! THANK YOU KEN!! I really love starting my morning with a glass full of this...

Tuesdays lunch was one of those meals that actually made me smile. I just feel so good when I eat sprouts and raw kale. I would have to say they are my top raw foods. Knowing how incredibly good they are for my health makes me smile inside and out. I put together a "Sprouty Sprout Medley" and a very simple kale salad I have named, "Eric Jr.'s Favorite Raw Kale Salad". I only got one helping, he ate the rest over the past two days. The longest  that a raw kale salad lasts in this house is two days. Gotta love it!! Here are some pics of my red clover sprouts, sunflower sprouts and even some pea sprouts. This is the first time that I have sprouted pea sprouts on soil; usually I just sprout them in my sprout bag. I am going to harvest them young and just eat them as is. If you want to juice them, just let them sprout a little longer. Red clover Sprouts Sunflower Sprouts   My Yummy Chlorophyll Pea Sprouts Ready to Eat My sprouty salad was a medley of five dif...