RAW Living and Learning

On Thursday night I was thinking ahead to Friday's breakfast. I was in the mood for chia again and decided to get some seeds soaking. When I woke up I decided to make a Chia pudding. Well, once I had the chia pudding almost finished I changed my mind and turned it into a parfait. All the buzz about parfaits must have gotten me thinking about eating one. Here is my recipe for a Chia Cashew Coconut Kream Parfait: Chia Cashew Coconut Kream Parfait 1/2 C chia seeds , soaked over night in 3/4 C filtered water 1/8 C unsweetened shredded coconut 1/2 C raw cashews , soaked and drained 4 Deglet dates 1 tsp Lucuma powder 1/8 t vanilla pinch of sea salt cinnamon and nutmeg to garnish top I soaked my chia seeds overnight. This ratio of chia to water creates a nice thick chia gel, allowing you to thin, as needed, with more water. Next I processed the cashews, dates, coconut, salt, vanilla and Lucuma. Then I added the chia gel a few spoonfuls at a time; proces...

Getting back into the normal routine after a trip is always a chore with a large family. It still amazes me how much laundry a family of seven can produce on a short 5 day vacation! But I am digging my way out from underneath this mountain of dirty clothes and trying to get back to normal. Unpacking all of the suitcases is what I dread the most. Then I get to sort through all of the mess and try to make piles of color sorted laundry, the kiddos help with this. I already have done about 5 loads and I think I have 5 more.The older two help me with switching the wet clothes to the dyer and then emptying the dryer and folding. Thank goodness for that!  On the brighter side, I am happy to say that my sprout kitchen is back in full swing. My lentils will be ready to eat today and the broccoli sprouts should be ready in three days. I will plant my sunflower seeds on Thursday or so, after they get their tails on. My adzuki beans are in the sprout bag.  Now that I...

Today I am inspired by Raw on $10 a day or Less . Here is her amazing recipe. I have my chia soaking right now and will be enjoying this wonderful and healthful breakfast in just about twenty minutes. Here is my Chia http://astore.amazon.com/rawlivandlea-20/detail/B001CJOMZC  Can't wait to try her recipe!! Click on this link to see her recipe and photos: http://rawon10.blogspot.com/ "Breakfast Ch-ch-chocolate Chia (From Raw on $10 a Day or Less) serves 2 ~ $1.46 per serving 2 oz chia seeds ($1.56) 2 tablespoons cocoa or cacao powder ($.40) 2 tablespoons agave or sweetener ($.20) dash salt 10 oz water 2 tablespoons crushed walnuts ($.25) 2 tablespoons raisins ($.10) chocolate sauce ($.40) Put the chia seeds, cacao powder, sweetener and salt in a bowl and cover with the water. Let sit for 15-30 minutes until the chia seeds have gelled . Stir really well, breaking up any lumps, and top with walnuts, raisins and chocolate sauce. The chocola...

Ugly Ripe Tomatoes Yes, there really are tomatoes called, "ugly ripe tomatoes". I don't know if you get them up north but down here in Florida they are very popular. I actually took the children on a homeschool field trip to a local large farm company that grows them. The expert at the farm says they are the best tasting of all the Florida tomatoes, and we agree! They are meaty and juicy and full of flavor. If you ever see them in your market, give them a try! I decided to make them the star of my lunch on Tuesday. I topped them with my Thick and Creamy Raw Ranch dressing. I served them with a side of sunflower sprouts and broccoli stems I had leftover from another recipe. I love broccoli stems. They have a sweetness about them and are so tender. They make great dipping sticks for raw dips too. Today I simply ate them with fresh lemon juiced squeezed on top. Man were they good that way. Sometimes simple is best. Ugly Ripe Tomato Plate 1 large ugly ripe tomato, sliced i...

Jicama Cilantro Salad It is HOT down here in SW Florida and I can't think of a more refreshing salad than this. It was so fresh and so light, making it the perfect dish for a hot humid day. I had it for lunch the other day and then enjoyed it as a side with dinner. I had some leftover jicama and cilantro and decided to throw this together. Here is the simple recipe: Jicama Cilantro Salad 1 small jicama or 1/2 of a large jicama cut into small cubes juice from 1 large lime or 2 small limes handful of fresh chopped cilantro pinch of sea salt Toss all of the ingredients together and enjoy the simple goodness. ~JMJ~Today I am grateful for the fact that God is good, very good. He times everything perfectly, as He is perfect. We had an unexpected "gift", so to speak, come at just the right time to cover an unexpected, very large, expense. God is good, He will provide for all that we need. Trust and keep the faith. Peace and Raw Health!

It is time to do a formal review of a book I was lucky enough to find at our local library. The title is, " Everyday Raw", by Matthew Kenney . I have already posted recipes from his book and I really like everything that I have prepared so far. But now I would like to share my review of his book and also feature another one of his recipes, TABBOULEH. The funny thing about this recipe is that he uses a sprouted grain, quinoa, that he didn't actually sprout. He doesn't personally advocate the use of sprouted grains, although they are technically raw, because he has a hard time digesting them and he doesn't think they are pleasant to eat. I disagree. I think everyone has to decide for themselves of course, but I love sprouted grains and do not have a problem digesting them. It is very important to follow soaking and sprouting timeline guides, to do it properly. Anyway, let's talk about his book: The copy right date is 2008, so it is a fairly new book. It contains...

Blackberry and Blueberry Cobbler 1/2 C blueberries 1/2 C blackberries 1/2 C sunflower sprouts handful of raw walnuts, soaked 6 hours handful of raw pecans, soaked 6 hours 4 deglet dates, rough chop 2 tsp raw honey 1 tsp vanilla pinch sea salt 2 T hemp seeds Process the dates, nuts, vanilla, honey and salt. Add the hemp and pulse a few times. Pour cobbler crust into a serving bowl. Top with the berries and garnish the side of the bowl with the sunflower sprouts. This makes one very large serving. Could be shared by two people. Enjoy! ~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for an empty refrigerator. We cleaned out the refrigerator and the pantry last week. We are down to almost nothing. Now we are going to restock them both with raw and living foods and some whole foods for my "cooked food eaters". Peace and Raw Health.

Lucuma Pudding I can eat different varieties of this raw pudding any day of the week. I am in love with this stuff. There are days when I can actually tell that I NEED this pudding. :) Well today was one of those days. I decided to use some Lucuma powder to flavor this version. It turned out spectacular. Right before I ate it I decided to sprinkle on one tablespoon of Hemp Seeds. They aren't in the photo. This will keep you full for HOURS. I sometimes don't get hungry again until almost dinner time! In June I posted a recipe for a basic carob pudding, this is a super charged version, minus the carob (I was out :() loaded with even more nutrition!! I added my buckwheat crispies to add a nice crunch. I have been adding these crispies to a lot of breakfast recipes lately. They take the place of dried cereals. Here is my recipe: Lucuma Pudding 1  organic avocado 1 large organic banana or 2 small (plus a few slices for topping) 2 heapi...

I was so pleased with the results when I made this recipe. It actually is a recipe for a Sunflower Basil Salad. I decided to make it two ways.  I used some of it for my sushi filling and the rest to make salad wraps using romaine lettuce. I got the recipe from my copy of the book, The Raw Transformation . I mentioned before how much I like all of the recipes I have tried so far. This really is a great raw book. Here is the recipe: Sunflower Basil Salad Serves 6 1/4 C grated zucchini 1/4 C grated squash 1/4 C grated jicama 2 C sunflower sprouts, chopped 2 C firmly packed fresh basil 3 green onions, sliced thin 3 tomatoes, chopped bite size 1/2 C sunflower seeds soaked overnight 1 large avocado, cubed 2 garlic, minced 1/2 tsp minced ginger 1/4 tsp minced jalapeno ( I used a pinch of red pepper flakes) 3 T first  cold pressed EVOO 1 T fresh lemon juice 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp onion powder Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, adding spices, oil, and lemon juice last. Ser...

The first time I tried chia was when I made my blueberry chia parfait. I fell in love with chia and wanted to try my second recipe. The taste of this pudding reminds me of coconut cream pie. It also tastes very festive at the same time, like eggnog. I can't really explain it, but it is just plain good! The first day I enjoyed it as a dessert topped with fresh blueberries. The second day I added some banana slices and a drizzle of real maple syrup and had it for breakfast. The chia recipes I have made seem to stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. But I bet they could stay even longer. If they thicken up too much for your liking, just add in some more water and stir...good as new! Here is the recipe: Chia Pudding 1/4 C chia seeds 1/4 C raw coconut , shredded and unsweetened 1/4 C raw cashews , soaked 4 fresh Deglet dates 1 1/4 C filtered water 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp Lucuma powder 1/8 tsp vanilla powder or extract Stir the chia see...

Carob Breakfast Pudding Sprouty Citrus Salad Marinated Mushrooms and Spinach I thought I would share a days worth of meals again. I always like to see people's daily menus; it inspires me to be creative with my own menu. This day I started out with my favorite carob pudding. I can eat this any time of day, I really like it. I decided to top it with fresh banana and my buckwheat krispies. Wonderful! It kept me so satisfied. This is a great filling breakfast for those days when you know lunch might be later than usual. For lunch I had a refreshing sprouty citrus salad. I love finding all kinds of ways to incorporate my sprouts into recipes. For dinner I adapted a recipe from $10 a Day and served it on top of some raw organic spinach. It went so well together that I will always prepare it this way. I really love this recipe. Here are all three recipes. Hope you can try them soon. Carob Breakfast Pudding 2 ripe organic bananas (use them separately) 1 ripe organic avocado 1/...

Raw Tacos.....I LOVE raw tacos!!!! When the family has their traditional chicken tacos I make a raw taco recipe for myself. I absolutely LOVE this raw taco recipe. It is so simple and has so much flavor. I wrap it up in romaine leaves or even collard leaves that have the tough spine removed. I also have two recipes for nacho sauces that can be drizzled on top, but I never seem to get around to making the sauce because I gobble these up so quickly. I don't think they need any sauce personally but if you are or were a cheese person, I would make a nacho sauce. I will post two recipes for nacho sauces. I am going to try them both very soon. I have been wanting to use them for dipping fresh veggies and also on top of a veggie burger. When the family grills I like to make my veggie burgers. A lot of grilling will be going on this holiday weekend, so I guess I better get to making some of this sauce. Here are the recipes: Raw Tacos 2 Cups raw walnuts, soaked 1/4...

Our Three Youngest The other day I was preparing some of my food and noticed our three youngest imitating me. We have a play wooden kitchen in the family room fully stocked with pots, pans, plastic food and dishes. My kids get so much use out of this set. They always pull out their stuff whenever I am in the kitchen preparing something. Well today they even donned their toques. We got these toques at Roy's Restaurant on Mother's Day. We went to Mother's Day Brunch and they gave these to all of the children. My kids have so much fun with these it makes the ridiculous price of that brunch almost worth it. Tee, Hee , Hee . I was preparing a raw dish I'll call "Berry Good Bowl". It is so simple and sooo good. This would be a great dish to prepare while traveling this summer because the ingredients would be really easy to have at the hotel room and you do not need any fancy equipment to prepare it. I have traveled twice so far since I went raw ...