RAW Living and Learning

I have put some pretty unusual ingredients into our daily green smoothies over the years but you'd be surprised at just how delicious it can be. Don't be afraid to try new, strange sounding things when experimenting with foods, life is too short to miss out. I routinely put cauliflower in our smoothie recipes and have never been disappointed. Just read on to learn the benefits of consuming this wonderful veggie and then try my Strawberry Cauliflower Smoothie recipe posted below the article. Cheers! Top 8 Health Benefits of Cauliflower By Dr. Mercola  February 22, 2014  Cauliflower is a member of the cruciferous family of vegetables, often overshadowed by its green cousin broccoli. This is one vegetable that deserves a regular rotation in your diet, however, as it contains an impressive array of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals. Adding to cauliflower's appeal is its extreme versatility. You can eat it raw...

Who would ever think you could put kale in a pudding recipe?? That is one of the many things I adore about raw foods--the unexpected. I have learned to create recipes with ingredients I never imagined could "go together". I have explored new tastes, textures and aromas that have opened my senses to a whole new world. Everyday I learn something new and exciting. I am so grateful and I feel so blessed by this lifestyle.  Today I was experimenting with the children's leftover smoothie and decided to make a thick, creamy pudding. The two ingredients that are crucial to its texture are avocado and chia seeds. The green component, merely for its powerful nutrients, is KALE. Don't let the green color scare you. Children think it is really cool especially if you call it 'green slime'. I ate kale for the first time in my life, over 4 years ago when I discovered raw, living foods. Here is my recipe: Mango Banana Pudding by Elizabeth @rawlivingandlearning.blogsp...

A few nights ago I put together a recipe for the children.  It made a great, healthy, protein packed treat for them before bed. Everyone loved it, hubby and I included. I have been thinking about it ever since because I used up the last of the strawberries and look forward to getting more today so we can make another blender full!! It's THAT good! Hemp seeds were the primary ingredient supplying the protein and chia supplied the perfect balance of Omega-3's and Omega-6's. Here is some history about these amazing seeds, taken directly from this site . Check out their web site it is pretty awesome!! http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/hemp-seed.html Hemp Seed Benefits The Protein-Rich Super Seed Hemp seed comes from the hemp plant, which has been used for centuries in the paper, textile, biodegradable plastics, and construction industries. Hemp seeds, however, have recently been rediscovered as a highly nutritious food. They are one of the best...

We had so much fun raising our ladybugs and butterflies this Spring! I had posted about it in a previous post here . I had done this with our older two children years ago and this time around it was the younger three that had a great hands on science project to learn from and enjoy. Here are two of the butterflies just after emerging from the chrysalis. No that is not blood dripping down but some liquid that relates to their pigmentation. I freaked out when I saw it and my daughter explained what it was. Too funny.  Two Butterflies Newly Emerged from Chrysalis Now it was time to feed our new butterflies. We followed the instructions that came with the kit and nourished them for about three days before we released them.  We also were watching our ladybugs get bigger and bigger each day. Now it was time for release day. I had the help of our youngest child. He was very excited and got into it in a big way. He put on the gardening gloves, helped me plant our necta...

Sunflower greens--I eat them, juice them and put them in smoothies; I adore these green goodies. I have said it before, sunflower greens are one of those foods that you want in your diet on a daily basis. If you haven't started sprouting them yet, what are you waiting for?? When growing the greens you want to purchase the organic black seeds, called black oil sunflower in shell. I purchase mine locally from our 100% organic market but you can also order them from these wonderful people . You can learn everything you ever wanted to know about sprouting on their site. We all know how important it is becoming to learn how to grow our own food. If you don't believe me go to one of my favorite blogs and listen to these videos Mr. H posted. Hi Mr. H !  If you desire sunflower sprouts, purchase organic hulled seeds and grow them in a glass jar like any other sprout not requiring soil. When growing the sunflower greens you must first soak your black seeds overnight i...

I posted a few days ago about a great site I found called Blend It and Mend It. Well, now she has show cased two of my smoothie recipes!! She videos her recipes and also viewer submitted recipes, demonstrating how to make wonderfully healthy and delicious smoothies and green drinks. A recent video is of my cherry smoothie that I wrote in to tell her about. Elizabeth's Cherry Green Smoothie 2 C spring water 1 10 oz bag of organic cherries 2 ripe bananas 3 handfuls of organic spinach 1 T chia seeds 1 T hemp seeds 1T sprouted and dehydrated raw buckwheat (buckwheat crispies posted here ) 1 tsp pure vanilla or almond extract (we use almond primarily) Blend until creamy smooth. Enjoy! I love how Jane improvises, using what she has on hand when recreating other's recipes. She has made some good substitutions. Go to her site and watch the video . My recipe calls for hemp seeds and she substituted sesame. Did you know that a 2 tablespoon serving of he...

WELCOME BACK: DR. BRIAN CLEMENT, DIRECTOR OF THE HIPPOCRATES HEALTH INSTITUTE IN WEST PALM BEACH, FL I was blessed to be able to meet Dr. Clement and his lovely wife when they came to speak at our Living Foods Group here in SW Florida. This is a description of our meeting as posted on our meetup site : "WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE HEALTHY??? WHY DO WE EAT JUNK?? DR CLEMENT GETS BEHIND THE MOST CURRENT SCIENCE TO EDUCATE US ON WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO! WHY ARE OUR CHILDREN SO SICK?? WHY SO MANY AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES? WHY DOES 1 IN 3 HAVE CANCER????? Dr.Clement will address the half century of work on disease and longevity conducted at the renowned Hippocrates Institute. Cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, MS, ALS, Parkinson’s, fibromyalgia and more can be altered, prevented, and at times conquered with Phyto-chemicals, antioxidants and other nutrients consumed on a diet of organic vegan living food. Hundreds of thousands worldwide share enthusiasm in their greatly improved hea...

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...

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...

Today for breakfast I really wanted to try my chia seeds that I bought a few weeks ago. I had been reading on line from several different people how much they love their chia . Well I just had to see what all of the fuss was about. I liked chia very much. It is a texture thing, so if you don't like textures similar to tapioca pudding you probably wont care too much for chia . But who am I to say; give it a try and decide for yourself. " Chia is a powerful plant that was used centuries ago as a staple crop by the Aztec Indians and other tribes in what is now Mexico. They believed it was very powerful, not only for the body, but for the mind. Chia is a whole grain that contains protein, fiber, calcium, omega-3s, and antioxidants. The benefits of chia have been rediscovered, and science is proving just how right the Aztecs were to rely on this little seed." (source : www. fitday .com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/the-nutrition-of- chia .html ) O...