RAW Living and Learning

Traveling and staying true to a raw vegan lifestyle can be as easy or as difficult as you make it. All it takes to make it easy is a little advanced planning. I always call ahead to the hotel we will be staying at and reserve a small refrigerator for the room. I also pack a large enough cooler to hold the food that I'll purchase once we arrive at our destination. Packing a blender is essential. For short trips I pack my Tribest travel blender. For longer trips I pack my highspeed blender, a Blendtec. I also pack food for the first few days just in case I cannot get to a market at our destination right away. This particular trip I packed lots of cut up melon, whole melons, tomatoes, avocados, oranges, bananas, peaches, lemons, various greens and veggies, and my wheatgrass. I have a travel wheatgrass juicer that makes wheatgrass on the road a breeze. I use the dresser drawers at the hotel for food storage. I set up my kitchen supplies on the top of a dresser so making...

Need a good reason to try your hand at growing your own sunflower greens??? How about 11 good reasons. Read this article I've pasted below,  to discover their amazing benefits and qualities.  by  Christina Sarich, posted on http://naturalsociety.com/11-reasons-grow-eat-sunflower-greens/#ixzz2fLfU63ey In just seven days after planting sunflower seeds, you can munch on some of the most beneficial micro-greens around. Sunflowers offer incredible health benefits, and you can eat many parts of the plant. Finding fresh sunflower sprouts is very difficult, but it is so simple to grow your own. You can also allow a few of the plants to grow into mature sunflowers which will then yield thousands of new seeds for you to grow again – an entirely sustainable way to feed your body and mind. Here are 11 reasons to grow your own organic sunflowers: 1. Sunflower greens offer one of the most balanced forms of a complete plant protein around. Th...

The other day I went to the Asian Market, as I mentioned in the previous post, and I was lucky to find some beautiful, fresh Shitake mushrooms. I had a small carton of button mushrooms in the refrig already and thought that combining the two would make for a wonderful Raw Mushroom Pate. Here are the ingredients and  how I put it all together: Raw Mushroom Pate by Elizabeth @rawlivingandlearning.blogspot.com 3 Cups of finely diced Shitake and white button mushrooms 4 leaves of fresh basil 1 Tbsp of low sodium Tamari diluted in 2 Tbsp water 1/4 Cup of raw sunflower seeds, soaked and dried 1/2 Tbsp dried onion flakes 1/2 tsp Italian spices 1 tsp coconut vinegar 1 small tomato cut into thin strips 1 small carrot spiralized collard leaves as the wraps I began by preparing the ingredients. The raw sunflower seeds need to be soaked for 30-60 minutes and then left to air dry on some paper towel. I also finely diced the mushrooms and measured out my spices. I dilu...

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...

Today I wanted to share with you an absolutely brilliant way to open a pomegranate. I found this great video over at Chrisbeatcancer.com . This technique is so simple you won't believe it!! I made a Vegan Vanilla Kream to dollop on top of my lovely pomegranate seeds. It was so delicious. Recipe below the video. Enjoy! But before we get to the video, would you just look at the nutrition and protection that pomegranates offer!! Health benefits of Pomegranate (source:  http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pomegranate.html ) The fruit is moderate in calories; 100 g provides 83 calories, slightly more than that in the apples . It contains no cholesterol or saturated fats. It is rich source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, providing about 4 g per 100 g (about 12% of RDA), which aid in smooth digestive and bowel movements. The fruit is suggested by nutritionists in the diet for weight reduction and cholesterol controlling programs. Regular inclusion of fruits in the diets boos...