Monday, October 29th, 2012

Carrot Apple “Halloween” Soup (Raw Vegan)

by Kristen in apple, carrots, ginger, Halloween, holidays, Motherhood, raw food, raw vegan food, raw vegan recipe, soup, tahini

The weather is ripe for enjoying warm raw soups. My inspiration today was from fall ingredients and the Halloween holiday. I whipped up this delightful and flavorful, raw vegan soup, garnished with black sesame seeds (a wonderful “jing” food – more on jing foods for future posts), and it screamed Halloween! It’s mega easy and only has 8 simple ingredients. Check it out…

Carrot and apple make this a perfect fall season soup.

A Vegan Holiday Gift… For You.

by Kristen in holidays

Here is a great post I wrote for One Green Planet which is timely with the holidays around the corner. Are you struggling with what to put on your holiday gift list? Struggle no more…

Continue reading…

Kristen’s Raw 26th Awesome Giveaway – FREE Holiday Book!

by Kristen in awesome giveaway, holidays, Kristen Suzanne

The holidays are approaching. Can you believe it? Now that they’re around the corner, I’m starting my holiday food planning. What parties will I be going to (if any! lol)? What family events are in store? Am I hosting any get togethers? What foods do I want to eat for Thanksgiving and Christmas? Will I be all Raw or High Raw? What foods do I want to make in advance to freeze?

See? There is much to think about and do! The time to plan is now. And… what better way to help you than with my book, Kristen Suzanne’s EASY Raw Vegan Holidays!

This is a great little book, covering the pluses and minuses of being Raw during the fall and winter holidays. On one hand, holidays are very social occasions that usually focus around food, which raises issues for Raw food enthusiasts, such as how to explain your food preferences to family, hosts, and visitors, and how to deal with temptations to stray too far from healthful habits.

On the other hand, again, the holidays are about FOOD. This presents a fantastic opportunity to try some super fun and delicious, seasonal recipes! (View recipe list.) There is perhaps no better way to start dabbling in Raw or to introduce the cuisine to others… the sheer novelty of Raw holiday food is certain to stimulate conversation. You’d be amazed how some people’s ears perk up when they hear about Raw, as though it’s completely novel and foreign, yet somehow instinctively feels natural and right.

All in all, the holidays are a great time to experiment with all aspects of the Raw lifestyle, both culinarily and socially, and this short book is the perfect place to start. Learn recipes that are easy to prepare, great to take to parties, and perfect for your family gatherings. At a time when the rest of the world is packing on pounds and clogging their arteries with all kinds of yule tide crud, you’ll be getting super healthy and full of energy by eating this amazing food — at the time of year when you need energy the most!

For my 26th Awesome Giveaway…. Someone will win a copy of my Holiday book. (If the winner lives in the United States, he/she has the choice of the print or ebook version. If the winner is from some other great part of the globe, then the prize is the ebook version.)

WANT THE CHANCE TO WIN?

It’s simple to participate. All you have to do is answer the following question in this post’s comment section. The contest will end Friday night, November 5th @ 11:59pm. I’ll enter everyone’s name who answered the question into a drawing and announce the winner on my blog Saturday, November 6th.

QUESTION: What is your favorite holiday song?

Want another chance to win? Tweet a link to this blog post and come back to let me know in a separate comment.

Want another chance to win? Facebook a link to this blog post and come back to let me know in a separate comment.

Want another chance to win? Write about this giveaway on your blog and link back to this blog post. Come back to let me know in a separate comment.

Pure Market Express Raw Food Delivery Review

by Kristen in holidays, Pure Market Express, raw food, raw travel

I was sent a package of food for review by the cool people at Pure Market Express. Have you heard of them? Tried their raw food delivery? Let me say… GOOOOOOOOD STUFF! I’m a fan of their work. Not only do they make good raw vegan food, but their energy is pure love. It comes through in both their food and their email correspondence / customer service. That’s important to me. I’ll be honest, this hasn’t been my experience with all of the raw food delivery companies out there.

Raw food delivery can be so helpful with living the raw food lifestyle. For starters, as a pregnant woman, I sure do appreciate being able to sit back and put my feet up on the couch while I wait for the delivery man. Top that with feeding my body and my growing baby some of the healthiest food in the world. That rocks! I also love that they’re including the nutritional information on the packages of food now. That can be very helpful for people who want to calculate calories, protein, fiber, etc.

Secondly, I’m a fan of raw food delivery during busy times in life… for example the holidays. It’s such a relief that amidst all the food prep for gatherings, attending parties, cleaning, decorating, shopping, and resting from all the activity, it’s a real treat to have a box of organic raw food show up at my door.

Thirdly, raw food delivery is great when traveling. Check out this post (video) I recorded when we traveled to New York and Pure Market Express treated me to a delivery for the first time. (My how my hair has grown since that video in September).

Here are some of the foods they sent to me this second time.

Bacon Jalapeno Poppers

These are really yummy. I had them in the last package and was smiling from ear to ear when they sent them to me again. The combination of spice and creaminess is wonderful. (pictured)

Banana Cream Pie

Pure Market Express knew how much I loved their Banana Cream Pie that they sent me TWO pieces in this delivery. The flavor was the same awesomeness as before, but this time the presentation was different. In NY, the pie arrived in a whole piece. In AZ, the pie arrived kind of all mushed up, like a pudding. It might have been the longer distance it traveled that caused this, but I don’t know. It was still tasty though!

Maple Apple Crepes

Hhmmmm! Excellent. I really enjoyed these and hope to have them again some day. A lovely treat. (pictured)

Baked Mac-n-Cheese

I specifically requested this and was very happy with the result. I wish I had saved some for my husband to try. The one thing I’d change… I’d like a little more sauce with it.

Lasagna

There was some zing to this that affected my mouth a bit (my husband’s mouth, too) that I could do without, but otherwise it was good flavor and a pretty presentation. (pictured)

Donut Holes

These were fun. My favorite part was the somewhat crunchy exterior – reminded me of donut holes.

Kristen’s Raw 14th Awesome Giveaway – FREE CHIA SEEDS!

by Kristen in awesome giveaway, chia, chia pudding, chia seeds, holidays

It’s time for another awesome giveaway (here was last month’s). The prize for September? CHIA SEEDS!!!!!! WHOOHOO!!!!! I will be drawing the names of 2 winners, and each winner will receive a 3 pound bag of chia seeds (courtesy of Chia Seeds Direct). Cool, huh?

Chia rocks the house. Most of you know I’m a big fan of these cute lil guys. Read my post about chia here, the “Dieter’s Dream Food.” There are so many wonderful ways to enjoy them:

Plain, by the spoonful (be sure to carry dental floss, speaking from experience here)
Roll a peeled banana in them
Add them to smoothies and Raw vegan nut/seed milks
Make chia crackers (like here) or chia bread (like here, this recipe doesn’t call for chia seeds specifically, but you can substitute the “twister” blend for ground chia)
Make raw jelly
And… drumroll please…. chia pudding (like Holiday Chia Pudding!!!) This stuff is the best!

Want the chance to win? It’s simple to participate! All you have to do is answer the following question (be sure to answer both parts) in this post’s comment section. The contest will end Wednesday night, September 9th @ 11:59pm. I’ll enter everyone’s name who answered the question into a drawing and announce the winner on my blog Thursday, September 10th. *Please note: this month’s contest is only open to people living in the United States and Canada.

Question: If you could donate one million dollars to charity, which would you choose AND WHY?

A Kid In A Candy Store – What-evahh!

by Kristen in holidays, organic delivery, persimmons

YUM! YIPPEE!!! WHOO-HOO! I’m like a kid in a candy store because….WAIT! Can we change this statement? A kid in a candy store? That’s awful! How about…I’m like a kid in an open field, running, playing with flowers, animals and making mud pies?! Ah, yes, that’s much better. Okay, where was I? Yes, I’m just like that kid in the field (sounds pretty good for an adult too, if I do say so myself – haha). Why am I so giddy? Well, yesterday, I received my organic produce delivery and I’m rolling around in giant Fuji apples, 10 pounds of bananas (even baby bananas – very cool!), golden beets, Meyer lemons, Persian limes, Satsuma Mandarin Oranges, spinach, avocados, watermelon and my ever-loving….drum roll please….fuyu persimmons (6 pounds…very nice!). I’m in heaven. When I bite into one of these delicious fruits, my mind is immediately transported away to that big open field of flowers, animals, and making dirty mud pies with my hands (it should be no surprise that I love to eat with my hands, too).

I started my morning with a giant green juice made with my fresh, organic produce. It had a little of everything in it and tasted just the same (which was delicious!). Gone are the days of having to “plug-n-chug” (picture this: plugging my nose while chugging down thick, disgusting, chemical tasting protein shakes from my bodybuilding days). Those are gone! Yay! Now, I’m only fueled with head-to-toe energizing goodness from fresh organic fruits and veggies. Life is damn good.

Then, I ate 3 fuyu persimmons. Simply delicious. Yikes! The 6 pounds will probably only last me a couple of days. Oops, I should have ordered more.

For lunch I’ll have warming, organic miso soup alongside a brilliant root salad of golden beets and carrots topped with chopped dates and a delicious Raw dressing. After which I’ll snack on more persimmons. Dinner? Not sure yet. It’s Saturday and a new Irish pub opened near us. Even though we’re very high Raw, my awesome loving boyfriend enjoys a beer once in a while. So, we’ll probably venture over there where he’ll drink that while I sip on a glass of organic wine. After all, it is a “Happy Holidays” time (imagine me saying it as Oprah does…dragged out, “Haaapppy Hoooooolidays”) and I love celebrating the holidays.

My two favorite places to buy organic produce online: Boxed Greens and Diamond Organics.

Today is definitely a SARK – Juicy Living Day. Here’s a good one…

Live Juicy

Living Juicy Means: rolling down a bright grassy hill, sleeping all day to stay in a dream, definitely taking your shoes off at the beach, buying flowers that make you gasp. Find those places inside that jump for joy and do things that bring our your best, most magic self! Live your life in full color :)

~SARK, Juicy Living Cards

Bill Mahar – Holiday Turkeys

by Kristen in bill mahar, holidays, turkeys, Veg News

I’ve been behind on my blogging, but I’m getting back on top of it now.

Even though it’s past Thanksgiving, it’s still before Christmas so this definitely applies. Check out what Bill Mahar has to say: George Bush – Pardon All The Turkeys. Thanks to VegNews magazine for pointing out this story. If you didn’t know, VegNews is my all time favorite magazine. It’s all about living the vegan lifestyle with an ever increasing portion detailing Raw. If you haven’t subscribed yet, you should. I love it!!!

Give yourself your own smile of approval.

~ Maxwell Maltz, M.D.

Are You Green Wrapping? You Should!

by Kristen in green living, holidays, raw vegan lifestyle

Did you know that Americans spend an estimated $2.7 billion annually on ribbons, paper, and bows, and almost all of those goods end up in the dumpster? That’s purely wasteful.

It’s no secret that eating a Raw vegan diet makes a difference for our planet, whether you’re 100% or not (every little bit counts!). But, I don’t stop with just my diet. I “live“ the Raw vegan lifestyle…so I incorporate food and the environment as priorities in my life and you should, too.

With the holidays coming upon us, let’s help save our home, the earth, by taking a look at gift wrapping (and all year for that matter, i.e. birthdays, anniversaries, etc.).

This year, try re-purposing stuff. Eco-stylist Dany Seo, author or the new book, Simply Green Giving, wrote, “It’s amazing what you can find at Goodwill. Vintage fabrics, wallpaper, and sweaters all make great wrapping – just look for rich textures.” Sometimes the wrap will serve as part of the gift, as in the case of a belt or scarf used as a bow.

Here are some more ideas that you can use for wrapping: Magazines, newsprint, comics, and so on make cool gift wrap. Get creative and find ads that “speak” to the person you’re giving the gift to; this makes it extra special, fun and personal. (This is a picture of a book wrapped for a friend using ads from Fast Company magazine.) You can also reuse gift wrap from previous years or use brown paper bags you get from the grocery store.

If anyone looks at you funny, just say, “I’m doing the Green thing.” People not only get it, they usually appreciate it, or comment on how they might consider doing it themselves.

A FANTASTIC Gift Idea!

by Kristen in green living, holidays, raw, vegan

Here is a cool idea that I’m so excited to do this holiday season – I’m asking family and friends to go vegan for 5-7 days, as their gift to me. (Asking them to go Raw is probably too much of a stretch, so I’m starting with vegan. Next year I’ll hit them up with Raw! Remember, baby steps are important.) It’s a chance for them to feel great, learn about the health benefits, reduce their carbon footprint, see how simple it is, and hopefully start making better choices about their food in the future. This is a great gift for any occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc).

With the money they won’t be spending on me, I told them to buy a few staples to last the week (soy or hemp milk, fresh/frozen vegan foods, fresh Raw produce, etc). I’m providing them with a shopping list and I offered to go with them to show them how easy it is. I’ll also give them simple and delicious vegan recipes (as well as easy and great Raw recipes), a list of restaurants in their areas for great vegan food (I’ll use the Internet for areas that I’m not familiar with), as well as giving them ideas for breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The goal is to give them everything they could possibly need for making the week easy and fun. I’m also giving them a free vegetarian starter kit from “GoVeg” www.goveg.com that I pre-ordered early to arrive in time.

Let life scoop you up and change you somehow

~Juicy Living Cards by SARK

Raw Holidays ebook Now Available

by Kristen in holidays, raw chocolate, raw food, raw recipes, Raw Vegan Chef

Hooray! My newest ebook is now available, Kristen Suzanne’s EASY Raw Holidays. This ebook has the perfect Raw vegan recipes for the holiday season. You’ll find one of my favorites, Oktoberfest German Chocolate Brownies (pic here), along with many others. My mom and I taught a handful of them yesterday at our class, Raw Holidays, and everything was a hit!

Now, you can try them, too. Learn how to make some of your holiday favorites, except now they’ll be healthy, delicious, and Raw! They’re easy to prepare, great to take to parties, and perfect for your family gatherings. At a time when the rest of the world is packing on pounds and clogging their arteries with all kinds of yule tide crud, you’ll be getting super healthy and full of energy by eating this amazing food — at the time of year when you need energy the most!

And, it’s not just recipes. I’m giving you great ideas, tips and tricks that are sure to help you breeze through the holidays while living the Raw lifestyle. Hurry up and get your copy today by visiting Kristen’s Raw.