UPDATE! (12/27/11) I just bought a BUNCH more stuff. The Andrea’s Oils I ordered that are noted below just arrived and they’re spectacular. I’m in love. I can’t wait to share them with Kamea (in her diet and on her cute little bod!). PLUS! The Raw Food World online store just announced their AT-COST January specials 4 days early so you can use the coupon noted below on those, too! I ordered sea spaghetti, coconut oil, more dental floss, Irish moss, cacao products, more pili nuts, hot sauces, radiant love butter (hubba hubba! lol), more Andreas’ oils, cherry and coconut extracts, MORE chlorella, NuTru DHA with EPA, and more! I’m stocked up for the next 6 months.
I’ve been making a lot of purchases at The Raw Food World online store (owned by the lovely Matt Monarch and Angela Stokes-Monarch). And, I mean it when I say a lot! lol! I can’t help myself, I keep going back for more (the products are superb quality) and they have an awesome holiday coupon going on from now until the end of December. Plus, the At-Cost Specials going on right now… WHOA! Good stuff! The deals are too good to pass up.
If you decide to do some shopping there, be sure to use the code Holiday18 when checking out.
Just a few of my favorite things...
Want to know what I’ve been buying? (It’s a long list, but I plan on buying even more. I’m all about stocking up on things when they’re on sale and the Holiday coupon is too good to pass up!)
I’m feeling that pull again. It happens at least a few times a year where I want to be all raw. It pulls at me. Draws me in. I’m feeling it again now. Actually I’ve been feeling it during this past month, during which I did a small all-raw stint. Then, I added some cooked back in. But. I’m feeling like hitting it up again.
What’s drawing me to it? The need for clarity, cleansing, purity, and light. My diet is quite excellent as is, but it’s heavy and I am feeling a draw to lightness at the moment. At least I think that’s it. To be honest, I frequently find myself going back and forth between a desire for all raw and high raw, which is fine. I just follow my body even if it’s for a day or a week or a month.
I’m not going to give up my raw chocolates or nuts, but I think I’ll eat fewer of them. I think. ;)
Today, I ate mostly raw… Fresh picked oranges, bars, garlic cream dip, veggies, water with green powder, dates, nori snack, and a cooked vegan burrito which still had some raw in it (guacamole, pico, and lettuce).
I’m also feeling drawn to something else that I’ve never wanted to do. More on that later…
PS. I’m writing this from my iPhone. If all goes well with posting then look for more blog posts in the future.
I recently shared with you a list I keep for ideas of easy raw foods to keep me inspired and to show me that I have tons of options. On that list is raw brownies because they always satisfy and they’re mega easy to make. With that… I share my latest recipe with you for Cinnamon Brownies (update… I just added a video below showing how I make them!).
I like cinnamon in them because cinnamon helps with blood sugar. I like using sprouted and dehydrated sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds because they have tons of great nutrition. The walnuts I’ve been using lately? Well, I was supremely blessed by my friend in Europe who sent me freshly cracked walnuts from her grandmom’s garden! She also soaked and dehydrated them for me. Can you imagine how fresh and delicious they are? I’m in love with them.
Confession: I ate 7 of these in one day.
Cinnamon Brownies
Yield one 8×8 glass baking dish (12 to 16 brownies)
Using a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, grind the seeds, walnuts, salt, cinnamon, and chocolate powder to a coarse grind. Add the dates. Process until it starts to stick together. Press into an 8×8 glass baking dish. Enjoy!
Lately I’ve been eating all raw. I’ve had the urge and attraction to simple, easy, fresh, and clean raw foods. Because I wanted to stick with this for awhile, I decided to write a list of raw food ideas that I can keep on my iPhone, as well as a print out on my kitchen cupboard. This way, I’m always aware of many options and I don’t get distracted with cooked foods.
And… it’s working! After I made the list, I went grocery shopping and really loaded up.
Here is my list. These are clean raw foods that, to me, are easy and accessible. I’m not looking for gourmet options… the idea here is simplicity.
Liquid & Blended Nourishment options… I like lots of these because they’re high energy
Greeeeeen juice (make 2-3 quarts at a time with my Hurom and store for the day)
Smoothies of all kinds – There are so many options! Green smoothies, fruit smoothies (fresh or frozen), nut milk smoothies, add flavors/spices for extra variety. I also love light, bright, non-sweet fruit smoothies like the one I blended the other day with filtered water, cucumber, lemon, and a smidge of Sea Clear fermented miso chlorella & kelp. Another time I threw in a handful of fresh mint in place of the Sea Clear. It’s a GREAT way to consume cucumbers which are instrumental in giving my skin a delicious glow)
Protein shakes (I keep a variety of raw protein powders on hand like Sun Warrior, Vega, Hemp)
Nut milk (freshly made almond milk is my favorite… I make 1-2 quarts at a time and each quart lasts about 2-3 days)
Coconut water
Kombucha
Zesty drink with: ACV, lemon, raw coconut nectar, and cayenne spice! (kind of like a master cleanse beverage… yum)
Creamy raw soups made with avocado or nut butters
Foods
Fresh fruit (doesn’t get easier than this!)
Sprouted, dehydrated seeds and nuts (crunch crunch!)
Sprouted quinoa or buckwheat with seasonings added
Huge Salads (make simple or gourmet raw dressings)
Granola with nut milk
Superfoods (gobble up goji berries, cacao, etc)
Zucchini or cucumber pasta topped with pesto or cream sauce. I make multiple batches of my Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto (friggin’ AMAZING STUFF) and I freeze it. This way, I always have it on hand and it’s perfect for dipping with veggies, using on veg pasta, and makes a delicious salad dressing. We made it for Thanksgiving this year, but tossed gently steamed green beans with it. OMG we were all jumping up and down in our seats at how mega delicious it was!!!!!!! I am not exaggerating!
Brownies
Dates
Raw cheese dips for carrots, celery, romaine leaves, etc
I’m a fan of veggies and dip, so it’s no surprise that I’m always creating new ones. While looking for new ways to use my mesquite powder (other than my delicious Mesquite Cacao Banana Shake), I developed this delicious recipe. The subtle mesquite-ness is fun and unique.
Place the cashews in a medium bowl and add enough water to cover them by about an inch. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and add enough water to just cover. Let the cashews and sun-dried tomatoes soak for up to an hour. Strain the cashews, rinse them, and put them in a blender. Add the sun dried tomatoes and their soaking water, along with the rest of the ingredients to the blender, and blend until creamy.
Serving suggestions:
For raw fooders, use as a dip with vegetable crudite. Raw broccoli and cauliflower never tasted so good. I also routinely serve this alongside big (whole) romaine lettuce leaves. This is excellent served as the spread in your next collard green wrap sandwich, too.
For people eating cooked foods, spread on veggie burgers, toast, or serve with pita chips
Here’s another terrific raw vegan shake recipe that can be enjoyed as a breakfast, snack, or dessert. Why is it so good? Well, let me tell ya!
It has… Creamy sweet bananas, satiating chocolate protein powder to keep you filled up, energizing zing from cacao nibs, refreshing-ness from the ice, and the awesome malt-y-like flavor from Mesquite to tie it all together.
One of the best things about smoothies and shakes —> Versatility, baby! With all of the different available sweeteners, protein powders, superfoods, greens, fruits, and other fun and unique ingredients, smoothies and shakes are something to look forward to every day. Multiple times a day. I get excited just thinking about them. Am I weird? Naaaaah! I’m a foodie!
This recipe is delectable. I took a vacation from my usual protein-powder-filled and superfood-loaded smoothie staple to switch it up. And, boy, is it amazing. This gorgeous recipe is light with flavors of apple, pear, and vanilla, yet satiating, creamy, and loaded with nutrition from the avocado. And, the ice sets it all off perfectly.
Damn. This is goooooood.
Creamy Goddess Goodness
(Don’t let the title deter you awesome dudes out there from making this… Greg loved it!)
I make lots of kitchen sink raw recipes. For those of you not familiar with those, they’re basically recipes where you throw in everything, except the kitchen sink! Most often, they’re recipes with odds-and-ends ingredients that you’re trying to use up before the next shopping trip. I’ve made Kitchen Sink Green Juices, Kitchen Sink Smoothies, Kitchen Sink Breads and Crackers, Kitchen Sink Pates, and now… Kitchen Sink Nut Butter.
And, this may be the best nut butter I ever made. Too bad it’s never to be truly replicated because I didn’t measure anything, as is the case in most kitchen sink recipes. I just threw the last nuts from my jars into my food processor and hit “on.” (Took only a few minutes and it was done!) I do know the main ingredients though (all organic): almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pecans.
I’ve been eating a lot of raw vegan chocolate pudding lately. What can I say though… it’s awesome, super easy to make, choc-full of nutrients(!), and can be eaten ANYTIME of the day. Yes, you heard that right… ANYTIME of the day. Why not? With uber healthy ingredients like fresh raw almond milk and almond butter, avocado, and raw chocolate (plus protein powder if you make variation #2 below), it’s a stellar addition to your day. In fact, I’ve had it for breakfast before training at the gym to keep me fueled (see the variation recipe below with extra protein added), I’ve had it as a snack, and I’ve had it for dessert. Love love love it!
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, for sprinkling on top just before serving**
Place your pitted dates in a bowl and add enough filtered water to reach the top of the dates. Let them soak like this for up to an hour. Strain off the water and put the dates in to your blender. Add the remaining ingredients to your blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Store leftovers in an airtight, glass container in your refrigerator for up to three days. This recipe also freezes wonderfully!
* If you don’t have this on hand, you could use any raw (or non-raw) plant-based milk.
** I also love having this pudding with sliced banana added on top. Soooo good!
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, for sprinkling on top just before serving
Place your pitted dates in a bowl and add enough filtered water to reach the top of the dates. Let them soak like this for up to an hour. Strain off the water and put the dates in to your blender. Add the remaining ingredients to your blender and blend until creamy and smooth. Store leftovers in an airtight, glass container in your refrigerator for up to three days. This recipe also freezes wonderfully!
I'm Kristen, and welcome to my blog. I'm a wife, mom, author, and I love to eat so food is usually the topic of my blog posts. I'm a former (almost decade long) vegan turned back omnivore who enjoys reading, rebounding, coffee, and dark chocolate. More...
I'm Kristen, and welcome to my blog. I'm a wife, mom, author, and I love to eat so food is usually the topic of my blog posts. I'm a former (almost decade long) vegan turned back omnivore who enjoys reading, rebounding, coffee, and dark chocolate. 
