Kristen's Raw

Raw Vegan Food Journal. Living Fuel. Motherhood. Running.

Kristen — Wed, 16 May 2012 23:43:56 +0000

Hi everyone!

Kamea is taking a nap and I’m feeling energized so I thought I’d share a quick blog post of my food for today. It was a Raw Vegan Day – high energy, nutrient dense, and EASY PEASY for this busy mama.

Before that though, I have FOUR things I want to cover:

1) How many of you have tried Living Fuel products? I’m intrigued. I realize some have vitamin D3, not vegan, but other than that… has anyone tried? Thoughts? I found these two reviews on them. Natural News and Evolving Wellness (she also did a 12-day challenge with it and blogged about it, be sure to check that out too. Lots of good details).

Living Fuel's product line

2) Motherhood. What do I want to cover in just a few words here? Well, I want to say that it’s the toughest and greatest job in the world, and I plan on blogging more about it, how I navigate it, and putting it all out there (including this ridiculous picture of me below). So, there’s that to come. ;)

Motherhood. Entertaining Kamea while drinking a protein shake, wearing paper mache peppers on my head w/ ponytail and about zero makeup on. Gotta love Greg... I sent him the pic and he said I'm his sexy Mayan princess. He's a smoooooth talker.

3) I am starting to run. Well, let’s be honest, I’m working on a gentle jog, as I call it, and I’m using this Couch to 5K app via my iPhone to train me. I’ll write more on the whole running thing later… Let’s just say though. I’ve NEVER been a runner. Can’t believe I’m even attempting it, but I was inspired by my friend Julie and this blog post she shared with me. I’m on day three tonight.

Vibrams. One reason I never wanted to run was b/c of long term damage to joints. Supposedly, barefoot running (or w/ Vibrams) will help prevent that. Plus, they're groovy looking. I feel like spider man.

4) THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who are supporting me and Pre-Ordered your copy of my upcoming book, Raw Awakening. It means so much to me getting your support. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!! (By the way, if you pre-ordered you know you get a free copy of my ebook Raw Vegan Transitions… if for any reason you didn’t get it yet, please email me again!)

Raw Vegan Food journal (May 16)

Chomp! Biting into an organic orange bell pepper like it's an apple. Low calorie, lots of phytonutrients and vitamin c. Yeah baby! Bring on the easy raw foods!

Organic fair trade decaf coffee (if you’re a coffee lover, Green Star coffee is amazing. We tried it for the first time in Santa Barbara. We don’t drink coffee a ton, but when we do it’s usually decaf – always organic and fair trade).
Core Defender cashew cacao bar (I have a review post coming soon where I write about these)
Water with Greener Grasses and organic stevia from Navitas Naturals
Braggs Limeade while shopping at Whole Foods, carrying Kamea in one arm, and pushing a shopping cart with the other. Yeah. I multi-task lol. And. I took my child to the store wearing her shirt, diaper, and shoes… because, well, she didn’t want to wear pants or shorts. Who am I to tell her otherwise?
Iced Tea to support reproductive health
Mini watermelon
1/3 cup Jalapeño kraut with one avocado smashed together
Raw vegan protein shake (Sun Warrior, cacao nibs, ice water, 1.5 bananas, hemp protein)
2 Bell peppers eaten like they’re apples(!), sugar snap peas, protein shake like above but added chia seeds
sprouted dehydrated pumpkin seeds

I also bought a truck load of organic mini portabella mushrooms to make raw marinated/dehydrated mushrooms. Soooo yummy and addictive. Will be making these today and dehydrating over night.Similar Posts:

Crazy Sexy Life & One Green Planet Articles I Wrote

Kristen — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:56 +0000

I’m a regular contributor to a couple of fabulous health and wellness hubs, Crazy Sexy Life and One Green Planet. Here are my latest contributions to them that I think you’ll find useful.

Crazy Sexy Life – Supplements: Part of the Cure for Modernity

One Green Planet – Flexibility and the Power of the Raw Food Spectrum

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Interview on Chic Vegan

Kristen — Wed, 09 May 2012 23:41:24 +0000

I was recently interviewed by the very cool Chic Vegan and I thought y’all would like to check it out. I’ve done a number of interviews over the years, but I enjoyed this one particularly so because of the questions. It was fun. :)

PS Don’t forget!!! My new book, Raw Awakening, is going to be released on June 6 and if you pre-order before June 6 I’m giving away a free copy of my ebook Easy Raw Vegan Transitions!

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California Road Trip (with photos) – Part 1

Kristen — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:00:27 +0000

We recently went on a great road trip to California. It was so much fun. You see, Kamea has never been a fan of the car so we waited until we thought she’d handle it better at almost two years old – she’s 21 months during this trip. How did she do? Well, let me just give a round of applause to LeapFrog DVDs in the car – lol (and would you believe that she knew some of her letters after just one viewing?! We were looking at books after she watched it the first time – which was a couple of months ago – and she pointed to and said the sounds for “O” and “R” and it wasn’t long before she knew them all!). Anyway… they kept her happy in the car for the drive. But, to make the trip enjoyable, we only drove in small chunks and stopped quite a bit. Our goal was Santa Barbara because it’d been on my Bucket List for a long time. However, just north of Santa Barbara we have friends with an organic olive farm so we visited them, too.

So, without further ado, here is part one of our trip in photos.

OK, so this photo wasn't from the road trip, but I love it so I wanted to share it. :)

We left from my mom's house in Sun City West. Mom makes Kamea organic rose petal tea which she loves. Here she is drinking it and watching Leap Frog.

First stop... Palm Springs. This is about 4.5 hours from Mom's house which is a decent length of travel for us. This is Kamea checking out the stuffed bears in a children's shop. We stayed at Hotel Zoso and enjoyed it very much.

Back on the road and this was my first ocean view for the trip. We were on our way to Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara hotel, Eagle Inn. I questioned Facebook fans about places to stay in Santa Barbara and this one came up a few times. Grateful because it was great! We opted for a larger room and this is part of it.

The outside of Eagle Inn. Charming inside and out. Great service and true Santa Barbara style.

We immediately took to the streets and beach for a stroll. Here we are outside the marina. Many new experiences for Kamea, which was so good for her development. Hence, the quizzical look on her face - haha

Wonderful little health food store, Lazy Acres. This (mostly organic) produce section was gorgeous, clean, and heavenly. Although we didn't stay all (or even mostly!) raw, we made sure to have a good portion of raw foods on this trip, while still enjoying lots of great cooked vegan restaurants.

Well, that’s it for part one of our trip. Next up, I’ll share with you our adventure into Avila, CA, as well as the happiest place in America, San Louis Obispo. And, of course, our return trip home which included another couple nights in Santa Barbara, a night in Long Beach where we made a side trip so I could meet up with my brilliant, lovely, Soul Sista, Robyn (from Girl on Raw), and back one more night in Palm Springs before making it home.

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Green Smoothie Time (Raw Vegan Recipe and Video!)

Kristen — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:22 +0000

Made a quick smoothie with sunflower sprouts from the farmers market and other goodies. Enjoy the show :)

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Spring Power Applesauce (Raw Vegan Recipe)

Kristen — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:14 +0000

I made an incredible (exclusive) recipe for One Green Planet (one of my favorite sources for plant based loving).

It’s Spring Power Applesauce. Get the recipe here!

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My Teeth Cleaning Routine (VIDEO!)

Kristen — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:28 +0000

I get asked all the time about how we clean our teeth in this household. Check out my video for the details. Below the video are links to the specific products mentioned.

Sole salt rocks

Mouth wash

Tongue scaper

Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss

Oil of oregano

Gum Drops and Kids’ Gum Drops

Kamea’s first tooth brush

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Special Announcement! My New Book, Raw Awakening, Available for Pre-Order!

Kristen — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 13:00:12 +0000

I’m so happy, excited, and proud to say that my next book, Raw Awakening, published through Chronicle Books, is officially available for pre-order. Right now.

Whoo hoo!!!! Can I just do a little jig right now? Will you do it with me? Shake it here… shake it there… duck, turn, boing boing, jump, shimmy shake… Whew! That was fun. :) Thanks for sharing in my joy with me. I’m really really really happy about this book.

So…. on to some exciting news for you. While my new book, Raw Awakening, is available for pre-order, I’m offering a FREE copy of my Easy Raw Vegan Transitions EBOOK to anyone who purchases a copy of Raw Awakening during the pre-order phase. Simply email me a copy of your amazon receipt and I’ll reply with a copy of my Easy Raw Vegan Transitions ebook.

A little something-something about Raw Awakening from Amazon.

“Raw” food is energizing people around the world. Eating raw no longer means consuming carrot sticks and boring fruit plates-it’s a whole new cuisine and lifestyle. Featuring the same fun and passionate style that has made hers one of the most popular raw food blogs, chef Kristen Suzanne takes readers step by step through the raw food lifestyle: equipping the kitchen, grocery shopping, eating out, dealing with setbacks (and family members!), improving digestion, and losing weight, until eating raw becomes second nature. Plus, the book features 50 fabulous recipes-no cooking required!-for treats like sprouted protein bars, lasagna, soups, brownies, and even cheesecake! Accessible, fun, and packed with information not available anywhere else, this volume is a must-have for anyone who truly cares about health and nutrition.

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Raw Vegan Yogurt – Super EASY! (Video, Recipe)

Kristen — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:00:26 +0000

Now that I can find ORGANIC young thai coconut meat and water in the freezer department of Whole Foods, I’m a yogurt makin’ fool. I can’t imagine my refrigerator without it. Sooooo good. How can I describe it? Hmmm… ummmm… perfect creamy sublime deliciousness. How does that sound? It’s lightly sweet from the coconut, thick, decadent, very nourishing. Total comfort food. Do I have your interest yet?

Ingredients for raw vegan yogurt minus probiotics that I add (vanilla drops optional)

My excitement stems from how easy it is to make and how nutritious it is (friendly flora, body building amino acids, healthy fats, and lots of exciting nutrients). It’s great for pregnant mamas and breastfeeding mamas alike. The ease of making is from not having to crack open non-organic young thai coconuts and then wondering if your coconut has “good” water and meat inside, not to mention wondering if you have the amounts you need – they all vary.

And, while I’m at it… yeah, it might seem pricy to make. The meat costs me 15 bucks and the coconut water, although I only use about 1.5 cups from the bottle, it costs another 10 bucks for the bottle. But… it’s soooooo good for you and nutritious and mega delicious. Plus, if you think about it, my recipe makes about a quart so I’d estimate that’s about 8 servings. How much does it cost to buy 8 containers of yogurt in the store, which isn’t homemade, fresh and raw?!?! (Besides, when people make mention of some costs associated with certain raw foods, I quickly step in with “I’d rather have fresh raw, health promoting foods than spend $5-10 a day on Starbucks or any other life draining junk. And, do I need to mention that I don’t spend money on illness related doctor visits, drugs, etc.”)

So, bet you’re wondering how to make this awesome raw vegan yogurt! It’s so stinkin’ easy that I make it about every week. Seriously. Why make it so often? Let me share all the brilliant ways to use it!

Mouwing down on it AS IS! It’s a great middle of the night snack ;)
Getting fancy with it and adding diced apple, sliced banana, sprinkling of raisins, and some chopped nuts (texture!) – this is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it. You could also add chopped celery instead of nuts for texture fun.
Add to smoothies for the best smoothie you’ll ever have. Holy heck! I love this in my smoothies. It’s a great way to reduce the fruit in smoothies and bump up the greens because the yogurt settles the greeny flavor.
Crumble raw cookies or brownies on it. This makes a wonderful dessert. The yogurt serves as the whipped cream.
Need creaminess in your raw soup? Enter: raw vegan yogurt. Yum.
Dollop on top of raw cobbler.
Chocolate pudding anyone? Add raw chocolate powder, raw coconut nectar or agave, and stir it up. Wanna get crazy with your cacao? Add nibs too! (Texture! I love texture.)
AND…. you can have all of those named above without even flavoring the yogurt. It’s great as is. But(!) You can get fancy with flavors for added variety. Options: sweeten it up with your choice of sweetener (raw coconut nectar, raw agave nectar, date paste, etc). Or, blend in fresh fruit. Add vanilla (or mint, almond, etc) extract. Sky’s the limit!

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My Skin Care Routine (Video) & Food Journals

Kristen — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:00:22 +0000

I get asked a lot about my skin care regime. While it changes as I try new products, there are a few things that stay the same (eating clean and using clean products). I recently uploaded a video showing you my skin care routine as of late. Check it out below!

Some beauty goodies in my bathroom.

Honorable mentions:

Clean Food - What I eat makes a difference in how my skin behaves, and I firmly believe in keeping skin firm (ehem… minimal aging) with lots of hydrating, phytonutrient / antioxidant rich, and pure organic foods. We are what we eat.
Enema - Although I’m new to these (read how I do them here), I’ve heard from many people who swear that enemas helped their skin conditions. Let the fun begin! Sparkle everywhere!
Cleansers – I’m a fan of many different ones, but the main ones I seem to keep coming back to are Dr. Alkaitis and 100% Pure. The MUST HAVE for extra great results is the Clarisonic Mia.
Toner – Good ol’ rose water. I’m stoked to find that I can buy it organic now!
Moisturizer – Again, lots of delicious choices to hydrate your largest organ. Lately, I’m singing the praises of Pristine Beauty’s Hooray for Brallywood Butta and I’ve also been using these divine organic raw oils.
Treatments – Irish moss gel mask, fruit peel mask, and fresh cut aloe. I dabble in some treatment masks from various companies from time to time, but I love the simplicity of homemade goodies. They’re so fresh and potent!

I also dry skin brush on my body a couple of times a week.

Food Journal

3/3/12 High Raw

Lightly cooked green veggies with raw sauce drizzled on top.

Quart green juice
3 cups Chunky Green Smoothie (water, sunflower sprouts, orange, apple, raw sunflower lecithin, Irish moss, raw vegan yogurt) …. Tea
Avocado, sprouts, kraut (made a video showing this wonderful salad here) …. raw vegan yogurt (video here)
Grapefruit and orange
Protein shake
Raw choc mint pie
Cooked brussel sprouts and and cooked broccoli with raw cashew miso sauce …. Coconut ice cream bar
Apple …. Core Defender Raw Bar

3/3/12 High raw

One word: YUMS!

Tea …. 2 bottles Juice Core Juice (bought at the farmers market – looks to be an amazing NEW organic fresh pressed juice delivery company here in the valley! I’m a fan.)
1/3c raw vegan yogurt …. Supplements
Grapefruit …. Apple …. Salad …. Lightly cooked broccoli with raw sauce to dip …. raw peach cobbler with raw vegan yogurt on top
Protein shake (Sun Warrior and hemp)
Purple Green Smoothie …. Indian Mango Soup
Salad w raw dressing …. 5 cooked brussel sprouts …. raw choc mint pie
Quart Juice …. 2/3 apple

3/2/12 (high raw)

Raw cobbler!

Water …. 3 tangerines …. Small Green smoothie (nut milk, chard, cucumber, apple, cinnamon, chia)
Raw warrior oat bar thing …. Tea
Marinated organic tofu …. asparagus (cooked), avocado with non-raw plum chipotle sauce, red bell pepper …. raw choc mint pie …. (Cooked) beet …. Tea …. Raw coconut water
Raw Vanilla Chai Peach Cobbler (pictured above)

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