Watermelon – Be Still My Heart!
Anyone who knows me, knows that my all time favorite Raw food is, quite simply, organic watermelon. The gorgeously pink, sweet, refreshing flesh calls my name every summer and I just can’t ever seem to get enough. Each year, as the watermelon season ends, I want to shed a tear because I’m already eagerly anticipating the new season, when watermelon will again usher more sunshine to my life. I love watermelon.
I’ll also do a little cardio on the treadmill.
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Iron Man – Again?
Yep…I saw it for a third time – it’s so good! We took my boyfriend’s mom to see it and she really liked it, too. Come to find out, my boyfriend knows the guy who designed Iron Man’s suit in the movie (as well as some other things). Isn’t that cool?
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Kristen Suzanne – A Future Mom
No, it’s not anytime real soon – so don’t get too excited (although I must admit I’m very excited at the idea of it in the future!). However, here are some things I’m researching to get prepared.
1) Having the birth at home with a midwife
I was introduced to this idea after reading a phenomenal book by John Robbins, Reclaiming Our Health (I highly recommend this book, it’ll blow you away). Since then, I saw The Business of Being Born (also available through Netflix) and my resolve intensified greatly to give birth at home (or in the very least by using a birth center).
2) Insurance doesn’t cover maternity
WTF? This is something I didn’t know until recently. The good news is that having a home birth is supposed to be less expensive than a hospital.
3) Circumcision
Last year I saw a Penn & Teller: Bullshit show (it aired on Showtime, but I watched it online. It appears to have been taken down though). Their premiere episode, Circumcision, was a fascinating, yet comical at times, investigation into the controversial medical procedure that gets people asking, “to snip or not to snip?” It might not be so crazy to say “no” to this procedure anymore. Thus, the days of a boy feeling weird in the locker room are probably not going to be much of an issue in the future, if people continue to elect not to have the procedure done to their sons.
4) To Vaccinate or Not To Vaccinate
I saw an episode of Larry King Live with Jennifer McCarthy and she talked about her concern over the fact that in the recent years we’ve added so many new vaccinations and the speed to which we schedule them could be extremely harmful, with the possibility of being linked to autism.
5) Homeschooling – A Smart Microtrend
Homeschooling has become a microtrend in itself (just like veganism). It’s exciting to see this option gaining popularity with people taking their children’s education into their own hands to make it the best possible. In a time when… 1) more people are working from home, 2) amazing technology like the Internet makes this easy to do, and 3) families are growing tired of our shitty educational system…this is no longer a “fringe” lifestyle.
In fact, I was amazed a few months back, while teaching a Raw food class, when the topic came up and I had a handful of Scottsdale moms (all very normal, well-to-do ladies) who homeschool their kids – and they didn’t even know each other! I say “Scottsdale Moms” and describe them as such, because there was a time when homeschooling was associated with either bible-thumpers or granola-backpacking-barefoot-tree-huggers. On the contrary, these women, and their families, are far from that.
As far as our teaching skills…well, my man is wicked smart with an MBA from Wharton (he’s brilliant), a mind like a steel-trap (he remembers everything he reads and hears), and he has the patience of a monk (he’s going to be such a good dad). Me? Well, I’m college educated myself (University of Michigan), I’m resourceful and well-versed in many subjects, I’m super fun, I have the time to dedicate, and I can make a mean-green-smoothie! We feel like we’ll do a world of good for our kids if we homeschool.
6) Breastfeeding – I know I’ll do it…but for how long?
It’s my understanding that some women in the United States do this for the first 6-12 months typically. Yet, in other parts of the world, they breastfeed for at least a few years.
Check out this NEW study suggesting that breastfeeding is associated with increased intelligence!
7) The Diet!
Of course, my children will be living a High-Raw-All-Vegan lifestyle. The concern can be with letting other people babysit (family, friends). I’ve experienced, first hand, people making food for me, and thinking it follows along with my lifestyle, only to find out there was an ingredient included which wasn’t vegan. Oops.
I will end with one of my favorite quotes because, although some of the practices mentioned in this post can seem foreign to many, I can’t help but think that they feel very natural to me. I love what Gandhi said, Be the change you wish to see in the world.
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Raw Recipe: Creamy Zinger Garlic Spread
Today, I’m sharing with you another great recipe – this time it’s a delicious cheese spread perfect for crunchy crackers, fresh veggies, or adding a tablespoon (or two) to your next salad dressing to sass it up with a delightful gourmet flavor. In my last email newsletter (sign up here), I gave you a fabulously popular soup recipe of mine featuring Garlic Red Pepper Miso (soy-free). Well, if you bought a jar to make the soup, I wanted to give you another recipe in which to use it. This is quick, delicious, and versatile. Enjoy!
Creamy Zinger Garlic Spread
Yield 1 1/2 cups
- 1 cup raw cashews, macadamia or pine nuts (or a mix)
- filtered water for soaking the nuts
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Red Pepper Miso
- 1 tablespoon light miso
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin coconut oil
- a little water, if needed to help blend
Place the nuts in a bowl with enough filtered water to cover by an inch. Let them soak like this for up to an hour. Strain off the water and rinse the nuts. Blend all of the ingredients until creamy in your blender (or food processor) and enjoy this gourmet-flavored deliciousness. Creamy Zinger Garlic Spread will stay fresh for up to five days in your refrigerator (stored in an airtight container). It also freezes well.
*TIP – For those watching your nut intake, here is a tip for reducing the fat in spreads such as this, without compromising the exquisite experience. Replace half of the nuts a peeled zucchini. Keep in mind that fat helps mellow flavors, so by reducing the fat, you might need to reduce a few of the more “flavorful” ingredients. For example, I’d start with 1/2 tablespoon of each of the miso(s) and look for a clove of garlic that isn’t too big. Start small because you can always add more, if desired.
Daily Conversation Question:
Which temptation do you try the hardest to resist?
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Iron Man Drinking a Green Smoothie: BOOH-YAH!
I’m a blogging queen lately…you have to check in a couple of times a day just to keep up with me – haha :)
I just saw the movie, Iron Man, for the second time – yup, you could say I loved it! It’s received many (deserved!) rave reviews. If you haven’t seen it, then you’re missing out on a non-stop adventure of action, fun, and excitement. Both times the audience had moments of laughing out loud, clapping, or exclaimed “Yeah(s)!”
And, total kudos to Robert Downey, Jr., Iron Man, drinking a green smoothie. I was stoked when I saw that!