They're Creepy & They're Kooky, Mysterious & Spooky, They're All Together Ooky: Edible Sea Veggies

Okay, so they're not so cute...you might even be able to pass them off as worms for a Halloween scare. They look like something in the kitchen of the Addams Family or the Munsters, but with the look of those families' skin, i'm quite sure they weren't eating their skin nourishing sea veggies! Even to this day (and i eat a fair amount of seaweed), the black ones (especially the hijiki and arame) weird me out. They do look wormy indeed, but when you learn how to prepare them correctly, the taste is so good and they offer us a wealth of mineral bang for our buck. Seaweed is loaded with Vitamins A, B, C, and K and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, iodine, and iron. Additionally sea veggies are about 10-20% protein. There are many choices when it comes to sea eating. Most of you are already familiar with:

NORI - the green (when toasted) or sometimes purple- black (when raw) seaweed that encases our spicy tuna and california rolls.

there is also...

KELP which is light to dark green and DULSE which is reddish-brown. Both of these you can find in shakers and are great substitutes for salt and for additional flavor in dishes. Since they provide electrolytes a teaspoon of DULSE is an easy and healthy addition to any green smoothie.

HIJIKI (one of my faves) is black and wiry looking. It contains alginate (alginic acid) which helps release and transport heavy metals out of the body, and lignans, which have been shown to reduce cancer risk. It also has the highest calcium content of all the sea veggies; ounce for ounce it has more calcium than milk. Hijiki is said to contain the highest amount of arsenic* of all the sea veggies, so buy from a reliable source and look for certified organic hijiki. It is known to have a stronger flavor than say,

ARAME, which looks similar to hijiki but is a bit milder and naturally sweeter in flavor.

KOMBU is dark and mostly sold in strips. It's most often used to flavor soups.

WAKAME, like kombu, is often found in miso soup.

Many of the sea veggies (such as arame and hijiki) are sold in dried form, which means you need to soak them for 10 or 15 minutes. Soak them in purified water, as it drinks the water and grows to be at least triple the size it starts. Drain the soaking water and optionally rinse and drain again. From there cook following the directions on the package - hijiki and arame need to be cooked slow for about 35 minutes. Adding sweet vegetables such as carrot, onion, and corn will help make the flavor sweeter and more satisfying. (SEE RECIPE BELOW). Season with sea salt near the end of cooking. (While sea veggies do contain some naturally occurring sodium, the salty flavor is often not present with cooking. Seasoning with a bit of salt at the end of cooking hijiki and arame can bring out more flavor)

Remember, like all things, everything in moderation. While a bowl of seaweed is a mineral rich way to have lunch, as little as few tablespoons or even a 1/2 cup of your prepared sea veggies can be a great addition to salads, soups, and rice & grain dishes. A little seaweed can go a long way nutritionally, so don't feel like you need to eat an entire bag!

Some other great qualities about sea veggies:

they help to detoxify the body tissues
they help to strengthen the intestines
sea veggies purify our blood
the calcium supports our bone growth, helping to prevent osteoporosis
they can help aid in weight loss and can ease menopausal symptoms
seaweed nourishes hair, skin, and nails, and have been said to be the reason Japanese have lustrous locks.
seaweed also has tons of iron, so consider adding some other veggies to the dish that are high in Vitamin C, which works synergistically with iron to help the body absorb this mineral.

*There has been a great deal of controversy over the topic of heavy metals in sea veggies. While these amazing veggies act as a sponge in their native waters to absorb abundant amounts of minerals which makes them so superbly nutrient dense, they also will absorb some of the less desirable contaminants such as heavy metals that get polluted into our oceans (arsenic, lead, cadmium). All types of sea veggies seem to contain at least trace amounts of arsenic, hijiki being the most problematic. Wakame, on the other hand, has shown to have very little after the soaking process, approximately 43 micrograms per half ounce of wakame. I still consider sea veggies to be one of the healthiest foods available. To avoid this toxicity risk, purchase your sea veggies from an organic supplier.

Hijiki (or Arame) Basic Salad:

you'll need a small (1.75 or 2 ounce) bag of hijiki or arame
1 large non stick pan
1 tbsp coconut oil
at least 2 more cups of purified water
2-3 large carrots
1/2 large OR 1 small yellow sweet onion
sea salt to taste
(this recipe will use the entire bag, you will have leftovers or plenty to share. Of course there is always the option to half the recipe)

This dish can be eaten alone as a side dish, or added to grain dishes. It's wonderful if you add a little to brown rice and top with toasted sesame seeds and additional flakes or small strips of nori.

Preparing Your Weeds:

Pour Hijiki (or Arame) into a glass container and cover completely with purified water. Let rehydrate for approx 15 min.
Meanwhile, chop up the carrots and onion. Put coconut oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat, add the onions and carrots. As oil gets absorbed add water to pan to continue to steam fry your veggies.
Lower heat to medium
Drain the hijiki, optionally rinsing and draining again. Add hijiki to the pan of veggies.
Cover with approximately a cup of purified water. The hijiki will continue to drink the water, and much of the water will evaporate. Keep a little water in the pan the entire time as it cooks (approximately 35 minutes).
Towards the end of cooking stop adding water so that the remaining water evaporates or gets absorbed by the hijiki.
During the final moments season to taste with sea salt.

SEA...It's that easy! Taste before you season, and taste again after you season...you may not want to stop tasting!! It really is a delicious and easily adaptable salad that you can eat alone or keep in the fridge to add to salads or grain dishes.

Enjoy and explore your new found love for these amazing ocean plants!

Skyrockets In Flight, Afternoon Delight: An Alkalizing, Energizing Green Drink

It's over half way through the day, you've been working and running errands, maybe you've been up since 5am, your eyes are starting to get heavy, your energy is lowering, and the first thought that comes to your mind is "SUGAR!" You are in desperate need of an Afternoon Delight/Pick Me Up! While this mid day slump is a sign that the body does need some sort of fuel or exercise (maybe it's just a glass of lemon water or to step out into fresh air for a walk around the block), most likely sugar isn't exactly what you need. Inherently, we as humans have a natural affinity for sweet foods. At birth we are fed milk which naturally has a sweet taste to it. Over the years we are rewarded with candy. At holidays there are treats, cookies, and confections that are made special, and even as adults we woo over gourmet chocolates, pasties, ice cream, and cakes. Sugar gives us that immediate gratification as well as provides fuel; however this form of fuel runs short quickly and we are hardly better than where we started.

As an alternative a green drink is a fantastic way to add zip to your taste-buds and get you moving in the morning or for the rest of your afternoon. While the idea of a green drink can be scary (am i hearing GROSS & BITTER!?!), if you use the right ingredients you will have a refreshing, filling, energizing, YUMMY, and alkalizing pick me up that not only fuels you with the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants your body needs, but also will boost your attitude and sharpen your mind, making you feel VIBRANT! So all you Juicers and Blenders: Get those appliances back out on the counter top where you'll use them regularly and let's all make ourselves a little Afternoon Delight!

Settin' Up:

You'll need a juicer and a blender
1 Lemon (you may want to cut in half and squeeze with a citrus/lemon press rather than running through the juicer, this eliminates having to peel the lemon which i find an arduous task)
8 kale leaves (de-veined)
2 large handfuls of baby spinach (divided)
1 cucumber, peeled
1 green apple, peeled and halved
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
1/3 of a ripe avocado
approximately 1/2 (to a full) cup purified water

Rinse your greens and de-vein the kale by pulling the stem out, leaving just the leaf (this eliminates bitterness**)
JUICE your cucumber, HALF of the baby spinach, ALL of the kale, HALF of the apple, and the ginger
Add your lemon juice to this mixture
Add the water - tasting after a 1/2 cup is added to make sure you don't dilute flavor too much, if still quite strong add the remaining water (usually about 1/2 -1 full cup water total depending how much liquid your juicer and produce supplies, you may need more)
Transfer this juice to your high speed blender (vitamix recommended)
Add the remaining half apple, handful of spinach, and the avocado - Blend Well
Pour into your favorite tall glass, sit in the sun, and sip away


"Skyrockets in Flight, AFTERNOON DELIGHT!!!"


**When juicing greens, to help eliminate bitterness pull stems out of bitter greens, add additional lemon, ginger, or tart fruit like green apple. Overall, you'll find your drinks to become extremely palatable and change the way you feel about green juice/drinks.

Oooooh, My Ache'n _____(insert organ or condition here): A Juicer's Reference For Therapuetic Fruits & Veggies

So you're embarking on a cleanse, you bought a juicer, and you've decided that you are either going to juice fast or at least add some cleansing and nutrient dense fruits and veggie juices to your diet. Only trouble now is that you're not sure what to juice. Use this quick view reference list to pick which produce will aid in cleansing specific organs or conditions. Get creative combining produce to cleanse various body systems. Consider watering down your beverages. While this may dilute the flavor, it also lessens the concentration of sugars in the juice and stretches your produce dollars!

LIVER cleansers: Lemon, Apple, Beets and Beet Greens, Wheat Grass, Radish, & Watercress

GALLBLADDER cleansers: Lemon, Pear, & Beet Greens

KIDNEYS: Parsley, Celery, Citrus, & Watermelon

INTESTINES/COLON: Apple, Wheat Grass, Potatoes, Grape, Ginger, & Black Cherry

BLOOD: Beets, Burdock, Parsley, & Watercress

STOMACH & INDIGESTION: Papaya, Parsley, Lemon, Peppermint & Ginger

ANEMIA: Grape, Spinach, Watercress, & Wheat Grass

ARTHRITIS: Pineapple, Parsley, Carrots, Ginger, and Beets

COLDS: Lemon, Watercress, Ginger and Garlic

VARICOSE VEINS: Citrus & Parsley

EDEMA (Inflammation/Swelling): Pineapple, Watermelon, Parsley, & Cucumber

MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS: Black Cherry, Beets, & Parsley

GOUT: Black Cherry

SKIN/ECZEMA: Greens/Spinach

BAD BREATH: Greens/Wheat Grass

OSTEOPOROSIS: Beet Greens, Carrots, & Celery

DIABETES: Cucumber, Celery, Garlic, & Jerusalem Artichoke

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: Lemon, Citrus, Greens, and Garlic

HYPERTENSION: Garlic

HIGH FATS: Garlic & Radish

"Whow G', What's With The Goji?" : A Healthy Berry Meets Our Heart Healthy Cookie In "Pack'm up & Snack'm Up" Bars

By now most of you have heard of Goji-berries, also called Wolf-berries. Gojis are nutrient dense dried fruits that contain a vast amount of antioxidants, at least 18 amino acids (including the 8 essential), Vitamins B1, B2, B6, Vitamin E, more Vitamin C by weight than an orange, more beta-carotene by weight than carrots, and more iron by weight than spinach. These little delights power pack a punch of 'anti-aging' health benefits AND taste good at the same time! Gojis are knows to strengthen the immune system. They contain betaine which calms nerves and enhances memory, solavetivone which is an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial compound, and may benefit cervical cancer, the heart, and blood pressure. While they do contain beta-sitoserol which is an anti-inflammatory agent, gogis are members of the night shade family (tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers). Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory disorders should be cautious as they may not be best suited for your diet.

If you've been actively following the blog page, we've already had our first few adventures in preparing raw foods - so let's keep the pace! Here's another yum recipe to impress yourself, your friends, and little ones with how well you don't cook! And, as a bonus for all you visual folks, pictures are posted!!!

Stack'm up first:

3 large medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup raisins
2/3 cup coconut
1 cup plus another 1 cup of (gluten free) oats - divided
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp (approximately) coarse sea salt: i tend to love salty - so you may choose to stick to a 1/2 rounded tsp
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup plus an additional 1/4 cup goji berries - divided
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
2 dashes cinnamon

Gettin' to business:

Get your handy dandy food processor out.
Load it up with the dates, raisins, agave nectar coconut, 1 cup of oats, salt, flax seeds and cinnamon.
Process to a dough.
Add the gojis and cocoa nibs, continue to process - using a flat spatula to push the dough down into the blade often.
Pour the contents of the food processor into a mixing bowl.
Add the additional cup of oats and the additional gojis - use a fork and mix until well combined
Grease a plastic cutting board lightly with olive oil
READY TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY?
Put some olive oil on your hands to prevent sticking and press the dough down tightly forming a square just under an inch in height.
Rub olive oil on a knife and clean up the edges forming a perfect square. Score the bar approximately 4 times down to form 5 rows of bars and score through the middle. You will have approximately 10 bars.
Place these bars on a dehydrator rack and dehydrate at around 118-120 degrees for a few hours, flipping half way through.

**If you do not have a dehydrator you are welcome to eat these treats as is, storing in your fridge in an air tight container or wrapping individually in plastic wrap. You can also try placing them in a low heat oven with the door slightly cracked - make sure temp stays low, and stay near the kitchen to keep your pets and children away from danger. Dehydrating time will vary, but will probably be a few hours. Check periodically and flip after about an hour. When bars are to your 'done-ness' (and this is purely how dry you like them; they are completely edible and delicious at any stage), remove from dehydrator, let cool, and store in an air tight container.

Pack'm up & Snack'm up - these yummy treats are good on the go.

The Heart Healthy Cookie Jar: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, Raw

GIMME CHOCOLATE...GIMME THAT COOKIE!!!
Don't know about you, but i've been MAD craving chocolately delights lately. So in my quest to get my fix from only heart healthy sources, i created this Num-a-lish cookie recipe that is an ABSOLUTE must for EVERYBODY that loves INSTANT GRATIFICATION! It's not only easy and can be made and enjoyed within 15 minutes, it's also GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, VEGAN and RAW - meaning NO BAKING TIME! Those of you that do have a dehydrator feel free to dehydrate half of your batch and decide which way you like it best. (Dehydrate at approximately 120 degrees - flipping the cookies as they begin to dry. Check after 30 min, they may be ready to flip and nearly done!).

WHAT'S THE SECRET THAT MAKES THEM SOOOOO GOOD?
The secret is there is no flour, no butter, no refined sugar, and no eggs. It's pure goodness as nature meant it to be, and once you try it - you'll realize how wonderful of an 'uncook' you are too!

*you'll need a food processor for this recipe
(Target sells the black and decker for only 40 bux - it's all i got, and it serves its purpose and is the kitchen appliance i use MORE than anything else)

Cookie Crumbles:
3/4 cup raisins
4 large soft medjool dates (pits removed)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 & 1/2 cups plus 1/2 cup gluten free oats - divided**
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
3 dashes cinnamon
1/8 cup flax seeds
2/3 cup cocoa nibs

Here we go:
Add the raisins, dates, coconut, 1 & 1/2 cup oats, and agave to the food processor.
Process down slightly.
Add salt and cinnamon and flaxseeds.
Continue to process until you have a fairly sticky combined dough
Add all of the cocoa nibs and process again, only shortly, until thoroughly combined.
Pour all these contents into a mixing bowl and add in the additional 1/2 cup of oats. Stirring to combine well.
READY TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY?
apply a very small amount of olive oil onto your hands to prevent sticking as you make your cookies. You may have to revisit this step every few cookies.
Pull out small amounts at a time to form small patties/cookies in your palm, or get creative and press onto a plastic cutting board (lightly sprayed with olive oil to prevent sticking) and use a cookie cutter to make desired shapes.
WHA-LAH - you have your cookies! They are moist, chocolatey, and DEEEE-LISCIOUS. Those of you with dehydrators, take that next step to dry your cookies at 120 degrees, checking for done-ness after only 30 min. Dehydrated cookies will keep at room temp in an air tight container. If you are not dehydrating you can store in an air tight container for a few days, or store in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life. They are just as good straight from the fridge, or pop them in a low heat oven for a couple minutes before serving.

(makes approximately 16 cookies)

**Bob's Red Mill makes Gluten Free Oats

Hey You Dirty Birdy! : Time For WHOLE(istic) Body Cleansing

One of the easiest and most supportive ways to cleanse your body is with whole foods. There are a wealth of options that come with whole foods cleansing from mono-diets (eating one food throughout the day), Ayurvedic Panchakarma detox (where you eat kitchari, a mix of mung bean dahl and rice), to raw foods eating (no food heated above 118 degrees), and the list goes on. As your body cleanses with whole foods, you are giving the body ample nourishment so you can continue to excercise and go about your everyday life fueled in the manner you would given it any other day. The difference is that you are supplying the body with ONLY real, unprocessed, nutrient dense, pesticide/herbicide and toxin free foods that promote health and slowly work to detoxify the system. Shifting into this style of eating will bring you great health and vibrance, and may just transform how you eat the rest of your life. Cleanses decompose and burn the excess wastes in the body and other substances that are damaged or diseased.

When deciding to start a cleanse, there are a few questions you should ask yourself to make sure you SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS and are completely REALISTIC in what you can do/what foods will satisfy you in a day (or perhaps for a week or longer):

1. How strong/weak is your body...what is your current state of health?
*if you currently have a cold or the flu, while eating healthy is a great idea, some full cleanses may be to restrictive and with the immune system already weak, your detoxification symptoms may amplify, pushing you over the edge of resistance from sickness.

2. Are you taking medications?
*Our liver is a major processing center. Those individuals who are on statin drugs or antibiotic drugs usually have an excess of said drug in their liver. That being said, obviously a liver cleanse would be helpful, HOWEVER it could also be detrimental to the drugs use to take your cleanse slowly. Cleansing will push the medicine out of the body sooner. If you are taking medication, whole food cleanses are fine, but consider what your drug does with the interactions of the foods you are eating. For example if you are taking blood thinners, be careful that you do not consume an excess of blood thinning foods that you didn't consume before (garlic and kale are a few). Also consider taking a probiotic or eating more fermented foods and cultured vegetables. Probiotics put 'healthy' bacteria into the colon that prescription drugs and antibiotics strip away, creating an acid state and an unhealthy inner ecology.

3. How intense might your detoxification symptoms be? And are you going to be able to push through, or what might you allow into your diet to help quell these symptoms.
*While most everyone gets detox symptoms such as headache, backache, spotty skin or rash, and fatigue, these symptoms usually are fairly short lived, and will vary based on how toxic the body is. Are there 'upgrades' you will allow yourself (alternatives that are better choices such as green tea instead of coffee, stevia instead of chemical sugar substitutes, milk alternatives instead of dairy)? Giving yourself these back up upgrades could be the difference between healthy success or complete and udder disappointment. Every upgrade/shift you make in life creates a healthier environment. This also will make each subsequent cleanse that much more attainable and successful.

4. How willing are you to change your lifestyle at least for the duration of your cleanse?
*With cleansing, so much is given up. Often these are foods we reach to when we need energy, comfort, or a quick snack. You'll need to stock your refrigerator with the foods that will benefit you throughout the cleanse. This is a great time to raid your pantry before you get started to take out any foods that might temp you from staying on your path, and donate them to a nearby charity.

So once you've asked yourself these questions, and you've figured out which cleanse will be best for you, you can begin to embark on it with great success. Remember a few important tips while cleansing.

*HYDRATE! i can't say it enough or loud enough! This is the ticket. Water is going to help flush the toxins out of the organs, out of the blood stream, out of the body, and keep the colon from drying.

*Start each day with a large glass of pure water with lemon to help induce peristalsis.

*Consider enemas or visiting a Hydrotherapist for colon therapy/colonic. This will also help quell your detoxification reactions/symptoms, as it will aid movement of the wastes built up in the colon out of the body.

*if you are whole foods cleansing, keep your sugars/fruits to a minimum, and make sure you eat smaller portioned meals throughout the day, offering you a mix of complex carbs and protein with each meal. Fueling yourself every 3 hours will set you up for success: main meals of breakfast, lunch, and dinner and 2 snacks or mini meals. Make sure your main meals don't exceed 350-500 calories and your mini meals/snacks about 150-200 calories. Knowing that your next meal is only 3 hours away makes it easier if hunger starts to abound. If it does, DRINK WATER! Most often when we are sensing hunger, it's merely because we are dehydrated. This whole foods style of eating will support your metabolism so you can also kick up your workouts, while simultaneously allowing the body time from processing additional toxins, and allow it a chance to start eliminating stored toxins through sweat and elimination.

*80/20 rule. Fill your plate with 80% (low starch and sea) veggies and eat until you are only 80% full. 20% of your plate is lean protein, and leave 20% of belly empty - it takes a while for the brain to realize it is indeed satiated

*Contraversely, if you are extreme fasting on liquids (be it juice, teas, or other drinks) offer your body some time to relax and truly repair. Without the energy consumption of foods, our body needs to have rest so that the organs can fully work at clearing out toxins, rather than trying to push out sugars and stored glycogen so that your body can preform during high impact activities.

*SWEAT! if you are whole foods eating take hot yoga classes or higher impact activities. Those on liquid fasts opt for saunas and hot baths. (Hot baths are great and relaxing for everyone. Consider putting 1 cup epsom salt in bath water to additionally pull out toxins. This will also dehydrate you, so drink lots of water) Skin is the biggest organ of the body. Sweating is a huge avenue for toxins to leave the body.

* LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! If you are feeling utterly miserable, consider upgrades. While you most likely do need to go through some unfortunate symptoms as you detox, if it is overly amplified you are likely to give up on your cleanse, and never want to cleanse again. As i said before, each upgrade/shift you make creates a healthier environment, so consider allowing your cleanse to be less about restriction and more about making better choices. Great cleansing foods for when you need sugars are melon like watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and papaya. If you are on a liquid fast consider these, or even watery vegetables like cucumber and celery. These foods are still in their natural state, and while they may offer a few more sugars than you originally planned on your cleanse, they will still offer the body a wealth of nutrients and pure energy.

*No matter what your cleanse, make sure you have the foods/liquids you need available at all time to set yourself up for success. Those that are whole foods cleansing, when you are at the market make sure to pick up:

*Salmon or other cold water fish full of Omega 3's
*Eggs (enriched with Omega 3's) - consider hard-boiling to have as a snack or look at my blog "brown bag this kid" for an egg salad recipe using only veggies, herbs, eggs, and olive oil. That post also has some other lifetime snack ideas.
*Raw Almonds - the only nut that creates and alkaline environment
*Raw Pumpkin Seeds create alkalinity as well
*gogi berries, mulberries, goldenberries - with no additives: no additional sugars, oils, or sulfur dioxide. combine a handful of these with your pumpkin seeds and almonds for a healthy and lower sugar, no preservative trail mix
*Vegetables sticks - buy baby carrots, sugar snap or snow peas, or cut up various veggies and have them in containers to quickly make a snack or salad (you can even consider making your own hummus or bean dip if you are allowing legumes in your cleanse. Soak the beans overnight or look online for quick soak directions - cook beans as directed and then use them to add to your grain dishes for protein, or to make dips for veggies)
*Buy tons of sprouts, veggies, and tons of greens. Greens are great detoxifiers. Consider making a veggie based / pureed soup to support your nutrient and energy needs throughout the day
*Sea Vegetables- buy nori (sushi wrapper) and use it to wrap up your veggie sandwiches. Or try wakame, arame, or one of the other choices for sea greens to add to salads.
*Non gluten grains such as amaranth, quinoa, millet, or brown rice
*HERBS - fresh cilantro, basic, mint, rosemary (etc) - use these to flavor your dishes - you'll be amazed at the tranformation of taste by adding herbs to your grains, proteins, and salads!
*Small amounts of low sugar fruits
*LEMONS - add to water every morning, dress on salads
*Appropriate oils - flax oil & cold pressed olive oil to dress salads and ghee or coconut oil to cook with
*Apple Cider Vinegar - the only vinegar that is good while cleansing
*Dulse - this would be an 'upgrade' from salt - replacing the saltiness in your recipes with this iodine rich version from the sea

(bring a list also of 'upgrades' in case sticking to your cleanse is too tough - HAVE OPTIONS AVAILABLE!)

*************************************************************************************************

Good Luck on your clean eating/cleansing journey!!!!!

That's Not A Cockroach - It's My Date!

They may look funky - wrinkly, brown, and just kinda gross, but they really are FABULOUS! No, i'm not talking about some freaky chocolate covered insects or bugs, i'm talking about Dates - the fruit. Try to find fresh ones at the store in the refrigerated sections....they are even more FAHHHHBULOUS. And there are so many varieties: from honey, to black, to my favorite- medjool, and the list goes on. These fabulous sweet little roach look-a-likes are HIGH HIGH HIGH in natural sugar - so go easy on the little buggers, however, when you are needing that sugary treat, TREAT yourself and your body to nature's candy.

some FAHHHHB ideas for your date tonight:

slice the sucker open, remove the pit and replace it with and almond OR even more decadent a little dallop of almond butter. mmmmmmmm (who needs a reeses now?)

slice it open - remove the pit - stick that almond in it, and roll it in some shredded coconut (the fresh dates are more moist so the coconut will stick better)

or if you are going to get really adventurous you can make your own snack bars. Now, keep in mind, these will have a fair amount of natural sugar, so slice them down small when you wrap them, and eat them only sparingly when you need that special treat.

Nature's Candy Bars:

2 cups fresh dates (remove the pits)
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup plus 1/2 cup raw shredded coconut (divided)
sea salt
cinnamon
optional dark chocolate chips or cocoa nibs

Directions:

Pulse the walnuts in a food processor and place into a mixing bowl
Add pumpkin seeds to the bowl of walnuts
If you add chocolate chips and they are large (or coin shaped), pulse them quickly in the food processor.
Add the chocolate or cocoa nibs (if you are using) to the mixing bowl of nuts and seeds
Place the pitted dates and raisins in the food processor to make a paste, add a little cinnamon and a dash of salt
Add the date paste to the dry mix along with most of the cup of shredded coconut (reserve some of the coconut in case you do not need it all)
READY TO GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY?
Put a small amount of olive oil on your hands to prevent sticking and combine ingredients, pressing mixture together. You can add extra coconut if the mix seems to wet.
Lay the mixture on a cutting board and form into a shallow square about 3/4 " in height.
Rub a little oil onto your cutting knife and score into small bars.
Pat extra 1/2 cup of coconut flakes onto the outside of the scored bars
wrap with plastic wrap or foil, or place in a glass jar separating layers with wax paper.
Store in the refrigerator

(also see the recipe for 'no fakin' no bakin' blueberry pie' - just another fahhhbulous way to take advantage of your date tonight)

Don't Have A Cow Man: An At Home/DIY Almond Milk Recipe

Kick the cow to the curb, lose the dairy for a bit, and let your body start to cleanse itself. The two main foods stuffs that most people have trouble digesting/have allergies to are dairy and gluten. So why not give yourself a break?? Ditch the dairy, and leave the milk alternatives on the shelf. Make yourself some fresh enzymatically rich almond milk right in YOUR OWN KITCHEN! The best part about it is that you make it taste how YOU want to have it....and there are so many delicious ways to have it!



What you'll need:

high speed blender
nut milk bag** (or fine weave cloth - not a cheese cloth, or any fine mesh strainer)
pure water
1 cup of raw almonds
choice of sweetener or flavoring (vanilla, dates, cinnamon, stevia, etc)
large mixing bowl, and pitcher or glass jar to keep your milk

The night before you are making your milk, put the almonds in a bowl and fill with pure water (cover the almonds by a few inches as they will swell), and leave on the counter at room temperature overnight (8-12 hours). In the morning drain and rinse the almonds.

This process of soaking your almonds helps to remove an enzyzme inhibitor, as well it helps to decrease the fat, and bring out the vitality of the almond as if it's being regrown/sprouted.


You will now have probably 1 1/2 cups of almonds, due to the swelling.
Place fresh water and almonds in a blender (i often do 6 cups of water to 1 1/2 cups of almonds, but you can choose to add more/less water and make it thinner or thicker based on your preference - there is no rule on the ratio)
Add pitted dates or flavorings - or you can save this step til the end.
Blend on high until the almonds process down to a small fiber.

It's as simple as making a smoothie!  You can enjoy as is or strain out the almond meal.  


Either send through a mesh strainer or use a nut milk bag or paint strainer bag to strain out the almond meal.  If using the bag, hold the bag over a large mixing bowl. Pour your almond milk into the nut bag (you might only be able to add 1/2 at first) and use both hands to press the liquid through the mesh nut bag. Wring and milk it to get all the liquid out leaving a dry almond pulp in the nut bag. Discard the pulp.

Here is your almond milk.  If you didn't already toss in some dates, then throw the milk back in the blender and season with dates, vanilla, or cinnamon.  Add whatever sweeteners and flavorings you would like and blend again. A simple option is to add 3 whole fresh mejool dates. You can also add vanilla bean or cinnamon, get creative.

Pour your almond milk into a glass pitcher or glass container, cover, and store in the fridge.  It should hold well for 4 -5 days. Shake before use.

(This almond milk makes a great base for fruit smoothies too!)

**you can buy a nut milk bag here.  You can also simply get a paint strainer bag at the home depot.

Gimme Some Shuggah Brekkie Cereal : for when you're missing your morning yummy O's

Breaking the sugary cereal habit in the morning can be a rough one....so here's a little recipe that might help you out. Make an extra serving for tomorrow and chill the remainder. It's more sugary on day two and it's already chilled. (great hot too though!)

Gimme Some Shuggah Brekkie Cereal:

Chop finely 1/2 of a medium apple
2nd small fruit of choice - chop a 1/2 of an apricot, peach, pear, persimmon, plum, etc
Add 1 tbsp raisins or chop finely 3 small prunes, 3 dates, or 3 small dried apricots (picking any dried fruit free of sulfur dioxide and extra sugars)
you'll also need cinnamon and garam masala (an indian spice made of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and cardamom, among a few other spices)
1/8 cup of raw sliced almonds (optional topping)

Directions:

Boil a small amount of water in a point (fill it about 1" up the side of the pot), place a steamer basket in the pot, or if you do not have a steamer basket, place a metal colander over the pot
Add all of your fresh and dried fruits to the basket and sprinkle with cinnamon and garam masala
Steam lightly only a few minutes so that the fresh fruits soften, but still have a bit of consistency (cooking food all the way through will de-nature the enzymes in the food, absolving it of many of it's nutrients)
Transfer steamed fruit into a bowl (or if you've doubled the recipe, separate servings and place into two glass bowls, cover and place in the refrigerator. I prefer this chilled in the summer, but it's nice warm in the fall. Up to you. If you want to eat your cereal cold right away just pop it in the freezer for a few minutes while you jump in the shower and finish up your morning routine.

Serve topped with fresh almond milk (or milk alternative of your choice) and raw sliced almonds.

On da' Clean: Kickin' (those toxins out) Kale Salad

Thought you'd never eat kale in a salad??? Shoot - maybe you thought you'd never eat it again after that traumatic Thanksgiving at Grandmas...or maybe you just have never had kale at all! Dark leafy greens can be bitter and frightening when you don't know what to do with them, so lets take the fear out of all those veggies we've never tried by making some healthy, wholesome, and cleansing foods from those scary greens mom's love!

Salad Fixings you'll need:

1 large bunch curly green leaf kale (largest bunch you can find)
**(any veggies of choice for salad makings or use the recommendations below):
1 yellow bell pepper (or 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red)
1/8 - 1/4 inch slice red onion
1/2 stalk celery finely chopped
1 carrot peeled and shredded finely with hand (cheese) grater
1/4 of a ripe avocado
1/2 tsp of finely chopped ginger
1/8 tsp of finely chopped raw garlic
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar*
1/2 lemon

(this salad is great with any veggies and other toppings: chopped tomatoes, raw corn chopped off the cob, shredded raw golden beets, sprouts, and pinenuts. Add fresh herbs such as cilantro or basil to change the flavor. Have fun - just use this technique to wilt the kale. Darker dinosaur kale can also be used, but the leaves will not wilt as much.)

Directions:

Rinse and chop all above veggies and set aside on cutting board
Get the largest bunch of kale you can find (in the end it will only be equal to half the size you see)
De-vein each leave by holding the leaf ends together and pull the long stem out of the center (this takes the bitterness out)
Rinse and dry the kale (salad spinner helpful) - tear the leaves into smaller more mouth manageable pieces
Place your kale in a large mixing bowl and add the 1/2 tbsp olive oil - ready to get your hands dirty?
Massage the kale leaves for approximately 1 minute. You'll see the kale become more supple and shrink substantially in size.
Once the kale is broken down from your loving massage, chop the quarter of the your avocado into the kale and massage again, distributing and pressing the avo into the leaves.
Add all of the additional chopped veggies (including the ginger and garlic)
Squeeze 1/2 a lemon and add the 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar to the salad, season with pepper and dulse**, mix well

save extras as it only gets better with time in the fridge!

*apple cider vinegar is loaded with potassium and helps to leach the calcium from veggies making it easier for your body to assimilate these nutrients. It's also great for aiding digestion since it's enzymatically rich! ACV can be used as a health tonic to eliminate toxic wastes from the body: 1 to 2 tbsp with 4 to 8 oz of water, hot as tea, with a small amount of local honey if available or agave as an alternative.

**dulse is a seaweed. It has negligible amounts of sodium and can be used in many recipes as an alternative to salt. Dulse is high in iodine which is a mineral we used to get in abundance, however due to refinement of food and depletion in soil, iodine is no longer readily available and usually requires some supplementation.

"Your Food Shall Be Your Medicine, And Your Medicine Shall Be Your Food": Juicing for Health

That quote, over four hundred years old, is from Hippocrates, considered the Father of Medicine. Hippocrates was a purveyor of medicine in his time. He treated the whole body of sickness, rather than treating the body as a series of parts. He believed that a clean diet, rest, fresh air, and cleanliness healed. Physicians now take what's called a 'hippocratic oath' stating, "first do no harm". While this was not something Hippocrates actually said, it is the concept under which he practiced.

Holistic practitioners follow this concept as well. Ann Wigmore, who founded the Hippocrates Health Institute (an institution one can go to to learn sprouting, fermenting, wheatgrass growing and juicing, healing, and composting), helped many heal from illness as horrific as cancer from her implementation of healing raw whole food diets and juices. She treated clients primarily with wheatgrass juice and believed that the chlorophyll extracted from and the pure sun energy that went into the growth of the wheatgrass was therapeutic. She was right! Many stricken with disease have turned to juicing for it's therapeutic benefits.

What makes juice so therapeutic?

First let me state that I'm not referring to ANY juice you see shelved at the market (including fresh juices in the refrigerated section full of fruits and veggies, such as Naked/Odwalla juices). The only therapeutic juice will be that in which you extract with a juicing appliance AND consume within under 10 minutes from extraction. Once you have extracted the juice from the produce, you now have a liquid full of enzymes, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, devoid of fiber. Said juice will begin to oxidize immediately, hence why you want to drink it right away. This is a fact, but not a law.

If you choose to refrigerate your juice until later will it still be nutrient dense?

There will still be nutrients, however it does start to lose those nutrients as it sits. So my recommend would be to drink up right away. Wait too long and you'll lose the power of the enzymes and the juice will become like many other store bought fresh drinks rather than a health tonic.

Can i blend instead of juice to get the same benefits?

NO....while making a smoothie or fresh juice in a blender is still an incredibly healthy drink/meal containing vitamins, enzymes, and minerals, your blended drink will contain fiber. While fiber is an important part of the diet, the reason why juicing is so therapeutic is because it contains no fiber. Without fiber the digestion does not have to work. This offers the body a chance to absorb all the goodness and health benefits of the juice. Allowing the digestion to sleep means that more energy can go into the other organs which will systematically work to remove toxins and invaders from the blood stream, allowing the body to heal itself.

Those of you that are considering buying a juicer, i say go for it. I would recommend the omega 8003, 8005, or 8006 juicer. This extracts the nutrient dense juice from produce, including wheatgrass. As well, it comes with a few attachments, one allows you to make sorbet from fresh frozen berries!! It's well worth the investment.

Juicing really is natures remedy. Keep in mind that green juices are going to offer a wealth of detoxification benefits. Use parts of the veggies you would normally toss, juicing beet greens, carrot tops/greens, and the like. While juicing greens may not be the most tantalizing, create a balanced taste with sweet and fruit flavors as well. Apples, carrots, and beets impart a great amount of sweetness and are wonderful additives to green drinks. Celery and especially cucumber make wonderful bases and produce a good amount of juice. Become creative and play with different combinations, but keep in mind your mixes may not follow the proper food combination rules. If you notice the juice is not sitting right in your belly work with combining per the rules (keeping fruits and veggies separate). Greens are some of the easiest to combine with fruit for many, with little or no digestive interference. For others, they need to stick to citrus with citrus/acid with acid, or sweet with sweet, or greens and veggies on their own together. In which case: use carrot and beet to sweeten your veggie juices, pineapple and orange to sweeten citrus, and apples or berries for fruit based drinks.

**While this is not a therapeutic juice, this is one of my favorite green drinks. A combo of fresh extracted juice blended with additional fruit and greens:

1 -2 cucumbers
1/2 - 1 apple

peel if juicer does not allow peels, or clean well. Put through juicer then transfer the juice to a blender.

1/2 - 1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
1 small bunch of swiss chard (clean and remove stem to eliminate bitterness - or leave on for more nutrients)
option to add 4 strawberries (this will impart a very berry flavor)
a few ice cubes

add pineapple, ice cubes, and a few handfuls of cleaned chard to the juice you've extracted and put in high speed blender. Blend completely and taste. If you've added too much chard and the taste is too green throw in a few strawberries. If it's incredibly sweet, throw in a little bit more chard.

Drink up and feel the vital energy of the whole fruits and veggies invigorate your body!!!

"Soy you can't cook?" - Quick, Easy, and Yummy Recipe For The Kitchen Catastrophe-Prone Cook

Here's a super simple salad loaded with healthy protein from soybeans! Great side dish with salmon, yummy lunch or snack, and great on top of some mache salad greens.

What you'll need:
1 bag of frozen shelled edamame
1 bunch of fresh basil
dried cranberries
feta cheese
olive oil
pepper

okay.....i don't even know if i'm going to need to explain this one...but here goes.
Boil the edamame per directions on the bag. Strain and cool completely. Pull the basil leaves from the stem, rinse, dry (salad spinner helpful), stack in groups and slice cross ways to make thin strips. Place both into a large salad/mixing bowl. Add dried cranberries, feta cheese, 1 tbsp olive oil, and pepper to your liking. Toss and serve, or chill and enjoy later.

"Brown Bag This, Kid!": Back To School Solutions For Lifting Their Lunchbox Lows & Woes

Fall is approaching and the kids are back to school. Moms, while excited to get their days back, are now facing new challenges; getting the kiddies up and running, preparing something for breakfast while preparing lunches, getting your personal business together, and getting everyone off in a smooth manner prepared and fueled for the day! Let's be real - who has the time and energy at 6 or 7am to do all this??? Moms have to buck up - it's a full time, overtime, and then some gig. So when you are running ragged and running out of ideas for the kiddies lunches, let's get back to basics, turn on our thinker, and give our children the most nutritionally complete and enjoyable fun foods possible.

Make your life easier by planning ahead to save yourself valuable time in the morning. Many things can be prepared ahead of time, or set aside the evening before, so that when morning comes, lunch is no longer 'a scavenge the fridge and cabinets and fill the sac' procedure.

*Bag a serving of baby carrots, sugar snap peas, cukes, and a variety of colored cherry tomatoes. For younger kids, take the extra moments to apply stickers of their favorite characters and animals to the bag.

*Grab a few small containers to fill with hummus or homemade pesto for dipping veggies or for filling a pita.

* Think fun to eat shapes and colors.

*Fill a container with cooked edamame - who doesn't like to pop the seeds out!!

*Make a few dishes ahead of time that can be used for yours and their lunches throughout the week. Perhaps a cold pasta salad. Use Whole Wheat or Brown Rice Bowtime pasta, or other fun shape (use way less pasta add a lot more veggies). Add loads of their favorite colorful veggies; corn, red bell pepper, spinach leaves, basil, onion, tomato, just drizzled with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and a little fresh parmesan or feta cheese or mediterranean feta cheese.

*Put aside some rinsed/sliced strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, a quartered orange (skin on for orange smiles) or cubed melon.

*Hard boil a full container of eggs, put them back in the container and write with a sharpee "HARD BOILED" - these are handy snacks they can grab and can also be used for quickie egg salads.

*For egg salad, consider leaving one or both egg yolks out, ditch the mayo, and just cut up 2 egg whites, add sliced cherry tomatoes, avocado, basil, even chopped cooked potato, greens, and just dress lightly with a dab of olive oil and an optional 1/4-1/2 tsp of balsamic , salt, and pepper. If they have a sweet tooth - cut up two egg whites (ditching the yoke) add chopped celery, sliced red grapes, scallions or red onion, avocado, maybe even a little chopped apple. Mix with only a tsp of mayo or even substitute light sour cream or plain greek yogurt, salt and pepper to taste. Again, make it BEFORE so it's in the fridge, just grab it and stuff it in a container and give them a pita to fill - this way they don't get soggy bread.

*If breads become boring, you can use sprouted grain tortillas, wheat pita, or even large romaine leaves can become a wrapper.

*Take nitrate free turkey meat and roll up with light swiss or light string cheese, lay turkey and cheese on top of the romaine leaf and roll - seal with a toothpick.

*That sprouted grain tortilla can be rolled up around a banana with almond butter and maybe some strawberries, cut in half, and you have a great snack for 2 kids or even for the kid in you!

*Other great snack ideas are fat free and low fat single serving yogurts (check label to find the ones without excessive additives and the lowest sugar values), lara bars or homemade fruit and nut bars, homemade trail mix (raw almonds, walnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, with healthy dried non sugary fruits like gogi berries, goldenberries, and mulberries), or for that extra treat put a little almond butter inside two pitted dates.

These are all energizing foods - rich with protein, vitamins, minerals, necessary carbs and smaller amounts of natural sugars.

What's to drink tho? ahhh a tough one, since so many drinks are laden with sugar!

*If you can find a fruit juice box that's not from concentrate you can freeze it and use it as a lunch box cooler. It will most likely be melted by lunch time.

*Coconut water is available in single serving packs, and some are flavored with fruits like mango and pineapple. Coconut water is full of electrolytes and has much less sugar than prepared fruit drinks.

*Sun Tea, or flavored herbal teas you brew and cool at home, a good ol' bottle of water, or homemade lemonade (squeeze a couple lemons into the cup, fill with water, & add a dash of maple syrup) are also good options.

What more could you gain from this??? Besides training your kids how to eat healthy and properly, while you are doing it make an additional serving to set aside for yourself! Running errands all day? Throw a cooler in the car, add in an ice pack, put your servings in with an easy to grab apple or 2 and handful of raw almonds. You too will be eating healthy, will not be hungry, will have an extra apple in case you pick up a hungry child from school, and you'll be fueling your and your children's bodies properly throughout the day!!!

"Oh mama Mia - I Can't-a Eat-a Pizza!": finding healthy success in Pizza di Insalata

How many of you have sworn off pizza due to the fat, the obscene amount of cheese, and the swamps of grease that take 10 paper napkins to wick off the oil which inevitably scalds your mouth and slides down your palms?? Well, scoff no more fine friends and welcome pizza back into your life!

I'm not talking about Pizza Hut, Dominos, Papa Johns, or the like; i'm talking home - made, easy, healthy and fresh SALAD PIZZA (or as the Italians say: Pizza di Insalata)! So what is this you might ask - this salad pizza? it's just how it sounds; it's salad... it's on a pizza crust....and Ooh my, is it heavenly!!! You can make this easily if you buy ready-made pizza crust. You'll just have to bake the crust following the directions on the package. Or if you're extremely lazy (and i'm not judging by saying that) you can buy crusts that are already made - and already baked!!!! I chose to try 'bob's red mill' gluten free pizza crust'. While the process of making salad pizza with ready made crust is quick , making your own dough does require busting out the mixer, getting your hands dirty, and even waiting a little time for the dough to rise. The up side to this process is that you can make the crust to your specs. I even substituted the 2 eggs called for in the dough recipe for 2 tbsp flax meal combined with 6 tbsp water; a great way to boost the fiber and keep it vegetarian!! So here's what you do for a fresh tomato basil pizza di insalata:

Make the dough per the directions. If you buy dough that is completely cooked already, heat the oven and let's pop it in for 5 min, BEFORE YOU DO:

(for a 12 inch salad pizza)

Sprinkle the crust with Italian seasonings
cut 5 small mozzarella rounds in half. Scatter these 10 halves around the base of your pizza crust.
bake now for 5 minutes to melt the cheese (or do this in the last 5 minutes of baking the crust if you are making yours from scratch, rather than using crust already prepared and baked) - you are welcome to omit this step if you prefer not to use cheese at all, or if you are making a different salad topping that wouldn't require cheese. Another spread such as pesto could be used as a base to coat the crust as well. (see pesto recipe in blog below: I'm seeing green, Shrooms!)
When the crust is finished, pull it out of the oven and allow to cool almost completely.

Meanwhile - let's make our salad. So the beauty is that you can really use any salad you like - just make sure you're toppings and greens are as dry as possible and go WAY easy on the dressing as it will contribute to soggy crust syndrome - and no one likes a soggy crust.

For this recipe (tomato basil pizza di insalata):

Finely chop 5 med-lg roma tomatoes, ripe but slightly firm - should equal about 2 cups chopped. Put into a colander and allow excess liquid to strain out. Discard excess juice.
Pack basil leaves extremely tightly into a 1 cup measuring cup - rinse and dry (salad spinner helpful). Stack leaves in groups and slice cross ways into thin strips.
Combine these two ingredients into a salad bowl and just before serving toss to dress lightly with dressing recipe below
You'll also need to pack baby spinach leaves loosely into a 1 cup measuring cup (keep them as whole leaves) - rinse, dry, remove any excess stem, and set aside.
measure out 1/4 cup of crumbled mediterranean feta cheese, set aside.

Dressing Recipe:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

To assemble your pizza:

Allow the crust to cool a bit and dress the salad. Place the spinach leaves around the base of the pizza crust. Scoop your salad mixture on top of the spinach, top with the 1/4 cup of feta, and serve immediately (the tomatoes are wet, and therefore if it sits the crust will start to absorb the moisture.) Watch your salad pizza quickly disappear (but make sure you get a slice before it's gone!)

Here's another fresh idea: A Salad Pizza Party.

Make (or unwrap ready made) 3 or 4 crusts (consider offering a few different crust options). Make 3 or 4 large salads. Be creative - maybe even trying something summery and fruity like:

2 peeled and sliced oranges
1 large sliced avocado
julienned strips of jicama or sliced fennel (optional)
1 small thinly sliced jalapeno
thinly sliced red onion (mandoline helpful)
handful of cilantro chopped
Spinach leaves (either tossed with dressing, or left dry and placed on crust to use as a shield to protect moisture from seeping into crust)
Dress salad with 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt, and pepper

Have all the crusts on the serving tables along side the salad options. Allow your guest to custom cater their salad pizza. Slice a piece of crust and top with the salad of their choice. Seconds and thirds might become a new adventure trying on a different salad or a different crust if you've offered options (gluten free, cornmeal crust, whole wheat, etc) Remind your guests: Fork, knife, napkin and manners optional, but appreciated. Dig in and enjoy the freshest, healthiest, and yummiest salad pizza EVA! :)