Spiralisers ROCK

Found this You tube instructional video on how to use the spiraliser. We kind of use ours heaps then it gets shoved away and not used for ages. The angel hair pasta you can do with this is amazing - really. Its a delicious gluten-free raw "pasta" made out of zucchini, but I have also used carrots and pumpkin before as well.

the video is about 10 mins long.

Chocolate Dream Cream Pie

Chocolate Dream Cream Pie


A delectable dessert or a treat - in VERY small slices.

I have kept it in the fridge and put plastic wrap to keep the other vege smells out of it. I think this would be really good with a small serving to cashew cream on the side. perhaps next time I might make a dark chock topping or a raspbery sauce for the top.... hummmmmmmmm guilt free ( well - at least its not a toxic mix of processed dairy and preservatives.. but don't get me started!)

BASE

2 Cups of almonds
2 tablespoons of agave

FILLING

4 cups of cashews - soak for 1 hour
1/2 cup of agave
1/2 cup of cocoa or cacao powder
3/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of cacao butter


METHOD

Base: In a high powered blender or food processor, grind almonds until they are like little bread crumbs. Add your agave and whizz until it becomes sticky. Mine got a bit too stiff – so I mixed by hand. Care needs to be taken that you don’t heat the mixtures.

Press into the base of a springform pan. I only have a really big one and a very small one.. so mine turned out fairly flat – but to be honest – its so rich you don’t want a huge helping

Filling: Put all of your ingredients for the filling in your blender. Blend and keep stopping to push the ingredients around. This is a really thick mixture so you do not want it to blend for very long or it will get hot. I started it off slowly and built the speed up to get creamy.

Pour into springform pan and refrigerate until cold. (about 2 hours). It is sooooo dreamy . I am thinking I might use less cacao butter next time.

I made Adrian a small caramel one and a large one out of this mixture.


Variations:
You can add either cocoa powder or cocoa nibs to the base for a real choc flavour.
add peppermint oil , use the zest of an orange for a jaffa flavour or omit the cacao powder and use mesquite for a caramel flavour

OR - Omit all cacao products and add lemon juice and some salt for a cheezecake flavour.

Crunchy Salad

I made up a salad this morning and have popped it in the fridge all day – to allow the flavors to really get to know each other before dinner.

Crunchy Salad

2 zucchinis – diced very small
3 tomatoes – firm – diced small
1 capsicum – diced small
a few sprigs of coriander
a few sprigs of basil
quarter of a jap pumpkin – remove skin and dice small.
1 cup soaked almonds
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine, grind in salt to taste

Started the day out with a carrot, apple and celery juice and followed it up with one of my dreamy coffees. I totally understand that this is a crutch and I would be better off without it….sigh.

Ate an apple and a nectarine for morning tea and plenty of water.

Lunch kind of whizzed past – I made Lilly a salami sandwich – she’d been begging for one all week. I ended up just eating another apple.

Afternoon tea was a selection of cut melon, apple and blueberries. I had a green smoothie made from left over fruit salad from yesterday ( I think?) a banana and lettuce leaves. Man the difference in having a proper blender ( yay we have secured a jug for our big blender!!)

We had guests for dinner so I bought the makings for pizza. I was pretty impressed with myself that I didn’t do any test tasting of the ham or salami and chided Morgan when he snitched a piece and complained it was too hot. I had bought a mild version – but hadn’t tasted it – so just assumed it was mild which apparently it wasn’t..

I had karate tonight –so after making everyone pizza – including a gluten free based one for Age – I went off for my sweat – fest.

I came back absolutely buggered and ravenous. I tucked into the crunchy salad – it was really nice – but I was hungry for something else… yep – I spied someones cold piece of pizza on the table – how gross am I – I ate it… and wished I had have at least heated it up.. but man it was good.. ( I make a mean pizza)

I had a heap of blueberries and a nectarine afterwards with a cup of rooibos tea.

A flat out day

I had a lot of different jobs to do today – so had to take things to munch on the hop. The kids had cut up fruit for breaky while I had a banana and an apple. I took some carrots, a banana, an orange and two nectarines with me and ate them over the next few hours.

I was surprisingly not hungry for the day and even went shopping ( usually a terrible time for me as I will buy an iced coffee or a juice as a matter of course…. Got through without doing so.. .yay!)

My cousins partner has just birthed so I bought some mince and other things to make a moussaka to take over to them tomorrow.

I ended up making a mince stew with lots of veges in it as well as a moussaka. I felt it a bit cruel to have these wonderful smells in the kitchen and not give the kids some – so they ate mince for tea, followed up with a warm carrot cookie. I do have a confession… whilst I didn’t eat any – I did a taste test on the white sauce ( lick only- honest!) and a quick sip of the juices of the mince - so not really more than a mouse bite – but still…

Morgan tested out the ‘cereal’ which is nearly ready in the dehydrator and said – why doesn’t everyone do this – this tastes so much better than the stuff in the box from the shop.. I have to agree!. Recipe and photo tomorrow when we have it.. but its YUM!

Age and I had a green smoothie for tea – Chinese greens, watermelon, a punnet of strawberries, an apple and ice.

Its TV night tonight – with my trashy soap opera Greys Anatomy and Private Practice on… so I grabbed the remained of the chocolate mousse and a banana and ate it while watching it – yummm luxury!

I had one cup of coffee today, plenty of water. I know coffee- even the organic stuff I am drinking is bad for you – the acidity of it etc…I just don’t know whether I want to give it up yet…

Feeling pretty bouncy and good today. I think its getting easier to be 100% every day I do it. If its cooked or processed I can’t eat it – so much more simple than portion control or fat content. I am looking for differences in my skin and eyes etc but haven’t noticed anything yet. I am surprised as usually if you detox, then huge pustulous stuff pours out of your body.. but it hasn’t happened.. yet… I secretly think its because my cup of coffee a day is keeping the toxic level in my body at a happy equilibrium… some thought needs to go into my next step with this..

I’d be keen to go and get the live blood testing done with Maddona ( Natropath) in the next few weeks… kind of a bit expensive though.

Green Meanie Smoothies Strike!

Started the day off with a bit of a disaster green smoothie. I think with sweeter carrots it might have been better.

For 2 people
Juice of 7 carrots
1 bunch Chinese greens
1 stick celery
handful of baby spinach.

It was just a bit too.. irony or something – I gulped it down and followed it up with plenty of water – Not keen to repeat that one…

For lunch I was a bit more cautious with the mixture and came up with the Green Meanie

Its not the prettiest green smoothie – but it tastes pretty good! Its based on one of my fav drinks – the watermelon and mint one .

I bunch Chinese Greens
Handful of fresh mint leaves
Huge slices of watermelon
1 apple
ice

I have had a few cups of coffee today as I stayed up way too late last night and am feeling pretty rotten. I woke up with a migrane as well –so I guess that doesn’t help.

Afternoon tea was the last of my raw chocolate and some cut up fruit pieces.

I took the kids to gymnastics class after this – the other kids were rewarded by their parents with sugary slushies and lollies. I promised Morgan and Lilly a special slushie at home – so made this BerryNice Slushy ( serves 4) as soon as we got home.

1 punnet of strawberries
2 handfuls of frozen mixed berries
1 ripe mango
ice and water

Dinner was a ‘picking affair’ with 4 avocados made into a huge bowl of guacamole, the remainder of the vege crackers ( the new ones are still drying – should be ready tonight sometime) , some grapes and watermelon pieces and some warm carrot cookies – straight from the dehydrator.

Carrot Cookies

I used the carrot waste from 8 carrots from juicer from this morning – but just grind up carrots if you like –it will take longer to dehydrate if they still have the juice in them.
A handful of raisins
2 handfuls of almonds – ground to a flour.
1 handful of macadamia nuts roughly ground.
2 handfuls of linseeds
huge squeeze of yucon syrup
splash of apple juice to bind ingredients
a tsp cinnamon

mix thoroughly with hand and allow ingredients to blend flavours
either shape into small round cookies and place into dehydrator – or press into dehydrator and when dried – cut or pull into shapes.

They got the big thumbs up from the kids who asked for more.

I am currently making some raw cereal from memory – can’t seem to find the recipe anywhere.. It aught to be ready for Sat morning..

Headache has persisted and I have succumbed to taking a painkiller to get through the evening.

Top up those greens!

Its nearing the end of the organic box week - so have had to top up a few times from the normal frut and vege shop - boy you really taste the difference in the produce.

My plan from tomorrow ( when I get my box) is to ensure that we blend more of the veges into shakes and perhaps go and buy more to eat as we aren't getting enough...

I experimented with a fruit shake to day - here is my Greena Colada.. really yummy. I think if I make it again, I'll add more spinach and perhaps a packchoi or another green leaf into it. I think too I'll put in less coconut milk - it was very rich...but then my tastes are starting to change alot.

Greena Colada for 2 people
100ml coconut milk
2 bananas
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
1 slice of rockmelon
1 apple (cored)
100 ml water and a little ice.

I tell you what - this is living!! who gets a cocktail for lunch?

Am soaking some nuts to make some dips for snacks for tomorrow - recipes tomorrow. - I had forgotten that you have to have plenty of variety and stuff in the fridge - so will also make some more vege crackers tonight.

Whats for dinner? how about chocolate mousse?

This will serve four easily and is just good spooned out into your mouth.. We served it with cut up fruit - apples, melon, bananas and strawberries in particular are good dipped into it. I have also in the past frozen this and cut it up - so its like chocolate icecream.

A note on coconut cream and milk - I know the canned stuff isn't always raw - but sourcing coconuts and then going through and grinding he meat up, soaking and squeezing the cream out is a real palarga.. I've done it and I know the purists say its the best - and it is.. but if its too hard - then most people will just give up.. I am into simplicity and ease.

RAW chocolate mousse



three huge handfuls of cashews ( enough to well and truly cover the blender blades) - process these first into a fine flour like consistency - this is important if you don't have a high powered blender.

add:
1 ripe avocado
50 ml coconut cream
1 banana
4 tables spoons of raw cocoa powder
2 tbsp raw Yucon syrup
water in order for the mixture to keep blending - a few drops at the time.

Blend till smooth - and I dare you to stop licking the spoon.

A note on the sweetness - its a dark chocolate taste and very rich. Add more coconut cream for a creamier taste and put in a source of sweetener you feel comfy with - to your taste.

for a late snack we will have guacamole, carrot sticks and broccoli florets.. I am posting this early as we have dance class, then my karate class - so flat out this afternoon.

Recipes

Here are some of my standby recipies I use alot for kids....

RAW man ( there is a photo of this in the first week)
Face – round - oat crackers
Spread on face – brazil nut pate - currents for eyes, capsicum for nose, half round carrot for smiley face
Body – half piece of corn
Legs – celery sticks
Feet – broccoli flowerettes
Arms - dried banana sticks
Hands – cauli flowerettes

Zucchini Boats - pictured here....


Source the tiniest zucchini you can as these are sweet and easy for little hands to hold. For 4 boats - Cut 2 zucchini halfways and remove core. Put core, half a spiralised carrot, 1 tsp garlic,1 tsp ginger, 3 tsp sunflower seeds, 5 soaked almonds and splash of braggs or soy sauce in blender and blend. Refill shell and poke in sails made of capsicum pieces and spinach leaves and serve on sea of spiralised carrot and zucchini.

Brazil Nut Pate
1 cup Brazil nuts
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 clove garlic
Ground Celtic salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
5 tbsp lemon juice
a little water – if required while blending

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.

Annies Pizza Crackers
1 cup soaked and sprouted buckwheat (soak for 8 hours - drain and allow to sprout for further 8 - 12 hours)
1 red pepper
10 dried tomatoes
1 red onion
1 carrot
1 small head of broccoli
10 green olives
10 black olives
2 stalks celery with leaves
1 cob sweet corn - kernals cut off
1 clove garlic
large sprig of basil and parsley

## You can add whatever vegetables you like to this

Puree (or grind in juicer) all ingredients and mix together thoroughly. Transfer to an oiled solid dehydrator sheet. Sprinkle sesame seeds and grind salt over the top. Dehydrate for about 6 hours (or when top is dry). Cut into desired shapes and transfer them to a mesh dehydrating rack. Dehydrate until crisp (about 5 more hours) and store in an air tight container.

If you don’t have a dehydrator – put into very low oven overnight – or in a sunny position all day ( out of way of birds and ants!!)


Gingerbread Un - Cookies
Blend a cup of almonds (not soaked) in blender until it is a fine flour
Add a 2 tablespoons of pear juice or apple juice (or honey)
Add a teaspoon of flax oil ( Mega Oil)
Add a tiny pinch of Celtic Sea Salt
Add a dash each of dried powdered Ginger, Cinnamon, and Cloves
Add 4 dates

Mix in blender again. Form into cookie shapes by rolling into balls and flattening – or press mixture into dehydrator tray and press cutter shapes into flattened dough. Dehydrate for 6 hours – or till dry and chewy – or till crisp – however you like your cookies. Break into shapes and snack on the ‘left over bits”

Mini Fruit kebabs – on toothpicks put half a grape, chunk of pineapple, piece of apple and chunk of melon serve with cashew nut crème as a dip

Cashew Nut Crème – blend 2 cups of soaked cashew nuts with a little water and lemon juice.


Oat Cakes
100 g flax seeds – soaked for 2 hours
50 g of oat bran
100 g of steel cut oats
1tbs mega oil
3 tbs pear juice (could use honey or apple juice)

Blend till smoothish and press mixture into dehydrator tray and press cutter shapes into flattened dough. Dehydrate for 8 hours – turn over and dehydrate for further 2 hours.

Fruit and Nut “Chocolate” Desserts
Soak 1 cup of dried mixed fruit pieces ( chopped smallish) and 1 mixed cup of cashews, almonds and hazelnuts in 2 cups of orange juice for 3 hours.
Blend 1 can of coconut cream (or 500ml of freshly made coconut cream) with 5 figs and one ripe avocado. Add honey or pear juice to sweeten if you like. Add 2 tbsp of carob powder and blend well.
Drain juice from fruit and nut mix ( drink it if you like!) and divide it into muffin tin tray ( will make 10 – 12)
Pour ‘chocolate’ mousse mixture over fruit and nuts and pop tray into freezer for at least 4 hours.
To serve, remove from freezer for 15 mins, turn out individual desserts onto a plate and serve with cashew nut crème and sliced strawberry.

Green Power

What a wonderful way to start the day! Morgan woke me with a tray – and this is what was on it – how cute is this?

All that time teaching him the proper way to cut things up has certainly paid off – he was most emphatic he was carful with the knives. Everything was cleaned up when I came out to the kitchen too.

He called my breakfast the Volcano – it’s a spiralised slinky apple without the skin taken off – just the way I like them – with the carrot bits busting out the top. The water was not iced (ikkk) and had the exact amount of lime juice squeezed into it… who says you can’t be a princess in your own home?

I came up with a great green drink we had for lunch I have dubbed Zugreenie

2 small zucchini
1 grannie smith (cored)
quarter of a wombok
3 good slices of honeydew melon
2 good handfuls of baby spinach
some ice

Whizz Whizz and yumo – a bit “thick” – but Lilly thought it was like eating icecream.


Also had a Pina Colada
A few pineapple chunks,
100 ml of coconut cream
a few slices of honeydew melon
a banana
some ice

Again – whiz whiz and an indulgent cocktail for when you are looking for something naughty….

.

Pretty good day again – we had guacamole and vege crackers the above drinks and then I made some juice from carrots, apples and celery for dinner to go with a tomato and onion salad.

dreaded Parties and habits

Well today went much better than expected – a bunch of things which are all habit formed – and have bad food attached to them – so came through pretty well I reckon!

I made the BEST chocolate fudge –
2 cups macadamia nuts
100ml coconut cream
splash vanilla
huge squirts of Yucon syrup ( to taste)
1 cup cocoa powder

blend with a little water to keep consistency.

It’s a bit soft – but nice to eat with a spoon right out of the fridge. We had it on the raw banana cream pie ( well everyone but me as I am really not a fan of bananas which taste like bananas – I know – I am strange….)

I had a book party to do today – an hour and a half drive away. I didn’t buy an iced coffee like I normally do – I did accept a coffee when I was there – but only drank a quarter of it – preferring my water bottle instead. I did eat a piece of the hostesses homemade choc slice – and sorry I did – wasn’t to expectations – not that it was bad – just not ..well – ‘fresh’. I also ate a red jelly snake – I can’t resist those – but didn’t east anything else….

Got home – ate watermelon and a fruit shake as well as dipping into the chocolate fudge. Have noticed apatite has gone down lots AND that I didn’t have any coffee or tea yesterday. ( that’s a big deal)

Dinner was the YUMMIEST carrot soup I have done – seriously. Its an old standby, made to death at every dinner party I host.

1 Kg Carrots ( about 3 cups of juice) – chilled is best.
1 ripe avocados
½ tsp celtic salt
1 clove garlic
150 ml orange juice – or 3 or 4 oranges – juice them on the spot.


Method
Juice carrots
In blender pour in juice and blend in avocados, salt and garlic. If you like a thicker soup – add another ripe avocado.
Pour soup into 4 small bowls and garnish with mung beans and sprouts
For hot days – chill soup for 30 mins before serving. I have also added ginger to this - but sparingly.

Last night I also made some vege crackers in the dehydrator – pretty yum – a bit strong tasting – not sure what in them is giving that taste – linseed and buckwheat were soaked for about 6 hours. I then used the juicer with the blank plate on – and put through a few tomatoes, a zucchini a few carrots, a red onion and a stick of celery. I seasoned well with salt and then spread over the trays for the dehydrator.- takes about 24 hours till its thin and crispy. Great to just munch – or have in soup – or with a dip.

Its also been a week since I have been doing this – so its all about the measurements and feelings… I feel a lot more ‘bouncy’ .. I have lost 1 inch from bust and 1 inch from hips…. So not too bad….yeah well only got about 500000000 more to go.

First Day out

We have been down this path a few times - with varying successes - always aiming for 100% Raw. I think the longest I 'made it' was just over 5 weeks, and then cooked things crept in and I blew it. As a family we have always enjoyed fresh juices and juice whip ups ( I hesitate to use the word smoothie as we don't use milk or yogurt or icecream in them - its all pure fruit whipped into a frenzy with ice)

This time, I am not going to get stressed about the 100% thing. Just as best as we can and keep attempting to better each week. I am logging this as perhaps it might help others on their journey - also as a responsibility thing for me. I have an added motivator - I have to detox and be in the healthiest form I can be in 5 months in order to undertake some major surgery. Its kinda life and death sort of option here.

Its just after dinner time - everyone feeling pretty good - so am reviewing what we ate - the stuff that works and the stuff that doesn't. We are all really good at drinking heaps of purified water and most if not all the fruit and veges we have are organic. We get them through an awesome group called Foodconnect. For years I didn't eat dairy - likening it to the work of the devil. However, things have softened - even David Wolf - the total guru of raw foods and healthful living has taken a backward step on Raw milk and agrees that if it is organic and raw then it has a place in your diet - all in moderation of course.

Breakfast for the kids was a selection of nuts - macadamia, cashews, almonds and pecans with sultanas and half a mango. I personally can't stand mango - nor most tropical fruit. The texture and taste makes me want to heave. I 've worked out that its slimness of it that totally grosses me out.

For me I had a cup of tea, a few glasses of water and a bunch of grapes. I really am not a breakfast person - I know I have to change this - but slowly slowly.

Adrian was very brave and had a green shake - celery, mango and banana with ice.

We had a fruit shake at about 11.30 ( yum - so exotic - 50 ml of coconut cream, pineapple, slice of rockmelon, slice of honeydew, a banana and some unsweetened pineapple juice and a bunch of ice)

Lilly wanted a sandwich at about 2 - I have some back up multigrain in the freezer - she just likes butter on her bread. So I ate some watermelon and a cup of coffee and she ate most of her sanga.

Just before I picked Morgan up I am afraid I ate a quarter of Lillys sandwich. Bread is a bit of a treat in the house as Adrian is gluten intolerant - so we don't have it as a normal thing. It was really yummy - even if it was a bit crusty - having sat out for an hour.. sigh.. I know I shouldn't have eaten it - move on - try harder tomorrow.

The kids and I ate the large rice crackers and tomato with Celtic salt ground over the top - yum. We also had a small bunch of grapes - then jumped in the pool as its still pretty hot here.

I made us another coconut fruit whip ( same as before) to share. I was really hungry and starting to think very naughty thoughts. I knew there was nothing bad in the house - but a sandwich was looking good...

For dinner we ate a variety of vege sticks - carrot, snow peas, broccoli, cucumber, capsicum with a fresh guacamole I had made. I had a bit of my nut cream left over from last nights dinner ( macadamia and cashews with a little water and vanilla essence - blended till like cream) - so we ate it with some fruit pieces - dipping it and munching it up.

We all seem to be sated and feel pretty light and good. Apart from my sandwich blow out - I am pretty happy so far.... I even have cut down dramatically on my coffee! ( which by the way is an organic one)

I am soaking some nuts to make some raw chocolate as I just know I am going to be needing it real soon.

An intro

We know all the things you 'aught' to do and eat - we just don't do them. Its not till you are faced with an urgent health issue that you start to take notice and make that decision that something has got to change. What we are doing and eating is not progressing us into ultimate health - just marking time.

At present we buy all organic fruit and veges. I drink ( alot I know) organic ground coffee... and alot of purified, filtered water through our wellness filter. We buy raw milk - which isn't allowed to be called milk because it hasn't gone through any processing. ... but its real milk - with thick cream on top and it tastes right... and it doesn't go off at the drop of a hat. I am gradually getting rid of everything toxic in our house - soaps, shampoos, we have no cleaning products which are toxic ( go Enjo!) though after a year of this - I am investigating in a phosphorus and sulfate free product for some of the stubborn stains.

Adrian's seizures have gotten progressively worse and longer and he has noticed his speech is slurring and not precise ( I can't notice it - but he is concerned). I can no longer continue looking the way I am. I'll be dead in a few years if I don't do something radical. I'd kind of like to be around for another 70 odd years. Enough to annoy my kids and their kids.

So - we have played with Raw a number of times, have all the toys and tools and for much of the time enjoyed doing it - but each time it seemed just to slip away. The traditional western society and foodstuffs crept back into our pantry and its always easy to blame having kids on slackness in this area.

We have access to an incredible amount of knowledge and skills in the vegan and raw community. ( thanks so much Piers and Sheryl for being in our lives!!) .. have been on seminars and workshops, cooking courses and read a huge amount... sooooooo its time to get serious.. In the past we have failed because we have been so stringent on being 100%.. and when either of us blew it, we just gave up. This time, its our hope that we make concious, healthful choices which will be sustainable on a long term basis.

This is a diary of our journey.. hope you can gain some inspiration or info from it - and please do make your comments - love to hear from you.