Living Rawesome

Day #48 Portabello Steaks pg. 102 everyday raw

September 11, 2009

What a night!! I was ready to come home and make a different recipe, but my son, Christian, went to a school dance tonight, and was walking backwards in the dark and fell and broke his arm. We just got back from the hospital. What a night, we were there for almost 4 hours. It is way past my bedtime, but I had to squeeze my recipe in for the day. Jason will finally get his ‘steak and potatoes’ dinner. He really isn’t the type of man that has to have this type of meal, but he will enjoy it, I am sure.

This was very simple to make. Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, black pepper and a portabello mushroom. I soaked it in this dressing, now it is in the dehydrator. It will be done in the morning. It says 1-2 hours, but these mushrooms were so thick. I think it will be perfect. Maybe he will have it for breakfast.

I still can’t believe Christian’s arm is broken. Even though we were in the waiting room for a long time and the ER room, we still had fun. Both of the boys are so funny, and Jason was able to leave work to go with us! Thank you Lord. Everything came out fine and he has a splint to wear. As long as he is careful and doesn’t fall on it again, it should heal quickly.

Technically it is a new day, but I haven’t gone to sleep yet, so I think this still counts that I did my recipe of the day. That is commitment. My son broke his arm but I still finish the day with the recipe. Yummy I can’t wait to try it.

“Mother’s of Boys work from Son up to Son down.”-Author Unknown

Day #47 Almond-Lavender Pie filling pg. 207 entertaining in the raw

September 10, 2009

Okay, I officially ate my fill of the granola, I’ve been eating it for days and I am no longer going to eat it. I think it is delicious, but tomorrow I’m officially giving all of it away!! Oh boy, why is it so good?? After eating the granola, I had some of the filling for the almond-lavender pie. Do I have a death wish?? Well, tomorrow is a new day.

It has been a long day, I miss my hubby, I feel sick from too much sugar and fat, and I am tired. I am ready for my bed. I did have a great day at Chemistry, we made hydrogen and it was actually fun. I thought that I was going to catch on fire. But I survived! Chemistry is an adventure every time I go to class. I would much rather play with water than fire, but I do have to admit, I feel like the mad scientist. I really am understanding it, and that makes me feel extra special. LOL

Ingredients for Almond-Lavender pie filling

cashews
lemon juice
agave
coconut oil
water
vanilla extract
nutritional yeast
sea salt
vanilla bean
almond extract
chopped lavender ( I used dry), I found the difference in measurements. This is a great sight about the Lovely Lavender

This pie turned out smooth with a light, airy, lavender almond taste. The flavors are light. I wish it had a hint more Lavender. I tasted almond extract, which I don’t mind, on most days, but today was an overload. I do love that flavor, but after tonight I think I’m done with it for a while. After all, it is in the Almond Vanilla Granola too. Yes I’ll be having nightmares about Almond Extract. This pie is listed under my definition of elegance. I wish I could find some Lavender flowers to decorate this beautiful pie, for Saturday’s Potluck. This is the kind of pie you could serve at a wedding or baby shower. It reminds me of purity, innocence, gratitude and love. My photographer was not present tonight so I don’t have a photo. I will get one soon, hopefully with Lavender flowers. I know everyone will like it on Saturday.

Beatrix Potter wrote, “It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is ‘soporific’” I think it does quite the opposite. I wonder what effect of eating too much granola would be?? Probably gorged!
CURSE GRANOLA. So good but too much of a good thing is not the best!! I’m going to sleep it off and I hope whomever gets this granola, is cautious and doesn’t overindulge.

Day #46 Rosemary-Garlic Mashed Potatoes pg. 100 everyday raw

09-09-09

I normally don’t write the date like that but I had to today!! I am celebrating the one and only day of nines that I will see in my lifetime. September (9th month), 9th day, year 2009. I love the small things in life that I can appreciate.

I took my first anatomy exam tonight. It was approximately 165 questions. I studied hard for it so I am hoping for an A. I always strive for As. I will find out on Monday, so it will be a long weekend waiting for the results. It’s definitely not the first time I have waited for test results over a long weekend, and I am sure it will not be the last. I have learned to have patience over the years. I am sure it will be a great grade. So I am not going to worry about it. I did the best that I could.

Jason is studying for an exam tomorrow. Poor guy, he hasn’t slept much at all in the last 3 days. I’m sure this weekend we will be sleeping in. His first day off is on Sunday. He is such a strong person, he inspires me to do better at everything I do. He is my inspiration and my Guardian Angel.

He was working so hard tonight I decided to make something yummy for him. Neither of us are fans of jicama, but I have to admit this was the first jicama meal I liked! It is very creamy and with a hint of rosemary. It reminds me of a entree on the menu at an elegant restaurant. Of course this was so simple to make. I love preparing raw food. I know that I always say that, but the simplicity is absolutely amazing. It looks gourmet in 5 minutes. Jason really liked these mashed potatoes.

Recipe
4 cups jicama (process in food processor until fine)
2 cups cashews, soaked 1-2 hours
1 t sea salt
1-2 t fresh rosemary
1 t minced garlic
2 t nutritional yeast flakes
black pepper to taste (I omitted)

Add all ingredients into the Vita-mix and whip up the best raw mashed potatoes you ever could imagine.

OH MY GOSH, I FORGOT THE GARLIC!! duh. Well I’m sure it would taste 10 times better, I love garlic, I can’t believe I forgot it. Well, let me rephrase that, I wish that I hadn’t forgotten the garlic. It really doesn’t surprise me that I forgot something. Welp, next time, I will be sure to put it in.

Day #45 Coconut-Macaroon Crust for Almond-Lavender Pie pg. 207 entertaining in the raw

September 8, 2009

Today went GREAT!! I am staying in Chemistry. I really love my teacher, and I think it’s going to be great. The quiz wasn’t as bad I thought, and the stuff that she told us we were going to be quizzed on, well, I guess it was a misunderstanding. So I am Happy again:).

I went for a run tonight. It felt so amazing, I feel so powerful when I run. I forgot how much I missed it. I got some great songs on Itunes and ran and ran. I love music. Most of my days are surrounded by music. I am very fortunate to be able to listen to music all day at work and MY choice too. AAAhhh life is worth living. I am going to continue to work out and run. I got away from it for too long. I had other interests that no longer exist, thanks to God and many prayers. I became lazy and didn’t think about what too much food was doing to my body. One downfall to this project is the food, I love to eat it. I know, it sounds ridiculous to say the downfall is the food, since that is really what it’s all about, but REALLY, too much food, raw or not, is definitely not good. I love to give the food away, so that is what I am going to do. It gives me more satisfaction to please others with my raw yummies:) Tonight, I went to my sister’s house and gave her some goodies. I really have so much raw food in my house, I can afford to give some out. So if you are reading this, and would like to go to Rutabaga’s and try some, please come, I will be handing stuff out. Not everyday, but I am hoping to start bringing stuff to work. I am gaining too much weight, this is too much food for just me. My family does eat some, but they don’t love it as much as I do.

Tonight I made the macaroon crust, it is in the dehydrator. I am going to dehydrate it for several days, I love the crispy crust. I am going to fill it with Lavender and Almond cream. I can’t wait. I love lavender tea, so it will be very nice to have it in a pie. If it is done by Saturday I will bring it to the potluck at Theresa’s house.
Macaroon Crust ingredients:
shredded coconut
cashew flour
salt
maple syrup ( I used agave)
coconut oil
date paste

I browse facebook alot and I came across this quote, it is so appropriate for me and my life. I am committed to many things and sometimes it does get overwhelming. This made my day:

“Don’t spend your energy on your commitment, draw your energy from it.” – Donald O. Haughey, co-founder of Creative Health Institute

Day #44 Strawberry Sorbet pg. 134 everyday raw

September 7, 2009

Today I celebrated Labor Day. I worked! I didn’t think I would be there as long as I was, but I had to make so many things. It was a great day. I worked from 7-4. The day flew by. It was sad because I didn’t get to see my kids that much, and Christian is getting sick. They were at my parents all day. I did get to hang out there a little. It really wasn’t my plan to be at work so long. I will have to make up a picnic day with my family soon. My dad leaves to Cali, on Monday. I am only going into work for one hour tomorrow, then I have my Chemistry Quiz. I will see how that goes. I hope it goes well, so I don’t become frustrated.
I decided to make the strawberry sorbet. I know Sabby will love it. This recipe is very similar to the strawberry jam I made a few months ago. Sabby loved it. He is always asking me to make more. I made the sorbet and it is in the refrigerator for now until tomorrow when we make it into frozen sorbet with the ice cream maker. I have had the ice cream maker for over a year, and I never use it, so tomorrow we will put it to use. It will be fun.
Strawberry Sorbet Ingredients:
fresh strawberries
agave
vanilla bean
This was so simple. I threw all the ingredients into the blender and then ran it through a strainer. I stored it in one of our recycled spaghetti jars. I love these jars. I use them for everything. Drinking, storing, and even mixing. It feels so good to recycle.

Day #43 Keylime Tartlets Filling pg. 124 everyday raw

September 6, 2009

Today has been a day of ups and downs. I have felt very emotional. I am concerned about my Chemistry class. We are going to be tested on a chapter that I haven’t read yet and I really don’t think that we should be tested on it. I am considering dropping the class. It has gotten off to a rocky start. I think it will be an easy class, but I also think that we are being rushed to learn many chapters in a short period of time. Our original teacher didn’t show up for the first 3 classes. On the fourth day it was announced that we have a new teacher. I am not sure how I really am feeling about this class, but I will try my hardest on Tuesday, then I’ll let you know. Anatomy is going great. I have an exam on Wednesday, so needless to say, I have been studying all weekend. Thank you Lord for the holiday weekend. I still have to go into work tomorrow, the deli case is really empty. I will be working my tail off tomorrow. I will still go over to my parents house for a picnic, but I will just get there a little late.
I made the filling for the keylime pie today. It came out so much thicker than the lemon macaroon. The pie crust was not all the way dehydrated, so I couldn’t take it off the plastic. I like the filling, but the lemon is definitely my favorite. I think that there should be more lime juice in it. The thickness was really unexpected. I was hoping to decorate the pie, but the consistency reminded me of play-doh. Hardly like pie filling. Maybe I did something wrong. I wanted to make the design like M.K. did in his book, but not with this pie:(. One day I’ll get it right. The last time I made the lemon macaroon, I was in a rush to finish it, so I didn’t decorate it. Tonight I was in the mood to be creative, to ease my stress, but I couldn’t. Today is just one of those days. Maybe my negative energy went into the pie. When I mess up raw food, especially desserts I don’t even want to serve them. Sad I know, but I feel like it really isn’t good enough to serve. I am sure they won’t notice that it isn’t the best pie I’ve ever made, IT DEFINITELY ISN’T THE WORST, EITHER.
I am shooting for a great reaction tomorrow, when everyone tries it. If not I know someone else who may like it.

I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday. ~Author Unknown

Day #42 Keylime Tarlet Crust pg. 124 everyday raw

September 4, 2009

Labor Day will be here in 2 days. My family and I will be going over to my Mom and Dad’s for lunch, swimming and good times. My father is in town for a few weeks from California, so we like to spend as much time with him as possible. My mom loved the lemon macaroon pie when I made it a while ago, so I figured I would make the key lime tartlets. Instead of the Tartlets, I am making a 9 inch pie like M.K. suggests in his book. I know all of the family will love it.
Crust ingredients:
2 1/4 cups cashews
2 T maple syrup (I used agave instead)
1 T coconut oil
1 pinch of salt
1 T date paste
Oh my goodness, the flavor was so delicious even before dehydration. I could taste of hint of the coconut. It was creamy and slightly sweet. It melted in my mouth. I didn’t feel bad about eating it at all, I ran and biked today, so ahhh no guilt here.
It will make a perfect addition to all the food that will be there on Monday. I am trying to figure out what I will make on Monday to bring to the picnic. It’s going to be a beautiful day. I miss my father so much when he is away. I will post some pics on Monday!

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

Day #41 Miso Soup pg. 66 everyday raw

September 4, 2009

Well, I can’t believe how bad this recipe was:( I’m sorry Matthew, but this was far too salty for me. I figured it would be, by looking at the ingredients. I thought that maybe the proportions and the ingredients together were going to make it good or else M.K. wouldn’t have put it into his book. But man, I was disappointed. Really this was the first time in a little over 2 months. Needless to say, I won’t be making this again.
I did make more pizzas today for my friend Debby. She is going away to Ohio and wanted to take them with her. They should be done by Sunday. I hope she enjoys them.
Now I’m off to studying. I have 3 tests next week. I’m reaching for As.

“Those who do not study are only cattle dressed up in men’s clothes.”

Day #40 Tofu Scrambler pg. 62 everyday raw

September 3, 2009

I have been searching for a great breakfast to eat in exchange for eggs. It’s been over 2 years since I’ve had eggs. I used to eat them almost every morning. Egg white omelets with veggies, I used to love tomatoes, spinach, red pepper, garlic and sometimes, broccoli. The tofu scrambler was absolutely amazing. Reminiscent of the egg white omelets. Oh my, I can’t wait until breakfast time when I get all the veggies. I am going to warm them in the dehydrator for a few hours and have a feast. I can’t wait. I will do that on Saturday.
I love finding foods that remind me of foods that I used to love. I don’t miss eggs at all, but it was a great breakfast back when I ate animal products. I know Jason will love it too.
The tofu came out beautifully. It was solid in about 2 hours, but I didn’t use it until tonight. I was able to just pick it up off of the plastic. I do love plastic wrap, except the waste part:( I do try to recycle when I can.

I used half of the tofu recipe to make the tofu scrambler. I cut it in half and placed the tofu onto a plate. I cut the tofu into several pieces to prepare for mashing. I found a clear dish and added the tofu then mashed the tofu.

This recipe only took approximately 3 minutes. I threw the nutritional yeast and Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, and turmeric into the bowl. Stirred it up and Kabammm it was done. I tried it first, I was pleasantly surprised I called Christian right away to have him try it. He liked it. Then of course I wanted Sabby to try it and he liked it too. He put ketchup on it and liked it that way too. It has a light cheesy flavor and a nice salty flavor from the Bragg’s. The color of it is appealing, as well.

As you can see we liked it. Christian is not very camera friendly. He doesn’t stick around for photos. I will get one when I can:)
Tofu Scrambler ingredients:
nutritional yeast
black pepper
nama shoyu (I used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
recipe of tofu
turmeric

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.

Day #39 Silken Tofu pg. 66 everyday raw

September 2, 2009

I just returned from Anatomy. It was a great class. I felt more confident tonight. Jason has helped me so much. I am so blessed to have a tutor as handsome and charming as my hubby:)
I made the silken tofu recipe tonight. Christian is going to be very surprised when I tell him that it’s finally done. Last night I had to soak the Irish Moss.

I made raw carrageenan first, which will make the tofu firm (it has to refrigerate for at least 2 hours). Raw Carrageenan is equal parts soaked Irish Moss and water, blended in Vitamix. I put the water and Irish Moss into the vitamix. At first, it sounded like it had rocks in it. I knew I washed it really well, and I have made the carrageenan before, so I let the Vitamix run for about 2 minutes. At first it had a watery consistency then it started to thicken and when I finished it, it resembled pudding. I didn’t try it the first time I made it and I really didn’t want to try it this time. Jason tried it first, the good sport that he is, and he said it tasted neutral. Eww the smell is not very nice at all. I ended up trying it. The flavor is bland, really not much flavor at all. It is similar to the smell when you jump into a chlorinated pool. Don’t let this gross you out though. The tofu will be better than the GMO soybean variety.

There are several recipes that call for the tofu in M.K.’s recipe books. I will see what Christian will want to try. I might be able to use the tofu for at least 2 recipes.
Silken Tofu ingredients:
cashews, soaked for 1-2 hours
1/2 cup thai coconut
raw carrageenan (soaked Irish Moss and equal amount water, blended)
water
sea salt
I lined a small glass pan with plastic wrap, so it will be easier to take tofu out of the pan. All ingredients were blended in the Vitamix together. Again, the blending took longer than most of the recipes I’ve been doing. I had to stop the blender and tamper it without the lid on. It finally started to blend smoothly. I always compare it to a river running. If it flows it is ready. When it was ready, I poured the mixture into the pan. I probably should’ve used an 8×8 pan, but I only have a 7xll. It came out thinner than I wanted but that’s okay, it is an easy recipe. I love raw food prep. *NOTE*Caution* NEVER put a glass pan on a hot stove. It will shatter!!

This project is challenging at times. I really just want to go to sleep but I have to stay true to it. Most days it is easy but sometimes I am so ready for bed but I still have to make the recipe. I don’t mind much. I feel like I skimp on writing more on my blog. I really am learning so much about myself doing this. It seems like I fill my days up so much, and feel like I can’t fit anything else in, but I can. I can do anything!
I love raw and living food. I want the world to love it too!

There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.