Living Rawesome

Day #276 Ginger Cantaloupe “Gelato” pg. 34 entertaining in the raw

April 25, 2010

The rain is really making me feel relaxed and ready to lie down on the couch, read then go to my bed and drift off to sleep. It’s been raining for a while now. The lightning and thunder haven’t been this bad for quite some time. I had hoped that the power would not go out while I was blending the gelato and I am hoping that my computer won’t get hit by lightning while writing this. Sabby just said, “I am surprised the power hasn’t gone out yet.” Oh boy, hope it doesn’t.

I am bringing this recipe to the potluck this Tuesday also. I already know what bowl I will serve it in. I am going to bring cups and a ladle for all to serve themselves. I am excited for everyone to try this.

I just finished my A and P lab work, it took longer than usual, but at least a learned about mitosis and meiosis and menstrual cycles and the hormones associated with it. It isn’t really too bad. I am concerned about finding the right college to attend when it is time for me to apply. I need to stop doubting and keep my mind off all possible failures. I know God put this seed in me and I have to continue to water it and bless it. Things will work out. THEY ALWAYS DO!

Gelato Ingredients
1/2 cup cashews, soaked 1-2 hours
1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked 1-2 hours
1/4 cup coconut meat
3/4 cup agave
2 1/2 cups cantaloupe juice
1/4 cup ginger juice
2 t vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 cup coconut oil

Blend all ingredients in Vita-Mix until smooth. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

I will use the ice cream maker on Tuesday.

Okay the power just flickered, Goodnight!

Sometimes you cannot believe what you see. You have to believe what you feel~Morrie Schwartz

Day #275 Vegetables and Grape Leaf Dolmas with Sumac Flatbread and Cool Mint, Tahini, and Aleppo Pepper Sauces pg. 138 entertaining in the raw

April 24, 2010

The finished entree

I think it turned out really nice. I had a relaxing experience in the kitchen tonight. I was not too rushed to get it done, and I just listened to Johnny Cash songs and just danced and had a fun time. I prefer Joaquin Phoenix’s voice over Johnny Cash, but without Johnny Cash I wouldn’t have known about how great J.P. could sing. I wish Joaquin would come back:) Hope I get my wish this year! He is one of my faves.

Vegetable Dolmas Ingredients
almond crumbs
parsley
pattypan squash
baby zucchini
cherry tomatoes
olive oil
lemon juice
salt and pepper

Pulse the almond crumbs and parsley in a food processor. Add vegetable filling, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and fill the vegetables with this mixture.

Grape Leaf Dolmas Ingredients
cauliflower
mac nuts
olive oil
nama shoyu (I used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
salt
garam masala
coriander
cumin
currants
grape leaves
Process cauliflower in food processor to rice like consistency; place cauliflower in a separate bowl and set aside. Blend remaining igredients except grape leaves in Vita-Mix until smooth. Pour over cauliflower and mix until well coated. Spread mixture on dehydrator Teflex sheets and dehydrate 1-2 hours. Roll grape leaves with equal amounts of filling.

I absolutely loved the Dolmas, this is one of my faves now too. I love to eat things that I haven’t had before. The flavor was so unique, I could taste the garam masala and salt. Ahhhh what a refreshing meal, it is surprisingly light in flavor but filling. If you have this book make this recipe. It doesn’t take that long and the grape leaves are so incredible and easy to eat. They are not chewy or earthy, their texture isn’t like anything I have eaten before. I think it’s perfect for a lunch meal with your friends.

“I went to have dinner at their house before I even heard about the movie. We were in their living room and John just started strumming. He said he was waiting for June before he could get his nerve up. And I thought, ‘Wow, this is Johnny Cash waiting to get his nerve up. This guy has played prisons and he’s nervous.’ Then June came in and they started singing On the Banks of the River Jordan and they’re looking into each other’s eyes, and the connection and love they had was palpable.” Joaquin Phoenix

Day # 274 Mint Sauce, Tahini Sauce, Aleppo Pepper Sauce pg. 140 entertaining in the raw

April 23, 2010

The flatbread is in the dehydrator still, but I did have some today with vegetables and marinara sauce. It was a perfect lunch after the gym. The bread was still pliable and moist. It will be hard tomorrow for the rest of this recipe.

Mint Sauce Ingredients
mint
coconut meat
coconut water
lime juice
salt

Tahini Sauce Ingredients
tahini
lemon juice
olive oil
cayenne
1/2 t cumin
sat

Aleppo Pepper Sauce Ingredients
red pepper
aleppo pepper spice
coconut meat
salt
lemon juice
water

All are blended in Vita-Mix, *separately*. Blend until smooth.

The rest of the meal will be done tomorrow. I wanted to make the entire thing today, but I make the 3 sauce recipes. I still need to buy grape leaves. Look for the photos to come tomorrow.

Jason and I have been trying to find a new template for the new website we are trying to work on. I will have a link when it is done. I am looking forward to it. I will have two websites, one for the blog, mostly my project, and then another for business and potlucks. Hope to spice both of them up, but it is rather difficult when I am not familiar with website building.

I am off to lay down. We watched Avatar last night, and I was up late, so I am rather exhausted. I loved the movie so much in the theater, Jason bought it for me. Of course I stayed up until like 1 am watching it, so I am exhausted. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend watching it. Especially if you can see it in Blueray.

It is decided. My daughter will teach you our ways. Learn well, “Jakesully”, and we will see if your insanity can be cured. ~Moat

Day #273 Flatbread pg. 138 entertaining in the raw

April 22, 2010

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

I made this flatbread to go with the Vegetables and Grape Leaf Dolmas. I will make the sauces tomorrow and hopefully finish the meal on Saturday. I don’t know if it can beat the cannelloni from last night, but I know it will be so beautiful!

Flatbread Ingredients
flax meal
basil
oregano
sumac
yellow squash
walnuts
salt
black pepper
cayenne
olive oil
shallot
nutritional yeast
agave
basil leaves

Flax meal, basil, and oregano were put into a bowl and all other ingredients were processed in food processor, then added to bowl. Spread on Teflex sheet to 1/2 inch thickness; sprinkle with extra sumac and micro basil. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 6-8 hours, so I will leave them in overnight. Remove them from sheets then dehydrate for 24 hours more.

I celebrated Earth day today at the Animal Shelter. If I would’ve found the perfect dog, I would have 3 now. I am hoping to find a lime tree to plant with my kids. I am waiting for Jason to buy one. If he can’t find a lime tree we will buy another tree.

If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer. But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen. – Henry David Thoreau Author, naturalist 1817-1862

Day #272 Golden and Green Cannelloni with Sun-dried Tomato-Ginger Marinara, Mint-Basil Pistachio Pesto, Green Zebra Tomatoes, and Pine Nut and Black Truffle “Ricotta” pg. 160 entertaining in the raw

April 21, 2010

Now this was the best dinner I have had in so long.  It was filling enough to last me all night.  I have had this meal before and I remember it being just as filling then.  If you make this meal, you will not need to eat a huge portion, unless of course you are REALLY Hungry!

Cannelloni Ingredients
golden zucchini
green zucchini
olive oil
salt
green zebra tomatoes, sliced (heirloom)

Ricotta Ingredients
pine nuts
nutritional yeast
lemon juice
black truffle oil
water
salt
thyme
scallions

I used the Vita-Mix, I like my cheeses creamy.

Marinara Ingredients
sun-dried tomatoes
roma tomato
shallot
lemon juice
olive oil
agave
salt
ginger juice
chili pepper flakes

Squeeze water from sun-dried tomatoes and place all ingredients in food processor. Process until smooth. Store in refrigerator; bring back to room temperature before serving.

Assembly: Overlap 2 green zucchini slices flat on a work surface, with the ends facing you. Place 2 tablespoons “ricotta” close to the near end; top with 2 tablespoons marinara sauce, 1 Tablespoon pesto and green tomatoes. Roll carefully 3 times, forming a rectangle, and place on the plate. Form gently with hands to shape it. Then do the same steps with the golden zucchini. Place two green cannelloni and one yellow on each plate. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with basil or lavender.

**I was not able to find golden zucchini. I don’t know if the taste would change much, it is superb the way it is.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.”~Yogi Berra

Day #271 Orange, Pistachio-Cacao, and Mesquite Truffles pg. 183 entertaining in the raw

April 20, 2010

What a Fantastic Time I had tonight. I worked on these truffles for about an hour and loved every minute of it. I imagined what everyone’s faces will look like when they try them. It think they turned out perfect.

Pistachio-Cacao Center Ingredients
1 cup pistachios, soaked 4-5 hours
1/2 cup cacao nibs
1/4 cup agave
3 Tablespoons coconut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pulse all ingredients in food processor until combined. Roll into balls smaller than a marble; freeze on parchment paper or wax paper.

I froze them for 1 hour and they were perfect to work with.

I froze the truffle base for 2 hours.  They actually were pretty solid and easy to work with.  They quickly melted while rolling them in my hands.  But I loved the gooey feeling,  I love to make desserts!

The first truffles I made were the Mesquite-Maca-Maple Sugar truffles.  I mixed the powders together in a bowl, then rolled the truffles into a ball in my hands, then rolled them in the mixture.  *Note*  After sitting on the counter top the mesquite mixture started to sink into the truffles and the coating wasn’t as prevalent.

Mesquite-Maca-Maple Powder Ingredients

1/4 cup mesquite powder

1/4 cup maca powder

1/3  cup maple sugar

All combined in a bowl.

I took out the orange zest, that I made last night and it was completely dry.  I then put it into the coffee grinder.

This picture is a bit blurry, but the orange zest wasn’t as powdery as the mesquite mixture.  It was gritty.  But the truffles turned out nicely.

The last truffles I made tonight were the Pistachio-Cacao truffles.  These were tricky to make at first because I had to roll the truffle base around the pistachio mixture.  I finally started to flatten the Tablespoon of mixture and stick the marble size pistachio ball into the middle of that.

All truffles are storing in the freezer until the next potluck.  I did try them, they are tasty.  They were a bit sweet for me because I have been cutting down on feeding my sweet tooth.  I expected them to taste more like Halva because of the tahini, but it was a beautiful blend of flavors.  This was one of my favorite recipes to make.

I could give up chocolate but I’m not a quitter.~Unknown

Day #270 Truffle Base and Orange Powder pg. 183 entertaining in the raw

April 19, 2010

I just made the Truffle Base and Orange Powder. I decided to make the rest of the recipe tomorrow so they will be ready for the potluck on Tuesday. I am bringing the pages 183 and 186 recipes. I may bring more, but I will see. I have so many of the recipes that I want to make. I started on the Lasagna so I need to do that too, and I have the small squashes so I need to do the recipe that calls for them.

The recipes seem to be getting more expensive. I guess because the ingredients are just things I don’t have on hand. I usually have something here at my house even though I haven’t been buying the ingredients right before I make it. I have just been going with the “flow”. I love this project, I keep thinking about all the days that have lead me up to this one and I am more stable in this journey of raw food, more than ever. I have become so accustomed to making a recipe a day that I know I will continue to do this even after the project comes to end. I may not every day, but I believe that I will continue on my path in the RAW LIFE.

Truffle Base Ingredients
3 cups cacao powder
4 cups soaked cashews
4 cups tahini
2 cups coconut oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups raw agave
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Blend all ingredients in Vita-mix. Separate into thirds and freeze until firm and not sticky. I waited to put them into the freezer because I don’t want them to be solid tomorrow when I roll them. I will freeze them tomorrow and keep watch on the time to see how long I leave them in there.

Orange Powder Ingredients

1 cup orange zest

Dehydrate 24 hours. Pulverize in a coffee grinder, mortar, or small food processor. *note* I put the zest on a teflex sheet and then covered it with another one so the zest doesn’t fly everywhere.

Tomorrow will be fun! Jason said he would help me roll the truffles:)

I am off to bed soon, my test is in the morning.

“Keep a watch also on the faults of the patients, which often make them lie about the taking of things prescribed.”~ Hippocrates quote

Day #269 Sesame Cashew Dumplings pg. 64 everyday raw

April 18, 2010

I went to Marsha’s today and had the best day ever!! It was an absolutely perfect party. The strawberry pie, almond ice cream and sesame cashew dumplings were loved by all. I really loved this recipe when I made it from the entertaining in the raw book, so I decided to use this recipe book, since I haven’t made it from everyday raw.

I already had the coconut wrappers made, so I made the filling and spinach, but I didn’t bring the spinach.

Filling Ingredients
cashews
nama shoyu (I used Bragg’s)
sesame oil
tahini
ginger
carrots
celery
scallions
sea salt

Spinach Ingredients
spinach
sesame oil
ginger
sea salt
chili powder

Directions were the same as entertaining, but I didn’t include the spinach because my wraps were too small, so I designed them differently. I will perfect this meal, it is fun to make and the taste is like no other!

I love this meal!!!

Time for more studying, my test is less than 48 hours. I am not ready, but I will be.

“Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.”~ Bible
Thank you Jesus for exalting women.

Day #268 Pistachio Pesto pg. 160 entertaining in the raw

April 17, 2010

I just made the pistachio pesto, this is the first step towards the complete meal of the golden and green cannelloni. Jason made this recipe for a Valentine’s meal one year. I remember it to this day! It is the best cannelloni EVER!!! I hope I can make it as good as he did.

I am studying now, but I wanted to write this entry. I waited too long to study for this test. I have been busy with other things, so I am running behind. The L.O.V.E. food prep class was a success today! I loved seeing students come back for more raw and living foods, and it’s always a pleasure to meet new students.
I am so grateful!!

Pesto Ingredients
basil leaves
mint leaves
pistachios
olive oil
salt
black pepper

All ingredients were placed in food processor and processed until chunky. I stored it in the refrigerator, before I use it, I will bring it to room temperature.

I know I haven’t been writing much but I need to do the other things too. Thanks for reading:)

Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Day #267 Sweet Corn Flan pg. 186 entertaining in the raw

April 16, 2010

I am putting everything together for the L.O.V.E. Food Prep class tomorrow morning. I had to get this recipe done quick, it’s been a very busy day and I will be so glad to lay down. My boys both got their hair cut today, it took so long, and I had so much running around to do.

I found stevia and mint plants today!!! I am so excited. I went and bought 5 stevia and 2 mint plants. I feel so earthy with them in my house;).

This recipe of course was easy and quick.

Flan Ingredients
fresh yellow corn
cashews, soaked
coconut meat
vanilla extract
salt
agave
coconut oil
coconut flour (I used shredded coconut)
cinnamon

I blended all ingredients until smooth in Vita-Mix. I poured the mixture into my ramekins to take to Marsha’s house on Sunday. I hope she likes this recipe.

Sorry this entry is so short, but I have packing to do for the class.

All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsions, habit, reason, passion, desire. ~Aristotle