Living Rawesome

Day #155 Lime Sauce pg. 72 entertaining in the raw

December 27, 2009

Lime Sauce Ingredients

goji berries
agave
lime juice
lime zest

My cannelonis didn’t turn out so beautiful, but I did manage to remove them from the dowel rods. That is a step above what I have done in the past. The thumbprint cookies turned out nice and I took them to the Kwanzaa celebration today. I also took the Christmas cookies. Now they are gone and I don’t have to eat them:)

I don’t know what recipe I will do tomorrow, but I am thinking the mint chocolate smoothie. I am loving mint right now.

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth. ~Mohammed Ali

Day #154 Cumin Flatbread pg. 50 everyday raw

December 26, 2009

Today was a very long day. Days always seem to be longer after holidays or a busy week. I read half of my new book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I have never read it before, so I asked for it for Christmas. I heard an interview with David Wolfe and he said that the Lion mentions how it is peculiar that humans eat cooked food. After hearing the interview I decided that I wanted to read the book. I read the Lion’s quote today in Chapter VII. I probably would’ve overlooked it, had I not heard about it. I am enjoying my days off from working. I am getting used to relaxing days again. Although, I did work tonight.

I am rather tired, so I will make this entry short.

I made the cumin flatbread. It was simple to make. I used ground flax seed and placed it in a bowl and put all other ingredients into the food processor. When the other ingredients were smooth, I added them to the flax. I made 2 dehydrator trays full, which turned out to be 15 pieces. Althought the recipe says it will make 2 dozen pieces, I only made 15, because I like my breads larger.

I love cumin and I can’t wait to try this bread on Monday. I will turn the bread over and remove the teflex sheet tomorrow morning and dehydrate 24 more hours.

Cumin Flatbread Ingredients
flax meal
dried basil
yellow squash
walnuts, soaked (8 hours)
cumin
olive oil
shallot
nutritional yeast
agave
sea salt
black pepper

“If you wish,” said the Lion, “I will go into the forest and kill a deer for you. You can roast it by the fire, since your tastes are so peculiar that you prefer cooked food, and then you will have a very good breakfast.”-The Cowardly Lion in the Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Day #153 Green Tea Canneloni, and Banana Lemongrass Cream pg. 72 entertaining in the raw

December 25, 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The kids woke up at 6 am this morning and were so excited. They opened their gifts in 10 minutes. They didn’t ask for much and quite honestly don’t need anything. Maybe we should stop buying them gifts during the year then they will want stuff at Christmas. HAHA that wouldn’t happen. They really do love all the gifts they received and they know what the real reason is for Christmas. I have drilled it in over the years

Christian of course is reading one of his new books and Sabby is playing on the Scooby Doo Wii game he received. I have been busy in the kitchen making my recipe of the day and getting dinner ready for today. I made the entire meal of Chocolate Raviolis from pg. 90. I am just waiting to put the sauce on top and the orange powder. I don’t want them to get soggy. I had to try them of course, I think I will be eating mine without the wine sauce. I really think it’s affecting me. I really didn’t have much at all, as you can see from the photo below.

Jason also had some, but in bed, I woke him up, he went back to bed after the presents. He didn’t sleep long last night. He was playing his new game Modern Warfare 2 Call of Duty.

I decided to make this lovely dessert for the potluck at Unity on Sunday for Kwanza. I really thought the cannelonis would turn out beautifully. I have tried cannelonis 2 times before and ended up frustrated. The flour is always too grainy for me to fold. I made the flour first and placed it in a bowl with the dry ingredients.


The recipe called for green tea powder so I used 2 tea bags of decaffeinated green tea and made it into powder in the coffee grinder.

It blended well with all ingredients.
After the wet ingredients were added I used about 2 T of mixture and tried to flatten out first then roll it on the rod. I did 6 then called it quits. I don’t know how MK does it! They look so beautiful in his book, so smooth and perfect! I decided to make thumbprint cookies out of the dough.

I placed them in the dehydrator and they are going to stay in until Sunday which will be 48 hours.
I really did follow the instructions from the book and I kept looking over the recipe to see if I missed something. I really feel like it would be better if I could make cannelonis with coconut meat. I have little dowel rods that are cut small. I wanted to make small shapes so there would be plenty for Sunday. I rolled six and got frustrated. I ended up making thumb print cookies. After dehydration, I will place cream inside the cannelonis if they stay together and place the cream in the hole in the thumb print cookies.
Canneloni Ingredients
oat flour
cashew flour
salt
agave
vanilla extract
maple syrup
green tea powder

The banana lemongrass cream turned out so good. I tasted a small amount. I don’t want to ruin my Christmas dinner. It was great! I know that I went against what the book said and what MK said but I added in dry lemongrass. I had to. I bought some and I have never used it before so I did. I know I am a rebel. I did get the taste of it though. It tastes just like the aroma just more mild. This recipe went perfect. I placed all the ingredients in the Vitamix and there were not any problems mixing it up. It’s in the refrigerator waiting until Sunday.

Lemongrass Cream Ingredients
cashews
bananas
coconut meat
lemongrass juice (I used dry)
salt
vanill bean
fresh lemon juice
water
agave
coconut oil

I am anxious to see how everyone likes them on Sunday. I am really considering making more cookies because I have an enormous volume of cream compared to cookies. I could always a make tarts out of it too.

I am going to get ready for our Christmas Dinner at my parents. Any one reading this today, have the Best Christmas Ever and thanks for taking your time to read my blog.

Final Product of Green Tea Canneloni, Banana Lemongrass Cream with Goji Lime Sauce and Thumbprint Cookies with Christmas Cookies.


“God bless us every one!” said Tiny Tim-Charles Dickens

Day #152 Broccoli Rabe and Pine Nut “Cheese” pg. 90 entertaining in the raw

December 24, 2009

I just got back from Walmart. There were so many people rushing around to get last minute things for Christmas. I found the broccoli rabe just in time before it closed. Jason and I decided that we would eat this wonderful meal tomorrow.

Cheese Ingredients
1 cup pine nuts, soaked 1-2 hours
2 T lemon juice
1/4 t salt
1/2 t nutritional yeast
1/2 scallion

All ingredients go into the food processor until smooth.

Rabe Ingredients
2 cups roughly chopped broccoli rabe
Juice of 1 lemon
3 T olive oil
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper

Cut an inch off the bottom of the stalks. The leaves, and buds can be used. Roughly chop the rabe and add all ingredients into a bowl and place in dehydrator for 30 minutes. Mix the rabe into the cheese mixture after 30 minutes in dehydrator.

To prepare the raviolis, place a teaspoon of filling just off center on each chocolate wrap square and fold over, pressing each together softly. You can also place a bottom and top piece to make bigger raviolis (example of that is below). Line the raviolis in a row on plates and frizzle with sauce; garnish with orange powder.

Christmas dinner will be a blessing:)

. . . for it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child himself.-Charles Dickens

Directions on assembly of the raviolis prepared on December 25, 2009 for Christmas Dinner
Take out the entire recipe of the chocolate wraps and lay them flat on your workspace.

Cut into pieces with kitchen scissors that are similar in size so the raviolis will be symmetrical to eachother. Notice that all of mine are not the same size. I did this to conserve the wraps. I lined the top piece up with the bottom piece of the raviolis.

Place 1 T of pine nut cheese on the bottom wrap. I placed all the cheese onto the bottom wraps then placed the tops on. If the bottom piece looked bigger I turned it upside down so it looked more symmetrical.


This is the final product at Christmas Dinner! Beautiful with the Pinot Noir sauce and orange powder.

I ate a small bite and Jason did too before Christmas dinner.

I didn’t put the sauce on top yet I am waiting for the Christmas Dinner to put the sauce on top and the orange powder to be sprinkled. I will post that later.

Day #151 Pinot Noir Sauce pg. 90 entertaining in the raw

December 23, 2009

I feel like this meal is the reason this book is named entertaining in the raw. This meal is so beautiful. It’s so much fun making food with wine and fresh pomegranates! I had to buy the Pinot Noir. I was unsure when I read this recipe if I was supposed to use the Pinot Noir grapes, or the wine. Pinot Noir is either the grapes or the wine according to Wikipedia. The name is derived from the French words “pine” and “black” because of the look of the grapes resembling pine cones. I think they look similar to concord grapes. They are grown around the world but they are associated with the Burgundy region of France. Jason and I contemplated if I should use grapes or the wine, I was going to write a quick email to MK, but I decided to use the wine. The reason for this is because I am supposed to use the liquid as a sauce, with only 1/2 cup of liquid which is the pomegranate juice, we figured it was not enough juice, so we bought the wine yesterday. I went to Publix to purchase the pomegranates. I was about to buy the Just Pomegranate in a bottle then I said no I will figure out how to juice the pomegranate. I have only eaten Pomegranate once in my life. My friend Dora, years ago, showed me how to open it and eat it. Pomegranate reminds me of a cranberry flavor, but a bit sweeter. I asked a man in the produce section how to pick out a pomegranate and he showed me that on the outside the there are peaks where the seeds are. They are not too firm, you can push on the outside and it gives a little. The next question I had was HOW DO YOU JUICE IT? Two of the produce employees didn’t know, but I googled it. You use a citrus juicer!! I was so excited. It was so simple. I had no idea how to juice a pomegranate and now I do. I was so excited this morning when I found this awesome find on Google!
So now I know how to pick out a pomegranate, juice it and I know what Pinot Noir is! I love learning about all the wonders of food prep. I love this project!
Here are the ingredients

I couldn’t wait to juice the pomegranates. It was so easy. I was really worried that it would be a disaster.

I had to strain the juice. One pomegranate came out to exactly half a cup. I love it when it works out like that for me. It seems to always come out to exactly what I need.

A few Christmas’s ago we got a handy dandy cork remover from my parents that we have used once before. Jason and I don’t drink wine. Jason likes his German beer and I like water:) I have never really been interested in drinking, but I would love to learn more about wines. Don’t get me wrong I have had many drinks but it never really has been a priority for me. My hardest drug is SUGAR! And yes I do think of it as drug, but that is another story. Jason opened up the wine bottle for me. It was easy I could’ve done it.

I added all the ingredients into a shallow bowl, placed it in dehydrator and now I am just waiting the 8 hours. I am more excited about his meal than I think I have been about any other. Well, I would say definitely the top 5. I know it will be more divine than most of the meals. Especially with Chocolate Wraps. My mouth is watering now just thinking about it. I smell the wine through the laundry room door where the dehydrator is. I hope the alcohol leaves the liquid or else I will probably be drunk (hee hee). It definitely doesn’t take much for me to feel the effects.

Pinot Noir Sauce Ingredients
2 cups Pinot Noir
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1 T black peppercorns
1 spring of rosemary (equals 1/2 t of dry rosemary)

Add later when the sauce has decreased to 50% and is strained just add in the ingredients below
1/4 cup cherries
Juice of 1 lemon

“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.”-Benjamin Franklin

Day #150 Orange Powder pg. 90 entertaining in the raw

December 22, 2009

It’s been a long day of shopping. We had a late start so I decided that my fancy dinner would be tomorrow night. I made orange zest to be dehydrated overnight. It turns into a powder.

Powder Ingredients

Orange zest

I have a very bad headache from shopping all day and dehydration. I am going to drink water and go to bed. Goodnight!
Final Product of Orange Powder that goes on Chocolate Raviolis.

We used to build civilizations. Now we build shopping malls. ~Bill Bryson

Day #149 Chocolate Wrappers pg. 90 entertaining in the raw

December 21, 2009

Today I made some graham crackers for Jason and some of his employees at work. They turned out beautiful. The pictures will be posted on Day #148.

I was so excited to make the chocolate wrappers. This meal is going to be delicious. Jason and I are going to go Christmas shopping tomorrow and then hopefully we will be able to sit down after shopping and enjoy this bitter broccoli ravioli and pine nut “cheese” with chocolate wrappers.

The wraps turned out so much better having the teflex sheets. I wouldn’t recommend doing these without the teflex sheets. I have used parchment paper and they turned out crinkly and they crack. Jason opened the coconuts for me before he went to work. I placed the 2 cups of coconut meat into the Vita-mix and 4 T cacao powder with salt.

This blended up well, considering how little the measurements are. It took a little longer to blend but it worked. I placed it on the teflex sheet and spread it out to a thin even consistency.

After 4 hours they were done. It was easy to lift the wrappers off the teflex sheet. I did turn them around to dry a few minutes without the sheet. I was not perfect in spreading out the wraps but I tried. They turned out good enough for me:)

On this picture you can see the wet parts that still need to dry.

Chocolate Wrappers Ingredients
coconut meat
cacao powder
sea salt

We also made cookies and decorated them. I had fun with Sabby making the cookies and then decorating them.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

Day #148 Marshmallow Creme and Dark Chocolate Fondue pg. 94

December 20, 2009

The graham crackers turned out divine. My first time trying these at Cafe 118 made me fall in love with MK’s recipes. I didn’t really know who he was when we went there. I did have one of his books, everyday raw. I bought it when I bought a Boutenko book. To save on shipping Amazon requested his book, so I bought it. Not knowing what impact it would have on my life. When we went to Cafe 118 it was their soft opening. I actually saw MK and Jason urged me to go up to him and I refused to go up to him because I really didn’t know that much about him. I regret it to this day, but everything always happens for a reason and it is always the best turnout for me. Anyhow, that night I got the smores for dessert. From that day on this has always been my absolute favorite dessert. That night when I left I told Jason I am going to find this recipe online. I DID and made the graham crackers, marshmallow creme and chocolate sauce. I didn’t have the marshmallow oil, so this time I know it will be better than the last. I haven’t tried it yet. I am quite tired and not too hungry. My hope is to sit by the fire with the kids on Tuesday and enjoy the smores together.

Creme Ingredients
cashews
coconut meat
vanilla extract
salt
agave
coconut oil
Lorann Marshmallow Concentrated oil

I blended all ingredients in the Vita-mix. The cashews become extra creamy when you do soak them. I put the creme on a plastic lined pan in the refrigerator.

Fondue Ingredients
maple syrup
cacao powder
coconut oil
vanilla extract
salt

I whisked all ingredients in a large bowl. You have to blend in batches because it is too bulky to put that amount of ingredients in the Vita-mix. I wonder if the Blend-Tec could handle it? I better stop, I love my Vita-mix! I just would love to have a Blend-Tec too. I think my first choice would be a kayak though, so I will bless my Vita-mix:)

I stored the fondue in a plastic lined pan for storage.

I know Jason will try one when he gets home! I know he will love this. Sabby has been sick so I don’t know if he will want to try it. Maybe by Tuesday. Christian is still away and having an awesome time. He went hiking up to 4300 feet. He didn’t say too much on the phone but he did say he is having fun and he doesn’t seem to be missing home too much. I sure do miss him, but I know he is having a great time and that is what matters. I want my kids to see the world.

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million-Walt Streightiff

Day #147 Cinnamon Graham Cookie pg. 94 and Cubist Mushrooms, White Asparagus, and Red Pepper Curry Sauce pg. 68 entertaining in the raw

December 19, 2009

I decided to finish the rest of the recipe for the black sesame crackers.  This was a 6 part recipe to make the entire meal.  I made the black sesame crackers on December 17; Jason tried them today.  They are airy and light but crunchy, unlike most flax crackers that we have made.

I made the white asparagus first.  I didn’t have fresh rosemary and thyme so I used rosemary that I won the other night from the potluck in Gainesville.  Theresa dried it herself:)  So it is fresh.  I also used dry thyme.  I cut the asparagus into 1 1/2 inch pieces and covered it with olive oil and salt.  Then, I placed it in the dehydrator.

Next I had to do the mushrooms, they all must be done around the same time because dehydration is the same for 2 kinds of mushrooms and the asparagus.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the mushrooms I needed.  I wrote an email to MK and asked him what mushrooms I could use instead.  He very promptly and kindly responded in a day.  He recommended using chanterelles, oysters, shiitakes and cremini – the only one he would not recommend is portobello because of the color they give.  I chose to use shiitakes and cremini.  It calls for morels, almond, and enoki.  Which are all beautiful.  I especially love enoki.  They are tasty and light.  I love the appearance of the enoki.  They remind me of mushrooms that would grow by the fairies in the forest.  I poured olive oil, salt, black pepper on the mushrooms.  I used cremini to replace the enoki and morels.  I used shiitakes to substitute for the almond mushrooms.  The creminis dehydrated for 2 hours then I poured the celery and cucumber vegetable stock on them.  I only used olive oil, salt and pepper on the shiitakes.

After preparing the mushrooms, I made curry sauce.  I first pureed the red peppers.  The peppers are supposed to be strained, so I strained them through a nut milk bag.  Then I added it back to the Vita-mix with the mangoes, salt, cayenne and curry powder.  The mangoes were brownish on the inside.  They were beautiful on the outside, but the outside deceived me.  I managed to get 2 cups of decent mango from 3 big mangoes.  This mixture whipped up in about 2 minutes.  I placed some in a small bowl for us to try and refrigerated the rest for our meal.

Asparagus Ingredients
white asparagus
olive oil
salt
black pepper
sprigs of thyme
sprigs of rosemary

Mushrooms Ingredients
morels, almond mushrooms, enoki (I used shiitake and cremini)
olive oil
salt
black pepper
Vegetable Stock (celery, cucumber, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper)

Curry Sauce Ingredients
red pepper
mango
salt
cayenne powder
curry powder

After I completed the recipe on pg. 68, I decided to go ahead and make the cinnamon graham cookie for Sabby.  He has been wanting me to make this recipe since I started this project.  I didn’t even invite him into the kitchen to help, but he asked.  I love it when my boys are in the kitchen with me.  I made the cashew flour and oat flour in the food processor.  The cashew flour always comes out so grainy for me.  The oat flour is more smooth.  Sabby helped pour the flours and mix the dry ingredients in and added the wet ingredients.

Sabby even measured the agave and poured it in to the mixture.  Then he mixed it up so that I didn’t even have to.  Once it was mixed we put it on the Teflex sheets and spread it out to about 1/8 inch thick.

Of course after spreading it, the boys had to try it.  Christian missed it.  He is away in Georgia with his friend for a few days.  They are hiking, but when he returns I am hoping to have a fire and eat the smores.  Sabby was so confident after making the first tray with me he wanted to do all of it himself, even carry the tray to the dehydrator.  I am so proud of him.

Graham Cookie Ingredients
cashew flour
oat groat flour
maple syrup ( I used agave and maple syrup)
salt
cinnamon
vanilla

What an awesome day!! Now we are going to decorate the tree.  We just bought it a few nights ago and we have 10 ornaments on it.  My boys don’t seem to mind.  I guess I may never get into the Christmas spirit.  I prefer to live like it’s Christmas all year round.  But that doesn’t involve buying gifts, just the thankfulness and gratitude and the spirit of Jesus!

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.-Calvin Coolidge

Day #146 Sour Cream pg. 180 entertaining in the raw

December 18, 2009

This is the last step to the Vegetable Tamales.  I desperately looked for corn husks.  Walmart was sold out, and all other stores that we looked we couldn’t find the cornhusks:(  Even Whole Foods didn’t have them the other night.  I decided to make lettuce wraps with the corn filling and sauce for Jason for dinner tonight.  He was very busy at work and I made it in time for him to try them, he even shared some with the Papa Johns employees:)  They turned out good, I am so upset that I couldn’t find corn husks.

I made sour cream tonight with Cashews.  I prefer sunflower seed sour cream over cashews, but this is what the recipe called for.  I froze it because I am sure I will need it for another recipe.

Sour Cream Ingredients

cashews

water

olive oil

lemon juice

salt

All ingredients go in the Vita-mix.  This is a simple recipe to make.

We are on our way to the movie Avatar.  I have been waiting for this movie.  I want my makeup like one of those blue creatures.  I think if we wore makeup like that I would like to wear makeup.  Maybe I will start a fashion statement.  Just kidding I am not so bold!

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice. -Wayne Dyer