Lots to blog about!

New sites to visit, with E-books to try
I recently discovered this great raw website, The Art of Raw Food and Healthy Living, ”Tried, Tasted, Served”. The site is very elegant, with beautiful photographs, and just packed with information. The site offers several informative E-books, recipes included. So, I chose to purchase “Chop to Impress”. This E-book is all about preparing gourmet style raw food, without using a dehydrator, or any other real fancy equipment. Just basic chopping skills and fresh produce, and spices is all you need. The recipes are incredible! I can’t wait to download the next E-book from this site.

My raw chocolate desires…
I’m not sure if I told you that I recently purchased the book Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the World's Greatest Food Being the true choco-holic I am, anything centered around the word chocolate gets my attention!

I love the layout of this book. David and Shazzie have presented a very colorful, informative, and fun view of the history of “chocolate”, and all that it has to offer, both in health, wealth, and well-being. It’s the kind of book you can skip through various chapters if you want, and not get lost. However, I encourage you to read from beginning to end, so you don’t miss a thing. The book also offers some absolutely, out-of-site, tasty raw chocolate recipes you don’t want to miss! There’s nothing boring about this book in the least, and it delivers all the “chocolate” bliss you should expect!

Obviously this book has got me thinking, and dreaming about raw chocolate. I’ve really been craving it lately – but not just any chocolate. I’ve been craving “raw” chocolate (or raw cacao). I’m especially craving raw truffles. So, for the past couple of weeks I have been snacking on Uli Mani’s raw truffles. They are so delicious – I mean really good! You can either buy them online, which is what I originally did months ago. Or, you can buy them at Whole Foods Market. There are several different types to choose from, and all of them are great. My favorite is the Goji Berry truffles, and the Hemp truffles. But, now I’m not so sure, since I tried a new and exciting Mayan truffle – very hot and spicy – but oh so chocolatey!

Since I’ve been on this kick, I have been searching on my own for the perfect raw chocolate truffle recipe, in order to create my own. There are many delicious versions out there, and all are simple to make. So, as I always do, I studied all the varieties, and I’m creating my own as we speak. I’ll let you know how it comes out.

More books to read…
As you may be aware, I have been buying a lot of “raw” books lately. There are so many good ones to choose from, that I have started collecting them. Well, I’m kind of reading about four books at one time. Besides book Naked Chocolate: The Astonishing Truth About the World's Greatest Food, I also purchased Eating For Beauty

I love reading anything that David Wolfe produces, and this book is no exception. The layout and format of David’s works are always pleasing, and interesting. In this book, there are plenty of beautiful pictures, and informative explanations of the various methods of beautifying one’s self through fresh raw foods. There is no doubt that raw food is the ticket to bother inner and outer beauty. It doesn’t take that long to discover this when first transitioning to raw foods from the S.A.D. way of life – and David’s book definitely shows you how. I’ve just begun reading, but there’s no chance for disappointment with this read.

In between reading the two David Wolf books, and Raw Food Life Force Energy: Enter a Totally New Stratosphere of Weight Loss, Beauty, and Health, I’m also reading another new one that I just can’t put down, 12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food.

If you truly want good reading that hits home, and inspires you to make the change from S.A.D. to raw – this is the book to read. Victoria Boutenko’s writing is fantastic. It’s been hard to put this book down. I truly could relate to so much of what she writes about when it came to her family’s experience and the reason for their transition and transformation. Plus she presents great life examples that truly make you think about what it is we are doing to our bodies – it’s incredible!

I want to provide you with some type of summary review, but I’m not ready yet to share my notes. It’s the kind of book, that after you get through all the reading, you want to go back and read it again, just to make serious notes about the information you read, and the steps that you need to take for your own transition and transformation. There’s definitely more for me to write on this one. I’ll get back to you. In the meantime, if you can’t wait for me, then please do, pick up a copy of this book. You won’t be sorry you did!

Plans to take Yoga at the Rec Center
Now that my son Brad had his cast removed from his arm, we have decided to start going to the local Recreation Center three times a week to exercise and take a yoga class. I’m happy to say that the Rec Center is actually offering two types of yoga, once being Kundalini Yoga, which is supposed to be very good for people who suffer with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, like my son and I do. I’m hoping that by going to the Rec Center regularly, the two of us with both get into tip-top shape, and I’m hoping that my son will incorporate more of a raw-food lifestyle too. He already enjoys green and fruit smoothies with me, just as his dad does. I’m just hoping to move him over to a higher percentage of raw. He’s already 14 ½ years old – so healthy living is even more important to help him transition to a healthy adult! And it’s great for me, and he makes good company too. Tomorrow will be our official first time going. Just so you know, I already ride the recumbant bike at home three times a week for at least 20 minutes at full speed. I also do various back and leg exercises, and occasionally some weights. But I could definitely use a lot more “breathing” type exercises, and toning too. This will be a good thing for sure!

Great way to keep your produce fresh!
Have you tried the green produce bags? They really work! The first time I heard about these great bags was from one of the associates at Whole Foods. These bags can save you $$$ on most of your fresh raw produce for up to two weeks or more. At least that’s my experience with them. It’s the greatest invention. Especially if you have to travel far for fresh, organic, raw produce like I do. There are two brands that I know of, which price wise and quality wise seem about the same, Debbie Meyer Green Bags, and Evert-Fresh Green Bags. I’ve used both.

Natural Desert Gels
I have suffered from chronic back problems for many years. Part of my healing is finding other methods of “pain management”, besides taking pain pills. Next to raw foods, massage, exercise and chiropractic methods, I also use a great natural pain relieving gel, produced by Sonoran Desert Lotions - called Natural Muscle Relief. This stuff really works too! I know the manufacturer of this product personally, and I was one of the first people to ever test this product during it’s creation, and I can honestly say it has made all the difference in my back health! And the wonderful thing about these Natural Desert Gels is they are all chemical, Paraben, dye and fragrance free – meaning they are all natural! If you are interested, check out their website at http://www.sonoranbotanicalsllc.com/.

SweetLeaf Sweetener’s, Jim May on local TV
SweetLeaf Sweetener, owner and creator, Jim May was recently on the local NBC network television program, Sonoran Living to talk about the new GRAS approved SweetLeaf Sweetener. The only sweetener made with stevia, a naturally sweet plant that is 30 times sweeter than sugar, calorie-free, zero glycemic index, carb-free, and all-natural, making it the perfect alternative for diabetics, and individuals looking for a healthier sugar substitute. To see the interview, and learn more about this product, visit this Sonoran Living.

Smoothie recipes
Yes, I created a few more yummy smoothies to share. Enjoy!

So Cold and Refresh-een!:
1 ½ cups sliced frozen organic peaches (peeled and stoned)
1 ½ cups sliced frozen organic mango (peeled and stoned)
1 ½ cups dark frozen organic cherries (stemmed and seeded)
2 small bananas (peeled)
1 T hemp seed
1 scoop raw protein
1 scoop Green SuperFood powder
2 cups almond nut mylk (or any other nut mylk desired)
2 handfuls spinach
1/3 cucumber (peeled and cut)
3-4 sprigs mint (chopped fine)
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
plenty of purified ice cubes, and enough purified water to cover.

Place all ingredients in the blender and puree until very smooth and cold. Serves about 2-4 full cold and fresh glasses of green smoothie!



Veggie-Stone Smoothie:
2 celery stalks (cut)
1 handful parsley
1 handful spinach
1 scoop Green SuperFood powder
1 scoop raw protein
1 T raw honey
2 small bananas (peeled)
2 nectarines (stoned and cut)
2 peaches (stoned and cut)
2 cups dark cherries (stemmed and pitted)
½ cup frozen organic mango chunks
8-10 purified ice cubes, and enough purified water to cover

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and puree and mix on high until very smooth and cold. Makes about 4 full glasses.


I also made some other goodies too.


Well, that’s it for today. Hope you enjoyed my blog. Until next time!

Peace!
- Debbie

Water fasting attempts, green smoothies, and books to read and review

Well the last several days I’ve been busy working long hours, and taking care of home stuff – and doing my best to keep up with my email reading. You see, I belong to quite a number of blog-mails, and newsletters related to the raw food lifestyle, health and well-being, and stevia (since I work for SweetLeaf). There’s a lot of great information out there on the world-wide web, as well as great and inspirational people to meet too. I know I’ve said it before, but if it weren’t for the wonderful raw-foodies I’ve met on the web, I would not have known how incredibly fantastic raw food could possibly be!

I’ve been doing a lot reading, and smoothie making (lol), so I will share some of that with you a little later in this blog. But first, I need to tell you about my attempt to do my first “water fast”. Yeah, 16 hours was the tops for me. I started reading a forum on http://www.goneraw.com/, when I read what raw food coach, Debbie Took, of Raw for Life, wrote about joining her for a 24-hour water fast on Saturday, June 14th (yesterday). Needless to say I was quite interested, and read more about water fasting and it’s benefits. Checkout Debbie’s blog for more information. Anyway, I gave it my best shot, and caved by the late afternoon. Not because I was hungry, but because of the temptation of food. I had just finished shopping at Whole Foods, and then had to make a late lunch for the family – I caved! However, it did feel good while I tried, so I will definitely try it again sometime soon. Hopefully I’ll make it the full 24 hours next time.

If you recall, I was reading Natalia Rose's, "Raw Food Life Force Energy". The sections I just completed were mainly about food combining, and basically “how to eat” (when, how much, and so on). The section term to remember, “quick-exit combinations”. Quick-exit foods are considered high-Life Force Energy foods, and when combined correctly with other lower Life Force foods can benefit the body any many ways. Including cleansing, and feeding the body in the best way possible. I’m getting closer to the end (or to the recipe section). The neat thing about this book, is that it has an actual plan to follow to help you make the transition to a “Raw Food Life Force Energy”. It’s really a great book. I recommend it highly.

As you know, I’ve purchased quite a few raw books over the past several weeks. So I have much more to talk about later. In fact, today I purchased yet another great book, Naked Chocolate by David Wolfe, and Shazzie. I can’t wait to read this one! As for e-books, I recently purchased Angela Stokes’ “Raw Emotions”. I love the way Angela writes – she writes from the heart…so I’m very excited about reading her latest!

I also downloaded some more great recipes. This time from Raw Chef Dan, and from another raw foodie, Shelley Abegg. I always have enjoyed collecting and sharing recipes…whether or not it is S.A.D. or RAW – it’s great fun!

So speaking of recipes, I have made quite a few more smoothies, and some other tasty treats. I had fun making flavorful crackers, and raw ice creams/sherbets. But my favorite lately is making shakes and smoothies – green smoothies especially.

Here are some new and tasty brews to make!

Creamy Cherry Delight Smoothie:
(Inspired by a juice recipe I found in a juice and smoothie book)

1 apple, peeled, cored, and cut
1 Bosch pear, peeled, cored, and cut
2 small bananas, peeled and cut
10oz bag of frozen organic dark cherries (or 1 ½ - 2 cups fresh cherries – seeded and stemmed)
2 handfuls spinach
1 cup almond nut mylk
1 full dropper of SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia, Peppermint flavor
Purified water to cover, and ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender, and puree until very smooth. Makes about 2-3 full servings of a refreshing and sweet cherry treat!

Stone Cream Greenery Shake:

1 handful fresh parsley
1 handful baby romaine lettuce with spinach
2 stalks of celery cut
1 medium banana, peeled
1 peach, stoned and cut
2 plums, stoned and cut
2 nectarines, stoned and cut
½ - 1 cup mango chunks (fresh or frozen)
1-2 cups almond nut mylk
1 scoop Green SuperFood powder
1 scoop raw protein
1 T hemp seeds
Purified water to cover, and ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender, and puree until very smooth. Makes about 2-3 full servings. This shake is truly refreshing and energizing!


Romaine-Star Smoothie:

2 star fruits, sliced (save a slice or two for garnish)
2 pears, seeded and cut
1 medium banana, peeled and cut
2 handfuls baby romaine lettuce
1 scoop Green SuperFood powder
1 scoop raw protein
1 T raw honey
Purified water to cover, and 6 cubes of ice

Place all ingredients in a blender, and puree until very smooth. Garnish with sliced star fruit. Makes about 2-3 full servings.

Berry-Green Super Smoothie:

6-8 fresh strawberries cut and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup blueberries
2 small bananas, peeled and cut
1-2 handfuls spinach
1 scoop Green SuperFood powder
1 scoop raw protein
2 dashes bee pollen granules
2 spoonfuls coconut oil (cold pressed)
1 T raw honey
Purified water to cover, and about 6 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender, and puree until very smooth. Makes about 2-3 full servings. This one will definitely fill you up!

Three Greens in a Fountain:
(The flavored reminded me of a diner’s fountain chocolate malt shake)

1 celery stalk, chopped
1 handful spinach
1 handful fresh parsley
3 small bananas, peeled and cut
1 scoop raw cacao powder
1 scoop raw carob powder
Drizzle of agave (or dates to taste)
1 scoop Green SuperFood powder (chocolate flavored)
Purified water to cover, and about 6 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender, and puree until very smooth. Makes about 2-3 full servings. Yummo!

I also made two types of tasty crackers from chia and flax seeds. One was made with different seaweeds, and the other with cacao and banana. They both came out quite delicious! And for dessert, I made a very berry raw sherbet using cashews, dates, vanilla, a little agave nectar, water, raspberries and strawberries.

Waki-Nori Seaweed Crackers with Spicy Sushi “Rice” (Jicama)

Choco-nana Crackers with Raw Vanilla Ice Cream and Maple drizzle

Raw-berry Sherbet with Agave drizzle and Coconut flakes

Well that’s it for tonight. I’ll try to write more later this week. Keep it raw!

- Debbie

Another great raw weekend!

So far this weekend has been joyful. On Friday night I took the time to tie-dye two t-shirts for my son. He planned to wear one for his 70’s party on Saturday – which he did. I had a lot of fun doing so, and plan to make more very soon. On Saturday morning, Brad (my son), and I went on a mission to find any type of accessory to wear with his tie-dye shirt. We couldn’t find anything, but settled on making a leather friendship wrist band like the hippies use to wear back in the 70’s. It’s amazing what you can remember how to do when you put your mind to it. I hadn’t macramé leather in over 20 years, but I remembered how to do it (with a little help form youtube.com), and made my son a wrist band for the party within 20 minutes before having to leave for the party. Amazing? Yes! The only other piece he needed was my old trusty handkerchief headband that I’ve had for years, which he thought was cool and finished the look off quite well. Needless to say, the girls loved the look when he was at the party, and they had an absolute blast!

While out shopping on Saturday, Brad and I stopped by Barnes & Noble Book Store, and I purchased another raw food book. This time I purchased a book by Baird Rodwell, called The Complete Book of Raw Food: Healthy, Delicious Vegetarian Cuisine Made with Living Foods. It’s pretty thick, so hopefully it’s packed with great info too. In addition to that book, today I went online and purchased signed copies of two books from Kate Wood, "Eat Smart Eat Raw", and her latest release, “Raw Magic”, which I’m really looking forward to receiving. Hey, did I tell you that I also purchased the new DVD, “Food Matters”? Well if I didn’t, I’m telling you now. This is going to be one perfect documentary piece of great information and inspiration. You should pick up a copy for yourself! Seriously! Checkout the trailer…

Anyway, like I said before this weekend has been quite joyful. Besides shopping for great books, and spending time with my son, I also found time to make a few more yummy raw goodies. I tried some more fabulous recipes from the http://www.goneraw.com/ site, as well as create a few of my own.

Well, one of the great smoothies I tried from http://www.goneraw.com/ this week was one called the Blueberry Lemon Tart Smoothie – and boy was it ever yummy! In fact, it was so good, my husband even tried it. And he doesn’t like “green stuff” in his smoothies ever! The recipe is very simple, healthy, and delicious – so try it for yourself.

For dinner yesterday, I decided to create a refreshing salad using raw corn as my base, and micro herbs for my greens. I came up with a very delicious and simple salad recipe that I think is perfect for summer. Check it out!

Summer Corn Salad:

Corn from two raw corn cobs
½ red, and 1 yellow bell pepper – seeded and chopped small
1-2 handfuls micro green herbs
¼ cucumber, peeled and chopped small
2-3 leaves fresh basil finely chopped
1 avocado peeled and seeded, chopped small
Squirt of Bragg’s Amino Acids
Dash sea salt
Dash favorite veggie spice blend

Mix and toss well with tongs, and serve.



While shopping with my son this weekend, I also purchased some more candy molds, because I’ve been feeling like making some more super charged chocolate. I did a little surfing on the Naked Chocolate site, and got inspired by one of the recipes. I think my creation came out quite well, and has great flavor. Plus, I definitely feel energized by them. Here’s my recipe:

Super Cashew Mocha Candy Rounds:
Inspired by Naked Chocolate…

1 cup and 2 scoops raw cacao powder
4 cups raw cacao butter (shaved or melted)
½ cup raw carob powder
½ cup raw agave nectar
2 tsp maca powder
2 tsp mesquite powder
2 tsp lucuma powder
3 emptied capsules Fo Ti-Sho
3 handfuls raw cacao nibs
1 cup ground raw cashews
4 spoonfuls coconut oil
2 spoonfuls organic maple syrup grade B
2 droppers chocolate flavored SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia
1 tsp organic vanilla extract (non alcohol)
dash ground cinnamon
dash ground cayenne pepper
dash ground vanilla powder

Place 1 cup of raw cacao powder in a food processor, and set the additional 2 scoops aside for later. Add the ground cashews, and remaining ingredients to the food processor. Mix ingredients very well until creamy. Mixture will not be smooth, but will be very creamy. Remove from food processor and place in a mixing bowl. Add remaining 2 scoops of raw cacao powder and mix well. Pour into silicon baking molds or in candy molds of choice. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

You can individually wrap candies and store in a container in a cool place, or keep them refrigerated for perfect form. These candies are super charged and super good! Enjoy!



And finally, this morning I was craving peaches. But I didn’t want the usual shake I’ve had before with peaches, and I didn’t want it alone or in a salad. So, I came up with this great, filling, and delicious peach smoothie – you just got to try it!

Super Peachy Morning Smoothie:

3 small bananas
1 ripe mango (peeled and seeded) (or 1 cup frozen mango chunks – I did ½ and ½)
3 peaches (seeded)
1 tsp maca
1 tsp lucuma
1 tsp hemp oil
1 tsp flax seed oil
1 handful goji berries
1 scoop raw protein powder
1 dropper SweetLeaf Liquid Stevia Clear
3 capsules emptied Wisdom Natural Brands Yerbe Mate Tabs
1 drizzle raw agave nectar
enough almond nut mylk to cover all ingredients, plus a little extra if needed for thinning
4 to 5 purified ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender, and puree on high until well blended and smooth. Thin if necessary with more nut mylk or even water. Makes about 2-4 full servings.

After drinking this peach smoothie, I am feeling quite charged and ready to go! Well, that’s it for now. I know I’ll have more to write later on. Have a fabulous Sunday and a great week ahead!

Peace! :)
- Debbie

So where have I been?

Okay, so you are probably wondering where the heck I've been. I mean, I came back from vacation, made a quickie post and told all of you that I would be back on track, and writing my daily raw. Well, obviously that didn't happen...sorry!

Anyway, the deal is this, I had way too much to catch up on. I had my taxes, the art project (I finally finished), stuff at work, more stuff at home, my son broke his arm (that create other set backs for both us), lost track of my food diary entries, and so on. That's when I decided I needed to come up with a different plan of attack, to still blog, still stay raw, still track my progress, but not make it so dang difficult to keep up. I've decided, for now anyway, not to list my daily raw on my blogs. At least not for a while. I will blog as often as possible about my progress, list recipes and pics when I can, and eventually I will take the time to start doing this daily again. But for now, all I can do is all I can do...lol...

Okay then, so I summed up what I've been up to for the past few weeks. Now to tell you about my progress. I haven't been eating as much as I usually do, but drinking a lot of smoothies, and drinking a lot of raw lemonade sweetened with stevia - not maple. That's been fine. However, at least 2 times a week I have been cheating with raw fish or sushi rolls, and the occasional nibble on a non-raw chip or spoonful of "dinner" I've made for my boys. I know that's bad. But the thing is, I have been keeping it over 75-90% raw every day. I'm working on the little "cheat bits" and hope to nip them in the bud soon. I think it's because I haven't had a lot of time to prepare raw snacks for during the week, and then I don't always eat enough, so that leads to the little rat nibbles on S.A.D. food - which again, isn't that bad, but I am working on correcting it. So bare with me, and encourage me to do better...seriously - thanks!

Over the past few weeks I have made a few treats and took so pics to share them with you. You can find some of the recipes on the http://www.goneraw.com/ site, or on the http://www.rawtable.com/ site.

Pictures include raw carrot chips, raw carrot cakes, tropical tacos, mock tuna with raw corn chips, mango-green smoothie, Hawaiian tropic shake, tropical smoothie, chocolaty-banana smoothie, chocolate almond nut-milk shake, seaweed bean bowl...all treats yummy to eat!

Well, that's it for today. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Tah, tah for now! :)

- Debbie

Vacation breakdown...

Well, I have to confess. I kind of, sort of, fell off the wagon over my vacation. The family and I went to California over Spring Break. We drove to Hollywood, and Universal Studios for my birthday (St. Patty’s day), and then drove down the coast to San Diego, to Ocean Beach for the remainder of the week – I love the beach!

I know I said in my previous blog that I planned to cheat a little while on vacation, which I don’t feel totally guilty about. I also said I wouldn’t eat any fried foods, or dairy, or chicken or beef – which I didn’t. The problem is, although I did plan, and did eat some of the seafood I desired, such as raw tuna, several pieces of sushi (on my birthday), some steamed lobster, shrimp, and grilled fish. I do feel like I may have over done it.

The good news is, I did drink my smoothies every day, and ate my raw treats and fresh fruit I brought with me, and drank lots of water. I also managed to write down my daily food intake every day. And, we did a lot of walking, hiking, and “running” around while on vacation. So, I did get exercise, even though I wasn’t officially “exercising”.

During the “Easter” weekend, I had another breakdown. I ate a couple of Lindt’s chocolates, because of Easter (that’s my excuse). I didn’t need to, but I did. They used to be my favorites, and they are my son’s favorites now. I had planned to make more of my raw chocolates, but didn’t have time or ingredients until after Easter, because we were on vacation.

So, now I feel somewhat depressed and guilt ridden, because now I can no longer say that I am 90%-100% raw. Yet, I only broke down for a total of 7 days. Should I feel guilty? Am I a fake? Do I have the right to call myself a “rawfoodist”? I still ate at least 50-75% raw while on vacation. Actually, it was all raw, except for the seafood…and the few chocolates. What do you think? I should probably do a complete detox program, and just cleanse the heck out of my system…but, right now I’m hungry for my smoothies, and daily raw food routine. I still haven’t had time this week to create any raw goodies, except for the smoothies. I think I need to do that first before I fully detox myself. It’s kind of a mental thing. I don’t know. I told myself I wasn’t going to beat myself up over this, yet I can’t help but obsess over the whole deal.

Well, regardless of what I did, or how I feel about it, or what others may think of it, I know in my heart I am still committed to this way of life. I haven’t “cheated” since, nor do I have a craving to again. As of this week I am over the need. I plan to work really hard from this point forward to keep my 90%-100% raw way of eating.

Well, that’s it for me tonight. I know I haven’t blogged in over 2 weeks, and that I still need to list my daily raw for the past 2 weeks too. I’ll have to do that later. It’s late, and I need to get to bed. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow. I’m still playing catch up at work, and in my personal life, because of my vacation.

I wish you all a fabulous evening, and a fabulous week!

Peace. :)

- Debbie

Learning about my weaknesses

I know what your probably thinking, why do I get so lax and wait more than a week at a time to write-up my blog, and list my daily raw - well, I can't really answer that, except by saying, "it's a personal problem." You see, I get real focused on something, and give it all I got, only to eventually fall off the wagon for a while, then wonder why I stopped. It worries me too, when I get this way, 'cause I don't want to have that happen with my "raw food" choices in life either. Fortunately, I did make the effort to write down on scrap pieces of paper what I have been eating every day since my last blog, and to write some notes on what I was feeling at the time (but not too much of that).

I decided to start my blog out this way, after reading a very good e-newsletter on the 5-steps for transformation, from Philip McCluskey, of Lovingraw.com. Philip talks about routine, and taking responsibility for one's self and the food choices, and lifestyle choices taken. Those few short paragraphs really hit home. I know my biggest deal is always having to admit that when I fall off the wagon or lose focus, it's all me - all my fault. Sure, I make excuses, and I do believe you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. But truth be told, it's because I got a little lazy, or I chose to take on more than I could truly commit too, and sure enough, I've fallen off the path I truly want to travel. Now don't get me wrong, I haven't fallen off the "raw food" path, but I have fallen off the need to eat better and more healthfully on the raw food diet. I have chosen easy outs, such as raw food bars (not bad for me, but not the best). Fresh juice, salads, and veggies would be a better choice. I do drink at least 1-2 smoothies a day, and try to have at least one green juice, or green salad a day. But then I over kill on the raw treats (i.e. raw cacao, dates, nuts, and so on). Just as I was starting to drop the pounds, I have plateaued again. Why? Because of overeating...overeating good "raw" food. And the more I find myself eating, the more I start to crave those foods that aren't raw and healthy for me. I worried about the temptation! Good news though, I have been exercising at least 3 times a week - and still going strong!

In case you didn't know, many raw-foodies around the globe have been participating in a 92-day global juice feast. I have always admired those individuals that have been successful at completing this great feast task. I have toyed with the concept for many months, but just can't see myself making the full commitment. I do make efforts to drink juice and smoothies on a daily basis, but I do eat other "solid" foods along with that. I recently joined a group on the Global Juice Feast for Modified Juice Feasters, hosted by JS Ohlander, and inspired by Heidi Ohlander's recent juice feast that lasted a little over a month. Heidi worked very hard, and blogged daily, and provided great information and support, but she admitted how hard it was, and how it doesn't necessarily work well for all individuals, and that some juice feasting (or modified juice feasting) is still very beneficial, and should not be taken for granite. So, that's where I feel I've been leaning towards all this time. I just think I need to do more of it. So hopefully I will make more time to cut back on the overall calorie intake, cut down on the amount of raw goodies I eat, and increase the amount of "super" green juice feasts to my daily routine.

My birthday is coming up, and we plan to go to California to celebrate, and to enjoy Spring break as a family. I will confess right now, before it even happens. I plan to take my birthday off, and eat my favorite seafood morsels on the pier, in San Diego, on my birthday. But, I do not plan to eat any "fried" food. I'm planning on steamed and raw fish and crustaceans. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. So, since I have made this declaration, I really need to focus on being a better and healthier raw-foodie, and cut back on all the raw "junk food" as my husband calls it. Oh, just so you know, I do plan to visit some local Cali raw food restaurants while there over the break. I know my family would love it!

Well, that's enough of that for now. Time to list my daily raw for all those days I missed...

2/28/08:

6oz berry smoothie

24oz raw body shake

30oz carrot, grapes, ginger, apple, spinach Juice Feast

2 almond, vanilla snackeroons

1 carob smart monkey bar

1 coconut/chocolate raw vegan bar

5 handfuls of grapes (red and green)

wedge of lemon

thin slice of (my recipe) Brazil nut bread

handful of pecans

tablespoon of my, Debbie's raw chocolate candy, liquified (melted)

lots of water

2/29/08:

6oz berry smoothie
24oz raw body shake

24oz mango, parsley, and romaine lettuce smoothie

1 almond, vanilla snackeroon

1 carob smart monkey bar

1 slice of (my recipe) Brazil nut bread w/pecan butter and raw blueberries with agave and SweetLeaf liquid stevia

2 slices of (my recipe) Brazil nut bread w/eggless salad spread, romaine lettuce, avocado mayo dollop

2 handful of grapes (red and green)

handful of jungle peanuts (very yummy)

1 piece of my, Debbie's chocolate candy

lots and lots and lots of water

3/1/08:

8oz berry smoothie

24oz raw body shake

24oz raw chocolate-banana super-charged nut-shake (Wow! Now that's good!)

1 slice of (my recipe) Brazil nut bread w/almond butter

1/2 cup kale and fig prepared raw salad from Whole Foods

2T cashew and fig raw salad from Whole Foods

1 banana

4 handfuls of grapes (red and green)

1 piece of my, Debbie's raw chocolate candy

3 scoops raw ice cream w/raw chocolate candy melted and hardened, and strawberries on top

1 strawberry

coconut and agave rawvolution bar

3 pieces of Dragon Roll sushi (not raw)

1 carob smart monkey bar

lots of water

3/2/08:

24oz Super-charged berry nut-shake (includes camu, lucuma, maca, and goji berries)

lots of grapes (red and green)

1 slice of my Brazil bread w/almond butter, agave and banana

3 romaine lettuce leaves with eggless salad spread

240z mango, parsley, romaine lettuce smoothie

lots and lots and lots of water

3/3/08:

6oz berry smoothie

24oz berry breakfast smoothie (w/maca, gogi berries, camu, lucuma)

24oz parsley, mango, romaine lettuce leaves

24oz Super-charged chocolate-banana nut-shake

1 carob smart monkey bar

3 romaine lettuce leaves wrapped with eggless salad spread and avocado

1/4 piece of my Brazil bread

grapes, grapes, and more grapes (red and green)...I love grapes!

2 dipped strawberries in Karen Knowler's chocolate dipping sauce

1 piece of my, Debbie's chocolate candy

lots and lots and lots of water (to wash it all down with...lol)

3/4/08:

6oz berry smoothie

24oz Super-charged berry breakfast smoothie (maca, camu, lucuma, goji berries)

24oz mango, parsley, romaine lettuce leaves)

1/2 piece my, Debbie's chocolate candy

3 scoops Heidi Ohlander's vanilla ice cream w/Karen Knowler's raw chocolate dipping sauce

3 large strawberries dipped in Karen Knowler's raw chocolate dipping sauce

3 handfuls grapes (green and red)

2 vanilla, almond snackeroons

handful of raw corn chips

2 slices of raw brown bread

lots and lots of water

3/5/08:

24oz raw body shake

6oz berry smoothie

24oz mango, parsley, romaine lettuce leaves

4 slices raw brown bread

2 handfuls raw corn chips

1 carob smart monkey bar

1 cacao brownie smart monkey bar

24oz green feast juice (celery, ginger, spinach, kale, carrots, parsley, apple)

several handfuls of grapes (green and red)

couple of strawberries with Karen Knowler's raw chocolate dipping sauce

3/6/08:

6oz berry smoothie
24oz mango, parsley, romaine lettuce leaves

handful of raw corn chips
5 slices raw brown bread
2 carob smart monkey bar
1/4 omega vegan raw bar (very yuk, and nasty!)

2 vanilla, almond snackeroons

2 handfuls of grapes (red and green)

2 dates

1 handful of hazelnuts

6-pc raw sushi rolls (avocado, marinated mushrooms in braggs and nama shoyu, red bell pepper)

12oz green feast juice (celery, ginger, spinach, kale, carrots, parsley, apple)
several handfuls of grapes (green and red)

3 scoops Heidi Ohlander's vanilla ice cream w/Heidi's famous raw chocolate sauce

water, water, and more water...I was very full!!!

3/7/08:

24oz raw body shake

6oz berry smoothie

24oz six on the beach juice feast (beats, cucumbers, ginger, parsley, carrots, kale)

2 vanilla, almond raw snackeroons

1 carob smart monkey bar

1 coconut, chocolate raw vegan bar

4 pieces raw brown bread

6 black olives with pits (I removed the pits of course)

slices of green bell pepper and lettuce

handful of hazelnuts

2 dates

(I did eat 1 small handful of popcorn - real popcorn. Let me just say this, it smelled much better than it tasted, and made me feel...I felt yuk afterwards!)

3 scoops Heidi Ohlander's vanilla ice cream w/Karen Knowler's raw chocolate dipping sauce
3 large strawberries dipped in Karen Knowler's raw chocolate dipping sauce
couple of strawberries with Karen Knowler's raw chocolate dipping sauce

lots and lots and lots of water...and yes, I am full!!!

Well, that's more than enough for me to write in one sitting. Till next time!

Keep it raw!

ttfn :)

Monday daily raw

Today I didn't really prepare any food to take with me to work. However, I did stop and get my usual 24oz raw body shake from In The Raw, in addition to the 6oz berry smoothie I had at home before I left for work. At lunch time I ran an errand for my husband, and since I didn't prepare any food, I decided to stop by In The Raw again and get me a 16oz glass of fresh juice. Today I had a juice feast drink called a Six on the Beach. It contained beats, cucumbers, carrots, spinach, and fresh ginger...very yummy, and energizing.

For snacks I ate 1 homemade raw donut hole, 3 or 4 (I can remember exactly) vanilla almond snackeroons (my favorite), and a coconut agave Raw-volution bar (not too bad). Oh, and I had a carob Smart Monkey bar. I know it's a lot of bars (could be fattening), but I was lazy today!

I did manage to get some exercise into my schedule. I road the recumbent bike for 30 minutes on high...my time wasn't too bad. Then I did some back stretches with and without weights.

For dinner I just ate a light salad, with the remaining two sunburgers, avocado, tomato, and a dollop of (non raw) prepared mustard. I couldn't help myself on that one.

The best part of the day is when I finally got to slice up a piece of my mango cheesecake - the one I told you about yesterday. It was oh so delicious!!! I can't wait to eat more...lol...Here are some pics of the great desert:

Well, that's it for tonight. Hope all of you have a wonderful evening, and a fabulous raw Tuesday!

Write you soon! :) Deb:D

Just catching up with my daily raw log...

So, I haven't blogged or logged anything since February 17th - wow! I can use the usual excuse that I've been busy, and yada, yada, yada...but the truth of the matter is I just haven't made time.

I have done some experimenting, but not a lot. I guess you could say I haven't been feeling a 100% lately, so that is partly why I haven't been in the mood to write. I am proud to say though, that my back is doing much better, and that I haven't had to take a lot of pain meds. In fact, I haven't taken one since Friday, and that was the first pill in a couple days too. So, that's great news to me!

I also weighed myself on Friday. I've lost another 2 pounds. I'm down to 158lbs. which is great for me. I still have a long way to go. I will take my measurements again later.

Yesterday I purchased some pre-made raw mango salsa - which tasted good, but may have upset my stomach - I'm not sure. Then again, it could have been the coconut meat and water which I used to make my pina coloda shake yesterday. I think one of the coconuts I broke open may not have been as fresh as it could have been, and therefore it may have been the reason why I got sick. Regardless, I feel fine today....

Tonight I made a mango cheesecake. A great recipe that I found on the www.goneraw.com site. I didn't get to use orange zest - so I used coconut flakes, and lemon zest. Also, I exchanged the Irish Moss for grounded Chia Seeds, because my moss wasn't becoming gelatinous like it was supposed to be when I added the water. The cake looks great, but not ready for pics yet, since it needs to set overnight. I'll tell you more about it then.

Well, that's it for me for tonight. To follow is my daily raw logs since February 17th.

Have a great week, and keep it raw!

- Debbie :)
Sunday, Feb. 17th:
24oz raw body shake
24oz chocolate nut milk smoothie
3 pieces sesame sunflower seed bread with raw pesto spread and tomato
5 dates
raw apple cobbler
2 almond, vanilla snackeroons
handful of grapes and nuts
lots and lots of water
1 carob smart monkey bar
1 raw vegan chocolate chip bar

Monday, Feb. 18th:
6oz berry smoothie
24oz super powered raw chocolate maca shake (very rich, and high energy)
24oz mango, parsley, and romaine lettuce smoothie
1 carob smart monkey bar
1 raw Belgium chocolate 75% raw vegan bar
bowl of mixed seaweed, soy beans, sesame seeds, bragg’s and nama shoyu
5 pieces of sesame sunflower seed bread
1 snackeroon, almond and vanilla
3 small scoops raw vanilla-vanilla coconut iced cream, with raw chocolate sauce
handful of grapes
lots and lots of water

Tuesday, Feb. 19th:
24oz raw body shake
6oz berry smoothie
1 carob smart monkey bar
4 snackeroons (almond, vanilla)
3 pieces sesame sunflower bread
18oz glass of raw chocolate nut milk (mmm good)
24oz mango, parsley, and romaine lettuce smoothie
banana with raw chocolate sauce
handful of grapes
lots and lots of water

Wednesday, Feb.. 20th:
6oz berry smoothie
1 cacao coconut smart monkey bar
1 chocolate chip raw vegan bar
2 24oz raw chocolate nut milk
1 24oz green juice
3 pieces sunflower sesame seed bread with avocado
handful of grapes
1 date
lots and lots of water

Thursday, Feb.. 21st:
1 6oz berry smoothie
1 16oz chocolate nut milk
1 24oz green juice with power greens
3 slices sesame sunflower seed bread
2 raw carob smart monkey bars
1 raw chocolate chip vegan bar
1 Belgium chocolate 75% raw vegan bar
handful of grapes, and nuts
6 slightly steamed shrimp with slight touch of cocktail sauce (not raw…I know)
1 glass symfre tea
lots and lots and lots of water

Friday, Feb.. 22nd:
1 coffee/chocolate larabar (not totally raw)
5 raw donut holes (Ani Phyo recipe)
24oz raw body shake
8oz berry smoothie
2 handfuls of grapes
some nuts
a raw burger (black sesame sunflower seed bread, sunburger, sundried tomato nut cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado…recipes from Ani Phyo’s book).
Lots and lots of water

Saturday, Feb. 23rd:
Carob Smart Monkey Bar
24oz raw body shake
2 donut holes (raw recipe)
Raw coconut chocolate vegan bar
24oz raw pina colada shake (coconut meat, and coconut water with mac nuts, orange, and pineapple)
3 almond, vanilla snackeroons
raw sandwich (2 slices black sesame sunflower seed bread, with mango salsa, baby spring lettuce, raw pecan butter)
lots of grapes and water

Sunday, Feb. 24th:
24oz berry breakfast smoothie with maca, lucuma, and tangerine juice
8oz berry smoothie
3 almond and vanilla snackeroons
1 carob Smart Monkey bar
handful of grapes
few almonds

A special day

Today was somewhat of a special day for me. I realized that Valentine's day marked the 6th month since I changed to a raw food lifestyle. I also discovered that I have lost an additional 2 pounds. This means that I have lost a total of 24-26 pounds. The reason for the range is because the doctor's scale said slightly higher, than what my scale said the day I first weighed in. However, it is very clear to me that I have definately lost weight, and in a healthy manner.

This Saturday was still my typical Saturday. I got up early, and made sure my son was ready to be picked up for karate. I went to Whole Foods (always fun for me) and got my groceries. Then I went to Walmart to get the remaining items needed such as soap, tissue, etc. Then to the library to pick up the dvds to watch over the weekend, and then to home to make some grub (both raw and sad).

I started the day out with a banana and water. Then I made some of my Rawbuck's Iced Mocha II - but only had a 6oz glass full. Later in the day I ate a raw vegan bar (only 75% raw), and then another banana. For lunch I had a small portion of some raw kale salad, and raw squash salad that I purchased at Whole Foods, to go along with my raw sesame sunflower seed bread and raw pecan butter spread. Very yummy! I also had my remainig piece of raw chocolate candy (my recipe), and a handful of grapes. For a late snack I made a berry smoothie, which I only drank about an 8oz glass worth. The rest I gave to my husband.

Here's where things kind of changed...just for today, so I consider this special too. I went to pick my son up from a birthday party. His friend was celebrating her 16th birthday. She is from India, and they are traditoinal vegetarians. When I got there everyone was having a wonderful time, so I stayed a little longer than planned. I have known this girl's family for several years. My son and her have taken karate together for about 5 years. Anyway, although they understand that I'm a rawfoodist, and that I am vegan, her mom didn't quite understand exactly what that meant. She figured it just meant vegetarian. Anyway, she wanted so much for me to try some of her authentic Indian Cuisine. I figured it would only be a small portion, and it doesn't mean I'm giving in. So, I had one bite of a cooked vegan cauliflower curry dish, and then one somosa with potato and spices (also cooked, but vegetarian), topped with a "raw" cilantro and mint condement. I also had a cup of hot, homemade, Indian spiced tea -- very yummy, and very soothing...lot's of ginger too! Anyway, it was delicious, and a special non-raw treat. But remember, I'm still raw, and this is not something that will happen all the time. But it was still very special to me!

When we got home, my husband, son, and myself decided to watch one of our dvds from the livrary, Saw IV. That's right, we love our horror movies. It was creepy and strange, and of course graphic and horrific as always...very disturbing - just the way we like it.

Anyway, I don't know if I'm going to eat any more tonight. If I do, I will add it into my next post on my daily raw. I'm going to close for now. We plan to watch another dvd. This time a comedy, "The Heartbreak Kid." Have a great night, and a great tomorrow!

Write to you later....

- Debbie :)

So, what have I been up to lately?

Like I said in my earlier post, I've been busy. I have had the opportunity to make quite a few raw goodies. I have made quite a few things from Ani Phyo's raw book. I've made mango crumble, sesame sunflower seed bread, sun burgers, carob crunch torte, and I've created a few things of my own. Here's a brief photo journal of the makings...

Raw Corn Chowder

Sunburger on Sesame Sunflower Seed Bread, with Raw Catsup, and Spicey Raw Mustard

Debbie's Raw Chocolate Candy

Debbie's Raw Apple Cobbler

Raw Mango Cobbler

Raw Carob Crunch Tart with Carob Sauce

Most of the dishes presented here are inspired by recipes from Ani's Raw Food Kitchen: Easy, Delectable Living Foods Recipes.

Well, it's getting late. Enjoy your weekend! Until next time...TTFN! :)

- Debbie

Playing catch up as usual...

Well, I finished making my raw rendition of a coconut, key-lime pie, and I have to say it was pretty darn good. It could have used some more lime juice, but I did use about 14-16 key limes as it was...lol...the crust was the favorite of my friends and family who tried it. It had to be from the coconut flakes, and lime zest I used with the mac nuts...very yummy!

After the pie deal, I started thinking more and more about drinking my green juice again, since I've been eating a lot of high fatty raw foods lately, and feeling bloated. So, I mixed it up over the past few days - smoothies, green juices, and salads, with a few snacks here and there...it definately has been making the difference.

I also have been reading a lot of raw blogs lately (more than usual), as well as reading my raw books (not just the recipes), "Rawsome Food", and "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen". Great information, and inspiration!

My back is feeling better...I actually rode the recumbant bike tonight, and did some back stretches. I still have to take it easy...I'm still suffering from sciatica, just not as crippling as it has been.

Well, I want to write more, but as usual, I'm cutting it short due to the time of day it is - night!

So, until next time...hopefully soon...have a wonderful evening, and a terrific tomorrow!

Here's my daily raw for the past few days:

Thursday, January 31st
6oz berry smoothie
16oz raw body shake
8oz rawbuck’s coffee II
2 slices key lime pie
3 leaves with avocado slices and mock tuna
small bowl cacao, macadamia, coconut iced cream, with raw chocolate sauce
couple of dates
zucchini, pine nuts, mushrooms, basil, tomatoes, evoo
4 slices raw buckwheat sun bread, with coconut butter and salt
1 taster’s cup green juice
carob smart monkey
handful mixed nuts
lots and lots of water

Friday, February 1st
6oz berry smoothie
24oz raw body shake
1 slice key lime pie
1 big bowl cacao, macadamia, coconut iced cream, with raw chocolate sauce
couple of dates
1 tall glass (24oz approx.) green juice
6oz glass green juice
handful of hazelnuts
banana and romaine lettuce leaves smoothie
lots and lots of water

Saturday, February 2nd
16oz raw body shake
8oz berry smoothie
1 carob smart monkey bar
1 banana
2 ½ -24oz glasses of green juice
2 sample size taster cups of green super-food powder juice
4 almond, vanilla snackeroons
5 pieces sprouted buckwheat sun bread with raw guacamole
2 handfuls grapes
1/3 cup jungle peanuts with raw chocolate fudge sauce (with lucuma, mesquite, cacao, and maca) lots and lots of water

Sunday, February 3rd
24oz berry breakfast smoothie with maca, lucuma, bee pollen, and berry greens super-food powder added
¼ banana
1 carob smart monkey bar
4 vanilla, almond snackeroons
2 dates
handful grapes
handful raw almonds
salad (white button mushrooms and portabello mushrooms marinated with bragg’s amino acids, and nama shoyu, napa cabbage, romaine lettuce leaves, red bell pepper, cucumber, pepitas, sliced almonds, sea salt, avocado)
lots and lots of water

Monday, February 4th
24oz berry breakfast smoothie (with maca, lucuma, and bee pollen)
2 ½ -24oz glasses green juice with green super-food powder
8oz chia seed cacao pudding
2 almond, vanilla snackeroons
1 banana
1 carob smart monkey bar
handful of grapes
handful of hazelnuts
lots and lots and lots of water

Good night everyone!

TTFN...Debbie :)

Accomplishments, and goals...

It seems like I ate a lot of "junk" food over the weekend. What I mean by that is I ate a lot of nuts and raw sweet treats. Even though it was all raw, it was still a little higher in fat and calories. I need to be careful too, since I'm unable to exercise like I had been. Hopefully, I will get back on the road to recovery when I can start going back to the chiropractor. I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm serious when I say the pain is chronic, and unbearable. And so far, I found the most "pain" relief that's natural is through the chiropractor!


I was so happy this weekend, cause I actually got a lot of work done. I updated my one website with over 2,000 products; I finished the business cards for my friend - which is half the project he is paying me for; and I read up on a lot of my raw food blogs. Now I just need to catch up with my internship program, and finish the other part of the graphics project, and update my kid's website. Then I can really start focusing on my raw-riffic food website. I really want to start doing more and more with the whole raw food lifestyle, and incorporate it into my career as well as diet. I don't know to what capacity yet, but I do know I really dig all of it. And since I absolutely love the web, art, and computers, I think eventually I can figure out something to tie it all together, and include "raw" as my theme...

Anyway, a while back I brought up the idea of doing a juice feast. Then I brought up the idea of doing the master cleanse. Just for the record, I'm still very interested in both! However, the fact of the matter is, I need more information on it as far as how fasting or feasting will be on me, if I'm still forced to take the pain meds to deal with my chronic sciatica. I know it wouldn't hurt, but I really would like to wean off the "drugs" first...if you know what I mean.

Well, I need to get off to bed. I'm taking a day off tomorrow from work to rest, and then go to the doctor. I'll post more tomorrow. To follow is my daily raw for the past three days. Hope all of you have a pleasant evening, and a fantastic tomorrow!

Saturday, 1/26/08
4 almond vanilla snackeroons
3 pieces cherry, walnut, orange raw granola
1 sandwich (sprouted buckwheat sun bread, with avocado, cucumber, tomato, romaine lettuce, marinated portabello mushrooms)
2 bananas
6oz berry smoothie
handful raw corn chips
1 piece sprouted buckwheat sun bread with avocado
3 pieces of sushi (not truly raw -- only the fish)
1 sesame snap smart monkey bar
5 dates
1 cup symfre tea
lots and lots and lots of water

Sunday, 1/27/08
6oz berry smoothie
24oz berry breakfast shake with maca powder
1/2 banana
2 sandwich (sprouted buckwheat sun bread, with avocado, cucumber, tomato, romaine lettuce, marinated portabello mushrooms)
handful corn chips
2 almond vanilla snackeroons
1 small bowl cherry, walnut, orange raw granola, with almond nut milk
1 date
1 carob brownie
1 piece of an Asian pear
12oz mango, parsley, romaine lettuce, and water smoothie
1 bowl of cacao, macadamia nut, coconut iced cream, and cacao sauce with lucuma
lots and lots and lots of water

Monday, 1/28/08
6oz berry smoothie
24oz raw body shake
1 carob smart monkey bar
1 almond vanilla snackeroon
12oz mango, parsley, romaine lettuce, and water smoothie
1 banana
1 small bowl of cacao, macadamia nut, coconut iced cream, and cacao sauce with lucuma
1 bowl of buttery pasta (zucchini, portabello mushrooms, tomato, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sea salt, and cold pressed olive oil)
3 slices of the sprouted buckwheat sun bread, with raw coconut butter and sea salt spread
lots and lots and lots of water


Ta-ta for now!

- Debbie :)

Unbaking success, and my daily raw for Friday

I'm happy to say, my recipe for bread/crackers came out great! I brought some broken pieces, and an avocado to work with me so I could share it with co-workers. I got everybody to try it, with the exception of 3 people - not bad. And the consensus was that everyone loved it, and were amazed that it was "raw"!

This was also the first time I successfully sprouted anything. In this case it was Buckwheat. In addition to the Buckwheat, there is sunflower seeds, flax seeds, spices, and veggies. It's very yummy! For dinner I made two nice sized sandwiches with the bread, that had delicious veggies, and marinated portebello slices.


So, since I started out with my bread recipe. I might as well list my daily raw for the day.

Today I had my usual 6oz berry smoothie
24oz raw body shake
2 handfuls of raw almonds (love it)
2 carob brownies
1 mango, parsley, and romaine lettuce with water smoothie
1 banana
several pieces of my sprouted buckwheat sun bread with avocado
the delicious sandwich featured above, that included romaine lettuce, avocado, tomato, cucumber, and portobello slices marinated with bragg's amino acids, in between two pieces of the sprouted buckwheat sun bread. By the way, I had two of these sandwiches...
then for desert I had a big desert glass of my raw iced cream creation made of cacao, fresh coconut meat, macadamia nuts, dates, agave and vanilla. This was topped with bananas, and a delicious raw syrup made of lucuma, carob, mesquite, cacao, water, agave, and SweetLeaf liquid dark chocolate stevia. This syrup concoction was actually inspired by a similar recipe found on Raw Rob's site.

And of course, plenty of water throughout the day. I'm drinking some right now. :)

Tonight I also made a big batch of raw carob brownies for one of my closest friends. She's allergic to chocolate (imagine that), and wants so much to try new treats that aren't as bad for her, or as fattening. So, "RAW" it is! I'm sure she will enjoy them. I basically use the same recipe as the cacao brownies I made before. Simple and tasty!

Well, as far as my sciatica goes, it's still bothering me something awful. Obviously the pain meds help take the edge off, and my raw food helps keep my overall energy and health in check. However, I'm unable to exercise, which is not good; and I find it hard to sleep well, or relieve myself with ease. This is because the nerve pain shoots from my hip and groin area all the way down to my toes of my right leg. It's terrible. I mean it! I know I'm a broken record, but I'm serious when I say I need to get into the chiropractor, and can't wait till then...it should be real soon. I just have to be patient.

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy reading about raw food, writing about raw food, preparing raw food, meeting others who enjoy raw food, teaching others and sharing with them the joys of raw food, and eating (of course) raw food.

I'm going to call it a night. Hope all of you have had a great Friday, and that you will have a terrific weekend too!

Good night all!

- Debbie

My daily raw and more

Well, to start off with, I should list my daily raw intake for the past three days.

Tuesday, 1/22/08, I ate...

6oz berry smoothie

24oz raw body shake

12oz banana and romaine lettuce smoothie

2 bowls raw tomato soup (yum, yum)

3-4 handfuls raw corn chips (dipped in my soup)

2 handfuls nuts

1 gala apple

5 carob brownies (very good)

and lots and lots of water

Wednesday, 1/23/08, I ate...

6oz berry smoothie

24oz raw body shake

12oz mango, parsley, and romaine lettuce smoothie

2 handfuls mixed nuts

5 dates

3 carob brownies

1 apple

1 banana

handful of raw coconut meat

1 smart monkey bar

1 raw vegan bar

1 cup raw coconut water

2 1/2 raw almond butter nut cookies

lots and lots and lots of water

(I was in a lot of pain more than usual. Since I had to take pain meds, and because I didn't eat enough, I was a little nauseous for a while. I have to learn to eat more calories when I'm going through this "pain" issue).

Today, Thursday, 1/24/08

6oz berry smoothie

24oz raw body shake

12oz raw green juice feast (tomato, cucumber, romaine lettuce, parsley, apple, and water)

2 carob brownies

1/2 cup raw cacao, coconut, macadamia nut iced cream

1 smart monkey carob bar

5 raw veggie rolls (cauliflower, carrot, cucumber, celery, parsley, red bell pepper, mushrooms, sesame seeds, avocado, nama shoyu, sea salt, raw nori sheets)

1 banana

3 dates

handful raw almonds

lots and lots and lots of water

Well that puts me up to date with my daily raw. Now for today's update on me...

I'm still dealing with my chronic pain, and looking forward to making arrangements with the chiropractor, and seeing my doctor. Fortunately, my friend at work is a masseuse, and has been giving me massages to work the painful areas during our breaks at work. I'm grateful for that.

Today I tried to take it easy at work, and at home. The only thing I pushed was making my veggie rolls...which were delicious! I was inspired once again by another recipe found at the sunny raw kitchen site. Carmella has great stuff!

Anyway, tomorrow I plan to make my girlfriend some carob brownies. She is allergic to cacao, but likes sweet things. I'm trying to help convert her to raw...at least vegan...then hopefully, maybe raw. She and her daughter are already vegetarian, and trying to make changes in their diet. I know she's looking forward to the brownies. She's always interested in trying my goodies -- as most of my friends and co-workers are...lol.
I also plan to finish up my graphics art assignment over the weekend. No need to drag it out any longer. Then if time permits, I'll try to catch up on my participation in the internship program. Other than that, I need to just do what I can, and not try to do it all at the same time. Well, I think I'll turn in for tonight. I'll have more tomorrow. It's Friday you know!

Have a great night, and a great tomorrow!

ttfn - Debbie :)