15 Green Smoothies

Here’s why I love the Boutenko’s. It couldn’t be an easier than this to get your greens in.

 

Hydroponic Gardening

My mom gave me this great Long English Cucumber. I love cucumbers and I juice them often, but this one was different. It was “packaged” wrapped in a tight plastic and stated hydroponically grown.  I guess I’ve been living under a rock because I have never heard this term before. I ran to the computer to learn more and to my surprise, I knew exactly what it was, just didn’t know there was a name for it.

Here are some facts I learned:

What are the benefits of hydroponic growing?

Cultivating plants hydroponically is an easy and environmentally sound way to grow a wide variety of healthy plants. It offers numerous benefits over growing in soil, including:
• Plants grow up to 50% faster because they have easy access to food and water.
• Plants become “vacation-proof” and “neglect-resistant” as rockwool retains water so well, you only need to water every three to six weeks.
• Plants can “tell” you when to water, because they droop before wilting and damage occurs.
• The absence of a buffer in the growing medium means plants get all the nutrients available (they don’t remain “bound up” as occurs in buffered mediums like peat moss and coco fiber).
• Little or no pesticides are necessary. Plants start our in a disease-free medium.
• If disease occurs, it may only affect one plant, not a whole row.
• You use smaller containers, because the roots can grow throughout the media without being root bound.

Hydroponics Is Simple
Plants don’t use soil; they use the food and water that are in the soil. Hydroponics basically is growing plants without soil because it is simply a more efficient way to provide food and water to your plants. Soil’s function is to hold nutrients and anchor plants’ roots. In a hydroponic garden you provide your plants’ roots so they have easier access to the food and water.

In a soil garden, food and water are randomly scattered; plants have to expend a lot of energy growing roots to find them. In a hydroponic garden, the food is dissolved in the water so it goes directly to the roots. The plants will grow quicker and be ready for harvest sooner because their growth will be above the surface, not under it. Since the root systems will be compact and not competing for food and water, you may also have many more plants in a given space.

Hydroponics Is Not New
Hydroponics has existed in different forms for thousands of years. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon used hydroponic techniques. Today hydroponic installations can be found in all 50 states and many countries around the world. In fact, in colder climates, a majority of vegetable and flower crops are grown hydroponically.

I LOVE this idea and now that we’ve settled into our new house, I can consider starting the garden. The photo alone make me want to do this. It’s visually stunning to me and such a cool idea.

~Rawma

 

COCONUT KEFIR

 

Getting the “Glow” LIVING RAW FOOD

I Just got my latest Raw/Living Uncook Book in the mail and I am so excited. I’ve been wanting to get this one for months now. Sometimes I loiter around Barnes & Noble, or Bloomsbury Books in Ashland reading through the Health section, or flipping through raw books that I don’t already have. Since I’m on a bartering, exchange kick right now, I’ve decided not to purchase anything new unless I can trade for it. I’ve always enjoyed a good bargain, but this is a new level of creativity for me.

Here’s a perfect example- Since we’re prepping for an upcoming move, I’m in clean out – purge mode. We just don’t need some of the items we have. I had been wanting a cruiser bicycle for some time. I decided to post a barter trade on Craigslist and to my suprise, I had a new beach cruiser within 48 hours! My son and I went for a nice early ride this morning. I haven’t owned a bike in over 15 years, so this is really a treat for me.

Back to the book…I sold some books on Amazon and used that money to get this new book. YEAH! Sarma Melngailis writes in a way that makes you feel like Raw is easy, which it is but sometimes it looks complicated in how it’s presented. I haven’t been to New York, but when I go I will definately grab some food at her restaurant PURE FOOD AND WINE. I’m looking forward to making some of her Congo Bars and Coconut-Lime Cookies. I’ve lent out my dehydrator to a friend, so in the meantime, I’ll be making her KEY LIME PIE SHAKE for breakfast. Try it with me.

KEY LIME PIE SHAKE
1 1/2 cups fresh apple juice (3 apples any variety)
1/2 c fresh squeezed lime juice (3 limes)
1 ripe avocado
2 bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract (or fresh vanilla bean seeds)
2 Tbsp agave

Puree all ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

 

Sprouting Seeds

There are many different seeds you can sprout. Pick the ones you love and begin to play with your living food. The health benefits are tremendous when you eat sprouts of all kinds. I like to sprout sunflower seeds and lentils. After drying them out, I sprinkle with my favorite seasoning so I can snack on them throughout the day.

Directions to Sprout Sunflower Seeds
Here are the basic steps to sprout sunflower seeds.

Purchase sunflower seeds for sprouting: To make sunflower seed sprouts, you must start with organic, hulled sunflower seeds. The kind you can buy at the grocery store are usually roasted and salted or at the least, just roasted, which kills the enzymes inside the sprout, making them unable to grow. There are plenty of sources for sunflower seeds: Health food stores, grocery chains such as Whole Foods Markets and Fresh Fields, and online sources such as Sprout People.
Cull the bad seeds: After purchasing the seeds, go through the seeds and remove any that are discolored or look funny. Rinse the seeds under cool water. It may be helpful to place the seeds in a fine mesh strainer, rinse, then pour them into your bowl or sprouting jar.
Find a sprouting bowl or jar: Sunflower seeds sprouts can be sprouted in a plain ceramic or glass bowl, or you can use a Mason jar or sprouting jar. Because they soak rather than sprout, you will only need to keep them in water for a few hours before they’re ready to eat.
Pour about 1 cup of seeds into the bowl. If you think that will make too much for you to eat, reduce the amounts but keep the proportion of 1 to 3 (1 portion of seeds to 3 portions of water).
Add 3 cups of cool water.
Soak for two hours.
Drain the water.
Rinse with cool water
Enjoy…they’re ready to eat!
Sunflower seed sprouts should never develop leaves or roots. Look for sprouts that just have a bit peeking out from the seeds. That’s a sign of a good, wholesome, nutritious sprout.

Storage
If you must, you can store sunflower seed sprouts for a few days but they don’t store well. The secret to longer storage is to pat them dry and store them in a cool spot in the fridge. Cover the glass bowl or jar or pour the sprouts into a plastic bag to store them.

Enjoy!

 

Mama Chelseas “Rawnola” Review

I had the pleasure of meeting a new Raw Friend here in Ashland where I live. I was so excited to learn about her business. It’s refreshing to meet people who really want to make an impact on the health of others and who care about their well being. These are some of the most endearing characteristics of raw foodies.

This rawlnola is unique and tasty. There are at lest two flavors that I know of, but my favorite is the Cacao Gogi. I love it to snack on , or as cereal with almond milk. It’s super yummy.

Mama Chelsea’s Rawnola is rolling out to many of our local stores and co-ops in Southern Oregon. As her website gets developed, I’ll post a link to her site so you can try it for yourselves.

 

RAW PIZZA…OH YEA

Dehydrated Crust:

I use the Excalibur dehydrator to make perfect crusts that can also double as great crackers or tostada flatties.

½ cup ground flax seeds
Water to cover ground flax seeds, approximately 1 cup
1 cup soaked raw almonds
2 cups soaked raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw buckwheat ground
½ cup ground Deluxe Veggie Blend

(Jaffe Bros. blend of dehydrated cubed carrots, onions, tomatoes, celery, parsley, green peas, and green bell peppers)

1 lemon juiced
1 clove garlic
4 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 level Tb. of Real Salt (or to taste)
2 Tbs. Spice Hunter Italian Pizza Seasoning
1 Tb. Spice Hunter Garlic Herb Bread Seasoning ¼-1/2 cup water to adjust consistency before spreading on dehydrator sheets

Instructions:

1. Grind flax seeds to powder and place in a bowl with water, enough to cover over the flax powder. Stir ground flax seeds into water and let thicken while you work on the rest of the crust ingredients. Set aside.

2. Rinse and drain soaked seeds and nuts and add them to your Cuisinart (food processor) with all the remaining ingredients. Mix well until you have a smooth thick paste consistency. You may have to stop and stir a few times to get this mix well blended. Adjust with water at the end until you have a good consistency that can be rolled out with a rolling pin or pressed in a tortilla press between two pieces of thick plastic. (I use the plastic bags that my Jaffe products come packaged in)

3. Make pizza crust rounds the desired size. I like to make them smaller for individual size pizzas (5-7 inches in diameter). Once you get them pressed in between your plastic sheets, carefully peel down top plastic layer to expose the top side of the crust, then flip it over onto the dehydrator sheet and carefully peel down the remaining plastic sheet. (For the dehydrator, you can use a teflex sheet or I use the screened sheet with small holes in it to allow the crust to dehydrate on both sides evenly) Dehydrate the crusts overnight.

Almond Cheese/Mayo

This fluffy creamy spread is so concentrated and rich. Use it anywhere (wraps, pizzas, celery filling or where ever you would used mayonnaise) Quickly blanch the almonds to easily remove the brown skins.

2 cups soaked almonds blanched (place in boiling water for 30 seconds, cool and pinch skins off. Discard skins)
1 lemon juiced
½ tsp.-1 tsp. Real Salt (to taste)
¼ cup olive oil (or oil of choice: Coconut, Udo’s. Grapeseed)
¼ tsp. ground mustard
½ cup water
¼ tsp. Spice Hunter Café Sole Seasoning (mix of lemon, pepper, onion and sea salt)

Instructions:

Place all wet ingredients into Cuisinart. With the Cuisinart running drop the blanched almonds through the top opening to blend well and emulsify to a thick fluffy consistency. Scrape sides and stir if needed. Adjust consistency with water if needed. Refrigerate mixture in an airtight container.

Sauce for Pizza

2 cartons/pkgs Cherry or Grape Tomatoes (or four regular tomatoes)
1 Tb. dried oregano (can use fresh if desired)
½ cup sun dried tomatoes (I use olive oil packed) 1/3 cup fresh Basil
½ tsp. Real Salt
1 clove garlic (remove middle section of clove to quiet odors)
To thicken sauce use 1 tsp.-1 Tb. of psyllium seed husk

Place all ingredients into Cuisinart and pulse chop to chunky consistency. Set aside

Toppings for Pizza

Choose any of the following toppings to sprinkle over the top of the pizzas

Shredded/julienne zucchini, carrots, jicama, Shredded cabbage, romaine lettuce, beets etc. Minced Raw Spinach or bell peppers

Instructions:

Place crust on counter and spread with a thick layer of Almond Cheese/Mayo. Spread a thick layer of Pizza Tomato Sauce over the Cheese Sprinkle toppings over the top and serve immediately. YUMMY!!!!!!

Sauces will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. Pizza Crusts will keep for up to two weeks if kept dry and cool.

 

Raw Thanksgiving

As I plan my Thanksgiving Menu, I am reminded about the choices that we all make and the way a habit can so deeply become engrained into our daily lives.

In a family of four, I am the only one who has really embraced the power of a raw food lifestyle. Although I vary in the degree of raw % on a daily basis, my intent is clear to incorporate cleaner food choices for myself and my family into everything that I make. Since we are having company this holiday, and they each have very traditional SAD diets, I have decided to gently present RAW choices that are delicious and simple so everyone can enjoy the benefits without feeling the pressure of eating what the hostess prepares even if they don’t like it. That’s really the joy of Raw preparation. Pretty much everyone likes the ingredients, but they have never tried them together in a dish that hasn’t been cooked. For example, cooked carrots,peas and beans. Many people eat them cooked, but haven’t had the pleasure of a fresh sweet crunchy pea. Make selections this holiday that will showcase the simplicity of Raw and give your company a suprise with the new twist on traditional dishes, or add in a new dish like Matt Amsden’s cauliflower couscous, or fresh cranberry salad.

Tell me about your Raw Thanksgiving Menu.

~RawMa

 

Raw Menu Plans

These are hard to find and hard to make up as well. When you have transitioned from SAD to RAW, it can be very challenging to know what your body needs. Yes, you will get more vitamins and minerals by primarily eating raw veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds but is this everything you need? As you begin to feel the effects of the dietary change, you will begin to question your body and add, or subtract some of what you are eating until it feels right.

It is also a good idea to consult with a nutritionist for your individual needs.

A good foundation to start with is to follow along with David Wolfe’s Sunfood Diet Success System. Below is a sample from his book.

The All-Raw Diet Weekly Menu (Fall/Winter):

Day 1: Monday Morning: 2 young coconuts, with coconut meat and water blended together in a cream. If young coconuts cannot be found, blend 2 avocados with mature coconut water.

Afternoon: 5 oranges. 2 avocados. Spinach leaves.

Snack: 3 oranges.

Evening: One large spinach salad containing cucumber, tomato, and green onion salad with 1 avocado and fresh-squeezed lemon.

Day 2: Tuesday Morning: One large papaya eaten whole or blended with orange or lime juice.

Afternoon: 4 oranges. One small green-leafed vegetable salad (containing kale or spinach) with 10-20 almonds and fresh-squeezed lemon.

Snack: 2 oranges.

Evening: Large salad containing 80% green-leafed vegetables, 2 avocados, cayenne pepper, and an orange squeezed as dressing. 1 quart (1 liter) of freshly made vegetable juice containing at least 60% green vegetables, 40% other vegetables or fruits (i.e. squash, peppers, okra, etc.).

Day 3: Wednesday Morning: 1 quart (1 liter) of freshly-made orange juice mixed with 1/2 avocado or 3 teaspoons of flax seed oil. (Mixing a fat with a sugar for breakfast will time-release the sugar for more endurance energy).

Afternoon: Cucumber, 10 pitted dates, lettuce mixed salad. Squeeze an orange into the salad as dressing.

Snack: 2 persimmons. Assorted green leaves (lettuce, spinach, endive).

Evening: Large salad containing 80% green-leafed vegetables eaten with 1-2 cups of raw nuts, and an orange squeezed as dressing. Add several servings of raw dulse seaweed to the salad. Add 30-40 Sun-ripened olives (if available).

Day 4: Thursday Morning: 2 large pomegranates and 3 oranges cut and juiced on a citrus juicer. Blend with 0.5 ounces (0.015 liters) flax oil if desired.

Afternoon: 8 dried prunes. Silicon salad! (see Appendix C: Sunfood Recipes).

Snack: 2 asian pears. Assorted greens (kale, spinach, baby bok choy).

Evening: Nori rolls! Be creative! (see Appendix C: Sunfood Recipes).

Day 5: Friday Morning: 8 tangerines. 1 avocado.

Afternoon: Cucumber, okra, zucchini, onion mixed salad. Add high-quality extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil as dressing

Snack: 2 tangerines. 1 grapefruit.

Evening: Large salad containing 80% green-leafed vegetables, 2 avocados, and an orange squeezed as dressing. 1 quart (1 liter) of freshly made vegetable juice containing at least 60% green vegetables (including 3 ribs of celery), 40% other vegetables or fruits (i.e. asparagus, apple, cucumber, etc.).

Day 6: Saturday Morning: 1 Papaya mixed with lettuce or mixed with 1 avocado.

Afternoon: 1 cup (0.25 liters) of wheatgrass juice blended or juiced with 3-4 apples or 1 quart (1 liter) of freshly-made vegetable juice containing at least 50% celery, 50% apples or pears.

Snack: 2 apples. 10 almonds.

Evening: Large salad containing 80% green-leafed vegetables (including kale or spinach), 2 avocados, and high-quality extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil as dressing. Add 8 pitted dates to the salad for added zest.

Day 7: Sunday Morning: No breakfast.

Afternoon: 1 quart (1 liter) of freshly made vegetable juice containing at least 60% green vegetables (including 3 ribs of celery), 40% other vegetables or fruits (i.e. jicama, pumpkin, etc.).

Snack: 2 pears. 1 zucchini.

Evening: Large salad containing 80% green-leafed vegetables, 3 avocados, and a lemon or lime squeezed as dressing.

 

Wheat Grass’ secret weapon is…

CHLOROPHYLL! When you consume wheat grass for a few days in a row, you begin to notice many benefits (no, it’s not the flavor). If you do nothing else but add in a few shots of wheat grass every week to your diet, you will see massive improvements to your mental clarity, vision, skin and digestion among a few. Chlorophyll is most abundant in wheat grass, green leafy vegetables, barley grass and certain forms of algae. To get chlorophyll benefits, you may want to increase your current consumption level of all of these foods. You can also purchase liquid chlorophyll in health food stores but my favorite way to get it is from fresh Wheat Grass.

Chlorophyll is widely believed to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which means that it can be useful in helping to heal the body in a variety of different ways. It is also considered to be an internal deodorizer and if you purchase the liquid form of chlorophyll, you can use it as a mouthwash.
Get your fill of liquid sunshine today and feel the energy!