• Summer Slaw

    by  • July 4, 2014 • 0 Comments

    Summer Slaw … the perfect meal or side dish! serves 6

    salad:

    1 head napa cabbage, sliced thin

    2 carrots shredded

    1 cup peas

    1 cup corn

    1/4 cup dill, chopped

    sauce:

    1 1/4 cups cashews

    1 small handful dill

    1 small handful chives

    1 clove garlic – optional

    1 tsp apple cider vinegar

    2 tsp turmeric powder

    1/2-1 tsp sea salt

    1 cup of water (add up to 1/4 cup more if needed)

    Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl & set aside.  Place all sauce ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor & blend until smooth.  Mixture should be slightly runny so that it pours.  Pour over salad ingredients & toss until well coated.  Eat up!  :-)

    Mangolicious Nice Cream

    by  • July 1, 2014 • 0 Comments

    Summer’s here & nothing helps you beat the heat like some fresh mango nice cream.  It tastes soooo darn good.  I hope you love this as much as we do here in my GGR kitchen!

    Mangolicious Nice Cream – serves 4

    1/3 cup pecans or almonds (or go nut-free)

    1/2 cup water

    1 Tbs coconut nectar (or other liquid sweetener)

    2  cups frozen mango

    1-2 sprigs of mint leaves

    Place nuts, water & sweetener in your high speed blender or food processor & blend until smooth.  Add in frozen mango & blend until smooth & creamy like soft serve ice cream.  (If you are blending in a vitamix you will need to use the tamper & if you are using a food processor you will have to scrape down the sides of the container several times along the way).  Serve immediately  & garnish with fresh mint OR try blending the mint right into the nice cream.  Nice cream stores great in the freezer in a tupperware dish–just thaw out 30 minutes before eating.  This is MANGO-LICIOUS … enjoy!

    Spring Cleaning!

    by  • May 9, 2014 • 0 Comments

    Spring cleaning!  :-) I started a juice feast on Monday … yippee!  I went into it thinking I would go 7 days, give or take a couple of days on either side.  I usually have a number in my head & am pretty determined to stick to it … but not this time.  I ended up eating dinner last night on day 4 … fresh veggies & kale chip crumbs, followed by a pear … I was feeling really hungry & emotional and I let myself follow my needs.  Could I have pushed through it?  Sure, & I often do.  But I didn’t want to.

    This morning I got up & juiced 2.5 quarts & decided to modify my feast into a cleanse.  I will continue to drink lots of juice, eat fresh fruit & enjoy 1 meal a day as I carry on with my spring cleaning a few more days.  While this wasn’t my original plan, sometimes we just have to listen to what our bodies are saying.  This is the perfect plan for me for where I am right now and I am grateful that I was able to pause and listen.

    Wishing you all a juicy weekend  & a very Happy Mother’s Day to all of you mamas!  You are such a gift to the world. xoxo  Thank you for being you.

    SPECIAL OFFER:

    And I wanted to invite you local peeps to join me on Monday night for my  ”Let’s RAWK the Greens” Class.  I am offering a 2 for 1 special … such a bargain for an evening of delicious, organic, raw vegan food learning, prep & eating.  I hope you will join me.  Just enter coupon code “2for1” and sign yourself & a friend or family member up … or maybe your favorite mom!  Click HERE to register.  And click here to see all of the other fun stuff on the calendar … juice/cocktails at liquid m2, potluck, book club & classes!

    Happy Weekend!  Here’s a juicy recipe for you:

    Mama Love Juice

    4 cups spinach

    5-6 carrots

    1 stalk celery

    3 apples

    1/2 cucumber

    1 small/medium red beet

    1/2 lemon or lime

    1/2 inch piece of ginger

    Run all ingredients through juicer & drink up!  :-)

    Mexican Fiesta

    by  • April 27, 2014 • 0 Comments

    Mexican & Pizza were always my 2 favorite cooked foods & now they are my favorite raw foods … especially Mexican.  With the amazing bursts of lime & cilantro & the fresh avocado, tomato & zip from peppers, raw vegan Mexican food is to LIVE for!

    I am going to share my taco meat recipe for you to try.  I love it with some fresh guac & salsa over a bed of greens, or in a cabbage leaf topped with all the taco fixings.  It doesn’t matter how you eat it … it’s just good!

    I have a Mexican Fiesta class coming up on Thursday evening & it is sure to rawk your world.  We will be making mojitos, chips, salsa, guac, sour cream, burritos, stuffed peppers, enchiladas & Mexican brownies.  I’m drooling just thinking about it.  Classes are fun, RAWlicious, hands on, educational & inspiring.

    We don’t hesitate to spend $50-$100 for a massage to take take care of our bodies, and my raw food classes are just another way for you to take care of yourself, and the information you take away can change your life.  I hope some of you local peeps can join me on Thursday evening from 6-8:15pm for a rawmazing dinner class:  You can register HERE.  And if you aren’t local, I hope you will seek out a raw food class in your area.

    Taco meat:
    1 cup walnuts
    5-6 sundried tomatoes, soaked 1-2 hours
    1 clove garlic
    1 Tbs cumin (or 2 tsp if you like a little less flavor)
    1 tsp coriander (or 1/2 tsp)
    1/2 tsp chili powder
    pinch or two sea salt
    Blend ingredients together in a food processor until it looks like taco meat. Serve as you would taco meat!

    Simple Cheeze Dip

    by  • April 1, 2014 • 0 Comments

    This cheese dip is great on any & everything!  Use it with veggie sticks, sliced apples, as a sandwich spread, a pizza cheese, thin it out for a yummy salad dressing, or drizzle over nachos.  Ok … now I’m hungry!

    Simple Cheeze Dip

    1 cup cashews or macadamia nuts

    1/2 cup water

    1-2 Tbs yellow onion

    2 tsp nutritional yeast

    1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

    1/2 tsp sea salt

    Place all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor & blend until smooth & creamy.  Scoop out into a bowl & eat up!

    Click here for a list of upcoming classes & events.

    Vegan Mashup Season 2

    by  • March 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

    It’s so important that we share the vegan lifestyle with others, don’t you think?  Reaching one person at a time is how we make a difference.  Think of the impact we could have by reaching thousands of people all over the country & world.  WOW!  Showing people that vegan food is delicious and satisfying is a win win, and TV is an incredible place to spread that message … join me in supporting Vegan Mashup Season 2!

    Don’t know what Vegan Mashup is?  Well, it’s an amazing cooking show produced by Delicious TV & it shares ALL vegan recipes.   Season 1 has aired over 6000 times across the country on PBS  & will continue to air for another year.  If you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it yet, you can view the entire season here for only $3.99!  There are 3 regular chefs on the show–Miyoko Schinner, Terry Hope Romero & Toni Fiore–and some guest chefs too, including yours truly.  :-) It’s such an honor to be a part of this RAWsome show.  I hope you will tune in & support Season 2.  I make a rawmazing beet ravioli on Season 2!

    Please help support Vegan Mashup Season 2 & give a few dollars!  We need to help spread the vegan love!

    Homemade Toothpaste

    by  • March 9, 2014 • 0 Comments

    It’s so easy to make your own toothpaste (& toiletries & household items in general) with simple wholesome ingredients.  I recently made some toothpaste & it’s a huge hit in our household … it tastes great & leaves your teeth feeling super clean.  Here’s the simple recipe:

    Sweet Orange Toothpaste

    3/4 cup coconut oil

    3 Tbs baking soda

    6-10 drops of sweet orange essential oil (or to taste) / or peppermint or any oil you love

    10 drops of liquid stevia (or to taste) / or 2-3 packets of stevia powder

    Place all ingredients in a food processor & blend until well combined.  Scoop out into a bowl or dish & keep in your bathroom.  Use as you would typical toothpaste.  YUMMMMM!

    Coconut Curry Soup

    by  • March 1, 2014 • 0 Comments

    Photo by Lauren Lear of Lola Studios

    Here’s a rawlicious warming soup for you to enjoy this weekend!  So easy & sooooo tasty!  It’s fine to warm it up on the stovetop — just stir over medium low heat until warm to touch.  YUMMMM!

    Coconut Curry Soup - Serves 4

    Soup:

    Meat & water from 1 baby thai coconut (alternative=1.5-2 cups water & 1 cup shredded coconut)

    1 cup corn

    ½ red pepper

    1 handful cilantro

    1 medjool date, pitted

    1 stalk celery

    1 tsp cumin

    ½ tsp turmeric

    ½ tsp curry powder

    1 tsp sea salt

    dash cayenne

    1 cup hot water

    Place all ingredients in a blender & blend until smooth.  Top with garnish items & serve.

    garnish: 

    ½ red pepper, diced

    1 handful cilantro, diced (I used pea shoots here)

    1 Tbs dulse or kelp flakes

    Taco Salad

    by  • January 31, 2014 • 0 Comments

    PERFECT for SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!  :-)

     Taco Salad - makes 4 Servings

    Taco meat:
    1 cup walnuts
    5-6 sundried tomatoes, soaked 1-2 hours
    1 clove garlic
    1 Tbs cumin
    1 tsp coriander
    1/2 tsp chili powder
    pinch or two sea salt
    Blend ingredients together in a food processor until it looks like taco meat. Place in the center of a platter & surround with salad toppings.

    Salad part:
    1 head green or red leaf lettuce, shredded
    2 tomatoes, diced
    1-2 ears or corn, corn removed (or 1 cup thawed frozen corn)
    ¼ cup of diced onion
    1 avocado, diced

    1/2 red pepper, diced
    ½ lemon or lime juiced
    Surround taco meat with shredded lettuce & top with remaining salad ingredients.  (Or top with your favorite salsa & guac recipes).

    Dressing:
    1 cup cashews
    1 1/4 cups of water
    a small handful cilantro
    zest from 1 lime
    juice from 1 lime
    1 clove garlic
    1/2 tsp sea salt
    Blend everything in a high speed until smooth & creamy. Pour into a 16 oz jar. Drizzle some over top of the salad & save the rest for later. Store in refrigerator.

    Food Coop

    by  • January 30, 2014 • 0 Comments

    Hey there rawk stars!

     

    I am a member of the Portland Food Co-op & I love it!  I love the great deals I get, the access to locally grown & organic food & the amazing sense of community that our coop embodies!  If you aren’t in the greater Portland area, I hope you will take a few minutes to explore co-ops in your area–they offer so much to our communities.


    If you are nearby … Have you seen the time and temperature building in Portland lately? It’s flashing “FOOD COOP” to tell the whole town that the Portland Food Co-op is opening a community owned retail grocery store, and we need you to join us as a Member-Owner (http://www.portlandfood.coop/join-now/).


    As a member-owner, I am excited that soon Portland will have a retail Food Co-op open 7 days a week open to the public in town because it means building community, providing healthy food to our community, and supporting our local economy … and they will carry our Kids Gone Raw snacks! Wooo-hoooo! In order to open the doors this September, we need 1400 Member-Owners –  we are already over halfway there!


    This week, while the whole town sees “FOOD COOP,” we plan to reach a major milestone, two-thirds of the member-owners needed to help open the store. If you are not already a member-owner will you join me today and become a member-owner online? (http://www.portlandfood.coop/join-now/)
    The time is right to join over 750 other current member-owners and help open the Portland Food Co-op store this Fall! www.portlandfood.coop/join-now/

    Thanks so much for considering joining the Co-op! I’m a huge fan of it & think you will love it too! :-) Elizabeth

    P.S. I want to make sure you know that you can easily become a member-owner online to help open the store and you will have no expected volunteer shifts.  Also, joining now means that you can give feedback on the design for the new store.  Join online here (http://www.portlandfood.coop/join-now/)

    P.S.S. Please share this with anyone else you think would be interested. It’s such an important time for the Co-op! We need you!

    So I Got the Flu

    by  • January 21, 2014 • 0 Comments

    I pride myself in keeping healthy … I make great choices around food, I have a regular yoga practice, I walk my dogs every day, I surround myself with people who feed my soul, my work is my passion … so imagine my surprise, when on the evening of day 15 of my juice feast I felt a sudden kick of ickiness.  Was I just cold & tired?  I thought maybe I was, so I went to bed & hoped for the best.  Well, I woke up with a fever & severe body aches.  WHAT?!!

    I was in denial & thought, “Oh, I’m just tired.  Afterall, how could I possibly get the flu when I’ve been putting 3-4 quarts of green juice in my body each day for over 2 weeks?”  I had been feeling AMAZING, light & energetic.  I had been practicing yoga daily & sleeping like a rock.  What happened?  I got the flu & I got it bad–that’s what happened.  I had a high fever for 48 hours & was unable to get up & dressed for 4 days.  I feel so much better today, but I am still not back to my old tricks–I have a cough & very  limited energy.  I had to let go of my juice feast (I have continued with 1-2 quarts of juice a day & have added in some vegan & raw vegan soups).  I felt a little discouraged to not be able to continue with my goal of 31 days of juice, but listening to my body is important & it wanted warm, soft food.

    Getting the flu really gave me a chance to reflect on where I went wrong in my self-care regime.  Nutrition will only get you so far.  Exercise will only get you so far.  Sleep will only get you so far.  Stress management will only get you so far.  BUT, combine good nutrition, regular exercise, 7-8 hours of sleep a night, & stress-management  through down time & you have balance, and with balance you will have health.  When one or more of these things gets out of balance, you put yourself at risk for getting sick, and that was my mistake!

    I skimped out on the 7-8 hours of sleep a night & taking regular down time for myself.  December is my busiest month of the year–I pack 3 months of work into 3 weeks.  I worked around the clock, 7 days a week, in my studio painting adorable pets for people to give as Christmas gifts & then I had all of the family celebrating & parties … so much going on.  I did take the Fri-Mon after Christmas off to relax, but apparently, that was not nearly enough time.  I need to give my body the gift of down time each week, not just once in awhile.

    I have now reformatted my schedule to include 48 hours of down time /play time / ME time each week, and I am really looking forward to it!  2014 is the year of balance & ME time so that I can continue to live my best life!  Yeah for self-care!  In fact, I have signed up for a “Self Care=Heart Centered Success” workshop with my friend, Britt Bolnick, of In Arms Coaching, on Sat, Feb 1st from 1-4pm.  It’s only $10.  Who wants to join me?

    Wishing you all a joyful week!  STAY WARM & HEALTHY!  :-)

    Juicy January

    by  • January 16, 2014 • 0 Comments

    Today is day 16 of my juice feast.  I am hoping to go for 31 days, but am taking things day by day.  I have been feeling really good from the start, which is such a blessing & gift!  My juices have been delicious & satisfying, my body has felt vibrant, I haven’t suffered headaches and I have had no problem maintaining my normal level of activity … until this morning.  Last night I got hit with a sudden feeling of ickiness & have come down with something … cough & sore throat.  I suspect my green juices will help me bounce back quickly! In any case, my only real challenge has been staying warm–I have to dress in layers & always have a scarf & hat near by.  I drink lots of herbal teas & occasional homemade mugs of miso/veggie soup broth to warm my core.

    For me a juice feast is mind over matter.  I set a goal & I just keep plugging along day by day with little question of whether or not I am going to continue.  I have had a couple of moments where something riled me & I found that my mind immediately wandered to food.  Interesting observation, huh?!  I’m sure I turn to food for many reasons that do not have to do with hunger & I will do my best to carry this awareness with me as I move forward.  :-)

    Juice feasting gives me a feeling lightness, mental clarity, sharper vision, more focus, weightloss (my clothes are fitting great!) & just an overall sense of balance & wellness (despite the cold that I seem to have gotten) … & that is why I return to juice feasting several times a year!

    CLASS: If you are interested in experiencing a juice feast, please join me for my juice feast class next Tues, Jan 21st.  We will learn about juices, juicers, how to plan for, complete & end a fast.  We will make 5 rawlicious juices together & drink them up!  You will get a detailed handout, a shopping list & 3-5 day juice feast meal plan.  And there will be a private Juice Feast group on facebook for sharing!  We will also have a meeting on Sun, Jan 26th to share, drink juice & learn about how to properly end a fast. Click here to register!

    VIRTUAL FEAST: I am also offering a virtual plan so that everyone can participate. You will receive a detailed handout on Tues, Jan 21st with shopping list, juice feast meal plan & access to the private facebook group.  Click HERE to purchase this option.

    Juicing changes lives for the better!  Let it change yours!